Pundit or Pugilist?

Go all the PayPal Mo Bro's

2008-11-16T16:57:00.000-08:00

We'll be back after this short break...

2008-02-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

OK, not short break and so much has happened since July.

Of course The Rat has been summarily dismissed and I couldn't be a happier little chicken about that! I threw an election party and got very drunk.

The other great thing that's happening right now is that san Howard the media have stumbled upon another little mouse to bat around on the front page..Iemma. We've already covered some of his antics off in the early days of this blog, so I need not go into too much background here.

Suffice to say, 'Iemma my little mousey mouse - we're watching you' Meeiowwww

Julius Caesar Act 3, Scene 1

2007-07-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

Peter Costello’s derogatory comments about Howard in John Winston Howard: The Biography by Peter van Onselen and Wayne Errington, released this week, have sealed his fate and played right into the hands of our dastardly villain.

What sweeter revenge for Howard than to throw his hands in the air in mock "Et tu, Brute?" defeat and pass the reigns over to Costello just months before the election. With the polls looking putrid for the Libs, Costello is sure to fall in a heap. End of career.

Howard will have the last laugh. He always does.

The War on Blacks

2007-06-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

The release of Anderson & Wild’s report ‘Little Children are Sacred’ has this week sparked the appropriate level of horror in the press and government, and led the PM to make announcements and proclamations about enforcing radical changes in the NT to stamp out child, drug and alcohol abuse, and violence in indigenous communities.

The big question is how the PM could possibly have failed to know all of this before now?

The Fred Hollows Foundation, Jeff McMullen and Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth are just a few of the hordes that have screamed themselves hoarse on this issue for decades.

Howard said this week: ''We regard this as akin to a national emergency.''

Akin? AKIN???

He obviously still doesn’t get it.

This leads me to believe that the whole thing is a stunt to deflect headlines away from his failing leadership and to seem Prime Ministerial in an effort to get re-elected.

The dirty Rat.

An entry from my great mate Liz:

2007-06-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Had to share this.
Do you know what, I was listening to the radio this morning, on the way to work - it was a talk back show from Park Ranger in Darwin, going on about the recent change in weather conditions up there - and the effect of the digestive systems in the crocodiles up there - that are "getting too cold."

Let me explain (as he did): “…because of the recent wet weather, in Darwin - and this temperature drop that has shot over Australia, Darwin has experienced (what, for the first time since 1968) really wet and freezing conditions, like rain, wind and (shock horror) suffering a drop to 20 degrees the other day.”

In Darwin we have real problems, it seems.

Continues the Ranger, "You know, some people up here don’t even own a Jumper or a jacket" (oh well! Hell, HAS broken loose – hasn’t it!!! - what we might have to purchase a LONG, SLEEVE - SHIRT!)

But that’s not all, he said, "And the crocodiles up here,” he said, (with the true lull of the grave and slow talking oca's up north) "that they rely on the warm weather for their digestive systems - the crocs up here go and lay out in the sun for hours and hours and this warms them up in the middle, is a crucial part of their digestive aid and if it stays too cold, the crocodiles are going to start to have some problems"

WHO HAS THE PROBLEMS??

I was listening to this story in the cab this morning, doing my make up, late for work. I looked up and sad to the cab driver "what the f*ck?" who cares if the crocodiles get cold, and die!!

Cabbie says "Yes. Yes, lets see, why don't they throw some electric blankets over the them?'

I go, "Mate - I know" - conducting with blush brush,

"Mate, You can BET..and i mean BET your LAST brass RAZOO that if you camp down there, you know, in your new sloppy joe, bought in desperation, and watch over these 'poor freezing little crocodiles' that you will find, there to be NO SIGNS of any 'digestive issues...'

- oh, funny that, suddenly..... NO SIGN OF YOU!!!

It reminded me of Wolfman. WHY does mankind feel it’s his JOB to get involved with the flaming ECOSYSTEM. It's none of our business like, the digestive situation of a the crocodiles of Australia. For God's sake.

It's the Christian thing to do...

2007-05-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

I would not be at all surprised if John Howard stepped down before the election – he is not above giving his number 2, and greatest supporter for many years, a giant hospital pass.

The Viper

2007-05-29T00:22:00.000-07:00

From Crikey today:
27. PBL majority shareholders dudded?

Michael Pascoe writes:

“…Which brings to mind another talent -- Alexander’s ability not to be at the scene of the accident. Having wrecked the old 9, he stepped back and David Gyngell/Sam Chisholm/Eddie McGuire became the fall guys as the results became apparent. Alexander was no longer ACP’s CEO just before the magazine cost-cutting topped out.

And now it’s Ian Law who’s left with responsibility for the old media empire, but Alexander retains an ability to meddle. Quite a talent, indeed.”

Too right Michael, too right.

I worked for that bastard when he was heading up ACP. My skin crawls as I recall the Snakepit that was Park St 7 or 8 years ago, and likely will be while ever the Viper stalks those halls.

I used to work in advertising, but seriously...

2007-05-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

man, some adverts make me mad. Some are annoying, like the stupid ball of red string being rolled around Melbourne, with the score that sounds like Enya on helium. Ugh!

Like I said pointless and annoying. But ultimately benign.

What really gets my goat are the thoroughly misleading semi-authoritative ones. Like Brand power.

Even worse are the ones that just plain come out and lie. And they know they’re lying but because not even the sensors or whatever know what they’re talking about, nobody catches them.

I’m specifically talking about the new Listerine ad. First they put on 30 seconds of the usual ‘bomb going off in the mouth’ advert.

OK.

No problem.

But then they cleverly follow it up with a sneaky ‘public service announcement-type’ advert.

In this advert the very brainy and attractive lady tells us that if we use Listerine, we won’t get mouth diseases and that this is especially good because diseases of the mouth have been linked to much nastier diseases of the body.

What bunkum! Hogwash! Trollop! Tripe!

The reality is that some nasty bodily diseases manifest with symptoms in the mouth. Like pellagra and scurvy, which are both diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies of B vitamins and vitamin C (respectively).

When you don’t consume enough C you get scurvy, an early symptom of which is gingivitis – infections of the mouth and gums. When you are short on niacin a B vitamin, you get ulcers in your mouth – a symptom of pellagra.

Now, if you have either of these symptoms, your best bet is to get some fresh fish, fruit, milk and veggies into you and very rapidly you’ll see these symptoms disappear.

Listerine will not do one thing about curing these symptoms, because they’re not caused by unusually bad bacteria in the mouth, but by your body’s inability to fight normal bacteria.

What bugs me is this whole treat-the-symptoms-so-you-can-continue-to-ingest-whatever-extruded-plastic-you-can-pick-up-at-a-drive-thru-window-for-$6.95-and-then-down-a-bucketload-of-hideously-expensive-flavoured-metho-to-keep-your-breath-smelling-sweet-while-you-simultaneously-bloat-up-like-a-whale-and-die-of-malnutrition.

(Thanks for the tip BigPharma…)

This message was brought to you by YUM!

Reasons I hate Morris Iemma

2007-02-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

5. He's a smarmy faced git
4. He was Bob's bum boy who seems to have been promoted to Premier as a reward for his complete incompetence in his health portfolio.
3. He heads up the most corrupt State govt in the country - witness roads policy changed to favour private developers at the direct expense and inconvenience of taxpayers. Oh, and then re-charging those taxpayers for the roads they already paid for with their taxes, in the form of tolls.
2. He has a face like a baboon's bum
1. As Minister for Health he presided over the health system's murder of my father through a combination of incompetence, ennui and neglect.

Winning the "War on Water"

2007-02-05T20:36:00.000-08:00

Iemma has gifted the federal government with NSW water resources. What a turkey.

As any historian will tell you, voters do not like to change government during war-time.

Reagan knew it, Bush knows it and Menzies knew it. And most of all Howard, as Menzies' protege and reknowned history-phile, is dead certain of it.

Why else the sudden change of heart on climate change culminating in this new war of wars - Water! - in an election year. (Methinks the election is the war he's really intent on winning.)

And while we're winning, isn't it nice that Ricky Ponting scooped the pool at the Allan Border Medal night last night? Congratulations Ricky and the entire cricket team, both Test and ODIs. We Aussies sure love our sport - and winning. Especially the winning bit.

I can't help but think that if we were winning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our evening news would have evolved thus:
News
War
Sport
War
Weather
War

But we're not, we're losing, so the stories are buried.

Aussie Aussie Aussie. Oi Oi Oi

Cradle to grave

2007-02-05T02:22:00.000-08:00

I was going to start this blog weeks ago and just haven't. Don't know why, I just haven't.

One thing I would like to get off my chest is Australia Day. No not the taking of Aussie flags to the Big Day Out crap. I'll leave that sweet taste of righteous indication to the 20 year olds.

I'm talking about those revolting green and gold hats the Telegraph was giving out to be worn by children on Australia Day. Obviously, green and gold is highly unflattering to almost every complexion, and the inexplicable inclusion of pastel blue in the design did nothing to offset this travesty.

But no, that's not why this incident rates the very first rant on this blog.

My issue is with the faux-army camouflage print! Did anybody else notice that? For kiddies to wear!?! I was offended. Grossly so.

No bloody wonder we've got blokes running around wrapping themselves in flags and using it as an excuse to bash Lebs.

Congratulations Johnny and Rupert, you've just interned the next generation of 'warlords on terrorism'.

Pugilistic pundit

2007-01-05T01:34:00.001-08:00

Pundit: an expert or opinion-leader who analyzes events in their area of expertise in the popular media

Pugilist: a person who fights with the fists; a boxer, usually a professional

I can't choose - I guess I'm both.

I work in the media so I guess 'professionally' that makes me the former, but anyone who works in the media knows that everyday in this industry makes you more and more a professional fighter.