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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 40. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sigismund on September 7, 2018, at 18:56:31
This reminds me of Orwell talking about the English being a nation of pigeon fanciers. It is a fortunate state when this is the news.
Posted by beckett2 on September 8, 2018, at 1:15:08
In reply to Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 7, 2018, at 18:56:31
"Killing the rooster was unfortunate but necessary, the spokesman said."
Usual administrative explanation.
Posted by alexandra_k on September 15, 2018, at 23:12:00
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post » sigismund, posted by beckett2 on September 8, 2018, at 1:15:08
some people really are quick to want to kill things that other people love. sigh.
you sort of think... dogs and cats and possums... why not allow a couple roosters to be added to the road hazard list...
and they could have put up a sign (and let people know via the newspaper and stuff) about not feeding them becuase of food attracting rats... or not... people's freaking compost bins attract rats... and provide warm places for them to live... or fry... depending...
aw. poor pretty black rooster...
Posted by alexandra_k on September 17, 2018, at 4:31:50
In reply to Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 7, 2018, at 18:56:31
who cares what the bird things is best.
who cares where the bird wants to live.welcome to new zealand.
Posted by sigismund on September 17, 2018, at 15:07:18
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by alexandra_k on September 17, 2018, at 4:31:50
Welcome to Australia.
Posted by alexandra_k on September 18, 2018, at 8:14:36
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 17, 2018, at 15:07:18
I do like those cartoons. Australia does do some good self-critque.
New Zealand does sometimes... It is wonderful to see when it is done well.
Some aspects of the student magazine here are terrific. Laugh out loud really brilliant.
I need to figure a plan B for next year... And I don't know what to do.
Posted by sigismund on September 19, 2018, at 21:59:00
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by alexandra_k on September 18, 2018, at 8:14:36
>Australia does do some good self-critque.
Our cartoons are really good and always have been. There are terrible ones but they are employed by Rupert. His absence from NZ has been a blessing for you.
This was from The Guardian 2 weeks ago....
To New York mayor Bill de Blasio, Rupert Murdoch is directly responsible for Donald Trump.
In fact, De Blasio argues: If you could remove News Corp from the last 25 years of American history, we would be in an entirely different place.
In his view, without the malign influence of Murdochs media empire and its conservative Trump-supporting Fox News we would be a more unified country. We would not be suffering a lot of the negativity and divisiveness were going through right now. I cant ignore that.
Posted by beckett2 on September 20, 2018, at 2:25:21
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 19, 2018, at 21:59:00
Totally agree.
> >Australia does do some good self-critque.
>
> Our cartoons are really good and always have been. There are terrible ones but they are employed by Rupert. His absence from NZ has been a blessing for you.
>
> This was from The Guardian 2 weeks ago....
>
> To New York mayor Bill de Blasio, Rupert Murdoch is directly responsible for Donald Trump.
>
> In fact, De Blasio argues: If you could remove News Corp from the last 25 years of American history, we would be in an entirely different place.
>
> In his view, without the malign influence of Murdochs media empire and its conservative Trump-supporting Fox News we would be a more unified country. We would not be suffering a lot of the negativity and divisiveness were going through right now. I cant ignore that.
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 15:14:15
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post » sigismund, posted by beckett2 on September 20, 2018, at 2:25:21
Here's a Bill Leak cartoon that became the centre of a culture skirmish
I can laugh at anything funny, be it sexist or racist, but simply denigrating others does not do it for me. On the sexism racism front it is not just approval or not, sometimes it is 'I would not want to be part of any group that would have me', which includes white men.
Here is the latest about Serena Williams on the court.....
I suppose it is racist. I don't get any joke. And it is nasty.
There was one FDOTM cartoon I laughed so much I thought I might have a heart attack. Perhaps they work on several levels, one of which is self mockery?
Starting culture wars is not how we should routinely treat each other. The withdrawal of empathy is part of the culture wars project?
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 15:36:16
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 15:14:15
I may have bought a News Ltd paper since the Whitlam dismissal in 1975, one or two at the most. It was disgusting and unfair. 43 years ago, is it?
Surprisingly Rupert has always felt himself to be an outsider, not one of the elites. Just who 'the elites' are is an open question. Probably the Guggenheim for offering Trump the golden toilet rather than the Monet. They are said to talk daily.
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 15:48:53
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 15:36:16
All of Hitler's really frightening threats mentioned being laughed at.
GWB made Nixon seem like a strategic genius. Trump makes GWB look like a humanitarian.
I only realised that after the invasion of Western Europe Hitler had few options left. The oil from Romania was never going to be half enough. He simply needed oil from the Caucuses. The offer he sent with Hess to England has the usual feel. I can't remember it all but it included the offer to leave the Jews of western Europe in peace, which is why the British can never release it.
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 16:03:25
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 15:48:53
This is the one I thought might give me a heart attack, when Tony Abbott was PM.
Posted by beckett2 on September 20, 2018, at 19:53:27
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 16:03:25
I like FDOTM (there is a 't' in there?), although I don't understand the AU culture very well. The other two I find offensive, as you say in so many words, cruel.
The Serena incident, on the court, for whatever reason, seemed beyond the pale. Did you see any of it?
> This is the one I thought might give me a heart attack, when Tony Abbott was PM.
>
> https://firstdogonthemoon.com.au/cartoons/2015/06/19/week-in-review-monstrous-incompetence-is-the-new-black/
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 20:20:36
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post » sigismund, posted by beckett2 on September 20, 2018, at 19:53:27
>The Serena incident, on the court, for whatever reason, seemed beyond the pale. Did you see any of it?
No, but I read about it. Mainly I was interested in the claims that complaining about the cartoons was a denial of free speech. "Political correctness gone mad".
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 20:38:45
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post » sigismund, posted by beckett2 on September 20, 2018, at 19:53:27
>The other two I find offensive, as you say in so many words, cruel.
And not funny. Unless you find someone just breaking a rule funny.
FDOTM (yes, we need the T to be ridiculous) has a layer of self mockery that really adds to it. He draws himself as a bloke (dog?marsupial?) staring at a screen in a constant state of outrage.
Which reminds me of what Brian Dawe said about John Clark's humour...that it came from a state of outrage. We think of him as Australian but he was from NZ. He was so quick, clever and good. He died bush walking up Mt Abrupt, which would have amused him.
Here is an old one.......
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 20:57:52
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 20:38:45
It was a once a week show around news time.
Posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 21:17:23
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 20:57:52
This was one of my favourites. I forget all cabinet ministers he is impersonating, but the slippery style is what I like. From 2006?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRcklLXj-9Q
Posted by alexandra_k on October 5, 2018, at 3:55:23
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post » beckett2, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 20:20:36
I don't know that I find the 'racist' cartoons to be 'racist'.
It is a very sad reality that that is the situation in the Northern Territory. Not for all. Maybe not for most. But from a policemans perspective... Yeah.The Serena one... I don't see 'racist'.
I found this:
https://firstdogonthemoon.com.au/cartoons/2015/01/14/a-love-letter-to-medicare/
Haha. I still got my Medicare card. Only expired just recently, actually. I do remember paying more for prescriptions -- but I also remembered having a great deal more prescription options available (for newer medications and for branded rather than generic -- if I chose).
I recently read this book which was a critique of the TPPA. One of the articles was about the bulk purchasing power that Australia had for new medications. It sounded like that was something that was a source of great tension... Feeling that Australia wasn't coming to the party quite on development of new medications. Becuase the lawyers (or whoever) had done a bloody great job of getting that bulk purchase agreement for.. I don't remember the term... Some sort of effective for the cost sort of a thing that kept costs down (comprared to US) with quite a few of the newer meds..
Posted by alexandra_k on October 5, 2018, at 3:59:30
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by sigismund on September 20, 2018, at 20:38:45
'beyond the environment' lmfao
can't wait for the space program.
hahaha
Posted by alexandra_k on October 5, 2018, at 4:23:22
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by alexandra_k on October 5, 2018, at 3:55:23
https://firstdogonthemoon.com.au/cartoons/2018/09/26/if-you-have-a-go-will-you-get-a-go/
i really like the first dog ones.
My Dad used to get Mad magazines and I'd read them as a kid. Some of it wasn't entirely appropriate (I felt back then) but some of it was really laugh out loud hilarious. This reminds me of a 'go work at MacDonalds' life trajectory one.
Posted by beckett2 on October 5, 2018, at 13:08:17
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by alexandra_k on October 5, 2018, at 4:23:22
Alex, your PM made a lovely speech at the UN. Such contrast to our current president.
And an official four day week! That's amazing, and I hope it works for your country. I admit to being jealous. My spouse works terrible hours, and he's pretty sure he could do all he does in four days by adding an hour maybe to each of them. Plus, folks would be motivated to get that extra day.
Speaking with a French visitor we met while camping, he was incredulous that we generally get two weeks vacation each year. He had the month off and was cycling across Canada and into our state. We spent an evening around a campfire.
Posted by alexandra_k on October 6, 2018, at 18:09:51
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post » alexandra_k, posted by beckett2 on October 5, 2018, at 13:08:17
I didn't know about the speech but I looked it up. Thanks for posting about it.
> And an official four day week!
I didn't see reference to that...
> I hope it works for your country.
?
I saw that she is keen on the data tracking of 'vulnerable children'.
I am sceptical / wary about that because we don't have the infrastructure to support the information being kept truly secure in a way that protects the privacy and security of those it purports to protect.
Those with power won't have their abuse recorded as such. It is those lacking power who are likely to have their children labelled as having been abused. Whether it is true that they are or aren't that label is something that is more likely to go on to harm rather than help those children.
One of the Universities requires professional program applicants to sign a disclosure form *on application* (not between offer of place and acceptance of place) which covers a whole range of things. From criminal history to whether they have been documented to have *observed* violence (e.g., in a home setting)...
They say it's 'for their own good' that they be excluded from professional practice programs and other jobs.
For example, there have been really high turnover rates for police in these parts because cadets don't cope with seeing the family violence situations they are routinely called out to. The dynamic is one of a couple in constant turmoil basically and our infrasturture is in such a state that the majority of kids who are living in such appalling conditions would only go on to be abused worse still in any kind of state care (and often split up from siblings).
I'm starting to see how much these kinds of labels affect self-conception, sure, but how much they affect others-conception, too. Only a few years back when I intereacted with some people who were informed I was on the Autism Spectrum before meeting me they were all trying to stare me in the eyes and 'high five'type of over-emphasised and routinised social interaction. I realise now they were probably doing the best they could to be kind. It felt... Infantilising to me. But that probably wasn't the intent.
A lot of people in our society feel insecure and have had histories of being treated pretty badly by others. People seem to want and respond well to a calm figure, yeah.
I did a motorcycle safety course yesterday and I the instructor said 'fake it till ya make it' and I see now that, yeah, I need to get better at doing just that. Take a deep breath and stand tall.
It's easier to fake it till ya make it if you can keep your head down and huddle in with a herd. If you appear stronger... Other people will seek you out to help you process the things they cannot. And that can topple you, yeah. When you are already working at your limits.
I would feel so much happier with the stats if I could trust that they take the personally identifying information out. But I know they don't do this and I know they have people looking through checking and double checking nd in some instances actually recoding (e.g., changing what list someone is or isn't on and so on)... So the whole thing just looks like some arbitrary list of people to be targets for the... Most awful of bullies. To keep them away from our other kids. The ones we're trying our hardest not to ruin...
Sigh.
Trust is hard, yeah.
Posted by alexandra_k on October 6, 2018, at 18:18:03
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by alexandra_k on October 6, 2018, at 18:09:51
I actually went to a really good talk a while back now on checklists. It was primarily for junior doctors, I think. Where they could basically fill out this checklist form in cases of suspected child abuse.
The idea was that the nurses and other staff and the junior doctor, too, could feel a lot of pressure that they should call the police or someone to report likely abuse.
The form allowed them to basically say they were concerned. To consider whether, on balance, intervention would likely help more than harm.
The idea (it seemed to me) was to absolve the junior doctor of responsibilty for fixing the situation / solving the problem.
It didn't seem to be about putting a label on the kids head to follow them around forever...
It seemed more about how the junior doctor could survive. And the nursing staff etc too (because then you could say that you have reported your concerns to a higher agency). And you had.
I imagine this aspect will hit pretty hard, actually / has the potential to be triggering. There would be something wrong with you if this didn't affect you. I don't know how people who love kids can train pediatrics in some settings... Yeah...
Huddle with the herd...
Posted by alexandra_k on October 8, 2018, at 6:17:47
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by alexandra_k on October 5, 2018, at 3:55:23
> I don't know that I find the 'racist' cartoons to be 'racist'.
> It is a very sad reality that that is the situation in the Northern Territory. Not for all. Maybe not for most. But from a policemans perspective... Yeah.
> The Serena one... I don't see 'racist'.I do see how the first could be seen as... Insensitive. And the second as... Unkind. There might be more context (that I don't know) with respect to a racist element to the second. The first is hard. It would ring as true if the Dad was white imho.
Posted by alexandra_k on October 8, 2018, at 6:38:49
In reply to Re: Today's Dominion Post, posted by alexandra_k on October 8, 2018, at 6:17:47
tracking poor children.
sigh.
what do your children do? work in the sweatshops so they have enough to be considered 'working class'?
i know some (stuff knows how many) are born with inheritance so they aren't poor... but most of the rest... i mean, we don't expect them to be working.
oh.
same old, same old, we'll collect up all the data on the kids born to the poor people. becuase they make the very best targets.
i don't know what's to be done.
i suppose whatever it is will take generations.
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