Toxins on a poll?

Even academia are eligible put in their three-penneth worth?

Toxins anyone?

ANTipodes

As I've written a number of times lately ... I'm sick of commenting on the political circus.

Let the ants have a go!

Ants

Drugs in sport!

The AFL have meted-out some fairly heavy punishment apon the Essendon (AFL) Football Club and a number of its officials for dabbling in illicit drugs during the 2012 season.

Figure-head (rightly or wrongly) in all of this has been senior coach James Hird, a former champion player and hero among 'Bomber' worshippers. He has been suspended for the remaining home and away game plus all of next year! Among other penalties, the club has been fined a couple of million bucks and, will be down-listed to ninth on the current ladder, so they cannot participate in 2013 finals.

Why do apparently sane people indulge in this kind of behaviour? Is it the money involved in winning and/or losing? Beats me!

Hirded out!

The wannabe Puppet master.

As far as I'm aware, Australians don't try to use positions of assumed power to  influence U.S. elections... and, I don't see why a person who preferred to become a U.S. citizen many years ago should be allowed to get away with the reverse.

Go to hell Roop!

Roop.

Bias?

I realize that my seemingly repetitive lampooning of Tony Abbott may lead some readers to believe I am biased against the current opposition becoming the government next Saturday week. Actually, if I'm biased against anything, it is the prospect of either the ALP or Coalition having the right to govern this nation after the appalling behaviour we've witnessed from virtually all federal politicians over the last couple of decades in general and, the past 3 years in particular.

I would really like to see the lot of them banned from eligibility for public representation to clear the way for candidature of people with a real interest in using their talents to better the lot of all Australians, without being corrupted by pursuit of the lurks and perks their predecessors have manufactured whilst losing sight of the fact they are supposed to be in parliament to represent US, not themselves.

Of course, it's a forlorn hope, because the party system has been designed to achieve the opposite ... and, is concreted into the 'system'. Luckily, I'll be dead and buried in the not-too-distant future, so the 'winter of my discontent' is a finite period to have in prospect. But, that doesn't assuage the fact that I'm gob-smacked by the 'Liberal' party's dogged belief that Tony Abbott is a credible leader to place in the position of Prime Minister. The man is an arrant fool who can barely articulate his half-baked ideas in plain english, so best of luck when/if he is representing the whole of the nation in international forums.

For a person who graduated from Sydney University as a Bachelor of Economics and Laws, then re-inforced those degrees with an MA in Politics and Philosophy at Oxford, his public persona as a parliamentary representative/leader doesn't place me in awe of tertiary education standards in either this country or England. Who needs a BEc, LLB, or MA to devise and propose "I'll buy all their boats" as a viable solution to the perceived 'people smuggling' problem when you've got access to a Suppository (sic) of knowledge?

A public buffoon is a natural attraction to other buffoons who like to lampoon their brethren.

Buffoon.

The '5 Pillars' ...

Is this an example of not thinking through every aspect of a public announcement before putting it 'out there' ... or, has undue concentration on the supposed problems represented by a majority of 'boat people' started infiltrating Mr. Rabbit's psyche?

5 Pillars.

Boris flies in...

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson flew into Melbourne during the week to speak at the annual Writers Festival. Boris, as he is universally known, is a former journalist, editor (of the Spectator), Tory MP (2001-2008), and latterly, Lord Mayor of London (now in his second term). Boris is renowned for his dishevelled appearance and apparently eccentric behaviour, especially in public. In reality all of it is practiced and honed as his preferred political persona. He is actually highly intelligent, but for political purposes believes the main requirement is to be noticed by as large an audience as possible. Hence, his tousled school-boy hairstyle, untidy clothes and, crazy stunts which among other things, get him regular guest appearances on popular TV shows like Top Gear.

Jeremy Clarkson has said of Boris... "most politicians are incompetent, with a veneer of competence. You seem to do it the other way round".

It's Boris!

Lie detectors.

It seems there are now 3 or 4 political fact assessment identities busy assessing what is fact, fiction and/or fantasy being spread about by politicians engaged in the current election campaign.

Who'd have thought there would be enough factual material hidden among the nonsense to justify such endeavours?

Fib finders.

Aircraft noise.

I live in an urban area on the same plateau as Tullamarine International Airport ... indeed, the main dormitory area of the town lies directly under the busy north-south runway. Thus, a perennial bone of contention in the community is the question of aircraft noise, intensified lately because the airport authority has recently announced plans for runway duplications to accommodate projected expansion of air traffic in coming years.

I am not particularly fussed by the alleged problem, having spent 32 years in very close proximity to modern aircraft. I rarely notice them ... especially landings when there is no extra-ordinary engine noise until the craft is actually on the ground. Perhaps I am inured of obnoxious sounds generated by aeroplanes ... or, they have destroyed my high-frequency hearing altogether?

Whatever, I made my home here in 1972 during a flush of home building in the area. In my case, it was a deliberate act to situate myself as near as possible to my then work place. I suspect that was also the guiding principle for the majority of new settlers. The 'township' at the time was totally rural with hardly any houses outside the environs of the village itself. Nobody moving here could credibly say they were unaware there was a large commercial airfield right 'next-door'! In addition, it was disclosed from day one in July 1970, that future expansion would be inevitable. So, it is the 'johnny-come-lately' element who are the main source of the current discontent.

Best of luck!

Whoosh!

e-mail attachments

I've always been a bit windy about e-mailing large attachments. It's a habit I developed during the days of dial-up internet connections.

Today, I finally decided to use the cable-internet speed I've had for nearly 12 months, uploading 5.8 megs on one e-mail. It was gone within 15 seconds!

Ho hum.

Snail

Anything goes in tennis?

Today's weirdness. Maria Sharapova in addition to her tennis stature, apparently also runs a 'sweets' (lollies) business named 'SUGARPOVA'. In order to maximise the advertising potential of her tennis fame, she is endeavouring to temporarily change her surname to Sugarpova for an upcoming major tournament in New York.

If successful, the ramifications of such a move are mind-boggling. In the case of Maria S., I immediately wondered if the name-change ploy would be so attractive if say, her extra-curricular business interests lay in retail toys distribution rather than sweets?

Naughty, I know, but what else can you do with this sort of stunt?

Racquet racket?

Utility repairs

Today's cartoon is an idle comment on the waiting, waiting, waiting for repair blokes in this particular neck of the woods. Keilor was a semi-rural 'fringe' suburb of greater Melbourne when we first came here in 1972. But today, it must almost qualify as an 'outer-inner' 'burb since the 'fringe' has sprawled at least 20 kilometres further westward during the past 40 odd years.

One thing remains constant tho'. Whenever you require on-site routine repair work on any kind of appliance, it generally still takes weeks to get someone to attend. I wonder if this reflects 'down-sizing' in the forces of qualified maintenance staff ... or perhaps, that they all now live in the 'fringe' suburbs and are reluctant to trek back into the central districts to perform tradie work?

Not fitting?

KRudd and Mr.Rabbit

I've done some serious soul searching of late and, have concluded that I cannot in good conscience, cast a vote in favour of anyone connected with either of the major parties in the up-coming federal election (or any other) whilst they adhere to their current policies dealing with the alleged 'asylum seeker' problem.

As I see it, their almost identical immigration policies are all about feigned strength of character and the idea of how 'tough' they can be, apparently aimed directly at trying to corral the support of 'red necked' racists, religious bigots and thuggish 'us against them' elements in Australian society. Well, I'm not associated in the slightest with any of those groupings so, it follows that these strutting dingoes don't care a jot what I and others like me think about the 'problem' and its resolution!

Meanwhile, their other power seeking head-line aims seem to involve efforts to weasel out of any substantial on-going action to alleviate the impact of climate change on Australia ... whilst currying favour with working parents at tax-payer expense.

Well, my policy is to give teeth to the old adage about politicians Don't vote for the bastards ... it only encourages them!... applicable immediately to the ALP and Liberals (aka Tories) alike.

Sloganeers!

Cartoon competition

This year, the annual Rotary-sponsored cartoon fest in Coffs Harbour is being run in conjunction with the Annual ACA Stanleys awards ... so, the town will be awash with 'toonies' during the last week of October.

I only noticed today that the main theme of the Rotary awards is 'The joys of Ageing'. Probably dreamed-up by someone who has not yet reached the 'senior' zone?

Whatever, this morning I threw together a quick entry which I will be e-mailing to 'Coffs' tonight. Meanwhile, it can pinch-hit as today's blog illo ... so, readers can say they saw it before it disappeared without trace after the awards bun-fight is over.

*Yawn*

Middle-East spring

Seemingly internecine warfare in countries like Egypt, Syria and Iraq doesn't bode well for the much vaunted democratic spring so recently said to be 'sweeping through the Middle East'.

Very difficult to overcome ingrained religious differences where 'the word' is apparently all many people are prepared to die for.

Heart-breaking.

DemoCRAZY!

More buffoonery.

There's only 21 days left before we're required to vote someone into power in Canberra. I don't much like the fiscal proposals which have been presented by the government and, apparently verified by the 'PEFO'. However, at least we know what they want us to believe and endorse.

Where's the other crowd's splendid visions of how they intend to waste tax-payer's money? Or, do they just reckon that what we don't know wont hurt or worry us?

When?

Rabbiting on, and on...

Three days and three gaffs!

Why does this man continue trying to convince people that he has the credentials to lead the country ... when almost every time he opens his mouth in public, he delivers the opposite impression?

At the moment, he is the greatest deliverer of comedy situations we cartoonists have had in a coon's age.

Blah!

Enough of the needling!

Yesterday was supposed to be the day when the wrath of the AFL was to descend upon the Essendon club ... but, the public didn't get to hear details other than the adage bringing the game into disrepute being bandied about. As I write this, it seems that senior coach James Hird is in the firing-line on the 'charges' front, but again, the cards are being played 'close to the chest'.

It's been a dopey saga all round.

Bombed out?

Suppositories?

Well ... I don't suppose having any kind of repository in your fundamental orifice would be all that comfortable, would it?

The lesson here should be ...'don't try to be clever in debate by using words with which you are not really familiar' ... Rhodes scholar or not!

Hiding places?

Oh no! Not the pink batts again?!

With all the previous mis-information and ducking for cover back on the election agenda ... people are bound to be just as confused and un-happy as they were the first time around.

Completely bats!

The numbers game.

Mr. Rabbit says he's not satisfied with a Treasury committee checking the efficacy of his electoral promise costings. Instead, he will rely an 'independent' auditor ... though, he wont say who.

OK. He wont be surprised if a bit of brain-boggling ensues among potential critics then?

Mufti?

Whistle-blowers.

The plight of Edward Snowden presents yet another dilemma for people other than U.S. citizens whose natural inclination is to support the doctrines of 'freedom', 'democracy' and, the 'rule of law' widely expounded by our 'powerful friend' throughout the world. In the case of Snowden, we are told he is a fugitive traitor because he 'blew the whistle' on what he considered to be un-constitutional secret government-sponsored eaves-dropping and mass-gathering of private communications by intelligence agencies.

We are asked to believe that the U.S. government would never break there own laws in carrying out such activities. Skepticism reigns supreme, because there are many 'friends' of the U.S. who would also consider that covert murder of assessed 'terrorist leadership' figures via 'drone' technology (and, of course, the 'collateral damage' to innocent by-standers) would also be sorely testing the moral thrust of the U.S. constitution. Similarly, the operation of concentration camps like Gitmo, where people were/are detained for extra-ordinary lengths of time without formal charges being laid under the pretence that they were 'prisoners of war' (un-declared BTW) ... whilst freely admitting that the manouevre was designed to circumvent U.S. civil law!

Ergo, people can't be blamed for supporting brave (if foolish) men like Snowden for trying to inform their fellow citizens (and the rest of the world) that U.S. propaganda about freedom, democracy and, the rule of law isn't necessarily what drives the actions of the U.S. government. Hypocrisy comes to mind.

In a different time, Benjamin Franklin became a national hero for leaking evidence that a trusted ally in the 18th century fight for independence (Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson) was actually a British spy undermining the efforts of American colonists to obtain redress of wrongs from the home country.

Go figure.

Fugitive

Para-Pete to the rescue?

Retirees now standing for election to parliament?

Things must be crook!?

Para-Pollie-Pete.

A 'fringe' view-point.

Not that I'm all that interested in the federal election ... it's simply difficult to avoid the almost saturation media coverage at this stage of the game. Hopefully, they'll lose interest marginally as the 'silly season' progresses.

Of what I've seen, I wonder why K-Rudd has developed a persistent habit of using his left arm to repeatedly brush his apparently unruly hair-fringe into place. I saw him on a 'door-stop' interview within the last couple of days and, lost count of the times he caressed his over-hanging lock during a relatively short video-clip. Is it a nervous tic caused by the gravity of the undertaking he has embarked upon ... or, perhaps it was just a pesky wind turbulence encroaching on that particular event?

 Whatever, it was enough to completely distract me from the Q nd A session in progress. I have no idea what he was talking about, whilst the only thoughts generated by the incident were ... Kev, either seek tonsorial assistance as a matter of priority, or buy yourself some bloody hair-gel!

Fringe stuff

Under the Arches?

A tiny village called Tecoma in the Dandenong ranges (Vic) is waging a valiant battle against junk-food giant McDonalds in a community effort aimed at preventing  destruction of a heritage street-scape to accommodate a proposed 24hr drive-thru franchise. Apparently, the area council banned the development in response to a 'NO VOTE' cast by 90% of the affected community.

Using their financial clout, Maccas took the matter to the Victorian Civil & Administration Tribunal (VCAT) which resulted in the council ban being overturned.

Ensuing demonstrations and blockades by action group supporters culminated yesterday in a large force of police and security personnel driving opponents away from the demolition site and, arrest of a young lady who had occupied the roof of the target building for the past week.

With the sniff of elections in the air, this clear evidence of grass-roots democracy being trampled by force isn't a great look for worthies putting themselves forward as trusted guardians of our so-called 'democratic' rights ... is it? 

Burger!

And ... so the tiresome process begins.

I accept that a lot of Australians revel in the election process, treating it as some kind of sport.

Perhaps I'm out of step with mainstream opinion ... but, I think the whole election hoopla is as boring as batsh*t! The sooner it's over and done with, the better I'll feel about the world in general.

The Prize.

September 7th.

Sooo ... who're ya gunna call?

Vote?

An election is called ...

Here we go again. All the promises, lies, hooplah!

Didn't resolve much last time did it? Since the main protagonists remain on the central stage ... it probably wont mean a helluva lot this time either.

Meanwhile, the loose ends ...?

Stragglers.

Foul-mouthed Cocky.

This morning, Skynews carried a story about an 82 year-old Sulphur-crested Cockatoo kidnapped from Phillip Island 2 months ago. Cops found what they thought to be the victim of 'fowl-play' on a property in NSW, but weren't sure of its identity until they played the bird a video of its owner on a tablet device. Upon hearing its master's voice (as it were) ... the cocky let forth a tirade of foul language in response, making the identification un-mistakeable.

Apparently the bird is renowned for it's in-appropriate vocabulary. No news on how it came to learn the non PC lingo.

Bleeep!

The Black Lagoon.

On the road to an election ... best to watch for unexpected hazards even when the way ahead may look mildly propitious.

Big pot-hole?

Segway Smeg-way!

The up-side is ... they're apparently 'fun'.

The down-side is they can do nothing for leg development or controlling the obesity epidemic.
The rest remains to be seen?

CSI?

Australia ... food for heavenly bodies?

This was my blog post for December 23rd 2012 in another place ...

"Hot, hot, hotter ...
By rim on 23 December 2012 - 11:18pm

 Down heah in the deep sowarth, we narrowly cheated the weather plotters once again, with the max. temp. only reaching 38c this arvo.
 I stayed indoors all day, following a 50 min walk up and down the surrounding hills just after 6.30 this morning. The sun was already high, but the air and ground temp. was still cool and crisp at that time.
All down-hill since then though. I think we were lucky a promised northerly failed to materialize ... but then, neither did the predicted cool south-westerlies supposed to reach here by early evening.


Sorry I'm rambling on about the climate ... but, it's really the only 'game in town'."

Accompanying the above was supposed to be a cartoon depicting the Sun and Moon breakfasting on Australia's discomfort. It didn't appear as planned because of a glitch which prevented posting of images on that site at the time.

I archived the 'toon as 'unpublished' with the hope that the circumstances of its making would replicate in time. That has happened today (Wednesday EST) with Fairfax media carrying a story about the 11 months since last September being the overall hottest period ever for Australia with the augury that worse is to come in the future. It even quotes records showing that this July has been close to the warmest since meteorological records began for the country.

Must say, I didn't notice anything even luke-warm over the past 31 days down heah in the deep Sowarth. In fact, all the local brass monkeys have abandoned ship ... and not, I can assure you dear reader, because it was hot!