Chart- Health care spending: U.S. v. Abroad

By GottaLaff

Tech issues fixed... Now, take a gander at this:

(click on image to enlarge)

H/t: Jdkidd81

Mid Day Distraction

An ad in Australia, via.

Mid Day Distraction

I want to live in a country where the weatherman shakes his bare ass on tv. Background on the event here.

VIDEO: Harry Connick Jr. Calls Out Blackface Jackson Family on Aussie TV

By GottaLaff

Much more here:

A few months ago, Harry Connick Jr. was in Australia for a reunion with his dear old gang on a TV variety series called Hey Hey It’s Saturday.

More like Hey Hey It's Racism:

The Jackson Jive, all Afro wigs and black face paint, led by their late superstar brother, Michael, done up with a pasty clown visage and aviator sunglasses. Not cool, said Connick: “If they turned up looking like that in the United States, it’d be like Hey Hey There’s No More Show,” the crooner spat, giving the group a score of zero in the episode’s mock-talent competition. (The Aussie judge beside him was much more forgiving, allowing for a smile and a 7.)

To the host's credit, he did apologize... after the fact:

“I know that to your countrymen, that’s an insult to have a blackface routine like that on the show, so I do apologize.” Connick thanked him, adding, “I know it was done humorously, but we’ve spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that, we take it really to heart."

You know why? Because it's not 1830 any more.

After today's post about KFC's ad, one wonders what's up with Australia's racial attitudes these days. And by "these days" I mean 2009. The present. Post 1830.

The sketch brought international backlash with some US bloggers describing Australia as a "racist" country, while other news outlets said the Jackson Jive was "vile" and "disgusting". [...]

Marina Hyde from Britain's Guardian newspaper described Australia was "the world's most savagely self-parodic country,” and introduced the skit as, “news of an important breakthrough in race relations". [...]

"In Australia, of course, [blacking up] is perfectly acceptable, and we thank the nation for yet another important contribution to the annals of human culture."

Connick went on to say:

"If I knew that was going to be part of the show, I probably - I definitely - wouldn’t have done it.”

You know who would have? These people (click on images to enlarge):


H/t: Greg Skilling

Raw Video: Australia Welcomes in 2010

Australian Sex Party could be an ass-et

By GottaLaff

Hey Aussies, is that a new party, or are you just happy to see me?

[T]he Australian Sex Party obtain[ed] approval from the Australian Electoral Commission for registration as a political party.

I hope the ASP is up on all the laws and penile, er, penal codes and stuff.

The commission, which announced the registration on its website, said it had received several objections.

Sure, but I think we're all adult enough to realize that no really means yes.

The party's convenor and likely future candidate Fiona Patten:

"One of the reasons for establishing the party was to provide a positive platform for sexual issues amongst the negative notions of sex that most politicians and political parties have..."

"The fact that the AEC spent so much time considering the word `sex' further exhibits our need for honest and open discussion about sexual matters - be they censorship, education, health or discrimination ones."

Don't forget infantile double entendres. There needs to be a wider acceptance of those, too.

H/t: Ellen

Photo: Earth Hour in Australia

By GottaLaff

(via)

Via our wonderful Wotching, Earth Hour in Toronto:

Australian Green Party calls for Obama-style executive salary caps

Technically, it's a Bernie Sanders style executive pay cap, but it's still funny.

The Greens are urging the Federal Government to follow the United States in limiting the salaries paid to the top executives of companies that are bailed out by the Government.

(snip)

Greens leader Bob Brown says he has tried four times to get similar legislation through Parliament, but has been blocked by the major parties.

"I'll be putting pressure on the Government again to act in the wake of Obama to cut back on some of the obscene packages that we have seen in recent years," he said.

"Particularly from those corporations like the banks which are receiving assistance from the tax-payers through the Government in measures that we are seeing going through this Parliament at the moment."

Mystery solved: Obama family got booted from Blair House because...

By GottaLaff

Bush said uh-uh to the Obama family, who had every reason to have first dibs on the Blair House. After all, that's where the First Family in Waiting should have stayed, so that Sasha and Malia could have a little extra stability as they started at their new school. But no.

But why all the mystery? Even Rachel Maddow put out a desperate plea last night on her show, begging someone, anyone, to fill her in on how the Obamas could have been so badly snubbed by the Bushes. Now we know:

It turns out that John Howard, former prime minister of Australia and a long-time ally of President Bush, is spending the night there on Jan. 12, according to Sally McDonough, a spokeswoman for Laura Bush.

The next day, Mr. Howard is receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Several receptions are also scheduled at Blair House over the next week. [...]

It is not clear how long Mr. Howard is staying there but it seems unlikely that he — or the White House — had any idea that he might bump the president-elect. The White House announced just yesterday that it had selected Mr. Howard and the others to receive the award, but such ceremonies are planned long before they are announced.

Priorities, schmiorities. What, the next president of the United States isn't an ally? And John Howard couldn't have been provided with other digs? I know! How about the Hay Adams Hotel? I hear every room has its own Tee Vee Machine and everything.

Classy, Chimpenfuhrer, real classy.

Australian Prime Minister admits Iraq War was wrong

By GottaLaff

John Sidney McWarmonger, pay attention to this. Why? Because it applies to both you and Chimpy McRoleModel. What a splendid platform to run on: Ignoring the facts about a fraudulent war. Please don't change it, Barack Obama will be most grateful:

All the arguments Australia marshalled to justify sending troops to fight in Iraq proved to be wrong, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today, as the country's 550 combat soldiers headed home.

In an admission that will make uncomfortable reading in London and Washington, the Labour leader dismissed one-by-one the reasons used by his predecessor, John Howard, to join the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq five years ago.

In fact, let's review the very foundation of that platform right now, okay?

• "Have further terrorist attacks been prevented? No, they have not been, as the victims of the Madrid train bombing will attest," Mr Rudd told parliament.

• "Has any evidence of a link between weapons of mass destruction and the former Iraqi regime and terrorists been found? No.

• "Have the actions of rogue states like Iran been moderated? No ... Iran's nuclear ambitions remain a fundamental challenge.

• "After five years, has the humanitarian crisis in Iraq been removed? No it has not."

Mr Rudd, whose campaign for election last November included a pledge to withdraw Australian combat forces from Iraq, said pre-war intelligence had been "abused" by the Howard government.

My friends, Sid still insists that he will never surrender in this bloody occupation. Just what this country needs, more abuse. Hopefully, this time the voters will reject irrational lust for perpetual war. Well, most voters. There will be one very confused one who will continue to express his support with his vote... in January.