ACLAND STREET ST KILDA

 

‘AN OPEN LETTER’

Congratulations Port Phillip City Council because you have managed to remove the heart and soul from Acland Street St Kilda as an ‘international go to tourist spot’.  You have turned it into a dead tram stop now inhabited by the socially disadvantaged day and night. 

Shops are closed, banks are gone and the disenfranchised treat the area as place to just sit.   Old men without shirts wander aimlessly looking for cigarette butts on the ground, younger more aggressive people seek cash and the homeless just sit with an empty hat in front of them seeking anything.

There is no life left in Acland street!  It’s gone from a bustling character filled international go-to destination to a bland suburban tram stop now inhabited by a disadvantaged social group.

Whoever made the decision to destroy Acland Street should be paying all shop owners for their losses and compensate Melbourne for gross stupidity.  No real consultation with any key groups and no reason to add two tram super-stops just metres away from existing stops outside Acland Street near Luna Park.     Lunacy!

Is there a solution?  Who knows after the damage has been done.  But ...

Bring in big street art, mass painting classes, family attractions, security, gated, events, MSO, moving sculpture on now disused tram tracks, walk through W class trams as changing exhibition museums, giant gladiolas [think Hamer Hall opening], whacky art on porticos, no smoking, variety of shops, buskers, no booze except in restaurants, a giant sculptural waterfall  – fun with stuff to see!!

This would be a perfect foil for Luna Park and cement Luna Park precinct as a go to must see area.

Cost?  Nothing compared to what traders have lost due to the council operating above its pay scale whilst destroying a legend.

I have a problem.

Tibetan proverb  -  “Goodness speaks in a whisper, evil shouts” [in this case, shout through voice, intent or action]

I am confused and indeed taken aback by the lack of rationale from the CCP [Chinese Communist Party], its rhetoric and its self propagated rise to global stardom.  Friends, enemies, dominators, clients or supplicants?  We, as mere mortals, need to understand what’s actually going on, preferably prior to a nuclear attack. 

We see that the Chinese people are freezing through a lack of coal whilst a million tons of Australian coal the CCP impounded remained in bonded warehouses.  Now, they have been forced to use our coal - after a year of spurious trade bans.  This ‘bonding’ was reported as a ‘payback’ by the CCP for Australia cementing our sovereignty.  Payback at the expense of the Chinese people.  Indeed, the CCP after all that wanted to join an international trade pact despite belligerently trying to send some of those same members broke.   How about occupying and militarising international waters attempting to stop free trade and menacing neighbouring countries with claims of sovereignty and brandishing fear of war whilst pumping out military hardware including nuclear submarines?  Further, how about rampant claims of sovereignty on the India / China border with military build up and, deaths?

I watched spokespeople for the CCP and despair at their ‘toddler shouty rhetoric’. How about threatening us with a nuclear strike [Victor Gao] if we have the temerity to seek our own national defence through nuclear submarines even without nuclear weapons.  Maybe I am completely stupid but that threat is so out of line it’s below juvenile.  Since when did shouty people threaten and dictate to other sovereign nations?  Obviously, Stalin, Hitler and now Gao as a spokesperson for Xi Jinping and the CCP.

We as a global community have spent the last 70 or so years after WW2 trying to work together for everyone’s benefit yet we still see stupidity like Hamas lobbing thousands of rockets at Israel and expecting no retaliation or the Taliban disenfranchising women and starving ‘their’ citizen responsibility or the CCP puffing war rhetoric or North Korea spouting similar very shouty look at me rhetoric while marching in lock step to starvation.

All of this is disrespectful, of little intelligence and demeaning for the perpetrators. 

Perhaps I am the one missing the fact that a Neanderthal lack of thinking is starting to suppress intelligence?  Where is the logic, the rationale, the thought?   Where is respect?  Where is the desire to live ‘with’ people rather than dominate?  Where are the whisperers?

Remember every world leader wanted to be Hitler’s friend because he was resurrecting Germany in his own inimitable shouty way.  Then he invaded Poland on September 1st 1939!  Whoops.

Our ex prime minister Tony Abbott recently wrote that the CCP has no friends just supplicants and clients.  This includes Australia unless we pull our rhetoric finger out and adjust diplomacy to reflect reality.  The CCP heaped childish and grossly defamatory personal shouty abuse on Abbott for him daring to state known facts about the CCP.  ‘Infantile shoot-the-messenger responses.’  This is interesting in that it was Abbott who praised China a few years ago.  Something has changed and that something seems to be Xi Jinping.  When one person believes they are ‘chosen’ and, by political manipulation, control the armed forces as well as making claim to land of other sovereign nations  and treats his people as supplicants all the while demanding shouty loyalty, the force of truth is subjugated.  Power is a narcotic.

Remember the CCP and the Chinese people are different.  One controls whilst the other are supplicants albeit with some degree of national fervour, forced or otherwise.    As an example of control, the CCP has tried to change history by removing all mention of the Tiananmen Square massacre and refuse to admit it happened despite irrefutable global evidence.  You cannot change history with a head in the sand approach no matter how damning it is.  When Victor Gao [CCP] threatened Australia with a nuclear strike on Stan Grant’s interview we all had a jaw dropping gob smacking moment.  Apparently we have sacrificed our nuclear free status by harnessing nuclear power to drive a few submarines without nuclear weapons.  This must make the rest of the world with nuclear power quake, let alone nuclear weapons.  France, with its proliferation of nuclear power stations and weapons must be in absolute terror as Gao intimated they will be a target.  China has 12 nuclear subs of which 6 are armed with ballistic missiles and presumably nuclear warhead capable.  Maybe Australia’s one reactor at Lucas Heights in Sydney will force the CCP to drop a nuclear bomb on Sydney?

I must have my stupid shoes on because I find this shouty rhetoric disarming to say the least.  Match political fervour and access to the red button and .....  BANG.  This is happening right now.  Shouty people have already lost the discussion / debate but seek to dominate with closed mind through and by a vocal and physical overbearing trying to block intelligent response.  Remember shouty Hitler and the brown shirts!  A closed mind and the red button.  OOPS! 

For some, power is intoxicating and never to be lost. 

So what?

Gao threatening Australia with a nuclear strike may be posturing and definitely ill chosen rhetoric from a closed mind or it may portend something more serious. He also said Australia doesn’t need to know where this strike will come from.   Either way Gao epitomises CCP shouty juvenile rhetoric but with huge military backing.

Keeping the peace is not one countries responsibility.  The USA has done a fantastic job as a democracy tilting world order in favour of peace but to assume that will continue is naïve.   ANZUS [1951], QUAD [2007 / 2017]and a number of other partnerships between ‘friends’ support each other to be safe and prosper in the face of dysfunctional ‘attacks’ whether they be cyber, trade, military, race persecution or whatever.

 

Whose problem is it?

Indeed, it’s obvious the CCP are floundering.  Like a physically large young child aware of their intimidating ability but not aware enough to act any other way except physically.  The CCP are clearly demonstrating a position of weakness through and by shouty rhetoric apparently designed to obfuscate and intimidate.  Unfortunately for them shouty does not cut it with adults, adults for whom clear thinking is a way of life.

The CCP loudly abuse and grossly insult anyone or any country that does not agree with them seemingly with no fear of retribution.  Indeed, Xi Jinping is acting like a state sponsored keyboard troll except he is front and centre albeit in the exact knowledge he alone controls the PLA as a self elected demi-god.

The issue is that the free world has let the CCP grow in strength based on cheap Chinese products whereupon they continue to build and command military might and from that position of perceived power feel free to threaten other countries, for example Taiwan and Australia, with nuclear attack, invasion, death, destruction and a reversion of democracy to the CCP ideal.

How did this happen?  Simple, we all sat back and assumed no one in their right mind would invade a sovereign nation such as Taiwan in our modern world.  Think back to Poland.

This is a world issue and one that will not just go away by itself.   The conundrum is that we cannot interfere in the workings of another sovereign nation as it’s none of our business.  And, if we did, we would be guilty of the same crime.  The exception being if the actions of that nation threaten international law and/or another sovereign nation.  A BIG decision but a decision which must be made by a whole gaggle of very smart people capable of rational thought having all the actual facts at hand.  No fake news and no ‘go it alone’ because it’s a world issue!

In this regard, sanctions are good but they tend to affect the ordinary people rather than the guilty ruling class or those with the armed forces at their beckoning.  For example, North Korea is in locked step to starvation as is China.

Desperation actions by leaders in a failing state tend to get more and more shouty trying to convince the masses to believe in them.  Lots of parades, grand displays and military might trying to persuade those masses that they ‘belong’ to a grand future, a future deemed ‘great’ by the ruling class whilst ignoring proletariat personal freedoms and indeed even food.  Keep the working classes in awe of greatness.

And sadly, it’s that greatness we all seem to want.  Look at the following Trump has but with equal lack of substance. 

The key is ‘respect’, respect which is not earned but a God given right.   The CCP shows no respect for anyone preferring to try and dominate by shouty intimidation and defamatory threats all of which are unfounded and juvenile.  A once proud culture now resorting to childish personal insults and sneaky cyber warfare through state sponsored keyboard juvenile trolls – it is very sad to see a once great empire devolve.  China has always sought respect as a way of life through millennia yet today that clear and honourable thinking has vanished under Xi Jinping replaced by look at me shouty war mongering.

You know, I once admired Xi for his ‘forward’ very long term thinking and his focus on strategic plans such as his belt and road.  A fantastic concept for China and other countries but brought down by hidden agendas and petty power grabs.  Yet, there is hope.  China has already proven they can dominate the supply of goods making the world dependant and have proven they are a world power and have proven they plan for the long term.  May I suggest, from a self confessed moron, that ‘war’ is a state of mind and does not have to be physical or fatal but can be construed as competitive advancement through intelligence, respect and harmony.  Golf is such is war.  A continual personal desire to get better whilst working within the rules, recognising that grass will always win and enjoying the company of fellow advocates who are also striving to get better.  In a world sense, each and every country challenges themselves to get better within the rules [WTO], accepting almost impossible challenges as a global citizen [e.g.  nett zero] and enjoying a camaraderie with other nations as we all strive to ‘beat the grass’.  Friendly but intense competition where respect wins. 

The big toddler, used to dominate through shouty size, grows up.  The question is, ‘how can we help that toddler join the real world as a whisperer?’ 

PROCESS, LAW, CONSEQUENCES

 

[An opinion from one somewhat picky cook]

A ‘process’ or procedure’ has little to do with the law itself other than to provide a ‘fair’ time and a vehicle / platform for defence and/or accusations and/or rebuttals. 

If that process follows and upholds the law then good but, the process is always secondary to the law itself.  This is a no-brainer.  The opposite being disquiet and even anarchy.

The whole point of ‘process’ is to enable and action the law and its intent from its written form.  Therefore deliberate deviations from that process must be deemed unlawful as they attempt to obfuscate or ignore the law.  The only defence could be that the law/process is duplicitous or unclear or subject to multiple interpretations.

Indeed, good procedures or processes are put in place to allow an orderly pathway from clear thinking to focused action and appropriate solutions.

In a recent decision by the Federal Circuit Court the judge seemed to allow a flawed process to obviate the law in that, the law was ignored because of deemed flaws in the process.  This was later overturned by the Federal Court as they ordered the law was to be followed despite a possibly flawed process.  In this case the law was clear but ignored by the first judge because the process was hijacked by people with a commercial agenda attempting to confuse the law through arguments that were proven irrelevant.  This makes the perpetrators guilty of trying to subvert justice.

This is where logic, deductive argument and clear thinking must rule.  Argument in tautologies is a good start providing the associated premises are proven valid.  Rogerian argument has no place as compromise has no place -  that is, unless the law itself is unclear or contradictory and there must be room for actions taken in ‘good faith’ or perhaps where actions are mitigated by circumstances of ‘no fault’ disenabling compliance then, intent being really important as a decider of appropriate punishment.

So, does this mean we are bound to uphold the law?  Absolutely!!  Nothing stopping us disagreeing and being vocal with our opinions attempting the change the law but, loud brain-dead disobedience is no rod for change!  Instead go with clear thinking emotion free tautological discussion [not mere Rogerian conversation] leading to appropriate laws which can be ‘processed’  through a procedure which is also clear and succinct and time efficient.

Take for example our laws on vaccine compliance for international visitors.  Simple, covid positive by test – no entry and no jabs – no entry.  However, there is mitigation by exemption based on being physically unable to be vaccinated [leading to quarantine and testing etc].  Note that there is no ongoing exemption for not having to get jabbed following a ‘serious’ bout of Covid as a condition to stay is to get jabbed after recovery and, quarantine still applies.  Those refusing vaccination on other grounds are excluded.  Simple and clear despite Tennis Australia and the Victoria State Government offering unlawful exemptions based on personal monetary agendas and ignoring the fact that they actually can’t offer those exemptions as only the Federal Government controls the borders.

In this case the ‘process’ failed because it allowed people to obfuscate through media by-line even though the law is clear [Federal Court].  As a matter of fact, letting into our country a sporting megastar et alia who refuses to be vaccinated when Victorians have been locked away is beyond stupid and needs to be addressed as deliberate attempts to subjugate the law.

Mismanagement of Covid19

‘The amnesiac [Coate’s enquiry], mismanagement-Andrews’, is out of control with Covid19.

Andrews’ actions propagate the self righteous / self entitled to openly defy public health orders.  These are the ‘covid spreaders’ caring little about anyone outside their own bubble whilst ignoring community responsibility.  Despite being labelled as ‘boofheads’ by the police they continue to ignore simple anti-death measures such as vaccination, masks, distancing and sanitising.  They could be big family groups insular to the health requirements of their community or just dropkicks unable to think past their nose.

Lockdowns are NOT going to create behavioural change in these people because they already have a mental fire wall separating cognitive thought from their chosen path.  Any actions they see as exacerbating a reduction in their precious freedom will only make them retreat further into stupidity.

Walk along Beaconsfield parade in Middle Park any Sunday afternoon during lockdown and watch the mask-less boofheads defiantly strut along seemingly fed by their own brain dead aggressive persona. 

Do I blame them for being angry?  Not really because even a ten year old can see ‘mismanagement-Andrews’ is out of his depth.  That same ten year old could also see Andrews desperately try to shift responsibility by prepending all statements with ‘based on health advice’ and/or emotive fear mongering words such as ‘highly infectious’ as though both of those disclaimers justify his actions.  They don’t.

The answer seems simple in that to stop the virus, stop the spreaders.  This is harder than enforcing an economy wrecking lockdown - which obviously does not stop those covid spreaders as a dropkick entitlement syndrome [DES] is alive and well. 

Mismanagement-Andrews must please take advice from statisticians who would have laughed at ‘the numbers’ he flaunts as justification for lockdowns. Traces of virus in country Victoria locks down the whole state costing millions [didn’t actually exist on retest] and one or two cases locking down a city of 5 million people [statistically absurd].

If it’s true, all we need to do is wear a mask, keep our distance and sanitise – often.  How hard can that be?  Unfortunately testing is ‘after infection’ and whilst vaccination will reduce chances of death it will still allow some spreading and, worse, the virus can apparently live on hard surfaces for an inordinate time.

Therefore the answer seems to be to encourage the spreaders to comply, by stick and carrot, without disastrous mis-management lockdowns penalising the innocent both financially and emotionally.

Firstly the ‘stick’.. If masks are SO important then those deliberately flaunting the rules need to be fined something in the order of $2,000 per offence.  Then, even the idiot can see that perhaps wearing a mask is better than shelling out $2k each time one is caught.  This is not a forever law but a temporary measure only until the virus is whacked.

Secondly the carrot ..   It seems vaccinations are our only long term solution and to that end EVERYONE must get vaccinated.  The carrot to achieve this is ‘the pass’ as has been introduced in France where fully vaccinated people enjoy greater freedoms after proving they have had the jab.  Those not wanting vaccination would not be allowed in restaurants, theatres, planes, etc.  Once again, a simple choice.  Get the jab, protect yourself, protect all those around you and enjoy a free life.  The option for those not wanting to protect our community is to stay at home.  A simple choice really, a choice everyone can understand.  Biden’s rules are similar – come to work but if you are unvaccinated then you must wear a mask, keep 1.5m distance to anyone and don’t travel. 

This can only happen with legislation allowing the police to blitz and fine and by making vaccination easy, plentiful and without grubby reporters selling fear and gloom as they have with AZ.  AZ is saving Britain!

The question is, ‘can mismanagement-Andrews make this happen?’  I hope so but then I doubt it.  His whole amnesiac management team [including health professionals] seem to be going down a different path.  A path of economic fatality and virus eradication failure despite his narcissistic power grab through state of emergency legislation.  I can’t imagine a worse person to hold that power.

The solution is to establish an arms length group of professionals to manage the pandemic with mismanagement-Andrews kept well away from any decision making.

LEFT BANK Restaurant review

[These comments are NOT vitriolic, ego driven or subjugated by 'moronic troll syndrome'.  I only publish when I have something positive to say.]

We had a late lunch last Monday at 'Left Bank' on the river in Melbourne.  Fresh mussel pasta was fantastic the sauce being brilliant - yum.  Chicken curry - good.  The espresso was brain snapping - perfect - luke warm - no bitterness - glorious.  We are in the same business [Mon Ami restaurant in Fitzroy] and it's nice to be able to heap praise for a good job.

Mr Prime Minister - attorney General, quotas and taking advice

 I am disappointed in your somewhat contrived response to pressure from morons.  You are the Prime Minister – act like it.  Fantastic job saving Australia from the worst ravages of Covid19 but bowing to unlawful demands just to appease those same low intellect morons is just lacking leadership as is failing to curb management failures.  3 issues.

 

Firstly, you have effectively convicted our Attorney General without evidence of anything other than speculation and ruined his life.  A 33 year old alleged incident that even the girl’s mother doubted ever happened due to her alleged state of mental health and tendency to ‘exaggerate’ [source - media reports only] does NOT constitute evidence of guilt but you have effectively condemned him to being ‘guilty’ by removing him from his portfolio.  This is appalling and just for the for the sake of easing political pressure.  Apart from disrespecting the law on innocent until PROVEN guilty you have come across as weak and bendable to sustained pressure from morons.  ALL boys and girls at 16/17 are on constant hormonal boot camp as a perfectly normal function of growing up.  All kids, at that age had and have one clear thought to turn into reality.  Indeed, a friend who takes on the role of Santa Clause every year at a major shopping centre talks to lots of kids about their wants and desires.  Fantastic job!  One day a girl whom he said must have been about 14 when asked what she wanted for Christmas said quite clearly and forthrightly, ‘sex’.  Santa nearly fell off his chair.  Indeed, I once had several ‘evil’ thoughts about Jane Fonda in the movie ‘Barbarella’ when I was but 20 years old – perhaps I should immediately instigate self flagellation for a ‘boy thought’ of some 50 years ago give up my job and become a lesser human being subject to ridicule and stoning [metaphor for hatred and abuse from people lodged in their own glass houses] in public places. Now, the drop-kick morons have effectively won because they and you have pilloried a person not lawfully guilty of anything and you have supported them.   Maybe he is guilty [?] but he deserves the same protection under our system of law as anyone else – innocent until proven guilty by a court – not just accused by rabid moronic trolls with their own agenda and supported by our own Prime Minister.

   

Secondly, instant and effective quotas for women in parliament as a political mea culpa is a direct insult to women and Australia.  Don’t bother with brain/mouth disconnect rhetoric just focus on what promoting women just because they are women actually says.  The clear implication is that they are weak and inferior needing a help up the ladder to positions of incompetence.  This latest ‘reshuffle’  is an obvious attempt to dissuade further political pressure.  Not good.  Over the years I have run consulting project teams all over the globe seeking corporate change and always sought a 50/50 gender split based on the actual job at hand and merit.  The simple fact is that women and men think and act differently and can come to a mutual solution based on that difference.  It is critical that the differences are accepted, celebrated and cherished else we get mea culpa promotions based on what are effectively quotas.  Quotas are an insult to women.  I realise it’s bloody hard when you, Mr. Prime Minister, have to select from a gaggle of people good at being rhetoric driven elected but wanting when it comes to real world political management.  Look at what happened in Victoria when 800 people died as a result of poor management and worse, when the whole senior ‘team of both genders’ from Andrews down suffered collective amnesia on who ticked off on a $30 m spend.  Makes the ‘Porter’ incident seem pretty irrelevant, doesn’t it. 

 

Thirdly and in my opinion one of the major jobs of the public service is to research and inform the political leaders on every issue with balanced strategic directives right down to feasibility opinions.  Ministers are not closer to God and need help.  There are gaggles of very very bright public servants itching to advise and be a part of our future.  All it takes is the respective politician and secretaries to heed that advise by turning off the brain – mouth disconnect.  A disconnect driven by political [read self advancement] agendas.  Every politician should have at least an IQ of 130 and a tertiary degree in something and be forced into proper debating school so as to be able to discuss [not merely converse] without shouty ‘I win because I am louder’ behaviour.  The screeching crap from both sides and genders in Parliament is demeaning.  Indeed, the term ‘representative’ of a politician’s electorate seems forever lost to grandstanding.  Proper debate is life enhancing but destroyed by the low intellect shouty people.  Perfect example – Biden / Trump so called debates.  Where is the measured response driven by responsibility and accountability?

 

So, Mr PM, firstly don’t listen to the moronic trolls but uphold the law, secondly develop a real transparent interactive gender position assimilation program and thirdly take advice as a leader and be shown to take advice without fear.  

The Queen

Like millions of right thinking people the antics of Harry and his wife ticking off the ‘firm’ in oh-so-sad rhetoric to a ‘shock-jockette’ are indicative of five year olds who have lost their play pen.  Even the fact that Meghan dragged Harry off to the land of short history, QAnon, Flatearthers and idiot creationists to get a hearing speaks volumes.  Then we have the ‘jockette’ determined to create headlines using him and her as rating catalysts.  It doesn’t get more pathetic.

We Australians, being the recent colonists, have a history going back millennia with ‘Royals’.  Not because they rule anything [don’t tell the Ghost of Gough] but because they represent our history and still create stability by the very fact that they and we have that millennia of history.

Can’t change history and history is what makes us!

There is no doubt we are all happy with Liz as our titular head of state and indeed the church of England into which I was abducted as a kid [none of this catholic stuff – note that those same Catholics have refused to give back any Australia medals despite condoning child abuse but still accuse Margaret Court for her beliefs]. 

I believe Liz is the worlds richest person and also acts as caretaker for her personal estates as well as many many state assets.  Big job preserving history and I believe that’s her role – to make sure the world has a safe place which recognises history.  The fact that she is not short of a quid is good news.  Harry and Meghan on the other hand seem to expect Liz to fund their lifestyle even after demonising the firm.  I just don’t understand the stupidity associated with this.  Harry was patron of the Invictus games – a great initiative – but seems to have also thrown that away losing all military rank and probably the title ‘Duke’.  

In short, we need our Queen as a measure of stability and grace.  We need to see royal ‘being human’ spats but most importantly how they are handled – with stability and grace.  We need to be able to compare a class act with say Trump to realise there is a better way.

So yes, you royalists, our Queen is a class act and what she stands for in terms of our history is just plain great!  Further, we have her system of Government which is absolutely the world's best with checks and balances everywhere.  No republican president with powers of pardon et alia and no dictator ‘for life’ rule.  Their systems are broken, ours are not.

Long live our continuing monarchy as they represent who we have been and who we are.

Pastor Court

andrews [small a] has once again showed absolute disrespect for anyone who doesn't agree with his view of the world.  He referred to Margaret Court as 'that women' in a desultory and insulting manner just the same way he referred to Mr Kennett as 'that man'.  And, that is only the start of the insults.

Remember Mrs Court is a pastor of the Pentecostal faith and preaches those beliefs just as Muslims do and Catholics do and as do Evangelists.

andrew's foul mouth fails to understand that people achieve excellence in something but may be wanting in something else.  As are we all.  For example andrews achieved excellence by getting elected but has failed dismally in managing our state.  No question and non debatable.

Mrs Court got the gong for playing tennis - end of story.  She was best in the world - no argument and Australia decided to recognise those achievements in line with her male counterpart, Rod Laver.  Not hard to understand.

As an indicator of the stupidity of andrew's assertions imagine taking his logic one step further.  Perhaps we should ban all catholics from getting any Australia medal because they ignored child torture by the church and indeed covered it up.  Catholics gone, not matter what good they do.  Hand back the medals.

How about banning Muslims because their values are 'different' to ours as expressed in their holy works.  According to andrews thay are all evil, devoid of doing good and can never get a gong.

Pastor Court expresses her religions views for all to hear in our 'free speech' country.   You don't have to agree or disagree just as you don't have to agree or disagree with roman catholicism [inquisition, torture, child abuse] or the creationist fools who believe the earth popped out circa 10,000 years ago [40% of Americans despite science] or those who believe killing infidels cements a place in heaven with a gaggle of vestal virgins - no women's rights there!

Personally, I choose to listen to everything with an open mind and dismiss the lunatics and the purveyors of untruths.

What next?  A person gets a gong for say nuclear medicine but it turns out he once 'slapped' his son for being a little prick.  That's it - remove the recognition as he must be evil to the core for bothering to keep his child on the straight and narrow.

Stupidity reigns.

Discuss the controversial things [not mere conversation] but recognise the good.  We are all flawed!

Pastor Court SHOULD be honoured for her tennis.  End of story.

Andrews is incompetent

 I am ashamed to have Andrews as our so called Premier.  He supports the Chinese through secret MOU’s using Chinese finance and Chinese companies in Victoria in breach of his own national parties wishes whilst China at the same time pursues an obvious political trade vendetta against Australia seemingly all because we want to protect our sovereign rights against foreign power incursion.  Andrews supports China as China tries to ruin Australia unless of course we allow China to buy Australia through so called investment.  On top of this he is responsible for some 800 deaths, a management amnesia episode which proves eye watering incompetence and has racked up enough debt so we have to pay $4 billion in interest alone.  Am I missing something?

China, I feel sorry for you.

 There is no honour in a nation devolving to the publication of images depicting false and repugnant acts which are intended to harm without the nebulous excuse of satire.   Perhaps a challenged somewhat rapacious schoolboy or a moron troll but not an honourable nation.

In supporting that act, China and its leaders have lost respect or ‘face’ in the eyes of the world and I daresay in the eyes of every right-thinking Chinese citizen.  A truly sad day for Chinese honour.

But perhaps we are not looking at China in the correct way?  Perhaps we assume a maturity based on thousands of years of culture where honour was king when in reality certain actions obviate that conclusion.  Actions such as holding people in detention camps, freaking out at being asked to help identify the source of the virus which is infecting millions, dreadful industrial pollution, vast unoccupied apartment towers built for no reason, ignoring an agreement over Hong Kong, building islands in international waters for military purposes, destroying trade agreements through lies and now tweeting a childish fake image intending to harm.

These are not the actions of adults in a global community where respect is assumed and a ‘must’.

It is a truism that the immature resort to shouting when dealing with loss of face in the hope that just being louder wins.   Yelling someone down does not equate to winning, it equates to having already lost.  Yelling can refer to verbal or the physical but both are dysfunctional when honour and respect can achieve so much more.

But the false and immature tweet of a horrific crime only makes me feel sorry for the Chinese people.  What a juvenile act and a loss of face for China to be seen as so out of control having to devolve to cheap 5 year old demented tweets.

Thousands of years of honour and respect threatened by a juvenile moron.

China, I feel sorry for you. You are so much more