My Take on the Folau Nonsense

There are many things I am sick of. Being a grammar Nazi, that last sentence should probably read: 'There are many things of which I am sick'. Whatever. I'm a bloated mass of corn chips and red wine at the moment, so I might allow a preposition to end a sentence given the narrative voice of my blog.

The thing I am most sick of at the moment is really dumb-fuck politicians. Case in point: Lyle Shelton of the Queensland branch of the Conservatives. Here is his take on the Israel Folau shitfight, wherein his Rugby contract was torn up:

It would appear he is attempting to pin Israel's woes on the results of the same-sex marriage debate, which of course resulted in the legalisation of marriage between same-sex couples. Hey, Lyle, can you please explain to me how same-sex marriage had any influence on Folau's decision to flaunt and defy his contractual obligations with his employer (twice!)? You might want to get on eBay and see if you can buy some rosin in bulk, because you're going to need it for that reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallly long bow you're drawing.

I might have to type this slowly for Lyle, and other people who don't quite get it, but Israel's strife has nothing to do with free speech. As an aside, Australia does not have a constitutional right to free speech. For what it's worth, I do support - in principle - the man's right to have and express his opinion, but this stink has nothing to do with free speech. What it boils down to is a breach of contractual obligations, and Lyle, this country is governed by rule of law. I make that point also for the goofball who castigated me on the grounds Folau was merely doing God's work. Well, in his own mind, Folau probably IS doing God's work, and whoop-de-bloody-doo for that; let's hang out the bunting and fire up the barbie, and a few packets of primo bunny legs can be thrown on it. But getting back to rule of law, this is a secular notion, and we are not ruled by some omniscient invisible sky-wizard. Contacts are a legal document, hence subject to rule of law, and Folau has breached his by posting material on his social media that can be construed as homophobic, and a defiance of the standards his employer purports to espouse. I will say it again: he has signed a contract, which is a legally binding document, and he has breached it. Ergo, as per the terms of his contact, the employer had the right to sack him. Here's hoping he has wisely invested the absurd payment he received for the privilege of kicking a ball around.

It's a bit like the contract I signed to enable me to compete as a contestant for Mastermind Australia last week (you can watch me on 22 May 2019). I cannot divulge results of what I have seen, or been involved in filming-wise. So stop fucking asking me about it, those people who deride and sneer at this, and expect to be told. I can be a literary snob, a grammar elite, and plain sarcastic, but I will not be a scofflaw!

We are getting closer to a print and release date for the upcoming Howling on a Concrete Moon. I am  in discussions over cover art. All very exciting, and I am hoping people will buy it, because my two sons never stop eating (particularly the fourteen-year-old).