Cinema

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Gadfly 209 By Robert Macklin A fellow author – albeit of the fic on variety – had been urging me for weeks to check out the American series Succession, while I’d been trying to Vol 16 September 15th 2017 persuade him to watch Australia’s own Total Control. Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 I cracked first. I started watching the ghastly (but very engaging) yarn of a family headed by a horrible old bugger who has built a massive media conglomerate and the plo ng by his grown children to be ‘the one’ to run the show when he steps down or expires. Part of the a rac on was the similarity between the characters – all superbly acted – and a real-life family whose name escapes me for the moment. At the same me, I con nued to be u erly riveted by Total Control and could hardly wait ll Sunday evening came around to produce the next exci ng episode. It too was superbly acted, brilliantly wri en and directed. It was also inhabited by characters with some resemblance to real people. Succession felt a bit dated. While he wasn’t named, the US President of the day sounded like Donald Trump. By contrast, the Total Control writers and producers captured the prevailing poli cal ethos in Australia with a laser-like percep on. The coming elec on carries the very real possibility – as in the Series – that neither of the major par es will win a majority in their own right. That would make the cross-benchers the king makers. So while shows both deal with the quest for power, Succession is a vicious sa re where none of the contenders for the throne have a ‘policy’ that might benefit the cons tuency they would rule, be they employees or consumers. Put them all in costume and it could be the English Royal Court of the Middle Ages or the late Roman Empire. Total Control deals unabashedly with real issues that will be voted upon in the Federal poll – the role of women in the parliamentary process, the crea on of a federal ICAC, sexual harassment, cyber bullying and climate change. But here’s the stroke of genius that truly animates the series – by making the principal protagonist an Aboriginal woman, the whole context of the drama becomes the role of our Aboriginal history in today’s Australia. It’s never ar culated by any of the characters. It doesn’t have to be. Instead, it’s the genesis, the prime mover from which all the contending issues derive. When the second season ended in a terrific ac on sequence, the elec on is over but its outcome is le unresolved. Those pesky cross-benchers led by the magnificent Deborah Mailman, is bleeding from a knife a ack on her way to the Parliament as the newly elected Alex Irving, the Member for Freeman (ho-ho). They are about to vote in the vital division that will decide which party will take the Treasury benches. But that’s not the end of the story by any means. In fact, I would not be at all surprised if in Season 3, Alex finds her way into the Lodge itself. Either way, it marks a real leap forward in Australian television drama; as it does for Screen Canberra backed by the ACT Government which invested substan ally in its success. Meanwhile, Succession imploded in an extravaganza of fatuous melodrama where even my fellow author couldn’t decide which of the characters he disliked least. But big ques on remains: will the ABC fund that next season of Total Control? And if so, what comes first = the fic on or the even more exci ng reality of Elec on 2022 robert@robertmackin.com

Vol 16 September 15th 2017 Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018

Julie's Wish list!

Tis the season Plenty here for the sports buffs

Alison's Christmas picks: Smoky, spicy, science-y, silver-screeny stories to explore over the summer!

Reading—A beer with Baz “Wrap the laughing gear around that schooner, Mick. By gee, you hardly look full of Christmas cheer.” Mick rubbed his eyes and slowly li ed the schooner for a sip. “Well Bazza, I’ve just come from a couple of Christmas par es and I have been caught out re-gi ing…….big me.” Mick took in a breath and shook his head.

“You see, Bazza, up un l this Christmas it has worked a treat. I go to the work Christmas party and I know I will be given a bo le of top quality red wine by the boss. It is always nicely wrapped and presented. I then go to the second party and then give the bo le of red wine to a good friend. She is always impressed by the quality of the red wine and really appreciates the thought I put into the wrapping. It has worked well for the past ten years.”

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“No harm done, Mick. As my Mum would say ‘It’s the thought that counts.’” “Yeah yeah, Bazza but this year the boss went to the trouble of ge ng a personalised label made for the bo le acknowledging my ten years of loyal service. So Bazza, you can imagine the look on her face when she unwrapped it and finds out that not only have I been been a cheapskate this year, but for the past decade.” Bazza took a good sip and laughed. “Mick, there is an art to Christmas re-gi ing and it is all in the planning. Back in the day, it would necessitate a trip to the local Tip, preferably on Boxing Day. When I was a kid, you could pick up the latest K-TEL product that was being screamed at you from the TV adver sements. There were Fishin’ Magicians, Brush-O-Magics, Record Selectors or the Blitzhacker Food Chopper that all ended up at the dump soon a er Christmas. The trick was to keep it un l next year. I thought I was pre y lucky one year to find the K-TEL Bo le Cu er for Mum for the next Christmas. I had a set of new glasses made in no me from old Ben Ean wine bo les for Christmas lunch. However, her joy was soon overcome when she looked around the lunch table at bleeding mouths.” “You’re hardly cheering me up, Bazza.” “But Mick, I tried to make amends the next Christmas. You see, Mum had a set of Royal Doulton crockery kept under lock and key in the china cabinet. It was only ever used for very special guests. Unfortunately, the last me it was used I managed to break a plate, which le her quite devastated, because she claimed it was irreplaceable. Well Mick, the look of joy on her face when she unwrapped my gi of a single matching Royal Doulton plate made it a very happy gi giving.” “Good on you, Bazza. You were bloody lucky to find a single plate. They only sell them in sets.” “Ahhh…..a bit of ingenuity, Mick. It was all good un l she announced the local priest was going to relieve us of some Christmas lunch and we could use the now complete set of Royal Doulton as his presence marked a very special occasion. She was pre y ckled there would now be enough plates.” “I love a happy ending, Bazza.” “Not to be Mick, my decision to just wrap one of her exis ng Royal Doulton plates as a re-gi was found out a lot earlier than I envisaged when she set the table.” Bazza sighed. “I ended up ea ng my turkey off a paper plate.”

NAROOMA FERRY. – The Eurobodalla Shire Council has decided to run only a half hour service on the Narooma ferry. As a considerable number of motorists pass through this district, inconvenience will be caused by the long wait to which they will at mes be subjected. POLICE COURT. - At the local Police Court, before Mr. Shropshire, P.M., on Wednesday, two lads were each fined £1 and 8s costs for riotous behaviour. … Robert William Hilliars was granted a Sunday Trading License, and Ganesha Tabo a hawker’s license. … The Police v. Kea ng, for keeping inflammable liquid on his premises. Fined £3 and 8s costs. PARK TRUST. - … A request for a gate on the southern side of the Park to admit prams was considered, and the secretary, Mr. J. McKeon, was authorized to have the same erected, provided the structure was proof against the ingress or egress of ca le of any age. … The Secretary was also empowered to have the race track harrowed and otherwise improved where required. TH’ DROLLS. – This talented company will again appear in Moruya on Thursday, Dec. 29

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th. Mr. Bert Rache has engaged new ar sts including Ted Stanley, the favorite of all comedians in Australia, who has been eight years principle comedian on Harry Clay’s theatrical circuit. … Popular prices will be charged. Licensing Court. – Before the Licensing Bench on Wednesday, Arthur Thomas Cooper (Club House Hotel) and James Turnbull (Criterion Hotel) were granted renewals of their publican’s license. The ma er of transfer of Palace Hotel, Central Tilba, from L. W. Leslie to James Turnbull, was postponed. L. W. Adamson (Narooma) and M. Kea ng (Moruya) were granted a renewal of their billiard licenses. P. Lennard of Bodalla Arm Hotel, was granted a license for a publican’s booth at Bodalla races… NAROOMA MEMORIAL HALL. – The Under Secretary for Lands advises … in rela on to the request of Messrs. Hyland and O’Connor, Secretaries of the Soldiers’ Memorial Fund, that land adjoining the School of Arts (or Mechanics’ Ins tute) site at the place to be set apart for Soldiers’ Memorial Hall in conjunc on with the School of Arts, I have to inform you that survey and dedica on as an addi on to the Mechanics’ Ins tute site of the land desired have been completed, and the ques on of trustees is now being given a en on by the department. EUROBODALLA SHIRE. – Correspondence. … From T. F. Rutledge, M.L.A., re adult suffrage at Municipal and Shire elec ons. From C. H. Berriman asking permission to erect a fodder shed and fencing at Turlinjah. Permission granted, subject to the supervision of the Engineer. From P. Flynn, Moruya, asking permission to erect a latrine on property off Church Street. Referred to Sanitary Inspector to deal with. From James Foreman, asking permission to enclose the southern end of O on Street. Referred to Engineer for report. From Bateman’s Bay Progress Associa on, asking that a sanitary pan service be now installed. The Clerk was instructed to proceed with the preliminary work. Extracted from the Moruya Examiner by the Moruya and District Historical Society Inc. h ps:// www.mdhs.org.au

Dear Beagle Editor Today I a ended a mee ng arranged by council staff at one of the road access points to the 100 hectares Vol 16 September 15th 2017 plus of forest land, being primed for urban development, that backs the village of Dalmeny. Vol 28 December 7th, 2017 Vol 48 April 27th 2018 This 'walk through the forest' and ask ques ons of the 'consultants' ini a ve had been postponed since a week ago, as it was too rainy and wet to do so. No rain present today, and as it turned out, no 'consultants' either. No show from the G.M or any of others of the Execu ve Leadership Team. There were however two Divisional Managers, from the next er down of council management present. There were also two more staff from the engineering area, and two from the planning team. The task of introducing and leading the walk through the forest jaunt however, was le to one of the staff from the planning team, whose status was below the top three ers of management. The planned one hour allocated for the walking exercise, went by without one single step being taken from the ini al mee ng point by anyone. One of the planning team staff members as the 'Face of the Council Bureaucracy', faced a barrage of ques ons and some mes passionate comments from the assembled group of around 50 or so. She valiantly, in an always professional manner, tried to handle such ques ons, with the occasional assistance of the (mostly by-standing) more senior two Divisional Managers. I have genuine admira on for that staff member who was placed in a posi on, that she should have not been. A er about an hour and 15 minutes , well past the proposed end me of the whole exercise, a small group of the remaining residents, finally set off for a 10 minute stroll through a wee bit of the land due for clearing. I note that it takes me around an hour to give my dogs a decent walk that covers not even close to half of the boundary, with short excursions into the creeks and gullies, of this 100 hectares plus of forest/bush land. I trust anyone present may have some comments. If not my only contribu on to the gathering was to advise all, as I have done previously via The Beagle, was of the poten al awful environmental impact this development will have on the whole Mummaga Lake ecosystem. See below link: h ps://www.beagleweekly.com.au/post/mummaga-lake-what-isn-t-beingsaid Cheers. Pat McGinlay Above: The forest that is now to be felled and developed with an es mate of 200 or more houses in Lot 2 alone. Council currently have a Dra Coastal Estuary Management Plan for Moruya River, Mummaga Lake and Wagonga Inlet that is open for submissions un l 5 January 2022. The Dra Coastal Estuary Management Plan presented for submissions