Goodes puts buddy on notice.

[Mug Punter]

Basically alternative media such as Alex Jone's Infowars.com and a few others I know I can trust. For example, you would think the TPP would be splashed all across the front page of the papers. But no, I just flicked through the Tele in an IGA about an hour ago and no, what a surprise.

Infowars Blows The Lid Off TPP Agreement - YouTube

I had to go through a lot of self-change to be at the place I am right now. I had to deconstruct, question and unlearn everything I heard at school, uni and from general society. The relevance of alternative media makes more sense when the bigger picture is understood. If everyone understood, fact by fact, then there would be less debt, less sickness, less corruption, no one dying of cancer or fake wars - the list goes on.

I won't go into it too much, and I apologise for getting off topic. It took me years to slowly realise these things.

The TPP affects 40% of the world's GDP. Buddy Franklin affects the other 60%.

Interesting, thanks for the that.

Certainly the world view that we get fed from the Murdoch Press and media is appalling as to how skewed it is.

I'd like to think I can see through most of it (if I have to read a Murdoch rag then I only read the sport) but it is scary, absolutely frightening, how many people have no idea of the world apart from Alan Jones and the Tele.

[sharp9]

With respect to your views, I am curious, if not mainstream, what other media do you read to know what is happening in the rest of Australia and the world?

Start with huffingtonpost for anything even vaguely related to the USA - absolutely fantastic site that will actually make you smarter having read it :-)

As an example regarding biased media reporting (which I read about on huff post) 60 minutes has had to issue a formal apology about a story which basically told complete lies intended to discredit Hilary Clinton (regarding the Benghazi attack....look it up). How did such a venerable program like 60 minutes find themselves doing this? Well it turns out the entire TV story was based on a book full of lies (since recalled by the publisher) BUT THE BOOK WAS PUBLISHED BY A PUBLISHING HOUSE OWNED BY THE SAME COMPANY AS THE TV STATION (NBC) - so 60 minutes were basically doing a huge promo for their own product...and the (so called) journalists were in the same position as Australian Murdoch journalists....either you run with this biased, inaccurate, hate-filled propaganda - or you do not have a job.

At Fox News (!) the "journalists" receive communication EVERY DAY from head office TELLING them which particular anti-Obama talking points they are REQUIRED to insert into their shows. They come up with new ones each day to try and keep it fresh....sweet. Jon Stewart (genius) and others do great montages of the Fox people each spouting the identical lines (often word for word) and you really have to admire the fact that a lot of them can make it seem as if it is part of a spontaneous conversation....they are skilled at what they do :-)

But we all saw the Fox model in action in Australia during the election.

BTW in the USA there used to be statutes that news reports had to be actual unbiased news....if this was not adhered to then broadcasters could lose their rights to frequencies and lose access to government press conferences etc...

Needless to say this was removed by the Reagan administration.

[Bloods05]

Basically alternative media such as Alex Jone's Infowars.com and a few others I know I can trust. For example, you would think the TPP would be splashed all across the front page of the papers. But no, I just flicked through the Tele in an IGA about an hour ago and no, what a surprise.

Infowars Blows The Lid Off TPP Agreement - YouTube

I had to go through a lot of self-change to be at the place I am right now. I had to deconstruct, question and unlearn everything I heard at school, uni and from general society. The relevance of alternative media makes more sense when the bigger picture is understood. If everyone understood, fact by fact, then there would be less debt, less sickness, less corruption, no one dying of cancer or fake wars - the list goes on.

I won't go into it too much, and I apologise for getting off topic. It took me years to slowly realise these things.

The TPP affects 40% of the world's GDP. Buddy Franklin affects the other 60%.

Well said, old son. The mainstream media is dying a slow death, by its own hand. Sports reporting is no exception to the general malaise. There are plenty of alternative (and much more reliable) sources of info out there, but even if there weren't, I'd prefer to stay ignorant than to be "informed" by low-lifes like Murdoch.

[Primmy]

Hats off to you Mug, very good post! And the line of the off season so far " he is our dickhead " Sensational !

Excellent posts both of you.

And may I remind a few of those who remember, and well before we all had home computers etc by which to vent. HOW many members handed in their memberships when Plugger was recruited to the Swans. Hmm?? Go on, how many of you. The protests, the fury, even Kenny went "off"......
And look how badly that turned out.....

Wait and see people, wait and see......

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Well said, old son. The mainstream media is dying a slow death, by its own hand. Sports reporting is no exception to the general malaise. There are plenty of alternative (and much more reliable) sources of info out there, but even if there weren't, I'd prefer to stay ignorant than to be "informed" by low-lifes like Murdoch.

The mainstream media has been doing little more than cutting and pasting press releases for at least a couple of decades,lazy sods. However that's why the tiny number of actual "journalists" are so valuable. FWIW I think being informed by News Ltd can be quite valuable, it's frequently very informative to know what we are supposed to think.

Or to put it another way . . .

Hacker: Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers: the Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.

Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?

Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big tits.

[liz]

Or to put it another way . . .

Hacker: Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers: the Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country; The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country; The Times is read by people who actually do run the country; the Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country; the Financial Times is read by people who own the country; The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country; and The Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it is.

Sir Humphrey: Prime Minister, what about the people who read The Sun?

Bernard: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big tits.

Aah, they don't make comedy any more like they used to.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Aah, they don't make comedy any more like they used to.

It was a comedy?

[CJK]

Aah, they don't make comedy any more like they used to.

Sure don't, they make it better

[Bloodthirsty]

The mainstream media has been doing little more than cutting and pasting press releases for at least a couple of decades,lazy sods. However that's why the tiny number of actual "journalists" are so valuable. FWIW I think being informed by News Ltd can be quite valuable, it's frequently very informative to know what we are supposed to think.

That's is exactly right. That's why I glance at the paper every now an again when getting a bite to eat. 1. To see if the Swans get a mention and 2. to see what I am supposed to believe today.

Unless you're an alternative media journalist, you will print what you're told to print by the corporate media, otherwise you will be forced out. How do you control the world? 1. Control the money 2. Control the media 3. Control the military (also 4. Control the education industry 5. Control the medical industry 6. Control food 7. Control energy 8. Control the internet (on it's way) etc etc). Done. You could just stop at point 1 though.

There is therefore no such thing as a credible mainstream journalist. They are not permitted to write anything they want in the name of truth. They must push an agenda or they are gone.

I love sport and love the Swannies, but I recognise that sport is a big part of the many media distraction techniques designed so that people don't pay attention to the real news.

[ernie koala]

Excellent posts both of you.

And may I remind a few of those who remember, and well before we all had home computers etc by which to vent. HOW many members handed in their memberships when Plugger was recruited to the Swans. Hmm?? Go on, how many of you. The protests, the fury, even Kenny went "off"......
And look how badly that turned out.....

Wait and see people, wait and see......

I think most of the angst towards Plugger being signed up, was more to do with his hit on Peter Craven(and what followed), than whether or not he would win us games.

Personally, I went from supporter to Member when Plugger signed on.

As for Buddy, my (and many others) only reservation has to do with years 6 - 9 of his contract, when his on field contribution may well be nil...But his salary eats into our cap.

So I suppose the debate is more about whether the , hopefully, short term gains outweigh the long term pain.....2 flags and I say it definitely does, 1 flag -50/50, no flags- it's a dud deal......Time will tell

[The Big Cat]

I think that people get hung up about the nine years. I don't think the Swans expect him to play after six or seven years but just stretched out the contract to give them a strategic advantage over other clubs in their pursuit of Franklin. I think they have budgeted to pay him $10m for 6 years and anything else is a bonus.

[Jewels]

I think that people get hung up about the nine years. I don't think the Swans expect him to play after six or seven years but just stretched out the contract to give them a strategic advantage over other clubs in their pursuit of Franklin. I think they have budgeted to pay him $10m for 6 years and anything else is a bonus.

My thoughts also

[Ruck'n'Roll]

Sure don't, they make it better

Humour is such a subjective thing

[Ludwig]

I think that people get hung up about the nine years. I don't think the Swans expect him to play after six or seven years but just stretched out the contract to give them a strategic advantage over other clubs in their pursuit of Franklin. I think they have budgeted to pay him $10m for 6 years and anything else is a bonus.

6 years takes us through the 2019 season. I think there's less than a 50-50 chance that there will even be a 2020 season. So it's a pretty good deal.

Well, you may ask what I mean by not having a 2020 season.

This planet is unravelling right before our very eyes. Our plutocracy is in the mode of stealing everything they can lay their hands on. First from the impoverished, then from the working class and finally from each other in a winner take all feeding frenzy. We are really in the red-zone as far the world goes. Notice how climate change was such a big issue at the turn of the century. Now it's hardly talked about. The conferences still go on. Impassioned speeches are made. But politically it's a non-issue. It's all about jobs, jobs, jobs. (Whenever you see the word 'job', just substitute the word 'profit' and the sentence will make much more sense).

The corporate media are there to make us believe that something else is going on, and there's nothing to worry about; everything is on track. Even those that pose as the non-corporate media are part of the game. It's hard to figure out what's really going on with Alex Jones, because he gets a lot of it right, but he is very competitive with those who are supposedly taking similar positions to himself. Notice how much self promotion goes down on his show. He's spent a good many shows undermining Wikileaks, although he was forced to cut them in on the posted show, as they broke the story he was supporting.

As for the Huffington Post, they are very much a part of the corporate media. They were purchased by AOL in 2011 and refuse to take on any truly controversial issues, just ones ostensibly pitting Republicans against Democrats. The point is to make us believe that the solutions lie within the political system and not outside of it. Our own political class will set the Anglo working majority against 'Boat People', Muslims, indigenous Australians and anyone else that doesn't fit the stereotype of a "true" Australian, in order to deflect attention away from themselves and their masters.

Even the much acclaimed 'Democracy Now!' from America, which I quite enjoy, have some untouchable issues that are too politically hot to handle, although I must say that Amy Goodman and crew do quite a good job under the circumstances. Our own self-acclaimed spokesperson for the Left, Phillip Adams, is just another of the establishment stooges selling the mainstream story line. His adoration of books and hatred of sport is a pretentiousness that substitutes for intellect.

And of course our beloved footy is a big part of the distraction to keep our minds off the important stuff that actually may effect how we live. Thankfully, football is so entertaining I don't care. It's arguably one of the safest drugs around, although most of us have been close to heart attacks at times.

I know what's going down, but there's nothing I can do about it. The power imbalance between the super-rich and the rest of us is so enormous that it's hopeless to resist. The best you can do is be as well-informed as possible. As has been pointed out in previous posts, this is not so easy to do. In a sense, even I have become a tool of the plutocracy by espousing the futility of resisting.

My recommendation for the best of the online news aggregaters is Global Research, although there is a strange anti climate change bias to the site. http://www.globalresearch.ca/

It really takes a big effort sorting out the truth from all the propaganda, and most of us don't have of the time required to take it on. So it's best to just enjoy the footy while the world is still up and running, because it may not be long before it's gone along with everything else.

So back to the Buddy story: I think it was a brilliant end game strategy by Colless and Ireland signing Buddy for 9 years realising that the last few years probably wouldn't matter. It's all about winning premierships now.

[jono2707]

If the world does end in 2020, holding the title of Reigning Premiers for eternity will make the 2019 Cup much sought after....