wednesday newstrip

Two-thirds of scam compounds 'bypassed' in Cambodia's crackdown, Amnesty finds · populist Australian parliamentarian, One Nation founder, & anti-immigration opponent apPauling Hensong’s speech ‘shameful’ & echoed ‘rubbish’ from rightwing figures in UK & US, critics say · Australia's richest person, mining magnate Gina Hancock, who is pouring millions into apPauling Hensong's One Nation party & who bought $1.5 billion worth of stock in the recent SpaceySex launch, has suggested that Queensland should offer Elongated Muskrat some of its islands. She also suggested that mainland Queensland could become a base for Israeli companies developing military weapons systems · Australia has emerged as a global hotspot for data center growth, driven by the surge in dependence on artificial intelligence · Senate lawmakers voted to freeze Defense Secretary Putrid Hogsbreath's travel budget unless the Pentagon answers for an Iranian school bombing & Caribbean boat strikes, Politico reported · 'this war was literally for nothing:' people left baffled by T.®ump's latest Iran concession.

now available for free download

Curtains, a 24-page pdf of mainly poems with a couple of prose pieces thrown in, is now available for downloading from Pat Nolan's Neo-Mimeo Editions.

The URL is Curtains.

wednesday newstrip

The T.®ump phone is literally a gilded cage for a two-year-old smartphone · Elongated Muskrat 'amplified anti-migrant content' amid Belfast disorder · T.®ump's lavishly renovated Reflecting Pool is already covered in green algae: report · a cartoon showing Israeli Prime Minister Been Jamin NotJustanyyahoo with a drum, to the beat of which were media mogul Rupert Murdoch, anti-Semitism envoy Jillian Segal, former PM John Howard, then-Liberal leader Sussan Ley, Liberal Senator Jacinta Price, & Nationals leader David Littleproud carrying a group of people calling for a royal commission, has been found to have caused or contributed to 'offence, distress or prejudice' by the Australian Press Council · UFC president Dana White was left confused on stage at the Freedom 250 press conference ahead of last weekend’s show at the White House – requesting a translator step in for a fighter who had just addressed the crowd in English · Marco Cubik’s Rube's comparison that DoNuts T.®ump's White House UFC bash is akin to the Apollo moon landing left an MS NOW panel stunned · is Justin Trudeau really Fidel Castro’s secret son?

wednesday newstrip

Byron Bay psychedelic guru accused of choking spiritual healer · DOJ tells judge T.®ump can 'bulldoze' Statue of Liberty with no consequences if he wanted to · the Department of Defense announced that it had significantly reduced the number of recognized religions within the agency, down from more than 200 to 31 · the Kennedy Center has continued its court-ordered purge of T.®ump's name by removing it from the online logo · Queensland government accused of operating secret agenda to purge Indigenous representation · multiple people were shot near a community festival in Toledo, Ohio, with police still searching for the suspects following an outbreak of gunfire that sent people scrambling for cover · Sir Keir Starmer accused Elongated Muskrat of stoking division & meddling in UK politics after a week of intense posting on · a federal whistleblower has revealed plans by the US Department of Government Efficiency to falsely list millions of people in the Social Security database as dead in a scheme to pressure them to leave the country.

wednesday newstrip

An environmentalist drag queen who goes by the name Pattie Gonia has called on the outdoor clothing brand Patagonia to drop a trademark infringement lawsuit it filed against the influencer · T.®ump dodges rules in rush to douse the Lincoln Memorial bronze horse statues with gold · Homeland Security Secretary MarkTwayne Mullet has proposed plans to stop processing international flights at airports in 'sanctuary cities' · JaDed Vance warns crowd of graduates at the U.S. Air Force Academy not to boo him: 'I'm the vice president of the United States' · judge orders T.®ump to remove his name from Washington’s Kennedy Center. T.®ump claims 'Kennedy Center will collapse' without his name on the building · Australia to buy three second-hand United States submarines under AUKUS shake-up · the arrival of a purpose-built ship owned by Chinese car manufacturer BYD that docked in Melbourne on Sunday carrying 5000 vehicles has been described by an analyst as a "turning point" in the electrification of Australian road transport · Israeli troops have captured a strategic mountain topped with a Crusader-built castle in southern Lebanon in their deepest incursion into the country in 26 years, the military says.

A quote from Niccolò Machiavelli

"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him."

Remind you of anything?

wednesday newstrip

Forty-two US aircraft have been lost or damaged in the Iran war according to a congressional report · a bomb scare plunged a Melbourne Airport into lockdown for several hours & forced flight cancellations on Thursday morning after a suspicious package was flagged by security. The package was later confirmed to be a laser hair removal device & a cylindrical cardboard hot chocolate container · the United States has brought murder charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro, in a major escalation of the T.®ump administration’s campaign against the country’s government · Israel's ambassador to Australia hauled in for a "please explain" after the country's national security minister posted a video of himself berating detained pro-Palestine activists · Elongated Muskrat's X Corp ordered to pay $750,000 after admitting it contravened Australian child protection request · 'Get-out-of-jail-free card': T.®ump lawsuit deal bars tax probes against him or his family — forever.

wednesday newstrip

Residents in a sleepy North Carolina town are at war after a nature-loving couple encouraged hundreds of vultures to roost on their roof, causing chaos on the streets · $1.5b T.®ump Tower deal on Gold Coast scrapped, developer says. "Let's just say that with the Iran war & everything else, the T.®ump brand was increasingly toxic in Australia," he added · 'Authentic follower of Christ' pleads guilty to stealing $140M from MAGA donors · NotJustAnyahoo signals possible US-Israel ground mission in Iran · DOJ seeks death penalty over killing of Israeli embassy staffers · secret documents reveal preferred Australian nuclear submarine base – & warn it could be a military target · a bride says her dream wedding turned into 'a day from hell' after the Philadelphia coordinator she paid more than $6,000 to handle everything from catering to decorations allegedly failed to deliver & never refunded her money.

wednesday newstrip

Verdict is in on T.®ump’s America: Voters say nation going 'all the way to hell' · Danish rightwing leader asked to form government after the Social Democrats fail to form coalition · an explosive report states Israel operated a clandestine military outpost on Iraqi soil without permission, bombed local troops who found it, resulting in the death of a soldier · the US President went on one of his infamous posting sprees to share images of sinking ships in Iran, explosions & a UFC fight on the White House front lawn. In one image, captioned ‘Bye Bye, Drones,’ an AI image showed an American warship blasting Iranian drones out of the sky with lasers. Another showed Iranian drones dropping like butterflies into the ocean, with images of actual blue butterflies next to it. It appears the President got the phrase ‘dropping like flies’ mixed up with butterflies · when MarkTwayne Mullet attempted to install his personal pick to lead Immigration & Customs Enforcement inside the Department of Homeland Security, the White House shot it down immediately · a trespasser died after he was sucked into a plane’s engine as it prepared to take off, Denver International Airport authorities said.

From the archives

Homeland Security

Certain words are flagged
for recognition. The surrounding
passages on the endless
monitoring tapes are
isolated & extracted, sent past
voice recognition software,
digitalised for immediate
interpretation of permutations
& association. Names, times,
places. More words to add. This
is no brief history of the world
but a paranoic infinite
dictionary. By themselves
the words are meaningless.
Meaning is added later. “I am
going to the shops” is sufficent
reason for assassination. 

Included on the video: Mark Young reads at the NZEPC 3rd Birthday Gala in 2004.

First published on Pelican Dreaming as "Caught on Tape," June 7, 2004.
Included in episodes, xPressed, Espoo, Finland, 2006. 
Also included in Pelican Dreaming: Selected Poems 1959-2008, selected & introduced  
                    by Thomas Fink,Meritage Press, California, U.S.A., 2008.

now out from Sandy Press

Mark Young
synecdoche
Sandy Press
url: Amazon
available in paperback ($US10.00) & Kindle ($US5.00)

Immersed in the speech acts of the "inescapable maelstrom" that characterizes "this rapidly evolving digital land-/ scape," Mark Young is equally focused on the "censorship-industrial complex" of burgeoning "law & ordure" fascisms. The riotous poetry of synecdoche displays Young wielding his "wizard’s mojo" to deepen our awareness of "risible inanity," "semantic non-sequiturs," "battle[s] of concepts," and "invented amulets." — Thomas Fink

Coincidentally, I read Mark Young’s synecdoche while in the midst of moving to a new house. And I noticed a relationship between the poems and contents that I unpacked. I chose boxes to unpack at random so that what surfaces from one box would not necessarily relate to what surfaces from the next box, and so on. Narratively, such, too, would seem to be the case with the poems; at one point I wondered whether the order of the poems mattered since the references are so diverse: a beggar, the pith of sugar cane, a wizard’s mojo, Margot Robbie, licorice, math...

But just as my boxes’ contents reflect me as their owner-packer, these wide-ranging poems share a common (and ambitious) interest: the entirety of existence. Poems are minimalistic snapshots of their concerns so that each poem is just a part of a larger something (perfectly exemplified by the poems whose titles are complete poems in the hay(na)ku form but whose text bodies flesh out the titular themes). Each poem reminds of a larger—immense!—truth: humanity is a shared condition. It’s a worthwhile reminder given these, our, troubled times. — Eileen R. Tabios

In synecdoche Mark Young displays the gamut of what shorter poems can do—including realistic sketches, clever realizations, and linguistic sleights-of-mind. It’s like an orchestra, and Mark is a master of every instrument. Like an amazing radio dial, whatever page/station you turn to, you’ll find something you can hum along with. — dan raphael

With his signature confident spark of higher-order humor in synecdoche, Mark Young presents an ironic reality as he slips off the cloak around the putative whole, greater than the sum of its parts and observes that the parts themselves, in their granularity and uniqueness, may in fact transcend the whole. He states, “Decompose the outline / of complex parts” before ushering in the question “But why can I see only the ingredients?” The book is replete with delicious linguistic wit, as in “Random / noises from / the vowel house” as Young wild-rides us through a series of near homophones, “ballet,” “bullet,” “belet,” “billet,” and “bull at a gate,” yielding an array of sharply different signals. These bright, clipped spurts of compressed language play their part in a leaping-off point toward an endless imaginative prowess reflecting Mark Young’s marvelous capability to re-envision the world. Apt social commentary abounds, notably in the poem “Trapezoid lunch pails,” where we hear “Now all I need is / a sports car with a big enough boot / to keep a mid-life crisis in.” Warning: The mind of Mark Young is sterling, fluid, smart, and thus addictive. As always, highly recommended. — Sheila E. Murphy

wednesday newstrip

Australian activist says crew of Gaza-bound aid flotilla was beaten by Israeli sailors · US Defense Secretary Putrid Hogsbreath has ordered the withdrawal of about 5,000 troops from Germany within the next year, the Pentagon said on Friday · T.®ump claims hostilities have ended in Iran in letter to congressional leaders. Tells Congress ceasefire means he does not need their approval for Iran war · Tasmanian capital records its hottest day in May, breaking 144-year-old record. The city hit 26.9 degrees just after 3pm, more than 12 degrees above its average May maximum of 14.6 degrees · Pope names Catholic priest who criticized T.®ump as new bishop of West Virginia · Republicans are facing a perfect storm heading into November's midterms, with new polling revealing that white voters — a demographic the party has relied upon for decades — are defecting in significant numbers & favoring Democratic control of Congress · Israeli military bulldoze Catholic convent buildings in Lebanon border village.

wednesday newstrip

Multiple scientists who serve on an independent board established to guide the nation’s nearly $9 billion basic science funding agency were terminated from their positions last Friday by President DoNuts T.®ump · right-wing activists ejected from Canberra Anzac ceremony for heckling during indigenous welcome to country. Similar scenes occurred in other Australian cities · when his ratings are down, suddenly there's a shooter nearby. DoNuts T.®ump evacuated from White House correspondents' dinner after suspected shooter apprehended · former Georgia Congressman & conspiracy kook Marjorie Taylor Greene is the latest high-profile political leader in the United States to raise questions about the official story regarding the 2024 assassination attempt against Donald Trump · NotJustAnyYahoo orders army to 'vigorously attack' Hezbollah in Lebanon · Royal aides rush to 'T.®ump-proof' King Charles' US state visit to prevent 'unpleasant surprises.'

wednesday newstrip

'Looksmaxxing' influencer Clavicular breaks silence after suspected overdose during livestream · Katy Perry being investigated by Victoria Police over Ruby Rose sex assault claim · Saudi PIF 'on the verge' of cutting LIV Golf funding · he exposed corruption & walked across Hungary. Now Péter Magyar has defeated a powerful state machine · YouTube has removed a channel belonging to a pro-Iran group producing AI videos that ridicule US President DoNuts T.®ump · Energy Minister Chris Bowen has warned an out-of-control blaze at an oil refinery in Geelong may impact domestic petrol production for some time. The Viva Energy facility is one of only two operational refineries in Australia · the White House has broken their silence on the disturbing string of deaths & disappearances involving scientists with knowledge of America's biggest nuclear secrets · FIFA World Cup fans set for $150 train tickets for 15 minute trip from New York to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Normal price is $12.90 · the Strait of Hormuz has reopened. & closed again.

recently, at Series Magritte

Le Cicérone (1948)
The temperance advocates come
knocking at my door but I haven't
had a drink for days. Nor do I
feel like one. Sorry to disappoint.

The pentecostal proselytizers pause
in the pathway. I instantly recog-
nize the pairing, can see more pairs 
over their shoulders, say no thanks 

politely to them before they have a
chance to open their mouths. & they, 
inured to rejection, offer their equally 
polite blessings & walk quietly away. 

Then the politicians, the outliers only — 
independents who seek to save the
planet; or those far to the right, want-
ing to stop immigration or gender e-


quality or renewable energy sources. 
The mainstream parties mainly leave 
us alone. Impersonal. Letterbox drops 
& billboards. Polling booth handouts.

In the early evening the cicerone comes
calling. Said: "Saw you had a lot of
visitors today, thought you might like
to know their antecedents. What drives

them, what is behind their focus on a
singular cause whether it be bigotry 
or hope or a need for an answer as to 
why the world turned out the way it

has, & how it might be rearranged to
match their vision of it." "Come in" I
said "& get comfortabable. Will make
you a coffee. Going to be a long night."

wednesday newstrip

'No Deal'— Bitcoin braces for crash after fruitless DeeJay Vance Iran talks · 'Communist cult' is pushing 'insane' climate change agenda · Iran war forces small Australian supermarkets to lower margins as suppliers, farmers pass on rising costs · what was Artemis II really about? · Cameron Diaz asks guests to "change [their] clothes" before they set foot into her luxurious New York City apartment · iPhone Fold’s crease-less display longevity claims will be scrutinized as OPPO Find N6’s real-world use exposes its exaggerated marketing · Melania adviser reveals why she gave Jeffrey Epstein statement · Chernobyl organism raises new questions in radiation biology · eligible US men will be automatically registered for military draft pool beginning in December.

wednesday newstrip

US Defense Secretary Putrid Hogsbreath asks US Army chief to step down as Iran war grinds on · 'payment expected within seven days:' New Zealand doctor invoices US embassy for rising petrol costs · Hogsbreath lifts ban on service members carrying personal firearms on base · fuel crisis driving some Australian farmers to consider abandoning harvests · Pam Bondi beached as Attorney General · Artemis II marks NASA’s new moon age, wrapped in patriotism & global promise · T.®ump slaps 100pc tariffs on Australian drugs — with exceptions · Jason Momoa, Taika Waititi, & Cliff Curtis buy Auckland's Studio West in major screen industry deal · 'a litany of lies:' T.®ump’s rambling primetime Iran address sparks backlash · judge dismisses most of Blake Lively's claims in harassment lawsuit against Justin Baldoni · Married At First Sight Australia 2026 recap - episode 31: wife snaps: 'Ya cousin wants to fuck me!'

freight

a.k.a. Wait until this starts happening more & more often, Donald.

"…and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on."

W.H.Auden: Musée des Beaux Arts

(photo from TIME's best pictures of 2005)

main text originally posted to Pelican Dreaming, 12/21/2005, in the time of George W. Bush.

wednesday newstrip

T.®ump breaks military recruitment vows as he arrests & deports veterans · moments before President T.®ump announced that talks with Iran were going well & that he would not make good on his threat to bomb one of their civilian power plants, someone dropped about $580 million in the oil futures market · T.®ump administration to pay French company $1B to walk away from US offshore wind leases · over 500 service stations in Australia have run out of petrol or diesel · Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of former podcaster & now FBI head Krash Pastel, accused the anti-war enclave of MAGA of being under the influence of foreign nations, notably Russia, on X · DoNuts T.®ump's wife & youngest son have been caught voting by mail in Florida despite the president's ongoing campaign to ban vote-by-mail · a 20-year-old woman has been convicted on a graffiti charge for sticking googly eyes on a famous sculpture in South Australia.

SuperT.®ump; aka wednesday newstrip

T.®ump threatens to put ICE agents in airport security unless Democrats end shutdown · TACO time again. T.®ump gave Iran 48-hour deadline to open Strait of Hormuz & then decided not to proceed · is anyone as ill-suited for great office as Donald T.®ump? Yes, Pete Hogsbreath – that's why Potus likes him · T.®ump & NotJustanYahoo have formed a convenient coalition, but clear divisions are emerging · 'Good, I'm glad he's dead': T.®ump responds to death of ex-FBI chief Robert Mueller, who led T.®ump-Russia investigation · T.®ump's Iran War drive exposes limits of "Yes, Sir" Cabinet · Underground Railroad museum sues T.®ump administration alleging it canceled grant on the basis of race · T.®ump’s shameless corruption is not a deviation from American history but its fulfilment · with casino empire gone, T.®ump family bets on prediction markets · DoNuts T.®ump set to feature on gold coin to celebrate 250 years of U.S. Independence, only the second time a living President has featured on a coin · T.®ump’s profiteering hits $4 Billion.

wednesday newstrip

Marco Rubicon mocked for wearing oversized shoes after DoNuts T.®ump reportedly gifts allies $145 footwear they're too afraid not to wear · Atlassian billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has slashed more than 1,600 jobs as artificial intelligence reshapes the workforce · South Australian Liberal Party candidate says 'same-sex marriage is not real' & 'feminism is demonic' · White House adviser James Blair privately urged House Republicans to stop promoting the 'mass deportations' of illegal migrants, according to a report from Axios · new report on Wednesday revealed that more American service members were left with serious injuries — including brain trauma, burns, shrapnel wounds, & at least one person requiring a limb amputation — than the T.®ump administration initially reported following a targeted Iranian drone attack in Kuwait that left six troops dead · T.®ump pulled mine-sweepers from Middle East before Iran war · Sydney designer Katie Perry wins court case against pop star Katy Perry.

wednesday newstrip

On T.®ump’s gilded stage, history has no worth – even if he understood it · India defends sheltering Iran ship 'caught on wrong side of events' · Multicultural Affairs Minister Dr. Anne Aly warns Australia must not 'abandon' people vulnerable to radicalisation · in a startling theory the Ark of the Covenant may lie thousands of miles away in one of the most remote places on Earth, buried deep in the jungles of the Solomon Islands · the U.S. military said Friday it carried out targeted operations alongside Ecuadorian forces against "Designated Terrorist Organizations" in Ecuador · a longtime conservation advocate warned on Saturday that President DoNuts T.®ump’s recent park policies will likely take a toll on an innocent party — Yosemite Park wildlife bears · DHS deports six-year-old deaf boy after preventing him receiving his hearing aid, lawyer says · the Australian government is considering offering military support to assist Gulf nations facing strikes from Iran, but will not participate in any ground troop deployment into Iran, the foreign minister, Penny Wong, has said · 'Thin skinned little boy': critics pounce as T.®ump declares 'we've already won' Iran war.

Iran girls’ school targeting likely 'deliberate'

Al Jazeera investigation raises questions over deadliest single attack of war on Iran that killed 165 schoolgirls & staff.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/3/questions-over-minab-girls-school-strike-as-israel-us-deny-involvement

wednesday newstrip

"The problem is that Israel is in love with assassinations … & we never learn that it is not the solution. We have killed all the leaders of Hamas. They are still there. It’s the same with Hezbollah. The leaders are always replaced:" Israeli analyst · supporting 'illegal aggression' against Iran 'the worst thing' Australia could do, international law experts say · death toll in Israeli strike on southern Iran girls’ elementary school rises to 165 · T.®ump says Iran operation could take "four weeks or less" · at least 22 people were killed & more than 120 wounded in clashes with police on Sunday in Pakistan after protesters supporting Iran tried to storm the U.S. Consulate · 'we voted for America First & ZERO wars': T.®ump's Iran strike sparks backlash from MAGA base · "Away I ran!" said T.®ump.

also from the archives

a found de Saussure hay(na)ku

from the archives

de Saussure

stands up in the 
audience to point out
that the fact that
Britney Spears was
cleared in the dog 
abuse scandal
negates its nomination
for the MTV award
of arbitrary linguistic
sign. Derrida, who's
presenting the award,
agrees, since it's
become apparent that
the limit of representation 
based on signified-
signifier dichotomy 
has been reached. But, he
continues, an arbitrary 
sign can make playing
with substitutes
possible. He tells Britney
to continue towards
the stage & calls
upon Fed-Ex to
join her, saying that the
second nomination, a 
complaint lodged with DCFS 
involving allegations of 
poor dental hygiene, as 
well as poor eating & 
sleeping habits for their 
kids, still qualifies, if only
to remind the viewing
audience of the lack 
of access of many of the 
world's poor to clean water.

11.24.2008

wednesday newstrip

T.®ump wants federal agencies to release files on UFOs & extraterrestrials. Other people remain content with ancestry.com · then Prince Andrew’s Met protection officers ‘told to guard party hosted by Epstein’ · Arab & Islamic countries jointly condemned remarks by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who suggested Israel had a biblical right to a vast swath of the Middle East · UK government considering removing former prince from the line of succession · Australians have vowed to boycott The Coffee Club after its director called for tougher immigration policies, despite being the son of Greek migrants · British nuclear-powered attack sub HMS Anson arrives in Perth for training exercises · urgent health warning after 1700 toxic alkaloid poppy plants stolen from secret farm in Australia. Unlike regular opioid poppies, which contain sedative opiates like morphine & codeine, the alkaloid variety contains life-threatening thebaine & oripavine at dangerously high concentrations · T.®ump said on Saturday that he wants a global tariff of 15 per cent, up from 10 per cent he had announced a day earlier after the US Supreme Court struck down many of the far-reaching taxes on imports that he had imposed over the last year.

wednesday newstrip

"Cartel drone" incursion sparks El Paso shutdown. Turned out to be four mylar party balloons · White House fires federal prosecutor just five hours after his swearing in because the President had not appointed him. "Judges don’t pick U.S. Attorneys, @POTUS does" · Australian Liberal Party ousts its first woman leader, replaces her with a man described as the "best-qualified idiot they’ve ever met" · Kristi NoeminKnucklehead had Coast Guard pilot fired for leaving her blanket on a plane · Olympic Village in crisis as condoms run out · the freshly minted Liberal leader has doubled down on plans for a hardline immigration policy, pledging to cut migrant numbers & focus on those who reject Australian values · new poll says Bad Bunny represents America better than DoNuts T.®ump · Palestinians say Israel's new plans for the West Bank kill statehood hopes.

À / la recherche / du temps perdu

A couple of tracks I heard the other day in the background on YouTube, which came up quite close together, were a poignant reminder of how different things were before the reign of the gilded sTrumpet.

wednesday newstrip

Man, 24, sparks evacuation at French hospital after doctors find 8ins-long live WW1 artillery shell in his rectum · more than 50 reptiles, including a cobra & a 1.3-meter crocodile, were seized when police discovered a makeshift zoo during an alleged drug bust near Kempsey on the NSW Mid North Coast · be 'prudent' about supplying arms to Taiwan, Xi tells T.®ump in call · shadow Arts Minister Chris Rath called for the funding of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras to be reviewed, accusing it of being "hijacked by left-wing extremists" · Democrat victory in Republican stronghold in Texas could spell trouble for T.®ump · one of the world's largest scam compounds, complete with fake Australian Federal Police offices & workers wearing counterfeit uniforms to rip off Aussies out of millions, has been uncovered in Cambodia · 'farmers have not received a dime' of aid from T.®ump: rancher · World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) flags possible investigation of 'penis injecting' in men’s ski jumping event at Winter Olympics.

wednesday newstrip

Melania T.®ump has been mocked for selling popcorn buckets alongside the release of her controversial biopic. The Melania popcorn bucket is available to purchase for $12.99 at select theaters showing the documentary · a huge bush rave held in a state forest in Victoria has been shut down by authorities amid a crackdown on illegal parties & events · DoNuts T.®ump won't turn up to Super Bowl: anything to do with Green Day & Bad Bunny? · Pam Bondi Beach sparks fury from onlookers with Don Lemon arrest comment · gold & silver prices plunged overnight after US President DoNuts T.®ump announced his nomination for the US Federal Reserve. In the latest market rout, more than $US15 trillion was wiped from the gold & silver price over 24 hours · relief on the horizon for south-east Australia after record heatwave delivers 50C · nurse loses license after refusing to anesthetize MAGA patients · of the five evening screenings of Melania taking place on its opening day at cinemas across Sydney, none have sold more than 16 tickets. One has sold just six.

wednesday newstrip

Border Patrol chief blames Democrats & journalists for Minneapolis chaos · 'No rizz': Gen Z T.®umpers are rejecting 'no charisma' Republicans · mega-wealthy residents in glamorous California enclave demand their neighbors pay millions to protect the only road leading to their mansions · thousands rally & hundreds of businesses close in protest against ICE presence in Minnesota · renewed call for councils to ban 'ugly trend' of using synthetic turf along nature strips & in new homes sweeping Australian suburbs · 'Get out now;' residents ordered to flee as Victoria tipped to hit record 49C · New Zealand’s house price crash is cause for celebration · Ted Cruz warned DoNuts T.®ump that he would face a 'bloodbath' in the November midterm elections if prices continued to rise, prompting the president to respond, 'fuck you, Ted' · Gregory Bovine has been removed from his role as Border Patrol 'commander at large' & will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon, according to a DHS official with knowledge of the change.

the more things change, the more . . .

The Palestinian death toll has risen to 821 people, and more than 3,300 have been injured since Israel began its offensive in the Gaza Strip two weeks ago.

A United Nations agency says nearly fifty percent of those killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip are women and children.

Ϋ

"But this is reality. You do your utmost to try and explain the difference between people aiming at women, children and babies in order to kill them because they are Israelis, and on the other hand – a democratic state trying to defend its citizens."

Dan Gillerman, retiring Israeli ambassador to the United Nations

Ϋ

"Many people in Israel call us traitors and war criminals because we talk about the war while it is still going on," said Teddy Katz of the Israeli peace group, Gush Shalom.

"But the truth is that this government ordered a criminal war."

Gush Shalom is one member of a coalition that held a news conference on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, to brief the media on peace camp positions.

Some speakers at the news conference focused on what they held to be Israel's real motives for the war - election success and, according to Katz, sanitising corrupt political reputations is also a factor.

Ϋ

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said senior Israeli military officials have confessed that there was no gunfire emanating from the school when it came under fire from one of its tanks.

Tel Aviv has attempted to justify its Jan 6 attack on the United Nations school as a response to "militant gunfire" and has released footage of the incident to substantiate its claims.

Gunness, however, asserted that the footage released by Israel dated back to 2007 and was not related to the current incident.

A post from gamma ways, january 10, 2009.

wednesday newstrip

'Europe will not be blackmailed': sweeping retaliation on the cards after T.®ump’s Greenland threats · life in Cuba is about to get harder as T.®ump threatens oil supply · Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was hammered by an immigration expert after falsely distorting DHS' own data on the criminal charges of detainees · T.®ump’s '‘Board of Peace' for Gaza to require $1 billion payment for permanent membership · Israel objects to US lineup of 'Gaza executive board', says the lineup runs contrary to Israeli policy · FBI Director Kash Patel has taken the unprecedented task of having agents comb through vast amounts of data at the agency in an effort to dig up dirt on opponents of President T.®ump · Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), a T.®ump-endorsed lawmaker & sitting member of the House Intelligence Committee – one of Congress’ most powerful oversight panels – was widely ridiculed over the weekend after railing against aircraft condensation – a common target of debunked conspiracy theories.

The Art of Conversation

In this split & drifting space, strange 
bonds are knit. In a landscape of batt-
ling giants or of the beginning of the 
world, two tiny persons are speaking.
The art of conversation consists in the 

exercise of two fine qualities — never 
interrupt any one who is speaking; &
overlook the deficiencies of others 
when conversing with them. Men, at 
last reduced to silence, commune with

the signification of things, allow them-
selves to be touched by enigmatic, in-
sistent words that come from elsewhere.
Words are not bound directly to other 
pictorial elements. They are merely in-

scriptions on blobs & shapes. But in 
this context, words do not replace mis-
sing objects, occupy no hollow spaces.
A lady of true refinement will always
give your words candid consideration.

Sources:
This Is Not a Pipe, by Michel Foucault
The Ladies’ Book of Etiquette (1860), by Florence Hartley

wednesday newstrip

Dozens of writers have pulled out of the Adelaide Writers' Week after it dropped a Palestinian author, Randa Abdel-Fattah, from the program due to "cultural sensitivities" following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack · a popular craft beer has been urgently pulled from Australian supermarket shelves over safety concerns, amid fears it could dangerously over-carbonate & create a 'bottle bomb' · five Indonesian fishermen have been jailed & three more charged after their vessel was spotted hidden among mangrove trees in the Northern Territory with an illegal catch of sea cucumbers on board · Elongated Muskrat’s AI tool Grok has been used to create sexually violent & explicit video content featuring women, according to new research · GTA 6 third delay fears won't go away despite positive leaks · research paves the way for safer colonoscopy bowel prep for people with compromised gut health · 'toughest conditions imaginable': Victorians urged to shelter inside from heatwave as tropical cyclone heads for Queensland.

The Withdrawal List

the 66 global organisations the US is leaving under Trump

31 United Nations organisations

Department of Economic and Social Affairs
UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) – Economic Commission for Africa
ECOSOC – Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
ECOSOC – Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
ECOSOC – Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
International Law Commission
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals
International Trade Centre
Office of the Special Adviser on Africa
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children in Armed Conflict
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict
Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
Peacebuilding Commission
Peacebuilding Fund
Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
UN Alliance of Civilizations
UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and 
     Forest Degradation in Developing Countries
UN Conference on Trade and Development
UN Democracy Fund
UN Energy
UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
UN Human Settlements Programme
UN Institute for Training and Research
UN Oceans
UN Population Fund
UN Register of Conventional Arms
UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination
UN System Staff College
UN Water
UN University.

35 non-UN organisations

24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact
Colombo Plan Council
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Education Cannot Wait
European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats
Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories
Freedom Online Coalition
Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund
Global Counterterrorism Forum
Global Forum on Cyber Expertise
Global Forum on Migration and Development
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals, and Sustainable Development
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property
International Cotton Advisory Committee
International Development Law Organization
International Energy Forum
International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law
International Lead and Zinc Study Group
International Renewable Energy Agency
International Solar Alliance
International Tropical Timber Organization
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Pan American Institute of Geography and History
Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation
Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships 
     in Asia
Regional Cooperation Council
Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
Science and Technology Center in Ukraine
Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme
Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.

wednesday newstrip

Imran Khan & wife handed 17-year jail terms in corruption case · images removed from Epstein files less than a day after being posted · 'We feel excluded': expensive tickets & T.®ump’s shadow dampen World Cup excitement in Mexico · judge accepts guilty pleas from Colorado funeral home owners for abuse of 191 corpses · DoNuts T.®ump admitted he's building the White House ballroom as a 'monument to myself because no one else will' · ICE reimagines Santa Claus as an armed immigration officer in controversial holiday ad · sister of Epstein victim reported him in 1996, but FBI failed to investigate, files reveal · Australia announces special honors list to recognize acts of bravery during the Bondi attack · Pam Bondi Beach’s approval rating plunges as she faces Epstein fallout · T.®ump's ego projects stem from childhood neglect: family member.

A poem from Donald J. Trump

I was sitting at the 
table. We had finished 
dinner. We're now 
having dessert. & we 
had the most beautiful 

piece of chocolate cake 
that you've ever seen, 
& President Xi was en-
joying it. & I was given 
the message from the 

generals that the ships 
are locked & loaded, 
what do you do? & we 
made a determination 
to do it, so the missiles 

were on the way. & I 
said, Mr. President, let 
me explain something to
you—this was during 
dessert—we've just fired 

59 missiles, all of which 
hit, by the way, unbeliev-
able, from, you know, 
hundreds of miles away, 
all of which hit. Amazing.


from: Circus Economies
gradient books, December 2017

A line from Donald J. Trump

The First Emperor of Qin
sported a striking headpiece of
human flesh as a show of his
glory. Teamed it with a figure-

hugging dress that some re-
porters thought was made from
bacon or, perhaps, prosciutto.
Scaly warts covered the few

exposed portions of his body.
I have sex dreams about random
people, he said. I will build a
great wall to keep them out.
from: the veil drops
Moria Books, March 2017

Ten years ago, at Series Magritte

             The Art of Living             



The orange people
used to be every-
where. Now only
a few scattered centers
are left. All small,
except, of course, for
Donald Trump, the
center of the universe,

with his swollen head
& disconnected brain.
The body transformed
by a business suit; but his
face still stained from the
clothes he wore before.
  

A stack of DoNuts to start the day

NotJustAnyahoo says his country will award US President DoNuts T.®ump its Israel Prize – the first time it will honor a non-Israeli · Boeing was given an $8.6 billion contract for the F-15 Israel Program, the Pentagon said after DoNuts T.®ump met NotJustAnyahoo in Florida · DoNuts T.®ump investors are among Wall Street’s biggest losers · DoNuts T.®ump says Washington has hit Venezuela "very hard," blowing up a "big facility that had been used to load drugs onto boats" · DoNuts T.®ump 'very angry' after Putain accuses Ukraine of attack on presidential home · DoNuts T.®ump says there will be "hell to pay" if Hamas does not disarm soon · DoNuts T.®ump warned Iran against reconstituting its nuclear program, saying the US would "knock the hell out of them" if it did · peace, power & profit — the logic behind DoNuts T.®ump’s dealmaking diplomacy · no one is standing in DoNuts T.®ump's way anymore. That offers a big lesson for Australia · Marjorie Taylor Greene says she was 'naïve' for believing DoNuts T.®ump is a man of the people.

wednesday newstrip

As the sun rose over the sand at Bondi on Friday morning, Rabbi Yosef Eichenblatt urged defiance in the face of terror. "They want us to be afraid," he said. "We need to be more joyful, more brave." Hanukah, he told those gathered on the beach, celebrates the victory of light over darkness. "We need to bring more light into the world … even in the darkest of times, we can always light a candle" · Pete Hogsbreath says young Americans 'too fat' & 'too dumb' to serve · a first look through the Epstein files reveals celebrity snaps, police notes, & a lot of Bill Clinton · T.®ump DOJ officials threatened with impeachment over Epstein file drop · Australia's illegal tobacco problem has made the proverbial transition from tragedy to farce. Illicit, excise-evading cigarettes now comprise half of the cancer-inducing products sold to Australia's 2.7 million smokers · a person infected with measles attended a community Christmas carol event while infectious, health authorities have revealed. It is the 58th confirmed measles case in Western Australia this year · US launches airstrikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria · amid the fierce debate around antisemitism, social cohesion, & political unity, it appeared symbolic that the principal resistor of an attack on a Jewish festival was an Arabic-speaking, Syrian-born Muslim. As the gunmen fired into the crowd, Ahmed al-Ahmed, unarmed but unhesitating, risked his life to save the lives of others unknown to him.

wednesday newstrip

DOJ says T.®ump using ASL interpreter could hurt his 'image' · a Border Patrol agent who allegedly threatened to shoot a bystander during an arrest in Chicago has been exposed for a history of extreme, racist, & hate-filled online posts · Elongated Muskrat had an ominous prediction about MAGA strategist Steve Bannonthebomb on Friday after a newly released batch of photos showed the former senior aide with the late financier & convicted child offender Jeffrey Epstein. "Only a matter of time before he goes back to prison." · new study exposes dangers of silicone baking molds · in a statement on Friday, the DOJ said it was suing Fulton County in Georgia, along with four states — Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, & Nevada — for voting records from the 2020 election. T.®ump lost in all of the localities that were sued · the U.S. claims 11 supercarriers—but nine more warships can launch jets, carry Marines, & fly F-35Bs · Taylor Swift reportedly gave out $197 million in bonuses to everyone who worked on the Eras Tour, including production staff & assistants, carpenters, dancers, & band members.

wednesday newstrip

T.®ump treats cabinet to stream of vitriol & untruths — but only when he’s awake · six people arrested on suspicion of deactivating fire alarms at Hong Kong fire apartment complex · High Court agrees to hear teenagers' challenge to Australia's under 16s social media ban · in its 2025 US National Security Strategy, the T.®ump administration praises the growing influence of what it calls "patriotic European parties", saying it gives "cause for great optimism" that the continent will be able to achieve a "revival of spirit" · The Kremlin has praised US President DoNuts T.®ump's new national security strategy, saying it is largely in line with Russia's views · condoms & contraceptives to become more expensive in China as Beijing accelerates push to lift birth rate · Signalgate report: Pete Hogsbreath jeopardized safety of US troops · T.®ump finally got his peace prize — from a soccer federation widely known for its corruption.

wednesday newstrip

Public libraries in Tennessee have begun to shut down as they carry out an order from state officials to remove children’s books containing LGBTQ+ themes or characters · T.®ump’s golf trips have cost taxpayers $71m since January & could eventually top staggering $300m across his full term, report says · climate activists stop three ships from entering world’s largest coal port in Newcastle, Australia · Israeli PM BeenJammin' Notjustanyahoo formally asks to be pardoned from corruption charges · Sydney police charge four men over alleged ‘international satanic child sex abuse material ring’ · death toll in Hong Kong blaze rises to 146 after more bodies found · a two-tiered cake & a groom-bride playlist for Australian Prime Minister's wedding.

wednesday newstrip

New Zealanders are leaving the country in record numbers, mainly to Australia, but the country still recorded a net migration gain in the 12 months to September 2025 · T.®ump calls Marjorie Taylor Greene resignation 'great news for the country' · Ukraine faces losing dignity or key partner under US plan, Zelensky says · U.S. senators say Marco Rubio told them Trump's Ukraine peace plan is Russia's 'wish list' · US drug dealer branded a killer by AI sues Google · at least 38 million tonnes of rubbish is disposed of illegally in England every year according to a UK parliamentary committee investigating "waste crime" · Virgin & Qantas to ban use of portable power banks after string of fires · a haunting 1940 self-portrait by famed Mexican artist Frida Kahlo sold Thursday for USD $54.7 million & became the top-selling work by any female artist at an auction · a Gustav Klimt portrait has sold for $236.4m, a record for a modern art piece.

recently at Series Magritte

Dialogue Revealed by the Wind



A wind, a cold wind has come
  Arthur Miller: The Crucible
"Nakedness has a way of showing
itself," she said. "If not the wind, then
some other act of nature. Though is it
natural that we should be standing
here, headless, legless, words that
usually describe some condition of
drunkeness? & is standing the right
word to use when we have nothing
left to really let us stand?" The other
two might have nodded in agree-
ment, had they not been beheaded 
& now had nothing left to nod with.

wednesday newstrip

AC/DC concert in Melbourne registered on earthquake detection equipment as the rock icons played their first concert in Australia in a decade · private emails written by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein claim US President DoNuts T.®ump knew about "the girls" & "spent hours" with a victim at his house · Sydney 'fortune-teller' allegedly ran $70m fraud by telling clients she saw a billionaire in their future · ratepayers in two regional councils will foot a $2 million bill to dispose of thousands of tonnes of contaminated organic waste in Western Australia's South West region · 'chaos situation' as potential asbestos exposure in colored sand closes Canberra schools · DNA proves Adolf Hitler may have had micropenis, one testicle · a free concert in Melbourne CBD by Amyl and the Sniffers, who are currently touring as the opening act on AC/DC's world tour. was canceled after overcrowding & safety concerns.

wednesday newstrip

Mexico’s president presses charges after street groping incident · feral pigs devour 99 out of every 100 lambs on a Central West NSW farm · lawmakers outraged that president is gilding White House as Snap food stamps in jeopardy amid longest US shutdown. Pity it wasn't the President who was gelded · a UPS cargo plane's left wing caught fire & its engine fell off moments before the aircraft crashed & exploded after take-off in Louisville, Kentucky · Typhoon Kalmaegi leaves 114 dead & 127 missing in Philippines · a bill that will allow the government to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation has passed the Australian parliament · Microsoft has began contacting more than 2.7 million Microsoft 365 Personal & Family subscribers in Australia to apologize & offer refunds after tech giant failed to communicate all subscription options & that subscribers could opt out of the AI option · American music star Jelly Roll accuses Sydney’s Louis Vuitton store of treating him 'like a criminal.'

Now out from Sandy Press

Just released from Sandy Press.

Mark Young
From the Cave's jukebox [Some more Tom Beckett Titles]
Sandy Press
ISBN: 979-8-9924582-6-8
Prices: $US 10.00 (paperback); $US6.00 (Kindle)
URL: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FZ2486MH

Rediscovered during Mark Young's trawling through past posts & pages while putting together an introduction to his 2024 compilation, 100 Titles From Tom Beckett, was another list of Beckett titles, this time a blog post containing sixteen titles that were later augmented by a further twelve to become a 'fragment' in his 2015 APPEARANCES; A NOVEL IN FRAGMENTS. Tom described them as "… titles of imaginary songs that appear on an imaginary jukebox in an imaginary bar called the Cave, a very special club house for the legendary performance art group Vaudeville without Organs."

A comment from Young on the blog post indicates that he had seen them; but, unlike earlier instances from 2003 onwards, had not acted on them. That just might have turned out to be a good thing; because instead of sixteen titles being dispersed amongst various collections, it is now possible to present all the poems derived from those songs on that imaginary jukebox in a single volume, From the Cave’s jukebox.

wednesday newstrip

Wealthy homeowners in the US are paying big bucks to install wasp nests as decor, according to the New York Times · T.®ump first warns Putain 'we have a nuclear submarine off your shore' after Russian cruise missile test, then makes 'immediate' nuclear weapons testing order two days later · Earth has reached its hottest temperature of the past 125,000 years, & its "vital signs" are being pushed to the brink, the 2025 State of the Climate Report has warned · Elongated Muskrat wants a trillion dollars or he'll leave Tesla · Australian Opposition Leader has defended her criticism of the prime minister, claiming a Joy Division T-shirt he wore when arriving back in Australia has antisemitic connotations · Dictionary.com reveals 6-7 as Word of the Year, capturing the chaos of 2025 internet culture · attracted to 'shiny' objects, children in Gaza mistake unexploded bombs for toys.

wednesday newstrip

Man challenges arrest for mocking DC troops with Darth Vader's theme song · T.®ump terminates trade talks with Canada claiming it ‘fraudulently’ used ad featuring Ronald Reagan speaking negatively about tariffs · MAGA lawmaker's lawsuit targeting Gavin Newsom hit with rejection by T.®ump's own appointee · billionaire Peter Thiel claims Greta Thunberg could be the Antichrist · popular podcasters are calling out T.®ump — will young men follow suit? · 80 per cent of Halloween toys in Australia fail safety tests, prompting warning to parents · satellite images show White House's East Wing has been demolished for Donald Trump's ballroom · AI models may be developing their own 'survival drive', researchers say.

My latest pdf

B A L A N C E
_____________
▲

is now available for downloading as the latest entry/output in/from Pat Nolan's marvelous Neo-Mimeo Editions. The URL is https://nuallainhousepublishers.com/2025/10/19/b-a-l-a-n-c-e/.

The full catalog, which is updated roughly once a week, can be found here.

the Woden's day sT.®umpet

Taco T.®ump cools on 'incredible' weapons for Zelensky in wake of Putain call · T.®ump commutes former Republican Congressman George Santos's federal fraud jail sentence · 'Arc de Trump': T.®ump unveils plans for new Washington, D.C. monument · T.®ump called for Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, to pardon Prime Minister Been Jammin' Notjustanyahoo, who has faced a years-long corruption case · T.®ump threatens to 'go in & kill' Hamas if killings in Gaza don't stop · T.®ump 'furious' over controversial Time magazine cover photo that’s sparked huge debate online · T.®ump insists 'I’m no King' with his fingers crossed behind his back as thousands of ‘No Kings’ protests set to take place across the country.

wednesday newstrip

'What a disgrace': T.®ump roasted for getting COVID jab while admin fans anti-vax flames · Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democratic rights in the country · ahead of the announcement, experts on the award had said DoNuts T.®ump would not win it as he is dismantling the international world order the Nobel committee cherishes · the Pope has condemned clickbait as a "degrading" part of journalism, at a private audience with global newswires · Neil Young has announced he is pulling his music from Amazon while condemning Jeff Bezos’ support of DoNuts T.®ump · Republican candidate for Virginia Governor says banning same-sex marriage isn’t discrimination · T.®ump announces AstraZeneca will offer discount drugs on ‘TrumpRx’ website · UNICEF recently estimated that, since the war began two years ago, on average 28 children a day have been killed in Gaza. That's the equivalent of a classroom of children a day killed · Israel carried out intense airstrikes on southern Lebanon early Saturday, killing one person, wounding seven & briefly cutting a highway that links Beirut with parts of south Lebanon, the Health Ministry said.

recently, at Series Magritte

La Clef de Songes






We dance. Either by
moon- or candlelight.

We dance, The snow be-
gins to fall. I put on my

bowler hat, you make sure
your shoes are on tight.

We dance, on the ceiling,
treat the snow as if it were

the sands of the desert &
we under acacia trees.

We dance until a thunder-
storm comes hammering

along. I eat an egg. You
drink a glass of water.

We dream.

wednesday newstrip

Endangered numbats stressed by over-eager nature photographers, authorities say · Australian investors asked: cash out, or hold gold, after fund hits 50% returns · one of two victims in Manchester synagogue attack may have been killed by a bullet fired by police · a senior T.®ump administration official has declared that suspected drug traffickers & their "deadly drugs have been turned into stardust" following the latest US military strike off Venezuela’s coast · responding to this latest lethal bombing, Amnesty International USA declared: "this is murder. The US government must be held accountable" · the proprietors of a popular Wellington cafe say they are devastated after being told their landlord, Sir Peter Jackson, has decided to close the business · Hamas agrees to some of T.®ump's plan but seeks negotiations · Pete Hogsbreath fires US Navy Chief of Staff.

wednesday newstrip

If you haven't heard of the Armenian-Cambodian conflict, that's okay, because neither has anyone else — other than President DoNuts T.®ump, who claims to have ended the supposedly brewing clash between two countries 4150 miles apart · White House replaces Biden portrait with photo of an autopen · University of South Dakota professor can’t be fired for calling Charlie Kirk a 'Nazi,' judge rules · the Secret Service is investigating what DoNuts T.®ump branded "triple sabotage" of his United Nations appearance after an escalator stopped working while he was on it, his teleprompter didn't work, & Melania said she couldn't hear his speech due to technical difficulties · first new Qantas Airbus jets come with one toilet for every 90 economy passengers · T.®ump said Jimmy Kimmel had 'no ratings.' A record number of viewers disagreed.

wednesday newstrip

T.®ump's own words: about 300 million Americans died from drug overdose deaths just last year. Population of the Untied States last year: 340.1 million. Estimated 2025 population: 347 million · Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, says UN commission of inquiry · a doctor in the UK who left a patient midway through an operation to have sex with a nurse is at "very low risk" of repeating his serious misconduct, a medical tribunal has ruled · the First Lady of France will have to prove she was born a woman in a U.S. court · Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will meet DoNuts T.®ump this week as Russia intensifies attacks · 'it’s slowly killing him:' Australian father-of-three battles extremely rare cadmium poisoning · US senator Ted Cruising for a Bruising, the Republican who leads oversight of the Federal Communications Commission, joined Democrats in criticizing FCC chair Brendan Carr’s recent threats against Disney & local broadcasters for airing Jimmy Kimmel Live! · T.®ump unveils $1,000,000 gold card for US residency.

wednesday newstrip

Groypers, Helldivers 2, Furries: what do the messages left by Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer actually mean? If the shell casings can be said to show an ideology of any kind, it is an ideology of “being terminally online” · conflict on Australian university campuses between staff & management as thousands are sacked & courses cut · DoNuts T.®ump says he is ready to impose sanctions on Russia — but only if NATO members agree do the same — as well as set massive tariffs on Russia's main ally, China · 'Celebrating murder': far-right protest in London turns violent as Elongated Muskrat blames the left for Charlie Kirk’s death · Australian Government makes $12bn downpayment on WA shipyard to help prepare it for Aukus nuclear submarine era · 'I waited years for a married man to leave his wife until I heard the famous three words' · Turning Point USA announces massive public memorial service for Charlie Kirk at Arizona football stadium. Seems like MAGA has decided it's found its first martyred saint.

wednesday newstrip

Anti-immigration protesters say Australia’s migration is at record highs — but the figures tell a different story · Jan. 6 rioters make demand for cash compensation after being emboldened by T.®ump pardons · leading world scholars claim Israel is committing genocide in Gaza · protesters keep getting arrested & released over rainbow chalk art at the Pulse shooting memorial crosswalk · Xi, Modi, & Putin meet in Beijing ahead of massive military parade in China. Kim Jong Un arrives to join them a day later in his bullet-proof train · a 'threat to lives & health:' nine ex-CDC heads gang up on RFK Jr. with a brutal op-ed in the New York Times · Epstein accusers urge T.®ump to release all case files after document dump reveals tens of thousands of pages already made public · Google confirms Gmail data breach warning is fake news · T.®ump has signed an executive order renaming the Defense Department, the Department of War.

wednesday newstrip

Federal appeals court rules that most of T.®ump's tariffs are illegal · RFK Jr. complains kids can't 'bring their guns' to school amid 'over-medicated nation' · 'Privacy Act violation?' T.®ump 'lapdog' Tinselly Gabbag ripped for exposing undercover agent · DOJ official tells right-wing host that gender-affirming care 'led to' mass shooting · T.®ump has canceled Kamala Harris's Secret Service protection, White House confirms · 'traumatic' wave of active-shooter hoaxes on campuses linked to right-wing extremist group · two firefighters battling Washington state’s biggest wildfire arrested by Border Patrol agents · Stephen Miller calls RFK Jr. a 'crown jewel' of T.®ump administration · two dead in Louisiana from flesh-eating bacteria after eating raw oysters.

wednesday newstrip

Five journalists among 20 dead in Israeli strike on Gaza hospital · UK police arrest protester over a ‘Plasticine Action’ T-shirt · there is concern immigrants in Australia could become "targets" of discrimination & hate over the weekend with nationwide rallies planned calling for an end to "mass immigration" · Australia Post has taken the extraordinary step of immediately suspending many forms of postage to the United States, as a T.®ump administration tariff on low-value parcels is due to come into effect within days · YouTube confirms AI alterations to Shorts, raising concerns among creators · judge unseals bombshell 'smear campaign' texts & emails in Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni case · 11-year-old New South Wales student crowned Little Miss Universe after pageant in Manila. She has been competing in beauty pageants since she was six · Texas Attorney General on Monday said that the vast majority of schools in the Lone Star State should still plan on displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms even after a federal judge ruled against it last week.

Another out-of-nowhere space filler

while I work on other things.

Seventy-six Trump boners
led the rigged charade.

How / wrong can / one man be?

 

wednesday newstrip

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi Beach suggested the "deep state" was to blame after a man was caught on video throwing a Subway sandwich at a federal officer · Australia's meth, cocaine, MDMA, & heroin consumption up by 34 per cent · Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich vows to resume illegal E1 development in occupied West Bank which would split the West Bank in two · T.®ump cold-called Norwegian minister to ask about Nobel Peace Prize · pro-MAGA host Gina Loudon accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of being "just as evil" as Russian President Vladimir Putain because he did not wear a suit during a visit to the White House earlier this year · Chris Hemsworth's fitness app lays off staff, closes Australian office in shift to US · JD Vance sparked outrage when his huge security convoy took up all of the disabled parking spaces at a posh Cotswolds farm shop.

wednesday newstrip

'Great friends' Australia, NZ vow closer defense ties · a 46-year-old decided to run bare-chested in the annual Sydney City2Surf, displaying the scars of her double mastectomy to break the stigma around choosing not to get breast reconstruction & to live without breasts · T.®ump secretly authorizes military action against Latin American cartels, NYT reports · Deputy Australian Prime Minister Marles insists Australia 'not supplying weapons to Israel' but critics argue 'parts of weapons are weapons' · tens of thousands protest in Israel over plan to escalate war on Gaza · London police arrest 466 people as pro-Palestinian protesters defy new law · DoNuts T.®ump has ordered the official White House portrait of former President Barack Obama to be relocated once again — this time to a "hidden" staircase out of view of visitors.

recently, at Series Magritte

L'éternité (2)

Dante, Christ, &
a wheel of butter
in the middle. I
doubt that any of
these would keep
me happy for
eternity, not unless
there was something 
else to go with them.

Though I must admit
I sense something 
miraculous in the
line-up. Given that
the two busts are
somewhat crusty
with age, how does
the butter manage
to stay so fresh?

wednesday newstrip

The Lamborghini Temerario revs to 10,000 and loves to slide · "this proves we’ve been lied to:" alien-like world discovered beneath Antarctica fuels explosive rift between scientists & truth-seekers · Koenigsegg Jesko attack drags supercharged Hayabusa, bike pops 140-mph wheelie for the win · radioactive wasp nest found at site where US once made nuclear bombs · an outraged Aussie has lashed out at the expensive prices at op shops, with many claiming they have ditched the charity stores for good & gone to Kmart or Target · Australia will recognize a Palestinian state, it is only a matter of when & how · New York mass shooter was targeting NFL offices — but took the wrong elevator · a world class website documenting New Zealand's history could be allowed to wither & die with cuts confirmed at the Ministry for Culture & Heritage.

from the archives

I am feeling my age, I am feeling / of an age. Watched I am curious – Yellow on public tv last night, Zabriskie Point on cable this morning. Saw them both on their first release, a couple of years apart, thirty five years ago. I am curious – Yellow in an "art cinema," Zabriskie Point, thanks to the success of Antonioni’s earlier Blowup, in general release.

Both polemics. Both so dated now. Strange fashion statements. Suits & talkfests in one, afros & action in the other. Yellow seems so stilted, redeemed only by the interview with Olof Palme (later assassinated), the brief clip of the always emotion-provoking Martin Luther King Jr. (also assassinated later) & a snippet of Yevtushenko reading "Babi Yar." Zabriskie Point is corny, saved only by its eclectic score & the beauty of Death Valley.

& yet both are illustrations of how we, at the time, thought we could change the world. That we didn’t succeed is painfully obvious as you read the papers, watch the news. Sometimes I think we didn’t go far enough, became content with having pushed the boundaries a little to provide a comfort zone. Pliable enough for a while, but now growing brittle, & under more threat than ever before.

11/29/2004

What part

of
     NO
don’t you
under-
stand? 

N?

No,
O.

fandangle

that’s
when he
ended up





     dancing
     with the
     gypsy girl.

wednesday newstrip

Breaks forbidden, food instead of pay: one-third of young Australian workers exploited by employers, study shows · Sesame Street’s Elmo X account overrun with offensive messages, hacker claims West Australian connection · DoNuts T.®ump says he has Club World Cup trophy & Chelsea was awarded replica · utilities urge people not to tip fats, oils or grease down drains — Sydney Water is making clear that includes milk · Queensland cotton farmer John Norman has been sentenced to 9.5 years in prison, with a three-year non-parole period, for his role in an $8.7 million water fraud · 'an insult:' Malaysians slam nomination of 'alpha-male' Nick Adams as US ambassador · the big, beautiful, orange one looks to be in solid shape. & we ain’t talking about the blow-hard in the White House. Bitcoin smashes to new high.

wednesday newstrip

According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics & Research, just 7 per cent of reported cases of sexual assault in the state in 2018, the most recent data set available, resulted in a conviction. Just 15 per cent of reported cases to police resulted in a criminal charge, meaning the vast majority of reports resulted in no charges · in deadly Texas floods, one town, Comfort, had what some didn't: a wailing warning siren. No one died in Comfort · Australian government & NotJustAnyahoo incite hysteria over murky "antisemitic" incident · Matt Cameron departs Pearl Jam after 27 years as drummer · US lobby groups urge tariff retaliation against Australia’s 'socialized medicine' · Russian courts issue 101 convictions of LGBTQ+ extremism · after eight weeks of trial & a week of deliberation, a supreme court jury found Victorian woman Erin Patterson guilty of three counts of murder & one of attempted murder after three guests died & one almost died after eating her homemade beef wellington lunch containing death cap mushrooms · 'brought terror to the community': Federal agents stormed MacArthur Park while kids were playing. Jimmy Webb was not amused.

wednesday fake newstrip

U.S. President DoNuts T.®ump said he would bomb Norway if he is not awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize · former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said, "If we elect T.®ump, we will be at war within six months" · at least twice in June, the president has wrongly claimed that the U.S. "brought in $88 billion" from tariffs in "two months" when the correct figure was closer to $40 billion · former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama has received a monthly payment of $122,000 from the General Services Administration since 2009 · mysterious sinkholes appeared in Lake Superior in June 2025 · authorities in Dayton, Ohio, fined & put on house arrest a 17-year-old high school student named Kameron Price for hacking into the city's traffic control system to make the stoplights sync up · Niagara Falls turned blood red for 10 minutes on the morning of June 22, 2025, the same day that the U.S. dropped "buster bombs" on Iran nuclear facilities · Dolly Parton announced her refusal to celebrate Pride Month.

the unrewarded followers

 

wednesday newstrip

NATO chief calls T.®ump 'daddy' · Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorneys end their defense case after only 20 minutes · RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel to review long-approved jabs for children · T.®ump says Iranian nuclear capabilites 'obliterated' despite comments to the contrary from UN watchdog · former Austalian P.M. ToeKnee AssBit tells rightwing Advance supporters that bequeathing money to group will 'protect' Australian values · Mississippi man who spent nearly 50 years on death row executed · Zohran Mamdani declares historic victory in New York City mayoral primary after Cuomo concedes · wealth of top 1% surges by over $52.4tn in the past 10 years – enough to end poverty 22 times over, Oxfam finds · 'Witch-hunt': T.®ump calls for cancellation of Notjustanyahoo’s corruption trial · Wagyu embryos, semen, & cattle recovered after alleged fraud in NSW · Venice protesters (& their inflatable crocodiles) claim victory as Jeff Bezos changes wedding venue.

After listening to the head of NATO fawning over Trump hay(na)ku

It's
time to
move to Mars.

wednesday newstrip

Pakistan to nominate DoNuts T.®ump for Nobel peace prize · the US has struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, joining Israel's air campaign · tech tycoon’s superyacht Bayesian hauled up from the seabed after last year's tragedy which is still puzzling experts · former Israeli negotiator says Beenjammin' Notjustanyahoo is leading DoNuts T.®ump 'by the nose' · Australian man left with $130,000 hospital bill after suffering stroke in Japan · at least eight people have been killed when a hot-air balloon carrying 21 passengers caught fire & plummeted to the ground in southern Brazil · Australian Health authority hands down lifetime ban for testosterone salesman whose conduct operating three online testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) clinics had "posed a risk to public safety" · chaos, violence, & war become the norm as the US empire collapses. The US is now the main agent of global chaos. How should Australia’s policymakers respond?

Middle East hay(na)ku

Remember
those "weapons
of mass destruction?"

wednesday newstrip

Bromance over: Muskrat accuses T.®ump of being in Epstein files. Tesla loses $152 billion in market cap · the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued a public health alert for a widely sold ground beef product due to possible contamination with E. coli · on June 5, at a Deutsche Bank conference in Paris, Procter & Gamble Chief Financial Officer Andre Schulten announced that it will be laying off up to 7000 employees within the next two years · 'Daily Show' host Jon Stewart railed White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt over her emblematic cross, which Stewart said "The more she lies, the bigger her cross gets. … It’s like some sort weird Pinocchio cross." The next day, the cross was gone · the US Supreme Court unanimously blocked a lawsuit filed by Mexico against American gun manufacturers · CNN doubles down that Israel did open fire at aid site despite denial of previous claims · 30 Hooters restaurants abruptly closed amid bankruptcy struggle.

wednesday newstrip

Did RFK Jr.’s crew use AI to write error-filled MAHA — Make America Healthy Again — report? · Police have recovered 365 pieces of stolen pounamu after intercepting a vehicle on the Jackson River in South Westland on Wednesday, following a tip-off from the public. Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio chairman Paul Madgwick thanked police, saying the theft of greenstone had been an ongoing issue in remote areas · Pete Hogsbreath calls on Asia to boost military spending in face of 'imminent' threat from China · Australia’s trade minister says T.®ump plan to double steel & aluminium tariffs to 50% 'not the act of a friend' · people hit by cars, run over, 7 cops hurt at 'incredibly reckless' street racer meet attended by 1000 people in Levin, New Zealand on the anniversary of an illegal gathering that turned violent a year ago & there had been rumors a crowd would return · Elongated Muskrat's farewell at the White House has been overshadowed by a black eye, problems at Tesla, & allegations of drug use · New Zealand Cabinet minister Chris Bishop says he should have kept his comments to himself after saying "what a load of crap" during a performance at Thursday night's Aotearoa Music Awards in Auckland.

wednesday newstrip

Disney dumps Venezuelan cast members as the 'House of Mouse' aligns with T.®ump · Australian OnlyFans star Annie Knight hospitalized after sleeping with 583 men in six hours · T.®ump falsely claims Australia being 'inundated' by white South Africans fleeing 'genocide' · court to decide if Tasmanian supermarket discriminated by not allowing alpaca service animal into store · played by Vladimir Putain, a 'weary' DoNuts T.®ump could walk away from Ukraine · Nine Perfect Strangers season two review – not even Nicole Kidman’s new wig makes this worth watching · pro-doping Enhanced Games to debut in Las Vegas with T.®ump Jr. backing · Kim Jong-un furious as North Korea warship partly 'crushed' in launch gone wrong.

Gut Plastic

plastic from a shearwater's stomach
photo: Neal Haddaway. Australian Broadcasting Corporation

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-15/birds-crunch-full-plastic-losing-war-waste/105221266

wednesday newstrip

Cannes bans red carpet nudity over celebrity craze for ‘the naked dress’ · stars frock up for exclusive party at Justin Hemmes’ Sydney harborside mansion with host's pregnant partner Madeline Holtznagel showing off her growing baby bump in a daring sheer dress complete with a thigh-high split · Charli XCX's hooded black naked dress totally frees the nip at the 2025 BRIT Awards · in a world of naked dresses, did Bianca Censori & Kanye West's 2025 Grammys stunt take it too far? · on Oscar's night, more celebrities tried the nearly naked look · Zoë Kravitz bares her butt cheeks in NSFW dress at Vanity Fair party · fashionistas bare all in 'cheeky' new trend: 'cracks as accessories' · there was no shortage of naked & barely-there dresses at the 2025 Met Gala · models bare butt cracks at Milan Fashion Week & style gurus are outraged: 'I do not want to live in that world.'

wednesday newstrip

Children may have been doused in petrol by their mother before triple fatal house fire in Toowoomba, Queensland · Denmark summons US diplomat over reports of increased intelligence gathering in Greenland · grandmother charged after two young grandsons found 'suffocated to death' in Coonabarabran, NSW · DoNuts T.®ump sparked widespread outrage Thursday by abruptly firing Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden with a two-sentence email sent by the White House's deputy director of presidential personnel. "The current #LibrarianOfCongress Carla Hayden is woke, anti-Trump, and promotes trans-ing kids," the conservative advocacy group, the American Accountability Foundation, said on its X account earlier on Thursday, just hours before the firing was made public. · police have seized what they say is more than half a billion dollars' worth of cocaine on a boat off the New South Wales Mid North Coast. Officers allege they found more than 1,000 bricks of cocaine, weighing just over a tonne in total · Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as brutal aid blockade threatens mass starvation reports the United Nations; The United States defended Israel on Wednesday at the International Court of Justice.

wednesday newstrip

A young Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer, who has yet to obtain his undergraduate degree, has been tasked with using artificial intelligence to rewrite the entire Department of Housing & Urban Development’s rules & regulations · Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Catholic Bishops are 'controlled by Satan' during social media meltdown · a video clip shows former National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, just two days before being fired, being left standing on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews as DoNuts T.®ump left for an event in Michigan · T.®ump has signed an executive order to open both US & international waters to deep-sea mining, ignoring a global treaty that controls the high seas · Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has reprised his misleading claims about vaccines, including that the measles jab contains cells from aborted foetuses, at the same time that the country is battling one of its worst outbreaks of the infection in 25 years.