Archive for September, 2005

I am looking forward to reading Latham’s account of his leadership of the ALP. I know some of the left crowd might find it unsettling, or think that it somehow gives the Coalition ammunition, but this is how the ALP have been getting away with this shit for years. To speak ill of the toxic factional culture within the ALP is to let the “bad guys” win.

You know what? There are people in the ALP who are rotten to the core and should ousted from politics. This quote from today’s article about Latham pretty much sums it up:

Sleaze made Latham quit
He wrote: “Over the years I’ve believed too much in this show, that’s why the personal crap hurts and bewilders me, cuts me to the core. (John) Faulkner told me to watch out for the Tory smut and innuendo machine. But the ALP is the worst: eating its own children.

I had so much hope for Latham – that he could change the party. Instead, the party destroyed him. He was a man with ideas, and represented generational change within the party. But, guess what… it takes more than one person, and an actual change in the REAL power base in the ALP to effect any sort of change.

The above quote certainly mirrors my experience of the ALP: People that are not tough enough to withstand personal attacks – or worst, are not prepared to undertake this behaviour – are quickly shattered. The ALP hasn’t been about ideas for the last 30 years, and the sooner people start acknowledging it, the better.

Every party has its dysfunction — and the Libs are certainly not free of shenanigans. But I for one am happy that someone is spilling the beans. Not since Richo have we seen a dummy spit like this.

Of course, life will go on, many will try, but until we get rid of the likes of Beazley, Smith and Swan, the ALP is doomed.

That Federline should be wearing that tshirt. And she should most certainly be choosing something more appropriate, such as “I’m With Stupid” or this one.

On another note, I just love the UK tabloids and the shit they can come up with. Just the way they have worded this article screams of “we don’t have anything more than anyone else, let’s throw in some shit about caesarians to fill up space” at the end.

Honestly, who gives a fuck if Britney had a c-section, elective or not? Gawd, these women who think they have the right to get holier-than-thou about sprouting children from their loins… yeesh.

There have been loads of rumblings lately about skyrocketing fuel prices, but I have to say that I haven’t given it much thought until now. We have a small car and just fill it up when it needs it. No biggie.

But Jason mentioned to me the other day how the fuel station on the corner of Fitzgerald and Vincent Streets had a massive traffic jam because they were selling fuel for $1.14 a litre. People were queueing up 50 metres down the road to get in. Crowd controllers were brought in and it eventually subsided at midnight. MIDNIGHT?!

For a saving of $15 max?

I thought that people must be mad, spending hours of fuel (heh) whilst waiting to get in and fill up cheaply to save $15 in fuel. I mean, is it truly worth it?

Then it occured to me that many people aren’t like us. They are stretched to the max with high mortgages, 2 cars that are put on the mortgage, credit cards, you name it… that even the slightest increase in fuel, or interest rates, or some other fixed cost, can potentially cripple them.

With property prices getting higher, most young couples’ only option is to befriend a lonely old person in the hope they’ll be left a house in their will. Or move to a shithole like Ellenbrook/Rockingham and commute an hour to work every day…in their too-expensive-to-fill-up cars. Not only that, I have also seen people putting plasma screens and other valueless shit on their mortgage. I kid you not.

Australia has one of the highest levels of consumer debt in the world. And people are crippled with low interest rates and a fuel rise. I can’t wait to see what happens when interest rates eventually go up too.

…until you’ve done a Tim Tam slam.

That is all.