12 March 2008

Birthday celebrations fail to impress

| scumdorg

I went to the Canberra Day celebrations in Commonwealth Park on Monday and I’m wondering why I bothered. It was really quite rank and I was embarrassed to think that this is what we deem appropriate in order to celebrate the national capital’s 95th birthday.

There were too many security guards, too many kids and it was too hot.

There was quite a good band rehearsing on Stage 88 but this was over before it really began and it was back to finding something worthwhile to pass the time.

I went to the big top tent where the Play School show was about to start. I asked the guard whether there’d be any opportunities to meet Jay La’igaia as I was a fan of his when he was doing lifestyle TV on Channel Nine. I was told rather aggressively “No mate!” and then “you’d better piss off from here, this show is for kids and their parents only”.

I walked back to Stage 88 where I saw one of Mental As Anything’s roadies who was considerably more pleasant and agreeable. I asked when the Mentals were going to be on and he said 5:30. Since it was just past 2PM the thought of having to kill over three hours was too painful to contemplate. I had more interesting things to do at home like flea the cat and wash my hair (even though I’m bald).

I know that by posting this I risk starting up another RA flame war but I’m interested in how others saw the celebrations. Did I arrive at the wrong time? Did things pick up after I left? Is there something wrong with me?

Perhaps I’ve been in Canberra too long (we moved here in 1969) and perhaps I’m a bit jaded but I distinctly remember occasions like this in the Park in years gone by to be fun community events – the alcoholic frolics of the 1980s and early ’90s spring to mind. Maybe it’s another example of the collateral damage caused by nearly 12 years of John Howard, who knows? IMHO these celebrations were a waste of time and there seems little point in going through the motions again if this is all we can expect.

Over to you . . .

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That will do donkey. More than a little off topic now.

Scurmdog’s sexual preferences are not the topic of the original post and i dont feel particularly relevant. As per usual there are details in the faq (some of which have been cut and paste above) if you have a problem with that.

el ......Turbo V8 Recumbent Bicycle2:01 pm 12 Mar 08

So it could potentially be classed as a ‘Grubby, shameful’ website then?

This may be too late – but that link to scumdorgs blog has an image of full frontal male nudity – so buyer beware.

What’s homophobic about saying that someone who partakes in sex in public toilets may not be the best person to hang around kids?

The fact that it was homosexual sex is irrelevant.

el ......Turbo V8 Recumbent Bicycle1:53 pm 12 Mar 08

So many tagline opportunities, so little time.

Ingeegoodbee1:51 pm 12 Mar 08

Whatch it there Skiddy. If you’re suggesting that I’m homophobic you might end up at the end of a law suit!

Courtesy of scumdorg’s “blog” (how’s that going by the way? many hits?) – see it here

<emA grubby, shameful website

There is a rather grubby website in Canberra which was set up a few years ago as the national capital’s version of Crikey! – the news site which was a must-read a few years ago when owned by Stephen Mayne. Unlike Crikey! the Canberra site is very much a free for all and allows unmoderated comments to be made about contributors to the site.

I submitted an article on Canberra’s birthday celebrations and several replies were printed inferring that I am a pedophile. I have informed the website contributors that if any similar suggestions are made on the site about myself – or anybody else – I will launch legal action. My cousin has his own practice and my brother works in a firm which specialises in class actions. If the site and its contributors don’t lift their game then I will gather other victims of the site and look into taking action to have it either closed down or else more rigorously moderated.

There is a rather unsavoury underbelly of ignorant bogans in Canberra – I know from bitter experience with CB radio in the 1990s – but it is depressing to see that, rather than disappearing as technology became more advanced and society moved on they have simply migrated to the Net. Reading the website in question is like paddling down a sewer in a glass-bottomed boat.

The message out of all this is to be eternally vigilant. You never know what scumbags and bottom-feeders are lurking out there on the Net and it is a good idea never to contribute to websites which try and style themselves as larrikin forums and allow unmoderated and unsubstantiated comment.

I don’t know that it’s a homophobe bandwagon.

Just for shits and giggles scumdorg, care to point out exactly what you have a problem with, other than, you know, people quoting YOUR words and simply having an opinion on them?

bah – peopele = people.

Just in case I get sued for bad typing.

@Scumdorg: From the FAQ:

Moderation
Ever wondered where your comment went to? Well occasionally someone will really annoy us with a personally offensive (and usually inaccurate) comment which we might choose to moderate away. We don’t moderate simply because we disagree with what’s said, its usually offensive or contributes nothing to the story in question. We’ll also moderate if you take things way off topic with your own personal gripes. Get your own site for that. Consistent repeat offenders will get automatically moderated no matter how reasonable their next post might be.

We also have automated language filtering and anything that doesn’t pass the filters goes into a moderation queue awaiting admin approval.

You said something really horrible about me! What can I do about it?
you can email us ( root@the-riotact.com ) and ask us to amend it, or take it down and explain why we should. If you make a cogent argument we might agree, but then again we might not. depending on our mood at the time. Be warned however that we do not respond well to frivolous legal threats and will quite likely publish them.

(italics mine)

RiotACT posters are responsible for their own writings, legal threats get passed down the line until they hit something they can stick to.

But the viewpoint from RiotAct parental readers re: being chased away from the kiddies tent by Security could be seen a reasonable one, based on other posts you’ve made before.

The subsequent homophobe bandwagon I can’t explain.

See, I always knew nothing good would come out of Play School.

See you in Court, Jemima, Big Ted, Little Ted, et el!

Ah, just when I needed a laugh, all I had to do was read this crap.

Scumdorg – get real.

“a/ The ability to post comments about submitted news items should be disabled completely (preferred),”

Explain for me the purpose of the site if peopele are unable to participate in discussion and debate?

“b/ The comments should be moderated and posted after being reviewed by moderators for legal issues – this currently done with news items; or”

They do receive limited moderation. There have been plenty of past examples where the mods have removed or edited comments due to their content. I’d say similar review has taken place with the stuff you’re referring to. Funny thing is, the mods don’t have a problem with everything said thus far.

Just because they don’t make decisions on content that you agree with doesn’t mean they don’t make decisions on content.

“c/ A facility should be installed which allows anybody being attacked to close down any further comments and/or delete any previous comments.”

a) What a ridiculous notion.
b) Even if it weren’t, I’d love for you to write a script that would allow the RA site to determine if 1 – a comment is about a user, 2 – the comment violates TOS, and 3 – where the extent of the violation is enough to grant said user the right to edit the comment.

Get real, muppet.

Nice threat sweetie. Should I just have my lawyers contact yours for quick clarification?

. . . but not for very much longer.

Growling Ferret1:12 pm 12 Mar 08

The tribe has spoken.

Ingeegoodbee1:04 pm 12 Mar 08

What kind of screwed up power trip is the scumdorg butt-bandit on? Where the hell does he get off dictating such crap to RA. Here’s a tip for you poo-puncher: if you don’t like it here, feel free to fcuk off!

Lawsuit me too, I’d gladly buy the security guard a beer whenever I saw him.

Kermit The Frog12:39 pm 12 Mar 08

Leave me out of this.

Otherwise…

I’LL SUE YOU ALL BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

Guys, stop it or you’ll get us all sued!

Plus his handbag might hurt if he hit you with it.

el ......Turbo V8 Recumbent Bicycle12:24 pm 12 Mar 08

ROFLMAO.

Good luck with that, princess.

I bet he has a pink dress!

el ......Turbo V8 Recumbent Bicycle12:21 pm 12 Mar 08

I heard he was actually bi-curious, but that was just a rumour. Then of course there’s all the inferred beastiality (Ms Piggie etc…)

Kermit is a fag? … well, he did sing The Rainbow Connection after all.

el ......Turbo V8 Recumbent Bicycle12:13 pm 12 Mar 08

a/ The ability to post comments about submitted news items should be disabled completely (preferred),

You’ve gotta be kidding me!

Wasn’t it You who publicly posted details about your involvement in various ‘events’ in the public toilets in Queanbeyan? Not once, but twice?

“It’s not libel if it’s true.”

Good call.

Scumdorg, your threats of legal action would be very costly to yourself as it seems that it was a simple miscommunication. Coupled with the fact that you use an alias as opposed to your real name, it would be very hard easy to say the remarks were made towards “Scumdorg” as opposed to you personally. It’s like me calling Kermit The Frog a fag and being sued by Jim Henson (RIP).

Secondly, if you don’t like the site’s rules and features, leave. You’ve happily posted here before and probably will continue so either put up or shut up.

If you can’t take the hits, don’t play the game.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy12:00 pm 12 Mar 08

Meeeeeeoooooowwwwwww!

@ scurmdorg

The legal issues relating to defamation on public website comments or forums has never to my knowledge been proven in any court in Australia.

The last case I heard about related to a company attempting to sue whirlpool about comments users made relating to the poor quality of their accounting software, and as far as I am aware the case was dropped.

In any case, nobody has called you a child molester, and I think it would be quite fair to comment that someone who admits to illegal acts of public lewdness with a child molester does sound suspicious hanging around the playschool tent.

It’s not libel if it’s true.

I am putting the moderators on notice to modify the website

Good luck with that, princess.

Geez…somebody touched a nerve! Get over it scumdog, it’s an internet forum.

There seem to be inherant problems with the structure of this website which lay contributors open to legal action. The main area of concern is the publication of unmoderated comments and the targeting of contributors to the site with unsubstantiated and defamatory implications and accusations. I am putting the moderators on notice to modify the website in order for it to continue within legal boundaries, viz:

a/ The ability to post comments about submitted news items should be disabled completely (preferred),

b/ The comments should be moderated and posted after being reviewed by moderators for legal issues – this currently done with news items; or

c/ A facility should be installed which allows anybody being attacked to close down any further comments and/or delete any previous comments.

By allowing submitted comments to be posted immediately upon submission unchecked you are putting contributors and the moderators at risk of defamation proceedings.

Anyone that a) does that, and b) admits to it on RIOTACT (!!!) is of questionable character to be sure – but what, is the security guard psychic? Or was scumdorg wearing a shirt that said “One of the many people I had gay sex with in the Crawford St public toilets is now an accused child molester” ?

If either of the above were true, I could buy the security guard making a decision to move him on for the right reasons.

But some bloke asking to see Jay whatshisface? Kids show or not, telling a member of the public to piss over that is a little pissweak.

*shrug*

Given scumdorg’s earlier comments in this thread … “I was a sex partner of Paul Lyons in the late 1980s when he was supposedly having sex with the boys at Marist (and later Dara). I didn’t know he was a teacher he was just another gay guy who I met at the public toilet in Crawford St several times.” … make up your own mind how suitable he is to be hanging around the Play School tent.

neanderthalsis10:23 am 12 Mar 08

Maybe he wanted to pick up MILFs and yummy mummies, perve on Noni Hazelhurst (does she still do PlaySchool?), or could be a nonce as alluded to…

From my point of view it does seem a bit strange that a single, 40+, childless man wants to hang around the Playschool tent … and has said he gladly f*cks a convicted child molester … and then whinges that he is asked to move on … well, I don’t think I’m a typical RiotaACT vigilante but I would bash his f*cking face in before I let him within 100m of my 1-y-o daughter

Comment by Ari — 11 March, 2008 @ 8:09 pm

Oh, I’ll pay that.

I love all you socially inept fukcers…

I don’t think your alone with those thoughts Ari.

From my point of view it does seem a bit strange that a single, 40+, childless man wants to hang around the Playschool tent … and has said he gladly f*cks a convicted child molester … and then whinges that he is asked to move on … well, I don’t think I’m a typical RiotaACT vigilante but I would bash his f*cking face in before I let him within 100m of my 1-y-o daughter

Ya ya ya law suit my arse. I just read two stories and made a comment on how I saw it. whether the security guard actually said ‘piss off’ suggests in his opinion you needed to.

Given no other person commenting made any negative remark about security and no reports of poor behaviour were in the news suggests they did a good job.

People throw the term law suit around like it’s going out of fashion. I have no idea who you are other than some annonymous name on an opinion/news site. I’m going to have to get my boat licence reviewed.

Hey Scum – very quick to threaten legal action against someone else but you weren’t so happy when it was threatended to you for that offensive John Eales photo you decided to publish!

There are very few threads here that manage to stay on topic once they start hitting 30+ comments.

A law suit huh? Wow.

I think it is a bit stupid for a security guard to move on an adult under those circumstances. Perhaps Special G is right and the guard thought something was odd, hence his actions.

That said, it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that it was just a security guard on a power trip.

In either case, telling someone to “piss off” isn’t necessary.

Neither is threatening someone with a lawsuit because of some throwaway comments on RiotACT. Get real.

CanberraResident5:17 pm 11 Mar 08

OK, so I finish my afternoon jog, come home to check my emails and a quick read of RiotAct, only to find no less than 54 replies to this thread. Wow I thought, people must really have something to say about the Canberra Day festivities … but alas … it was more like reading a bad episode of “Passions”, law suits and all!

Keeeeewl.

Really? Walking up to a security guard and asking if I would be able to meet a TV personality then leaving immediately when told to do so? You’re sick, buddy and you’re sailing very close to a lawsuit.

Not making lame attempts at humour here buddy. Just old men who hang around kids tents are something a security guard outside a kids tent may pay attention to. Obviously your actions made him take notice to you and he held some concerns therefore asked you to move on.

To Special G – In case you haven’t been following the bouncing ball, Paul Lyons was not a “known kiddy fiddler” in 1987 when I met him. That part of his psyche only surfaced after I lost contact with him the following year. The events surrounding Lyons and other Catholic pedophiles are serious and should not be trivialised by flippancy and lame attempts at humour.

flying doormat4:10 pm 11 Mar 08

Alarm bells – come on Special G I think your over reacting I mean it wasn’t scumdorg tickling and holding down “elephant nut kiddy fiddler” during sex but the other way round so why would anyone be worried about him being near a kids tent!!!

I’m surprised only El seems to have picked up on it. In one thread Sumdorg is posting how he enjoyed the casual toilet sex with a known kiddy fiddler and then complaining moments later how he was moved on from the kids tent at the Canberra day festival.

Anyone else hear alarm bells or is it just me.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy2:10 pm 11 Mar 08

Nice try Sina, but you posted in another thread on this site at 1.59pm, so you weren’t really leaving after all.

And the bagging of screen names was hinted at by Danman – I just thought I’d drag it into the open and point it at you. Try to keep up, honey.

Pity you’re not disposable at the same time.

Is it just mnme or does calling someone “Honey” scream bogan ?

I don’t recall ever bagging anyone’s screen name, you seem to be grasping at straws VY.

Ta-ta, I’m off to spend some of my disposable income.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:50 pm 11 Mar 08

And if we’re going to bag screen names, I hope Sina realises that their screen name spelt backwards it sounds suspiciously like ‘anus’.

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:49 pm 11 Mar 08

Ohhhh, shot through the heart….

But not as much fun as playing with yourself, right VY?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:48 pm 11 Mar 08

grasp, that is…

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:47 pm 11 Mar 08

Re-read you comment of 11.55am today – you’re fun to play with, Sina! And yes, I am bringing my kid up to be a smartarse, so he can enjoy conversation with persons like you good self as much as I can!

Danman, I wouldn’t waste too much energy on this peasant, he obviously doesn’t graps the underlying current of the site…

Honey, did you not realise that I wasn’t being entirely serious in that comment?

Whoosh indeed…

Just like a blowfly, hangs around for a few days, shits on everything and annoys everyone, then is gone again.

Well if I have to spell it out Sina, I would like to know why you are not surprised that VY’s kids do not go to school, and on what you are basing your assumption on… Kapish ?

Comprende?

Do. You. Understand. Me. Now?.

el ......Turbo V8 Recumbent Bicycle1:43 pm 11 Mar 08

Oh dear.

That WHOOSHsound wasn’t aircraft noise either, folks 🙂

Danman, I would like to give you answer, if I knew WTF you are babbling on about.

OMGZ VY, your superior intellect is just too much for me…you think I didn’t know that’s what you meant???

So tell me, are you bringing your kid up to be a little smartarse like you?

Do tell Sina, I want you to psychoanalyse someone based on their screen name.

What if I changed my screen name, whould that then mean I have changed ?

I find it hard that you can ascertain so much from so little.

Of course, I am willing to be wrong, if proven….

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy1:34 pm 11 Mar 08

Ha – I love you guys, you just never learn when someone is being a smartarse! My kid doesn’t go to school because he is 2! And when he does, the taxes I pay (which are considerably above the average) will cover it…

There are some events which are family, where it’s good for kids to be, and some that are over 18s, for obvious reasons.

Now, let’s all take a deep breath…

“No, your not. My kid doesn’t go to school.”

Comment by VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy — 11 March, 2008 @ 12:36 pm

Why am I not surprised.

cool. 🙂

yep, totally agree… was just trying to make a point to VY that he wasn’t an angel sent from heaven to provide children to look after me when i’m old..

AHAhahaa

nah…I’m just being a smartarse. I hate the “I hate kids, parents are selfish” rubbish attitude. Some people are parents, some aren’t….gosh!

care to elaborate why justbands?

…as is not having kids.

you’re not honestly trying to tell me that YOU had kids to support those who didn’t when they’re older… PU-LEASE!!!

You wanted kids and had them.. it is completely selfish..

el ......Turbo V8 Recumbent Bicycle12:41 pm 11 Mar 08

Perhaps stick to the Crawford St toilets, sd?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy12:36 pm 11 Mar 08

No, your not. My kid doesn’t go to school.

“Parents ARE all special and better than others, as we are sacrificing our time and energy so that when you lot are old and whinging about pensions and free senior services there are people paying tax.”

Comment by VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy — 11 March, 2008 @ 11:24 am

That old chestnut. Remember we are paying for your kids education, buddy.

“Is it the risk of tooth decay?”

No, but those little kids who can spel betterer than I can annoy me! 🙂

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy11:24 am 11 Mar 08

Parents ARE all special and better than others, as we are sacrificing our time and energy so that when you lot are old and whinging about pensions and free senior services there are people paying tax.

Is it the risk of tooth decay?

I went to the Navy Day celebrations and found it to be a great event.

I always avoid those other Canberra Day events like the plaque!

Too Hot its just the end of Summer, would have you been whinging if it was cold or wet or windy. too many kids, its not an over 18 gig you moron. I must confess that I hardly noticed the Security gaurds must have been a good job one would argue. My kids had a great time as did the families we were with. I think your expectations for the day were way off the mark. Perhaps you should stay away from public events it seem to upset your fine balance.

I never go to events like this because i know annoying children and their parents will be there… acting like they’re all special and better than everyone.

Arrived around 5 just for the concert (so can’t comment on the day’s activitied) even though I’m not much of a fan of Ricky Lee or Human Nature (but I did really enjoy the motown stuff) I had a great time last night.

I did the Big Canberra Bike Ride with my 4yo then went across to the Navy Day thing until early afternoon.

Yes it was hot and the afternoon entertainment was mainly for kids – beats me why you bothered turning up at 2pm without checking the events listing??

“I’d have moved you on too”

What for?

Comment by captainwhorebags — 11 March, 2008 @ 8:03 am

Because don’t you know, childfree singles are TEH EVIL!!!

I thought it was great. I don’t know that there are many other events in Australia where (despite the questionable pop-cred of the final few acts) you can bring a picnic including your own drinks and sit around having a good time for no particular reason.

captainwhorebags8:03 am 11 Mar 08

“I’d have moved you on too”

What for? It’s a public event, on public land, he’s not violent or causing a disturbance. I’m hoping he wasn’t standing there with his hands down his pants, but someone in the vicinity of children does not a kiddy fiddler make.

Security agencies need to do attitude screening for their staff, and customers should demand it. Being built like a brick shithouse isn’t the only personality trait required when dealing with the public, especially at an event like this one.

Absent Diane7:27 am 11 Mar 08

kids should not be allowed out in public. they are fcked in the head little retarded midgets. I hate them!

It’s not like you can blame Stanhopia for the weather.. despite his best attempts, he’s not able to control the weather…

How can there be too many kids? Maybe perhaps because you were hanging around the Play School tent. I’m not surprised the Guard moved you on being in there without any of your own children. I used to work Security at these events (including the Alcoholic Frolics) and I’d have moved you on too.

I did other family things with my kids yesterday, going to the local pool, playing, riding bikes etc.. Strangely spending an additional day with my wife and kids made it more fun… must be something wrong with me.

ahaha – I didn’t see the complaint about the kids in there. Nice one.

CanberraResident11:35 pm 10 Mar 08

Too many security guards you say? And you’d be the first to whinge if you got your head punched in and nobody came to your rescue.

Too many kids you say? Birthday parties are generally for kids, big and little ones. Where were your kids? At home playing computer games, eating chips and drinking coke?

Too hot you say? Once you’ve manage to whinge about everything else, then just throw in a whinge about the weather for the hell of it, hey?

Canberra Day is not meant to be an event for pissheads – it’s a family event, organised by the LOCAL government, for ALL of its citizens, young and old, oh and the weather cannot be helped. If it rained, you’d whinge. If it was windy, you’d whinge. To answer your question, yes, there is something wrong with you.

END

We had a picnic on the other side in the early afternoon. Didn’t stick around to see it, but got caught in the traffic for about half an hour at around 5.

The parking in that area works ok if everyone is coming or everyone is going, but when public holiday bbqers leave as the afternoon event goers arrive, it’s a recipe for disorganisation.

I hear the kiddies start young these days and like to beat up play school hosts, surpised they weren’t armed!

Have to agree with Nemo there – was a perfectly reasonable post until the attempt to connect some far reaching dots (Canberra Day and an ex-PM…)

Sounds like there were some clowns serving as security. Telling you to piss off because you weren’t a parent with your child? Right.

We went, it was hot and busy but fun. The kids enjoyed the kids entertainment, there were plenty of security guards but they just wandered about with their eyes open because nobody seemed to be giving anyone else a hard time. Roving performers were also doing a nice job, lots of drinks and ice cream vendors that were normally priced. Not even a line-up for the loos. The bands on Stage 88 sounded great, so possibly 2pm was just not a great time to be there unless you really wanted to see Fifi and the Koala Brothers.

I have fond memories of sitting around into the evening watching the Doug Anthony allstars on stage 88, and getting into a cask of wine. Those were Sunday in the Park days. Food andWine frolic was fantastic, but I think it got a bit out of control.

Now there events seem to always feature compulsory kiddie entertainment above all else.

You have got to be kidding. Please explain the link between an ex PM and an event organised by the equivalent of a local council.

You asked if there is something wrong with you, evidently there is.

I did the Canberra Bike Ride this morning which was great fun. By the time I finished, had coffee, barbeque lunch it was 12.3oish. I rode up to Stage 88 but decided it was simply too hot to hang around and see what the festivities were. I have only been in Canberra 6 months, but am afraid Human Nature and Ricki Lee simply don’t do anything for me. What I do love about this city though is that there is always something happening, so if what is on this weekend is not to your liking, maybe something next week is. I am looking forward to my first Skyfire which is next weekend I think.

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