This disease has spread throughout the world. Last week Australia awoke to a huge jolt. Rugby League, the workingman’s adaptation of Rugby Union, is the major sport of two states in Australia; Queensland and New South Wales. In NSW the clubs were local and it was the dream of every schoolboy as a senior to wear the jersey of his neighborhood Rugby League club. The clubs were made wealthy because of the “pokies” (poker machines). It enabled them to offer subsidized restaurant quality food and entertainment. Above all, the semi-professional players in the top team treated the facilities in the same way as the supporters. It was just as big a focal point for social activity for them as it was for club members. Twenty years ago no sport in Australia enjoyed the club spirit like the Brisbane and Sydney “Leagues Clubs” as they were known.

Ten years or so ago everything changed. That nasty little ex-Australian dried prune-faced, wife dumping octogenarian, Rupert Murdoch saw an opportunity for his Satellite network to literally take over the governing body of the Australian Rugby League. The idea was to turn it a national sport in all seven states of Australia and N.Z. and make it into a global viewing sport. Newscorp has monopoly over the Asian, European, American and South Pacific Satellite networks.

Murdoch splashed out further $millions establishing the Melbourne Storm rugby league team. Two of the last three years it has won the Grand Final. Why? Murdoch, not satisfied with just the television rights also wanted to own the best team. How did he achieve that? By paying top players under the counter, thus breaking the rules of team salary caps he helped establish. All hell broke loose when an enemy in the camp leaked the news of the cheating, lying and virtual stealing going inside Murdoch’s team. Believe it or not, as punishment the governing body dethroned the Storm, took away the prize money they ever earned, and this year they will play for no points. If I were the Chairman I would have not only disbanded the club, but also got rid of everything that smelled of Murdoch including his stinking television rights.

Doesn’t Murdoch’s behavior smack of Wall Street? A set of rules for himself; and another for the little people, all those long established Sydney and Brisbane clubs. The sad thing is since Newscorp’s involvement and its big money, the patronage of the Leagues Clubs’ facilities has been in rapid decline and so has the attendance at the grounds. Mind you gaming is up! All over the world you can now bet on who will win and who will lose. Rugby League has indeed become big business and a pretty corrupt one at that. Rugby League is now no different from the NFL: a day doesn’t go by where a spoiled rotten thug of a footballer appears before court for rape, assault and battery or drunkenness. Bookmakers and Internet gambling houses are making fortunes thus making the only losers in it all, the working class families of New South Wales and Queensland who used to passionately follow their footy teams and regularly patronize their clubs’ facilities. Isn’t sad when sport becomes a big business?

The L.A. Times has given me much fodder to ponder on when it comes to Jamie and Frank McCourt. There is nothing more salacious than the details of a bitter divorce suit becoming public property. Firstly fifty-five-year old Jamie traded up, going for a deadbeat thirty something divorced dad, her bodyguard (that takes the job to a new level) come chauffeur! While Frank has been able so far to keep his dalliances quiet (I hope for his sake the participants remain quieter than Tiger Woods was able to achieve with his) all the other stuff that has been filtered out has made excellent reading.

Firstly, there was the ownership question of the Dodgers. Jamie claimed it was a fifty-fifty deal, but the lawyer-trained MILF a few years ago stupidly signed away any chance of the Dodgers being part of matrimonial property. Instead she went for a plus $100 million portfolio of residential real estate. In fact she has about eight hotel size mansions mostly spread between Beverly Hills and Malibu. Then there are their living expenses. Over the past eight years they have withdrawn over $108 million from the coffers of the Dodgers to maintain a lifestyle and in true Leona Helmsley fashion, made sure during this time they have paid no federal or state taxes, because “only little people” pay taxes.

In order to pay another dirtbag (Rupert Murdoch) off for the purchase of the Dodgers, McCourt put his Boston parking lot buildings up as security. Obviously he fell short of obtaining suitable financing and Murdoch took possession of the security in lieu of payment. McCourt has done everything to improve the value of the Dodgers by increasing ticket prices and lowering the salary costs. To some degree he has succeeded. However the McCourt’s lifestyle is based upon sucking the investment dry. The eight mansions have huge mortgages against them and currently Frank is holed up in an apartment in the Montage Hotel at $30,000/month. Mrs McCourt is demanding a million bucks a month alimony to keep her in the lifestyle she has become accustomed to entertaining her new boyfriend.

The divorce will suck up around $20 million in fees and my hope is the empire falls apart so neither of the two ends up with one cent. The original owners of the Dodgers, who walked away with $hundreds of millions thanks to Murdoch, must in some way be saddened that by the time the McCourts have finished with one another the Dodgers will be a shadow of the organization it once was. For me I will continue to have a good giggle as the divorce case continues its journey to a conclusion.

If I remember correctly, Murdoch has always claimed to be an agnostic or atheist. True to those principles he has no conscience whatsoever in ensuring his outlets pump out as much sleaze as possible to attract enough viewers/readers to sell as much advertizing as he can at premium rates. He has been masterful in his endeavors and no-one can deny the success that has come his way. This dried up looking prune of a man, kept active by huge intakes of Viagra deserves a knighthood for his contribution to bringing Europe, Australia and America to the lowest common denominator of taste. Ironically, his Asian activities center around China and there he comes across not only as a China lover but a pillar of society! In Asia he loves Communism and in America, he is a libertarian!

When I look at that arrogant Boston Catholic Bill O’Reilly with his anti abortion right wing rhetoric, that fellow Irish Catholic idiot Sean Hannity and that illustrious Scientologist Greta van Susteren, all three are like innocent schoolchildren compared to the newest recruit, Morman convert, alcoholic Glenn Beck. Murdoch whom I claim has no time at all for religion wears another hat when it comes to the vicious crap that comes from these four commentators’ mouths night after night. I am not a hugely religious man myself, but my liberal Anglican Christian upbringing takes a further hammering from within when I read of what Beck has to say about the world, especially America. The only difference between him and a Muslim Mullah, is the Mullah is committed to getting rid of all infidels. Beck has yet to stoop to those levels of ridding the earth of his enemies. All four have almost successfully assisted me in turning the way of their boss, an agnostic or atheist.

How could God have made four such manicured lunatics to dominate the right wing media? O’Reilly and Hannity are just plain nasty IRA supporting Irish Catholics. They are probably assisting FBI Top Ten most wanted criminal, fellow Bostonian Whitey Bulger remaining on the lam. They both believe in guns and all that other crap that red neck Republicans claim is so absolutely sacred to all Americans. The other two however take the cake! Every time I hear Tom Cruise talking about Scientology, I can understand why it is an astrological religion. That moron is definitely from another planet. Van Susteren is of the same Cruise ilk, an outright lunatic. Beck simply by believing in Jesus spent time in America and the nonsense about Joseph Smith’s tablets, makes him a perfect mate for Greta.

Little wonder the Tea Party now represents the heart and soul of the GOP. Rupert, you will go done in history as a major benefactor in turning the world as I once knew it, upside down. Beck exemplifies how nutty you have turned so many Fox followers into. All we need is “the cat who has just licked the cream” grinning Mitt Romney to take the helm of America in 2012 and the capital of America and the world will become Salt Lake City. I believe the Scientologists have a community outside of L.A. with a house and landing strip ready for guru L. Ron Hubbard when he returns to earth on his space ship. Maybe it is a toss up where you transfer Newscorp HQ to; Salt Lake City or Hemet, California? For a heathen, you couldn’t be mixing in finer company!