Hotplate

Housing styles in Keilor (cont'd)

It's quite a while since I posted a local house caricature ... mainly because this one has been languishing in the sketch stage waiting for me to get round to finishing it.

Mock-Tudor style is fairly well represented around here, as I suppose it is in many Australian communities. However, there is one which I particularly like because whoever built it has gone the extra yards to include some 'Tudor' features which are not generally seen on the 'mock' version. Not only are there casement windows, but two differing varieties can readily be seen on the face of the building. Also, many windows have latticed glass panes adding to the 'authentic' look.

I have no idea who dwells in this house, but it is perhaps big enough to accommodate a modern relative of King Hal., if not his entourage (?) 

Harry

A bit of froth ...

A bit distracted by other things today ... so, this is a re-work of an oldish gag just to keep the 'daily' aspect of the blog in order.

Sick of footy?

Fort Fumble again ...

Another thought on '3-Star'* military manoeuvres. Shades of Fawlty Towers?


* first I've ever heard of 'star rankings' applied to the Oz military. Certainly wasn't a measure of officer ranks when I was in it.

Basil strikes!

A warrior's perspective?

In support of his latest stroke of legerdemaine, Mr.Rabbit intends to pull a '3-star' military person out of his hat to show us all how a basically civil policy should be organised and implemented.

Not a new idea really. The names Napoleon, any number of Latin-American worthies, Idi-Amin, Mr. Bainimaramain (Fiji) et.al. spring to mind.

Personally, I reckon the Australian military leadership haven't made much of a fist of running their own fiefdoms in recent times. Why would you risk wanting one of that lot stuffing-up civilian affairs anymore than they're already stuffed-up?

Warriors

Asylum found and lost?

OK ... I've had a 3 day rest from the 'boats' question, but just couldn't resist the urge to comment on the burning-down of the Nauru asylum structure.


If the pathetic ... oops ... Pacific Solution has lost half of its supporting off-shore infrastructure, where does that leave what I've always considered to be a half-arsed proposition without ponying-up another $60mil of tax-payers funds?!

My immediate thought is the raison-d'etre for today's cartoon.

Ashes 2

Testing times?

Australia's chances have now virtually taken the look of something which could easily merge without trace into the mythical trophy remains. Only one conclusion ... they're N.B.G!

Sooo ... I'm suggesting an infusion of new raw talent.


Disclaimer: The district of 'Bung-Bung' is, of course, a mythical figment of my imagination. Even so, their 3rd eleven would probably still perform more credibly than our present test squad.

Bat's?

The SMS syndrome?

This bloke does not seem to be the 'Kevin 07' who was PM the first time around.
Maybe the enforced sojourn in the wilderness has hardened his attitude to matters which require his attention?

Whatever, I for one don't think the new KR is as attractive politically as the earlier incarnation.

Crud?

The Manus joke?

Sorry if I'm boring anyone ... but, I'm still seething about the glib back-somersault by Labor on the 'Pacific solution' to the grossly exaggerated 'boats' problem.

Promise I'll make this the last on the subject for a while.

Sick?

Manus Island concentration camp.

Established by Howard 2001. Closed by Rudd 2008. Re-opened by Gillard 2011. Now, guess who is the new  de-facto Commandant?

What the hell happened to trust and decency? Go online and have a look at the pics of this place ... and, tell me you don't care about the people who are about to be incarcerated there without trial for who knows how long ... and/or the fact that we are not only being implicated in this act of bastardry without question ... but, also expected to pay for it thru' taxes!

Kev the keeper?

The past brought forward.

Below, I've reproduced my blog entry for 24/12/2012,  posted whilst a previous blog-site was suffering a glitch in its ability to receive and display graphics. In case those readers missed the image posted temporarily on another gallery site at the time ... I'm making good on the wish expressed in the last para of the xmas eve post.

(OK ... it's also a  filler to mask the fact that I'm spending most of today at my son's place in Gisborne, helping with the tidying up after reno works.)

"Miami State School fire

By rim on 24 December 2012 - 8:11pm

The apparently wanton vandalism at Miami State school last night (allegedly by children) is perhaps a regrettable consequence of failing parental control in this country and, by no means peculiar to Queensland. If it was the work of feral kids, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the law to hand out punishments appropriate to either the cost of physical damage to public property, or anguish the event will have caused to innocent students and/or their parents.

Without trying to trivialize the incident, I was amused by news reports that firemen attending the scene initially held back from attacking the blaze due to circumstances which were not clearly explained ... at least, not in the early morning newscast I was watching. It reminded me of a Stan Cross comic-strip I saw as a young man in the then Melbourne Herald. It was one of the famous Wally and the Major daily sequences, dealing with the main characters assembling to subdue a warehouse fire. I have lifted a form of the dialog to use in today's companion cartoon ... with suitable attribution to the source, of course.

Hope it's not too long before you can actually look at the image on this site."

Looking into the flames?

The popularity stakes.

With the major parties said to be now 'neck and neck' in opinion pools ... a separate poll depthing the popularity of main 'leadership' figures, has shown Malcolm Turnbull ahead of both Rudd and Abbott as preferred PM.

What a dilemma for Mal.T,?

Top of the Heap?

Failed policies?

Current political jargon seems to draw heavily on nautical terminology, so here's my small contribution to the trend.

Kevin's almost frenzied 'failed policies over-board' activities conjure up echoes of 'clearing the decks for action' with the pending election just over the horizon. It is also instructive of how Jetsam and Flotsam relate to one another(?)

Still, no children are endangered by the present exercise (as far as we know) ... so, the work doesn't share the gravity of some earlier alleged Australian government nautical-flavoured exercises.

Spring clean?

B.Y.J.I.A-R!

How to make a mountain out of a relative mole-hill! Now the Canberra genii are contemplating the possibility of reforming United Nations dictums on treatment of refugees! God ... give me the nous or strength to equate with this bull-sh*t!

And ...I'm appalled at the fake hand-wringing on display each time a boat comes to grief! These are the same people who devise off-shore concentration camps for fearful people who are largely driven to the risks of ocean crossings in leaky boats by the naked fear associated with remaining in their own war-ravaged and/or corruptly governed home countries!

Forty years ago, we were not so phased by the 'invasion' of boat-people fleeing the devastation of Vietnam (a lot of it down to meddling by us and our 'powerful friend') ... perhaps because we were then a more compassionate people, not led by buffoon demi-racist/fascist policy peddlars.

As you can glean ... I'm bloody annoyed by both Rudd, Abbott and most of their ilk!

Boat-people.

The ideal of isolation?

With the apparently 'easy' road to power looking more dodgy every day ... 'Mr. Rabbit' seems to be hell-bent in his adherence to the say nothing, do nothing negativism that has characterised his 'leadership' of the federal Liberal party over the past 3 or 4 years.

I'd love to hear him say YES to something of significance to the Autralian electotate (accompanying grimace excused), before he is becalmed in NO-man's land forever. The fact that he remains the leader probably speaks to the lack of credible depth in the party, rather than his lack of visible credentials.

And, I'm one who is not by any means convinced of Mr Rudd's leadership CV either! The 'saviour' in-carnate hype doesn't move me at all.

Runs on the board are the only criteria I take note of. So far, both of 'em look a lot like our current Test top-order! Meanwhile, in comparison the record of their much maligned former opponent in common (Ms JG) looks a lot like Ash. Agar's first-up score!

NO-man's island?

For whom the bell Tolls?

All the shock-horror ads on TV, road-side electronic and graphic signage warnings plus regular full-page ads in the print media notwithstanding ... the ever climbing body-count continues on Victorian roads ... with I dare say, comparable figures in other jurisdictions.

Clearly, the 'at risk' element is either not absorbing the messages, or lacks the common sense to identify themselves as part of the problem(?)

The Toll!

A further diversion ...

Another wet gag to help pass the time a little.

A bit fishy.

Sea change.

Trying to get away from the boredom of politics ... but, it pervades everything we do, apparently(?)

Underwater cartoon

Troubling transport.

Yesterday it was announced that the cost to Victorian Tax-payers to subsidize running of the so-called Melbourne 'privatized' public transport system for the past financial year ... was a whopping $2.6 billion! And, the whole thing is a dis-jointed shambles which shows absolutely no sign of the marvellous instrument portrayed by that moron Kennett, when he sold off the public-owned system in 1999!

If your state doesn't have this diabolical urban transport problem already ... DON'T FALL FOR THE THREE-CARD TRICK WHEN YOUR LOCAL THATCHERITE TORY PUTS IT FORWARD!
As a workable proposition, it is total crap!

Station

Agar the Honourable

What a fairy tale debut? You could hardly credit anyone scripting such an out-come in elite sport. But as the saying goes, truth is often stranger than fiction.

Alias BATSMAN?

Little red car ads.

Don't know about you ... but, I've been thinking the current Coles series of TV ads about their new car insurance subsidiary are just silly enough to warrant some form of cartoon comment.

So, here it is.

Cardboard cars only?

Cash grab!

Almost unbelievable ... but, that's the Tory way, so get used to it! When sprung on the size of Queensland MP pay increases, the deputy Premier floundered around like a wounded duck trying to tell the media and bemused constituents that 'he had no idea the increases were so large'.

Oh yair ... what is your exact role in the government stupido?!

Because the media thong didn't seem to accept the veracity of that statement ... he then claimed 'it's all the result of the mess left by Labor'! This, from the new-broom government which vowed it would go through the accounts with a fine-tooth comb to distil cost savings and, if necessary, cut services to the bone, to pay for the huge debts inherited when they came to office! Well, they were as good as their word on the slash and burn aspect of cutting services ... but, how come they missed the impact of obscene and unjustifiable pay increases slated for themselves and the rest of the layabouts in parliament house???! Surprise! surprise!

Now, the cat is out of the bag ... 'we are so, so, sorry ... and, we promise to get parliament to re-examine the efficacy of the new pay scheme as soon as possible. (Oh, BTW ... it's too late to stop us receiving the first instalment.)

My question. What would you have said or done, had someone not 'blown the whistle' to put this monsterous rort into the public domain?!

'Newbroom' has left the building, right?

Maybe it aint over 'til the fat lady sings?

How things can change in a relatively short space of time in the political arena?

Couldn't resist paraphrasing one of Keating's famous quips in today's cartoon. One is also reminded of Malcolm Fraser's smart 'pants down' shot just before the 1983 election as well ... not knowing that Bob Hawke had suddenly replaced Bill Hayden.

Counting chickens also comes to mind. Will they never learn?

Hot air polls?

Super Bob.

When Bob Carr re-emerged in politics as a Senator and then, as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Gillard government ... for me as a caricaturist it was welcome back to a favourite subject after many years.

Here's the man as he appeared to me back in 1997, when he had the Travel industry flustered over his plan to introduce an hotel bed tax in NSW. This Ed. toon ran in the Travelweek issue of May 21st.

Bob Carr c1997

Egypt.

Very old, Egypt. Thus, its history of unrest and conflict would be right up there on any league table of troubled countries in the world of today.

Surprise, surprise!

Sphinx

On this day.

The cartoon says it all.

Jawing about OZ ...

A new Brand(is) of Arts Ministry

Gee! George Brandis is already spouting about when he takes over the Federal Arts portfolio.

Now, there's stage panache for you.

George the Jester?

July 4th. Hooray!

Happy day for US cits. Also our son, Wesley ... who clocks-up 48 years today.

Many happy returns of the day sonno. In case you are having pangs of concern about realizations of mortality etc., my cartoon today is for you mate.

Love and best wishes from Mum and the 'old man'.

Lower 48

Minister for almost everything?

I've never really studied Anthony Albanese's role in previous governments, but he sure seems to have been lumbered with stewardship of a heap of the 'big ticket' portfolios in KR's new roadshow.

Wonder what he plans to do in his leisure time?

Albo

Dinkum aussie? My oath!

Before the 'swearing in' of Kevin Rudd's new ministry, I must admit I'd never heard of Labor MP Ed. Husic, the honourable member for Chifley. That's why I had to 'double-take' this morning after hearing of the swarm of UFI* invective filling social media (notably Facebook) and talk-back radio air-waves about a Moslem taking the oath on the Koran. Apparently, the under-lying racist bleat was centred on 'this is the thin edge of the wedge' fallacious argument about an Australia in imminent danger of being engulfed by islamic hordes ... or, swearing on the koran is 'not the Australian way' and is 'unconstitutional'. I'd be surprised if any of these flea-brained nincompoops has ever read even one paragraph of the Australian constitution!

* Unidentified 'F'-wit Insects.

Ed. Husic MP

One more mountain to climb?

One more obstacle for Mr. Rabbit to scale in his quest for shangrila. No easy prospect, as the second coming of Kevin Rudd could be styled 'K2' which, in another form, is no walk in the park!

At least, the up-coming election seems now to be shaping up as a contest rather than the push-over it looked to be for the past few months(?)

K2