tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88351164976362256952024-03-13T18:41:16.827+10:00Nah SeriouslyMusings from an inglorious mindEveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-16903383541937870582013-04-19T15:34:00.000+10:002013-04-19T15:34:31.498+10:00Adios! For A While Anyway<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi there folks,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long time no see. And for you, long time no read.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, it’s been quite a while since the last instalment of Nah Seriously and there’s now a few tumbleweeds blowing down Main Street EDM.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Excuses? I have a few. Mainly around life getting in the way and leaving very little time for pondering, typing and disseminating. But the main reason would have to be a lack of inspiration and motivation due to most of the news both locally and beyond being so damn frustrating and angst-driven. Politics in Queensland and Federally have traditionally been a catalyst for a lot of my musings, but to be honest, so much in those spaces just pisses me off these days so I’ve decided to take a step back and bury my head in the proverbial sand for a while. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Life’s too short for a lot of that crap and I’m actually envious of people who choose to live in ignorance of it all as their lives seem so much easier and less complex. Ignorance is bliss and all that. And with a Federal Election looming that looks like being fought on the most basic level and to the depths of the lowest common denominator, well then, it might actually be a medical necessity for me to switch off and close my eyes to it all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So with that, comes this announcement that I will not be blogging via Nah Seriously anymore. Yep, you heard it here first. Then again, where else would you hear it? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps ‘anymore’ is too strong a word though. More like ‘not in the conceivable future’ anyway. Because who knows what the future will bring and maybe I just need a good break to recharge the soul and rekindle some spirit. The basic premise of all this though, is that I won’t be blogging for a quite a while and your regular instalments of EDM are about to become not so regular. Or not at all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Goodbye for now then. Hopefully catch you some other time but please don’t hold your breath. It’s a messed up world out there and I’m over trying to make some sense of it all. With some of things coming my way in the not too distant future, it’s time to focus on the real and discernible things that matter. You know, family and stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So adios and take it easy my friends. Til next time maybe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PS – will still be twittering though. 140 characters much more manageable. Hit me up at @Every_Day_Man<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-3543771495438302112013-02-21T21:48:00.001+10:002013-02-21T21:48:36.328+10:00EDM Extract - Nepotism, Nonsense & Prisoner X<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">it's been another big week in the big house of politics on all sorts of levels. State / Federal / International. Oversight / Breach / Punishment. Rumour / Speculation / Truth. Pretty much the whole gamut of the political discourse in this country.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">State-side then, in Queensland anyway, the current Government has been busy in managing to appear in the news for all sorts of wrong reasons. It began last Friday when Minister Bates finally put us all out of our misery and resigned. The Minister who'd been on leave for nearly a third of her tenure had had enough and quit for personal reasons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Of course the very next day we learnt more about the Minister's activities with revelations <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/answers-demanded-in-new-ros-bates-scandal-20130216-2ejne.html">she'd appointed a personal friend</a>, Kaye Martin, to a departmental position as well as a member of a government board. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Much hilarity then ensued when <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/questions-continue-over-relationship-between-former-arts-minister-ros-bates-and-kaye-martin/story-fndo45r1-1226580677946">Martin claimed to not be a friend of Bates</a> and that she'd only met her a few times. Then came the news that Bates had thanked Martin for her friendship as part of her maiden speech to Parliament and that Martin had given a speech at Bates 50th birthday celebrations. Not bad for someone who'd only met Bates a few times. She obviously made quite the impression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And no Bates story is complete without a mention of Michael Caltabiano, former Director-General of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, who'd been on 'garden leave' pending the outcome of a CMC inquiry into the hiring of Bates' son to a high-level departmental position. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Well, last Friday the Premier terminated Caltabiano's contract and the press release contained just two sentences, the second being <a href="http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/2/15/statement-about-michael-caltabiano">'No further comment will be made'</a>. No explanation has been given since and just yesterday Caltabiano launched legal action claiming unfair dismissal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All of which allowed various Government Ministers earlier today to say they <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/sacked-bureaucrat-could-sue-qld-premier-20130221-2esz3.html">can't explain the termination or comment further because the matter is now the subject of legal proceedings</a>. How convenient. The gods must be smiling for such a scenairo to occur. It's almost like it was contrived. But that would be r<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">idiculous. Surely...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Moving along to Federal politics and...ummm....well....oh shit. It's all too bloody hard. I just can't find any motivation at the moment when it comes to the national scene. The whole sorry saga is getting beyond me and even I'm starting to switch off a bit to save my sanity. I'm just too damn young to be a grumpy old man shaking my fist at the world just yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The gist of it though is that Labor is once again <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/kevin-rudds-the-man-who-wont-go-away-for-labor/story-fndo4dzn-1226580626361">shooting itself in the foot with more leadership rumblings</a>. The lunatics are running the asylum it seems with 'disgruntled backbenchers' plotting against the Prime Minister and the media giving Rudd plenty of spotlight to spruik his wares. Political reporters are loving it of course because they can lazily report the 'he-said-she-said' and not have to put any effort into analysis of the big picture issues.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/pms-poll-pain-abbott-and-rudd-more-popular-20130217-2elb7.html">One particularly bad poll for the Government</a> then resulted in the media going into overdrive sounding like Jim Morrison with calls of 'This is the End!' and telling us the Prime Minister should be replaced. And how many people took part in this poll? 1400. Yep, the views of 1400 out of nearly 23 million people is apparently the determinant of how this nation should be governed. How very democratic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But that's letting the Government off lightly. These few weeks since the election announcement have been very poor from them indeed. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Government has struggled to sell itself and its achievements at the best of times let alone when things like the mining tax are exposed as being toothless and all manner of leadership speculation takes hold. The inability to convince the electorate of anything is also making things difficult as some flimsy yet entrenched views just aren't being shifted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Minority governance hey. I do remember telling the wife in the days after the last Federal election that whoever took power and formed Government that they would lose the next election. But I'm no oracle on that I'm sure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Finally, I just wish to bring to your attention the excellent Foreign Correspondent story from last week regarding the <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/zygier-spy-case-gets-ever-curiouser-20130219-2epeh.html">imprisonment of Ben Zygier</a>, so-called Prisoner X, by the Israeli Government and his subsequent 'suicide'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">A few weeks ago no-one had even heard of Zygier and his story but since the program went to air it's prompted governments in both Australia and Israel to launch inquiries into how it all went down. Both nations' intelligence agencies have some questions to answer, but I'm guessing those answers won't be too forthcoming. National security and all that apparently. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, check it out for yourself <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2013/s3688787.htm">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's the latest EDM Extract then of the days and weeks of late. Til next time,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
<br />EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-77826298534308163262013-02-08T12:49:00.001+10:002013-02-08T12:50:59.132+10:00EDM Extract - Peptides & Platitudes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Pssst. Over here. Yeah you. Wanna buy some peptides? What are they? I dunno. But everyone's talking about them. They're all the rage."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Nah Seriously, what a few days it's been in Australian sport. Particularly the two main football codes in the AFL and the NRL with relevations on a daily basis of new-age drug, hormone and supplement taking with all sorts of blurred lines in regards to what is illegal and what is OK. To be honest, I've struggled to keep up with it all and haven't quite got my head around it yet, but here's a brief summary for your reading pleasure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It all started on Tuesday when the <a href="http://www.afl.com.au/video/2013-02-05/essendon-supplement-investigation">Essendon Football Club announced</a> they'd recently learnt that some of their sports science practices from alst year might not have been completely legal or ethical. It was an extraordinary press conference in that no details were offered up but there were plenty of platitudes along the lines of 'we'll cooperate fully with the investigation' and 'I had no idea at the time' from the Chairman, Senior Coach and Medical Officers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We've since learnt players were often taken offsite by the club's sports scientists to be injected with 'supplements' and players were asked to sign waivers to offload any liability from the club despite the fact the club was telling them everything was kosher. Now of course I know nothing of the inner workings of the Essendon Football Club, but it seems extraordinary that the Senior Coach and Medical Officials in particular didn't know about this. And the idea of making players sign waiver forms certainly looks like a head office / legal area thing to do so the Chairman not knowing either is suprising.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Last year certainly was a <a href="http://www.afl.com.au/video/2013-02-06/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-bombers">rollercoaster ride for Essendon in 2012</a> on the playing field anyway. The players looked like they'd really bulked up over the offseason and they were at top of the ladder at 8-3 at the halfway mark of the season. It all fell apart after that though and they managed only three more wins to finish outside the finals. They suffered a horrific injury toll with players going down with soft tissue injuries on a weekly basis and it was widely thought that the weights-focus of the offseason was to blame for all the hammies, calf and groin tears that occurred. You know, Jake the Muss and all that. "Too much weights, not enough speedwork".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, other AFL Clubs in Geelong and Gold Coast have since been mentioned with the sports scientist in question having worked as a consultant with the Suns and the Cats coming out and saying they have some concerns about their own practices as well. Every other club was no doubt hurrying away and checking their procedures and asking some hard questions of their respective sports scientists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/sport-scientist-stephen-dank-forms-a-link-between-nrl-clubs-and-the-latest-afl-drug-scandal/story-e6frexnr-1226571172109">NRL wasn't immune either with Manly being put in the spotlight</a> with the same sports scientist having worked with them during their premiership years under Des Hasler. We'd previously heard stories of players injected with calf blood and the like but apparently lactate-reducing concoctions and DNA testing of muscle fibres were also prevalent around the club at the time. And then today, we've heard of vials and needles being found stashed in the home dressing rooms of the Gold Coast Titans at Skilled Stadium.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The legality of any and all of these practices is the big issue with no-one quite being sure what is illegal, what is legal and what the boundaries are. From what I've seen anyway. The thing is, all of this has come about with not one player testing positive for illegal use of a substance. That obviously brings into question the current list of banned substances, the current methods of testing players, and the current protocols that are meant to ensure the rules are being followed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And all this was then wrapped up with the release of a <a href="http://www.crimecommission.gov.au/publications/other/organised-crime-drugs-sport">Australian Crime Commission (ACC) report</a> yesterday that found evidence of players taking performance enhancing drugs; criminals being involved in the trafficing of these drugs to players; players being fed quick-metabolising substances which are hard to detect; doctors writing scripts in false names for drugs to be supplied by compounding pharmacies; and anti-ageing clinics having links to criminal groups to obtain and distribute performance enhancing substances.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's all very murky and there's obviously plenty of shocking relevations that need to be further investigated, reviewed and addressed. <span style="font-family: Verdana;">The links with criminal groups is a big concern obviously and all the sporting organisations need to work with the ACC to stamp it out. Players who knew they were taking banned substances and doctors / sports scientists who knew the substances they were pushing are banned need to face the appropriate consequences as well.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Both the AFL and NRL have acted pretty swiftly in response actually, with the AFL already having an <a href="http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-02-07/afl-ups-ante-in-drug-fight">Action Plan</a> announced last night including a major beefing up of their integrity unit and NRL officials appointing a former judge to investigate and work with the ACC. But you <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/all-sports/firepower-missing-in-drug-bombshell-as-nobody-is-exposed-on-day-of-shame/story-fnduczvk-1226573065651">have to be a little suspicious</a> of any of this turning into multiple life bans or court appearances. Even the ACC, a crime enforcement entity with the powers of a standing Royal Commission, has refused to name names so they must have some concerns about the 'beyond reasonable doubt' nature of the evidence they've obtained.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It hasn't stopped the opinion-makers though and we've had no shortage of cheap headlines proclaiming it all as the blackest days in Australian sport ever and the football codes as being in crisis with their integrity in shreds as a result. There's also been some </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">pious rants about the nature of modern sport and all the money involved ruining everything. Like we could go back to the grand old amateur days where apparently all was well with the world and our heroes were pure as the driven snow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All in all, it's been a pretty big few days for sport in this country. Understatement of the century perhaps. It's certainly been the strangest off-season period I've ever seen for the football codes with all sorts of coverage, not just this latest drugs drama, being front-page news and not even a footy has been kicked in anger yet to commence the 2013 seasons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It might prompt the AFL and NRL to bring those seasons forward and kick them off next weekend the way things are going. Just to get the actual playing of football in the news. At least there's no worries about my AFL team, Melbourne, being involved in all this. Whatever they were taking last year, it certainly wasn't performance enhancing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-60228003476686776832013-02-06T09:44:00.001+10:002013-02-08T15:11:48.384+10:00EDM Extract - The Election Announcement & All Manner Of Stupid <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>"All told, I think the last 20 hours is the Australian media's worst performance since the 2010 campaign." </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Crikey's Bernard Keane the day after the Prime Minister announced the election date. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And the eight days since haven't been much better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes, it was historic for <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/pm-announces-election-for-september-14-20130130-2dk4u.html">Gillard to announce the actual election</a> date seven months in advance. It was a bold move and time will tell if it will pay off. One thing it did do though is it completely wrong-footed the Canberra Press Gallery who like to think they know every little nuance of this Government and its office-holders. Basically, they were left scratching their heads saying "but no-one leaked it to us". "No-one ran it passed us first".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, Gillard did it for strategic reasons of her own, like every Australian Prime Minister has since Federation. That's the go with non-fixed terms. The leader of the day has the <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">prerogative </span>to call it when he/she sees fit. And the strategy seems to be about catching the Opposition off guard and trying to force Abbott and the Opposition to announce some costed policies, any costed policies, before the election.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And yes, the early election call did prompt the <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/gillard-loses-roxon-evans-in-planned-reshuffle/story-fn59niix-1226567282557">resignation of two of her Ministers</a>. But they were going to quit anyway, as they told the PM last year, and they merely thought it best to step down now rather than create instability later on and closer to the election. Common sense really.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But according to our nation's media, the Canberra Press Gallery in particular, Gillard did it to distract from the immiment arrest of Craig Thomson. She did it to ward off a future challenge from Kevin Rudd. Her Government is in disarray and chaos because of the two Ministerial resignations. Her Government disrespects Jews by having the election on the date of Yom Kippur. Julia just wanted to show off her new flashy glasses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">FFS! There's so much stupid in all that I don't even know where to start. The Craig Thomson one stands out the most though. Just why the hell would Gillard want to start day one of her election campaign knowing full well the papers would be leading with a scandal about Thomson. Nonsensical. And one for the conspiracy theorists in long coats and wearing aluminium hats rather than those who are meant to be preeminent political journalists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Rudd thing is pretty damn stupid also as even the man himself has categorically denied any interest in a leadership spill before the election. If you'd seen his reaction yesterday morning to such a question you'd see how genuine that is. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Only Kevin knows what Kevin plans on doing, but you'd think he has a better chance of being Prime Minister again by holding fire and perhaps rolling Abbott in three years time. Rather than bringing on another messy leadership challenge before the election that would no doubt bring down the Government that he might potentially lead for a mere few months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Not a lot of sense behind the Yom Kippur/Jewish claims either seeing every election is held on the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday) and the concepts of pre-poll votes, postal votes and absentee votes are long established. But that didn't stop news.com.au coming up with this disgraceful picture of the PM doing a 'Sieg Heil' with its Nazi connotations (thanks to <a href="http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/">Mr Denmore</a>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And finally, the new glasses. Again, FFS! When this nation's media can actually concentrate on what the PM is saying and doing rather than how she is looking than I'll raise a toast once again to journalistic integrity. But to be honest, I'm not expecting that to occur anytime soon. Especially during this election campaign. And if we are going to go down that track, why hasn't there been any mainstream media mention of <a href="http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/tony-abbotts-makeover/">Abbott's very own 'makeover'</a> when he attended his recent Press Gallery lunch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There is a major concern that some of this coverage is rooted down in bias, particularly with a lot of it coming from News Ltd ("Hello, Rupert calling"). But I actually think its more rooted down in lazy journalism, incompetence and failures to distinguish between opinion and analysis. Quite simply, political journalism in this country is failing us and our democracy, and is trapped in a narrative of</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> "he-said, she-said" whether its Gillard vs Abbott or Gillard vs Rudd or the truth vs a spectacle.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">By all means, get stuck into the Government and demand answers/solutions on real policy issues and their vision and plan for Australia. That's what the fourth estate should be doing and that is why a fourth estate is so important in a democracy. But what we're getting isn't policy reporting and policy analysis. It's gossip, and rumour, and innuendo, and spin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's going to be a long seven months then if we're served up this drivel the whole time. This country needs more than ever a real election with a mature debate on the issues and the policies. Especially after everyone's performance during the last one; the politicians, the parties, the media, and even us the people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But god help me if we don't get that. Because I better warn you now that I'll take no responsibility for my actions. It'll be the medication's fault. The stuff I'll need to be on to get through it all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-59082170398893782922013-01-26T13:19:00.002+10:002013-01-26T13:19:17.283+10:00EDM Extract - Kochie, A Captain's Pick, and The Big Wet<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And there goes another week in the life of EDM. It's late January already and the news (and hits) just keep on coming.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">First up, a big story for the week seems to have been the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tvs-kochie-faces-mother-of-all-protests-over-breastfeeding-row-20130119-2d003.html">Kochie-breastfeeding-in-public saga</a>. Uncle Kochie, the old scallywag, made some comments on Sunrise that he thought breastfeeding mothers should show more respect and some "common courtesy" by covering up if they're going to indulge, sorry, if their babies are going to indulge in public (Bit rich if you ask me...common courtesy not a redeeming trait of most Port supporters).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not that suprising I guess that an elder TV man has an opinion that he wishes to share with the rest of us and certainly not that suprising that an elder TV man has that view. But perhaps he went a little too far when he said topless sunbathing was OK. Just not topless breastfeeding. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Controversy was a-foot of course with it being national news for a few days and <a href="http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/seven-sunrise-in-damage-control-over-rally-as-samantha-armytage-and-david-koch-on-air/story-e6frfmyi-1226557892496">mothers storming Sunrise HQ</a> (not quite the Bastille) on Monday and dropping their tops right under Koch's nose and on national television to protest at his remarks.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The footage was quite entertaining actually with Kochie eventually fronting the mothers flanked by a phalanx of security (hell hath no fury and all that) and some of his fellow female presenters looking a tad uncomfortable. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But no doubt thoroughly appreciated by Channel 7 and Sunrise bosses with all manner of publicity and exposure being the result. What's the saying about any publicity being...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The political story of the week has been the Prime Minister's 'Captains Pick' of <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/senator-axed-as-gillard-takes-olympian-as-captains-pick-20130122-2d5cl.html">preselecting Olympian Nova Peris for the top spot on the Northern Territory Senate ticket</a> for the Federal Election later this year. The current Labor NT Senator, Trish Crossin, was obviously not happy and didn't hold back in her attacks on the PM or Peris herself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Labor was subsequently divided with some MPs claiming it was a good move while others didn't like the fact the normal preselection processes were supplanted. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The attacks were nothing though in comparison to the <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/prime-minister-julia-gillards-captains-pick-for-northern-territory-senate-spot-causes-dissent/story-e6freoof-1226559588704">personal remarks aimed at Peris from Alison Anderson</a>, a NT politician, who claimed Peris would be nothing but a maid serving tea to her white party members. So it's definitely been a baptism of fire for Peris and she's probably wondering what the hell she's got herself into. At least she's already lasted longer than another sporting candidate, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt--SGmIKIQ">Mal Meninga</a>, who didn't even get 30 sec into his first political interview before quitting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now I must admit I raised an eyebrow myself upon hearing the news of the Captain's Pick and just knew for sure there'd be the usual loud shouts and knashing of teeth about celebrity candidates, the bypassing of preselection procedures and rank and file members not getting a say. But a lot of that was dismissed once <a href="http://newswithnipples.com/2013/01/24/the-everyday-shit-they-call-journalism/">I read this article outlining Peris' achievements</a>, other than sporting related, and I was impressed. Certainly her background of community work is a damn sight more impressive than about 95% of candidates we'll get at the next Federal election.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another aspect of this issue has been the insight into something very new for me. Because until now, I never knew LNP MPs and conservative opinion-makers had such concern for the wants and needs of ALP rank and file members. Yes, it was truly enlightening the way they rounded on the PM and defended the rights of local ALP members to select their candidate. Others might say it was pure political opportunism, but I think that's selling them short. Solidarity forever hey comrades.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In other news, we have the <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/southeast-queensland-expecting-up-to-300mm-of-rain-over-the-weekend-after-weather-causes-havoc-in-central-queensland/story-e6freoof-1226562163334">big wet cometh to Queensland</a>, including to the south east this long weekend where nearly 300mm is expected to fall. Quite a contrast to just two weeks ago <a href="http://nah-seriously.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/the-first-thought-bubble-of-2013.html">when I wrote about the heatwave </a>across the nation and I was bemoaning the late monsoon and very little in rain and storms for Queensland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As I said at the time, I was a little unsure about doing a raindance seeing last time it resulted in the 2011 floods. Alas, some James Brown on the stereo brought it on and here we are about to receive a major dump again and all sorts of warnings about flash flooding and dam releases. My apologies people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In all seriousness, while it's not expected to be anywhere as devastating as the 2011 floods, there is a level of nervousness about our first big wet since. <a href="http://nah-seriously.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/tale-of-two-brisbanes.html">As I wrote back then</a>, the events of two years ago are not easily forgotten and there will be thousands of people across Queensland who've only just rebuilt who will have a wary eye on their local creek or river this weekend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's actually being reported that some Queensland towns are likely to have their second or third 1 in a 100 year flood in the last five years. And this only a few weeks after a record heatwave across the eastern seaboard and hundreds of temperature records being broken. But as you were, move along, nothing to see here. <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/abbotts-climate-change-policy-is-bullshit-20091207-kdmb.html">Climate change is crap</a> and we should all just settle the hell down (sarcasm btw). But at the very least we should probably change the way we describe floods. This '1 in a' thing certainly isn't working anymore.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, as I type this it's thundering down outside and I'm keeping an eye on the neighbours rainwater tank as it has a tendency to overflow into our backyard. It's a given to happen sometime over this weekend though so maybe I should just give up watching and settle in for the drenching. It's not like I had an immense keenness to mow the lawns or anything. In fact, it's saved me a number of jobs this weekend. Maybe I should put some more James Brown on?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Til next time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-8040506988027376352013-01-18T09:18:00.001+10:002013-02-08T15:09:45.290+10:00EDM Extract - Laming and Armstrong<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Straight Face Tweets<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You would have had to have been living under a rock to miss the Logan street violence story during the week.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What was first a neighbourhood dispute between two families quickly escalated into gang warfare between Indigenous and Pacific Islander youths, all played out on Douglas Street, Woodridge. For four days small skirmishes broke out on a regular basis with the police doing a fine effort to calm things down and often got themselves right in the firing line of metal bars and fence palings to keep the two groups apart.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cue the media frenzy with headlines implying ‘our suburban streets are at a flashpoint’ so we had live crosses from everyone to the local ABC radio reporter to Kochie and Mel on Sunrise. Some serious questions were raised as to whether the media was actually contributing to the conflict with their sensationalist reporting, but of course they were drowned out by the latest live cross to a police press conference or opinion pieces blaming it all on out of control ‘yoofs’ and social media.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/mps-inflammatory-tweet-slammed-20130115-2cqc7.html"><span style="color: #b51b01; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing that certainly did not work to resolve things and take the heat out of the situation</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> was this tweet from Federal Liberal MP, Andrew Laming:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mobs tearing up Logan tonight. Did any of them do a day's work today, or was it business as usual and welfare on tap? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9:06 PM - 14 Jan 13<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Notwithstanding the fact an elected Member of Parliament should actually be showing some leadership in a situation like this rather than inflaming things even more, this man is the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Indigenous Health.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How on earth then, can someone who so readily employs massive generalisations and racial stereotypes about Indigenous people be responsible for promoting Indigenous health and holding the Government to account on Indigenous health issues?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It’s like a card-carrying member of the NRA being Shadow Minister for Gun Control. Or Pauline Hanson being Shadow Minister for Immigration. The mind truly boggles as to how </span><a href="http://www.news.com.au/technology/lnp-mp-for-bowman-andrew-laming-weighs-into-race-tensions-on-twitter-with-controversial-tweet/story-e6frfro0-1226553935301"><span style="color: #b51b01; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the man still has that job</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But the funniest part of the whole saga was Laming’s ‘clarification’ the next day once he’d finished wiping the $hit from his fan and no doubt after a few calls from LNP HQ. Apparently what he really meant to convey was how unfortunate the situation was and he was merely raising concerns about training and employment prospects:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewLamingMP"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Andrew Laming</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"></span><s><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none line-through; text-underline: none;">@</span></s><b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">AndrewLamingMP</span></b><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To clarify: Working together to resolve these riots the priority. Training and a chance for jobs are key. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9:51 AM - 15 Jan 13<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being a tweet, it’s hard to tell if he said it with a straight face. But being a politician, I’m sure he did and he actually thought it would work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Death Match Cometh<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other big story for the week so far (as mentioned last week) has been the impending Armstrong vs Oprah ‘no-holds-barred’ death match coming up later today and tomorrow our time. I say death match given the way it’s been promoted with the most unintentionally funny television promo I’ve ever seen. All deep voiceover and thunderous drum beats. I’m sure Saturday Night Live could not have done a better job of satirising it to be honest.</span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rG3mr9feufA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, the whole lead-up to the interview with the early announcement and selective leaks has been so blindingly obvious in its attempt to recuperate Armstrong’s image that it may actually work in reverse. The strategies and tactics are so transparent that Media Studies 101 students could easily rip it apart for what it is.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alas, </span><a href="http://m.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2013/jan/15/lance-armstrong-cost-benefit-analysis-confession"><span style="color: #b51b01; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/only-the-truth-will-do-20130115-2crja.html"><span style="color: #b51b01; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">here</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> are two of the best articles I’ve read on the whole sorry saga over the last week that really demonstrate how stage-managed the event has been.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other topic of interest with this is the role the interview will play in heavily </span><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/oprah-the-real-winner-as-armstrong-interview-stretched-over-two-parts-20130116-2csma.html"><span style="color: #b51b01; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">promoting Oprah’s fledging cable television network</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. The network has struggled big time since its launch and Oprah needs a big ‘catch’ and a big moment to try and gain some traction and put her name back up in lights once again. Even Oprah herself is spruiking the Armstrong interview as “big for my career”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, just some points that are worth reading about before the interview is aired in a few hours time. Millions will be glued to their televisions and I’m sure it’ll be a ‘water cooler’ discussion for the days that follow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-68404132535040406582013-01-11T15:30:00.001+10:002013-02-08T15:11:07.395+10:00EDM Extract - Kicking Off 2013<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Welcome to the first EDM Extract of 2013. As advised late last year, there's a few changes-a-foot at Nah Seriously and I plan to provide more regular posts but in a less comprehensive fashion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For instance, I used to wait until some form of inspiration struck me down before jotting down my thoughts with it usually being something that got me riled up or annoyed before I'd contemplate posting. With a busy life outside Nah Seriously, these moments didn't come around as often as I liked last year so I'm trying to be more regular (insert toilet humour here) while also being a little more light-hearted and light-on in terms of content.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, that's the plan anyway. Let's see how we go. So herein is my first post for the year. The EDM Extract from the week that was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First up we have the Tony Abbott / Peta Credlin puff piece from News Ltd papers last Sunday. For those that missed it, <a href="http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/with-tony-on-my-side/story-e6frfkp9-1226548140341">here</a> it is, but the gist of it is really about an interview with Abbott's Chief of Staff, Credlin, in which she denies Abbott has a problem with women and he's really a raving mad feminist because he let her put her IVF drugs in his office fridge. Offered to burn her bra for her as well I heard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As a bit of PR, it certainly worked with top billing in a number of Sunday News Ltd tabloids with accompanying photos and highlighted quotes. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">One thing that a lot of people wouldn't have known as they read the article over their weet bix and vegemite toast though, is that Credlin's husband, and a big player in her IVF quest you'd imagine, is Mr Brian Loughnane, Liberal Party Director and the man who will run Abbott's 2013 campaign for Prime Minister. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yep, big news then and something that just demanded a two-page spread across a lot of our Sunday papers - people on Tony Abbott's payroll support him. Ground breaking stuff that. And not even the really important issue raised - the appalling lack of adequate fridge facilities in Parliament House.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next it's the heat and all this bloody heat. The whole country has been smashed with a massive heatwave from Alice Springs to Tasmania to Weipa and even as I type there's little end in sight with Birdsville expected to hit the 50 degree mark over the next couple of days. Records have been tumbling on a daily basis both nationally and locally with the <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/red-alert-for-freak-weather-20130110-2cj35.html">first eight days of 2013 making it into the Top 20 hottest days recorded in Australia</a> in terms of average maximum temperature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Monday, the average maximum daily temperature record for Australia was broken at 40.33°C. The previous record, 40.17°C on 21 December 1972, had stood for 40 years. The average maximum daily temperature on Tuesday was a close third at 40.11°C. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The number of consecutive days where the national average maximum daily temperature exceeded 39°C was also broken this week - seven days, almost doubling the previous record of four in 1973.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's the late monsoon apparently as the cause as there's just no damn moisture in the air to bring some relief. I'd do a raindance but last time I did that roughly two years today it didn't stop for weeks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And of course all that heat has brought us plenty of bushfires with hundreds raging across Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Now I don't mean to turn this into a Tony-fest but hey, his actions just damn well make it that. I'm referring of course to the issue of Abbott attending one of the bushfires near Nowra in southern NSW as a Rural Fire Volunteer and <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/apology-after-abbott-firefighting-stunt-tweet-20130109-2cguj.html">the controversy that followed</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Basically, Federal Minister Brendan O'Connor copped plenty for calling it a stunt on twitter and there's been calls for his resignation because of it. But I gotta say I agree. By all means Tony, fulfil your volunteer duties and strap on the fire boots and helmet. It is admirable that you remain a Rural Fire Volunteer being such a busy man and you cut short your holidays to help out. But the minute your staff (Credlin and Loughnane again) put out a media release asking news agencies to attend and interview you and film you while you sat in a truck, well then sir, it did become a 'stunt' and should be called as such.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Getting more local for you Queenslanders out there, <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/captain-bates-back-on-deck-20130110-2chy1.html">we had the return of the Captain of Ship</a>, Arts and IT Minister Ros Bates after two months sick leave followed by a few weeks annual leave. There had been some other leave taken earlier in the year which means the Minister has been on some form of leave for a quarter of her tenure as a Minister. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">All of which has occurred as controversy surrounds the appointment of her son by the suspended Transport and Main Roads Director-General, Michael Caltabiano, meaning she's been able to avoid any questioning in Parliament and by the media.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">While <span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm not for a second claiming any bogus-ness in relation to her fall and ill health, it's certainly n</span>ice leave if you can get it. No-one else would get two months sick leave before they'd been in a job a year so the eye-raising and tut tuts are a little justified. And before you think that's it, came the <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/caltabiano-paid-130000-for-doing-nothing-20130108-2cf1k.html">news that Caltabiano himself will have earned $130,000</a> while suspended from duties awaiting investigation by the Parliamentary Ethics Committee. Garden leave is the new black apparently. Only in Queensland they say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And finally came the news that Lance Armstong is due to go on Oprah Winfrey next week. No other news about the interview just yet but it's hard to see Armstrong actually admitting too much with all sorts of legal questions remaining and sponsors threatening to sue. But then again, the man has never done things by the book so it will be interesting to see what comes out of it and whether a mea culpa is coming our way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Who knows, but I'll leave you with a tweet from Fairfax Sports Writer Richard Hinds that sums it all up for mine.</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0084b4;"><strong>Richard Hinds</strong> </span><span class="username js-action-profile-name"><s><span style="color: #66b5d2;">@</span></s><b><span style="color: #0084b4;">rdhinds</span></b></span><span style="color: #0084b4;"> </span></span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oprah asks "tough" question. Lance confesses. Lance cries. Oprah forgives. Audience goes nuts. "Yellow jerseys under your seats!" </span></div>
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<span class="metadata"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span title="6:54 PM - 9 Jan 13">Til next time,</span></span></span></div>
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<span class="metadata"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span title="6:54 PM - 9 Jan 13">EDM.</span></span></span></div>
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<br />EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-19901629747541492942012-12-21T10:49:00.002+10:002013-01-14T09:06:46.299+10:00EDM's Holiday Reading Once AgainWell, it's that time of the year again. Where I bid farewell for the year and provide some holiday reading for you all.<br />
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I can announce that 2013 will be bringing some changes to Nah Seriously, some of which have occurred already regarding formatting and the like. The plan though is to narrow down my subject matter a bit more into current affairs / politics and maybe even create another blog for some of my sporting writing. I'll do some thinking over the break anyway and come up with an appropriately cunning plan.<br />
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A strange old year 2012 has been on so many fronts though. I'm a little tired and jaded from the experience to be honest with so much frustrating me and causing angst. I've certainly noticed that I'm more and more switching off the mainstream media as my source of news and opinion and I'm thinking that's only going to become more prominent in 2013. Twitter has certainly added to that movement as I've been able to access more independent news sources such as New Matilda, The Global Mail and The Conversation.<br />
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Anyway, traditionally I provide a list of articles/stories for your holiday reading that I've put together throughout the year. However, this year is different and the below list is merely articles/stories from the last few weeks and even days. They should be quite topical then so here's hoping they engage you and provoke some thoughts/feelings as you too stop living life to a timetable and enjoy a break from the normal day-to-day.<br />
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So first up we have Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and the now infamous Fox News US Election moments "<a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2012/11/video-jon-stewart-describes-fox-news-election-night-coverage-crisis-bullshit-m">that will live forever</a>".<br />
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One for the music fans and those who enjoy writing about music is <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=331798&show=50&start=0">this guy</a> who must have spent an inordinate amount of time compiling the 500 worst reviews in Rolling Stone magazine.<br />
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In line with <a href="http://nah-seriously.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/great-expectations-afl-draft-is-lottery.html">my recent post</a> on the AFL Draft being a lottery and putting too much pressure on 17 year old kids, <a href="http://australianfootball.com/articles/view/The%2Bbirth%2Bof%2Bthe%2Bdraft/68">comes this republishing</a> of an article by The Age's Emma Quayle on the very first AFL Draft held in 1986.<br />
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Another one from The Age is <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/early-arrivals-a-stress-test-for-everyone-concerned-20121116-29hto.html">this article</a> from Martin Flanagan that sheds some light on the experience of a grandfather of a premature birth. Flanagan is more known for his football writing but I must say I'm reading more and more of his other writing, including <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/the-vision-of-one-who-saw-no-limits-to-our-capabilities-20121214-2bfj3.html">this one</a> about Gough Whitlam and <a href="http://m.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/to-stare-death-in-the-face-and-know-one-was-right-20121207-2b15i.html">this one</a> about Christopher Hitchens.<br />
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Getting political now, there's <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/12/the-trouble-with-democracy-from-cairo-to-johannesburg/266024/#.UMJCxhqO-aY.twitter">this piece</a> in The Atlantic on the confusion and complexity of what is currently happening in Egypt. And domestically there's <a href="http://abafflingordeal.com/2012/12/17/notes-on-a-scandal/">this blog post</a> on the Ashby conspiracy if you don't mind a few choice words and colourful language.<br />
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There's plenty of other political articles and posts I could list here but given the year we've had both nationally and in Queensland I think we could all do with a bit of a cold shower and a nice lie-down.<br />
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Moving on to the media then, I've got Ben Eltham's take on 2012 in New Matilda <a href="http://newmatilda.com/2012/12/20/year-media-old-boys-got-it-wrong">here</a> and this study of the bias of carbon price reporting from The Conversation <a href="http://theconversation.edu.au/biased-newspaper-reporting-on-the-carbon-pricing-mechanism-11373">here</a>.<br />
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It's probably too late already but <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/trashing-the-planet-for-a-talking-piggy-bank-20121212-2b9vh.html">here's a great piece</a> in The Sydney Morning Herald on the materialism of Xmas and our 'trashing of the planet for a talking piggy bank'. Very thought provoking.<br />
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And a change of pace comes <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/blogs/blunt-instrument/more-than-just-a-state-school-20121212-2b9r3.html">from here</a> then and a little op-ed from John Birmingham about his daughter's primary school upon her graduation to high school. One for some my family members who are teachers and hopefully enjoying a long break after a long year.<br />
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So there it is my friends. EDM's Holiday Reading for Xmas 2012.<br />
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I'll be back in 2013 I can assure you but I must say I'm looking forward to a break myself and a bit of a rejig of things here on Nah Seriously in the new year.<br />
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Til then my friends,<br />
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EDM.<br />
<br />EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-44622973016549968662012-12-12T17:06:00.002+10:002012-12-12T17:06:20.923+10:00Not Even A Week In Politics<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Politics. It has no relation to morals, as Machiavelli once said. Ain’t that the truth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So this week, and its only Wednesday mind you, we’ve already seen a tsunami (always wanted to say that) of ‘politics’, politicking and political scandal. And that’s not even with Parliament sitting in either Canberra or Brisbane. Both have wrapped up for the year but that hasn’t ended anything.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Number 1 would have to be the Slipper/Ashby affair. No-one has come out of it smelling roses including the likes of former Howard Minister Mal Brough and current Queensland Minister Mark McArdle. But in the end you’d have to say <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/james-ashby-lost-the-battle-but-won-the-war-20121212-2b8ya.html">Ashby lost the battle but he did win the war</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As Margot Saville points out <a href="http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/12/12/ashby-v-slipper-court-dismissal-and-no-winners-least-of-all-taxpayers/">here</a>, Justice Rares found the sexual harassment complaint was always vexatious and was made with the sole purpose of discrediting Slipper and bringing him down. “For the predominant purpose of causing a significant public, reputation and political damage to Mr Slipper” in his own words. It certainly achieved that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But now Ashby’s reputation is also in tatters given his patsy role and he’s been handed a hefty court costs bill. Brough and McArdle have been outed as the brains behind it as well which is quite Machiavellian given Brough has been preselected by the LNP to take on Slipper at the next election. With a choice of those two, expect a massive increase in the amount of donkey votes in the seat of Fisher.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Government itself does have some ammunition to fire back at the Opposition over the whole sorry ordeal but it’s got to be careful given it appointed Slipper to be Speaker of House in the first place and backed him in numerous motions in Parliament. Its settlement deal with Ashby of $50,000 might also be a source of some embarrassment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Moving on, next we have Premier Newman’s backflip on the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Now I’m all for the backflip as it will mean life will get just a little bit easier for thousands of Queenslanders living with a disability and their families and carers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what a backflip its been. In July, the Premier said categorically that <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/cant-do-for-disabled-at-least-until-2014-says-queensland-premier-campbell-newman/story-e6freoof-1226435210615">Queensland could not afford the scheme</a> until at least 2014 and he revelled in the faux stoush with the Prime Minister at COAG. And he continued to claim that Queensland just couldn’t afford to contribute to the NDIS and called for the Commonwealth to fund it entirely. He even alluded to it having the potential to make Queensland the “<a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/newman-makes-spain-of-australian-states-warning-20120724-22md3.html">Spain of Australia</a>”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Come early December though, after a few months of horrendous media coverage as his Government lurched from one crisis to another, all of a sudden the Premier could find some money and <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/newman-pledges-900-million-funding-for-ndis-20121212-2b939.html">Queensland will now contribute nearly $900 million</a> over four years to roll out the NDIS in this State.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So not just a backflip, but a close to $1 billion backflip. And if that sort of money can be found so easily in the face of just a few months of bad polling, imagine what else is sitting under the couch cushions waiting to be retrieved. Me thinks the budget situation and the hysterical talk of ‘debt’ might be a little overstated. But hey, that’s just me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And finally, we have the Abbott Slush Fund affair. Now many of you probably haven’t heard of this one as it’s struggled to get any traction in the mainstream media. Basically, former Fairfax journalist Margo Kingston nearly spat out her tea when watching Tony Abbott calling for the Prime Minister to come clean on the AWU slush fund issue because she remembers Abbott having some very serious questions raised about his very own involvement in a slush fund controversy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Margo duly set about writing an article about it all before having all sorts of troubles getting anyone in the mainstream media to publish it. Along came <a href="http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/tony-abbott-and-his-slushy-question-of-character/">Independent Australia</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and <a href="http://newmatilda.com/2012/12/11/abbott-slush-fund">New Matilda</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">who duly published and now there’s quite a campaign running asking the Australian Electoral Commission why it dropped an early 2000s investigation into Abbott’s conduct around the Australian’s for Honest Politics Slush Fund established to pursue Pauline Hanson for electoral fraud. You know, the case that put her in jail and all that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The whole saga is better outlined by others <a href="http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/">here</a> and <a href="http://storify.com/BowlerBarrister/tony-abbott-the-slush-fund">here</a>. Perhaps though it’s actually a case of some ‘good’ in politics as opposed to the two other examples above. Not from any politician or political party themselves, but from real people and citizen journalists who are working tirelessly to uncover an important issue that goes right to the character of our alternative Prime Minister.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But as I said, its only Wednesday. Who knows what else ‘politics’ will bring us before the week is out.</span></span></div>
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EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-4800796364616323022012-11-23T13:12:00.001+10:002012-11-23T13:12:12.774+10:00Great Expectations - The AFL Draft Is A Lottery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For all the scouting, for all the analysis and for all the speculation, the AFL Draft is still very much a lottery. And one that puts great expectations on young men who are still only 17 years old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The 2012 AFL Draft took place last night on the Gold Coast and the leadup had the usual 'toing and froing' over who will go when and to what club. The footy media ran phantom drafts and supporter sites were full of discussion and excitement about this kid and that. Stars were born last night apparently and every club rolled out the usual proclamations afterwards about getting what they wanted and believing they had picked up a few bargains.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">There's no guarantees in AFL football though and history is littered with high-end draft picks who never got a game or who didn't live up to the expectations of the media and supporters. For years to come, there will be even more speculation about the success of each pick with an inordinate amount of footy media space questioning why Club A went with Player B instead of Player C. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Ah yes, it'll keep many a footy reporter busy and in employment for years to come all that talk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The thing is, we're talking about 17 year old boys here. And all this coverage and all this spotlight puts enormous pressure on these kids to deliver. Because in many cases they are expected to change the fortunes of entire clubs that are over a hundred years old and are made up of forty-odd players and immeasurable numbers of support staff. Not only that, they are expected to have an impact almost immediately and if they don't, then <em>obviously</em> Club A picked the wrong kid and it was a waste of a good draft pick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's quite ridiculous and very unfair if you ask me as many 17 year olds don't have and can't have the maturity, determination and dedication needed to be a successful AFL footballer. Its just human nature. Certainly I didn't at 17. Perhaps even at all. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">But every year so much pressure and expectation is put on kids this age to be the next star and to be a club's saviour. Especially as the average career of an AFL footballer is less than four years so a teenager drafted at 17 is more than likely to have finished his career by the time he is 21. Still very young.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's also complete folly to put so much trust in draft picks and the nuances of 17 year old footballers. I should know, I'm a Melbourne supporter. As has been widely documented, the Melbourne Football Club had a blind faith in the draft and young kids bringing it success but look what that has achieved. Or more to the point, look what that hasn't achieved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Conversely, look at someone like Jack Watts. He's copped all sorts of criticism for apparently not living up to 'our' expectations but he is still only 21 and might have another ten years as an AFL footballer. Brendon Goddard was in the same boat for a number of years as well before he eventually became one of the top three players in the league by the time of his mid-20s. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes, teenagers can't instil success without some sort of example being provided to them by older and more experienced players on what it takes to be an AFL footballer and to be a successful club. Clubs like Sydney and Geelong have understood that from the beginning and have reaped recent success as a result.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's why I don't fall into the camp that expects Gold Coast and GWS to dominate in a few years time as I just can't see the draft and the draft only delivering a premiership in such a short period. It's blind faith to think otherwise and I think some harsh lessons are in for those supporters who believe that their latest 17 year old will deliver them the ultimate success.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's a lottery that's for sure, and it would be wise for all this excitement and all this speculation to be reigned in a little. But hey, considered and rational analysis doesn't sell newspapers or get x number of website hits so I'm not expecting any massive shift in the coverage any time soon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But beware the faith in a bunch of 17 year olds delivering an AFL premiership for your team. Trust me, I've had all sorts of experience in that and have the emotional scars to prove it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-38703850716901834882012-11-16T12:47:00.001+10:002012-11-16T15:47:58.187+10:00Expectations & Disappointment - A Week In Qld Politics<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, what a week it’s been for the Newman Government. Plastered all over the front page of <i>The Courier Mail</i> every day, and not for any good reasons. Scandals-a-plenty with nepotism and clandestine contact with lobbyists and other family matters being revealed and discovered.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/crisis-for-campbell-newman-as-minister-bruce-flegg-departs/story-e6frgczx-1226516982539"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The biggest scalp so far has been former Minister for Housing and Public Works, Dr Bruce Flegg</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. A couple of sackings of staff in his office raised quite a few eyebrows before one of them turned on him and released a bunch of emails showing the Minister had lied about the amount of contact he’d had with his lobbyist son.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The nature of that contact also came out with other emails showing that the son was making recommendations on who Flegg should appoint to senior management positions within his department. Most children of Doctors ask for a new car. Flegg junior asked for a new Deputy Director-General.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The revelations obviously meant Flegg had to resign and he did. But not without a <i>mea culpa</i> where he blamed it all on ‘sloppy administrative processes’ on the part of his former staffers and even had a go at the media and Opposition for dragging his family into the whole sorry mess.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ah mate, I think your son brought himself into it and with your compliance. If he didn’t want to be involved in politics, why is he working as a lobbyist and attempting to take advantage of the fact his father is a Minister?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other big story this week has been the continuing saga of Ros Bates, Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, the fact her son gained a public service job when thousands were being sacked, and her very own lobbyist register.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The son and his job issue has been played out for months and is still the subject of investigations by the Crime and Misconduct Commission and Parliament’s Ethics Committee. Consequently, the inns and outs of it have been well-documented so I won’t go over them again.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=816709"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But this week Bates was forced to correct her lobbyists register for the fourth time since April</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to include details of 11 discussions she’d had with a lobbyist Luke Myers, who is the brother of the Premier’s Chief of Staff, and a whole string of meetings she’d had with Santo Santoro, former Liberal Party Senator and probably the most notorious lobbyist in the State.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It obviously begs the question how such significant contact and numerous meetings with lobbyists could be left out of the report in the beginning. And it’s certainly not a good look for the Minister to keep having to come back and report to Parliament, that yet again, the original report was incorrect and incomplete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once or twice maybe you’d say fair enough. But four times really makes you wonder about what’s trying to be hidden. And her reasons for this latest correction? “Teething problems” and errors made by her staff. Or in layman’s terms, ‘the dog ate my homework’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then the inevitable happened yesterday. </span><a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/newman-slams-nepotism-hype/story-e6frgczx-1226517714993"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Premier took to the airwaves defending his former and current Minister and crying poor over the media coverage</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. “These things happen”. “Nepotism is just how the world works”. “Lobbyist contact is fine as long as its (eventually) declared”. “Labor was worse”, was basically the jist of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, there is nothing wrong with having contact with lobbyists, and yes, it’s not unethical to talk with lobbyists just because they are family members of other Cabinet members and their senior management.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The thing is though, the ‘other side did it too’ claim misses the point by a country mile. There was certainly no shortage of scandals from Labor over their 12 year reign, particularly in relation to lobbyists, but Newman and the LNP promised us they’d be different and that they’d hold themselves up against a higher standard of ethics and integrity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fact, they promised us that ad nauseum during the election campaign with one of their main election commitments being:</span></div>
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<em>"We will establish a real Ministerial Code of Conduct and set the highest standards of performance and behaviour of our Ministers and staff, including restoring the Westminster convention of Ministerial Responsibility."</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So that’s where the public and the media’s disappointment and disgust are coming from. It’s not so much the acts themselves which really aren’t too dissimilar to what went on before under Labor. No, it’s about the fact the Newman Government was voted in because they promised they’d be different and they’d be better in terms of accountability and integrity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s why there is so much dissatisfaction with these ongoing scandals and continual sagas. Our expectations were raised, but now they’re being dashed on an almost daily basis. And trying to hark back to say “the other mob did it” as an excuse just doesn’t cut it in those circumstances.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But good luck to Minister Bates in her efforts to survive this latest scandal. Although lady luck has already smiled on her by ensuring Flegg’s ‘administrative error’ was discovered and revealed before hers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, ‘to lose one Cabinet Minister in a week could be regarded as misfortune, but to lose two Cabinet Ministers in a week looks like carelessness’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.</span></div>
EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-49031692420520289822012-11-13T12:38:00.000+10:002012-11-13T12:38:19.524+10:00Radiohead - 9 November 2012 - Brisbane<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First, a disclaimer. It is impossible for me to be objective when it comes to Radiohead. I've always been a massive fan and await every new album like an Apple fanboy awaits the latest iPhone. I have spent an inordinate amount of time listening and watching (via TV/internet) these boys from Oxford so if you've come here expecting a critical and purely impartial take on their gig on Friday night, you're out of luck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So yes, I have spent an inordinate amount of time enjoying the delights of Radiohead over the years. To the point of them almost being the soundtrack of my life. I've sat on the train with my eyes closed and my toes a-tapping. I've lied down on my bed with my head rocking and my hands a-flicking. There's just something about them in that they always seem to come up with the perfect melody or lyrical prose to sum up my particular mood(s).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">However, I've never seen Radiohead live and in the person before. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Friday night was to be the first time in the flesh then, and not even</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> the prospect of having to trek out to darkest, furthest Boondall could dampen my spirits. I couldn't help thinking how good it would be to see them in a smaller, more intimate venue, but hey, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">beggars can't be choosers and the 'trek' was made with excitement and anticipation levels at an all-time high.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So my colleagues and I made our entry into the arena about 20 minutes before Radiohead were due to come on. As I moved down the stairs to the standing admission areas in front of the stage, I couldn't help but think back to the Brisbane Bullets and what used to fill these seats. We were in for something a hell of a lot different I knew that for sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And so it began. They opened with <em>Lotus Flower</em> and then <em>Bloom</em> from their most recent album, King of Limbs, before a classic from OK Computer in <em>Airbag</em>. Thom Yorke and his solo piano then brought us the unreleased <em>The Daily Mail</em> with a cheeky cockney accent before a suprising cheer went around the arena for Hail To The Thief's <em>Myxomatosis</em>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Over the top of all this were huge screens floating above the band showing different images of each member in playing mode and providing quite a visual spectacle. From a close-up of Yorke as he played the piano in a look of pure concentration, to Colin Greenwood's fingers flying over and under the strings of his massive bass guitar. Bright red. Then green. Then blue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">By the time the tamborine intro from <em>Reckoner</em> came around, I couldn't help but feel like I was inside one of those k<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">aleidoscope </span>toys I had as a kid with the changing colours and images as you twisted the bottom piece. The song itself was just as beautiful and my mind pondered "is this what taking acid is like?" I was stone cold sober but things were getting a little bit religious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another classic <em>Climbing Up The Walls</em> got another big cheer and its chaotic brillance was all there to be seen. Mellow acoustic guitar and some electro that almost got the lighters out from the crowd, before it exploded into 'hard-and-fast' that meant you had no way of stopping yourself from moving. I noticed a small space had been created around me. Guess I was moving a little more than I realised.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Over the next few songs we had a newie in <em>Staircase</em> as well as some old school triumphs such as <em>There There</em> and <em>National Anthem </em>before the electronics returned via <em>Feral</em> and <em>Bodysnatchers</em>. And that was it. Or so it seemed. Or how it was meant to seem. Because no-one went anywhere. An encore surely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And yes, they didn't disappoint. A few minutes later they returned to the stage to massive applause with the slow,early wallow of <em>Give Up The Ghost</em> from Kings of Limbs. Just Thom and an acoustic guitar started things off before Josh Greenwood joined in on the cello (is there no instrument this man can't play?). This continued with a loop of the first lyric which made it sound like Thom was actually duetting with himself. It was majestic. You could have heard a pin drop as the audience stood/sat in silence, mesmerised and awestruck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The emotion continued with <em>Pyramid Song</em> before the strong beats of <em>Morning Mr Magpie</em> let loose and brought things back around to percussion and movement. This was one hell of an encore, especially as one was thinking each song would probably be the last and it would all be over. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Alas, things had not reached any sort of peak just yet. Not by a long stretch. For the early bass sounds from <em>Paranoid Android</em> soon followed and a massive response from the audience occurred. While the band itself seemed a little disinterested at this point (playing it for the 1000th time might do that), the crowd certainly were not and a massive singalong, the first for the night, took place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What came next was probably my personal highlight for night. If I had to pick one. I stood waiting for what was next as the band rearranged themselves and soon the intricate guitar intro to <em>Street Spirit (Fade Out)</em> was heard. For long time fans this was exquisite. The lone track from their second album The Bends (1995), and one of my most favourite tracks of all time. I sang along in unison to "Faaaadddeee Ouuuutttt Aggggaaaaiiiinnn" and the emotion nearly bubbled out before I shook my head at the end with a silly, mad grin across my face. Wow. Just wow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And that was the encore. Or should I say Encore 1. The lads moved off stage once again but we all stayed and the slow hand-clapping commenced. The mandatory few minutes ensued and the band came back out while the floating screens arranged themselves in unison to act as a ceiling above them. It was a beautiful affect as it gave the impression they were inside a small, more intimate venue rather than a 12,000 person arena.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The hardcore bongo drum beat from <em>15 Step</em> then filled the air as the lyrics began with "How come I always end up where I started". Again, my head was rocking and my toes were tapping as Thom looked like a new-age Ian Curtis jerking and pulsating across the stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">All this before they moved effortlessly into <em>Everything In Its Right Place.</em> Another classic from Kid A (2000) and it was magnificent. It started off with its slow looped-over lyrics before turning into a jam of epic proportions. Each band member then left at different intervals until there was only one instrument (keyboards) being played. Build it up, and then bring it back down. Awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The audience then stood/sat in awe themselves, trying to take it all then. Personally, I was exhausted from the emotion and from the experience. Really, an experience like no other. No-one wanted to leave though and the crowd stayed where they were. A loud cheer then came from up front and everyone looked closely for a sign. And there it was. The band were returning for Encore No. 3. Three bloody encores. Not in my wildest dreams did I expect this.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The heavy bass from <em>Idioteque</em> then blasted out from the massive speakers and it continued to rise into a mish-mash jam of electronics, percussion, rap-like lyrics and looped-over calling. In a way, it was almost too much despite its brilliance. A wall of sound that crashed into and through every one of our senses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">By this stage of the night the crowd were feeling a little delicate after what they'd been through and this last song came to an end with everyone in shock and awe at what they'd just witnessed. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">My colleagues and I filed out of the arena feeling just the same way and hardly a word was spoken on the long trip home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It probably took the next day for it to all sink in for me. I woke up with that same insane grin and spent the morning thinking back to the night before and shaking my head all over again. Involuntary movements would occur as I found myself tapping my fingers or rolling my body in time to one of last night's songs while making a coffee or walking to the car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It was that sort of experience. No easily-digested affair or a mere fleeting beige-like moment in time. It was intense. It was sublime. It was epic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sydney and Melbourne, look out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
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EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-80774644338587692452012-10-26T09:46:00.002+10:002012-10-26T09:49:15.564+10:00A Life Less Mediocre<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A quarter or a mid? Not sure if it fits either. Is there an in-between? Perhaps mid if you want to get technical and be precise with the actual number. But then again, the concept of mid seems just a little too advanced. Oh yeah, way too advanced for me. Surely.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What am I talking about? Well, I've been contemplating again. And yes, I know I do it a lot. But that's me. I can't help it. So I've been contemplating my life lately and while its not a crisis or anything, I have been having thoughts that others may point to as the foundation of a mid-life or quarter-life crisis.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now I'm not saying I'm having one of them. Not at all. A lot of these thoughts live with me no matter what and no matter where I sit on the ageing timeline. I guess its just dawned on me how average or mediocre my life seems at times. In comparison to people I see in documentaries, the news and the like. I just feel so bloody average. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Doing a stocktake:</span></span><br />
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<li><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">aged in middle 30s with my glory days behind me and only middle age to look forward to</span></span></div>
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<li><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">thoroughly middle class background with my offspring likely to have the very same middle class background</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">decent paying wage for doing a decent job but certainly not rich and its certainly no dream job</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nice house in a middle-ringed suburb but not in love with it and wouldn’t mind being closer in</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">good car which does the job for the family but nothing special and with no fancy mod cons</span></span></div>
</li>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">catch public transport to work and read a book or listen to music</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">pretty fit compared to most my age and love a run, swim or surf, but not outstanding at any of them</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">like current affairs and politics but not too much as they annoy and depress me at times</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">like my footy and a good beer but not too much as they hurt (physically and emotionally) and hangover me at times</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">like a good book and a good movie but finding the time for either is tough</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">like good music and discovering anything new, but very tough to get to live gigs these days</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Maybe its just a symptom of our bland, white-bread, trim-milk lives here in western society. I've spoken before of our political dynamic where we really do come across as a bunch of whingers because really, we have no life-death struggles in this country and the things that matter come so easily to us. So we complain because we have to complain about something; so its traffic and tolls, its phone companies and internet connections, its the tradies who are doing our renos. Real first world problems.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm no different. But that's the problem. I seem to be so 'normal' in those circumstances. So average. So middle range. Where once <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I travelled the world and lived in some of the busiest cities, but now I live in the suburbs of Brisbane. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where once I dreamed of being a war/foreign correspondent and jumping from story to story, but now I write briefing papers about industry development policy and infrastructure business cases.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yep, things have changed since my more adventurous 20s. But I'm certainly not saying for the worse. I have so much to be thankful for and the most prominent one being my own family with beautiful and amazing son. I just wish there was a bit more adventure in my life. A bit more spontaneity. A bit more 'extra' in ordinary rather than just plain ordinary.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm not alone in all this I'm sure. Hence the reason we even have the concept of a midlife or quarterlife crisis. Then again, it is nice to have that luxury isn't it? You probably don't get people living in the slums of Manilla or amongst the dirt of Ethiopia complaining about these largely self-indulgent things. I'm sure they'd have no problems at all living an average, normal or middle range life like many of us.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Most definitely another first world problem then. So I'll just shut up and go back to my white bread sandwich and flat white with trim milk. Perspective god dammit!!!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
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EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-155646411537450682012-10-18T16:53:00.000+10:002012-10-18T16:53:26.398+10:00I'll Be Back<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jaysus, where has the last two months gone? Looking down at my last post and it says 30 August 2012. Seven weeks ago. Wow.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I have not been a good boy of late when it comes to regular correspondence on this blog. I have been quite regular in relation to twitter though with all sorts of witty and insightful comments over the ensuing weeks. Well, there's been plenty of comments anyway.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Excuses, I gotta few. But nothing too outlandish with the usual work, kids, family pretexts. I did move house though and there is another very big one but it’s mostly of a personal nature so not suited to being broadcast to the world. Time may tell though.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what’s happened the last seven weeks? What hasn’t happened actually.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We’ve had the State Budget and public service cuts in Queensland; a bitter feud and misogyny accusations in our nation’s Parliament; a glorious finals series in my chosen footy code (AFL); US Presidential debates and electioneering; and Scotland looking to leave the UK.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We’ve had shock jocks being held to account for their shocking comments for once; an Afghan girl being shot by the Taliban for asking to attend school; and a man jumped from the edge of space and landed back on earth like he’d jumped off a park bench.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So much to comment on, but for yours truly, it’s been so few time. I definitely aim on getting back on the horse though soon and bringing the world more of my particular style of writing and unique bent on the world. Its not for everyone, but hey, I like it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Til next time my friends,</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-49927112707073344722012-08-30T16:18:00.000+10:002012-08-30T16:18:40.589+10:00Rise Of The Government Yes Man<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The people that know me personally, know that I'm a Queensland public servant. For those that don't, there's your disclosure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So recent events in the Queensland political sphere and Goverment moves to sack thousands of public servants have been of particular interest to me. There's been plenty to get angry about just as there's been plenty to be fearful about as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">In saying that, I fully acknowledge that there's some elements of the Queensland public service that need a bloody good shakeup and there's some deadwood programs and areas that don't exactly stand up against a robust and thorough financial examination.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Newman Government does have a mandate to institute change and they are well within their rights to undertake restructures and streamlining of the public service. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">But the thing is, what is going on is far beyond 'change' and 'restructuring'. It's a purge, an ideological one at that, and flies in the face of the history of public administration in this State.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Last week saw a new low in this whole, sorry business. In the face of a pending Supreme Court injunction applied for by the unions to stop a number of directives aimed at taking away the job security of public serants, the Government merely rode in over the top and rushed through in the dead of the night amendments to the Public Servant Act.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The amendments remove the job security of all Government workers, except police (they obviously didn't have the guts to take on the police union), and means there is now no 'permanency' associated with public service positions. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">My own job is therefore in jeopardy and the notion of having some security in my employment and financial situation by having a public servant job is in dust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So the Government's cheer squads in the media and in blogs and on forums rally and start screaming "so what, we in the private sector don't have any security, why should public servants?".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And therein lies the cause of my frustration and the cause of my growing anger. Because it comes down to choice. I chose to become a public servant because I rated things such as job security, flexible working hours and work-life balance over other things such as salary, bonuses, etc. Maybe I could earn more money in the private sector, but I chose the public sector because I believe in work-life balance and job security over earning another $20,000-$40,000 a year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And in turn, people in the private sector make a choice too. They decide that salary and other benefits that private enterprise gives them - bonuses, travel, paid-for work functions, more autonomy over their roles - are more important than job security and access to flexible working hours, etc. Different people make different choices. The essence of economics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But the main issue I take with the call for public servants to be treated no differently to private sector employees, is the lack of any understanding whatsoever as to what the public service is there for and what it actually does. Because there is a real reason why public servants have traditionally had job security and been granted a level of permanceny in their positions. And no, its not because of the previous Labor Government and some deal done with the unions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The notion of permanency for public servants actually goes back to the 19th century and is a core principle of the Westminster system of government (that's our system of government for those who need explaining). Up there with the Seperation of Powers no less. It's been around for over 160 years and is in place in governments and nations all over the democratic world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The reason for it, is so that public servants can offer their political masters 'fearless and frank' advice without fear of being sacked for doing so. The whole point of having a permanent public sector is to create a professional civil service that can base its analysis and advice on the long-term and not the electoral cycle like politicians do. Basically, so they don't live in fear of being sacked just because they said to a Minister or a Premier "sorry sir, but that idea is not a good one".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Instead, with public servants now having no job security, that sort of counsel and that sort of examination of an issue will be diminished and the Government will no longer get 'fearless and frank' advice about what it wants to do and the things it's involved in. And believe me, from someone on the inside, the public service is actually the quality control measure that stops some of the crazy and inappropriate things politicians want to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Perhaps that's why this current Government dislikes the public service so much. They want to be surrounded by 'yes men' and they don't want advice of the 'fearless and frank' kind. They're a 'Can-Do' team after all. "Don't think. Don't examine. Don't consider. Just do!" seems to be their mantra, with apologies to the late great Hawthorn coach, John Kennedy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And public servants are nothing but desk jockeys and no-one will miss them. We've got 20,000 too many apparently so let's change a system that's been in place for 160 years and forms the basis of our system of government just so this year's Budget can look a little better. All</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> against the foundations of Queensland's public administration and one of the basic tenets of our democracy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So to all those crying out and saying "why should public servants have permanency when I don't?", there's your answer. The public service is not the private sector and it should never operate like it either. You want the 'best' and most considered advice being given to government, not the advice that the Minister or the Premier wants to hear. And that's why the notion of permanency for public servants has, until now, been in place since Queensland became a functioning democracy. Not even Joh tried on what this Government is doing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I digress a little, but it's the same with the argument that Governments need to run Budget surpluses. You know, like household budgets, as the metaphor politicians love to bring up. But why?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Governments aren't private enterprises that have profit margins as the basis of their existence. Why do you want a Government that is giving us, the public, less in services than it is taking from us in taxes? Why is that seen as such a good thing? There's obviously hundreds of other elements to that argument but that's for another blog post. But the premise remains, government and the public service are different beasts to the private sector and so they should be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And another thing, the Premier has started saying this week that his now infamous claim that the Government has 20,000 more public servants than it can afford will end up being wrong. Apparently its 'only' 15,000 that will go now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But hang on, if Queensland can't afford 20,000 and the Government's only getting rid of up to 15,000, doesn't that mean that we still have thousands of public servants that we can't afford? And I thought this was a Government that would make the difficult and hard decisions necessary in the best interests of Queensland? The hard decisions to fix the Budget and return it to surplus? But we'll still have more public servants than we can afford Mr Premier even with 15,000 gone?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Just goes to show what a farce that 20,000 number was, and that it wasn't based on anything resembling the actual facts and the actual reality. Especially if it can be so easily dismissed in the face of a week or two of bad polls.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And to think Queenslanders voted this Government in because it was sick of spin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
<br />EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-27104012530357429722012-08-09T10:38:00.000+10:002012-08-09T10:39:13.690+10:00AFL Round 19 - Melbourne v Gold Coast<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For the Footy Almanac - </span><a href="http://footyalmanac.com.au/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://footyalmanac.com.au/</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BENNELL BRILLIANT BUT DEMONS DELIGHT<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melbourne versus Gold Coast<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1:10pm, Sunday, 5 August 2012<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melbourne Cricket Ground<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was never going to be a ‘match’ that stopped the nation. And not even Match of the Day, let alone Match of the Round either. 16<sup>th</sup> versus 18<sup>th</sup> never will be. But from my vantage point on the couch in my home in Brisbane, the MCG looked picture perfect on the telly and Melbourne seemed to be putting on a beautiful Sunday afternoon for the Gold Coast boys. It wasn’t the most pleasing news for me, however, as I was hoping for a cold and wet weathered day to make my beloved Dees feel right at home while being quite a shock to the system for a bunch of boys from sunny Queensland.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Alas, the game commenced and I was quickly glad of the fine conditions. Melbourne looked surprisingly precise with their disposal and were regularly hitting targets by foot and by hand. The pressure around the ball was good also and the Suns were looking a little confused in their decision-making despite some beautiful early touches from Gary Ablett. And so it didn’t take long before James Sellar of all people marked on the lead and kicked truly for the first goal of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first quarter continued in that vein and I found myself actually enjoying a Dees game rather than verging on states of anger and frustration. Brad Green then popped up with a mark and goal before big Jake Spencer kicked truly, if you could call his technique ‘true’, for the first goal of his career. Melbourne’s midfield was dominating through the likes of Nathan Jones and Colin Sylvia before two opportunist goals from Sam Blease finished off the quarter with scores reading six majors for the Dees but only two behinds for the Suns.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;">The second quarter began with a quick Melbourne goal to Sylvia before Ablett snapped truly out of congestion to register the Suns first. Gold Coast had obviously been given a serve by their coach at the quarter break and their intensity around the stoppages in particular was much improved. Ablett and a fast-spreading Harley Bennell were crucial to this and it culminated in a three-goal burst in only two minutes for the Suns thanks to majors to Jared Brennan, Michael </span></em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';">Rischitelli<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"> and Bennell.<o:p></o:p></span></em></span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My nerves were quickly calmed though by a long bomb from Luke Tapscott and the likes of Jones, Jack Grimes and Jack Trengove appeared to be everywhere with a number of crucial tackles and desperate smothers. Trengove’s hard work was then rewarded when he kicked a goal just before half-time after floating forward and taking a strong pack mark. <o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the long break, the Suns again came out firing and peppered the goals for what seemed like an eternity for very little result. Brendan Matera in particular missing three shots at goal in as many minutes. However, as the quarter progressed Jones and Grimes were again being prominent for Melbourne and some nice skills from both resulted in Green kicking another two goals. For the Suns, Bennell continued to have it on a string but James Magner was doing a fine job on Ablett and his influence had certainly waned.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the time the last quarter commenced and the light tower shadows were appearing across the ground, the game was effectively over already with Melbourne holding an eight-goal lead. The Suns did kick a few goals early on with Bennell, Luke Russell and Matt Shaw taking the game on and showing some good glimpses. A crunching hip and shoulder from Tapscott on Russell soon changed all that though and the Dees kicked a couple of regulation goals in reply soon after. All that before the customary Jeremy Howe screamer was taken in the last minute (making us wait all day) and he kicked truly for goal as the final siren sounded.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A good win for Melbourne then as they showed some real skill and run throughout the game, elements that have been lacking for most of the year. And especially good for supporters such as myself to hear “A Grand Old Flag” sung again for only the third time this season. Conversely, a disappointing result for Gold Coast as they’d come to the MCG with some hope and expectation of a win following some competitive efforts against the top sides over the last month. In the end, it was the Dees by 42 points and an enjoyable Sunday afternoon was had by yours truly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melbourne <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>6.6<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>10.7<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>13.8<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>16.12 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(108)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gold Coast <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>0.2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4.5<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>5.9<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>9.12 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(66)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">GOALS<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melbourne: Green 5; Sylvia, Blease 2; Spencer, Trengove, Tapscott, Sellar, Rivers, Bail, Howe.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif';"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gold Coast: Bennell 4; Ablett, Rischitelli, Brennan, Russell, Lynch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BEST<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melbourne: Jones, Grimes, Sylvia, T. McDonald, Trengove, Green, Dunn.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gold Coast: Bennell, Ablett, Russell, Shaw, Swallow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<strong><span style="border-bottom: windowtext 1pt; border-left: windowtext 1pt; border-right: windowtext 1pt; border-top: windowtext 1pt; color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">UMPIRES<o:p></o:p></span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">H. Ryan, Schmitt, B. Ryan<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CROWD - 18,097<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">MY VOTES: </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Bennell (GC) 3, Jones (M) 2, Grimes (M) 1.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-30347233992164724002012-07-27T12:35:00.000+10:002012-07-27T20:54:57.033+10:00The Olympic Games - A Personal Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My first memory of the Olympics is actually the “Moscow, Moscow” song from the 1980 Games. I was only four or five at the time so its stretching the memory bank quite a bit but that song has remained with me my whole life. As has the images of the funny dancing dudes kicking their legs into the air with their hands on the ground behind them.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next came Los Angeles in 1984 and my main memory of those Games is the guy wearing the jet pack and ‘flying’ around the stadium during the Opening Ceremony. To a nine-year old watching a lot of Star Wars and Buck Rogers at the time it seemed like science fiction was becoming science reality. I wanted a jet pack myself and couldn’t understand why Mum and Dad wouldn’t relent. I do remember Jon Sieben’s heroics in the pool though, in taking down The Albatross, Michael Gross, from West Germany. My father was a keen swimmer himself so we watched a lot of the open air swimming pool and we loved the story of our David beating the world’s Goliath.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the time the Seoul Games rolled around in 1988, I had an absolute love for the Olympics and was now old enough to stay up and watch them. I was in awe of everything about them and was thoroughly enamoured with what I believed were the ideals of the Olympic movement and the notion of bringing the world together and all that. I think I even did a few school projects over the years on the Olympics and knew all the history from the Ancient Greeks to Pierre de Coubertin to Jesse Owens and to Munich.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess I was pretty impressionable at the time, as all kids are in that age bracket. But the Olympics and the athletes seemed like gods to me and the competition and pursuit of excellence seemed so pure, so authentic. That changed in an instant though. Just as my sense of the Olympics was at its highest level.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had watched in awe as Ben Johnson smashed the world record in the 100m and loved the fact he was quietly spoken in contrast to the loud mouth American Carl Lewis. For a few days, Ben Johnson was my hero. The embodiment of the Olympic ideal. From the slums of Falmouth, Jamaica he’d conquered the world. But it all came crashing down soon after. Everyone knows the history. Johnson failed a dope test after the race and was caught taking steroids. And then swiftly sent home while the Games continued around all the controversy.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was guttered. I was hurt. I was just plain lost in trying to comprehend it all. To this day, I can still remember watching the coverage of Johnson being escorted through Seoul Airport on his way to a flight back to Canada. But most of all I remember the confusion. I just couldn’t understand it. The why and the how.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It might sound a bit dramatic, but a little part of me died that day. The part of me that was so in love with sport and the ‘pure’ notion of competition. The part of me that was in love with the Olympic movement and what I thought it stood for. My beliefs and feelings most definitely changed that day. From its highest point, it’s been in decline ever since.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The decision in 1990 to award the 1996 Games to Atlanta over Melbourne and Athens certainly didn’t help. As a teenager with little experience in the ways of the corporate world, I heard plenty of talk about commercialisation winning out in the end. The International Olympic Committee had merely chased the most money rather than choosing the best bid. The fact Atlanta housed the headquarters of the Olympics sponsor, Coca Cola, being the most obvious point.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then came the taking of a Sociology of Sport subject during my uni days. To this day, I am thankful for taking that course, as it made me question all sorts of ideals that we hold about sport, especially in Australia, and showed me the power of myth-making and the notion of so-called ‘common sense’. Of course, the IOC and the Olympics were a major part of those studies and a spotlight was put on all the corruption, commercialisation and corporatisation that is involved.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Sydney Games, however, evened my thoughts out a little. After being so high in my childhood, my feelings had turned to cynicism and distrust through my early adult years. But the “Best Games Ever” changed that a little and I thoroughly enjoyed those two weeks, albeit from the other side of the world in the United States. Finding any information about Australians and their results was tough, but I was still able to watch the ‘Mean Machine’ and their air guitars as well as The Race won by Cathy Freeman.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since then, the Olympics have probably been a bit of a sideshow for me really. Perhaps it’s just getting a bit older and having more ‘serious’ responsibilities such as kids and mortgages and co, but the last couple of Games have just come and gone for me. I’ve certainly sat down and watched plenty of the events while they’re on and it’s been good to have a break from the endless procession of reality TV on our screens (or are the Olympics the ultimate in reality TV?).</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The media hype and the resultant nationalism/jingoism does annoy the hell out of me though and makes me cringe at times. As does having to watch and listen to commentators who obviously know very little about their designated sport or the competitors. Overall, I probably ‘witness’ the Games rather than ‘enjoy’ them, but at the same time still take pleasure in the spectacle of athletes competing and some of the great stories that do arise. Especially those ‘surprises’ involving athletes from non-mainstream sports.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And so here we are on the day of the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The Games are obviously front and centre all over our media and we’ve had weeks and months of hype around the organisation, the venues, the security and the transport. It’s like a broken record though. We get this in the weeks and months before every Games. Although with Athens it was probably a little justified.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My point is, that even the “Best Games Ever” were shrouded in controversy for years before and it rose to an absolute crescendo in the weeks before they commenced. I guess when you have thousands of journalists in town with nothing to report on yet, everything gets blown up and magnified far too much. Come the first race, the first game, the first match, it’ll all blow over and the athletes will be the main focus once again just as they should be. I’ve got no doubt these Games in London will be the same.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The controversies around commercialisation and branding are another matter. For me anyway. We’ve already seen stories about butchers and bakers having to cease having displays in their shops and even a London cafe having to drop the O in its name for the two weeks to call itself Cafe Lympic. Not too mention the exclusion zone around the Olympic Precinct where ‘Branding Police’ will be out in force stopping anyone from wearing certain clothing and certain brands. It’s all so bloody ridiculous and my cynicism and disgust rises again just as I’m starting to look forward to the actual event being on and the actual athletes being on show.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess that’s the story of my Olympic experience and my Olympic 'journey'. It’s a love-hate thing. It excites me at times, but annoys me at others. I put my faith in it at times, just for it to deflate me at others.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But will I be watching the Opening Ceremony early tomorrow morning and then hours and hours of it over the next two weeks? You bet I will. After all, it is the Olympics.</span></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-21739506209949857682012-07-25T08:17:00.001+10:002012-07-25T08:37:01.712+10:00The Watcher Series<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of you might have noticed my output in relation to political posts has decreased dramatically. Well, there is a reason for that. Mostly around my current employment situation.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's not for want of inspiration however. The goings-on in Queensland at the moment are providing plenty of inspiration with hypocrisy alerts going off on a daily basis and resultant levels of anger and disgust. But as I said, I just don't feel comfortable writing and posting my musings on it all. The risks are too great.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Someone, or some people, have no such qualms though and are taking all sorts of risks in producing The Watcher series of articles in <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/">The Brisbane Times</a>. Trust me, some of the info and insights can only come from someone on the inside so there's some very brave person(s) deciding enough is enough and are trying to cut through the spin coming out of the Government.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Anyway, I'll let you guys decide on the legitimacy of The Watcher articles by allowing you to read them yourself. I'm not saying you have to fully take on board what is being said, but just open your mind to the fact not everything is what it seems from the Government side as they ramp up quite the media strategy to push their agenda. And to think Queenslanders voted the last Government out because they were sick of 'spin'.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Enough of the editorial though. Here's the link to <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/by/The-Watcher">The Watcher</a> series. And here's one to <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/the-humiliation-of-being-a-public-service-deployee-20120723-22jhh.html">yesterday's most recent article</a>.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Decide for yourself then folks,</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
<br />EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-9109690592371443262012-07-23T16:29:00.000+10:002012-07-23T16:29:07.310+10:00AFL ROUND 17 - MELB V PORT<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Via The Footy Almanac - <a href="http://footyalmanac.com.au/">http://footyalmanac.com.au/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It can be lonely being a Melbourne supporter. We’re not the club with the biggest membership nor do we regularly appear in the footy primetime. But as I entered the public bar of Queensland’s most famous pub, The Breakfast Creek, just before kick-off of a Super Rugby finals match involving the Reds, well, it doesn’t get much lonelier for a Queensland AFL fan. Let alone one that is a Melbourne supporter.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So it wasn’t quite like an old western where everyone in the bar turns and looks at the gringo walking through the bar, but I definitely felt a little out of place. Maybe if it was a Lions game I was there to watch it would be OK. But Melbourne vs Port Adelaide? From Darwin? “Not in here mate. Its the Reds on everywhere. Try the private bar.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And like a mirage, there it was. In a dingy corner outside the toilets was one small television with the Dees-Port game on. I quickly sat down in front and checked the score. It was now 20 minutes into the game and the Dees had kicked five straight. Unheard of this year. If only my three-year old had gone to bed on time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the end of the first quarter, the scores sat at Melbourne 5.0.30 to Port’s 2.5.17. The Power’s inaccurate kicking obviously made the score look a little rosier than it truly was. Nonetheless, Brad Green was presenting well on the lead and the likes of Nathan Jones and Colin Sylvia were working well in close. That first beer tasted real nice and I actually looked forward to the next two hours. More than I could say for the natives in the public bar as loud groans and moans told the story of the Reds being two tries down already.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It seemed like God rebalanced things in the second quarter though as Port started winning the stoppages with ease and were moving it from coast to coast out of the Melbourne forward line. The likes of Green and our reluctant key forward Jared Rivers were still presenting but the kicking inside 50 was abysmal and the Port backs were having a field day intercepting and switching it down the other wing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A couple of goals put Port in front as they controlled the footy but their goal kicking yips continued to get to 5.10 40 at the half. In contrast, the Dees would have been happy with having the yips that quarter as they didn’t even trouble the scorers until the very last minute. And yep, it was a point so they sat at 5.1.31. So despite the ineptness and horrible decision-making of the last 25 minutes, the Dees were only nine points down. Who’d have thought it?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The second half began where the first left off with the likes of Travis Boak and Dominic Cassisi winning the clearances and this Dees supporter gulping his beer down way to quick as the Melbourne midfielders continued to not man them up. All of a sudden a cheer erupted nearby and I knew at least the Reds at scored. Another gulp. But this time in celebration.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the quarter progressed, the Dees actually started to win some ball and it was spending a lot of time in our forward line. The bad decision-making continued though and the game was turning into a real match of aerial ping-pong as each side’s defence was dominating and sending it back down opposing wings. Troy Chaplin and Alipate Carlile doing the damage for Port, and Jack Grimes and Tom McDonald doing it for Melbourne.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The big moment in the third quarter was that man Jeremy Howe again taking his weekly speccie. It came out of nowhere as it looked like just another long bomb into the forward 50 but Howe rose magnificently and used Stefan Martin as a stepladder to get even higher than his famous one at the SCG earlier in the year. A better mark for mine therefore, particularly as it was amongst a pack and required so much more to get the ball. Sammy Blease also chipped in with what is becoming his weekly left foot snap from an impossible angle. Sammy seems to be a one-trick pony at the moment, but oh what a trick it is.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melbourne kept on creating the big moments but unfortunately not all were good. Colin Garland was having an indifferent night chasing Brett Ebert around but towards the end of the quarter he did something that made me stand up from my stool and swear loudly. Lucky no-one else was nearby so security didn’t turn up nor did the barman refuse me further service. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The incident in question? Garland, standing a few metres from his own goal line decided to kick the ball off the ground rather than pick it up and kick long down the line. He miskicked it though and ball landed safely on the chest of Port’s Paul Stewart who looked as surprised as everyone else to be lining up for goal for what would be his fourth goal for the night. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, neither side would be proud of their third quarters despite those few highlights with skill errors and fatigue turning the game into a mistake-fest. The US Marines that turned up in the crowd on a little R&R must have been thinking the ball was coated in oil or something. “Those crazy Ooozies” you could imagine them saying. So the third quarter scoreline read 7.5.47 to Melbourne and 8.10.58 to Port. The Dees were still in it and once again I had some foolish expectation that just maybe we’d put in a decent last quarter after a number of late fadeouts over the course of the season.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And Melbourne started the quarter really well with Sylvia willing himself to every contest and Grimes showing some real polish off the half backline. The ball was getting to our forward 50 due to some great effort and tackling pressure but once again the lack of precision in our skills and the taking of the wrong option meant the Dees just couldn’t convert. And then the inevitable. Port finally got it past the centre line and bang, they kicked a goal against the run of play. I knew it was on the cards but it was hugely deflating nonetheless. Just like the other punters around the pub as I caught a quick glimpse of the rugby. The Reds had lost. 30-17. Ouch.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melbourne were still in striking distance though and were attacking once again after the next centre clearance. But once again after a few minutes of us peppering our forward line, Port got it out and went coast to coast to kick another goal. And then another. And then another. It was drowning sorrows time now as the bar began to empty further. The only flicker of life when yours truly yelled another obscenity at the tele after Boak was again left unmanned at a crucial stoppage.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But really, I’d known it pretty much all night. Alas, it was now confirmed. All the brave tackling (doubling Port’s tackles) and hard-at-it contested footy just wasn’t enough. In the end you need to run and to spread and to carry and to hit targets with your foot and with your hand. Port weren’t precision-central either but they had it when it mattered and ended up being deserved winners when the siren finally sounded. Final score being 8.8.56 to the Dees and 12.12.84 to the Power. And the votes going to Boak (3), Grimes (2) and Stewart (1).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So after kicking five goals in the first quarter, Melbourne could only manage three for the rest of the game. As I trundled outdoors into the cool Brisbane night, I couldn’t help thinking that only the Dees could manage that. And just maybe that’s why it feels so lonely to support them sometimes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.</span>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-72394001513850671212012-07-13T15:48:00.000+10:002012-07-13T15:48:09.868+10:00Gettin' Beardy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The great wise one, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard">Wikipedia</a>, tells me a beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, upper lip, cheeks and neck of human beings. Funny, I could have sworn I’ve seen beards on non-human beings. Some monkeys and gorillas have kick-ass ones. Goats though? They just have goaties. Boom tish.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, today’s post is all about the big issues. The humble beard is back apparently. Not sure where it’s been but its back and even yours truly is sporting one. My particular story is that I thoroughly enjoyed not having to shave every day when on long service leave up the coast so it grew on me, quite literally, and I’ve still got it a number of months after our return.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I read with even greater interest on Wikipedia that over the course of history, men with facial hair have been ascribed with various attributes such as wisdom, sexual virility, masculinity and higher status. Yeah, that sounds about right I reckon. For me anyway. I just won’t mention the next sentence – "beards have also been perceived to be associated with a lack of general cleanliness and a loss of refinement". </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wikipedia continues with a rather scientific take on the evolution of the beard. Apparently even Charles Darwin, awesome beard man himself, said there’s a evolutionary aspect to the beard in that sexual selection many have led to beards as “females in the past found them more attractive than mates without beards”. Wow. It’s confirmed then. Chicks dig beards. Darwin says so.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Myself? I'm not really sporting my beard for any evolutionary purpose. I’m just finding it a lot easier having a beard than doing the daily routine in the mirror and scraping the hell out of my face every morning. I’m down to a twice-weekly trim with my beard trimmer (every man should have one) and sometimes even forget to do that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No bother. The difference of going a few more days without trimming/shaving is nothing really so I’ve sometimes gone a whole week before pulling the trimmer out again. And my beard's not even that massive. I won't be joining ZZ Top that's for sure. So imagine how long those guys can go without a trim. Could be measured in years I reckon.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I must admit there are a few times when the beard is little inconvenient mind you. I have sported the occasional frothy moustache from time to time after the first sip of my morning flat white and subjected myself to some odd looks as I walk down the street. Brushing my teeth also leaves me with a rather white chin that makes me recoil in horror for a split second thinking I’ve gone grey in a few short moments. The horror.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall though, I’m liking it and even the wife is liking it. Must be that masculinity and virility thing. And I think the son wouldn’t even recognise me without a beard now. “Mum, whose the new Daddy?” and all that. My mother-in-law is a different story though. I used to get a little chastised for a mere three-day growth so I can only imagine what she’s been thinking for the last ten months. But she’s been pretty polite about it so far and hasn’t written me out of the will just yet. Not that I’m aware of anyway.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The future? I don’t know to be honest. I certainly won’t be sporting my beard for ever and a day so it will come off at some stage. When that moment is I don’t know. Although the Eyeline swim every year at the Noosa Tri might be a catalyst for change. I could lose valuable seconds if I’m not appropriately streamlined. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it might even come off before in. Who knows. I’ll probably wake up with an inclination to shave and the beard will be gone before I even realise. The son asking about the new daddy might be the first clue as to what I’ve done. The winter months certainly lend themselves to the beard though so it won't be any time soon.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, I’ll close this very profound and insightful blog post with the greatest band in the world right now, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thebeardsclub">The Beards</a>, whose songs include “If Your Dad Doesn’t Have A Beard, You’ve Got Two Mums” and “You Should Consider Having Sex With A Bearded Man”. If nothing else, it’ll bring a smile to your dial. Or maybe even a hair or two to your chin.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yours in pondering looks while stroking mine (my chin that is),</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.</span></span></div>
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</div>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-48775836706169614952012-07-05T12:15:00.001+10:002012-07-05T12:15:17.589+10:00A Day At The Footy<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I parked the car in a no-name suburban street and as I walked quickly towards the Chermside Bus Station, I realised this was the first moment I’d had to myself for the day. A moment to reflect then on what the next few hours might bring. The Brisbane Lions versus the Melbourne Demons at the Gabba.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And that reflective moment bought up a hint of expectation and a hint of optimism. Yes, we were missing our Great White Forward Hope in Mitch Clark but we’d won two out of our last three and had played some competitive footy over the last four weeks. Yes, Brisbane look to be on the improve having dispatched of both the Bulldogs and Eagles in recent weeks, but maybe the Dees have turned things around and just maybe we could pull off a win.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I sat down on the bus and noticed I was the only Melbourne supporter on it. No big deal. I was wearing my jumper and scarf with pride (despite it being a 23 degree day) and happily continued with my reflections on the Dees’ chances. The bus then quickly moved through the brand spanking new Northern Busway and snaked its way through Brisbane’s northern suburbs so I pulled out my phone for any last minute message from my sisters and their husbands who I was going to be watching the game with.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh no. Double ‘oh no’. The news coming through was not good. Disastrous in fact. Nathan Jones and Mark Jamar were late outs with calf strains. So along with the already missing Mitch Clark and Aaron Davey (who’d finally found some form in recent weeks), we were now missing the bloke who’d have to be leading our best and fairest so far and our All Australian ruckman, who while not having his best year, is so important to our ‘structure’ and always gives his all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Checking the expectation meter then, it had dropped dramatically. In fact, it had quickly nosedived to almost ‘no expectation’ levels but did manage to hover over the ‘we’re still some chance, aren’t we?’ mark. Ahhh, the plight of the Melbourne supporter. You do get used to it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I arrived at the ground and can honestly say there was a carnival atmosphere. Radio broadcast tents, merchandise stalls and kids jumping castles had taken over the Main St park entrance and my mood was enlivened by the sight of other Melbourne supporters in and amongst the crowd. It came as a bit of shock actually when a lot of the time it feels like you’re the only one in this fair city. The sight of my sisters dressed up in their Dees gear certainly helped though.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tickets were promptly handed out and we walked around the back of the stadium along Stanley St towards our Gate. Ticket machine beeps and bag checks for the girls, and then we found our seats just a few rows back from where the Dees would be running out. Up close and personal and all that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soon the siren was sounding and the game was on. We squinted into the sun trying to see what was happening but after a few minutes maybe the sun in our eyes was a blessing. The Lions kicked a couple of quick goals but then the biggest disappointment; Tom McDonald being assisted off, coughing up blood right in front of us, after going back with the flight of the ball and getting cleaned up by Daniel Merrett.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I noticed Sam Blease running around a few minutes later and realised the Sub had already been activated. Then the news that McDonald was being rushed to hospital came via a friend watching the game on TV at home. So after Clark, Davey, Jones and Jamar being out, we had now lost our Rising Star nomination from just last week and were now a man short on the bench after only 10 minutes. And this on a warm Brisbane afternoon that must have been very foreign to those used to Melbourne’s recent weather. The expectation meter was heading south.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In contrast though, the Dees seemed to steel themselves with the news and looked hungrier and more skilful for a period and kicked the next three goals. Alas, there was also a number of missed shots on goal in there and I couldn’t help feeling we should have been a goal or two in front rather than a few points behind.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then the inevitable. With two minutes left in the quarter, and the coaching staff still reeling from the positional loss of McDonald, Jonathon Brown kicks two quick ones by manhandling Jack Watts in the contest. Not Watts fault mind you. He shouldn’t have been left one-on-one with Brown. Especially as Brown has been ‘manhandling’ defenders for 10 years or more who would have had 8-10 kilos on young Jack.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The end result is that the Lions are comfortably in front by the end of the quarter when it was actually us that had the better of it for mine. The expectation meter did go up though as I felt the same effort and some straight kicking could see us pull them in and be in front at the half.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But what was I thinking? When will I learn? Yep, more of the inevitable.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Lions quickly banged through three goals while we spent the rest of the quarter failing to trouble the scorers. We were down by 34 at half-time and the signs from the players in front of us as they walked down the race was not good. They look buggered already. The warm Queensland winter sun was taking a toll and being one down on the bench certainly wasn’t helping. In contrast, the Lions ran off the ground and were all high-fives and bum-pats.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By the time the third quarter started, the sun had finally gone down behind the stadium walls and we could watch the game without hands raised in front of our face. But again, maybe a clear view wasn’t what we wanted. More goals rained down for the Lions as they moved it impressively out of our forward half and consistently hit targets and stuck tackles. We were getting the ball into our forward line but with two defenders playing as forwards, easy shots on goal were missed and Brisbane seemed to go coast to coast at will. Not surprising then, that my beer consumption went up a notch as the events unfolding were bringing this man to drink.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The final quarter began as the temperature noticeably dropped and the Dees managed a couple of quick goals. The game was over with us being down by 50 but I consoled myself that maybe we could get some cheap junktime goals and narrow it down to 25-30 odd. Not such a horrible loss on the road and considering all our outs. But of course the Dees were unable to manage even that and the Lions were putting on ‘globetrotter’ footy with impossible snaps from the boundary and long bombs from 60m out. When it’s not your day, it’s just not your day.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Final scores ended up with us losing by 61. Hardly a word had been spoken between our crew for the last hour. But I’d suggest we were all thinking the same thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There was no point hanging around though so I said a quick goodbye and rushed off for one of the many buses lining up on Vulture Street. Wanted to get home quickly and in time to see the son before he went down for bed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After those last few hours and with initial expectations being so cruelly crushed, you just need a little something to look forward to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.</span></span></div>
<br />EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-55173015291626291042012-06-26T16:42:00.002+10:002012-06-26T18:42:45.861+10:00John Lennon Was A Visionary<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Its nearly the end of June already? Where did the last six months go? More importantly, where did the last three months go since EDM and Family returned from our happy life on the Sunshine Coast?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, my head is spinning a little at the moment. I am seriously in awe about the fact 2012 is nearly halfway through and that 2013 beckons. Mainly because it just feels like my life is rushing along way too quickly and I’m not getting even half a chance to stop, collaborate or listen. (Really need to do something about those Vanilla Ice references. It's like I've got Tourettes or something)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess the main point I’m trying to make is exactly what John Lennon once said – “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” What a visionary. Because my life certainly seems like its steaming along and telling me to hurry up while I’m still trying to come to terms with what I’m actually going to do with it. I mean I’m in my mid 30s and have had a career for nearly 12 years now, but I’m still waiting to grow up and work out what the hell it is I want to do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And with all the getting out the door in the morning, and daycare drop-offs, and meeting after meeting interspersed with more meetings, and daycare pickups, and then dinner/bath routines and a quick conversation/catchup with the wife, where exactly is there time to contemplate all that and come up with an answer? There isn’t. So you get back on the merry-go-round once again and repeat ad nauseam while consoling yourself with the fact you have a steady job and you’re supporting your family and...oh shit, I’m stuck on this train forever aren’t I?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well actually, I do know what it is I want to do. What I think I’d really love to do. There’s just a small problem. Sorry, massive problem. In that it don’t pay well, especially at the beginning, and I already have a steady job and I’m supporting my family, etc etc. Guess I could give it a go at night after the quick-conversation/catchup-with-the wife and before-bed stage. Yeah, maybe then. But then again, that stage is extremely short. Could be measured in minutes some nights in fact.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But if you want something so bad you should be able to find the time surely. Isn’t that what all the self-help books would say? Or maybe Chuck Norris? Well yeah, I do want it. But I don’t want it so bad that I’m willing to become a tired, cranky bastard and bankrupt my family following my tendency to fall asleep at my desk and fail in my duties to keep this State up and running. (I may have exaggerated that last point. But no-one reads this blog anyway)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’ve digressed. Yes, I am just feeling that my life is a little out of control at the moment and that the weeks and months are flying by without any real appreciation or acknowledgement. I’m not getting any younger, as the thinning hair on my forehead tells me, so shouldn’t I be living every minute and every hour to the full? Shouldn’t every week and every month be ‘lived’ rather than ‘lived through’?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t know what the answer is. Another stint on long service leave up the coast maybe. I did thoroughly enjoy those six months and certainly felt like a lived a truly simple life that allowed me to ponder and contemplate as well as spend quality time with the son and wife. I’ve certainly come to realise that I do love a good ponder and a good contemplate. You know, ‘I think therefore I am’ and all that. But I can’t keep taking long service leave every few months as there wouldn’t be enough service being served to constitute ‘long service’.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I just need a remote control for my life I think. One where I can go into slow motion mode and take a good look at everything that is happening around me and put some appropriate time and effort into the things that matter most to me. One with even a rewind button. Yeah, that’d be great. Especially on those mornings I wake up with a hangover and a nagging feeling that I said something out of the turn the night before. Who knows, even one with a fast forward button. Just to make sure that everything ends up working out for the best and that things will be all right. Particularly on the family stuff.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hang on. A remote control for my life? Jaysus, is this what I come up with when I do get a chance to ponder and reflect? I sound like a screenwriter for a bad Adam Sandler movie. And it’s not even an original idea at that. I'd probably lose the bloody thing down the back of the couch anyway.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh well, perhaps I should just stick to my day job then. The one that supports the family and pays off the mortgage. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And the one that’ll help me pay for the mid-life crisis that is so obviously just around the corner.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Til then,</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.</span></span></div>
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<br /> </div>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-41163113806129911152012-06-21T12:15:00.003+10:002012-06-21T12:15:26.018+10:00Just The Messenger<a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/how-to-sack-20000-queenslanders-or-more-20120613-209a1.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/how-to-sack-20000-queenslanders-or-more-20120613-209a1.html</span></a>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-56169909831204132232012-06-19T13:07:00.000+10:002012-06-19T13:07:09.627+10:00Media Times-A-Changing<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Big news yesterday was the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-18/fairfax-blog-follow-developments-live/4076870">announcement from Fairfax Media</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">that it was culling 1900 staff, moving their broadsheets The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald to a tabloid format, closing two printing facilities in Melbourne and Sydney, and setting up a paywall for its online content.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In some circles the news has been massive, while in others its hardly raised an eyebrow. That’s the society we live in. Personally, I have a great interest in the media landscape so it was a news item that both surprised and left me pondering. So along with 1000 other <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/blogs/blunt-instrument/its-a-changing-media-landscape--and-its-your-fault-20120618-20jt6.html?rand=1340046607014">bloggers</a> and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4078134.html">opinion writers</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">who’ve written about it in the ensuing 24 hours, here’s my take on the whole thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Firstly, there’s no doubt the old newspaper business model is dying and there’s no chance of it being resuscitated. That’s not news, pardoning my pun. But the events of yesterday certainly legitimatise that view. The days of having a team of full-time reporters running around getting stories for you while paying them with the revenues from classifieds and advertising are long gone. The internet has changed all that as well as subscriptions to news services where you could possibly run a media service with no reporters of your own at all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What that means for the future of investigative journalism is a big question though. What media proprietor is going to pay a seasoned reporter for six months of hard graft and worn out shoes from pounding the beat when the actual outcome in the form of a published article is so far off? Will the likes of Watergate ever happen again if there’s no appetite for delving in and exposing a story based on developing a relationship with a source and meticulous research and cross-checking?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The paywall is an interesting aspect as well. Again, it’s not a new thing with The New York Times first asking the public to pay for their online content a few years ago and the likes of The Australian and The Herald Sun following suit as local examples. The thing is, most people will not pay for something that they can get elsewhere for free. So a paywall will likely cause a decrease in readership but of course those who do pay up will result in an increase in revenue for the media outlet. And of course for the media companies it’s about the revenue so they’ll probably be happy to take that hit on readership numbers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then again, paywalls will no doubt be seen more and more over the coming years and we may well be in a situation soon where every media outlet charges and the balance of market share will return. The result? A win for the media outlets of course as they’ll have us paying for their content once again which in many ways is a mere reconstruction of the old business model where they had us paying for a hardcopy of the newspaper at our local newsagent. The more things change....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me, I’m a regular user of <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/">The Brisbane Times</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, a Fairfax online news service, so I have some concerns about what yesterday’s announcement means for my access to it. It would appear odds-on that it’ll have a paywall soon so I’ll have an interesting dilemma when that time comes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I currently use BT because I can’t stand <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/">The Courier Mail </a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with all its sensationalism, dumbing down and focus on inconsequentials. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That’s my own bias and point of view, and I happily admit it’s probably different to a lot of people, but I know for a fact that the CM has merely regurgitated a Government media release without any checking or questioning, whereas the BT article on the same thing actually did some research and analysis and questioned the slant the Minister/Government was trying to promote at the time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being a Fairfax entity, BT also has access to articles and opinion pieces from its sister publications such as The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. For mine, the opinion pieces and engaged blogs on those two are great reading and always open my mind to new opinions and views or promote a greater scrutiny of an issue at hand. Far greater scrutiny than the CM provides that’s for sure. That's even if they do publish something on it rather than MasterChef or The Voice updates and articles congratulating themselves on their coverage or distribution results.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But the question remains, would I pay for access to BT? Geez, I really don’t know. I could get on my high horse and say of course I would, I'm all about high quality journalism and the costs be damned. But I have to be truthful that I might just go elsewhere the very moment it asks for my credit card details to read a particular article or opinion piece.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The change to a tabloid format isn’t much of an issue for me though. There was an old world view that broadsheets were quality while tabloids were populist but that demarcation is irrelevant now with digital media changing everything about formatting. It’s an issue for the old business model perhaps but as I’ve said earlier, that model is dead. And anyway, a tabloid is actually easier to read on the train.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another interesting point about these decisions from Fairfax is that they coincide with <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/action/printArticle?id=3385638">a battle for control of its Board</a>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gina Rinehart, mining magnate and Australia’s richest woman, is wanting to be appointed Deputy Chairman of the company and have two other Board positions given to her ‘representatives’. As part of this move, Rinehart has told the rest of the Board that she and her reps will not be restricted on commenting on editorial matters, including the hiring and firing of editorial staff. This goes against the current Board protocol that Directors do not interfere in editorial matters.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This obviously <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4077512.html">raises some questions</a> about editorial independence within a future Fairfax company and some worries about its entities becoming mere mouthpieces for Rinehart’s interests in particular and the mining industry in general.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And if you think that’s just me with my particular bias or slant on things, both the Government and the Opposition, in all its anti-carbon tax rage, have raised concerns about the moves and the risk that the likes of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald could become ‘spokes-vehicles’ for the mining industry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, with all of Rinehart’s fortunes and all of her mining-related activities, why does she want to be involved in a media company anyway? Especially one whose own survival is requiring massive changes to its current business model. It can’t be for the profits and money-making that's for sure.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, yesterday’s Fairfax announcement made for some interesting reading. I’m not sure what the media landscape will look like in a few months let alone a few years as a result. Particularly as News Limited is expected to announce its own massive changes in the not too distant future as well. The rumours swirl and all manner of speculation will continue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the Chinese proverb goes, “May you live in interesting times”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana", "sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">EDM.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8835116497636225695.post-76269596082522438272012-06-06T14:41:00.001+10:002012-06-06T14:41:46.127+10:00Glory Days? They're Long Gone<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On a rare commitment-free weekend just gone, I had an opportunity to sit down and watch some footy while the son had his middle-of-the-day sleep and the wife had her head buried in a good book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The game in question was Geelong v GWS which didn't promote too much interest in me other than getting a chance to see some of my AFL Supercoach players perform. Before the game, as is their want, the commentators went through each team and put up player profiles and co.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now, I knew the GWS boys were young. Of course, they are. Just as the Gold Coast boys were last year. However, knowing that hadn't really sunk into my head at all up until the year that each one of them was born came up. 1993. Given most of them come from last year's draft, 1993 came up again and again and again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My mind launched into one of its pondering moods and the number 1993 kept turning through the screws. What does 1993 mean to me? What of significance happened to me in 1993? Shite, I was in my last year of high school. I was 18.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The 'fact' is of course a given. Yep, I was 18 in 1993. Just as these GWS boys are. But what really struck me and set off reverberations in my head, was the fact that it doesn't feel like 18-19 years since then to me. Very far from it. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">While I certainly don't feel like I'm but a few years out of school or a few years out of uni, I certainly don't feel like high school was half my lifetime ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I know that the maths tell me something different, and I know plenty of water has flowed under the proverbial bridge since my high school days. University. Travel. Career. Marriage. Mortgage. Parenthood. But alas, I just don't 'feel' like I'm twice as old as then and that those days are so far behind me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">What is it then that is holding me back from acting my age or coming to terms with where I sit on my life's timeline? I mean, while I haven't tried it for a very long time, my mind still thinks I can kick a footy 50m and jump over others to take a speccie. Or throw down a thunderbolt yorker that rips through a batsman's stumps. Or carry two or three blokes over the tryline with me after storming on to an inside ball. Because I used to be able to do that, so why couldn't I now?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's the way my mind seems to operate. Well, up until now anyway. Not on a conscious level mind you. Not in a thinking/calculating way. In fact, I don't reflect on any of that at all during my waking/working life. There's too much else going on. But subconsciously, in a non-calculating way, yeah of course I'd still be able to do that. Why not?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But there are reasons for why not aren't there? I just don't think about them so there's nothing to pull me back to the reality. I mean there's the sheer fact that I haven't even tried all those things in years. There's the fact my reconstructed knee might not be able to cope. Especially as it was the reason in the first place I stopped doing all those things. And there's the fact that my body certainly isn't trained to do all those things like it once was. I used to train 4-5 nights a week and play both a seniors game and an agegroup game every weekend so of course my body was far more tuned towards those sorts of activities back then.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's the reality. And those are the realities as to why I've stopped doing those things. But the mind just doesn't compute all that and seems to conveniently forget certain things while romanticising others. You played with the likes of Michael Voss, Jason Akermanis and Ben Tune. You played against the likes of Fraser Gehrig, Nigel Lappin and Joe Roff. You could have been a contender. You could have been a...you know the rest surely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So there I was, watching the GWS players' profiles pop up and the year 1993 kept on coming up. And those thoughts just above and those names pop into my head and it hits me even harder. Jaysus christ, those guys have been 'retired' for years! They played long and illustrious careers but haven't been around for nearly a decade in some cases. Shite, the realisation that even my 'glory days' and the guys I shared them with are outdated and old.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I'm not sure if I'm relating the feeling I had on Saturday very well with these words. It's a hard one to pinpoint and to explain. I didn't feel 'old' as such. Not like when people talk about cops looking so young and that's when they felt 'old' for the first time. No, it was more like a realisation that my life has come a long way since my so-called glory days and they're not coming back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And while many of you are no doubt saying of course they aren't, they're long gone, I guess my psyche and my consciousness had never really confronted that reality and had chosen to ignore it. Or just chosen to concentrate on far more important things. Like career. Like marriage. Like mortgages. Like fatherhood.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes, that must be it. I'd moved on. Well, some parts of my mind had while others had not. Hence the profoundness of the lightening bolt that went off in my head when Taylor Adams birthdate came up on the screen. My days as an 18 year old are half a lifetime ago. My days when all of life's opportunities were ahead of me are long gone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">That's not a bad thing though, nor was it a sad feeling full of regret or anything. Far from it in fact. I have a lot to be thankful for and none of that would have happened if my life's journey had taken a different path. It was just a realisation. A thought bubble. A recognition of the reality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes, quite the realisation to have on a lazy Saturday afternoon in front of the telly watching the footy. I'm sure Aristotle must have had similar moments watching nude guys run around at the Ancient Olympics. Or Nietzsche as one of the first games of football took place on the university lawns under his office.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now, where's that son of mine? I just need to take him down to the oval and show him I can still kick goal from 50m out and....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">EDM.</span><br />
<br />EveryDayManhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10349796230544864234noreply@blogger.com0