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Otterday! And Open Thread.

By on • ( 21 )

Courtesy of napalmnacey, today’s otter is following a little girl around in the window at the Philadelphia zoo. Who is having more fun?

Please feel free to use this thread to natter about anything your heart desires. Is there anything great happening in your life? Anything you want to get off your chest? Reading a good book (or a bad one)? Anything in the news that you’d like to discuss? What have you created lately? Commiserations, felicitations, temptations, contemplations, speculations?

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21 replies

  1. tigtog
    2010-09-11 • 8:22 AM

    Great video that was just linked by one of my tweeps: Kenny Loggins live at the Grand Canyon in 1992 with a smoking version of Your Mama Don’t Dance – I love the backing vocalist/harmonica player!
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/2-bCxh25a-U?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent

  2. Napalmnacey
    2010-09-11 • 10:58 AM

    Eeh! Little girl and otters! Loved that video, glad it’s being shared!
    Spent time with my poor sick fella yesterday. Hopefully he’ll get better soon. Colds and flus are horrible, aren’t they? Me, I’m trying to correct a horrendously out-of-whack sleeping pattern. Sleeping during the day, awake at night. It’s frustrating as HELL.

    • tigtog
      2010-09-11 • 11:43 AM

      Napalmnacey, I’ve only just managed to correct that sort of topsy-turvy sleeping pattern myself. It took getting Flu of Doom to do it though, so I don’t wish it upon you!

  3. Jennifer
    2010-09-11 • 12:50 PM

    Awww, otters! I love otterday.
    Yesterday was surgery day, and I seem to have come out of it quite well; just got home from the hospital. Was supposed to be home earlier but the poor nurses seemed to be a bit run off their feet this morning.
    My arm and hand are now bright pink, and my elbow is unsurprisingly a bit sore, but otherwise I’m pretty good. although the anaesthetist was all (jokingly) “I think I’m sending you back” because it took ages to find a vein and they ended up having to put it into my foot.

    • tigtog
      2010-09-11 • 1:23 PM

      Jennifer, glad to hear the surgery went OK. Hope the convalescence goes even better.
      I’ve just watched the otter video above for the fifth time. What fun.

  4. Jennifer
    2010-09-11 • 2:13 PM

    Reading some of the twitter updates from the Ministry Announcements, it’s disappointing that Stephen Conroy’s staying on as Communications Minister. Not sure on the implications of Penny Wong moving from Climate Change to Finance; though I thought it was interesting there were rumours about her being put up as Attorney-General.
    Probably unsurprising Garrett got moved, though I’m sure there’ll be a lot of bleating about him keeping a ministerial spot at all.

  5. Rebekka
    2010-09-11 • 3:45 PM

    Jennifer, I was also looking, and although I think Bill Shorten will make an excellent Assistant Treasurer, it’s disappointing that his previous role as parl sec for diabilities seems to have… disappeared.

  6. Lauredhel
    2010-09-11 • 3:51 PM

    Would they announce replacement Parliamentary Secretaries at the same time as Ministers? I’ve been awaiting an announcement of a replacement – hoping that’s true!

  7. Lauredhel
    2010-09-11 • 3:53 PM

    Ah, an email just this minute dropped onto Shorten’s mailing list. Nothing there about a replacement:

    Today I am privileged and honoured to be appointed by the Prime Minister as Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation.
    My appointment brings great challenges and great responsibility. These portfolios impact on the lives of all Australians and present a great opportunity to deliver a better quality of life for all Australians.
    While I am thrilled to serve at the Prime Minister’s discretion in this role, it is with some regret that I relinquish my former role as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities. However, let me assure you that the Gillard Government remains committed to ensuring that people with disability have the opportunity to lead the rich and fulfilling lives they deserve.
    Although this Government has made many advances in the area and put disability on the political map, there is still much to be done before people with disability and carers are treated as equal citizens in this country.
    I knew little about disability when I was elected as a Member of Parliament, but my eyes have since been opened to the suffering and need that still exists in Australia. They have also been opened to the needless barriers and attitudes that prevent people with disability from reaching their potential.
    I have been inspired by the courage and passion of the many people with disability who refuse to accept the arbitrary limits that society puts on them, and who fight to change things for the better. I have also been inspired by the commitment of disability workers and organisations to giving people with disability lives of dignity and opportunity. If we are to be a truly fair and equal society, we need to do more to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community are not shut out or neglected.
    The Productivity Commission’s study into a long-term care and support scheme will report by July 2011. This study represents a unique opportunity to make real change to the way disability is organised in this country. I know this Government will treat the report with the seriousness it deserves.
    You should be assured that my new responsibilities will not dampen my passion for disability and I will continue to argue the case for better treatment of people with disabilities as well as I can, both inside and outside of Government.
    I look forward to keeping in touch with you as the disability fight continues.

  8. Rebekka
    2010-09-11 • 3:57 PM

    The full list of all the positions, including the parl secs, is in the PM’s press release (here) , and there is nothing about disability.

  9. Lauredhel
    2010-09-11 • 4:08 PM

    Rebekka: OMFG. And the LIST. on the PM’S SITE. Is a JPG. With NO ALT TAG. Or text translation. Of any kind.
    What the FUCK.

  10. Rebekka
    2010-09-11 • 4:25 PM

    That’s appalling – I didn’t realise they’d done that. It was the ALP website, not the PM’s (not that that makes it any better) – it’s not up on the official PM’s website yet.
    One of my mates who works in a Minister’s office is trying to find out what’s happened to the disability portfolio – he thinks it may have been combined with something else.

  11. Jennifer
    2010-09-11 • 4:32 PM

    We also no longer seem to have a Minister for the Status of Women; a portfolio previously held by Tanya Plibersek. :/ And I have ppl on facebook arguing there should be a ‘minister for people’ instead, and obviously the Minister didn’t do anything because she’d never heard of it so why not get rid of something if it doesn’t work? >.<
    Argh.
    I wonder if they’ll make the argument that this will get pulled together into the ‘social inclusion’ portfolio (held by Plibersek along with Human Services)? I can see that making sense, though still find it troubling.

  12. Rebekka
    2010-09-11 • 4:36 PM

    Argh, Minister for People??? Tanya Plibersek was doing a good job, just because someone hadn’t heard about it didn’t mean she wasn’t doing it, ffs. (I know I’m preaching to the choir here).

  13. Helen
    2010-09-11 • 5:43 PM

    Today is the Festival of Ganesh, and a wee baby elephant was born in the Melbourne Zoo yesterday!
    http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/baby-elephant-arrives-at-melbourne-zoo-20100910-1549a.html
    I wish they would call him Ganesh!

  14. Kirstente
    2010-09-11 • 6:59 PM

    Jennifer- I hope your recovery goes well.
    Australians – Good luck with the new government!
    I’ve just moved to an entirely new city where I know pretty much no-one. Which is a little bit scary. But I’m going to a feminist-themed pub quiz tonight, and hopefully I’ll be able to join someone’s team and make friends.

  15. The Amazing Kim
    2010-09-11 • 7:45 PM

    @Jennifer Really glad to hear the surgery went well. Next time I’ll loan you my veins – I’ve had nurses come up to me out of the blue and compliment me on my blood vessels.
    Surely we already have a “Minister for People”. Many, in fact. They are called “all the other Ministers in the government”.
    I really detest the new VB ad. Drinking beer turns all men into the hetero-Borg, apparently.

  16. The Amazing Kim
    2010-09-11 • 7:46 PM

    I’m going to a feminist-themed pub quiz tonight
    That sounds really fun – we should have one of those on Twitter some time.

  17. tigtog
    2010-09-12 • 8:42 AM

    Back to the Cabinet appointments: here’s a full list –
    Cabinet
    Julia Gillard | Prime Minister
    Wayne Swan | Deputy Prime Minister, Treasurer
    Kevin Rudd | Minister for Foreign Affairs
    Chris Evans | Minister for Jobs, Skills and Workplace Relations
    Simon Crean | Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, Minister for the Arts
    Stephen Smith | Minister for Defence
    Nicola Roxon | Minister for Health and Ageing
    Jenny Macklin | Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
    Anthony Albanese | Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
    Stephen Conroy | Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity
    Kim Carr | Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science
    Penny Wong | Minister for Finance and Deregulation
    Peter Garrett | Minister for Schools, Early Childhood and Youth
    Robert McClelland | Attorney-General
    Joseph Ludwig | Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
    Tony Burke | Minister for Sustainable Population, Communities, Environment and Water
    Martin Ferguson | Minister for Resources, Energy and Tourism
    Chris Bowen | Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
    Craig Emerson | Minister for Trade
    Greg Combet | Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
    Outer Ministry
    Tanya Plibersek | Minister for Human Services, Minister for Social Inclusion
    Brendan O’Connor | Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, Minister for Privacy and FOI
    Kate Ellis | Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare (breaking news: and Status of Women)
    Mark Arbib | Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Minister for Sport, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness
    Nick Sherry | Minister for Small Business, Minister Assisting the Minister for Tourism
    Warren Snowdon | Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Science and Personnel
    Bill Shorten | Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation
    Mark Butler | Minister for Mental Health and Ageing
    Gary Gray | Special Minister of State
    Jason Clare | Minister for Defence Materiel
    Parliamentary Secretaries
    David Bradbury | Treasury
    Jacinta Collins | Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
    Julie Collins | Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
    Mark Dreyfus | Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Cabinet Secretary
    Justine Elliot | Foreign Affairs and Trade
    Don Farrell | Sustainable Population, Communities, Environment and Water
    David Feeney | Defence
    Mike Kelly | Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
    Catherine King | Health and Ageing, Infrastructure and Transport
    Kate Lundy | Immigration and Citizenship, Prime Minister and Cabinet
    Richard Marles | Foreign Affairs and Trade
    Jan McLucas | Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
    Grog’s Gamut has a roundup of what exactly changed and what did not, and what Grog thinks of it all.

  18. tigtog
    2010-09-14 • 6:56 AM

    Being a grumpy old woman and all, I know and care very little about pop music generally and Lady Gaga in particular. One has to admire the way she fires up the tabloids though.

  19. tigtog
    2010-09-14 • 6:58 AM

    In more serious (and welcome) news, the Indigenous Health portfolio has been reinstated – Warren Snowdon will continue in the role.
    http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s3010741.htm

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