Sunday 26 January 2014

..saying Watteau, Poussin? on this plastic Straya Di


G’day Possums… it’s Straya Dai

Shane defending our Sovereign Borders
A day here in Oz that increasingly we celebrate by wearing the flag, putting flags on our cars, having flags on hats and getting drunker than usual to remember the very first boat people (no, no, not the ones on Nauru and Manus Island, we don’t like them) who arrived at what was conveniently called “Terra Nullius”... which meant we didn’t push anyone off their land ‘cause they weren’t here, were they?  It’s a principle that still has its uses as exemplified by our dudding the Timorese out of a just return on their oil fields and spying on their negotiators.
Just a pity we have to defend ourselves in the International Court on two criminal charges…. …sorta spoils the day, really.
But more celebratory Down-Under stories later in Wombat Droppings.



Here are some new shoot results…. many thanks to Laura, Gus, Emma and Olivia for their work t’other day.

Technique is “dragged shutter” … two flash units were used one with brolly the other as fill, fired off the ceiling, shutter speed was 1/3 sec with ambient light from windows at left.
Originally, Poussin and Caravaggio were in mind for this shoot but when researching, Antoine Watteau kept popping up and it became apparent that his works with his actor friends and the “Fete Galante” style well suited ballet so there are C17th and C18th influences to be seen. 

A'la Gilles
A'la Gilles

 
Watteau
A'la Watteau
 
E as a Poussin deity
E as a Poussin deity




O as a Poussin deity
O as a Poussin deity

L as a Poussin deity
L as a Poussin deity

Wombat Droppings or Low-down Oz Politics

Apart from being at War with boat people and causing the Indonesians to send some Frigates and F-22's  to stop the Oz Navy getting lost in their waters our Prime Miniature, “Mr Rabbott” has been entertaining lots of important people in Davos, Switzerland with the Huffington Post reporting “Australian PM reveals his incredibly complex take on the Syrian civil war.'' His descriptions of the Syrian mess as “Baddies vs Baddies” and that “profits are good” left no doubt that the Great South Land is indeed a place of strange Fauna.
“Wer ist dieser Fick-Witz”? Klaus Schwab, (Economic Council Head) seems to mutter as he disengaged and fled from conversation with Rabbott.
Pleased to hear that "We’re open for business“... delegates then seemed confused on hearing that although Oz was only one of 8 countries in the world to weather the GFC without a major recession, the previous Government responsible, was very naughty and shouldn’t have done that. We should have followed World's Best Practice and gone into recession, too!

There is also no truth in the rumour that navy personnal belong to Ultra-Right-Wing racist groups! Or that they treat boat-people with anything less than humanity and care. Rabbott said so.

The Liarbrils perpetuate their myth of omnipotence, their economic sagacity, their "rightness" to be in control. In short, a sort of "Ming" Menzies '40's, "She'll be right!"  What's different this time, are the times; never before have we had such unknown future ahead of oil running out, a developing climate catastrophe, Capital in an upwardly feral spiral to the few and religious fundamentalism seeking a downward past for people who won’t think.
And the Aspirational Bogans can’t think… particularly about others.
Thinking about others implies a limitation of choices... others require understanding...
"F..K that, burn the Witch!" 
And let Leigh Sales read "Australian" editorials of climate change denials on ABC's 7:30 report.. that's good accurate, unbiased and credible journalism isn't it?
They're very simple, selfish, and uncivil because they are very frightened for time is running out.
Howard and Reith stroked the "uncivil" when Howard refused to alienate the Bogan racism of Hanson, and elevated middle class welfare as his "Circus" distraction and Reith lied about SIEV-X and "children overboard" whilst pretending to be have humanitarian concerns. Laws are being promulgated that are real echo’s of German law, 1933.
Now, Abbott is with Catholic training in dissimulation, cause and effect and; brutality as more than a metaphor, perfect for the role of a slogan headmaster to the new ferals who need little other than slogans.
Except the times are different….and the ferryman needs payment!

So let’s all wrap ourselves’ up in the flag this Straya Die and play the game of "Inverse Proportions"… that’s the game where you celebrate the myth of your country rather than look at its reality. Because the reality is looking rather thin in content and concept and synthetic patriotism is easier to manufacture than the effort of making the real thing.

Bewdy Mate….Cheers,
Shane.

Friday 17 January 2014

Quislings and Pie in the Sky


G’day fellow marsupials…
It’s a bit warm here atm… has been over 40C for four days and there’s a big fire 150Km to the burrows west that is creating its own weather pattern and which is estimated grow as big as 500,000 hectares so it’s not a piddly little burn-off we’re waffling about.

Shane Wombat under Cover
Shane under cover



Even though our Great "Rabbott" Leader has proven with his "Murdoch-mandate" that climate change is "crap" it might be a good time to finally elucidate how his "direct action" plan will mitigate global warming.
So we’ve been undercover for a day or three and it’s good to report that the lower levels of the burrow are quite comfortable.




 
 But that has its “stir-crazy” elements and I started photographing leaves....

Leaves
Leaves














......It might be about here that you place your index finger against your lips wobble it up and down quickly whilst blowing hard.





 
Leaves
Leaves









 And then there was this one from a recent ballet performance shoot which I found quite weird. Check out the lower part of the Spanish dress. And ignore my timing.





Wombat Droppings or Low-Down Oz Politics
In a move redolent of the cupidity for the times, VECCI, which counts some of the country’s wealthiest businesses among its 5800 dues-paying members, posted an operating profit of $3.55 million in 2012-13. It holds $73.3 million in assets and paid more than $20.4 million in wages to 248 employees wants to register itself as a charity. 
Yes, really!!                                                                                                
According to the Victorian State Revenue Office, a charity is an organisation whose purposes is “exclusively … the advancement of education, religion, relief of poverty or other purposes beneficial to the community.”    
Pies in the sky
Pretend Education Minister


The education “guru” tasked with reforming Australia’s national curriculum by the federal government’s Minister, Pyne “The Whyne” The Perfect-Prat-of-a-Prefect is a Dr Kevin Donelly who was previously employed by tobacco firm Phillip Morris to design a school program teaching children about peer pressure and decision making that did not discuss the health dangers of smoking. 
He has also written such gems as “Don’t let class envy wreck school choice” and “Tertiary institutions discriminating against the middle class” from his home business “The All-Australian Institute of Ethically and Homophobically Sound a-You-Beaut Education Doddle” (or something like that) which will replace the 5 years of research that the team of educationalists that Gonski led  and provided the latest report on.
But he said his work would be independent and provided that “many parents” would consider homosexuality “abnormal behaviour”, and  the reality that gays, lesbians and same-sex couples with children are a very small minority and that  such groups do not represent the mainstream,” also called for the Bible to be taught in state schools.

Pies in the sky

The assistant treasurer Arthur “Ebebnezer Scooge” Sinodinos announced that “consistent with the Coalition’s election commitment to reduce compliance costs for small business, financial advisors and consumers”, the legislation would be “improved”.
Gone will be the requirement to send all clients an annual statement  pertaining to an opt out clause to fees paid annually to the original advisor. It will apply only to new clients, signed up from July 2013. Older clients (most),won’t be told how much they are continuing to pay to someone who was once their adviser. They will be able to keep the income stream and sell it when they sell their businesses.  One statement once a year would have been “overly onerous” in other words, “screw you !”

Pies in the sky


“Rabbott’s at war! Having had the Navy shoot at Asylum Seeker boats, towed them back into Indonesians waters, he and Scott “The Drone” Morrison Australia’s first Minister for Non-Immigration have decided to supply the “Boat People” with  life-boats and enough petrol to make it back to Indonesia….. Indonesians seem less than impressed having their border zone being breached by Australia... so Abbott’s and Morrison’s manic behaviour may just get us the crusade they are wishing, looking for. 
Morisson, true to Liarbril form after the Indons told us to "F..K O.F", said, "It's not my fault, the Navy did it!"
"That's not govt. policy, I'll have them all keel-hauled."






Abbott & Morrison

 Could you call him a Quisling for taking Australia down this evil path?

Pies in the sky

For Americans reading this …if you think I’m making this up ….I’m not.
Our new regime (I can’t call it a Government) is making your Tea-Party look like rank amateurs.

Cheers possums,
Shane
PS a lovely bon mot  to finish on
“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde

Friday 10 January 2014

Trolls and Bogans



G'day Possums...
New Aussie Flag
Idea for flag...


 It's been a quiet time Xmas came and went and I found a couple of cousins locked in a car on a hot day....terrible things those humans do to us... not unlike what they do to each other...











cousins trapped in car on hot day

 
Still life with Flowers
OC meets Ikea.

 
Vine Leaves
Vine leaves

 
Interior light
light, wall and ceiling



Wombat Droppings or Low-down politics in Oz 



What is a Troll or a Bogan?
The term bogan is Australian and New Zealand slang from, usually pejorative or sometimes self-deprecating for an individual who is recognised to be from an unsophisticated background or someone whose speech, clothing, attitude and behaviour exemplifies a lack of manners and education..(Wiki)
Then there is the question put in Peer Gynt: What is the difference between troll and man?
The answer given by the Old Man of the Mountain is: "Out there, where sky shines, humans say: 'To thyself be true.' In here, trolls say: 'Be true to yourself and to hell with the world.'  Egoism is a typical trait of the trolls in this play.
Seems apt for the present rabble of Federal Government.



Ahh, but you’ve got to admire the talent the Liarbril’s have in their party.
Cory “Bestiality” Bernardi has written another book; How to be a Revolting Fascist. This one saying that step-parents, single mothers, all lefties, homosexuals, dog-lovers and people who don’t think like him will all burn in hell after their unbalanced children have been incarcerated for existing.  “Bestiality’s” book has broken all records on Amazon for the number of reviews it has received, over 500 so far and this link will allow you to join in the genuinely funny offerings.So popular is it that the price has dropped by $10.00 already....

http://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/1922168963

Liarbril pre-selection interviews for candidates must go something like:
Cory, did John like Betty or Scotty?
Why do you blush, Cory?
It’s alright Cory, Malcolm’s not here, you can say what you feel.
Oh.. ok, ok, we understand, you don’t want to talk with Chrissie Pyne either…

We know that no-one understands you Cory. That’s why people will vote for you. Even Mandy said she’d tolerate you…so stop playing with your paddles and come back and tell us why Scotty is bad.
So you think female genital mutilation is OK, too?  Ohh, you can't tamper with tradition and not expect there to be adverse consequence?
And you really think Cory,  that the absence of religion in politics and its diminished role in society has left Australia bereft of direction?
Can you find your own way out? 
They’ve got talent…Yep!! 

dave graney
Dave Graney Cartoon

The really worrying element in this addition to the lexicon of Liarbril insanity is that like "Little-Johnny" Howard's muted response to the racism of Pauline Hanson, later appropriated as policy; "Rabbott" Abbott's response to "Bestiality's" lurid and evil rantings has been as muted, too. And as we have seen, "Rabbott" not being one of enormous imagination or creativity by his silence is signalling where this country is headed. 
Some too kind person said, "Abbott?...He'll grow into the job..."    
Like a cancer in the bowels of the country

When the lesson comes.. it will be terrible

Cheers Petals
Shane