What's it all about??

I was standing in the checkout line at the local supermarket earlier today and with nothing else to do at the time, I glanced at the covers on the magazine rack.

'KIM AND CHRIS SHARE BABY SECRET' shouted one cover, over a picture of Kim Kardashian and her presumed latest beau, a toddler on Ms Kardashian's knee. I looked further. Every single magazine cover on display seemed to be of various 'beautiful people', all announcing earth-shattering news such as 'my bikini secrets' or 'how Miranda lost it [her baby weight apparently]'.

The checkout line was a little slow, leaving me with 4time to have a think. So I thunked a bit more about this apparent cult of celebrity-ism.

Take Kim Kardashian for example. Several years ago, the entertainment 'news' greeted me with excited announcements that Ms Kardashian was going to pose for Playboy. 'So what? Who is she anyway?” was my response. Ever since then, it seems virtually impossible to get away from the Kardashian clan.

After several years of this Kardashian phenomenon generally inflicted on us, I am still left wondering just what it is that makes them so famous? What is it that they actually do? I even watched a couple of episodes of 'Keeping Up With The Kardashian's to try and understand who and what they were but I was left even more mystified. A lingerie shop apparently comes into it somewhere, not that I saw much evidence of them actually working in it.

Out of curiosity, I have pulled some of the story together. Mr Kardashian, father of the three Kardashian girls among other siblings, was a legal eagle who shot to fame (infamy?) by being part of O J Simpson's defence team. He presumably made a packet from that and his other legal dealings, judging by the apparent post-divorce lifestyle of his wife and children. Mrs Kardashian, after divorcing Mr Kardashian, met and married former Olympian, Bruce Jenner. OK, I knew who that was, not just because I am an old sports head but because I will actually admit to seeing the Village People film from 1980 that he appeared in. In my defence, it was a group of female friends from High School who were one short of a group discount that talked me into going to the film with them.Ultimately I was glad I went – not for the film but because the feature was supported by a full-length Captain Kremmin adventure. Who is Captain Kremmin? Oh you poor, benighted philistines. Kremmin was one of the late Kenny Everitt's finest comic creations. But back to my original ranting.

When Mrs Kardashian married Mr Jenner, it was a Brady Bunch-esque situation with each bringing three children to things. The newly married couple wasted little time in producing three more children of their own, although at least one of them in more recent times has apparently decided Dad's name wasn't good enough and started going by the name Kardashian even though she isn't actually a Kardashian at all.

Right – all this trivial information is just that – trivia. It does not actually indicate what these people do. Jenner was at least in the past involved in home fitness stuff and for all I know still is. I don't really care.

The three Kardashian girls grew up. The baby of the trio, Kim, became chums with that media whore, Paris Hilton. But with her good looks and apparently (at least back then) natural and substantial curves, the media began talking an interest in Hilton's friend, Kim.

Aha – now we're getting somewhere. Apparently Ms Hilton did not appreciate her chum taking away 'her' media, leading to a bad falling out between the two, which was also reported extensively in the 'entertainment news'. What is this – junior high school?

This was only the start of the media attention for Kim Kardashian. A 'reality' television program resulted. Ummm since when was their lifestyle anything remotely like 'reality?' Mrs Kardashian even became Kim's manager. In fact it was Manager Mum who thought it was such a great idea for her daughter to be getting her kit off for Playboy. But again I have to ask, just what is it that they actually do that makes them so 'famous' and such 'celebrities'?

At the end of the day, Kim Kardashian and to a lesser extent, her two older sisters, are simply famous for being famous. That's it. Is KK Junior attractive? You betcha. I am honest enough to tell you that my breath comes just that bit faster when I see a picture of her. But so what? And the three girls seem to have made a pretty darn good living out of this being famous for being famous and in short, becoming media whores. An ugly term to be sure, what what else can we describe it all as? Pay me enough and you can put me on the cover of your magazine!

Out of curiosity, I followed Kim's Twitter feed for a while. Nope, no further real illumination to be found there. Sure, there was the seemingly obligatory release of a Kim Kardashian label perfume, but so what? Who doesn't have their own fragrance range these days? Even I'm about to release my own fragrance line: Rossco's Reek. You too can smell of stale cigarettes, shaving cream and sweaty armpits! When I saw Ms Kardashian boasting in her Twitter feed about going shopping with Lindsay Lohan, I lost all interest. Being friends with that drug-addled skank has-been actress that no movie studio is prepared to work with any longer, is something to boast about? Oh please.

I am left with the conclusion that the Kardashian gift to the world is a life spent travelling around the world to parties, photo shoots and personal appearances, sudden weddings and equally sudden divorces. That's about it.

Now you could be forgiven for thinking I really dislike that family, especially Kim. Not really, although it has to be said that I am not particularly favourably inclined towards a mother who not only whores her children and family in general out to the media, but takes a managerial commission on it all. I am old fashioned enough to think that parents seek to protect their children etc.

Who I am really contemptuous of is the public that can elevate people like the Kardashian's into such massive media celebrities and famous for nothing more than being famous. And even more sadly, the Kardashian's are just one example, albeit a very large example. Appear in a couple of direct-to-DVD movies ten years ago? Look good on camera? Preferably female with plastic tits? Then you have a full-time career ahead of you appearing in the media, being feted for doing nothing of any consequence. And still yet more alarming, these nobodies have become role models for a generation who think that soft of lifestyle is something to aspire to!

Really, just what does this say about our society? Forget about global warming, nuclear threats etc. If this is the apparent pinnacle of our 'civilisation' then we probably aren't even worth saving.

Here endeth the rant.

Bloody Outrageous!

I know that I am far from the only one person with mixed feelings about what happened in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden. I was just as disturbed by the sight of partying Americans in their streets as I was at the sight of similarly celebrating Palestinians etc in the wake of the World Trade Centre attack in 2001. For Barack Obama to be using this as an opportunity to claim that the US can do 'anything' even smacks of an arrogance that the US is not accountable to anyone or anything, although I suspect that was not his intention with that remark.

Things have gotten way out of hand however with some outrageous comments by New Zealand MP, Hone Harawira. Mr Harawira, an indigenous Maori politician, has praised slain bin Laden as a freedom fighter. Quoting from a press report: "We have heard nothing but negative things about him from the Americans, but he fought for the self-determination of his people and for his beliefs," Harawira told Maori-language television on Monday.

This is simply outrageous. Bin Laden was not about 'self-determination for his people' at all. He was a militant religious extremist, who publicly rejoiced in the murder of thousands of innocents. The fact that this phenomenal act of murder actually included fellow Muslims, seems to have been overlooked by the bin Laden apologists. His actions inspired yet more acts of murder by extremist terrorists, including the Bali nightclub bombing in 2002.

Are we supposed to rejoice in all who murder for their beliefs? OK, let's start handing out Nobel Peace prizes to Adolph Hitler, Pol Pot and all the rest of the murdering filth everywhere. What about Ted Bundy - he had the belief that he should be allowed to brutally torture and kill people simply because he liked it. So should we be celebrating his pursuit of his beliefs???

Just as bin Laden did NOTHING to push towards peaceful reconciliation between the nominal Christian world and the Arabic, Harawira is giving his own credibility a shot in the foot and thus doing little for his ability to pursue Maori rights in a meaningful manner.

I am not that naive to expect the world to just simply all start holding hands, sitting in a circle while singing Kum Ba Yah, but wholescale murder by extremists is NOTHING to be praising as Harawira has effectively done.

A reason for rejoicing and sorrow

The death of Osama Bin Laden is a reason for both rejoicing and sorrow.

The end of the leader of one of the most militant extremist groups going around, has to be a reason to be pleased. Extremism of any flavour is abhorrent but when it is used to justify wholesale butchering, it ascends to a whole new level.

The death of anyone in stupid, pointless conflict is also a cause for sorrow. However there is a distinct possibility that Bin Laden's passing shall be seen as creation of a martyr thereby birthing yet more violence, more reprisals and so the cycle would continue.

Far more intelligent people than I have been unable to come up with a resolution of the issues behind the rise of militant extremism so I shall not attempt to do so here. However blatant manufacturing of excuses to go to war as exemplified by the Bush Junior administration, supported by Britain's Tony Blair and Australia's John Howard, not only fail to address those concerns, they created far more. Let's be honest - we were presented with a complete load of bullshit to justify that Coalition of the Willing or whatever the heck it was called. The phrase Weapons of Mass Destruction eventually became nothing but a bad joke because of the way it was used in the Iraqi context.

There are times when I briefly consider worrying about environmental issues is a waste of time as we will have already killed ourselves off as a species before environmental problems could do so.

an end to the Comsuper saga - almost

An end to the saga about my superannuation invalidity pension and Comsuper is almost here.

Last Wednesday I received advice that Comsuper were about to make me an offer to resolve this whole mess that they created. To refresh your memory, as well as months of poor information and messing around, Comsuper recently decided that yes, they had underpaid me but at the same time they had also failed to deduct the right amount of tax deductions leaving me a whacking great tax bill to be repaid to Comsuper before June 30.

Under a national scheme introduced in 2009, many victims of government department 'defective administration' can now seek compensation. Now we're not talking multi-million dollar settlements like the things you see reported in the press coming out of the courts. The object of this compensation exercise is merely to return the victim to the position that they would have been in had the loss not occurred.

Last Thursday I received the official offer and accompanying documenation that I had to return which included an indeminty for Comsuper from further action over this matter. Seeing as I was getting what I wanted so I had no qualms about agreeing to the proposal.

I now have confirmation that my arrears and compensation payments (which reimburse me for additional tax deductions being taken from my arrears) are now being processed.

We're almost there. It's only taken some six months, but we're almost there. But I shan't be saying it is definitely closed until I have actually received the payments in question.

On a more positive note of sorts, I am assured that the details of my case have been passed to relevant members of the Comsuper executive in order to demonstrate just how shoddy their 'service' has actually been. So hopefully no other poor sod has to go through the garbage that I had forced onto me.

A return to the saga of the pension...

I have previously blogged about the ridiculous saga of trying to have my small invalidity pension reinstated and receiving arrears owing to me. I previously warned potential superannuation retirees under Comsuper to be worried. Well things have now well beyond suggesting people be worried. It is instead time to be bloody panic-stricken based on the latest developments.

The latest in this saga is that at long last, after going through three formal complaints processes, Comsuper agree that yes, they still owe me the best part of $1,000 in arrears. But they can't give it to me. Why? Because the stupid phuckers had not been making the correct income tax deductions from my pension last year. Yet this matter came up in early December last year and I was assured that not only had they fixed things, there were no further tax installments outstanding. Complete and utter bullshit as it turns out.

So I now have to wait on an application for compensation to sort the mess out.

Isn't it absolutely outrageous that the Trustee of a Goverment superannuation fund can simply forget to deduct income tax instalments! Even worse when they know about it months earlier, claim to have fixed the problem only to really just let it fester until becoming a much greater concern and financial burden on the pensioner.

Along the way, I have now conclusively proven that:

• Comsuper lose documents but will attempt to put the blame on the superannuation fund member, claiming the documents were not provided;
• It is impossible to sight a copy of your actual file even under Freedom of Information as all Comsuper will allow you to sight is a copy of the electronic file (well it wouldn't do to let the poor sod of a member find hardcopies of all of these documents they claim said member never sent!);
• Comsuper will not initiate any contact with their pensioners whatsoever even when they have overpaid/underpaid/forgotten to pay etc;
• Comsuper routinely do not bother to respond to matters at all;
  
• Comsuper staff think nothing of telling blatant lies to superannuation fund members; and
  
• Comsuper are simply incapable of even elementary mathematics.

Now matters are in the hands of the Comsuper CEO. Assuming it eventually wends its way to his In-Tray. With luck, by about next October he might have gotten around to glancing at it. Of course by that time I will probably be facing prosecution by the Australian Tax Office for failing to pay my income tax deductions, but let's not let a little thing like a criminal conviction get in the way of things, shall we?

Julia, my Julia, what a sickly, sickly display

Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia. The US Houses of Congress. What a sickly, sickly sweet combination.

The Red Roughy's [for my North American friends, that is a brightly orange coloured fish] performance was the most grovelling, sycophantic thing I have ever seen. And to think that not long ago we were sticking the boot into John Howard for his blind following of Georgie Wubblya Bush.

Should the US need any further proof that for whatever reason, that Australia blindly follows wherever they may lead, it just needs to look at how eagerly Howard threw us in with Georgie Wubblyah that Saddam had whacking great piles of Weapons of Mass Destruction laying around all over the place. Tripping over them he was! I tell ya boy, them things was blowing up all over the place, soon as spit terbaccy on 'em! Never mind it has since been amply demonstrated that intelligence services, both US and Australian, were saying "actually, we don't think that's quite correct." But off we toddled, part of the Alliance of the Terminally Dyspeptic against the Axis of Really-Quite-Naughty-Boys-Indeed or some such claptrap sounding like the cover of a Marvel comic. All based on a whopper, a prevarication, in short, a lie. So our friends in North America already know that we can be sold the Brooklyn Bridge at ease. They didn't need reminding.

No, I am not setting out on an anti-US rant. The great love of my life was a Seppo* after all. But in this day and age, was it really necessary to carry on like a grateful colonial native, ever so grateful to Bwana and his White Fella Magic for the used shirt and stick of barley sugar, hopeful that by licking the boots long enough, a plug of tobacco might also arrive?

Julia, I am embarrassed, and that sure as shit ain't easy to do.

*rhyming slang - Septic Tank = Yank

they get rehab, we just get in trouble

Ricky Nixon has really screwed up. I doubt anyone will contest that statement. But has anyone ever noticed that for the rest of we poor sods, if we crack up or have problems with the drink, whatever, we just become part of the numbers game that is Australian pyschiatric care and that's pretty much it? Two trips to the funny farm myself, and overcoming alcohol abuse. But if you are 'somebody', you get 'rehab'. Britney Spears has a mental breakdown, she goes into 'rehab' in what was apparently a private psychiatric facility. Charlie Sheen continues his years of erratic behaviour, he has to go rehab. Michael Douglas couldn't keep his pecker in his pants, he needed 'rehab' for sexual addiction. I am surprised that Shane Warne hasn't been into 'rehab' for his habit of failing to keep it tucked away in his undies. How many trips to 'rehab' has Brendan Fevola gone through? And now that Ricky Nixon is in trouble, he also has to go into 'rehab'. No, he says, there was nothing actually going on with the girl in question, although to be fair, her credibility is about on par with Joe Hockey denying Liberal Party leadership aspirations, but to cope with it, Nicco (as we called him at school - that's my lame claim to fame) has to go into 'rehab' to cope.

You name it, it seems to be covered these days by the 'panacea' of 'rehab', some special form of 'treatment' for 'special' people who are somehow better than the rest of we poor slobs.

Here endeth the rant