Love the article, Hugh. Lachlan was always polite to me in the Broncos’ dressing rooms, although at the peak of the Super League War, I was treading on thin ice with my pro-ARL opinion pieces. I’ll leave it at that.
Thanks Steve -- you certainly had a difficult time of it -- covering rugby league when your boss was trying to take it over! But you wrote some great stories, I remember.
Indeed Hugh, moral and ethical ambiguity, situated in the grey area between the light and the darkness of our human psyche is clearly a zone of the frontal lobe that should be reserved strictly for lawyers and for politicians to dabble in. After all, they must adhere strictly to Otto von Bismarck’s ‘sausage’ doctrine anyway by the rules of their professions.
It definitely is not for the Peter Pans of this world. I simply can’t imagine that the ‘The Mighty Fletch’, Jim or Olive would have enjoyed ‘Unforgiven’.
Yes. Give us all the certitude of Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, Robin Hood and even Smokey Dawson and Timber McKee and almost definitely The Argonauts to venerate forever in permanent youthful and happy delusion. It is as valid a delusion as any other.
(Yes, mea culpa. Too many words in too few sentences and not a profound semi-colon to be seen). Cheers.
Can there not be a reasonable middle way? A way where the bully does not coward-punch some slender youth. And the bully is stopped by something: something in his upbringing, in his character, in his education gleaned from the movies/radio/games/social media. But when the bully has already witnessed ten thousand acts of brutality on screen, whichever screen, then there is nothing in him that stops him.
I cannot understand why or how an abstemious man such as Rupert Murdoch (he must be abstemious to live to 93!) is drawn to a man such as this Steve Dunleavy, his exact opposite. But then again, the Murdoch has papers that are gross tabloids which seem totally at odds with his personality as displayed. Moral ambiguity indeed. Humans are strange.
Well I can understand how -- because how would I have ended up with a Russian best mate who was aggressive, threatening, and argued all the time? My old mate Jim.
You too have picked up on my theme of the story "moral ambiguity".
I should have added your story was most enjoyable and as usual gave us a good laugh at times, while telling us things we never heard about. How was the dinner?
There were 250 rich and famous guests at that dinner at round tables with Australian flower arrangements in the middle, but table cloths that weren't white.-
Guests included the Government-General and the Prime Minister! A Power night.
But I was wrong, Rupert didn't turn up.
I thought I'd be out of place at such a swish night, so I didn't go.
Interesting to hear that Rupert didn't turn up to the dinner for the 60th anniversary of The Australian. Great to hear that you got invited Hugh, but it would have been a pity to travel all the way there and find out Rupert was not there. I agree, it would have been a swish do, with all the politicians, senior government officials and media industry 'heavyweights' attending!
As recorded in my book "Working for Rupert" I wrote an article on the terrible air pollution starting to envelope Brisbane in the early 80s. I could understand when the B/P government minister button-holed me to complain. But when he said it wasn't true -- I pointed ut it was taken from his Department's Annual Report figures.
Then Rupert's Managing-Director in Australia, ken Cowley, turns up at my desk and says: "We want positive stories!"
Love the article, Hugh. Lachlan was always polite to me in the Broncos’ dressing rooms, although at the peak of the Super League War, I was treading on thin ice with my pro-ARL opinion pieces. I’ll leave it at that.
Thanks Steve -- you certainly had a difficult time of it -- covering rugby league when your boss was trying to take it over! But you wrote some great stories, I remember.
Hugh
Indeed Hugh, moral and ethical ambiguity, situated in the grey area between the light and the darkness of our human psyche is clearly a zone of the frontal lobe that should be reserved strictly for lawyers and for politicians to dabble in. After all, they must adhere strictly to Otto von Bismarck’s ‘sausage’ doctrine anyway by the rules of their professions.
It definitely is not for the Peter Pans of this world. I simply can’t imagine that the ‘The Mighty Fletch’, Jim or Olive would have enjoyed ‘Unforgiven’.
Yes. Give us all the certitude of Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, Robin Hood and even Smokey Dawson and Timber McKee and almost definitely The Argonauts to venerate forever in permanent youthful and happy delusion. It is as valid a delusion as any other.
(Yes, mea culpa. Too many words in too few sentences and not a profound semi-colon to be seen). Cheers.
Thanks David, I was hoping someone would pick up on the "moral ambiguity" phrase ... and you describe it perfectly.
Journalists and owners certainly fall into zone along with politicians and lawyers.
Hugh
Can there not be a reasonable middle way? A way where the bully does not coward-punch some slender youth. And the bully is stopped by something: something in his upbringing, in his character, in his education gleaned from the movies/radio/games/social media. But when the bully has already witnessed ten thousand acts of brutality on screen, whichever screen, then there is nothing in him that stops him.
I cannot understand why or how an abstemious man such as Rupert Murdoch (he must be abstemious to live to 93!) is drawn to a man such as this Steve Dunleavy, his exact opposite. But then again, the Murdoch has papers that are gross tabloids which seem totally at odds with his personality as displayed. Moral ambiguity indeed. Humans are strange.
Well I can understand how -- because how would I have ended up with a Russian best mate who was aggressive, threatening, and argued all the time? My old mate Jim.
You too have picked up on my theme of the story "moral ambiguity".
Well done Aunty Helen,
Hugh
I should have added your story was most enjoyable and as usual gave us a good laugh at times, while telling us things we never heard about. How was the dinner?
There were 250 rich and famous guests at that dinner at round tables with Australian flower arrangements in the middle, but table cloths that weren't white.-
Guests included the Government-General and the Prime Minister! A Power night.
But I was wrong, Rupert didn't turn up.
I thought I'd be out of place at such a swish night, so I didn't go.
Hugh
Interesting to hear that Rupert didn't turn up to the dinner for the 60th anniversary of The Australian. Great to hear that you got invited Hugh, but it would have been a pity to travel all the way there and find out Rupert was not there. I agree, it would have been a swish do, with all the politicians, senior government officials and media industry 'heavyweights' attending!
Too swish for someone like me Peter.
I'm certain Rupert wouldn't have missed me.
Hugh
Rupert, Lachlan and me: inside the Murdochs’ ‘medieval fiefdom’
Eric Beecher says he was ‘shocked’ by what he discovered during his time as editor in chief of News Corp’s Melbourne newspapers
https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/06/rupert-lachlan-and-me-inside-the-murdochs-medieval-fiefdom-ntwnfb
I think I can outdo that one Wombat!
As recorded in my book "Working for Rupert" I wrote an article on the terrible air pollution starting to envelope Brisbane in the early 80s. I could understand when the B/P government minister button-holed me to complain. But when he said it wasn't true -- I pointed ut it was taken from his Department's Annual Report figures.
Then Rupert's Managing-Director in Australia, ken Cowley, turns up at my desk and says: "We want positive stories!"
Hugh