As we come down from a high post Olympics it might be time to remember Don Bradman, born 100 years ago today and forever enshrined as one of the greats of cricket. In
this article we read he wasn’t just on top of cricket but excelled everywhere he competed.
Even some American observers appreciated the importance of Bradman to cricket: “He was Babe Ruth without the swagger,” Baltimore Sun journalist Bill Glauber once wrote. “Joe DiMaggio without Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jordan without the endorsements.”
Twice as good as the leading pack he set records that more than likely will never be beaten.
Another measure where Bradman’s record is superior is the performance comparison within the chosen sport. Bradman’s average of 100 (rounded off to the nearest run) in 80 Test innings makes him twice as good as the next group of batsmen, whose averages fall between 40 and 60.
In other words, he was worth the Chappell brothers, Ian and Greg, or the Waugh brothers, Steve and Mark. There were many fine players with averages in the 30s. For instance, Bradman was worth the combination of Paul Sheahan, Kim Hughes and Joe Darling, all top class, who would be selected for their country in any era.
Go read and remember how great he was.
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I listened to the ABC report on the
Democrat Convention in Denver. Michelle Obama spoke but her earlier comment “
…first time in my life I’m really been proud to be an American” didn’t get a rerun. Ted Kennedy spoke emotionally and eloquently about the achievements of others – his brother Jack and quoted Martin Luther King’s
I have a dream but he didn’t mention
Chappaquiddick
Understandable too, but some people have long memories and if I was Obama I would just as soon not have Ted’s support.
I wonder if the ABC will give the
Republican Convention to be held next week, the same sort of coverage.
FOR seven minutes there was silence on the Indonesian island except the sounds of
two men dying and a priest singing Amazing Grace.
A Irish Catholic priest, officiating at an execution in Indonesia, says the men took seven minutes to die after having been shot. The execution squad of 12 had only three weapons armed with live rounds and the rest with blanks.
I’m not sure why authorities insist on this ‘some rifles load with blanks’ line. I presume it is to help the poor guys doing the executing – ie maybe my rifle had a blank and thus I didn’t kill him’ but if a soldier doesn’t know the difference between firing a blank or a live round he shouldn’t be in the game.
I’m not big into executions but if you are going to do it then let’s not stuff around. Have 9 out of a dozen rifles loaded with live rounds and the rest with blanks.
In fact this makes so much sense I am beginning to doubt the Priest’s story. Nowhere in the article does it say the men were executed one at time and I can’t believe that the authorities expected three rounds to do the job on two people – that would mean one of those to be executed was only targeted by one rifleman. Thus, they would have been executed separately in which case each guy would have taken three rounds in the chest.
That’s enough.
Looks like a beat-up to me but either way I don’t care. Some of the hundreds killed by the soon to be executed Bali Bomber Barbarians would have taken a lot longer to die that 7 minutes.
Shoppers have shunned the Federal Government’s
grocery pricing website, prompting industry experts to label it a waste of taxpayers money.
After being branded a “basket case” because it only listed once-a-month grocery prices, the $13 million website recorded a drop of 2.1 million visitors in its second week.
Opposition finance spokesman Peter Dutton said considering the website’s total cost of $13 million over four years, the number of hits from the past fortnight roughly worked out to about $10 a user, per year.
“It would be cheaper for Wayne Swan to stand outside Coles with gift vouchers,” he said.
Another pointless initiative that will soon be forgotten.
An embarrassed Australia has
apologised to Prime Minister Helen Clark over the circulation of a briefing note outlining her “tight control” and saying her leftwing beliefs & foreign policy outlook was shaped by her anti-Vietnam war views.
It might not be diplomatic but it’s on the money.
I always remember her as the one who
scrapped the New Zealand Airforce.
Says it all really.
Just heard on National radio
Wayne Swan accuses the opposition of being economically irresponsible for threatening to block the alcopop tax.
Economically irresponsible? I thought the tax was aimed at socially engineering young girls away from alcopops.
In a speech to the National Press Club, Mr Swan said the measure had been introduced to target teenage consumption of the drinks. “And all of the medical evidence and all of the scientific evidence and all of the behavioural evidence indicates that they are responsive to price,” Mr Swan said.
And all the rest of the evidence, including Swan’s words, indicates that the tax was just that, a tax with revenue in mind.
I spent Wednesday down south at the Currumbin RSL at a fund raising luncheon organized by Mine Victim and Clearance Trust (MIVAC). Normie Rowe played MC and sang a couple of numbers and all had a good time for a good cause.
MIVAC do wonders in Asia delousing mine fields and UXBs left over from various conflicts in the region. Graham Edwards, the retired ALP MP from WA came over for the lunch and as we were in the same company in Vietnam I attended along with a couple of other Support Company 7RAR mates.
7RAR’s second tour of Vietnam is remembered as much for it’s mine casualties as for it’s honourable service with the two fighting and recce platoons of Support Company suffering a disproportional number of these casualties. Graham Edwards is one of them and well known but there were several others less known publicly but remembered and honoured within the battalion.
Having has such an intimate relationship with mines it is not much of an extension to want to help others similarly inflicted, particularly when they are mostly civilians – woman and children – in countries where the Department of Veterans Affairs has no charter to help. The kids go looking for scrap metal to supplement the families income and often find the metal contains explosives. They are blown up and killed or de-limbed. No one helps..no government department gives them artificial limbs..they just crawl around.
Have a look at the web site, you may be moved to help.
I was.
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The US Navy is commissioning a series of Hero Ships named after heros and incidences from the war against terror. One, the USS New York has recycled steel from the WTC Towers incorporated in her hull
“We’re very proud that the twisted steel from the World Trade Center towers will soon be used to forge an even strong national defense,” said New York Gov. George Pataki. “The USS New York will soon be defending freedom and combating terrorism around the globe, while also ensuring that the world never forgets the evil attacks of September 11, 2001 and the courage and strength New Yorkers showed in response to terror.”
I like the symmetry and can only hope one of the ships gets to give some payback.
More at the USS New York website.
BENNELONG community groups and constituents have accused
Maxine McKew of turning her back on the electorate since the federal election.
You voted for her, now wear it!
PRIME Minister
Kevin Rudd witnessed a heated discussion between US President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, over Russia’s invasion of a tiny neighbouring country as athletes paraded before them in the Opening Ceremony on Friday night.
And then told the press about it …the little
lickspittle.
How embarrassing!
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