Punch on: Open thread 08/11/2012

acotrel says:

06:59am | 08/11/12

‘Julia could have a rant about this and go viral again.’
‘

Perhaps it is not as deserving of a rant as Tony Abbott’s misogynistic bullying ?

Anubis says:

08:13am | 08/11/12

You keep claiming that acotrel but you are yet to come up with a verifiable example of “Tony Abbott’s misogynistic bullying “

And don’t trot out that “hit the wall” BSthat came out recently. No witnesses who actually saw it, not claimed until 30 years after the ‘alleged’ event and claimed by a woman with an axe to grind and for political purposes on behalf of the red empress

I hate pies says:

08:54am | 08/11/12

Gillard did say “I will not be lectured by this man”, or words to that affect. Can someone please provide examples of Abbott lecturing Gillard in a misogynistic way? Also, please provide examples of Abbott’s personal attacks on Gillard

Mouse says:

09:21am | 08/11/12

acotrel, even if Abbott did punch a wall 30 odd years ago, is this all the Labor dirt squad could come up with?  I mean to say, an incident at Uni, over 30 years ago!  Geez, Abbott is pretty boring isn’t he?  He has only become a misogynist recently too. He wasn’t one when gillard was in opposition and used to freely flirt with him, or the last election, or even last year…..... Funny about that hey!!  I wonder what happened…  lol

gillard, on the other hand, has a tad more interesting history…........  lol :o)

Gregg says:

09:55am | 08/11/12

@I hate pies
” Gillard did say “I will not be lectured by this man”, or words to that affect. “

As off target as she was with her venomous viralled rant, she was actually referring in that to Tony Abbott’s criticism of her in supporting Peter Slipper, that criticism btw couched in the terms of ” if you continue to support him ” just as much as you selected him with there having been some alarm bells rung over that.

It was likely that Tony came out with the government just dying a bit more of shame which fanned the flames for Gillard re the AJ comment.
Some people believe that Tony used that terminology quite deliberately but then he has apparently often used the terminology of a government dying of shame.

egg says:

10:41am | 08/11/12

@Anubis, Abbott is demonstrably misogynistic. If you can’t be arsed to google sexist comments by Abbott, do try not to blame others for not spoon feeding information to you. I’m so sick of this childish “pics or it didn’t happen!!1!” mentality… since when do people walk around with reasearch material in their pocket? Do you? Have you ever quoted something or had an opinion without immediately showing reference materials?

You’re already on the internet, use it for good and look something up yourself.

glenm says:

04:59pm | 08/11/12

@ egg, We have all seen the supposedly sexist comments, which are reffered to but the problem is none when looked at in context are actually sexist. When your asked to show proof it is because we all know you wont find any. Unlike proof of Gillards past which she herself has admitted on the record re Emerson. Maybe you should ask Emersons ex wife her opinion on Gillard.

KH says:

07:08am | 08/11/12

I take it you didn’t catch Abbotts idea for parental leave…....which is even worse.

Shane From Melbourne says:

07:49am | 08/11/12

Oh I absolutely hate Abbott’s parental leave which will be a great big tax on business which will no doubt pass on their costs to me, indirectly. Both political parties suck, big time.

TimB says:

08:01am | 08/11/12

Here’s a crazy thought. How about NO paid parental leave of any kind subsidised by the taxpayer?

If companies want to offer paid parental leave as a job perk, they can. That will put them in a better position to attract job candidates than their competitors who aren’t offering the same.

Free market and all that.

TheRealDave says:

03:17pm | 08/11/12

I have zero issues with not subsidizing peoples lifestyle choices, peoples welfare, peoples education etc As long as I can stop subsidizing Businesses and propping them up as well.

Free Market and all that.

fml says:

07:11am | 08/11/12

We don’t like cricket, no. We love it. Yeah. I say…

Chris L says:

08:04am | 08/11/12

I don’t see the connection given that Jupiter was pretty much an equivalent to Zeus, which would be Odin in the Norse mythology, and Marvel doesn’t have a comic for any of these guys.

Hey Mahhrat, I read yesterday that psychopaths are drawn toward public service jobs. How’s the hatchet skills?

subotic A. Frehley says:

08:51am | 08/11/12

Damn. I always thought Gene Simmons from KISS was the God of Thunder. And Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Silly subotic….

Philosopher says:

09:34am | 08/11/12

ha ha Chris L, somehow I have the feeling we would get along like a house on fire. You are the Man. Despite some Sci-Fi nerd tendencies, which I can overlook.

Mahhrat says:

10:23am | 08/11/12

@Chris L:  I see see see see *twitch* what you did there.

In all seriousness, you’ve probably got a point.  There’s a great lack of transparency in many public service areas which would service psychopathic behaviour very well.

Of course, the champions of private enterprise apparently want to pay me $2 to work in a mine, and have only the use of physical force to back them up, so who the psychopathic go to work for is, to me, largely a matter of perspective.

Chris L says:

11:04am | 08/11/12

@Mahhrat - Well, the same news article also pointed to CEO psychopaths. Also police, salesmen and surgeons. It’s a dangerous world out there!

@Philosopher - Sci-Fi nerds are the reason movie special effects were invented. You’re welcome.

Philosopher says:

12:15pm | 08/11/12

“.... have the lambs stopped screaming, Clarice?’’

subotic says:

08:07am | 08/11/12

Dr. Zoidberg: [while inspecting Amy’s engagement ring from Bender] Such a stone! Is it real?

[Amy carves a circle in Zoidberg’s shell]

Dr. Zoidberg: Hooray!

Professor Farnsworth: Hooray denied! Need I remind you that robosexual marriage is illegal?

Turanga Leela: Not in Space Massachusetts.

Bender: You mean Space Tax-achusetts? No chance, judge-pants! We’re gonna fight to legalize it right here!

Hermes Conrad: Ya mon! Ya got to legalize it!

Amy Wong: We’re talking about robosexual marriage.

Hermes Conrad: We’re talking about lots of stuff.

patsy says:

09:39am | 08/11/12

@Trevor-I don’t get why you can buy Kronic in a tobacconist legally but marijjuana is illegal. The legal high has so many chemicals in it and the pack says it is not for human consumption. BTW I don’t smoke. It just gives me a body stone but I can see the diffence in others that do. Not good.

Legalise it for the over 21s. That is when your brain is fully formed. Growing season is from Father’s day to Mother’s day so, you should be able to legaly grow your own. You can’t beat Burrill Buds. An organic, natural high.

Flossie says:

11:12am | 08/11/12

Oregon? Really?

Trevor says:

12:01pm | 08/11/12

Sorry, Colorado and Washington. Unfortunately it went down in Oregon.

willie says:

01:24pm | 08/11/12

Fuck yeah.
I’m lobbing into Washington in about 3 weeks. Might have to go to Denver too.

Anubis says:

08:15am | 08/11/12

Hope all goes well pa-K

pa_kelvin says:

01:38pm | 08/11/12

Theres 6 hours I’ll never get back…. Results tomorrow arvo..
Thanks Anubis….

Anubis says:

02:00pm | 08/11/12

keeping the fingers crossed for you pa. ^ hours - that’s a marathon for a scan, or is that normal?

Mouse says:

02:15pm | 08/11/12

hey pa_kelvin, howz thingz? Hope the results are good, I have everything crossed for you.  xxxxxx (that’s everything crossed! lol)

ps, I never knew you were black!  (hahahaha, yes I am hilarious, I know!  :oD)

pa_kelvin says:

02:34pm | 08/11/12

@ Anubis…Arrive at hospital and have an injection of some gunk that attaches to the bones, sit around for 2 hours while its doing its job…The scan takes about 1 hour, during which they scan differant areas of the body. I have a full body bone scan where you have to remain motionless for 25 minutes, then left and right ribcage (about 10 minutes a side), then pelvic area, another 10 minutes…....then…... a full body CT scan about 5 minutes, so all up 1 hour for scans ,2 hours waiting and travel to and from hospital (peak hour traffic getting there)
So as I said “theres 6 hours I’ll never get back”

pa_kelvin says:

02:56pm | 08/11/12

Hey Mouse good, thanks.. Results tomorrow 23 hours 17 minutes to go (but who’s counting? ) Have you had a chance to check out 3 of my grandsons supporting my Movember cause yet?? If not it’s here…. 

http://au.movember.com/mospace/4851509/  Soooooo cute..

DJ says:

08:43am | 08/11/12

where do you get your talking points from - it is far to much of a coincidence that there are numerous LNP posters on here spouting the same thing about budget forecasts. Day in day out there is a line being run here by party supporters. Plenty of LNP supporters on here that don’t, not suggesting all are but a few of you always seem to sing from the same song sheet.

Take it dwon a notch in the confected outrage and people might take what you say more seriously. You do realise treasury also got budgets wring under Howard (granted surplus come in bigger than expected) and it shows that global markets affect outcomes here.

You are a CFO I would like to see how close your 4 year revenue and expenditure forecasts are as a percentage.

Dash says:

09:20am | 08/11/12

@DJ - if I put a prospectus out into the market that made the sort of representations and claims that this government makes on a regular basis, I would be in jail!

If I signed off on financials that were wrong to the same tune as Swans figures, I would lose my job and end up in jail.

If I was to make up my own accounting standards to allow me to defer expenditure, recognise revenue early or recognise someone elses revenue as ours just to show a profit, I would be in breach of the corporations law and ASIC would throw me in jail!

If I was to use my corporate credit card for incorrect purposes or to defraud my company, I would be in jail.

If I was to waste my companies money on failed schemes, failed business ventures or to pay bribes to try to maintain myself in my position, I would be sacked!

It would appear that there is one rule for the ALP and one for everyone else. Why shouldn’t the government (not matter what side) be held to the same standars as everyone else in the community that works in the private sector.

It’s a big part of the reason I am sick to death of people putting up with the kind of crap we see day in and day out from our government!

Our forecasts here are very good. I have a great team. We are already $6m ahead of our revenue plan for the year (two months to run) and look like generating about $2m more in profit than we anticipated.

We tend to under promise and over deliver. The government should try it some time.

Shane From Melbourne says:

09:20am | 08/11/12

@DJ- If you took out all the political staffers, the astroturfers and the lobbyists, The Punch would be a lonely place….

(silence with crickets in the background)

Philosopher says:

09:59am | 08/11/12

Dash, who occupies the highest office in the land again? Is it…is it… oh yes, it’s Julia Gillard and the Australian Labour Party. It’s about time you just quietly reconciled yourself, thus lowering your blood pressure and saving your battered keyboard.

DJ says:

10:24am | 08/11/12

@ Dash - some fair points but you say:
Our forecasts here are very good. I have a great team. We are already $6m ahead of our revenue plan for the year (two months to run) and look like generating about $2m more in profit than we anticipated.

By what percentage are you already out on your forecasts? Surely given the standard you are holding treasury to you should be more accurate yourself. Under or over a forecast is error.

simonfromlakemba says:

10:38am | 08/11/12

How is that different to when Costello did the same but released it as a media release Dash?

Take off the blinkers mate, you are going delusional.

Tim says:

02:37pm | 08/11/12

Dash,
so what you’re saying is that you’d be happy if the government took more of your cash than they needed and provided less services?

Yes, I’m sure you wouldn’t be complaining at all if that happened.

TheRealDave says:

03:25pm | 08/11/12

@Simon - mate, come on, you know better than to ask these LNP shill accounts any questions from before 2007.

You’re only hurting yourself with these questions

Dash says:

09:44am | 08/11/12

@Vox - The USA is a significantly more conservative and right wing country than ours! When you talk about the republican movement, you cannot align it to our LNP. And similarly you cannot try to align our left wing ALP with the USA democrats.

The democrats in the US would be more centre right than centre left here! Any one who has been to the US knows that they still have a serious aversion to socialist policy! They are the most capitalist nation on the planet. And arguably the most conservative western nation going around.

Quite frankly, your comparison is rediculous!

Our current ALP government is the most left leaning socialist government in the history of our nation. Gillard, Ferguson, Macklin, Combet, Albanese are all members of the Labor Socialist left! The US democrats are nothing like the Australian ALP! Just as the extreme right Tea Party or the Republican movement are nothing like the LNP.

And just because Gillard plays the victim and squeals sexism every time someone asks a question she doesn’t like, doesn’t make it true!

I doubt the ALP will take credit or solace from the Democrat victory in the USA. In fact, I wish they would return to the centre of Australian politics rather than continue to sit on the extreme left with their Green comrades.

I think you are really drawing a very silly comparison in this post.

One thing the USA do though is celebrate and encourage success. Unfortunately in this country, we put it down and punish it. The Democrats in the US do not formulate policy on the tall poppy syndrome like the ALP and greens do. They actually try to protect the liberty afforded their population to get out and make a better life for them selves.

if you are successful here in Australia, the ALP has a target on your back. Massive difference.

btw - is the HSU and AWU scandal a “good look for the leader of a Democracy”. What about setting up a slush fund for a married boyfriend? Is that a good look?

Joel M-J says:

09:54am | 08/11/12

I’m no Republican. I’m not even conservative. I’m glad Obama won. However, I feel you aren’t entirely correct in saying the USA “absolutely rejected the far right…” Absolutely would entail that there was an overwhelming majority. In reality, it was pretty divided. Almost split down the middle actually. Added to that is the fact that Congress still has a Republican majority. Doesn’t sound absolute to me.

iansand says:

10:55am | 08/11/12

On AM this morning I heard someone who was introduced as a Republican pundit/strategist (I’m sorry, I can’t remember the name) saying that Romney lost because he was too close to the centre and there was insufficient differentiation between Republicans and Democrats.  His plan?  Shift further to the right.  Whether that happens will be interesting but I suspect that it will be a terminal strategy. 

You don’t win by alienating people.  The further to the right you go (and this applies to the left as well) the fewer people there are who can live with your policies.  Power resides in the centre and the centre is a movable concept.  To win you have to capture the centre and take it where you want it to go.

The AM reporter also made the point that at Romney’s concession speech in the audience there was one African American face and one Asian face.  The rest were white, and were mostly male.  In modern America that is a very small base on which to try for power.

andye says:

12:11pm | 08/11/12

@Dash - “The democrats in the US would be more centre right than centre left here! Any one who has been to the US knows that they still have a serious aversion to socialist policy! “

Medicare popular amongst Tea party, Obamacare not. Guess which one is used mostly by the Tea Party demographic?

Sarah Palin’s Alaska makes the oil companies pay every Alaskan thousands of dollars a year. She also initiated a one-off cash payment to every Alaskan one winter to help with heating bills.

“Socialism” seems to be defined as something SOMEONE ELSE is getting. USA voters seem to be similarly confused to many of our voters over what socialist policy actually is.

@Dash - “if you are successful here in Australia, the ALP has a target on your back. Massive difference.”

Even as you are pointing out how you are millions ahead of budget you are whining about how you are being oppressed. Oh dear.

Elphaba says:

12:14pm | 08/11/12

@iansand, all excellent points.  David Speers put it really well this morning - he lost the election on social issues.  In between flip-flopping on abortion (and those appalling comments by d!ckheads like Akin), strong immigration policies which alienated the growing Hispanic community, and strong views on thing like gay marriage (which upset the younger demos), the only people left voting Republican are predominantly white men, and it’s not enough to win an election.

Chris L says:

10:44am | 08/11/12

That’s a good one AFR, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the tween who wrote a scathing email to Universal Studios for plagiarising the idea of werewolves from Stephanie Meyer.

ausspud says:

11:18am | 08/11/12

Yowzer,I for one will welcome her with open arm’s,No matter how stupid she is.

TimB says:

11:34am | 08/11/12

LOL really Chris? You have a link to that?

Stupid kids.

Chris L says:

03:07pm | 08/11/12

@TimB - The original site isn’t loading, which is a shame because the hundreds of comments people posted in response were fun to read.

I did find an article about it.

http://www.examiner.com/article/twilight-fan-accuses-universal-of-plagiarizing-stephanie-meyer-for-the-wolfman

TheRealDave says:

03:28pm | 08/11/12

She’s hot - thats all she needs.

London Calling says:

06:20pm | 08/11/12

‘Perhaps they should send him to New York to report on the real world’

Don’t think his ego would let him go, here he is a big fish in a little pond, there he would be just another little fishy in a big pond.

.