Punch on: Open thread 27/10/2011

jay-ded says:

06:42am | 27/10/11

He gets all the pubs and clubs on his side.  Not quite as much as labor gets from the unions, but they do have some heavy money behind them.

acotrel says:

07:31am | 27/10/11

@jay-ded
’ Not quite as much as labor gets from the unions’

Do you guys have to put a spin on every single issue ?  How about facing up for the truth for once ? Can you really claim that Abbott is acting in the interests of our community, when he does this sort of thing ?

mick says:

07:34am | 27/10/11

What Abbott gets out of it is the same as he gets out of handing back Australian money for mining taxes -  financial support for his re-election I dare say.  I mean what other fair minded Australian would think it fair that 81% of the money generated from Australian minerals should go straight into the pockets of overseas investors.  Answer….Tony Abbott and his bunch of no policy, no morals thugs.  Unfortunately the snow job done on voters has been so good and so complete that the line of the world falling in has been bought and it looks very likely that Australians will shoot themselves in both feet and vote in the big business owned Liberal Party. 
So enjoy the ride guys.  We’ll all be paying the real price when this happens.  No point complaining when you’re being worked over then.

acotrel says:

07:34am | 27/10/11

A unionist paying money into a union, and indirectly supporting the labor party, is not quite the same thing as a lobby paying big dollars to a party, so they can continue to exploit the addictions of the vulnerable !

iansand says:

07:36am | 27/10/11

I don’t get the campaign.

There are problem gamblers - tick
They spend more than they can afford on the pokies - tick
Their families suffer because of the addiction - tick

The clubs are against restrictions that stop the families suffering because of the addiction - tick
They do this on the basis that community services will be cut - tick.

Does this mean that the community services are only provided at the expense of the cost to families of problem gamblers?  That we exploit a small percentage of addicts to fund stuff for the rest of the community?

I’m sorry, I have lost my moral compass and am not sure which way I’m facing.

Tim says:

07:48am | 27/10/11

He gets the support of people who are against the nanny state.

AdamC says:

08:09am | 27/10/11

What Tim said.

Honestly, do you see everything as a secret (yet, strangely, obvious at the same time) conspiracy, acotrel?

Knemon says:

08:14am | 27/10/11

Abbott’s stance actually helps Gillard. Wilkie had been threatening that his support for the ALP will come down to pokies reform, Wilkie is now caught between a rock and a hard place, he can’t back Abbott’s stance, so Gillard can now water down the reform and there’s not much Wilkie can do or say.

Tim says:

08:18am | 27/10/11

Iansand,
no the clubs aren’t against restrictions that stop the families suffering because of the addiction.
They are against these specific restrictions because they won’t just affect problem gamblers, they will affect casual gamblers as well.

The clubs should offer more support to problem gamblers and the government should look at targetted measures to stop these people making extremely poor decisions. But you can only take a horse to water…....

Anna C says:

08:37am | 27/10/11

acotrel, I don’t know if you’ve heard but there is a concept known as ‘freedom of choice’ in our society. Adults are free to make choices about their lives including making bad ones such as choosing to drink to excess, smoking, eating fatty foods, taking drugs, gambling etc. No one is holding a gun to their head.

What next, are we going to pass legislation to ensure that everyone washes their hands after they go to the toilet to stop them passing on infections/bugs to others?  I mean where does it end? When are people going to take responsibility for their own actions (including stupid ones)? We shouldn’t need to legislate against everything. People need to grow up. It’s called being an adult.

TimB says:

08:44am | 27/10/11

That’s silly Knemon.

What’s Tony’s alternative (politically speaking) ? Back the reforms? That gives Gillard a free pass.

If Gillard ‘waters down’ the reforms, then Wilkie still doesn’t get what he wants. We then find out if his ultimatum is an empty threat or not.
With Abbott opposing the reform, there’s still a chance Gillard could be dropped by Wilkie. With his support however,  there’s zero chance. So it doesn’t really work out better for Gillard at all.

Ghost says:

08:45am | 27/10/11

LMAO at acotrel complaining someone else puts a spin on everything!

Knemon says:

09:14am | 27/10/11

@ TimB – “With Abbott opposing the reform, there’s still a chance Gillard could be dropped by Wilkie”

Two chances actually…Buckley’s and none.

Michael says:

09:41am | 27/10/11

I think Knemon has this one.

Also, Abbott has made it very clear through his actions he would rather have opposition than a minority government, no deals with Indi’s or Greens or the Government.

Economist says:

10:27am | 27/10/11

Seems no one understands what’s being proposed and no one can read a comprehensive Productivity Commission report. Is mandatory pre-commitment going to stop all problem gambling? No. But does it work? Yes, overseas evidence, Nova Scotia, Norway, according to PC report, indicates it reduces prevalence of problem gambling with gaming machines, but it does not eliminate the problem.

Are the proposed changes going to destroy pubs and clubs, No. Not one single poker machine will need to be removed. Software amendments to set spin rates to a maximum of $1 may be required and technology for high impact rolled out. High impact machines (more than $1 a spin) will require a card to access.

Is what is being proposed limiting our freedoms , No? You still have the freedom to gamble using low impact machines or obtain a card to access high impact machines.

Why target poker machines? Because 86% of problem gambling is associated with them.

iansand says:

10:32am | 27/10/11

@Tim - I get that.  But why are they running the campaign on the basis of potential reductions in community services?  If ANY way of dealing with problem gamblers succeeds the revenue drops and the services are reduced.  That aspect of the campaign is saying “We need the revenue from problem gamblers to maintain these services to the rest of you”.  That is what I don’t get.  It makes their claimed desire to deal with the problem look a little hollow.

acotrel says:

11:17am | 27/10/11

@iansand
‘I’m sorry, I have lost my moral compass and am not sure which way I’m facing. ‘

Some of us don’t have that problem, so support the labor party !

acotrel says:

11:22am | 27/10/11

@AdamC
‘Honestly, do you see everything as a secret (yet, strangely, obvious at the same time) conspiracy, acotrel? ‘

That comment won’t divert attention away from Abbott’s cynicsm, and the fact that he is easily bought.
I wonder what Tim Costello thinks about this matter ?

acotrel says:

11:30am | 27/10/11

@AnnaC
‘Freedom of choice’ ?  Let’s have a law which ensures that poker machines are run off short term random numbers ?  Then they might be fair instead of being manipulated, and ‘pumped’ ? Let’s have a law that the money taken is directly taxed and a percentage returned directly to the local council of the area in which the venue resides ?
Let’s CHOOSE to do THAT - instead of supporting a few drunken footy followers, and their overlords?

AdamC says:

12:05pm | 27/10/11

Acotrel, it is not cynical to oppose something you disagree with.

And, given he is stridently anti-gambling, I suspect Tim Costello would be critical of Abbott’s stance. (Though why on earth Tim Costello is relevant to this is beyond me.)

Economist, of course the pokies restrictions limit gamblers’ freedom. That is their intention. The argument is that the slight curb on freedom, the ‘licence to punt’, is justified due to the supposed benefits of the policy, that is, the expected reductions in problem gamblers’ losses.

iansand says:

12:32pm | 27/10/11

Cathy Wilcox made my point more elegantly in her cartoon today http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/cathy-wilcox-20090909-fhd6.html

Anubis says:

12:37pm | 27/10/11

Easy solution to the pokies problem. Remove the note feeders from the pokies, limit bet size to $1 per spin maximum and make all machines either 10c or 20c machines, requiring all players to feed the coins in as they go. May not stop them but it will sure slow them down. Also, an immediate freeze on the number of pokies in Australia (we currently have 20% of the world’s poker machines - NSW has half of these these stats were bandied about on TV last night). Then set in place policies to reduce the number of machines over time. Pubs and clubs survived before the advent of pokies, they will survive after their demise, it will just mean that they will have to be creative about providing services and events that appeal to the public.

Tim says:

12:44pm | 27/10/11

Iansand,
no what they are saying is they need the money from casual gamblers to fund their services.
Removing the amount that problem gamblers put through the pokies will cause a large dent in their revenues but I don’t think anyone wants to see problem gamblers cause harm to their families.

I’ve said it before that clubs who breach their restrictions with regards to problem gamblers should be punished severely. Clubs should also do a lot more to help people who are problem gamblers or who are in danger of becoming one.
But a catch all solution like this is removing freedoms because of a minority of people with no self control.

Economist, we’ve had this discussion and I disagree.
If we limited alcohol sales to two open beers a day, I’m sure all alcohol violence would stop overnight.
If we limited the sale of all fatty or sugary foods, then obesity rates would fall.

We don’t because people should be able to decide for themselves. That’s what freedom is all about.

ando says:

01:30pm | 27/10/11

As Abbot said, if its such a good idea why doesn’t everyone have to sign a pre commitment to bet on the Horses or enter a casino

Economist says:

02:04pm | 27/10/11

@Tim, Yes on this issue we have our differences and I respect your position, but from my personal point of view I just don’t see what the big deal is with the reforms as currently proposed. When the taxes were increased in the 70s and 80s clubs cried foul that it would be the end of their industry, the same with smoking indoor bans, did it impact on the viability of the industry? No.

Your examples are a little missed placedi.e. with the two beer limit etc. The proposed reforms as they currently stand are not saying you can only spend $100 bucks at the pokies. Using one of your examples it’s more akin to not serving you alcohol once you’re intoxicated.  Of course there are still ways around it by getting mates to buy you a beer etc. But eventually you’d probably get kicked out of the pub in case the inspectors came around.

Like you I enjoy the pokies, taking a limit with the expectation that I’ll lose the money while I have a few beers with some mates, but I also have family members whose lives have been destroyed. Hence I’m for it. But it would seem to me that there is an expectation that this reform will have no impact, that problem gamblers will get around it, that problem gamblers will still exist? Well of course there will be some, but it’s about getting a reasonable balance between the stakeholders. There’s also some pretty obvious evidence about the problem. WA has a problem gambler rate of 0.7, a third of Victoria’s rate and half of ACT, NSW, QLD.  So they still have problem gamblers but it ain;t as prevalent. The fact is that clubs are simply rent seeking with their campaign because they know that there revenues will fall, but instead of taking a cut in their directors fees etc. They’ll simply deny the, on average 2.7%, they give back to the community. They’re so generous aren’t they?

iansand says:

02:58pm | 27/10/11

Tim - How will the proposed reforms hinder casual gamblers?

iansand says:

07:54am | 27/10/11

Fox - owned by News Ltd
News.com - owned by News Ltd

Next question.  The Age and SMH share articles.  Guess what - Fairfax owns them both.  Etc.  Etc.

And Apple do have a nerve.

missed a basic point says:

07:59am | 27/10/11

Fox news and Ltd. News are part of the same company. It’s called sharing content.

Ghost says:

08:48am | 27/10/11

Umm yes kids, I appreciate they are the same company.  I am talking about no reference to the original author and their work.  Sorry it got too highbrow for you (inserts crayon back in brain).

missed a basic point says:

09:18am | 27/10/11

If we are kids, you are an infant.
newscore says it all.
It’s fluff, it’s infotainment for the brain dead.
I can see why you were attracted to it to begin with.

Sharpen your crayon.

SimonFromLakemba says:

10:33am | 27/10/11

Media watch did mention this on Monday nights show actauuly and it had to do with News Ltd

I guess it is content sharing between companies, but it could even be a Fox News problem, could a freelance reporter orginally wrote the piece?

Ghost says:

11:01am | 27/10/11

Thanks for your input Simon.

‘missed a basic point’ seems to have missed the basic point, TWICE now!

Resulting feeble insults to justify his own importance and clearly support his view.

TimB says:

11:41am | 27/10/11

No suprise there Ghost. I’m fairly certain that ‘missed the basic point’ is Badger, who has a habit of missing (or ignoring) basic points.

missed a basic point says:

11:51am | 27/10/11

The only things that’s feeble is your attempt to alter your original comment and disguise your stupidity.

Ben C says:

12:30pm | 27/10/11

@ TimB

I’ll just stick with missing the point. Ignoring the point would mean that Badger is smart enough to see the point in the first place.

TimB says:

12:38pm | 27/10/11

As opposed to altering one’s own screen name in an attempt to disguise stupidity of course…

TimB says:

08:27am | 27/10/11

But there was no court case. Iansand said so. And he’s a lawer and stuff (kind of) so he must have been right.

Wonder why the NAB are dropping a non-existent court case. The mysteries of life.

iansand says:

10:35am | 27/10/11

It was pretty obvious that TimB had no idea.  Now he has proved it.

There is a minor difference between “no notice” and “no court case”.  Perhaps your debating coach will explain it.

TimB says:

11:21am | 27/10/11

And iansand proves he still has no grasp of basic logic.

Seeing as we have established that the court case did indeed take place and wasn’t a mere figment of a journo’s imagination ( I assume from your latest post that you agree with this fact), then we must ask *why* there is a court case at all.

If, as you asserted, that the renters in question were given notice, then there is absolutely *zero* reason for this court case to have taken place at all. The entire point of the court case centres around the fact that the NAB did *not* want to give them notice.

Thus we can logically conclude from the fact that the existence of said court case , that the renters did *not* in fact recieve the notice that you claim they must have.

Your assumption was false, you were wrong, and yet another of iansand’s attempts to be a smart ass fails spectacularly.

Have a nice day iansand.

iansand says:

12:34pm | 27/10/11

Oh dear.

Tim says:

08:20am | 27/10/11

After a big Saturday night, easy would be the last way I’d describe Sunday morning.

Kirsty says:

10:12am | 27/10/11

Good point, how quickly I forget.

nossy says:

08:40am | 27/10/11

@jay-ded   yes I saw that jay-ded and couldnt make head or tail of it - someone is trying to either get attention or send a message - but what?

jay-ded says:

10:14am | 27/10/11

The comments below the article are an entire crack-up.

Ben C says:

08:54am | 27/10/11

That’s because iPhone users can’t work out how to access anything other than through an app on their iPhone. The app simplifies the whole process for them so they don’t have to think.

Users of Android and other systems are able to think of ways to get around the lack of an app.

Now, I’ll just sit back and wait for all the iFans to start slinging their arrows in my direction

Elphaba says:

09:29am | 27/10/11

@Ben C, so you’d recommend Android over iPhone?  I’m curious to hear both sides of the argument, as I’m due for a new phone soon-ish…

Orange says:

10:31am | 27/10/11

I’d recommend anything that isn’t made by Apple.

Ben C says:

10:53am | 27/10/11

@ Elphaba

I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend one over the other, especially since my next phone is going to be running Windows - I’m due for a new phone myself.

Android’s advantage is the wider range of phones that run the system (not hard when you’re competitor has only one phone). Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC, Motorola - pretty much everyone apart from Apple, Blackberry and Nokia have phones running Android.

If cost is something to consider, go with Android - you can get some on cheaper plans than the cheapest iPhone plan, or if buying outright, I’ve seen Android phones around 60% of the price of an iPhone running similar specs. If you’re a heavy user of your phone, and you’re on a higher cost plan already, there’s no real difference between either.

Apps-wise, they’re pretty much level. If an app has been released for the iPhone, expect it to be available for Android at most two weeks later. Apps these days are normally developed simultaneously to cater for both systems.

If you go with iPhone, check that they’ve fixed their antenna problem - when the first iPhone 4 came out, you could cut off reception during a phone call just by shifting your finger to the top of the phone. Also, the screen is particularly fragile - I saw an iPhone 4 last week that looked like it had copped a sledgehammer. When I queried its owner, she said that she dropped it about 30 cm. To put this into context, I’ve dropped my Nokia N97 from my ear (I stand at 170 cm) and it’s still working and in one piece to this day (niggling memory issues notwithstanding).

In summary - forget the software, they’re pretty much the same. Look more closely at the hardware.

JuzzyD says:

11:09am | 27/10/11

iPhone is fantastic. That is if you don’t want control of your voice, and want to do what Apple tells you in a closed heavily moderated environment.

If customisation is your thing though, you can’t go past android. There’s so much you can get into, right down to a level of trying out custom kernels that optimise for performance or stability or battery life etc. You can control how it looks (Yes, beyond changing your wall paper.), how it acts and set it up to look however you so please. I’m thinking about upgrading from my Desire to a Nexus S. I can’t justify the coin to go Galaxy Nexus, as much as I would like to.

Anubis says:

11:20am | 27/10/11

@ Elphaba - I have an Android phone and did (for a while) use an Apple iPhone (borrowed form my daughter. I find the Android phone far more user friendly and it has a replaceable battery (something which Apple do not have in their phones). If the battery in your iPhone dies, you can’t just pop it out and put a new one in, you are required to get an Apple technician to fit the new one, at considerable unnecessary expense.

The Android is aklso much more customisable than the Apple offering.

Elphaba says:

01:03pm | 27/10/11

@Ben C, et al - thanks.  You’ve confirmed pretty much what I suspected.

Now if there was a Nokia out there that would run Android I’d be a happy camper.

Ben C says:

01:23pm | 27/10/11

@ Elphaba

Out of luck there, Nokia’s new releases will be running Windows. Unless you go and get the N9 that’s out right now, that is using Meego (i have no idea how it runs, but it should be better than Symbian).

Elphaba says:

01:41pm | 27/10/11

@Ben C, no phone yet, still running out the old one.  Although Vodafone asked a couple of times did I want to upgrade mid-contract, but the money is better off in my pocket.

Better to get it free on plan…

fairsfair says:

02:00pm | 27/10/11

Elph. I’m like you - I resisted the smartphone for ages (I looked down at them, and those who had them, I only need one that makes calls and texts I said). But then it died, and I could not find one that wasn’t a smartphone that was relatively easy to use and not $29.

I was considering the Samsung Galaxy on a plan, but then I realised that I did not want to pay $1000 for a stupid mobile phone (even if it was over two years) and only $20 a month like the Telstra girl said about a million times due to the credits/talktime/wowsery. Smallprint, its a grand.

So, I invested $180 and bought HTC Wildfire. It had already been superseeded by the Wildfire S (which runs the same version of android anyway), and I love it. My IPhone friends have scoffed and reviewed and confirmed that it does the exact same thing as their phone.

Its very easy to text on, it has really good reception, runs facebook quite well and I am really happy with it because I don’t need to be looking at emails etc on my phone and I am in no way interested in apps and playing games on it.

So overall, I would recommend the el cheapo HTC Wildfire.

Elphaba says:

02:10pm | 27/10/11

@fairs, I’ve heard good things about the Wildfire actually (I coveted it when it first came out, but as already committed to another) - thanks.  I will keep an eye out for that one.

The other one I considered was the N7 (I think), but just because I’ve always had a Nokia phone and like them.

Tim says:

02:15pm | 27/10/11

Go Android,
I’ve got one of the new HTC Desires and it’s great.
The only thing I would like is better battery power but that’s pretty much standard for smartphones.

JuzzyD says:

02:47pm | 27/10/11

Caution with the Wildfire or other similar low end phones. The market lets you specify a screen density when you publish an app. The wildfire is a LDPI device. Many apps will not run on the Wildfire that will run on phones costing only an extra $100 or so.

fairsfair says:

02:48pm | 27/10/11

I’ve always had Nokias too, and would still have, if the dog had not kicked sand all over it and ruined it…. *cries*

But as a diehard Nokia fan, HTC is pretty well on par. Prior to the death of the old faithful, I had got myself planned up on the N62 and retired her to the cupboard as backup - N62 looked like a normal phone but was a smartphone. It was horrid. Froze all the time and I ended up getting the contact cancelled due to its crappiness. Really put me off new Nokia - it was replaced three times and each handset did the same thing.

Elphaba says:

03:46pm | 27/10/11

@fairs, I had the same problem with a Nokia slide phone - screen failed 3 times and I eventually ended up getting the contract cancelled.  The current one is an E71.  It’s ok actually, I’m wondering whether I need to upgrade or not.  I can email and FB on it, plus the usual - not sure if it’s necessary to get a new one…

Tim says:

04:26pm | 27/10/11

I’ve only ever had Nokia’s until I had to switch to the HTC this year because there weren’t any suitable Nokia’s on the market.
I’d watch out with the N7 but because it runs the Symbian OS.
I don’t think there are many phones running Symbian which means only a few apps and is likely to be dead shortly.
Hasn’t Nokia also signed on to run the Windows phone OS as well?

Elphaba says:

09:01am | 27/10/11

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5513mXmQbw4

TimB says:

09:02am | 27/10/11

*glare*

boggles says:

09:20am | 27/10/11

climate change

SimonFromLakemba says:

10:42am | 27/10/11

@Elphaba

HAHAHAHA..Thought of the same thing, ‘Hoochie Mama’ also springs ot mind!

Ben C says:

11:08am | 27/10/11

I’ve got Daryl Kerrigan in my head now.

“How’s the serenity?”

nossy says:

12:00pm | 27/10/11

@TimB well Tim that is the last time I cheat off you fella - you are on your own from here on!  hahahahahhhhhhh

TimB says:

12:31pm | 27/10/11

Serves you right Nossy! .

Elphaba says:

12:55pm | 27/10/11

@Simon, where would we be without Youtube?  It surely has enriched all of our lives.

I’m in a Maru phase at the moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdhLQCYQ-nQ&feature=relmfu

Dash says:

01:17pm | 27/10/11

@Elph - Enter Sandman?

jay-ded says:

10:23am | 27/10/11

Classic fairsfair.  You have to look on the bright side tho…..

ummmm Sorry, can’t think of a bright side if you look like Irene. 

Dash says:

10:34am | 27/10/11

You do not look like that!! Although she probably drives a Ford - lol

TimB says:

10:41am | 27/10/11

Well Jay-ded, if she looks like Irene then she *doesn’t* look like Alf Stewart. I suppose that’s a bright side .

Davida says:

10:43am | 27/10/11

@fairsfair,
Reply To Limerick Limerick #1

There was a young lady from Cairns
Whose Punch postings gathered her fans
A chorus of claps,
For her sightings of baps
Which I won’t see here due to bans

jay-ded says:

11:03am | 27/10/11

@ TimB, Lol

fairsfair says:

11:24am | 27/10/11

Stone the flamin’ crows! In the fair dinkum department, I am deadset over it (just a picture for you there look line Irene, sound like Alf - the ultimate Australian).

I think I am going to have to go down the earplug path as everyone has advised me against confronting them in my jim jams at 2:00am. Earplugs mess with my head (ear pressure or something) so we’ll see if they even work.

Dash says:

11:58am | 27/10/11

@Fairs, Thanks for the inspiration:

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Sleep deprivation, it’s driving me mad
Reminds me of times of slumber I had
Frying my brain with a despicable haze
And fixing upon me a zombies stare gaze
A reason for lack of a decent night’s sleep
I don’t even have to give you to keep
It’s not ‘cause I’m up for a really good time
Letting some man play with the things that are mine
Or working ‘til late to make me a buck
Or out on the town running amuck
It’s down to those neighbors who don’t seem to sleep
When the rest of us mortals have collapsed in a heap
They’re up at all hours making a din
And I toss and I turn ‘till my head has caved in
And I shout and I cry out in anger and pain
Oh please just shut up, wont you abstain
Form shouting and clashing and driving and clanging
And biking and bouncing and crashing and banging
For it’s doing my head in, yes I’m going insane
I’m now at the point where I’m planning to maim
I’ll make my own noise and bang on this drum
Then insert that big garden gnome straight up your bum
For I’ve had it to here with the lack of sleep
Because of the ungodly hours you keep
So shut up your face and shut up your missus
Or the rest of us might just get what she wishes
For you to be gone in a dreadful mistake
That finds you weighed down in the depths of the lake
Yes something may happen to you that’s real bad
For the sleep deprivation it’s driving me mad!

JuzzyD says:

12:16pm | 27/10/11

you can get many different sorts of earplugs Fairs. You can get reusable latex ones which seal well, but I find uncomfortable, foam ones, custom molded DIY, expensive audioligist custom molded.

For what it’s worth, I’ve found the short foam ones to be the most comfortable. They are made of a harder foam than the soft squishy ones you get from hardware stores, but I think because they are so much shorter they don’t touch the edge of you brain like the long tapered ones, they just feel so much better.

Davida says:

12:41pm | 27/10/11

@Dash
Really like this one.

jay-ded says:

01:13pm | 27/10/11

@ Dash - Absolutely brilliant!

fairsfair says:

01:51pm | 27/10/11

Thanks Juzz. I might have to hit some king gee sellin man things shop in the industrial part of town for some options….

Dash - hilarious. Exactly what it is. I think I might print that and put it in their letterbox this afternoon

Dash says:

02:13pm | 27/10/11

Thanks Jay-ded and Davida and thanks Fairs! That’s the first poem I’ve written in quite a while. Just needed some inspiration. It’s a great topic really. We’ve all been kept up by some party or live band in someones backyard. To have it constantly must be terrible. Sorry to hear about the wipper snipper Fairs!

btw Fairs, the death threat may not go down so well if you stick it in their box! Don’t let them catch you - lol

Knemon says:

09:28am | 27/10/11

“enter Kevin Rudd?”

Give it up nossy…Rudd is a dud. The odds of Rudd taking back the leadership of the ALP this term are far greater than those on nossy becoming our next PM.

QLD have had their time in the sun, you gave us Rudd, Joyce and Katter…time to move on fella.

PTom says:

09:29am | 27/10/11

Here is another.
http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/bizbashing-rewards-abbott-20111021-1mcpy.html

The only thing not said “Sovereign Risk” but boy they where quick with that when a MRRT was first announced.

nossy says:

12:12pm | 27/10/11

@Knemon   I thought you were going to move to the Sunshine State Knemon?

jay-ded says:

01:15pm | 27/10/11

Hey Nossy,

That’s not Gavin in the NAB add wearing the red budgies is it? 

nossy says:

03:21pm | 27/10/11

@jay-ded   no Gav gave up the budgies sometime ago Jay-ded - he has been a model of decency ever since hahahh

nossy says:

09:32am | 27/10/11

@fml   excellent fml - hope what ever is on your mind is made better by that lovely poem.

jay-ded says:

10:20am | 27/10/11

Nice fml.

Ghost says:

09:45am | 27/10/11

Oh you are from ‘that’ part of the Gold Coast?

Anubis says:

11:25am | 27/10/11

You need a tissue there nossy? Your nose is looking decidedly brown and runny

nossy says:

12:30pm | 27/10/11

You guys! Anyway it didnt get me anywhere - but I gave it a BIG G . O. !

TimB says:

10:05am | 27/10/11

I was going to say ataraxis, but this ataraxia probably counts for that too.

Eh.

Bill Grogan's goat says:

10:29am | 27/10/11

Only if it’s the winner!

Dash says:

10:37am | 27/10/11

Yes unfortunately I am. Thanks for asking.

nossy says:

12:27pm | 27/10/11

@Dash   -  hahaha care to elaborate Dash?

Dash says:

01:54pm | 27/10/11

@nossy - I poured a bottle of red wine onto a naked lady and slowly drank it all up. Good fun, but now I have a headache.

Tim says:

02:19pm | 27/10/11

The Herald Sun is a Melbourne paper.

hot tub political machine says:

03:04pm | 27/10/11

I figured Melbourne had just as many people likely to boycott the Sun as Sydney though.

Tim says:

03:33pm | 27/10/11

HTPM,
possibly although it’s interesting that although there are overlaps, both the Herald and Telegraph have different opinion columnists.

This makes me think that its possible that both Sydney and Melbourne have big enough markets to handle the segmentation you were talking about with Fox in the states.
There may be a number of people that hate them but there is also plenty that will buy simply to read news and opinion that they want to hear (if that makes sense).

hot tub political machine says:

04:14pm | 27/10/11

Yeah I think I know what you mean. There is a big enough niche. I have no idea whether this is the case or not. I’m a surprised though that the likes of Ten and the Sun would choose to become niche providers. For Ten in particular it’s a big change of direction from their past few years. I’m not familiar enough with the Sun to know if the niche approach has always been their thing.

Elphaba says:

01:07pm | 27/10/11

Really?

Awesome.

TimB says:

10:56am | 27/10/11

Actually his mum died recently. I expect he’s taken some time off to deal with that.

Michael says:

11:41am | 27/10/11

Oh, that’s not good, i hope he is coping ok with it.

I do enjoy his contributions.

nossy says:

12:08pm | 27/10/11

Yes we all wish Chongy the very best and hope to see him back soon.

SimonFromLakemba says:

11:06am | 27/10/11

Im all for refugees, but wouldnt work.

Europe and America is awash with problems with over immigration. Althought neither has ‘open borders’ both have over immigration

Anna C says:

11:20am | 27/10/11

No friggin’ way. Because we know that all the foot traffic would go one way i.e. from poor/third world countries to rich countries like ours. What the hell would we get out of such as proposal? Nothing, just more freeloaders and mouths to feed.

gobsmack says:

11:53am | 27/10/11

I recall a joke told by a Kiwi.  When people from NZ come over to Australia to live, the average IQ of both countries increases.

Tim says:

12:34pm | 27/10/11

Bondi…......

That is all

SimonFromLakemba says:

11:07am | 27/10/11

haha epic!

Michael says:

11:34am | 27/10/11

FML , awesome work!

fairsfair says:

11:40am | 27/10/11

I love that song by Chicane.

nossy says:

11:56am | 27/10/11

@fml let me be the first to congratulate you fml - looks like you are on a roll - well done.

fml says:

12:31pm | 27/10/11

merci beaucoup mes amis

Anna C says:

11:25am | 27/10/11

I don’t recall seeing this amount of industrial action since the 1980’s. There are now too many union protests disrupting people’s lives. This is not good enough. Both parties (union & management) need to get back to the negotiation table and compromise. I’m sick of everyone playing hardball these days.

Labor is Toxic says:

08:15pm | 27/10/11

Inflation???

nossy says:

12:24pm | 27/10/11

@Tim   well done Tim - top stuff fella.

TimB says:

12:34pm | 27/10/11

lawl.

Looks like Nossy tried to cheat off of the wrong Tim .

Congrats .

TimB says:

12:57pm | 27/10/11

We’re doomed.

Ben C says:

01:10pm | 27/10/11

Swan? PM?

*Rocks back and forth in the foetal position*

jay-ded says:

01:22pm | 27/10/11

Did you take a sickie, just to wait in line to get the game and then been playing it all day Shenanigans?

TimB says:

01:30pm | 27/10/11

Gyah. Must. Not. Give into. Temptation!

Saving. Cash. For. Skyward Sword!

Resist! Urk.

*Checks bank balance*

I think I hate you Shen.

In all seriousness though, I’ve been mostly turned off the shooter genre over the last decade in no small part thanks to the awful ‘modern’ influence of Halo and CoD. It takes a special shooter to get me interested these days. BF3 definetly fits the bill.

But the finances….and the spare time. Boo.

(And Exterminatus is delayed indefintely for 360. I am not a happy gamer.)

Ben C says:

01:35pm | 27/10/11

Yeah, I kinda thought you’d be glued to the game today Shenanigans. Is it worth getting even if I haven’t played the first two incarnations?

Shenanigans says:

01:43pm | 27/10/11

I have 2 days off for shoulder reconstruction related reasons, it just so happens bf3 came before these two dates, so I’m not complaining :p

TimB you don’t hate me, you love me ;p BF3 has done what it claimed, revolutionized the FPS genre, the sheer scale of the game, it’s physics, it’s prettiness, the playability it just shits all over any FPS ever made or any coming out.

Played exterminatus while I waited for BF3 to install, it’s not really that great, it’s fun till clawing your way through waves and waves of green skins gets old, which is by about wave 6 if you make it to that.  But that’s just my honest opinion.

Aitch B says:

03:06pm | 27/10/11

@Davida

I remember the (horrible) beer but not the ad. I think there would be a fair bit of hoo-ha if it was aired these days.

Ghost says:

04:57pm | 27/10/11

As a publicity stunt, then they will melt the gold back down and all will be good in the world.