Anidav posted:

I wonder what Labor's plans are to remake their opposition leader to be more media presentable?

From Annastasia Plebeshecklafdsdfsarf

To Humble Anna P. from Queensland.

You Am I posted:

Got the usual "Greenies want to stop backburning, but blame Abbott for bushfires" crap on Facebook today, which always shows its ugly head whenever there is a bushfire.

Quantum Mechanic posted:

I saw someone the other day blame bushfires in Dubbo in 1989 on the Greens.

The NSW Greens were founded in 1991.

You Am I posted:

Got the usual "Greenies want to stop backburning, but blame Abbott for bushfires" crap on Facebook today, which always shows its ugly head whenever there is a bushfire.

Animedav posted:

I joined the ALP in 2013, believing there to be some progressiveness within the two-party system. I had a handful of friends who went down a similar path and have had been invited to drinks and cafes to discuss politics for quite some time. Kevin Rudd made the membership joining fee $10 over the election campaign. It seemed like a no-brainer after my Union membership saved me from a recent workplace dispute. I joined the ALP and went to the next State conference. It was there I once again met my former high school classmates and someone else; someone I can only describe as ‘The shadow man’. A person shorter than me and often boasts about his Irish blood and catholic values. He intercepted me talking with the people whom I formerly knew from highschool, briefly shaking my hand and telling me about himself, he asked me to step outside. I did so, to find out what exactly this stage act was. He looked at me in the eye and asked me what I believed in and after doing so he goes on about how “I’m exactly the kind of person we need right now, you can save the ALP from being LNP-lite” So I tagged along for two years until my recent resignation.

My time around these people can only be described as odd. From coming to my house without notice to “pick me up to do campaigning/phone calls” to calling me up late at night and asking me to delete certain posts and comments about politics because they “damage the Left’s brand”. It burned me out quickly, I was being stalked online and intercepted in real life to act in certain ways and do certain things. By mid-2014, I was done campaigning. I fully convinced myself that this party, rather the left youth wing of this party is full of obsessed weirdos who try to put other people in basket voting and campaigning blocs to make themselves look more powerful to their union offspring overloads. That description is entirely accurate, by the way. Most of the power positions are held by sons and daughters of various unions and the others are just there to either assemble a voting bloc or be a part of one.

Kevin Rudd tried to bring democracy into the ALP, everyone was thrilled, even me. Finally, voting for Opposition leader. My membership now has a purpose besides being free labour for other people. Wait, no. Bill Shorten won through caucus and union powerbrokers. Our vote was nothing more than a gimmick. So then you just wait. Wait for a Federal election, wait for a state election, and wait for a council election. Phone calls and sign holding, it doesn’t matter which election you campaign for; that’s all I appeared to be doing.
Tony Abbott had won the election, how dreadful. Did it matter? No, not really. No matter who had won, Australia would still be a rather confusing mixed bag of human rights violations, inaction on climate change and idolisation of Howard era tax cuts. When there’s no election you get a lot of time to look and read about things and there was a certain pile of government actions that were being categorized internally in my brain; titled “Labor would do this too”. It was growing very fast and with it the devaluation of my membership card.

Resigning started to be on my mind by October. The shadow man and his goons were checking on me, calling me up and inviting me out to talk. They do this all the time, I’ve even been to one. Basically when a Labor member hasn’t been seen in a while they bring up an excel document full of your name, address and phone number and simply drive to your address with alcohol. They usually call it a simple party, an excuse to get into someone’s house with short notice and drink with them but the true intention is to check on their membership status and solidify them for another few months, at least. These people are usually simple students, 20 years of age or below so these people show eagerness again pretty soon and you’d see them at the next meeting. A type of passive blackmail almost. We’ll be your friends, just come to meetings and vote for things the way I tell you. Anyway, I started getting the same treatment and it’s extremely awkward seeing a car parked outside your house and a group of ALP red shirts come out with cider and beer and ask to come in. It worked the first few times but it seriously didn’t stop my concerns about the wellbeing of people in detention and youth allowance cuts and general welfare state destruction. It was still going ahead, you just have to compare what Labor votes for in the senate and what the opinions of the Young Labor Left are to see a huge difference in views. I have no doubt Labor will eventually change but it won’t be because of Kevin Rudd’s democracy experiment or because of the Youth Wings of the ALP. It will be because of poll numbers and nothing more. It will not be change from within, it will be change from Newspoll and that’s exactly what the Labor Party demonstrated within their period of governance.

Because of this, I resigned from the ALP and looked towards alternatives. I hope The Greens or even the Socialists offer me a home that challenges and helps my political mind grow; rather than be clipped at the wings and put in a bird cage, only to be brought out for mock parliament or photo opportunities. With that, I hope the ALP eventually wins government again but not because of their policy or their party platform but because they’ve changed and deserve to establish new ideas rather than adding bullet points to old ones. That will not be the case under Bill Shorten and therefore the only change of government I will pay attention to is one towards The Greens or a truly reformed Labor Party with renewed core principles. Looking at how much the Young ALP argues over the Socialist Objective, I’m not holding my breath.

Anidav posted:

Also gently caress you avatar buyer, I had eggs

Anidav posted:

Also gently caress you avatar buyer, I had eggs

Anidav posted:

Also gently caress you avatar buyer, I had eggs

Murodese posted:

Yo dawg, crack them on the inside edge of the frypan so if it does spill it goes in the pan

Murodese posted:

That right there is me teaching Anidav HOW TO CRACK A loving EGG

INTO

A

PAN

tithin posted:

I made eggs for my wife for the first time the other day.

Apparently I did it wrong.

Way to encourage me woman!!

Murodese posted:

Yo dawg, crack them on the inside edge of the frypan so if it does spill it goes in the pan

Anidav posted:

quote:

MP ridiculed over 'Islamic' cover-up
Daniel Emerson
January 6, 2015, 3:57 pm

Federal Liberal MP Luke Simpkins has become the target of social media scorn after a high-level intervention to ensure ‘Islamic’ stickers were removed from the Leederville Train Station pedestrian overpass.

In a bizarre case of mistaken identity, the stickers were in fact spruiking a local nightclub – a fact lost on Mr Simpkins when he boasted on his Facebook page of having them painted over.

On November 5, Mr Simpkins wrote: “Last week I noticed black disks (sic) that appeared to be Shahada symbols. Thanks to the Transport Minister and his adviser for getting them painted over quickly after my call”.

The post included pictures taken from some distance of two “discs” displaying white cursive writing against a black background.

The Shahada, a declaration of Islamic faith which translates to “There is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet” is commonly displayed written in white Arabic writing on a black background.

The Shahada flag was brandished by Sydney siege gunman Man Haron Monis last month in what Muslim leaders slammed as a desecration of the phrase.

It was not until this week that fans of Speakeasy, the bi-monthly Australian music showcase at Villa nightclub, noticed Mr Simpkins’ post and recognised the “discs” as Speakeasy stickers.

The MP’s Facebook page was yesterday bombarded with ridicule.

“Thanks for fighting the good fight in WA on all of Australia’s behalf. We really do need to crack down on ISIS promoting nightclubs in Australia,” wrote one user.

“Speakeasy is a Shahada symbol? Wow, You sir are a complete idiot,” posted another.

Pierce Ericson, event manager at Metric Promotions which runs Speakeasy, confirmed the images in Mr Simpkins’ post were Speakeasy stickers which had been in circulation two to three years ago.

“We’ve been discussing this in the office this morning. The fact that (Mr Simpkins) felt the need to cover it up purely because it was ‘Islamic’ is bothering us a little bit,” he said.

Ikebal Patel, immediate past president of the Federation of Islamic Councils, said it was a “sad case” if Mr Simpkins wanted the stickers painted over because he thought they were Islamic, rather than merely graffiti.

“If in this case the federal member basically wanted them painted over because he thought they were the Shahada then it does make you wonder if we are getting too carried away by world events,” he said.

“The Shahada itself is a very profound symbol and statement within Islam. Sure, people are abusing that right now for political gain and we all have issues with that.”

In a statement to thewest.com.au, Mr Simpkins said the images had been reported to him as containing Arabic writing but couldn’t get close enough to make sure.

“I later drove up the freeway and had my passenger take the photographs,” he said.

“Obviously it is illegal to park on the freeway and reckless to hold a camera over the freeway.

“Therefore based on the photographs that looked like Arabic writing, I referred the matter to the minister’s office saying that there was vandalism and it appeared to be Arabic writing like the Shahada flag.”

Mr Simpkins said he was not familiar with bars, clubs and events in Leederville “and yet the social media abuse assumes I should have been”.

“I am nevertheless glad that the vandalism has been cleaned up although it appears that others are not happy with that either,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Dean Nalder said any reports of vandalism on transport infrastructure he received were passed on to Main Roads WA for “swift action”.

“Main Roads WA appropriately investigated and acted on the concern, concealing and then repainting the section of the bridge that was illegally defaced,” she said.

In 2011 Mr Simpkins warned Australians were unwittingly taking the first steps towards Islamic conversion by eating Halal meat.

CrazyTolradi posted:

I'm a complete noob at cooking, and I can still crack an egg without spilling it everywhere just fine.

Mithranderp posted:

But you still leave the shells on the bench, leaking residual egg white everywhere.

CrazyTolradi posted:

Someone doesn't want fried eggs anymore. Noted.

NoNotTheMindProbe posted:

Eggs are disgusting. They're all soft and slimy and taste like sulfur.

Quantum Mechanic posted:

I saw someone the other day blame bushfires in Dubbo in 1989 on the Greens.

The NSW Greens were founded in 1991.

Sludge Tank posted:

Also, just joined the Greens (Tassie)

Probably about time, I suppose.
.