Pack Your Bags Parky, Do Us A Favour and P.O.Q.

Hands up if you are an opinionated old Pom with many opinions no-one cares about.

"Sir Michael Parkinson will be the first non-Australian to discuss "who we are" from a foreigner's point of view since the traditional speech began 14 years ago.
But the famous Yorkshire interviewer is a "natural choice" for the speech, chairman of the NSW Australia Day Council Angelos Frangopoulos said yesterday.
"The Australia Day Address is a celebration of thought, diversity of opinion and freedom of speech, and raises questions about our future while reflecting on our significant past," he said.
"As an honorary Australian, Sir Michael is perfectly placed to share his thoughts on who we are as a nation."
The journalist has interviewed many famous Australians including the late Kerry Packer in 1979, when he accused him of ruining the game with World Series Cricket."


That was from The Rag yesterday. This is from me today.


Angelos Frangopoulos should consider his position on the board in peril if he thinks that canvassing opinions about ourselves from a foreigner on our national day a good idea.


And why do we insist on still chasing validation from overseas? Parky was a person who could sit, smile politely and ask questions. He didn't change the world, he asked questions of people who were famous, so what gives him the right to make a speech on being Australian? Apparently he is an honorary Australian! I was unaware that interviewing "many famous Australians including the late Kerry Packer" entitled you to an honorary citizenship. Like many of his unwashed compatriots in Australia at the moment burning their lilly white skin watching the ashes they would do well to keep their opinions to themselves and head back home as soon as they can.

I don't care what Parky thinks of us. I don't care what anyone from overseas thinks of us. We should grow up as a nation, and stop looking overseas for someone to give us a pat on the head and tell us we are going well. Stop inviting overseas stars to the Logies, to the ARIAs, to anything. We need to learn that we are big enough and ugly enough to have our own opinions, and those opinions are more valid than any two bit Pom who has an 'honorary Australian' status, and especially on the day we celebrate being Australian.

Those Poor Poor People.

When buffoons meet.......

Armed with all of his vinyl copies of their back catalogue Kevin "Kevvy" Rudd has met with pompous U2 front man Bono to talk about poverty and aid the other day.

The pair dined on a fur seal vinegrette with truffles and a bottle of Dom Perignon White Gold Jeroboam at the Sydney Opera House, along with Make History Poverty co-chairs Andrew Hewett and Tim Costello. The self important rock star, and I am not making this up, "praised the government's development agenda, bipartisan support to reduce poverty globally and spoke about the challenge of global development and Australia's contribution".

Bono then decided he was a government advisor and requested was an expansion of the Australian government's aid program and discussed how Australia intended to meet Millennium Development goals set by the UN to reduce global poverty.

Mr Rudd praised Bono for his activism and the pair also spoke about developments in HIV globally, the spokesman said. Mr Rudd told Sky News that Australia was committed to assisting the world's less fortunate. I wasn't there, for shame, but I bet they also said that they would like the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and that they hoped everyone would just get along and be friends.

I say if you want to be a rock star good luck, but don't come here and tell me how to run the country or how the government should spend tax dollars. Tax dollars Bono himself doesn't pay through crafty book keeping and by funnelling revenue from his poxy U2 through companies that are mostly registered in Ireland and structured to minimise taxes.

It is easy to stand back and say that we should help the poor, and give away more money when the money isn't coming from your pocket, and you live in such rarefied air that you consider wearing sunglasses all day and night normal behaviour. When you give away all your money, and move to these nations you are so desperate to helpand actually chip in and help with actions not words then come and give me a call. You are a singer, get over yourself. It is hypocritical and insulting to call on us to help more when you could be doing more yourself, and if you really want to help, go after your beloved catholic church and their policies on contraception and condoms whose bloody mindedness continues the spread of AIDS and poverty throughout Africa, and stop sending money with no ongoing action plan behind it, creating a continent addicted to charity.

I always knew Kevvy was a wally, but it appears that Paul "Bono" Hewson is the Supreme Commander.