The pond freely admits that it stayed overlong in bed this morning because (a) it was almost Tamworth nippy, and (b) the pond was expecting the dog botherer to be out and about and couldn't bear the thought of another parade of his suffering ...
As it turned out, the lizard Oz seemed to be dog botherer free, and so there was no voice ... or put it another way, plenty of voices, but none as full of angst ...
There was a woman so insecure that she had to wear a T-shirt identifying that she was a woman, there was Dame Slap, still blathering on about the Lehrmann matter and earning an automatic red card, and there was "Ned", the pond's endless torment and sorrow, and immediately King Lear's suffering came to mind ...
Thou art a soul in tedious self-satisfied bliss, but I am bound
Upon a wheel of fire, that mine own tears
Do scald like molten lead.
The one thing that stuck in the craw was that persistent reptile habit of re-timing things so that they looked garden fresh (how about a T-shirt proclaiming 'veggie garden'?)
Last night the pond took a screen snap, and at that point, around 11 pm, the reptiles lead story was proclaimed to be 56 minutes fresh ...
...and then today, some eight hours later, it's 40 minutes ago fresh ...
Go figure. The pond has no idea why the reptiles do it, except that perhaps they're so used to lying, that a small bit of lying seems like the kind of window-dressing you find in retail, where you scrape off the mould on the fruit ... then put it at the top of the heap and hope it sells before the mould returns.
Never mind, desperate to avoid a mouldy encounter with mouldy "Ned", the pond looked down below the fold for fresh fodder, but drew a blank ...
Polonius simply had to be saved for the morrow, and sorry the bouffant one's idea that "Noalition" was a splendid marketing ploy could only lead to a no. And there was the oscillating fan, purporting to be ironic with a 'spend up big' jolly jape for his reptile chums...
The pond even dug up the lizard Oz editorialist, only to find that the jaded hack behind it had turned to recycling our Henry from yesterday...
The pathetic sanctimonious old bigot lecturing others on questions of objectivity? The pond let out a Shylockian horse laugh ...
How funding the ABC gnaws at them, how the pond relishes reptile discomfort and happiness, how the pond loves to sup on their tears ...
The pond can only offer that as consolation for any correspondent inclined to go right off at that pathetic recycling.
But what else? Well the ongoing situation in Victoria is of passing bemusement, so the pond gave Fergo a go, a way of doing a warm-up act for Polonius on the morrow.
The pond won't be trying that experiment again any time soon. Oh sure there were comedy highlights, but talk of a broad church as a way of embracing fruitcakes is just a little too Xmas too early for the pond ...
No, there was nothing for it, the pond had to serve up nattering "Ned", while remembering that a correspondent had asked if there was any sign of actual analysis in a "Ned" outing, as opposed to a meaningless word salad...
Here, if ever there was, is a perfect example of a "Ned" word salad ...
That almost made the pond wonder if it might be better off with a socialist serve of Salt on its chips celebrating socialist housing ...
But why should the pond expect a castle, when it has an attendant lord yammering away in a slightly deaf ear?
Never mind, just two gobbets to go, and then the pond can put down the hammer, and yet another correspondent might walk away bewildered, wondering if that's all there is, and possibly even humming the tune ...
And so to the final gobbet, and at least a temporary end to the pain and suffering, because too much word salad bloats the mind as well as the stomach ...
That's the best "Ned" can do with regard to nuking the country?
And the pond had to endure all that just so it could take a seat at the immortal Rowe's table? So it seems and apologies to anyone who survived the marathon, and yet at last, here we are ... but perhaps avoid the spectre at the end of the table ...
The pond should have stayed in bed. It would have missed the dragon lurking in the corner at the feast, but on the other hand it would have missed the spectre, raising an existential question for the pond's consideration. Was "Ned" channeling the spectre, or was the spectre channeling "Ned"? It's all in the details ... but remember in a word salad, you can only expect desiccated coconut ...and don't worry about the suffering of readers, hold the empathy ...
So, today's Mr Ed reckons that 'Honest Johnnie' Howard believes that "While it would have been wrong of Australia to continue to accept all-white teams from apartheid-era South Aftrica, he said, neither side in the voice [note 'v' instead of 'V'] debate could claim moral superiority." Well maybe so, but is it right for the anti-Voice side to continually display its moral inferiority ?
ReplyDeleteBesides, doesn't 'impartiality" demand that apartheid be properly presented and projected ? As it was by great even-handed and impartial politicians such as Joh Bjelke-Petersen in his day. And if Joh was with us still, what 'impartial' position would he favour in the V/voice "debate" ?
But I do love this: "Australia's past, like that of all nations, needed to be assessed accurately. There were many flaws and failures,..." There "were"? But there isn't any now, all done with, no flaws and failures now, is there, just a wonderful, just and loving accommodation with the people who were invaded, massacred, indentured, recruited into "law enforcement" to kill others of their kind, taken into service in our foreign wars and never paid for it ... Yeah, certainly there "were" flaws and failures, but absolutely none whatsoever now, is there.
How did you guess the pond's topic for tomorrow GB? The pond is feeling positively gazumped by the way everybody else gets the best deplorables ...
DeleteGotta win one occasionally, DP. Now if I only knew what I was guessing, I might try more often.
Delete“No one sensible is suggesting that Deeming is an extreme right winger”
ReplyDeleteWell, guess I’d better throw out that 4-pack of “Captain Sensible” beer that I just bought…..
And please, Reptiles - can we come up an alternative to calling the Liberal Party a “broad church”? It’s bullshit, and always was bullshit, but surely you’re all paid enough to be a little more varied and creative in your lying?
I dunno, Anony, isn't 'broad' just another way of saying 'thick'?
ReplyDeleteI think it was Guy Rundle who suggested it wasn’t so much a broad church as Broadchurch as seen on British television, a small village populated by deranged psychopaths.
DeleteThe strange little village of Royston Vasey from “The League of Gentlemen” may be another appropriate comparison, BF!
DeleteBook, movie or TV sitcom, Anony ? It seems that all of them just simply passed me by. But hey, the sitcom appears to have a real 'drag character' in it - a rival for Barry ?
DeleteDear Dorothy - while I can understand that the pond has no interest at all in examining what “Ned” had to say, might I be permitted a more general observation.
ReplyDeleteFor those of us who find many good reasons to be alive, particularly now, when so much interesting writing is available at minimal cost, all kinds of great music can be summoned in an instant, and the ‘Wiki’ is available in similar time to help with our understanding of fact and detail behind what we are thinking about - it is continually disappointing to see that “Ned” can consider what happens in our parliamentary bodies only as tactics in a competition - a competition that has about as much to do with enhancing the lives of citizens as does drag racing.
His collection of words fluttering from the flagship for the weekend is a recognisable example - if Dutton does this, Chalmers should do that, but events in the Untied States may force Chalmers to do something else, which would give Dutton an opportunity to wedge Albanese.
Yes, we have mentioned here Lord Northcliffe’s dictum that newspapers were not to sell news, but to sell the controversy around that news, and we have noted that the rising Keith Murdoch attached himself to the then Baron Northcliffe, to their mutual benefit, but it seems too much to hope that writers of the eminence that “Ned” arrays around himself, might choose issues of real significance to how we live, as the core of the controversies that they wish to advance, to ensure next fortnight’s deposit to their bank accounts.
Oh very tricky, Chad, you got your comment in just before I was claiming no comments so far for 'Ned'. But in a real sense, you didn't make one anyway: consider: "'Ned' can consider what happens in our parliamentary bodies only as tactics in a competition". Spot on, mate, because really, as I said, it's all and only about Dutton's intent to reestablish the Coalition's "election winning machine"
Deleteand nothing at all about Australia, Australians and the extreme difficulties of life in a changing climate over the coming, well, 1000 years.
"[Dutton] vowed to rebuild the party to an election-winning machine by 2025".
Fears for the future of the Liberal Party as factional infighting blamed for resounding Aston by-election defeat
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-03/liberal-party-infighting-blamed-aston-by-election-defeat/102177182
The flagship may be the most egregious example Chad, but these seem to be problems afflicting the entire Fourth Estate. Listening to auntie on the way home, it was exactly the same sort of mentality. It seemed the correct amount of indifference and cruelty had been applied to be considered "fiscally responsible", and the punters would approve the commitment to keep promises no matter how stupid and counterproductive. Oddly, no one I speak to seems to share these views.
DeleteThe thing that really pisses me off is the constant claims to know what the average voter thinks about this or that issue. The impression I get is that reporters either come from a privileged background, or really aspire to being part of that demographic. They see themselves as opinion leaders and really seem a bit put out when the public heads off in a different direction. Like the political class, they are at best trailing public opinion and in no case leading the debate.
Very perceptive comments, Chad. Part of Ned’s problem - apart from being deathly dull - is that he’s been scribbling about politics for far, fat too long. Somewhere along the way - I’m not sure quite when - he forgot that ultimately politics is concerned with real world issues and how they actually affect people. You know, Ned - human beings; I’m sure you were one at some point. For decades, though, Ned has been the political equivalent of one of those war games enthusiasts who delights in tabletop re-enactments of famous battles, dryly repeating the actions that occurred without a thought of the causes that were championed by each side. Or, alternatively, sitting half-asleep at a table in the Press Club after a convivial lunch with other veteran scribblers, pushing around the salt and pepper shakers, empty glasses and beer mats.
DeleteYair, but the 'pressers' were born in the same places, went to the same schools and played the same sports as we did, Bef. So when, and how, did they separate into this 'Fourth Estate' that we have to tolerate in our society now ?
DeleteNot that I'd mind so much if they really were any good at 'opinion leading' but they aren't, their unsophisticated and often simply ignorant views always fail them, and us. And apart from just a very few individual exceptions, it's always been that way.
Apologies GB - doing many other things yesterday, and dipped in here without synchronising comments. It was the pleasure of the other things that set off, and conditioned, my response to "Ned".
DeleteHere we are with the daylight almost over and not a single comment yet about Ned's futile phantasms. And that's quite fitting, I guess.
ReplyDeleteBut what is Noodlenut Ned trying to do ? Claim Albanese/Chalmers as de facto wingnuts the way they've taken over moral and intellectual ownership and credit for Hawke/Keating ? So far as I can see Labor are trying to at least act like a government, and not just an 'election winning machine' as Coalition think they were back in the days of Menzies and Holt.
And Dutton ? After all the 'clever' things that Ned credits him with, how's his, and the Coalition's, electability ratings faring ? Right up there in the diaphanous clouds ? Dutton is bad enough, but who's next in line: Sussan Ley, Angus Beef, Littleproud ? Well Littleproud's rating is fine because it really takes a major earthquake to shake the country folk off their National Party heroes; but the Coalition lot ?
Coalition electability ratings ? Here's a viewpoint from 'the press':
DeleteMichael Pascoe: The ratings are in: Dutton’s a dud – a dangerous dud
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2023/05/13/michael-pascoe-the-ratings-are-in-duttons-a-dud-but-a-dangerous-dud/
Historically the Nats have a history of sticking with leaders for the long haul, unless they’re total duds or complete embarrassments. Barnaby broke that tradition with his desperate need to regain the leadership that resulted in him ousting the reasonably competent but deathly dull MicMac. Barnaby promised colour and excitement and he delivered in spades - so much so that he lost the leadership a second time. He clearly believes, however, that he still should be in charge. While it’s stretching credibility to describe the Beetrooter as having “a lean and hungry look”, he definitely wants the Precious back again; hence his eagerness to burble publicly about just about any issues other than his shadow portfolio of Veterans’ Affairs. How long can it be before he makes a move?
ReplyDeleteThird time lucky maybe, Anony. Barnables might have a much better chance if he migrated to Queensland and took membership in the LNP.
Delete