"The Circle" can VC recipient.

[David]

Thanks Anne & sq3. Anne, I would be interested in discussing this further via PM if it's not too much trouble.

[Nick - Pie Man]

Hey Anne, thanks for your considered reply. I've decided to stay put - money just doesn't motivate me. It's all worked out though, my bosses were so pleased or amazed that I didn't take the job offer that they have fixed me up financially anyway. It all seems to work out in the end!

[HAL]

You've got my full attention. I know a lot of people named Ann or Anne,

[5150]

The Circle got canned, who would have thought?

Did anybody ever watch it? will it be missed?

[stui magpie]

What was it again? A circle of what?

I don't watch day time TV unless I'm sick and seriously bored or it's sport.

[HAL]

""? What was it?

[David]

The Circle got canned, who would have thought?

Did anybody ever watch it? will it be missed?

I doubt it!

Ah well, at least I got a good article out of them.

[David]

Here's an eight-year thread bump for you:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-02/ ... s/12311246

And to think Negus got "cancelled" just for making a joke about him.

[stui magpie]

A thread mainly devoted to giving you career advice after the initial slapping of Negus and Stynes for being idiots.

But why not. Gonna give us an update on that degree?

[David]

Hey, that was only like two pages at most. but yes, I ended up going to your current stomping ground and getting an Associate Degree of Professional Writing and Editing (which I graduated from in 2016). No academia for me!

[stui magpie]

I read back on some of my comments about academia, somehow it fits that I'm at the Working men's college.

[David]

[swoop42]

My 2 posts have aged well, though I didn't recall ever being so enamored with morning television hosts.

Fair to say those defending BRS haven't fared as well though.

LOL.

[stui magpie]

Nah, your posts have aged as well as you have. Check out a mirror

On the serious side, I won't belt BRS unless the allegations are proven

[Pies4shaw]

And now, all these years later, we have another vivid example of why it is a really, really bad idea to sue for defamation, irrespective of where the truth might actually lie:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-11/ ... /100822770

Australian war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith referred to the alleged execution of an Afghan teenager as "the most beautiful thing I've ever seen", an elite soldier has told a Sydney court.

Mr Roberts-Smith is suing The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times newspapers and three journalists for defamation over a series of articles published in 2018.

The Victoria Cross recipient denies allegations in those stories of unlawful killings in Afghanistan, bullying of his former Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) comrades and domestic violence.

The third SAS witness called by publisher Nine Entertainment, code named Person 16, told the Federal Court the comment about the young man's death occurred during a 2012 mission in Afghanistan.

Mr Roberts-Smith has denied making the remark.

Person 16 said soon after arriving by helicopter, soldiers intercepted a Toyota Hilux and he placed two of its four occupants under confinement.

He described one as being in his "late teens", without a full beard, "a little bit chubby" and "shaking in terror".

"He appeared extremely nervous and trembling uncontrollably," the witness told the court.

Person 16 said he heard a radio call that improvised explosive device components were discovered in the vehicle and handed the two detained Afghans to Mr Roberts-Smith's patrol for tactical questioning.

Person 16 said about 15 to 20 minutes later he heard Mr Roberts-Smith make a radio call stating: "Two EKIA (enemy killed in action)".

He said he crossed paths with Mr Roberts-Smith in the barracks a day or two later and asked what happened to "that young fella that was shaking like a leaf".

"He said to me 'I shot that c*** in the head'," Person 16 told the judge.

"And he said, 'Person 15 (another colleague) told me not to kill anyone on the last job, so I pulled out my 9mil, shot the c*** in the side of the head, blew his brains out, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen'."

Person 16 said he never reported what he claims Mr Roberts-Smith said due to a "code of silence within the regiment as to these things occurring".

"The fear of retribution, it would have been a career-ending move," he told the court.

"I would have been ostracised.

"I also think [for] my personal safety, I would have been in danger by making such allegations against someone so influential, so I thought I just, best keep quiet and move on with life."

The witness was shown a photograph of the young Afghan's body in which he was holding an AK47 variant weapon, but said the teenager did not have a weapon at the vehicle stop.

The comment about the teenager was put to Mr Roberts-Smith in the witness box last year, when he denied saying "any part" of it.

Person 16 said before Mr Roberts-Smith joined the SAS, the VC recipient had a "formidable" reputation as being a "no-nonsense individual".

But he described "two camps" later forming; those "for" Mr Roberts-Smith and those "against".

"Those against, seen him as being someone who was belligerent, a bully, [who] would trash and tarnish others' reputations," Person 16 said.

The trial, before Justice Anthony Besanko, continues.

For prior instalments, see, eg: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-08/ ... /100812550

and https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-15/ ... /100215224

and https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/ ... /100238836