disarray generally

Captain Despondency and General Disarray

Oh my, it’s been an interesting few weeks in state politics here in New South Wales. First, our Premier of over 10 years, Bob Carr, shocks us all by resigning unexpectedly on 27 July.

Then, on 2 August, the Deputy Premier and Treasurer (and esteemed leader of the ALP left faction), Andrew Refshauge, resigns, just before Morris Iemma is officially elected new Premier (and subsequently took on the Treasurer’s portfolio). Ah Refshauge – he was one of zee good ones....

The following day the Government loses yet another minister as Craig Knowles arguably spits the dummy and hands in his resignation, leaving the rest of us wondering just what the hell is going on with the NSW Labor.

With the ALP presumably left in a state of disarray, you’d think this pretty much hand the next state election on a platter to Opposition Leader John Brodgen.

Wrong.

Amidst reports that he drunkenly called the former Premier’s wife (Helena Carr) a mail-order bride at a social function days after Carr’s resignation, Brogden elects to fall on his sword and hands in his resignation on 30 August. It seems falling on his sword (figuratively, at least) is not enough, for that night he attempts suicide in his electorate office and is rushed to hospital.

Is it just me, or does Macquarie Street appear like a soap opera this days (that is, more than usual).

Looks like it be Iemma's lucky day after all.

Brad Pitt is cool

World's best job

I got promoted!

palanhuik

Chuck Palahniuk

"No matter how much you think you love somebody, you'll step back when the pool of their blood edges up too close. "

"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring. "

Tolerance

n. 1. Quality or state of being tolerant ; freedom from bigotry; toleration. 2. Act of tolerating. [...] Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 1936

"Catchwords or jingles play a literary equivalent of "hide and go seek" (the popular children's game) with meanings. "Tolerance" seems like a good example. Tolerance is good, or it was in the 90's. "Zero tolerance" is better these days, it seems. Maybe that's because the tolerated became the tolerators and suddenly tolerance just isn't so cool anymore. Maybe it's because too much was tolerated by too many and that got old fast. When you understand "tolerance" as putting up with other people and granting them the same freedom you expect, it all sounds pretty absurd. Call it the revenge of the politically oppressed.

Froth at the mouth with Cat Farmer

pee in the sink

Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink - Charles Bukowski

God how I love that Monday morning daze….
I was in such a state this morning; I jumped on the wrong train and ended up on my way to Hornsby instead of Parramatta. Both are hardly desirable destinations, quite frankly. If only I was working in the city again……

A weekend should always be best defined by overindulgence, don't you think?

Speaking of Bukowski, I bought the new documentary (Born Into This) about him on Saturday - it's really rather tops. There's lots of readings by him on it - always sounds better when you hear a writer reading his own work. The special features section also includes a short home movie filmed by his wife 2 years before he died (this has never before been released). It's quite amazing to see him as a real person instead of the almost caricature of himself, which I think he became. I especially liked the image of him sitting reading a page from his journal wearing a Bukowski fan t-shirt.