Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The Australian Financial Rot

IT SEEMS the one thing life guarantees is disappointment. You think things are taking a turn for the better, that there has been an outbreak of common sense, and what happens? Reality goes all AFR on you. A year or so ago, the business paper with all those the anti-business columnists and reporters acquired a new editor from the Australian -- a fire-breathing type, it was hoped, aware of the rather obvious fact that a publication aimed at investors should probably support free markets, limited government and dispassionate appraisal of policies' worth and merits.

And what did we end up with? Lot's of this sort of stuff.

A comedian tells some sexist and unsound jokes at a gathering of the Australian Hotels Association and that is reported, which is fair enough. So what illustration does some unsupervised leftoid mole in the AFR's pictures department choose to illustrate the story? An old picture of Tony Abbott, who did not attend the event, wasn't there, didn't laugh at the gags and knew nothing about it. The picture and caption are below.

Federal opposition frontbencher Bob Baldwin (left), pictured with opposition leader Tony Abbott in October, says he doesn’t “support any attacks based on a person’s race, sexuality, age or weight”. Mr Baldwin was present at an Australian Hotels Association dinner during which Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Finance Minister Penny Wong were the butt of sexist and homophobic jokes. Photo: Andrew Meares

Gina Rinehart has been keeping own counsel of late, telegraphing no intentions or indications of what she might have in store for Fairfax. If she does not make her move soon there will be absolutely nothing left to rehabilitate.

UPDATE: Actually, someone is buying Faifax. FXJ is up to 46 cents and the volume, just 90 minutes into trading, is huge. 

21 comments:

  1. The NSW Labor leader obviously left before the investigative scribe could get a deep and meaningfull quote.

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  2. Prof, no doubt you will be enjoying the current Conversation Hour.

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  3. The Old and Unimproved DaveNovember 27, 2012 at 11:23 AM

    Looks like Gina has decided to let Fairfax go the way of the Drongo. (And yes, I know what I just said).

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  4. Perfesser, we'd actually previously established that the AFR's pix editor votes Green or red, specialising in highlighting the ugliest pictures ever taken of all the left's nightmare figures: Abbott, Rinehart, Murdoch, Jones, etc. In fact, his specialisation extends to making sure that he denigrates everyone he doesn't personally barrack for politically. He's actually a leftwing cartoonist with no talent. He's also embarrassingly unprofessional.

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    1. Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.November 27, 2012 at 5:44 PM

      I wonder if the pics editor is a woman? They quite often are, I believe. A woman deeply impressed by Julia Gillard and her tremendously internationally impressive performance on 'sexism' in da terrible Oz Coalition and manpress. Someone trying to 'redress the balance' maybe and have a pot shot at da piggie rightie boys?

      Just asking.

      Or is it just another leftie piece of beta political male with 'artistic' tendencies?

      Delete
  5. PhillipGeorge(c)2012November 27, 2012 at 1:23 PM

    Prof. I just consulted the expurgated 2010 medical dictionary and sure enough it was there:
    Quote:
    Definition of Abbott Autonomic Dysreflexia Syndrome
    Noun
    chiefly Physiology
    involuntary or unconscious; relating to the autonomic nervous system:
    the symptoms included gastrointestinal and autonomic disturbances, visual blurring and frontal headache; tendency to look at watch, at the ceiling or out the window when women are speaking. Insidious idiopathic onset at puberty affecting up to 50 of the population.

    I'm going to see if I can get grant money to start a trial therapy regime with volunteers from AADS anonymous. Will keep you posted on the whereabouts of your nearest self help groups. Mums the word if you think you might suffering from it. Don't want to start any Warlock hunts.




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    1. PhillipGeorge(c)2012November 27, 2012 at 2:20 PM

      Prof, AADS might have been previously referred to in pre-Roosevelt era literature as Misogynis Gravitas..... Quote...". while no know cure for this condition exists it may be useful to the suffer to quietly speculate on the color and texture of the speakers undergarments, while musing on some pleasant musical score..."

      alternatively one might count the number of micro-expressions discernible while the speaker claims to be making statements of fact:
      .. Keep track of any suspected liar's complexion. ... they may not actually frown, but the skin between their eyes may tighten and pull together..."

      So how many Labor men are secretly attending AADS meetings? Hmmmmmmm, another thing to count?

      Delete
  6. What a snot-nosed little grub of a beta male is the AFR's Joe Aston. Despicable cur.

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  7. Oh good Bunyip, do go and immerse yourself in wee little Joe Astons twitter page:

    https://twitter.com/mrjoeaston

    Just in case anybody didn't know what he looks like he's plastered the entire screen with a single photo of himself looking "mysterious".

    And to show what a man of the people he is between tweeting his luvvie friends:

    "Sitting on a stinky commuter plane with a bunch of plebs. It's like a commercial for Primark in here "

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    1. I did that. He describes himself as a rear window columnist. Yes, bet he digs looking in the rear end of things.

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  8. Rumours are that the mystery buyer is a telco.

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  9. “Lesbian Finance Minister”, referring to Ms Wong.

    What's "sexist" about this description?



    a “gay vegetarian” – meaning the then Greens leader Bob Brown.

    What's "homophobic" about that one?

    QUICK!!! to the rescue Macquarie Dictionary!


    As to the wannabe "juuuuuuicy" title of the "aahrticle" - the rag obviously wants to be a tabloid when it grows up.

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  10. Looks like some movement at the exchange.
    At the close FXJ was 46.5 cents (up 1.5 cents) and a volume of 65,000,000 units, which is just short of 3% of shares on issue.
    That is a pretty decent turnover for one day's trading.
    Will be interesting to see who is buying. I actually hope it is some mercenary Private Equity profiteer. By the time those types are finished the sheltered workshop staffers will wish Gina had bought it.

    The Irish Lion

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    1. Does this have any connection?

      http://www.afr.com/p/business/marketing_media/uk_guardian_rumoured_to_be_planning_Y0hy9Ga0yPZEXTuTBGCA3I

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    2. I doubt it Bob.
      The Guardian might be looking to hook up with other unread publications like the Daily Mail to expand it's worldwide readership to the size of a football team.
      However, the Guardian is just as deep in financial shit as Fairfax so wouldn't be launching a takeover, even with Roger trashing the FXJ share price.
      Incidentally, I can't figure why it is that BOTH the Guardian and Fairfax are in the clay commercially and financially.
      Can anyone help?

      The Irish Lion

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  11. Some asked on radio this morning for a book of jokes that weren't sexist, racist, blue etc. Do they still print John and Betty. Jokes are all sexist or racist and the funnier ones are blue. Get over it.

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    1. Stephen you silly person you. John and Betty are sexist and if you read between the lines like Justice Mordy of undying legal fame they are also racist and blue and homophobic and anything else you like to see between the lines. I used to watch Thomas with my grand children until someone pointed out it was sexist because all the locomotives were male and all the appendages [carriages] female. Best to just ignore the wankers and tell whatever jokes you feel like otherwise they will all start off something like - "Did you hear the one about the non-gender specific person, the non-colour specific person and the non-racially specific person"?

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    2. "...a book of jokes that weren't sexist, racist, blue..."

      s/he should certainly not buy the koran then...

      Delete
  12. Just looked at his twitter.

    He's 12 years old. No wonder he's brainless.

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  13. It says more about the Editor than the leftoid mole.

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