The Winter of our Discontent

Winter is coming

The Winter of our Discontent is upon us...

we have the worst Prime Miniature, The worst Treasurer, the worst minister for the environment, the worst defence minister, the worst health minister, the worst immigration minister and the worst attorney general ever in this country's history. What a 21/2 year achievement by these "adults"!

Sophie "Pit-Bull" Mirabella has elbowed her way into the spotlight again, not just in a physically assertive manner only but in stating publicly that $10 millions had been with-held from a hospital upgrade because she didn't win her seat! Here's a woman who equates pork-barrelling with good governance! "Pit-Bull" I think, has just blown, at least another 5%off her chances of winning that seat back.

This is the sort of political corruption we see too often!

But then, it's a helluva lot cheaper than $50 Billions on submarines to save Chwissie the Whyning Pyne and Perfect Prat of a Prefect's seat.
 But having loudly celebrated the deal with the French DCNS company, (and ...can they do deals ... just ask Malaysia, China and Pakistan) later, it was quietly announced that a $1/2 Billion contract for an Ice-breaker had gone to a Dutch shipbuilder leaving another 2000 Australian's unemployed. 
Bye-Bye Chwissie, that just sank you!

Federal police have ratcheted-up their investigation into whether "Chicken-Thighs" Brough carried out a criminal act in having "Fiddles" Ashby purloin "Slippery" Petes diary entry's from his boss. 
As Chwissie the Whyning Pyne is also involved in this little piece of probable illegality, in the words of the "Two Ronnies'" "It's Goodbye from me and it's good-bye to him!"

Arfah "Da Spiv" Sinodinas  is also in the news again for all the reasons of the right . He's declined an invitation to tell a Senate inquiry just what he knows about political donations to the Liarbril Party. This is very reasonable of him, as he "..couldn't remember.." on 50 occasions (at the corruption hearings in NSW) when as honorary treasurer for Liarbril fundraising, who laundered what with whom. So what could he possibly tell the Senate?

Hot on the heels of the "innovative" sacking of 200 or so Climate scientists from CSIRO because, as their rather rabid boss says, "The science of Climate Change is settled and rather than investigating what is happening, it's time to make solutions."  Senator Bookshelves Brandis  and Senator Princess Fiona of Nash have decided it's not at all settled  or proven, so as well as being bigots they have a perfect right to limit any solution to what they see is not a problem. Which ties in rather well with "Truffles" Turdball and "Shaddupaya Face" O' Dwyer's united stance against "Little-Willie-Shortstuff" Shorten's idea of winding back negative gearing. In a comprehensive fear campaign, one says it will raise house prices the other that they will fall!  All bases covered on that one!

Another shock for "Truffles" and his Anti-Immigration Minister "Do-Do" Dutton was the PNG Supreme Court ruling that our Concentration Camps on Manus Island are not legal and the PNG PM has ordered that they be closed. Coming as it does after the deaths in two weeks of an Iranian inmate by self immolation and the protracted death of another from Sepsis (from inadequate care and follow up of a cut on the leg), the ruling rabble are looking decidedly wobbly as their IPA inspired malevolence unravels.

Although, this time, when they say "...it's all Labors fault.." there's some truth in that and as a country we need quickly to find our collective conscience again and stop trashing the brand we once had.

"For ideologues, reality runs a long last to dogma, even when reality is biting you on the back side." (New Matilda)

"Scummo-The Innumerate" Morrison is stridently spruiking what many think will be his once and only budget.  I can not think of a time when having so effectively blown away the economy they have to produce something that will actually work for the country not just their business backers and because of their own foolishness there is little to work with and everyone is looking this time. All the Liarbril hubris over what fine economic managers they are is going to seen in the correct light for a change... everyone will see that the Emperor has no clothes. I'm just wondering Petals, whether Scummo will deliver his once and only in "Tongues" with his addled acolytes behind him Happy-Clapping "I've got plenty of Nothing"?

Don't take my word for it: http://thekouk.com/blog/election-facts-government-debt.html

The ruling rabble, becoming nervous that there's widespread support for a RC into the banking sector has decided to put back the money they took out of ASIC and has said the banks would pay for it. In best hypocritical mode, Scummo "The Innumerate" proclaimed that he would be not chuffed if the banks handed the bill for this back to the customers because "....we'se here at the ruling rabble rooly, rooly care about all youse Hillsong peasants out there and we want to get elected again." Making it seems, no visible smirk when it was suggested that the banks paying for the body investigating their corruption was more akin to placing the Fox in charge of the Hen house, he attempted to divert further questions  saying, "Well, it's all Labor's fault anyway!"

Rabid-the-Hun has had a televised Tête-à-Tête with his main cheer-squad "Blot-on-the Landscape" Bolt. Bolt talked of the Abbott Era: those who listened thought he said, "Error"  Anyway an era is a long time and it's hard to justify Rabid's 18 months of incompetence as an Era.... although it certainly felt like it. Rabid said his works would be remembered. Yes, his bogan attitude, small minded, right wing Catlic conservatism, lack of compassion and mindless slogans, and destruction of an egalitarian society will be difficult to forget.

It's hard to know whether the end of the Roman Empire was like this or is it more reminiscent of Hitler's Bunker in May '45 but the sense of Ship of State being not only rudderless and heading in the wrong direction but foundering, is hard to shake.

The country is ethically moribund ... the cancerous IPA agenda has done its stuff..... perhaps radical excision will be of benefit.

Autumn

Hoo-roo Possums,

Shane.

A day with Catherine and Mozart.

Well, G’day Possums,

I’ve been a bit tardy with this blog lately …been working on the renovation which, as all building projects, is taking longer than anticipated.

 Wall panelling goes up next then there are in the final stages of tiling and the glass splash backs. Two more weeks should see it all complete.

Mrs Wombat and I took a jaunt to the “Big-Smoke” to have a look at the samples from The Hermitage in St Petersburg at the NGV that was all sort of decked out as a facsimile of the Catherine the Great’s Russian palace.

Catherine the Great, NGV

Drawings, paintings, sculpture, jewellery, topographic views, architectural drawings, Chinese object d’ art, furniture and ceramics made this sampling of masterpieces an exhibition to help whet your appetite for the real venue and the magnificent collection started by Empress Catherine in 1765.

 

NGV

Favourite of mine, Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin was there represented with the beautifully subtle “The Laundress.”  The harmonious tones enveloping all from the misted background woman hanging the laundry to the little boy pulling our eye forward with his ephemeral bubble and the central white of the freshly washed cloth all is studied and so very quiet. The composition too, is placed with care as an adjunct to the colour and tones.  As his contemporary critic Cochin said, Chardin could be “…. a dangerous neighbour.”

 

The Laundress, JBS Chardin

This painting has a version in the Stockholm Nationalmuseum. The cats eyes are open and looking at the viewer and the tonalities seem darker with more contrast…..  it would be interesting to visit it.

Then Perroneau’’s “ Boy with Book” Another delightful rococo piece of “sensibilitie.”  The muted tones in this seem to reflect Perroneau’s interest in pastel painting and his superb drawing skills.

Perroneau, Boy with Book

The immediacy present in Anthony Van Dyck’s “Family Portrait” subjects is stunning. The family could still be at the sitting their presence is so affective. Each personality, and its individual character is rendered so beautifully and drawn so articulately that the diamond lozenge composition seems less rigid in its control.

A. Van Dyck Family Portrait

Then, mentor to Van Dyck is Peter Paul Rubens’ “St Paul” looking as intense as Rasputin.

And look at that hand literally popping off the canvas, the subtle counter-swing of the head and the shoulders to enliven the subject in the composition where the light is as much a compositional element as is the palpable space behind the subject.

PP Rubens St Paul

All of these works had glorious paint handling, as did the Jacob Jordaens seen in this detail of “Saints Paul and Barbara” where textures are real; silk is silk, hair is hair and flesh is flesh.

Detail: J. Jordaens

Then there was the C18th Chinese silver-ware of Filigree Silver, gold and enamel and utterly exquisite workmanship.

But let’s not forget the millions of poor serfs who made all this possible for Catherine to collect.

A fine show that was followed by a very ordinary dinner (Italian…sort of…) at Southbank and then off  to the concert hall for the Melbourne Symphony and Choir to perform Mozart’s, Requiem….. that was brilliant!

Wombat Droppings

 The chronicle of Australia’s inexorable slide into fascism.

"AUSTRALIA will not yield to blackmail by pregnant asylum seekers," says Non-Immigration facsimile, Peter “Dodo” Dutton.

Journalist may have to pay $8,000.00 to visit our refugee concentration camps on Manus or Nauru and Gillian Triggs, Human Rights Commissioner is banned from visiting but “The Ugly American,” Murdoch’s scribe Chris Kenny (with many long standing contacts with the Liarbrils) can get in with a Border-Farce escort and photographer to harass the said woman.

 Let’s not forget the Hazara refugee Khodayar Amini who self immolated out of fear that Border Farce were looking for him and might deport him back to Afghanistan.

Sieg Heil, Dodo and Border Farce!

Joe “Eleventy-Cereal-Toyota Killer” Hockey, failed Treasurer has left the house.  His final speech was as useless and as pointless and as forgetable as his 19 years in parliament.

Good riddance!

Rabid-the-Hun, failed Prime Miniature, Health, Workplace Relations ministers, failed concrete plant manager, failed journalist and failed seminarian is putting himself forward as a public speaker. This is very odd, as Australia’s experience of his public speaking would indicate that  he had no talent for this either and as he usually only uttered three word slogans his proposed fee indicates he wants $13,333.33 per word.

Tongue Flicking will be free.

New pretend Treasurer “The Drone” Morrison, provides misleading figure to bolster his Xtian (well if you call Hillsong Xtian) act of slashing social services.

Why should today be different?

The Ruling Rabble has suggested that children 14 years of age be subject to control orders.

“The effect of a control order may range from house arrest without access to electronic communications, to a restriction on the people you can associate with. The order can remain in effect for up to 12 months. 

It can be obtained in a secret hearing about which the subject knows nothing at all, until they are arrested and served with the order. And even then they are not to be told what the evidence was that was used against them. 

So if someone made a mistake, the subject of the order won't know and they can't find out because they are not allowed to see the evidence that was used against them.” 

(From Julian Burnside’s spray on this)

So you think I’m being silly about our slide into fascism?

Three eminent Climate scientist are invited to have talk with Pollies about their subject… talks a gazumped into a slanging match “debate” when three non-entities from “The Coots-With-Queer-Ideas-From-a-Parallel-Universe” asylum (the IPA) earn their 30 pieces of silver from The Ugly American, Murdoch, The Biggest Miner, Rinehart, The Cancer Company, Phillip Morris and probably the Koch Bros.

New Prime Miniature, Malcon Turnbullfop is hereby ordered to note that this country is staying “far right.” 

Liarbril “woman,” Concetta Terrazzo-Pomidora or something or other, opined similarly echoing Vichy Abetz’s chagrin at Malcon looking dangerously centrist.

Rabid-the-Hun has offered to pay for the marble table broken at his sacking party. He still expects the taxpayer to foot the bill of $7,000.00 for the booze though.

Hoo-roo Petals,

Shane

PS: this is now being stored as Meta Data by our fascist ruling rabble.

Eleventy's Dreaming

Citizen Shane

G’day Possums,

Now that the dust in the burrow has settled on “the trip” and even though much less was shot than last time, I'm well into what seems an interminable “post-process” and able to reflect on what are becoming the salient memories of those six weeks.

Jardin de Plantes, Paris The Inspiration for Saint Sa'ens', "Carnival of the Animals"

The Cathedrals seen in Britain; Wells, Exeter, Southwark and the local churches all had a liveliness probably because they are used extensively and are not dank, damp spaces. Also the fact that the architecture being a century or so later in most cases and “English Perpendicular” has found its soaring, full formal restraint which is so different from the “Flamboyant” of French Gothic.

Wells Cathedral Chapter House Stairs

At Wells Cathedral I was hard pressed not to attempt to channel the spirit of Frederick Evans when confronted with the stairs going up to the Chapter House and had a twinge of regret that I wasn't lugging around a Field Camera with tilt and shift movements. It was only a twinge, as the gear I had bagged weighed in at 7 Kg and most was often left in the car for discretions sake. I had wrist straps for both cameras and they proved very useful in that the camera was always “at hand” and not flailing around your neck or protruding a lens in front like some priapic tourist in Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita.”

Scotney Castle

The gardenswere beautiful: Sissinghurst, Scotney, Trebah and the delightfully warm Lacock Abbey and even the walk to Petworth House but then nearly every French Village is a picture in itself and Versailles (apart from the selfie-hordes) has that expansive dignity and a singular charm in the Petit Trianon.

Versaille

Sissinghurst, Petworth, the Wallace collection, now administered by the State were all from immense private wealth, whereas wandering through the castle at Vitre or the ramparts of Dinan you’re conscious of a formidable awareness of Nation and region and even though The Victoria and Albert in London has a large Artwork Neon sign in its foyer telling the masses “This belongs to You” the Opera Garnier in Paris seems more publicly owned.

Petworth

Perhaps it was because the British renounced their Commonwealth, returning to a forelock tugging monarchical system whereas the French embraced Republican Liberty, Egalite’ and Fraternity that restaurant food and service is generally so much better in France?

Sissinghurst

Jardin des Plantes, Staircase

Wombat Droppings

A chronicle of the demise of Egalitarian Oz and its embrace of Fascism.

Rabid-the-Hun, leader of the ruling rabble, this week refused to deny that when he said, “…we are open for business,…” he meant the business of people smuggling.

It has come to light that in the free enterprise spirit some refugee boats have returned to Indonesia after thousands of dollars have been given by Oz Immigration to the captains of those vessels. This is irritating to those Military and Police in Indonesia who are complicit with this trade, as it will force them to lower the prices for the asylum seekers and pay their captains more. A real win-win for people smugglers.. ahhh, the talent of the ruling rabble.

Coming at the same time as Rabid was floating the idea of sending more troops to the hell-holes from where many of these refugees originate and mounting another four pronged assault on the Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs for suggesting that the Indonesians might stop listening to us on other matters if we continue violating their territory, his Treasurer Joe “Eleventy-Toyota-Killer” Hockey had us all “in the aisles” with his profoundly original observation that we will all need a good job if we wish to buy a house.

Eleventy ignored the fact that there are five people for every job at the moment and that self-employed and contract workers are not welcomed by the banks for home mortgages and that $100,000.00 university debts and a privatised health system and lower wages were not really a recipe for community building.

Pryor Cartoon, The Saturday Paper 13-6-2015

The $390,000.00 a year Free Speech Commissioner and ex Liarbril, ex “Coot-With-Queer-Ideas-From-a-Parallel-Universe” (aka IPA), Timmy “Twat-Freedom-Man” Wilson popped his head up this week, too. At the Sydney Geriatric Institute he apparently opined that the judiciary should not be the ones dealing with human rights as this could be left to his mentor George “Bookshelves” Brandis or even “Dodo” Dutton but only after they’ve finished assaulting his boss, Gillian Triggs. Timmy didn’t see much use for any thing like a Magna Carta either… other than as a tourist attraction for lefty wimps.

It has yet to be ascertained what proportion of his $390,000.00 remuneration this thought- bubble was worth.

Peta "Bloody-Idiot" Credlin

Full of this spirit of Democracy, Rabid-the-Hun’s advisor, Peta ”Bloody-Idiot” Credlin was reported as telling a press photographer to delete the files she had shot of her. Having of late been less visible monstering her ruling rabble colleagues, this was a welcome return to form that we have missed appreciating in person; although if Rabid’s pronouncements on housing prices, wind farms, marriage equality, security and environmental matters are anything to go by, she is still showing equivalent acumen in her advisory role.

“Dodo” Dutton was at his rollicking charming best, too when the bullying Sydney radio noise Ray Hadley played him a song about Green’s Senator Sarah Hansen-Young’s adventures of being spied on by Wilson Security when she visited the refugee concentration camp on Manus Island.  Hadley has to be congratulated in getting a laugh from the dour faced Dodo even if it was, as another of Hansen-Young’s colleagues Larissa Waters said, “Sexist claptrap!”

It is interesting to note that with all the expensive Royal Commissions going on and nothing of import coming from them that in Queensland and Victoria the new governments are uncovering some very interesting messes that were allowed or were fostered by the previous Liarbril regimes in transport, education, sport and law… and I suspect that the vicious attacks on Gillian Triggs or anyone else who contradicts or opposes this ruling rabble will have similar treatment meted out like that of Hansen-Young; after all, look at the way Gillard was treated by these “adults”.

Much as I said there was a stench in Victoria which is now emerging…. this federal rabble are so  “on-the-nose” in so many areas and the corrupt stink is coming from the very top.

Hoo-roo Petals,

Shane.

Versailles, Petit Trianon

Watts Chapel