Just A Lonely Bloke

NAB Hit An Appalling New Low

2011-10-26T09:45:00.003+10:00

Yes, just when you thought the banks could not get any worse, The Age reports that:

"NAB wants the Supreme Court to force the Sheriff to evict the tenants without it needing to comply with the Residential Tenancies Act, which requires renters be given 28 days' notice."

If they win then the upshot is that in the event of a landlord defaulting on a loan, any renter - single mums, pensioners, young families - any renter could come home to find themselves on the streets with all their possessions and nowhere to go.

Ruthless callous bastards I say.

If they succeed, governments must immediately legislate to reestablish primacy of the Residential Tenancies Act.

Meanwhile, if you are an NAB customer, vote with your feet - go elsewhere in protest. Mind you, I bet all the other greedy bastards are cheering them on.

Truck Protest Flops, Jones Delusional

2011-08-23T07:14:00.002+10:00

A flop? Yep. According to The Age, "This was an angry crowd but a small one, with 300 people gathering on the Parliament lawns as 200 vehicles from all over Australia rolled around Canberra blowing their horns."

This from all over Australia - what a joke. The vast majority of truckies had more sense than these idiots.

Delusional? Well, he told the mob that "Someone has instructed the federal police from stopping them going where they want to go ....''

Police said this was not the case. Just mindless right-wing rant from an ignorant shock-jock.

They were not only anti-carbon tax but anti government, about what you'd expect. No real facts of course, just rant. In fact it would seem that:

"......71 per cent of people believe big polluters should pay for carbon emissions if the money is invested in renewable energy and to support households and industry transition to clean energy."

"Other results included 55 per cent of people backing the suspension of live cattle exports to Indonesia."

"Sixty-seven per cent said Australia had to do its fair share on climate action, even if others were not, while 83 per cent backed investing in clean energy."

Read the whole article in The Age.

Politicians Demean Australia

2011-08-22T12:26:00.002+10:00

Which politicians and which parties? Both Labor and the Coalition and most politicians from these parties bar a few with guts.

As Malcolm Fraser said in The Age Today:

"Meanwhile, our political leaders continue to demean Australia, to portray us as a narrow, wealthy, selfish community by the debates they conduct between themselves."

I totally agree. They trot out all the usual bullshit about mateship and the concept of a fair go whenever it suits them but in reality, when it comes to staying in power or wanting to get into power, that's all forgotten and populist/lowest common denominator politics take over.

They have trashed Australia's reputation and will continue to do so until a real leader from either party emerges.

Given the abyssal talent pool, this may take a while.

Coalition the New One Nation

2011-08-22T08:09:00.003+10:00

The new One Nation? Really?

Yep. Abbott et al are busy aligning themselves with any and all fringe loonies who will stir up trouble and get them publicity for their campaign to unseat the government.

They use the same sort of irrational arguments that Pauline Hanson used re immigration etc.

This is very bad for Australian Democracy.

We must ever be vigilant.

Democracy at Risk in Australia

2011-08-22T08:03:00.003+10:00

At risk? Who by?

Tony abbot and his ilk is who. Why so?

Because he will stir up every fringe loony group he can think of to get publicity for his campaign to bring down the government at any cost. And it appears Australian Democracy and ethics are potential casualties of his totally negative campaign.

Save us from this maniac who if he does get into power will do irreparable harm to Australia.

Australia is Revolting

2011-08-22T07:54:00.002+10:00

Enough is enough! Last night I had to listen to some yobbo truckie telling the nation that "the people had spoken" in regard to a truck convoy of which he is part and their demand for a double dissolution election.

In fact, a few hundred yobs with trucks who are so dumb that they are easily lead by those who would stir them up.

Are all truckies cowboys? No. But the mob that have invaded Canberra with their irrational demands certainly are. Clueless idiots in fact, egged on by that irresponsible fool Tony Abbott.

Democracy is too precious to be hijacked by these idiots. And by that I mean Abbot et al.

Asylum Seeker Madness

2011-06-15T11:10:00.002+10:00

I have been sickened by the infantile level of political debate this country has fallen into. Mainly on two levels, Climate Change and Asylum Seekers.

But on the Asylum Seeker issue, where men, women and children (some unaccompanied) are picked up and thrown behind razor-wire enclosed "concentration camps", sometimes for years, I despair of what Australia has come to and that the Labor party has allowed to happen.

For a good summary of why this has happened, see David day's article in The Age.

Gillard and her camp followers should be ashamed of following in John Howard' s steps, for nothing other than political expediency - namely, the desire to stay in power above all else.

So much for a "fair go" in Australia.

Mark Arbib "Not A Spy"

2010-12-19T06:47:00.005+10:00

Not a spy? So says The Age.

However they do say: "At no stage has The Age accused Senator Arbib of ''spying''."

And

"As we revealed in one instalment of our exclusive WikiLeaks Australian files last week, Senator Arbib has been a valued and long-running source - including of detailed and significant information on internal Labor Party politics - for the US embassy in Canberra."

So my question is, what is a spy?

Dictionary Definition: n: 1. one who keeps secret watch on the action of others
2. one employed by a government to obtain secret information or intelligence

So, when is a spy not a spy? When he/she does it for free?

You tell me!

Assange Breaks No Australian Law

2010-12-11T06:08:00.003+10:00

Yes, that's right - Not Guilty. As I've said previously, just a publisher. According to top Australian lawyers:

"Peter Gordon, whose legal firm made Ms Gillard the first female partner of Slater and Gordon, said her comment that Mr Assange had broken the law was baseless." ....... "Mr Gordon's stance was backed by several top barristers, who said neither official secrets nor terror laws provided any offences under which Mr Assange could be charged in Australia."

See The Age for more.

This is Gillard and Labor's "Dr Haneef" moment but instead of rising to the defence of an Australian citizen and of the principle of free speech, they have chosen to join the mindless and baseless calls from the US for blood, both metaphorical and real.

They should be ashamed.

And that's not just my opinion apparently.

Australia Kowtows To US

2010-12-10T06:32:00.002+10:00

Julia Gillard and her Government have shown scant regard for the rights of an Australian citizen in proclaiming that Wikileaks Julian Assange is "guilty of something".

They don't appear to know what but by golly he must be. After all, the Yanks say he is - surely that is good enough?

Yep, sure! After all, their good mate Mark Arbib is probably right on-side, see the previous post.

And as for human rights, prominent US pollies amongst others want him either locked away for good, harmed or even assassinated. So much for democracy. See The Age.

And as for out good allies giving us a heads-up on what was coming via Wikileaks - they refused!

Kevin Rudd was right. This is a US stuff-up on the security front but will they take responsibility? No! They want a scapegoat in Julian Assange.

Remember, a US soldier is facing court martial over the leaks - Assange is just a publisher.

Would any mainstream publisher be treated this way? I doubt it. But then they would give the US a heads-up on what they were about to publish and then be served with a D-Notice or similar.

Hence the need for Wikileaks.

Freedom of speech is a democratic right but a fragile one - we must ever be vigilant.

Mark Arbib A US Spy

2010-12-09T06:50:00.003+10:00

Well, well. If it was any country except the US all hell would break loose at these revelations, courtesy of Wikileaks.

And it still should - we should all be outraged.

This is the same Mark Arbib that engineered the demise of Kevin Rudd as PM. Does this make Julia Gillard a defacto US stooge?

See the articles in The Age.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/arbib-revealed-as-secret-us-source-20101208-18prg.html

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/mark-arbib-aka-cia-agent-007-20101209-18q50.html

http://www.theage.com.au/national/us-diplomats-monitored-the-progress-of-gillard-20101208-18ps4.html

So much for the independence of Australian politics. Arbib and his ilk should be sacked and resign from Parliament, as spying for a foreign power, whoever they might be, some people would call treason.

More Chook Raffles For Victorian State Schools

2010-11-15T06:25:00.004+10:00

The Victorian State Election - party promises on education

Labor: Catholic schools will be an additional $1141 a year and all non-government schools an additional $7715 a year per capita better off than government schools

Liberal-National: The same if not worse

Federal Government: Labor decided to keep Howard's grossly unfair system of funding distribution in order to save votes at the last election

The Conclusion: More "chook raffles" by dedicated staff and parents at Victorian State Schools to try and keep some sort of decent funding level for students - how transparently and grossly unfair is this?

Two-thirds of the State's students suffer because of the strong lobby groups for Catholic education and wealthy independent schools - how long will voters continue to put up with this?

The Banks Are Bastards

2010-11-13T08:39:00.002+10:00

So the big 4 Australian banks decide to lift interest rates yet again above the Reserve Bank increase. Why? Apparently because "borrowing costs" are too high to maintain profitability.

Profitability? Lets get real here. They really mean that in order to keep their record profits at current levels and to keep paying their executives exorbitant salaries, then they must increase interest rates.

Ergo, as I have said before in this blog, the banks are bastards.

Which bank?

Any bloody bank!

Sport, TV and Greed

2010-11-13T08:32:00.002+10:00

By all means, move more sport that is currently on "free to air" TV to "Pay TV".

Disenfranchise the sports fans? Not an issue apparently.

Of course the idiots that take this view, fail to realise that they will loose their supporter base as more and more Australians who cannot afford Pay TV or the sports channels they have to pay extra for, give up and go elsewhere.

It will happen but will anyone stop it? I doubt it.

Meanwhile, your average Australian gets shafted again by the rich and powerful.

Fools At VicRoads Beggar Belief

2010-11-13T08:28:00.002+10:00

So, VicRoads don't hold a minutes silence on Remembrance Day because ''of possible cultural issues" and that they "don't wish to cause offence''

Don't wish to cause offence? What do these idiots think they have done by taking this stance?

Has anyone pointed out to them that Remembrance Day is an international thing?

Unmitigated fools! What else can you say?

Tony Abbott Another Right-Wing Loony

2010-11-12T06:27:00.004+10:00

What's he said this time? Well, unbelievably he seriously suggested that we should be electing Judges American style! See The Age.

Arghhhhhh. The basest appeal to populism on a law and order platform which typically occurs when right-wing conservatives are desperate to get elected.

He then apparently spent a good deal of the day backing away from this statement.

How often have we seen this in recent months? Shoots his mouth off then back off.

Danger! Danger! If he was PM, he would probably institute his more outrageous ideas and not back off.

Then this country and our democracy would really go backwards.

Yep, another dangerous right-wing loony.

Kevin Andrews A Right-Wing Loony

2010-11-12T06:17:00.002+10:00

Kevin Andrews, Liberal frontbencher and right-wing loony, declared that The Greens threaten the "heart and soul" of Western civilisation and that the parliamentary Greens had been infiltrated by the "hard left" and that their philosophy was "ecological Marxism".

See The Age for more.

He apparently then went on to attack the scientific consensus on human-induced global warming.

Yep, a right-wing loony but due to his position in the Liberal party, a dangerous one.

WikiLeaks To Be Congratulated

2010-10-24T08:21:00.002+10:00

Congratulated? Not condemned?

That's right, I'll leave the condemnation to the Pentagon and their ilk in Australia. The article headlines in The Sunday Age say it all:

Revealed: Iraq War's Grim Toll

Leaks Confirm Sectarian Cleansing Drove Killing Frenzy

A quote from the second article: "The documents also reveal many previously unreported instances in which US soldiers killed civilians - at checkpoints, from helicopters, in operations. Such killings are a central reason Iraqis turned against the US presence in Iraq, a situation that is now being repeated in Afghanistan."

So, why did I not support the war in Iraq? This farce has now proven to be based on outright lies regarding WMD's and the civilian bloodbath that followed was obviously covered up whenever possible.

And all in my name as an Australian citizen.

Thanks for nothing!

And now Afghanistan - more of the same.

Get out now I say!

Gillard To Invade Pakistan?

2010-10-19T19:56:00.002+10:00

Invade Pakistan - really? Well, no but it is logical.

Logical? How so?

According to comments made by the Prime Minister, the reasons we are in Afghanistan in the first place are exactly the same reasons that would apply to Pakistan now.

Is this likely to happen? No.

So why the hell are we in Afghanistan anyway?

Beats me!

Why No New Posts?

2010-10-18T14:23:00.002+10:00

Yep, no new posts since May 26th.

Why so, I hear you ask?

Basically Bushman has had it with Australian politics. Why?

The election campaign - spin, spin, spin - from both sides.
Labor campaign - just pathetic.
Liberal campaign - "mad monk" is leader, otherwise nothing has changed since Howard.

Yep, had enough - for a while anyway.

What's Up With Stephen Conroy?

2010-05-26T07:05:00.003+10:00

Hmmm. A little over-sensitive to criticism over the laughable Internet filter perhaps?

Why else would you lash out at Google, Facebook and all the other perceived ills of the Internet rather than promote his beloved filter?

Certainly Google stuffed up BUT have acknowledged this and made moves to rectify it.

Conroy on the other hand is continuing on with his moral crusade.

It would be nice to have a communications minister who understood the Internet but Conroy joins a long list of no-hopers in this regard.

Pity about our international standing as a democracy.

Desperate Opposition Attacks And Blocks

2010-05-26T06:52:00.003+10:00

That about sums it up. Tony Abbott and his team of coalition losers have done nothing constructive in opposition except block all government initiatives in the Senate and attack anyone in Government or associated with them.

Julie Bishop aka the "head girl" attacks the Government over expelling an Israeli diplomat despite putting Australia's national security interests at risk.

Wilson Tuckey and others attack the independence of Treasury Secretary Ken Henry and not for the first time.

So much for political conventions. So much for decency. So much for Australian democracy.

We badly need a decent opposition. Not a bunch of dills and neanderthals.

Julie Bishop's Outburst Harms Australia

2010-05-26T06:42:00.002+10:00

Aha. Told you so. See The Age.

The "head girl" is a dill. But then she is in good company!

Mining Super Profits Tax

2010-05-25T18:28:00.004+10:00

Who do you believe? See this article.

Tony Abbott and his mining mates? Certainly not.

The Government - in part but in practice their approach may need fine tuning.

Ross Garnaut.

Personally I go for the latter.

Julie Bishop And Security

2010-05-25T18:17:00.003+10:00

Oh dear. Julie Bishop aka the "head girl" has put Israeli interests and her own self-centered political ambitions ahead of the Australian national security interests.

I'll bet she backs away from this position in a hurry! Surely some people would see this as virtually treason.

I wouldn't trust her in any position of responsibility!

The Climate Debate In Australia Exposed At Last

2010-05-25T18:08:00.004+10:00

At last! Someone has spoken up to expose the climate debate in Australia for what it is - "almost infantile".

So says Professor Will Steffen, a science adviser to the federal government. More accurately, he has described the debate in the media over the basics of climate change science as ''almost infantile'', equating it to an argument about the existence of gravity. Read the rest in The Age.

Just read the "Letters To The Editor" in local rural newspapers - more pig ignorance than informed debate.

What have I been saying for years?

Pity about the planet

Tony Abbott Shoots Self In Foot

2010-05-18T18:41:00.005+10:00

Oh dear. Poor old Tony Abbott, opposition leader in the Canberra Asylum, has said that:

"I know politicians are going to be judged on everything they say. But sometimes in the heat of discussion you go a little bit further than you would if it was an absolutely calm, considered, prepared, scripted remark - which is one of the reasons why the statements that need to be taken absolutely as gospel truth [are] those carefully prepared scripted remarks. All of us when we're in the heat of verbal combat, so to speak, will sometimes say things that will go a little bit further.'' See The Age for more.

So, being "fair dinkum" with the Australian public or just making an incredible faux pas?

Probably a moot issue. The point is that he is a liability to his party and would certainly be a liability as a Prime Minister.

If the Liberal party weren't dominated by Neanderthals, if you can call a margin of one vote in the deposing of former liberal leaderMalcolm Turnbull domination, then this dill would not be the alternative Prime minister anyway.

For the record:

Definition: Neanderthal (noun) (slang) :
a) an unenlightened or ignorant person; barbarian
b) a reactionary; a person with very old-fashioned ideas

Cori Bernadi And Climate Change

2010-05-06T19:44:00.004+10:00

Since the last post, I became curious as to who or what Cori Bernadi is, apart from being a Liberal Senator for South Australia in The Canberra Asylum, so I checked his website.

Illuminating but depressing.

In a speech in the aforesaid asylum, Bernadi made a speech on the proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme on November 18th 2009. In it he says:

"Madam Acting Deputy President, I ask you just for a moment to suspend any semblance of critical thought and accept without question the cataclysmic, alarmist version of anthropogenic global warming advanced by the likes of the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Wong, Tim Flannery and Al Gore, and as you lie awake at night, worried by the mere thought of oceanfront land in Wagga Wagga, you realise that something needs to be done before it is too late."

I need not go on. Yes, he's one of the Neanderthals in the Liberal party who do not believe in climate change.

Hardly surprising about the Burqa is it?

Ban Burqa Says Cory Bernadi

2010-05-06T19:29:00.002+10:00

Why I hear you ask?

According to Bernadi (Liberal Senator for South Australia in The Canberra Asylum), "I would go as far as to say it is un-Australian." Read more in The Age.

Says it all doesn't it really?

Apparently it's becoming popular with bandits. Shocking isn't it?

Perhaps more shocking is that last time I looked, 82% of Age readers who bothered to vote agreed. Yes, I know that such polls have no validity but that's a high percentage and a bit of a worry.

So much for good old aussie tolerance.

Gillard Destroys Moral In Government Schools

2010-05-06T07:01:00.003+10:00

Well done Julia. You have created a divide between the principal class and their staff.

Another complication that schools just do not need. They have plenty of other things to worry about.

To quote the president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, Brian Burgess:

"This is not an easy time for principals, some schools will go ahead with the tests, other schools with strong union members will support the action. Staff who agreed to administer the tests would incur the wrath of those refusing to do so. It's going to put a lot of pressure on schools - a lot of principals are worried about morale and relationships within their own schools."

Deveny Dropped As Columnist For The Age

2010-05-04T20:59:00.002+10:00

Deveny dropped as columnist for The Age. Read all about it.

Well, talk about prophetic!

Good riddance I say.

The Truly Awful Catherine Deveny

2010-04-28T06:59:00.003+10:00

Very occasionally I agree with the sentiments of The Age columnist and alleged comedian Catherine Deveny,but mostly I find her opinions over the top and her style of writing just not funny.

According to an article by Richard Cooke in The Age, she has unleashed a torrent of anti-ANZAC sentiment on Twitter. Some of her Tweets apparently say for example:

''Anzac Day IS a glorification of war. They didn't die for us but because they were risk-taking testosterone fuelled men with a pack mentality''
and
''Men only enlisted to fight for the money, for the adventure or because they were racist''.

I won't bother justifying what rubbish this is but I do take exception on behalf of my forebears and their friends, many of whom I remember well and this, to say the least, is an affront to their memory.

Deveny seems fond of using the word ''f---tard''.

Well Catherine, you about the biggest ''f---tard'' I know.

RIP Emissions Trading - RIP Planet Earth

2010-04-28T06:45:00.005+10:00

So Kevin Rudd has put off emissions trading until 2013 at the earliest. It hasn't helped that The Mad Monk" and his band of rabid disbelievers have done all in their power to paint this as a "great big new tax".

It's too late anyway. The targets they (and the rest of the world) were working towards are way out of date.

The planet is stuffed. Thank you politicians. Thank you GFC and by default big business and corporate greed.

Well done all.

Tony Abbott And The Unemployed

2010-04-22T15:14:00.002+10:00

So,Tony Abbott plans to demonize the unemployed if he gets into power. What a surprise? Not!

Just more proof that the Howardesque Ultra Conservatives again hold sway in the Liberal party.

I won't even bother arguing why Abbott's plan is ridiculous and unfair. Apart from a certain demographic to which this sort of rubbish appeals, it should be self evident to most rational people.

Ah! Rational! I see the problem!

Julia Gillard And Education

2010-04-14T18:42:00.005+10:00

What's up with Julia Gillard? I have until recently had great respect for her, a deep thinking woman of great intelligence.

But when it comes to education policy, she, like many others who have never taught in a government school, does not seem to have any idea of how things work.

Unfortunately, this has reduced her in my eyes to being on a par with Bronwyn (no clue) Pike, Minister for Education in the Spring Street asylum.

These Ministers seem to forget that among the staff of Secondary Colleges are many highly qualified mathematicians. People who are highly qualified to judge when statistical information is used appropriately and when it is not.

Who are they trying to fool? Probably themselves. Pity about the schools.

Turnbull & Nelson Leaving Makes Libs Dumb And Dumber

2010-04-14T18:28:00.003+10:00

I have over the past years I have been critical of Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson, now both ex-leaders of the Liberal party. This was largely on ideological grounds. When all said and done, I think they were both decent intelligent men.

Having caused their own demise to some extent but being shown scant loyalty by the Howard brand of ultra conservatives, their departure leaves the party with the old guard running the show.

Their "enlightened" policies regarding asylum seekers (demonise, imprison and deport), climate change (what climate change) etc. etc. now predominate.

And Tony "Mad Monk" Abbott in charge. Who would have thought it?

Not to mention their absolute obstructionist role in parliament.

What a disgrace. What a pity.

Australian Politics - So Predictable

2010-04-13T12:32:00.003+10:00

Bushman has become somewhat bored with Australian politics.

Shocking I know but there you have it. It's become so predictable, for example:

Historically low interest rates go up (they have to) and the Libs blame Labor!

We survived the GFC due largely to spending up big on infrastructure and the Libs howl about our national debt! The only reason there was a surplus after 10 years of Howard was that infrastructure was almost entirely neglected and schools, universities and hospitals were starved of funds.

Boat people start to arrive in numbers and it's all Labor's fault! Never mind about the state of things in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. What do the Libs suggest? Towing them back out to sea? Torpedoing their boats? Or just back to razor wire concentration camps in the desert?

Etc. etc.

However, there is an election approaching and I can feel the need to vent my spleen again.

Stay tuned.

Liberal Leopards Do Not Change Spots

2009-11-20T18:08:00.002+10:00

Poor old Malcolm Turnbull. If he wasn't such a wanker I'd almost feel sorry for him. The old guard in the Liberal party are flying their true Howard colours - the legacy of the Twerp from Sydney lives on.

1. Asylum seekers. True the Government has not handled things well but the Liberal old guard want to go back to razor wire, desert camps and the disastrous "temporary protection visas". Back to the future - what a winner. How did this play out in the last election? Not to the Liberals advantage, that's for sure.

2. Climate change. Or as those in the Liberal old guard would have it, what climate change? More and more of their members are outing themselves as outright climate change deniers by the day, rather than just portraying themselves as sceptics as before. I say again: How did this play out in the last election? Again I reply: Not to the Liberals advantage, that's for sure.

As for the Nationals, why bother. They give the word conservative a whole new and unique perspective. A bunch of ostriches no less. And who is their leader? Most people don't know as he has a very low profile. In fact most people would say Barnaby Joyce. Good effort Nationals, keep up the good work.

Pity about the planet.

Liberal Cimate Change Sceptics Exposed

2009-10-12T05:42:00.005+10:00

So, the WA Liberals at their conference want Malcolm Turnbull to dump his position on negotiating with the Government on climate change and wait until after Copenhagen.

Fair enough, their decision I suppose BUT the disturbing part in all this is that "Speaker after speaker at the conference expressed scepticism about the science of climate change ...", as reported in The Age.

Oh dear, more armchair scientists of the dumb political variety. They should be good company for the ridiculous Senator Fielding.

What can one say about these dills? Check what letter writers had to say in a previous post, one of whom said:

"ANY politician who denies 30 years of peer-reviewed scientific evidence on climate change, and is prepared to go against the views of thousands upon thousands of climate scientists is not fit to hold public office."

Indeed!

Queensland Justice A Laughing Stock

2009-09-12T07:06:00.002+10:00

Well, we would be laughing if it wasn't so sad. Two young lives ruined by the application of Queensland's 19th century abortion laws to a young couple using a drug to cause an abortion in the 21st century.

Read the story in The Age.

There would be little or no problem in any other Australian State, especially Victoria, where abortion has, rightly, been decriminalised.

What was I saying about Queensland being run by crusading moralists?

Just pathetic.

Queensland Police Still A Laughing Stock

2009-09-09T16:22:00.005+10:00

So, the Queensland police suddenly drop the case referred to in the previous post.

Why one wonders? Nothing to do with the fact that the Commonwealth DPP reviewed it and presumably advised their foolish Queensland counterparts to give it up?

See the article in The Age. The individual concerned hopes to sue those involved for what they have put him through. I hope he can and I hope he succeeds.

Queensland police - still a laughing stock but in reality a dangerous bunch of dills.

We need to be vigilant to protect our freedoms from such over-the-top idiots.

Queensland Police A Laughing Stock

2009-09-03T16:10:00.004+10:00

I thought this case would have quietly disappeared. Any sane sensible person would have thought the same.

But no, not the Queensland police who will no doubt spend a fortune bringing this to trial only to finish up with egg on their face.

And in the process destroy an innocent man's health and reputation.

Why?

Are they run by crusading moralists?

If it wasn't so serious it would be the joke of the century. Better than Senator Stephen Conroy's net filter.

Preserve us from idiots ...... please!

Risk Of Infectious Disease vs Swine Flu

2009-08-21T11:35:00.002+10:00

So, according to The Age: "the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases expresses deep concern about CSL's use of multi-dose vials for the vaccine and urged the Government to abandon its plan until it had single-dose vials".

The article goes on to say: "The letter, written by the Society's president, Associate Professor Tom Gottlieb, says multi-dose vials - bottles containing many doses of the vaccine - had been shown on many occasions to transmit infectious diseases, ''resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality''."

So what do I fear most? A possibly fatal infectious disease or Swine Flu?

I'll take Swine Flu thanks.

More On The Melbourne Age

2009-08-19T12:45:00.002+10:00

I looked at The Age online just after midday. Horrors - the headline story was the one I referred to in my previous post. Pictured were two aging hippie types with the superimposed headline:

Turn Off, Tune Out, Shut Up

Thank you Melbourne Age. No wonder your circulation is way down and the quality of your journalism is slipping very badly, thereby making the circulation go down further. Wouldn't have anything to do with all the sackings would it?

Checked the demographics of your readership lately? Which age group is most likely to be loyal to you?

How about just a little respect?

The Age And Ageism

2009-08-19T07:54:00.004+10:00

Associate editor of The Age, Shaun Carney, is correct about most things in his article, The '60s Weren't That Flash, however, there is a glaring insult that needs addressing.

Does he really need to refer to those middle-aged Beatles fans who celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Abbey Road album by the pejorative adjective pathetic?

The answer of course is NO!

This is just very poor journalism by any professional standard where ageism, along with other ism's, is to be deplored.

I actually suspect ageism wasn't the problem in the 60's that it is now Shaun, so maybe there is room for some limited nostalgia.

Meanwhile, I suggest you get over yourself!

Senator Fielding And The Age Letter Writers

2009-06-25T07:46:00.002+10:00

It would seem that many others feel as I do about Senator Fielding and his ludicrous assertions - this time on climate change.

Read the letters in The Age. Here are a few typical quotes:

"You see, on one hand, we have tens of thousands of experienced and expert scientists, who review each other's work, scrutinise statistics and footnotes, and who agree that human activity is contributing to climate change. On the other hand we have a handful of spokespeople and interest groups who make pie-in-the-sky declarations and do not publish their claims in scientific journals because they wouldn't stand up to the most rudimentary scrutiny. Now a certain flat-earther Senator has just joined the crackpot crew of the latter."

"STEVE Fielding has come out firmly dismissing climate change. If we needed one more reason to accept that global warming is real, we've probably just got it. You have to be stupid or wilfully ignorant to distrust the endlessly mounting evidence."

"ANY politician who denies 30 years of peer-reviewed scientific evidence on climate change, and is prepared to go against the views of thousands upon thousands of climate scientists is not fit to hold public office."

I could not agree more. The sooner this moron is voted out the better.

Bring on the double dissolution election I say.

Senator Fielding - Born Again Denier or Neanderthal?

2009-06-24T22:04:00.005+10:00

I have long doubted Fielding's intelligence. His arguments on various matters do not seem very logical.

And now this.

Senator Fielding has apparently released a document, which The Age says, was prepared "with the help of some of the country's most prominent climate-sceptic scientists." In this document he apparently says of global warming that "there's not enough evidence that it's real."

A born again denier or just a denier. The clue is possibly in the phrase "unconvincing green science". Why not just unconvincing science?

Family first? My kids and others will suffer because of ill-informed idiots like this. Family last more like it.

Definition: Neanderthal (noun) (slang) :
a) an unenlightened or ignorant person; barbarian
b) a reactionary; a person with very old-fashioned ideas

As I said in the previous post: "it never ceases to amaze me that people with no scientific background and apparently little in the way of logic skills are convinced that they know better than the world's most eminent scientists (as opposed to the few hacks the sceptics can always rely on) "

I rest my case. Bring on the double dissolution election I say.

The Gippsland Times And Credibility

2009-06-24T09:03:00.003+10:00

For some years now, often in the "Letters To The Editor" column but also in articles by journalists as well, The Gippsland Times has insisted on printing the chemical formula of Carbon Dioxide as CO2 with the 2 super-scripted and not as CO2 with the 2 sub-scripted, which is the correct version.

Chemical formulas do not use super-scripts.

No one has ever commented. Why one wonders? Here are some possibilities.

There a technical problem which prevents this from appearing in print
There is ignorance on the part of staff as to the correct nomenclature
There is ignorance in the wider community, particularly amongst letter writers, as to the correct nomenclature

And here are some responses in the same order.

The Times manages super-scripts and other papers get the sub-script correct so this seems unlikely
Given the number of spelling mistakes, including homonyms (reign not rein or vice versa) that one sees in The Times, this is a distinct possibility
A very real possibility, considering the amazingly ignorant rant against climate change that appears in the "Letters To The Editor" column, some of it actually claiming to be "based on science" but in fact trots out the same old discounted sources or stuff from groups with vested interests - it never ceases to amaze me that people with no scientific background and apparently little in the way of logic skills are convinced that they know better than the world's most eminent scientists (as opposed to the few hacks the sceptics can always rely on)

So credibility? You think they could at least make an effort. Meanwhile, The Times is worth reading to keep up with local events and classifieds but not use for much else except lighting the fire.

Turnbull Fiddles While Australia Burns

2009-06-24T08:43:00.004+10:00

I see that Malcolm Turnbull, aka The Wanker For Wentworth, continues to live up to the epithet I have been using for him for some years now.

Any government needs to be held accountable by a robust opposition, but searching for political scalps instead of getting on with the real job of oversight is just evidence of a very poor opposition. Not to mention an arrogant leader with a lack of political skill and a party with no credible policies.

Just the tactic of obstruction.

Meanwhile, things like Carbon Trading and other important issues are completely side-tracked.

Turnbull should go. But who would replace him I hear you say? The Smirker is quitting, Julie Bishop aka The Head Girl would be a disaster. Joe Hockey? Tony Abbott?

Good question. For the sake of the country a new face would be welcome.

Reds Under The Bed - Spare Me!

2009-03-29T10:09:00.005+10:00

So Malcolm Turnbull, aka The Wanker For Wentworth, is now reverting to a 1970's Reds Under The Bed fear campaign. In a word - pathetic.

Joel Fitzgibbon did a dumb thing in not declaring his "free" visits to China but really!

The media of course have lapped it up and gone along with the whole thing BUT for the most part have not asked the most important question.

Who is running Australia, the Government or the Defence Department?

If it is the latter, as a democracy we are in big trouble. It is clear that individuals in Defence cannot cope with change so they seek to undermine the Minister and thus the Government.

Some people would call this treason. The individual(s) concerned should be dealt with as soon as possible and all politicians should applaud this action as commendable in terms of supporting our democracy and stop petty and pathetic attempts at point scoring.

Stephen Conroy's Internet Filter Defence

2009-03-27T17:20:00.003+10:00

Oh dear! Another clueless Communications Minister, add him to the long list.

When defending how harmless (PG rated) images from artist Bill Henson appeared on the now notorious blacklist, Conroy's response according to The Age was as follows:

"..... a computer malfunction caused harmless Bill Henson images to be added to its blacklist, rather than an incorrect assessment of the content."

Well guess what, that excuse was used repeatedly to excuse billing errors etc. when computerisation was being introduced many years ago. It was no excuse then and it's no excuse now.

Why?

Because computers are true morons, they only ever do what they are programmed to do from the minute you turn them on until you turn them off. It's either a programming error or simply the result of poor programming that causes problems, human error in fact. His Department and his responsibility in the form of The Australian Communications and Media Authority, in this case.

No wonder he was openly laughed at by the audience to the ABC's Q & A the other night. See The Age for details.

So who's the real "moron" now?

Litigation Lawyers Smell Money Not Smoke

2009-02-17T07:11:00.002+10:00

Well it didn't take them long! Even before the Royal Commission had it's terms of reference settled they were whipping up the poor shell-shocked bushfire victims with promises of more money.

But who for? Not the victims I'll bet but for the Litigation Lawyers themselves. Why so?

If a power line falling down in the worst conditions on record is not an "act of god", to use the insurance company jargon, then what is? This action is doomed to fail, the victims will get nothing BUT the Litigation Lawyers will have their pockets lined by the fees they charge to bring the matter to court. The bushfire victims will be victims once more.

And what if the action did succeed anyway? We, the people, are the State of Victoria and it is we who would be paying the price. We, the same people who have been giving generously of our money and/or our time to the bushfire victims already.

The banks may be bastards but litigation lawyers exploiting the poor, the shell-shocked and the gormless are worse.

So Just What Is A Pastor?

2009-02-14T16:43:00.004+10:00

So let me get this right. If I read the Bible and have some particular interpretation of what I read, I can then set up a "Church", say "Screw Loose Ministries" and as head of such an organisation I can then call myself a "pastor"?

And if I am particularly right-wing in my views, I can then get the attention of (former) Prime Ministers and Treasurers?

Danny Nalliah (I refuse to call him Pastor) and his latest outrageous claim that linked the death and suffering of bushfire victims to laws decriminalising abortion in Victoria is just appalling.

god (insert your own deity - deliberate small g) preserve us from such idiots and those in positions of power only too willing to sell their souls in support of such people for a few votes.

Wellington Shire (Gippsland) Council Elections

2008-11-26T06:53:00.003+10:00

So, it's council election time again and what do we have? Twelve nominees for nine positions, not a lot of choice. This is even more concerning when you look at the quality of the candidates involved. Not a lot of intellectual depth or relevant experience one might think.

But apart from personal knowledge of the individuals concerned, you have to go by the "blurbs" put out by the candidates to let us know a bit about them. These I find to be of limited use as they don't really tell me what I want to know. Here's a few tips for prospective candidates.

I am not interested in your marital status
I am not interested in your family
I am not really worried by your age but a few younger people would be better
I am not concerned by your gender

What I would really like to see is:

Evidence of your ability to think creatively
Evidence of your ability to think fast and make timely decisions in volatile situations
Evidence that you have reasonable knowledge of current social and environmental issues
A commitment to oversight of council officers and a willingness to purge or call to account those not performing as they should

Am I likely to see any such statements? I doubt it. We get the council we deserve.

Victoria Police, Spies and Democracy

2008-11-26T06:31:00.004+10:00

Having previously written about the Twerp from Sydney and his government's attack on democracy in previous years, we now see the State Police up to their old tricks as well.

Having seen the demise of the old Special Branch (used by the Libs pre John Cain as premier of Victoria as an agency to spy on Vietnam Protesters and anyone thought to be remotely left wing) we see they are back. A report some months ago indicated that Victoria Police were actively spying on and infiltrating all sorts of community groups. Even the multi-denominational Palm Sunday walk at Easter was infiltrated with the cop concerned acting as secretary!

All of this is passed off as "intelligence gathering" and a need to keep an eye on civil unrest and possible terrorism.

Bullshit!

It's the Police and Government finding a new excuse to spy on anyone they choose, to take away more of our freedom of expression and threaten the democratic principles the very same Police and Government are meant to be protecting.

But wait, there's more.

A report in The Age states that "The internet communications and websites of anti-war campaigners, environmentalists, animal rights activists and other protest groups are being secretly monitored by state and federal agencies."

Anyone they think might be a political problem for them in other words.

Worse still perhaps, they've employed a private security firm to carry out this surveillance.

Where is out privacy in all of this? What of civil liberties and democracy? Where is the public outcry?

Rampant Nationalism A Dangerous Thing

2008-11-25T06:33:00.002+10:00

Nationalism: noun, national spirit or aspirations, devotion to the interests of one's own nation.

It has long been recognised by scholars of history, that governments of the left or right that engender their populations with excessive patriotic zeal, have the ability to whip up amongst their population a frenzied belief that the state is right in all its ideologies and political agendas.

A charismatic leader in the right time at the right place, such as Adolph Hitler, can exploit this to devastating effect. What characterised Hitler was his ability to use rhetoric at vast public rallies to persuade an intelligent, well educated population to believe in and support horrendous programs and beliefs. They had been led to believe that the state was always right, Hitler was the state personified and so rampant nationalism led to the persecution of minorities and war.

If you view footage of Hitler's pre WW2 rallies, you will see and hear the rhetoric used and the crowd responding with chanting, fist waving etc. This is why I said in a previous post that Republican (and later to some extent, Democratic) rallies in the US reminded me of Hitler's rallies pre WW2.

This is not to say that there is any link with either of these parties and National Socialism. I merely make the observation that in the wrong hands, an excessively nationalistic/patriotic population can be manipulated by those in power.

George W. Bush exploited this to some extent with his so-called "War on Terror", designed in part to keep the population in fear as an excuse to impose draconian laws limiting individual freedom, infringing on civil liberties and fighting illegal and unjust wars.

The Twerp from Sydney tried the same thing here. Draconian and untested laws, fear or refugees etc. etc. and involvement in illegal wars.

China used its very effective form of nationalism to suppress the Tibet demonstrations associated with the Olympic Torch relay around the world.

We must ever be vigilant to protect our way of life from the agendas of any zealots from the left or right of politics.

Economists Will Destroy The Earth, Not Scientists

2008-09-09T07:22:00.005+10:00

Why?

Because economists and other bureaucratic fiscal bean counters are sooooooo conservative that, together with the schoolboy attitude of: "we won't cut our emissions unless you cut yours first"; the result being that the emission targets will be far too small and be implemented far too late.

This has been my opinion for some time and now that we have Ross Garnaut's report, my suspicions are confirmed. See this article in The Age.

Too late for the planet as we know it to survive. Too late for the human species at any rate.

But why believe the scientists? They are only the experts and we see time and time again how they are ignored in deference to fringe loonies who "know better".

The human race deserves what it gets I'm afraid.

Republican Convention Akin To National Socialism

2008-09-05T08:03:00.002+10:00

Despite a keen interest in American politics, I find their conventions quite sickening.

I refer to what most Australians see as the completely over-the-top nationalistic and patriotic fervour that is whipped up. The Democrat convention was bad enough but the Republicans - ugh!

I watched for half an hour as Rudy Giuliani whipped up the crowd as an introduction to Sarah Palin.

I have nothing against any American personally and I have a lot of American friends but their style of politics leaves me cold.

The Tone of the rhetoric that Giuliani employed, the crowd response with their flag waving and their chants of USA, USA. The raising of fists as the chant gains momentum, the boos and jeers when something regarding Obama was mentioned, the over-the top cheering and apparent rapture on their faces - just amazing.

And just plain frightening.

It reminded me of a typical Hitler rally pre WW2.

Scary stuff.

Climate Change Deniers Thriving In Gippsland

2008-09-04T15:45:00.002+10:00

Thriving? Well, active and vocal if the Letters To The Editor in The Gippsland Times are any indication.

I have written about this before. The two things they like to quote are the Lavoisier Group ramblings and the so-called "petition" signed by - insert own number of signatories and their description/qualifications here, it varies with the telling.

Anyone who does any serious research knows the truth behind these two pieces of "evidence" but it is neatly summed up in the article by David McNight in The Age.

Firsly, regarding the Lavoisier Group, he says:

"In Australia, the main group that tries to undermine the science of global warming is the Lavoisier Group. It maintains a website with links to the Competitive Enterprise Institute (over $2 million from Exxon), Science and Environmental Policy Project ($20,000) and the Centre for the Study of Carbon Dioxide (at least $100,000).

The Lavoisier group is certainly influential in the Federal Opposition. A senior figure in the group told Guy Pearse, author of High and Dry, a study of climate policy in Australia, that there 'is an understanding in cabinet that all the science is crap'."

Secondly, regarding the petition he says:

"Another regular piece of evidence in the denial lobby's PR campaign is the "Oregon Petition". This urges the US Government to reject the Kyoto Protocol and claims there is "no convincing scientific evidence" for global warming. It is said to be signed by 31,000 graduates, most of whom appear to have nothing to do with climate science.

The petition originated in 1998 with a scientist, Dr Frederick Seitz, who had been president of the US National Academy of Science in the 1960s (and a tobacco consultant in the 1970s). The petition was accompanied by a purported review of the science that was co-published by the George C. Marshall Institute. This institute received at least $715,000 from Exxon Mobil since 1998."

This has been common knowledge to those who bother to check facts but the letter writers and others prefer to believe any fringe loony stuff rather than admit the obvious. After all, why believe the worlds most eminent scientists (as opposed to hacks, some of whom are past their use by date) and the British Royal Society (probably the most respected group of scientists on the planet) when there is an alternative?

John Howard - No Shame and No Clue

2008-07-09T11:24:00.002+10:00

So, the Twerp from Sydney has resurfaced in Perth to claim that "Labor has no shame".

Really?

This appears to be Howard's first outburst on home territory having made a number of similar speeches to his neo-con mates in the US some months ago.

Just face it John - You are a clueless has-been. As for no shame, need we re-visit Tampa, Children Overboard, Immigration detention, Dr. Haneef etc. etc .

As for telling his audience that: "the Gippsland by-election, held at the end of June, had echoes of the Whitlam era" because "Labor suffered a swing against it of 6.42 per cent, as Darren Chester easily retained the provincial Victorian seat for the Nationals" - see point 3 of my previous post.

Complete rubbish!

Climate Change & The Murray-Darling Basin

2008-07-05T22:26:00.002+10:00

Two headlines from The Age in one day.

Act now or face disaster, Garnaut report warns

and

Murray-Darling Basin a warning on inaction: PM

Need we say more? Well yes, we must. Why?

Because I strongly suspect that the Libs, Nats and the mining & energy sectors will do all they can to be obstructionist.

Nothing like fiddling while the planet burns.

Labor's Gippsland By-Election Farce

2008-07-05T22:08:00.002+10:00

Farce - how so?

1. The Labor party ran a cringe worthy campaign pushing propaganda that was from the dark ages - not relevant and not believable.

2. The Victorian Labor Party Executive (for want of a better term) dumped the previous candidate and another potential candidate, both long time Labor supporters, in favour of a "new" candidate who had to join the party for the first time. This same executives' spokesman, in a radio interview, then had the cheek to say there was a terrible lack of talent in Gippsland. That made long time supporters feel real good!

3. Apparently a swing of 6.5% to the Nats is a big victory and a "lesson for Rudd" according to the press. What rubbish! What they forget is that the former candidates in previous elections had pegged McGauran's initial lead back by at least this amount. A swing of 6.5% against Labor was not surprising considering the stuff-ups noted above.

Thanks to the Victorian Labor Executive. We now have Chester for the next 30 years or so.

Well done.

Condoleezza Rice - On Another Planet With Bush ?

2008-07-05T21:58:00.002+10:00

So - Condoleezza Rice says she was "proud" of the US decision to invade Iraq and said the Middle East had improved since President George Bush took office. See The Age article.

She has to be kidding - right??

A country whose infrastructure has been bombed into the dark ages.

A country plunged into a de facto civil war.

A country where countless tens if not hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed.

And let us not forget the 4,113 US military personnel killed so far.

And of course the oil.

Yep - she's on another planet with Bush and a rapidly dwindling supply of supporters.

Joe Hockey & Alcopops - What A Moron

2008-05-15T18:50:00.003+10:00

The evidence you ask?

If previous posts haven't provided enough evidence, this idiot has stood up in parliament and compared Alcopops with "Champagne", saying that the latter will be taxed at half the rate of the former even though it has twice the alcohol content.

The thrust of his argument is that kids will just swap from Alcopops to "Champagne" and has used this to suggest it's just a Government "tax grab".

News flash Joe. My kids and others love Alcopops but loathe and detest "Champagne".

It's all a matter of taste and marketing Joe.

It's a health issue Joe!

What next? Remove the tax on cigarettes? Allow packs of 10 to be sold again?

It's the same logic.

Ergo moron.

The Banks Are Bastards #3

2008-05-15T18:41:00.003+10:00

Over a month since I've posted and yet the same theme rears its ugly head.

Again, was more evidence really needed? See the previous post if need be.

This time the damning evidence comes from figures released by the Reserve Bank, as reported in The Age.

Here's a few quotes.

"Bank service fees grew by 8% in 2007 to $10.5 billion, up from $9.77 billion a year earlier, according to figures from the Reserve Bank released today."

"Growth in fees from households outpaced growth from business for the sixth consecutive year. Household fee growth jumped 9% or $4.38 billion."

Read the whole article yourself. It's enough to make a grown man weep.

Ergo: The Banks Are Bastards.

Which bank?

All Bloody Banks.

The Banks Are Bastards #2

2008-04-06T07:58:00.002+10:00

More evidence from ASIC, as if more was needed?

Extortionate exit fees for those trying to escape bad home loans. Among the highest in the world!

Not to mention a whole host of other fees and charges.

According to The Age: "The ASIC report found Australians switching early pay nearly five times more than buyers in the US and Britain."

Ergo: The Banks Are Bastards.

Which bank?

All Bloody Banks.

Private School Funding Bastardry

2008-04-06T07:48:00.002+10:00

How else would you describe it?

Private schools rolling in money with huge yearly surpluses from substantial federal funding.

Meanwhile, parents in State schools where 70% of us choose to send our children, continue to run chook raffles to help the schools with the basics.

Under the Twerp from Sydney, the proliferation of religious schools was simply stunning. Plenty of funding, no problem.

Even to cults like the Exclusive Brethren.

And so the ultimate insult to State schools and their supporters continues.

The Age reports: "Brethren Schools Get Funds Meant For Poor Students".

Read all about it. I'm too upset and annoyed to continue!

Brumby In Thrall To Liberal Legacy

2008-03-23T05:56:00.004+10:00

What? In thrall to Baillieu et al? How could this be?

Let me list some of the problems, then the cause.

Doctors at pubic hospitals overworked and underpaid. A doctor drought.

Teachers and Principals overworked and underpaid. A teacher drought.

Infrastructure crumbling. Not anywhere near enough money spent there.

Transport crisis. Not anywhere near enough money spent there either.

In short, things that should have been fixed as they arose over the course of the last 10 years or so have been let slip.

And now the bill to fix the mess is too huge to contemplate.

Why has this happened?

Because, people, Labor Governments have become so shit-scared of the Liberal bogey regarding financial management at election times that they will do anything to keep the budget in surplus - often huge surpluses - to show what good money managers they are BUT this comes at the expense of the points noted above.

Everytime they hint that they might spend up on something - infrastructure, wages etc. out trot the Liberals with their big-spending mantra, the next election and loss of power crosses the minds of pollies and nothing of substance or vision ever happens.

This must change.

There are good reasons and times for budgets NOT to be in surplus.

We pay the taxes, we expect decent education, health and public transport services.

NOT crumbling ruins that it will take decades to fix.

Memo To John Brumby - Stop Indexing Fees & Charges

2008-03-19T10:49:00.002+10:00

Memo to John Brumby, Premier of Victoria in The Spring St. Asylum.

You may think indexing fees & government charges is justified John but it's putting us rapidly into the poorhouse.

Rapidly.

Time for a reality check.

Rethink this policy before the masses rebel.

Alexander Downer Still Doesn't Get It

2008-03-19T10:41:00.002+10:00

Alexander Downer - now apparently struggling with reality as a back-bencher, still defends the invasion of Iraq. The Age reports:

"THE decision by President George Bush to overthrow the regime of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and the decisions of the British and Australian governments to provide military support to the Americans, will always be controversial. It was, nevertheless, the right decision."

He then goes on to list four reasons why this is so.

Sorry Alexander.

An illegal war on based on a false premise has no justification whatever.

Get over it, resign from parliament and let someone who's interested in being there have a go.

John Howard - Truly Yesterday's Man

2008-03-12T15:07:00.003+10:00

Oh dear, the Twerp from Sydney still doesn't understand.

Good old Johnny, over in the US of A trying to scrounge a living on the speaker's circuit while he can still find someone to listen.

He's telling the Yanks why it's a mistake to pull out of Iraq, why it's a mistake to to get rid of WorkChoices and now why it was a mistake to say "sorry" to the Aboriginal people.

Why did he lose the election? Because the majority of voters in Australia did not agree with his opinions and policies.

But the Twerp from Sydney knows better.

So does his apologist Tony Abbott apparently.

"The now opposition families, indigenous affairs and community services spokesman said Mr Howard would be amongst the great Australian leaders in history books."

Not so I fear. He will go down as the biggest bastards ever to hold office in Australia. He destroyed our reputation as a tolerant and generous people, sent our troops to war on a false pretext and tried to destroy the union movement and in doing so the conditions and pay of the working class of Australia. Just how much more of a bastard can you be?

I look forward to living long enough to see this come true.

Thank God I'm An Atheist

2008-03-12T09:03:00.002+10:00

Here's just one of many reasons. From The Age:

"LEADERS of the US Episcopal Church were told once and for all that the gay man they elevated to bishop will not be allowed to attend a once-a-decade, worldwide Anglican Church meeting this year."

' "It feels as if, instead of leaving the 99 sheep in search of the one, my chief pastor and shepherd, the Archbishop of Canterbury (Rowan Williams), has cut me out of the herd," said Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, after receiving the definitive word that he will be excluded from the Anglican Communion's Lambeth Conference in England.'

Such caring and sharing.

Such a "Christian" attitude.

Such HYPOCRISY.

Bernie Ecclestone Thinks He's God

2008-03-12T08:55:00.003+10:00

I agree with the letter in The Age written by Mike Copland.

It's about time he was told to rack-off and take his Grand Prix with him, preferably overseas.

It's well past its use-by date and costing us taxpayers a fortune.

Well, we think it is. Why is it such a big secret otherwise?

As for Ted Baillieu and fellow losers in The Spring St. Asylum sticking up for it.

Pathetic!

Bush, Democracy and Torture

2008-03-10T09:21:00.003+10:00

George W. Bush, leader of the free world and a champion of democracy.

And let's not forget a "born again" Christian.

His stance on "waterboarding", outright torture by any standard?

No problem, the CIA can torture terrorist suspects as they wish, according to a report in The Age.

"US president George W Bush said today he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks."

Does the word HYPOCRITE ring a bell here?

America needs to get rid of this dangerous fool who thumbs his nose at the Democrat controlled congress.

For all our sakes.

Howard Honoured in US - But By Whom?

2008-03-07T06:17:00.004+10:00

So, the Twerp from Sydney lashes out. (See The Age. Article 1. Article 2.)

But to whom? And where?

To a bunch of neo-cons and members of right-wing US think-tanks in Washington, who soon themselves will be in the political wilderness, after a Democrat wins the US presidential election.

It would appear that no-one in Australia wants a bar of him or of his WorkChoices (NoChoices) ideological crusade that Australian voters saw for what it was. An unbridled attempt to destroy the unions and the rights of Australian workers.

And so the Twerp from Sydney is overseas still spruiking his mantra to the only people he can find who are willing to listen.

More deluded fools like himself.

I'd feel pity for him being such a sad has-been if it were not for the fact that he is an absolutely unconscionable bastard. I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire.

Malcolm Turnbull - The Wanker For Wentworth

2008-03-05T07:41:00.003+10:00

The shadow opposition leader, Malcolm Turnbull aka The Wanker For Wentworth, is trying hard to sound important but is anyone listening?

I doubt it. Listening to his pathetic attempts to undermine Treasurer Wayne Swan is a trial and his even more pathetic comments in attempting to apportion some blame to Labor for the latest interest rate rises is just laughable.

I suppose he has to be seen to be saying something and thus he is just trying to sound impressive so he can replace the The Bungler For Bradfield as opposition leader, however, what he says is an insult to the average person's intelligence.

Speaking of The Bungler For Bradfield. A 7% approval rating. Oh dear, my heart bleeds.

But would The Wanker For Wentworth do any better? Will the public take to someone who comes across as a pompous blowhard and insults their intelligence with his superior attitude.

I suspect we'll soon find out.

The Banks Are Bastards

2008-03-05T07:23:00.003+10:00

Which bank?

Any bloody bank!

The Age reports: "AUSTRALIAN home buyers are facing a double hit on mortgage rates, with banks tipped to lift their interest rate margins, perhaps significantly, when they pass on the 0.25 percentage point rate rise delivered by the Reserve Bank yesterday.

Banking analysts predict that banks will pass on more of the steep rises in their own borrowing costs on financial markets."

Still making record profits I notice.

Shareholders first, customers last.

Ergo bastards.

Mick Keelty Must Go

2008-01-31T07:20:00.000+10:00

MICK Keelty, the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, would have us believe that nothing with regard to terror cases should be reported in the media until it's all over.

All over? For whom?

This ludicrous proposal collapses in the light of what happened to Dr. Haneef.

The Age suggests Keelty is past his use by date.

I absolutely agree.

Aboriginal Apology - The Liberals Just Don't Get It

2008-01-29T06:10:00.000+10:00

The Bungler For Bradfield has set himself up as taking a hard line against an apology or at least inferring that it is of little import in the scheme of things.

The view appears to be that it will foster a victim mentality. Really?

As for Wilson Tuckey's rant on TV the other night - well - I guess it's no surprise.

Meanwhile Turnbull and others don't agree with this stance. I can see why.

This just reinforces the perception of them as yesterday's men.

Guess what? They are.

2008 - Another Year - A Blog Review

2008-01-26T09:55:00.000+10:00

The first post of the new year and the first since December 1st last year.

Have I lost interest? Not really. With Twerp from Sydney and The Smirker gone from government there has been less to write about.

One thing to note! The Bungler For Bradfield may not last long but he has brought the right wing extremist views of the Howard government back toward the centre of the political spectrum. If the Labor victory does little else, this alone is a good thing.

As for me? I'll continue as a semi-regular commentator on anything that interests me.

See you around.

The Liberal Blame Game and Smoking Guns

2007-12-01T06:14:00.000+10:00

The Liberal blame game continues. More from Judith Troeth.

The smoking guns start to emerge. From The Age:

"SENIOR members of the Howard government, including the former prime minister and the foreign minister, were given a detailed briefing on Mamdouh Habib's allegations of torture in Egypt as early as mid-2002.

But they never told the Australian public of the serious allegations, did little to investigate them — and three years later were still protesting they had no knowledge Mr Habib had even been in Egypt."

Much more to come methinks.

Brendan Nelson - The Bungler For Bradfield

2007-11-30T20:28:00.000+10:00

The Twerp from Sydney is gone and will be reviled in the pages of history and the The Smirker resides a bitter man on the back-benches.

His replacement, Dr Brendan Nelson, Member for Bradfield and new leader of the opposition will hereinafter be referred to as The Bungler For Bradfield.

Bungler? How so?

Just wait until the truth regarding all the bungles in defence spending by Nelson as former Minister for Defence are put into perspective by the new Labor Government.

Waste and more waste. One bungle after another.

I can hardly wait.

Yes! - The Liberal Blame Game

2007-11-30T20:20:00.000+10:00

Much anticipated and free entertainment as the Liberal party go for the jugular.

I've waited a long time for this.

Childish?

Maybe - but who cares. Articles from The Age:

Costello blames Howard

Troeth speaks out

Nick Minchin told Howard to leave a year ago

Well Done Voters of Australia

2007-11-25T09:31:00.000+10:00

So, how did my wish list go?

1/ That the coalition loses convincingly. YES!

2/ That Howard loses his seat. (Bonus) YES!

3/ That Howard "does a Malcolm Fraser" and cries when conceding defeat. (Extra bonus) NO! Oh well, you cannot have everything. I took comfort from the fact that The Smirker looked and sounded shaky.

Now the "fourth wish", that Howard is pilloried by his fellow Liberals for what he really is (and what they have so far been too gutless to say) and that he will be reviled forever as a blight on Australian politics as a mean, horrible person - will all come true.

Yes fellow Australians, the Twerp from Sydney is a gone goose.

Well done I say.

Pity about McGauran!

John Howard - The Real Extremist

2007-11-24T14:25:00.000+10:00

All over the TV. All over the Internet. The Twerp from Sydney and his ilk label Labor candidates like Julia Gillard and Peter Garrett as "extremists".

As if extremists come only from one side of politics.

Reality check needed. Self-delusion in full swing.

By any definition or historical comparison in Australian politics, the real extremists are the Twerp from Sydney and his dreadful coalition MP's.

Vote the bastards out. Please!

I have only three wishes.

1/ That the coalition loses convincingly.

2/ That Howard loses his seat. (Bonus)

3/ That Howard "does a Malcolm Fraser" and cries when conceding defeat. (Extra bonus)

There could be a fourth wish but it follows from the above. That Howard is pilloried by his fellow Liberals for what he really is and what they have so far been too gutless to say.

And that he will be reviled forever as a blight on Australian politics as a mean, horrible person.

Mark Vaile, Democracy and Cover-ups

2007-11-18T08:28:00.000+10:00

Ah, so it's not just me. I have made numerous posts about the coalition's attitude to democracy, "censorship", accountability and cover-ups.

From The Age:

"The latest thing to blow up in Howard's face was his $400 million regional pork-barrelling fund, which was condemned in a caustic report by the Commonwealth Auditor General released on Thursday. And the response? Dazed and confused, with Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile calling for an inquiry into the Auditor-General's office. What was the auditor supposed to do, cover it up?

That's how arrogant this lot have become. They think that when statutory office holders show their political independence and do what the law requires of them, it's a political conspiracy".

Get rid of this blight on Australia's history. Vote out the Twerp from Sydney and his mindless goons on November 24th.

More Evidence of the Trend to a Police State

2007-11-14T13:37:00.000+10:00

Add these to the list.

1/ ASIO acting illegally. From The Age: In a damning judgement, Justice Michael Adams said the two ASIO officers "committed the criminal offences of false imprisonment and kidnapping at common law". Read more.

2/ Tony Tran, detained illegally for 5 years. From The Age: IN AN embarrassing bungle by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, a former refugee who lived in Australia for many years has been wrongfully locked up in immigration detention for more than five years, while immigration officials attempted to deport his five-year-old son. Read more.

3/ Censorship of stickers and a charity flag featuring the Eureka symbolism. From The Age: The building industry watchdog has been accused of acting as John Howard's political policeman by ordering removal from building sites of stickers and posters critical of the Prime Minister.

The Australian Building and Construction Commission has also ordered that a flag advertising a trust fund for brain tumour victims be taken down from sites because it is based on the Eureka flag, which it considers a construction union symbol. Read more.

ENOUGH!

Let us have our democracy back. Vote out the Twerp from Sydney on November 24th.

The Gippsland Times and Family First

2007-11-14T06:10:00.000+10:00

The Letters to the Editor section of The Gippsland Times, Tuesday 13th November, has a contribution from the Gippsland candidate of the Family First party.

Like a lot of the Family First election material, it is an anti-Green diatribe in a bid to establish which of the two parties should have the balance of power.

The correspondent makes the same wild anti-Green claims that they have been spouting in all sections of the media, even quoting the Greens policy numbers to demonstrate their "radical" policies. However, the editor of The Gippsland Times, much to his/her credit, has inserted in bold the Greens actual policies from their website.

This clearly shows the Family First letter to be at best misleading and at worst deceitful and disingenuous. Are these the sort of things that Family First stand for? Are these the sort of family values they talk about?

Make no mistake, the real radicals are Family First. Right wing radicals with an ultra-conservative Christian base. We are not and do not want to become like the US with this sort of party holding any sort of balance of power.

Put Family First last on November 24th.

Well done editor of The Gippsland Times.

Coalition Policies Hurt the Most Vulnerable

2007-11-13T11:29:00.000+10:00

Yes, I know, most of their policies do but this one had escaped my attention.

The mentally ill. How vulnerable are they? What should we do to "help" them asks The Smirker and the Twerp from Sydney. I know, we'll make their life an even greater misery.

The Mental Health Council of Australia on Monday released a report that found only 29 per cent of Australians with a mental illness are employed - "one of the worst records among developed countries".

"Welfare-to-work arrangements ... have placed additional pressures on people with mental illness seeking work," the report finds. The changes [introduced] mean people are placed on the lower Newstart allowance and subjected to its stricter conditions if they are found capable of working 15 hours a week, compared to the old 30 hour cut-off.

"People with a mental illness can find themselves in constant danger of breaking job search requirements and facing financial penalties," the report says.

Read the rest in The Age report. I find it too upsetting to go on. This mob do not know the meaning of simple decency. Vote them out on November 24th.

Family First - So Right (Wing) and So Wrong

2007-11-13T11:19:00.000+10:00

Family First have decided to put Pauline Hanson's United Australia Party ahead of Labor, the Democrats and the Greens on its Queensland Senate card.

If that's not an indication of how far to the right they are then what more evidence do you need?

Apparently: "Family First preference decisions were based on keeping the Greens and the Democrats out of Parliament".

Why, you ask?

According to Senator Fielding: "I think most people know that the Greens are extreme. If they really knew that the Greens would have the balance of power, they'd be really concerned about it".

Most people? Indeed?

And what is Family First's key election policy? A 10-cent cut in petrol taxes. Sounds good but hopelessly naive.

No, the real extremists are Family First and their new friend, Pauline Hanson. Put both last in your preferences I say.

Coalition Out To Get Julia Gillard

2007-11-11T20:04:00.000+10:00

Why?

Because she's a woman?
Because she's powerful?
Because they feel threatened by a powerful woman on "their turf"?

Ultimately because they are a bunch of losers out of touch with modern society.

Vote out the lot of them.

Hmmmm. This sounds vaguely familiar.

Senior Cops Out To Get Christine Nixon

2007-11-11T19:59:00.000+10:00

Why?

Because she's a woman?
Because she's powerful?
Because they feel threatened working for a powerful woman?

Ultimately because they are a bunch of losers out of touch with modern society.

Sack the lot of them.

University Rankings and Julie Bishop

2007-11-09T06:48:00.000+10:00

Julie Bishop, federal Minister for Education in the Canberra Asylum, has said "rankings played a central part in shaping domestic and international perceptions of university quality and she urged Australian institutions to aim for higher rankings".

Well Julie, having a decent research base is one of the major qualities of a world class university which (surprise, surprise) requires a decent level of funding. This attracts quality staff and the support necessary for the programs they develop.

What has your government done in the last 11 years?

Cuts! Cuts! Cuts!

Yet another example of a short-sighted, clueless federal Minister. Vote these idiots out on November 24th I say.

Joe Hockey A Buffoon

2007-11-07T10:51:00.000+10:00

It would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.

This guy is (allegedly) in charge of "WorkChoices" aka NoChoices.

See The Age for more details.

Is this the best talent the coalition have to offer?

Roll on November 24th. Get rid of "WorkChoices" forever.

Nationals Demonstrate Their Irrelevance Online

2007-11-06T14:18:00.000+10:00

I heard it on the radio.

Mark Vaile, deputy PM and the Twerp from Sydney's lapdog, spruiking an online home-loan interest calculator.

Apparently this really innovative calculator lets you compare your average interest repayments under Howard compared with the previous Labor government's average.

Relevance? I hear you ask.

Absolutely no relevance to anything real I reply - except in the fevered imaginations of arch-conservatives.

Any school kid could figure this out. Let's hope the mortgage belt does. I am sure they will.

For too long the Nats and their coalition partners have assumed that we in the sticks are all morons.

Stick it to them on November 24th I say.

Democracy In Australia Still An Issue

2007-11-05T06:52:00.000+10:00

Yes, really! We take this for granted but as I and others were saying back in August, the current government have been whittling it away bit by bit. See these links and the links to other articles within them.

Democracy In Australia Suffers Yet Again

Draconian Laws Plus Secrecy Equals Disaster

Security and terror have become the latest excuses of course BUT it appears not to be an election issue.

So, congratulations to The Age on their editorial.

We must ever be vigilant. Vote out the Twerp from Sydney and his team of ultra-conservatives.

Real Wages Fall Under Howard

2007-11-03T06:44:00.000+10:00

So says The Age.

Should anyone be surprised?

NO!

"Tradespeople are missing out on $1.82 in inflation-adjusted terms per week, and the higher paid award workers such as engineers, scientists and salaried doctors are up to $15.67 worse off".

Vote out the Twerp from Sydney before we all die in poverty when the resources boom goes bust.

So much for the "Fair Play Commission". More like a "Bullshit Commission" designed to give the Twerp from Sydney and The Smirker exactly what they want. To keep the peasants in their place and let the rich get richer.

This is somewhat ironic on the 100th anniversary of the Harvester Judgment, Australia's first minimum wage case. Interesting to note that this was based on the evidence of housewives and the working poor and yet current conservatives still consider it an act of economic vandalism.

This to my mind illustrates what complete bastards they really are.

Peter McGauran - Dull and Uninteresting

2007-11-02T19:38:00.000+10:00

Peter McGauran's latest glossy has arrived by mail.

To summarize: Dull and Uninteresting.

Am I surprised? Not really because Peter McGauran is actually dull and uninteresting.

As for the Nats, as politicians they make good lapdogs.

Will he hold the electorate of Gippsland? Probably. The people are "generational voters". That is to say, their attitude is: "we've voted Nationals for years as did our father's and grandfather's and we're not going to change now".

As the saying goes, the people get the government (and representatives) they deserve.

Pity.

Student Union Fees and Sheer Ideological Bloodymindedness

2007-11-02T08:15:00.000+10:00

I have commented many times on the sheer stupidity of the Twerp from Sydney and his government's irrational hatred of any organisation with a name containing the word "union".

Student unions were not and never have been trade unions. The compulsory fees were service fees for sporting, child care and various clubs and societies. Some of these clubs and societies had political connections such as the Liberal and Labor clubs.

SO WHAT!

Since these were sometimes a thorn in the side of politicians and, in yet another attack by Howard and his minions on free speech and democracy in Australia, they decided to do away with student unions altogether. What is the result? Much as predicted by most people who were not ideologues of the coalition variety.

According to The Age:

"MORE than 1000 jobs have been slashed at universities, hundreds of student services have shut down and sporting club membership has dropped by almost 20 per cent following the Federal Government's ban on compulsory union fees.

A report on the impact of voluntary student unionism also accuses the Government of using the $40 million a year transition fund — to help universities cope with the loss of fees — as a pork barrel in Coalition electorates".

SURPRISE, SURPRISE.

On November 24th, vote out the Twerp from Sydney and his fellow short-sighted creeps before they do even more damage to tertiary institutions which have been starved of funds since they took office.

Tony Abbott - Polls Wrong & Worm Wrong ?

2007-10-23T12:14:00.000+10:00

Oh dear. Who's in need of a reality check?

Tony Abbott, Minister for Health in the Canberra Asylum, amongst others no doubt, cannot seem to come to terms with the fact that the public in general don't like the Twerp from Sydney and his government.

They point to their so-called responsible fiscal management (a good run with the world economy, a booming mining sector and yet health and education are starved for funds), their strong stand on terror (locking up genuine refugees for years and deporting others, not to mention involving Australia in an illegal and immoral war), their workplace "reforms" (shafting the Australian workers like no-one else ever has) and their deliberate erosion of freedom of speech and other aspects of democracy.

"Why don't they like us", they cry? "Surely they wouldn't really throw us out", they lament?

YES THEY WOULD ! Why?

Well Tony et al, to put it as politely as I can, Australians don't like immoral, lying, cheating arseholes.