November 28, 2003
JOURNALISM WAS THE WINNER
Recovering from the Walkleys, then flying to Melbourne, so no more posting today. Who knew awards nights could be so much fun? It helps to be at the best table, with Time magazine’s Steve Waterson, Tom Dusevic, and Liz Feizkhah, as well as Andrew Denton, Jennifer Byrne, and Matt Doman.
Arguments with: Paul McGeough, Libby Gore, all the CNNNN people, someone I can’t remember from the ABC, and Andrew Denton.
Agreements with: Patrick Cook, David Hardaker, Mark Day, Jennifer Byrne, and Andrew Denton. Congratulations to Gold Walkley winner Richard Moran of Channel Nine (soon bound for Los Angeles) and The Bulletin’s Eric Ellis, who won the Asia-Pacific coverage award for his Bali coverage.
Posted by Tim Blair at November 28, 2003 07:45 AMWhat, you didn't win a prize? I thought they gave a Walkley to everyone.
Is there no Walkley for "Best Short Column Rehashing Snippets From the Internet and Settling Personal Scores"?
Or, failing that, "Most Corrections"?
Posted by: Mork at November 28, 2003 at 08:22 AMOh Geez, here I go again. I've recently come off my meds, and I just can't help these outbursts of smug hypocrisy because I can't get off my arse and start my own blog and get people to read it.
I'm really, really sorry, and I promise I'll be making more posts like this to keep the other Mork in check.
Posted by: Mork at November 28, 2003 at 09:05 AMI nearly vomited when I read that Paul McGeoch won a Walkley for his reporting on the Iraq War. Since when were the Walkley's an award for fiction?
Posted by: Michael Gill at November 28, 2003 at 09:06 AMbest tv reporting, channel 9, 'bali bombing'
what was it - the camera angle, the voiceover, the footage, the editing, the bodies?
Posted by: ilibcc at November 28, 2003 at 09:16 AMDid anyone else watch the Walkley's on SBS Melbourne? They replayed the gold Walkley presentation 3 times, I thought I was on some sort of acid trip.
Posted by: Mike Hunt at November 28, 2003 at 10:37 AMYou have come to the point Mork where you are answering your own posts so there is no need to read them anymore.
As for a blog - why dont you dust off that old site Timbliar? Its free, all you need to do is cut and paste Tim's stuff and you are away!!!
Posted by: Rob at November 28, 2003 at 10:52 AM"It's the Logies for intellectuals" said SBS.
I watched it and it was more like the Logies for ugly people.
Posted by: Pig Head Sucker at November 28, 2003 at 11:04 AMspeaking of names, just saw a news ticker -
NEW LEADER ANNOUNCED: PONTING
Posted by: ilibcc at November 28, 2003 at 11:43 AMAt last the labor party are getting their act together!! I am sure that Ponting will pull more votes/runs than Simon ever did.
Posted by: Rob at November 28, 2003 at 12:01 PMWhat about "Four Corner's" gong for best documentary, given to an item that would make Michael Moore blush, with so many performances staged for the camera, facts distorted or ignored and an agenda obvious from the opening reel.
Who says we can't compete with the Yanks?
(Ans what were they on in the SBS control room? My betting is either animal tranquilliser or aeroplane glue).
While the SMH were trumpeting their award to Mc Geough, that seemed to be all they won for print journalism. They got their butts whipped by the Oz and even the Age.
Adil whore-an and Queen Margo got zilch, despite the nature of the 'socially aware' stories that did win a gong.
Too bad SMH, even fellow left-ites must think your 'journalism' is on the nose as well.
Posted by: nic at November 28, 2003 at 02:13 PMEr, seem funny. My mistake -- it's the tourist shirts that make you look funny.
Posted by: Robert at November 28, 2003 at 04:51 PMI like CNNNN it was funny at times. But what they replaced it with is better.
Posted by: Dave-26x at November 28, 2003 at 05:06 PM"I nearly vomited when I read that Paul McGeoch won a Walkley for his reporting on the Iraq War"
If you gagged at that you should of heard him on Perths 6pr today, it was supposed to be about his Walkley's but mostly turned into his normal America bashing exercise.
Some (inexact) snippets: Bushes visit to Baghdad was brave, especially after he “disappeared” for 24hrs after 9/11 (is that even true?) but was basically just a spin exercise for the coming elections - America has decided that the way ahead is through violence (I would have thought it was the terrorists who had made that decision) - Iraqi's are a divided population and thats why Iraq is such a mess and why its only going to get worse (not that its a small band of terrorists and ex baathists and the vast majority of Iraqi’s desperately want what America is offering, even those that don’t like America)
CNNNN being present at an event recognising any kind of success or achievement is the only remotely funny thing to be associated with that abortion.
Posted by: gaz at November 28, 2003 at 09:32 PMLike, that really sounds like the best table.
Must be nice to be part of that professional guild that puts on the Walkley's. Otherwise known as a *union*. You are a member aren't you?
Did you really argue with Libby Gore? Don't tell us you're taking on the heavyweights now. So, who won? And what did the Gold Member 'argue' with you about? Thought he'd be a soul-mate, I remember when he was Richard Court's errand boy, pinning Easton's suicide on Carmen.
Posted by: Miranda Divide at November 29, 2003 at 10:43 AMAustralian tennis officials were today forced to issue a grovelling apology to Spanish dignitaries after the wrong national anthem was played before the start of the Davis Cup Final in Melbourne.story from this is london.The Spanish Secretary of State for Sport Juan Antonio Gomez-Angulo reacted furiously as Australian jazz trumpeter James Morrison played the Republican anthem Himno de Riego.
Named after a 19th Century revolutionary, it was Spain's national anthem for eight years up until 1939 and its rendition today was greeted with boos from the Spanish contingent in the crowd.
Please tell me you didn't play Dixie when the American contingent was introduced. Posted by: papertiger at November 29, 2003 at 11:24 AM
Protesters Say Miami Police Abused Them
By Rachel La Corte
Associated Press
Tuesday 25 November 2003
Civil rights groups complained Tuesday that police at last week's trade talks abused protesters -- some senior citizens -- by arresting them without cause and denying them restrooms, water and phones.
Meanwhile, the national steelworkers union called for a congressional investigation and the removal of Miami police Chief John Timoney over the treatment of its members during the protests, and several groups said they will sue the city.
"Police failed. The City of Miami failed," said Deborah Dion, the AFL-CIO's campaign coordinator.
Thursday, the final day of the talks, some of the approximately 8,000 demonstrators threw objects and fired slingshots at officers outside the Free Trade Area of the Americas meeting, and officers hit protesters with batons, zapped them with stun guns and dispersed them with gas and sprays.
Miami's political leaders and law enforcement officials have praised the actions of police and have denied any abuse by officers. They continued to insist Tuesday that officers acted properly.
But many protesters said they were peaceful and complied with officers' demands, only to be arrested anyway.
Bentley Killmon, 71, said he was trying to get back to the buses provided by the Alliance for Retired Americans when police pushed him to the ground, arrested him and handcuffed him for 12 hours.
"The way I was treated, you would expect it in a Third World country, not in this country," he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union says it was preparing to take legal action, as were the AFL-CIO and other organizations.
The United Steelworkers of America sent a letter to congressional leaders late Monday, criticizing police. The letter also criticized the use of federal money -- $8.5 million was allotted -- for Miami's security costs, calling it money for "homeland repression."
Monday's letter was sent to several members of Congress, including Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist, with copies to Gov. Jeb Bush, among others.
Bush spokeswoman Alia Faraj said that the governor had not yet reviewed the letter but said the governor believes law enforcement agencies did a "phenomenal job."
Miami police spokesman Lt. Bill Schwartz added that by the officers' actions, Miami averted the rioting and millions of dollars in property damage that occurred outside the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle in 1999.
"The object of the show of force was twofold: one to let the peaceful demonstrators know they could protest safely and two to let the troublemakers know that we would not tolerate anarchy," Schwartz said. "It was successful."
Of the more than 200 people arrested, only two remained jailed Tuesday.
One protester remained hospitalized with head injuries he says he suffered when police pinned him to the ground. An arrest report says the demonstrator ignored orders to disperse and then became "very violent."
Posted by: Peter Richardson at November 29, 2003 at 12:20 PMI remember well the day the WTO demo. assholes came to town. Theres a garden a community garden with beans and lettuce and a row of corn in the downtown area. The garden soil was found to be toxic with mercury so the city put up a chainlink fence to keep anybody from getting poisoned. The WTO protesters tore down the fence and camped. It was warm so they all disrobed.
A thousand naked wto protestors sitting under a bright red Warning Toxic Area was the picture the morning paper ran the next day. Sometimes the Sacramento Bee gets it exactly right.
The Miami police department has had a heavy hand with potential rioters ever since the riots of 1980. Those WTO protest freaks are lucky they escaped with their lives.
Posted by: Andrea Harris at November 29, 2003 at 04:05 PMSoil toxins are a beautiful and sensual part of God's carcenogen RAINBOW, stop the HATE
here is an ascii rainbow in equal signs ========
you'll have to inagine it. Since that didn't work out so well, here is Batman in ascii
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| VMMF "VMMMHYHMMMMMA. `I| "I'm Batman."
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well that didn't work either. I an now less than 32 minutes away from being banned
Posted by: Amos at November 30, 2003 at 01:22 AMYou can kind of see it if you look at the source code. (Go to your browser menu, pick "view" and then "source code" and scroll down in the window until you get to the vaguely Batman-shaped pile of characters.)
Posted by: Andrea Harris at November 30, 2003 at 07:26 AMI often wonder what kind of political effect protestor antics have, it must be counter productive. It's like saying 'Here's the issue.... OK, now HERE'S the kind of moron that supports it. You like 'em? Well you should, you're paying for them with your taxes, ha ha ha ha!'
It sucks because I've always been pro-sensible conservation. I like trees and think we should maybe plant more. Animals? I guess they're alright.
But the way the green movement has been parisitised by the worst, lazyest and most idiotic refuse of our society makes a green candidate impossible to support, because you'd then be supporting a whole raft of intolerable lunacy.
How is protesting the Iraq war a green policy? Saddam is a major ecological vandal, what with all the marsh-draining and oil-fire-starting. So killing him's a green plus, right?
But WTF? If you're pro-tree you're now pro-arab thug? Isn't the arab thug the natural enemy of the gentle tree? They cut them down to see if jews are hiding behind them. How many trees in the middle east? NOT TOO MANY, SENATOR BROWN, YOU SON OF A WHORE.
Posted by: Amos at November 30, 2003 at 10:00 AM"I often wonder what kind of political effect protestor antics have, it must be counter productive. It's like saying 'Here's the issue.... OK, now HERE'S the kind of moron that supports it."
I think thats a good point. The anti-war peace protests had support from a lot of everyday normal people until the protests started to become violent. I remember in Perth the televised scenes of "peace" protestors punching a bus driver through his window because he wouldn't move his bus for them were very powerful images and on talkback the next day the irony of the situation was pointed out repeatedly.
Posted by: Michael at November 30, 2003 at 10:56 AMI went on the march in Sydney in Feb and it was entirely peaceful. Apart from a bunch of westies thinking it was funny to come up and throw beer bottles at people. But they were soon booed and laughed away when one of them yelled "get a job" and someone in the crowd yelled back "You too. I work in Penrith Centrelink and I know you. You have not held a job for over 3 years" or words to that effect.
Ahhh, the memories.
Posted by: Amjo at November 30, 2003 at 02:32 PMYeah that's the demographic of the conservative/libertarian right- the unemployed. "Oh I'm an dole-bludging cone-sucking westy dipshit, think I'll vote myself less money."
On the other hand, what does your little story say about the demographic of the Marching Morons for Saddam and the rest of the professionaly concerned left that was out in force that fine Febuary day? You had amoung you a 'peace' protester employed in the tax-funded welfare industry? I'm shocked! And he thinks that's a 'job'? I'm less shocked.
This wasn't a clash of ideologies, it was a clash between two groups of useless dumbasses on the street.
In the end neither you nor your bottle-chucking westy friends managed to stop Saddam getting the old heave-ho, so I guess the moral of this story is 'fuck y'all'.
Posted by: Amos at November 30, 2003 at 03:55 PMFrance - the Tyrants Friend is all about how France has used it's military to prop up dictators in African countries for profit, including the current incursions in The Congo and Coute De'Ivorie. Add Iran, North Korea, Iraq, Libya, and Cuba to the list and a fairly clear picture emerges of what France considers foreign policy.
Posted by: papertiger at November 30, 2003 at 04:52 PMFrance - the Tyrants Friend is all about how France has used it's military to prop up dictators in African countries for profit
The US, of course, has never been involved in supporting nasty people, has it?
The US has been propping up to the Saudi Royal Family for years, and it appears that it is Saudi money behind the pesantren in Indonesia, and most of the other US-hating Islamists world-wide.
The U.S has been a little distracted for the past 50 years by a little thing called the cold war. Cold war? Ring any bells?
Posted by: Amos at November 30, 2003 at 11:17 PMThe Cold War has been over for more than a decade.
Pleny of time to reassess.
Why didn't US intelligence know where and to whom all that Saudi cash was going?
Too busy playing with their hi-tech electronic surveillance toys, instead of using old-fashioned information gathering methods.
Current bright idea: they won't use Jews as translators in their Arabic sections unless they renounce their Israeli citizenship.
Homeland Security, my eye.
Well, pretty Peggy, since you seem to be so "in the know" about what goes on in US intelligence, maybe you can tell us why they didn't know about Saudi money, etc, etc. And then perhaps you could use your omniscient powers to go back in time and stop all those previous administrations from supporting nasty dictators during the cold war. And -- eight of the ten years in between the end of the cold war and now were occupied by the Clinton administration. Ask him why there were intelligence failures under his watch. And the last two years of your ten year interval have been occupied by fighting the Islamist terrorist scourge. So your point is?
By the way, I do think that the reason the CIA won't use Israeli Jews as translators is due to a lingering atmosphere of distrust stemming from the Jonathan Pollard (I think that was his name) spy incident. No doubt this is an unfair situation. What would you suggest as a remedy?
Posted by: Andrea Harris at December 1, 2003 at 02:09 AMBah. I really like CNNNN, but you people bag it relentlessly. Each to his own, I guess, but if you don't watch it, you miss out on moments that seem to be scripted straight outta spleenville.
Such as the episode where Charles Firth was "interviewing" Philip Adams. Adams, tied-up and gagged, being harangued with "You're a psuedo-intellectual with a license to bore!", etc.
I thought Tim would have been handing out videos of that one, but there was nary a comment to be seen...
Posted by: Jethro at December 1, 2003 at 08:38 AMWell, pretty Peggy, What evidence do you have of my pulchritude, Andrea? Omniscience?
May be you can tell us why they didn't know about Saudi money, etc, etc. I thought it was common knowledge that the US had recently been reliant on electronic surveillance to the detriment of more traditional methods of intelligence gathering.
So your point is? My point? Persons who are perforce constrained to be domiciled in vitreous structures of patent frangibility should refrain from employing petrous formations as projectiles. The French may well be perfidious, but the US government has no monolopy on virtue, nor does its every action spring from the purest of motives.
By the way, I do think that the reason the CIA won't use Israeli Jews as translators is due to a lingering atmosphere of distrust …. No doubt this is an unfair situation. What would you suggest as a remedy?
I’ll go along with U.S. Representative Frank Pallone Jr. “these applicants [should] receive equal consideration for employment, without discrimination based solely on their religion.”
The ship of state is a massive vessel, it takes a while to turn it. After the cold war it just naturally kept on steamin' in the direction it was accustomed untill 911 gave it the jolt it needed to begin, gradually at first, change course.
Ironically in the end it may turn out that the man most responsible for the greatest transformation towards democracy and secular rule in the Middle East's history is Osama Bin Laden. I almost wish that sorry sack of dogshit was alive to see it.
But alot of people in the CIA and State Department should have been fired for 911. Pakistan tests a nuclear bomb and the president has to read about it in the newspaper? Something's wrong.
Posted by: Amos at December 1, 2003 at 11:48 AMOh, I see, Peggy. You only meant to tell us what we already knew. I thought you had some fresh insights.
By the way, the reason the CIA has had to depend on electronic "toys" for its intelligence gathering and hasn't been using "more traditional methods of intelligence gathering" is because many people claimed, and the previous administrations listened to them, that these "traditional" methods of spying were nasty and not befitting an enlightened nation (since they often involved things like, oh, I don't know, spying and lying and violence) -- and furthermore, since the Cold War was now over there was no reason to get our pristine fingers dirty doing that sort of thing. You know, they "reassessed" the situation.
As for the CIA and its Jewish problem, I didn't say I approved of their methods, I explained what I thought they stemmed from. I don't know that they are doing it to American Jews, since if any of them also happen to have Israeli citizenship, the US doesn't recognize dual citizenship anyway; and if they are not, then what is the problem? I agree with you that they shouldn't discriminate against a person's religious beliefs -- in fact, I do believe that that is against the law though we are talking about the CIA here. Or in any case, they shouldn't be discriminating against Jews...
I also agree with Amos that heads should have rolled in intelligence circles after 9/11 but Washington DC is the CYA capitol of the world and it would take someone with more power than a president with barely one year under his belt to dislodge some of the encrusted bureaucrats from that mess.
But in any case, bickering over what should have been done is pointless. Unless you have the formula to a time machine we are stuck with the situation as it is. And what Amos said is true; the state doesn't change direction just like that; just think back to the last group activity you had to organize where everyone wasn't wedded to a single purpose (guys' nights out don't count -- try a classroom of ten-year-olds on a field trip, or a wedding party involving a large, dysfunctional family, or a herd of cats).
Posted by: Andrea Harris at December 1, 2003 at 01:16 PMPeggy Sue
You lost the argument when you brought up American foreign policy in answering an assertion made by someone about FRENCH foreign policy. Yah-booism is not argument. D minus, try harder next time.
Now, can you say why the French foreign policy, particularly in Africa, has not been bloody evil, as well as stupid.
Andrea,
You should have pointed this out to Peggy Sue. The lesson is when a person answers an argumnet with "well what about America ..." you shouldn't then shift to his ground and go on the defensive. Lefties are always using such silly illogical tactics. We should constantly chide them for it.
Posted by: Toryhere at December 1, 2003 at 02:37 PM