Category: Politics

The meaning of life?

According to recent research by Nielsen, the countries where people are most pessimistic are:

1. Greece (hardly surprising)
2. Portugal (ditto)
3. Hungary

On the other hand, the countries with the most optimistic people are:

1. India (!)
2. Philippines (!!)
3. Indonesia (!!!)

Flabbergasted reader’s reaction: DUDE, WHAT ARE YOU ON??? (Can I have some too?)

What a load of bollocks!

I have just watched the film, ‘Black Swan’. What a completely crap, pretentious load of bollocks it was. That it won an Oscar for Natalie Portman baffles me. Except it didn’t, once I saw the names of the people involved in its making, at which point, I am afraid my worst tendencies came to the forefront. I am not a particular fan of Mel Gibson, especially following such films as Brave Heart and Patriot, but I think he and Charlie Sheen have a point.

EU better believe it!

The circus comes to town on 1st January, 2012. And for six months the contortionists of Euroland will have to listen to little Denmark’s opinions – willy nilly. Which makes the chosen logo particularly apt – because nobody here knows whether they are coming or going. (Backside and I may be the only onlookers who understand the dilemma.) Continue reading “EU better believe it!”

A neo-colonialist slapped down

On the ABC last night, Chris Uhlmann – one of our up-and-coming political journalists – interviewed Peter O’Neill, who is one of the two Prime Ministers currently battling it out in Papua New Guinea.   You probably know nothing about this, so here’s a link to give you a little background, though you don’t need to know anything about it for the purposes of this post.

Uhlmann is trying to be an aggressive type of journo, but he’s still reasonably respectful when he talks with Gillard, Rudd or Abbott.   Last night he spoke to O’Neill (who is Papua New Guinean through and through, name notwithstanding) as though he, Uhlmann, were a member of a super-power, condescending to a representative of a minor client state.

O’Neill ignored the impolite tone, concentrating on answering the questions at face value, until the final supercilious question was delivered, “Have you yet spoken with Julia Gillard?”

O’Neill looked up at the camera, exhibiting, or quite possibly feigning, great surprise and responded, “Why on earth should I want to talk to the Australian Prime Minister?   She has nothing to do with the government of my country.”

Uhlmann looked utterly nonplussed, as he should.   Hopefully he will be a little more respectful next time.   PNG may have once been an Australian colony, but that ended 36 years ago.

Zut alors!

The ever-unctuous Jacques Chirac has finally been convicted of corruption. Luckily for him, it is so long since he committed his crimes that he can no longer remember them, allegedly.

But, the French Court, doing little to boost confidence in its reliability for justice, has sentenced 79-year-old Jack to two years in prison – suspended!! Which usually means that the culprit should take care not to repeat his transgressions. As if! Under what conceivable circumstances could he now commit corruption?

Maybe a cherished colleague could unravel this piece of French logic?