IN JOHN ,QUEEN IS AMUSED

LONDON : One of the great unsolved mysteries of modern Britain is why did Lizzie Two-Stroke give former Australian PM John Howard a merit gong. One outrageous suggestion is that the medal was a made - in - China freebie from the palace pizza delivery service. However, a Royal flunky denied this horrible suggestion . Her Majesty, he said, had been greatly impressed by Mr Howard’s proud record when she read about it in the above informative book in the centrally heated throne room during a London pea-souper .

SERIOUS ELECTIONEERING IN DARWIN

* Campaigning is deadly serious in America.

Sounding like that hyperactive Andrew Denton of the new ABC TV word show RANDLING , the telephone caller asked to conduct a quickie NT political poll for a Brisbane based marketing research outfit. In a moment of weakness , I agreed as this was the second caller in less than a week wanting to ask me about the forthcoming Territory election. The first inquisitor rang at a time when I was busy putting together a further epic for Little Darwin and sounded somewhat uppity, so I cut him short and said not interested . He complained that I had not allowed him to finish his spiel. My retort left him in no doubt about my preference.

Then along comes this Denton-sounding person on the Sabbath and the idea of him having to moonlight for the Devil instead of bending the knee in a tabernacle indicated he must have fallen on tough times , despite his TV appearances. Still , Randling has no chance of living up to the popularity of Spicks and Specks, but it is different and better than most of the mind numbing crap on the box.

Trouble is this Denton -sound alike asked me questions about an electorate in which I do not reside . It took me a while to twig that the Sanderson electorate aint my territory. Had he asked me about the present incumbent in my electorate , I could have described that person in words not likely to be heard on Randling.

My response to questions about the Sanderson seat were therefore irrelevant , misleading . Who out of Paul Henderson and Terry Mills would make a better Chief Minister ? This was a question I was able to answer in light of the failure of the CM and assorted spin doctors to respond to REAL media questions . Boy, does this town need another media voice ! Most voters, I am sure , believe Denton should jump on the gravy train with a series about a yodelling camp oven chef as tucker seems to be the Australian obsession at a time of growing global starvation.

EDITOR JOINS ASSANGE DEMONSTRATION

A small but vocal group supporting WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, gathered in the rain in front of Federal Member, Ewen Jones’ office in Townsville , calling on the Australian government to do all in its power to help Julian Assange. George Hirst , editor of the Magnetic Times online newspaper, issued a disclaimer saying that , as a journalist, he took the unusual step of joining the demonstration in solidarity with a fellow journalist and a former Magnetic Islander who has been more effective in exposing the truth, than any other individual in history. Hirst said he believed his report of the demonstration was fair and accurate. The supporters, who numbered about 20 and included several Magnetic Islanders, held placards at the busy peak hour intersection of Ross River Road and Nathan Street. One woman huddled with a baby, another with a kitten. And while the swish of traffic nearly drowned out their voices ,the spirited group chanted “Free Assange” and, quoting the WikiLeaks founder, “Courage is contagious!” And on a day in Darwin when a Timor Leste freedom fighter was honoured at Charles Darwin University, no journo , academic , letter writer or local politician felt inclined to speak out for Assange . See http://www.magnetictimes.com/.

AMY GOODMAN DEFENDS ASSANGE

Two American journalists – Amy Goodman (above ) and Allan Nairn - were beaten by Indonesian soldiers at the 1991 Santa Cruz Cemetery Massacre , Dili, East Timor. Nairn, who threw himself on top of Goodman in a bid to protect her, was bashed with the butts of M16 rifles and had his skull fractured .

Nairn was declared a "threat to national security" and banned from East Timor, but he re-entered several times illegally, and his subsequent reports helped convince the U.S. Congress to cut off military aid to Jakarta in 1993. In a dispatch from East Timor on March 30, 1998, Nairn disclosed the continuing U.S. military training of Indonesian troops implicated in the torture and killing of civilians. In 1999, Nairn was detained briefly by the Indonesian Army in East Timor, where he had chosen to remain after most other media had evacuated following East Timor's independence referendum.

Today Amy Goodman is a powerful voice in alterative media. She hosts DEMOCRACY NOW!, a daily international TV/radio news hour on more than 900 stations in North America . She has received many awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award and the George Polk Award. In 2001, she declined to accept the Overseas Press Club Award, in protest of the group's pledge not to ask questions of keynote speaker Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and because the OPC was honoring Indonesia for their improved treatment of journalists despite the fact that its forces had recently beaten and killed reporters in occupied East Timor. In 2008 Goodman received the Swedish Government Right Livelihood Award,often called the "Alternative Nobel Prize". The award foundation cited her work in "developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media."

Goodman and Nairn returned to East Timor to witness the freedom celebrations and Darwin agronomist , Rob Wesley-Smith, helped them get their reports out via Darwin. Goodman has just written a piece for Nation of Change , Progressive Journalism for Positive Change , making the point that whistleblowers like Julian Assange suffer and war criminals walk. See http://www.nation/ofchange.org for WIKILEAKS, WAR CRIMES AND THE PINOCHET PRINCIPLE.

In her article,Goodman raises the belief that if Assange is deported to Sweden he will be onpassed to the US where some officials, politicians and raving commentators have been baying for his blood . Goodman points out that US Secretary of State ,Hillary Clinton, is soon to visit Sweden and asks : Why?

SAVE SYRIA'S CHILDREN PLEA

This picture on the activist Avaaz site shows the bloodied bodies of some of the dozens of innocent children, brutally murdered by the Syrian regime at Al Houla last Friday . The caption says : Dozens of children lie covered with blood, their faces show the fear they felt before death, and their innocent lifeless bodies reveal an unspeakable massacre. These children were slaughtered by men under strict orders to sow terror. Yet all the diplomats have come up with so far is a few UN monitors'observing' the violence. Avaaz team campaign director, Alice Jay, says that as a parent of a five year old daughter , these images are almost unbearable, but that we must not look away -- and that we can help end this slaughter. Now, governments across the world are expelling Syrian ambassadors, but unless we demand strong action on the ground, they will settle for these diplomatic half-measures. Our governments , she says, are deciding what to do right now. But they will settle for hand wringing diplomacy unless we demand firm action .

The UN is discussing what to do right now. If there were a large international presence across Syria with a mandate to protect civilians, we could prevent the worst massacres while leaders engage in political efforts to resolve the conflict.” I cannot see more images like these without shouting from the rooftops. But to stop the violence, it is going to take all of us, with one voice, demanding protection for these kids and their families.” Jay urges viewers of the Avaaz site to sign a petition for UN action . See Avaaz.org (World in Action) and sign petition to UN .

LETTER FROM ASSANGE'S MOTHER PRESENTS FACTS

The Magnetic Times online newspaper website contains a letter from Julian Assange's mother in which she responds to smears against her son who has just lost his London appeal against deportation to Sweden. Magnetic Times editor George Hirst is trusted by Julian's mother and the above photograph was taken when Julian lived on the island. See www.magnetictimes.com for her extensive letter .

GINA'S REVENGE EXTRACTED ON BAD HAIR DAY FOR DAME EDNA

Looking like an apprehensive canary, this is the last picture taken of satirist Barry Humphries just before he was forced by two Sumo wrestlers , at gunpoint , down an explosive gas filled coal mine with a naked flame after making rude remarks about mining identities on Q and A. By request, his ashes and scorched raincoat will be scattered by David Marr from a trolley in the Canberra suburb of Fyshwick.