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Last updated on March 6th, 2018 at 12:30 am
- A shooting? How? I thought that guns were against the law in Sidney. They must have meant a knifing, or a hammering, or a clubbing, or a(*******), fill in the blank.Posted by Franklin on 2006 03 30 at 12:59 PM • permalink
- As we say around these parts, when guns are outlawed, only the outlaws Lebanese have guns.Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 03 30 at 02:56 PM • permalink
- Maybe not Islamoid, but by the looks of it, gang-related. How sad. Looks like what the Seppos call NHI: No Humans Involved. Or with a hefty helping of what Guns and Ammo used to call the GRF: Good Riddance Factor.Posted by David Gillies on 2006 03 30 at 04:26 PM • permalink
- With one of them believed to have been up on drugs charges and the other having already been behind bars for stabbing some bloke to death 7 years ago and been busted for various firearms offences, GRF is high.
So much for those gun ‘buy-backs’ though – all it’s done is concentrate the firearms that are out there in the hands of the crims. What’s the old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. With any luck the community won’t be fooled a third time about the efficacy of bans and restrictions on the legal users if Mr Conservative Freedom Spreader himself (PM JWH) decides he’s had enough and tries it on again.
Posted by ausdiplomad on 2006 03 30 at 04:37 PM • permalink
- They had no idea why Chami, 26, and his childhood mate Assaad, 25, chose to stop and talk to a group of four to five men standing at the intersection of Blaxcell and Randolf streets at 11pm.
I have an idea
“Police said, however, that Assaad, who hero-worshipped Chami and followed him to his fights and training sessions, was known to them as a part-time drug dealer.”
Weddings are expensive, drug deals go wrong, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, etc.
- I’m in full agreement with #5.
Muslims killing one another is a real tragedy.
Posted by Mike Jericho on 2006 03 30 at 05:11 PM • permalink
- So, Keating’s got his wish after all. Never has Sydney and Paris had so much in common.Posted by pick-your-pun on 2006 03 30 at 05:37 PM • permalink
- Favourable mention of Tim by Frank Devine in an op-ed in today’s The Australian:
Phony anniversaries aside, it’s not over in Iraq for us.
…Centenaries are impressive. A decade is a signpost. But there’s no such landmark as a third anniversary. (Blog-meister Tim Blair may have identified an exception in hailing the third anniversary of the first prediction of civil war in Iraq by Paul McGeogh, The Sydney Morning Herald’s coachman on the bandwagon of doom.)
Posted by walterplinge on 2006 03 30 at 05:49 PM • permalink
- I’m a sydney sider and i’m really thinking about getting a gun, I hope I never need to use it, but in 20-40 years? who knows what sydney will be like.
Afterall, in the words of Peter Garrett
“its better to die on your feet than live on your knees”
Posted by knuckleheadwatch on 2006 03 30 at 06:22 PM • permalink
- Great piece from Opinion Journal. There are plenty in our country – in politics, the arts, the media generally – and at least one regularly discordant but trickily shizophrenic voice on this blog – who want (unwisely) to see The Last Helicopter.
- As long as they leave “civillians” alone and bump each other off, with a few who go over the top incarcerated, who cares??Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 03 30 at 07:23 PM • permalink
- OOOO!! a ABC show mentions the unmentionable!
Linky poos: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s1603430.htmIslam and demographics, someone will be reporting to the ABC re-education unit
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 03 30 at 07:36 PM • permalink
- In NSW we have a tradition which is that our state government announces new public transport initiatives. That’s it..they just announce them (no building them though). We are building a new tradition: out Police Commissioner Moroney announces that he is concerned. That’s it…no arrests.
Now I think that Moroney sees his next job as Head of the United Nations and his style and previous experience will be perfect.
- The reality we ‘cannot speak it’s name’.
In the US, with crime rates dropping in most categories for decades….6/7ths of all violent crime are committed by minorities upon minorities.
Take race (the great majority young gang-bangers) out of the picture.
Lower murder rates than England, Switzerland, Denmark, Scotland, France, E. Germany, Czech., Israel, and Finland. The US rate is only higher than W. Germany and Belgium, and only marginally so at that.
- #8 Aussie Jim
It wouldn’t have been very PC of the SMH if they mentioned previous convictions before the 18th paragraph.
But it would have informed everyone more accurately if the headline said “Convicted stabber gunned down” rather than some sob story about upcoming wedding.
Posted by The (WHMECDM) President on 2006 03 30 at 08:20 PM • permalink
- #25 The drop in the US crime rate is one of the most under reported stories of the last decade. Acknowledging that being tough on crime, locking more people up and doing it for longer periods works is too bitter a pill for the MSM.
The US is attacked from pillar to post for having such a large prison population. Apparently progressive and successful nations let their scum walk free.
Posted by Infidel Tiger on 2006 03 30 at 08:24 PM • permalink
- Actually, a better headline would have been
“Come Uppance”
or
“Middle Eastern crime is actually a big problem in south west Sydney and as long as people like Ken Moroney ignore it and are shocked that it is occuring, people will end up dead”
A bit wordy I know, but much more informative to the public officials who are turning a blind eye.
Feel free to provide the SMH subs with other alternatives, they need all the hel they can get.
Posted by The (WHMECDM) President on 2006 03 30 at 08:30 PM • permalink
- Australia was said to be a boring place before all this multiculture. Before multiculturalism, there was no internet, satellite TV, mobile/cell phones, Lasik eye surgery, straight teeth, or six-speed gearboxes. Yeah, life is great now.
If only Australians in the 1970’s had foreseen and understood the coming age of cheaper airline travel. Maybe then we could have been spared this importation of exotica. If you liked being shot at, no need to import Beirut, just fly there at a cheap price and experience the real thing.
Some culture, like snow, might be nice to experience, but do you really want to live in it?
- #28 oops
While I would like to see SMH subs given “hel” I meant for everyone to offer them help.
(and yes I understand the irony in offering subs advice and then spelling things incorrectly)
Posted by The (WHMECDM) President on 2006 03 30 at 09:21 PM • permalink
- 25 & 27–
In the US, with crime rates dropping in most categories for decades….6/7ths of all violent crime are committed by minorities upon minorities.
The US is attacked from pillar to post for having such a large prison population.
Yes & yes.
The attack comes from without and within. The American left can’t make the correlation between a lower rate of crime and the large prison population. They whine about the unfairness of a system that incarcerates minorities in far greater numbers than whites. They ask “Why do we need all these prisons when crime rates are so low”? Really. They do.
Posted by Kyda Sylvester on 2006 03 30 at 09:28 PM • permalink
- Habib’s friends give his version of the story.Posted by Evil Pundit on 2006 03 30 at 10:27 PM • permalink
- Ken Moron “Sun may rise in the east”
From the department of stating the bloody obvious.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1605412.htmPosted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 03 30 at 10:41 PM • permalink
- I love the way the SMH spends almost the whole article eulogizing the scrappy youngsters as promising lads who’s lives were cut tragically short. The brief sentences where the reporter is forced to mention the drug dealing and prior murder conviction feels like it left a bad taste in his mouth.
No, we’ll sadly never know how far Bassam Chami’s new career punching people in the head could have taken him, for this world was not intended for one so beautiful as him. But I think those of us left behind can take solace that he touched our lives, especially those of us he beat up and, in one case, murdered.
Rest with the angels, Bassam Chami, you vicious, worthless Lebanese piece of shit.*
*The opinions in this blog’s comments sections do not necessarily reflect the views of Tim Blair.net, it’s subsidiaries or investors and it should be pointed out that an indeterminate number of Lebanese muslim immigrants to Australia have refrained from murder, violence and drug dealing.
- pfft- call that an underworld war.. come to melbourne, we have had one for a few years now! Typical Sydney trying to copy…..Posted by JSthecorrect on 2006 03 30 at 11:04 PM • permalink
- Gated suburbs don’t work. So…Drive bye byes, are really dumb.
Start to buy your own town and proclaim it to be your own country within Australia.
Make your a passport and soon you’ll have your own stamps and duty free shopping.
I’m going to put in lotto, and if I win, I’ll buy an Island, and will call it Goodville or Truthman Island. I’ll invite people who want out, and yet want in, It will be A productive community that outlaws boxing and favours fishing, swimming and making bikinis for exports.
- In Australia, as in the UK, even if the gun laws were changed and/or relaxed and we all had guns we, the law abiding majority couldn’t use them to defend ourselves.
In the US it is arguable that the major determinant in the reduction of the rate violent crime is the right generally held under the law to defend yourself. There are various interpretations of the scope of this law between states but the bottom line is that an individual has the right to take action which may kill another person if they can prove there was a danger of their own death.
In Australia and the UK the courts have whittled away at this right with the doctrine of “appropriate response”. This means if a criminal threatens you or your family you cannot kill him/her with any weapon let alone a gun. The only safe grounds for use of even a legal gun in our country is after the said criminal has killed you, which proves the appropriateness of killing them (although in practical terms it renders it a little difficult). This is an absurdity our courts have consistently failed to grasp.
We need to focus on increasing our right to use our available tools of self defense before we seek to get new and better tools.
I’m going to put in lotto, and if I win, I’ll buy an Island, and will call it Goodville or Truthman Island. I’ll invite people who want out, and yet want in, It will be A productive community that outlaws boxing and favours fishing, swimming and making bikinis for exports.
Ahhh, 1.618 (specific gravity? GPA?) — I know you wild eyed dreamers. First thing you know you’ll be boating in Leb immigrant labor to work in your bikini textile mills, and before it dawns on you that it’s maybe not a good idea to hire the guy wearing the “will work for cartridges” T-shirt who keeps calling your bikini models whores, it’s too late…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 03 30 at 11:43 PM • permalink
- Mr.Chami was carrying a handgun but didn’t manage to draw it.The really good news is that only seven shots were fired and two grubs are dead.This is a huge improvement on previous episodes where up to 100 rounds were fired without any worthwhile result.With a little coaching I feel these boys could be trained to kill each other with a minimum expenditure of ammo and a consequent reduction in risk to innocent bystanders.
- The only real story in this is the number of casualties- most other times these idiots couldn’t hit Michael Moore with a scattergun.
I’d hazard a guess that the fatalities were purely accidental, more than likely occuring when the victims tried to chamber a round to return equally errant fire and shot themselves in the head.
Is all this naughtiness worth putting up with for the sake of a few kebabs, cheap and really poor quality meth amphetamine and MDMA and the ready opportunity to rid oneself of a heavily insured old banger by leaving it barely locked in a public place?
- oh great….
Jihad Jack gets 5 years (will be out in 2)
does that make anyone elses blood boil
Posted by knuckleheadwatch on 2006 03 31 at 12:44 AM • permalink
- Murph – I agree absolutely. He’ll probably be out in 3 mths if you consider time already served.Posted by knuckleheadwatch on 2006 03 31 at 01:21 AM • permalink
- I heard on radio today that one of (Chami, I think) the deceased men was up for a murder charge a few years back. When seeing the victims family in court he gave them the finger and started abusing them.Charming.
On another station Steve Price took the unwinnable position of stating that Sydney is a low crime, safe city- apart from the odd shootings etc etc. He called Peter Debnam an hysterical scaremongerer.
The punters were not happy.
In the end he had to switch the topic to how NSW is being ripped off with GST proceeds, ably supported in conversation by minnie me Costa. I swear Price is in the ALP’s pocket. How sad and smelly.
- Scum UppancePosted by The (WHMECDM) President on 2006 03 31 at 01:53 AM • permalink
- #36EP. love it. I saw this on the late news last night, and they mentioned Mr Habib, and said nothing about capsicum spray. Apparently he was driving home past there with his son and saw it all happen. He was the one who called the police.
That’s according to the news on the telly. I reckon Sandra Sully would be a better bet than Indymedia.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 03 31 at 02:37 AM • permalink
- Ol’ Mamdouh has some really excellent adventures, doesn’t he?
I hope ASIO is sticking to him like shit on a blanket.
As for the dead gangsta’s- boo hoo hoo.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2006 03 31 at 07:53 AM • permalink
- I moved out of the area some time ago as I was sick of the shootings in the news with the phrases of “south west sydney” and “men of middle eastern appearence” featuring consistently. My negative opinion of Lebs comes from consistent first hand and secondhand accounts. I can not say this of any other group in the community.
The shootings once again underline a culture of denial within the media, police, and politicians that within sydney there is one group that operates with disregard to community standards. Of all the different cultures in Sydney how is it that this one can screw up so badly.
- What is it with Muslim Lebs? First they came to Australia and bled Qantas dry with compensation rorts (if you want to understand why Big Red’s offshoring maintenance, then think Lebs with bogus crook backs after 6 months on the job). After that little gold mine went belly up, they turned to drugs. Now they pretend to be tough and occasionally discharge their weapons at the same as weeing in their skidmarked underwear. Lebanon really is the pimple on the arse of the Middle East. I do business in China with guys from all over the Arab world, and everything is beautiful. But get a Muslim Leb involved and you might as well go home. They’re not smart enough to be cunning, and they’re too busy repositioning the cucumber stuffed down the front of their pants to keep an eye on the money. If you do business with just about anyone else from Pakistan to Turkey you can bet there’s good money at the end. But even the Chinese Muslims hate their Leb brothers; and that’s saying something. And frankly, when Indian businessmen give people a wide berth, take note; and Indian’s in China will tell you straight up that if a Leb’s involved you cut your losses and move on. The real clincher is, however, that even impoverished Chinese peasant women won’t marry Muslim Lebs. They’ll marry just about anyone else. Must be that cucumber stuffed down their y-fronts…
- #43 Allan,
Here in the US the rules vary from state to state. Needless to say, here in Texas your property and treasure are inviolate. If someone trespasses on your property and you think they mean to do you harm or tamper with your “treasure”, you can kill them. The state is littered with examples of would be robbers being shot by property owners. Also, Texas is a “right to carry” state so the risk for the offender is very real. Call it a “Texas deterrent.” I believe Florida has similar laws.
Posted by Kathy from Austin on 2006 03 31 at 11:59 AM • permalink
- Can I please get a judgement call from other readers.
I have observed several quotes in the media from bystanders and onlookers, as well as Sheik Hilaly after the shooting to the effect of “I can’t believe they shot a fellow Muslim”.
Is this shock understandable for a tight community? Or can I be more cynical and assume it wouldn’t have been as bad if a non-Muslim was shot.
- #34 Rebecca – #22. ‘Course the crims can swan down to their local hardware superstore and tool up with a wide variety of axes, hatchets, brush-hooks, slashers, cleavers, chainsaws etc.
The upside is that you can do the same, because those things are still legal.
No you can’t, even though they are legal. It’s all context. You can own an axe as long as it’s kept in the shed or the tool box. But if it’s under your bed, it’s illegal. You can own a baseball bat and if it’s in a cupboard it’s ok but if it’s on the back seat of your car it’s illegal.
I have my (registered and licensed) rifle locked in a cabinet with a trigger lock for good measure and the ammo locked in a separate cabinet but I could still be busted and lose my licence under the Qld Weapons Act because I have a billy club under the bed (because there’s no way I could get the rifle out quick enough for defence).
— Nick
Posted by The Thin Man Returns on 2006 03 31 at 06:34 PM • permalink
- #65 El Cid
Thanks for asking. Not a lot of damage, relative to what might have been done or relative to Larry. Northern Western Australia is even more thinly populated than northern Queensland, although there is some major mining and related port infrastructure up there – and towns!. No, not ignoring those folks who were impacted, just giving a relative picture.
Only caveat is some of the localities affected are so remote we may not have heard of some deaths / local major destruction if it that was the case.
Would have given you a link but I can’t find a newspaper site carrying a story on it today – not even the “West Australian”
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 03 31 at 06:42 PM • permalink
- Sister lives in Wickham a town in the cyclones area, not much damage to any of the towns up there, a sheep station nearby lost a lot of gear and stock though.
A “nice” cyclone, flooding of roads is a bit of a problem though.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 03 31 at 07:17 PM • permalink
- 69 thefrollickingmole
All that stuff pain in the ass though it may be, is a hell of a lot better then could have been.
Florida and the South Gulf Coast, U.S. haven’t had to many “nice” hurricanes lately.
I was absolutely positive that the last few that blew through the area, would put the place we have down there, somewhere in Canada. BUT place is still standing, barely a roof shingle lifted.
- This from the Telegraph reporting on the funerals of the two:
Despite the vengeful mood, anger never rose to the surface.
Vengeful against whom? Surely not where the blame should be laid, at their own community’s feet? Ahhhh, of course, the anger was there but nver ‘rose to the surface’. Are these reporters for real?
- #66 Dan,
I think this goes to the heart of the problem, DENIAL. Given the gang rapes, shootings, drugs, car rebirthing, high unemployment levels, high social security levels, mental/ physical intimidation you would surely need to be in denial to make a statement like that. Further to that muslims kill muslims in far greater numbers then anyone else does.
- #67 among the implements in my umbrella stand are a vintage croquet mallet, a wooden maori war club & an aboriginal spear, plus an assortment of heavy but ornate walking sticks. very decorative. put your club under the bed & it’s a weapon. arrange a bunch of bludgeons tastefully in a container & it’s decor
- The shooting continues.MMEA are being sought by Police after shots were fired at a building during an attempted holdup at a Post Office in Hurstville on Friday afternoon.No casualties but they managed to shoot out a window. The cases shown on the ground on TV looked like 9mm.These boys really need to get something heavier if they expect to be taken seriously.
- #70 El Cid. I was wondering the same thing. Looks like he threw 4 ‘Open threads’ out to the chooks (that’s us) and has taken off. Ummm.(echos).. has anyone heard from Andrea lately?
Maybe they are at a Management conference.
Hey! Tim’s away! Did anyone keep the key to his grog cabinet from the last time?
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 01 at 12:35 AM • permalink
- #60 Verge
I moved out of the area some time ago as I was sick of the shootings in the news with the phrases of “south west sydney” and “men of middle eastern appearence” featuring consistently. My negative opinion of Lebs comes from consistent first hand and secondhand accounts. I can not say this of any other group in the community.
Same story here, although second-hand, Verge.
My grandmother lived in the Yagoona area (in the infamous “south west Sydney”) for nearly 40 years, but eventually moved partly due to fear.
On the other hand, I grew up and lived in quiet, prosperous, anglo North Shore. As a kid, I noticed her attitudes to foreigners gradually ‘hardened’. As any good nice middle-class white-boy would do, I disapproved, and considered her to be old-fashioned and prejudiced.
It was only later that it occurred to me that I was judging her from a secure ivory tower without much real first-hand knowledge.
As time went by, I noticed things that I’d never questioned before.
– Why was Nan’s house the suburban equivalent of a cage, with bars on every window? (Where I lived you could leave your car unlocked in the street, and the neighbours would knock on the door and tell you.)
– And yet even with this security, her house and her neighbours were broken into on a regular basis. (In my family’s street, we had ZERO burglarys and ONE car-theft in the 21 years I lived there)
– She became too scared to shop at Bankstown Square after there were two fatal shootings at the bus-interchange in about a year.
– After this, I went to this mall on a one-off basis just to see how the place had changed in the last 20 years – and (of course) had to politely walk around two groups of M.E. teenagers beating the shit out of each other in the carpark. Maybe a coincidence, but still… I was starting to understand why Nan was gradually becoming more anxious and ‘harder’…
– The final straw was when the Lebanese Bakery about 50 feet from her house was riddled with bullets in a drive-by.At this point, she moved to stay with family on the North Shore.
As a kid, I thought Nan was prejudiced. Then I realized that I was judging her based on nothing but my own prejudices and preconceptions.
I wonder what all the spokesmen and academics who pontificate about multiculturalism, and lament how ‘ordinary Australians’ are so backwards and racist, and prone to be Hansonites, etc, etc would think if they ventured out of St Ives or Killara for awhile.
It’s easy to talk about tolerance when you rarely have to exercise it. It’s easy to claim that ‘ethnic crime’ is a media beat-up when you will never witness it yourself.
sorry for rant – just realized how long that was ;-p
- #79 Thanks for that, It’s good to see that I am not the only one. The problem is that before anyone will take this seriously it will be too late. These issues have been around since the early 80’s and have grown to be more entrenched. I remember when the part of the suburb of Lakemba “Lebkemba” south of Canterbury road became part of another suburb called Roselands. If that is not a hint that there is something wrong I do not know what is. If you guys want any more I have tons of stuff.
Another tale of woe from Eurabia.
A teacher who recently left the school told the Tagesspiegel newspaper that ethnic Arab pupils were in the majority and were bullying ethnic Turks, Germans and other nationalities.
school in germany
- Gee, Nick, and here I was on my way, next month, to look in on you and Nora. No clubs under the bed? Shockin’!
I am, in fact, coming down next month. Stopping in Sydney to look in one some people and then popping off to Brisbane. Say hi to Nora for me, and tell her I will be happy to come to Melbourne on the way back to see the attractive young(ish) woman she keeps telling me I must meet. Nora says she has a perfectly horrible personality, which, of course, is a good sign.
- ABC web site story 1:
Plane carrying 19 people disappears in BrazilABC web site, next story:
Spacecraft carrying Brazilian astronaut docks at ISSDo you think we should tell them?
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 01 at 03:31 AM • permalink
- Always remember to lose your tags!Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 04 01 at 03:32 AM • permalink
- **close**
Silly me…
BTW what’s the betting that Tim B.has gone off to Melbourne for the GP?
Precisely what I stopped by to find out. Button is on pole. Fine job. Any wagers he’s shoved off course in the first turn?
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 04 01 at 03:35 AM • permalink
- ekw,
Raikkonen’s running heavy on fuel again I’m certain. One stop tommorow? Maybe that strategy will work out better this time. Then again, Schumacher is doing the same thing, isn’t he? Should be an interesting race.
What’s the weather going to be?
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 04 01 at 03:59 AM • permalink
- ekw,
If someone forgot to close the italics, – and everything afterwards is italicized (or bold or underlined, what have you) – just put a close tag (/i) by itself. That should fix it.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 04 01 at 04:02 AM • permalink
- # 79, ekb87
Whereabouts in Yagoona did your grandmother live? It’s just that my mother has lived there for over 30 years without bars on the windows or break-ins. She’s up near the Potts Hill Reservoir and has Lebanese neighbours but they’re all Christians. Of course one lot of those neighbours has steel roller shutters on every window of their house.
# 59, JoeJr
There’s a huge mosque not far away from Yagoona, next door to a shopping mall built where the old Metro Twin drive-in theatre used to be. Last time I was down I went shopping there and saw a fellow of MEA with a very peculiar style of mullet hair cut. His hair was shaved in a wide arc around each ear. The next time I saw men with the same sort of hair cut was when they were showing videos on the news of that poor fellow getting beaten by a mob of MOMEAs after the Cronulla fracas. Maybe it’s a gang identity thing. I only mention this because you wrote that Mamdouh Habib has got himself a mullet and I was wondering if it was the same style but I can’t find any recent pictures of the man.
- Thanks, Spines.
You know, Button has two 4th place finishes so far. He’s due for a podium finish. And Schumacher is making a strong comeback so far this season. Running a lot better. I don’t know if he will try to make it on one stop or not. Last week the top guys all made two, didn’t they? I admit I’m kind of a nut for Raikonnen. I don’t think there is a more skilled driver in F1. I love the way he races, bold and fluid. Then in the turns, he just gets around so fast I’m startled. He drives brilliant lines. Mechanical failures have done him in, though, especially last year. At Nurburgring his whole left front axel just snapped sending him into the sand on the last lap. This year they are not going there, they’re going to Hockenheim instead, I think.
Anyway, I don’t know the fuel strategies. Alonso’s pit stops last week were insane. 6.5 seconds for his last one! So he can make two, no problem. I don’t know if the teams watch the leader and decide early in the race what to do, or if they just plan it out and stick to the plan no matter what. Do you know?I am really not knowledgeable about F1. My specialty is NASCAR. I was raised on the short dirt tracks of Southern California in my youth. Midgets. My dad took me ever weekend. It was the greatest experience. It hooked me. I love oval racing. I don’t know if you ever watch NASCAR, but Martinsville on Sunday should be a very entertaining race. Did you see Jeff Gordon shove Matt Kenseth last week? NASCAR is the National Hockey League of automobile racing.
- ekw,
I’m not an F1 expert, either (that would be my brother).
I was raised on the short dirt tracks of Southern California in my youth.
Ah, yes, I remember Ascot Park. I was more into sports cars (my parents were in a club and my dad built racers). I spent the weekends of my youth at Riverside Raceway. We met Richard Petty there in 1974 (I was more of a David Pearson fan, though). Multiple class SCCA champ Lee Mueller was a close friend at the time.
Good times.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 04 01 at 04:40 AM • permalink
- As a family that left Bankstown 30 years ago and that still has family in the area i can tell you its bad. my dad saw the writing on the wall back then and got out to give us a future. 15 years ago i can remember day in and day out on building sites my dad telling workers that we will be fighting these people on the streets,that there will be riots, that aussies will give up certain suburbs but thats it, the phone calls he got the night of the riots were amazing,mates wanted to know if he was a “prophet”. How did he know this would happen. People don’t understand, that can’t be happing they say. Not long back a man came into our motel, he had just moved from punchbowl, when he found out where we came from he started to tell us everthing,it was like a vietnam vet talking to the only people who understand,a fellow veteran, he said after the second handgun round went through his front door and a group of muslims out in the street chanting “one more aussie to go”, he sold up and yes you guessed it the street chanters had family ready to by it they took over the street.
- I’ve never really understood the argument that taking fully automatic weapons out of the hands of the general population was somehow making us all less safe….it would seem a convoluted argument to me. It wasn’t the crims that were the worry (they’ll always get weapons) but opportunistic deranged mass slaughters by otherwise seemingly law abiding upright citizens ala Martin Bryant, Julian Knight and many others.
- #97 sparrow:
But how do you stop enclaves forming?BTW, one of my best mates and near neighbour is a Muslim, and he said he came under a lot of family and peer pressure when he moved to an area outside where his fellow countrymen lived when he came to Australia 30 years ago. He’s one of our smart immigrants.
- #98 Srekwah:
I think arming the civilian population causes more problems. Automatic weapons, I don’t think so either. The law enforcement agencies need to have the resources and backing to remove as many weapons they can from the community. Farmers and sporting shooters excepted. Australia is a very stable democracy, so having an armed population isn’t an argument. And treat criminals and loonys hard who use them. This prescription isn’t perfect, but I think it’s better than a free for all.
- THE SEVEN MOST WELCOME, YET PROSPECTIVELY TERRIFYING, WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE [JPod]
“Maureen Dowd is on a book leave.”
78 Stop Continental Drift!
He/They went to great lengths if this is an April Fool’s prank.
94 ekw
Midgets…please, that’s ‘little people’ now….lol.
101 Texas Bob
Apparently staying some place safer – like BaghdadCute. Take it all went well at the office, today? BTW, saving all my spare change up for the beerfest. So far got 57 cents…good, huh?….:).
- 103 Stevo
That’s eight …
It is? The wondeful lass is probably penning her memoir…My Wonderful Experiences, Spreading The Clap.
104 Texas Bob
Whoooweee!
Yeah, I’m pleased…and that’s only after three days, too…LOL.
I can almost taste that Falstaff now!
They still make that shit beer?.
One can see why the renamed the brand to Falstaff…”Falstaff Beer was introduced in 1903 by the William J. Lemp Brewing Co.of St. Louis. Falstaff was a very popular premium beer. When prohibition came about Joseph Griesedieck purchased the Falstaff name and logo for $2000. He then reorganized his Forest Park Brewery Co. into the Falstaff Corporation. An intersesting note: Joseph’s cousin’s were also St. Louis area Brewers, with Stag and Griesedieck Brothers.”Somehow I don’t think AD agencies would have jumped through hoops to get the Griesedieck account.
- On Cyclone Glenda news, there’s a blog running with pretty thorough updates on what happened, what’s going on now :
http://www.cycloneglendaaftermath.blogspot.com
The blog links through to one on Cyclone Larry, sounds like they’re still having a pretty hard time up there, outside of Innisfail. The story’s dropped right out of the news as is usual when rural Australia is concerned.
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 01 at 09:56 AM • permalink
- On the Mad Mussies, I take it all back, Stats is right, they’re all crazy, my eyes are now well and truly open.
Here’s what woke me up from my delusions.
1980s super-rock gods Saxxon were banned from playing the Desert Rock Festival in Dubai because they once wrote a song called ‘Crusaders’ (back in 1984).
Saxxon were forced off the bill after an Arabic press campaign fired up. This is from an editorial in a Dubai newspaper :
“The question here for the band and organisers is what will Saxon do in Dubai’s land and on Arabian sands? Are they going to make us, the Saracen heathens, taste their music just as if their guitars were swords made of steel?”
That’s just too outrageous, even for me. Sorry Stats, you were right all along.
(And yes, some teenagers do listen to Saxon, and not just for laughs)
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 01 at 10:02 AM • permalink
- #67 You can own an axe as long as it’s kept in the shed or the tool box. But if it’s under your bed, it’s illegal.
And in the U.S., this is known as the right to privacy, which the lawyers are still fighting over and which we may yet lose. There comes a time when the do-gooder effort to protect the public safety becomes intrusive and even totalitarian. I didn’t realize Australia is one step closer to that than we are.
- T Bob, Falstaff? Never heard of it. You ever try Millenium? It’s heavy beer, man. Heavy. I’ll treat you if you stopover in MD.
El Cid, I read Griesedieck as Greasedick. Then again, I ate cold pizza for breakfast this am.
I have a telescoping club in my car for protection–bought in NY. Also a knife disguised as a pen. The club looks like an umbrella handle. I highly recommend these items.
- ushie
I read Griesedieck as Greasedick
Don’t know for sure…BUT I believe they pronounced it GriesYdieck which wouldn’t have gone over well, say in/on a TV or radio ad….LOL.
I ate cold pizza for breakfast this am
Breakfast of Champions, my friend…:)
yojimbo
Hammmm’s-the beer refreshing!
Brew 102!! 57 cents,even Canadian, would buy a case of that stuff.Think Texas Bob would notice if I placed my hand over the name?….LOL.
What we have to do, is pry secret info out of wronwright, to get into his kegs.
Christ, he’s probably got those kegs further undergroung then the persians have their nuke shit.
- Brew 102 was L.A.’s most famous beer when I was a young drunkard. And it sucked. But, we drank it because it was so f**king cheap. There were these mysterious beers in the East and Midwest like Blatz, Schlitz, and Rolling Rock. But they were hard to get in LA in the 50’s and 60’s. As to wine, hell, Gallo. L.A.’s finest wine. I think the teen wine was grenache rose, the sweetest most awful crap ever made. But girls liked it, hence…it was the vin du pays anyway.
And now, for your gaming pleasure entertainment only:
Odds to Win the FORMULA 1 Australian Grand Prix, April 2nd
Fernando Alonso 11/5
Kimi Raikkonen 7/2
Michael Schumacher 7/2
Giancarlo Fisichella 11/2
Jenson Button 5/1
Juan Pablo Montoya 10/1
Felipe Massa 11/1
Mark Webber 14/1
Nico Rosberg 17/1
Rubens Barrichello 24/1
Jarno Trulli 54/1
Ralf Schumacher 63/1
Nick Heidfeld 70/1
Christian Klien 80/1
Jacques Villeneuve 115/1
David Coulthard 95/1
Field (Any Other F1 Driver) 4/1
- ekw,
Waht, didn’t they have Rainier Ale or Mickeys Big Mouths down in LA when you were growing up? Drinking farty smelling beer in a steady drizzle on a saturday night at a party in the woods, nothing says growing up in Washington state like that.
Posted by David Crawford on 2006 04 01 at 04:00 PM • permalink
- David, I remember Rainier Ale and Hamm’s, which was heavily advertised in California. Everyone wanted to own a Hamm’s Beer sign, the greatest small illuminated bar sign ever. It was beautiful, it had a waterfall and everything. “Hamm’s, the beer refreshing!” And Almaden. That was very high-toned stuff to us. It is a chick thing. If you wanted to hang with the cool chicks you got something sweet and icky. Girls loved those drinks. Probably love these new ones, too. I haven’t had a drink in 21 years, but some of the new mixed drinks in a bottle stuff look like girl-getters (i.e., girls got drunk on it because they “couldn’t taste the alcohol”). I love the non-responsibility concept.
- </i>Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 01 at 04:38 PM • permalink
- Dang!!
Forgot Schlitz and Blatz.
What’ll ya have-Pabst Blue Ribbon. Pabst Blue Ribbon beer.
Gallo! Gallo was for wussies. Thunderbird and Ripple is you please.
There was a place in downtown LA where you could purchase ah, er, freshly minted red or white wine for next to nothing, and I do mean next to nothing. Can’t remember the name. The wino population loved it because it would keep you drunk for days.
I’d rate Trulli 2/1. In his billion dollar lawnmower he should be about 100/1. Race begins at 9 PM here in Tucson!
- The first time I ever saw adverts on a film screen was when I went to England in the Fifties. In the US we never had that (we do now). The very first advert, and the most persistent one, was for Babychamp. Some girls sang the Babychamp tune and a little Bambi deer-creature bounded about in a glade to show how childlike and harmless Babychamp was. Tho’ I never tried the stuff meself, I can see how it was an aid for completing that most ancient ritual of animalkind. Of course, mixing it with brandy could only enhance its sexual childlike effects.
- Crash thats nothing,in parts of England office workers can not display porcilin pigs or crucifics,there is a movment to remove the small cross off the police badge,and the union jack is removed from certain gaols with muslim prisoners,How do the muslims repay this act of tolerance,40 percent now want sharia law.
- Yoj,
I forgot about Thunderbird and Ripple. Ripple came in two flavors, green and red. The grown-up flavor was green because it was not supposed to be as sweet as the red. It was more sophisticated. We drank Ripple, too. I forgot that completely. I don’t know what the cheap wine you boys got, didn’t have that connection.
I have only bet on a few auto races, only NASCAR. I lost a few $5 bets because betting on a car race is incredibly dumb. You’d do better on roulette. But I struck gold last season when I snagged Jr. at 38-1, an absurd odds for a driver of his caliber, even during the crap year he had in ‘05. It so happened he had come in 3rd the prior weekend, and I thought, well, 38-1 is a joke. I’ll take that for $5. And he won his only races of the season. I won $195. Then I won money on the Steelers by picking them to win it all when they were still 11-1. So I’m cruisin’ on my winnings and have all I need to make more ridiculous bets. Eventually I will, of course, lose it all back and then some.
I can’t bring myself to bet on F1. I just do not know enough about it. But if anyone is interested, I’ll post the NASCAR odds.
- Babycham? Say what?
Peach brandy is something I can no longer touch. Nor slo gin fizzes. All through college, slo gin fizzes and peculiar gropings. Also grain and fruit juice mix in garbage cans. Now that’s classy. As far as cheap crappy beer, you gotta go Yuengling’s. Gah!
Texas Bob, due to certain recent occurences in the states, you must now be known as Tejas Bob.
- BTW…more from Jill Carroll….
I want to be judged as a journalist, not as a hostage. I remain as committed as ever to fairness and accuracy–to discovering the truth–and so I will not engage in polemics. But let me be clear: I abhor all who kidnap and murder civilians, and my captors are clearly guilty of both crimes.
CARROLL’S STATEMENT
Corner/NRO
- Thinking of Almaden pink champagne made me slightly nauseated, even after all these years, but the mention of Thunderbird and Ripple in the same sentence triggered a gag reflex. God must have loved me to let me live.
ushie, there is a standing order at the Yuengling Breweries that it will never be sold in Ohio under any circumstances. Why, we do not know.
- #85 Stevo:
I’ve heard they’re building a new expressway from Punchbowl to Cronulla … it’s called the Middle Eastern Distributor …
I hope you are paying royalties for that gag 😉
I even managed to piss off an anti-Semite Sydney University academic with it.
- Dan Lewis
What else do you do in your spare time. Set kittens on fire? Pull the wings off butterflies? Give sloths vallium?
Fancy taking advantage of the mentaly unfeasable like that. Shame!!
/offPosted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 04 01 at 09:14 PM • permalink
- Caroll recanted / Said she was forced to make that video at gunpoint.Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 01 at 09:17 PM • permalink
- Here’s a link to the Jill Carroll story over at Yahoo news:
Carroll Disavows Statements Against U.S.
As she says in the article, when you have three machine-guns pointed at your head, you pretty much say whatever they want you to say.
Posted by David Crawford on 2006 04 01 at 09:31 PM • permalink
- Status of U.S. Copter Crew in Iraq Unknown
A U.S. statement said the helicopter went down about 5:30 p.m. during a combat patrol southwest of the capital but gave no further details, except to say that the fate of the crew was unknown. The statement did not identify the type of helicopter.
Anyone hear from Texas, lately?
- Pressure On Iran May Spur Attacks
As tensions increase between the United States and Iran, U.S. intelligence and terrorism experts say they believe Iran would respond to U.S. military strikes on its nuclear sites by deploying its intelligence operatives and Hezbollah teams to carry out terrorist attacks worldwide.
Iran would mount attacks against U.S. targets inside Iraq, where Iranian intelligence agents are already plentiful, predicted these experts. There is also a growing consensus that Iran’s agents would target civilians in the United States, Europe and elsewhere, they said.
If they still make them….anyone wanting a Persian rug, better get the bastard now…think most of the SANE world has about had it with these assholes.
And Russia and China ain’t gonna do shit, when Persia is glassed over.
- Aussies, be proud of Marcos Ambrose. Driving in NASCAR is not a piece of cake. The fact that he finished the race in his first outing is impressive. Where he finished is less important. Martinsville is a very tough little track, and it’s impossible to not get bumped and banged around there. And for a guy to get in there his first time and just finish is worthy of a few Oy Oy Oy’s.
Time for the Melbourne GP right now.
- From what I saw on the news, it was an Apache gunship, not a transport bird.Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 01 at 10:35 PM • permalink
- test postPosted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 01 at 10:38 PM • permalink
- I understand Michael Ware will be calling for Carroll’s resignation in this week’s Time, since he thinks she has no idea what it means to be a real American journalist…Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 01 at 11:46 PM • permalink
- Wonder how long before all grog is banned in Britain. Under Sharia it will be a dry country.
All my whiskey bottles have the Queen’s stamp on them, she must get through a hell of a lot. Maybe she will migrate here when her tipple is banned.
Why don’t they have a ‘shoot out’ as part of the Games? All spectators behind bullet proof glass.
And why don’t they put an army base in the middle of Bankstown?
- 98 & 100
There are about 30 states in the US that allow full automatic weapons to be owned by private citizens. Yet, suprisingly, no blood in the streets.
Do you guys know how much those freakin’ things cost? Let’s see should I get a used full-auto AR or a new car? Hmmmmm. Should I get a GE minigun or a new house? What price, blood in the streets.
The guns come out about twice a year for machine gun shoots…but not of course, in the street.
Criminals might use full auto weapons for criminal acts. The rest of us do not. If you don’t understand why we own them…you’ve pretty much missed the concepts of private property, individual responsibility, and personal freedom.
There are plenty of places you can move where citizens do not have access to automatic weapons…off you go and good luck.
- 98 & 100. Switzerland has a fully automatic rifle in every household by law. By law. How much of a problem are shootings in Switzerland…Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 01:32 AM • permalink
- Richard
The right to bear arms is not an issue for most Australians. I don’t believe the arming of citizens because of violent crime in the community is the answer. If it is, then our police, legal and other democratic systems have failed us. Terribly. I’m not too sure what Switzerland has to do with Australia. Presumably they have national service and each national serviceman and servicewoman keeps their rifle at home. I assume in a gun cabinet and not in their golf bag. There is no national service in Australia, so your example doesn’t apply.Our police forces need to have the will, the resources and the authority to fight violent crime where weapons are used. Our politicians will start to say things as a result of the apparent crime wave that we’re reading about now, but that’s about all they’ll do. That’s disappointing.
I just don’t see the need for city people to have weapons. I have no problem with farmers, police, the defence forces and sporting shooters having guns. I know the issue is divisive in other countries, but it’s largely a non issue here.
- As a Justice of the peace in WA I can quite confidently say there is no lack of laws in Australia.
What there has been is a situation where a Police or authority figures word is worth no more (and usualy less) than the lowest piece of walking poo that makes an accusation against them. Police corruption is bad, police castration is worse.
The polies love to pass laws, id propose a new one, you cant make a new law without repealing 2.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 04 02 at 04:22 AM • permalink
- “Hear hear” to stevo
Here in Oz we get along quite nicely without a ‘gun culture’, thank you. That doesn’t mean there aren’t those lawful folk who enjoy their guns, to a passion matching their US cousins, I’m sure, but as I’ve noted previously & stevo re-iterates, common urban ownership of guns not an issue here.
Somehow we manage.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 02 at 05:05 AM • permalink
- As a strong 2nd Amendment proponent and an American who loves Oz a lot, I can say that in my opinion Australia is better off without guns. I am a gun-owning American, and I believe as my death beast friends do that an armed populace is a safer populace. But that is something rooted firmly in American tradition. It doesn’t travel well. Australia needs to keep its own traditions and deal with its security issues in its own way.
- SCD,
When it comes to gun crime, it is not how easy or not guns are available, it is the specific population that have access to guns that is relevent. In the USA, blacks are 13% of the population but they commit 50% of the murders. That’s four times as many as their population should commit. I’m sure that in Australia the Leb-Muuzzies are somewhere in the same area as black-Americans.
The most glaring proof of this is that the US states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, etc.) that have the highest ownership of guns also have the lowest rates of murder. Why is this? Well, they are overwhelmingly descendents of northern European immigrants. In the range of 80 – 90 percent. The only places in those states that have high murder rates are the indian reservations.
(And before anyone accuses me of slamming indians, one warning, my father and grandfather were born and raised on a reservation in South Dakota.)
Posted by David Crawford on 2006 04 02 at 05:33 AM • permalink
- To “Stop Continental Drift!”
You do realise that in Sydney alone and in one sports shooting association alone, there’s something like 22,000 members? There’s other associations, too. None as big, but plenty of them, usually organised along discipline lines (ie pistol shooters, clay target shooters, fullbore shooters, hunters etc).
The thing is, you mightn’t think there’s much of a culture, but it’s just below the surface.
Perhaps ironically, the community that is so wanting of tolerance on things like gay marriage and legalisation of drugs – the Greens and Independents like Clover Moore – are the first to froth up at the mouth if you happen to suggest tolerance of lawfully owned firearms or any lawful pursuit involving them. Further, there’s not much of a history of libertarian parties out here melding the two interests into essentially being free to do what you want without harming others.
Think about it – if all you wanted to do was occasionally have a shot at a range, go hunting with some mates on a farm, or compete with a bunch of friends to see who is best, why would you make a big deal of your presence and numbers in the community if you didn’t have to? Or why would you bother engaging in a debate with people whose idea of ‘tolerance’ is a complete ban on your equipment?
What other sport puts up with (and indeed, thrives*) this sort of red tape and disdain by a vocal political minority?
That’s why it’s just below the surface.
* ‘thrives’ – look at the stats on the Australian shooting team at the Commonwealth Games. Shooting medals were something like 10% of the total won by the entire Aussie team, despite being one of about 18 sports there – a clear stand-out performance that backs up my statements about closet popularity of the sport and our nationwide prowess in competitive circles.
Posted by ausdiplomad on 2006 04 02 at 05:46 AM • permalink
- ausdiplomad: I cannot see anyone here advocating a complete ban on gun ownership. Far from it. On red tape, I’ve got no answer for that. Australia are pretty good at creating red tape, it employs lots of people.
BTW, I’ve probably fired over 10,000 rounds in a dozen calibres over a twenty year period. I never had a need to add them up before but that’s a few rounds out the end of a barrel.
- AFL veteran Peter “Spider” Everit was just answering questions on ‘Australia’s Brainiest Sportsmen’. He chose Literature as a subject.
Q: “Dan Brown is the author of the worldwide bestseller ‘The Da Vinci….?”
Spider : “Oh…ahh….pass.”
That was THE funniest thing I’ve seen on TV in a month. Brilliant!
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 06:18 AM • permalink
- Steve,
The lack of frothing-at-the-mouth lefty loons at this place kind of accounts for that.
Posted by ausdiplomad on 2006 04 02 at 07:18 AM • permalink
- Stevo our police and legal systems ARE failing us.
Police seem at be more intent on catching people speeding than bashers,robbers,muggers,druggies,car thieves,home invaders,rioters,violent gatecrashers (another mass stabbing last night.)You and I are more likely to be jailed for not wearing a cycle helmet than anyone intent on criminal activities.
Gloom …nothing to distract me with only history buffs (sensational,overwrought,overcostumed,overacted sagas) being catered to on “our” tv.
Chooose from Helen of Troy repeated or Ancient Weapons..Crap to the Left of me, crap to the Left…
Social workers on the radio too!
Some crap Silence (you wish) on AWBC as well later on. Bad reviews.
- Negus must be surrounded with 3 semi automatics pointed at his pointy head -he is doing an ‘expose’ on how the Spanish have been torturing captured iddle widdle Basque terrorists for at least ten years.
Wait for the recanting…on SBS.
Uh the growling muppet was in charge of sbs tonight -the iron voice in the iron glove.
- Los Gatos, CA—late ‘60’s—drinking Red Mountain at Castle Rock off HWY 9 (came in Gallon bottles), Ripple, Thunderbird, De Kuyper’s Peach Brandy (the bottle that fits into a cowboy boot)…and seconal, lots of seconal.
How did I survive?
Rmember these ditties:
“Ripple, Ripple
Down the hatch
Light a match
Watch it catch”or:
“What’s the word?
Thunderbird!
What’s the price?
.30 twice!”Posted by MentalFloss on 2006 04 02 at 09:35 AM • permalink
- Iran Claims to Have Test-Fired Missile That Can Destroy Warships
WOW, guess the rest of the world should turn over they keys to their countries, huh?
Persia, you shit box country, the U.S should have wiped your ass off the earth a long time ago….if George doesn’t lose his balls…Persia will be nothing more then a rest stop on the silk trade route, once again.
What’s the Farsi translation to…LAND BRIDGE?
- Let’s see now, what did I use for slaughtering neurons so long ago? Haffenreffer Private Reserve beer (“green death”), Genessee Cream Ale (gack!), Narragansett beer (“Nastygansett”) if the Red Sox were on the radio, Knickerbocker if it was the Yankees. I don’t recall the Mets having a beer sponsor; their fans, mostly former Giants and Dodgers fans abandoned by their teams, presumably had to endure them in cold sobriety.
For the fairer sex: Southern Comfort (a sort of Karo syrup with alcohol and a little coloring added). I only tasted Boone’s Farm Apple Wine once; that was instructive and conclusive. Andre Cold Duck, a fizzy pink wine-like substance. Mateus Rose, a little more pink and a little less fizzy, probably from the same refinery.
- I’m right here, El Cid.Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 04 02 at 11:03 AM • permalink
- RebeccaH, the sale of Yuengling ought to be proscribed as severely as handguns in Oz.
Ah, I remember buying airplane bottles of booze and tucking them into my boots before going to Scream or White Trash Au-Go-Go…these were thigh-high stiletto heeled boots and I could tuck about 6 tiny bottles in the tops…
- </i> RebeccaH — As the beer truck pulls up in front of Tim’s house…
OK, delivery’s here, people…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 01:03 PM • permalink
- We’re like a bunch of junkies hanging out waiting for our dealer to arrive. Need. A. Fix.
So are we all totally unsupervised here at the moment? Are Tim and Andrea both off elsewhere?
If so, I’ve got a 5000 word essay on what I think is wrong with the world – from the perspective of a misguided, uniformed, uneducated – that I’m just about to post.
It’s called ‘How The Baby Boombers Ate The Future’.
Hmmm, just one more spellcheck and then…
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 01:26 PM • permalink
- I should have spellchecked that first. Boomers…though boombers is pretty catchy, too.
If Tim went to the Grand Prix, he got one hell of a finish.
“Out of the final turn, the checkered flag is in sight! He’s almost there! He’s going to wi…BOOM!”
Goodbye gear box.
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 01:29 PM • permalink
- ^^..^^Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 04 02 at 01:49 PM • permalink
- Don’t post that essay here, there’s a character limit on the comments.Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 04 02 at 01:50 PM • permalink
- Yeah, I know, Andrea. The limit is 5000. So you’d let me post an essay called ‘How The Baby Boomers Ate The Future’ here if it was only 4950? Maybe I should go and write that essay….LOL!
Webdiary’s posted up its earings to the end of March.
“Income in 2006 to the end of March was $13541.86, of which donations were $8066, and ads were the remaining $5745.86 (the odd dollars and cents come from Google Adsense, from which we continue to get an income of around $175 per month at present).
“Expenditure in 2006 to the end of March was $11,904.21.”
They get 500 to 1000 visitors a day, and they can pull $13500 in rev? Those 500 to 1000 visitors must be in an ad clicking frenzy to pull those bucks from AdSense. Sniff, sniff, I think I maybe smell some click fraud?
$8000 in donations? WHAT?
I hope TB is making at least that for his excellent work.
How much are you cheap bastards donating? I’d cash him up but I just donated a kidney to buy text books.
I’m amazed Webdreary can turn this kind of cash and they don’t even rate in the Alexa Top 100,000. This site here sits at about 40,000. Webdiary is down outside the Top One Million most visited sites (last time I checked anyway). WTF is going on?
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 02:06 PM • permalink
- stares at the new locks someone installed on Blair’s front door for some reason. Fortunately, these are multiculturally sensitive locks manufactured by an Indonesian company that embraces diversity…
Ahem… Open sesame.
with a series of clicks, the locks pop open and the beer guys start wheeling in the kegs…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 02:07 PM • permalink
- Operation Steel Gazelle: A Smart, Multi-Slide Plan For Toughening American Security with Smartness
Starring Harry and Nancy
- *pop* shhhhhh… Ahhh…
El Cid — I dunno… Pelosi seems uncharacteristically articulate in that piece. I question its authenticity…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 03:59 PM • permalink
- Actually, I was referring to the number of characters allowed. But I would rather you didn’t post something that long here. There are these things called “blogs,” and many services offer them for free, and you can get your own “blog” and post your lengthy essay there, and then link to it here.Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2006 04 02 at 04:25 PM • permalink
- #184, tee hee! Nice one, El Cid, nice one.
Dammit, Andrea, there is no lengthy essay. And just to prove it, I’m going to go and write it right now and then erase it. So there.
This “blog” thing you’re referring to sounds very interesting. Must research this new concept further….
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 05:27 PM • permalink
- Catch this act….
Man dies in explosion at Toronto Tim Hortons
Toronto — The heart of Toronto’s trendy Yorkville shopping district was shocked to a standstill Sunday after an explosion killed one man at a Tim Horton’s outlet.
Police would not confirm early reports that a man had entered the washroom shortly before the blast with explosives strapped to his body.
Now Canada is being ‘transnational’, ‘multicultural’ or just plain ‘NICE’ NOT mentioning the ethinicity of the person that strapped a damn bomb to himself (if confirmed) OR did someone have Tacos last night and cut a big one in the crapper?
- Another one of those damn Swedish terrorists! When will the West awaken?Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 05:59 PM • permalink
- Well, all I gotta say is that this is the worst piss-up-at-Tim’s I’ve ever been to!
For a start, a metal detector, two pat-downs and surveillance camera – all to make sure that you bring your share of grog!
Then there’s some clown in the corner who looks positively medeival and some sheila in an Amazon suit firing arrows just above people’s heads.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Tim appears to stock 7 types of single malt by the barrel and has a fixed pipeline to the Crown brewery I’d be outta here.
When’s Tim back? The gin’s run out and the bartenders want to go home, having been on the job 48 hours straight.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 02 at 06:13 PM • permalink
- #196 Richard
Yeah, but I prefer the version done to “An English Country Garden”
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 02 at 06:23 PM • permalink
- Why clean up? We’ve only just started, surely?Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 02 at 06:57 PM • permalink
- I’ve booked the strippers, but you guys are gonna haveta build the pole. Lotta banisters and stuff around here. Tell me what you come up with.Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 07:16 PM • permalink
- God, waited for this for ages…
Stop Continental Drift!
We’ve only just started, surely?
Don’t call me surely…LOL. (old Airplane the Movie, joke) Leslie Nielsen was so damn funny with that schtick.
- #79 + #93
I grew up in Bankstown near Yagoona. My mum still lives there – a friend calls her place “The Fortress”. She’s had to enclose underneath the house ‘cos crims were rummaging through the cupboards in the carport under the house.
Mum used to teach at Regent’s Park primary school, and Bankstown West primary school is having it’s 75th Anniversary this year in September.
Small world!
- Now that’s nice. That’s the way to enjoy a good party at Tim’s house. Moderation—that’s the key folks.
And be sure to throw your cans, bottles, and paper in the trash cans.
And respect everyone’s feelings. No pushing or encroaching on other’s property. Let the good times roll!
(did the accordion player arrive yet?)
Posted by wronwright on 2006 04 02 at 07:51 PM • permalink
- Who ate all the canapes??
And the little bacon wrapped around asparagus things??
Is this a furry cnvention or something, Ive got a lady in glad wrap, a man in a goat suit, and it appears everyone else has dressed up as either Dr Evil or one of the henchmen.
And some weirdo with a telephone box and a scarf saying “not again”.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 04 02 at 08:05 PM • permalink
- wronwright — Good advice! Throws the dustbins into the living room through the window…Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 08:18 PM • permalink
- Regarding Tim’s disappearance, I was led to believe that he would be in town for the GP. Of course, the race is a long way from the Heart of Bogan Central, so I’ve not actually seen hime.Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 04 02 at 08:25 PM • permalink
- I’ve not actually seen the preview, either.Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 04 02 at 08:29 PM • permalink
- Pretty interesting blog story here :
OnlineThe Billion Dollar Terror War Online
Basically discusses the Pentagon ramping up its war online against the forces of Al Qaeda and some of the ways they’re now fighting back, though obviously not all the ways they’re fighting back.
Does anyone know exactly how the Al Qeada seemed to get such a massive headstart in the online war? That’s just the impression that’s came across in the past few years anyway.
As this blog story points out, some of Osama’s speeches (apparently) have been seen and heard by more people in the world than very important Bush speeches.
Is this because of the Hitler Vs Churchill book thing? As in, Hitler books still continue to outnumber and outsell Churchill books because more people seem to be interested in what the bad guys have to say than the good guys.
I don’t mean the Al Jazeera thing particularly, with Al Qeada getting a headstart in the online war. But is it right to assume that Al Q had tech teams in place before 9/11 to get their propaganda flowing so fast?
I don’t know the fully history of Al Qeada online, but they seem to have hit the ground running after September 11.
Also, if you scroll halfway down that ‘4th World War’ blog, there’s a very interesting map of the melting Arctic Circle and how Greenland, the US, Russia and Canada could be fighting for control of soon to be ice-free shipping channels.
Haven’t read anything online (outside of this story) about the Arctic being part of a future trade war yet, which sounds like a realistic scenario.
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 08:37 PM • permalink
- Goddamit, it’s like I’m typing with hooks instead of fingers sometimes. Try that again :
Don’t know where the writer got the billion dollar figure, the story there mentions a few hundred million being spent by the Pentagon.
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 08:40 PM • permalink
- #218, Good God, a swirley? I hope that sounds far more disgusting than it actually is.Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 02 at 09:45 PM • permalink
- #219, don’t you need a tiny touch of baking powder in there, or am I wrong?
Here’s the pole for pole dancing. Well, actually it’s the shower curtain pole, but it’ll have to do. And I am not doing that veil thing again.
#210, it is not Glad Wrap! It is not Saran wrap, it is not a friggin’ shower curtain! It is linen!
- *tosses a match over geoff’s shoulder…*Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 11:06 PM • permalink
- Paco — I was holding out for making him take the Crossing the Line ceremony again, especially the bit where they sort of shave his head…
*holds open the door and six strippers shimmy in, chattering happily in Tagalog…*
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 02 at 11:10 PM • permalink
- Hey! Now THAT’s a fire!
Oh, don’t worry about him – just roll ‘im around in the grass, he’ll be OK.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2006 04 02 at 11:10 PM • permalink
- I swear with God as my witness, you keep this up and I’ll report this to Tim Blair.
Now would someone please kindly hand me the fire extinguisher.
Posted by wronwright on 2006 04 02 at 11:34 PM • permalink
- Does anyone know if the accordion player has showed up yet? He was supposed to be here 30 minutes ago.Posted by wronwright on 2006 04 02 at 11:41 PM • permalink
- Hey has anyone noticed that its now the 3rd of April and the Iranian Euro Oil Burse (which presumably started in March as argued by the lefties) has not resulted in an evill invasion by the Carl Roves puppet Neocons?Posted by knuckleheadwatch on 2006 04 02 at 11:45 PM • permalink
- Accordian player? There was this guy at the door in sky blue baggy pants and a fluffy pink shirt carrying a squeeze box not long ago.
But we thought he was just canvassing for the Australian Democrats so we gave him Tim’s collection of nineteenth century vaudeville costume hats and sent him on his way.
- *ducks a flying stripper. Apparently the shower curtain rod was not quite sturdy enough even for a Filipina stripper.*
wronwright, you’re absolutely correct. Fire safety is important.
*Ducks outside and starts threading the garden hose through the windows the dustbin opened…*
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 03 at 12:12 AM • permalink
- Sorry Nicky and I are late to the party, we’ve been packing for our cruise.
But I did bring cocktails – enough for everyone!
Formula 1
2 oz vodka
2/3 oz peach brandy
2/3 oz Marie Brizard Creme de Fraise des Bois
2 oz grapefruit juice
2 oz tonic water
Pour ingredients into a collins glass filled with broken ice. Garnish with a slice of lime, a sprig of mint, and serve.— Nora
Posted by The Thin Man Returns on 2006 04 03 at 01:42 AM • permalink
- One of the Melbourne alleged terorrists gave a review of lawyer Rob Stary in court, against the advice (or wishes) or the magistrate.
A one word review.
“Rubbish.”
They had only been discussing “an act of jihad”, one or two of them claimed, they weren’t actually planning to carry it out. God, no.
Oh, well that’s okay then.
Hey, come on, who hasn’t contemplated an act of jihad when you’ve been stuck on hold to a computer help line for too long? Or when that pizza just seems to be taking forever? Or when that little shit of yap-yap dog next door barks all night at mosquitos? Or when the whole world just seems to be conspiring against you?
I want to see one of them totally lose it in court and start screaming, “A jihad upon this court! A jihad upon the judge! A jihad upon the court clerk! A jihad upon Rob Stary! A jihad upon this glass of tepid tap water!”
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 03 at 02:05 AM • permalink
- Dunno if any of you saw a column two Sundays back in the Sun Herald that Miranda Devine wrote. She basically called the residents of Cyclone Larry-slammed Innisfail a bunch of “whingers” for complaining to TV cameras about help not getting to them quickly enough.
They had been standing in the rain for food and nappies for two days, so…Anyway, it was pretty brutal. Don’t know if Miranda was trying to be funny or not, but it was way below the belt. Aussies just don’t do that to other Aussies.
So, apparently the editor of the Townsville Bulletin saw Miranda’s column and hooked in bigstyle, really slammed her back, and this kicked off a huge amount of comments on the Townsville Bulletin site where Miranda was bagged out for being a “Moet sipping” Sydney slicker.
Her e-mail address got published, she copped a lot of abuse, but also a bunch of e-mails setting her straight about what happened up there after Cyclone Larry hit.
So yesterday she wrote a column which is probably about the closest Miranda gets to apologising. She also sent a letter to the Townsville Bulletin demanding the editor publish a correcton for writing that she lived in Cremorne, had a maid and sipped Moet! She said none of these were true.
The whole sorry, bizarre and occasionally damn funny flame-war fiasco is written up on this blog,
The page I saw had the links to Miranda’s two columns, the ‘whingers’ one and the ‘apology’ one, plus a bunch of pretty hardcore comments from Innisfail residents. It’s a real Sydney versus the Tropics hoo-ha and might be worth a look if you’re still bored.
If that other link doesn’t work, then try this one :
‘Moet’ Miranda Kinda Sorta Apologises For Calling Cyclone Survivors “Whingers”
Thought you might be interested. Also, if you scroll down a few stories, there’s a QLD State Emergency report that details the full extent of the destruction and devastation wrought by this huge bastard of a cyclone.
Never really got the sense of just how many homes were destroyed and how huge the path of destruction was from all that media coverage.
Incredible.
Posted by LeftieLatteLover on 2006 04 03 at 02:23 AM • permalink
- All in all a pretty normal work for the Mussies
1 . Lebenese Muslims join jobless queue
It’s taken 20 years and a riot to state the obvious. It shows the lengths that the axis of evil (politicians/liberal media/social science academics) will go to ignore one of Australia’s worst social ills.
Does anyone actually believe these people add positively to our society ?
- I’m stumped by this headline in the online Sydney Daily Tele today … Police stumped by shootings silence … well d’oh. The police need to get out and do some real policing. Have they forgotten how to? The community won’t be cooperating, mostly for wrong, and also for some understandable reasons.
Tim, there’ll be a few threads in this one …
- #246 verge, I saw that idiot on the news just before. I’m sure the reporter mentioned that he was Mick Johnson but prefers to be known as Bassam Raad. I could be wrong.
In any case, what sort of person sacks their barrister on the first day in court? Especially when said barrister (Rob Stary) is also gaining valuable experience defending jihadis?
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2006 04 03 at 05:24 AM • permalink
- Have you seen the police today. Most of them are just young kids straight out of uni..The only decent copper i have seen was that big one at cronulla swinging his batten at everyone that got in his way.If only they let them do that with the M.E thugs 5 years ago we would’nt have these problems.The day the went from being called a force to being called a service we have gone down hill..apparently calling them a force made them sound a little to harsh.
- I want cocktails, Nora! Where are you cruising to? When you’re up on the Lido deck, remember to avoid like the plague any elitist playwrights. They’ll be easy to spot with their bright white skin. They’ll also be in the most prominent location on deck, making sure everyone sees them reading their Advanced Guide to Kandinsky and visibly sneering at all the plebs. Wander within 20 metres of these blowhards, and they’ll chew your ear for hours about how most people like big screen plasma televisions these days and isn’t it so terrible. Other than that, have a wonderful time!Posted by James Waterton on 2006 04 03 at 06:42 AM • permalink
- Jeeze, LLL, chill out. It’s party time at Tims. The BBQ/Tims car has been
immolatedlit (thanks geoff), the cheezy things served (good one Adriane), the accordian player arrived (and is sitting in wronwright’s lap, er, playing the accordion), the strippers arrived, (but general displeasure at the fact that wronwright DID book the Taubman’s Undercoat stripper and not the er, girlie stuff (bloody idiot)).Nora & Nick have passed out on the couch (they’ll never miss their cruise tix from their jackets he he he. What? Dunedin? Real party animals, you two). Typical! Too many Formula Ones, I’ll bet.
Whoo-oo. Blow-ticklers all round.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 03 at 06:45 AM • permalink
- #93 Janice
#79, ekb87
Whereabouts in Yagoona did your grandmother live? It’s just that my mother has lived there for over 30 years without bars on the windows or break-ins. She’s up near the Potts Hill Reservoir and has Lebanese neighbours but they’re all Christians. Of course one lot of those neighbours has steel roller shutters on every window of their house.(Sorry for delay, Janice. Hadn’t been back for a few days.) Hector Street. Just a mile or so away from Yagoona.
I have no knowledge of who/why was behind shooting up the Lebanese bakery. I do not know if it was random, retaliatory, inter-family, inter-religious, or whatever. I don’t even know anything about the owners except that Nan thought they were friendly.
But I do know that a drive-by shooting 50 feet from her house scared the shit out of her! 😉
- Page bloody 2? All that creative thought (not to mention an almighty hangover) just for page bloody 2 of the thread?
I blame paco – Andrea said she had to re-jig the software on account of the LAST party at Tims place, and an inordinately long thread.
Page bloody 2….
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 03 at 06:51 AM • permalink
- Molefact! Emus can eat their own heads, that is the head of another dead emu. The only problem is it only fits about 1/2 way down its throat.
I found that out playing “vet” on an emu farm when I pulled a skull from the neck of a distressed emu.
Fun!!Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2006 04 03 at 07:54 AM • permalink
- I wonder what the most number of pages or posts are for a blog or a forum? I posted a few comments at the forum called Evolution? How? some months ago … it’s still going and it’s now up to 830 pages … at approximately 10 comments per page, >= 8K of comments. One thing I know, arguing faith against fact doesn’t produce an outcome. I think I’ll stick to Tim’s blog, wherever he is. Good night ladies …
- I guess that explain the 5 headless emus on Tim’s bathroom floor. Emu legs make great swizzle sticks, but only if your martini is made in a bucket.Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 03 at 07:57 AM • permalink
- Missed the better part of a totally great party.
Christ had to dump (NO, NOT THAT KIND) friggin storm..minor damage…blown out windshield on the Explorer (good size hail caught some for my Martini shaker)…:).
Which one of you guys took the strippers home, HUH!?
AND did that god damn accordion player ever show…I know, who gives a shit.
Howzat, sorry about the Taco’s, BUT at least you are alive…and Toronto isn’t pissed at ya’ (I know, I know, you don’t live in Toronto)….lol.
I’d ask about the Steinway (like, What’s a Steinway?) BUT one of you nice people would say give…about 500 hundred pounds, so the hell with the Steinway….lol. Anyone seen Texas Bob, lately?
- I couldn’t get in for a while. There’s a big bunch of guys in white gowns and hoods dancing around a burning car out front.
Ooh, all of you lot look pretty dark too, I didn’t know it was a theme party.
Anyway, as I was coming in through the side gate I noticed that the Blair Mansion has a seventh garage. I didn’t notice it the last time, or if I did, I can’t remember it.
The panel door is locked, but you can see through a crack. There’s a sleek, flat little sports car in there. It looks nice.
And well, I was thinking, it’s a nice night out…
- Stevo, that 8k comments is nothing. At the Broncos forum sponsored by the Denver Post we had one thread with over 50k posts. And the wonder is that the software would delete threads unupdated after a week. The thread was over 4 years old when the newspaper nuked the forums.Posted by Some0Seppo on 2006 04 03 at 09:28 AM • permalink
- El Cid, here in west Nashville we had no damage. Just a 3-1/2 hour power outage. Sorry to hear about your damage.Posted by Some0Seppo on 2006 04 03 at 09:32 AM • permalink
- #19 splice. Don’t worry about the guys out front. They were just passing by, trying out a new line of snazzy white Drizabonesand decided to toast some marshmellows on the car-b-que.
Sure, take the ‘ol sportster out for hoon. Just remember to clean the ash trays when you’ve done and mind Leunig’s duck when you sit-down. Dunno why it ended up on the front seat.
Posted by Stop Continental Drift! on 2006 04 03 at 09:37 AM • permalink
- Yeah, power was still on at the pizza place so we had delivery for dinner. Watched half a movie on the laptop after dinner then the power was restored. Ah, technology. That Texas prof can kiss my grits.Posted by Some0Seppo on 2006 04 03 at 10:05 AM • permalink
- Nick — I prefer the formula for the NASCAR cocktail…
Whiskey for my men
and beer for my horses!Posted by richard mcenroe on 2006 04 03 at 10:11 AM • permalink
- #22 thanks SCD. The crack’s a bit wider now, but that bloody garage door really is very stiff.
Strange, though. Just now someone came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. He was a pleasant, round faced fellow. Except for blood-dripping fangs, he was the only other person here not in costume. He said his name was Karl and he told me there are more important things than sports cars.
He’s gone to get me a “fixer”. Is that a cocktail?
- #239 Three comments:
1. It’s an open thread.
2. We’re playing to stereotype.
3. Sorry about your accordion.Posted by wronwright on 2006 04 03 at 10:14 AM • permalink
- Austin Texas, hasn’t been the same since Charles Whitman. Guess he frightened them all to severe moonbat syndrome.
- I had to follow El Cid out the door last night because of the monster storm (yeah, we got hit in southwest Ohio too). Took out a bunch of trees in town, some fences, and the power. Also rolled my dumpster all the way down the street and into the catchment basin next to the dentist’s office. All in all, it was a good night.
Why are there naked Filipinas passed out all over Tim’s living room?
