Adelaide Crows Brett Burton AFL Mark of the Year 2009 Video
As a Victorian, i cant say that i have much love for the Adelaide Crows. But credit where it's due, the mark by Brett Burton in the Crows clash against Carlton must surely be the best of the year.
Its been overshadowed slightly by the Matthew Lloyd bump on Sewell which is a shame, but it will certainly stand the test of time. I have no doubt that this will be the mark of the year for 2009 so i'll give an early congratulations to Burton. Now, lets hope they dont progress in the finals...
Suspension? Essendon's Matthew Lloyd Knocks Out Hawthorn's Brad Sewell With Shoulder Bump to the Head - Video
Coming fresh after Lance Franklin's bump on Ben Cousins which saw Buddy rubbed out for two weeks, Matthew Lloyd looks set to be suspended for knocking out Hawthorn's Brad Sewell. This will be a significant decision by the AFL tribunal, given that Essendon are heading into a do or die final against Adelaide.
I would have to say that this hit is worse than the Franklin bump on Cousins, because it appears that Lloyd's shoulder is slightly raised. However, again like Cousins, Sewell didn't have control of the ball when Lloyd bumps him, which rules out the option of a tackle. And Sewell is slightly ducked. In saying that, it is almost a front on bump.
In my opinion, its worthy of a free kick. But a suspension? I'm not so sure. Have a look at the video, what do you think?
The Eulogy Speech Delivered at the Funeral of Senator Robert Kennedy by his brother Senator Ted Kennedy
Regardless of your political persuasion, there is little argument about the fact that the Kennedy family had a profound impact on world affairs in the 20th century. And think for a moment about Ted Kennedy - this is a guy who lost three older brothers in violent circumstances. It would be enough to make most of us give up - but he didn't.
The following video is part of the speech by Ted Kennedy at his brother Robert's funeral in 1968, some of which is an excerpt from a speech given by Robert in South Africa. Its a beautifully made movie.
Where are Police on Melbourne's Train Network to stop alcohol consumption?
There has been much talk in recent weeks about stopping the mindless street violence in Melbourne's CBD. There will be more police and a crack down on bars and clubs. But what about stopping these idiots in their tracks?
You aren't allowed to put your feet on seats on Melbourne's trains. If you do, you will be hit with a significant fine. And of course if you travel without a ticket, or if you have failed to validate it, get ready for a penalty of over $100.
But it seems that drinking alcohol on trains is well and truly OK. Anyone who uses the train network on a Friday or Saturday night will know exactly what i mean. Countless young people - guys and girls - drink openly and without fear. As a test, check out the bins or the ground on platforms of inner city stations. Cans and bottles galore.
I was on a train recently, at about 7.00pm on a Friday night. Just your regular trip to the city for the footy. While that's fairly early for some young people to head to the city for a long night out, that didn't stop the carriage floor being littered already with empty bottles and cans. And of course, i counted at least a dozen people drinking openly. That was just in my section of the carriage.
Beer and Pre mixers or alcopops were the drinks of choice. Which goes against the claim that cheap alcohol, like wine is the problem. It isn't. Its called having too much disposable income. These are people who quite willingly go to bars and clubs that charge around $10 for a mixed drink. And they don't just have one or two.
Right across from me on the train i noticed two things. The first was a guy who jumped on the train at the next station to me. He had two unopened cans of Jack Daniels and Cola. Not a cheap drink, and heavy in alcohol. I think each is about 1.8 standard drinks. The train journey to the city lasts about 15 minutes. By the end of the trip, both cans had been fully consumed.
Secondly, a guy jumped on the train with bottles of what looked like rum and a 2 litre cola. He then proceeded to make a funnel out of a plastic cup, and mix the drink on the floor of the carriage. Given he was already quite drunk, this was an extremely complicated process and took some time. It created much enjoyment for all the other drinkers.
It wasn't always this way. There was a time not so long ago when the few people who drank on trains hid their alcohol in other containers, or concealed it under a jacket or something similar.
It is so brazen now because there is almost no policing of drinking on trains. While inspectors are quick to check for a valid ticket, they wont do anything about drinking. Ive seen this on at least a couple of occasions. No effort was made at all by either the inspectors to stop it or the kids to conceal the alcohol.
While i cant say that i travel on trains regularly, i haven't seen too many police patrolling the actual carriages recently. You do see a lot of police in groups of about four or five, wandering along platforms. But riding the trains seems to be something of the past.
If you want to crack down on drinking in the city, you need to look further than just responsible serving of alcohol in bars and clubs, important as that is. And putting more police on the streets in Melbourne CBD wont do anything about those who turn up already half drunk.
Has the Australian Sharemarket moved too high too quickly? Are the recent gains sustainable?
Some forecasters are calling this a false recovery and drawing parallels to the Great Depression. After the 1929 crash, the markets recovered incredibly well, putting on somewhere close to 40% gains, not unlike our most recent recovery. It didn't last, with the market crashing even further than it had previously and sending the world into a depression for much of the 1930s.
In early April, just weeks after the stock market in Australia hit what was said to be rock bottom, i suggested that it wasn't a bad time to get your money back into shares. That is, as long as you did your research and picked good companies.
And hasn't it rocketed since then? I'm not suggesting I'm an oracle - far from it. But while the doomsayers plied their trade, smarter investors saw opportunity.
But has the stock market come too far too fast? I think so. I'm tipping that we may be set for a little setback in the not too distant future. In making that prediction, i am now, yet again, going against the trend.
Most forecasters and economists are falling over themselves to tell us that the recovery is in full swing and that the All Ords in Australia is likely to hit 5000 points by the end of the year. Really? Just months ago they were predicting a depression, or something closely resembling one.
Five months ago, the All Ords in Australia sat in the low 3000's. Today, we are approaching nearly 4500 points. That's a very steep gain in a short period of time.
Consider this. The All Ords didn't actually hit 5000 points for the first time until early 2006 - just as the boom was really taking off. But we had already been in a bull market for many years before that. The index then rocketed up for about 18 months to around 6700 before steadily declining.
Now Ive been saying for a long time that Australia wasn't in and wont enter a recession, and that as individuals, we have never had it so good. Interest rates are at 50 year lows, we have had numerous stimulus packages and we haven't suffered any sharp rise to unemployment.
But that doesn't mean that we wont suffer any adverse affects to our share market if the rest of the world tumbles. We saw what happened in the last year with the All Ords more than halving.
So are other major countries economies really doing so well to prompt such a sharp rise in the share market? I think that the only answer here has to be no. I'll give two examples.
In the United States, unemployment continues to rise - an official figure of around 10%. But some estimates put the real unemployed as closer to 20% or about 30 million people. As a result of this, and a drying up of demand, houses continue to be foreclosed. And you can imagine what such a vast number of unemployed has done for demand.
In China, stock markets have been very volatile in recent weeks. There is a fear that the stimulus packages may have run their course. While commodity imports into China remain high, there is a big belief by experienced observers that the country is stockpiling. If that is the case, it means that China isn't producing as much as we might be led to believe.
And that's not a good thing for the world market. Nor is it positive news for our miners, who still get high prices for iron ore and the like. Not that they couldn't do with a real breather - commodity price bubbles like this just aren't sustainable.
I still don't think Australians will be significantly affected by this downturn. But that doesn't mean that the share market will go back to full recovery just yet. While i was happy in April to advise a return to the market, at the time the All Ords was just over the 3500 mark.
As it closes on 4500 just over 4 months later, I'm getting concerned. Stock markets shouldn't rise so quickly in a supposed downturn. Not when the worldwide fundamentals remain weak.
What am i going to do? Ive already started pulling some of my money out. If i lose out on more gains, then so be it. Again, just like most other forecasters i could be wrong. But I'm happy to sit back and wait for the fundamentals to improve. If the market dips again, I'll be heading straight back to the companies that are here for the long haul.
Road Safety Graphic Advertising Campaign - UK Texting While Driving Commercial
Ive long argued that the Victorian TAC need to adopt a new approach to communicate with younger drivers on the issue of road safety. While the TAC were one of the first in the world to make graphic, realistic safety commercials, it seems in recent years they have dropped the ball, preferring to take a different approach.
I agree that the road toll continues to trend downwards. But I'm not convinced that young drivers are getting the message about how deadly our roads can be. Drive on Dandenong Road or on the West Gate Freeway on a Friday or Saturday night and you will know what i mean. It's lawless stupidity, without any regard for the consequences.
A new commercial about the evils of using your mobile phone while texting has gone to air in the UK. Its even more graphic than those produced by the TAC and other road safety authorities in Australia. Apparently it has already gone viral - meaning kids are watching it on youtube and other video sharing sites.
This ad works. It doesn't finish as well as id like - id prefer to see more of the results of the human destruction. Other than that, its brutal. If the sound of the cracking of the neck doesnt get to you, im not sure anything will.
I'll ask again - for about the 10th time - where is the TAC's youtube channel? Five mins to set up guys, and another hour or two to load all your adverts. Not that hard is it? But if you wont do it - then i will. I'll even name it TAC Victoria.
Senator Ted Kennedy dies of Brain Cancerat his Hyannis Port, Massachusetts home, Aged 77
From CNN:
Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the patriarch of the first family of Democratic politics, died Wednesday at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. He was 77.
"We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," a family statement said. "We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice."
Brenton Green AKA The Monkey Suit Man Arrested In Perth for Harassing Shoppers in Hay St Mall - Spends Night in Jail
"Why are they Arresting this Monkey?"
Its kind of serious, but just a little bit funny. A man dressed as a monkey was arrested at Perth's Hay Street Mall for harassing shoppers and then failing to give his name to the police when requested.
Brenton Green, the monkey man was dancing and posing for photos with shoppers. But after a couple of complaints, police approached the man and asked for his name. Instead, Green shook his head and made monkey noises. According to police,Green was disturbing shoppers and knocked food out of someones hand. Its not clear if that was accidental of deliberate.
After being arrested, Green was fingerprinted, charged with failing to comply with a police order then bailed. He was ordered not to return to the city. Unfortunately for Green, he was arrested again shortly afterwards in the same area by the same officers.
Green said that he was merely making his way home on the train and had to pass through the city in order to do so. But for his trouble, he was locked up this time, for a total of 15 hours. The next morning, Green faced a judge, who is said to have found much humor in the situation. Green was given a spent conviction and a 3 months community release order, in addition to $60 in court costs.
Yep, there is some serious crime going on in Western Australia. These videos are hilarious - still dancing.
Lance Franklin Suspended for 2 Weeks by AFL Tribunal for Fair Bump on Ben Cousins
Id really like to know what kind of drugs the AFL tribunal are taking. Because the dream world that they live in must be a very merry place. Ive looked at the footage over and again of Buddy Franklin's hip and shoulder on Ben Cousins in the Tigers v Hawthorn match. For the life of me, i cant see a thing in it.
Cousins looks to be about to handpass or dispose of the ball when Franklin comes in for the bump. In hindsight, a tackle might have been a better option. But that would be on the assumption that Cousins still had the ball, and Franklin appears to be committed to a fair bump after disposal.
So what did Franklin do wrong? His greatest crime was to be bigger than Cousins and for his shoulder to make contact with Cousins' head. Because there was no raised elbow, it was tucked firmly in. Ie it was a regulation bump.
What the AFL Tribunal seem to base their decisions on these days, is the impact of the contact and how badly affected the other player is. In this case, Cousins was knocked out. But had he jumped straight back up, you can bet that Franklin would have no case to answer. If suspensions are based purely on injury, then any fair contact could be deemed negligent. And that's no way to run a contact sport.
Check out the Video - Even the Commentators agree that this was fair.
Violence Out Of Control in Melbourne - Self Defence Required - Kill or Be Killed
It is all the talk of the tabloids, indiscriminate violence is taking over our cities. For once, i have to agree with the media, violent behaviour is out of control. And its not just in Melbourne. Most nights of the week, all of Australia's major cities are being subjected to mindless attacks by urban thugs.
What is the reason for this behaviour? Its not certain. While i have a pet conspiracy theory on the evils of fluoride, other factors like alcohol and drugs are said to be playing a role.
I'm cautious on ascribing much of the violence to drugs. I just don't think they are as prevalent or destructive as the media would have you believe. I think alcohol is the biggest issue, with people drinking a whole lot more in recent years. Reason? Money, and plenty of it. And affluence leads to confidence. They seem to think they are above the law.
So what is the solution? Zero tolerance. Heavy policing mixed with strong sentences. While there may end up being more police put onto the beat, our judiciary just cant seem to be willing to take these thugs off the street when caught.
Take the case of the three guys who beat a guy to within an inch of his life at a Sunshine train station in February. Penalty? 13 months, 9 months and 7 months for each of the thugs. Is that a legal system that works for the victim? It certainly doesn't work to protect our streets.
So while you cant be assured of getting protection from the police (they cant be everywhere) and you certainly wont get any help from the judges, you can learn some simple self defence techniques.
You should always remember that the best way to deal with these thugs is to run away...fast. Also, never underestimate the power of a really strong and angry scream. It will alert others to your situation, and actually puts the attackers off guard while giving you a good burst of adrenalin.
Most of the attackers are male. Which means they have one serious vulnerability - their groin. If you are standing, a quick and strong kick or knee to the groin will disable him. If you are on the ground, use your fist - or indeed, grab with your hand and make a fist. Turn 90 degrees for maximum effect.
Now, if you genuinely fear for your life, and you are cornered, you need to use extreme measures. And that means aiming to kill. There are various ways to kill with your hands. The nose is also incredibly vulnerable. So the easiest way to kill is probably pushing the nose bone into the brain.
Use the but of your hand - angle your hand backwards with the palm facing up. You need to use a lot of force and be accurate. The but of your hand and the base of your forearm should sit cleanly from the bottom lip to the inner base of the attacker's nose. It has to be a quick sharp movement - much the same as a punch.
Alternative measures can include striking the Adams apple very hard with a closed fist, or doing the same to the kidney region. Both can be disabling and potentially fatal. It cant be certain that you will be protected by the law, but better to have that defence option than to be dead.
Unless the law seeks to punish people for their violent crimes, we may have no option but to defend ourselves in the most brutal way. Ive said it before that i don't support capital punishment. But i wont lose any sleep if any of these thugs end up dead. I for one would kill before being killed.
James Romero Convicted of Killing 16 Year Old Lachlan Howie for Sitting in His Chair
You may recall this disturbing case from 2008. James Ronald Romero and Lachlan Howie were at a party in Chiltern in northern Victoria. Howie, who was a 16 year old school student, accidentally sat in Romero's chair.
Romero confronted Howie, pulled him from the seat and apparently said "See that knife there — I’ll put it straight through you." Later at the party, Howie went to Romero to shake his hand, and was stabbed in the chest 3 times for his trouble. He died from the wounds.
So Romero was convicted of the murder in a trial which lasted 3 days. Sentencing is to follow. What will be his penalty for the murder of an innocent 16 year old? Id like to think that it will be life in prison. And that may be the headline announcement. Murder carries a penalty of life in Victoria.
But it doesn't mean life. As far as I'm aware, it means that the Judge can impose whatever figure he or she likes. And in this case, you can bet that James Romero will be out of jail in less than 20 years. Life? Not even close.
I will go so far as to predict a sentence of about 15 years, with perhaps a 12 year minimum. And that's just outrageous. I don't believe in capital punishment, but i have no objection if James Romero dies an old man in jail.
UPDATE: I was slightly off in my prediction - James Romero was sentenced to 18 years jail with a non parole period of 15 years. Its better than i thought, but still vastly inadequate.
It could be argued that laws need to be changed. Perhaps that may help. But what really needs to happen is for the bohemian bleeding hearts judiciary to take into account the impact on the victims and families. And they need to understand that appropriate sentencing will reduce crime.
I'm not a believer in harsh penalties being a deterrent to crime. I think people with violent tendencies never seem to be concerned about punishment. Take a look at capital punishment laws in the U.S, which have yet to reduce murders.
Harsh sentences should be about protecting the community from criminals. Getting them off the streets is the only solution. Judges should recognise this when handing down their sentences.
Reality TV Repeats - Seven's Air Ways
The great thing about Network Seven's airline reality TV show Air Ways is that you only need watch one episode. Watch any more, and you will think that you have been subjected to one of those nasty unscheduled repeats. Because quite frankly, there is only so many times you can show the same thing over and over.
What is this reality garbage actually about? According to the network spiel "...Air Ways will provide the viewer with pure entertainment. There’s comedy, drama and mystery in every episode as real Australians tackle the intricacies of travel. Most of the time, it all goes so smoothly. But when it doesn’t, our cameras have captured some extraordinary moments..." Huh? Pure entertainment and comedy?
But despite the spiel, Air Ways focuses on three things. A person who misses their flight due to the strict check in times. A delayed flight causing some concern for a passenger. And a feel good feature piece about an individual or family who have some personal issues. And its the same every week.
What, you missed your flight because you didn't get there before check in closed? Don't worry, another white trash flyer will be along in the very next episode. A delay by Tiger Airways? Hard to believe, but there is one every week. And just wait for it, next episode features "...some Tassie pensioners are stranded at the cricket." Oh my God, I'm hearing you scream. Is that the mystery, the drama or the comedy?
In fact, watching Air Way repeats is kind of like Two and a Half Men, which is still in prime time but is on about its 10th repeat. Funnily enough, it still beats the 7PM Project which must be on its last legs. But i digress.
What really baffles me about the Air Ways show is that Tiger is seemingly a willing participant. It has been said that any publicity is good publicity. I'm not so sure. Because this show doesn't do anything for Tiger's reputation.
All i take from this show about Tiger is that they are a nasty bunch of operators. They don't give an inch. In fact every episode some passenger is heard to say that they will never fly with Tiger again.
Not much of a surprise there when the check in desk operators and their "customer service" managers are rude and obnoxious. You can stick to the Tiger policy without being a precious git - or even worse, a believer. Is that good publicity? I don't think so.
Tiger Airways don't make money in Australia yet. They are still focused on gaining a market share. But I'm not so sure that featuring all their bad policies on national prime time TV is the best way to go about it.
Because truth be told, we do actually have other airlines we can fly, which don't have as strict conditions or suffer as many delays. And they come at not much more of a cost.
But that's for Tiger to work out. I'm just looking forward to watching about the stranded pensioners next week. Lets hope they make it out alive.
MasterChef Blue - Former Lover Gemma Pritchard Throws Drink In Face of Chris Badenoch
Not content with selling her jilted lover story to the tabloid rag New Idea, the former partner of Masterchef Guru Chris Badenoch has been at it again. Gemma Pritchard threw a drink in the face of Badenoch at Melbourne's Builders Arms hotel on Saturday night.
Apparently they had both turned up to the hotel to celebrate separate friend's parties. Obviously there arent too many places to drink when you live a bohemian lifestyle. The former couple shared some abusive language, at which point Gemma thought it appropriate to throw a drink on Chris.
In her questionable wisdom, Pritchard decided to post the incident to her Twitter page. "I just threw a drink in chrisisadouche's face. His friend Sally wound me up. I didn't waste a drop of the French bubbles I was drinking. I used water."
Nice to know that they are selling French Champagne at the Builders Arms. Not quite the haven of the worker that it once was. But who is this Sally character? Another player?
Pritchard has previously said that she was in a relationship with Badenoch for 4 years, despite the fact that he lived with a former girlfriend. He then left them both for his young Masterchef co contestant, Julia Jenkins.
Its hard to keep up with all these Masterchef shenanigans. I wonder what series 2 of Masterchef Australia will bring?
Captain Blamed in HMAS Sydney Sinking Inquiry
What a relief. The inquiry which cost the Australian taxpayer tens of millions of dollars has indicated that the captain of the HMAS Sydney was to blame for its sinking in World War 2. He should be held accountable goddammit.
I just hope those lessons are adopted for all in our current navy. What this inquiry has shown, is that if you happen to be the Captain of a ship in World War 2, don't sail too close to what could be an enemy vessel. But when you find that time machine, let me know ok - i want to go back too.
Other than that, we have learned no relevant information on the sinking of the Sydney that would play any role in adopting new policies for our current navy. Why? It was more than 60 years ago for Christ's sake and has absolutely no relevance now.
As an historical exercise, sure, this inquiry may have had some positive elements. That would be of course if anyone had actually survived from the Sydney to tell a story. Otherwise, if we only used the scant evidence from the now discovered ship, we are only speculating. In fact, its a bit rich to target the Captain of the ship when we cant even presume to know what happened that day from his perspective.
But hold on a minute. What about the survivors from the sunken German vessel, the Kormoran. What about their story? Funnily enough, this million dollar inquiry actually confirms what they told us more than 60 years ago, that the Sydney sailed too close.
According to the inquiry "The incontrovertible, empirical facts available for the first time since the finding of the wrecks accorded with and confirmed the German account. There is no doubt that the German account was, speaking generally, true."
In other words, had we only believed what the Germans told us at the time, we could have saved ourselves a crap load of money. But that still doesn't answer as to what exactly happened on the Sydney. And that we will never know.
The tabloid press actually talk about wasteful politicians and governments. But the scale of waste by politicians doesn't even come close to this million dollar inquiry which teaches us nothing.
It gets worse though. The head of the inquiry was none other than Terence Cole, that highly respected and impartial judge appointed by the Howard Government in the AWB and Building Royal Commissions.
So how much did Cole get paid to conduct this useless inquiry into the HMAS Sydney? Wait for it. Over $900,000. Nearly a cool 1 million dollars.
Its almost enough for Terence Cole to get nomination for tosser of the year. Almost, because lets face it, he was only doing his job. Its the tosswods who employed him who should get that award.
And people wonder why I'm grumpy.
New Rudd Anti Terror Laws to be Changed to Include Psychological Terrorism
What is the definition of Psychological Terrorism? Buggered if i know is the answer. The Rudd Government is beefing up out anti terror laws in response to...actually, im not sure what it is in response to.
Apparently the Rudd Government believes that "...serious psychological harm could be just as damaging as serious physical harm." Really? So if i lose my arms and legs in a building explosion, is the guy across the road who witnessed the attack but was otherwise uninjred just as harmed as me? Poor bastard.
The following proposed changes to the criminal code will include Psychological Terrorism. This is from the discussion paper released by Attorney General Robert McLelland:
The current definition of terrorist act as defined in section 100.1 of the Criminal Code requires, among other things, that the action or threat of action causes serious harm that is physical harm to a person.
The Sheller Committee Report recommended (recommendation 6) that the words ‘harm that is physical’ be deleted from paragraph 2(a) and subparagraph 3(b)(i) in the definition of ‘terrorist act’, so that the definition of ‘harm’ in the Dictionary to the Criminal Code applies and these provisions extend to cover serious harm to a person’s mental health. The Sheller Committee made this recommendation as it recognised that the consequences and costs of psychological harm can be of as great concern as the consequences and costs of physical harm. The PJCIS did not accept this finding of the Sheller Committee but, as per recommendation 9 of the 2006 PJCIS Report, considered that it would be open to the Government to consult the States and Territories regarding acceptance of the Sheller Committee recommendation.
The Government agrees that serious psychological harm could be just as damaging as serious physical harm and proposes that the limitation in the definition of terrorist act be removed. This would be consistent with the Model Criminal Code offences against the person in Chapter 5, as well as offences against the person as they apply in each State and Territory.
The proposed amendments at paragraph 100.1(2)(a) and subparagraph 100.1(3)(b)(i) would align the definition of ‘terrorist act’ with the Criminal Code Dictionary definitions of ‘serious harm’ and ‘harm’, which include both physical and psychological harm. The definitions of ‘harm’ and ‘serious harm’ do not include being subjected to any force or impact that is within the limits of what is acceptable as incidental to social interaction or to life in the community.
Attorney General Robert McLelland to Push for New Anti Terrorism Laws
Ahh, its nice to see a Labor Government, who will save us from those nasty Liberals and their attacks on civil liberties. What? Rudd Labor want to go further, to give more powers to the AFP Keystone Cops?
Hard to believe, but it is true. While the draft legislation on anti terrorism powers will reduce the time a suspected terrorist can be remanded without charge to about 8 days, there are new powers which go much further than Howard's laws.
Yes, under McLelland's proposal, the AFP would be granted new search powers without judicial oversight. What does this mean? It means that if they want to search your home, they can. And they don't need a judge to approve it. But further, they wont even need to inform you that they have been there.
So after the botched Haneef case by the AFP, we now want to give them more powers? Id have more faith in a sheltered workshop than i would in the AFP. Because for whatever your criticism of agencies like the FBI, at least they are professional. In fact id go so far to compare our AFP to Armaguard security guys. Old, overweight but licenced to carry a weapon.
And then we have this new proposed law of Psychological Terrorism. Huh? WTF is Psychological Terrorism? I can only guess that if someone blows up a building and i read about it in the papers the next day, i can claim victims of crime compensation for being terrorised.
We seem to waste an inordinate amount of time writing new laws and chasing shadows than actually doing anything about preventing terrorism. We are great administrators but not so great when it comes to actually doing things.
Take the Sydney Airport for example. Probably a top ten potential terrorist target. Police on duty? Probably less than 20. Private security are at the coal face there. The AFP showed their competence when they allowed suspected murderers to catch taxis home after the bikie wars.
Then we have nearly all of our defence force bases which are again, high on the list of targets. Protection? Civilian security without weapons. And at a lot of those bases, that's during business hours only. Obviously terrorists are afraid of a clipboard and of course they only operate between 9 and 5.
But for all of that, our biggest terrorism raids to date yielded 4 semi retarded guys, without weapons who had spoken about a terrorist act. And that required 400 police for 6 months.
God forbid if someone was actually serious about committing a terrorist act. Don't worry, we'll throw this 450 odd page Anti Terror discussion paper at them. Just don't print it double sided, we really want this document to pack a punch.
How did Magician David Copperfield make the Statue of Liberty Vanish in 1983?
David Copperfield is touring Australia for the first time in ten years. Apparently he has created a whole new set of tricks..sorry, illusions for his show. Copperfield is probably the most famous illusionist of the 20th century, after Harry Houdini of course.
So how did Copperfield make the Statue of Liberty Vanish? Outside of Copperfield and his crew, nobody seems to know the answer. However, there has been much speculation over the years. I like the following explanation, provided by the ever reliable Wikipedia...
In the book Bigger Secrets, William Poundstone published his speculative guesses and put forward a fairly plausible sounding theory for how Steinmeyer's illusion may have been accomplished. Poundstone suggests that the entire stage and seating area for the audience was atop a rotating platform.
Once the curtains were closed, blocking the view, the platform was rotated—slowly enough to be imperceptible. In viewing the video recording a slight wobbling of the camera can be seen, which might lend a degree of support this theory.
When the curtains opened again, the audience was facing out to sea rather than toward the statue. Poundstone also speculates that, once the stage rotated, the statue itself was perhaps mostly concealed behind a brightly-lit curtain tower. To further misdirect attention, there were two rings of lights: one, initially lit, around the statue, and another (dark and invisible at first) in the area the audience would end up facing.
When the trick "happened", the statue's lights were doused and the others turned on. The radar blip highlighted in the television presentation was possibly simply an animation. As for the three Kodak flash cameras taking pictures of the statue at the moment that it "vanished," Poundstone suggests that the cameras' tiny flashbulbs would probably not have been powerful enough to illuminate the statue on their own once the main lights had been switched off.
Watch the Video of the Statue of Liberty Illusion:
Obsession with Death - Media Reports on Australians Killed in PNG Kokoda Crash
How many people need to die in the one incident for the media to make it a mass feature story? Is it 6? Or maybe 10? Anything less than that and the story gets a good media grab but wont be a feature. The death of 9 Australians in the Kokoda crash was a godsend for the media.
The TV networks and the print media know that death rates. To them, it is entertainment. Yes, death makes money for the media. I caught the Network 10 news last night. For a full 15 minutes or more, the story was the Kokoda plane crash. Reporters had been sent across the country to try to secure an interview with someone close to the victims.
There are few things as disgusting as a journalist rocking up Martin DiStasio style onto a loved ones doorstep to score an interview at perhaps the worst time of their lives. If it were me, id happily invite the journo into my home, grab the camera and smash it into a thousand pieces. Id then physically assault the journo. Not death of course, but enough to cause serious pain. Would a judge convict me? Of course not.
But back to the Kokoda crash. 9 People were Killed in the Airlines PNG plane crash near the Kokoda Track. Hold on, shouldn't that be 13 people? Oh yes, sorry, 9 Australians were killed. Perhaps the others don't matter so much.
If you are in Victoria, 7 people were killed. Well, 7 Victorians anyway. 2 Queenslanders also died in the plane crash. I'm not sure if Queensland has joined the Commonwealth of Australia, but I'm going out on a limb to suggest they have.
So who were the other 4 people killed? I'm not so sure. There was certainly 2 pilots. That takes us to 11 people. And the other 2 people killed? Absolutely no idea. They don't matter you see, because they weren't AUSTRALIAN...oi oi oi.
The media have given us the full life information on each of the deceased Australians. Who were they? Just regular people. Tragic it is. But no more tragic than the 300 + people that die on Victoria's roads every year. And its more than 1000 every year across Australia. Are their stories any less tragic? Are their lives worth less than those that died at Kokoda?
The deaths of road accidents usually end up buried somewhere deep in the papers, or in the "In Brief" column. You know, the bit of the paper that tells us of the countless dead in some developing nation. Not that those lives matter very much either.
Yes, the media is obsessed with death. And the viewing public is obsessed with entertainment, even if it is gruesome and heartbreaking.
For the record, this is what should be done to journalists who turn up on people's doorsteps for an interview after a loved one has died. To the Pain...
PNG Airlines Poor Safety Record Revealed AFTER Kokoda Crash
There is a reason i wouldn't fly on crappy airlines in developing countries. They have such a poor safety record and such limited oversight by Government. Airlines PNG seems no different, with the media reporting that since 1992, 55 people have been killed in crashes involving this airline.
But of course, that great protector of all things Australian (unless it is Taiwanese and makes him money), Dick Smith has suggested that the safety record of Airlines PNG and other airlines operating in Papua New Guinea is nothing to worry about. Tell that to the 13 people who lost their lives.
This information comes from Wikipedia so i publish it with a small degree of caution. Id exercise much more caution when thinking about flying Airlines PNG.
15 December, 1992. A Britten-Norman Islander aircraft struck a mountain near Alotau, Papua New Guinea. 6 people killed.
12 July, 1995. Shortly after takeoff from Dagura Airport, the Twin Otter aircraft exploded and crashed into shallow water. 13 people killed
11 May, 1996. Britten-Norman Islander flew into a valley surrounded by high terrain near Oumba. Pilot attempted a 180 degree turn, but crashed into trees. 1 passenger killed.
09 July, 1996. Twin Otter aircraft struck a mountain in cloudy conditions on approach to Mendi. 20 killed.
29 July, 2004. Twin Otter crashed near Ononge, in cloudy conditions. 2 killed.
11 August, 2009. Pilot of Twin Otter made a failed go-around in cloudy conditions near Kokoda. The aircraft slammed into a mountain at an altitude of 5500 feet (1676 metres). 13 killed.
Australia's Lifesavers - Does Seven's Surf Patrol Reality TV Show Cross the Line in Covering Dangerous Situations?
Surf Patrol really is an appalling reality TV show. Surf Patrol covers the "rescues" of swimmers and surfers at various beaches on the east coast of Australia. It also seeks to show as much bikini and top off action as it can. Gratuitous? You bet.
And it rates through the roof apparently. Which is kind of hard to believe. Surf Patrol is a 30 minute program, which minus the adverts brings it in to somewhere around 22 minutes of actual program time. 22 mins of surf rescues? No.
Because the program cuts around to various stories, it doubles and even triples up on the footage. You see the same thing over and over again at various stages of the show. All in all, its probably only about 12 minutes of actual footage.
But one of the things i have learned about Surf Lifesaving in Australia from watching this program is that lifesavers aren't nearly as fit as i thought they might be. The amount of overweight, and sometimes obese lifesavers should give us all cause for alarm as to where we are heading as a nation in the healthy stakes.
The real question of course about this program is the role of the cameraman in the water when rescues are taking place. The cameraman is in the water, seemingly waiting for something to go wrong. And when it does, he is often the first on the scene. Does he help? Not on your life. He usually waits for the lifesavers to arrive so he can capture the on the spot action footage.
I understand the role of cameramen in war zones. But this is something different. In order to get good footage for a reality TV program, this cameraman and the network are putting lives at risk.
Take the program i watched yesterday. Blue bottles were in the water, close to shore. Anyone who has ever been stung by one will know how disturbing it can be. In extreme cases, an allergic reaction to a blue bottle sting can cause death.
There was a family playing in the water, with the cameraman on the scene. He obviously knew the blue bottles were there, but didn't seek to warn the family about their existence. And the crucial scene? A young girl of about 2 or 3 being stung on the hand by the blue bottle. Is that good TV or just a thoughtless and inconsiderate cameraman doing his job? What would he say if the little girl had died? Oops?
He may argue that he is just doing what he is instructed by his superiors and employer, Network Seven. But just following orders isn't a defence. It wasn't in the 20th century, and it isn't now. Reality TV really has hit a low point in Australia.
Stood Down - Star Player Greg Inglis Suspended by Melbourne Storm After Being Charged by Police with Assaulting his Girlfriend Sally Robinson
Champion Melbourne Storm and Maroons player Greg Inglis has been stood down by his club after it was revealed that he was charged by police with assaulting his girlfriend, Sally Robinson.
Inglis was arrested at his Altona Meadows home after an incident which allegedly occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning. He was charged with recklessly causing injury and unlawful assault, and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. So stand by for the mother of all media scrums at the Sunshine Magistrates Court. It ain't going to be pretty.
The Melbourne Storm issued the following statement about the matter:
"The board has tonight made the decision to stand Greg Inglis down for an indefinite period. The Melbourne Storm is vehemently opposed to any situation that in any way endangers the health, safety and well being of any woman. The club has taken a strong stance in the past towards behaviour of this type and will continue to do so. As such this decision is made in the best interests of all parties concerned."
2009 has probably been the worst year on record for scandals in the NRL. From the Matt John's incident in New Zealand, to claims of pay offs at the Cronulla Sharks, the NRL have been hit from every quarter. It cant get much worse...can it?
Malcolm Turnbull Loses It on ABC 7.30 Report With Kerry O'Brien - Leadership Challenge Must Be Imminent
If asked to nominate a key point when Malcolm Turnbull's leadership came to an end, it has to be his arrogant and strange interview with Kerry O'Brien on the 7.30 Report. I've long suggested that Turnbull needs to resign, not the least of reasons being his misleading behaviour over the Godwin Grech fake email.
But Turnbull has a long list of questionable decisions, which are now the subject of much internal angst in the Liberal Party. His colleagues are continually concerned about his poor judgement and his lack of personal skills. They just don't think he has what it takes to be a leader of a political party. Good businessmen, yes. Leader of a nation, no.
Then there is the disastrous polling for Turnbull and the Coalition. Almost 50% more people prefer Kevin Rudd as PM than Turnbull. A significant differential such as this over a long period of time must sound the death knell for any opposition leader.
And that's why there must be a leadership challenge imminently. Its just a question of who might want to lead. Costello has made his decision - he is going. Speculation has turned to other likely contenders, none of whom seem to want the job.
Joe Hockey certainly has leadership ambitions and would probably be the best choice. Tony Abbott was interested previously, but would he really want it now? The other outsider is Andrew Robb. Apparently the suggestion was to give it to Robb, let him lose the next election and replace him afterwards. That's defeatist, but it may yet come to that.
I had never really believed that Turnbull could match Peter Costello in terms of arrogance. But it seems he has matched and surpassed his long time internal opponent. Turnbull has yet to apologise to Rudd for effectively calling him corrupt. Even his Senate colleague Eric Abetz managed to spit out an apology on the Ozcar affair. Now he wont even answer questions on National television.
The 7.30 report interview capped off a poor day for Turnbull. Trying to get on the front foot, Turnbull fronted a press conference to call for a different emissions trading scheme, which he claims will save money while simultaneously cutting more emissions than the Rudd proposal. Sounds difficult to believe.
But there Turnbull was, at a news conference with one of his most trusted Parliamentary colleagues, Senator Nick Xenophon. Hold on...Xenonophon is an independent. So why promote a Coalition policy with an Independent MP?
Because Turnbull's bells and whistles ETS isn't Coalition policy. It hasn't even been taken to the party room. In other words, it was pointless - a stunt. And one which will probably have no relevance to future Coalition policy on the matter. The footage of Turnbull at the conference was cringe worthy.
Not quite as bad as that 7.30 report though. Kerry O'Brien could well lay claim to playing a part in taking the scalp of an opposition leader. Not that it was particularly hard - Turnbull just had to keep his cool. Pity for him that he couldn't. Bring on the next guy.
60 Minutes Geelong Teen Suicide Story Missing
So what happened to the sixty minutes exclusive story on teen suicide? We saw the promo about the story which was due to follow reports about Woodstock and lying killers.
8.15pm arrives and instead they go straight to Peter Harvey's mailbag, followed by a program wrap up. No explanation was given for the missing segment but someone was said to be waiting online to discuss the same suicide story. Huh?
So at 8.20pm sixty minutes was over, after just fifty minutes. That gave them a cool ten minutes to fill with news, ads and a pointless extended promo for Australia's Perfect Couple.
So much for celebrating the 30th year of the program. Sixty Minutes that is - not Australia's Perfect Couple which is unlikley to even complete one year. In saying that, it would have been the first time a scheduled 8.30pm program on Nine actually started on time.
I can only think of a couple of reasons for the missing teen suicide story. The first is a production stuff up - putting the wrong tape in the machine. Secondly, the story may have been subject to an injunction preventing it's broadcast. If that were the case, hard to understand why Nine couldn't have announced it.
Poor form all round. It was actually the only story I had an interest in.
Ignorance is bliss - Australians just don't care
Australians are often quick to criticise Americans for being an insular and self centered lot. But how fair is that criticism when we aren't so different ourselves? I'd nearly go so far to suggest that at times, we are worse.
It's hard to know when things changed and why we no longer seem to pay any attention to anything other than personal issues or entertainment.
Take Sam the koala for example. It was a poignant story and sad that she died. But was it worth a front page Herald Sun story and 2 page spread complete with tributes from the PM, Premier and other leaders? Accompanying that were reader comments expressing amazing grief at the passing of a koala. Some were in tears as they wrote.
Turn to page 34 and the "In Brief" column to learn about countless missing men, women and children from a Tongan ferry sinking. If that wasn't bad enough, the next day saw Sam gracing the front page yet again with another story on page 3.
So what about the poor Tongans? Way back on page 29, In Brief column again informing us of up to 50 dead including many children. So is a koala more important to us or do we just not care about other human suffering? Probably both but that's not the only issue.
I'd argue that part of the problem is that the media choose to report what they think will rate. They are factoring in that the public are just screaming out for entertainment and feel good (or feel bad) stories that don't make them think very much.
Because what does a 2 page spread about a koala say about the 177 humans that died in the fires on black Saturday? Do they not matter as much as a koala who was thirsty and needed a drink? Maybe, maybe not, but ratings and readership DO matter.
There might be an argument that we can only read what the media give to us, that they determine what is and isn't news. There is some truth to that.
Take the prominent reporting of any major incident in the UK or the U.S. Any more than half a dozen deaths in either of those countries would be a lead story here. It's not the same for stories from countries that we don't have such a close affinity with.
But again, the media are only giving us what we now seem to want. Did that start with the media, or was it public demand. Chicken or the egg. But Australians are so entertainment obsessed that any serious issue is way down the list of priorities.
I know that first hand. If I write about the economy or a serious political issue I might expect to see a couple of hundred readers per article. Switch to a story on masterchef or an NRL scandal and it moves into the many thousands. That's despite the latter stories having a lower search ranking than the former. Entertainment stories are always a competitive market.
Yes, politics is important but only when it involves the hip pocket or a really juicy scandal. I'm not talking about the Godwin Grech saga, that's hardly rated here at all. I'm referring to things like the $900 Rudd Handout or the Pauline Hanson fake photos issue. No shortage of hits for those stories - tens of thousands in fact.
Other than that, Australians would much prefer to find out about Julie Goodwin and her cook book. It's almost as if they are living in their own reality version of The Truman Show. It's not real but hey, it keeps us entertained.
Meanwhile, I'm sure there is another ferry sinking or mudslide somewhere with countless dead. But Idol is about to start again so I'll have to come back to that.
Of course having written all of that, I'm sure I'll be lucky to get a few dozen hits for this article. Prove me wrong, leave a comment!
Fairfax Will Charge To Access The Age and Sydney Morning Herald
Fairfax has confirmed that it will soon start charging users for access to their online newspaper websites. This follows the lead of News Corp who last week indicated that their papers would no longer be free online.
It seems that Fairfax have been sucked into the Murdoch school of thought, which is to find a quick solution to diminishing profits. But it's just not going to work.
People just won't pay to access online news - not in numbers large enough to compensate for the loss of classifieds revenue. There are just too many news sources out there which are free, not the least of which blogs like these which will never charge for content.
Disturbingly for the Fairfax brand is their decision to charge for access to the new National Times opinion website. Surprising given it hasn't even been launched yet.
A smarter decision by Fairfax might well have been to secure disaffected news limited paper readers who don't want to pay for news. A specific free online news fairfax website would be a simple solution. Of course trying to talk sense into anyone at Fairfax is probably a lost cause.
So the big winners in Australian news will be the ABC and other news blogs. Why anyone would pay for news that is free elsewhere is beyond me.
Vale John Hughes - Truly One of the Best Directors and Writers of the 20th Century
I just couldn't let the day pass without paying tribute to perhaps the most loved director and writer of the 20th Century, John Hughes, who died in New York aged just 59. Anyone who grew up in the 1980's will have seen and probably loved countless Hughes films.
From Ferris Bueller's Day Off, to Planes Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles, Hughes had the amazing capacity to blend comedy with a message. And he developed some of the most wonderful characters. Who could forget the annoying but lovable Del Griffith or the flawed but big hearted Buck Russell, both played by the late John Candy? And then there is Ferris - still a cult figure more than 20 years since the movie first premiered.
We must also remember some of the other movies that bear his name - Vacation and European Vacation with Chevy Chase, Some Kind of Wonderful, Pretty in Pink, Mr Mom and of course the massive hit of 1990, Home Alone. And there are countless others - all memorable in their own way.
Hollywood has lost a real movie master. He will be missed.
Personally, i love Uncle Buck and Planes. That's not to say that i don't adore some of the other classics, but these are the two that get played in my house at least every 6 months.
Here are the end scene videos to both.
British Tourist in Barcelona Talks to Australian Woman 2 Years Ago about Maddie McCann - Hoax or Real?
I know I'm a pretty big sceptic at times, but this story has all the hallmarks of a hoax. I'll be happy to be proved wrong if it leads to establishing the whereabouts of the missing Madeleine McCann.
A British man has come forward to say that 2 years ago, while in Barcelona, Spain, he had a very brief conversation with a woman. He claims that she had an Australian or Kiwi accent, and said something which was in some way related to the disappearance of Maddy which had occurred 3 days prior.
Now keep in mind that it was over 2 years ago. And the man admits that he had been drinking. And it was dark. And he only had a brief conversation with her. But lo and behold, we have a police sketch of the woman. And an almost exact description of her appearance, down to the exact clothing she was wearing.
I'll be honest, I'm not sure i can remember what i was wearing yesterday, let alone any of the people i came into contact with. And for all those people i met briefly over the last couple of years? Sorry guys, but i doubt that id be able to describe your hair color.
But this story has all the media in a frenzy. Not that anyone in the AFP in Australia is investigating. Perhaps they would actually like some hard evidence, rather than a statement from a drunk guy in Barcelona 2 years ago.
Ive been to Barcelona. That absinthe can do terrible things to you. I'm not sure i can remember everything that happened while i was there. Then again, I'm sure there are things that i don't want to remember...So is this guy for real, or does he have a hazy memory about something that may have happened?
This is the police sketch of the woman. Do you know her?
News Corp Plan to Charge to Access Online News Websites Like Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph
For a really smart guy, Rupert Murdoch has allowed himself to be sucked in to one of the stupidest ideas in the history of stupid. Did i say stupid?
Facing a massive exodus away from classified newspaper advertising, Murdoch and his News Corp publishing house have decided that they will charge for online access to their newspaper sites. He believes that this access charge will allow them to recoup reducing revenues and provide a better quality of journalism.
He may be right on the latter. But an access charge wont recoup any revenue if people choose not to sign up. Because what News Corp just don't get is that people wont pay for online news. Its been a free model ever since the internet began. Changing the structure now will only see people go elsewhere for their daily news fix.
Its kind of like the boffins at the top of News Corp just don't understand how the internet advertising game works. Drag people to your site, and advertisers will pay. Either cost per impression or cost per click. That's fairly simple.
Less page hits means less advertising impressions and lower click throughs. Simple really when you think about it. So it means that they are willing to sacrifice their online advertising revenue in the belief that the online access charge will compensate them. The truth is, it wont.
One of the newspapers that does charge for access is the Wall Street Journal. Apparently News Corp are basing much of their "charge theory" on this successful online newspaper. But the Wall Street Journal is for a niche market. Its the same locally, with the Australian Financial Review. Access to the main paper is by fee only. People in financial circles are happy to pay. In most cases, its business access anyway.
But could you imagine people actually paying to access a Herald Sun story about politician's perks, or a Daily Telegraph exclusive on a missing dog? Why would they, when there are so many other sources of news online?
In fact there is so much information available on the internet, that there aren't enough hours in the day to read everything you might like. So why would you pay for it, when you can just look at something else? People aren't desperate to read about the lost dog or a politician's new car. They are doing it because it is there, but wont pay money for it.
In the early days of the Internet, many newspapers actually required that you log in to read their site. The Age tried it in the late 1990's, after having already offered free access since coming online. It didn't last long. In fact most newspapers around the world have dropped this model. Its a detractor and the decrease in traffic was evident. Charging for access will have an even worse effect.
But there are benefits to this decision by News Corp. Its good for other news, blogs and commentary sites, just like this one. Because we don't charge. And with Pay and Commercial TV, Radio, Twitter, and other blog sites, we have plenty of access to up to the minute news anyway. So for people avoiding News Limited sites, it will mean more hits for us.
Oh yeah, and there is one other minor benefit. It means that Andrew Bolt probably wouldn't be able to claim one million hits a month to his Herald Sun blog. Charge for access and it might be more like 10,000 a month.
Unemployment Remains Steady - Drops in Victoria
Unemployment has remained steady at 5.8% for July, and even dropped from 6% to 5.8% in Victoria. The unemployment figures have continually defied the trend predicted by economists and commentators for the last 12 months. What bloody recession? Australia has never had it so good.
I guess this figure means that today's economic downturn isn't as bad as yesterday's downturn. However, yesterday's GFC was far worse than Tuesday's downturn, which saw the RBA leave rates on hold, signalling rises in the not too distant future.
But the downturn on Sunday was positively woeful, hitting our shores at approximately 10.45pm that night. That was the biggest downturn and shock to hit Australia since Masterchef finished and The 7pm project began.
With this good result on unemployment, there is sure to be some bad news from commentators and forecasters. It is likely that the downturn will hit Melbourne later this evening, likely to be after late night shopping finishes. We can expect a nervous weekend, with the final 8 in the AFL still not settled. Things are likely to return to normal come Monday, although mid week we are likely to see another hit. Brace yourselves.
I'm still wondering how economists and commentators can continue to write their garbage, with the amount of yolk covering their eyes. I don't have any real formal qualifications in economics. That's probably a good thing. If i was qualified, i might come up with a different assessment every day. And do it all with a straight face.
Christ almighty we spin some crap in this country don't we?
Another Bloody Review - This Time on ADF Security
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry. Probably a bit of both is in order.
After the lack of adequate security at Defence Force establishments was exposed by countless media organisations, the ADF and the Rudd Government have ordered a review. They are seeking to find out if the civilian security contractors are good enough to protect our troops against a terrorist attack.
Yes. A Review. I'll tell you the answer already. Of course they bloody well aren't capable. I am sick to death of stupid reviews into things we already know the answer. Are they so fricken stupid?
This from The Age (I'm hoping to God this is a tongue in cheek statement):
A REVIEW of security at Australian military bases will examine whether unarmed civilians can provide adequate protection against terrorists with automatic weapons.
Don't you find it so breathtakingly ironic that we have a defence force capable of fighting a war in Afghanistan, but needs to be protected at home by civilians? And civilians without guns. Old guy civilians without guns.
But dammit, I'm sure they have a clip board and a spankingly nice uniform. Actually, that's a lie. Private security guard uniforms, which closely resemble those outfits worn by taxi drivers, wouldn't even intimidate Godwin Grech.
Chief of the ADF, Air Marshall Angus Houston is however already confident in Grandpa Joe holding the fort at his bases. "I am confident that the security arrangements currently in place at our bases are effective. It is timely to remind all personnel of their individual and collective responsibilities to remain vigilant and report any security concerns."
Yeah, so take note soldier. If your base is being shot up by guys with automatic weapons, give the guy at the front gate a call. He and his team of clipboards pack a mighty punch. Better still, be vigilant and alert - call the national security hotline. What, you cant call? Oh that's right, you are already dead.
Review. Yes, i think i will have a cry. Just as you will if you hear of a defence force base attacked by terrorists. It could happen. And you can blame a complacent government and ADF if it does.
Will the Government and Authorities Wait Until it is Too Late to Protect Australia from a Terrorist Attack?
The latest arrests of potential terrorists in Melbourne should be a wake up call for Federal and State Governments and the Police. But will it be? Probably not. Unfortunately, as is usually the case in this country, it will take a major incident until authorities take the terrorist threat seriously.
Ive long argued that Australia has some of the worst internal security in the world. Our airports have limited police protection and rely heavily on private security guards. Parliamentary buildings have few police on duty. And many Departmental buildings have none. What about our most senior politicians? Unless you are the PM or Deputy, expect no security detail. Seriously.
What I'm saying here isn't news to the potential terrorists. Anyone who keeps their eyes open would recognise that we pay scant regard to the protection of prize national assets and our politicians.
Its not like this in the rest of the world. Travel to the UK and the first thing you will notice at the airport is the heavily armed police patrolling the grounds. As i wrote about previously, they have "Bullet proof vests, semi automatic machine guns, as well as handgun. And these are just the ones on public display. Many more crack teams are on standby at a moments notice."
In the United States, most of the senior politicians have a security detail from the Secret Service. And since September 11, their public buildings have been strengthened beyond belief.
The plot to attack an Army base in New South Wales was nipped in the bud just in time apparently. This is despite the fact that over 400 police were working on the case since January. Yet as big as this plot apparently was, nobody sought to indicate to the Defence Force that they should beef up security at their bases.
The media noticed. They sent reporters out to numerous barracks and training bases after the arrests. What did they find? Private security guards at the gate. One guy, no weapon. I know of a local ADF training base in Melbourne that has no protection. Drive straight through the big gates, right up to the building.
Security experts of course will tell you that it doesn't matter how much security you provide, a terrorist will always find a way to cause destruction. I'm sure that is true. But why should we make it easy for them?
Lets do our best to prevent a terrorist attack in Australia. Governments and the police need to act now. Because when it is too late, they will act.
Network Seven Announces New Cooking Show - My Kitchen Rules
Its the reality TV Wars. Following on from the raging success of Masterchef Australia, Network Seven has announced that they will be creating their own cooking show, My Kitchen Rules.
Seven is seeking contestants for the new show which will be teams of two people cooking in their own kitchens.
"The aspiring foodies will have to cook up their culinary tricks, quirks and use local ingredients to impress the judges. The home chefs will also have to transform their home into an instant restaurant for one pressure-cooker night," a statement from Seven said.
I'm not so sure on this concept. Will it be a ratings success for Seven like Masterchef was for Ten? Time will tell, but I'll make an early prediction and say no. Its just too hard to replicate another reality show, particularly one that was so successful.
If viewers sit back and compare everything on My Kitchen Rules to the MasterChef brand, then Seven might be sitting on an early flop. We shall see.
Malcolm Turnbull Should Stop Dancing Around on Climate Change
The team that is Kevin Rudd has produced a video about Malcolm Turnbull and his stance on the environment. Its a parody of the Where The Hell is Matt Video from last year.
Poor Malcolm probably has a couple of other things to worry about, what with Godwin Grech sticking him right in it. But Malcolm should get on board and support the Rudd Government's climate change plan.
Dangerous Leak - The Australian's Cameron Stewart and AFP put Lives at Risk by Printing Melbourne Suicide Terrorism Report Before Raids Occurred
This has to be one of the more disturbing stories I have heard this year. The Keystone Cops that are the AFP apear to have leaked the story of the raids on Melbourne homes regarding a suicide terrorism plot to attack an army base.
But worse than the leak is the revelation that The Australian's Cameron Stewart chose to publish an article about the issue prior to the raids actually taking place. The newspaper paper containing the report was on the streets as at 1.30am - many hours prior to the raid taking place.
We all know how incompetent and simple the Australian Federal Police are. That was on display for all to see in their handling of the Mohamed Haneef affair. Just recently, they also celebrated their ineptness when they were unable or unwilling to secure Australia's busiest airport in Sydney.
But to leak a story about a proposed raid in Melbourne on the homes of alleged suicide attackers just shows how disgustingly media driven this organisation has become. By doing so, they have willingly put our ADF under extreme threat and could have caused the death and injury of at least the police and even our fellow citizens.
For Cameron Stewart to publish the report prior to the raids indicates at best that he is ego driven scum and at worst, a terrorist sympathiser. By early morning, Cameron Stewart had put his name to three in depth reports on this issue - which shows that he had significantly prior knowledge of the police action.
This was not a one off late night call to Stewart about a police raid. This was a fully backgrounded brief, probably involving several phone calls and or physical meetings.
We all know leaks occur between the police and the media. But when they involve terrorism, you have to question the ethics and morals of the leaker. It also shows what a grub Cameron Stewart is by publishing the story and putting lives at risk.
If Stewart was a journalist with the Herald Sun, this whole story could have had drastic and extreme consequences. He can be thankful that so few people actually read The Australian. In saying that, all it would have taken was one person to read the report. But why not just give the alleged terrorists a call next time for comment Cameron?
Will Cameron Stewart be sacked for putting Australians at risk? Not bloody likely. Cameron Stewart is an Associate Editor. He is also a filthy scumbag who deserves to be hung, drawn and quartered for this dangerous report.
And the AFP? No action will be taken. After all, Mick Keelty is still in charge. Just don't expect to be protected by these halfwits. Id put more faith in a troop of boy scouts than the AFP. If we wanted pretend security guards fellas, we would hire some Indian students. Keep that in mind.
This is what Victorian Police Chief Simon Overland had to say about the leak:
"We will be vigorously pursuing the leak from my end and I expect that the federal authorities will be doing the same. This, in my view, represents an unacceptable risk to the operation, an unacceptable risk to my staff. It's a risk that I take extremely seriously and is cause for great concern."
Did you hear that Cameron Stewart?
Treasury Official Admits he Faked the Ozcar Email and Gave it to Malcolm Turnbull
In an exclusive interview with News Limited's The Australian newspaper, Godwin Grech has admitted that he created the fake email at the centre of the Ozcar or Utegate affair.
I will note that this interview is exclusive only because The Australian has been able to make contact with Grech while he is a patient at a psychiatric hospital in Canberra. I'll leave you to decide how ethical that is.
This of course from News Limited - the same organisation that got sucked in and printed the text of the fraudulent email. It is noteworthy that Steve Lewis, the journo behind the original story, hasn't been brought in to run this exclusive.
Grech still maintains that an email between the Prime Minister's office and himself existed, despite the fact that no email could ever be located on either the PM's office or treasury computers. After a conversation with the Treasurer's Chief of Staff, Chris Barrett on June 4 in which he was asked about any such correspondence, Grech decided to create the fake email to back up his claim.
Grech told The Australian that instead of creating a file note of the conversation with Barrettm he concocted a fake email to back up his story. "Although the email was not an original, I thought that it would help having a record in the form that it appeared if or when the original could be located," Grech told The Australian
Grech created the email and sent it to his home account the next day. One week later, he met with Malcolm Turnbull and Senator Eric Abetz and handed them a copy of the same email. While he took the copy back from them, they wrote down the exact contents of the email for their own reference.
But further, at the same meeting, Grech helped write a number of questions for Turnbull and Abetz to ask in Parliament. This latest revelation will put Malcolm Turnbull under even more pressure to resign. It shows that he was complicit at least in the dissemination of the email's contents as well as working with the discredited Treasury Official for political purposes.
It has also been reported that Turnbull arranged for journalist Steve Lewis to make the intitial contact with Grech to discuss the email. This is despite the fact that Turnbull previously denied leaking the contents of the email to the media.
This latest update to the saga comes on the same day that the Auditor General will clear Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan of any wrongdoing in the Ozcar affair.
Woolworths Launch Everyday Mobile Phone Pre Paid Plans
Woolworths have entered the mobile phone market, offering very competitive pre paid plans for a 2G service. This is quite a step up for the retailer. And its one that you would expect Coles to follow.
For local services, you can expect to pay just 15 cents for a text message, and 30 cents per minute for a phone call with a 15 cent flagfall per call. Thats a discount from most plans offered by major phone retailers like Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Those companies still charge over 20 cents for an SMS and at least 70 cents per minute for a standard call.
All you need to do is purchase a $2 sim pack, then recharge it at any Woolworths or Safeway store, and also BIG W, Dick Smith, participating Caltex Woolworths co-branded outlets, Dan Murphy’s and BWS Stores. You can also recharge using a credit card, online or over the phone.
This is what Woolworths say about their new product:
Woolworths Everyday Mobile offers low rates for standard calls and text. With a 15 cent flagfall and 15 cents per 30 seconds for standard calls, you can make a call for as little as 30 cents. With 15 cent standard text and 100 days credit expiry, it is the way Pre-Paid mobile should be. Simple.
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