The Brisbane river (image from Twitter)
1. A three-year-old boy has been killed in Queensland after being hit by a falling tree at Gordon Park in northern Brisbane. Elsewhere in Queensland, floodwaters are continuing to rise today, with three other flood-related deaths occurring near Bundaberg, Gympie and Oxley Creek. NSW is also on on high alert, with emergency crews now having conducted 34 rescues across the state. (You can go here to find out how to donate/help.)
2. North Carolina police have so far been unable to determine whether a small human skull, which was discovered in bushland last year belongs to murdered disabled schoolgirl Zahra Baker.
3. The Prime Minister’s partner Tim Mathieson, who is a men’s health ambassador, is in trouble for a joke he made to the West Indian cricket team about prostate examinations. Mr Mathieson reportedly said: “We can get a blood test for it but the digital examination is the only true way to get a correct reading on your prostate, so make sure you go and do that and perhaps look for a small, Asian female doctor, is probably the best way.”
4. Jill Meagher, an ABC journalist and Melbourne woman whose murder late last year sparked nationwide attention, is apparently not ‘notable’ enough to warrant a Wikipedia page. The online encyclopaedia currently houses a description of the media coverage of Meagher’s death and the circumstances leading up to it. Wikipedia has asked for feedback from readers of the site, as to whether the page dedicated to Meagher’s disappearance and death should be taken down.
5. Senator for South Australia and Liberal Party member Cory Bernardi is being asked to stand down as chair of a parliamentary committee that looks into politician’s public declarations. The call has come after Seantor Bernardi failed to mention in his own disclosure that he has links to a right-wing group that is anti-gun control and pro-tobacco.
Miss Pat with Mr Squiggle
6. Australian movie producer and previous (non-puppet) co-host of Mr Squiggle, Patricia Lovell, has died aged 83. Ms Lovell produced some of Australia’s most iconic films, including Picnic at Hanging Rock and Gallipoli. However she was best known as Mr Squiggle’s 1960s and 70s sidekick Miss Pat.
7. The owners of Melbourne’s Raccoon Club have banned children from entering their establishment. The club, in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Preston reportedly offers an extensive beer menu and live music but absolutely no colouring pencils and paper. Anyone aged under 18 is not allowed onto the premises and the owners maintain there will be absolutely no exceptions.
8. Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s Defence Minister claims that it has successfully sent a monkey into space. The country says this is its first step towards being able to send a human-controlled shuttle into orbit. Scientists have voiced concern that this same technology could be used to launch ballistic missiles.
9. 230 people are dead after a fire in a nighclub in Santa Maria, Brazil. The majority of the dead were university students and early reports state that the fire was sparked by a pyrotechnics display from the live band.
Comments
50 Comments so far
Re The Raccoon Club – why shouldn’t adults be allowed to go out and enjoy time child-free? Just because you love your children does not mean the rest of the world has too. And even so, parents need a break sometimes too. More places should do this. Pronto.
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In most cases, with Wikipedia it is the perpetrator of the crime that has the page, not the victim. There are some exceptions to the rule, mostly where the person who was murdered was someone famous (although they more than likely warrant having a page about them for their fame/infamy).
Where there are multiple killers or multiple victims the Wikipedia page will generally be titled by the media name given to the case, or something that describes the case as it well may be known.
Anita Cobby could easily be in the same boat as Jill Meagher. A pretty woman, loved by many, an innocent walking home from somewhere only to be abducted and murdered.
Her page is know as The Murder of Anita Cobby. It gives a small background to her (date of birth/death) but describes the event and the killers rather than her life story. In regards to her 5 killers, only one of them warrants his own page (maybe warrants is the wrong word).
You could say that Lauren Margaret Barry and Nichole Emma Collins deserve their own page rather than a joint one they share with their killers; The Bega Schoolgirl Murders.
Sef Gonzales gets his own page for killing his family. The Lin Family get one about their murders as their killer has not yet been convicted.
Only Victor Chang and John Newman are standouts to me a people who were murdered (in Australia) and have their own page, but again it is because they were famous before being murdered and would have had one regardless.
Jill Meagher’s case will long be remembered for the outpouring of grief, anger and support over social media. It is highlighted on her page and so well should be.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), her killer may or may not get his own page once convicted but most probably won’t unless it is discovered he had a part in other murders whether convicted, conjectured or otherwise. More than likely he will just be a subtitle within the page as it is titled now; The Murder of Jill Meagher. And it probably should stay like that as if she wasn’t murdered, she wouldn’t be a household name.
This doesn’t distract from the fact that she will never be forgotten by her family, her husband especially. And this will not take away the anger from the Australian public in regards to hers, or anyone else’s murder for that matter.
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Re Tim… I think his comment brought far more attention to the real need for men to get their prostate checked than a safe, boring
comment otherwise would have.
A silver lining to an otherwise unfortunate choice of words or a calculated ploy?? Either way I think more good has been done than harm.
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The Asian Joke; My View Part 1
Tim broke the first rule of comedy these days (well, the PC rule that is);
Jews can make jokes about Jews
Blacks can make jokes about Blacks
Gays can make jokes about Gays
Gingers can make jokes about Gingers (thanks to the Tim that does know these rules; Mr Minchin even wrote a song about it)
And Asians can make jokes about Asians…
The Asian Joke; My View Part 2
The company I used to work for was notorious for running late with production, especially big orders that were higher than our demand. On one occasion we had a crucial order that I sold due out for a massive project in the city for the Dept. of Public Works.
We had these power outlets that fit inside these steel boxes that go in the concrete slab so that you can bring power out in the middle of the room and not have to trip over cables. You might see them in gyms. We were running late with the assembly of these items and I decided to go down to out factory to help out.
In our assembly area we had people from many regions of Asia; China, Vietnam, Philippines, to name a few, plus people from all over the globe. This one particular Chinese women had a really great sense of humour. She sort of became the leading hand of the assembly area supporting the foreman.
So there I am, dressed in my “office clothes” sitting amongst the assembly staff chatting away and doing my part to get these out so that we could meet the deadline.
Unfortunately for me, because going out to see customers or sitting at my desk reading building plans or deciphering specifications was my forte I wasn’t as fast as the assembly workers at putting these parts together. The trouble was, I couldn’t get the lug to go over the earthing screw, nor could I get the bridging wires to go into the back of the outlets first go.
Then that Chinese woman came over to me and said something along the lines of “it is because of your big hands, you need to have small Chinese hands.”
I remember it as clear day (well, not one of those foggy or rainy days). The main reason why it always stuck with me is because the foreman once heard me joking around with “his staff” and I told an Asian joke and the foreman overheard and told “his staff” that if they wanted to make a complaint about me he would support them.
The thing is he had it in for me. The Asian employees however didn’t have it in for me. There had always been class segregation at that work; office staff were perceived by many of the factory staff as arrogant and thought they were better than the factory staff. I didn’t see it like that. I would walk through the factory and say hello to everyone, just as all the office staff would say hello to all the other office staff.
So to the Asian people I had joked around with, I knew that they wouldn’t take offense and they all laughed. But the underlying thing that made them accept me and accept my humour was that I went out of my way (although I never saw it like that, going out of my way) to say hello.
But there it is, amongst the drivel that I just wrote; a joke about small Asian hands made by an Asian.
Okay, maybe Mr Mathieson should have thought twice before saying that. Maybe he should have suggested that you “seek out someone with small fingers” be them black, white, green, yellow, or red, be them male or female; just go and get it done if you’re a bloke. But really, this joke cannot be compared to what Alan Jones said about Ms Gillard’s father as that was spiteful, arrogant AND aimed at a particular person.
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I think Tim’s remark was thoughtless and in poor taste, but it certainly wasn’t sexist or racist. He was making an observation that Asian women typically have smaller and daintier fingers, therefore making the procedure more comfortable.
The difference between him and if Tony Abbott had made the same comment is that Tony Abbott not only has a history of making insensitive remarks, but he is aspiring to the most important job in the country therefore he is going to be held to a higher standard.
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When we go out with our munchkins We go to family friendly places (and there are heaps around our hood). When hubby and I are sans kiddies……..we like to go where we can have a night out without kiddies around. Yes sorry about that.
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.. and how prescient was Mia’s article the other day about kids and cafes? Points to MM for timing.
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My Dad is a prostate cancer survivor with a great sense of humour and he has spent many years joking about the unfortunate but necessary ‘digital examination’ – he’s even joked with his Doctor about it. It seems that men respond well to humour when it comes to such personal matters – I’ve seen it a lot – obviously their way of handling that feeling of awkwardness.
I do think the ‘Asian’ reference was a bit cringe-worthy – I got the joke and didn’t think he was being racist but I’m not surprised the media and opposition are screaming ‘racist!’ (such an opportunity for them!). Clearly though, his intention was not to be racist or insensitive to cancer sufferers… he’s obviously not joined the cause to do that.
Let’s not let the real message get lost in all the hysteria.
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I am a swinging voter so I am not coming at this from an ALP or Lib point of view but I found Tim’s comment racist and dumb
The media are probably not giving it the slapdown it deserves because 1/4 of the country is flooding – Tim (and Julia) should count themselves lucky we are too busy focussing on supporting Qld to give him a dressing down
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Now….had Tony Abbott made the remark made by Mr Mathieson he would have been dog meat by now.
I haven’t seen such a massive brush over since I last visited the barber on pension day !
Where is all of this feminist anger ? In hiding ?
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Why would it be feminist anger?
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Don’t read this site if all you’re going to do is offend the Mamamia team and their readership.
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That isn’t what Bradley does. He disagrees and questions, and if his comments were so terrible, they wouldn’t get past moderation.
This site has never been a Mia love-fest, and that is the right attitude. You’re allowed to disagree with Brad, he’s allowed to disagree too.
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Sure. But the website is allowed to be biased if they choose to be. The writers can be outraged about whatever they want. I’m sorry for sounding snarky. I just don’t understand why he comments on every article with this same questioning and ‘where is the feminist outrage??!” line. Clearly the way things are reported annoy him and clearly that’s not going to change.
Genuine question Bradley. What’s bringing you back when so many of the articles seem to irritate you?
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You don’t have to apologise – you haven’t done anything wrong. You just disagreed and asked a question.
I don’t agree with a lot of the stuff written here either, and I will say so, yet no-one tells me to bugger off. Well, unless you count just not having comments published sometimes. You don’t have to agree with everything all the time. I agree with some things here, I disagree with some things here. I don’t think it’s the way things are reported – I think that sometimes there ARE “outrages” that aren’t deserving of the name here. And I think that’s what Brad responds to with questioning, and some of them are as tenuous as claiming that this is a sexist, racist comment. It’s a storm in thimble, but he has a point – if it had been a coalition member’s partner, it probably would be handled differently.
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I comment and ask questions because I’m always hopeful that I will get an honest response.
I believe that I have made a valid point and that I have asked a genuine question. I don’t believe that the honest response has been forthcoming…but I live in hope.
@ Kris…the feminist outrage would have gone through the roof had Abbott made the remark about Asian women. I repeat, the MM readership would have had his backside in a sling. I am sincerly flabbergasted that Mr Mathieson appears to have gotten off lightly because he is the PM’s partner. I believe that the hypocracy stinks to high heaven.
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Anna, I can’t speak for Bradley but there are many things that I don’t agree with on this site, just like I don’t agree with everything my friends say or do and I like to have an open discussion with them about it, hear their point of view, and they hear mine. I like to hear Bradley’s view, even when I don’t agree with it. Let’s not shoot people down for joining the discussion.
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The difference is that Tim Mathieson is not the PM, nor Opposition Leader nor a member of either side of parliament.
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I don’t believe Mr Mathieson to be a party member on either side.
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I actually agree with you Bradley that if Abbott had made the comment there would have been a different reaction. And having thought about it I think it would of been different because Abbott has some form on saying some pretty stupid comments. Right or wrong he has a reputation for this kind of thing & people are less tolerant.
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I think it has to do with track record. Tony Abbott has a well established history of saying offensive things about women. So perhaps you’re right, he might have copped more flak.
But anyway, he didn’t say it. Tim Mathieson said it. It’s the first time we’ve heard him say something like that and so in good faith it’s being interpreted as a bad taste, verbal slip up.
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I can’t speak for people who have prostate cancer. However, on the Asian side of things – I’m Chinese, my sister’s a doctor, and we laughed ourselves silly when we heard Tim’s joke. 好笑 了 (hilarious) ! Sometimes humour helps us cope with difficult things.
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To FHB and Anonymous (below)
Why is it suddenly irrelevant when the PM’s partner makes a racist remark?
If the same had been said by a member of the Liberal Party the members of this ‘Dinner Party’ would crucify them.
I for one, do find his remark racist and offensive.
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Would you find it as offensive and racist if it was one of your beloved LNP’s member or their partner that said this?
I don’t find it offensive and racist. I find it a bit dumb, but that’s all.
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Yes Kris2040 I would find it racist regardless of who said it – because it is!
It was in my view, a racist and sexist remark.
And may I add, stupid.
One of my pet hates with this Govt is their inconsistency.
Where’s the PM’s mock rage against sexism now?
Where’s her commitment to cultural equality now?
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Why is it racist and sexist to make that comment?
Asian women do have smaller builds than most people. They do have smaller hands. I have tiny hands compared to blokes my size. It’s not sexist or racist to point out an anatomical difference.
I don’t believe you – I think you’d be defending Tony Abbott or any of the others (or their partners – don’t forget, it wasn’t Julia Gillard who actually made the comment) to the hilt going on past performance.
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Kris, I have to admit that the comment did give me a giggle. I’m just feeling a little gaga because the usual suspects have chosen to gloss over the remark. We both know that this site would have gone into meltdown had it been made by say….Alan Jones or Andrew Bolt.
I don’t believe that either of those people, like Mr Mathieson, are MP’s or seeking the job of Australian PM. The outrage or the forgiveness (and I don’t that this is the word that I really wish to use) is selective….very selective.
Surely if it’s wrong to say something….it’s wrong to say something. Regardless of who says it.
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Hey Brad,
You must remember though, that I’m the first to say “Actually, that’s not sexist/racist/whatever” when the OUTRAGE button is pressed. All in context, my friend. You’ve been around long enough to see people when I disagree with the general tide here.
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What do you find so offensive about it? I have spoken to a few of my Asian friends who think its quite funny. Are you Asian or are you just outraged on their behalf? Many Asian people are petite, I don’t think it’s a racial stereotype so I’m genuinely interested in why you personally find it so offensive?
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I feel a Wikipedia page on Jill Meagher’s murder is unnecessary.
It is further anguish for her loved ones and she’d not want to be remembered as a victim. Taking it down doesn’t mean she’ll be forgotten. I know I won;t forget. Takign it down does not lessen the significance or pain of what happened. Same goes for Facebook tribute pages of murder victims. Since when is a crime’s impact measured by its existence on social media? When did that become the yardstick? No more grief porn after a certain amount of time. More important is catching criminals, and decent sentencing, and far, far stricter parole consideration and monitoring to prevent re-offence.
Additionally, we should not give any more space to the perpetrator of crimes. A lot of them get off on this – Martin Bryant is a key example. Do not glorify their abominable actions (it may not be glory by yours or my definition, but believe me, it is to some sickos). Let’s not help in the recognition of their ‘accomplishments’.
Finally, can you imagine if every murder had its own dedicated Wikipedia page? Not feasible.
Let’s remember and pay respect to victims in better and brighter ways.
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I agree, but you said that arsehat’s name, thereby giving him what he wants.
I disagreed with the posts that kept coming here when it happened, and a lot of that was that it just kept it going and going, and I felt that someone (and their family) probably wouldn’t like it.
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Yes, I did say his name and I did consider that when writing my comment, I weighed it up and felt it was (on this ocassion) required to demonstrate my point. I wonder if people realise, so important to him is his fame for what he did that psychologists have banned him from ever hearing about any coverage or mention in the media. He asks after it constantly apparently.
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Yeah I know, it’s a difficult line to tread sometimes – the people that are cut down by such nutters deserve to be remembered, but how do you do that without mentioning the nutter, and thereby doing exactly what they want?
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I disagree – how is Jill Meagher any different to all the other pages up about similar horrible events. Giving information and having it available is necessary. – (Yes I’m aware that wikipedia is not fact and can be made by anyone – yet it is still a source of information).
When this happened to Jill Meagher I don’t know why but I was trying to absorb as much information about it as I could because it hit so so so close to home in regards to location, her life, her age etc I found myself reading pages like wiki which then linked to others. It opened my eyes to stories of horrible events that had happened to women over several decades in Australia and brought my thoughts with them. Not that it really matters or can do anything but I found myself saying a ‘sort of’ prayer for those women of who I never would have heard of without that source.
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What about the news that Channel 10 have dumped the “insignificant” sport of netball 8 weeks out from the season start? Here’s a tip: show the sport at times that most people who play it (approximately 1.2 million registered players – utterly insignificant, clearly) are going to be able to watch it, and not AT THE TIME THEY’RE OFF PLAYING.
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Completely agree Kris. How insulting for one of the highest participation sports in the country to be disrespected this way. I’m really hoping sponsors like ANZ stick around otherwise it may mean the end of the national championships.
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They’ve always seemed to have decent sponsors (well, not compared to footy, but OK), it’s just the shithouse tv treatment that they get – if girls don’t get to see the sports they play at an elite level easily, like kids who play footy, or cricket do, what is that going to do for both the girls and the sport? Girls have just as much right as boys to be having idols in their sport without having to tape it while they’re off playing or watching games that are three days old, or having to pay to watch it on foxtel.
And yes, I know that girls play different types of footy and cricket, but Netball is still a mostly female sport, so it is girls who are being told that their sport is “insignificant”.
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It’s funny you say that because when my son started Auskick etc he knew all about the game, it’s rules, the players etc because of the blanket coverage footy gets in the media in Melbourne. When my daughter started netball none of the girls had any idea how to play because they had never seen it on TV!
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Exactly. Kids playing the televised sports have a really good idea of how they work. Only kids who see their parents or someone play netball regularly would have the same for that sport. And even then, it probably isn’t as good, because they’re off playing because Mum’s on the court, so no-one’s actually explaining it to them, either by sitting and watching or by listening to the commentary.
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Perhaps if the woman and girls were watching the telecasts, TEN wouldn’t have pulled the pin ?
It’s all good and well to say that netball is the highest participation sport in the country. But television, especially commercial television relies on ratings. A telecast only rates when someone indicates that they are watching it.
I don’t know, perhaps it would be worth telling off those who chose not to watch rather than the network ?
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As I mentioned in my original post: The Netball telecast is often on when most people who PLAY netball are actually off playing it, so aren’t at home to watch it. Or it’s on late on a Sunday night or something ridiculous when most people can’t watch it.
Apparently M*A*S*H* and Get Smart reruns are more important and “significant”.
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In defense of Tim, if you are going to have digital, rectal insertion, then by all means finding the person with the smallest possible digits is prudent.
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Haha, yes I agree … he didnt mean any offence, there are many other things the media could be focussing on today!!
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Yep, I agree. I think after saying the words “digital exam”, most blokes would want to follow up with a joke. Perhaps Mr Mathieson’s joke was inappropriate, but I think he was just trying to lighten an awkward topic.
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But surely the comment was misogynistic and sexist ?
Such a remark made any other day, made by any other person would result in the swiftest criticism and condemnation possible.
I’m merely searching for the hypocracy levels at the moment.
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A man made a joke (possibly unsuitable) about a medical examination which men have for an illness which men suffer – what does ‘misogynistic and sexist’ have to do with it? (And the only ‘hypocracy’ here is yours)
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Hello Lulu. I love it when you castigate me. It assures me that I’m on the right track.
Please don’t stop !
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How is it sexist? Women do have smaller hands and fingers than men.
He didn’t suggest they were any less capable than men. It’s like saying men have a penis and women don’t – it’s anatomy, not sexism.
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Yeah, a comment like that isn’t sexist. It’s not as if he said “Make sure it’s a hot Asian with an awesome rack” or something.
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As someone who has, unfortunately, had to have a digital rectal exam on more than one occasion it is in fact a lot less painful when done by someone with small hands. I had it done the first time by a male doctor and it left me in tears. The second time was a small woman and it was much more tolerable. Having experienced that, I can’t really get upset at the comment- because it’s true.
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