John Hunt’s Contribution.

On an overpass which props up the highway between my home and place of work, recently an adornment has been contributed.  I noticed it, not as a result of its ostentation, but of its newness, as this is a path I regularly tread and with which I am quite familiar.  On the pebbly texture of the overpass’s underside, in neat freehand, and black spraypack, now appear the words:

“JOHN HUNT IS A COWARD”

I spent several moments searching my memory for details of the actions which might have led to such an assessment before realising that, in so far as this message is concerned, John Hunt does not exist.  Nor does any particular or noteworthy act or omission which might be the source of such a reputation.  In this instance John Hunt is nothing more than a device to deliver a cryptic, succinct and uncomplimentary assessment of our current prime minister.

In a place where the usual standard for such public expression rarely develops beyond the [person] [verb] [bodily organ] [phone number] variety, or a meaningless monogram, this is a shining example of wit and understatement which lead to intrigue about the author and publisher. 

How unusually refreshing not to have the essence of the message delivered with a cold hard obscenity like a tumbler of cold vomit; but to have to tease out and explore the possibilities like a glass of good wine.

In the course of a colourless election campaign where vast resources are deployed ignoring the superficiality and sameness of the fare being hawked, this is an energising and colourful contribution. 

This is an example of public expression which contributes to, not detracts from, the character of a city, and on that basis – and in the hope that recognition of the merits of such positive contributions might diminish the proliferation of negative ones -  I congratulate the anonymous benefactor.

Cant figure this out.

That is most excellent Rosinante sahib, most very excellent indeed.

A tee shirt with the same message was observed at the TAP meeting of October 25th.

I mean to say that I cant figure out the meaning of the article?

In addition; I agree with Rosinante and suggest the item is treasure worth as much as blue poles and should be conserved. But what has it got to do with the article?

Between the cartoon and Rosinante, I figure the Old Nick Co doesn’t do such a bad job at its annual Theatre Royal bash after all.  Must think about booking a seat for the next show to see how they’re travelling these days.  The next show must be less trite than this

Can somebody tell me what this article is about; bitter pills, no sugar, no nutrition .... what does it all mean!!!!???

Cowards should be respected and not defamed by association. 

So I say John Coward isn’t a Hunt.

Can you not see Johnny’s face on the image and not think of all the bitter pills he had us swallow over the years?

GST, IR, Pauline, Tampa, WMDs, Brethren, Hicks, Haneef, Interest rates, Sorry, kids … any kids any place … do I need to go on?

And tell me that the man does not give you the shits?  I don’t care what Rudd does or does not do, he can not be any more dis genuine and deceiving than Howard and his government has been.  He has single handedly turned a country of “fair go” into a country of “fair game”.  Think of any aspect of your life and you should understand what I mean. 

Consider this.  I recently discovered that Skybus in Melbourne issues a refund on your bus ticket if you miss your flight, so at your next attempt to get to the airport on time you travel free.  And get this, this is not the result of the small print on your ticket about guaranteeing to get you there on time type gimmick.  They do this even if you missed your flight because of your own stupid fault.  They don’t ask why you missed the flight.  I have seen a driver chasing a customer with a new ticket because he realized that he has seen her on the bus on her way out to the airport.  You don’t have to ask for this, they tell you and the driver issues you the ticket on the spot.  No forms, no pleading, nothing, just a new free ticket.  A little bit of humility from a company of all places, just what you need when you missed a flight and you have no one but yourself to blame.

They should view missing a flight as a great opportunity to up sell and rip off in the process, not help out.  What are they thinking?  This is not normal!  Skybus must be going nuts.  You mean you get a fair go, for nothing?  Unbelievable. 

While their attitude used to be the typical Australian approach to everything in life some years gone by, not so long ago in just about every interaction, unfortunately this is now a glaring exception.  Tell me how many other similar attitudes do you encounter in every day life today?  Keep thinking, you might find one or two. 

So what, my point is still valid, the attitude no longer exists in this country as a whole.  We used to get this treatment everywhere all the time. And I mean everywhere, from parking inspectors to council officers to Politicians.  It is gone, and it has gone under Howard because he natured and grew the “me me me” generation for his own political survival into an overwhelming force flattening any sense of social foresight, responsibility or morality in the process. 

The impending downturn will expose him and his single mindedly populist leadership of our generation for having wasted a great opportunity to build on our common wealth and sense of nation.  That common wealth should not have been about driving a European car, make that two, and the number of Plasma TVs we must have, one for every room in the house.  The biggest irony of course is that he has managed to do all this damage while actually looking only backwards to the days when fair go was still real.  Go figure that.

We might have plenty of TVs to watch, but are we really richer for it individually and as a nation?  For me the 24th will be bitter sweet in deed.  I think I get it, what is there not to get?!

I have no more time for John Howard than most this place, however in my opinion the T.Shirts,“John Hunt is a coward”  say’s more about those who produced and wear them than it does about the prime Minister.

  I have seen no evidence for such and consider such actions themselves to be cowardly and in bad taste in the extreme.

                      d.d.

Whilst on bitter pill’s, this one’s hard to swallow ! how about Telstra boss “Sol Trojillo’s” salary being DOUBLED to $20.000,000 despite being voted down by the shareholders.
 
  Is no one accountable for these obscene excesses by the top end of town ?     
                  d.d.

I agree with dd and I recant my adoration of the item as a public art treasure. Such communication and creativity is okay among understanding people at a party with a modicum of discretion but in public it can be a seed for degredation and hurt.  I mean gergradation of the readers and those to whom they carry their response. Even the polititians, much as such is the lay of the land for them, shouldnt have to deal with such crassness.

I do though agree with the sentiment and have seen plenty of evidence.

But still I dont see what the article to which these responses attach is all about. Can anybody tell me please what the Bitter Pill is all about!!!???
mont

Mont ,look again at the face on the pill in the original post.
            d.d

Tks dd; with my specs on I can see that the face is probably John Hunt and there seem to be some words in there as well that I cannot discern: and there’s a barcode for some reason. It’s starting to look like a clever work.
ciao

How about -

Peter Garrett?

Get a Parrot!

I also don’t understand the sense of all it!