things i hate today
damien hirst's "art", especially this most famous work pile of crap. just when i thought the facre that is modern art could get no worse, this. this is not art. and what is with the terribly contrived name? this particular breed of fuckery is, i guess, a way to get attention from thoes who are just as low-brow and untalanted as ones self.
private practice general practitioners. this could go on, but i'd rather not stress myself beyond the point of ... god whatever. doctors in public hospitals, for these people i cannot say anything nearly endearing enough. their god complexes are thoroughly earned.
the idea of australia becoming a republic. constitutional monarchy reflects our history, politically, legally, culturally, socially, militarily and ethnically. why waste so much time and money fixing something that is not broken. let's save altering the constitution (or barstadising the constitution, really) for occasion when it is desperatley warranted. take a look at these figures
TABLE A: REPUBLICANISM — ACTUAL EXPENDITURE BY TAXPAYERS BEFORE 2005 ON PROPOSALS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE: OVER $ 130 million
DATE ITEM COST $
(millions)
1993 Republic Advisory Committee
0.60
1998 Convention Postal Ballot 24.00
1998 Convention 3.50
1998 Cost of politicians participation in Convention 1.00
1999 City of Sydney Street Banner Campaign For Yes Vote 0.05
1999 Time of City of Sydney officials, Lord mayor and Aldermen 0.05
1999 Information Campaign 9.50
1999 Vote Yes Campaign 7.50
1999 Vote No Campaign 7.50
1999 Cost of federal and state parliamentary time preparing debating bills, public service,including select committee 3.00
1999
Federal, state politicians campaigs, including fares, allowances, staff 2.00
2000 Corowa Conference: Subsidies, politicians participating 0.5
1999 Referendum 70.00
2003- 2005 Senate Inquiry into Republic 0.60
TOTAL $129.8 million
TABLE B: ESTIMATED COST OF PRINCIPAL PROPOSALS TO INTRODUCE A REPUBLIC AND A NEW FLAG
Costs limited to first decade of republic only
PRIORITY ITEM ESTIMATED COST IN $ MILLIONS
1 First federal plebiscite, including campaigns, information 100
2 Second federal plebiscites, including campaigns, information 100
3 Federal referendum, including campaigns, information 100
4 State and territory plebiscites, including campaigns , information, up to 24, 400
5 New flag plebiscite , including campaigns and information 100
6 Three presidential elections, including campaign funding 300
7 Three gubernatorial elections 400
8 Cost for various items such as changes of Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Australian Regiment, New National Flag, New State and Federal Flags, photographs and portraits of president on banknotes, coins, public places, portraits and photographs of elected governors, decorations, awards, medals, documentation, salary , superannuation etc travel costs of higher profile presidents , governors , vicepresident(s) , increased staff and accommodation, difficult to estimate, but conservatively say 1000
TOTAL $2500 ($2.5 Billion)
however, today i love the weather, carla bruni-sarkozy (and her husband really, a little right wing politics never hurt anyone- of corse, alot did), midsommer muders and the qpsu planned strike.