14 November 2008

The ACT Australians of the Year

| johnboy
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Last night the ACT Australians of the Year were announced at the National Museum. The winningest Canberrans in 2009 were:

  • The ACT Australian of the Year 2008 is Indigenous leader Professor Michael Dodson AM.
    Professor Michael Dodson is widely recognised as a proud, courageous and humble Aboriginal leader who has spent his adult life trying to explain to people why and how they can help his people.
  • The ACT Senior Australian of the Year 2008 is Anglican Priest Reverend Associate Professor Elizabeth MacKinlay AM.
    Reverend Elizabeth MacKinlay works tirelessly and selflessly in her many community roles, promoting greater understanding of the issues facing older people, in particular their spiritual and emotional needs.
  • The ACT Young Australian of the Year 2008 is science fiction author Jack Heath.
    Jack Heath wrote his first novel when he was just 13 years old and by 18 he had a publishing contract.
  • The ACT Local Hero of the Year 2008 is Sports Commentator Tim Gavel.
    Tim Gavel is highly regarded in his role as a sports journalist for Canberra’s ABC Radio Grandstand program.

The citation for Tim Gavel neglected to mention the most moronic use of google search result numbers as a useful factoid (What is this Tim? High School in 1996?), the most shrill support of the party line being pushed by major sporting clubs, and the lamest anecdotes from yesteryear drifting off into the distance in search of a punchline.

All of which he really deserves to be recognised for by everyone who suffers him in the morning on ABC Radio.

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Deadmandrinking11:55 am 15 Nov 08

Sorry to double post, I just came across a review of Jack Heath’s novel ‘The Lab’:

http://www.theblurb.com.au/Issue65/TheLab.htm

Deadmandrinking11:52 am 15 Nov 08

Gee, abc is funny.

Back to reality, has anyone read any of Jack Heath’s books?

Hey Johnboy…. your my local ZERO.

Back on topic:

New Yeah said :

I’ll proffer some evidence supporting Tim Gavel – I think his commentary of Raiders games is excellent.

x2.

That is all.

Henry’s a good lad. He just get’s a bit fired up sometimes.

PreciousLilywhite4:06 pm 14 Nov 08

Angry Henry, perhaps you need to take some naprogesic and lay down with a hot water bottle. It seems to be your time of the month.

johnboy said :

Anyway, you’ve had your tanty now.

I think you’ll find it’s called a “mantrum”.

“Fight! Fight! Fight!”

There I was thinking your expertise on radio presentation was based on something.

Anyway, you’ve had your tanty now.

Any more outbursts, or your regular disparaging of the site in general, will see you in the mod queue.

Have a nice day.

johnboy said :

AngryHenry said :

As I mentioned before sometimes you really do come across as a petty, and i’ll also add arrogant man, and it really overshadows all the good work you do.

On the other hand maybe self-described bogans working in the radio industry aren’t who I’m trying to write for?

I’m too arrogant to care anyway.

Forget what I said about name calling…

I don’t work in the radio industry you presumtuous social retard!

And even if I did I’d still consider myself and extremely active member of this community with just as much right to voice their opinions as others.

Unfortunatley because of your attitutde towards other people and you journalistic ineptitude this little empire you’ve created for yourself will remain nothing but a sandcastle, where the same close-knit group of people will post back and forth over and over again, you bring new people in and they are soon driven away by this incestous little group who will have no social impact on the community due to the fact that it’s the same people going on with same crap over different subjects every time.

Oh hang on, Jessica Goode changed clothes…. Faaaarrrk me! How groundbreaking!!!

Indeed I have enjoyed passing the time on here but that’s all it is, passing time.

What a wasted opportunity.

Way to make a difference.

I think Tim deserves local hero status simply for his food feats while commentating at the Beijing Olympics.

I actually do think that makes him a bit of a local hero.

Kids Fitness Foundation, the Walking School Bus program, and the Heart Foundation are all great causes and most people don’t give a fraction of that sort of time and energy to their local community, let alone adopting two third world orphans and providing a university education for their sister.

I hate sport, but I think he sounds as worthy as the next person for this award.

As usual very PC.

WOW, Tim works for the ABC and has adopted children….very worthy Local Hero LOL

AngryHenry said :

As I mentioned before sometimes you really do come across as a petty, and i’ll also add arrogant man, and it really overshadows all the good work you do.

On the other hand maybe self-described bogans working in the radio industry aren’t who I’m trying to write for?

I’m too arrogant to care anyway.

I’ll proffer some evidence supporting Tim Gavel – I think his commentary of Raiders games is excellent.

johnboy said :

And you’re offtopic now.

Want to congratulate some winners?

Not really, they’ll have enough urine in their pocket without me adding to it.

Don’t really think I’m that far off topic when you criticised Tim Gavel in the original post and then decided it might be fun putting words in my mouth with phrases like ‘I’m sure you meant to say’… ‘Right of reply’ also includes asking questions about ambiguous comments.

I am deadly serious when I tell you mate I KNOW what I’m saying!

As I mentioned before sometimes you really do come across as a petty, and i’ll also add arrogant man, and it really overshadows all the good work you do.

I enjoy the 2XX spots. My first husband was a radio announcer, and I got to accidentally hang around the edges of the industry for a few years.

I actually think that jb has a wonderful voice for radio, and I enjoy the banter between him and Marianne very much.

They are both very smart people with interesting or funny things to say, and even though I follow RiotACT quite closely during the week I always enjoy hearing jb’s take on things at the end of the week.

And you’re offtopic now.

Want to congratulate some winners?

On the subject of “ums” Tim and I are as one, extremely prone to them.

I was referring to far too many of the voices on radio who never need to pause because they never put a moment’s consideration into what they’re saying.

Because constructive cristicism is one thing, but name calling???

That’s a fail!

johnboy said :

I’m sure you meant to say “repeating the same tired old script”.

Not sure I get you here man. Also who are you isinuating is a vapid moron?

I’m sure you meant to say “repeating the same tired old script”.

johnboy said :

As for the ummms, it’s what you get when people are *thinking* about what they’re saying. Personally I prefer it to vapid morons but to each their own.

No it’s what you get when people don’t know what they’re talking about.

The wife and I quite enjoy Tim Gavel’s chit-chat in the mornings.

It’s not that it’s chit-chat, it’s that that it’s such tedious chit chat.

We’ve all been stuck at parties talking to tedious men who can only talk about sport. Why do we have to have it on the radio in non-sports segments?

As for the ummms, it’s what you get when people are *thinking* about what they’re saying. Personally I prefer it to vapid morons but to each their own.

johnboy said :

I’m sure he’s a tireless in his MC’ing of community functions, and wonderful at sports broadcasting.

It’s the daily chit chat in the mornings that drive me completely up the wall.

‘UUUUUUuuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmm’ speaking of ‘up the wall’.

johnboy said :

“It’s the daily chit chat in the mornings that drive me completely up the wall.”

Well you obviously don’t have to listen to 106.3 in the mornings Johnboy. (Our house is a democracy)

The morning chit-chat is part of his job, thus he has to ‘chat’.

He has to fill in the time, and it’s not Grand Final day every day.

.

I’m sure he’s a tireless in his MC’ing of community functions, and wonderful at sports broadcasting.

It’s the daily chit chat in the mornings that drive me completely up the wall.

No need to be so bitter, Johnboy.

I’m sure you’re someone’s local hero.

Haha! I normally don’t start drinking until after about 11…

I got out of the smart-arsed side of the bed today so you’ll have to excuse me… The chip on my shoulder feels heavier than normal.

Could be a long day for you mate!?!?! haha!

Seriously though, I retain my glass houses comment. If I were you I would have just let it go and had one of my fellow Rioters do the dirty work for me (I’m sure there are some like-minded people around here).

You just come across as petty sometimes and it makes the fact that you moderate the content on here a little hard to take.

Don’t get me wrong I still throughly enjoy the service you provide. TO the point where now I’m questioning the relevance of everything because if you didn’t make those comments I wouldn’t have experinced this last ten minutes of stimulation trying to craft a witty response…

Is that a vortex opening over there???

Oh right. That Tim.

Nevermind me…

Tim has morning radio spots?

No worries, try it with Tim on his morning spots and you’ll get much the same result.

Cool! Marianne is quite good! Nice spot…

I actually think I’m gonna make a drinking game when she chats to you though JB. Everytime you go ‘Uuuuuummmmm’ I’ll have a shot…

Oblivion beckons!!!

Holden Caulfield10:50 am 14 Nov 08

Oh, I saw a piece about Jack Heath on Stateline a few weeks back, pretty clever boy. Good for him, too!

Holden Caulfield10:49 am 14 Nov 08

Another vote for Tim Gavel. I don’t think he takes himself too seriously. He can get a bit carried away at times, Beijing kayaking gold for Gold Coast Ken, for example, but you can’t deny his enthusiasm. That he does the community-minded stuff as well is a nice touch too, good for him.

Always happy to have another listener.

Well given the criticism I think I’m actually gonna go out of my way to listen to the RiotACT radio stuff and compare…

Glass houses???

Actually, I quite like listening to Tim Gavel. He actually talks about women’s cricket – I can’t think of another sports reporter who does much of that. Another thing that I appreciate is that he isn’t as fickle as the majority of Australian sports media. The mainstream media love our teams when they’re winning, but tend to want captains and coaches publicly flayed if the team loses. What I hear from Tim Gavel is more measured and consistent with respect to a player’s overall record, not just reaction to the last game.

Not that I’m much of a sports fan anyway.

Has anyone read Jack Heath’s novel? Would be interested in a review.

That ‘review’ is a little harsh on Mr Gavel, as is the selective quote of the citation…

For balance, one might add:

“But it’s not just because of his excellence in the sporting arena that Tim is admired. Tim also spends much of his time undertaking community work. He is a Board member of the Kids Fitness Foundation, a patron of the Walking School Bus program and an ambassador for the Heart Foundation. In 2005, Tim and his wife Jenny adopted two orphans from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. When Tim found out the siblings had an older sister who was too old to be legally adopted, he immediately pledged financial support – enough money to keep her in school until she was old enough to study at a university in Australia. With his caring nature and endless energy Tim has been described as ‘the best you can get’ in sports commentating in the ACT and is an inspiration to many.

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