The Mrdak Tim Tam.
Not in my wildest dreams. I venture out for couple of quiet ones with TOM, big darts match coming up (foreign devils) so, to me it all seemed reasonable; few pints, bit of practice, stumps and home for dinner in time to beat the dogs to it. Fat chance.
TOM ambles (as is his way) to the point – with full knowledge that this :-
happened when I was ‘down t’ pit’. Cunning bugger had waited – I needed to Shanghai a 15 to win my next pint; while he was taking his shot “been thinking” says he. “Oh aye”, say I : “yup,” says he – plunk, plunk, plunk as the arrows find their marks (nearly). “Mrdak – and the murky Machiavellians” says he. First of my three darts – spot on – treble 15; “maybe we have misjudged him”; dart two screams off into the wood work, hell I nearly missed the bloody wall. Deep breath – concentrate – shot three must count – ignore. “What if the three stooges ain’t his pick?” Dart three lost in space. The crafty sod smiled, took his shots and won the pints (all fair at the dartboard). Dutifully, I toddled off and got them in; “Explain” says I.
“Well, the fellah is clearly bright and has many attributes the IOS values”- a look – “you have conceded that point on many occasions”. Furry muff, I have, the man is very, very good at what he do. “So what? ” I gruffed. Intermission – half a dozen fellahin had meanwhile turned up, all thirsty, happy to sit down. Instant mini BRB gathering.
It was, to say the least an interesting discussion. Turned out it is all Bill Heffernan’s fault.
The ‘long suffering’ bit had started the P7 line of thought, for it was indeed true. Mrdak sits through every session, with astonishing patience. Seems the thing that got TOM thinking was the Q&A with Gallacher; Mrdak seamlessly, without notes, mumbles, fumbles, side-line assistance or taking a question on notice, satisfied Gallacher’s questions. It was well done. The curly bit in TOMs’ thinking was – “it must drive Mrdak nuts when fools like Beaker, Half-Wit and OST can’t, even with team support, emulate the Mrdak style”. TOM argues that MM can manage many briefs, a wide range of subjects, all manner of tricky questions and yet the heads of three departments regularly make tits of themselves. This we have all seen, the ducking, dissemination and the inability to answer questions without embarrassing faux pas and “have to take that on notice”. TOM’s final nugget was the response to Galacher’s question about taking ASA back into the department and the emphatic “No” response.
Well, it was a good discussion, unresolved. The Tim Tam award was unchallenged, unanimous; but a key to the TT cupboard was out of the question. The big questions left unanswered – did MM pick the three stooges? Or, does he just have to work with the material provided? Which leads to an interesting point, does he have to care? – provided the ‘Minister’ is covered, which means piddling on a lot of fires he didn’t start?
We will never know. Respect for a craftsman we can manage, but to play Poker or Chess with him, well, that is a whole new world. Anyway – the BRB verdict; it ain’t personal, he runs the three stooges – for weal or for woe, which puts him in harms way, as a natural target for industry frustration and fury. Plenty of that to share around.
Toot toot.
Not in my wildest dreams. I venture out for couple of quiet ones with TOM, big darts match coming up (foreign devils) so, to me it all seemed reasonable; few pints, bit of practice, stumps and home for dinner in time to beat the dogs to it. Fat chance.
TOM ambles (as is his way) to the point – with full knowledge that this :-
Quote:Cyber Tim Tam voted by the IOS as a token of respect…Bravo.
happened when I was ‘down t’ pit’. Cunning bugger had waited – I needed to Shanghai a 15 to win my next pint; while he was taking his shot “been thinking” says he. “Oh aye”, say I : “yup,” says he – plunk, plunk, plunk as the arrows find their marks (nearly). “Mrdak – and the murky Machiavellians” says he. First of my three darts – spot on – treble 15; “maybe we have misjudged him”; dart two screams off into the wood work, hell I nearly missed the bloody wall. Deep breath – concentrate – shot three must count – ignore. “What if the three stooges ain’t his pick?” Dart three lost in space. The crafty sod smiled, took his shots and won the pints (all fair at the dartboard). Dutifully, I toddled off and got them in; “Explain” says I.
“Well, the fellah is clearly bright and has many attributes the IOS values”- a look – “you have conceded that point on many occasions”. Furry muff, I have, the man is very, very good at what he do. “So what? ” I gruffed. Intermission – half a dozen fellahin had meanwhile turned up, all thirsty, happy to sit down. Instant mini BRB gathering.
It was, to say the least an interesting discussion. Turned out it is all Bill Heffernan’s fault.
Quote:CHAIR: I now welcome, all the way from Tasmania, Senator the Hon. Richard Colbeck, representing the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, and Mr Mike Mrdak, the long-suffering Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, and officers of the department. Minister Colbeck or Mr Mrdak, do you want to make an opening statement?
The ‘long suffering’ bit had started the P7 line of thought, for it was indeed true. Mrdak sits through every session, with astonishing patience. Seems the thing that got TOM thinking was the Q&A with Gallacher; Mrdak seamlessly, without notes, mumbles, fumbles, side-line assistance or taking a question on notice, satisfied Gallacher’s questions. It was well done. The curly bit in TOMs’ thinking was – “it must drive Mrdak nuts when fools like Beaker, Half-Wit and OST can’t, even with team support, emulate the Mrdak style”. TOM argues that MM can manage many briefs, a wide range of subjects, all manner of tricky questions and yet the heads of three departments regularly make tits of themselves. This we have all seen, the ducking, dissemination and the inability to answer questions without embarrassing faux pas and “have to take that on notice”. TOM’s final nugget was the response to Galacher’s question about taking ASA back into the department and the emphatic “No” response.
Well, it was a good discussion, unresolved. The Tim Tam award was unchallenged, unanimous; but a key to the TT cupboard was out of the question. The big questions left unanswered – did MM pick the three stooges? Or, does he just have to work with the material provided? Which leads to an interesting point, does he have to care? – provided the ‘Minister’ is covered, which means piddling on a lot of fires he didn’t start?
We will never know. Respect for a craftsman we can manage, but to play Poker or Chess with him, well, that is a whole new world. Anyway – the BRB verdict; it ain’t personal, he runs the three stooges – for weal or for woe, which puts him in harms way, as a natural target for industry frustration and fury. Plenty of that to share around.
Toot toot.