In which the pond provides links to the Thursday mob, but really wanted to give Susssan v. the lettuce another leg up ...

 

The pond has said it before and will say it again, Thursday is always the most dismal day in the hive mind...

Just look at this line up ...

The bromancer ranting ...

Peace out: Hamas has always been a murderous death cult
Will any of those protesters spewing anti-Semitic hatred these last two years in Western cities now demonstrate to demand that Hamas abide by the ceasefire?
By Greg Sheridan
Foreign Editor

Golding had a 'toonfor that ...

Petulant Peta spewing in lower caps about the Voice:

Indigenous treaty push defies the voice vote
The likely establishment of a First Peoples’ Assembly in Victoria is justified by a cartoon caricature of Australian history that was rejected by the electorate in the Voice referendum.
By Peta Credlin
Columnist

The pond is so over the incessant black-bashing ...

Jack, always desperate for an angle, being trolled by Lidia, gratifying her need for attention:

Apocalypse no: just Lidia’s latest attempt to ignite and inflame
Cultural recognition by threat of arson is an interesting concept. It suggests inanimate objects bear responsibility for the horrors of the past. Like blaming the Adelaide Oval for Bodyline. Metaphorically, of course.
By Jack the Insider
Columnist

And to cap it all some ancient ghost returns to haunt the latest reptile jihad about multiculturalism ...

Don’t let division tear apart nation’s social compact
Each generation must decide whether multiculturalism will remain a living compact as our society becomes more complex and our global connections deepen.
by Philip Ruddock

Fragile archive, down as much as up, willing, correspondents can have at that motley crew in their own time as the mood takes them ...

It wasn't any better on the "news" side:

The pond has always had a fair degree of contempt for comrade Bill and this just compounded it...

EXCLUSIVE
Shorten pans uni ‘echo chambers’
Bill Shorten has broken ranks with the academic establishment to demand universities become ‘safe spaces for disagreement’ rather than bastions of left-wing thinking.
By Natasha Bita

Pitiful, no, worse than that, beyond the valley of the pitiful into the valley of the contemptible ... just look at the smug, insufferable smirk on his face as he pandered to reptile talking points...

...while this outing from ancient Troy is just plain weird ...

EXCLUSIVE
US alliance was never at risk: Kissinger
In an interview before his death, Henry Kissinger downplayed suggestions the US-Australia alliance was ever materially at risk during Gough Whitlam’s government.
By Troy Bramston

As if anyone cared what the ancient war criminal claimed ...

It seems to be the day for nonentities, has beens and wannabes to emerge, as if in preparation for Halloween ...

‘Jim’ session
Trim the budget fat, McGowan tells Chalmers
Former WA premier Mark McGowan has joined business chiefs in urging Jim Chalmers to slash spending rather than raise taxes to fix the $20bn budget black hole.
By Jack Quail, Paul Garvey and Perry Williams

And that's the how and the why of the pond ending up checking on its bet on the lettuce with Brownie ...

The header: Disenchanted chatter that sparked defence of Liberals’ broad church, MPs are aware it will only take the defection of seven Liberals to flip the balance of the Coalition. Such talk has prompted the defence of the party’s broad church.

The caption for the hideous, mercifully uncredited collage: From left: Matt Canavan, David Littleproud, Sussan Ley, James Paterson, Andrew Hastie

This is just sh*t-stirring, rabble rousing, encouraging the rats in the ranks to even greater feats of perfidy, a parade of ferals on parade, but it does provide some mild entertainment ...

Just look at how the infallible Pope invited the pond to the match ...

Luckily the pond always insists on turn up for the supporting acts, always makes sure to catch the undercard, especially when it includes the likes of the hastie pastie, and the Canavan caravan ...

After an acrimonious partyroom meeting in Canberra last week, a disenchanted Liberal MP mused that if seven of his colleagues ­defected to the Nationals the balance of power within the Coalition would be flipped.
The MP told The Australian it was “interesting” some Liberals were aware of the figure, which had been floated in discussions among a rump of conservative MPs who believed their views on climate and energy policy were ­irreconcilable with city-based moderates.
The figure was planted in the heads of Liberals opposed to net-zero emissions by Nationals senator Matt Canavan, and while MPs suspect he raised it in jest it has sparked broader discussions about whether there could be a shake-up of the centre-right of politics.
Options being discussed in ­casual meetings in bars and restaurants in Canberra include federalising the Queensland model for the Liberal National Party or finding enough Coalition MPs with common ground to form a new party altogether, in outcomes some conservatives believe would force some moderates to find another home.
Conservative MPs say they only began discussing a new party model when they suspected ­moderates were having their own discussions about a potential split of the Liberal Party, showcasing the paranoia and despair within Sussan Ley’s ranks.

Petulant Peta, having it on with Jimbo, added to the confusion ... Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson says the Liberal Party will be filling the policy “void” with their traditional values in coming weeks and months. “I think there is a demand on the whole parliamentary party to fill that void, to fill that vacuum and provide,” Mr Paterson told Sky News host Peta Credlin. “And you will see that over the coming weeks and months … we’ll be putting more meat on the bones.”

All that snap did, what with the grimace and the pursed lips, was remind the pond of the undercard ...

But see how the lettuce is in top shape...

Brownie helped out with a classic line that revealed the true nature of the yarn ...

While there is no suggestion the talks are formal or an overhaul of the centre-right’s structure is likely, 

Butt, meaningless billy goat butt ...

Sorry, best put that idle chatter, that mindless chit chat into context ...

While there is no suggestion the talks are formal or an overhaul of the centre-right’s structure is likelythe chatter was taken ­seriously enough for leading ­moderate Andrew Bragg and top conservative James Paterson to publicly issue pre-emptive strikes over the past fortnight against any potential push to split the ­Coalition. Senator Paterson and opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor are among conservatives fiercely resisting a populist push being led by leadership ­aspirant Andrew Hastie, arguing the “broad church” model of the Liberal Party is the key to future success.

The pastie Hastie was making plans to be a Nigel ...

Mr Hastie is intrigued by the success of Nigel Farage’s populist Reform UK party, which is outpolling both the Labour Starmer government and the Conservative Party.

Others tried to avoid the delusional ...

While most MPs did not want to speak on the record, Liberal MP Tony Pasin, a conservative who represents the rural South Australian seat of Barker, confirmed there had been discussions about a new model for the Coalition.
“Colleagues are contemplating all manner of options concurrently, which is probably not surprising given the result of the last ­federal election and the fact that our prospects haven’t improved since then,” Mr Pasin said.
He said one option being discussed was the potential for the Liberal and National parties to merge into one federal entity, which happened in the Queensland division in 2008.
“As a Coalitionist, it has never made sense for me to have an LNP in Queensland, a Liberal Party, a National party and a Country Liberal Party. Surely the brand would be stronger if we had an LNP-style party across the ­nation,” he said.
With a federal LNP to give current Nationals MPs a vote on the opposition leader and bolster conservative voices, Mr Pasin said it would be a “matter for individual colleagues” if they joined the amalgamated entity.
“I cannot imagine a circumstance in which my views and those of colleagues who want to pursue net zero and a renewables-only energy policy, I can’t imagine they will be reconcilable,” he said.
Senior moderate and conservative MPs who are in shadow cabinet said discussions about a new party structure would go ­nowhere, arguing it was being floated by backbenchers who were on the outer of the dominant opinion within the opposition.
Responding to questions over the internal discussions, Senator Bragg said “fragmentation of the centre right would be a disaster for Australia”.
“Most Liberals know this is a bigger issue than any individual or sectional interest,” Senator Bragg said. “It’s about the cohesion and coherence of the national political system.”

How weird did it get? The ghost of Ming the Merciless returned yet again ...

Mr Pasin said a shake-up of the centre-right of politics would be akin to Robert Menzies creating the Liberal Party 80 years ago.
“What we are talking about right now is nothing different from the circumstances that presented themselves when Robert Menzies brought disparate, minor, right-wing parties together to create the Liberal Party in the first instance,” he said.

Just to make sure all was chaos and confusion, petulant Peta returned with Jimbo ... Sky News host Peta Credlin discusses Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson’s “strong speech”. “It was a wake-up call to the party and the federal Opposition,” Ms Credlin said. “He said that the Liberal Party has, quote, ‘a moral duty to prevent the Victorianisation of Australia’. “Paterson says, the economy must be at the heart of the Liberals' pitch to modern Australia. “The party needs to unite around clear policy directions.”

There was alot more blather, with the Canavan caravan hitting the road, and the pond let it all go through to the keeper, what with it being at heart just a bog standard bout of climate science denialiasm ...

“I fear that if we don’t act decisively then the Labor Party will become the natural party of government federally. And that would be a very bad outcome for the Australian people.”
Liberals opposed to net zero include Mr Hastie, Mr Pasin, Alex Antic, Garth Hamilton, Ben Small, Henry Pike, Jacinta Price, Sarah Henderson and Rick Wilson.
A senior conservative MP told The Australian that federalising the LNP was impractical, while talks of junking liberal traditions would not have majority support of the Right of the partyroom.
A senior moderate, meanwhile, has acknowledged that a new structure for the centre-right would probably happen if the Liberal Party went backwards at the next election.
Showcasing the hostility between warring factions, one senior MP said moderates and conservatives suspected each other was planning on splitting from the Coalition.
While Senator Canavan said his conversations with Liberals were not “concerted” efforts to convince them to join the Nationals, he said “my number one focus is to fight behind a banner that puts Australians first”.
“To do that we have to dump net zero and regain control of our borders,” Senator Canavan said.
“I would love to do that in a ­coalition with the Liberal Party, but if it takes the Nationals party playing a bigger role then so be it. The Liberal Party has such a big task at the next election that it makes sense for the Nationals Party to look to run in more seats.”
The Liberals hold 28 seats in the House of Representatives compared with 15 from the Nationals. Senator Canavan’s scenario of seven MPs switching camps would leave the Nationals rise with 22 seats and the Liberals with 21.
One Nationals MP said there would likely be some Coalition MPs willing to consider a new party if Ms Ley and David Littleproud refused to junk net zero.

What else?

Well the pond did promise itself one treat when the usual bit of trans bashing, the current fashionable reptile jihad and crusade turned up and sure enough ...

BACKFLIP
State to weigh women’s safety in trans prison strategy
In a dramatic policy shift, Victoria’s prison authority must now consider female inmates’ safety when housing transgender prisoners, despite the Premier’s hands-off position two weeks ago.
ByRachel Baxendale and Anthony Galloway

The pond isn't going to deign it with a link - diligent correspondents can always find it in the archive - but did want to note that it had recently been directed to an interview with Jessica DeFino ...Erika Kirk’s Memorial Glam (Or, A Definitive Guide To MAGA Aesthetics)

DeFino had unlocked this portion of her Substack because of a bit of pathetic censorship by Marie Claire, UK branch ...

Ostensibly it was all about the deeply weird Mar-a-Lago look ...

There were some droll points...

Q: What does the Republican woman look like in your eyes? Does she have substantial buying power?

Jessica DeFino (me): I would say Republican women don’t have one particular aesthetic. There are Republican women who adhere to the over-the-top vibe of “Mar-A-Lago face” and “Republican makeup.” There are Republican trad-wives who prefer the no-makeup makeup look. There are Republicans who don’t care about their own appearance at all. Similarly, there are billionaire Republicans with substantial buying power, and working class Republicans with less, and poor Republicans with very little to spend on beauty products. As far as the wealthy Republican woman in or near positions of power — Melania Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Kristi Noem, Laura Loomer, Erica Kirk — I would say this kind of elite Republican woman looks a bit like an AI-generated caricature of the feminine ideal.

Oh yes, hallelujah, say it again ...

As far as the wealthy Republican woman in or near positions of power — Melania Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Kristi Noem, Laura Loomer, Erica Kirk — I would say this kind of elite Republican woman looks a bit like an AI-generated caricature of the feminine ideal.

Other reason to savage AI!

And again, and watch out Godwin:

JDF: I wouldn’t necessarily call this a “swing back” to an aesthetic that’s existed before. “Mar-a-Lago Face” and “Republican makeup” are sort of ahistorical reimaginings of the “classic” 1950s beauty ideal through the lens of 1980s excess, brought to life with 2025’s modern cosmetic technology.

If I’m noticing a “swing back” to anything, it’d be the way the fascist movement shaped beauty standards in Nazi Germany: The regime used ideals of physical “perfection” — blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin, symmetrical features — to reinforce its eugenics-driven racial hierarchy. It sought to “purify” the German population by encouraging the reproduction of those who embodied Aryan ideals and persecuting those who did not. Nazi propaganda frequently featured imagery of fit, youthful citizens, and women in particular were expected to embody traditional femininity. Republicans are following this playbook.

The pond has only one question. How did they get Pete Hegseth to pose for this poster?

And again ...

Q: How do you think women on the right are weaponising the appearance of women on the left?

JDF: Beauty has been used as a weapon against women for centuries. The idea of “the ugly feminist” was invented to impede the feminist movement — suffragettes were dismissed as “masculine,” second-wave feminists were “ugly man-haters.” In 2022, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz tweeted this in response to the outrage over the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade: “How many of the women rallying against overturning Roe are over-educated, under-loved millennials who sadly return from protests to a lonely microwave dinner with their cats, and no bumble matches?” When Gaetz implied that only undesirable women — unattractive, alone, unloved — care about bodily autonomy, he once again weaponized beauty. This is what women on the right today are doing when they claim they’re more attractive than women on the left. It’s a strategic deflection: When a woman’s value is reduced to her appearance, critiques of beauty standards are framed as personal failings (“this feminist is ugly and bitter about it”) rather than political analysis (“this feminist is correctly pointing out that beauty standards are oppressive”). It’s effective because it exploits deep-rooted cultural beliefs, making feminist voices easier to discredit in a society obsessed with looks.

There's more bon mots, but this is where the TG fixation came in ...

JDF: Yes, the Trumpian beauty standard promotes a rigid, binary view of gender that is inherently anti-trans.

Far-right conservatives believe it’s God’s plan to have masculine men and feminine women and nothing in between — that a woman’s biological destiny is to be a wife and mother and object of beauty. Trump declared that “there are only two genders” as soon as he was inaugurated, and the outrageousness of that position is mirrored in the outrageousness of the party’s aesthetic.

Of course, their position of beauty as “biological destiny” falls apart when you look at the extreme and decidedly unnatural interventions that this supposedly ideal feminine aesthetic requires. It relies on artificial beauty practices: heavy makeup, cosmetic procedures, sometimes even hormone use (spironolactone is a common anti-androgenic treatment for hormonal acne, estrogen therapy is common during menopause and is increasingly marketed as a skincare intervention). When they frame the use of these same exact tools by trans people as “chemical and surgical mutilation” — which is the language used in Trump’s Youth Care Ban Executive Order — they are essentially playing God. They are saying that these unnatural interventions are only acceptable only for cisgender women. Republican women are making it very clear: “Because I am a biological woman, I am allowed to wear makeup. I am allowed to get surgery. You are not.” They are taunting trans people.

What’s ironic (or maybe just cruel) is that a lot of the techniques they’re using to create this aesthetic — the obvious contour, the drawn-on eyebrows — come from drag artists, who have historically used makeup as a tool to challenge gender roles, to make it clear that gender is a man-made construct, not a divine decree. By co-opting beauty rituals historically used to subvert gender norms, Republicans are weaponizing their aesthetic to draw a boundary: Only those who conform to their gender beliefs are permitted access to the tools of so-called femininity.

Deeply cruel, but also ironic, perhaps in the sense that the reptiles lack a shred of irony as they go about their frenzied jihads ...

And so to end with the immortal Rowe reminding the pond of a matter which already seems to have shuffled off into the distance in the hive mind ...