Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The planes obscured the last half of Rudd but they're mostly leaving Nelson alone. I think this might be a pity.
Kevvie needs to do something about the constant lip licking, I've noticed it before, it's rather off putting. It makes him look disturbingly reptilian. I suggest blistex.

15 comments:

TimT said...

For some bizarre reason, the Rudder's full speech isn't yet up on the PM website or the ALP website, but the Sapphire Coast News is all over it!

http://www.sapphirecoastnews.com/apology-stolen-generations-2.php

Even more boringly, I can show you Nelson's speech, in full, too:

http://www.liberal.org.au/info/news/detail/20080213_WearesorryAddresstoParliament.php

It's a bit of a winner for Rudd. Most of the internet is going bat-shit crazy for him, and his lip-licking visage was broadcast live to inner-city Melbourne via a giant screen in Federation Square. Good speech, but I have doubts about whether it's going to translate into any actual difference for indigenous Australians.

Martin Kingsley said...

Maxine had a bit of a problem with the lip-licking post-win, too, I seem to recall. Odd, that. Maybe their speech advisors and such prefer them looking like idiots to having 'ickle dry-mouthed difficulties with plosives and the like? I'm genuinely curious as to whether or not this is the case.

Shelley said...

Martin, I think it's partly a nervous habit with Kev. With Maxine it's probably bad lipstick. Doesn't look good though. And poor Kevvie, he was obviously so nervous.

Tim, I suppose it didn't matter because I was busy working and couldn't go look anyways.
A speech is just a speech perhaps? Maybe next time he should wave his magic wand instead? These are seriously complex and compounded problems - I think everyone knows how difficult it's going to be. It's good that the issue is back in the political sphere though.

Martin Kingsley said...

Nails, you pretty much summed up my thoughts on the speech versus direct action issue.

Maxine was really getting into it, though. Like full, tongue-extended sweeps of both lips in a manner than in another species would be referred to as bovine. Very unbecoming, I must say. Just not done, old bean. Pip pip.

Shelley said...

Martin, I really support this action but I don't think I'm naive about it. I find it offensive and shitty that anyone would think that I don't - that so many of us don't - know the difference between speech and action. I'm not naive. I'm quite well educated politically. And I am, in general, a cynic. What something like this offers is hope and that's not a bad thing.
In some ways I feel extraordinarily sorry for Kevin Rudd. Those who voted for him are holding him to an incredibly high standard. We got to expecting to be fucked over by Howard [and even Keating, no, I wasn't a fan] and now we hold a guy, who was really just the best thing on offer rather than the best thing ever, in some twisted way, responsible by expecting more from him than we have of others. I find of of this fascinating and, in some ways, quite cruel.

Apologies for the rant - I am procrastinating and words just spilled out to no real purpose. Now, I suppose is not the time for me to go into left-right politics or comment on nay-sayers.

Martin Kingsley said...

No, I think you have a very fair point on hand, there. Many feel the same about Barack Obama, that he's a vessel into which the nation is pouring its hopes and dreams.

Personally, I don't really care. He's the Rudd of the continental US, and that's good enough for me. But.

He has astoundingly good IT, informational, and open standards policies, and as a geek I thoroughly support that, as does L. Lessig (founder of Creative Commons), and a list of rocket scientists, hard math/science/computation nerds, geeks and boffins as long as my Mandelbrot Set.

Shelley said...

Oh, I do like Obama - just those reasons - but I do feel for poor old Hillary. I think she may have missed her chance and that is a shame - actually, I'd say it was a positive mistake for them to focus on Bill-as-politician for all those years but anyway...

Public service applicatiosn slay me. Oh the torture!

DS said...

I might be sitting in a bubble castle on a cloud over here but I believe that speech was more than just a speech.

Shelley said...

Dale, well, it's early days but, yes, I think that speech will help effect change. There is always the chance that I could ring hollow but, as I was saying about poor Rudd earlier, the government is [for the momement at least] being held to a different standard to other governments. I think this is what will make the difference. Also, the huge divisions between communities being back on the table is terribly important.

TimT said...

God, I hated the pre-election Kevin Rudd button that bloggers began running on their website - 'Don't Fuck It Up'. As if Kevin, in the process campaigning to the huge Australian electorate, dealing with his backbenchers and developing policies, was just some stupid kid. It was so infantilising. I think it just shows the huge difference between Kevin Rudd as people see him, and Kevin Rudd as an actual politician. I don't feel sorry for him any more; just a mixture of admiration and crankiness at a guy who is undoubtedly a clever politician and who has a few bright ideas that may (or may not) make Australia better.

Anyway, the Rudder might as well enjoy his popularity while it lasts - because it probably won't last for long.

Shelley said...

I thought it was wonderfully succinct. The memory of Latham lingered as much as the horror of Howard hovered.
I don't, generally, feel sorry for politicians unless they're displaying how woefully stupid they are or if I think they really are being fucked over. I felt for Rudd yesterday because what he was doing and what he was saying affected his composure. He was nervous as hell and it showed.

As to his popularity...well, how did I describe him before? The best on offer [Labor party] - which really wasn't saying much.

Of course, I'm hardly going to start hero worshipping politicians because a) not really my style, b) never, ever trust anyone who actively seeks power, c) none of them get near my belief systems - at least publically - which means that every time I vote is a massive compromise.

Martin Kingsley said...

Oh, Latham, he was such a card, wasn't he? Such a character.

Which is, really, a euphemistic way of pointing out that he's a psychopathic bastard, innit? How the Hell did he ever get to the top of the tree to get the leadership anyway? That always confused me. If he can get there, so can I, I have all his qualities and I'm slightly (but only slightly) more subtle! Scary, eh?

As for Crean (Creen? Khreenh?). Jesus, what a non-event he was.

TimT said...

True, Martin, and the Labor Party even had the unique genius to repeat one of their non-events twice - Bomber Beazley, that is. Though admittedly the second time it was directly following Latham, who no one could upstage.

Then again, the Liberals are obviously doing their best to beat the losing streak of Labor with Nelson. They've got a long way to go - 12 years - to beat Labor's losing streak, but I'm sure with a little inability and lack of talent (well served by their party), they can get there.

Shelley said...

And deep calming breaths for Martin...

Shelley said...

And a deep breath of despair for Tim...