Felicitations Friday!

Fiona Uncategorized

Memrise

This is definitely a knees-up Friday.

Another grandchild for BK

Party City

Another brilliant post from Bushfire Bill (and equally brilliant renaming thereof)

Amazon

Another unbelievable week from this agile, innovative, exciting regime that seems to be losing its wheels at a smart clip

Car Crash

More than high time for a good carouse (and I will finish marking the assignments tomorrow).

220 thoughts on “Felicitations Friday!”

  7. So, a moderator sets up a thread and then can’t comment!

    Still don’t know why we had an otherwise imposed cone of silence – it was frustrating even for nerd OH.

    As for moi . . .

    Truly exhausted after all this detective work (mostly done by OH, but that doesn’t matter).

    And to all a good night. See youse termorrow.

  9. Comrade Angrybee (@ComradeAngrybee)

    not usually a fan of Jack Waterford, but this is worth reading. A tribute to the late Tony Ayers, and a (justifiable) shot at the current APS leadership.

    Ayers was a prick. Totally full of himself.

    • Ctar
      Thought you might have a comment! He does sound like he was full of himself, but in 30 yrs in APS, so have most ses 3 and above that I’ve met! In fact, there are only 3 ses in 30yrs that were not pricks, and they were ses 1, 2. Comments about trends in APS culture re FOI & decision making were spot on tho’.

  10. l2

    Sophie Mirabella is heading for Canberra – with a convoy of truckies.

    Will they end up at the Tuggers shops?

  11. Will they end up at the Tuggers shops?

    “Blocked at the border” like the Convoy of No Competence.

  13. Drones delivering? It’ll never work. They’re too dangerous.

    I can see them maybe crossing a river to deliver emergency supplies, but not routine stuff.

    Those blades look like harmless, soft plastic, but put your hand in the way of one and it can take your hand off, or a finger.

    Landing one “sight unseen” (i.e. when the drone is out of sight and you’re using video feedback only) is an expert job. Landing one by GPS is a practical impossibility. GPS even on a good day can have an error factor of 5-10 metres, which isn’t much if you’re driving in the Outback, or looking for a street number. But it’s a lot if you’re trying to land a drone onto someone’s deck or patio. 5 metres can mean the difference between hitting a tree or a house – or a kid – or setting down peacefully. The accident rate would be too high. 1 in 10,000 would be too much. So, dropping the latest iPhone off to someone’s apartment balcony in the inner city is O.U.T… out.

    There are a lot of uses for drones – search and rescue, aerial mapping, land use monitoring, having a peek over a 16 foot fence to see what’s on the other side (when the “authorities” don’t want you to know… one of my favourites), aerial photography, shooting documentaries (it’s amazing how many shots in David Attenborough’s latest stuff are taken from drones), or just having fun – but delivering mail or parcels with one where the landing area is uncontrolled and out of sight, with the potential for inaccurate landings and slicing kids hands off is not one of them.

    Unless they are under the comprehensive control of an experienced operator at all times, it’s best just to enjoy the view.

  14. Good morning Dawn Patrollers. this will keep you busy for a while!

    Lenore Taylor tells us that pesky facts are raining on Morrison’s parade.
    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/15/pesky-facts-are-spoiling-scott-morrisons-economic-story
    All of this without negative gearing changes!
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/mcgrath-real-estate-company-in-sharemarket-trading-halt-20160415-go7iqi.html
    How the 60 Minutes escapade turned to poop.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/60-minutes-case-three-obstacles-to-getting-the-australians-out-20160415-go725d.html
    Jaqui Maley uses the 60 Minute case to highlight the hypocrisies in the child welfare space.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-60-minutes-kidnap-case-highlights-hypocrisy-over-child-welfare-20160414-go6fhj.html
    Has there ever been a more exciting time to be a mortgagee? Nice work from the Coalition.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/losing-australias-aaa-rating-could-push-up-home-loans-20160415-go7fuk.html
    Jess Irvine – the Chinese boom is over for us.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/china-theyre-just-not-that-into-us-any-more-20160415-go770m.html
    How Target polished its profits. Disgraceful conduct and a demonstration of terrible governance.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/target-leant-on-local-operators-as-well-as-overseas-suppliers-20160414-go6y7b.html
    I wish the increasingly irrelevant churches would just get out of our lives!
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/church-told-gay-ceos-at-qantas-sbs-to-stop-supporting-marriage-equality-20160414-go6xxj.html
    And here the Catholic church defends the indefensible.
    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/15/catholic-church-defends-priest-who-likened-paedophile-priests-to-adulterers
    Michael Gordon looks back on our record of deaths in custody since the Royal Commission.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/deaths-in-custody-confronting-the-truth-20160415-go7bek.html

  15. Section 2 . . .

    It’s all over for Clive – and it was inevitable.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/clive-palmers-mp-days-are-numbered-20160414-go6zl6.html
    And now the ATO moves in on Palmer and his family. Google.
    /news/investigations/clive-palmer/clive-palmer-faces-tax-bill-blowout-over-queensland-nickel-loans/news-story/9c31801251af896875c71dbbc05172ec
    Michael West compares Palmer’s corporate manoeuvres to those of international companies.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/clive-palmers-antics-are-the-very-same-ones-multinationals-use-20160413-go5xho.html
    A very good contribution from Paul Bongiorno.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2016/04/16/turnbull-picks-move-truck-drivers-not-banks/14607288003125
    Phil Coorey writes that Turnbull has been forced to fight on Shorten’s turf.
    http://www.afr.com/business/banking-and-finance/malcolm-turnbull-forced-to-fight-on-labors-banking-agenda-20160415-go75uq
    Laura Tingle says that Turnbull’s government is in all sorts of “”shtook” and is most unprepared for an election. Google.
    /opinion/columnists/laura-tingle/is-the-turnbull-government-the-most-unprepared-for-an-election-campaign-ever-20160414-go69pk
    Peter Hartcher says that Turnbull will use China and a “transitioning” Australian economy as the basis for his election campaign.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/malcolm-turnbulls-election-pitch-stamped-made-in-china-20160415-go7jt3.html
    Paula Matthewson has other ideas on what will be the election battleground.
    http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2016/04/15/will-real-election-battleground/
    Another climate record gets smashed.
    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/15/march-temperature-smashes-100-year-global-record
    Bill McKibben wants our body politic to get real on climate change.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2016/04/16/the-links-between-big-polluters-and-politicians/14607288003136
    The Work for the Dole scheme seems to have been quite a failure.
    https://newmatilda.com/2016/04/15/coalitions-6-6-billion-jobs-program-sees-spike-in-complaints/

  16. Section 3 . . .

    This journo is sick and tired of the hectoring and wrong facts from banshee Cash.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/stop-the-hectoring-tirades-senator-cash-and-fix-the-jobless-problem,8883
    The High Court challenge on the Senate voting changes might not succeed but it will certainly add to making Budget day one to remember.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/high-court-challenge-to-senate-voting-reforms-to-be-heard-on-budget-day-20160415-go72zh.html
    Jack Waterford farewells a great public servant.
    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/tony-ayers-gave-frank-fearless-advice-to-ministers–and-in-fourletter-words-20160412-go4naf.html
    The Border Farce uniforms are all made in anywhere but Australia.
    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/australian-border-forces-militarystyle-uniforms-made-overseas-20160413-go5yo4.html
    The ACCC sounds a warning to the free range egg shysters.
    http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2016/04/15/bad-eggs-free-range-shysters-exposed/
    Karen Middleton writes on the search for new rules on foreign investment in Australia.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/economy/2016/04/16/new-rules-foreign-investors/14607288003137
    Will there be more money for science in the budget given Turnbull’s orations?
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/federal-budget/federal-budget-scientists-push-for-more-research-funding-20160411-go3uaa.html
    Brazil is unravelling.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/how-brazil-the-darling-of-the-developing-world-came-undone-20160415-go7snk.html
    Oh dear! Kelly O’Bigmouth nails her colours to the banks. Not a good look in the current political climate.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/fundraiser-for-assistant-treasurer-kelly-odwyer-to-be-sponsored-by-nab-amid-banking-firestorm-20160415-go7c4y.html
    Adele Ferguson sees the relationship between ethics and profitability in the finance sector.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/ethics-forgotten-amid-culture-of-greed-and-code-of-silence-20160414-go6uli.html

  17. Section 4 . . . with Cartoon Corner

    The NSW Bar Association goes after the Deputy Premier and his “draconian” law and order policies.
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/why-police-minister-troy-grant-needs-to-stop-being-a-law-unto-himself-20160413-go5x18.html
    Ron Tandberg takes us to a Liberal fundraising breakfast.

    Alan Moir sums things up nicely.

    Cathy Wilcox with another Titanic parody.

    Andrew Dyson sees some trouble ahead for Turnbull and his association with the big end of town.
    http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/andrew-dyson-20090819-epqv.html?selectedImage=1
    John Spooner knows how to put the knife in!

    Matt Golding has a point here. Turnbull sounded even less sincere than usual when he announced the deal for an AFL game in China.

    Pat Campbell with a beauty for Bronny and her electoral D-Day.

    David Rowe has Morrison on the bones of his bum.

  23. Good morning everyone!..and a beautiful morning it is too thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ in all his benevolent bleedin’ mercy…..bless his cotton socks!

  29. A complaint from the construction union to the commonwealth ombudsman paints an extraordinary picture of heavy-handed tactics by special police taskforces, including a police officer allegedly warning one unionist he knew his children’s names and what time he dropped them off to school.

    The letter, sent by the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) on Tuesday, complains that police repeatedly attempted to question witnesses without their lawyers present and, in one case, demanded a junior employee grant access to union headquarters during a raid without first showing her a warrant.

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/16/police-intimidation-claimed-in-building-unions-complaint-to-ombudsman

  30. A group of traditional owners have not fully disclosed payments to meet Adani and resurrect talks over a pivotal land agreement for Australia’s largest proposed coalmine.

    Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) representatives who swung the balance in favour of a reviving a deal with the mining giant pocketed “sitting fees” that their native title lawyers said should be held in trust for the entire group.

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/16/revealed-traditional-owners-accepted-payments-to-attend-adani-meetings

    • “…representatives who swung the balance in favour of a reviving a deal with the mining giant pocketed “sitting fees” that their native title lawyers said should be held in trust for the entire group.”

      I wonder if they are “sympathisers” of the “Pearson Indigenous Entrepreneurial Collective” ?

  31. Paula Matthewson, former media adviser to John Howard, thinks the election campaign will be all about financial management, because we all believe the Liberals are better at it. Really? Bias showing just a teensy bit?

    The last thing this farce of a government will want to talk about in an election campaign is financial management.

    The budget will be handed down in two weeks. I like this description of what might happen.

    So given the Treasurer’s repeated and repeated assertions that our problem is one entirely of overspending he must be planning one of two things. He is going to hit us with the biggest economic sledge-hammer of all time, or he will walk into a Hillsong Sunday service and ask for a miracle

    http://theaimn.com/day-day-politics-tax-tax/

    Miracle granted or not, Scrott’s presentation of his budget will sound like he is speaking in tongues, all breathless, hyperventilating gabble.

  36. Another act of bastardry by Dutton and his minions.

    Fears for Nauru refugee’s safety after couple jailed for abortion in PNG

    A PNG couple were last year jailed for five years for causing the death of their unborn child, in a case that raises serious questions about Australia’s decision to send a Nauru rape victim there for an abortion.
    On Friday, Fairfax revealed the case of “S99”, a young African refugee who was raped while she was in the midst of a violent epileptic seizure on Nauru.
    Now, she is nine weeks pregnant and desperate to have an abortion.
    The woman, whom Australia transferred from Christmas Island to Nauru two years ago, was granted refugee status by the island nation some 18 months ago.
    But abortion is illegal on Nauru and the woman has sought a termination in Australia, arguing it has a responsibility to provide her with the medical care she needs.
    Despite denying that Australia has any duty of care towards her, Australian authorities flew her to PNG to undergo a termination last week

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/fears-for-nauru-refugees-safety-after-couple-jailed-for-abortion-in-png-20160415-go75la.html#ixzz45wqXPH7p

  38. Sprout, of course, denies there’s a problem

    A so-called ‘fast-track’ process for thousands of asylum seekers who arrived by boat under the previous Labor government is mired in red tape and set to result in lengthy delays as court challenges begin to mount.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-16/fast-track-process-asylum-seekers-lengthy-delays-court-challenge/7331296

    However, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the fast-track process was progressing satisfactorily.

    and, anyway, it’s all abor’s fault!

    “After its disastrous time in Government and its failure to secure Australia’s borders … Labor in Opposition then delayed the Coalition’s legislation to deal with the 30,000 irregular maritime arrivals who had not been processed under Labor,” the spokesman said.

  39. This isn’t Labor’s fault – it’s a spin-off of Abbott’s union-bashing RC.

    We really are living in a police state now, with the AFP able to access personal information and compile profiles simply because someone belongs to a union, or, by extension, to some other organisation this government does not like.

    Police intimidation claimed in building union’s complaint to ombudsman
    Exclusive: Officers alleged to have threatened unionists, interrogated witnesses without lawyers and fed media false information

    Special taskforces investigating unions were set up in the AFP, and Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria police to support the trade union royal commission. After the royal commission concluded in December 2015, these taskforces continued to operate

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/16/police-intimidation-claimed-in-building-unions-complaint-to-ombudsman?CMP=share_btn_tw

  40. Irish Hedge Schools :
    A study of hedge schools by Yolanda Fernández-Suárez of the University of Burgos[2] found that hedge schools existed into the 1890s, and suggested that the schools existed as much from rural poverty and a lack of resources as from religious oppression.

    Marianne Eliott also mentions that they were used by the poor and not just by the Catholics.[citation needed]

    After 1900, historians such as Daniel Corkery tended to emphasize the hedge schools’ classical studies (in Latin and Greek), but while these studies were sometimes taught (based on a local demand), they were not taught in every school.

    Fernández-Suárez quotes a Board of Education inspector visiting a school in 1835:
    “ Amazed at the skill of the twelve-year-old boys in reading the new books, and considering the possibility that they were reciting from memory, I invited one of their number to read me a passage from the gospel of Saint Matthew. Evidently the child misunderstood me. He searched in his satchel until he found his tattered book, stood up, and proceeded to read me the account of Christ’s passion—in Greek (Local Ireland & Others 1999).[3] ”

  41. Bob Baldwin – a rat deserting a sinking ship?

    The redistribution meant he is likely to lose his seat if there is a swing to Labor. Better to quit, rather than be thrown out by the voters.

  43. So, with Reachtel coming in at 50-50 yesterday, the only polling the Turnbull government has to hang its hopes on is a 53-47 from Ipsos which was conducted way back on March 13, and a weirdarse Morgan from April 4 which showed an inexplicable swing back to the Coalition and had them 52.5-47.5.

    The Ipsos is clearly out of date. The rest paint a picture of parity with maybe a slight lean to the ALP.

    And the Turnbull government are still behaving as if they have a bit of political capital to play with. If they continue to spend that capital – lecturing us on belt-tightening, blaming Labor, continuing to slash services, crapping on about them paying off the deficit against all available evidence – those figures will swing further toward the ALP.

    • Oh yeah, it’s going to sound so much better coming out of Morrison’s mouth. His manic gabbling is so much more reassuring than Hockey’s bovine bellowing.

  44. Bought a coupla mouse traps the other day cause we had ‘visitors’ in the bakehouse…and yeah..I caught a mouse in one of them last night…had to take it outside and chuck it just then…Y’know..it’s not a heartwarming moment seeing those two little eyes googling at one…I don’t LIKE killing rodents..after all..I think I have mentioned that i am almost a Buddhist y’know?…and there were those two little eyes bulging I suppose from having the trap slap it on the back of the neck…I suppose my eyes would weep a tad if that happened to me..I don’t like it when the trap goes off while setting it!
    I guess I could do what my brother-in-law used to do when HE caught a mouse in a trap..: Ring up his sister to come around and throw the whole shebang ; w / mouse still in the trap into the bin….say!..I bet he’s almost a Buddhist too.

  45. I really don’t care who the Libs preselect but seeing Broomhilda immolating would be a bit of a treat.

  46. Went shopping yesterdee in the city before the market…I sat outside in the Mall with the shopping bags while the OH went into the bookshop..you know how tetchy they get about inspecting your bags?..you cross the shop threshold with some bags and you can feel the electronic eye zoom in on you…I suppose it wont be long in the future before that same scenario will have a laser spot targeting somewhere your heart!

    So I sat outside to watch the passing parade…eee..y’know..an’ I don’t want you to think I am being selective or thinking I’m above myself a tad here, no way..but y’know…between the tatt’s and the plaits, between the obese and the obtuse…..really…it’s not a pretty sight…not-a-pretty-sight.

    I do notice that it seems the more..more…how can I say this…: “out of condition”…some people get, the more outrageous their getup!..the shocking hair colours..and those tights!…ahh!..it burns , it burns!…and I have to wonder if the modern tattooist now charges by the square metre?…they call them ; “sleeves” ….more like trench-coats on some folk!…I swear to god and I don’t want to put the mozz on meself, but there has to be times when one could envy the blind!

    But by the looks of it, there must be about 97% of the general malaise..sorry ; public, that go about their daily lives, catching a glimpse of their passing reflection in a window or mirror and thinking : “Y’know…..I’m alright ” …’I’m ok!”…”hmm I look goood!”…about 97% by my observation and reckoning.

    Brother……..it ain’t gonna end well…

  47. Angrybee101
    April 16, 2016 at 8:26 AM

    [Ctar
    Thought you might have a comment! He does sound like he was full of himself, but in 30 yrs in APS, so have most ses 3 and above that I’ve met! In fact, there are only 3 ses in 30yrs that were not pricks, and they were ses 1, 2.]

    The 1’s are definitely wanta be’s.

    I did your 30 years of PS, in ours and the UK Civil Service.

    Strangely the Poms liked me better, I was a SGS2.

    I even had morning tea (and bickies) with MT.

  50. Some should tell Julie Bishop that the blood-red nail polish she always uses is very ageing to the hands of an older woman. She should ditch it and go for a softer colour.

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