This is not funny!

I can think of a dozen funny lines I could have written about this headline but read the story.  Psychometric testing is standard practice for any business of size and should be mandatory for all aspiring politicians.

Myers-Briggs and the like are hardly "new-age" (well perhaps so in Murdoch's empire where head-kicking 101 seems to be the only criteria for promotion).  And while they would do a good job of weeding out at least the worst of the megalomaniacs, wankers, evolution-deniers, thieves and idiots, I'm not sure how such instruments could be calibrated to (safely) take account of ego - that essential ingredient in political success which is usually the last thing you look for in a good CEO or leader.

Ewen Jones speaks - again

Further to yesterday's post, This is what we got for the $460 in wages (times about 5 for on-costs) that The Big Ewe cost the taxpayers of Herbert on Wednesday of this week:

via OpenAustralia.org

Ewen Jones - Big dick or class clown?

Rather than a serial pest (and here), could it be that The Big Ewe is nothing more than a naughty private school boy who is no good at the "my dick is bigger than yours" game (The Mad Monk's forte) so seeks attention and approval by being the class clown?

"Mr Jones said he had now won the trifecta he was the first of the 2010 MP intake to be mentioned, to be warned, and to be ejected" Martin Rasini

And just like all class clowns, he seems to be proud of his achievements!! 

The Bulletin seems equally impressed by The Ewe - giving him a whole page today  to sell his wares and try and convince us that his achievements have been meaningfull!!!  I can't find The Ewe's piece on-line - perhaps that is the sort of content that Murdoch's Bulletin will make us pay-to-view or perhaps Rupe just claims the $5,000 value of the free PR as a tax deduction)

For the sake of balance:  The Big Ewe has made 13 'contributions' to debates in parliament since elected two months ago - at just over $14k per month in salary and allowances (ie not including staff, offices, car, etc, etc), that's about $2,160 per utterance!

I wish I could get those sort of rates!

PS: All I ever got as class clown was bashed up

Is Ewen Jones becoming a serial pest?

Listening to the House of Reps Question Time just now, Speaker Harry 'The Headmaster' Jenkins warned The Big Ewe of Herbert that he was in danger of breaching Section 65(b) of Standing Orders and should be very careful.  (I think he was talking in class and not paying attention to the proceedings)

Is this getting to be a bit of a habit?

Come on in. Take a seat at the Cabinet table. Let’s talk water.

Regular contributor Dee writes:

Just before the QR Float takes over the media completely.

Patrick Lion caught my imagination today.

I guess it won't be too long before there are many vacant seats at the ALP Cabinet table, however, I'd put a small wager there is now, and will be in the future, standing room only with the many advisers providing high quality advice by way of large numbers of options.

They have wound up the mis-allocation of taxpayer's funds to new levels.

Patrick Lion's Courier Mail post is well worth a read: Come on in. Take a seat at the Cabinet table. Let’s talk water.

Ewen Jones's recent appearances

The following is today's RSS fee from OpenAustralia.org for The Big Ewe.

Yep! you got it - The Big Ewe's contruibution to the national debate last Monday was just four words:  Yassous, Yassous, Dawson and (yes) Dawson.

Flying free, making a racket and crapping all over Townsville's "opinion makers"

The Towsville blogosphere is exploding and The Townsville Bulletin and a few other of Townsville's high-and-mighty should be afraid - VERY afraid!!

Check out The Magpie's Nest:

What, The Magpie Finished?!  FARK NO!

The old bird has simply moved to a new nest in the blogosphere, a universe where both you readers can move your lips while you peruse his regular load of old cobblers, or `column’ as it is known in some circles. In this smarty pants techno world, it’s now officially a `blog’, with regular `posts’ and guess what? You readers – yes, both of you – can have a say too. Just stick the tongue out of the corner of your mouth, crinkle the brow in concentration and – hey, knock yourself out, use two fingers if you like - tap out a message in the comment area provided. It will be published if it gets past the battalion of lawyers on alert for legal naughtiness.

The Magpie blog is also a work in progress, and will expand as the weeks go by with new links to some very interesting places. If you like, The Magpie will give you an email alert whenever he posts a new load of drivel, which will be at least every week, possibly more often. Just email him requesting same at townsvillemagpie@gmail.com

I know that The 'pie has been around the town a lot longer than I, has much better connections, knows a lot more about racing and punting and front-bar stuff and has a bit more time on his hands that I do - so expect to see his scoops regularly cross posted here.

Or better still, just get on his email list at townsvillemagpie@gmail.com

Welcome to the blogosphere Magpie - I'm looking forward to this!

Well, I got that one wrong!

Saturday's headlines about Clive Palmer's generosity with his staff at Yabulu has made me reassess the man - clearly he's a much smarter business owner than I expected.

While the the $10m face value of Saturday's party plus the 55 Mercedes Benz sedans, 700 holidays for two in Fiji, and 50 weekends in Port Douglas is iimpressive, the real cost was probably closer to half that (55 by Merc CLC 200 K Evolutions @ $58k each = $3.2m book values before what would be a VERY big bulk discount)

Either way- it's not a bad investment for $16m in (presumably recurrent) savings and the lifelong loyalty of his staff (and associated reduced turn-over costs as a result).

Now that's smart business and smart management!
* Honourable mention goes to Mercedes Benz who got a free page-5 pic and endless free mentions in the three pages of coverage

Is Lavarack Barracks about to become a Detention Centre?

Hansard it out and we can report on The Big Ewe's first question in Parliament (see this earlier post).

As you can read for yourself, he was either set-up by Chrissy Pyne as leader in the house or he seriously thinks we are under threat of seeing Lavarack Barracks turned into an asylum seekers' camp.  Which is the real Ewe I wonder?

And don't you just love Gillard's "go away little boy and finish your homework" answer?

John Howard's re-re-re-launch of Lazarus Rising , and THAT Mango

Unfortunately, I couldn't find online the pic that accompanying The Bully's regurgitation of the Book Company's PR Release. It took me a long while to realist that it's not a potato he's menacing, but rather a Mango....

an  Anti Skinny Shoe-Hurler Operational Logistics Enabling   

Military Attack Neutralising Gooks Ordinance