There it was yesterday. A plethora of Australian journos standing mic in hand in front of the Champs Élysées or the Eiffel Tower reporting on the French presidential election.
The trouble was what they were doing was not reporting. Or to be more precise, they started with a little reporting and then moved quickly on to speculation and opinion.
Welcome to Australian media’s version of the Kon Tiki tour. With elections looming in the UK and the French National Assembly in June and elections in Germany in September, it’s all aboard the bus. When you get there, don’t worry so much about factual reporting. Tell us what you reckon.
On last night’s ABC News at 7.00pm, the ABC’s European correspondent, Lisa Millar, spent the first five seconds repeating the result and then moved full steam into divination. To be honest, it wasn’t her fault. She faced questions posed from the desk in Sydney from newsreader, Juanita Phillips, all of it demanding a “What do you reckon?” response.
Ms Millar spent the bulk of her report waxing on what might happen by Christmas and beyond.
Full column here.
If you’ve got the time this is interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB0k7wBzXPY
I wish I had more time to reflect upon this 1:18:43 journey.
Yeah, I know; it’s a bit of a marathon.
Yep psychopaths, no empathy for humanity.
https://thinkprogress.org/rolling-stone-names-12-politicians-and-executives-blocking-progress-on-global-warming-8864ebdd637a
Rolling Stone aren’t even experts in music.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/rolling-stone-readers-pick-the-top-ten-bassists-of-all-time-20110331
Flea and Vic Wooten yes, but to mention Entwistle in the same breath is a stretch. In RS’s defense, they were reader’s picks.
A sharp hook for BASSMAN.
CotC – Good question! Velcro found – see our posts below.
Well perhaps not but the author Joe Romm is an expert on AGW, which is what the article is about. Tim Dickinson may know squat about bassists but he presents a good article here.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-koch-brothers-dirty-war-on-solar-power-20160211
But don’t think I mean to be dismissive of your input.
http://www.guitarnoise.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27602
A very incomplete list. I would add Roger Glover and Geezer Butler as 2 of the best. Noel Redding was good too..
Bollocks, Mr Baptiste, Climate Change is a totally unproven ‘Science” and until it is no amount of links from your “University Of Google” will convince otherwise. Cheers.
Quite so Henry , you would be almost impossible to “convince otherwise.”
However there is one way you get a bit of sense into you, and if you maintain the posture we see you taking in the attached photograph sooner or later some husky passing opportunist will do it! It will make your eyes water too, I reckon!
https://www.psychology.org.au/Content.aspx?ID=6609
Having worked for a couple of people in public service who were almost certainly corporate psychopaths I found that idea particularly interesting. What I was more interested in, though was whether there was any link to the widespread use of prescription anti-depressant and mood-elevating drugs.
There’s no doubt in my mind that society-wide use of any drug affects the values and behaviour of the society, including amongst the decision makers. Alcohol is the biggie in the Anglo-sphere and I find it fascinating to contemplate what role it has played in the development of our culture(s).
Methinks those prescription drugs would merely bring out a pre-existing condition – as in “release your inner psychopath”.
I’ve worked with a few over the years, pretty easy to spot these days from the first introductory handshake.
Not to mention nicotine TBLS. it’s probably also an even more widespread drug. Its addictive nature impacts neurotransmitters that affect mood, appetite, memor. And of course health.
Misunderstanding of corporate competitive values and competing in the workplace itself driven by misunderstanding the fore mentioned has created more “workplace” sociopaths.
Watching Seven afternoon ‘news’ briefly yesterday and it appears to me that it’s essentially turned into a less toxic version of Today Tonight. Little news, just a crappy ‘consumer affairs’ show.
I used to be an electronic news junkie but over the last 12mths or so I’ve come not to bother. Like you say current affair rubbish dressed up as news. The 1 hour bulletins were the beginning of the end. They need to fill that time with something.
TDT? Bill Peach? Is he at 7 now? I thought he died. Maybe working for 7 is a kind of death. (Just checked – died a few years back.)
Tolja
we’re saved..phew
http://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/article/2094426/farming-without-soil-new-japanese-tech-makes-growing-fruit-and
David Brooks (NYT) laments.
The Russian leak story reveals one other thing, the dangerousness of a hollow man.
Our institutions depend on people who have enough engraved character traits to fulfill their assigned duties. But there is perpetually less to Trump than it appears. When we analyze a president’s utterances we tend to assume that there is some substantive process behind the words, that it’s part of some strategic intent.
But Trump’s statements don’t necessarily come from anywhere, lead anywhere or have a permanent reality beyond his wish to be liked at any given instant.
We’ve got this perverse situation in which the vast analytic powers of the entire world are being spent trying to understand a guy whose thoughts are often just six fireflies beeping randomly in a jar.
Hilarious bleat there dear Huger old buddy from David but as James Morrow writes the rabid Left is playing Donalds song and it will all benefit Trump. The Democrats are smarting badly still after losing the unlosable election because of a hopeless candidate in Hilary Clinton. It will all settle down when Trump continues on for many years to come. Two terms is my prediction and James Morrows too in the linked article. Poor Mr Baptiste on this blog has already eaten the packet his Wheaties came in due to frustration, bless his cotton socks, him being a great supporter of Kimmie of North Korea. Cheers.
http://tinyurl.com/lvvqrvo
Kimmie says “Pah” capitalist running dog false hair fat bastard pig eyes President is not long before finish. Not so good stop mighty North Korean rocket this time hey?”
No particular reason for this post Nossy, other than for the $5.00 per word I’m getting now. In cash, US dollars from my bestie Kimmie, and my impeccable politeness in always replying to you of course.
I look forward to your posts. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
(See what I did there? By spacing the ha’s I get an extra forty bucks.)
Kind wishes.
“Have Tool, Will Travel”, Mr Insider, and of course I refer to dear Mr Pyne and Turnbulls exciting news today re the massive Shipbuilding work “soon” to commence in SA. Goodness, only a small number of foreign workers going to be required, says Mr Pyne. They may be the chaps fitting the Nuclear Reactors into the bowels of the Barracuda Submarines? Gosh and strewth Aussies can do that, just follow the instructions on the box they come in!
457’s errywhere
an incredible interview on the latest george pell accusations….john faine
pell was smart….he rigged so that unlike other countries the catholic church cannot be sued here…sorry…no capitals…nursing new daughter
http://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/theconversationhour/the-conversation-hour/8508980
It is about this:- George Pell’s cunning brilliance is personified by The Ellis Case. Briefly The Ellis Case is a famous court case that set up a precedent that concluded you could not sue a Catholic Diocese. Ellis sued the church in Sydney for compensation as a result of his sexual abuse by a priest and claimed damages. The church responded by saying the Trustees of the Catholic church cannot be sued because they do not employ priests-who does then?.The church claimed it was not a legal entity and therefore could not be sued because it was not responsible personally for any abuse that allegedly occurred by any individual priest. The church spent $50million on this one case to set up a successful precedent that obviated the church of any responsibility. This is unique to Australia. Elsewhere in the world, especially the USA, victims received sometimes million dollar payouts. But not in Australia thanks to George Pell. No matter how bad the abuse is I think the limit is $50k.
I guess that’s why they put him in charge of the Vatican finances.
That $50million is wrong…I think it was 20mil…..went to the lawyers…bugger all to the victims!
Congrats on the new arrival Bassy! I hope she lives long and prospers! Mum also well I hope.
Thanks mate
having a ball.Love kidz
Ian Brady finally dead, will take a long time for the stain he and Myra Hindley left on the north of England to fade.
Shocking he was Tracy and that Hindley woman too, just shameful people.
What is going on?
People lie about their refugee status, return to their own country that they fled because their lives were in danger for a holiday, their visa gets revoked and the Administrative appeals Tribunal overturns the revocation of the visa.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/refugees-feared-for-lives-but-returned-to-iran-for-holidays/news-story/a57da4238e97d78da11545c6804ea436
About time the bureaucrats of Canberra get a dose of reality.
Maybe shift them all out to a country towns where they will rub shoulders with people who have their feet squarely on the ground.
Maybe just get rid of the whole lot and start again.
There used to be an old adage – always have a head office in front of a factory because otherwise they forget what they are there for and build empires.
Canberra is living in a bubble that they have created for themselves and are feeding off one another – ably lead by the Fishwyck Pravda.
I was gobsmacked when I read about it JS.
Who are the members of this trinunal?
The LNP plonked the RRT into the AAT in 2015. They should have junked it, especially as the refugee issue was a large successful conservative policy plank that led to the Abbott government gaining office. The Immigration Minister should hold the delegation and final say on all citizenship-related issues in his/her office. Perhaps that’s where it may be heading after this latest fiasco.
Any guess as to who appointed the current head? http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/digital-law-library/judges-speeches/justice-kerr/Kerr-J-20120516.rtf
But, I believe his term expired today.
Probably the same bastards who Roboted me!
Bassy is that B supposed to be in there?
I think the AAT works as separate units in each State. It’s been a long time now since I was in the visa cancellations business (although I did once know a lot about it at both the policy and practical level). It’s my understanding that the Migration Review Tribunal and the Refugee Review Tribunal were rolled into the AAT by Abbott and Morrison on the basis that they had become captive by the industry.
As previously discussed with Jack in Honkers review processes (whether through the courts or tribunals) tend to favour giving people – especially people who arrived with no documents, and stories that could be neither verified or refuted – the benefit of the doubt. It’s an in-built bias in the system. The lawyers and activists know this and so do their clients.
Any idea the point Clement is trying to make in today’s OZ, because I’m buggered if I can get it.
I’ve been meaning to put a link to this story.
Onya girl Onya bloke.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-28/mark-colvins-kidney-donation-becomes-theatre/8312356
Heartwarming, Mr Baptiste, just amazing how this good deed by Ms Ellen-Field came to be a play. Thanks for posting indeed. I did not see the play sadly. Cheers.
ABC are showing a retrospective of Colvin’s career tomorrow night. A must view item.