Friends like These

Wandering through the Sydney CBD yesterday I saw posters stuck to walls advertising what amounts to a protest in memoriam of TJ Hickey, the young Aboriginal boy whose death triggered the 2004 Redfern Riots.

Whilst the Wikipedia entry notes that "Commemorative rallies have been held every year on the anniversary of the incident at the site of Hickey's death" this one has a different feel about it. The sponsors are the typical protest rent-a-crowd and it's a pretty safe bet that they are trying to make this the sequel to what happened in Canberra last week.

The note on Indymedia reads:

on this 8th anniversary we are attempting to build our numbers to show the redfern police and the nsw government of barry o'farrell that we are not going to forget our true obligation to the memory of tj, his mother gail hickey and his sisters. as they will never forget the injustice that was done to tj on that infamous day, nor should we.

In addition to some vaguely named Aboriginal groups, the poster also notes sponsorship of "The Unions", "LatinoAmerica Forum" (there's a relevant alliance), the Socialist Alternative and the Socialist Alliance (the alternative to the Socialist Alternative).

These are supporters that the Aboriginal Community can do without.

Crap news

The Juice Media, producers of leftist orientated "socio-poetic/comedic analyses which everyone can relate to and understand", justifies revision of its Canberra tent embassy protester fracas reporting (see comments):

[T]he description was updated once we realized that it didn't accurately describe how Abbott's statement was distorted by the media; not to 'hide' anything but rather to make things clearer. Call us crazy, but that's what journalism is about. The description still places the blame with Abbott, for essentially stating that the Embassy had served its purpose and aboriginal people should get over the past and move on. That Abbott is a cunt, hasn't changed.

Yep, that certainly satisfies The Juice Media's goal of "delivering a bulletin to restore your faith in the fourth estate", as does their Australia Day Aussies-are-cunts bulletin.

Go here for Tim Blair's take on The Juice Media's reporting.

Cowards Indeed

An excellent takedown by Andrew Landeryou. Everybody cops a serve.

Snap, Crackle, Pffft....

News.com.au links to a viral video of a man who has 'turned his kitchen into a synthesizer'. It's currently the 'most viewed' article. Besides attracting traffic to their own site off the back of someone else's Youtube video, News appear to have added nothing beyond a truly terrible pun.

This kitchen DJ will cerealsly bowl you over




Whilst cute, the whole video screams fake. Comments at Reddit tore it a new one. The person responsible, an electronic composer was quite upfront about it not being real.

If mainstream news organisation websites are going to link to this kind of thing in order to attract traffic (not that there's anything wrong with it) it would be nice if they made a cursory attempt to validate it, being a news organisation...

It doesn't take an electronics genius to work out the challenge with tapping two non-conductive surfaces together in order to close a circuit. Then again, it doesn't take a genius to add a "Preview" button to blogs, so maybe News Ltd is lacking in that department? I'm just saying, Bolt, Blair...

Crikey, that's spin

An alternative reality Crikey summary of the Canberra tent embassy protester fracas:

Tony Abbott made provocative remarks about a group of people protesting for indigenous rights. [Abbott's remarks were provocative only because he was misquoted.]

He then attended a public function right near that group of people.

Somebody told the protesters he was nearby at a public function. [Protesters were informed by a Prime Ministerial aide via a trade union official. What was the intent of the information providers?]

They went to protest to him directly. [Fair enough.]

They banged on windows and called him a “racist” and suggested he should feel “shame”. [The fracas was both ugly and threatening.]

Which part of this is a scandal other than
- the AFP massively overreacting; and [The Prime Minister's security detail and summoned police reacted as they saw fit in the circumstances.]
- Tony Abbott’s hostility to the aboriginal protesters? [How, exactly, did Abbott display hostility.]

I don’t care who told them he was nearby – they were perfectly entitled to go and let him know what they thought of his remarks on the television.

The summary is just the sort of shameless spin its provider, genius media expert Jeremy Sear, claims to aim to debunk. Lefties are incapable of rationality when it comes to Abbott.

From Cronulla to Canberra

In Friday's Sydney Morning Herald letters:

Australia Day's reprehensible treatment of the Prime Minister by Aboriginal activists must be seen in the context of a disrespectful atmosphere created by white shock jocks and so-called political satirists since her accession to the leadership.

Sue Currie, Northcote

Yes. It was all Alan Jones' fault. Tony Abbott will be pleased to hear it's not his fault for a change.

Interestingly, it was one of these so-called white 'shock jocks', Ray Hadley who exposed that one of Prime Minister Gillard's media advisers had encouraged the riot.

Clear and Present Hysterics

News reports:

Wrapped in the arms of an Australian Federal Police officer, Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott were then whisked away from The Lobby restaurant, where the two had been trapped for half an hour by almost 200 protesters who were yelling and banging on the windows.

It was the first time since John Howard wore a bullet-proof vest to a gun rally that a protest had presented a clear and present danger to the safety of the prime minister.

As I recall, John Howard's arrival wearing a poorly fitted bullet-proof vest was treated with ridicule by the shooters lobby who took offence at the suggestion. Exactly what "clear and present danger" existed that day, which didn't the day before or the day after?

Having said that, if a Prime Minister, Premier, Police Commissioner or Minister of Immigration doesn't need to wear a bullet-proof vest (perhaps a stylish Miguel Caballero number) he or she probably isn't upsetting the right people nearly enough.

Menzies House takes on Frenzied Tent

Well. This didn't take long.

www.closethetentembassy.com

At Least Gillard Prefers Wearing Shoes...

Prime Minister Gillard lost her shoe yesterday while escaping a rioting mob.



The mob were described as "Aboriginal activists" but including what appeared to be a typical rent-a-crowd of green-left ferals and professional protesters, such as the Keffiyeh wearing red-head carrying a megaphone at 1m17s of the above video. Only a certain type of person owns a megaphone and isn't a PE teacher.

As for Julia Gillard's lost shoe:

Activist Pat Eatock ended up with the size 36 blue heel and said it would not be returned to Ms Gillard, even if she asked.

"She can't have it, this is going on eBay," said Ms Eatock, 73.

"We are going to see if we can get some money for the (tent) embassy."

Ms Eatock is one of those who sued Andrew Bolt into silence, so don't expect him to pass any comment on her now handling stolen property.

If they do sell the shoe on eBay, I wonder if it will get more money than Peter Gray's dirty, disgusting hippie-loafer thrown at John Howard on Q&A.

The main difference being Ms Gillard probably owns another pair of shoes.

Media genius does transport analysis

Crikey polymath Jeremy Sear wants death-dealing trucks off the road:

Seriously, if you can’t build the necessary rail infrastructure because Australians today are less capable than our ancestors 150 years ago, can’t we at least build freight trucks a separate road or something?

In fact, in the accident to which Jeremy refers, the truck WAS on a separate road to the car with which it collided. Due to circumstances yet to be determined, it crossed from one side of the dual carriageway Hume Highway to the other.

As Jeremy's fellow Green Sarah Hanson-Young says: “Accidents happen.”

Commonwealth Government Bankrolls Extremists

The community was invited to an open day at Preston Mosque.

Visitors will have full access to the interior of the Mosque, climb the minaret and have a view of Darebin, ask question you’ve wanted to ask, browse through our bookstore and make new friends.

This event is open to people of all faiths and both genders.

In case you were wondering... It's all about building bridges, people.

This project is supported by funding from the Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department under its Building Community Resilience Grants Program.

Immediately below that post is a summary of a recent lecture given at the Mosque. I wonder if the Attorney General reviewed it before reaching for the chequebook.

Lots of questions were asked and answered by Robert Stary. Below is a summary of the night by one of the attendees, may Allah reward him
...
I'd like to make it clear that Robert Stary is not an ordinary lawyer. He did not charge a fee to present the information session at the mosque because he is passionate about helping the Muslim community who he believes is being oppressed. His dealings with the cases of Jack Thomas and the Melbourne 13 (Melbourne terror trial) etc. have been a means for him to increase his knowledge of true Islam and not Islam portrayed by media outlets. He said his children attend a school with many Muslim students and he thinks it's crucial that they also have a proper understanding of Islam.

I found it interesting that he stated that the only crime Jack Thomas committed was converting to Islam and that they wanted to use him as a sacrificial lamb to give a warning to others. He also referred to the convicted brothers as 'the brothers'.

Read more about him and his credentials here.

May Allah (swt) guide him to Islam, ameen.

I'll try to be concise and list the main point’s insha' Allah.

Some facts about ASIO:

- They have tripled in size since 2001.

- The new ASIO building will be the largest building in Australia since the Parliament house.

- ASIO Act gives them enormous powers.

- $26m spend on counter-terrorism.

- ASIO work with the police and although ASIO cannot prosecute you, the police can.

- What you say to ASIO cannot be used against you in your prosecution.

Does ASIO target Muslims?

Yes. Robert believes that Australia has a pro-Israeli stance due to the powerful Jewish lobby groups who have the economic upper-hand in this country. Naturally, ASIO will try to suppress pro-Palestinian groups and sympathizer (i.e Muslims). Here is an official list of the designated terrorist organisations in Australia. You will notice that they are all Islamic organisations (minus PKK).

All Islamic organisations! Clearly those Buddhists need to lift their game...

What should I do if ASIO approach me?

There are two ways they can approach you, either formally or informally.

Informal:

- ASIO operatives may approach you and ask to have a coffee or a general chat (there is no such thing as a general chat because they will be recording the conversation covertly).

Must I answer their questions?

No, you do not have to answer their questions if they do not have a warrant. Robert's advice is to be polite to them and say that you have taken advice and you do not want to speak to them.

Even if you have not done anything wrong, there is no need to talk to them. Remember that they are not our friends and you may think that you have done nothing wrong but they are contacting you for a reason, not to have a friendly conversation. Their job is to collect intelligence. If they want to engage with the community then there are other ways of doing so.

If they keep hassling you, be firm and assertive and don't give in because you don't have to. Brothers who have dealt with them will know that they will hassle you.

Formal:

ASIO may contact you formally, that is with a warrant issued by the Attorney General.

- Under the ASIO Act, you must attend their interrogation.

- You don't have a right to silence. You must answer their questions. (Up to 5 yrs prison sentence if you don't)

- You may not be entitled to a lawyer of your choice (they need substantial grounds for denying you of this right).

- No right against self-incrimination.

- You may be prosecuted if you notify anybody that you have been questioned by ASIO or the nature of the discussion. (Some brothers in the Benbrika case who were questioned were not able to contact their families nor their employers telling them where they were).

If you don't comply with the above you may have committed an offence and may be charged.

Important note: If you are approached by ASIO and they say they have a warrant, you have the right to ask them to produce the warrant and see it. If they have a warrant to search your house, they will take anything they believe is of use to them (eg, laptop, books etc).

The only way they can enter your house without a warrant is if they appear to be friendly and you invite them in, which many people naturally do.

ASIO tactics:

- Covert operatives/infiltration. The use of this tactic has increased dramatically over the years as seen recently in the Melbourne terror trials where a Turkish police officer was used to infiltrate the group.

- Phone tapping/recordings. With advanced technology, they can tap into your conversations without you having a clue which may later be used as evidence (once again, Benbrika case phone conversations). Some websites are flagged and if you visit them you may be monitored although it is legal to visit them. I'm sure this forum is also being monitored.

Is it an offence to watch and download "Jihadi" material?

- This is a grey area of law and generally it's not an offence but can be as there is an offence called 'possession of a thing'.

- The material needs to be coupled with an application. In other words, you need to somehow use the material to plan something or apply it. (once again see Benbrika case, material + application (phone recordings)). It becomes an offence when coupled with action. Conspiring to do something is an action.

Do we have freedom of speech?

Yes we have freedom of speech but it is limited. You can voice your political opinion on a matter and there is nothing wrong with doing so. For example you can say "I think the Israeli government has committed war crimes and those perpetrators should be punished". If you say something along the lines of "the jews have killed our brothers and sisters so we should fight against them and kill them", inciting violence and hatred, then you will be in hot water.

For example, the Somali brothers were discussing how easy it is to infiltrate the army barracks along with some other inappropriate talk which lead them to be charged with conspiracy although it was impossible for them to carry out an act given the circumstances. Conspiracy is an offence, you don't need to possess weapons or anything of the like, talk is sufficient. Their case will be heard in the Supreme Court on Friday.

General/Random notes:

- Be careful when sending money overseas, even if it may be for humanitarian purposes. For example, sending money to a region in Somalia which is controlled by Al-Shabaab will be an offence and you may be charged.

- Supporting groups that want to overthrow/destabilize a foreign government is an offence. (eg, Arab spring).

- The role of ASIO is to gather intelligence so little things may not seem like a lot to you but they will have other intelligence on you and can bring the two together to make something out of it...

- In some instances, you can easily be charged with obstructing an officer so avoid confrontation in all circumstances.

I hope I have made sense as these notes were scribbled on paper (didn't take laptop) so I tried to tie it all together. If you need me to clarify anything please ask. In any case, the recording will be released soon insha' Allah and you can cross-reference what I have written to verify it in case I have been inaccurate.

Also, the brothers who have been approached by ASIO should get it documented at Preston Mosque for future reference insha' Allah.

Wassalam.

Why is the Attorney General's Department sponsoring an Open Day at this place? They should be working toward closing it.

Imagine them playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey...

And here's video of Chinese soldiers playing pass the parcel.

Would also be useful training for buck-passing at Labor HQ.

Antony Asked

Antony Loewenstein boasts:

I was asked by Al Jazeera’s The Listening Post to comment about this press issue (my comment appears around 8:53)

No he wasn't.

Note the email address which appears on his webcam footage. It's a TV version of letters to the editor. Anybody with a webcam can send them footage. Antony's ego means he probably believes he was asked by Youtube to appear on their Leading Website.

If he keeps this up, imagine the career potential.

Coming up after the break, Death to Israel. Nuclear? Or Old School bomb belt. Jewish reporter Antony Loewenstein offers his valuable insight.

Al-Jazeera - We report, you suicide.

In further same-old, Antony states: "This is what Obama is; shameless pandering to Zionist extremism".

The page to which Loewenstein links - Electronic Intifada (nice!) adds:

Is Barack Obama running for reelection as President of the United States or Prime Minister of Israel? A new Obama campaign video makes it increasingly hard to tell, and even more ominously ratchets further the Israelization of US politics.

Pro-tip: Never comment about secret Jewish control of government. Always refer to them as "Zionists or Zionist extremists". Much safer and you can still get a gig on the ABC rather than a park bench somewhere.

Grim Reeping

Legal advice from Rod of Sydney:

Glad to see miss Ashton's attemp to further ruin Mrs Pratt's life has failed. Before you try appealing remember you reep whay you sew.

Fortunately no seamstresses were sexually assaulted.

Sing it to Win It

Not exactly Bill Clinton's saxophone or Kim Jong-Un's guitar, but here's US President Obama rocking out.

Surrender

A letter in the Sydney Morning Herald offers a simple solution to stopping gun crime in Sydney.

Illegal drugs are the main source of cash driving our criminals and corrupting police, and the solution is the same now as then - repeal prohibition while regulating and taxing the ongoing trade.

If they legalised and taxed theft and murder, crime levels would drop overnight.

Facebook not for Kids

The official Wiggles website links to their Facebook page where there is plenty of venting about Yellow Wiggle Sam's boning.

On the next page,  a casual photo of (Blue Wiggle) Anthony all tatooed and bare legged gets the women into a frenzy and prompts this comment:

u mums r so horny i love it

The Wiggles attract all sorts.

The Good News is he Can't be Fired Again.

Antony Loewenstein appeared on ABC TV's The Drum on Thursday. The suit is a big improvement on his earlier dress sense.

Antony spent most of the episode awkwardly waiting for them talk about Israel and when the topic turned to employment, well...

Update: Antony discusses his appearance (except for that bit which he hopes nobody noticed).

The question of racism in Australia is a live one and I argued that deep-seated mistrust of Muslims and minorities was rampant. Any more than other countries globally? Hard to say but it’s foolish to deny that media players and politicians regularly play the race card to draw votes.

The media draws votes? I'm voting for Zoo Weekly!

The Murdoch press are some of the worst offenders in this area, routinely demonising the poor and disadvantaged.

The evidence of this astonishing claim will be presented in Antony's forthcoming book, "My Making Shit Up Question". Speaking of racism, earlier in the program, Antony casually referred to Warren Mundine as a "Murdoch Pet". He stopped short of calling him Uncle Tom.

The main discussion was around Iran and its alleged nuclear weapon’s program (of which there is no evidence).

There is also no evidence that Antony knows how to use an apostrophe. I weep for his editors.

I stated that most of the mainstream media, the Zionist lobby, Israel-firsters, many politicians and commentators are now leading us to yet another Middle East conflict.

Islamic leaders specifically and openly calling for the destruction of a nation state, or Arabs shooting at each other, are merely harmless goat-herders and bear no responsibility whatsoever.

By the Balls

Former NSW Police Officer Tim Priest wrote the seminal Rise of Middle Eastern Crime in Australia in Quadrant about seven years ago and Sydney is now plagued by drive-by shootings, 80% of which are confined to a particular area of South-Western Sydney. The response seems to be hand-wringing by police and calls (of course) to make it harder for law-abiding citizens to have guns, as though laws will somehow magically affect outlaw criminals.

Priest has had more to say in this week's Australian.

As I watched news coverage of Sydney's latest craze, "the drive by", I couldn't help but cringe at the sight of senior police telling the assembled media throng how difficult it is to investigate gun crime because people won't talk to them. Are they kidding?

Most criminals won't talk to police unless you have them by the testicles (metaphorically of course), and even then they will only ever tell you half the story. That's where good detectives hold their own.

Read it all.

This is not a new problem.

Forest Rescue poetry

When not plotting anti-whaling piracy, perching in trees or chaining themselves to logging machines, Forest Rescue activists write touching nature poems:

At least he's employed...

After a particularly nasty Tweet by Antony Loewenstein about NSW Jewish Communal leader Vic Alhadeff, Alhadeff responded:

Unfortunate that Mr Loewenstein has to frequently resort to personal slurs to try and make a point.

Loewenstein's response?

Deeply ironic that #Zionist lobbyist talks about civility when his employer #Israel occupies #Palestinians. Nice priorities.

Self described Investigative Journalist Loewenstein should be aware that Alhadeff heads the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. That's NSW, as in Australia. Not Israel. His paycheque comes from this country and the only thing he's occupying is a desk somewhere in Darlinghurst.

Loewenstein's comment is as stupid as suggesting that because he frequently calls for the abolition of Israel he must be employed by Iran. Or because he routinely defends Palestinian terrorists, he must be employed by Hamas.

It's ridiculous. As if they'd ever employ Antony. They may be genocidal Jew-hating psychopaths, but they're not stupid.

Antony made a name for himself slagging off the Jewish Community. Yet again it's clear he doesn't actually have a clue what he's even talking about. Still, as demonstrated by The Dumb Drum last night, he's still good enough for 'our ABC' when they want a comment about certain topics.

Mark Walhberg is a Dick

I'm not talking about that scene in Boogie Nights.

Rather some comments he made, as reported in (ugh) Ralph.

Mark Wahlberg is no stranger to playing action heroes on the big screen, but how would he fare when the camera's aren't rolling? Exceptionally well, according to the man himself.

In an interview with Men's Journal, Wahlberg, explained how he could have single-handedly stopped the terrorists from crashing the plane into the World Trade Center on 9/11.

"If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn't have went down like it did. There would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, 'Okay, we're going to land somewhere safely, don't worry.'"

An even bigger dick in comments to that page adds:

What a coincidence it is that mark (who is a jew) cancels the flight a few days prior. Must have been told from the jews who planned the attack that it was going to happen. They didnt want any of their precious jews to do on the planes did they now.

Wahlberg had a Roman Catholic upbringing, but hey, Walhberg, Goldberg, Iceberg....

What is it with antisemites and illiteracy?

I guess they needed someone who was available at 4pm on a work day...

Guess who's appearing on The Dumb tonight?

6pm on Our ABC.

Tweets to #thedrum.

Electric revolution falters

A bold 2010 prediction from Fairfax Media:

The first modern mass-produced electric car [the Mitsubishi i-MiEV] is in the vanguard of a silent revolution.

Less than two years on:

In Australia last year just 49 electric vehicles were sold, accounting for 0.0049 per cent of the new-car market, according to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was the biggest selling electric car, but still managed just 30 sales.

Yep, that's one silent revolution.

Haggard Antisemites have Friends Too...

Geoff has referred me to Fully taxpayer funded Holocaust denier Marilyn Shepherd's, comment in Webdiary:

I have Iraqi friends who remember the Irgun and other setting off bombs in Iraq to induce the jews to go to Israel because no-one else wanted to.

Isn't that touching. Even the most unhinged moonbats can have friends.

The preceding article by Geoff Pahoff (which makes Marilyn's comment irrelevant and off-topic as well as stupid) is an interesting read. Say what you want about Hamas, at least they are honest about wanting to see Jews dead. If only various academics and their fellow travellers of the Left were as honest, instead of talking in code.

Wiggle Choices

It's official.

Original yellow Wiggle, Greg Page is set to dance and sing his way back into the kids' super group, after confirmation he will return after a five-year absence.

Replacement yellow Wiggle, Sam Moran has been shown the door.

Moran will pursue other musical projects and will be given access to the group's Hot Potato Studios, Wiggles manager Paul Field said.

"We thank Sam for his wonderful contribution to the group for the past five years. He joined at a difficult time for Greg and the group, and we're so grateful for all he has done," Field said.

The Prime Minister's Office, Fair Work Australia and the Union Movement are yet to issue a statement.

Perth Excitement

Two teenagers got the fright of their lives last night when it's alleged they tried to steal items from an unmarked police car with two plain clothes officers inside.

I'd make a comment about Perth, but JF might show me the door.

Update: More Perth excitement.

Literacy Shunned

Antony Loewenstein demands:

While Sri Lanka shuns interest in human rights we must shun them

Either Antony wants us to shun human rights or someone needs to teach that best-selling author how to write.

Antony is on the Advisory Council of the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice. Just check out the photo and the other professional head-tilty rent-seekers handing out unsolicited advice to Sri Lanka (run out of the UK mind you). It's amazing the lengths some people have to go to, to get laid.

It's also interesting that Antony feels the Tamils are entitled to their own state, whereas the Jews aren't.

Why Won't Anyone Listen To Me?

Ramblings over at Webdiary,

WD contributor Marilyn Shepherd of course has often noted the wholesale suppression of relevant information re asylum seeker detention, particularly since this harsh process became overtised and brutal under Howard.

 That would be Marilyn Shepherd, Holocaust denier (fully taxpayer funded) who is still blaming Howard. Memo Marilyn: John Howard hasn't been the Prime Minister for four years and many more "asylum seekers" have died since he left. Presumably that wasn't "brutal" enough.

 Let the Silencing continue:

We've seen Pilger ostracised, Bob Brown and the environmentalists suppressed in court by Gunns and Lennon and am sure others could also recall instances, such as the Henson Affair.

There seems a pattern, likely devised in rightist think tanks by mercenary ambulance chasers, applied in general, as if from a handbook.

Anyone know where I can buy a copy of this "handbook"?

Renovated vaginas more important than rorted taxpayer billions

Crikey's Pure Poison appendage has a go at The Australian for publishing a story making passing mention of a credible claim that Medicare is funding non-essential "designer vagina" surgeries:

“Designer vaginas”? At $5-6000 each? Under which Medicare category does that fit? When did that happen? Which doctors made that claim? Was it paid out, or clawed back? Are we talking about a strange operation that is covered by Medicare but shouldn’t be (unlikely) or a case of fraud, that’s been caught?

I mean – that’s not a normal Medicare charge, is it? And if not, what happened? How did they get away with it? WHAT IS THE FREAKING STORY? Did it even happen?

The AMA was doubtful:

AMA president Steve Hambleton said Dr Webber’s style and language were overblown, and he had not previously heard any suggestion that the safety net — set up as catastrophe insurance — had been used to cover cosmetic treatments, let alone highly controversial genital procedures for non-medical reasons.

And yet the piece as published in The Australian includes none of writer Adam Cresswell’s no doubt vigorous journalism on the subject. You know, the bit where he followed up with Dr Webber by asking him point blank to back up his claim, and then noted down the details for verification, and then checked them himself, and if he found that it had happened where he then discovered how and why… so that the people reading his article who weren’t partisan hacks who’d happily pretend to believe anything as long as it bashed a public service whose community support they resent, would have some basis for taking it seriously.

PP boy Jeremy Sear, being obsessed with all things News Ltd, fails to notice that News, Fairfax and The ABC all reported the "designer vaginas" angle similarly as but part of a much larger story: the alleged yearly $2 billion - $3 billion rorting of Medicare. Jeremy ignores both the similar reporting at non-News outlets and the alleged massive misspending of taxpayer dollars.

Had Jeremy done his research he'd also be aware that the AMA does not rule out the "designer vaginas" allegation:

Look, I think if there are a few safety net areas where they do need to be tweaked. I think we need to look at that. I think the safety net was built by John Howard and Tony Abbott to actually work as catastrophe insurance for those families that had high expenses in one year. It was never intended to pay for high out-of-pocket expenses for cosmetic surgery. And certainly, the government has done some changes to the safety net to - in the obstetric area. In fact, they saved a whole lot more than they were expecting to, even in the first year.

But for those families where the safety net protects them for those excess, out-of-pocket expenses when they've got sick children, it's working really well, so we do support it.

Look, some of the issues that [Dr Webber] raised I think are not the intention of the safety net. And we have no issue with calling to account individuals who are abusing that privilege. And I guess that's why we have Medicare, or at least that's why we have a PSR process. And if people are doing the wrong thing then they should be called to account.

Jeremy's reporting is much more misleading than the story he "analyses" which might prompt motivated readers to complain to the Australian Press Council. This would be futile, however; Crikey is part of the 2% of media outlets that refuses to join the Press Council so as to avoid constantly appearing before it.

Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant

Despite Israel and the Palestinian occupied territories having more journalists per square mile than any other place on Earth somehow we seldom hear about what passes for 'normal discourse' in the Palestinian society.

Palestinian Media Watch does a job that most of the Western Media don't, capturing and cataloguing the brazen calls for Jihad, Jew-killing and murder which pass for daily Palestinian television and newspaper.

Unfortunately, Youtube has decided that the material is offensive (which it certainly is) and decided to censor it to protect people from hearing terrible things. In other words, the truth about our enemy.

The video that YouTube is calling "inappropriate" exposed the Palestinian Authority Mufti citing the Islamic tradition (Hadith) that anticipates Muslims' killing Jews as a precursor to the Hour of Resurrection. The Jews are also called the "descendants of the apes and pigs" by a Fatah moderator at the event.

Nice people. Let's give them a state!

Fair Work not so fair...

Catallaxy Files refers to an article in The Australian which quotes a Union Rep

CFMEU assistant secretary Dave Noonan said. ‘And what that means is workers are able to be represented by a union in a collective agreement.’ He said many employers in the sector were now dealing with unions for the first time, because there was previously no requirement to do so.

 Yes. Once upon a time, people had a choice in the matter.

Hours spent walking should count too...

In today's Melbourne Age, one of the more stupid road safety ideas.

On-road experience

OUR 14-year-old daughter has been practising road skills for three years, initially with me as her instructor, by commuting to school by bicycle. On the 10 kilometres of back streets and cycle paths, she encounters many of the same issues facing all road users. These skills will translate into a much more aware and safer driver when she gets her licence.

Unfortunately no recognition in the form of a reduction in hours required for licence practice will be given.

If it were, no doubt it would encourage more of her peer group to emulate her. Also, many more than the required 120 hours of practice would be achieved with all the associated health benefits - with more young people on bikes, there would be fewer cars on our roads and less pollution. Schools could tick off each day whether the child rode their bike and the appropriate distance/time.
Anthony Barnes, Ferntree Gully

Yes. Because school teachers have nothing better to do.

Implementing this plan will mean that P-Platers who currently wrap their cars around telegraph poles due to a combination of excessive speed, undeveloped risk-awareness centres in the brain, peer group pressure and distractions, will all of a sudden drive better.

Admittedly, out of habit it will be up the bike path...

I'll give you something to cry about...

Remember the thousands of North Koreans wailing hysterically at the death of Kim Jong Il? Here's what happened to those who didn't cry loud enough.

The North Korean authorities have completed the criticism sessions which began after the mourning period for Kim Jong Il and begun to punish those who transgressed during the highly orchestrated mourning events.

Daily NK learned from a source from North Hamkyung Province on January 10th, “The authorities are handing down at least six months in a labor-training camp to anybody who didn’t participate in the organized gatherings during the mourning period, or who did participate but didn’t cry and didn't seem genuine.”

Hitler, Pol-Pot and Stalin were LIghtweights...

Letters in The Age under the headline "Soldiers lose their humanity" damn America:

MY response to the news of US troops appearing to urinate on the corpses of Taliban fighters (The Age, 13/1) is: Why be surprised? The one-eyed, animal behaviours which war requires of immature men are unlikely to permit any feelings of respect for the other party before or after death. Today's media expose the filth of war as it is.
Angela Were, Northcote

SOLDIERS urinating on dead Taliban. I'm not sure what the fuss is about. It's a neat metaphor for US foreign policy over the past 50 years.
Lloyd Jones, Box Hill


HILLARY Clinton says urinating on Taliban corpses is not in keeping with American values. No mention of how they came to be corpses. One can only presume that killing is an American value.
John Hackett, Wonthaggi

Funny how those who will immediately try, convict and condemn American soldiers based on early media reports, are often those demanding a 'fair trial' for some of the biggest scum on the planet.

Update: Letters in The Australian are far more practical. Except the one by Jew-hating military failure Adrian Jackson, who wrote:

I would not piss on a US marine even if he was on fire

I'm sure most soldiers would piss on a loser like Adrian even if he weren't on fire.

Loewenstein Schools Employed Journalists

Antony Loewenstein, who has never actually held down real employment as a journalist, writes:

The role of real jour­nal­ists is to ques­tion so-called es­tab­lished truths and make of­fi­cials un­com­fort­able.

How can an established truth, be 'so-called'?

Middle East commentator Antony should be travelling any moment to Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia in order to "make officials uncomfortable". Any second now...

I’m writing a chapter in a forthcoming collection I’m co-editing (I wonder if the other co-editor would write a sentence like that? -ed) on the incestuous relationship between the military and the media, an issue that has interested me for years

His interest has never extended to actually spending time with the military. No. According to Loewy:

MSM journalists see role as stenography despite claims of independence

Most journalists don't use the word "independent" in their title. They have jobs.

Stenography is a pretty rich accusation from a bloke who wouldn't know any shorthand and whose blog is nearly all excerpts of other people's work save for a sneering headline at the top.

Loewenstein is no Michael Yon. Can't wait for that "collection".

All grown up

The stylish dyed hair is gone, a new wife-tickler creating a look of manly sophistication. Keep the fuzz, I say.

Lunartic

With Andrew Bolt still on holiday, Bolt obsessed Crikey media analyst Jeremy Sear searches the media to find an earth-shatteringly important matter of contention: did NASA first deliver humans to the moon in 1968 (the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission) or 1969 (the Apollo 11 moon landing)?

Reliably wrong, Jeremy insists 1969 is the correct answer. By the way, the offending Age article is about a Saturn V rocket built entirely of Lego. Now there's a story worth analyzing.

Silly female motorcyclist

After a strenuous week I last weekend wound down by taking my partner for a ride to a lovely picnic spot just below North Dandalup Dam, where we parked next to a behemoth Honda Harley-Davidson pretender. While we were shedding our jackets and helmets the Honda suddenly became a whole lot cooler when a middle-aged woman mounted and started it.

The coolness endured for only seconds, however, the female calling out to ask if I would give her a push backward from the curb as she didn't have the strength to dislodge the front wheel of her 311 kg motorcycle from a minor undulation in the pavement.

What would this silly woman do if caught in a similar situation without anyone there to assist her?

Update On the subject of two-wheeled idiots, this afternoon I watched as two trendy, spandex-clad, road-hogging bicyclists rode abreast through a traffic choke point apparently oblivious of the traffic building behind them.

The inconsiderate twits could have made room but were too busy chatting.

I preferred Jen Hawkin's Wardrobe Malfunction

The Telegraph reports that AnnaLynne McCord accidentally exposed much more of herself than intended on Twitter.

Annalynne who?

The actress, who plays Naomi Clark in the updated version of popular Nineties show Beverly Hills 90210, inadvertently posted a topless picture of herself on the social networking website.

Uh huh.

But you've heard of her now. Mission accomplished and she only needed to flash a mere nipple.

Just don't Call him an Antisemite. He's an "Anti-Zionist". Get it?

Jews are without morals and use their vast sums of money and power to cynically manipulate government.

Antisemitic slur? Or just the latest from Antony Loewenstein, who writes:

Albert Dadon is a leading Australian Zionist lobbyist who loves nothing better than cosying up to any old Israeli politician who gives him the time of day. Backers of occupation? No problem. Defender of the status-quo? Of course. He has no desire to do anything to change Israel for the better, merely to get Australian politicians face time with full-time Zionists. Amazing what money can get you these days.

What a disgrace.

Update: Raffe Gold - The Lament over Loewenstein.

Tough Words

In a recent post, Antony Loewenstein sneered that Canberra needs to grow a back bone.

This from a guy who cowers at non-existent "death threats" (by little old Jewish ladies).

The good news: It looks like Antony has been widening his reading.

Good piece in today’s Sydney Daily Telegraph

Good piece in today’s Sydney Daily Telegraph

Good piece in today's Sydney Daily Telegraph.

It's not April Fools Day and that's not even "Murdoch's Daily Telegraph". Perhaps Antony's looking for work and wants to impress the Opinion Editor at the Tele? Good luck with that. Then again, Tim Blair has previously run opinion pieces by seditious twerps calling for the defeat of Australian soldiers. Antony might just have a chance. Let's hope Tim forgets when unemployed Antony called him a stenographer.

One of the comments at Loewenstein's blog (lucky enough to get through censorship) is less impressed with the Tele piece.

It's the short of article that makes me not read Australian papers.

That's the sort of literacy that makes one read Loewenstein.

Good piece in today’s Sydney Daily Telegraph that tackles

Good piece in today’s Sydney Daily Telegraph that tackles

Julian Assange tells The Power Index that Canberra needs to grow a back-bone (fat chance):

Bob vs Gore

Miranda Devine offers a wonderful quote.

Bob took the long view: “I am a life member of Bronte Surf Club. I am 76yrs of age and I have not seen the sea level change at all.

“In fact as a child I remember one year with the Xmas tides the water came right up through the park. How come these alarmists can predict that the beaches are going to be swamped in the next 75yrs when nothing has altered in the past 75yrs?”

Gavin Moves On

I had a feeling something was up when there were no "passing shadows" for the last couple of weeks. The Shadowlands' Gavin Atkins, a good mate, writes:

I have decided to take an extended break from blogging this year to chase up some other freelance writing opportunities.

So long Gavin, and thanks.

Ex-Trad-Ition

Everybody's favourite Lebanese-Muslim spokesman, Keysar Trad lost a 2009 court case against radio broadcaster Alan Jones, who made some fairly pointed comments about Muslims. After losing, Trad appealed.

Last month the appeal panel ruled against him again.

For those reasons Mr Trad's appeal would ultimately fail. It would not be necessary to consider the factual questions concerning incitement.

I was also surprised by this bit:

37 Of particular potential significance here is this material pointed to by Mr Trad's experts:

Muslims in Australia gained an image of being problem migrants largely through the particular settlement experience of Lebanese Muslim migrants settled in Sydney as a result of the civil war [in Lebanon]. In particular this image was created and sustained by the fact that Lebanese Muslims experienced chronically high levels of unemployment in the 1980's and the 1990's, by the perception that Lebanese youth were heavily involved in gang activities and by the conviction of Lebanese Muslim brothers for gang rapes in Sydney.

Really? Could it not be because of the Lebanese-Muslim community's almost complete silence in the face of a nearly total failure to assimilate into the Australian Community? Rather than saying "we have a problem, what can we do about it?" it's been constant moaning that it's "racism", like a violent, rude child saying it's everybody else's fault that they're unpopular at school.

Were there ever any protests from the Islamic Community against Jihad? Against terrorism? Against any of the other problems within the religion? Not that I'm aware of.

Whereas if Israel bombs a few armed terrorists, you can have ten thousand Muslims marching in the streets on a day's notice. So we know they can get a crowd together when it suits them.

Of course, I'll probably get called a "racist" for saying any of this.

On Balance

Letter in today's Silly:

There have been a few letters wailing about the so-called left-wing bias of the ABC. I recall someone once said "the ABC couldn't balance the right-wing bias of the rest of the media if it were run by Lenin and Marx''.

Peter Butler Balgownie

My tax dollars don't compulsorily pay for the 'rest of the media'.

Fireworks Fizzer

A few years ago, I had this letter published in The Silly:

On New Year's Eve I watched the fireworks from a public vantage point. I saw backpackers sending text messages to their friends urging them to come to Sydney. That is, the few million dollars spent on the event will result in many millions worth of tourism.

Yet every year there are letters from people insisting we cancel the fireworks because of (take your pick) global warming, war, poverty, bushfires or the expense.

I saw young children amazed, I saw grown-ups holding hands and I saw thousands of Australians having a fantastic time. It really takes a special kind of killjoy to want to cancel that.

The editor replaced the word "arsehole" with killjoy. Arsehole.

This year, The Australian's letters page ran this rather poorly written whinge:

Millions have been blown on fireworks to pander to the affluent. Think how many Somali children could have been saved with that.

Rob Ryan, Atherton, Qld

You can save Somali children with fireworks? Cool!

The Drone Continues...

Antony still can't count.

Washington’s drone wars against countless countries receives far too little media scrutiny

Those weren't fireworks on New Year's Eve.

They were drones....

What the Face?

Some models smile. Most pout. What the hell is this girl doing?

No. Seriously. What? That advertisement is popping up on all sorts of websites. I thought Blue Steel was for men only.

Doesn't Work on Door-Knockers

I just watched a TV ad for "outdoor insect protection". Specifically, an automatic insecticide dispenser. Just in case the indoor plug-in sprays weren't already killing the family bugs.

Good grief.

Haven't people ever heard of spiders?

Loewensomething something

It's been hard lately to post any of the usual observations about Antony Loewenstein's blogging as it's becoming largely impossible  to work out what the hell he is even trying to say.

Headline:

When far Right hearts Zionism, sensible folk run (yet so many Jews are smiling)

Any idea?

One theme did emerge. Antony continues to protect murderers and the enemies of democracy.

Here's what's happening in Syria. Right now.

The use of artillery against protesters has been the government's favoured way of quelling unrest over the course of the nine-month uprising. The tactic has ensured disaffected soldiers do not get close enough to protesters to defect while inflicting maximum terror.

Deprived of its weapon of choice, the regime was forced to resort to cruder methods.

The security forces fired automatic rifles at protesters in the cities of Hama and Dera'a and, according to opposition groups, used nail bombs to disperse demonstrators in Douma on the outskirts of Damascus.

The regime has been accused of using nail bombs since August, resulting in a large number of amputations that have often been conducted in makeshift field clinics because protesters taken to hospitals have frequently disappeared.

If it were the Israeli government using rubber bullets against terrorists, Antony would be furious. When it's someone else using real bullets, bombs and nails against civilians? He has a slightly different view.

Syria may be convulsing but foreign intervention must be avoided

Even the far left Grauniad is advocating for foreign intervention. Not Antony though. Violence in the Middle East is invisible if there's no Israeli Jews involved.

Elsewhere, Antony's been caught out again, using dodgey statistics. Can this boy get anything right?

Spectacle

Every New Year's Eve from 2000 to 2009, party goers would wander around Sydney streets wearing cheesy novelty glasses where the two zeroes were over their eyes. I figured that market would dry up in 2010 (except perhaps for one-eyed party goers) and die altogether by 2011. I didn't see many last year and figured I was right.

Apparently not. Damn those creative plastics manufacturers.

Children Deserve Cracker Night

Justin Sheedy wrote:

For any young child growing up in the suburbs of 1970s Australia, there were three days of any year that you held as holy. One was your birthday, one was Christmas, one – and by far the most primordially sensual, wondrous and potentially lethal to your young life – was Crackernight.

...subsequently known as the Queen's Birthday after fireworks sale in NSW was banned 25 years ago.

We were all told that fireworks were dangerous and should only be fired by professionals.

Yeah? Well at least I never set fire to any buildings. Perhaps in Clover Moore's increasingly desperate attemtps to copy Melbourne, next year she can have the Sydney Opera House set ablaze. It will be perfectly safe as long as no child in the outer suburbs gets to ignite any bungers...