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[A More Normal Bird]

Although not as entertaining as letters to the editor from people on another plane of existence, Bernardi and Wong in Senate Estimates examining the marble table smashed in Abbott's commiseration party gave me a chuckle. Bernardi says the table should be referred to as "damaged", not "smashed", because the latter involves unnecessary speculation. He also asked the parliamentary official if he was aware of any pre-existing structural weakness the table may have had.

But it all pales in comparison to tonight's 4 Corners: Down the Rabbit Hole with Kathy Jackson and Michael LawlerJackson And Lawler: Inside The Eye Of The Storm. Dear lord. I'm surprised no-one has posted in here about it yet. I don't even use twitter but felt compelled to check #4corners (highly recommended btw) to make sure I wasn't viewing a bizarre and unsettling broadcast from another dimension, Rick and Morty style.

 

[Jintor]

people keep talking about their reactions to it but as someone out of the country atm i still don't actually know what any of that means

 

[bobnowhere]

Although not as entertaining as letters to the editor from people on another plane of existence, Bernardi and Wong in Senate Estimates examining the marble table smashed in Abbott's commiseration party gave me a chuckle. Bernardi says the table should be referred to as "damaged", not "smashed", because the latter involves unnecessary speculation. He also asked the parliamentary official if he was aware of any pre-existing structural weakness the table may have had.

But it all pales in comparison to tonight's 4 Corners: Down the Rabbit Hole with Kathy Jackson and Michael LawlerJackson And Lawler: Inside The Eye Of The Storm. Dear lord. I'm surprised no-one has posted in here about it yet. I don't even use twitter but felt compelled to check #4corners (highly recommended btw) to make sure I wasn't viewing a bizarre and unsettling broadcast from another dimension, Rick and Morty style.

Crap, forgot that was on. Was flicking around and found a Louis Theroux doco on ABC2.

The liberal stooge on The Drum made a good point earlier and after having seen said table I happily agree, the world is a better place for not having that horribly ugly piece of furniture in it. Though it might be seen as the final death rattle of the Abbott doctrine of operations, first deny then eventually be dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing. He has apparently offered to pay for the damages now but if he had paid the next day there would have been no story, however dumb it is, created by denying first, thinking second.

 

[hidys]

Guess I'll have to watch 4corners later on iview.

 

[manipulate]

Jackson and her boyfy are gross af, jesus.

 

[Shaneus]

But it all pales in comparison to tonight's 4 Corners: Down the Rabbit Hole with Kathy Jackson and Michael LawlerJackson And Lawler: Inside The Eye Of The Storm. Dear lord. I'm surprised no-one has posted in here about it yet. I don't even use twitter but felt compelled to check #4corners (highly recommended btw) to make sure I wasn't viewing a bizarre and unsettling broadcast from another dimension, Rick and Morty style.

You're talking about this, yes?

 

[Fredescu]

4 Corners was pretty cringeworthy. Those people are clearly mentally ill. I guess as a journalist you take chances when they're given, but I think we had enough to go on Kathy Jackson without needing that.

 

[wonzo]

http://www.theguardian.com/australi...ion-to-late-term-abortion-in-2014-asylum-case

 

[Elaugaufein]

All I know now is I'm scared and want to know if my lunch was Halal.

Assuming you didn't drink alcohol with lunch there's an excellent chance your beverage was Halal. Mwahahaha.

 

[danm999]

Nice job your Muslim bashing did in Canada Crossby.

 

[Fredescu]

4 Corners was pretty cringeworthy. Those people are clearly mentally ill. I guess as a journalist you take chances when they're given, but I think we had enough to go on Kathy Jackson without needing that.

Rundle called it "one of those 45-minute glories that will still be captivating in 20 years' time"

 

[Elaugaufein]

Rundle called it "one of those 45-minute glories that will still be captivating in 20 years' time"

People do love a good train wreck

 

[Yagharek]

It's not as good as a gst cake though?

 

[Fredescu]

It's not as good as a gst cake though?

GST cake was good in terms of outcomes, but in terms of the train wreck itself it doesn't come close to this I think.

 

[Jintor]

looks like the canucks have thrown harper out on his ass. can we get a viable human being to front an opposition in our country yet?

 

[Omikron]

The 4 corners thing just made me think those two in question have some real issues. :/

 

[danm999]

Liberal senator Bill Heffernan has used parliamentary privilege to accuse an unnamed former prime minister of being an alleged paedophile, while also pointing the finger at the judiciary.

He told Senate estimates today that he had given the commission "very disturbing" police documents that named at least 28 alleged paedophiles, some of whom are prominent Australians.

But he said the commission had told him it could not investigate the cases because they were outside its terms of reference.

"We have in Australia, sadly, a compromise at the highest of levels. There is a former prime minister on this list and it is a police document, " he told senators.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-...former-pm-of-being-alleged-paedophile/6870532

 

[JC Sera]

^So if this is not huff and puff, then we've got a similar problem to the UK?
well fuck

 

[danm999]

Yeah I mean Heffernan's record isn't spotless, he once accused a judge of hiring rent boys using parliamentary privilege (maybe that's why he used it) and it turned out to be wrong, but who the fuck knows honestly. He might have learned his lesson from that and be correct.

 

[bobnowhere]

In better times!

All in about 5 weeks.

Edit:

We all remember how Border Force put out a press release where they were going to check random people on the street but then later claimed it was just a clumsily worded press release? Well they fully intended to do it all along.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-20/border-force-officers-planned-to-check-visas-at-taxi-stands/6870250

 

[wonzo]

 

[danm999]

We all remember how Border Force put out a press release where they were going to check random people on the street but then later claimed it was just a clumsily worded press release? Well they fully intended to do it all along.

Unsurprising. There were so many holes in their cover-up story.

Oh thank goodness the alleged rapists have found themselves innocent.

Stand down everyone.

 

[bomma_man]

Yeah I mean Heffernan's record isn't spotless, he once accused a judge of hiring rent boys using parliamentary privilege (maybe that's why he used it) and it turned out to be wrong, but who the fuck knows honestly. He might have learned his lesson from that and be correct.

I think that was a gay therefore sexual deviant therefore paedophile chain of logic from bill, I'm not sure if it ever had any kind of basis in reality.

 

[JC Sera]

I have the utmost respect for gillian triggs

do you think she'll ever get an apology

Funniest, and saddest post I have read today. She will never get a break from attacks, let alone an apology.

"Why is this woman so hated? Why is she constantly attacked?"

"She actually gives a fuck about people"

 

[Dead Man]

I have the utmost respect for gillian triggs

do you think she'll ever get an apology

Funniest, and saddest post I have read today. She will never get a break from attacks, let alone an apology.

"Why is this woman so hated? Why is she constantly attacked?"

"She actually gives a fuck about people"

Pretty much. I think she is tougher and smarter than the wankers attacking her though, so fuck asking for an apology. Pretty much what danm999 says below.

 

[danm999]

I have the utmost respect for gillian triggs

do you think she'll ever get an apology

No but I doubt she wants or needs one from those attacking her.

Decent people will hold her in esteem.

 

[JC Sera]

No but I doubt she wants or needs one from those attacking her.

Decent people will hold her in esteem.

Unfortunately its the indecent people who hold the power

 

[danm999]

Unfortunately its the indecent people who hold the power

Hopefully not forever.

She has a fixed term until 2017 so she can keep speaking truth to power until then.

 

[Yagharek]

Is that the official line now? they're actually calling them refugees?

Because the last lot they sent back to Syria included this guy who got bombed.

 

[wonzo]

profit murder

 

[Yagharek]

Joe Hockey retired. Good.

Hopefully the age of entitlement is over and he declines his generous parliamentary pension if or when he ends up working in business sectors with close links to his past portfolios.

 

[Yagharek]

Oh Yay, Fierravanti Wells is on the press club speech, using the cover of multiculturalism of traditional families in order to argue against things such as gender equality and non traditional family structures.

 

[danm999]

Oh Yay, Fierravanti Wells is on the press club speech, using the cover of multiculturalism of traditional families in order to argue against things such as gender equality and non traditional family structures.

That's been her play for a while now. She argued it during their party vote on SSM that there was a silent majority wanting them to reject it.

 

[Yagharek]

Natural reality trumps religion. People are homosexual, naturally. That takes precedence over religious artificial constructs.

 

[Elaugaufein]

Natural reality trumps religion. People are homosexual, naturally. That takes precedence over religious artificial constructs.

The problem with this argument though is that religion appears to be natural too (at least in the context of homo sapiens sapiens). We seem hard wired to create explanations and patterns if we can't find any explanation even if none exist

 

[D.Lo]

Natural reality trumps religion. People are homosexual, naturally. That takes precedence over religious artificial constructs.

Marriage is an artificial construct. The version we have was constructed by religion. The word even comes from 'Mary' (the virgin).

The state should have nothing to do with Marriage. Nobody should have more or less rights based on their relationship status.

 

[senahorse]

Joe Hockey retired. Good.

Hopefully the age of entitlement is over and he declines his generous parliamentary pension if or when he ends up working in business sectors with close links to his past portfolios.

Isn't he getting that Ambassador position in the US?

 

[Arksy]

Natural reality trumps religion. People are homosexual, naturally. That takes precedence over religious artificial constructs.

That's a silly argument, people lie and cheat naturally, use violence like almost every member of the animal kingdom. We suppress so much that is natural.

In fact, its not a silly argument, it's an incomplete argument. It's natural and harmless. So we have no reason to ask people to subdue their base desires like we do for so much harmful shit.

 

[Jintor]

arguement from nature is a stupid arguement whatever way you want to slice it. unless you want to go back to sitting in trees

 

[JC Sera]

From nature/natural can easily be twisted, don't buy into it

nature is pretty much rng upon inception of rng
and much of what we consider normal for nature is speculation and based on our own biases
for example look up recent "discoveries" in the Baculum bone in female animals; its just us writing off our own wrong assumptions about nature


other shitty example of applying "nature" or what is "natural" to the human condition:
social darwinism
Dog eat Dog world ideologies (Altruism exists in nature, for example elephants)
Sterilization of invalids because they are not "viable"
honestly the misconception that survival is based 100% on "fitest" to survive, when in reality its 70% RNG
anti-vaxxers
paleo
The assumption that men are purely driven by sex and women reproduction
hyperbolic human gender roles in general to excuse horrible behaviour
Applying the standards of other animals to our relationships in general
homeopathy (I was once doing a lecture on malaria, and they mentioned this medicinal plant that is toxic but fights it, I thought to my self that shit inspires homeopathy i bet. If you type in the plants name into google, the first result you get is homeopathy :T)

god theres just more and more I can keep adding to this post

just every misconception about evolution and then how these are applied to ideologies

 

[SmartBase]

Can someone explain to me how we have yet another treasurer who doesn't know where tax revenue comes from and where it's allocated, who doesn't understand what a progressive tax system is and that this country has one?

I'm just finishing up my IB degree but sometimes I don't see the point when the people at the top in charge of this country's finances don't seem to understand the basics.

 

[D.Lo]

I don't think they don't understand it.

I think they're being deliberately misleading for political/policy gain (*gasp*).

We shouldn't call them on it saying they're idiots. We should call them on it saying they're lying pricks.

 

[Dead Man]

Can someone explain to me how we have yet another treasurer who doesn't know where tax revenue comes from and where it's allocated, who doesn't understand what a progressive tax system is and that this country has one?

I'm just finishing up my IB degree but sometimes I don't see the point when the people at the top in charge of this country's finances don't seem to understand the basics.

They think we don't understand it so they can spout whatever shit they want. And most of us don't, so they can. Ask 100 people about it, 90 will stare blankly at you, 9 will nod agreement with whoever spoke last, and the other one will understand it. We are an ignorant country, and an apathetic one to boot.

Edit: D.Lo beat me to it.

 

[SmartBase]

I don't think they don't understand it.

I think they're being deliberately misleading for political/policy gain (*gasp*).

We shouldn't call them on it saying they're idiots. We should call them on it saying they're lying pricks.

Well that goes without saying, but do people really buy into what's being said?

Who am I kidding, the last election was won by chanting "budget emergency" and "stop the boats" without any elaboration required by the public.

 

[Arksy]

You don't really need to lie to say that we spend a boatload on welfare. It's a fact. Mr Morrison as someone that's bona fide, if you think it's a problem at least explain why and what you think a good solution might be, god forbid people might actually agree!!

 

[Dead Man]

You don't really need to lie to say that we spend a boatload on welfare. It's a fact. Mr Morrison as someone that's bona fide, if you think it's a problem at least explain why and what you think a good solution might be, god forbid people might actually agree!!

I don't think we do. I think we spend not nearly enough on welfare. Define a boatload, I guess?

Edit: In keeping with needing to define boatload I do think there is too much spend on business and corporate welfare, maybe we can just take those funds and give a universal income

 

[Fredescu]

You probably could fill a boat with the money we spend on welfare, but that's not necessarily bad. Morrison would have to define the problem first and "someone cheated the system" doesn't count.

 

[A More Normal Bird]

Stop the boatloads.

 

[Arksy]

I don't think we do. I think we spend not nearly enough on welfare. Define a boatload, I guess?

Edit: In keeping with needing to define boatload I do think there is too much spend on business and corporate welfare, maybe we can just take those funds and give a universal income

I'm flabbergasted that you might think that, especially with all the middle and upper class welfare programs we have, but to answer your question...

The article says that it's something like the tax bill of the top four out of ten that pays for our welfare costs...I'd define that as a boatload. It's a fair portion of our spending. I don't have a problem with welfare for people who have been screwed over by circumstance or in a tough spot but things like the baby bonus, first home buyers etc could be better spent on critical infrastructure and the like.

 

[Dead Man]

I'm flabbergasted that you might think that, especially with all the middle and upper class welfare programs we have, but to answer your question...

The article says that it's something like the tax bill of the top four out of ten that pays for our welfare costs...I'd define that as a boatload. It's a fair portion of our spending. I don't have a problem with welfare for people who have been screwed over by circumstance or in a tough spot but things like the baby bonus, first home buyers etc could be better spent on critical infrastructure and the like.

Yep, I think the targeting of it is absolutely criminal. I also think the total should be higher but the focus should be more social. :/

Edit: And none of that is what MOrrison is talking about. He is just trying to make the middle class hate the poors.