Humble servant of the Nation

What did you do in the Macklemore War, Dad?

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In years to come our children might ask, “What did you do in the Macklemore War, Dad?” My response will be, “Like a lot of people, I fought and died just a little bit inside.”

The noise around the same sex marriage voluntary postal survey has turned this country into a dismal, joyless place, where proponents and opponents quibble over meaningless symbolism like seagulls over a chip.

I confess I didn’t have the slightest idea who Macklemore was until earlier this week. I would be perfectly happy to bathe in that ignorance today. I might even have watched him perform in the NRL Grand Final pre-match, wondered out loud who he was before going to the fridge and grabbing another beer before the kick off.

By the time the match ended and the premiership trophy was held aloft by the victorious captain, Macklemore’s performance would have been a distant memory, rather like my knowledge of the 2004 coup d’etat in Equatorial Guinea in that it was a long time ago and didn’t really make a whole lot of difference to my life.

Full column here.

427 Comments

  • Razor says:

    Cheers all round last night in the Razor house when Macklemore came on! Things fairly subdued during the game though. A great win by the Storm. A class outfit and the best side in the comp all year . There is no shame in the Cowboys being beaten by an outfit like that.

    • Bella says:

      The Cowboys made the Grand Final Razor when 14 other clubs did not so they deserve the title of champions in my book.
      Congrats to the Melbourne Storm for 2017.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    There is a big STORM over Nth QLD, Mr Insider, and of course I refer to the thrashing Melbourne Storm gave the Nth Qld Cowboys in the NRL GF last night. Not only are the Victorians tops at AFL they have the cheek to be the best in NRL too. Macklemore did a top job too imho, surely those who made a fuss of him being there must have egg on their faces today.

  • Boadicea says:

    So what’s my prize, Gryzly? Or is it just the glory of the win 😀

  • Rhys Needham says:

    The Storm were far too clinical and probably too healthy for the gallant walking wounded from God’s Own. It helps too if the referees can accidentally get in the opposition’s way as well when you’ve got a winger who’d probably do alright in the Olympics charging down the field.

    It’ll be interesting to see if Cooper Cronk plays on and what Sydney club he pops up at if he does.

    Ugly stuff in Catalunya from the Spanish authorities as well.

    Trump being even more of a grotesque embarrassment isn’t really news, though.

    • Mack the Knife says:

      Don’t think the ugly stuff in Catalonia is going to end well, or very soon, sad cafe. Can’t see the Spaniards giving it up anytime soon, Barcelona and all that goes with that neck of the woods is just too much to give up lightly.

      For what it’s worth I thought Macklemore’s song about same love or whatever it was called wasn’t bad. The lady with the big tattoo brought it home. The first couple of songs were instantly forgettable though.

      • Bella says:

        Her name is Mary Lambert MtK & her voice is amazing.
        I’m not into rap at all but for what it’s worth Macklemore’s set was pretty upbeat & entertaining. All that nonsense that went on beforehand was just more noise from frightened old men.
        Vale Tom Petty 💙

        • Mack the Knife says:

          Mary Lambert, great voice indeed, one to watch. Tom Petty, only 66, too young in this day and age. Always liked his music, even pre-Wilbury days. Saw him and the Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks in Brisbane at Lang Park circa 1988. Brilliant band, tight as a drum. Got to stand between the stacks and the crowd barrier for most of the set due to an access all areas pass. My ears were ringing after the show but it was worth it. This is the song I remember most.
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTeNhhm2v58

  • BASSMAN says:

    We are playing Hindia…but you wouldn’t know it. No publicity
    Gawd what an embarrassment Howard is in his senile years. A dog with a bone chasing a lost cause.

  • Tracy says:

    What is the Spanish government thinking, sending in the National Police to break into polling stations, confiscating ballot boxes and standoff’s with would be voters, shades of Franco.
    Ok, they’ve said the vote is illegal but the nationalists weren’t going to get the majority (about 40% in favour) so they’ve just hardened the resolve for another neverendum or even worse a Catalan version of ETA

  • Wissendorf says:

    Cowboys and Storm about to get dirty. I hope the fairytale has a happy ending. This is a huge test for the Cowboys without JT. Unfortunately for the PNG Hunters, Penrith were ready for them. Not until the last minutes did we see any of the Hunters attacking flash. They piled on 18 points at the wrong end of the game, but they were clever and well constructed tries. Hunters lack the body size of more seasoned teams and it counts against them.

    Dwight, I add my congratulations on your wedding. Scarcely a more romantic place on earth than Bali, volcanoes notwithstanding. Every happiness to yourself and your bride mate. Another voice for the Green Bay Army?

    • Jack The Insider says:

      Predictable result. Cowboys hung in for most if it but Melbourne are too good. The last try was world class.

      • Wissendorf says:

        A worthy final. Melbourne just too good. Looking forward, the Cowboys have a very young squad, with 8 players under 25. They’ll be around for a while yet.

        Australia only made 248 in the last ODI. I’ll stay up for the reply, and then watch the Bills play Atlanta. The Queensland Govt have given us a public holiday tomorrow. A great piece of public policy. Also gives me time to expel some of the unconscious bodies littering my place. It’s been a messy but enjoyable couple of days.

      • Wissendorf says:

        Winx lost. To 7yo Happy Clapper. I’m gobsmacked.

        India 0/79 from 14. I don’t want to write them off short, but that’s not a promising scoreline.

        • Jack The Insider says:

          Winx lost? No.

        • Perentie says:

          Happy Clapper won the Epsom. Winx wasn’t running in that. It’s a handicap – she would have got close to 70kg.

          • Wissendorf says:

            You’re right mate. I just went back to the full article I quoted from. I had followed a click bait headline and only read the first para of the article, all of which indicated Winx had lost to Happy Clapper. How embarrassment. Sorry to any who put their wallets away. Winx still undefeated.

      • Wissendorf says:

        India win. Without checking, I think Australia have lost 19 of their last 20 away games. Obviously the pay rise has brought out previously concealed talent. Bills over Falcons 7 – 3 with 6 left to 1/2T.

  • wraith says:

    @ Jacksprat
    You paid $70 for a leg of lamb? You’re pulling my leg! In SA right now, nice leg would be $25 – $30, that’s a largish one.
    .
    Okay, I got a quote for pool paint supply the other day from a mob in the east, $1780 was quoted. Same paint for fibreglass pool in South Australia, $850 including gst. Thats a huge difference for the same stuff. I have a feeling you guys get gouged, a lot.

    • JackSprat says:

      Welcome to Sydney.

      It was actually for my son who wanted a leg that would feed 9 people – and yes it was $69.60.

      One of the problems is the high cost of real estate that translates into high rents for the vendors that gets passed on.

      Lamb pieces, suitable for cutting up for stir fries or a casserole come in at $24 a kilo at the local butchers.

      The local plumbers have a call out fee of $120 which covers the first 10 mins.

      $850 rent a week for a 3 bedroom is at the low end.

      $500 a week might get you a 2 bedroom granny flat at the back of somebody’s house.

      It is sheer madness.

      • Penny says:

        JackSprat,

        It really is quite depressing. We bought 8 Scotch Fillet steaks in of all places Katherine, NT and paid $123.00!!
        We’re on our way back to Penang next week where you can buy a 1.5kilo leg of NZ lamb for $25.00.
        But your point is excellent, you can understand why young people can’t afford to leave home

      • wraith says:

        gobsmacked. how the other half live hey?

        • JackSprat says:

          Asset rich – income poor Wraith.
          The house might be worth $1+ million bucks but it it worthless unless one can down size or shift to another location.
          Next door neighbors sold, and down sized. There was a difference of $200k.
          Only problem it costs about $100k to shift after paying real estate commission on the old place and stamp duties on the new one plus a few extra costs to accommodate the new one..
          Using your own house as a measurement of wealth, provided that one is not into trophy houses worth tens of millions, is a worthless measurement unless one is just waiting for the oldies to cark it.
          Speaking of the other half – I had a mate up from Canberra – he could not get over the fact that people are paying $24+K a year for moorings for their boat that they might use a dozen time a year..

  • jack says:

    http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/agribusiness/dairy/dairy-farmers-go-offgrid-as-power-prices-surge/news-story/3f3b42124b2adef064da266255d03af7

    what if we get a lot of this, businesses deciding that they would rather reliable if duty diesel power rather than unreliable renewables, what then?

    • wraith says:

      The thing is jack, the renewables are not unreliable. Not here anyway. But we do have an excess of sun and plenty of wind. Then there are battery back up systems that have been around for over 25years now, fill them up when it shines, empty the when it doesnt. So many industries around the gulfs in SA have solar panels on the roof that they glitter like diamonds in the afternoon sun. Quietly making electricity. Even more quietly saving dollars, many dollars.
      .
      No politics anymore, its sickening. The eastern states are playing catchup with all this, and they are going to pay for it through the nose. Electricity companies dont care, AGL does not care about anyones’ business model but their own, and that one is profits all the way!!!
      .
      My dear god people do you know what you are going to end up paying for a lambchop!! My butcher has solar!!

    • Dismayed says:

      Latest report from WA says Renewable Energy systems are 15 times more reliable than the grid in the area of the study.

    • Boadicea says:

      Putting aside the almost unbelievable increase in cost of supply , Jack, it’s the uncertainty of supply.
      How can one hope to run a business under circumstances such as the one example given here?
      It seems to be like being caught up in an untested experiment with no backup . Okay if you’re kid in a school laboratory but when ones livelihood is at stake it’s another matter.
      Generator manufacturers must be doing good business!

  • jack says:

    dwight, congratulations and best wishes.

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