Feverish Friday

Fiona Uncategorized

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Yes, the annual footie Grand Finals weekend has rolled around again.

In Victoria we have enjoyed a public holiday, and no doubt every cafe, bistro, etc has gone broke because of those naughty penalty rights.

I heard a poor deluded person on radio this morning who is flying from Sydney to watch the Swans (oops!) win tomorrow, and then flies back to Sydney to watch the Sharks thrash the Storm.

To be honest, I’m not a follower of either code – though I have to be somewhat aware of what is happening in the AFL because of a couple of friends whom it’s best to avoid when their team(s) lose.

However, this year I have some sentimental skin in the game: I really really want the Doggies to win. Sixty-two years is far too long.

Fairfax

222 thoughts on “Feverish Friday”

    • Could someone who knows something about engineering possibly explain why all those ‘grazing’ towers are bent in the same spot? Is it anything to do with poor quality materials being used by the private company who built them? Is it a design flaw? Is it just bad luck?

      I’m just asking because the MSM are very carefully avoiding comment on this.

    • I would suspect that it has something to do with the direction and strength of the wind against the orientation of the tower’s bases together with the wires running between the swathes of towers that have crumpled.
      Either that, or those orange-bellied parrots are a lot stronger than expected (I do like that one – perhaps Ms Hanson et al might actually believe it? 😉 )

  5. I have zero interest in AFL but I’m mildly excited about the Sharks finally getting to a grand final. My dad would have been ecstatic, if he was still with us.

  6. Some of my close family are going to be very, very happy if the Sharks win. We were Shire residents, and even better, Cronulla residents when the club started. Who cares about ScoMo? He can’t claim any credit for a win by a club that is older than he is.

    • Yep.

      He’s grown a beard, travelled to a warzone, associated with Muslim fighters and has often expressed his support for an independent Kurdish state.

      He’s been radicalised!

      If Roy had a name like Akram or Nasim he’d have had his passport revoked by now and would be on his way to a prison somewhere nasty.

  8. I have zero interest in AFL but Go the Bulldogs. Having played for a club winning its first premiership in 36 years and in another winning its way back to first division for the first time in 45 years I know the utter utter joy that is felt by by the club faithful. A joy that is well and truly earnt by those club members and supporters who remained faithful . A joy far greater than anything the ‘always up there’ club’s members can ever hope for..
    http://www.sbs.com.au/comedy/sites/sbs.com.au.comedy/files/styles/full/public/bulldogvswan.jpg?itok=-ONhA7zb&mtime=1474865482

  13. 2029 – Wyatt Roy becomes prime minister

    FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has let slip that she thinks Wyatt Roy, the nation’s youngest MP, could be prime minister in 2029.

    While speaking at the United Nations to announce Australia’s bid for an open seat on the Security Council in 2029-30, Ms Bishop revealed she thought 25-year-old Roy could be a future leader.

    http://www.news.com.au/national/politics/julie-bishop-has-let-slip-that-parliaments-youngest-member-wyatt-roy-may-be-prime-minister-in-2029/news-story/8e88d0762c828148dd700f878e47df57

    • Of course Steve may have conned the lambs into believing they are cats ……..

      If they start sleeping on the clean washing, licking their bums and refusing to eat anything but the most expensive grass then we will know for sure.

  23. Before the State blacked out on Wednesday I had lovely leisurely lunch in Reilly’s restaurant/winery, Mintaro, Clare Valley. Region renowned for its whites but this evening I drank half a bottle of Grenache from there that was absolutely lovely! Even Noons in the Southern Vales do not make a better Grenache, and Noons only make reds!

    Mind you, the rest of last Wednesday was pretty bloody ordinary!

    Listening to Mr X et al crap on ignorantly about the causes of the blackout (we were right in the middle of the weather) was a distinct downer.

    • Don’t forget Mr X voted for the second reading speech which allowed the two Labor grubs cross the floor for the 99 year lease of ETSA

    • The privatisation of our power and our water has been a disaster! Lower Eyre Peninsula only just got power restored!

  24. One of the excellent comments attached to a Katharine Murphy puff piece on Turnbull yesterday

    Malcolm Turnbull is now so weakened and feckless as prime minister, his ministers are so dishonourable and mean spirited, and the government is so incompetent and incoherent, that all they have left is to descend to the level of Tony Abbott and the Abbott regime by playing low politics, by pretending rather than doing, and by misleading instead of leading. Turnbull has sold out to the reactionaries on the backbench to retain power, the policy agenda has fallen to the lows of neoliberal misanthropy, and the political rhetoric has taken on the over exaggerated tone of sheer confabulation and disinformation.

    As Turnbull’s popularity and political fortunes fall in the polls, Turnbull and his regime just get worse and worse. Turnbull is playing to the “conservative” base to keep his job on economic issues, climate change, and marriage equality.

    The government acted disgracefully in the wake of the catastrophic weather event in South Australia that was likely exacerbated by climate change. The coal trolls came crawling out from under the bridge to attempt to purvey disinformation about why the power grid went down in SA on Thursday. The network went down because cyclonic winds blew down 22 transmission towers and countless other smaller scale events occurred. There were thousands of lightning strikes. To protect other assets the grid shut itself down as it was programmed to do. It would have been no different had the whole state still been powered by coal. But Barnaby Joyce rushed in from the fact free, ideologically retrograde zone he inhabits to talk down renewable energy. Blowhard Joyce claimed that it was the fault of wind power. Josh Frydenberg said the states were going too fast into renewable energy, adding “Energy security is this government’s number one priority” managing to conflate national security scare mongering with climate change denial.

    Then disgracefully, Turnbull joined in.

    It is shockingly ironic that Turnbull, Joyce and Frydenberg were denigrating measures that will mitigate against climate change and reduce the probability of such events occurring in the future.

    Daniel Andrews called Malcolm Turnbull’s comments about the power outage in South Australia “ignorant rubbish” three times in the ABC interview with Fran Kelly on Friday morning. The PM had stooped to the level of Tony Abbott’s climate change denial and flagrant disregard for the facts when he too conflated “energy security” and the cause of the emergency which was obviously the weather. It is exactly the sort of thing Abbott would have done. Of course Turnbull couldn’t do it with the same quasi-religious fervour and intemperate aggression of Abbott, but perhaps the PM is still working on it.

    He is trying to keep the reactionaries on the backbench jolly enough that they won’t roll him, but in the process he is abandoning the values that made him attractive to the centre of Australian politics. And he is infuriating an awful lot of voters who are actually concerned about climate change and the need to rapidly move to renewables. This will likely reduce his numbers even further.

    Malcolm Turnbull linking the power outage to SA’s usage of renewable energy and trying to reach “completely unrealistic” renewable targets is proof positive that the PM has now devolved into the low politics of Tony Abbott as he became increasingly incompetent.

    Turnbull is even echoing the refrains of climate change denial.

    The Prime Minister’s narcissism has taken over, making his own political survival the super ordinate concern in his actions, and together with poor judgement, which dictates bad decision after bad decision, it looks like he is now entering a political death spiral a la Tony Abbott: when political pressure builds the threatened politician tries to reduce it, but only does something even more craven than before which makes his political position even more tenuous.

    By continuing to act as he is the PM is dooming his government.

    Someone should point out to him that the future of the country is even more important than that.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/sep/30/please-prime-minister-burst-the-bubbles-of-self-serving-rhetoric-for-our-sake

  25. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
    The Australian seems to have been working on blocking the Google trick. I’ll try to find a way around it in the next few days.

    A self-inflicted wound by the Minister has put the over-funding of rich privates schools right in the spotlight. Bring it on!
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/full-list-1-billion-flowing-to-wealthy-private-schools-officially-classed-as-overfunded-20160930-grs6nz.html
    Michael Gordon says it is a lack of leadership that has led to Australia’s malaise, not the people.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/a-lack-of-leadership-is-to-blame-for-australias-malaise–not-the-people-20160930-grrztl.html
    Paul McGeogh writes on Trump’s relationship with Black America.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-election/black-votes-matter-donald-trump-and-african-america-20160928-grqi90.html
    And the Trump desperation grows.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-election/donald-trump-uses-sex-tape-allegation-to-attack-miss-universe-alicia-machado-in-twitter-tirade-20160930-grsrw3.html
    Trump’s women problem is so bad that he’s breaking up relationships.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/donald-trumps-women-problem-is-so-bad-that-he-is-breaking-up-relationships-20160929-grrlzi.html
    The backlash against Trump is really gathering pace.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/30/alicia-machado-donald-trump-backlash-smear
    Laurie Oakes on the prospect of a Trump presidency. Google.
    /news/opinion/laurie-oakes/laurie-oakes-new-world-disorder-reigns-in-us-presidential-elections/news-story/00f23ffd0e6e83edc0346e7ce136935f
    Are the chickens coming home to roost for the “NBN”?
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/innovation/nbn-prices-facing-crunch-time-as-telcos-agitate-for-cheaper-speeds-20160927-grpq1k.html
    Kristina Keneally hits back at an insensitive ABC type.
    https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/30/keneally-incredibly-disappointed-by-abc-journalists-reply-to-stillbirth-release
    And here’s today’s anatomy lesson.
    https://theconversation.com/the-human-clitoris-is-an-object-of-beauty-pleasure-and-intrigue-66335
    Peter FitzSimons picks his Grand Final winners.
    http://www.smh.com.au/sport/the-fitz-files/afl-and-nrl-grand-finals-2016-time-for-the-kiss-of-death–look-out-cronulla-sharks-and-sydney-swans-20160930-grs6dt.html

  26. Section 2 . . .

    Auto industry workers are really concerned for their future as Ford closes its doors this month.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/ford-shutdown-auto-manufacturing-workers-fear-for-their-futures-20160929-grrxfy.html
    John Hewson has his say on renewables and the SA blackout. He identifies Queensland and NSW as the laggards.
    https://theconversation.com/sa-blackout-politics-overshadow-the-real-issues-on-power-generation-66333
    As does Karen Middleton.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2016/10/01/political-power-struggle-after-sas-statewide-blackout/14752440003805
    Mike Seccombe with bad news for our coal mining companies.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/economy/2016/10/01/chinas-coal-price-cartel/14752440003803
    Some aggrieved BBY clients will get some of their money back after the court rules. Google.
    /business/banking-and-finance/former-bby-clients-secure-court-win-20160930-grseoz
    This Duterte guy is in a class of his own!
    http://www.theage.com.au/world/rodrigo-dutertes-drug-war-systematic-widespread-beyond-the-bounds-say-us-senators-20160930-grs51b.html
    Peter Hartcher on Labor’s loss of George Wright.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/in-george-wright-labor-loses-a-leader-who-outlasted-many-20160930-grsmo5.html
    Elizabeth Farrelly welcomes us to “peak crazy” where truth is elusive.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-question-of-truth-has-never-been-more-urgent-20160929-grrkx6.html
    Fancy that! A third party charity organisation accused of ripping people off.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/afl-cricket-australia-greens-movember-caught-up-in-alleged-ad-fraud-20160929-grrz9t.html
    The politics of conservatives are hurting the renewable energy sector.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/political-spat-over-renewable-energy-threatens-investment-in-australia-industry-warns-20160930-grsj5l.html
    Gary Linnell says it’s about time religions lost their tax-free status.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/its-long-past-time-to-take-taxexempt-status-of-religion-20160929-grrn89.html

  27. Section 3 . . .

    Paul Bongiorno on the politics of the plebiscite.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2016/10/01/plebiscite-politics/14752440003794
    Climate change is driving unpredictable and dangerous weather.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/climate-change-is-driving-dangerous-and-unpredictable-weather-20160930-grsaf2.html
    Jenny Francis takes apart Howard’s latest comments in trade and border protection.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/this-debate-has-gone-on-for-too-long-and-done-us-no-good-20160930-grs5rk.html
    Dan Andrews’ burst at Turnbull over renewable energy was a good one.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/it-seems-tony-abbotts-back-premier-rounds-on-malcolm-turnbull-over-renewable-energy-20160929-grrw5y.html
    Today marks the end of Dennis Cometti’s sportscasting career. He was special.
    http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-grand-final-2016-dennis-cometti-will-call-his-last-game-this-weekend-20160930-grs9ce.html
    Minister for Women Michaelia Cash fails on her own turf when it comes to gender representation.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/minister-for-women-michaelia-cash-oversees-department-with-lowest-female-representation-on-government-boards-20160928-grqf4a.html
    James Massola wonders if Turnbull still has a mandate for the SSM plebiscite.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/does-malcolm-turnbull-still-have-a-mandate-for-a-samesex-marriage-plebiscite-20160928-grq31s.html
    The Deutsche Bank mess and how it all started. And it’s not over yet.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/explainer-the-deutsche-bank-mess-and-how-it-all-started-20160930-grs6qu.html
    How the pokies industry seeks influence in government.
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/machine-men-how-the-aha-and-clubsnsw-seek-political-influence-20160929-grrxe9.html

  28. Section 4 . . . Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe at the AFL Grand Final pre-game entertainment.

    Cathy Wilcox on the progress of world peace negotiations.

    And Cathy captures the informed words of wisdom from the Deputy PM.

    Mark Knight on the way to the MCG. Look who’s sitting atop the bus.
    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/6a135a3d0814a38a6f251f6e879b3b78?width=1024
    Jon Kudelka and Australians’ attitude to our magnificent national anthem.
    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/16cc1fb41f50cb8fc020ff42eaafe451
    Matt Golding farewells Dennis Cometti.

  29. BK

    Re The Australian. Still works for me to open new window and then google the headline of the article.

  30. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/sep/30/chris-mitchells-last-front-page-splash-and-the-pm-makes-his-headline great opening line

    http://www.afr.com/business/banking-and-finance/explainer-the-deutsche-bank-mess-and-how-it-all-started-20160930-grs6qu good explainer, the bank’s troubles aren’t getting much coverage here, but if it falls over it could trigger a big crisis. Paywalled, so try opening the article from within twitter, or google the URL & click through

    https://ketanjoshi.co/2016/09/30/the-tragic-physics-of-emotion-and-energy/

    http://insidestory.org.au/beijings-guoqing-versus-australias-way-of-life

    https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-voting-technology/

  31. BK

    A self-inflicted wound by the Minister has put the over-funding of rich privates schools right in the spotlight. Bring it on!

    Fairfaxs’ “full list” only lists schools in NSW, Vic & WA!

  33. Mark Steel has a not too serious look at the effort to give Corbyn the arske.

    Well, that was a highly successful three-month campaign to get rid of Jeremy Corbyn. There’s nothing like spending all summer on a project that proves worthwhile and repays the effort.

    If Angela Eagle and Owen Smith were generals in a medieval army, they would report back to their commander: “We fired incessantly for three months and have brought such damage to our opponent’s army they now have 100,000 more soldiers than when we started, sir. And I’m not sure how, but although we’re fighting in Belgium, we seem to have given them Wales.”

    Even more impressive was the way the plotters all agreed, after the result, that “this shows the lessons Jeremy needs to learn, and he has to reach out”.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/jeremy-corbyn-labour-plotters-blairites-mps-learn-lessons-unite-party-last-few-months-a7338136.html

  36. Good to see this question being asked..

    Perhaps there should be an inquiry – not into why the power went out (we know why) but into private companies skimping on construction.

    Why did so many of South Australia’s electricity transmission towers collapse?
    View at Medium.com

  38. If anyone wants a musical and comedic treat, John Clarke is hosting the ABC Classic FM morning show right now.

  40. A year ago –

    Weasel words. He didn’t say what level of commitment he had, Turns out it was none at all.

  42. leonetwo
    October 1, 2016 at 9:21 AM

    Good to see this question being asked..

    I put a quarter of that amount of concrete to hold up my pegola frame which was also connected to the house (tongue in cheek). Quality Control went by the way with this project. who to blame must be Labors

  43. My sisters weren’t alive when the Doggies won their last Grand Final, one popped out 3 days later

  46. Mark Humphries –
    Join me in standing up for Australia’s most vulnerable: our over-funded private schools.

  49. Gravel,

    I have my fingers crossed that it will be available on podcast. His choice of music is delightful, and his commentary – as expected – wryly witty.

  50. Billie,

    My interest was aroused by the few words from some of the letters below Moir’s magnificent cartoon. So, for the benefit of all Pubsters, here are the relevant epistles:

    Blaming all weather on global warming a leap too far

    What an extraordinary, double-faced performance from the prime minister. What is he doing, waving a big stick about states daring to innovate with renewable energy? This is the prime minister who would quite reasonably be saying what exciting times we live in and what an opportunity we have to advance our experience with renewables. Let’s be absolutely clear, to paraphrase the PM. It was “poles and wires” that failed. There has been no mention of damage or failure to solar and wind turbines. Poles and wires, prime minister. You know, those things that state governments want to outsource to private overseas interests. Just goes to show. How many politicians does it take to fix a blackout? None – it’s the job of electrical engineers.

    Philip Smart, Chiswick

    I heard Malcolm Turnbull’s “blame Labor” response to the energy storage and distribution issues afflicting South Australia. He confirmed beyond any doubt that he is not the person to be leading our country. The promised “agile and innovative” response should have been: “I am redirecting the $300 million marriage plebiscite funding to some of our universities and TAFE colleges – I demand of them an energy storage solution within a year. I don’t care if it’s solar energy pumping seawater into a vast storage darn or the largest flywheel on planet earth. Any low-tech agricultural typically Aussie solution that works reliably is fine. I have complete faith in the resourcefulness and ingenuity of my fellow Australians to solve this problem. “

    Imagine if Turnbull had been head of NASA when President Kennedy invoked the vision of Americans on the Moon. Turnbull’s response to JFK would doubtless have been “an extremely irresponsible and unrealistic undertaking, Mr President”

    God help us if this mutates into the Liberal 1 s vision for nuclear power plants and a 1001000-year commitment to house the world’s largest radioactive waste dump.

    Ronald Elliott, Sandringham (Vic)

    Oh, the deviousness of those dangerous renewable energy sources. First, we have all the wind farms in South Australia creating cyclonic winds that knock out the state’s power supply. And now we’ve entered our annual period of so-called “daylight saving” when we defy God’s law by forcing the sun to stay in the sky for an extra hour each day just so the Greenies can justify the investment in solar energy. It 1 s time to go back to lovely, “clean” coal and also build some beautiful, environmentally friendly nuclear power stations now that carbon dioxide and plutonium have been shown to be harmless to human life. (They have, haven’t they?)

    Steve Ellis, Hackett (ACT)

    Malcolm, where are you? In all the political grandstanding by the prime minister and Minister Frydenberg, I have not heard one word of empathy with the victims of the storm, no hint of a sharing of the pain, no congratulatory message as to the courage of South Australian families who care for infants and children without power. No thoughtful messages. It reminds me of President Bush and New Orleans.

    Anne Eagar, Epping

    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-letters/lessons-to-be-learnt-in-funding-debate-20160929-grrp1f.html

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