The Dump is:
For posting comments that don’t get up at the Drum, and for having a pleasant, mirthful or enlightening off-topic discussion.
It’s not for personal abuse of other commenters.
Please do that somewhere else if you must.
Play nicely or piss off.
However, why doesn’t a poster add a link for us to read and comment on here, much quicker. Maybe we can do a bit more bagging here, not that I speak for the moderators, yet.
NB: Being tiresome and boring, racist, sexist or just plain creepy is not playing nicely.
———-
The Pig’s Arms exists because a dozen or so years ago our other favourite playpen – the ABC’s Unleashed blogsphere started to go off. Like a sack of prawn heads in the sun. Something had to be done.
Moderation was taking forever. Comments seemed to be rejected randomly – outrageous ones appeared and reasoned ones were pinged. When they released the Drum / Unleashed ….. things actually got worse !
So many pieces from professional writers appear with no obvious merit. And the moderation has become, to put it frankly, appalling.
As a former contributor and a commenter, I was deeply disappointed at the plummeting quality from our pre-eminent media empire. And I resented so many challenging or dare I say, witty or funny posts in which we’ve invested seconds of our precious time – getting the chop.
So here, for all our benefit – is an open slather blog. Copy and paste your best rejected comments here for posterity. Does not matter whether you’re posting on the Guardian, First Dog on the Moon or wherever else.
And sprinkle pointers to the Pig’s Arms amongst your comments. Let’s try to rescue some of the old faithful.
Cheers,
Emm.
Window Dresser's Arms, Pig & Whistle 
A tweet from Malcolm Faser:
Malcolm Fraser @MalcolmFraser12 15m
Syria: Chuck Hagel suggests US is marshalling military forces
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/24/syria-hagel-us-marshalling-forces …
via @guardian. Will they want Aus involved?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/24/syria-hagel-us-marshalling-forces
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Rudd holts campaign for Syria, then does TV show Kitchen Cabinet!
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/special-features/prime-minister-kevin-rudd-halts-campaign-for-syria-then-does-tv-show-kitchen-cabinet/story-fnho52jp-1226703440022
å
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Halts…
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When you hear the names “Halliburton” and “Blackwater,” do you break out in a cold sweat? Then you’re probably too high-strung to hear about the Serco Group.
Based in the United Kingdom, Serco is the epitome of the worldwide transnational corporation. When the words “globalization” and “privatization” appear in dictionaries, pictures of the Serco logo should appear next to the entries.
What’s that? You say you haven’t heard of Serco? That’s okay. You’re not alone. The Guardian called Serco “probably the biggest company you’ve never heard of.
But wait, it gets better. Serco’s CEO is Christopher Rajendran Hyman, a South African of Indian descent who was raised in a fundamentalist Pentecostal Christian home. And what does he believe makes him such a successful businessman? Well, it’s because “what I am successful for is listening to God.
And what hath Gawd ordained for Serco and Hyman to control? Well . . .
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Wikipedia, Serco’s worldwide holdings include (but are by no means limited to):
Detention centers on Christmas Island.
All seven of Australia’s immigration detention centers.
Half of London’s traffic signals and red light cameras, and all of Dublin’s.
The automobile driver’s licensing facilities in Ontario, Canada.
The plurality of air traffic control facilities worldwide, including 58 control towers in the United States, all operations in and around Baghdad, and towers in Dubai and Bahrain.
The operation of the RAF squadron that flies Queen Elizabeth around the world.
Too many public transit systems to count.
A plurality of the private prisons in the United Kingdom, and many more private prisons around the world.
Electronic monitoring ankle bracelets used to keep track of trial defendants, parolees and asylum seekers.
All the state schools in the English towns of Bradford, Walsall and Stoke-on-Trent. Serco also runs the inspection services for all the state schools in the Midlands region.
The UK’s ballistic missile defense system, which they have operated since Parliament outsourced it in 1964. In fact, Serco is in charge of all of the UK’s nuclear stockpile from development to decommissioning.
Serco operates support and maintenance services at the following British military bases:
HMNB Portsmouth
HMNB Devonport
HMNB Clyde
RAF Brize Norton
RAF Halton
RAF Northolt
RAF Ascension Island
Serco also has the contract to control the setting Greenwich Mean Time.
Not bad for a company established in 1929 as the subsidiary of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) that converted British cinemas from silent film to talkie operations.
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Sick making isn’t it. Serco bigger than I knew. Outsourcing gives me the shits as well.
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From my Facebook page:
John Ward(https://www.facebook.com/johnlawrenceward1)
Incarceration in the various detention centres has become a very lucrative business for an array of private contractors, most of whom send lobbyists to make sure the laws and legislation continue to funnel a steady supply of refugees into the detention complex. These private contractors, taking public money, build the gulags, provide food service, hire guards and run and administer detention facilities. It is imperative to their profits that there be a steady supply of new bodies, and the guarantee of long term cash flow through the “No advantage detention policy”.
Serco is rolling in it. According to its opaque financial statements which have just been filed, Serco Australia Pty Ltd enjoyed a rise in net profit from $49 million to $128 million last year. The bulk of this bottom line bonanza was not due to the surge in boats – although Serco’s immigration detention centre contracts with the federal government have spiralled by $1.5 billion in three years – but rather, due to a one-off gain arising from an acquisition
Serco occupies a dominant position in the market. It has 8000 people in its care (almost 3000 of this country’s 5000 people in immigration detention) and there are the interests of many stakeholders to be considered, not least the taxpayer, on whose behalf elected officers in Canberra have struck billions in secret contracts.
The lobbyists register shows Peter Costello’s lobby group ECG Advisory Services (Jonathan Epstein, Peter Costello, David Gazard) has done work for Serco. What deals have been done? We do know that Serco has won $1.86 billion in contracts. Why are there no ‘related party transactions’ disclosed in the Serco accounts? What consultants are doing what? What are they earning, care of the taxpayer?
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Serco, is a vile organisation. The only ‘one’ good thing about them,is that my son met his (to be) wife there.
He worked in their IT department, (in SE England) and she in human resources.
They both left and told me that it was a nightmare; the whole thing run by accountants, who hadn’t got a clue about any of the businesses that they took over.
They just looked at where they could cut costs. It didn’t matter where, as long as the bottom line was improved.
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What are you complaining about, Carisbrooke?
Serco is a vile organisation as any other vile, right-wing, free-market, business organisation. Your side, Liberal Party, works for them.
They don’t care about the welfare of the people. Bottom line has always been about Profit.
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So they work for Serco and are sponsored by News Limited.
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Come to think of it I don’t blame these corporations.
I blame those who sell their souls to these corporations.
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I’m aware of the aphorism, “if you can’t say anything nice then don’t say anything at all,” but since when has that ever stopped anyone, ey? So I’m gonna say something un-nice: Whenever Abbott speaks he reminds me of Lee Lin Chin of the SBS hall of fame: Both split their every word into their constituent syllables and pronounce each syllable about 30″ apart! It becomes excruciating to watch and listen.
These days I cannot watch news on SBS on the weekends and I try to avoid like buggery watching Abbott.
One does not need this much pain in one’s life!
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Has anyone been watching Ernie Dingo and Kate Blanchet in the ’94(?) “Burned Bridge” on NITV? (ch 34)
It’s a drama series that seems to be going on for ages and it’s quite good -in a bland sort of way- because it goes into the aboriginal communities and shows their way of life and their thinking. Script varies a great deal in quality and Kate is an outrageously bad actor but it IS worth watching. Check it out if you have access to that channel. Lots of other good stuff there, as well, from indigenous societies around the planet.
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I missed it. I check out ch.34 often. Perhaps not often enough.
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Rudd might well lose his own seat.
Guardian poll has him trailing the Lib candidate, Bill Glasson. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/22/kevin-rudd-trails-seat-griffith-poll?CMP=twt_gu
52% – 48% 2pp. Still within margin of error but it’s getting the Labs quite unsettled.
We don’t want to have a Howard experience visit us, now do we?
As Effie would say, “How embarrassment!”
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It’s outbursts of violence like “Shut this bastard up,” or similar vocal that make the punch in the wall, next to a woman, credible, almost certain. If he can’t control his pugilistic temperament when he’s in a public forum, debating to be a PM, I can imagine what he was like back in his uni years. The dumb prick can’t cope with losing a fight and everything, in his tiny mind is a fight, a fight to be fought with fisticuffs and not with minds.
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Look out Vivie, Barnaby Joyce has come to town to give Mirabella a bit of a boost, or perhaps, something else.
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First time we have had a ‘conga line’ of Lib/Nat pollies. However, I am at home at least 30 minutes away from any possibility of running into the shit. More photo ops for dumb-bell Sophie. It is still looking good here – Sophie is not getting away with her lies.
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It was pretty puke making. He’s been and gone. Sophie was pissing her pants with joy.
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And then Joe Hockey came and went and it was all just another photo op.
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http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/clive-palmer-claims-mal-brough-asked-for-money-to-destroy-peter-slippers-reputation-20130822-2scqf.html
Clive Palmer claims Mal Brough asked for money to destroy Peter Slipper’s reputation
Billionaire businessman Clive Palmer has claimed LNP candidate Mal Brough asked him for money to fund a campaign to destroy Peter Slipper’s reputation.
Mr Palmer dropped the bombshell claims on Thursday, more than a year after the alleged meeting in April 2012.
Mr Brough, who is standing as LNP candidate for Mr Slipper’s seat of Fisher, has been approached for comment.
——–
Let it all hang out, Clive!
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Re: Greens/Wikileaks spat.
http://www.wikileaksparty.org.au/the-wikileaks-party-announces-independent-review/
The WikiLeaks Party Announces Independent Review
admin — August 21, 2013
– issued on behalf of WLP National Council and all WLP Federal Election Candidates
The WikiLeaks Party is today releasing, because of its commitment to transparency, the emailed instructions sent last Friday evening to Party members involved in organising the lodgement of Group Voting Tickets (‘GVTs’) for each of the states in which the Party is running candidates – New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. The Party is also announcing it will hold an independent review into the preference communication and GVT compilation processes. If necessary, the Party will also issue instructions to its members and supporters in the states concerned, on how to vote below the line.
At 8.16pm on Friday an email was sent to Party members setting out the National Council’s decisions on preferences, which defined the way the GVT was to be structured. That decision was as follows:
“Victoria – Greens put WLP at number 2 and WLP has Greens first of majors
and drops Shooters and FF/Christian groups below majors.
NSW – Greens preference WLP at 3, with Pirates at 2, and WLP puts Greens
above FF, Shooters and Christian Right.
WA – Greens preference WLP at 2 and WLP puts Greens first of major parties
and above Christian right and Shooters.”
• Extract from email: FW: RE: WLP NC meeting Friday 16/8/13 8.16PM
In response to concerns expressed by our supporters and members about the errors made in some GVTs, the Party, in line with its values, is commissioning an immediate independent review. The aim of the review will be to ascertain why National Council directives were not achieved.
While these directives were completely achieved in the State of Victoria, where Julian Assange, Leslie Cannold and Binoy Kampmark are standing for the Senate, this was not the case for all states.
Due to the low vote of the parties concerned, the chance that the errors could have an effect on Senate make-up is remote, even without modification.
——
The notice goes on with further explanations on the blunder.
I knew that there would have to be something locally sinister going on if the lovely Mary Kostakidis who is a member, was spitting chips at these preferences! Nothing to do with Assange or his mother, Christine.
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margo kingston @margokingston1 tweets:
“Sophie disappears from podium before Abbott presser thrown open to general questions – avoids questions on #Indivotes.”
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And this: margo kingston @margokingston1 14 Aug
Oh dear, Abbott’s Coalition very unstable – Libs accuse Nats of plotting to overthrow Sophie pic.twitter.com/EKB1vz4LxP #Indivotes
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Fucking Telstra!
I get a call from them. “May I check your bill and see if we can give you a better deal?” they ask. I should have said no but I didn’t. I said “sure,” instead. “Bruce” looks at it and said, “right, well, George…. we can give you a discount here… we can also give you a sim card for your mobile of 500 mgs -” I interrupted him there, “No Bruce, my phone has a contract for 5gyg.” So we moved on from that and we walked through all sorts of paths and roads and alleyways, leading to Bruce saying, “yes, I can give you a $15 discount…” I was skeptical. “Are you sure, Bruce?” The answer came quick and confident, “Yes, just let me do the paperwork right now.” I hear clicks and clacks and I should have probably heard the belly laughter as he clicked and clacked but I didn’t. Then Bruce read me the new contract, which would change nothing but the bundle itself and the new bundle would be $15 less than the old bundle. Then he asked me what mark out of ten would I give him for the way he handled my request. “ten out of ten,” I said unambiguously. “Oh, George, you’ve made my day… I’ve been getting threes and fours all day today. Thank you!” I should have said, “hang on a minute” and talked a little more about my new bundle. But I didn’t. I said, “you deserve it, Bruce. You did your best to lower my bill. Thank you.”
A couple of days later I get a bunch of leaflets and booklets from Telstra, thanking me and welcoming me for changing my bundle. It was then that my stomach began to churn concrete. At least it felt like concrete.
Today I got the bill! The concrete has turned hard. Up by $36! Fewer calls, same internet but $36 more! Bruce had changed my bundle alright, up to the one only heavy industries would need. Way beyond the NDIS, had it arrived!
I called Telstra, accounts Dept. “I’ll put you through the dept that did the bundle upgrade sir” and before I could make the righteous grunt, I was answering the voice of some incomprehensible creature at the other end of the world. She understood what I was on about but I struggled. “Sir, I need to put you through to telstra accounts…” I interrupted with a tinge of melancholy anger, “No, don’t do that! They just put me through to you because it was your dept…” She listened but she responded in apologetic tones, “I’m sorry sir but I can’t do anything here!” The tinge of melancholy turned into a wail but the tone became angrier. “Please let me speak to your team leader!” She demurred. “Sure, sir, please wait a minute.”
After fifteen I got it!
I rang off and called again. Similar voice from a similar corner of the planet. This time, the most I could get -the maximum deal, as it were- was that she’d send a note to “Bruce” the instigator of all my problems and he should be able to return my call within 24 hours!
So I shall await for Bruce’s call.
In the meantime, I have a new bundle which, henceforth (for the next 24 months, I suspect) shall be $36 dollars more!
If you are looking for a reason why some countries send out suicidal jihadis, look no further than the treatment such multibarbarous thugs like telstra mete out to everyone!
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Had a similar call about 10 days ago (at serving of dinner time). Could give me a $50 all deal. I explained I had the offer in writing ages ago but declined it. I’d done my figures and said it was too restrictive and I’d be counting the calls as the charges were higher even with the free money thrown in. He didn’t get it and didn’t understand that I understood it better than he did. Went on for ages trying to convince me. Obviously a new worker – also had to rate him. Gave him 7/10 just to be nice.
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Telstra just redeemed itself!
I had just remembered the on-line chat service they have. It’s fantastic because you see things in writing and in English! No shitty accent to interfere with the communication.
Anyhow, this lovely lady explained that the new payment is large because it begins its billing cycle a bit earlier and goes a bit later than my usual cycle. And that the original guy, did do a good job and he did give me a discount!Quite a substantial one at that!
I feel totally elated! Forget calling the bastards! Just go onto their chat line!
Brilliant. Now I must retract my statements everywhere!
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Again had a similar situation a few years back when changed to Ultimate while daughter was working in Brisbane. The billing dates system etc meant it was all out of whack and then became ‘normal’. What is the on line chat service?
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Vivie, the on line chat service appears on my “My big pond” page. It’s a button you click and a window opens with someone asking you if they can help you. You chat on that page with that person. All in writing, all recordable (they send you a copy of the transcript immediately after the chat ends) and you can ask whatever you like. It is brilliant! If you’re on Telstra, it’s the only way to go.
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So you chat with a Telstra person if you have a problem with Telstra, your account etc. Not to your rels in Greece!
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I chat with telstra when they screw up.
Talk with relies on Skype. Check out all the new babies, talk to the doc, watch them as they do their cooking. We still don’t have the guts to make some yogurt or even cheese. It’s like second nature to them there. They do it all with their eyes shut! And when they bake their bread in the brick oven outside, or cook anything in there, we get intoxicated by the aroma here! All the relies’ neighbours come around and chat for hours some times.
Skype is bloody amazing!
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It is indeed all going down the toilet.
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Charlton is bereft of a Lib candidate! Oh, joy! The porn head has resigned.
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Yez have all to watch this:
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Antony Green collated all the senate tickets, which may be viewed here:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2013/guide/gtv/sa/#gtv_sa_g1
Totally pissed off that Xenophon preferences the Nats, the Libs, the DLP, Katter, Family First, Palmer, Dems, and a whole lot of fuckwits before he got down to the Greens! How the fuck does he reconcile all his rhetoric up until now with that sort of ticket? All the work the Greens did to try and get his hobby horse across!
Deeply disappointed paisano! Very deeply. The next plate I’m smashing will be over your head!
And Wikileaks in the same State. All sorts of drongo parties before the Greens.
There’s something bloody bizarre, if not sinister going on here.
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Thanks for the link – will inspect soon. I don’t know why they hate the Greens, or so it seems. I was annoyed with them over two matters (the ETS way back) but generally I have no problems with them at all. Nick is a bit of a weirdo. Did you see him on Kitchen Cabinet – interesting venue.
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I don’t know either,Vivie. Best guess is that it’s not the Greens but the status quo. They’re sitting comfortably with the duopoly and wouldn’t want to strain their minds entertaining other views. It’s the way of power: it corrupts the mind and diseases the body.
It feels like a concerted conspiracy this year. Even Gerry Georgatos, of the Wikileaks in WA has outraged other wiki members by putting the Greens last and is now trying to tell everyone that the Greens, and not LNP will get the votes! Utter bullshit from someone with two masters degrees!
There’s something afoot, alright!
The kitchen cabinet started off the decline of my estimation of that man. I would love to ask Annabel what went on behind the scenes. I reckon she’d have a couple of good (and character demolishing) stories to tell us about the man.
Anyhow, we shall see what we shall see. I’d hate to see any of the two majors be the sole and whole power of the parliament! The country desperately needs more and new voices; and Rudd knows i and that’s why he’s mouthing his “new way” mantra. To placate those who truly thirst for it.
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McGowan boosted by preferences
Shana Morgan
August 20, 2013
LABOR and the Greens have directed their number two preferences to Voice4Indi independent, Cathy McGowan, meaning Sophie Mirabella (MHR, Indi) will have to overcome a combination of all three to hold her seat in the September 7 election.
Candidates Robyn Walsh (Labor) and Jenny O’Connor (the Greens) revealed their election preferences this week, with both basing their decisions on the best way to beat the long-time Liberal incumbent.
Ms McGowan has stated she will not direct preferences in the election.
“After the ALP, Ms McGowan is the candidate with the best chance of getting rid of Sophie Mirabella, and we believe that needs to happen if Indi is to have decent representation,” Mrs Walsh said.
“I am concerned that Ms McGowan isn’t showing the same commitment and that many of her votes may, without the direction of a HTV (how to vote) card, go to re-electing Mrs Mirabella….”
http://wangarattachronicle.com.au/2013/08/20/mcgowan-boosted-by-preferences/
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Yes, McGowan is a bit of a bugger when it comes to definition of Independent. So Independent she won’t give preferences – up to the voter to vote entirely independently. However I do think that people voting for Cathy will not be putting Mirabella second. There are Libs and old Nats in the electorate who have not had a choice and now they do and they can register their dislike of nasty Sophie.
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An excellent article by the man I once despised on the asylum seekers issue:
Mal Fraser:
“There are no limits to which the opposition will not go to demonstrate inhumanity to people with a significantly demonstrated need. [This is] inhumanity demonstrated against some of the most vulnerable people in the world.
This is a total reversal of some of the values Australia had become renowned for. It saddens me to think that the Liberal party, and as I understand it also the Labor party, are thinking of additional ways to make their policies more brutal.
The policies have become so unreal, so inhumane overall, it’s very hard to look at just one aspect, which increases the uncaring nature of the opposition. The terrible thing is that the opposition and the government both believe they can win votes by behaving in this way.
I don’t really believe they can.
I believe these steps have gone so far that people will be looking for alternatives to voting for either Liberal or Labor…”
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/16/malcolm-fraser-coalition-asylum-policy
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Katter is preferencing Labor!
Christ he must hate the Libos!
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Philip Coorey (Fin. Rev): Peter Beattie faces thrashing in Forde: exclusive poll.
“Labor’s shock decision to recruit Peter Beattie as its candidate for the federal Queensland electorate of Forde appears to have backfired spectacularly, with the Coalition on track to win the seat in a landslide…
The poll shows that in Forde, in south-east Queensland, the incumbent Liberal-National Party Member Bert van Manen is thrashing the former Queensland premier on a two-party preferred basis by 60 per cent to 40 per cent…”
http://www.afr.com/p/national/politics/peter_beattie_faces_thrashing_in_UZTj0ZzYiyntHjmEYI9oKJ
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I think Rudd has fucked it up big time. Politics could not be more depressing. Julia’s departure laid me low but I sort of kept my chin up. As of today it will be a miracle if Labor is not thrashed. I have no good feelings at all. Maintaining optimism for Indi of course.
But to cheer me up, as I know I can do something for myself, I have just prepared a pile of fresh raw prawns for a garlic prawn dinner with sour dough bread and some plonk which I still have to choose. And all the kids (daughters and blokes) are coming for dinner tomorrow night for another scotch fillet roast feast.
Cheers, Ato – love the ‘poem’.
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Ah, them garlic prawns (with the sour dough and plonk accoutrements)! One bite and the worst mood of doom and pessimism turns into the best mood of exaltation and optimism!
There’s no point crying over milk spilled four years ago, though I do think if the Labs could have work it out with Rudd back then this wouldn’t have been such a perilous journey.
Threw everyone out of momentum and the discussion gravitated around Brutus type behaviour.
Anyhow, best I’m expecting now, is an even stronger Greens presence in both houses, no matter who wins.
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Just got cheered up by finding stuff about Cathy McGowan’s campaign on NoFibs. A link there led me to a facebook page Letters about Sophie. It is lettersaboutsophie – very good humour and excellent comments. Having a good chuckle.
How the Greens go is something I have been muddled about – first thinking they could get more votes and probably some Labor votes. Now I am not so sure from reading stuff in the papers. I am hoping that they are likely to increase their Senate numbers. I think Bandt will hold on to Melbourne.
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There’s a song in my head and a vision of someone being told to get her gun. Can you remember this one?
Party 1: Anything gruesome you can do I can do more gruesome!
Fair Dinkum, Fair Dinkum, I can!
Party 2: No you can’t, no you can’t no you can’t
And I gotta zip, gotta zip, gotta ziiiiiip!
Party 1: Yes, I can, yes I can, yes I can!
Fair Dinkum, Fair Dinkum, I can!
Party 1: Anything brutal you can be I can be even more brutal!
Sooner or later, I’ll be more brutal than you!
Fair Dinkum, Fair Dinkum, I can!
Party 2: No you can’t, no you can’t no you can’t
And I gotta zip, gotta zip, gotta ziiiiiip!
Party 1: Yes, I can, yes I can, yes I can!
Fair Dinkum, Fair Dinkum, I can!
Party 1: Any law you can bend I can bend further!
I can bend any law further than you!
Fair Dinkum, Fair Dinkum, I can!
Party 2: No you can’t, no you can’t no you can’t,
And I gotta zip, gotta zip, gotta ziiiiiip!
Party 1: Yes, I can, yes I can, yes Iiiiiiii fair Dinkum, Fair Dinkum, can!
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Party 1: No matter how far to the right you will lurch I can lurch further!
I can lurch further and further to the right than you!
Fair Dinkum, Fair Dinkum, I can!
Party 2: No you can’t, no you can’t no you can’t!
And I gotta zip, gotta zip, gotta ziiiiiip!
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Algernon, it’s not hard to guess the identity of your new mate “gnome”, is it?
🙂
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He does have a problem with multiple personalites
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That’s what I thought. I noticed that he talks to his multiple personalities… He must be having a conference in his head 🙂
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hph, I know who he/she is, there are many pseudos, but the language and her/his sentiments give it all away, pretty unpleasant. I have followed, read, this poster from more or less from the beginning of the Unleashed, so I’m pretty experienced.. 🙂
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That’s right, spot on ,hph.
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He’s actually trolling, thinks he’s being smart.
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In the meantime I had an early phone call asking me for $20.-so that a neighbor’s son would have some money for lunch. (2nd year of high school). He would otherwise not go to school. I had $5.- or I could make him a nice sandwich.
No, that wasn’t good enough.
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Not genuine it would seem. Some people think of desperate ways of raising money for their habits. I just had a letter from Barnaby Joyce wanting me to donate to his cause and telling me donations may be tax deductible. Tax deductible ! So I checked the relevant Act – not deductible for pretty well everyone. Only for employees of a political party who incur such expenses as part of earning their living !!
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Recently new tactics at the Dumb; If the topic of the article at hand is only about “conflict between Israel and Palestinians”, we are not allowed to mention (in our comments) the other conflicts in the Middle East, for example Iraq war or Syrian, Iran problems etc.
They, at the DUMB, are restricting our opinions to a very narrow field of discussion.
If somebody submits an article about how fast the new 100 metre world record is at 9.85 seconds compared to the old 9.90 seconds, in Athletics World Championships, the comments and the discussion now has to twirl around 0.05 second, and nothing else!
AS if I give a flying duck about this difference of 0.05 of a second. And I will not be allowed to say this at the Dumb.
They are telling us to stick to the topic. I noticed in the past that sometimes they used to shut down a certain thread within the page or cut it out altogether.
No wonder DocMercury has disappeared….!!!
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Are there more comments coming in from the Moderator? I don’t go to every article – Israel and Palestine mess/war been going on for so long and getting nowhere. I have nothing to say about it anymore. I had a relative who was an ABC reporter and was there in 1966 during the six day war (saw him on the tele dashing for cover – I yelled, look, there is Colin). He survived. The peace ‘process’ (what a name) is a sham. Just stop bloody fighting.
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Vivienne, about five or six weeks ago there was a warning from the Moderator under a thread, right at the end of it, in one of the articles, telling people to stick to the topic, and he or she froze that particular thread. On that occasion I was wondering why I couldn’t reply to one of the commenters, and then bit further down I saw the warning.
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Isn’t it amazing and a pox on equal education and choices between the sexes, that of all the prime ministers Australia has had (28 or) so, only two had spouses with a university degree., and one of them was American educated. Bettina Gorton. The other one is Therese Rudd. Truly amazing!
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Gerard, Margaret Whitlam had a University degree (Sydney Uni) – she also towered over all others in stature and intellect.
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And a champion swimmer. You are right and perhaps even Dame Enid Lyons.
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Neither does Tim Mathieson.
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