Today's cartoon, supported by the remarks which follow, was originally authored on February 13. this year. Due to the blog-site imbroglio which was then in train ... neither were published at the appropriate time. Since currency is a vital ingredient in public comment, I thought the time and effort had been wasted.
However, the bellicose North Koren regime have once again galloped into the spotlight with out-landish threats to 'nuke' United States' targets on the Korean peninsula and/or the US mainland! Unless these clowns are in the grip of an insane death-wish ... I think the latter blather can be discounted as hollow communist rhetoric designed to mar Easter celebrations in both South Korea and the US. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know what would happen to NK. should they make good their threats.
So, what was old is young again!
Maybe it's inherent, perhaps I acquired it in the process of learning to draw ... or, more likely, it's simply dumb luck. Whatever, I regularly see shapes within objects which actually bear no relationship whatsoever to the incidentally observed manifestation(s). Often, others cannot detect the visions my mind has conjured, or patronizingly agree they can, just to shut me up(?)
This morning, the news was head-lined by the latest antics of those naughty North Koreans. When a map of the Korean peninsula flashed across the TV screen behind a report on the suspected nuclear test site, I suddenly thought - that looks like an oft-used graphic of a howling wolf silhouetted against the moon. On later consulting an atlas, the North Korean map outline emerged more like a crouching dragon. Wow! thought I, that's sort of appropriate.
Result. Today's cartoon. I normally pride myself in distilling images to the point where tags/labels/ explanations are redundant. However, this depiction is a tad more esoteric than most ... hence the above ramble.
Daily Current Affairs Cartoon
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Saturday, 30 March 2013
The wood pile
Walking before sun-rise this morning, I noticed a large heap of wood on a nature strip in a local street. On closer examination, it turned-out to be six sections of what recently must've been a very substantial eucalyptus tree. It wasn't there yesterday ... so, the what, when, why and, by whom questions immediately started circling my head.
With the imminent on-set of winter each year, small piles of neatly sawn fire-wood from trimmed small/medium sized trees and shrubs begin appearing on nature strips throughout our neighbourhood. Many of the older houses in the settlement are fitted with wood-fired heating, so there are always people on the hunt for waste wood to reduce the cost of the old-fashioned fuel. But, the wood I'm writing about was not small/medium by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it obviously came from quite a huge old tree ... but, clearly not one previously standing in the immediate area in which it now lay in pieces. If it was in the rear of the nearest house ... how did it get to the front nature strip? No sign of any heavy-lifting equipment on the grass verge or surrounding pavement (still quite damp from a recent 12 hour down-pour of rain). And, each of the tree-sections look far too heavy to have been man-handled by any squad short of a football team. Apart from how it got there ... who is expected to be equipped to remove it from the nature strip as a 'freebie' or commercially? The intrigue deepens with every thought generated by this strange happening.
BTW, the sign depicted in the accompanying 'toon is poetic licence on my part. You never know ... the person (or multitude?) responsible for positioning the wood-pile on the nature strip may possess a sense of optimism commensurate with the size of their physical strength?
And, yes ... the old saying involving a person of colour resident within a stack of wood did occur to me, but I am too PC aware to use it in a cartoon ... aren't I?
With the imminent on-set of winter each year, small piles of neatly sawn fire-wood from trimmed small/medium sized trees and shrubs begin appearing on nature strips throughout our neighbourhood. Many of the older houses in the settlement are fitted with wood-fired heating, so there are always people on the hunt for waste wood to reduce the cost of the old-fashioned fuel. But, the wood I'm writing about was not small/medium by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it obviously came from quite a huge old tree ... but, clearly not one previously standing in the immediate area in which it now lay in pieces. If it was in the rear of the nearest house ... how did it get to the front nature strip? No sign of any heavy-lifting equipment on the grass verge or surrounding pavement (still quite damp from a recent 12 hour down-pour of rain). And, each of the tree-sections look far too heavy to have been man-handled by any squad short of a football team. Apart from how it got there ... who is expected to be equipped to remove it from the nature strip as a 'freebie' or commercially? The intrigue deepens with every thought generated by this strange happening.
BTW, the sign depicted in the accompanying 'toon is poetic licence on my part. You never know ... the person (or multitude?) responsible for positioning the wood-pile on the nature strip may possess a sense of optimism commensurate with the size of their physical strength?
And, yes ... the old saying involving a person of colour resident within a stack of wood did occur to me, but I am too PC aware to use it in a cartoon ... aren't I?
Friday, 29 March 2013
Bush (fly) week
I spent a good part of today under the house putting our central heating unit back on-line after a long hot summer shut-down. Having shed the dust and cob-webs, I didn't feel in the mood for spending the remaining hours of daylight glaring at a computer screen ... so, why not run another of the pieces not published due to the blog venue interregnum earlier this year?
The following was put together on Feb, 22. To make sense of the cartoon, you may need to know that I had a suspected cancer removed from my left ear in a day-surgery procedure on Jan, 21. I was still in the recovery stage when the great fly attack took place.
"After an almost unbroken stretch of hot days in this clime, last night blessed us with some passing storm cells which dumped just enough of the wet stuff to cool the atmosphere and dampen the ground, Down-side was to awaken this morning to a proper humidity steam bath.
Which was pretty good for early morning walking ... except for the clouds of bush flies which have apparently materialized from nowhere! Had to grab a 'switch' from a passing gum-tree to keep the little blighters from driving me crazy.
Strange. Must say I haven't seen any kind of fly (house, blow or bush) around our place for many years. But, seems they were around alright, just awaiting the right moment to pounce!"
The following was put together on Feb, 22. To make sense of the cartoon, you may need to know that I had a suspected cancer removed from my left ear in a day-surgery procedure on Jan, 21. I was still in the recovery stage when the great fly attack took place.
"After an almost unbroken stretch of hot days in this clime, last night blessed us with some passing storm cells which dumped just enough of the wet stuff to cool the atmosphere and dampen the ground, Down-side was to awaken this morning to a proper humidity steam bath.
Which was pretty good for early morning walking ... except for the clouds of bush flies which have apparently materialized from nowhere! Had to grab a 'switch' from a passing gum-tree to keep the little blighters from driving me crazy.
Strange. Must say I haven't seen any kind of fly (house, blow or bush) around our place for many years. But, seems they were around alright, just awaiting the right moment to pounce!"
Thursday, 28 March 2013
Cartoon influences
One of the nagging problems with the craft of cartooning (in my experience, anyway) is the never-ending quest to develop a style of humorous drawing which is both attractive and quick to execute. Whilst I believe I have studiously tried to avoid copying the work of fellow practitioners throughout a long stint at the game, it's inevitable that, from time to time, influences do sneak into your own work.
Happily, when I look back at archived out-put from earlier periods, I can see traits that I didn't develop personally ... but perhaps adopted because it seemed to be de rigueur at the time. I have since largely eradicated most of them from the stuff I am scribbling now. However, it has been interesting to try attributing the sources of earlier drawing characteristics with a dip of the lid to those doyens of the craft whose work probably influenced me.
• Big heads on little bodies. I reckon this came from my admiration of US syndicated comic-strip artist Mell Lazarus' work on Miss Peach and Momma.
• Big feet, Many cartoonists of today use variants of big foot school. I think my adoption of it mainly in the 1970s was the influence of Jay Ward's style made famous in the Rocky and Bullwinkle animated cartoon series. It enabled very quick cartoon depiction of feet without any regard for detail.
• Thick black line-work. Tho' not really evident in the accompanying 'toon, I've always loved thick Black! Celebrated Italian cartoonist Emanuele Luzzati also liked it and intimated that he, in turn, was originally smitten by the painting style of the impressionist Georges Rouault.
• Three fingers. I believe I got this from the work of Walt Disney's gallery of 'toonists, who claimed it saved time and ink! I still do it today, in the belief that it better suits fore-shortened cartoon human figures ... and, probably very few viewers notice anyway!
Happily, when I look back at archived out-put from earlier periods, I can see traits that I didn't develop personally ... but perhaps adopted because it seemed to be de rigueur at the time. I have since largely eradicated most of them from the stuff I am scribbling now. However, it has been interesting to try attributing the sources of earlier drawing characteristics with a dip of the lid to those doyens of the craft whose work probably influenced me.
• Big heads on little bodies. I reckon this came from my admiration of US syndicated comic-strip artist Mell Lazarus' work on Miss Peach and Momma.
• Big feet, Many cartoonists of today use variants of big foot school. I think my adoption of it mainly in the 1970s was the influence of Jay Ward's style made famous in the Rocky and Bullwinkle animated cartoon series. It enabled very quick cartoon depiction of feet without any regard for detail.
• Thick black line-work. Tho' not really evident in the accompanying 'toon, I've always loved thick Black! Celebrated Italian cartoonist Emanuele Luzzati also liked it and intimated that he, in turn, was originally smitten by the painting style of the impressionist Georges Rouault.
• Three fingers. I believe I got this from the work of Walt Disney's gallery of 'toonists, who claimed it saved time and ink! I still do it today, in the belief that it better suits fore-shortened cartoon human figures ... and, probably very few viewers notice anyway!
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Trouble building?
Victorian state government 'planning' nabobs have reportedly approved plans for Melbourne's tallest building (The Australia 108 Tower) which will stretch 388 metres above ground level when/if completed. Aesthetic considerations aside, it seems they may not have given due attention to the fact that the building will encroach 13 metres into space allocated to aircraft on final landing approach to Essendon airport over the CBD from a southerly direction
Commercial pilots have quickly railed against this latest mooted incursion. They claim flight path diversions in force to avoid the extant Eureka Tower have already created a very steep and potentially dangerous descent path. Fortunately, the controlling authority over airport safety (federal) have not yet been asked to consider the planning request. Let's hope wiser heads prevail. After 30 odd years in the aviation game, I know that aircraft and tall buildings do not mix well. They need to give each other the widest berth possible.
And, clearly, airborne transportation is far more important to contemporary society than an extra few metres of seemingly hormonal driven building space?
Commercial pilots have quickly railed against this latest mooted incursion. They claim flight path diversions in force to avoid the extant Eureka Tower have already created a very steep and potentially dangerous descent path. Fortunately, the controlling authority over airport safety (federal) have not yet been asked to consider the planning request. Let's hope wiser heads prevail. After 30 odd years in the aviation game, I know that aircraft and tall buildings do not mix well. They need to give each other the widest berth possible.
And, clearly, airborne transportation is far more important to contemporary society than an extra few metres of seemingly hormonal driven building space?
Tuesday, 26 March 2013
The hills of home.
The village of Keilor was a quaint little (mostly rural) speck on the map about 10Km from the (then) north-western fringe of greater Melbourne when we first settled here just before xmas 1972. The so-called urban sprawl was in its infancy at the time with Keilor one of the early mass housing developments ... in our case, an estate almost entirely comprised of the many new project home models being marketed by A.V. Jennings. A +/- 21 sq, home on a standard suburban block set us back $21000 and change, The reason we moved here was to get me closer to my work base at the brand new Tullamarine international airport, which shares the plateau known as Keilor Plains and was/is only about 10 mins by car from our home.
Keilor village itself is situated on the flood plain of the Maribyrnong river and, is completely surrounded by really steep hills carved into the plain by the water-way over millions of years. Most of the early housing developments were concentrated on the plateau overlooking the town ... but, most of the escarpment is now also fully occupied with mostly very huge and expensive 'mac-mansions'. Not a little of their current worth was probably consumed in the elaborate foundations required to compensate for the steep gradients.
Why am I rabbiting on about the 'hills of home'? Until recently, a small mixed business shop was part of our particular estate. It went out of business, no doubt because this area is over supplied with large shopping complexes all within 10 mins drive of our estate. I confess, I never used the little shop much during the 40 something years of its existence ... except to buy a daily newspaper. Now, one has to negotiate the 'hills' going to the nearest newsagency in Keilor village, because it is only a little over a kilometre as the crow flies and thus, not worth starting the car just to get a paper.
Keeping me very fit for my age tho'!
Keilor village itself is situated on the flood plain of the Maribyrnong river and, is completely surrounded by really steep hills carved into the plain by the water-way over millions of years. Most of the early housing developments were concentrated on the plateau overlooking the town ... but, most of the escarpment is now also fully occupied with mostly very huge and expensive 'mac-mansions'. Not a little of their current worth was probably consumed in the elaborate foundations required to compensate for the steep gradients.
Why am I rabbiting on about the 'hills of home'? Until recently, a small mixed business shop was part of our particular estate. It went out of business, no doubt because this area is over supplied with large shopping complexes all within 10 mins drive of our estate. I confess, I never used the little shop much during the 40 something years of its existence ... except to buy a daily newspaper. Now, one has to negotiate the 'hills' going to the nearest newsagency in Keilor village, because it is only a little over a kilometre as the crow flies and thus, not worth starting the car just to get a paper.
Keeping me very fit for my age tho'!
Monday, 25 March 2013
The ADF climate for change.
In today's press, there are a couple of articles dealing with the impact of Climate change on both industry and the Defence forces. The former is largely about the the probable escalating cost of damage repair to mines and associated infrastructure due to increasing wild weather related events.
The ADF story is based on the already heavy involvement of defence personnel and equipment performing rescue and clean-up operations in the wake of recent national disasters involving fire, floods and tornados. It high-lights the need to budget in future for personnel disaster-relief training and, modification of equipment never intended to be used in bush-fire, flood or wind-storm afflicted theatres etc. It includes a recommendation that the ADF hire civil disaster experts to assist with future disaster management planning and co-ordination.
Good idea. The ADF hasn't exactly been notable for satisfactory suppression of 'disasters' within its own organizational bailiwick of late ... any qualified assistance might be gratefully welcomed?
The ADF story is based on the already heavy involvement of defence personnel and equipment performing rescue and clean-up operations in the wake of recent national disasters involving fire, floods and tornados. It high-lights the need to budget in future for personnel disaster-relief training and, modification of equipment never intended to be used in bush-fire, flood or wind-storm afflicted theatres etc. It includes a recommendation that the ADF hire civil disaster experts to assist with future disaster management planning and co-ordination.
Good idea. The ADF hasn't exactly been notable for satisfactory suppression of 'disasters' within its own organizational bailiwick of late ... any qualified assistance might be gratefully welcomed?
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Ms Gillard's vision
The following text and cartoons were prepared as blog entries for February 1st and 2nd, but could not be published due to problems with the old blog site. After Julia's experience over the past couple of days, I thought giving the stuff a second chance would not be untoward.
Ms. Gillard's glasses.
By rim on 1 February 2013 - 4:42pm
This is a weird country.
The P.M. announces a remote date for the next federal election ... and, half the media coverage is about the fact that the lady suddenly appeared in public wearing spectacles! WOW! Doesn't that happen to everyone whose eye-sight has deteriorated to the point of requiring optical lenses to correct some form of impairment? I mean, one day you're not wearing glasses ... the next, you are!
Lucky the world didn't end because of 'Gillard's goggles'. If it had, we wouldn't need the election!
On second thoughts ...
A nose for a fight? ...
By rim on 2 February 2013 - 5:34pm
... Or, you might like to call this Julia's Gogs part 2?
Ms. Gillard's glasses.
By rim on 1 February 2013 - 4:42pm
This is a weird country.
The P.M. announces a remote date for the next federal election ... and, half the media coverage is about the fact that the lady suddenly appeared in public wearing spectacles! WOW! Doesn't that happen to everyone whose eye-sight has deteriorated to the point of requiring optical lenses to correct some form of impairment? I mean, one day you're not wearing glasses ... the next, you are!
Lucky the world didn't end because of 'Gillard's goggles'. If it had, we wouldn't need the election!
On second thoughts ...
A nose for a fight? ...
By rim on 2 February 2013 - 5:34pm
... Or, you might like to call this Julia's Gogs part 2?
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Saturday, 23 March 2013
The aborted coup cont'd/...
This cartoon is a 'lift' from a batch of doodles I have accumulated in an ideas file for a possible cartoon series with a tentative title of 'Assorted Nuts'. Otherwise, a 'blue' Kev. might never have seen the light of day.
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Friday, 22 March 2013
Hard Labor!
Today's cartoon is about the aftermath of yesterday's Canberra 'coup' (as the more glib media headline writers are describing the actual Canberra 'non-event').
Based on a famous Dickens' quote at the end of A tale of two cities, I originally had Messrs Crean and Bowen being carried off in a tumbrel to their political demise. Just as I was about to post it, up pops Mr. Ferguson 'doing the right thing'. Ok, I thought... the cart isn't that big, but maybe I can fit in one more without having to redraw the whole thing?
Right! Still sketching Ferguson, when Kim Carr appears in the hari-kari hot-seat! I'm suddenly thinking ... what if every Rudd supporter decides to jump off the cliff? I'll need to draw a double-decker bus to sustain this idea!
Sooo ... my wife and I decided to go off to do our weekly grocery shopping to allow all of the potential 'jumpers' to reveal themselves before I wasted any more time on the cartoon. That's my excuse for this late post ... take it or leave it.
Based on a famous Dickens' quote at the end of A tale of two cities, I originally had Messrs Crean and Bowen being carried off in a tumbrel to their political demise. Just as I was about to post it, up pops Mr. Ferguson 'doing the right thing'. Ok, I thought... the cart isn't that big, but maybe I can fit in one more without having to redraw the whole thing?
Right! Still sketching Ferguson, when Kim Carr appears in the hari-kari hot-seat! I'm suddenly thinking ... what if every Rudd supporter decides to jump off the cliff? I'll need to draw a double-decker bus to sustain this idea!
Sooo ... my wife and I decided to go off to do our weekly grocery shopping to allow all of the potential 'jumpers' to reveal themselves before I wasted any more time on the cartoon. That's my excuse for this late post ... take it or leave it.
Thursday, 21 March 2013
Manic media
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Stirring words (with which I totally agree as one of the tenets guiding my attitude to life matters thus far). Though attributed to Voltaire circa 1759, I only discovered today that he may never have actually uttered that monumental sentence. Rather, it may have evolved from a later chronicler's version of something the great man said.
Whatever. the famous quotation has been heavily bandied about in Australia over the past week or so in relation to Senator Conroy's somewhat ham-fisted introduction of his long-anticipated review of media regulations in legislative form. In fact. I don't think the regulatory changes have anything but a passing relevance to 'freedom of speech' per se. As far as I can see, they are more directed to controlling the perceived 'freedom' of the press and other mass media to do and say on occasions whatever they damned-well like about individuals and/or organizations, without fear of retribution when sprung for fabricating stories and/or bare-faced lying!
Whatever mis-givings I may have had about Conroy's cavalier presentational attitude, the almost insanely hysterical out-bursts in response from big media and some political barrow-pushers, has practically convinced me that they are petrified by the prospect of closer scrutiny and being appropriately 'bitten' for past and future loose ethics!
Where there's smoke ...?
Stirring words (with which I totally agree as one of the tenets guiding my attitude to life matters thus far). Though attributed to Voltaire circa 1759, I only discovered today that he may never have actually uttered that monumental sentence. Rather, it may have evolved from a later chronicler's version of something the great man said.
Whatever. the famous quotation has been heavily bandied about in Australia over the past week or so in relation to Senator Conroy's somewhat ham-fisted introduction of his long-anticipated review of media regulations in legislative form. In fact. I don't think the regulatory changes have anything but a passing relevance to 'freedom of speech' per se. As far as I can see, they are more directed to controlling the perceived 'freedom' of the press and other mass media to do and say on occasions whatever they damned-well like about individuals and/or organizations, without fear of retribution when sprung for fabricating stories and/or bare-faced lying!
Whatever mis-givings I may have had about Conroy's cavalier presentational attitude, the almost insanely hysterical out-bursts in response from big media and some political barrow-pushers, has practically convinced me that they are petrified by the prospect of closer scrutiny and being appropriately 'bitten' for past and future loose ethics!
Where there's smoke ...?
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Have a heart!
I picked up a passing comment about heart health on TV the other day ... reminding viewers that during an average human life-span, the ticker mechanism is expected to beat 'several billion times' ! I missed any reference to how the figure was evolved but, using an average 60 beats per minute, I thought I'd waste a few minutes checking the performance of my own engine.
When my 78th birthday arrived earlier this month, It seems my clock would have ticked in the vicinity of 2,459,808,000 times since the embryonic age.
I wonder when the manufacturer's warranty ran out?
When my 78th birthday arrived earlier this month, It seems my clock would have ticked in the vicinity of 2,459,808,000 times since the embryonic age.
I wonder when the manufacturer's warranty ran out?
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
Long shadow
I've never really hankered to 'throw a long shadow' in the figurative sense ... generally trying to remain blended with the background. However, I experienced throwing one literally during my early morning walk today.
I reached the entrance to a street which winds up a hill towards our home in a westerly direction at the precise moment the sun appeared over the Eastern horizon. My body shadow bridged the entire block to the first cross-street intersection ... with my head initially trending onward across the junction and starting to climb the next hill! Probably at least 300 metres.
Trivia ... but, rather an amazing moment to capture. Wish I had been carrying the iPhone!
I reached the entrance to a street which winds up a hill towards our home in a westerly direction at the precise moment the sun appeared over the Eastern horizon. My body shadow bridged the entire block to the first cross-street intersection ... with my head initially trending onward across the junction and starting to climb the next hill! Probably at least 300 metres.
Trivia ... but, rather an amazing moment to capture. Wish I had been carrying the iPhone!
Monday, 18 March 2013
Fun in the Falklands
Last week, eligible voters resident in the Falkland Islands had the opportunity to express their feelings about continuation of political arrangements which treat the islands as a kind of protectorate of Britain. I'm not sure whether the referendum included alternatives such as Independence, or transfer of allegiance to Argentina which maintains the belief that the islands properly belong in it's orbit.
Whatever, the result of the 2 day poll was a remarkable 99.8% in favour of remaining in the care of Britain, which sounds like the sort of thing that used to emerge from so-called elections in the communist world. However, this one is apparently 'ridgy-didge' genuine.
Though there are apparently no up-to-date census figures currently available for the Falklands, the population is 'about 2900' permanent residents. Of those, 1518 are eligible voters. 1513 lodged ballots favouring YES. One ballot was rejected (no reason given), while one was 'unaccounted for'. That leaves 3 ballots against the proposal.
It's reported that the islanders are now pre-occupied with the mystery of who doesn't want a continued association with Britain?
Intrigue! You have to love it!
Whatever, the result of the 2 day poll was a remarkable 99.8% in favour of remaining in the care of Britain, which sounds like the sort of thing that used to emerge from so-called elections in the communist world. However, this one is apparently 'ridgy-didge' genuine.
Though there are apparently no up-to-date census figures currently available for the Falklands, the population is 'about 2900' permanent residents. Of those, 1518 are eligible voters. 1513 lodged ballots favouring YES. One ballot was rejected (no reason given), while one was 'unaccounted for'. That leaves 3 ballots against the proposal.
It's reported that the islanders are now pre-occupied with the mystery of who doesn't want a continued association with Britain?
Intrigue! You have to love it!
Sunday, 17 March 2013
St. Patrick's day
A couple of weeks ago during a discussion among cartoonists about growing potatoes, the quasi-learned contributions strayed into things Irish in general, then 'the little people' and their possible involvement in particular.
As a measure of the practical conclusions flowing from the deliberations ... all were able to admire one participant's invention of an out-door toilet facility suited to the needs of Leprechauns and their ilk.
And, just in time for St. Patrick's day!
As a measure of the practical conclusions flowing from the deliberations ... all were able to admire one participant's invention of an out-door toilet facility suited to the needs of Leprechauns and their ilk.
And, just in time for St. Patrick's day!
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Ram it!
I usually look at SKY TV news every morning to get a packaged idea of what's been going on while we here in Oz are slumbering. In particular, the 'Local' news spread is great for finding out what is happening in Queensland where many of my readers are resident. Sadly,Quick news isn't all you get.
IMO one of the most annoyingly stupid ads on TV recently has been the RAMS clip where the company mascot is in a room exhorting two young people to get a loan to facilitate leaving the family nest. It seems it was almost the only ad running on SKY at the time ... and, was used to punctuate every brief grouping of news items on every one of the channels displayed on their 'local' page, When browsing the 'local' page, you could have the damned thing thrust into your face 5 times in 5 minutes!
It has certainly 'reached' me, as they say. I'd rather have a frontal lobotomy than seek a loan from RAMS! after suffering the ad ... err ad nauseam. I realize the fault may lie with Sky ad scheduling rather than the advertiser. Whatever, I fail to see how figuratively suffocating viewers can do anything but turn people off a product.
IMO one of the most annoyingly stupid ads on TV recently has been the RAMS clip where the company mascot is in a room exhorting two young people to get a loan to facilitate leaving the family nest. It seems it was almost the only ad running on SKY at the time ... and, was used to punctuate every brief grouping of news items on every one of the channels displayed on their 'local' page, When browsing the 'local' page, you could have the damned thing thrust into your face 5 times in 5 minutes!
It has certainly 'reached' me, as they say. I'd rather have a frontal lobotomy than seek a loan from RAMS! after suffering the ad ... err ad nauseam. I realize the fault may lie with Sky ad scheduling rather than the advertiser. Whatever, I fail to see how figuratively suffocating viewers can do anything but turn people off a product.
Friday, 15 March 2013
Roman circus?
Yesterday, The Age reported a fine set of shenanigans allegedly going on among some Australian troops currently serving in Afghanistan. When supposed to be alert and action-ready in forward positions facing hostile insurgents ... individuals have been observed using no-man's land as a golf driving-range or 'otherwise acting like gladiators' ... whatever that means.
Just when the ADF was beginning to enjoy their 15 minutes out of the media's more or less constantly embarrassing spot-light!
Just when the ADF was beginning to enjoy their 15 minutes out of the media's more or less constantly embarrassing spot-light!
Contest of Ideas
I've been reading recent press articles about expectations in the electorate that this year's federal tussle might high-light a 'contest of ideas'.
Personally, I'm sick of political 'ideas' and, how those few that sound OK never get implemented whilst, those which do materialize usually end up being categorized as ..."well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!"
Personally, I'm sick of political 'ideas' and, how those few that sound OK never get implemented whilst, those which do materialize usually end up being categorized as ..."well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!"
Thursday, 14 March 2013
Bonzer! lives ... well, kinda lives.
The plug was pulled on posting to the Bonzer! web-site 0n February 13th. ... and, a week later it had disappeared from the active web-o-sphere altogether.
I understand all of its issues from 2001 to 2013 have been archived with the National Library of Australia, but that will only serve to quench the nostalgia of those for whom it was a focal point of daily life. However, its creative interactive heart is stilled forever. Instead, it joins the dinosaurs and other extinct fauna, flora and/or mechanisms which coloured our passed world ... only to now rest as in-animate museum exhibits.
How long since you last visited a museum?
Today's cartoon is a sample from the small quantity of stuff I contributed to Bonzer! while it was vibrant and (I thought) looked as if it would go on forever. As the pop song said - "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone ...". This little 'toon was requested to add some colour to the Book Review section of the 'e-zine' back in July 2011. No doubt it now gathers virtual dust somewhere in the bowels of NLA(?)
I understand all of its issues from 2001 to 2013 have been archived with the National Library of Australia, but that will only serve to quench the nostalgia of those for whom it was a focal point of daily life. However, its creative interactive heart is stilled forever. Instead, it joins the dinosaurs and other extinct fauna, flora and/or mechanisms which coloured our passed world ... only to now rest as in-animate museum exhibits.
How long since you last visited a museum?
Today's cartoon is a sample from the small quantity of stuff I contributed to Bonzer! while it was vibrant and (I thought) looked as if it would go on forever. As the pop song said - "You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone ...". This little 'toon was requested to add some colour to the Book Review section of the 'e-zine' back in July 2011. No doubt it now gathers virtual dust somewhere in the bowels of NLA(?)
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Cards night?
Meanwhile, in the news world.
OK ... so far just a puff of black smoke from the conclave.
At some time in their life, surely even Cardinals must've been just ordinary blokes, doing ordinary blokey things? In public, they obviously have to maintain the mystique surrounding their august role and standing within the church. But, sealed off from the public gaze ... who'd blame them for doffing the funny hat, loosening the doggy collar ... and, doing what blokes do?
Go Cards!
OK ... so far just a puff of black smoke from the conclave.
At some time in their life, surely even Cardinals must've been just ordinary blokes, doing ordinary blokey things? In public, they obviously have to maintain the mystique surrounding their august role and standing within the church. But, sealed off from the public gaze ... who'd blame them for doffing the funny hat, loosening the doggy collar ... and, doing what blokes do?
Go Cards!
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It's a bird! It's Superman, no, it's ...
Practically every morning as I take my constitutional around the wilds of Keilor, I'm walking adjacent to the glide-path for the southern end of Tullamarine runway 16-34.
The hour between 0700 and 0800 daily seems to be extremely busy for international arrivals, judging by the number of 'heavies' passing almost directly overhead. Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s were only little more advanced than figments of someone's imagination when I last saddled-up for duty with the 'big white Rat' in December 1989 ... but the venerable B.747 was already 18 years into its service life with QF (starting with the .200 version) by then and, .400s are still going strong today.
I'm impressed by the A380 double-decker behemoth because of its remarkably serene and quiet demeanour in flight. This morning I witnessed two of them on 'final approach' to Tulla within less than 10 minutes of each other ... almost soundless compared with other long-haul arrivals. Hardly more than a whisper from the four 'donks' as each appeared to be wafting into their respective landings.
Perhaps they're not really metal monsters at all?
The hour between 0700 and 0800 daily seems to be extremely busy for international arrivals, judging by the number of 'heavies' passing almost directly overhead. Boeing 777s and Airbus A380s were only little more advanced than figments of someone's imagination when I last saddled-up for duty with the 'big white Rat' in December 1989 ... but the venerable B.747 was already 18 years into its service life with QF (starting with the .200 version) by then and, .400s are still going strong today.
I'm impressed by the A380 double-decker behemoth because of its remarkably serene and quiet demeanour in flight. This morning I witnessed two of them on 'final approach' to Tulla within less than 10 minutes of each other ... almost soundless compared with other long-haul arrivals. Hardly more than a whisper from the four 'donks' as each appeared to be wafting into their respective landings.
Perhaps they're not really metal monsters at all?
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Political new-speak
Political 'new-speak'. It's not bad enough that politicians generally talk un-intelligible gabble because they don't really have command of their subject ... now it seems they are out to confuse us more by muddying the usually accepted meaning of common words.
In the face of recent drubbings in the polls and actual elections, the ALP is be-moaning loss of its brand !? Isn't its name the only 'brand' with which we, the electorate, recognize the organization? That seems to be intact as I write.
So, what is it they claim to have lost?
In the face of recent drubbings in the polls and actual elections, the ALP is be-moaning loss of its brand !? Isn't its name the only 'brand' with which we, the electorate, recognize the organization? That seems to be intact as I write.
So, what is it they claim to have lost?
Monday, 11 March 2013
Cloud choices
Putting aside pollie bashing and other bread and butter matters ... I fell back on the natural environment (or, what’s left of it) this morning to nourish the creative little grey cells (or, what’s left of them). Though I’m thoroughly sick of the unrelenting hot weather in these parts ... it does present some beautifully coloured skies at dawn when there are a few clouds about. I was momentarily overcome by the whimsy bug.
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Sunday, 10 March 2013
Prophecy
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