when musicals collide

The casts of Avenue Q and Fiddler on the Roof, doing a one off performance, "Everyone's a Little Bit Jewish".

Awesome stuff.

( youtube behind cut )

(no subject)

Almost beyond parody...

Mr Downer questioned the integrity of the three journalists, saying he would believe Mr Costello before them.
...
"Have you ever read the newspapers, have you ever listened to the radio and watched the TV, have you ever seen a journalist attack me," Downer asked reporters.
"I reckon I get attacked by journalists every single day of the week, seven days a week, that's how often I get attacked by journalists.
"If journalists get criticised by anybody it's a terrible offence but they can slam into politicians day after day, I think, you know, give it a break."


Asking Downer questions on the subject of honesty and integrity is like... well... I'm stuck for a suitable comparision. Let's just say it's not really his area of expertise.

(no subject)

Age headline: Hanson fights for right to party

Somehow I can't see it working as a campaign theme for her. Besides, aren't the Beastie Boys Jewish? Can't see that going down well with the Hanson Youth.

(h/t toby)

(no subject)

The real thing that comes out of the latest Costello affair is the cosy relationship between the press gallery and the people they're meant to be covering. So Cossie goes out for a few glasses of wine with 3 senior political reporters (at a restaurant owned by the wife of one of the reporters, no less!) He gets a few glasses into him, starts talking himself up and making with the smack talk.

Next morning, in the cold light of sobriety, realises what he's done. Gets his press secretary to ring up and after-the-fact get the journalists to agree not to talk about what was discussed. Nice if you can get it. Arguable whether the journalists should have agreed to it - is their duty to the people they cover, to some abstract ideal, to the public, or what? All thorny questions.

Then there's this. One of the journalists that Costello called a liar yesterday (and who pointed out that in fact it was Costello that is the liar) thinks it would be "unfair" if this affair damaged Costello's credibility:

But [Tony] Wright [Age gallery reporter] said Mr Costello had been placed in "a very unfortunate position."
"I think it's very unfair to suggest that Peter Costello lies about things," he said this morning. "In this particular case he was taken aback I suppose and just didn't know really what to say.
"This will be a large political issue for a couple of days, but I think if it was used to suggest Mr Costello can't be believed and his credibility is blown, then it would be very unfair," he said.

See - he was taken aback by being confronted by his old drunken smack-talkin. I guess when you'd been used to having your indiscretions cleaned up for you, having them come back and bite you on the arse would mean you were taken aback, yes. So clearly the only responsible action to take in that case is to lie like a rug. And then, when called on your lie, issue the most weaselly hair-splitting non-denial possible.
And one of the most senior journalists covering this, one who is involved in this up to his neck, and one who knows from personal, first-hand experience that Costello was flat-out lying thinks it would be unfair if it damaged the poor petal's credibility.

I'm gobsmacked. Seriously stunned.