THE REAL GRANDFINAL OF FOOTBALL

Another year over a poor old Saint Kilda (The Saints) failed in their quest for a Premiership after a drought of 43 years after Geelong (The Cats) came through in the final quarter and defeated the luckless Sainters by 2 goals (12 points).

St Kilda vs Geelong
Geel 12.8.80 df. StK 9.14.68

It was a pleasure to relax and watch a hard fought close game in difficult (read pissing down) conditions and be reminded how lucky we to have evolved away from the one size fits all, mindless boredom of the soccer match. Of course, a hint of sadness remans in the pits of our stomach at the fate of our Mighty Shinboners (North Melbourne) who spent the season languishing in the cellar.

Another year over with poor old Saint Kilda (The Saints) failed in their quest for a Premiership after a drought of 43 years after Geelong (The Cats) came through in the final quarter and defeated the luckless Sainters by 2 goals (12 points).
It was a pleasure to relax and watch a hard fought close game in difficult (read pissing down) conditions and be reminded how lucky we to have evolved away from the one size fits all, mindless boredom of the soccer match. Of course, a hint of sadness remains in the pits of our stomach at the fate of our Mighty Shinboners (North Melbourne) who spent the season languishing in the cellar.


SHINBONERS FOR 2010

On the Wallaby

Been on the Wallaby for a few weeks hence the absence of silky prose and opinionated ramblings from the inner Stump. It’s good to be back sometimes in our haste and frustration at the daily trails of living in Indonesia we forget the simple joys that are available (to those with some means) that are available to us here in the land of disappearing forests.

Certainly it was a refreshing to land and read that another piece of evil has been removed from this world. For once the Stump hopes that there is an after life ready to judge those found wanting. The Stump of course refers to that collection of misbegotten molecules more commonly referred to as Noordin Top, the deranged criminal who was complicit in the death and maiming of so many Indonesians and others who was shot dead by Indonesian police earlier this month.

It is probably timely to ask what has Top and his ilk achieved in their lifetimes except misery and sadness. Certainly their vague goals of religious domination based on some perverse combination of personal delusion and self importance have failed as they always would. Yet there is certain sadness at such a waste of lives in a country so calling out for leaders and doers with charisma and determination. There is no doubt it takes an ability to connect with people (dysfunctional as those people may be) in order to convince them to throw away their own lives. One can only wonder what good could have been done in the community if these evil swine had chosen a path of building instead of being sick purveyors of misery and death in a country that sees far too much of both. It seems to the Stump that this period of History may well be remembered as Islam's darkest hour as people only even remember the extremes and evil that is done in the name of others.

Speaking of evil, if the Stump sees one more pathetic grab for ratings featuring how the families of these evil scum are suffering after the trash has been cleaned and sent to the great recycling bin in the sky, then be prepared for some projectile vomiting. How about some common decency and civic responsibility from the media barons, is that even possible? Instead of glorifying the rancid evil amongst us how about showing the wrecked lives left in the wake of their perverse, murderous grasps for relevance in a world that has rightly passed them by. Certainly, the rancids showed no compassion for the families of the common man whose lives they wrecked.

Now Stump needs to mull two questions..

1. Why if the police knew where Top was, did they have to kill him? Is there really a great conspiracy behind the rancids?
2. Why do all the rancid seem to come from Malaysia and yet there never seems to be much trouble there? Is the Malaysian Law Enforcement that much better that Indonesia?

GOLKAR DANCES - PEOPLE CRY

The Stump fancies himself as a bit of political pundit albeit one severely bruised by the Conservative party collapse in Australia and the USA. Although Australia’s conservative party leader (for want of a better term) Malcolm Turnbull only claim to fame is his infamous destruction of the Republican Debate in Australia a few years back. No one trusted him then and no one trusts him now.

Never the less, Indonesian Politics leaves any reasonable person like a pianist trapped in a flock of Galahs, hearing shed-loads of noise but unable discern any rhyme or reason from the shreechs of the preening plumaged parasites.

Golkar, the once dominant party of Suharto and still recognised as the vehicle of power and presence by the Indonesian elite and connected, was soundly thrashed and shellacked in the recent in Indonesia elections. Now as to be expected Golkar is undergoing a period of renewal, only in Indonesia this obviously means a period of back to the bad old days of money politics and connections. The much coveted Golkar Chairman's position is being pursued by (amazingly):

1. Aburizal Bakrie, The current (ok this always makes the Stump chuckle) Coordinating Minister for the People’s Welfare, at one time reputed to Indonesia’s richest man and rightly or wrongly forever linked to the Sidoarjo mudflow tragedy which left thousands homeless with little help on the horizon.

2. Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra, the youngest son of former president Soeharto reportedly has an interest in teaming up with current politician Yuddy Chrisnandy. You all remember Tommy, he was the bloke convicted and sentenced in 2002 to fifteen years jail for paying a hitman to kill Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, a Supreme Court judge who had convicted him of graft. Other charges included illegal weapons possession and running from the law. Of course, justice was done the Indonesian way and he was released after serving four years (No wonder Corby is going insane).

3. The eldest daughter of former president Soeharto, Siti Hardiyanto Rukmana or Tutut is thinking about making a run for the prize as well. Tutut is rumoured (although this is disputed) to own the Citra Lamtoro Gung Group, with interests in more than 90 companies ranging from telecommunications to infrastructure, including tollway projects. On 19 February 19 of 2001, Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana was reportedly banned from leaving Indonesia due to corruption allegations for one year

It’s often an admirable trait not to be swayed by popular opinion but for a Political Party already demonstrably seriously on the nose with the people, it beggars belief that Golkar could honestly think this is anything but treating the Indonesian people with anything other than utter contempt.

Meanwhile other only in Indonesia moment was the outrageous and enormously amusing sight of the Nationalistic zombie rent a yobbos railing at the Malaysians for stealing a Balinese dance and using for Malaysian Tourism.

The irony of the copy centre of South East Asia complaining about copyright and intellectual property infringements was a truly precious moment. It became even more amusing when it turned out after a number of “nasty” official letters from the Indonesian Government to Malaysia that the said dance was purely the brainstorm of an advertising agency not even based in Malaysia...Ooops...is our face red...again. It’s also extremely problematic to for such a Java centric government to be claiming any kind of rights to a Balinese dance in the first place.
One can only marvel at the long suffering Indonesians who have to tolerate such fools day in and day out.

Still no one can say it’s not fun to watch.