Gallows Oak

"Those who do it best will succeed, that's the way our system works"

2008-11-19T07:06:00.007+10:30

At least he didn't throw in a "free market" before system.

I swear I'm not making this shit up. This channel is a comedy goldmine.

Also, up next:

"How to stop companies becoming too big to fail"

Riveting stuff.

Some blond chick is on now, she's gasping for breath like she just finished a marathon. Just excitable I guess.

Setting the bar

2008-11-19T06:47:00.004+10:30

Heard on CNBC (Don't ask) just now.

"We need somebody much smarter than you me or anyone in this room, someone who knows a lot more about cars to sort this thing out"

That's from memory, so forgive any errors.

Smarter than a room full of "reporters."

Yeah.

Retarded DEA propaganda

2008-05-22T15:58:00.003+09:30

Take a look at this and then this.

What is the net effect of seeing those on someone who knows they are lying about the weed?

Fuckers.

"I'm out of order? You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They're out of order!"

2008-05-09T20:29:00.003+09:30

"I think that it's totally shameful, what we saw last night, they chose to play games, and I think that shows contempt for the state.''

Ol' Meedja Mike

On this

The man really has a flair for the dramatic. Shameful? Has he forgotten what he does for a living?

I guess the poor diddums must have got sore arses or something.

"I was just following orders"

2008-05-02T18:01:00.003+09:30

Michigan CPS is really, really, important and needs more funding.

They just don't have enough staff to deal with all the terrible threats to children.

The arrogance of some of the people in the comments thread is truly astounding. (Read some if your blood pressure can take it)

This is for you idiots:

If you have kids, if they want, they can take them. You're not perfect, and they'll find something.

Mostly though, I'm struck by the people who think the big "problem" was that the kid drank what amounted to at most one alcoholic beverage of moderate strength, rather than the fact that he didn't see his parents for days.

All the ridiculous analysis about whether the father should have known the drink was alcoholic completely misses the point.

Personal Observations

2008-04-29T14:59:00.003+09:30

Do you know what Barf is?

I thought I did until today, apparently it's Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (for pets.)

I fucking hate parking inspectors.

That is all.

Fundamental Laws of the Universe

2008-04-17T15:52:00.004+09:30

When Susan Brownmiller & Sodom are mentioned in the same article there can be only one subject.

Specifically this one has as its hook concern about supposedly overly liberal planning laws allowing the close placement of schools and sex shops.

This concern seems to be based on the implication that anyone who might go to a sex shop is dangerous & on seemingly absurd notions about "porn cartels."

Then there's further hysteria about how:

Such venues are part of the growing demoralisation of social life; another nail in the coffin of the nation's mental and moral hygiene.

Then, of course, we have the old "porn = prostitution = rape" line.

A true classic.

You're Doing It Wrong...

2008-04-17T15:29:00.004+09:30

if you're 61 years old and your students are teasing you and you think that the appropriate response is to sue someone.

Someone Will Be Fabulously Wealthy

2008-04-14T08:34:00.003+09:30

(and it could be me if I can just figure out this new development fluid)

This reminded me of this.

(H/T Agitator)

Give Me Free Money

2008-04-14T05:24:00.003+09:30

With a couple of million I could probably make a failure of a movie too, of course given the subject matter AFC films are usually saddled with I might not be able to stay awake during the process.

(It would seem neither could some of those actually granted funding given that;

Twenty seven of the projects [332] given money have not even progressed to their next stage of development.)

To be fair IIRC most films fail, the difference, of course, is that usually it's Disney, MGM or Paramount who feel it in the hip pocket rather than Johnny taxpayer.

What's good for the Spitzer...

2008-04-13T09:36:00.003+09:30

... is good for the Swan.

I endorse the following sentiments:

I’m getting a bit tired of politicians scoring groove points by admitting to behaviour they now condemn, excusing themselves by claiming they were simply young and stupid back when they were completing their honours degrees. Why are the “earlier lives” of politicians more sacrosanct than young lives being lived today? There’s no statute of limitations on the crime, just lack of evidence, which has now been provided via a confession and the depositions of several witnesses. Either Swan and Nelson think that smoking marijuana is a criminal offense, or they don’t. They can’t declare that just because it’s in the past it doesn’t matter.

[...]

As we speak, young people are facing court for the crime that Wayne Swan admits to having committed. Like he was – and, presumably, still is – many of them are fine people who have no intention of ever causing society any harm. Like the young Wayne Swan, many of them are students with bright futures ahead of them. But whatever their lives have to offer Australia may be poleaxed by a conviction that tells a story it shouldn’t, the very same story that Wayne Swan, through sheer good fortune rather than superior character, is able to tell us about himself today.

This admission by the Federal Treasurer, and the reception of that admission by both sides of Parliament, should not be dismissed as just some titillating Canberra curiosity, but rather as a watershed moment in how Australia views drugs and those who choose to partake in them. If not, then it should be catalogued as the moment of staggering Parliamentary hypocrisy that it is.

Well, maybe not the bit about Swan not intending society any harm.

Rights, etc.

2008-04-13T05:39:00.004+09:30

There has been some kerfluffle of late about the notion that Australia ought to adopt a Federal charter of rights.

I am opposed, not just to the notion of a federal charter, but to the whole vacuous modern conception of 'human rights.'

Why?

Because they fundamentally contradict both the right to property and the principles of freedom of association and freedom of speech. These are things to be held in some esteem.

Of course, how anyone could even begin to take the blather about 'human rights' seriously from people who wouldn't support your right to self defense is beyond me.

Mostly though, it's because I'm a horrible bigot who likes to drown kittens.

A Clarification

2008-04-13T05:18:00.004+09:30

About my previous post, I'm not saying that there is nothing worth paying for with regard to educating yourself on investment, merely that the first thing to learn is how to spot a con job.

Towards that end, if it looks to good to be true it probably is.

Shocking, Truly Shocking

2008-04-13T05:03:00.006+09:30

From the department of the terminally obvious we get this:

I am constantly amazed at the amount of people who fork out hundreds if not thousands of dollars to attend seminars on how to become wealthy. I guess the first point that needs to be made here is that you shouldn’t spend thousands of dollars learning how to make thousands of dollars.

Secondly, the main reason I have an issue with some of these “wealth creation” seminars is that the people speaking at them have most of the time only made their “fortune” through selling the seminars or the products that can be bought at the seminar.

Slow nod.

If their schemes are so deliciously successful perhaps there might be better uses for their time, no?

The goodness of their hearts you say? Well why then, the fees?

Fees, Rates, Profits etc.

2008-04-11T23:05:00.007+09:30

How many fallacies is it possible to cram into one article?

I don't know but Mike Duffy takes a crack at a new record with this post.

A sample:

Those currently crying poverty - and no doubt laughing behind closed doors - will break out the champers when they report another round of record multi-billion dollar profits.

How do those profits compare to their market capitalization?

One high-profile bank in Adelaide has pushed up account housekeeping fees by 25 per cent – from $8 a month to $10. And that’s not per customer, that’s per account.

All banks up the ante on a range of fees on such a regular basis one wonders why we deal with banks. Surely, we could get a better deal from the Mafia.

Excellent question, why do people still deal with that bank? Probably because they get something worth the ten bucks a month out of it.

On rates:

Wayne Swan was on the money when he suggested bank customers should vote with their feet and go to finance institutions that offer the cheapest money.

Sadly, the majority can’t – without paying ridiculous exit fees and set-up costs with the next bank up the road.

So the majority are stuck – forced to pay any price the bank sees fit to impose.

Perhaps people shouldn't take variable rate loans if they aren't prepared for the rate to vary.

Of course all this would merely be amusing if it wasn't for the call for "regulation."

He wants some sort of ridiculous interest rate tribunal.

Seriously!

Prolonged Absence

2008-04-09T20:23:00.002+09:30

What can I say?

I’m lazy.

Strange though, that I get this new inspiration when I have a paper due at the end of the week.

Sigh.

I See Things Around Campus...

2008-04-09T20:11:00.004+09:30

"Solidarity Fiesta!

Join with the Australia Venezuela Solidarity Network celebrating the 6th Anniversary of the failed US-backed 2002 coup, and the ongoing revolution in Venezuela.

Friday April 18, 7pm
Irish Club, 13-15 Carrington Street, City

With great live music, speakers including an eyewitness report from the recent Solidarity Brigade to Venezuela, and more…

Food and drinks available. $10 waged, $5 concession"

Sounds like fun. How much for the ~~self employed~~ capitalist pig dogs?

Why not just call it what it is?

2007-10-05T23:39:00.000+09:30

"TWO men in Saudi Arabia have been sentenced to 7000 lashes each after being convicted of sodomy and have received their first round of punishment in public, a newspaper said today."

Surely this is a death sentence, how could you get seven thousand lashes and not contract a fatal infection?

These worthless barbarians governing in the "Kingdom" of Saudi Arabia are supposed to be our allies? They're as bad as Iran, maybe worse, at least Iran has prospects for reform.

These are the people we went to war to protect in 1991, Kuwait as well but they aren't exactly the nicest of folks either. Would it really matter if the people of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were ruled by Iraq's oppressive government rather than their own?

When will people realise the enemy of my enemy is not my friend?

Surely this is a joke

2007-10-04T18:48:00.000+09:30

The ACCC is still pursuing its "case" against Google U.S., after dropping the case against Google's Australian subsidiary a decision made solely because they were assured that Google would be held responsible for its subsidiaries.

The "case" is based on the allegation that:

"Google did not clearly distinguish between "organic'' search results and "sponsored links'', which are advertisements."

This is pretty ridiculous even if you accept that there is something wrong with such behaviour. It's always been pretty damn clear to me which links are sponsored and which are not.

This however is largely beside the point, the real question we should be asking is why the hell does it matter?

If you can answer that, (and I suspect you can, but consider how important your answer is) then answer this, why doesn't the ACCC just trust people to make their own decision to use another search engine instead of wasting taxpayer money and infringing on Google's property rights?

No? I can. These people are nothing more than self perpetuating bureaucrats.

Oh, and probably Luddites.

Religious go Green

2007-10-03T20:29:00.000+09:30

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone as Christianity has made a historical habit of absorbing the holidays and obsessions of competing religions. It appears that in an effort to boost there own decreasing relevance some Christian leaders are continuing this tradition with more modern religions.

I'm not one to attack legitimate scientific concerns but its clear that in the case of "Climate Change" and "Big E" Environmentalism more generally science has become perhaps irrevocably mixed with politics. Both in the sense that science is directed by politics and politics is directed by science, neither of which are appropriate. To add religion will only worsen the situation.

Hammers & Nails

2007-10-03T19:58:00.000+09:30

It appears our insatiable federal government has once again seen a nail and made use of its hammer.

This jerk seems pleased.

What's the old saying?

When prices are too low there is unfair competition, when they are the same there is collusion and when they are too high there is gouging.

Close enough for government work, anyhow.

I'm back

2007-10-03T16:24:00.000+09:30

So I deleted my blog. The reasons for this were simple, I wasn't writing anything and when I did no-one was reading it. Hardly surprising really. I had a rash moment and decided I might try again. I wanted a better name though, people had a tendency to misinterpret my blog title.

I searched a couple I had in mind, goddice was in Japanese, imho a blank page and whatiswrongwiththisplace contained a one page rant on Iraq. In the end I decided screw-em I like my name anyway.

I'll try to update a little more regularly this time, but no promises.