Baseball Tragic

When I was a callow youth of 15 or 16 I adored both winter and summer sports. May I modestly confess that I was slightly better than the average bloke at both Aussie Rules football (first love) and Cricket. Baseball, which some may be surprised to learn was a pretty big deal in Melbourne c.1950s as its premium grade teams used to play 'curtain-raisers' to VFL (fore-runner of AFL) football 1st grade games while the footy club 2nd 18s used to play on 'away' grounds. My younger brother was very good at cricket (and not fond of footy at which he was good but suffered a serious injury early in his teen years). During the winter, he played baseball with the dual purpose of avoiding body-contact injuries whilst keeping his small ball skills sharp for cricket. I kinda liked watching his baseball exploits and could easily have followed his lead... except for my abiding desire to push my footy talents as far as
I could manage.

In the event, I made it to VFL reserve grade status with the famous Collingwood club, but a combo of injuries, work, national service, marriage and age curtailed further likelihood of advancement... so I drifted out of active sports participation altogether. But not interest. Among other things I pined over not playing baseball when I probably could have followed my brother's lead. (BTW, he also abandoned sports for academic betterment... achieving a first class honors civil engineering degree at Melbourne Uni. and later worked in that field in both Australia and France).

By the 1990s my interest in baseball almost became an obsession. A 1974 work associated trip took me to San Francisco where the locals imbued me with Giants (the local MLB team) lore even tho' the trip coincided with the baseball off-season. Being an avid fan of the Giants from that near encounter led to a post retirement trip to SF in 1993 for the singular purpose of seeing the team play a 6 game home-stand.

It was, and remains one of the most enjoyable experiences of life... exceeding all my long-held imaginings completely.

Yesterday, the Giants notched their third World-Series championship in the last five years. Nirvana!

Joe's wrath

Mr. Hockey had a 'pepperoni moment' after an encounter with a stupid local government by-law whilst he should've been enjoying a pizza meal with a group.

The Great Soaring Tax grab?

Desperate men will often do desperate things when painted into a corner. The base rate of 10% has IMO amazingly remained true to the original pledges of 'never, ever any increase' for almost 15 years in the face of notorious treatment of solemn pledges by politicians generally in this country. Of course, before its introduction in 2000, there were plenty of political worthies proclaiming they would never, ever, preside over its introduction in the first place!

Since it was not deemed necessary by either side of national politics to fiddle with the GST during the alarm and tribulation associated with the 'Global Financial Crisis'... why is an increased rate justified in today's fiscal climate which seems to be reasonably calm apart from the 'smoke and mirrors' forecasting of diabolical troubles ahead associated with the last federal election? 

Desperately seeking exotic revenue sources?

Unable to get measures aimed at saving his obnoxious budget through the 'house of review' (they were elected to do a job just like your motley crew were P.M.!)... Mr. Rabbit appears to be willing to stoop to any trick in the book in an effort the leaky boat afloat?

By-passing the Senate temporarily included in the bag of smoke and mirrors?  

Dog's breakfast?

Yet another reverse somersault by our esteemed leader?

P.M. Abbott gave a memorial oration at historic Tenterfield over the week-end, the main thrust of which was to overthrow his previously published ideas of reforming the Australian federation. It seems that although he considers the current Fed-state interface remains a  'Dog's Breakfast', it would be too hard to readily untangle present arrangements. Sooo... he seems to be now saying it might be easier to simply make states responsible for anything they think is appropriate and,  can either finance with extant revenues, or are willing to create new surces of taxation to cover (?) Presumably, everything else would become a Canberra central government bailiwick?

Of course, to the casual observer, that would work fine... wouldn't it?

Errr... BTW, it would effectively end any need for this federation nonsense as well??

Bill moving with the times?

Thank you Bill for stating your position on same sex marriage. At least it shows you are not afraid to upset that part of the community still living under the fog of 1950's social mores.

Not happy Joyce!

The Qantas AGM in Melbourne yesterday attracted a much smaller than normal shareholder attendance, but was none the less vociferous for that. Anger over poor performance of the company under the stewardship of current CEO Alan Joyce was reportedly foremost... although the quality of small pies and 'mini'-sandwiches served in the venue foyer after the meeting also apparently drew adverse comment.

Mr. Joyce forecast happier times ahead for Qantas... but that served little to dampen the immediate disquiet of attending shareholders, who perhaps, have heard it all before?

Running out of Puff?

A Victorian Engineering company with substantial interests in the manufacture of turbines for wind-
farm machines, has announced the loss of 100 jobs from that segment of their business because of falling orders traceable to industry uncertainty about how the government in Canberra intends to deal with Renewable Energy Targets.

The uncertainty has probably deepened with news of the flat refusal of opposition members of parliament to even consider initial outlines of government intent... which they consider to be well south of paltry!

Old King Coal...

... emerges from his black hole momentarily to instruct his minions on how to proceed with the sham Renewable Energy legislation he proposes to ram thru' parliament to show just what a real 'green' guy resides below the surface!

The 'Meth' epidemic?

Over recent days around Australia, 'toonies have been drawing attention to an apparent upsurge in usage of the 'social' drug Crystal Meth (aka 'Ice') within their respective bailiwicks. My cartoon archive reveals that I commented on much the same problem way back in September last year. Though it may risk tagging Melbourne as the leading illicit drug-usage capital of the country, last year's 'toon fits nicely into current concern over the same problem Australia-wide(?)

And, 'it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good'...  as they say. I woke up this morning feeling very 'seedy'. Not in the least fit to ponder fresh cartoon fodder for the daily blog... let alone arch myself uncomfortably over a blank piece of paper on the drawing board. Though it may contain a wry suggestion of 'one-upsmanship', here's a rerun of last year's ice comment which many may not have seen  on its first 'airing'... or forgotten it during the interim ?

Vale Gough.

The charismatic former Prime Minister Edward Gough Whitlam passed away today after a long and fondly remembered innings. Whatever you may think of his politics, Gough was an old style politician with a great vision for his country... and the get up and go to lay the ground-work for achievement of  those goals in his relatively short time at the helm.

Shirt-front imbrogglio cont/d.

Pssst... Is he still crook on me Jules?

Ron Tandberg (addendum 2)

Sometime during the the mid-'80s or perhaps early '90s I came to possess a soft cover copy of The Age of Tandberg published in 1981. Though he had purchased for me signed books of other cartoon collections, my son cannot recall this apparent encounter with Ron at a book signing. The fly-leaf on this copy is clearly endorsed by what seems to be the author himself 'To Dad... ' and signed both with his real signature graced by his cartoon identity and even a small sketch.

Can't imagine Ron addressing a copy to his own 'Dad' in that manner... especially as a pencilled  $2 endorsement at the top right-hand corner indicates this was probably a remaindered stock clearance at less than a third of it's original RRP(?) Several other possibilities come to mind... but, what the hell... I've enjoyed the 'gift' very much over the years, so the little mystery can remain so.

Ron Tandberg (addendum1)

As mentioned below, Ron is a master of brevity in both drawing and supporting text. However, like almost all cartoonists, his style has varied during a long career. I remember his very early work on display in Tom Thumb, a humour magazine of the time. Here's a sample of that spare loose line-
work and different lettering style to the work so familiar to his followers of today.

The same frugality of detail was identical to his current work... but I think overall the style of those days was less emphatic and thus, (IMO) more engaging to the casual cartoon fancier.  

Ron Tandberg the Pocket(cartoon) Rocket!

This past week marked the 50th anniversary of famed cartoonist Ron Tandberg's start in the pro-cartooning game. His CV was outlined in last Sunday's Age, so wont repeat it here.

Suffice to say, R.T. is a 'toonie legend whose stinging barbs have become synonymous with The Age
where he has served the overwhelming majority of his career (except for a relatively short sojourn with the rival Murdoch press). Ron's brevity of drawing style and accompanying text is his 'trade-mark'. The umpteen awards he has achieved stand as all the evidence required to enshrine his popularity as a daily must read for multitudes of readers of all ages and walks of life.

Onya Ron!

No longer Mr.Nice Guy?...

... well, apparently as far as the government goes anyway.

Mark Scott has 'skewered' the minister over the cuts to ABC funding in the budget. For his part, Mr. Turnbull has said he is not to blame for the perhaps imminent demise of some much-loved shows and characters from the broadcaster's schedules as a result of funding difficulties. He glibly says it's up to ABC alone to decide what goes or stays.

Seems that's the sort of logic swathed in weasel words that typifies the machinations of the mob of prevaricators occupying government benches in parliament at the moment?

Security alerts

During 32 years working at the 'coal-face' in the international airline industry, almost invariably, response to security alerts dealing with attempts by terrorists to place explosive devices on aircraft and/or periodic spates of mid-air hi-jacking were met by rigid (and, frequently,over-zealous) tightening of security screening of both airlines and government authorities.

However, the early diligence never seemed to last more than +/- 3 weeks on average. The absence of further triggering incidents world-wide would usually lull security personnel into a return to 'normal' lax and lethargic attention to the need for heightened surveillance. It's human nature I suppose?

I just hope the current world-wide threat of an Ebola pandemic is treated in a more earnest and concentrated manner by responsible authorities.

Naughtiness in the back office?

Allegations in today's media of unsavoury activities among some Vic. state government support staff in the shadow of an election, cannot be good news whichever way you interpret the report!

Bear-pit politics?

Game on?

Shirt affronted!

Now little Mr. big man. At G20, put up or SHUT UP!

Power Surge!

"Privatization of Electricity generation and distribution will lead to competition, thus ultimately cheaper tariffs and associated charges for consumers"! So sayeth the political dingoes who foisted this travesty upon us.

Thatcherite garbage which is consigning ordinary present-day families into penury, as I write.

Metagag?

No real surprise! Now getting the impression George has no idea what the internet is about... or how it works.

If that's anywhere near the truth...STOP what you're doing and hand security control planning over to someone who DOES know their way around the web!

BTW... what is bloody metadata again?!

fB... the modern post-Horn?

This is a tribute to my lovely niece Celia. I only discovered yesterday (courtesy of fB) that she is an accomplished orchestral Hornist, no doubt influenced by her very talented musician Mum? (Hi Janet!).

We gotta keep closer in touch folks.

Mission Creep?

This question was posed by 'worm' recently. Even silly questions deserve an appropriate answer in the fullness of time?

Bloodmoon rising

Of course, it was a wholly natural phenomenon, but you have to admit... there was a kinda sinister
aspect about the colour, if not the name given to it?

Let the Spinning begin...

Dense Napthalene (Vic. Premier) has kinda set the tone of the state election campaign with a colourful (in more ways than one application of that description) press conference in Melbourne yesterday.

The aim is perhaps to spin enough to render dizzy even the most stable minds in the electorate?

Boots, boots...

... or, maybe sand-shoes for desert-wear?

Dog days?

Camshaft(ed) Newbroom?...

TA's War!

As I've conjectured here before, it seems the rites of passage for Tory leaning PMs include 1) breaking election promises 2) slashing and burning services and infrastructure spending and, 3) involving the country in some kind of international conflict as at least a handy foil to deflect constituent discomfort with other government short-comings.

Mr. Rabbit now seems to have nailed the third leg of the trifecta?

Aarrrgh!

The G20 summit, Pirates of the Caribbean, local politics... veritable buccaneers' heaven?!

Wild times ahead up north-- coming soon!

Ban the Burqa Burk

The 'toon says it all.

Negative Bill?

Shorten has suddenly popped his head up, trying to be not seen as negative.

Has probably partially convinced the government benches... but, I can't help wondering if the support of revised security laws and support for a new overseas war adventure, will similarly impress Labor's natural left-leaning constituency?

Takes one to know one?

Wasting tax-payers' money? Pot calling the Kettle black comes to mind!