Brent Smedley

I know. I had to catch myself a few times to stop myself from saying it.

Today has been a great day for middle aged Tasmanian men who like to say “but it’s a different sort of heat down here”.

Both. Freshly grated nutmeg lifts French Toast to another level

Trent was absolutely front of mind when I was making that post. It almost seems like it’s too obvious for the worst person on the North West Coast to be their “high profile” candidate. I’d blocked Redgrave from my mind but he’s another serial ratbag that seems like a perfect fit. 2/2

I was literally interacting with someone yesterday saying that the bubble will burst on One Nations polling numbers when it shifts from a general support for her brand (concerning enough) to actual candidates in the local area who are likely to be made up of the usual recycled ratbags. 1/2

It’s been kind of terrifying to see my Gen X cohort get slowly radicalised over the last few years. It’s ended some friendships and based on what I see in my rural conservative Tasmania electorate the polling numbers don’t surprise me.

We elected some absolute randoms in that election and One Nation didn’t even get a look in on preferences. Once you go past support for One Nation as Pauline Hansons personal brand and they put up candidates we have to vote for the support collapses.

Before the last Tasmanian state election there was a surge in One Nations support to the point their polling number challenged the Greens. With 7 members per seat they stood a chance to win 2-4 seats. On polling day that support collapsed and they got zero. Even Lee Hanson couldn’t get a seat.

I’ve been teaching my son to drive for the last 18 months (it doesn’t stop once they get their P’s) and I’ve become a bit obsessed about teaching him to use mirrors. I even covered the screen in our car while he was practicing for his driving test. It’s a foundational skill.

Being hand reared means Penny is used to being handled and likes a cuddle.

Afternoon animal posting.

It’s snake season at home. First one I’ve seen at home for the year. He was curious but didn’t want to hang around.

I posted a lot to the pre Elon Twitter but when he took over I spent less time there and when this place started there wasn’t much to do here so imi kind of found other things to do.

It’s so nice hearing rain on the roof in summer when you rely on tank water. Our gutters have been broken and were fixed this week so it’s doubly nice hearing the tank fill up. Also finished harvest yesterday so it was also nice to get that finished before the rain.

Yes.

I said a few things. I don’t think sorry was one of them. We mutually agreed to rapidly go in opposite directions.

Trod on a tiger snake today while getting a site ready for harvest. It was a small one (about 80-100cm) long but it will definitely be over 1m by the time I get home and tell the story to my wife.

I propose changing how we say Shaun McVays surname to MikeVay and changing the name of the NFC West to the NFC Mike

Most of the people I’m speaking with are harvest casuals who I see once a year, have insecure employment and have generally voted Liberal. Since in last spoke to some of these people their views have lurched heavily to the right. It’s anecdotal but it’s a situation I keep encountering

I’m no expert on this but my gut is telling me that the current surge is just a protest but if the right policies aren’t put in place it could rapidly turn into a protest vote.

The base for the far right has struggled to poll more than 10% for well over a decade in Australia but is surging as high as 36% and my gut feeling based on conversations I’m having is the surge is coming from economically marginalised people. Mostly male and mostly older.

While the two sides that should have a common goal are pushed so far apart they can’t see eye to eye the status quo wins and continues its project of dismantling the very institutions the majority want and need working for them.

It’s all a response to economic policy. Rising inequality is pushing people one of two ways. Left into a policy driven democratic socialism space or right into a nostalgia driven area where the things that have changed can be blamed for the inequality (immigration, social change).

Woke up the pigs during their afternoon nap. This is Winnie’s “bed hair”.

Was out chipping thistles and looked up to see this view. Sometimes I almost take it for granted by but not today.

Penny

Penny and Dilly

Penny

Meet Penny. The newest addition to our menagerie.

Don’t see many fields of swedes grown these days. Last one I saw on a clients farm was 3 years ago.

Try and get a better vantage point. Photos taken an hour apart at West Ulverstone and Calder.

I admire them, love them but also curse them.

Pigs have worked out that they can push the float valve and flood the area around their trough to make mud. Orwell was right to have pigs as the evil protagonists in 1984 in that they will intelligently arrive at a solution that elegantly solves their problem but is destructive for everyone else.