Clive's climate change?

No matter what scientists think... COAL is GOOD for you!

Clive Palmer says so.

WW1...

... aka the 'Great War', the 'World war', the 'War of the Nations' and, the 'War to end all Wars'.

Presumably it only became 'World War One' to kick-off a nomenclature necessary to distinguish global
conflagrations once a second one had commenced just a shade over 20 years after conclusion of the first?

Whatever, yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Arch Duke Ferdinand's assassination in Sarajevo, an event widely believed to have triggered the start of WW1 during the following August, tho' many consider the die was already firmly cast before this event became a convenient excuse. About sixteen million people died and several empires crumbled as a result of that cold-blooded double murder by a terrorist now honoured with heaps of praise and a statue in his home country!

Despite the horror of WW1, it apparently failed to change human nature one jot!?

The Big Blows!

Maybe my memory is beginning to falter, but I'm pretty sure we never had anything like these latterly 'damaging wind storms' when I was a kid. If not climate change (?), I think the climate zones must have shifted to land us in a situation rapidly taking on the character of mid-west USA!

Ghost of a chance?

Like a spectre rising from a political grave, Ted Baillieu led the coalition to a one seat majority in the lower house of Victoria's Parliament back in 2010. The following three and a half years have not set  the government on the road to glory... rather,  they have been noted for in-action and turmoil during which Ted got rolled from the position of Premier and has been virtually invisible ever since. That is until a few days ago when a journalist's tape of an interview with Ted was leaked into the public domain.

Ted is heard giving some of his colleagues a right 'bollocking' in terminology which could not be described as the Queen's English! In one of those unfortunate co-incidents which visit us all at times, Ted's rant came just as the government had a bill refused on the casting vote of the speaker (one of their own, bound in this instance by convention that the speaker maintain the status quo when a ballot is tied). Worse, con-current announcement of recent opinion polls have the government a country mile behind the opposition with a little over 4 months remaining before a general election is due.

I can almost hear the chains rattling from here.  

Bananas are bananas?

If the ABC ends up severely curtailed in its scope and/or broadcast capabilities as a result of Tony Abbott's obvious long-time hatred of the organization... can we console ourselves in part by recognizing that Bananas in Pyjamas was 'done in' by someone who is also 'bananas?

Yes and No???

A simple yes or no would've sufficed.

Sphinx-like logic?

The Egyptian judicial system (if there is such a thing) apparently needs to take a good look at itself?!

Independently, of course!

Flying High?

With Essendon Football club (AFL) about to embark on legal action to counter allegations that they subjected their players to 'prohibited substances' during the 2012 season... this might be a last chance to air a satirical comment on the imbroglio before it hazards becoming subjudicé.

On Saturday evening the team defeated Adelaide as a welcome sign that the players are not going to allow the controversy to affect their on-field endeavours. Difficult to imagine media people by-passing the back-ground distraction either intentionally or by accident in post-match coach interviews though.

Broken Homes.

Adding insult to injury, the Victorian State government has suddenly back-pedaled on plans to curb the activities of 'cowboy' home builders, only a week or so after revelations of potentially massive damage appearing among new western and northern housing estates around Melbourne.

Why?!  

Denied Entry!

When hubris overwhelms measured consideration...

Half-baked!

What else is cookin'... and, where?!

Hostile path?

Jousting with fate...

Dead Letter Society?

Ah well... 'it's an ill-wind that does nobody any good'... as they say?

Hard sell?

Not surprising... since some of the government's own troops aren't keen on buying it themselves.

...but, HILDA says...

The Household, Incomes and Labour Dynamics in Australia (aka HILDA) organization claim the findings of a decade-long study of welfare trends in OZ does not support the government's contention that the budget faces a welfare payments crisis. To the contrary, they quote figures showing that the number of claimants in the 16 to 64 age range actually fell by 4.5% over their survey period!

Come in spinner!

Mars bar?

N.A.S.A. has announced that despite possessing any other qualities deemed essential to qualify them for selection as part of a group planned to be among the first humans to land on planet Mars, anyone also known to be an Extrovert by nature need not waste their time applying for consideration.

The contention is that displaying those tendencies on an extremely long and closely confined voyage would become insufferable for people of more austere needs and demeanour.  

Rimbeau the Rat.

An old idea... but just making its debut as an occasional bit-part player on this blog.

Leanings?

Joe Hockey continues sloganeering, even among the converted?

Chairman of the BOARD?

A surf-board as an iconic gift from Australia to the President of the USA?  Hello!

D Day for Geoff. Shaw?

Is this the day of the Shaw-wank redemption? Will the alleged contempt of parliament be punished by Lash or Feather-duster? Premier Napthalene's apparently casual approach to the day of reckoning has everyone in thrall to see whether a roast proceeds... or the cookies simply crumble?

Jet-set Suppository?

Can a suppository adequately articulate any wisdom which may repose within its depths?

Sink-hole suburbs?

A number of new greater Melbourne Western and Northern fringe suburbs are reported as potential 'sink-hole' disaster areas due to a combination of extremely volatile clay strata in the soil and alleged use of time and money saving foundation technology totally inappropriate for that type of land condition. Many new home buyers have reported cracking of foundations, floors, walls and ceilings within two years of occupancy. In response, experts have sounded an alarm that some of the volatile areas may be prone to develop vast sink-holes perhaps leading to catastrophic damage to buildings ill-equipped to combat severe earth movement.

It just so happens that my home is situated in what was once well-known as being a part of the very same volatile north-western region of Melbourne. I only became aware of the fact while the house was being built during the last half of 1972. Whilst on a visit to the construction site, I queried why the wall foundations were being excavated so deeply. The answer was 'to comply with building regulations dealing with extreme soil volatility'. The rear trenches went to a depth of 10 feet to ensure that the foundations would rest on a natural gravel shelf below the seams of clay. It seems that soil condition regulations were not only clear on regional land problems... but, also acted upon diligently by building contractors 40+ years ago! Why not now?

The resultant stress and heart-ache being experienced by new home owners in these affected areas must be excruciating.  

The Last Post?

Looks like the old 'dodge' of claiming overdue bill payments are 'in the post' is soon to be redundant as a credible excuse?

The 'complete' take-away?

Mid-week, a bloke walked into a Melbourne inner suburban Fish 'n' Chip shop to order some chips. While waiting, he asked if he could use the toilet and was directed to one on the property. He then entered the unlocked rear door of an office behind the shop to start searching for valuables he might 'lift'. Lighting on an unlocked safe, he was able to pocket 'a large amount' of cash before boldly returning to the shop to take delivery of his freshly fried chips. He then coolly strolled out of the establishment just like any other normal satisfied customer.

Police have access to some pretty clear CCTV film footage of the heist... so I figure the miscreant may not be at large much longer than it takes to wipe the grin and chip-fat off his face. Nonetheless...  the  episode attaches a whole new meaning to the humble term Take-away?

In hot water?

A little over 3 years since it happened, the world has learned of a near disaster involving a British nuclear submarine on patrol in the Indian ocean on May 28, 2011. Air-conditioning on the boat malfunctioned leading to excessive temperatures throughout it's interior. With no respite from the rising temperature possible, many crew members began to succumb from heat exhaustion. The captain initially decided to surface to take advantage of fresh air but the idea was thwarted when they found the air temp. to be 42C! Help from other surface vessels would have taken untold hours to materialize, whilst trying to obtain permission to take a 'broken' nuke-powered sub into a foreign port would've been unlikely to succeed in time to save his ailing crew members. What a dilemma?!

Ultimately, the captain saved his command by taking the boat down to 200 metres where the ambient sea temperature was low enough to cool the boat and gradually neutralize the temperature inside the vessel. With the temperature down, the faulty aircon. resumed normal operation and a potential mass tragedy was averted. The cause of the aircon. 'blip' was later found to be inlet pipes choked with minute crustaceans.

The retired captain has now belatedly told of the terrible adventure in an interview, The sub. itself was de-commissioned in 2012.

The beauty of near tragedies is that the inherent humour of the situation can be examined later without loss of respect for participants(?)

Depthing the archives again...

I've missed posting any archival stuff over recent weekends because of poor time/work commitment balancing. Continuing the trend, here's a mid-week issue of 'oldies' for anyone who cares about such things. This group are from a portfolio I must've put together during the late 1950s in support of a fruitless pursuit for employment in newspaper or magazine pages.

At the time, I was using a very fine Windsor & Newton brush for B & W cartoons and caricatures. These have been scanned from one age-yellowed page of football (Aust. rules code) star players from several Melbourne clubs. Obviously, the Sporting Globe was the target for this foray in 1958.

Tank-man.

Today is the 25th anniversary of an incident which I reckon was one of the most memorable in my long sojourn on this rock.

As far as I can determine, the fate of this super-brave individual has never been satisfactorily established in the west. He was apparently last seen being ushered from the scene by two by-standers... but, were they fellow demonstrators or under-cover government agents?

I've always been a great admirer of practically all things chinese... their history, art, culture, cuisine etc. I'm not all that fond of the current regime's philosophy or machinations... but, in the sweep of their long history the communist tenure is probably not the worst ever, nor is it all that notable for longevity.This incident casts an unfortunate shadow on my high regard for our chinese brethren.

I'd just like to know what became of 'tank-man' before my 'use-by' date rolls around.

Dense retreats?

Rhetoric aside... by their actions shall ye know them?

Bolt from the blue!

Andrew Bolt gets a dose of his own medicine!

The Liberal party is already split between Tories (which Bolt no doubt favours) and 'small L' liberals, whose champion is probably Malcolm Turnbull. That IS already a given... so, what was AB raving about in the first place?!

Pyne cornered?

For a career politician, Christopher Pyne seems extraordinary mostly for his propensity to muff 'lines' so often.

Uni. fees hike

Aren't they high enough for these elitist right-wing ideologues already?

Or, is this just another move toward denying access to higher education for working class youngsters?