Asleep At The Wheel – The Townsville Bulletin Bombs Out Spectacularly, Missing The Local Story Of The Year.

Hey, did you read that story in the Townsville Bulletin about the JCU medical graduate – the son of a prominent Townsville businessman – thrown into a Bolivian slammer as a suspected terrorist? Of course you didn’t – the Townsville Bulletin ends a week of major news misses and embarrassing errors with its most spectacular effort today.

Also, calling people names can be defamatory, but not if the name is Dennis Denuto … The ‘Pie reports on the vibe that didn’t work.

And who was that mystery man? A phantom Townsville City councilor calls it quits … but who?

But first, one of the most unsettling, poorly sold and alarming decisions by any recent Australian Government has been the sale of the Darwin Port to a Chinese company. And that would be a company that has close links with the communist government and the Chinese military, forces just so happen to be building artificial islands for military purposes in international waters just north of us. For Bentley, who not unreasonably equates the deal with treason, reckons Bazza Obama, like almost all Australians, is less than gruntled.

Bentley says ‘Darwin – the survival of the smartest. Looks like that’s NOT us, thanks to our representatives.’

And Larry Pickering reckons he spotted an exchange missed by the media when Talkbull met Bazza O.

The Astonisher Has An Epic News Fail, To End A Dismal Week Of Misses And Cock-ups

Perhaps The ‘Pie’s news sense has gone astray, but when three JCU medical graduates, two of them the sons of prominent Townsville businessmen, are arrested and thrown into a Bolivian slammer when one of them was caught trying to carry dynamite onto a passenger plane, you’d think it’d get a mention somewhere before page 8 in The Astonisher … like seven pages earlier.

But it hasn’t even made it into the Astonisher at all!

Here’s what went down, and was being reported by Fairfax and other on-line sites since 9 last night. The Magpie has added some bits that he has discovered himself.

Three graduates from JCU,

Julian Giovanni Vicenzo Musumeci, 24, …

…Liam Mark Eales, 25 …

and Justin Maurice Kwong Wei Sun, 25, decided on what friends had described was intended to be ‘the trip of a life time’ to South America, before entering the workforce next year. Julian is to start as a doctor in January.

The Magpie has been reliably told that part of the trip was to a Bolivian mine site, where the main attraction was a tourist come-on where visitors could buy explosives that could be made into a device, go to a designated area in the mine site and detonate it. To some, especially young blokes even with innocent motives, sounds like a blast not be missed. While Justin and Liam are said to have done just that, for reasons yet to be made clear, Julian left his explosive in his backpack, and somehow presumably thought no more about it, until it was too late. Security at the mine was apparently pretty slack, which wasn’t the case elsewhere.

On November 12, the trio was stopped at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de La Sierra while boarding a flight to Sao Paulo, where according a local paper quoted by the SMH and Age, police said a backpack alleged to belong to Musumeci contained “a dynamite canister, a detonator and a bag of pink granules yet to be identified” which police said could be used as a homemade explosive device.

 

All three were taken into custody, with Liam and Justin quickly released. Julian remains detained, and will face a court hearing this week. Depending on what charges – if any – are laid, he could be facing between 3 and 5 years in jail. His parents, Townsville businessman Sam Musumeci and wife Maria have flown to Bolivia to be with their son. One source told The Magpie the parents are confronted with what could delicately be described as morally and ethically conflicted officials.

Liam’s father, Townsville valuer Geoff Eales told Fairfax Media that although his son was free to leave Bolivia because he had done no wrong, he is staying on to support his friend if a trial is ordered. Given this day and age, and where he is, that is a courageous decision of loyalty by Liam. This is Sydney Morning Herald story which was first posted early last night.  A grim tale of our times that brings the problems of the world right here to the ‘Ville. Not that you’d know it from the paper that’s all for the North.

Is The ‘Pie Being Harsh on The Townsville Bulletin?

Should/could The Bulletin have known about this?

Well, let’s face it, The Magpie did, tipped off by three separate callers around 8 last night. Fairfax gave further details to the much earlier story about the arrests (which didn’t initially carry names) just after 9pm, and Bulletin ‘stablemate’ The Australian knew about it, too,  and put something on line just before 11.

Why none of those local people called the paper is a matter for them to answer, but even 10 o’clock shouldn’t be too late to squeeze in an important late item like this. In fairness, Saturday’s paper is tricky with inserts and pre-printing, but nothing went up on the Bulletin website until they picked up a Sunday Telegraph story timed at 1.18 this afternoon (Sat).

The point here is that The Bulletin is always quick to crow about its national and international connections as part of Rupert’s empire, and tell constant lies about that connection’s value to Townsville (it can be successfully argued that exactly the opposite is the truth). Was a time when subs, night editors and the editor would constantly check wire stories and southern opposition sites right up until the paper was ‘put to bed’ sometime between 10.30 and midnight. This allowed frequent late inclusions of relevant stories like this one, even if they were just mentions. Seems the luxury of enough staff to be alert to stories like this is something Rupert’s counting house has vetoed. But you can no doubt catch up with in Monday’s Bulletin.

 It’s Been A Week Of Misses And Whoopsies For The Astonisher.

A matter not of the nature of the foregoing but worthy of note anyway was also missed earlier in the week. This from Magpie comments last Tuesday.

The Magpie 

 November 17, 2015 at 10:01 am  (Edit)

A small example of a big problem for Townsville.
Tucked away on page 13 of today’s print edition of the paper that’s all for the North (in case you don ‘t recognise that description , that would be the claim of the Townsville Bulletin) is a wire story from Sydney about the unveiling of Retro Roo II, the Qantas B737-800 decked out in vintage QANTAS livery as part of the airline’s 95th birthday celebrations.

 

 it is very eye-catching piece of Australian nostalgia which will be seen around the world, but sadly, it was simply a case of lazy journalism from the Astonisher.
Because Retro Roo 11 was painted HERE IN TOWNSVILLE (clue for TB reporters: we are home to the biggest spray shop in the southern hemisphere) … and was kept under wraps until it flew out on Sunday night for the Sydney unveiling on Monday. One would think that would surely be worthy of a modest civic boast … TOWNSVILLE PAINTS QANTAS LOUD AND PROUD would do the trick. Or maybe RETRO ROO II A TOWNSVILLE JOEY.
But no, not a mention for what would surely be a good little local follow-up yarn. Make us feel good about ourselves in these tough times.
Does The ‘Pie sound petty? How on earth would a local reporter, tasked to regurgitate a wire story, discover such a connection? By doing what reporters are supposed to do, that’s how. For a start, they could’ve discovered this open secret the same way Australian Aviation’s website did.
“The aircraft landed in Sydney shortly before 0800 on Monday morning from Townsville, where it had been repainted by Flying Colours Aviation, and was towed to the hangar for the official presentation.”
Or QANTAS itself:
“The arrival of Retro Roo II, which was painted in Townsville, is part of Qantas’ 95th birthday celebrations.

And it ain’t petty when the paper makes such a show of not really being an uncaring southern-managed conglomerate, but a dinky di part of the Townsville community (ha!).
Worse still, the Astonisher wasn’t the only one asleep at the wheel … where were the Dudley Do Nothings aka Townsville Enterprise? What’s it got to do with them, you scoff?

 

Well, just that TEL’s chairman is none other that Kevin ‘Rhymes With’ Gill, boss of the southern-owned Townsville airport. 737s are kinda largish items that even he just might be alert enough to glimpse – it was out the tarmac early Sunday evening. Ha, like he didn’t know, pull the other one … so were you told not to say anything by QANTAS, Kevvy? Well, that’s in fact fair enough but why not tip off the paper for inclusion in the Monday story? You are also all for Townsville, aren’t you, mate? Or are your loyalties still conflicted as they always appear to be? Like the Bulletin’s?

Nothing Worse Than Catching Up Then Cocking Up

Then the paper was a full 48 hours behind (cough … The ‘Pie will modestly hum tunelessly and examine his fingernails) in announcing the decision of independent councilor Pat Ernst to quit council at the next election. This from comments last Monday.

The Magpie

November 16, 2015 at 6:46 pm  (Edit)

PAT ERNST CALLS ITS QUITS.

PAT ERNST WILL NOT BE RUNNING FOR COUNCIL AT THE NEXT ELECTION.

Pat confirmed this to The ‘Pie early this evening, shortly after GI Jayne Arlett announced that her team member Janelle Poole would be running in Ernst’s Division 5. Arlett did not speak with Ernst about joining her team, although he said he was open to the idea of discussing the possibility.

Ernst ousted sitting Townsville First councillor Natalie Marr, who polled ahead on 2912 primaries to Ernst’s 2427 but he got home on preferences, ironically on Marr’s preferences. Pauline Thomas for Labor (ie Team Hill) garnered 2106 but even a preference deal with Labor sympathiser Gary Hansen – who cornered 1116 votes – couldn’t change the result.

Now let’s see how closely the Astonisher reads The Magpie.

 Well, shackled by a printed paper that is virtually out of date when you pick it up, they chased the news as quick as they could, but on Wednesday … oh, dear, they’d found another councillor who’d quit..

Look, The ‘Pie’s done worse in his time but more by good luck than good management, his cock-ups never made it into the headline as well as the body copy. Gotta feel a bit sorry for the promising young Charlie Peel.

The Astonisher Goes About Stirring Up Apathy

So the Astonisher sponsored Thursday’s patronizing bit of flapdoodle called Redefining Townsville, where a panel of five experts took a big stick to an apparently recalcitrant business community, scolding them that they must ‘embrace the digital revolution’. Er, you mean they’re not? This concept of course had the unspoken premise that small business is run by slack jawed introverts oblivious to the world south of Alligator Creek where all ’them thar digital smarty-pants sorta people live who know ‘bout them clever computer doohickeys and doodats and all’ … these folks, we were firmly schoolmarmed , must unslack those jaws and raise up those dragging knuckles to embrace the ‘digital revolution’. The conclusion that we here in the ‘Ville are not doing so means none of the participants from southern climes had ever gone to a corner store around here for a Mars Bar and waited for the proprietor to tap a screen about 30 times before handing you back your five cents change.

With speakers like Campbell Newman (uh?) and would you believe, the magnificently titled News Corpse Australia digital product development (breath) group director Alisa Bowen as two of the star attractions, it would be interesting to know just how many people coughed up the $59 for the pleasure of being insulted with a barrage of the bleedin’ obvious motherhood statements. It is reasonable to assume there were almost more people on the stage than in the audience, otherwise the Bulletin would be doing one of it’s famous imaginative crowd-count crowing pieces.

But some up there did not have the right to feel too superior, which goes in spades for Ms Bowen. To have a newspaper as derided for its careless and half-baked digital presence as the Astonisher (digital subscribers 145) sponsoring this hootenanny, and then have the person responsible for News Corpse ‘digital development’ (a complete national joke in the industry – they’re getting hammered everywhere) was a bit rich to say the least.

But The ‘Pie must desist now from this frivolity, serious business beckons wherein the old bird must check that the frapple hose is plugged into the glammis so he can photoshop the Java text incoming portals to synchronise the Optimum Search Engine capability to get this blog thingy out to the restlessly waiting hordes … all three of ‘em. Now, where’s that bloody button …?

Stick and Stones, Dept of:

Or, time wasting drip sues bloke, time wasting drip loses (hurrah)

You may recall earlier this year it was reported that a tosser … err, sorry, solicitor named Brett Clayton Smith decided to sue another solicitor, one Kenneth Craig Lucht, because Mr Lucht had referred to him in an email to a third person as the Dennis Denuto of Ipswich.

Huh, so what? one hears you grunt as you scratch yourself indelicately.

Well, it will help to remember that Dennis Denuto is the hapless and hopeless lawyer played by Tiriel Mora in the much loved movie The Castle, whose famous line ‘It’s the vibe’ is now firmly entrenched in the Aussie vernacular. Well, District Court Judge Moynihan metaphorically borrowed an even more famous line from the movie – ‘tell him he’s dreamin’ ‘- to chuck out Smith’s over-sensitive case.

It was a bit financially over-enthusiastic, too, when the ask was for $250,000 in damages. That led to the cruelest cut of all when Judge Moyinhan cheerfully told Smith that if he had won, he would have awarded him between $100 to $500. Yes, hundred.

For those with a legal bent who enjoy wading through judgments littered with triple negatives and quaint phrases, here is the classic Moynihan treatment of a bit of prize legal nincompoopery.

A The Result of Domestic Silence

Speaks for itself.

Irony Corner

Not sure that the message isn’t open to interpretation – look at all the strife they caused.

If you’ve enjoyed this week’s effort from the Lone Haranguer and would like to assist in keeping him in full voice, you can make a voluntary subscription. Recommend you start thinking at about $250,000, and work your way down until you can tell The ‘Pie he ain’t dreamin’. See below for details.