Weekend Punch: Choose your own beverage…

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

by Hannah Harborow

110
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

by Sarrah Le Marquand

210
Defeating bullying one child at a time

by Peter James

310
Why can’t I be pope?

by Xavier Toby

410
My democratic dilemma after the death of a despot

by Gabriel Pizani

510
Punch on: Open thread 14/03/2013

by The Punch Team

610
Atheist church’s faithless flock proves value of religion

by Sam Clench

710
There’s no such thing as a free bus ticket

by Jessica Irvine

810
Politicians can’t control the economy

by Albert Alla

910
How far do the National Rifle Association’s sights focus?

by Scott Limbrick

1010

by The Punch Team

21 Jul 05:00am

Must Reads

The Punch is moving house

385

Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?

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Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”

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Filed under: Open Thread, Weekend Punch

30 comments

Bon Weekend. We rather loved Penbo’s piece yesterday on buying Australian at the supermarket. And while we’re at the shops, what do you make of permeate-free milk? Tory Shepherd called bullsh*t.

How soothing is that? Better rush to see it though, 'cause our grandkids won't…*

Speaking of bulldust, Channel Ten served up a reasonable portion with new show, The Shire on Monday night. But we could hardly have been suprised, said Tory Maguire.

And Ant Sharwood told John Steffensen to start acting like a man.

On a more positive note: Yahoo!‘s new CEO Marissa Mayer kicked some goals this week for the feminist movement, said Lucy. And Dan defended Tasmania’s right to its own state.

What’s the best thing you read this week?

*According to this story.

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30 comments

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- thatmosis says:
  
  09:05am | 21/07/12
  
  The best thing I’ve read this week is a pamphlet called Fix The Bruce, meaning of course the Bruce highway, or as we like to call it the Goat Track with Politicians driving the length of it in Queensland to see how bad it really is. They don’t have to drive far to see that as a National Highway it would make a great off road testing area with more patches than a motor cycle gang. That the so called fixes aren’t really as they deteriorate as such a rate that is worse than painting the Sydney Harbour bridge. We have sections that have had the speed limit has been reduced because of the nanny state mentality that says the stupid must be protected at the expense of all others. Instead of spending all that money on a fact finding tour they would be better off hiring real experts to fix the bloody problems instead of this “look at us crap”
  
  Reply
- Chris L says:
  
  09:31am | 21/07/12
  
  I want to know why Danger Mouse hasn’t told us whether she enjoyed the new Batman movie or not.
  
  Reply
Mouse says:

10:58am | 21/07/12

LOL, you beat me ChrisL! But remember, your watch is set earlier than mine so gimme a break fella!! lol :o)
- TimB says:
  
  09:44am | 21/07/12
  
  Well done to the might Canterbury Bulldogs and their hard-fought vitory over Manly.
  
  Little annoyed at Barba, had he not let Manly swoop on that try, my predicted margin of 14 points would have come to fruition. Boo.
  
  I suppose he made up for it with the match winner though.
  
  Reply
- Where's the candle? says:
  
  10:20am | 21/07/12
  
  To be compensated for the World’s Biggest Carbon Tax i am being compensated a HUGE $43 a month via tax cuts….that’s it…nothing else.
  I just received my gas bill….surprise….it increased….pro rated to the 1st of July….some $20….can’t wait for my water bill or dare i say it….ELECTRICITY BILL
  Surviving on a household income of $48K after tax and having to endure a steady rise in the cost of living under a Labor Gov eg electricity rising over 50% and now another 18% increase,i can assure you one thing…i wont be voting for Labor under any format for a loooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggg time.
  
  Reply
jaki says:

11:02am | 21/07/12

Apparently it’s easy to beat the price rises. Just wrap yourself in a blanket, sit in the dark and get rid of the second fridge that you probably don’t have anyway !
That’s the clean energy future that the “progressive” parties have in store for us. Not themselves .... us.
pa_kelvin says:

11:14am | 21/07/12

Got kids??? Have about ten…..Make a fortune in welfare then.
- Knemon says:
  
  10:22am | 21/07/12
  
  “What’s the best thing you read this week?”
  
  I’m struggling to choose between Das Kapital or Mein Kampf, both were a good read!
  
  Reply
- Mouse says:
  
  10:30am | 21/07/12
  
  Well, I don’t know about read, but I saw The Dark Knight Rises! I fell in love with Christian Bale all over again, not him actually but his character. lol
  Loved the movie. It stayed true to the previous ones, had a couple of nice little twists and the ending left it quite able to be finished there or continue on. Yep, I reckon it is a winner!
  So, got my movie in, retail therapy done, Hungry Jacks burger scoffed down (I don’t get them very often so I don’t want to hear anything about junk food!) and had a great couple of days away.
  Back to the real world, it is foggy outside and quite nippy so it’s an indoors day I suppose. The above pic looks really nice, Oh to dream….. lol :o)
  
  Reply
Scotchfinger says:

03:28pm | 21/07/12

glad you liked the film, Mouse, although a bit jealous of Batman. Hell, I look good dressed as a flying rodent as well! *grumble*
Mouse says:

05:34pm | 21/07/12

Thanks Scotchy, it was a great movie, you will have to see it.
Yep, flying rodents dressed in black form fitting costumes really do it for me, that and the low gravelly voice…. oooh yeah!! lol :o)
- Susan says:
  
  11:44am | 21/07/12
  
  Best thing I’ve read this week….a smart Australia Post employee who replied to an issue with an astute and reasoned ‘take’. This stood out because so much of the time, you’re given responses that miss the mark entirely, or sent links to pages that don’t answer your original question…and so you must begin again.
  
  Reply
- pa_kelvin says:
  
  12:10pm | 21/07/12
  
  Sales of large screen TV’s have increased in anticipation of the Olympics….I can hardly wait. No sleep, bug eye,crankier than normal then with-drawels after…..
  
  Reply
- Susan says:
  
  01:26pm | 21/07/12
  
  My kingdom for being able to avoid living in a place right next to a noisy lift. I hate moving, hate it…but this noise is beyond reason. I hear the whole motor running and the clunk as the brake is released and then grabbed at the end. I hear the bell on the lift. Can anyone tell this is really annoying me today?? Time for the earplugs and the headphones. Never had such a problem before. Cheap block thrown up quickly.
  
  Reply
Scotchfinger says:

03:32pm | 21/07/12

have you read ‘The Shining’ by Stephen King? Your room sounds like one at the Overlook Hotel, where the elevator starts running by itself, and the empty hallways echo with shouts, yells, laughter and screams. My suggestion, Susan? Get a new apartment.
Susan says:

12:45pm | 22/07/12

In next sixth months I will move. No, I don’t read scary books or watch scary films. Gets to me too much. However, I got out of the lift here once and heard two people about 5 apartments down having sex. It was sort of amusing hearing him trying to shush her and half laughing himself at the level of her moans.
Scotchfinger says:

09:26pm | 22/07/12

what else is there to do in a little apartment other than have sex? Not like you can play pool…
- vox says:
  
  01:45pm | 21/07/12
  
  Re the power price jump. Do what I did. I sent them an email asking for a rundown of the charges, questioned the increase, and requested an explanation of why. Not a politically opportunistic phrase such as nitwits use like, “Oh, it’s the carbon tax”, but a reasoned, understandable, plausable explanation.
  Ah, the power of the written word. Of course, no answer was the stern reply. I did however have an adjustment made to my bill, something like a 25% reduction. The reason given was “financial hardship”, but as I made no mention of such being the case, I am inclined to think ‘ulterior motive’.
  Does anyone really think that price increases are anything other than an unjustified cash-grab?
  I think that too many weak individuals are using the old coward’s excuse of, “Well there’s nothing you can do about it”, instead of simply saying “No!”. And there will always be the last refuge of the armchair protester. “Blame the Government!”.
  Just say “No!”. You know it makes sense.
  
  Reply
- stephen says:
  
  02:01pm | 21/07/12
  
  There is a good article in The Weekend Oz about the push for a new rail - freight, (one day this will be one word) setup possibly running through Parkes in NSW which will have the benefits of diminishing road traffic, not that I’m against Kenworths, Freightliners, Volvos and the like, but goods by rail will be cheaper for the consumer, and the supposed food bowl that Asian Nations wish to set up here with our agricultural expertize will no doubt utilize such a transport hub, especially if the rail-lines reach Darwin, ready for sea exports.
  Not to mention the grand benefits : that of inland cities along the routes.
  
  Domestic air travel has done some harm here in futuring a serviceable country life because airports are expensive to build and maintain, and has exacerbated the rush to one of six cities.
  
  And if the rail lines are built, new locomotives would be in order.
  (At least then no-one will have to clean the current ones. Ever seen the grime and crap all over the ones now ... even the Sunlander ? It should be re-named the Calcutta Chaffcutter ... bloody rickety old things.)
  
  Reply
Susan says:

03:50pm | 21/07/12

I used to love being able to put the car on the train, go to the north coast, pull the car off at Casino and enjoy time around the area - and same in reverse of course. Then suddenly trains didn’t stop at Lismore, and thereafter a real decline.

I have wondered, rather than Mr Palmer pouring money into a Tiatnic2, why he didn’t consider a speed train - Melbourne to Brisbane with a stop in Sydney - or something. Loads of advantages for tourism and if fares were cheap enough it would be a good alternative for people who don’t like to fly. A speed train would also do it in something like 5-6 hours I think.

The funniest train I was ever on was in NSW and it was around Wagga. I had to get a train that actually just dropped me at a siding in the middle of nowhere but the train had one small carriage and, in that, first and second class! The difference? First class was on the side next to the wall heater.
- pa_kelvin says:
  
  02:13pm | 21/07/12
  
  Looks like every-one enjoyed a sleep-in this morning….first post not until 9.05 am unless you count Mouse’ 12.45 am posting.
  
  Reply
Mouse says:

04:04pm | 21/07/12

lol, looks like you easterners go to bed early….I was all alone on here last night *sob sob* and I was all chatty and wanted go on about Batman but, alas, I had to wait til this morning…...
The weekend is getting to be a bit lagged with the replies, isn’t it? As long as we get there eventually lol :o)
pa_kelvin says:

07:57pm | 21/07/12

@Mouse….Our watch’s are set earlier, as pointed out earlier.
- stephen says:
  
  02:48pm | 21/07/12
  
  Just found the perfect companion to 2010 Rosemount Estate Shiraz : licorice.
  Just love the stuff - both - and I cannot understand why fancy-pants Chefs don’t concoct an exquisite dessert with the stuff.
  It, and aniseed and sarsparilla, have a nice after-dinner taste that is fine with wine and respects the impetuosity of a forthcoming apertif - coffee, I do declare !
  
  Beats jatz on a mat.
  
  Reply
pa_kelvin says:

03:54pm | 21/07/12

Why not go with Ouzo…..Aniseedy and alcohol in one. Yuuuummmy.
Susan says:

04:08pm | 21/07/12

There are some lovely licorice icecreams. French chefs seem to have turned on to licorice as two family members were there recently and licorice was an element in both a dessert and a main. It was licorice root used in the meat dish by the way. I love licorice too. I’ve had a black licorice creme brulee tart that was to die for.
stephen says:

05:32pm | 21/07/12

Ouzo’s too strong.
Can’t drink strong plonk.
(Sheez, say that when you’ve had a couple.)

Icecream ?
Yeah, I’ve had that, but I’m think of smaller tarts, and possibly an Asian dessert type of influence.
Possibly deep fried fruits.
What’s wrong with that ?
- Robert S McCormick says:
  
  11:46am | 22/07/12
  
  Are those damned Olympics over yet?
  I am sick & tired of the front page of our papers being filled with pics & articles about Olympic hopefuls & their parents - the latter saying their biggest “sacrifice” has been having “to get up at 5.15am to take their child to training”
  That’s a “Sacrifice”? Hundreds of thousands of doctors, nurses, police, bus, train & tram drivers, all of whom provide something useful to society, have to be up at that time - or even already at work by then - every day of the year. Christmas, Easter, New Year and all those Public Holidays mean nothing.
  Let’s have some of these “Heroes” on the front pages rather than elitist would-be Olympic Games hopefuls and other unimportant people.
  Yesterday the Adelaide Advertiser had as an Important Feature on the front page, with 1/2 page photo & a screed inside as well space given over to some
  8-year-old child who is a busker in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall!
  They would have been better advised to have the beautiful picture they hid on page 3 over an article about the River Murray. Now that, to SA, NSW & Vic is an important issue.
  An 8-year-old fiddler is important only to herself & her family.
  
  Reply
Susan says:

02:17pm | 22/07/12

Robert…just a small point. Yes, thousands of families are up at that time but these families get up then and do the squad two hours and then go back home and start their days..and then do it at the end of their working days too for that matter. I used to go to the pool at the same time as squad swimmers and parents in country areas were often up at 4.15am…would do a usual 9 to 6 working day and would head to the pool to see the end of afternoon training. That’s aside from driving lengthy trips to comps etc.

Elitist? Sure, some kids were from families with small businesses etc but that doesn’t imply elitist and there were kids from families across the socio-economic range although admittedly not the very low end. Hardly elitist though when clubs enable kids with talent and often will try and subsidise families who battle for comp fees etc. Still, fair enough, you need money for costumes and goggles etc as well as pool entry fees.

Of course, all that said, it’s a choice…but I do understand why the parents call it a sacrifice. I’ve never heard swim parents talk about ‘Games’ aspirations. I have heard parents of gym kids pose this.

The media coverage goes get very ‘samey’ of course.
pa_kelvin says:

04:48pm | 22/07/12

RSMc…....I take from your comment that you won’t be watching…Bet you take a bit of a look every now and then.