September 13, 2003

HISSY MIKE

Reader CJ Newell sends a steamy letter to Mike Carlton:

Dear Mike,

I read in your article in the Sydney Morning Herald last Saturday that "The economy has juddered to dead slow, steam hissing from the radiator."

I was somewhat distressed to hear this, expecting that any minute I will be thrown out of a job, and the price of my house plummet, interest rates going through the roof etc.

But then, on the ultra-reliable ABC last night, they reported this:

MARK COLVIN: ... First it was a rise in business confidence, then consumer sentiment took off. Now, Australia is boasting its lowest jobless rate in 13 years.

It's been a week when every indicator, every survey, has pointed to an economy building up an impressive head of steam after a long period relatively in the doldrums. The creation of more than 80,000 new jobs last month has pushed the official jobless rate below six-per cent for the first time since January 1990. It now stands at 5.8 per cent.

So now I am confused. Is that steam really coming from the radiator, or is the boiler just about bursting?

Awaiting, but not expecting, an explanation,

I remain,

Your humble reader,

CJ Newell (Esq.)

Posted by Tim Blair at September 13, 2003 09:45 AM
Comments

Has anyone ever heard Mike Carlton being anything but a pessimist? Perhaps we should name him Carlton Bitter. He is good at 'funny voices' I guess.

Posted by: Gadfly at September 13, 2003 at 10:38 AM

Time and time again we risk making the fundamental mistake of LISTENING to ranters, idiots and lefties (often in the same column).

It is not a crime that people like Mike Carlton have nothing of importance to say or that they are embittered fools. Let them humiliate themselves daily on radio and weekly in print.

Just make sure that when important decisions are being made in your own life - you go out of your way to take no notice whatsoever of anything they have to say.

That is the wonderful thing about John Howard - 100% of trendy columnists and SMH Web diarists hate him. Former PM's and party leaders from his own party denounce him on the ABC. Former Quadrant editors can scarcely find words to express their outrage ..

But the sensible people of Australia keep on voting for him - three times and counting!

This is the encouraging thing about the Mike Carltons, Lynda Mottrams, John Shovelins of this world - they only have one vote and apparently none of the other voters out are listening to them.

So, rant on Mike you embittered fool - no-one's taking any notice of your self-indulgent wanking !

Posted by: The GOP Elephant at September 13, 2003 at 11:34 PM

Ewwwww! I hate Mike Carlton, I was so happy when 60 minutes didn't revew his contract.

Posted by: Jonny at September 14, 2003 at 06:55 AM

Good on you, GOP Elephant,a terrific response!

Mike Carlton is just a pompous ass, egotistical,pretentious and an intellectual light-weight. He'll get his come-uppance from Alan Jones in the next few months. Then after 2UE gives him the boot, no doubt we'll see him scurrying back to the ABC, that refuge for overpaid, underworked, failed mediocrities - like George Negus, Andrew Denton, etc. Maybe they'll find him a spot on the Glasshouse.

Posted by: Rob (No 1) at September 14, 2003 at 01:01 PM

At last a decent "fisking" of that bastard Carlton, I thought I was the only bloke in Oz who hated him.

Posted by: mike at September 14, 2003 at 06:20 PM

Rob,

Andrew Denton is really cool. He dumped a truckload of horse manuir on the driveway of the French Embassy in Canberra on national television, when they were testing nukes in the South Pacific.

Posted by: Jonny at September 15, 2003 at 09:49 AM

Well, Jonny, that was fine then, but what has he done since to justify the enormous salary we the taxpayers are forking out through the ABC?

The issue is : why does the ABC continue to employ these clapped-out celebrities in the name of "light entertainment"? Compare SBS which provides stimulating, thought-provoking, well-crafted information and news programs without the need for overpaid, vacuous, talking heads to front them.

Posted by: Rob (No.1) at September 15, 2003 at 06:14 PM