Oh Kevin!
Uncategorized - - Posted on March, 28 at 4:59 pm by Ken L
I was trying to be positive about the 2020 envisioning thing, I really was.
Until I read that Miranda Devine is a member of the mob considering ‘Future of Australian Governance’.
Miranda Devine!!!!!
I guess she got a guernsey in the name of ‘balance’, once Phillip Adams was invited.
Both, I’m sure, will bring brilliantly innovative ideas to the wankfest that nobody ever thunk before in the history of 20 cents a word punditocracy.
Sorry Kevin but this ridiculous waste of time and money is the stupidest idea since Friday sittings of parliament in which nothing was allowed to happen.
Posted in Uncategorized |
March 28th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Oh sweet Jesus Christ. She was at the *&^$ing constitutional convention too.
I want Emma Tom there. She is smarter and has better norks and rides a motorbike.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
ffs!!!
Her every wakeing thought is like stale vomit.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I hope they televise it.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Look on the bright side, Ms Devine will almost certainly (and unintentionally) give us a bucketload of comedy gold to have fun with.
But yeah, there are (WAAAAAAY) better choices.
+ 1 for Emma Tom.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
And that is a fantastic smiley thing, Ken. Where do I get one?
March 28th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
What I want to know is this;
How come Hyancith is not there,she rode a Swamp Rat(inside motor bike joke)and may have had norks,is a c^%t and ran the joint for yonks,
oh, it’s on a volunteer basis,ignore all of the above.(except the c^%t portion)
March 28th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
“wankfest”
indeed…exactly the word that came to mind when i read about “Daddy’s girl”’s participation…and other high profile individuals who are so over promoted they produce the same kind of visceral reaction i get when at a wedding and i hear the band strike up the first notes of “The Chicken Dance”.
“NOT AGAIN!!!”
Is it my imagination or is this “ideas summit” becoming Australia’s own Bilderberg Group?…:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilderberg_Group
Just kidding.
March 28th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Unfortunately, like Friday sittings, what could have been a good idea, the 2020 implementation is a farce.
Anyone recall when Hawke came to office with the DoleFarm conclave? The possibilities didn’t survive the press release.
Actors, hacks, apparatchiks - can we at least guarantee to shoot lawyers & economists on sight?
March 28th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
In the 80s we had the National Goals and Directions Movement. The goals of the organization were noble: “the creation of a just society, an injection of idealism and service, a heightened quality of life, a commitment to justice, freedom and peace, and a search for spiritual goals.” I agree with all the above, except the last - “spiritual goals”. What does that even mean? It was there because most of the participants were Christians. As an atheist, I would feel excluded if such a phrase were used again. I fear this will be one of the downfalls of the current gabfest.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:14 am
Oh well, every court has to have its jester. Should we have a whip round for the hat?
March 29th, 2008 at 11:03 am
And here was I thinking that this conference was all about new ideas.
Oh, well.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
There is a wide-spread misconception amongst disgruntled bloggers that new ideas can only come from people who do not hold prominent working positions in the various spheres of culture, economy and society.
Nobody could be reasonably expected to get too excited by the participation of Miranda Devine, but there will be 999 other well-credentialled people, remember.
It’s silly to get too hung up on the exact list of participants; there may be another list of 1000 who could do the job, sure. But the real point is to get a group together in a forum where a few ideas and agendas can be floated and evaluated.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I thought too it was a good idea and its interesting how a reading of the roll call, even though most of would not know of most of the participants, has evoked howls of laughter and cynicism. Is it the sheer weight of academe, all those Profs that drives home the glib reality that this ain’t gonna work at all? What are they supposed to do? Present papers? Preach to the converted? Vie for a place on the podium? Argue? Debate? Workshop? It now seems like way too many bright sparks with big egos and the only benefit for this illustrious mob will be of a highly personal nature giving them another feather for their caps.
Give ‘em all a nationally televised five minutes on stage to present their idea and a gong for every lounge room to boo them off again and call it ‘Australian Nerd’.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Good point, Caroline. There are 126 professors. They are way over-represented. How many fruiterers?
None.
This summit is doomed!
March 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Damn good question.
And wbb the 999 others include Nick Greiner, Steve Bracks, Bob Carr, Joan Kirner, Gerard Henderson, Kerry Stokes, Sharan Burrow, Barry Jones, one of the idiot ‘Sh’ journalists from The Australian who I can never tell apart, Andrew Norton, the 126 professors you mention, plus many others (I didn’t check but I bet Noel Pearson’s in there) who have made a career out of spruiking ideas. Now getting them together for two whole days in groups of 100 is supposed to produce … what exactly?
I mean can anybody explain what the outcome is supposed to be AND summarise a relevant theory that suggests the wankfest will succeed in producing that outcome?
I like Caroline’s idea for a TV show much better. Kevin can be the on-air judge, along with Mark Holden who’s looking for a gig. And Laurie Oakes to give the necessary gravitas, or is he a
contestantsummiteer too?March 29th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Well!We will get a video of everything they say on YouTube,as in singular or multi-variant.We ,will need time off work leisure or pleasure to digest and understand it.[Refer to R.JL.Hawke and Allan Bond and the Americas Cup}.We will see someone do a MC stuff.We will get to know where all of them stayed as individuals in Canberra.Restaurants gone too.And wether or not spouse,partners or children came with them,by some means.The number of clothing and other appearance options,over the time of conference,either by report or via YouTube analysis.We will learn how the accomplished thousand laugh,exercise or not in the morning and with whom,as part of a thematic news events with any sport fitness or exercise matters where coincidence occurs.We will see wether they have accepted coincidence as a chance to laugh or find something else working synchronously.Wether prepared notes and speech time meet the manual of Spaceship Rudds Australia Conference.If all of them have standardised TV worthy teeth,from analysis of YouTube or media.If a spy is in town on toilet frequency,duly leaked to some form of media.Doodle comparisons.Name dropping as a function of topic.
March 29th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
At least we now know who the cleverest 1000 people in the country are. And Miranda’s one of them. It would appear we’re in worse trouble than we thought.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Ideas!! No wonder you weren’t invited, Ken - you are damn slow on the uptake once you’ve got a knot in your knickers.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
The spruiking of this thing with the word “cleverest” in it was silly. It’s left a whole lotta autodidacts (and bloggers) with their cute button noses all outta joint.
March 29th, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Ummm they didn’t get invited, they had to put their hands up and shout out “pick me pick me”. And no, I didn’t self-nominate.
You aren’t really taking this nonsense seriously are you wbb? I mean there’s no shortage of ideas in the world. What’s needed is a rational analysis of the ones that are already out there, not a stupid talk shop where all the old ones can get another airing.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
There’s something very UnAustralian about this “best & brightest” thing. Well, let’s say pre-Howard Australia.
Somehow it doesn’t provide for the message of “humility” & “egalitarianism” i would’ve expected from a Labor initiated Summit that is meant to pull on ideas from across the social & political spectrum.
Unfortunately, it’s provided certain news outlets with an opportunity to promote their staff AGAIN…& favourite (earnings related) celebrities…AGAIN.
Sure, there might be a useful “distraction” element to this…& of course celebrities can play the, too oft, DRAWCARD role. And sh*t, we might even get some halfway decent ideas up & running out of this thing.
BUT…regardless of how many professors, inventors and engineers are participating, the Rudd-led government needs to recognise that plenty of Aussies are extremely nervous & or agitated (pissed off even?) about the socio-economic direction the so called “elite” & media are taking this Country.
There is a sense that we are being transformed into one big Eastern coast dominated American-Hong Kong style megalopolis where money rules, property developers are Gods, media monopolies construct Kings, and noone’s home, farm, property, station, or water is safe from the marauding hands of mega councils & arrogant banks…those using various RATES as a tool to benefit their wealthy mates as efficiently as the Yanks use “eminent domain” & “bankruptcy” laws.
The reality is, we want to know where our water is going…& we worry about the rising cost of energy…and food…and petrol…and pharmaceutical goods…and of course education and general healthcare…
AND…regardless of the accumulating evidence, we have one twitching ear turned to the cynics who tell us Clean Energy & Green Fuels are a scam to suck more money out of us.
Considering the cost of basic shelter these days…& a loaf of bread, it’s not surprising that the Australian public might not take kindly to the feeling that if they weren’t invited to the “Ideas Summit” then they are one of the “average and mediocre”…which only serves to enhance the feeling that “the Elite are once again, taking them for a ride”.
Fortunately, the announcement of specific low & middle earner tax cuts, combined w/ the “political donation” comments…& thankfully, more funding for hospitals (that miser John Howard & his frontbench have a lot to answer for)…will help to undermine this “best & brightest” nonsense (imho, something best kept for Blair impersonation nights…& brochures promoting competing American titan-like universities).
Politicians with any integrity & concern these days know there is a rumbling across Australia…in fact across this burdened Planet…a sound that doesn’t take much TRANSLATION…it’s a cry…a DEMAND for CHANGE.
So let’s HOPE at the April “Ideas Summit” we hear more from the young idealists, stay-at-home mums and those other particpants who usually don’t get a “look in”…than the professional mouthpieces…those who make a “bloody good living” out of shoving their views…& faces…constantly down our proverbial throats.
The last thing we need is a whole lot of high profile types walkin’ ’round like the sun’s shining out of their arse.
LET THE LIGHT SHINE ELSEWHERE…for once.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Dyspeptic put downs don’t provide much in the way of argument to engage with, Ken. Maybe you have driven me to defend it!
Your resentment of the thing seems disproportionate. I don’t geddit.
March 29th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
I’m not interested in having an argument about it wbb. I seldom argue about anything on blogs, it’s pointless. You’re the one who keeps making snarky comments about its critics without making any substantive points about the wankfest itself.
Any ‘resentment’ you’re sensing exists only in your imagination. I think it’s extremely funny. I’m mocking it and by extension, I regret to say, anybody who is taking it seriously. I’m sure most of the participants aren’t.
It epitomises that line in Yes Minister about politicians loving activity because it’s a substitute for achievement, something ike that.
March 30th, 2008 at 1:09 am
OK, I’ll drop it then.
March 30th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Exactly, and that’s precisely what you won’t get from Miranda and her
godfathercolleague Gerard.It looks like a cross between a branch meeting of the kind of party that Rudd believes he ought to be leading, and the kind of conference a bunch of public servants would put together as a means of ‘testing’ an idea with ’stakeholders’ (ugh!).
Now I come to think of it, I think that is exactly what it is. The kind of Party you have when you don’t like the one you’ve got. Conservative, conventional, stuffy, boring and oh so respectable. It really is a joke. It’s not ‘intellectually challenging’ it’s not diverse and funky, and it definitely does not represent ‘Australia’ at large, although it does represent in some form, people who think thier opinion is a substitute for both thought and action
March 30th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
nasking, I liked your comment so much I have lifted it for my own purposes.
March 31st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Thanx. Glad it came in useful Caroline.
I like your idea about staying in bed one day a fortnight…:) Time for reflection, comfy reading & keeping petrol chugging, accident prone vehicles off the roads is the key to a saner world as far as i’m concerned.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 am
I like your idea about staying in bed one day a fortnight
Yes, wonderful idea!