sorrow

Here at pied a terre VVB we are full of sorrow, because we watched Anthony Albanese demonstrate his early familiarity with the dark arts of being interviewed by sticking stupidly to a stupid set of talking points, ritually ignoring the intent of each question. I’ve got a wind-up toy from about 1955, a monkey that bounces on its backside and claps a pair of cymbals: it gives a more convincing performance.

Full marks to the bimbette who gave him a free ride. I Iike to see that my 8 cents a day buys a Labor-compliant ABC, that’s the way it’s supposed to be, yes?

It would have been nice, albeit quite hopeless, to expect that the new government might conduct itself in different ways.

But no, we have 5 point plans, highly structured regional listening tours and all the other hallmarks of the Blair which? Project, now in its terminal decline phase back in old Blighty. So of course we now have 5 years of the same here.

Oh well, at least they’re better than the alternative. By the way, it’d be fascinating to see the feedback forms from attendees at those conferences where our revered former (former! yes! he’s gone!) PM is a keynote speaker on globalisation and leadership. Yes, two issues that he studiously avoided in both word and deed for all 11 years of his dictatorship. Would you feel dudded once you’ve had 30, or 45, or 3,250 million minutes of that piercing whinge insinuating your brain?

I know I would. You know, I think I miss him…

No, not really. Gotcha.

Meanwhile there was the entertainment of Top Gear last night, the first half of which I missed because I was out throwing up over the balcony as a result of Minister Albanese’s polished efforts. Anyway, part of tonight’s show was a three way contest between the Mazda RX8, the Audi TT (2 litre version) and the Alfa Brera, each supported in the usual highly structured fashion by one of the team of Jeremy, Hammond and James May. The track test was undertaken by the Stig and as the Audi (Jeremy’s pick) eased off the start line, Hammond called out ““there he goes, off to the hairdresser.”

And the celebrity track star was Hugh Grant who told an absorbing story about how his testicles got sore in a Bentley Continental GT he once owned. It’s amazing what you can get away with on prime time TV nowadays.