A new thread is needed, but I’m way too busy right now to produce content to hang it off like I normally would. So beyond pointing out that Newspoll should be along on Sunday evening if its recent form is any guide, I can only draw your attention to other recent posts on next week’s South Australian state election, the situation in Ukraine and related international matters (courtesy of Adrian Beaumount), and a Tasmanian state poll that suggests the Gutwein government’s dominance isn’t quite what it was. Beyond that, over to you.
All Morrison needs to get the nation back on track is a raw onion.
I just checked the Australian lineup for the current test (a bit behind I know).
I welcome the belated selection of Swepson. However, why on earth is Starc in that team? The pitches are obviously prepared to blunt pace attacks, and Starc, of all the Australian bowlers, would be advisedly affected the most by such tactics. He’s also well into his 30s now and Australia should be using him by saving him for test matches where can best make an impact: not bowling him into the ground by playing him every time. Especially on rubbish pitches.
Both Hazlewood and Starc should have been rested. ideally Australia should have done something radical, like playing both Swepson and Ahmed (who is travelling with the squad as a training bowler, but is still very much an active player at 40yo). Cummins and Green could have undertaken opening bowling duties and take the second new ball, before chucking the cherry to the spinners. If Australian selectors could not find it within themselves to be so bold and imaginative, then surely Boland – as strong as an ox as he is – would be a better option than Starc as the third seamer.
Test – a comment is in moderation. Cricket related. Is that verboten?
I’m intrigued by the Senate make-up after the forthcoming half-senate election. The following is my speculation:
– In Qld, the LNP’s Stoker could lose to a Greens.
– In NSW, Keneally has already bailed and I’m tipping another Greens win.
– In Vic, the Lib’s Mirabella is gonski and I reckon Labor could nab a third seat providing the preselection process ends up anything less than a bloodbath – a very big ‘if’. In fact, Mirabella, Thorpe and Carr all equate to a rum lot.
– In Tas, Abetz’s position is vulnerable to an ALP surge (I just wish the respected Lisa Singh was third on the ticket).
– In SA, Griff and Patrick (whom I admire) are done to be replaced by a Greens and maybe a third Labor or Lib. This begs the Q of where will former SAB/CA voters go? My heart says Labor, but my head says Lib. I’ll follow my head.
– In WA, it looks like status quo of 2 Labor, 3 Libs and a Greens.
So, the numbers are now 26 ALP, 36 Coal, 9 Greens, 2 Hansons, Lambie and the 2 SA dead ducks = 76. I’m tipping:
ALP 26 + Vic and Tas – NSW = 27.
Greens 9 + Qld, NSW and SA = 12
Coal 36 + SA – Tas, Qld and Vic = 34
That adds up to 73 + the Hansons + Lambie = 76. That makes for an ALP/Greens majority of one – two with Lambie – which you would think would get most bills up. I just wonder if the Teals can enter the Senate frame at the 2025 election, hopefully at the Coal’s expense, to give an alternative path to the magical 39, even allowing for a President.
Barney in Tanjung Bunga @
Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 1:43 pm
Any cut in fuel excise would be a temporary reprieve that would be swallowed up prior to the election. A waste to do go early and waste any potential positive voter sentiment.
NB:- not that it is the right decision, just a political one. It may also carry political risk if the teals can harness it well.
sprocket_ says:
Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 3:00 pm
[‘That’s a very long post, Mavis’]
Yes, it was. Apologies Billbo.
A_E
I completely agree with your Test selection comments. Swepson and Boland in, Starc and Hazelwood out.
Drongo, the Senate President gets to vote in every division.
WeWantPaul
Public Primaries for Candidate selection? You must be joking, it’d be a complete crapfest
David Cameron was talking about that back in his ‘call me Dave’ phase when still leader of the oppo, but soon binned the idea
You couldn’t make that compulsory voting, you’d be lucky to get a 5% turnout, anyone well known or well off enough to splash some advertising would walk it in over more suitable candidates. Influencers and TikTokers everywhere, no thanks
The USA model is not one I would recommend to follow in any way
By coincidence we have a preselection meeting in my ward for our local Labour MP next week
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Re Nath, he was not only a classic troll (adjusting his persona to get the maximum rise) but also a throughly unpleasant presence from day one
C@T mentions the sock puppets, easily the worst of him was very very early on when he accused another poster of having, how shall we say, certain Gary Glitter type issues. That the so-called moderator of this blog didn’t at that time brandish an instant red card is to his eternal shame. A disgrace. He didn’t say a word in fact. Not.One.Word
Good riddance
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In other news, I’ve been busy on t’ computer preparing my detailed response the the UK Boundary Commissions initial plans for South Yorkshire in the 2023 redraw. Not one iota of partisan merrygandering has influenced my deliberations 🙂
Thanks Sprocket_
I’d forgotten the deliberative vote rather than casting vote of Mr. President. I’m just ruminating on a lazy Sunday arvo awaiting some action in the cricket.
I have been intrigued by the use of the term ‘resilience’ by ScoMo.
The too late and not enough Federal quarantine centres are called ‘Centre for National Resilience’.
The Shane Stone headed ‘National Recovery and Resilience Agency’ appears to do jack shit other than pay Stone $600k per annum to insult those ‘wanting to live amongst the gumtrees..’ and sit on the $4b Resilience Fund counting the interest and not funding climate adaption work like levees.
So why Resilience? A new ScottyFromMarketing term? Who would it have a meaning for? Your average voter?
One thought is Scott has heard many a sermon on resilience, and it means more to him than to most. Some examples of sermons could be… (a selection from Pentecostal resilience search)
Individuals exhibiting balance, physically, psychologically, and spiritually, define stable families, organizations, and communities in the face of shock and turbulence. They build resilient entities. [i] Adversity is a fact of life.
These studies have shown that faith plays a positive role in resilience building: utilising faith for meaning-making and framing of events contributed to the enhanced ability of individuals to deal with major negative life situations.
Biblical Stories of Resilience Moses of the Bible was a leader of God’s “chosen people”. He was called to lead a frustrated and discouraged people through a wilderness where only extreme necessities were provided through divine intervention.
But maybe he just thinks resilience resonates as a catchy concept which will rake in the votes.
“Resilience”, like so much about Mr Morrison, is just an attitude. It means doing what you need to do and not getting fussed about having changed your mind. It’s right up Mr Morrison’s wheelhouse, and fits right in with, “I just don’t care.” (I was once described as “resilient” after successfully switching technical domains a few times in my working life.) And in that context, resilience simply means doing what works. Resilient quarantine facilities will be housing all sorts before long.
Agree with the call for Boland’s selection at the expense of Starc. Boland’s a banger-inner specialist, meaning he can get seam and bounce out of a dead/slow wicket better than the new ball or reverse swingers. He would be ideal as a third seamer/first change bowler, especially since he can bowl all day. I would have thought his brilliant summer would have alerted the selectors to his unique skill set. Unlike A_E, I would have included Hazlewood for no better reason than, like Boland, he can dry up an end, thus forcing batsmen to take risks. Nearly time…
Itza @ 1.54 pm:
I have always thought the particular quality of his “sound” comes from the incredible strength that seems to lie in Arrau’s fingers.
The concert I attended was a piano recital (in September, I think). The final piece was Schumann’s Carnaval . So much passion and energy was in the playing that by the time he had reached the last four or five minutes, the perspiration was flying in all directions. Little silver beads everywhere in the light.
There is so much to enjoy and marvel at in his playing, but, of all of it, I think my favourite is his playing of Beethoven’s Les Adieux. This might, I will concede, just be because this was the first LP of his I ever owned .
Wondering what time Newspoll is likely to surface tonight? It will be a consequential poll. Might even have impact on Budget promises of more gifts.
Newspoll appears about the same time at every publication.
sprocket_ @ Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 3:44 pm
Resilience is big in healthcare (and tertiary education might I add). It is the method du jour in rationalising individual burnout and disagreement with organisational leadership. The individual is not able to roll with the punches so to speak.
But resilience may be used to characterise teams, organisations and even systems. The Morrison/Joyce Government demonstrates a lack of resilience in responding to the situation Australia is in.
Shoulda gone in November 🙂
Resilience is like motherhood – who could be against it?
“ Unlike A_E, I would have included Hazlewood for no better reason than, like Boland, he can dry up an end, thus forcing batsmen to take risks. Nearly time…”
I would have thought it obvious that the Pakistani batsmen are happy to face 400 balls to score a century, so ‘drying up an end’ probably won’t frustrate them into taking risks.
Attacking leg spin however might just force them to play some shots.
Ps. Ordinarily I’d have played Hazlewood over Boland, but because the selectors played him last week, I’d rest him alongside Starc.
Drongo, senate president gets a deliberative vote rather than casting, not sure if you were aware.
I think you’re being a little too optimistic for the ALP/Greens but will take a look at your numbers a little later and suggest what I think is more likely.
The flip side is if the Coalition are re-elected they’ll likely hold half the votes and only require PHON or Lambie to pass whatever they choose.
Have put my money where my mouth is and bought an electric car.
(Thanks to those who responded to my earlier post.)
Have gone with a Hyundai Kona Highlander which has a 400+ range and is cheaper than a Tesla 3, which was my dream choice. (Once used Teslas come down in price , I’ll trade the Hyundai. )
I didn’t want to wait for the Tesla3…I could be dead by the time it arrived!!
Am really impressed so far as are those who have driven it.
Just been polled on the landline by an outfit called Nationwide something, missed the full name.
After two questions about Covid in WA (was I comfortable with situation and did I think hospitals could cope) they flicked the switch to Federal politics.
Voting intention, past voting, preferred PM and a series of pollcy areas where had Morrison done a good job or bad job.
Pretty easy to deal with that.
to much resiliance can lead to long term problems. Everything can be resiliant until it crumbles.
So what happens to materials, lets say metals, which are resilient. They bounce back after shock. They bend rather than break under loads. Each time they come back almost as they were before. But with each shock, a little resilience is lost.
Resiliance is not a finite thing. Eventually, after a certain amount of springing back from trauma, the metal does not do this. The metal fractures and one quiet sunny day, the bridge collapses.
I think I am right in saying that each shock causes micro-fractures, and enough of them end up in total failure. Resilience is better replaced with endurance, keeping going within the confines of the properties held by the material or person. Knowing how to stay under the limits so you can keep on building endurance without damage is a better strategy in my opinion.
Resilience is a fancy word for ‘What doesn’t kill you, make you stronger.’
Until it doesn’t. The warrior ends up weeping in the garage, stricken with PTSD as his or her system breaks down. It is another buzzword from a brainfart.
ScottyFromMarketing makes a genius of my garden gnome.
Quasar….congratulations on the EV….we have 2…..no fuel bills, very lttle servicing. Hope u have solar and a battery storage to make even more savings…..Best purchases I ever made
Puff, the Magic Dragon:
Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 4:42 pm
[‘Resilience is a fancy word for ‘What doesn’t kill you, make you stronger.’ Until it doesn’t. The warrior ends up weeping in the garage, stricken with PTSD as his or her system breaks down.’]
Yes, I’d agree with that.
And the ‘Mindfulness’ practitioners can go screw themselves too. This is simply a meditation state that has been around for thousands of years as worship, prayers, chants, music, etc.
To advocate MIndfulness to cope with the effects of disparity in resource allocation, wealth inequality, corrupt governments, psychopathic leaders of countries and businesses and the destruction of our planet is laughable.
No amount of mindfully colouring between the lines of an adult colouring book is going to give you the same satisfaction, release of anger and hope for change as telling the arskeholes causing this stress to go ferk themselves.
We do not need Mindfulness, we need to Eat the Rich.
In My Honest and Humble Opinion, as one of the 99%.
I was at the Nice Jazz Frstival where not only did I see Joe Cocker( stood just metres away) but also Michel Petrucciani
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YwCYdcvgmkY&feature=youtu.be
Icing on the cake was watching the final between France and Brazil on the large screens.
the World Cup
What Morrison means is that with him as PM you need all the resilience you can get.
In explanation, I have used Meditation and it works. But to use it as a band-aid over the effects of social ills, so we endure without trying to change anything, count me out.
Beaglieboy, you’re ahead of me there.
We’re in an apartment but have friends with solar panels so am hoping they’ll offer to charge my car!
Seadog @ #545 Sunday, March 13th, 2022 – 1:20 pm
Scrotty’s superpower.
He did tell us he was transactional, and has proved it many times over.
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Jackol @ #568 Sunday, March 13th, 2022 – 2:35 pm
A current fad in ‘healthcare’.
Look out for the newfangled ‘functional’ syndromes craze. Popping up everywhere at the moment. But just the same old shit in a new t-shirt.
All for our own good, of course.
And what PTMD said about mindfulness.
Boerwar,
You do not only need resilience, you need a weekend on psychedelic drugs to cope with that monster. Not that I have ever had the pleasure of the experience. My school years were in the most boring town in all of Australia, Temora in rural NSW.
I got told off at the state high school for wearing long white socks instead of short ones with my box-pleat tunic, complete with a white shirt and tie, and beret. We were lucky to be able to drink a cup of coffee. I will always blame my parents for making me miss all the drugs, sex and rock and roll.
Oh well, there is always the granny home, I can tear up the carpets there. Never too late.
Late Riser at 2.39pm
Streaming service Kayo is offering coverage of the Women’s World Cup cricket as part of their ‘freebies.’ You register for free (during which you are asked an annoying number of questions so they can tailor your stream – no proctology pun intended) and find a menu enabling you to choose ‘freebies.’
I googled ‘how to watch freebies on kayo’ to get info on the process, then registered.
A_E @ 4.12,
Hazlewood missed the last three (?) Ashes tests in Oz due to a side strain. I think his first red ball cricket was the test last week. If anything, he’s underdone, not overdone.
Currently $2.10 for 91 in southern Canberra. “I don’t hold a petrol hose” says Lord Chookshed.
Puff at 4.57pm re Mindfulness/Resilience…
Karl Marx critiqued religion as ‘the opiate of the masses.’ I think he had a point: state-aligned churches have a poor record when it comes to confronting injustice in their societies.
There is nothing to prevent certain people from advocating for the benefits of either mindfulness or resilience to do so in a way that avoids questioning injustices that have may have produced the stress sources in the first place.
A 21st century opiate of the masses!
Petrol prices going up is good. Whilst it’s costly to fill up my corolla, i hope it leads to less trucks on the road. Hopefully the boffins in the budget area think about the cause and effect of the instant asset write off.
Tradies buy’s big truck because of the tax dodge, dealer gets rich, Tradie then get’s angry every time he has to fill it up for $200. Thanks SfM.
Labor should come out with an electric utes (rivian) policy for tradies.
‘Resilience’ in Scott Morrison’s hands means you can cope without assistance, if not, too bad.
Ray(UK),
Good luck with your submission. Pity your fallen Red Wall is being replaced with LibDem bricks. Not the high quality red bricks it used to be made of. 🙂
Drongo says:
Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 3:07 pm
ALP 26 + Vic and Tas – NSW = 27.
Greens 9 + Qld, NSW and SA = 12
Coal 36 + SA – Tas, Qld and Vic = 34
That is to say, Labor will be outnumbered roughly 49:27 in the Senate. Whenever possible the Greens will align with the LRP to defeat Labor with the single shared objective of destroying any Labor government that happened to have the confidence of the House.
This is absolutely foregone.
It is my ardent hope that the Greens lose in every State; that Labor direct their part-quotas elsewhere; that Labor prefs no longer be used to elect Labor-phobic, reactionary-joining counter-weights in the Senate.
Great!
Grace Tame@TamePunk · 8m
Pardon my Twitter absence, I’ve been shapeshifting
Khawaja goes to 150. 4/326.
C@tmomma @ #588 Sunday, March 13th, 2022 – 4:35 pm
You beat me to it. Back from cutting the grass, I was going to add that once you’re labelled “resilient” it means you don’t need any help. It’s why I eventually retired. And glad I did.
@drongo – there’s no point looking at 2 elections ago for the comparison to this senate half election.
That was the outcome of a double dissolution, and not comparable.
The base result is 3 liberals in each state, 2 labor and 1 green. Plus 1 labor and 1 liberal in each territory.
The potential modifications are a 3rd labor in vic at the expense of Libs, a green in act at expense of Libs, a one nation in qld at the expense of any of the 3rd lib, the 2nd labor or the green. If current polling bears out and we get a labor landslide, they could pick up seats in wa and tas, but they won’t be tipping point seats.
I don’t think any other modifications are likely – sa best, Jackie lambie.
If the left get the 321 split overall, win 1 extra in vic or act and manage 3 in qld, they will have a majority from this half senate. They then just need Jackie lambie or one nation to get a majority overall. Or if they pick up vic and act and hold qld then they have a majority without any right wing votes.
@drongo – there’s no point looking at 2 elections ago for the comparison to this senate half election.
That was the outcome of a double dissolution, and not comparable.
The base result is 3 liberals in each state, 2 labor and 1 green. Plus 1 labor and 1 liberal in each territory.
The potential modifications are a 3rd labor in vic at the expense of Libs, a green in act at expense of Libs, a one nation in qld at the expense of any of the 3rd lib, the 2nd labor or the green. If current polling bears out and we get a labor landslide, they could pick up seats in wa and tas, but they won’t be tipping point seats.
I don’t think any other modifications are likely – sa best, Jackie lambie.
If the left get the 321 split overall, win 1 extra in vic or act and manage 3 in qld, they will have a majority from this half senate. They then just need Jackie lambie or one nation to get a majority overall. Or if they pick up vic and act and hold qld then they have a majority without any right wing votes.
I wouldn’t write off Pocock in ACT.
I know Boerwar has been out door knocking for him.
Sohar @ #591 Sunday, March 13th, 2022 – 4:45 pm
Mr Morrison should do more of this. I expect the people of Lismore can’t get enough.
Thank you Snappy Tom. I will check it out.
His cat probably has more brains than him, and would do a better job.
The fabled Greens Senate seat in the ACT will die on Croatia Hill…