..remembering when...

...we used to think of ourselves as fair and tolerant and civil … you may now laugh…..or cry. That’s at least one common choice we have left to us…. unprivatised.

G’day Possums.

Well what a year…eh?

Some favourites from shoots and outings, various….

Garden of St Erth

Frogmore,  Trentham.  Prairie Garden

Once when young

Erin, BTA

"Discus Thower" Bendigo Fine Art Gallery

BTA

                          Wombat Droppings

or The Chronicle of a Country Sliding inexorably into Feudal Fascism.

 Many moon’s ago I commented on the policy paucity of this rabble now in government.

Except for the100 thought-bubbles published by  “The-Coots-With-Queer-Ideas-From-a-Parallel-Universe,” (aka the IPA) there was nothing you could actually see.

At the time I likened “Coots” wish-list to the rantings in “Mein Kampf” as being a guide to what we could expect if the Liarbrils’ won office.

Sadly this is now true.

Sadder, is the fact that having spent most of their time making up three word slogans and lying through their teeth about the failings of the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd regimes and not making any policy they also lied their way into government.

Thus, with no coherent policy idea that had been put to the public, Prime Miniature Rabid-the-Hun and his rabble immediately began implementing the “Coot’s-With Queer-Ideas…” fascist, free-market agenda.

Unhappy Campers in Melbourne

This has had unintended (for them) consequences.

Having spent three years coaching the public in the incompetence of government with their three word catch phrases and saying how the “…Adult’s Were Back in Charge…” they were mangled in the Senate, attempting to allow everyone “the right to be a bigot,”  excoriated widely when telling us “.. the Age of Entitlement is Over” whilst rorting the perks system to a huge degree and bringing down a budget that whacked the poorer ends of society to the benefit of the wealthy and were then reported throughout the world as the Village-Idiots at Davos in Switzerland.

They have had one achievement though: they’re the first government in Australian political history not to have had a “honey-moon” period. Immediately they gained power they began to go ”On-the-nose” with the public and have continued that downward slide ever since.

When you hear dyed-the-wool conservatives bemoaning the stupidity of the leader, Rabid-the-Hun and the corruption that seems endemic ( bye-bye, Arfur “Da Spiv” Sinodinas) throughout the party ;  when people are beginning to talk of bringing out the tumbrels and finance commentators (hardly ever raging “lefities”) are not only querying the veracity of the figures put up but also the economic consequences of this rabbles’ actions you know things are getting very interesting.

When the lies keep coming and the statements are more stupid and the rorting keeps being uncovered and when the manufacturing sector is being demolished and unemployment is rising and education is being bowdlerised with “Happy-Clappy-Born-Again’s” preaching myth not fact in primary schools and University is only for the wealthy and climate policy has gone the way of the Dodo you know the country is in very deep trouble.

With our Medi-Care system under siege and the one decent public broad-caster and news service eviscerated even the die-hard supporters of this lot are beginning to wonder if it was really meant to be like this and what will Australia end up looking like?

One horrible thing is certain: these Opus Dei and IPA led mongrels will not let up until they have destroyed every social service and reduced the place to a feudal system.
They will not allow discussion.
They will certainly not entertain dissent. They have no use for a civil society.

This is a government solely for big business.
It is not a government for the nation and as it has lied its way into power has no legitimacy.

Opposition to these ideological mongrels has to be as brutal as what they are meting out to what used to be a great nation.  Democracy in Australia is in a real crisis.

Hoo-Roo, petals,

It’s going to be an interesting year

Shane

Finding A Complete Balls-Up and Another Year Wasted.

Shane with Balls-Up

G'day Petals,

Here are a few shots from a rehearsal for a performance .

I decided that I would shoot the whole thing with slow shutter and think that the results are rather indicative of the performance title: "Esprit de la Dance"

Ballet Theatre Australia

Wombat Droppings: the chronicle of the Demise of Australian Egalitarianism and the Rise of Fascism

In a failure-fuelled funk our Prime Miniature, Rabid-the-Hun has taken to throwing his cards in the air as a hubristic method of shuffling his cabinet.

Scott ”The Drone” Morrison is out of The Department of Inflicting Pain, Suffering, Torture and Death on asylum seekers (formerly, Dept. of Immigration) and has been asked to wreak his mis-apprehended Xtianiaty on the poor souls who have to deal with the Dept. of Social Security. 

Being in the S.S. will allow Scott to don his fetching Black uniform when whipping the unemployed into shape.

Rabid-the-Hun has doubled the number of women in cabinet. There are now, two!

Peter “Dodo” Dutton, of let’s destroy Medi-Bank notoriety has been allocated Cruelty to Refugees, which given his utter lack of talent should overwhelm him and thankfully cause his early demise.

His Un-Health portfolio will be taken by Sussan “Snarler” Ley.  Although lacking the humorous touch of “Dodo” she will finally mend the insanity of a public health system and completely privatise it for individual profit.

A non-entity climate change denier has been made science minister.  Yep, we now have a science minister… or a Wizard…. or something.

I think his role will be to keep the Wikkipedia learned Environment Minister “Ozone-Hole” Hunt from straying into the heresy of thinking the earth is not flat and holding his hand so he doesn’t fall off the edge.

Senator “I’ve-Got-that-Sinking-Feeling” Johnston has had his toys soldiers and canoes taken away from him ‘cause he wouldn’t play nicely and kept poking his tongue out at the toy-makers. His toys have been given to Kevin “Medieval” Andrews to play with and it is expected that new crossbows will be issued to all army personal within weeks, and that four man Coracles have been ordered for the navy from a Welsh supplier. 

Kelly “Motor-Mouth-Shaddupa–ya-Face” O’Dwyer has been sent down to the front bench to drown out  “Commissar” Peta Credlin and Julie “Asbestos” Bishop and their interminable arguing.

Arfur “Da Spiv” Sinodinas has stood down as assistant finance minister after forgetting who paid who when moonlighting for ex-Labor pollie Eddie “Brown-Paper-Bag” Obeid.

It is widely thought that Arfur is looking forward to telling his life story in detail to the judiciary quite soon.

In his excitement of re-arranging the Deck Chairs, Rabid-the-Hun noted that the repeal of The Price on Carbon which although bad for the environment, slightly disastrous for the budget and the opposite of what the real world is doing was really, really good for women.

This has been one of his best jokes for months and everyone had a hearty laugh at his non-misogynistic sensitivity and deference to the little ladies.  

We look forward, too, to the Chinese and Korean workers coming here on 457 visas to assist in employment.

 And then there was Graeme Morris’ joke: blathering on about how "Magical" the changing of the deck-chairs on the rabble's sinking ship was... role-playing an utterly deluded, off into another paradigm libertarian, his sheer manic thoughts made more people laugh….. but it did rather  seem to have been similar in mood to the bunker in Berlin in May '45.

And with its ending 2014 provided the sad realisation that trust given is mostly abused and that ego is prime.

Hoo-roo Possums,

Shane.

It’s Xmas after all.

G'day Possums... well it's not really...

Shane, Xmas 2014

Man Haron Monis murders two in tragic finale to a 16 hour siege in a Sydney café and sparks more race-hate from Xtians.

Press and TV turn it into a 24 hour "reality" entertainment stimulating faux emotion to be piled on faux emotion for bogan empathy justification. 

It reminded me of scenes from Ray Bradbury's Sci-Fi novel, "Fahrenheit 451"as it was letting loose the media Right-Wing trolls spouting about too restrictive gun laws, Towel-Heads and Muzzies and Death cults and those peculiar "Tea-Party" values.

"Little Johnny" Howard had certainly prised open the can of worms with "Tampa," Reith's "Children Overboard" and his refusal to deal with the nascent racism of Pauline Hanson. We are a morally diminished nation with these Liarbril fools.  Now we have the present incompetent incumbent, Rabid-the-Hun getting  facts about the Sydney Cafe  killer wrong in an interview... which sort of begs the questions: who was this nutter being protected by and why? And who in the NSW judiciary was being "leant-on" by ASIO? 

Proving it really is the “Silly Season,” ”The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) has just released it's new fiction,  "Climate Change: The Facts 2014".

Edited by A Moron, oops, Moran and with contributions from highly opiniated people like Andrew” Blot-on-the-Landscape” Bolt, blogger Anthony Watts, and climate denialists Ian Plimer, Richard Lindzen and Robert Carter and others in lieu of scientific experts in climate, it is sure to be an eye-watering, side splitting frolic through the Parallel Universes they inhabit.

Daylesford

The "Coot's-With-Queer-Ideas-From-a-Parallel-Universe" always do write a very interesting range of Sci-Fi.

I assume this $25.00 pamphlet is to book-end their other near best-seller "Voodoo Economic Principles of The Free-for-All Market?"

It does cap off a very successful year for the “Coots” though, as the chief Office Boy, Rabid-the-Hun and his money box holder Joe “Cereal/Toyota-Killer” Hockey bludgeon Oz from a relatively egalitarian state to nastily free-market oligarchy.

It’s a pity the OECD don’t agree, questioning just where Oz is headed and seems doubtful of its success. http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/oecd-slams-australian-budget-measures-close-monitoring-required-20141216-1285ip.html#ixzz3M7LAukXS

Daylesford

Hell-bent on destroying his nation on the myths of his mis-apprehended Catholicism, Rabid-the-Hun’s destruction of  our cultural diversity well suits his limited imagination.

He then goes on a rant when his CoS is attacked by his own ministers calling it a gender attack of unprecedented proportions…

Daylesford

Ohhhh …Dear Rabid-the-Hun, do you think we should call Ms Credlin "Barren" as your lot did Ms Gillard?

Do you think, Rabid-the-Hun, we should call Ms Credlin a "Witch" as your lot did to Ms Gillard and be burnt at the stake for her influence?

Rabid -the-Hun, should your party be lining up to slit Ms Credlin's throat as your Senator Ciobo said of Ms Gillard on national TV?

And one other thing, Rabid-the-Hun, do you think you might apologise to Ms Gillard for your relentless hypocritical attacks on her as a liar over ONE issue when have broken so many more?

Trentham

Poor Peta "Bloody Idiot" Credlin. Commissar to a lying nincompoop. Wrangler to a hideously inept Environment minister; who cant get her own make-over shots in Vogue like "Asbestos-Death Stare" Julie and who has to deal with the mangled English of “Horse-Shite" Coormann. With the others in cabinet (unmentioned due to space requirements) as dismally untalented to deal with, she must feel like she's running a kinder full of ADHD / Asperger toddlers... I mean have some pity..... or perhaps we should just revel in the schadenfreude as a little bit of yuletide joy.

Trentham

The world lives within us, we live within the world. By damaging the living planet we have diminished our existence. (George Monbiot)

Hoo-Roo Petals,

Shane

Seeing people of privilege…

Shane at ballet Studio

G’day Petals,

Japanese Photographer Moriyama Daido has said the photographs are memories of light and deposits and traces making up a kind of archaeology and he likes Tennessee Williams' thought “….that worthwhile memories lie somewhere between fact and non-fact.”

Photos taken recently at class and rehearsal for Ballet Theatre Australia... They have a performance soon.. check their facebook page for details... https://www.facebook.com/BalletTheatreAustralia

These are not documentary photographs, yet they are…

They are a fiction but still true.

A dance performance is ephemeral, it is always enjoyed after the event.

 They are not “staged” images but manipulated truth.

Wombat Droppings

Scott “The Drone “ Morrison has used refugee children on the Manus Island concentration camp as bargaining ploys to get legislation passed through the Senate under the pretence that it is “humanitarian.”

Rabid –the-Hun with his usual warped values applauded this a fair and honourable thing to do.

That he has a brain is without doubt.... but it must be very small, hence the repetitive simple three word slogans. They’re repetitive because it’s almost as if he's trying to convince himself of their "rightness" and viability.

What a bastard nation we have become. What a venal, selfish, intolerant and stupid people; a Nation so without a set of moral values that we are going to be easy pickings for the next huckster that comes along.

A young cricketer got hit on the head with a ball during a State match and tragically, died.
A young woman with severe physical disabilities who was a forceful advocate for seeing disability for what it is died, suddenly.
The Australian Cricket Board and its cricketers had the cricketer's funeral televised (politicians of all persuasions attended) and "Milked" at every opportunity the situation.
I don't think the disability advocate will get the same attention.
Advance Australia ...where?

Then there was the rather sad spectacle of our newish taxpayer funded $330,000.00 p.a. ”Freedom from Something” Commissioner, Timmy “Twat/Freedom-Man” (ex-Liarbril, ex-Coot-With-Queer-Ideas-From-a-Parallel-Universe”, aka IPA) bouncing around the set of “The Chasers Media Circus” on the soon to be financially gutted, ABC.

Looking, according to Mrs Wombat’s analysis, like a dippy school–girl invited to a party where she knows no-one and senses she is not liked but is so, so desperate to be involved, Timmy offered little of substance but seemed blithely happy to be a clapping wallflower to everyone else’s contributions.

Perhaps more than a real civil servant working for the betterment of the nation’s civility would do?

Me?   I thought Timmy looked more like a dim-witted Labrador dog happily sniffing new bums in the hope a being accepted by the peer group.

Timmy’s previous employment was with that rancid organization the IPA  which in its paid advocacy role espouses abolishing the very commission for which Timmy is now being paid by the nation to speak for. That is the real problem and his appointment rather, foisting, without tender into the role, by pretend Federal Attorney General, “Bookshelves” Brandis, makes a mockery of Democracy.

He can never be trusted in this role.

 Almost on cue as the wheels begin to fall off their ramshackle government; we are treated to more news “shock, horror, feel afraid”,  70 or so Australian Muslims are fighting with ISIS in Syria & Iraq and Mandy “Il Patrone” Vanstone bounces up to opine how hard-done-by her rabble are being treated by the press and Labor.

Geez, Mandy do you now sympathise with the viciousness your lot meted to Gillard and Rudd in the past few years? Do you think Mandy, that your rabble’s top level infighting is the press’ and Labor’s fault?

The infighting is getting worse as their wholly unfair budget is in a mess, their ludicrous tertiary education dismemberment is stalled in the Senate and Rabid-the-Hun’s popularity deteriorates.

Julie “Death-Stare” Bishop then has a hissy fit when told she can’t go the Climate Change talks in Lima.

They weren’t going to have Australia attend as “Ozone-Hole” Hunt is useless as Environment minister and besides “…climate change is crap…!”

 “Death-Stare” with one look, irradiated a cabinet room of colleagues and gets her way but is further informed (probably by Rabid-the-Hun’s most favoured partner, “Commissar” Credlin) that Andy “Reboxetine” Robb was to chaperone her, lest she swayed from the righteous doctrinal path of  “…climate change is crap…” and not hinder the de-railing of the talks.

It was reported that “Death-Stare, “…went Bananas…” Not, that she was Bananas.

That Julie “Death-Stare Bishop’s star is in the ascendant is not disputed but that is a bit like a flag being run up the mast of the Titanic as it sinks.

“People of privilege,” said the economist JK Galbraith, “will always risk their complete destruction rather than surrender any material part of their advantage.”

And so it goes Down-Under.

Hoo-roo Possums,

Shane

with weeping and gnashing of teeth

with weeping and gnashing of teeth...

Shane with books of negs

G'day you two,

we've spent the last couple of weeks scanning all 591 negative sheets from the Ballet School from many years ago... a somewhat large task

old shots

Not long after the “The School’s” 50^th Anniversary get-together one of the participants, Deanna Watson contacted me to see A/ whether the photos of her she saw displayed were mine and, B/ did I have any more?

Answering “No” and “Yes,” I invited Deanna to view the files I had but as the majority of the early work had never been “proofed” it could only be viewed from the original negatives, which is difficult particularly for anyone not used to reading B&W negatives.

Then a couple more contacts followed also enquiring about their time at The School and at the launch of Maggie Scott’s biography, writer Michelle Potter evinced sufficient interest in this archive, as did some other notable alumnae present to warrant scanning all the work and making it available for those interested in viewing it.

There has since been a deal of interest in this archive and I'm pondering what to do with it ...

Australian Ballet School 1970

There's more info at  danceatthearchive.blogspot.com.au

Then we happened across Troy Barrett performing nicely at the Royal Mail hotel in Bacchus Marsh and took a couple of pics...

Troy Barrett

He's also online at  www.troybarrettmusic.com  where you can have a listen and download some samples.

Wombat Droppings
a chronicle of the disappearing of Egalitarianism and the inexorable rise of Fascism in Australia.

Well, Pretend Premier Dennis "Dodo" (Genus: Inutilus Rusticus) Napthine has been put to sleep. With Labor's Daniel Andrews administering the possible cure of the "Tardis" State's (Where-All-Goes-Backwards) woes... even to the extent of the Nationals looking like they will lose party status, also losing a seat held for 47 years to an independent.

Of course Rabid-the-Hun and his rabble take no responsibility for any of this but then telling "Porkies" is about all they're good at.
But there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth....
A defence Minister who talks down his own defence workforce, an Education minister who can't pronounce the names of those he's trying to bully into accepting $100,000.00 University fees, a Health Minister attempting to wreck one of the worlds best health systems and an Environment minister ...Oohh, just let's not go there....but let's not forget our Trade Minister, Andrew "Reboxetine" Robb giving away Oz jobs to the Chinese and signing off on having Multi-Nationals tell us what we can and can't do.

To say that the country is becoming a shambles is not overstating it.
The finest example of this shambles is the Federal parliament's Speaker, Bronwen "Kerosene-Pompador" Bishop who has ejected Labor opposition members a total of 285 times to Government members 5 times. Sometimes they are just asking a question... I know I have railed and ranted much about this putrid lot but there in no untruth in what I've said and unfortunately I've been pretty accurate as to the way I said things would turn out.

On election day I spent four hours handing out "How-to-Vote" cards at an Electoral booth
as well as having fun "winding-up" the Liarbrils  doing the same.
This has become a very divided country. A place that is fearful, reactionary, selfish and let's not mince words, stupid!
The Liarbrils had no plan for government. All they had was ideology and the far right "Free-Market" handbook supplied by the "Coot's-With-Queer-Ideas-From-a-Parallel-Universe," the IPA.
It doesn't work.
Only as a recipe for social dysfunction... that 's the only bit that's working for them!

Even their polling and tactical Svengali, Mark Textor knows that the hole they have dug themselves into is now almost too big to get out of .
The problem with that is that their hallmark nastily feral, brutish, and vindictive characters will extend to slashing about at anything in frustration, bloody-mindedness and sheer malice.
There are dark days ahead.
Hoo-roo Petals,
Shane