Punch on: Open thread 07/09/2012

Anubis says:

08:52am | 07/09/12

@ Acotrel - yoiu say ” I was never a ..... rabid leftie”

Bwahahahahahahahaha - how delusional are you. You have to be one of the most rabid lefties I have ever encountered. Totally blind to the failings of Julia and her ship of fools and forever trying to justify the unjustifiable.

Thanks for the laugh to start the day of Acotrel

acotrel says:

12:50pm | 07/09/12

I am not a leftie.  I don’t be lieve in the ramblings of Karl Marx or Chairman Mao.  In fa ct I’m st r ongly on the side of growth and business deve lopment.  It is just t hat my appr oach is different.  I recognise the importance of a level of democracy within the workforce of all comanies. ‘Authoritarianism stifles creativity’ - none of us are conscripts or slaves. In America the Fortune 500 companies recognise the impoetance of Employee Share Ownership Programmes and productivity gain sharing.  Germany is highy unionised, yet the most successful country on the planet.  So what is your story ?  You have Australian manufacturing industry disappearing up its own fundamental - but that’s alright ? You need to think outside the square and stop relying on centuries old labels !

Anubis says:

01:26pm | 07/09/12

You say you are on the side of growth and business development yet you support Gillard and her cronies who are doing every thing within their power to send Australia backwards. As you say Australian manufacturing is disappearing what is the Government doing to sustain manufacturing (other than throwing a few lazy millions to the car manufacturers to allow them to pay unproductive workers more money)?

Where is the Govenment program to buy Australian goods for Government? Defence Uniforms - Chinese? Support the Bushmaster by ordering more - No, buy from an overseas manufacturer instead. Where is our aircraft industry-  you know an industry that was producing leading designs by the end of WW II. Where are the incentives to lure manufacturing and new generation technology manufacturers in to Australia (I don’t think imposing a tax on everything that will achieve nothing is going to entice new industry here). How does giving unions open slather (as with the recent dispute in Melbourne at Grocon demonstrates) give incentive to open business here?

This Government is one of the most anti-growth anti-business development Governments in Australian history.

How can you say that you are for growth and business development and honestly support the Gillard Government?

acotrel says:

03:45pm | 07/09/12

It was the parasitism of a private company and its lack of capability which destroyed aircraft manufacturing in Melbourne. Which party do you think supported that ?
As far as supporting the car industry - what else do we do in mechanical engineering - do you really believe there is an option ? If it goes, we are past the point of no return as far as technology is concerned. But what would Abbott and Mirabella care about that?  They are just both bloody irresponsible.

acotrel says:

09:09am | 07/09/12

Queensland can still afford the pain of an economic stuff up and deep depression.  Better that it happens now rather than later when it might be too difficult to rescue the state with infrastructure development initiated by the ALP.

gary says:

10:03am | 07/09/12

“A new report has exposed the Costello audit into Queensland’s finances as a sham, the Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) says.

The QCU has released a report it commissioned to look at the veracity of claims made in the Costello audit.”

QCU president John Battams said the report showed former federal treasurer Peter Costello had dramatically overstated Queensland’s financial woes, and his audit report was “intellectually dishonest”.

He said the QCU-commissioned report had exposed a series of myths in the Costello report, which the Newman government had used to justify sacking thousands of public servants.”

What do you think of your hero now? Do you care about all the sacked workers or are you a conservative tool?

gary says:

10:08am | 07/09/12

“The report - by former Professor of Accounting at the University of Sydney Bob Walker and economist Dr Betty Con Walker - found the Costello audit had failed to comply with basic accounting standards in analysing the state’s finances.

It also disputed the Newman government’s claims the former Labor government had borrowed to pay the wages of public servants.

“The thing that sticks out the most is that the figure the government has been using - a $100 billion debt - has absolutely no foundation,” Mr Battams told AAP.

The Costello audit said the state’s gross debt was expected to be $64 billion in 2011/2012, and reach $100 billion by 2018/19 unless urgent action was taken to pay it down.

Mr Battams said the report found the Costello audit did not apply internationally recognised standards and set out to paint the worst possible picture.

“International standards generally accept that instead of a gross debt figure, you should use net debt - that is your debt compared with the assets you hold,” he said.

“You should also look at debt compared with your revenue or income. Just to look at the level of gross debt is totally inappropriate.”

Mr Battams said the report also blew out of the water the government’s claim Labor has been borrowing to pay the wages of public servants.

“The debt was used to build infrastructure in Queensland. There was no connection between the level of debt and public sector salaries,” he said.

He said the report meant the government would have to stop spruiking the myths it had been feeding to Queenslanders.

“This blows so much of what they have said out of the water,” he said.”

The conservatives can’t get the numbers right? Dodgy accounting? Who’d have thunk it?

gary says:

10:18am | 07/09/12

So glad you brought this up Ray.
We seem to have a recurring theme here with Conservative premiers and numbers.

“WA Liberal premier Colin Barnett has conceded the Liberals will not meet their 2008 election promise to start construction of a gas pipeline from Bunbury to Albany in their first term of government.
The Liberals used the promise at the 2008 election in an attack on the “Perth-centric” Carpenter government and came within 89 votes of defeating Albany’s incumbent Labor MP Peter Watson.
It promised that the extension of the Dampier to Bunbury gas pipeline to Albany would reduce the seaside town’s reliance on bottled gas.
But the project hit problems in 2010 when the estimated $225 million price tag doubled after Treasury officials examined it.”

Perhaps the conservatives should get professionals to do their numbers instead of using Abbott and Costello accounting pty.ltd.?

Chris L says:

10:36am | 07/09/12

Don’t bother Gary. Official reports and investigations can’t stand up to the unquestionable veracity of conservative personal opinion. Just look at how they respond to the ANU report into balance in the ABC, and the Orgill report into the success of the BER.

This report is even worse as it dared to criticise Costello and his methods. You’re in for a roasting now.

TheRealDave says:

10:48am | 07/09/12

What would professors of Economics or Accounting know?

I’d far rather trust the word of an ex-LNP politician, who was paid an obscene amount of money for one day a week worth of work to produce that report, to back up the predictions of the LNP incoming government.

We the Sheeple.

TimB says:

11:36am | 07/09/12

@ Dave:

http://xkcd.com/1013/

Chris L says:

12:28pm | 07/09/12

That’s awesome TimB!

At least something like that would make politics more interesting.

Mouse says:

12:35pm | 07/09/12

gary .. or we could look at the other side, maybe….
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8528919
Let me cherry pick for you
“He (Mr Nicholls) said Prof Walker was not a trusted economist and had been previously criticised by former Labor treasurer Andrew Fraser”
Geez, even Labor don’t like him!

The Walkers ( a FORMER professor and his wife)  were hired by the QCU (a union!) and Battams is the QCU president!  Yeah, what an unbiased report that would be. But because the author of the audit is a Conservitive, Walker’s report has just gotta be right…right?  There is no problem with Qld debt, left by the pervious Labor government, the LNP are making it all up and everyone get a set of steak knives on Saturday!
Yeah, right!!  LOL :oD

Chris L says:

01:25pm | 07/09/12

@Mouse - when you pointed out the report was commissioned by “a union!” I got a mental picture of Donald Sutherland in the remake of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers pointing and screaming at the humans

Maybe it would have been better if I’d been picturing Karen Allen doing the pointing, especially since she was naked at the time. Great movie!

gary says:

01:47pm | 07/09/12

mouse
get back to me when you have something to say about the “other side
’ All I saw was a personal attack by you on Bob Walker and economist Dr Betty Walker. Pity you can’t comment on the substance of their report, Guess you have nothing to add to the debate but a lame attempt to discredit the individuals.
Now where have I seen that tactic before?

Mouse says:

02:31pm | 07/09/12

LOL ChrisL, you always make me giggle and yes, it is a good movie! xo)

gary, did you even read my post, or the link? Probably not seeing as your reply was about “my personal attack”.
You seem to have read something, that there are no links to or where it came from, that ratify, in your mind, that Costello is incompetent and anyone who doesn’t agree with you is “conservative tool”! All I saw in your posts were bits of what someone else wrote, no personal comment on sustance of the said report and a pretty shallow rancour at those that don’t agree with you.
You may have seen this tactic, used quite unsucessfully, in Melbourne recently. Something to do with company named Grocon, I believe!  :o)

Jamin says:

03:01pm | 07/09/12

Gary,

Mouse probably saw that tactic right here

gary says:10:03am | 07/09/12

“Do you care about all the sacked workers or are you a conservative tool?”

So you added a bit of the old cut and paste with little to no actual thought from your self and called Ray a tool.

I also understand that I am having a go at gary for having a go at mouse who had a go at gary (and some economist crackers (it’s our word, I can use it)) for having a go at Ray, but it’s Friday and I am just counting down the hours to a pub crawl.

Mouse says:

04:25pm | 07/09/12

Jamin, cool bananas! I’ll take the challenge, which pub are we starting at?  :o)

TimB says:

07:47am | 07/09/12

Just make sure you scream ‘TOUCHDOWN’ everytime a try is scored

I know Fairs is backing the Cowboys, and I have to agree with her, if only so I can see the Broncos fall.

Max Power says:

08:43am | 07/09/12

Go for the Cowboys. It would be good to see a team like them continue in the finals and make a bid for their first title.
Personally, I am hoping for a Rabbits v Cowboys final, not sure if the draw make this possible though.
As for things to yell out and sound knowledgable. Go with the tried and tested;

1)  Get em onside ref, when your team has the ball.
2)  After every penalty against the the opposition, say, he’s been doing it all night.
3)  After every penalty against your team, say, shake your head ref, your eyes are stuck.

pa_kelvin says:

10:12am | 07/09/12

Louie…..... Now that the Tigers are out cheer for either….dont want any of those southern teams winning the finals.

vinegar says:

10:22am | 07/09/12

Aren’t you gonna tells us where you and the larvae had coffee this morning?

Testfest says:

10:28am | 07/09/12

You can’t go wrong with “Hey ref! Are you f**king blind, or what?!”

Louie the Temporary Cowboy Fly says:

10:35am | 07/09/12

OK - so it’s Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys all the way.

I actually know what a few of them look like, cause they hang out at the same coffee shop as me.  They are big, REALLY big, and always have strapping, joint braces and bandages on their knees.

TimB - ok I know NOT to do that, and I also know not to yell out AFL stuff either LOL.

MAX - I will really get behind them on your recommendation.

Pa - I will clap for the Broncos every try and goal and yell and clap for the Cowboys!

Louie the Fly says:

10:43am | 07/09/12

Vinegar ??? Who are the larvae? How do you know I went out for coffee this morning?  Are you a Louie stalker?
Testfest - OK will yell at the refs too, I’m in with the posh people, I might substitute the adjective LOL. 
Oh - and I know about:- “He’s been doing it all night ref!!!”

TheRealDave says:

10:50am | 07/09/12

Cowboys had a good win yesterday to kickoff the season again the Raiders and I was screaming TOUCHDOWN everytime we scored….

...oh hang on….wrong sport…..

GO THE DOGGIES!!!!!

Yak says:

11:38am | 07/09/12

A bit of love for the Freo Dockers would not go astray. We will need all the help we can get.

Mahhrat says:

08:32am | 07/09/12

Stephen, I hate this argument.  There is no rank hypocrisy in eating meat and being disgusted by some of the inhumane practices less scrupulous butchers engage in.

Humans are, for better or worse, the current apex predator on Earth.  We have the ability to hunt, kill and consume other animals, and our bodies are specifically designed to consume both meat and vegetable products.

That doesn’t mean we should treat animals poorly, and I totally get where you’re coming from regarding the sale of our animals to places that treat them so badly (though it’s a little more complex thanks to politics, which is a shame).

If you can’t reconcile that and enjoy animal products, that’s totally fine and I respect your choice, but down force a fallacy down my throat either, that I’m somehow part of that disgusting practice simply because I enjoy (free range) bacon.

Anubis says:

09:18am | 07/09/12

That has to be on of the least coherent, misguided rants I have seen on here for a long time. Why is it that vegans feel the need to push their distorted views on everyone else?

” look out the window and see Aussie sheep being beaten to death at the slaughter houses”  In what reality can you see this from the window of a plane?

ibast says:

09:18am | 07/09/12

Sorry Stephen it’s just not true.  Maybe in SE Asia, but not Dubai.  I know because I was involved with the design of some of these abattoirs in this region.  What they do is face the animal to Mecca, say a short prayer and then slit it’s throat.  Anything else would be considered non Halal.  Also mistreating animals would be considered offensive to the Muslim faith.

The only that could be considered mistreatment would be the hanging of the animals after they have slit their throat.  They hang them head down to hasten death and drain the blood.

Elphaba (Practical Vegetarian) says:

11:43am | 07/09/12

@ibast, ideally we’d be doing this with all our meat, regardless of religion, in either the halal or kosher slaughter… It’s humane, quick and respects the animal.

Stephen, no one is arguing that animals shouldn’t have a quick, painless death the respects what the animal is giving up.  Of course beating animals to death is appalling and people who engage in such behaviour should be punished severely (preferably with some gaol time).  Instead of vowing not to eat meat again, maybe more of a difference would be made with lobbying for more education for our neighbours - asking their industry to respect the animal’s need for a free range, lovely life and a quick death, and work towards making sure all farms/slaughterhouses can provide that.

larfing vegan says:

01:33pm | 07/09/12

“practical vegetarian”

Look at the term I just invented.
Do tell us more.
You’re either a vegetarian or you are not.
Have you ever heard the term practical bogan?

larfing vegan says:

01:36pm | 07/09/12

Here is how the sheep feel about this.

http://tinyurl.com/927ckv8

acotrel says:

03:55pm | 07/09/12

Isn’t that where Peter Reith was training the SAS to become wharfies, so they could beat the crap out of the MUA members at Patrick’s.  If you look out the window over the Indian Ocean, you might see the children the asylum seekers threw overboard.

Inky says:

06:20pm | 07/09/12

“Have you ever heard the term practical bogan? “

Only alongside other terms such as “Army Intelligence” and “Simple Tax Code”

patsy says:

11:48am | 07/09/12

You don’t need a book. If you watch the video with the sound off you will feel the messge of the body language. Whether it’s meeting someone for the first time or in any other situation you can trust your gut feeling about what’s really going on.

TimB says:

10:30am | 07/09/12

lol and look what just went up an hour later?

Sometimes I don’t know what the Punch team would do without the Open thread to give them ideas.

AdamC says:

10:46am | 07/09/12

Haha, too true, TimB!

And, just to clarify, the C in AdamC does not stand for Creighton. We are different people, so I am not plugging my own article!

Drifter says:

11:06am | 07/09/12

AdamC appears somewhat obsessed with Gina, what is it that attracts you Adam, her money, her looks, her charm or all three?

TimB says:

11:29am | 07/09/12

lol I did wonder about that. I was actually waiting for one of our resident lefties to bring up that potential conspiracy theory.

I go through the same thing every time I post a link to Tim Blair.

AdamC says:

11:44am | 07/09/12

@TimB, hahah, really?

@Drifter, nothing sadder than a troll who isn’t even very good at it.

gobsmack says:

11:52am | 07/09/12

Lang Hancock had to import a wife.

The idea that importing people from third world countries will fix our woes seems to be a family trait.

Drifter says:

01:17pm | 07/09/12

AdamC - Why am I trolling? You have posted links to Gina all week, I would have thought it was a legitimate question. I was purely curious and observing that it appears you have some kind of obsession with Gina. An opinion does not necessarily equate to trolling.

TimB says:

01:53pm | 07/09/12

‘You have posted links to Gina all week, I would have thought it was a legitimate question.’

Considering Gina has been in the news all week and the links have been related to *why* she’s been in the news, I would have thought that a person of reasonable intelligence wouldn’t find it paticularly odd when someone raises the topic.

The fact that you feel the need to link a simple discussion of current events to an imagined attraction implies that your observation was not a legitimate question, but rather deliberately designed to insult.

Given your clear motivation, I have no qualms in agreeing with Adam’s assessment of you as a troll.

AJ in Perth says:

02:20pm | 07/09/12

TimB

Ever considered that it actually takes time to write a piece?  That the Punch Team read multiple news/opinion sites, and then decide what or what not they’re going to write a piece on?  And then deciding who is going to do the actual writing?  Then maybe some sort of a checking process before something is actually put on the thread?  I could go on, but if you catch my drift, I would say it is highly unlikely that this would take less than hour, but hey, that could just be me. 

Sometimes you “regular” Punchers are really full of it.  I’m fully expecting a few more high 5’s from the “regulars” by the time my post makes it.  If not, I’ll be pleasantly surprised for once.

AdamC says:

02:35pm | 07/09/12

“@Drifter, nothing sadder than a troll who isn’t even very good at it.”

Except maybe a troll who objects to being called out on it.

And, if you really had been following my posts for the last week, you would know I like men, rendering your Gina questions rhetorical, at best.

But I am feeding the troll here ...

TimB says:

02:38pm | 07/09/12

“Ever considered that it actually takes time to write a piece?  That the Punch Team read multiple news/opinion sites, and then decide what or what not they’re going to write a piece on?  And then deciding who is going to do the actual writing?”

In this case? No. It’s a direct reposting of the article Adam linked, they didn’t have to write squat.

Usually when I see this sort of thing happen I see a link posted in the early morning hours and a related story written by one of the team shortly after lunch.  Which gives them three, maybe four hours to put something together.

Is that enough time in your opinion?

Drifter says:

03:05pm | 07/09/12

“Sometimes you “regular” Punchers are really full of it”

You got that right AJ.

AJ in Perth says:

03:20pm | 07/09/12

TimB

“Sometimes I don’t know what the Punch team would do without the Open thread to give them ideas.”

Ideas.  Plural.
“In this case? No. It’s a direct reposting of the article Adam linked, they didn’t have to write squat.”

Once FFS.  The exception doesn’t make it the rule.  And then again, I don’t know, this is not my area of expertise, but maybe they were considering it and needed some permission or at least had some courtesy to ask before posting it?  Maybe The Punch Team has to play by different rules?

“Usually when I see this sort of thing happen I see a link posted in the early morning hours and a related story written by one of the team shortly after lunch.”

Usually?  What percentage of all the threads is a direct result from a post in the OT?  Honestly, mate, as far as I can tell, this is simply not the case for the majority of threads.  Especially since the threads posted after lunch is also in the minority.

“Which gives them three, maybe four hours to put something together.  Is that enough time in your opinion?”

Maybe.  Depends on how many comments they also have to juggle in between.  Last time I’ve heard, they are also the moderators for the site.

“Sometimes I don’t know what the Punch team would do without the Open thread to give them ideas.”

The Punch Team would just be fine with or without the OT to give them ideas.  You’re welcome to think otherwise, just don’t get all defensive when others view it as being pompous.

TimB says:

03:52pm | 07/09/12

Jeeze AJ calm down, no-ones getting pompous. You’re taking an off-the-cuff statement far too seriously. Maybe I should have added a smilie to indicate my general state of amusement.

I just thought it was funny that not an hour after Adam mentions a specific article, the *exact same article* gets crossposted on the site. You honestly don’t find that just the slightest bit weird?

To clarify- No, I don’t think the Punch Team are sourcing the *majority* of their article ideas from Punch comments. Do I think they’re sourcing at least a few of them? You betcha.

Your comments seemed to indicate you believed it wasn’t feasible at all, citing the hour turnaround time as I referenced in my initial comment. Not to mention your assumption that the article I was referring to was an entirely new opinion piece, as opposed to a simple repost of an existing article.

If me clearing up a few of your misconceptions in order to demonstrate how it’s indeed possible that the team could source a story from a OT comment somehow makes me “pompous” in your eyes, then so be it.

AJ in Perth says:

07:25pm | 07/09/12

TimB

I was actually trying to go for “it just as well could be coincidence, if not, don’t be an arrogant twat about it.”

Next time, stop at

“lol, and look what just went up an hour later?” 

And add smiling thingys, I still fail to see any amusement in your comments or your reply to vox (granted, it could be just me) :o)

ok?

ps – I’ve replied to your reply to Vox, but I don’t think it will be posted, more likely Tory S is emailing me (again) asking me nicely to take my meds :o) 

If I have time, I’ll try again tomorrow, assuming this one makes the 8pm deadline , imagine if daylight savings kick in on the east coast …

TheRealDave says:

10:56am | 07/09/12

Heaven forbid we violate the ‘Human Rights’ of someone who shows absolutely no regard for any one elses ‘Human Rights’.

Chris L says:

11:02am | 07/09/12

Makes sense, if he wants to act like an animal.

TimB says:

12:26pm | 07/09/12

Adam’s idea is great. But assuming the human rights mob get up in arms…

Find a cargo ship headed towards Britain, pay the captain to take on a few passengers, then lock him in a small cabin or something with a few AFP guards outside.

Nice and long and boring.

Mouse says:

12:42pm | 07/09/12

Nah, put him in a box and send him by ship. Don’t they carry cargo in the hull? He could swear all he likes at the engine noises and wouldn’t upset Louie’s pets then! lol :oD

marley says:

02:14pm | 07/09/12

When Luka Magnotta (the guy who murdered a Chinese national in Montreal and mailed body parts to various universities) was extradited from Germany back to Canada, the Canadians sent a military transport, RCMP officers and a nice selection of handcuffs and shackles to pick him up.  Perhaps we should offer Mr. Herring a similar level of service on his return to the UK.

A 20 hour or so flight in leg irons, sitting on a canvas seat in all the discomfort of a cargo plane, might be a fitting end to his sojourn amongst us.

sami says:

02:28pm | 07/09/12

Knock him out, strap him in a seat, fly him over, kick him off. Sorted.

HappyG says:

03:14pm | 07/09/12

Put him on a Hercules bound for Afghanistan. One that’s also carrying our SAS boys. If he wants to play up they can sort him out without raising a sweat. Once in Afghanistan hand him over to the next Brit transport out. Preferably one with the Pommy SAS on board. The beauty of this is that it won’t cost the taxpayer a cent and the grub will be shitting himself the whole way.

Mouse says:

03:49pm | 07/09/12

HappyG, ooooh the stink!  lol :o)

iMitchy says:

04:03pm | 07/09/12

I think they were just waiting for Harvey to start trading online…. Not exactly a win for him.

Blind Freddy says:

04:07pm | 07/09/12

“So - a Government Taskforce has recommended that the Government should scrap the tax exemption on parcels coming in from overseas. The $1000 threshold for GST on overseas purchases could be a thing of the past” - so GST is the issue.

and the you say,
Julia and Treasurer Duck Duck Goose will shortly be dipping into your pockets when you make Ebay purchases or order products from overseas in order to avoid the retail gouging of Australian retailers” - so price gouging is the issue.

Which one is it? Price gouging or Howard and Costello’s anti-business GST; paid by all Australian retailers but not by overseas retailers?

The same argument used by the right to “dis” the CO2 price. Oh, but that’s right Howard introduced the GST, so it must be good for Australian businesses.

Liberal good - Labor bad . . . Liberal good - Labor bad . . . Liberal good - Labor bad . . . Liberal good - Labor bad . . .

Draconian says:

01:29pm | 07/09/12

Being a person so empty of worth and so full of importance, I’d say that Bob Walker (who was hired by the unions no less) was a complete wank for stating that Costello was “intellectually dishonest” and failed to meet national audit standards.  Since Costello ‘s audit was not a full audit and was only to highlight the problems facing the Queensland economy, then how can Costello be “intellectually dishonest”?  And, how can you believe someone whom even the former ALP Treasurer says is: “Not credible”.

TimB says:

02:20pm | 07/09/12

Don’t worry Vox, I’ll be sure to point out the next time a Puncher makes reference to an obscure story in Open Thread only for a related Punch piece to go up a few hours later. It’s happened far too often in recent months for it to be a complete coincidence, and the next example won’t be far away.

(Not that I’m saying it’s a *bad* thing, it’s good that the team are catering to reader demand, but still best not to rely on it too much)

pa_kelvin says:

04:21pm | 07/09/12

TimB…..Look out for my Friday Dillema post from last week…“Darn my sock has a hole in it…..What to do???”  If they use that one we know things are bad.

pa_kelvin says:

05:44pm | 07/09/12

Oops…......Heres the comma I left out of my previous post (,)....Please insert after Darn….Thank you.

AJ in Perth says:

05:48pm | 07/09/12

TimB

A crusade!!!  I fucking love crusades!  Could you also show when a thread hasn’t been based on the OT?  That way it is balanced and all, it does upset quite a few around here when people get their stats wrong.

I would be more than willing to show every time a “regular” puncher is up his or her own arse, but I don’t think anyone on The Punch has that much time, least of all me.

But do you know what I love even more than crusades, conspiracy theories!!!  Get the popcorn and tinfoil people, you’re going to need it …

Punch HQ
Monday 6 September 2012 * not my fault, Tory M is doing the dates again, what she means is Monday 10 September 2012 :o)
4.00am, emergency meeting called, the usual place, the water cooler

The mood is sombre …

Tory S:  Tim is onto us, guys!!!  What we’re to do???  *looks like she’s in a freakin state of panic, who would’ve thought!*

Tory M (manages to keep her cool, obviously!):  Calm down, calm down.  This is what we’re going to do.  Just forward any comment that we could make into a thread after lunch, immediately to either me or Tory S.  But for heaven’s sake, whatever you do, as of immediately, do not, I repeat, DO NOT post it on the OT, mkay?!!!!

Tory S:  Tory, how are we going to get away with that?!  I honestly didn’t think anyone would notice us using the OT for ideas, yet, here we are!!!!  *shudders when she thinks of the uproar should The Punch lose yet another comment*

Tory M:  Ah, but we are far cleverer than the average Puncher, Tory, hehehe *evil laugh*

Waits for rest of team to stop laughing, totally confused, yet evilly …

Tory M:  For heaven’s sake, Ant, take your pinkie out of your mouth!  Anyways, where was I.  O yes, we’re cleverer.  We’ve been “losing” comments for months now.  Everyone thinks it’s because it is our software.  Or that we are moderating the shit out of the site to suit our own agenda.  We could just blame the “big black hole” that’s been eating comments all the time!!!  hehehe

* Dan pretends he knows what Tory M is referring to when she mentioned “their agenda”

Rest of the punch team (relieved):  hehehe *everyone sips a bit of water*

The mood is not sombre, the mood is light.  And so another dramatic week at The Punch kicks off ...

pa_kelvin says:

07:42pm | 07/09/12

@vox…...You can still comment ,just not on the same thread, take sami in a comment below responding to col’n

Baloo says:

01:54pm | 07/09/12

http://worldwide.bose.com/axa/en_au/web/ie2_audio_headphones/page.html
These look stable,  not sure how much your willing to pay for earphones though.

I hate earphones, they are never the right size and I find it amazing that some people can actually jog with them in. Plus if you have music loud it’s like drilling into your ear drums.

Ben C says:

01:55pm | 07/09/12

For want of a better description, have you tried those headphones that have the arms that hook around the ear, like a hearing aid?

Evalee says:

02:05pm | 07/09/12

Thanks guys!!  You are awesome!!

Mouse says:

02:45pm | 07/09/12

Overthehead ear phones are good, but as you say a little unwieldy on a bus. I bought some with big pink fluffy muffs and found that people tended to keep a distance. I like to think that was because of their not wanting to knock my earmuffs, not due to my singing aloud!! lol ;o)

Anubis says:

02:00pm | 07/09/12

But @ Samie - ” frankly the breast milk of other mammals is a pretty weird thing to consume when you think about it. I have it on 2 bits of wholemeal bread”

Doesn’t it make the bread go soggy?

Baloo says:

02:50pm | 07/09/12

Sorry Sami but anybody who isn’t Colin is a fat bogan, according to Colin.

Elphaba says:

03:13pm | 07/09/12

@sami, I reckon you’re safe, I have Vegemite on toast for brekkie every day too.  Everything in moderation isn’t going to kill you, and if it does, then fine - I don’t want to live in a world without Vegemite.

Gotta love the stuff that comes out of Colin’s mouth, he’s freakin’ hilarious.

sami says:

06:34pm | 07/09/12

Haha Baloo I’m definitely a bogan! But I reckon people get bogans and ‘white trash’ confused. Nothing wrong with a bogan I reckon we’re lovely. So Colin can think that all he likes. Scuse me while I go polish me commodore.

Elphaba I don’t want to imagine a vegemite-free world! A sad thought indeed.

pa_kelvin says:

05:26pm | 07/09/12

Hey Inky…..Did I read you work in a call centre ,so whats with the slogans?? Is it an Australian based call centre, and if so, do they teach you to talk in a fake Indian accent???

Inky says:

06:23pm | 07/09/12

I do indeed work in a call centre, and “what’s with the slogans?” is right. I’ve never worked somewhere where we had internal only slogans, because as mentioned, it feels a little condescnending.

Yes, it’s Australian based, and no, I picked that skill up on my own. :p

pa_kelvin says:

07:24pm | 07/09/12

BTW ..Happy birthday last weds,mine too but didn’t get back from Sydney in time to do anymore than read The Punch…...

AJ in Perth says:

06:25pm | 07/09/12

I’ve missed the bits where this tax is means tested and will only tax the plebs ...  Now, taxing the plebs and big end of town equally, that I don’t have problem with.

marley says:

06:59pm | 07/09/12

Well, I’ve got a relative who owns a small business (him and a few employees) and he’s desperate for something like this, because he just can’t compete on price with the vendors in the US, Germany, Thailand and China.

So, this tax is actually something that might keep him in business and his three regular employees and a couple of casuals in summer earning an income. 

Now, if you’re okay with a bunch of people losing their jobs so you can buy a surfboard for $50 less, then fine.  But don’t pretend you’re being noble and protecting the interests of the plebs;  you’re just being cheap and screwing the plebs to support Chinese capitalists.