Punch on: Open thread 16/11/2011

acotrel says:

07:16am | 16/11/11

@TimB
You are totally unbelieveable !
‘Cringeworthy’ is more something I’d associate with Tony Abbott !  Do you guys really believe he could represent Australia as Prime Minister ?  That must be the ultimate delusion ! !

TimB says:

07:34am | 16/11/11

Acotrel, we’re talking about accents, not your little man crush.

Run along now.

acotrel says:

08:12am | 16/11/11

@TimB
What was this ? :
‘Eh. It’s no more cringeworthy than hearing Julia herself speak.’

Woman ‘crush’ ? Looks like poison to me !

TimB says:

08:35am | 16/11/11

No Acotrel, it was a discussion about Julia Gillard’s accent as raised by Daniel’s opening post.

Yet again you’ve gone out on a completely unrelated tangent to drag Abbott into the conversation. You are clearly obsessed with the man.

Knemon says:

08:39am | 16/11/11

@ TimB - I agree, the worst Australian accent I have heard is without doubt…Julia Gillard. As for Cameron’s attempt, it was rather lame but I would still rather listen to him than Julia!

AdamC says:

09:18am | 16/11/11

I choose to think Acotrel is secretly normal and his nutcase online persona is just that. The alternative is too horrible to contemplate.

Bill says:

09:20am | 16/11/11

@ Alcotrel - the only thing more cringe-worthy is your pathetic obsession with the opposition leader.

How does it feel worshipping the second worst PM in history?

TimB says:

09:51am | 16/11/11

...I posted a link to some PETA looniness up there too.

Just saying .

Chris L says:

10:11am | 16/11/11

@TimB - Do you consider the effort you linked worse than when Peta protested against Obama for killing a fly?

Mind you, I don’t mind those risque pictures of attractive celebrities saying they’d rather be naked than wear fur. I’d rather they be naked too!

TimB says:

10:26am | 16/11/11

Chris, honestly I consider both to be equally stupid.

Although at least in the Obama case he *actually* killed something. Still it was a freaking fly. Who cares? Grow the hell up PETA.

Lapun says:

10:35am | 16/11/11

Nobody should ever try to imitate our PM’s manner of speech.    It would be impossible. And to call it an accent?  It is the complete delivery that is so bad we all cringe when we hear it.    I never know what she says politically, since at the first sound of the dreadful nasal drawl I rush to turn off Sky news - both sound and vision equally bad,  Even Vanessa Trezise isn’t that bad!

Rev says:

09:50am | 16/11/11

THAT AIN"T LIVIN !!!

I assume that is what your internal monologue is screaming S.L.

Ben C says:

10:00am | 16/11/11

@ S.L

Should give you some peace and quiet to cast a few lines yourself. Maybe use the cork and line for old times sake

neo says:

11:31am | 16/11/11

Cork and line - classic! I have caught a few fishies with those as a kid, topped with a sinker I made myself by melting and shaping some lead from old car batteries.Bear Grylls has nothing on me!

ausspud says:

12:29pm | 16/11/11

@S.L
You should be grateful,Fishing is a bore.

iansand says:

06:13am | 16/11/11

Ummm, Timmy.  I know you were probably still in kindy (if not in utero) when it happened, but that is straight out of His Deityism John Howard’s playbook when the GST was introduced.

TimB says:

07:01am | 16/11/11

Oh how hilarious. Another crack at my age. You truly are the comic genius of our times iansand.

And one would think a straight 10% that had to be shown on a reciept or invoice would be quite easy to keep track of, especially considering that the figures already had to be reported for taxation purposes. It was quite clearly shown how much a price was inflated.

So now businesses are supposed to accurately keep track of it on behalf of the government, despite the vast differences between this and the GST. A hidden charge, that compounds through every element of the supply chain.
But facts have never stopped you guys from erroneously comparing the carbon tax to the GST before, so why should they stop you now?

BTW as the link points out, it’s rather stupid for a policy that is (according to you and everyone else who supports this stupidity), designed to change behaviour. Surely the government should be *encouraging* this sort of thing. This is about emission reduction right? Not a cash grab?

It’s sad that iansand lacks the intelligence to see through the government’s highly transparent move.

Adam Diver says:

07:29am | 16/11/11

@ Timb, your ignorance is astounding.

Don’t you know if Horward sets a precedent, that was attacked ad nauseum by the ALP, then its OK for the ALP to act in the same manner when in power. And before you say anything its not hypocrisy, when the ALP do it, just because.

Blind Freddy says:

07:33am | 16/11/11

@timB
I wouldn’t question your age- but you did post recently that you didn’t pay attention to politics until 2007. Green and wet are two words that spring to mind.

TimB says:

08:14am | 16/11/11

So what Freddy?

Does that preclude me from knowing anything at all of that period? Does that preclude me from doing a bit of reading and catching up on some political history?

I would wager that you weren’t around for World War I. But I wouldn’t dare presume you have didn’t have any knowledge of the conflict simply because of that.

At the end of the day, the GST was a set percentage that was clearly shown on reciepts and invoices. Perfectly above board.

The carbon tax component of costs will be a fluctuating amount that is hidden. The government wants it to *stay* hidden, to keep it from pissing off voters. Threatening business with fines if they raise prices *without* keeping meticulously accurate carbon records (impossible the way this tax is designed) is simply a means to that end.

acotrel says:

08:17am | 16/11/11

@Blind Freddy
’ Green and wet are two words that spring to mind. ‘

And not the brightest light bulb in the supermarket ! Sharp as a bowling ball ?

AdamC says:

08:27am | 16/11/11

TimB, you are right, of course. As usual, the comparison to the GST is irrelevant and spurious.

Speaking of which, while I am reluctant to make particular Punchers (rather than the issues) the topic for discussion, is it just me or has the Punch’s resident smarty pants, Ian Sand, kind of lost his mojo of late? That last comment, above, was his worst yet, and he’s been off the boil for a while.

iansand says:

08:54am | 16/11/11

TimmyB - I will stop making cracks about your age when I stop laughing at your extraordinary naivete.  Believe me,  my assumption that the naivete relates to your age are a lot politer than the alternative.

Tim says:

08:59am | 16/11/11

Politics Is all about hypocrisy.

TimB says:

09:41am | 16/11/11

Believe me Adam, this hasn’t been iansands worst offense. He posted something paticularly nasty towards another Puncher a few months back. To this day I’m still suprised he’s able to talk around the foot in his mouth.

As for you iansand:

“TimmyB - I will stop making cracks about your age when I stop laughing at your extraordinary naivete. “

No, you’ll do it when your brain finally manges to spit out something you consider to be ‘new and amusing’. Keep thinking. I’m sure you’ll come up with something eventually. Maybe it will be another variation on my name. I’m all aquiver with anticipation.

In the meantime, you can continue to substitue age cracks for a solid argument, and I’ll keep pointing out how sad and clueless you are. It’ll be fun.

Obs says:

11:19am | 16/11/11

TimB
Your age is apparent in your posts and you didn’t even need to say you were a young un. It’s pretty obvious in your puerile naive comments. Every comment of yours is an echo of Abbott and the right wing conservatives.
When you grow up, you will be able to form opinions based on their merit.

AdamC says:

03:10pm | 16/11/11

TimB, I must have missed that one of Mr Sand’s.

For what it’s worth, I can’t say I have noticed any glaring youthful naivetee in your comments. Not to mention, if you are going to ad hominem someone, you would think you would find a better basis than their age, whether they are young or old.

iansand says:

05:56pm | 16/11/11

As I said, AdamC, age is the charitable explanation.

A more rational approach to the story that got little TimmyB excited is here http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/carbon-tax-not-a-licence-to-profiteer-warns-accc-20111115-1nh72.html

Mark G says:

07:11am | 16/11/11

I dont get this article. Isn’t it all just free money?

Elphaba says:

09:02am | 16/11/11

Tell me about it.  I remember reading not long ago that Australia had about $3K of debt for every person.  That’s scary.  Maybe this does represent a change.

Chris L says:

01:21pm | 16/11/11

I think the most outrageous thing about the impersonation was the suggestion by some journos that we should be outraged by it. How precious is our country becoming?

neo says:

03:03pm | 16/11/11

Exactly! If we want to get away with our traditional non-PC jokes, we should cop them too!

TimB says:

08:16am | 16/11/11

Is that a racist jibe I see coming from Acotrel?

I believe it is.

jf says:

06:36pm | 16/11/11

TimB says:09:16am | 16/11/11

Following on from his sexism yesterday.

Imagine what he would have to say of a German woman.

fairsfair says:

09:12am | 16/11/11

I see you’ve played knifey-spooney before.

TheRealDave says:

09:19am | 16/11/11

After watchign season 1 of Lost…no…I think thats how seppos think we actually speak….

*shudder*

TimB says:

10:50am | 16/11/11

Yay, Fairs is back.

We thought you’d run off with Dash.

Ben C says:

11:05am | 16/11/11

@ ibast

Any American attempt at the Australian accent is pretty ordinary, doesn’t matter who it’s from. The Simpsons version I would agree is pretty deliberately bad, but even if they tried I don’t think it’d be much of an improvement.

@ fairsfair

How was your mini-break from Punchland? How’s your fitness regime going?

fairsfair says:

11:42am | 16/11/11

Hi all, I’ve been reading here and there, but cut off my punch addiction bigtime.

Fitness regime is chugging along. I competed in the Port Douglas Marathon at the weekend (only the 5km run) and really enjoyed it. Have decided I will attempt the 10km if not the half marathon next year. Will see how I go. The race begins during a solar eclipse, so it looks to be quite special.

I am an aunty again too - yay! Another neice. Both my names have been stolen though, so I am currently swallowing the rage associated with that and being happy about that. They did get in first with the whole making babies component of it all, so I can’t really talk I suppose.

Hows everyone else? I haven’t read the open thread in a while…

ausspud says:

12:12pm | 16/11/11

Damn it Fairsfair’s back.
Now I have start wearing pants pants again when i’m on the punch

nossy says:

12:47pm | 16/11/11

@fairsfair all good FF - only commented a few days back that I hadnt seen you posting anything - a break sometimes is good - the usual argy bargy going on - mine is bigger than yours etc hahah anyway glad to see you Punching away again. Dont know where Dash is?

Ben C says:

12:57pm | 16/11/11

@ nossy

Dash mentioned last week (Tuesday I think) that he was retiring from the Punch. I reckon a fair level of disillusionment set in and he lost all motivation to stay on. I hope he comes back though.

nossy says:

01:05pm | 16/11/11

@Ben C yes I hope he does too Ben - he was a strong critic of the Gillard goverment and in our great deomcracy thats good - keeps the bastards honest - come back Dash!

Elphaba says:

01:10pm | 16/11/11

@ausspud, nah, leave ‘em off.  I’m not wearing any either.

Hey fairs! *waves*

Knemon says:

03:05pm | 16/11/11

@ BenC - Many Americans I’ve met say the same about Aussie actors trying to talk like an American, I think it is the vowels and ‘R’ that we Aussies struggle with. Hugh Jackman is a good example.

Ben C says:

04:26pm | 16/11/11

@ Knemon

To me, the only Australian actors that have really mastered the American accent are Anthony LaPaglia and Simon Baker. Mind you, they’ve spent that long speaking with such an accent that they talk like that normally.

acotrel says:

09:38am | 16/11/11

@jg
‘That was pretty funny actually, but not even close to the moronic nasal whine we get from our PM.’

How does the Queen sound to you ? Isn’t Julia actually Welsh or some other kind of Pommie?  She was probably brought up in a household where they spoke a foreign language, hence the strange accent.

TimB says:

02:06pm | 16/11/11

“She was probably brought up in a household where they spoke a foreign language, hence the strange accent. “

Ah I see. Julia’s from overseas, so she gets a pass in Acotrel’s book. But Eric Abetz in same situation is someone for Acotrel attacked on the basis of his nationality.

Your double standards and blatant racism disgust me Acotrel.

TimB says:

09:42am | 16/11/11

They had a point?

gobsmack says:

09:50am | 16/11/11

@TimB
Google “goldman sachs greece debt” and you may find an example of the point being made.

Mark G says:

09:53am | 16/11/11

Made their point? What point would that be

And that’s the problem. The have raised some issues with our capitalistic society but their has never been a coherent point. It will not just go away because you cant make a point that doesn’t exist. The whole protest has become about simply testing the boundaries of their right to protest or have a whinge without police interference. It’s no longer about capitalism. It’s about anti-authority. If it was still about protesting corporate greed they would protest in the city, go home at night and come back the next day to continue the protest. The laws that the police are using to move them on are easily circumvented by legitimate protestors but these people are not about the protest. They are about making the police arrest them so they can say “see, see the brutal authorities are repressing my freedom of speech”. The only thing the police are stopping them doing is camping out in public places that were not designed for camping. They are removing them from areas that are designed as ‘Public spaces’. This means everyone (not just protestors) has access to these areas. They are stopping them from destroying public property. All these issues can be resolved (whilst allowing them to get their protest point across) if they didn’t camp, didn’t destroy property and didn’t obstruct public access but that’s not what this is about. This is actually about making the police forcibly remove them because that’s the trendy leftist thing to get done to you. If the police will not stop them then what is the point in protesting, it actually undermines their anarchist conspiracy theories.

Mark G says:

10:00am | 16/11/11

The protestors in America have also lost in court. A New York judge ruled against them. They are not legally allowed to Occupy New York. They can only protest their as well. You have freedom of speech, not freedom of occupation.

Ben C says:

10:53am | 16/11/11

@ gobsmack

I would argue that the publicity the Occupiers might get this time around would not be favourable - the fact that they haven’t gotten anywhere with their action would indicate that they have wasted their time, and are starting to waste everyone else’s too.

gobsmack says:

11:13am | 16/11/11

@Ben C
You might be right there.
I think any protest is essentially an exercise in marketing.  The tactics of the occupiers (if in fact they had thought out any tactics) have been woeful.

ausspud says:

12:16pm | 16/11/11

All 5 occupiers in have become so confused as to why they are there all they do is play chess.

neo says:

03:09pm | 16/11/11

I think the urgent need of a more equal distribution of wealth in the world is a pretty clear point, exactly which part of it confuses some of you?

TimB says:

03:28pm | 16/11/11

Neo, “Gimme” is not a point. It’s a demand. And a childish one at that.

Ben C says:

04:32pm | 16/11/11

@ neo

Equal distribution of wealth? And who do you propose should play Robin Hood?

nossy says:

12:43pm | 16/11/11

@Damian Parkhill   hang in there Damian - all good fella.

ibast says:

02:58pm | 16/11/11

I was starting to develop that.  It was yet another sign I was putting on too much weight.  Lost a few kilos now and I am sleeping better.

Knemon says:

10:22am | 16/11/11

@ nossy - I can’t ever remember you getting so excited over the arrival of a visiting dignitary…I’ve already raised the ‘stars & stripes’ on my backyard flagpole and I invited Mr Obama around for a couple of ‘frothies’ and BBQ, sadly he was unable to make it….I note that ‘Bomber Beasley’ is also in town (not sure why), no free beer for Kim though, I couldn’t afford that.

Barack and Julia do make a lovely couple; I would love to be joining them for dinner tonight, though my invitation seems to have gone astray!

TimB says:

10:28am | 16/11/11

Didn’t you see him gearing up to kiss Queen Liz’s butt the other month Knemon?

nossy says:

11:29am | 16/11/11

@Knemon I just wish he was staying longer Knemon and at least spending a day on the Gold Coast - a nice pic with the Prez having a beach run with nossy would be great publicity - for the Prez that is!  hahahah No I go way back to 1966 with LBJ’s visit to Australia when Daddy took us down to Sydney to see the Motorcade - magic stuff Knemon. Since then have been to the US a number of times and it remains my favourite holiday destination - such a diverse counrty. Welcome Mr President!
P.S. I read that blaspheming statement about QE2 Tim!  hahah

Sensiblity says:

11:30am | 16/11/11

I remember his gearing up to kiss the queens butt, but was blocked by Abbott who was firmly ensconced and gushing between the royal cheeks.

Mark G says:

10:20am | 16/11/11

Yeah that is a storm in a tea cup. The rocket had nothing to do with him nor was it anywhere near him. I served if Afghan for 6 months in Kandahar. We were getting rocketed once every three days (this increased to almost every day during the fighting season). These are random attacks not directed at specific people. This was nothing more than a routine attack. Shit does happen. The war doesn’t stop for tony, nor does it intensify.

The only thing I would say is that this is sensationalist style misreporting more so than and actual claim by Abbott.

iansand says:

10:34am | 16/11/11

What puzzled me is that, when the work experience kid suited up in the bomb disposal stuff, the sound grab for the effect that a carbon tax would have on bomb makers went missing.  I suppose that sort of thing happens in war zones.

gobsmack says:

10:35am | 16/11/11

Now be fair.  Mr Abbott was inspired enough to announce his first policy (or at least consider adopting it) namely overturning the ban on the berets.  One soldier informed a reporter there that if Mr Abbott did that, he would get the votes of a lot of the diggers there.  Of course, that wasn’t on Mr Abbott’s mind when making the announcement.

neo says:

03:14pm | 16/11/11

The beret ban IS pretty ridiculous though.

gobsmack says:

03:54pm | 16/11/11

@Neo
Yes, the beret ban may be ridiculous (my understanding is that it was introduced for OH&S reasons).  I’m a bit concerned that some of our troops think that it is the basis for deciding who should govern our country.

neo says:

05:06pm | 16/11/11

Hah, what, as opposed to the majority of the population electing Kevin Rudd because he danced with Kerri-Anne?

Mark G says:

11:12am | 16/11/11

Uuuumm Palone. He made the shit happens comment to an American general while surrounded by several Australian Soldiers. They all agreed with the statement. There was nothing disrespectful about it. It was fact. I have served over there myself and I also agree ‘shit happens’. It was the media that took offense to that statement not the soldiers and not the US.

TimB says:

12:17pm | 16/11/11

What’s to discuss? It’s terrible. End of story.

ausspud says:

12:23pm | 16/11/11

Twilight sucks,End discussion.

ibast says:

12:48pm | 16/11/11

If they condensed all of the films into one 90 minute movie it might make movie of escapist trash, but that’s about it.

But who can really understand the mind of a teenage girl?  Dog even they can’t.

Chris L says:

01:12pm | 16/11/11

I wrote a piece of fan fiction titled “Blade vs Twilight”. Is was only one sentence long.

neo says:

01:52pm | 16/11/11

Hahaha, Chris, I hope they make a film from your script. It would be extremely satisfying to see Blade hack those pussy vampires to bits.

30 Days of Night is probably the most accurate representation of the classical vampire - a savage beast with an insatiable thirst for human blood.

Mark G says:

02:26pm | 16/11/11

Neo,

“30 Days of Night is probably the most accurate representation of the classical vampire - a savage beast with an insatiable thirst for human blood.”

Yeah exactly. The question I always ask myself is when did Witches, Vampires, Werewolves and even pirates become the good guys. They used to be known as murdering, blood thirsty monsters. When did they all become such pussies?

Anubis says:

01:03pm | 16/11/11

But Wilma - that is a visual representation of the Puncher @Nossy and his mate Gavin on their daily “run” on the beaches of the Gold Coast (although Nossy denies it)

Seriously - that is a telling example of the sub-standard quality of the advertising “genius” in Australia.

Ben C says:

02:29pm | 16/11/11

I have no idea how you can juggle three different games at once Shen, I have enough trouble finishing one game within three months!

nossy says:

04:11pm | 16/11/11

@Knemon   I think Dash has the brains to realise Abbott is a lameduck Knemon totally untrusted by the voting Australian Public hence his 57% dissatisfaction rating when he should be at his most popular - its only time before Tones is history.

Knemon says:

03:18pm | 16/11/11

QE2 is a foreign head of state and yet she is also our head of state…go figure…we may as well have Mr Obama as our head of state, he has more at stake here than our current HOS.

neo says:

03:19pm | 16/11/11

Nothing to do with foreign heads of state. The Queen is Australia’s head of state, and the tradition is for female subjects of the Queen to curtsy to her. A simple curtsy would have shown well deserved respect, and I really see no reason for Gillard to avoid it.

neo says:

03:31pm | 16/11/11

Well, Venice will be submerged soon enough.