Biting the hand that beats you: Federal Court fines DEWR

The Sydney Morning Herald today reported that Justice Branson of the Federal Court of Australia had handed down a decision fining the Department of Employment & Workplace Relations $30,000 for breaching the right of its employees to use their personal leave to attend an anti-Work Choices rally:
Justice Catherine Branson ordered the department to pay the [...]

Dr Worm on YouTube

A spoof of the recent worm debacle surrounding the election debate, this video is possibly one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. 
It’s the work of a friend who has recently received much media attention as a result of his online satirical antics.  And the attention is certainly due.  Check out his channel here for [...]

Congressman hopeful of oxymoronic ‘Plain English’ reforms

This article in the Washington Post prompted a resounding gaffaw:
[...] Gobbledygook. It’s the stuff of government. Maybe its No. 1 export.
Now, a first-term House member, Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), wants to do away with the wordy, pompous and confusing forms and memos that spew out of the bureaucracy every day.
He has introduced legislation that would require [...]

Historic ménage a trios: Labor, Dems & Greens get intimate

In an unprecedented move, the Labor Party, Democrats & Greens have forged a passionate & intimate bond in an attempt to persuade voters to restore the balance of power to the Senate.  The threesome have decided to ram the point home by launching an online offensive, destined to shock & horrify constituents.
“We’ve never done this [...]

What’s the deal with preference deals?

As Australian voters attune their political consciousness to talk of interest rate rises, education revolutions & preambulary plebiscites, a matter of great gravity & import may well escape their elucidation yet again: the blurred & beguiling business of preference deals.
We’ve all heard of them. We’re not exactly sure what they are…but they sound important. And [...]

A Call For the Election Spells Death for Turnbull?

The date for the federal election has finally been announced, setting free the electoral monster upon its nationwide 6-week carnivorous rampage. However, in doing so, John Howard may be leaving Malcolm Turnbull for bust at the polls.
Why?, you may ask. 
It is the Prime Minister alone who decides when an election is to be held. Once the [...]

All Aboard the Clerkship

The cogs of the summer clerkship machine are well & truly in motion. Interviews have been sat, sweating hands wrenched & offers released. Many now stand at the proverbial cliff edge, preparing to navigate the Byzantine corporate landscape sprawling before them.
In the wake of this preliminary stage, I think it appropriate to reproduce an article [...]

You’ve Got A Facebook Friend

The revolution is upon us, comrades.
Gone are the days when ‘writing on the wall’, when not employed in the metaphorical sense, simply constituted an indictable offence.
Over are the times when pigeons were utilised in the delivery of the private message, left structurally unemployed in their flocks.
The act of making new acquaintances is now plagued with [...]

Sydney besieged by bogongs

A blood-curdling shriek precedes a public display of spasticity. Embarrassed, you dart your eyes downward & pat your once perfectly coiffed hair, desperately trying to salvage any remains of composure as the visiting furry phantom of the cityscape makes its hasty exit.
The tally grows: yet another victim of bogonging.
In days of late, Sydney’s city centre [...]

Maiden posts always boast overzealous titles

Writing has always been a passion of mine. However, history has shown my writing efforts have often been thwarted by my own lack of focus. I hope this blog will serve as a much-needed focal point for my writing in both its comedic and academic incarnations. It will also provide me with the perfect opportunity [...]