Tuesday, April 29, 2008

This is not what it looks like.

When Troy Buswell got in trouble for sniffing seats he forgot the number 1 rule for public figures who find themselves in tricky situations. Deny Deny Deny.
McKenney on the other hand played it like a seasoned pro. He must have learnt something from Alan Jones.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

It's like a Deep South Country Club.

I was just playing at Grods.com and made a comment that linked the News Awards. These awards are in-house journalism prizes for people who work for Rupert Murdoch.
The first thing I noticed about the awards was the conformity and gender imbalance of the receipients. This picture tells the story.

I decided to investigate further.
Of the 90 photos in the awards galleries there was one person of African origin and maybe one and half women of Asian appearance. The rest of the people were white and middle aged. That is 2.5 coloured folk out of an approximate 270 people in the photos.
Now I'm not saying there aren't some good journos in the photos, but if News Ltd is genuinely concerned about writing for modern Australia, they would never have so few people from NESBs in their staff.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Shonkwatch 2

Last week the Geelong Independent was advertising miracle cures by religious shonks. This week the paper is plugging financial miracles by just shonks.


Jamie McIntyre is, according to his advertisment, a multi-millionaire who went from broke to financial freedom in three years.

If you ring the number in the ad, McIntyre will send you a DVD which shows:
*How to earn $35,000 a year tax free from investment property. (Wonder if the ATO know about this)
*How to instantly get access to all the cash you need. (without robbing a bank?)
and *8 ways to raise money, even if you have no cash. (try honest work arse-hole)

With promotions like this it is no wonder Jamie McIntyre has kept The Australians Security and Investment Commission very busy indeed.

"Earlier, ASIC had taken action to wind up several companies associated with Mr McIntyre. In April 2003 the Supreme Court of Queensland made orders appointing Mr Bradley Vincent Hellen of Calabro Partners, as liquidator of four companies of which Mr McIntyre was the sole director. Those companies were Visual Changes Pty Ltd (Visual Changes), trading as 21st Century Academy, Cashflow Creation Pty Ltd, JNMAC Pty Ltd and JNMAC2 Pty Ltd.

In 2002 the Supreme Court had ordered the winding up of another company associated with Mr McIntyre, Jaymac Communications Aust No 2 Pty Ltd, and had appointed Mr Hellen as liquidator."


In August last year ASIC discontinued proceedings against McIntyre "in consideration of Mr McIntyre undertaking to repay investors who lent money to Visual, enrolling in and completing a company director’s course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors and, contributing to the outstanding fees of the liquidator of the McIntyre companies."

The discontinuance also allowed McIntyre to travel overseas again. This has allowed Jamie to promote his $5000 three day fiji seminars with his free DVDs.

Sure you can't protect gullible people against shonks, but should a paper be giving these religious and financial snake oil salesmen a platform for profit?

And where is the line in the sand? Is there anything the Geelong Independent won't plug for cash?

BLL salutes you.

BLL has been accused by it's critics of bagging everything. Yes, I do bag things that need it, but I occassionally celebrate local power-brokers.
And today is one of those days where I hold up a glass to the powers that be in the Geelong region.

Firstly, I celebrate the Geelong Advertiser's coverage of the Chartwell collapse. Outstanding, sensational, and get this, I actually bought the paper for the first time in years.

Melbourne's "quality" paper was left floundering on this issue, and The Age even resorting to stealing the Addy's pictures without crediting the regional tabloid.

Particular mention goes to Aleks Devic, a young journo on the rise.

And while I'm giving credit to those I have criticised in the past, Cr Schroeter can take a bow for his position on the windfarm for the Winchelsea district.

When you attract the attention of anti-windfarm wackos in the USA, you've done well Councillor.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Give that boy an award

Prince William is spoilt little toff who would never have got to shag Kate Middleton if he wasn't born into royalty. He is also a disgraceful waste of taxpayers money who shamelessly uses defence helicopters for private trips to snotty brat parties.

Unlike his Mum, Prince William has done fuck all for anyone, and has wasted his advantages in life doing prince things like playing soldiers and polo.


Having said that, he is an infinitely better choice to be gonged with a Royal Knight of the Garter than our bastard of an ex-PM.

Poor Alexander Downer will not be able to sleep tonight.

Cash in, it's ANZAC day.

Perhaps the most nauseating television advertisement ever made involved, a wage slave, a free cup of coffee, and pimple-free 16 year old Maccas worker delivering the bile raising line "No...Thank you" to an ageing digger.

Now you could say the ad is just MacDonalds getting into the ANZAC spirit, or you could argue that the promotion is a fast food giant shamelessly using the memory of brave soldiers to hock obese-inducing food to kids.

Retailers are holding ANZAC day sales and merchants will no doubt be flogging off cheap plastic Australian flags at highly inflated prices at marches.

I'm of the opinion that the only people who should have ANZAC day specials are poppy sellers and RSL clubs. Anyone else who does it, or uses ANZAC day in a gratuitous sales pitch gives capitalism a bad.

If you see any offensive pimping of dead war heroes for profit, post it here.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Tim and Andrew's 2020 summit

Tim Blair and Andrew bolt are not very impressed with "Krudd's" elitist 2020 summit, so they have decided to launch their own "ordinary Aussies" talkfest catering to those legends who read their web sites.

It's a multi venue extravaganza over the next two weekends.

Northies Pub will host the first Saturday where the Cronulla Riots will be re-enacted.
Sunday, on the first weekend, is Camden Day where a pig's head will be put on a stake next to an Orstayan flag at the proposed site of an Islamic School.
The following Saturday's chin wag will be in Rockhampton where the mob will try and free this political prisoner.
The final day will rap up in Ipswich, the spiritual home of the Hansonite set.

Topics covered revolve around the absolute fact that being white (especially if you are male) is the worst thing to be in Orstaya, and it puts you at a huge disadvantage compared to the boongs.

There will also be a discussion on the final weekend titled, "Muslims in Australia: It's time to develop a final solution".

Special guests include, Alan Jones, Pauline (she's like a Brazilian Soccer player and only needs one name), David Oldfield, Jim Saleam, Jim Ball, and Kevin Andrews.

Bring your own slab of beer (none of that boutique shit) or pre mixed spirits.
Instant coffee will be provided and their will be a break so everyone can watch Gladiators.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Watch a moron talk about guns

This week's prize for rank political opportunism to promote a totally fucked up ideology goes to the gun nuts at Students for Concealed Carry on Campus

Today is the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting, and SCCC is out spruiking their cause.



These guys are also celebrating their 25,000 membership base.

Now let's assume these guys got their way and all of them, plus others who support the cause start carrying weapons to class.

Lets conservatively estimate you now have 50,000 more guns on campuses across the USA.

Now the important question. How many of these people can gaurantee that they, and none of their fellow 50,000 packers will not
A. Get pissed and do something stupid.
B. Store their weapons in an unsafe manner.
C. Lend their weapons to someone who shouldn't have a gun
D. Lose their weapons.
or E. Flip the fuck out and start shooting people?

These arrogant fuckers live in a fantasy land where every gun owner is a responsible citizen immune to mistakes or mental illness.

I just hope sanity prevails. Failing that, I hope when things go wrong, an SCCC member eats lead rather than some poor innocent sod who just wants to get an education.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Muslims are coming.

I wonder whether or not Rupert's "quality" paper, The Australian, will offer a moderate Muslim a right of reply to this idiotic article by Islam bashing extremist Daniel Pipes.

The article basically argues that Europe has three options in dealing with Muslim immigration: 1. except a muslim takeover because muslims are outbreeding Christians. 2. Muslim rejection where followers of Mohamed are turned away by far right nationalist governments and 3.Muslims and non-muslims could live together in peace but "one can virtually dismiss from consideration the prospect of Muslims accepting historic Europe and integrating within it".

Let's not mince words here, Pipes is an extremist whose arguments are so flawed they are embarrassing.

The idea that "Amsterdam and Rotterdam, in about 2015, are expected to be the first large majority-Muslim cities" and "Russia could become a Muslim-majority country in 2050" because of breeding is so wrong it's embarrassing.

Amsterdam has approximately 100,000 Muslims in a population of 1.3 million. Only 4.4% of the country's population is Muslim. To claim Amsterdam will become the first large majority-muslim city by 2015 is ludicrous.

Pipes' theory of Europe being overrun by Muslims is so tenuous he expands his argument claiming, "Russia could become a Muslim-majority country in 2050" Despite the dubious maths, Pipes forgets to point out that most of Russia's Muslims don't actually live in Europe. They live in Asia.

If you want to see what kind of cultural warrior Pipes is, have a look at who he quotes or uses to outline his argument.

Uber-conservative Dennis Prager
Mark Stayne
and the racist commentator Oriana Fallaci

The only reason why the Australian would publish Pipes' garbage is that the failed academic rates well, and controversy increases circulation. This whole episode gives conservatives a bad name.

Friday, April 11, 2008

What's going on at the Geelong Independent

Part 1. Supporting "cults".
The Potter House Christian Fellowship is an evangelical body that is currently moving into the city of Geelong.

Their marketing campaign involves shows containing loads of "healing" from terrible afflictions like cancer and short-leggedness. The "church" is promoting their product with ads like this.


This dubious organisation even concerns the Christian Research Institute and yet the Independent gladly takes money for ads which looks like the "church" is trying to take advantage of desperate people.



I'm just wondering if the ACCC ever thought this may be false advertising? Or was this a genuine miracle? And does Geelong have the best cancer unit in the world that can churn out test results with remarkable speed?

Part 2. It's called campaigning.

Virtually every week, The Geelong Independent runs a very favourable Ron Humphrey article, but this week's one was just ridiculous.

Here is the lead paragraph.

"Surf Coast's mayor has separated two councillors after "constant disruptive behaviour" at council meetings, according to colleagues."

Guess who those "colleagues" are?
Yep that's right, Ron "just because he says something doesn't make it true" Humphrey, and his sidekick Rolly Livingstone.

The lead paragraph was followed by Crs Humphrey and Livingstone giving the "seperated" councillors a media kicking.

Two thirds of the way into the article, the lead paragraph turned into an utter joke when the mayor denied he had anything to do with the seating arrangements.

So how the hell did this non-story make it into the papers? Now I may be wrong here, but this certainly looks like Cr Ron has called his regular journalist in an attempt to keep his name in the papers and smear his political opponents.

It looks like Ron has started his campaign for the November council elections early.

With so few people paying attention to local politics (and no wonder with silly stories like these making the papers), name recognition is crucial in getting elected or re-elected.

Ron is probably just smart enough to know this and manages to get his name in The Independent on a weekly basis no matter how unimportant, or made up, the story is.

I just hope that one day The Independent's journos will, you know, scrutinise Cr Humphrey rather than giving him free kicks on a weekly basis.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Should I see it?

Global Haywire has just hit the cinemas and after reading a review in The Age I wasn't entirely convinced it was worth seeing, but having just read Andrew Blot's review, not to mention his followers' hysteria about "gay hippies", I made a mental note to myself: go see Global Haywire.

When I read one of Blot's followers declare the film was "faux-stupid, faux-vain, (and) faux-patronising" and the picture was a betrayal of "the nonpareil lifestyle the West has to offer," I started to get really exicited.

I just hope this film is as subversive as Finding Nemo

Monday, April 07, 2008

Trial by logged on bogans.

Who is using the Hun's brain tonight? Seriously, I think the senior management all most be down the pub getting trashed as of 8.44pm.

After an alleged vicious assault that occured in Geelong, The Hun decided it was a smart idea to open up a web forum on the issue and have it moderated by a moron.

How I'm not trying in any way to defend the alleged actions of the two women who have been charged by the police, but, wtf was the Hun thinking allowing punters to determine their guilt on the web.

Here's a few choice posts.

"No doubt these fine examples 'womankind' reside in Corio/Norlane/Whittington and were disgruntled at not being able to get more funds out of Centrelink."

"does that give these ferrels the right to attack the girl her mother and her grandmother? fact is, the law is too lenient on crimes like this, the ferrels concerned were probably out on day release. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MINDING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. I'd like them to attack me, and see who gets to walk away. SCUMBAGS"

"Our streets are being overrun by home grown terrorists. Stories like this and the machete/baseball bat incident is real terrorism."


And this is just three of 34 posts in which readers are being whipped into a frenzy.

The worst comes from nutcase in the USA.
Personally, maggots like these two, plus many others with the same lack of mental faculties & morals, should just be taken behind the outdoor dunny & despatched with a bullet. No court case, no scumbag lawyer to plead that it was out of character, & the rest of the crap they come out with. No habeus corpus or whatever that is, fair dinkum, they sure are breeding some lowlife oxygen thieving ferals these days. This is why when I drive around this wonderful country I have in my car a nice solid axe handle, plus the handle off a wheel jack, right by my seat. Just in case. Thankfully I have yet to have any trouble. I know there will be many who think I am way over the top here, basically I don't care. Many out there do not deserve to be breathing. And I am yet to read the article on the five males armed with baseball bats & machetes. Where's the likes of Buford Pusser when you need him?

What next from The Hun, public ex-judicial executions outside their offices?
These two people actually deserve a fair trial, and if they are found guilty they should be chucked in jail. The Hun should also be prosecuted for contempt of court after the most shameless trial by media ever seen in the country.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Help me out please

When I was searching the 2GB web site for Alan Jones' standard racist garbage, I came across a very interesting bio for the the station's resident redneck for the grave yard shift.


David Oldfield is easily recognised from an outspoken political career spanning 15 years and all three levels of government. As a Local Councillor, State Parliamentarian and Federal Government Advisor, David has seen it all from the inside and is uniquely placed for insightful comment on the politics and the personalities. David was a nationally successful sportsman and spent 10 years running his own small business - he understands life's challenges and difficulties.

David talks about what matters - he is an opponent of political correctness - he pulls no punches - he always calls a spade a spade.


Funny how there was no mention of One Nation but the phrase "A nationally successful sportsperson" is particularly interesting.

What sport exactly?

Poking Pauline Hanson?
Upsetting neo-Nazis for burning One Nation?
Tiddly-winks?
Taking on 2UE's resident lunatic Jim Ball in the battle for angry insomniacs.

Seriously people help me out here. Was Oldfield "a nationally successful sportsperson" or are 2GB just bull-shitting their audience?