Crompton's the man

Got to be a Good Thing to have Uncle Kev in the next room under the collective roof just in case a meteor hit anyone of note. Who knows? Post-meteor he could change rooms and put on a new hat.

Just astonishing watching ABC news after the footy tonight. Karmichael Hunt pleads guilty to cocaine possession on 1, 8, 27 Sept and 3rd Oct 2014 in Qld. He is still reeling from the $2500 fine and no conviction inflicted upon him ( despite his guilty plea) [spare me ] Meanwhile in Victoria, a corrupt policeman (Kieran John Atkins) who falsely accused a motorist of using his vehicle to ram a police car was given a 4-month suspended sentence [will he ever recover?] and fined $7000 for his deceitful actions which likely would have seen the accused motorist jailed had not his fellow policeman refused to endorse his lies. There does not appear to be much appetite in the lofty halls of Justice to make emphatic statements to maintain or restore high standards of probity and conduct in our society. Perhaps these weak-kneed or asinine decisions are a portent of the (not) withering calibre of examination which will be seen to have been applied to some other cheats near and dear to our hearts.

What is this (nonsense) about protecting the players' privacy ? If I'm charged with a crime I usually see it in the newspapers and on TV as a matter of public record. I still have a photo stored on my computer of the double page spread with all the photos and details from the Hun article of 2013 or whenever it was and I can't really be fussed about expending much energy to find it but, really, What's It All About ?

HOT NEWS!!!!!!! The fix is in

Yeah but what about if you can't read or spell ?

To be fair, THAT'S not fair

Maybe Australia could secede from WADA, the UN and the Human Rights Commission

Noel Pearson seems to make a lot more sense in this segment than in another Q&A where his ideas of the 'radical centre' were , to say the least, treated with skepticism. I was just looking for his book (as yet unread) which I have at home and while doing that was reflecting on the seemingly insurmountable and intractable problem of righting the slow train wreck that is the divide between the Capitalist Consumer and the society of original inhabitants that prefers to take what it needs. What I was thinking is that there is no hope for these Aboriginal communities and hope is what is needed. In that Q&A where he was pretty much scorned, Pearson was promoting partnership with mining companies and similar to have training programs to bring his constituents into workforces - presumably his way of offering them hope.

One of my children did a placement with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in remote outback Australia Educational and pretty sad - The lack of fresh fruit and vegetables, most Aboriginal children anaemic, lack of running water ( no surprise) compromises hygiene levels. In the major cities we expect access to fresh produce - a dream in some places supposedly a lot of money finds its way into aboriginal health programs - I always thought that some effort should be made to supply what we enjoy as an expectation to those far far away. Naive perhaps, but I deep down expected ATSIC when it was alive to make this a goal. Instead what is available is milk out of date and food deep-fried (talking about remote communities) The lack of water leads to a host of other problems.

Seriously can't believe they wouldn't live in it for twelve months so they can avoid capital gains tax. What are they thinking ?!?!!?? Or maybe this is one of the ways they have chosen to repay their debt to society ?

I think the unproven but possible suspected factor in the ABC building was electromagnetic radiation which would be found perhaps in higher than average levels in a broadcaster's building. Nothing was able to be demonstrated as a causative factor; in any case should not be relevant to any MFC premises.

Being in the field, I suspect that disposing of a substantial quantity of pharmacologically active ingredients, whether into landfill or the general sewerage system, might well be an offence. Hope the EPA don't pick up on that. Unless of course it went the way of biohazardous waste ( a more expensive option of course and one that necessitates a paper trail) So much paperwork !

They should receive discounted sentences because they have cooperated every step along the way and just want the truth to come out

Dr John I'm sure that Querty agrees that if it is proven that they did use or intend to use substances banned under the ASADA/WADA code then the players who sought to gain advantage over all other players in the game (which of course is why it was all being done in the first place) and all culpable administrative and coaching staff who participated in, or negligently allowed the continuance of, the illicit program should be banned for two years and life respectively. I'm sure that's a fair summary of your position, isn't it Querty ?

Maybe Tony should stay on as PM Earl ?

Hence my query as to whether this is a real thing as opposed to a wisp of smoke or a shadow of a wraith or a white lie

Is this an actual fact that the players are " provisionally suspended"? Does this mean any real thing?

That's what I done The missing text is only interesting if you have a boring life

The Australian (yes I know ) today reports AFL held plea bid without ASADA by Chip Le Grand ...

Just an observation from the far distance From where I sit, closed hearings stink to high heaven of impending cover-up If light or minimum penalties are handed down as is surely in the best business interests of the AFL the stench of corrupt and compromised dealings will pervade the next ten years ( not that the Herald-Sun would kick up - not suggesting that)

Clearly climate scientists are not real scientists I know that cos Rupert told me

Let's hope he is Martin Pike reincarnated

Hope Clark's contract wasn't front-loaded

Well I'm a "Christian" - someone who thinks about Jesus and reads his messages and tries to understand what I realise is a constant effort (if you choose to make an effort that is) to make a path in the world when my flaws are no doubt as significant and my selfishness no doubt as sincere as pretty much anyone else's. Now given that my family has an Irish background and that the IRA waged a terrorist war over a long period I have no difficulty putting my metaphorical hand on my heart and saying that these people ( the IRA) were not acting as "Christians" but rather were attaching themselves to a pseudo-religious position to achieve ends that no doubt at the time they would have killed me or mine should public opposition to them have been expressed. The argument seems to be being put in various quarters that these extremists in Islam who perpetrate these bombings and assassinations/murders are poor misguided brainwashed dupes and we need to protect the young ones from being seduced by the attraction of the messages projected to them drawing them toward this pathway which seems to me to have the end of achieving maximum infliction of death and suffering on the identified targets (and "collateral damage" is acceptable ) Now the point to this offering is this: I have zero difficulty in stating that the IRA actions were against Jesus' explicit directions and without doing any research whatsoever I give two examples : when Jesus was arrested, one of his followers used a sword (it is recorded) to defend him and was rebuked for his efforts by Jesus who told him to lay down the weapon. Further, Jesus said that " no one takes my life from me - I lay it down freely" These are just two examples of the nonviolent approach that the author of "Christianity " demonstrated and which if I was to engage in a public debate with "Christians " promoting violence I would refer to to demonstrate that their methodology was contrary to their alleged loyalty. Not saying that would have changed anything in their actions - they ( IRA or similars) may well have been being deceitful about their motivations in any case and I may have been killed or kneecapped for my efforts. Now it may be that in a similar way these murdering Islamists can be shown (by the majority of Muslims who are not treading this path) to be being untrue to the faith they claim to be following and that the majority's contrary approach demonstrated to have a sound philosophical underpinning given the presuppositions of Islam. ( and the bald statement that the majority do not ascribe to that approach will not suffice - that alone does not oppose the deeply held justification of the militants) If it is the case that there are anti-militant arguments contained within Islamic scriptures, I for one would love to see that debate in the public arena because if counter-arguments to the Islamist position exist, I haven seen them yet - and I do mean from within the Islamic community. And I have been looking. If similar examples to the ones I quoted above from Christian writings ("scriptures ") exist within the Qur'an it is time they hit the naked light of day so that it may be clearly seen that the actions of these killers who claim to be true followers of the Prophet are not indicative of the core and nature of Islam. It's time.

Thanks WJ I can still remember going to the footy and arriving with a reasonable expectation of hearing the club song at the end. I sincerely hope that those days can return for us all ( all we need are a couple of heroes and we'll get there) Thanks for your contributions