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 
Pink Drinks all round!
Congratulations!
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I agree big night at the Pigs I see.
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She is absolutely gorgeous. We are thrilled and in love.
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Congratulations Viv and what a beautiful name.
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Baby is on her way, now.
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I like babies. Good news Vivienne 🙂
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Hope all goes well
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Hopefully no grandmaternal effort required, just worry like hell, be supportive, and buy a shit-load of presents!
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All is well. Grandparents are exhausted. Olivia Jean arrived at 12.41 am today.
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Oh, well done!
Welcome to our world, young Olivia Jean. May it soon change and become heavenly for you and for us all! It’s utter crap at the moment!
Grand health and joyous longevity to you, your parents, grand parents, etc, etc, etc…
Our first granny is arriving in the first days of November. Also a young lady whom her parents already named Arina (Japanese for Irene).
Can’t bloody well wait. With one of us being a midwife and the other a midteacher…
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Let the milk and honey come in floods for you all!
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Thanks Ato and congratulations to you and your daughter. Arina sounds lovely. Are they still in Japan?
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Yes, the milk is most definitely flowing. Good tits run in the family!
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Congrats to the Atomous. Arina is a very lucky young lady, to be born into such a family. Again, Pink Drinks all round!
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Yes, Viv, I seem to remember a photo of your fabulous tits (covered, of course). Yes, may the lactation be painless and bountiful!
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No, Vivienne. They’re here. In fact this is where they met. The guy is Japanese but doing his doctorate in linguistics at Melbourne Uni and that’s how they met -through a mutual mate, really.
He is a fantastic kid. Cute to look at and loves our darling to death. She and he and all of us feel very grateful to all the gods whoever they are, wherever they are. Daughter speaks with his family in Japan often, on skype. His parents keep sending us some rice crackers that I absolutely love. Great people!
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Article : TPP talks stalling, by Ian Verrender
toorightmate: 03 Aug 2015 5:14:01pm
I am overwhelmed with wisdom.
Reply Alert moderator
Lehan Ramsay: 03 Aug 2015 6:56:35pm
You should try not to follow. It can be uncomfortably meaningful at times.
Reply Alert moderator
……
Hah Hah Haaaaa..
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Toorightmate is acomplete dickhead
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“Speaker Bronwyn Bishop has reportedly cancelled a planned taxpayer-funded trip to New York amid the ongoing controversy over her travel claims.
Fairfax Media reported Mrs Bishop recently decided not to attend the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament at United Nations Headquarters in New York.”
Maybe no ones getting married or there are no fund raisers on.
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These conferences are pure wankery.
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5 pm ish Sunday 2 August – “I have not taken this decision lightly, however it is because of my love and respect for the institution of Parliament and the Australian people that I have resigned as Speaker,” Mrs Bishop said in a statement.
I will not be resigning, paying the money back is apology enough, I will not be resigning, I’m sorry, I apologise and blah blah. Such a sincere woman — puke puke.
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And if we all think Chopper Bishop wasted our money check out Tony’s bill!
http://theaimn.com/why-tony-isnt-pointing-fingers/
With all the furore about Bronwyn Bishop’s ever growing list of expense abuses, little attention has been paid to those of Tony Abbott who, in the six months from July to December last year, claimed over $1 million dollars in “entitlements” including $814,115.78 for overseas travel.
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I remember the shit he gave Labor about travel and flying. Liars have selective memories. Hate them more than ever. Bishop didn’t have the guts to return to the Chair. It would have been a corker of a Parl session. With first granddaughter due in 3 days I probably would have missed it anyway.
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Bronnies resigned. I think she should have stayed and inflict more damage on the party .
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-02/bronwyn-bishop-stands-down-as-speaker/6666172
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Ruddock maybe the next in the chair.
The guy or gal sitting in that chair will gain my respect when s/he manages the house in such a manner that no one ever needs to be thrown out of the place and everyone is engaged in respectful debate rather than in disrespectful arguing trying to shout one another out of an argument.
But if this dream cannot be fulfilled, then I’ll respect that chairperson who is just as ready to chuck the PM out as readily as s/he would chuck out a backbencher.
As much as I abhor Ruddock on almost every issue to do with human concerns, perhaps this might well be the job he can actually do without having to engage his moral beliefs.
He might well be a reasonable chair, if he can brush away the putrefying stench that Bronwyn left on it.
I am nostalgic of the days when Anna Burke sat in that chair. What a glowing example of fairness and sense of humour! What dignity she gave it!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-03/philip-ruddock-frontrunner-to-replace-bronwyn-bishop-as-speaker/6666754
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I agree atomou, I thought she was an excellent speaker.
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Got to get this off my chest. 4 times this comment, or one very similar, has been rejected:
We have people giving themselves coniptions over the terrifying, racist violence of Goodes not-throwing, a non-existent object at no one.
But cook an Aborigine to death in a WA paddy waggon. Indifference. Or even smug satisfaction. Well he shouldn’t have got himself arrested…
Cops shoot an unarmed Aborigine activist dead in his bed. Indifference. Or smug satisfaction. Shame but he was trouble maker…
Aborigine dies of major internal injuries after a minor accident in custody. Indifference. Or smug satisfaction.
When it comes to racist violence I think some people need to examine their priorities.
—-
WTF is wrong with it? Maybe they think paddy is racist.They let through my insubstantial dross but not an important point.
And APM is freakin’ koala bear at the moment.
I don’t care how inflamatory, fascist or racist someone is. Go ahead and publish. But that person should have an answer. They should know how disgusting people find their ideas. If they’re going to dish it out…
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I’ve stopped reading APM’s comments SM as he or she doesn’t seem to have a grasp on reality.
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You are not alone Sea Monster. Moderation is pathetic and I am sick of them starting the comments with total rubbish from Alfie and the like. The points you wanted to make were soooo relevant.
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The article about TPP was posted at 3pm, and attracted only 29 comments; thankfully all against TPP.
The articles about Goods attracted 533 + 385 + 656 + 734 = 2308 comments, mostly from morons.
Baaa..baaa..baaa Team Australia.
Tony & Co is doing an excellent job because free trade is essential to free enterprise. 🙂
also: Oh look there is a terrorist under your bed !
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The problem with ‘free trade’ is that so far there is no such thing. This TPP thing is something we should be steer clear off TOTALLY. It looks more and more like Corporate control which equals theft of our own sovereignty and much more. Have just checked it out and see that HOO said the same thing – great minds think alike, hey!
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Yes Vivienne. Pops is popping up every now and then. Thanks papa. 🙂
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Just received Australian news email saying that Robb will not sign up to the TPP in the current round of talks. Could be he has actually started to think about it properly.
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I read it too. “The talks were halted” for the time being because of disputes between the negotiators… There are dozens and dozens of disputes, and some disputes are kept secret from the public. This is not the end.
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You’re expecting the Tories to think. They only feather their nests. Just look at the entitled Bronnie. Abbott will back her which can only be a good thing, I just love his tin ear. Should smash maybe 5% in the polls.
When the dust settles on these FTA’s we’ll really see how stuffed we are really are, however the Tories will think what a good thing they are.
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Algy – I live in hope that one of them can think and it might be Robb !
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🙂
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The last FTA resulted in a medication we use (a constant inhalant through the ventilator circuit) going from <$1 per hour to 60!. But the FTA was good for Aussies, according to JW Howard.
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Foreign Minister and deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop said there were “grey areas” in the entitlements system, but MPs ultimately need to use their judgement.
Or in Helicopter Bronny’s case, lets just say a total lack of judgement.
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” Mr Robb said dairy remained an important consideration and the Government was “continuing to push for meaningful gains in both the US and with other TPP countries”.
Lets just make that never thank you.
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I see Bronnie snouted another $6000 of the taxpayers money chartering a flight from Sydney to Nowra last year. Whats wrong with the train, it would have only cost her $7 each way
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Nice trip too
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It has not stopped raining here all day and I’ve got no music selection to enjoy.
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Its with Emm who will post when he’s available.
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Posted a comment on that. Did not appear. Guess you can’t use Abbott and bumhole in the same sentence.
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I don’t understand why they are truisms
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From The Saturday Paper https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2015/08/01/gadfly-law-student-unto-herself/14383512002185 – do read this. You get a couple of free reads. I subscribe.
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I think the morons have had the whole day off to comment at the Bum.
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I think so too.
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Didn’t work too hard on Friday either.
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I took the day off but for other reasons.
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Here’s something to keep you amused for hours.
http://bronnycopter.com/
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Signing in again. Cleared history.
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Excellent
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RealityCheck:
28 Jul 2015 9:35:29am
Chris, what are you doing? Trying to wash your hands of the effects/products of your ‘think tank’ which ‘trained up’ these LNP twits to cater for your ‘business mates’ lobbies against Australia’s interests! How stupid do you think we all are, mate? Your crying ‘crocodile tears’ at this late stage is too embarrassing to watch. You should have thought of all this when you encouraged this LNP ‘loser crop’ to outsource, privatize or offshore everything that wasn’t nailed down. Now you want to again blame Labor for YOUR chickens coming home to roost, by slipping in your asinine assertion that Labor’s environmental/economic policies ‘were wrong’? They were right, mate. You/LNP were wrong. They would have provided a whole new industry/cleanliness for our energy and skillsets delivery which would have made us more self-sufficient, and leaders in many fields. But no, you and your carefully programmed LNP nincompoop ‘programmed proteges’ have scuttled all that. Now you pretend to cry about it while recommending *more* of the same? You’re delusional if you believe that. Wise up, Chris. Very disappointing garbage; except for admitting the LNP mess your ‘mates’ got us all into; that was true at least. 🙂
[From Chris Bergs Drum piece. Just perfect in my view]
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Saying it like it is.
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Unfortunately true Viv
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Are you having a good time – enjoying yourself? Adelaide must be quiet without you.
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I haven’t done anything I set out to do Viv. When the weather changed to cold then very cold I reassessed my priorities. I’m living in a country town for awhile after catching up with family and friends. Not sure what I will do at this stage. Would like to start writing Father O’Way again now that the dust has settled.
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http://www.theage.com.au/comment/greece-shows-compassion-to-migrants-while-australia-stops-the-boats-20150726-giknm5.html
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Greece shows compassion to migrants while Australia stops the boats
Date
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/comment/greece-shows-compassion-to-migrants-while-australia-stops-the-boats-20150726-giknm5.html#ixzz3h5wLfZkZ
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Conchita Wurst in a darling nurse costume ?
🙂
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Que?
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Eurovision 2014 winner.
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Thanks Viv is that the woman with the beard?
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Or the man in a dress?
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Hello Hung, sorry for replying late my friend but I was taking a break from s a n i t y, lately. I have to think funny when I hear the news such as this one: American dentist pays $50,000 to kill a lion with a bow and arrow … it took the lion 40 hours to die..
If these people are not insane, then I must be 🙂
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I read that story hph, bloody terrible, pity the lion didn’t kill him first.
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I get it.
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-25/adam-brookman-alleged-is-nurse-to-be-extradited-to-victoria/6647692
Sorry. I don’t believe this guy one bit plus he is a purse carrying nancy boy.
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Looks like a psych nurse!
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Yeah, not handsome like me and you, anyway I can’t imagine IS letting anyone get anyway.
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No, we don’t look like boofheads, do we?
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No, never. 🙂
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Must be the beard.
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Too right Ace. Male nurses with beards are a real worry.
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Oh…shit.
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What was that Big, time for a shave
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Nah, can’t be bothered. Working tomorrow, so a beard trim and haircut with the clippers this afternoon!
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Dunno I’m not a nurse, but side burns and mo’s well.
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I have a nick name known only in family circles – Nurse Barbara. No beard, no mo.
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Thanks, No Mo, Barb.
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I have a hat with a propeller. Now I must decide where to go… where to go..? 🙂
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Albury would be nice. Mirrabella’s wedding on the taxpayers tick!
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Mirrabella?… Our Mirrabella? She is getting married? .. Who is the shit-for-brains getting married to her? .. Oh well, any ideas for a wedding present I can bring along to her party?
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She’s married hph, the voice of the 1920’s flew from Melbourne to Albury and back at the taxpayers expense. The cost would suggest business class (meaning the front tow seats) for a 45 minutes flight. I’d be at a loss what to give her something that suits her personality.
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sorry, I thought she was getting married again; I did not realise that she was in the Bishop-taxpayer-trip news recently. I didn’t follow the news this week since that Leigh Sales-Shorten 7:30 interview. It made me sick. So I turned my attention to other things. I didn’t read most articles on the Drum either. I’ll have a look at them today.
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hph I was thinking a box of polished turds. Yes I thought Sales interview was poor quality and her one with Adolf a bit soft. She’s better than that.
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This area is bloody lovely. The idea that Bishop met anyone here in relation to some family inquiry she chaired is utter bullshit. She got off plane at Albury airport and then straight into a car to drive to Wangaratta. Just odd that she didn’t get a helicopter then too. PS – sure she flew from Sydney, not Melbourne. Only two things Sophie needs and that is dress sense and a new brain.
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I thought it was reported as Melbourne. Anyhow they are small planes if it was Qantas and even smaller if it was REX. The idea of flying business on either is just laughable. I think Labor should ensure that she stays as Speaker for the next twelve months. Any authority she has is now gone. She’s more an object of ridicule.
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Happy to stand corrected on her flying from Sydney
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I’m sure it was Sydney because she lives there. I couldn’t be bothered checking it all out because her excuse remains total rubbish. Every time any Lib of note turns up here Sophie is the first to let everyone know – there are no secret visits. Mirabella currently trying to take credit for some decent black spot funding in Wodonga – pics in paper with Jamie Briggs. She never fails to disgust me. I could go on but I won’t.
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I thought the ABC said Melbourne but today’s SMH said Sydney and as you say it makes sense as she fouls up the northern beaches. How could cloth ears possibly take credit for black spot funding. She’s not even in the parliament. She wants her seat back, I just hope the good burghers of Indi have more sense come the next election. This is a government unfit for purpose so why would you want a proven failure representing you.
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It is the second time Mirabella has done that. Been photographed and in the news – and Cathy not invited.
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Don’t know why anyone would give Mirrabella credit for blackspot funding…that’s all decided by bureaucrats. Idiots.
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I thought she was on the board of the Sub Corp
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Perhaps she’s there to create blackspots?
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I don’t know why anyone would give her the time of day. They must have large brown noses.
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Is there anyone left in Australia who still thinks that there is space enough for a cigarette paper between the major policies of the two major parties?
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Shorten just shat in his own nest…deplorable.
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Agree, told Mrs A last night why traditional Labor voters are walking awayf from them and this is one of the reasons. Time to grow a set Bill.
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Why would an opposition leader make such an outlandish statement before a national conference? It’s more like an Abbott style thought bubble. I keep reading comments, elsewhere, from card carrying labor party members, that they can no longer vote Labor!
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I’m not a member of any party as you know. However their policy is the game changer for me and can’t vote for them with this in place. A though bubble indeed that you’d expect from that battery operated robot Abbott.
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I’m more than pissed off. Pray this doesn’t get the nod at the conference.
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If it doesn’t vivienne then then he most likely will need to stand down as leader. That would play into Adolfs hands
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I’m more than pissed off. This must not get up. Then Shorten should resign.
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Shorten should have just written a ‘Dear Albo’ letter. Would have been more painless.
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Do you pay GST on helicopter flights?
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Depends if you’re entitled to.
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Why did she hire a helicopter, doesn’t she have a broom ?
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I’m sure she does not have a broom. A brush and pan is no substitute.
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She wouldn’t know what a brush, pan, or broom looked like.
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Does a broom have propellers?
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One of her employees could examine it for her.
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was that employees or serfs, Big.
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Same thing, to her.
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Somehow hearing you guys talk about this reminds me of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree 🙂
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She’s no angel.
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Yea I know. I was thinking more along the lines of Christmas tree. Remember the joke, Santa Claus was really pissed off, It was Christmas Eve and NOTHING was going right…. 🙂
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Yes, I can picture it now…
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From Bob Ellis:
“The news is very bad and I may have months to live but it is more like weeks.
I will try to bring out Abbott: The Worst Three Hundred Days: A Politcal Fiction, and launch it sometime in August. And, if I am well enough, do one last performance of Orators.
And so it goes.”
To say that I am deeply saddened by this news is to make the biggest understatement in my life!
Oz will be dealing with an enormously heavy loss if this eventuates.
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Whats wrong with him ato?
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18/7:
I am in Mona Vale Hospital waiting cat scan tests on liver function which look ominous.
This blog may become infrequent in the next few days, and in the next few weeks may cease altogether.
19.7:
I look and feel better. I am still awaiting the outcome of the crucial test. It is likely, though not certain, that a blockage can be removed, with or without surgery.
I commend Mona Vale Hospital, a very fine place to be. Abbott is reducing it, and replacing it with something nearer his home in Forestville.
And so it goes.
19.7
The news is very bad and I may have months to live but it is more like weeks.
I will try to bring out Abbott: The Worst Three Hundred Days: A Politcal Fiction, and launch it sometime in August. And, if I am well enough, do one last performance of Orators.
And so it goes.
20.7
I will put up some classic pieces, if I can find them, on Bronwyn from The Hewson Tapes and Goodbye Jerusalem.
Am feeling a bit crook, and hearing of miracle cures. Am editing Tony Abbott: The Two Hundred Worst Days today and tomorrow.
There have been many, many lovely messages.
Ah dear.
Sounds bloody awful for the poor man!
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He is far more stoical than I could ever be.
I feel dreadful for the poor man.
Same age as fucking Bronny Bishop! Which makes true the saying “the good die quicker than the bastards and the bitches!”
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I stopped looking at his blog when he carried on with all of that bullshit, recently. In hindsight ( a fine thing) perhaps he was suffering from some overt psychotic ideation, which one can in the lead up to a diagnosis of cancer, inflammatory markers, toxins and so on.
Poor bugger. Yes, Bronny is in rude health, I suppose she no longer needs to walk anywhere?
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The voice of the 1920’s is just rude.
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Yes, I had some fierce exchanges with him, too. Couldn’t understand his spontaneous and knee-jerk reactions against his beloved ALP.
I grew up intellectually and politically on his and Mungo’s writings in the Nation Review and for that I thank him from the bottom of my heart but whereas I do not believe in being religious loyal to any politician or political party, he did and still does. And that’s what is keeping him from growing even further.
Nevermind.
He is what he is in all manner of a human being and many a human being has given far less than he has or done more harm than he did.
I am certainly very deeply saddened that he is suffering and that he will leave us all soon.
May the rest of his days be, if not calm, then free of physical pain.
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See how strange the rallies are? A strange orchestra. So there is a conductor?
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Yes, Lehan, everyone is excited. I think the government has managed to radicalise everyone.
Even I am going to an an anti Border Protection Act rally this Friday. Doctors, nurses, physios, social workers and so on, are required by NSW law to report child abuse, yet if we visit Manus or Nauru, we are supposed to stay silent. The dietician reckons she is going to make a ‘Fuck Tony Abbott’ T-shirt for the day!
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People get really mad when they feel they’ve been stage-managed.
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It is weird for I, who did not realize that a radicalized public is an effect of a radicalized government.
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So I guess I’m wondering if this is pre-emptive.
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Anyone seen my helicopter?
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Hi Hung, how are you?
Are you about to do a Liberal fund raiser?
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Good thanks young fella. Can’t help themselves these Libs, they keep forgetting that the age of entitlement is over.
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What day does grown up government start?
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Bloody Fascists.
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The filth call them party warriors. She thinks she’s up there with the queen. Frobably fits.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-18/buckingham-palace-slams-images-of-queens-nazi-salute/6630346
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They write their own rules.
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Too right vivienne, one rule for the born to rulers and another for those who dare to cross their paths or think differently to them.
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I’m truly stuffed how they think this is okay. Remember what they said at the time of the Slipper show. Okay, they do it all the time. Their minds must be scrambled or they are so in love with themselves they can convince themselves of anything anytime and somehow manage to keep a straight face. The media don’t call them out on it and when they do (a little bit) they just accept the crazy answer and don’t pursue it, as I would given half the chance.
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Totally agree Viv
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Did you see Insiders today. Gerard Henderson though the whole thing would blow over within the week, he couldn’t see what the issue was. Tried to point out that pollies don’t want to go to these functions. Huh!!! What part of $5527 of taxpayers money being used for this when she could have driven doesn’t he get. not to mention the $90k junket to Europe. Greg Hunt called an ETS a tax and thought Howard was wrong to have a policy on it 2007. Of course memory loss here he lobbied Howard, he and Lord Pottymouth. When will these idiots stop interchanging their bums for their mouths.
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Well Algy, they just keep making things up. One day xyz is outrageous and so and so should resign – the next day they say the opposite. These foul fools will use any explanation they can think of to suit their purposes. I’m sure Abbott could find a way of explaining that his mother was not really his mother at all. Henderson as we know is useless and he just says black is white and white is black, shrugs shoulders and while head is looking down his eyes look up (I hate that way of his, trying to look all innocent).
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Its over here Hung all ready and to take you. It’s especially equipped with a special Liberal party trough snouter.
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Thanks mate. Maybe I could push her out
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Well she could fall on her head. The bouffant would protect her.
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Here’s a strange thing. Women are much less powerful than men in politics. This doesn’t make a lot of sense to me but it’s also the case in business, in academia, in society in general. I know that there are exceptions but the general situation is that. The question for me is why that is the case.
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I think it’s about language.
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I have to say I don’t think it’s a deliberate thing. Into this language of ours is built a lot of controls, a lot of warnings, a lot of fears, and this is expressed, often, through a language of ridicule. I suppose women have always been a bit dangerous because they are outsiders, to the core of social planning and implementation. Women’s words were radical because they often spoke the truth not knowing that there was a consensus not to say the truth. So there is a kind of mechanism of put-down that is like a fence. Not only to women, but about women. As I said, it’s not a deliberate thing. But you can see it, and hear it, with regularity.
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Imagine a group of men have met to discuss a problem. Imagine that scenario back in, say, the 1930’s, or the 1950’s. They talk about it, and then they meet up with the women. The women know the discussion pre-discussion, they have already talked with or listened to their husbands. But the discussion has changed. Now the women are introduced to a group concensus.
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But the women have also discussed it. Are they already aware of whose husband has achieved that concensus?
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It’s possible that this scenario is really what the researchers were thinking of when they set about to make a ‘prisoner’s dilemma’.
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I’d also like to point out that there is a regular bout of ‘dressing down’ in the media when the Libcrats have done something wrong. Generally they get Alan Jones to do it because that seems to them to be the most effective thing and I suppose we should just be looking to see what they’re actually wanting atonement for. Did anyone notice how catholic it is? It’s very catholic. Tony likely finds it quite pleasurable, eh.
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Does it really MATTER that when they were speaking of prisoners they were really meaning communication within social networks.
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Also does it really matter that people have begun to believe that there was no ‘social network’ before there was the computer. Does it really matter that the early cyberneticists were studying us when they developed this ‘internet’.
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If Bronwyn Bishop has let down her colleagues then they are going to throw her to the wolves with no remorse. What I find interesting is the Treasurer’s wolfishness on the matter. We should remember that it can be just one matter of principle that can bring a person down. It does not have to be the entire suit.
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Conflicting rules. The budget has to be spent. There are deadlines.
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‘The budget has to be spent.’ Oh, good, budget crisis averted, by, I guess, extending the loan.
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Not at all Big, but thanks for noticing. Who pointed it out, I can’t remember. Departments are run, there are deadlines for the spending of monies, and when the deadline approaches ways have to be found to spend the budget. Sometimes because the budget could get smaller if the money isn’t used up, sometimes because the team doesn’t want to leave any money that could be spent. So it could be that some staffer decided a helicopter was one way to do it and anyway they were in a rush. It doesn’t have to be, after all, that it was the helicopter that was the reason for the helicopter.
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It could well be some necessity for Ms Bishop to use monies that had already been paid to her at a particular point in time is what I am meaning here.
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But what kind of deadline comes at the end of December, or even at the beginning.
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Department of Agriculture? Department of Education? Local Government Audits?
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Yes, I know that in some bureaucracies, the next budget is based on the last spending. At the hospital we got a heap of money for extensions, then money taken away from the extensions, then money for parents’ chairs and milk warmers. In previous years, no money for maintaining ventilators, then millions for new ventilators. You may wonder why health care workers get confused.
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Let’s see. More specific. Perhaps not a financial year allowance but a calendar year system of some kind ending December 31.
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So probably you are supposed to be following a trail of money. And probably the antics of the reclaim austaralia is supposed to help you with that.
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I think they want to reclaim a bogan paradise, drinking XXXX on an EH Holden front seat, on the verandah, surrounded by rusting car bodies, whilst the kiddies entertain themselves chewing on the flaking lead based paint.
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Well I don’t know, I think that is what we are supposed to think, that this thing is being run by very unsophisticated people. Really it wouldn’t surprise me if this was some kind of startup.
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But no. Whistle blowers. After the damage is done.
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The preferred battle field because it is legal and therefore demands a burden of proof that can be fielded on technicalities by an army of technicality-makers and technicality-breakers. As opposed to it is social and demands some scrutiny, or oversight.
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Well, for a scenario let’s re-visit Blade Runner. Nobody was to blame for the world heating up and opening up the Antarctica as a new pathway to America, as the final frontier to gas and oil exploration. That just happened, nobody was responsible for that but the further benefit was that as the long-existing arable land became exhausted and desertified, previously frozen lands became arable and the food bowl shifted.
But having discovered the possibility of mere mortals to dramatically alter the geographics of the world, we could once again set our sights on the other planets. Yes, Mars, Pluto were too hot but wasn’t it possible to engineer a temperate climate on them too? And then we could have colonies again.
Colonies on other plants is a great idea but there needs to be some modification of humans in order to cope with that. If for example we could engineer humans so that they are less emotional, less sensitive, less volatile then we could have a people who was more than capable of getting out there and settling the new colonies. We wouldn’t need to go to all the effort of making humanoid robotic workers. We could just modify the brains of humans. Of course, losing sensitivity would likely lead to shorter lifespans and those humans lost the capacity to recognize over-exertion. Then we could send some more.
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If you don’t respect people why would you respect sovereignty. If you don’t respect sovereignty, or the right of A PEOPLES to live in freedom, why would you respect people.
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But of course, what would a good geopolitical thinker do with such a statement except busily arrange all the peoples into A and B and see how that looked.
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But where would that take us, Logan’s Run, something like that?
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Tsipras’ interview with ERT TV.
What came out of the interview with Tsipras is something which I had never thought was a thought that was seriously considered by many serious visionaries, which is that, throughout Europe, there truly is, or rather was, an idea of uniting Europe -the whole of Europe!- in all possible virtuous ways: exchange of ideas, of laws and customs and a mutual understand between all peoples.
I always took this to be a utopian view, the story of a writer of romantic novels, about as credible as Cartland’s besotted but beleaguered lovers and gave it the rightful disrespect one gives to overbloated dreams. Didn’t bother thinking too much about it.
This current concatenation of events made me visit that grand idea once again.
Tsipras, it seems thought that the idea a United Europe is quite a realistic, doable one and virtuous one and so important in fact that it is worth defending and promoting at all costs, including the cost of his premiership and the further impoverishment of his country. Additionally, he also thinks that the mafia who run the “zone” want to destroy that idea.
He’s right about the latter, wrong, I think about the former. He should indeed, fight against the zone mafia but the idea of a United Europe is simply wrong. To think that some 50 plus sovereign countries, with shifting borders, clogged with almost a billion people, all with their own minds, biases, cultural and moral proclivities, a lot of which proclivities are fanatically and mutually opposed to the others, will ever enter into a nice, peaceful co-operative arrangement, is so fanciful, to my thinking, that it is laughable, if not lacrimal.
Tsipras put on a very “good show,” as the posh poms would put it, throughout the negotiations and, in the end, he says, he -no, no, not HE but Europe!- won!
He lost because he had to come back to earth with a clamorous thud, a new memorandum which is so odious that 39 of his ministers rejected it in Parliament, one of whom also resigned.
Methinks, as Shakespeare would put it, he also put quite an effort during that interview with the ERT TV journos, in trying to convince us that putting his signature on something he heartily hates is a unendurable heroic pain that he would rather endure, than something a hero would savour a victory, which he did not think he earned.
Visions are often illusions and the grander the illusion the more delusional the visionary.
I have tempered my view of him after that interview because the fight was very bloody and because by fighting he has managed to expose what the eurozone is all about: a germanocentric nest of vipers who are out to get the Third Reich of which they were deprived, back in the early to mid last century. Mr Schaubel (the German Minister for Finance) is doing to Greece what he did to East Germany, garnering many fortunes. Bringing nations to their knees and into impoverishment is his speciality. Other prominent figures, the Dutch, for example, the Danes, the Belgians were also shown for their mafia tactics.
There are some very angry folk out there now! France has told Germany to pull her head in, other, Southern States are making war noises at Germany, Merkel hates Schaubel, Lagarde just came out and said that the “loans” to Greece should be given a haircut, a great number of eminent economists pointed out the illegality of those loans… what’s not to like about all that?
I have tempered my negative views of Tsipras but I have not entirely removed them.
Allowing myself some ethnic chauvinism for a moment, I suspect that it is also a battle between two mindsets: the philosophical (south) and the pragmatic (north). The south wants to talk about lofty and virtuous ideas about justice and morals, good and evil, about Socrates and whether he believed in gods or spirits, whereas the north wants to talk about material things and how to get them. Calculations of numbers, the sort that accountants and hoarders love, rather than the sort that scientists -like Pythagoras, for example- love.
Different mindsets, different armoury, different battlefield even.
Tsipras won on his battlefield and lost on theirs.
The mafia won on their battlefield and lost on his.
Only to be expected really.
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Had a half hour flurry on Tim Dunlop’s magnificent article and did very well. Satisfying.
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It took me a moment to work out who you where. Well done.
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With Stuffed getting zero up, or just one, I changed my pseud which is really only a partial pseud. See Sea Monster has popped up this week.
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And agreeing with Gerard (almost) I see.
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