An open thread where you can, at your weekend leisure, discuss anything you like.
[addendum now that it's Monday: a warning that there's some NSFW images in the comments thread, although you really should look at the first comment/image which is perfectly SFW - tigtog]
Heh!
Now that’s impressive.
Phew! I can go to bed now.
Heh! Cool! Laura wins the race by a good mile…
Laura, …Frist I’m drunk… Something, something.
Well done Laura. This takes things to a whole new level. Game on!
Shaun! You think you’re drunk?
I just watched someone bid $500 for the chance to have an elective diagnostic endoscopy. Y’know, just in case.
Sweet god-damn…
Believe me. I have the experience.
Pour out a dyonysian libation to propitiate the Great Goddess Julia Zemiro, Shaun, is my advice…
http://larvatusprodeo.net/2006/10/27/former-one-legged-model-no-more/#comment-170090
Good advice but more suited for Sat night in SBS.
Bless you my children. Go forth and abstain no more.
No Shaun, she is omnipresent.
Me thinks the monkey has it over Frist…it least one is evolving.
NP: Lisa Gerrard’s newie…THE SILVER TREE…strangely elicits memories of the movie CODE 46 (also had a cool soundtrack & directed by Brit dissident Michael Winterbottom). One of our fave sci-fi, prophetic flicks of the last coupla years…no hype…more verisimilitude…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345061/
Heard CHILDREN of MEN is also worth a look…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/
…back to the wilderness….bis spater und schlaft gute…
Oh my, while I was intrigued by the representation of Shanghai as the future, indeed I’ve used it in my writing, I thought it was a pretty dreadful and ultimately misogynistic film. With not nearly as much to say as it thought it had. I prefered The Island by dissident US director Michael Bay. Same plot, more explosions.
” I thought it was a pretty dreadful and ultimately misogynistic film.”
True, but it did have one brillant one liner.
“You find freckles sexy?”
“I regard Anne of Green Gables as an erotic classic.”
And also didn’t Shanghai look sexy?
“I prefered The Island by dissident US director Michael Bay. Same plot, more explosions.”
I like the cut of your jibes MH. Don’t be a stranger here.
Interesting blog too MH. Yer a 21st century China Straits watcher? That’s definitely a high valued-added niche infomarket that’s rapidly becoming a lot less niche.
Yes, by night it certainly runs a good line in state-sponsored corporate spectacle.
My profession, yes, but I avoid the besuited “missile counters” as much as I can.
MH on 28 October 2006 at 6:08 am
i have just visted shanghai for the first time and am pretty impressed. this is a high-iq town with lots of ambitious young people in it.
a canny investor could still clean up by buying real estate in the river bend where the old public housing is being re-developed. not much down-side given the generally progressive tendencies of governance.
i agree that missile watching is a waste of time. the iraq fiasco proves that militarism is clearly not a prudent way for alpha-males to achieve proper dominance. i dont forsee much trouble with china attempting to retake taiwan by force. it would be cheaper to buy it.
Is it possible to strip a person of citizenship? If so, when has it happened in Australia? Who was stripped and for what reason? Anyone know?
Even a canny investor is going to get caught up in power struggles in the Politburo http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25689-2374142,00.html
Ah, I don’t think so. And given how much of the China boom is dependent on Taiwanese investment (and Japanese investment through Taiwan to China), it would do as much harm to China than to Taiwan.
I feel in the interests of cultural awareness we need to have a fatwa a week from the Imam on Saturday Salon in order to promote good feelings and discussion about proper behaviour. This first week we’ll talk about whether girls should remove their nail polish before doing their woohoos or whatever
http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=14191
wpd asks “Is it possible to strip a person of citizenship?”
Probably not if they’ve already stripped their nail polish before doing wudhus wpd
I would urge LP commenters to bring interesting snippets from the dreamtime, feng shui or even a bit of Marx into the discussion here. Perhaps in future we could even get the Thick Sheik on for a really in depth understanding of the issues.
I followed your link, Obs, but I knew I have a dirty mind when I got to this bit:
All I can picture is gigantic wobbling buttocks.
All of the above provisions relate to actions done before a certificate of citizenship is granted or to actions associated with the fraudulent acquisition of a certificate of citizenship.
Note, therefore, that in general [but see below]:
1. Natural-born citizens cannot be deprived oftheir Australian citizenship.
2. Naturalised persons can be deprived of citizenship only for fraudulent and dishonest applications for citizenship.
However:
1. there is this provision:
On the face of it this seems to apply to all citizens, whether natural-born or not, which is a bit disturbing, if it’s true.
2. All decisions are a matter of minsterial fiat, which would appear to be giving enormous discretion to the executive.
And? Wanna make something of it?
I’m surprise that obby missed this fatwa: http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=10928
Or this fatwa:
http://www.islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=18373
Talking about buttocks:
http://islam.tc/ask-imam/view.php?q=13883
Why is it recommended to shave that area, I wonder?
Too many rules and regulations for me. Much easier to believe in the tooth fairy especially at my age when I am loosing my teeth and need the dough.
It’s official: he’s weird.
This kind of playschool sniggering would be staggeringly offensive if you indulged in the Christian equivalent, Obs. I won’t, in deference to the many Christians here, but I can think of a number of equivalents. What really weirds me out is the prurient fascination of Islam-hatas with all Islamic things to do with sex, hygiene or any other bodily matters. Any minute now it’ll be the effing virgins again.
For those who are actually interested in WTF he might be talking about, Wikipedia is a wonderful thing.
For many of us religion, be it Islam, Christianity or whatever, is the stuff of sniggering and tooth fairies.
Why should we defer to anyone’s feelings because of their religion? Is it any worse than the hurt that can be caused in a vicious book review?
Do these ‘great religions’ of Islam and Catholicism, for example, consider the feelings and psychological health of homosexuals with their proscriptions on it?
How many of these religions truly treat women as absolute equals of men in all things?
Ron, I’ve said it before.
The best trick Jesus ever pulled was convincing people he didn’t exist.
Children of Men is really really good. If you can tolerate violence and tension then definitely go see it. I’m extremely keen to read the novel it’s based on, now.
I’m wondering if the recent appointment of Chris Uhlmann to the position of ABC Radio Chief Political correspondent is another consequence of the ‘Marxist purge’?
In a move that no doubt saw Gerard Henderson cream his camp little jeans, Uhlmann has recently taken over the role. Those familiar with Uhlmann, mainly through his contact with ABC Canberra will know that he’s a far right-wing god botherer.
Uhlmann was chief advisor to the now infamous, Paul ‘Ozzy’ Osborne, whose tenure as an MLA in the ACT, saw him systematically alienate the constituency who voted for him – on the basis of a miracle pass thrown to Ken Nagus during the 1994 NRL grand final – with his attempts to implement a far right-wing religious agenda. Uhlmann also briefly ran on the Osborne ticket, but failed to gain a seat.
Uhlmann’s appointment seems to have slipped under the radar at this point. I’m not suggesting he’s not capable of doing the job, simply that his appointment in the context of the current furore surrounding the ABC, is to say the least, curious.
I seem to remember the novel Children of Men came in for a bit of a caning from the critics when it was published. I tried a quick Google search but all the links I found point towards the movie.
I’ve got the book here somewhere and am wondering if it’s the same one that has a sentence along the lines of ” … old paedos sitting in abandoned churches hearing the echoes of long dead choirboys” or some such thing (it’s many years since I read the book).
Why Rudd should be leader (or at least chief strategist):
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/rudd-finds-holes-in-pms-culture-war/2006/10/27/1161749315280.html
Id love to see Beazer do what Howard did last time, and declare the election a referendum on that which his opponents imagine to be his weak suit. Values.
Ron, that’s interesting – the lines you’re remembering are an adaptation of Sonnet 73 “bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang” – and so I had to go have a hunt through the book with Amazon’s search inside feature. It seems that there is a key scene set in a decrepit church and it does draw on the Shakespeare but the overtones are different. The lines in the novel go:
“When he had first come here, thirty years ago, he had been transported by the silence of its ageless peace, seeming ot hear upon the air the echo of long forgotten plainsong, of old imperatives and desperate prayers. All that had gone. Once it had been a place where silence was more than the absence of noise. Now it was a stone building: nothing more.”
Katz, much appreciated. It does seem to give enormous power to the Minister.
I can think of several practical difficulties if any Minister made such a move, particularly with intent to deport.
More examples of liberal bias in the US media.
I appreciate the arousal of cultural interest here, but please please folks, I think we can only handle one fatwa a week to really get our heads around and do each cultural enlightenment real justice.
Ron,
Possibly the shaving of that area has something to do with this fatwa. Could it have something to do with keeping things halal (or whatever the correct term is)?
Obby – it’s a lost cause mate.
Good to see a frank and full discussion Gummo. I think the Catholic church could make up lots of lost ground with open debates about things like mutual masturbation.
I reckon he’s a wily & intelligent strategist, occasionally a bit knee-jerk tho…and plenty of triangulation involved in his moves…but generally comes across as a decent, informed, articulate fella…certainly a strength for the Labor Party in these days of ‘full bore finger-pointing & moral panic’ & ‘divide & conquer at all costs’ politics used by the Coalition & their enablers.
I wish more Aussies didn’t believe the hype vomiting forth from SKY, current affairs shows, Daily Rags, morning dross & radio jocks…such a diversionary, divisive load of BS.
Kim B. seems to be scoring some points of late tho…as does Beattie…:)
Agree wholeheartedly w/ Rudd’s comment reported in the SMH today:
spot on Ruddy! US style politics invades Australia…:(
Yes, its a great piece by the Ruddster, Nasking.
On that theme, today I went to a great event: a time capsule for a new baby, to be opened in 2024, when he’s 18.
The parents did up a 2024 quiz for us each to fill, and I’ll share one of the questions with you:
Id be interested in people’s thoughts here….
For starters, here were mine:
LNP: “BEHIND YOU!!”
ALP: “Keep the bastards honest”.
Duz anybody remember old-timey Philly hepcat Schooly D? (I believe lately he wrote the hilarious theme song for “Aqua Teen Hunger Force”, viz. “My name is/Shake-Zula/The mic roolah/The old-schoolah/You wanna trip?/I’ll bring to ya!” — see what he did, there?)
Anyway, the zany lyric of the week comes from Schooly’s old classic, “Smoke Some Kill”… Dust off those phat gold chains!
Woke up early Sunday mawning.
Rolled out of bed. Still I was yawning.
Thought about the hangover.
Kissed the dog. Called my mom Rover.
Went into the kitchen: Captain Crunch.
Turned on the tube: The Brady Bunch.
Instead of a house, they lived in a palace.
Jan was fuckin Mike, and Mike was fuckin Alice.
Sat down on the couch, to cool and chill.
Cracked me a 40. Rolled some kill.
I was tokin’, I was smokin’,
My mom said, Boyee, ya must be jokin’.
She threw me outside: it was rainin’. I was soakin’.
That weed’s so damn provokin’.
So I cracked another 40. Smoked some kill.
Thought to myself, My mom got ill.
Heh.
Wait til she gets my bill…
ALP: Beds are burning!
NP: Vote for us cause we promise time will stand still.
Greens: No nukes are good Nukes.
Family First: Vote for us for a diverse media.
Liberals: We’ll keep carbon emmissions at an all-time low!
Democrats: We’re the New Greens…we promise.
I’d also add a message for the 18 year old in 2024:
‘If you have a Liberal Government & they’re talking about compulsory community service & resource greedy Chinese…RUN!!!!!
And now we have this from the party that wants to be the Liberal Party when the Liberal Party’s not in power:
Labor could preference Family First
http://www.theage.com.au/news/vicelection06news/labor-could-preference-family-first/2006/10/26/1161749253991.html
Libs: Howard: Dead Right.
ALP: Surely it’s time?
Nats: Coo-eee, anyone?
Greens: We told you so!
Dems: Honestly…
Aussie Jihad: It’s Payback Time.
One Nation/East Asian Coalition: Prease Exprain?
Hehehe.
They forgot to countenance the likely new parties, and their platforms:
Grey Boomer: Still hogging the seats! /Medicare Platinum / Why are middle-aged people so conservative these days?
Gen X League (known colloqually as the “Prince Charles” brigade): Lower the retirement age to 85, PLEASE! / Tenure before I die!
Security Party (in coalition with LNP): Yes, guns kill people / Are you worrying enough?
Two Nations Good fences make good neighbours,
49th or 50th, I think.
Laura:
Putting my portrait up at the top of this thread was a lovely thought, thank you very much.
Nabakov:
Been in Shanghai a few times – and rather liked it – but “sexy” is not quite the adjective that comes immediately to my mind in describing it.
Another Kim, be careful when you deliver your summons (on the other thread on reactionary masculinity). You never know who or what might answer.
Since you ask, though you simply have to say my name thrice, or make an equivalent arrangement with your poison of choice. Pull the cork, twist the screw-top, crack the tinnie, twist the cap, break the seal, toss back the throwie, slam the shot, slurp the jelly, Christen the carton, break open the slab, tear the cardboard and squeeze the cask, lower yourself under the barrel, wipe the spiggot, open the tap and…
Pour.
This is not even Bacchus we are dealing with.
Not demon rum..truly devil drink!
Delivered in best valley girl, American accent.
Oh my Gahd!!!
Devil..I recall asking but do not remember an answer.
What are you drinking these days?
How about a new LP poll on the front page? Does anyone reme,ber the world cup anymore?
Daylight saving in NSW tonight. Can’t…talk. Superpowers draining away. Cows…fading…
Cripes, there I was minding my own business at 1.59 and suddenly it was 3am.
Suddenly feel….so very tired.
I am drunk.
I have just taken all my clothes off.
I sit before you naked typing.
May I recommend the spinach and ricotta pizza slice if anyone is on Brunswick St? From the NY style pizza place over the road from the Empire Hotel.
Gracefully, I now retire to my bed.
Night!
xxoxx
Your Kimberella…
Well, there goes the “so, what are you wearing?” convo starter
Daylight savings ahoy, hooray!
Night!
Peter Beattie says it will give you skin cancer, Lefty E!
Anyway, before I go…
All the hot chiks this summer are getting Latin tags tattoos:
<img src="http://larvatusprodeo.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/45.jpg"
Dear “safe for work” crowd, … it’s Sunday!
Night, my dears!
xxoxx
Is this approved work clobber in commercial kitchens these days?
It’s a morgue, actually!
http://suicidegirls.com/girls/Fractal/photos/Jane Doe/
Videlicit:
<img src="http://larvatusprodeo.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/09.jpg"
Kim, the night stalker must be paying you well.
Tell him he will find resistance. Not of the religious kind.
Damn, I missed Kimberella naked.
In response to Zarquon, I remember the World Cup. And Mindy is still able to claim her prize if she so wishes.
Wow, those morticians can do fantastic things with make-up these days can’t they? She looks so lifelike.
Allow me to introduce one of the best and least acknowledged quasi-cocktails ever designed. If the British Empire has to be evaluated historically and judged for its many and various goods and evils, the naval creation of the Pink Gin must forgive a great many venal colonial sins.
Squirt onto the inside of a cold glass (I use an old 100ml Vegemite glass from the pre-screwtop era) some bitters, though not too much. Swirl it around like a showoff if such movement doesn’t make you feel seasick, or if you’re on board one of Her Majesty’s vessels, put the glass on the deck and let the pitch and roll do your work. Pour gin, to taste. Some people like a shaved slice of lemon or lime, some people like an ice cube.
Me, I can’t reach the freezer or the fruit basket from bed, so I have my breakfast pink gin plain, simple, and delicious.
Much prefer teh absinthe myself DD. I find it gives those spiders crawling up the walls a wonderful luminous hue.
Nice feature on the Clash in today’s Guardian
Link:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1933916,00.html
I have been reliably informed that in the interests of promoting cultural harmony the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils has sacked Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali.
Hilali’s replacement is a local Aussie Sheik- the beloved and well respected Sheik From Scrubby Creek- http://www.muster.com.au/Bios/chadmorgan.htm
A far more attractive man, melaleuca!
Melaleuca and Tigtog:
Yes …. and perhaps more attractive and relevant to young Australian Moslems too.
Kim:
Interesting photos …. but that’s not an Australian morgue, is it? ….
I think it’s American, Graham.
I have a hangover!
Just whingin…
One should not while hungover whinge, Kim. One should exult, having slept the righteous sleep reserved for those who’ve worked hard and achieved their goal—inebriation—and immediately launch plans for its successor.
I hope you feel better.
Thanks, TDD.
I did sleep much of the day away. Which was quite pleasant.
Has Evil Pundit hung up his blogging boots?
Couldn’t tell you, Rob.
How was your trip?
Very, very good, Kim. Eight operas, and lots more on the crimes of Stalin, ha ha ha. Did you know the Poles attribute the collapse of socialism to the election of the Polish Pope?
No, really, Rob?
“One should not while hungover whinge, Kim.”
Indeed-de-do. To quote our Lord Sinatra – blessed be all that come fly with him – “I feel sorry for people that don’t drink. ‘cos when they get up in the morning, that’s as good as they’re gonna feel for the rest of the day.”
Amen-de-do-be-do.
(Oi! Drop that rubber plant you little six-legged shits.)
And yellow rubbery Jesus inserting an everlasting endoscope Kim, that’s a quite a bunch of pierced sneering scrubbers you’ve popped up here. I wouldn’t touch one of ‘em with a nine inch speculum. Sucide girls? Coven of fuckin’ wimps.
Now here’s some real perverse upmarket erotique-bizzarely classy ass.
http://www.alternity.co.uk/a-g1.html
http://cnbhorror.com/mocktoad/img.php?g=3&i=4
http://storage.canalblog.com/44/04/76696/7724847.jpg
http://www.kbr.be/actualites/expos/dossiers/175/cent_tresors/images/rops_gd.jpg
http://www.alternity.co.uk/a-g7.html
http://www.bigmattress.com/weblog/robot_sex.jpg
http://www.whitelead.com/jrh/ISPs/index.html
And just received my copy of Lost Girls. Whooo-ho baby! Think “Under The Hill” meets “Autobiography of A Flea” via “From Hell” and “little Annie Fanny”.
Honestly, you kids these days don’t have the first clue about witty, whacky, dangerous and evocative erotica.
NB: These links are very much not safe for work…sadly.
Unfortunately I’m not Frist (but a bit of monkey). But having just read the Herald I’d like to be the first to wish LP’s Naomi Parry the best of luck running for preselection for state parliament. From what she’s written and commented upon previously on this site and others, I’m sure she’d be an excellent candidate. Maybe we could end up with another parliamentary blogger to challenge the prolific postings of Senator Andrew Bartlett.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/debus-quits-for-canberra/2006/10/29/1162056867088.html
Kim:
1. Thanks; was just wondering about location.
2. Wonder if the ADF, desperate for recruits, has given up its silly dislike of tattoos yet? (even sillier, once in, service personnel could get themselves a whole art gallery of tattoos without penalty).
2. Hangovers are caused, in part, by alcohol dehydrating the body …. so imbibe a couple of glasses of water before retiring and all will be well; the downside is waking with a temporarily full bladder – far less painful than a hangover.
Rob:
Evil Pundit is still blogging happily away over at Andrew Bartlett’s blog; I’ve crossed swords with him there once or twice.
Where did you go on your trip?
Stephen Hill:
Good luck to Naomi. While I’m don’t want families restricted to having only one politician, especially were someone is manifestly talented and competent …. it’s time we in Australia started drawing some pretty sharp boundaries on Nepotism,
Queensland has had two rather unfortunate instances of that in the last few years and only just avoided another two; the situation in other states may be even worse.
Graham — Austria and Eastern Europe, mainly to collect opera houses and performances. I’ll put a report up at my place when I get over the jet-lag (funny, I didn’t suffer from it flying the other way).
Ahh, I was wondering if that was our Naomi. Best wishes and good luck to her.