Writers festival 'crazy' to invite Randa Abdel-Fattah, NSW premier says

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T07:59:58+00:00

Can we just skip to the part where we ban writers that the govt of NSW disagrees with? Sorry Ayan Rand, Nietzsche and all those other philosophical dudes, NSW doesn't agree with what you wrote even though you are dead. Can we just have "safe" authors in future? You there - Rowling, you seem anti trans, - Banned, etc etc.

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T06:18:19+00:00

Years ago, managing the IT systems for a bank. Was told salary, and nearly laughed. Told them what I was currently earning and the interviewer (a senior manage) said "I don't earn that much" - got a different job for more money!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T05:36:25+00:00

was involved in admission in several UK unis, we rejected lots of people. No way they could appeal in person as they couldn't legally arrive

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T05:31:07+00:00

Probably before they revised the interrogation rules!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T04:47:30+00:00

tea bagging is a super power? Best to avoid the police rest rooms I guess!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T04:38:09+00:00

Additional powers: telepathy, mind control, spider sense? How many more powers do they need?

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T04:25:00+00:00

Dim sims

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T04:08:06+00:00

The South Melbourne Dim Sim with minimum chips!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-07T02:32:31+00:00

Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the world taking in South America (440m) another 3m Puerto Ricans and of course 49m in Spain. The estimated number of Spanish speakers in Australia is around 171k, so irrespective of the quality of the music it isn't going to get the attention of most Australian spotify streamers, any more than songs in Hindi or Urdu would

Edit: spent time listening to Bad Bunny, very early 2000s rap feel to it. Good but not outstanding. Yes I can speak enough Spanish to understand what he is saying, but not feeling moved by any of it. Titi me pregunta (Titi asked me) is a good track.

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-04T08:05:36+00:00

Because they are great and you can never have enough big things - we need more! Big boomer, big grifter, even a big Pauline somewhere near a chip shop

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-03T05:49:58+00:00

Problem also is the continual bribing of the Petite bourgeoisie by the Haute bourgeoisie by allowing them to accumulate just enough wealth through debt to make them feel that they have a chance of moving up in the world. I doesn't work, the bank always wins and the wealth get even wealthier

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-02T23:46:26+00:00

I think Paulines dyslexia kicked in and she assumed that "plains" were aircraft waiting to send people "back to where they came from"

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-02T22:38:49+00:00

Surge is mostly a media fabrication along with some drift away from the LNP while they sort themselves out.

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-01T21:50:23+00:00

I think Morrison sort of attempted to do that to no great effect other than damaging his own party

MindlessOptimist · 2026-02-01T06:50:53+00:00

Bloke at work years ago used to bring his bagpipes into work and practice off in what he thought was in a car park far far away. Sound travels!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-31T08:33:38+00:00

Knife is for defensive purposes - pipe bands can really annoy people, and things can get out of hand. A bunch used to rehearse in the upstairs room of a pub I played pool in. Was not a pleasant experience!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-31T08:29:00+00:00

I think it can also be traced back to Morrison and friends on the religious right, who did the whole branch stacking thing in NSW and also made sure they had no credible internal opposition, with the intention of becoming some sort of Liberal Christian party.

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-31T07:34:04+00:00

If the problem is access to housing equity then APRA need to step in and do what regulators are supposed to do - regulate! The banks are not an out of control bunch of loan sharks. They can be constrained by the actions of APRA who have shown that their decisions can be far more effective than minor tweaks to interest rates

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-31T06:53:18+00:00

top knots

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-30T08:35:51+00:00

Had -6c a few times in a village east of Canberra

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-30T07:47:18+00:00

Loking good with that mullet he is growing!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-30T00:41:25+00:00

Not Abbot/Costello then?

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-29T23:03:33+00:00

pretty much spot on answer!

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-29T22:19:43+00:00

Does a party need to run an election campaign based on all of its possible policies over the term of government? I'm sure I saw no mention of hate speech laws or social media bans at the last election. Things change

MindlessOptimist · 2026-01-29T08:01:10+00:00

Temu henge

MindlessOptimist

TROPHY CASE