The national smoke night known as the Midwinter Ball has been rumbled. Of course, you and I can’t go, not without creating a scene anyway, but we did manage to get a glimpse of the frivolity from a ‘leaked’ video shot on one of the more than 600 smartphones in the Great Hall of Parliament House.
With that many phones with functioning cameras, I doubt we can actually call it a leak as the clip had better production values than you might see on Channel Ten at the moment.
There is no truth in the rumour that Malcolm Turnbull clambered back on stage for an encore, ate at a vase full of flowers and sung the first two verses of Eskimo Nell for even more hilarity. And I am yet to establish if, in the latter part of the evening, they got the Crown and Anchor board out and those assembled opened their wallets and went hard.
Maybe my bandwidth is a bit on the slow side (thanks Malcolm), because by the time I got the video to play, all the good jokes might have been lost in the buffering – but in this morning’s spin on what may one day become known as the real death of vaudeville, the Prime Minister’s colleagues emerged to declare him the new King of Comedy… and not in the bad Rupert Pupkin way.
Full column here.
I see it is possible that climate change lead to the deaths of the people in the London Fire.
I read something about this yesterday from Miranda Devine. It is a bizarre take. Crazy stuff without evidence and an awful attempt to muddy the waters of government failures at two levels. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is a Tory dominated council who stonewalled numerous reports that the renovations at Grenfell had made the building less safe. More widely at national level, the Tories have slashed firefighting assets in recent years, failed to reform building codes which would have led to the installation of a sprinkler system at Grenfell following the recommendations from the investigation into the Camberwell fire in 2009 which cost six lives, and the abject failure of the RBKC to provide any adequate response to those left homeless and bereft last week. Right now we are at heartless and inept. It could get a lot worse. One hopes this will be comprehensively investigated and these failures properly examined and when they are, I seriously doubt we will find climate change was at fault.
I made the comment tongue in cheek. Similar to the Tony Abbott’s fault meme which was circulating a couple of years ago.
Should probably have explained more.
Gawd. I thought you’d read that dreadful column from Devine.
If you or anyone else is interested in a long read on Russia’s state crimes in the UK, this is excellent:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/heidiblake/from-russia-with-blood-14-suspected-hits-on-british-soil?utm_term=.vijP1QQVA#.iczJvXX5a
The names Bondski, Pasha Bondski. 00 oh! Licensed to terminate with extreme prejudice.
Bloody good read! Not a big believer in coincidence and there seem to be an awful lot in that yarn.
I often wonder by winning the Cold War did we open the world to something far more dangerous……
What stood out was the unwillingness of British authorities to investigate properly, fearing a diplomatic response from Russia.
It’s the ultimate in realpolitik! The strategic interest is seen as more important than the domestic inconvenience of a body or 14. What amazes me is the Coroner would have to be almost complicit which I find extraordinary.
do they sell mousetraps?
oh and antdust , nuclear, so I have glow in the dark evidence of efficacy. I have the Geiger counter calibrated to perform the body count
Inaction by the Brits for fear of a diplomatic response from Russia sounds a bit thin.
The UK is always urging and applying economic sanctions against Russia! And bagging them constantly.
The Russian secret services might be whacking these guys and Putin might be approving, but I’d be just as suspicious that the UK spooks are knocking them off for their own agenda, if they are being murdered. Or Russian and British independent operators.
If the Brits were worried about Russian investment drying up surely they would be leaving no stone unturned to make the environment safer for mega wealthy Russian settlers and investors?
Here is another bit of speculative cloak and dagger oogie boogie for contrast.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-01-22/until-today-i-assumed-putin%E2%80%99s-russia-killed-litvinenko-%E2%80%A6-then-i-looked-myself
Wow. Quoting a pro-Russian conspiratorial website as your source. Let’s go with that then.
Reads like a bad spy novel. Knew about a couple of them, but didn’t know there were that many. Getting on Putin’s bad side is unhealthy.
Large parts of Europe are dependent on Russian gas and oil.
There is genuine fear about Russia’s adventurism in Europe and where it might lead, Dwight, especially so since Trump has virtually vacated the field.
No. Not my source, just a reference to the Litvinenko case from another perspective. As the writer remarks “probably” is hardly a compelling indictment after an extensive enquiry.
Crims carting plutonium all over Europe and putting it in a cuppa sounds a bit romantic and improbable.
I don’t buy the “UK covering up Russian crimes” meme one bit.
Cheers.
I dare say you wouldn’t. What I am saying is that you chose to cite a sorce that is a known pro Russian conspiratorial site. It is junk. You seem incapable of discernment. It’s not another perspective. It is propaganda.
Well, we did finally put troops into the Baltics, but they’re really a tripwire. Their job is to die and outrage the public.
If it doesn’t conform to the official line it is junk and propaganda.
Yeah right.
I tell you what, I’ll check every link you post here from now on and if I determine three of them to be dubious — that is conspiratorial, agitprop or frankly just loopy and unhinged, I’ll ban you from here for good. This little corner of the web will not be a platform for post-truth bullshit.
Better that than let people make up their own minds eh?
You can go now if you like. I think I have made myself reasonably clear.
Seems May will be ousted very soon. I wonder who will step up?
I don’t think there is any appetite from within the party to topple her at the moment. The Tories are divided between hard and soft Brexits, the Grenfell fire is going to have profound implications for the government with an accompanying crash in Tory support and there is a pervading sense within the party that it’s better she is in charge than allow a new leader to be scarred. She is their crash test dummy. That said, she could go at any moment of her own volition.
Hey Boadicea, what’s the word in Hobart about the misfits who participated in the weekends Dark Mofo?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-17/dark-mofo-bull-slaughter-show-gets-shock-and-bored-response/8627436
I’m left reeling that the creator of such suffering gets away with calling that ART.
Easy money for a depraved freak I guess.
Best regards, Bella
It was at least gratifying that the local rag gave it no coverage at all, Bella. As you say, sheer depravity. I noted that The Age, who did do an article, was of the same opinion.
seen better out the BOBF nowhere with a 243 a flaying knife an axe and a bow saw…
brought about coz they were hungry
The bulls got their own back on the weekend, a bullfighter gored to death in the South of France.
http://tinyurl.com/yb6sv838
Ban the cape.
Doesn’t happen often enough. Are the cojones on Ebay yet?
Good. Tables turned for once.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=scfxJk_VQ_U&feature=share
Good to hear the bulls got one. Very cruel. I could not go near a Plaza del Toros in Spain
Amazing luck here. Incredible escape.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/broadcast/abc-reporter-adam-harvey-shot-covering-isis-fight-escapes-death-by-1cm/news-story/593e8e5fa50069a08cb708d30cf783b7
Not such amazing good luck. Bad luck it him at all. Could have been worse of course.
LOL. I have a pretty broad brush take on good luck I suppose. Any day you wake up your luck is in. One more centimetre would have been lots worse and no tomorrows.
LOL I’d reckon getting hit by a stray slug would be quite unlucky. Mind you being an annoying sort of bloke I’d be pretty damn suspicious if it was really a stray.
Generally, a politician’s sense of humour extends only to laughing at others. Very rarely does their sense of humour include being able to laugh at themselves. I have to say that, young as I was at the time, my opinion of Harold Wilson, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, was enhanced by his preparedness to appear in the Morecambe and Wise Christmas special of 1978 (which is still to be found on Youtube). True, he had resigned as Prime Minister by then, but I struggle to think of many senior Australian politicians who would be prepared to expose themselves to laughter in that way. Of course, we do laugh at them, but almost always when they are not intending to be funny.
Joan Kirner doing Joan Jett’s cover of the Arrows’ ‘I Love Rock’n’Roll’ for that Mick Molloy programme back in the early ’90s?
Or maybe Joe Hockey dressing up as a fairy on Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation on Channel 10?
Can’t think of many others.
I doubt anybody turned down an invitation to Eric and Ernie’s Christmas show, a Christmas Day tradition like Top of the Pops……..we’ll leave out the Jimmy Saville bit
Richard Nixon, in 1968. It took several takes, but he got it: https://youtu.be/8qRZvlZZ0DY
NFY – I thought Julie Bishop was able to laugh at herself when she did the stare off on that comedy show with the 3/ 4 uni mates.
Every time I think politicians couldn’t get any stupider, along comes a volunteer to have a crack at proving me wrong, always with great success. They don’t usually do a stand-up routine to enhance the performance though. Perhaps Turnbull has a future in stand-up comedy. I see talent there.
Heard of @frankieboyle, Jack?
BTW, my Make America Kittens Again extension has got Turnbull just where I want him, not that I am all that fond of felines.
Barnaby Joyce on ABC Insiders today, Mr Insider, goodness he’s impressive imho. I would like to see him as PM, his views are so practical and like POTUS Trump he’s not afraid to speak up on all matters. I do believe with Joyce as PM he would “Make Australia Great Again”. Barnaby Joyce for PM! P.S. and he loves Coal too!
I see your delusional and raise it with all those things you and your delusional mates cannot grasp. Facts, Data and Research. Now tell me do you go to the Dr for advice or to the shaman down the road??? Oh and Barnaby. Puhleease he his disgraceful misinformation campaign and is an embarrassment to the Nation..
http://reneweconomy.com.au/coalitions-war-on-cheap-power-when-fools-design-energy-policy-57221/
We see reports that Turnbull “may” go to an early election, Mr Insider, however when the smoke clears on the epic tussle being played out in Canberra between ex ousted PM Abbott and the “ouster” current PM Turnbull, I do wonder, with the Liberal Party in smoking ruins, who will emerge the “Biggest Loser”. As frugal with money as I am I am tempted to spend a few shillings to have a Medal struck which I shall call the MOAD (Mother Of All Duds) to be presented to the winner of this Duds contest for “Services To the ALP!”. Bill Shorten cant stop smiling. Roll the dice laughing boy Malcolm!
Cold as an undertaker’s smile at Metricon. Drizzling but windless. Blues opened the scoring. Not much in it yet but the Blues are busier and applying good pressure. For mine the Blues are better on a wet track than the Suns. Blues defense is tough and are strangling Suns for possession. V noisy Blues faithful behind the goals. Near 1/4 time Blues up by 21.
Up by 24 at half tme. Very timid stuff from the Suns, getting flogged in contested footy. Suspect they can’t be that bad all day so a comeback looms.
The surge came and petered out in the 4th. Suns just crept ahead but Blues regained control. Blues seemed to nap off in the 3rd and conceded 4 unanswered. Untidy game but enjoyable to watch. Now an hour up the M1 in wet jeans.
No pain, no gain, mate. Bryce Gibbs was outstanding. 40 plus touches 10 tackles, 2 clutch goals, 3 votes.
Liam Jones gets the Mention in Dispatches for his defensive effort on Tom Lynch. He played a great spoiling role in an unfamiliar position. Lynch was kept goalless for the first time this year. A top effort.
He judges the ball well in flight and works to the front. Played hard done good.
Well done again to the baby Blues Jack. Technically speaking they are one game outside the eight.
It seems Rocket Eade read your last column with his profound statement “we didn’t deserve to win, even if we did”. Spooky.
A cracker of a laugh JTI.
Many thanks
❤ ❤ ❤