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Speaker: About That Telescope

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  • Russell Brown,

    Ah, Public Address: always first with the skinny on inter-media spying allegations ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Steve Curtis,

    If only all the people who get their lives splashed across 'The News' get such a chance to put their side.
    Seriously could it all be said in 2 paragraphs without any ass kissing

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report

  • mcgovern,

    Great story
    Reminds me on an occasion when mcgovern online - my company - had offices in High Street, auckland

    We were on the top floor and could look down onto/across to the building opposite opposite.

    The latter was a mix of office and studio spaces

    One of them was a private art dealer who used to hang his current works for sale on a big wall.

    At the time there was enormous controversy over whether Victoria University was going to sell Colin McCahon's Storm Warning

    The work had apparently disappeared from the wall it had hung on in Vic - and everyone in the art world was wondering where it was.

    I looked out the window and there it was - quite a moment.
    I couldn't believe what I was looking at so phoned an art dealer contact who came round and nearly fell out of the window when he saw it.

    All goes to show - never leave the lights on - and always ask - find out - who is renting across the road!

    paul
    www.peoplepoints.co.nz

    auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1 posts Report

  • Paul Litterick,

    What a bunch of tossers, the lot of them: more concerned with besting their rivals, whom they admire greatly, than doing any journalism; and always willing to find the time to write a verbose screed of self-justification. This one could be summarised as "yes we did it, but it was not what you think, so no we didn't do it." You can see why the news stories are not worth reading when this is all a journalist can manage in his own defence.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report

  • Heather W.,

    First thought on reading the story was that the David Slack tales are usually more plausible than this. (Sorry David Fisher) Then found out that the S Cook story gets worse.

    When do we get the journalists back that report the story rather than try to be the story?

    On another point - TV3 News last night had as a headline "Gunboat diplomacy". Do they have anyone older than 25 on the team as that term used to mean something more like "agree with me or else"? The story was about the rescue of a New Zealand family at sea by a ship from the French Navy. That particular story followed the latest "truth" about a certain rugby player and the formal apology from France.

    North Shore • Since Nov 2008 • 189 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Ice Pie - with my L'il I...
    Was it a terrestrial telescope?
    or a Newtonian telescope?

    if it was for looking at stars it's probably Newtonian
    so that could turn the story on its head...
    ...and can you really trust bent light?

    or it may all just be more messing wit' our heads by the creator - our maker the mad molecule GT...
    - after all the word telescope was created
    by an italian named Giovanni...!

    OMG I can't see my hands - t'is all a dream...

    yrs
    L'l Nemo Morpheus
    Sandy old Slumberland

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Steve Curtis,

    I feel a 'Burn Notice' moment coming on when I saw this..

    A secret surveillance is necessary. However, the operator is not able to enter the target room in order to place a transmitter. The solution to the problem is our military grade Laser Audio Surveillance System . This system allows the operator to carry out an undetectable surveillance operation from outside the building with a range of up to about 500 meters.
    www.securityprousa.com/laausulamola.html

    Was the telescope just the cover story for the real surveillance

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 314 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    damn he was greek geek...
    Okay, okay - Giovanni Demisiani - was originally Greek
    but he hung out with Italians at the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome - so close enough for jazz...

    yrs
    Eagle Eyes
    Pedant Patrol
    minima cura si maxima vis

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Islander,

    Ah! One of my all-time favourite strips!

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    This one could be summarised as "yes we did it, but it was not what you think, so no we didn't do it."

    The point is, this was depicted by Cook as an act of industrial espionage in which a journalist was given a telescope and instructions from the editor to spy on the opposition.

    None of that was true.

    I think Fisher is well within his rights to point that out.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Testcard,

    And if I know that portion to be false, what regard would I hold his other claims? I know the answer to that. With the same regard in which I personally hold Cook's stories about Sharon Shipton, Debbie Gerbich, Kirsty Gillon and Maycsena King.

    It's a good thing that Fisher was so disgusted at working for a newspaper that published such stories that he quit immediately in protest.

    Since Nov 2007 • 23 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    It's a good thing that Fisher was so disgusted at working for a newspaper that published such stories that he quit immediately in protest.

    I don't think he was working for the HoS when those stories were published, which would have made quitting a bit difficult.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Jonathan Marshall,

    I was never asked to provide an affidavit about the telescope nor was I called to the witness box by HOS lawyers to be questioned about the veracity of the claim.
    Until the court process is complete it would be unwise of me to talk about it - that has nothing to do with friendships.

    But for the purpose of accuracy:

    I don't think he was working for the HoS when those stories were published, which would have made quitting a bit difficult.

    The stories David mentions in his guest blog were printed on:
    Gillon – Feb 2007
    Shipton – April 2007
    Gerbich – April 2007
    Macsyna – May 2008

    David Fisher started working at the Herald on Sunday in December 2004, his last Herald on Sunday article (before going to The Listener) was printed on March 29 2008.
    He has since returned to the HoS.

    Auckland • Since Jul 2009 • 1 posts Report

  • Tim Michie,

    Auckward • Since Nov 2006 • 614 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    What a bunch of tossers, the lot of them: more concerned with besting their rivals, whom they admire greatly, than doing any journalism; and always willing to find the time to write a verbose screed of self-justification. This one could be summarised as "yes we did it, but it was not what you think, so no we didn't do it." You can see why the news stories are not worth reading when this is all a journalist can manage in his own defence.

    Perhaps it is just my frustrated need to declare how crappy the NZ press is, perhaps it's my long held view that a fool's friend might be a little foolish him/herself... either way, Mr Litterick's said a mouthful!

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Wow, reading all this... occupied time.

    Okay, okay - Giovanni Demisiani - was originally Greek but he hung out with Italians at the Accademia dei Lincei in Rome

    I find the name highly suspicious for a Greek, he must have either been Italian (Zakyntos historically has always had plenty of those) or perhaps they translated into Italian his assumd Latin name - Ioannes Demisianus - once he settled in Rome.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    Demisianus

    Isn't that half a bum?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    The stories David mentions in his guest blog were printed on:
    Gillon – Feb 2007
    Shipton – April 2007
    Gerbich – April 2007
    Macsyna – May 2008
    David Fisher started working at the Herald on Sunday in December 2004, his last Herald on Sunday article (before going to The Listener) was printed on March 29 2008.

    Ah, so he did resign in disgust then ;-)

    I must say, I'm slightly surprised at the rancour greeting this post.

    What happened appears to have been a couple of beers and a laugh. Journalists are hardly the only people who ever do that. Cook's act in circulating a written claim that it was a calculated act of espionage directed by his former boss, and trying to present that claim as part of his employment action, is ... something else.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    Isn't that half a bum?

    It's half a sianus at best.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    I must say, I'm slightly surprised at the rancour greeting this post.

    I wouldn't say it enraged me as such, I'm just a bit baffled that anybody would find it interesting on any level(*), other than for how it speaks to the infuriating insularity of New Zealand journalism. In your line of work, do you ever feel like grabbing one of these editors and chief reporters by the collar and begging them to concentrate on sucking a little less, instead of worrying about this bullshit?

    Okay, so maybe a little rancour.

    (*)Although, to be fair, I'm the one who's dissecting the parentage of the guy who came up with the word for telescope 400 hundred years ago, so...

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Joe Wylie,

    Although, to be fair, I'm the one who's dissecting the parentage of the guy who came up with the word for telescope 400 hundred years ago, so...

    Well, that's a fecking sight more interesting than the exercise in arrested development that gave rise to it. But then, if you happen to be inside the magic circle of media pixie-dust, it's probably all rather riveting.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report

  • Steve Barnes,

    It's half a sianus at best.

    So, half an agreeable Spanish bum then?.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report

  • Paul Williams,

    I must say, I'm slightly surprised at the rancour greeting this post.

    My rancour was qualified... but as Gio's said; the trivial joking around and gamesmanship is annoying mostly 'cause it is not newsworthy ('cept 'cause some other oaf has mentioned it as he tries to resurrect his gaudy career) and what is newsworthy is too often very poorly treated. I'm no less annoyed by some of the the silliness in Parliament that displaces meaningful political discourse...

    Sydney • Since Nov 2006 • 2273 posts Report

  • David Slack,

    the David Slack tales are usually more plausible than this.

    Que?

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report

  • Stephen Judd,

    Que

    I think you and Haywood are competing for branding mindshare in the David space.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report

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