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Messages - DJC

1
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
The preponderance of T20 cricket has virtually eliminated the forward defensive shot from most batsmen's toolkits.  With its demise has gone the ability to protect one's wicket and build an innings.

2
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
The pitch copped it overnight … but the batsmen’s technique and decision-making and the bowlers’ planning and execution didn’t change.

The only discussion about the pitch that I recall from the commentary was that batting would become easier as the pitch hardened over the next couple of days and that the ball was carrying through to the keeper more in the last session.

I think that for the cricket media, as opposed to commentators who have batted/bowled on the pitch in question, 20 wickets in a day must mean dodgy pitch rather than poor batting/good bowling.
3
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
I must have tuned out for a minute or two because I didn’t hear any commentator on TV or radio blame the pitch for both teams’ poor batting.

All I heard was “poor technique”, “poor shot selection”, or “good bowling”.  To that I would add not being able to respond to the game situation.
4
Blah-Blah Bar / RIP Chris Rea
Chris Rea passed away a couple of days ago aged just 74.

I guess he won’t be driving home for Christmas this year.

RIP
7
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: List Building - More than one way to skin a cat
I'd be curious to see the odds at the end of 2023.

Sportsbet had:

Collingwood - $5
Brisbane - $6.50
Melbourne - $7
Carlton - $8
Greater Western Sydney - $9
Port Adelaide - $10
Adelaide - $15
Geelong - $15
Sydney - $15
Western Bulldogs - $21
St Kilda - $26
Fremantle - $41
Gold Coast - $41
Essendon - $51
Richmond - $51
Hawthorn - $81
North Melbourne - $251
West Coast - $251

Probably not the best way to predict a team's fortunes  ::)
9
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Morrison was PM when an Australian nazi terrorist shot and killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand.  Abbott was PM when a Muslim terrorist took hostages in the Lindt Cafe, two of whom subsequently died from gunshot wounds.  Howard was PM when an Australian shot and killed 35 tourists at Port Arthur.

The common thread is that the Opposition adopted a bi-partisan approach and supported the Government's responses in each case.

You would expect the One Nation nutters to try to capitalise on any event but the politicisation of the Bondi tragedy by the Coalition is disgraceful.

The hysterical calls for a Royal Commission are probably understandable but should be ignored by good government.  If there were flaws in the work of ASIO, AFP and/or NSW Police, they need to be identified and rectified immediately, not after a Royal Commission has spent 18 months or more examining the terrorist attack from a legal perspective.

I would never in a million years blame Howard or Tony Rundle for Port Arthur. Seems like a flimsy logic and a poor argument.

It really has nothing to do with blame Paul.  It is the actions of the Opposition that is under scrutiny here.  Howard, Abbott and Morrison enjoyed bipartisan support for their responses, as they should.  
10
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Morrison was PM when an Australian nazi terrorist shot and killed 51 Muslim worshippers in New Zealand.  Abbott was PM when a Muslim terrorist took hostages in the Lindt Cafe, two of whom subsequently died from gunshot wounds.  Howard was PM when an Australian shot and killed 35 tourists at Port Arthur.

The common thread is that the Opposition adopted a bi-partisan approach and supported the Government's responses in each case.

You would expect the One Nation nutters to try to capitalise on any event but the politicisation of the Bondi tragedy by the Coalition is disgraceful.

The hysterical calls for a Royal Commission are probably understandable but should be ignored by good government.  If there were flaws in the work of ASIO, AFP and/or NSW Police, they need to be identified and rectified immediately, not after a Royal Commission has spent 18 months or more examining the terrorist attack from a legal perspective.
13
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Not saying it isnt, and whilst we like to place rules on this, where were these rules when Islamic militants abducted innocent party goers at a music festival?

This isnt sports.  With a referee that can adjudicate, and when the Palestinians hide their militants in the gen pop and under hospitals then what is expected?

I know there are rules of conduct and what not, but whos rules are they?   History is always written by the victor.

That's the thing though Thry, the terrorists who attacked innocent Israelis aren't professional soldiers, don't wear a uniform, don't answer to a government and aren't bound by the rules that govern conflicts between nations.  If they are apprehended, they are charged with terrorism offences (although the ICC did charge the now dead head of Hamas with war crimes).  When I was a member of the ADF, I was taught the provisions of the Geneva and Hague Conventions and regularly reminded to comply with them at all times.  Of course, professional soldiers may find it hard to adhere to the rules when the enemy doesn't, as we saw in Afghanistan.

Israel is a party to all four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and is legally bound by their rules ... and they're the first to bleat if any IDF personnel are not treated in accordance with the conventions.

Again, you're falling into the trap of assuming that the militants represent all Palestinians and all Palestinians are militants.  The vast majority of Palestinians just want the Israelis and Hamas to leave them alone and they are not hiding "their militants" anywhere.

The 7 October attacks killed 1,195 people, 815 of whom were Israeli civilians.  In addition, around 250 people were taken hostage and many of them haven't survived.  The Israeli offensive that followed has killed 70,925 Palestinians, foreign aid workers and reporters and another 171,185 have been wounded.  Around 1,200 IDF personnel have been killed since 7 October, on all fronts.  Since the "ceasefire", 379 Palestinians, including 70 children, have been killed and three IDF soldiers have died.  Those figures aren't surprising when you have one of the largest, most ruthless and well-equipped military forces waging war on unarmed civilians and defenceless children.

Hamas was estimated to have between 20-40,000 fighters of varying capacity and access to weapons in October 2023.  The IDF claims to have killed around 17,000 to 23,000 militants (that's around one third of Palestinian casualties) since then.  Of course, the ongoing persecution of Palestinians is likely to radicalise more fighters but there's a finite number. 

The ICC is the referee that adjudicates war crimes.

I'm not a fan of protests generally and I don't think the pro-Palestinian rallies will change anyone's mind, or government policies.  However, as Judith Treanor, a Jewish small business owner, points out,

"Those advocating for restrictions on pro-Palestinian protests must acknowledge the diversity of Jewish perspectives. Many Jews, including members of anti-Zionist groups like Jews Against the Occupation '48, Tzedek Collective, and the Loud Jew Collective, actively participate in these weekly rallies, standing in solidarity with Palestinians suffering atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank.

Globally, anti-Zionist Jewish groups echo this support. In the U.S., Jewish Voice for Peace and lfNotNow have organised mass protests. Orthodox groups like Torah Jews for Justice have taken clear anti-Zionist stances. In London, the UJewish Bloc" within pro-Palestine rallies numbers in the hundreds, including Holocaust survivors. Na'amod, a contributing group, emphasises that uonly when Palestinians live in freedom and dignity will Israel have security.

These groups, like ours, reject the notion that Zionism represents all Jews. The atrocities committed by Israel are not done in ourtives. Many Jews, including members of anti-Zionist groups like Jews Against the Occupation '48, Tzedek Collective, and the Loud Jew Collective, actively participate in these weekly rallies, standing in solidarity with Palestinians suffering atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank.

Globally, anti-Zionist Jewish groups echo this support. In the U.S., Jewish Voice for Peace and lfNotNow have organised mass protests. Orthodox groups like Torah Jews for Justice have taken clear anti-Zionist stances. In London, the UJewish Bloc" within pro-Palestine rallies numbers in the hundreds, including Holocaust survivors. Na'amod, a contributing group, emphasises that uonly when Palestinians live in freedom and dignity will Israel have security.

These groups, like ours, reject the notion that Zionism represents all Jews. The atrocities committed by Israel are not done in our name."


You can read Judith's letter here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/other/21804/Judith%20Treanor,%20Pearls%20and%20Irritations,%2029%20January%202025.pdf
14
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
The bottom line is that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of Defense of Israel, alleging responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza war.  Even in war there are lines that aren't crossed by civilised countries or their leaders. 

A subsequent UN Commission of Inquiry called for genocide charges to be added to the warrant after finding the Israeli government guilty of multiple violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif but it was later learned that he had been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Just as all Jews aren't Zionists or Israelis, very few Palestinians are Hamas.  Israel's Palestinian genocide is a disproportionate response to Hamas terrorism.
15
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
And the October 7 slaughter of Jews by Palestinians? Let me guess, they didnt like the music at the Music Festival?

Since that terrible, unforgiveable slaughter by Hamas terrorists, the IDF has killed 70,000 Palestinians and thousands of children are starving and being denied basic human rights like education and healthcare.  Is that being done on religious grounds or is it just acceptable collateral damage on the way to more land for Israeli settlers or Taco's 'Riviera of the Middle East'?

What pisses me off about our Government is that they won't push back against the corrupt war criminal Netanyahu, who is more responsible for the anti-Zionism that's sweeping the world than anyone else.