This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
Wednesday's NT News provided yet another example of the depths to which it's prepared to go to ensure it maintains it position at the bottom of the bottom of the gutter of Oz newspaper reporting.
Its pages 1 and 2 coverage had to be seen to be believed. Perhaps the paper is doing its best to get another mention on ABC TV's Media Watch.
NCV won't upset any apple carts or scare any horses by providing a blow-by-blow coverage of the item in question. Most of it's not for for human consumption. Below are snaps of those pages.
Yet again, I'm indebted to my mate Elwyn for a heads up.
Credit (not so sure that's the right term to use, given the nature of it) to NT News
Yesterday the Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate from 1.25% to 1%. However, the Commonwealth Bank, The National Australia Bank and Westpac announced they will not be passing on the full benefit of the interest cut rate to all of their home loan customers. Meanwhile, ANZ Bank said it will pass on the cut in full. Let's go back to June when the RBA cut the cash rate from 1.5% to 1.25%. The Commonwealth Bank, the National Bank and Westpac passed on the full cut but the ANZ Bank didn't. Who's having a lend of who? This observer reckons the Big Four are having a lend of us all.
It's not too difficult to apply the story to Australia. When reading its references to "Malaysia", think "Australia".
At a corporate dinner some years ago, stand-up comedian Harith
Iskander made a humorous observation that Malaysian drivers had the
habit of displaying a menacing look to their fellow drivers when the
latter did something wrong in the way they drove
Yes, that
menacing, disgusting look by the angry driver right after the car
driver in front made a mistake, like hogging the road or failing to
signal when turning into a junction.
The driver would usually drive past by you and make an angry face, wearing that somewhat Angry Bird look with pointed eyebrows and shaking his head in disbelief at you as if he wanted to know who the imbecile was. ... Generally,
Malaysian drivers do not like being honked at, tailgated and blinded by
high beams. If you are a patient and civil driver, you’d give way to
the oncoming car from behind. But if you are one of those who do not
like being pushed over on the road, your average Malaysian drivers’
response would be to honk back, tailgate the driver and blind the car in
front with high beams.
If you drive on the road today, you’d
notice Malaysian motorists tend to make endless mistakes. Not signaling
when turning into a junction, weaving in and out of traffic, running
traffic lights and signs, using mobile phones while driving and even
hogging the road below the allowed speed limit of 110kph on highways are
just a few of the mistakes that you can observe on a daily basis.
But
the worst is when incidents of road rage culminate in road bullying and
assaults that result in injuries and deaths of either drivers.
We
have seen a lot of these horrifying incidents captured on videos that
went viral over the past years. I do not wish to dwell on those
horrendous incidents, which have been said and written about in volumes
on social media platforms, in newspapers and social forums.
But I want to stress the “small” mistakes we commit that could cause our fellow drivers to lose their cool
Admittedly, I have made plenty of mistakes while driving.
In
an incident not too long ago, as I was sending my children to school in
the morning and turning into a junction, I saw a four-wheel drive
coming from behind fast, zigzagging past the traffic, and incessantly
giving other vehicles high headlight beams.
As the vehicle drove
past, I was shocked to find that a woman was in the driver’s seat. She
rolled down the window, drove past and shouted at the top of her lungs: “Pakcik, lesen kopi ke? Apasal tak bagi signal?”
I
was angry at first, wanting to violently respond, but I knew I made a
mistake by not signaling. I rolled the window and showed my hand with
open palm, gesturing an apology.
Nowadays, Malaysian women drive
fast and furious, don’t they? Not just men any more. Aggressive driving,
especially weaving through traffic, is the norm on our roads every day.
In another incident, I was given the middle finger not just by the driver, but by his supposedly young passenger son as well. “Bapa borek, anak rintik” (like father, like son); that’s what a Malay proverb says.
It was my mistake for changing lanes quite abruptly into the right side of the road, although I gave the indicating light.
Nonetheless,
this car came from behind so fast that it hit on the brake so suddenly
it screeched to a halt. It almost hit my car when the driver gave me the
stern, menacing look as he overtook my car. I was about to show
my hands to gesticulate an apology, but the driver and his young
passenger gave me the finger. Naturally, I wanted to give chase and
gestured the driver with my own middle finger, but I kept my cool. It
would have only made things uglier if I had done it.
I just couldn’t understand how a young boy, probably in his teens, could do such a thing. It ruined my day.
According
to a Malaysian Institute of Road Safety research conducted two years
ago, out of the total 13.3 million registered drivers in Malaysia, 2.4
million lose their temper on the road. It means two out of 10 people
drive while fuming.
This is the reason why I made a point to want
to be patient, be civil and remember to recite prayers when I start my
car every time. The ugly side of me, however, reminds me to anticipate
the worst.
I’d anticipate that other drivers on the road today are
not in their right mind as they carry with them so much baggage in
their lives. They could have had arguments with their wives that
morning, anticipated a really bad day with piles of work and horrible
bosses, afraid of arriving late to work or just missed breakfast.
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Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.
A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourismbusiness development services.
A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!
An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements.The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.
A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.
A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?
A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.
An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?
A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.
A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.
A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?
An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.
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