Groanin' Jock tagged me with The Birthday Meme quite a while back. I rarely rush to complete these, but with all the happy news from the homeland this week, I felt in a generous mood.
Here are the rules:
Go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday (month and day).
Write down three events, two births, one holiday and tag five friends.
There are five slots in the Birthday Meme. As you are tagged, you have to remove the name in the first slot and bump everyone up so that your name can be added to the bottom.OK. I'll do that, but I wont tag anyone. I hate tags, but it is not personal. You Tag You Die sort of thing from primary school.
202 BC - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Hannibal was always interesting to me when I was younger. I was intrigued by the romantic paintings of the war elephants crossing the Alps during winter storms. He was one driven war machine and gave the Romans a run for their money.
1453 - The French recapture of Bordeaux brings the Hundred Years' War to a close, with the English retaining only Calais on French soil. I always think that it is odd that the hundred year war lasted 116 years. Joan of Arc eat your heart out.
1987 - (Black Monday) Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 22%. I remember the blind panic that ensued from this. I was living in Washington DC at the time. Those were the days before 24/7 medja coverage and the interweb. Most of the coverage was on the radio and television and newspapers. It single handedly brought programme trading into the popular lexicon. When I was in Singapore, the Asian financial collapse was covered much more immediately and everywhere.
Birthdays
Both these guys had fairly outrageous lives, lived at the same time and died about the same age, 43.
1944 - Peter Tosh, Jamaican musician, political activist (d. 1987). He is the tall clean living one with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer in their early Wailer days.
Born Winston Hubert McIntosh
Died Peter Tosh from gunshot wounds.
1945 - Divine, American actor (d. 1988) . Actor who starred in the first film version of Hairspray. Seems he did a better job than John Travolta based upon the resident film expert in our house.
Born Harris Glenn Milstead
Died Divine from Sleep Apnea due to obesity.
Festivals
The Scottish Festival of Haggis Supper and Deep Fried Mars Bar takes place on this day (and every other day) in Scotland.
After a disappointing loss to Pakistan, Scotland achieved a creditable draw with India at the Cricket Twenty20 World Championships, when the match was abandoned with no play due to rain.
A Magnificent Moral Victory!
If Pakistan wallop India, Scotland can qualify for the next stage. This would be a classic Scottish sporting success. More likely not to happen however. We Scots, we have to remain optimistic.
Almost 30 years since Saatchi and Saatchi helped Margaret Thatcher get elected in 1979 with the political advert of the century, they have been appointed as the Labour Party Advertising Agency on the same week that Baroness Thatcher had a cosy meeting with Gordon Brown at Number 10.
Female chimpanzees are "selling" sex to the males that gather the most fruit, according to new research.
Behavioural psychologists found that female chimps mate with the males that give them the most fruit, while male chimps steal "desirable" fruits such as papaya from farms and orchards in a bid to woo potential mates.
Oranges, pineapples and maize are among the most sought after crops, with bananas proving far less popular.
The scientists also discovered that the chimp that gathered the most fruit in the "food-for-sex" trade received more grooming from females than the group's alpha male.
Researchers from Stirling University released their findings after studying the behaviour of chimps in the West African village of Bossou in the Republic of Guinea.
Dr Kimberley Hockings said the findings provided the first evidence of large-scale plant food sharing among chimpanzees with a sexual motive.
Male chimps were also said to be most likely to give food to a female that took part in the most "consortships", where an adult female and male move to the edge of the community where the male enjoys exclusive mating access.
Good to see that my old university is doing useful research. I'm just going to pop out to the fruit and veg shop.
As we head into the summer season here in South Australia and the potential for more all too frequent blackouts, the hybrid car may have a use as a backup energy supply for your home. Recently, when tropical storms resulted in a power outage in Florida, enterprising hybrid owners plugged the car into the backup uninterruptible power supply in their homes to get the electricity up and running. As long as the car has fuel, it can produce about three kilowatts of continuous power, enough to keep the refrigerator running and the lights on in the average house.
Useful. Gotta keep that beer fridge running. I wonder how efficient that would be as a means of generating power. It also looks a lot easier than this, a peddle powered washing machine.
Compelling evidence has emerged of how quickly bosses in retail and hospitality took advantage of WorkChoices to strip pay and conditions from their employees in Australia.
A landmark study has examined every new collective agreement in those two industries in the first nine months of the law last year and found most removed penalty rates and overtime, increased managerial power and gave inadequate compensation.
The study, commissioned by the Victorian, NSW and Queensland governments, and conducted by Sydney University's Workplace Research Centre, also uncovered a new industry of consultants and lawyers producing minimalist template agreements for small businesses.
Half of all agreements followed a template, and consultant Enterprise Initiatives produced a quarter of all 339 agreements studied, mocking the Government's claim that its law was about increasing employer-employee negotiation, and eliminating the third parties.
The study shows Saturday penalty rates were abolished in 76 per cent of WorkChoices collective agreements, Sunday penalties in 71 per cent, overtime rates in 68 per cent, public holiday rates in 60 per cent, and paid breaks in 55 per cent.
All these conditions were stamped "protected by law" in government advertising in 2005.
The study has, for the first time, calculated the real-world pay rates for workers in retail and hospitality who are moved from award rates to new non-union collective agreements, by modelling how standard rosters in these industry interacted with the new pay rates. They found most people were worse off, with part-time, casual and weekend workers hardest hit.
A casual worker in a liquor store doing 12 hours on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday could lose up to 38 per cent of pay, or $114.27 a week. A permanent full-timer working some weekends and overtime could lose up to $145 a week, or 20 per cent of salary.
From the Age
No big surprises, but rather very predictable and sad. Exploiting the most vulnerable. I loved the bit about "protected by law". So what is the story Smiling Joe Hockey?
The new South African head of the International Cricket Council Ray Mali is talking up the potential of the currently very poor Zimbabwe One Day Cricket Team.
"The programmes that they have which I believe they will take cricket far and it has been demonstrated by what we saw over the last three one-day games, especially yesterday (Sunday) when Zimbabwe was almost there.
"And I believe these boys - if they are given a chance to play for the next three years as one unit - they will be at the top of world rankings.
"It is not a dream, I believe it can be done. Zim Cricket will have to continue exposing these boys to higher class, intensive cricket all the time. Zimbabwe Cricket will have my support, they will have the support of ICC with this type of cricket that has been demonstrated over the last few days," said Mali.
The former president of the United Cricket Board of South Africa also praised the ZC leadership, saying they have managed to have a sustained development programme that ensures a constant supply of talent.
"At the same time I am excited by the involvement of schools in the cricket set-up which augurs well for the future because I believe with the participation of schools, from the Under-11 age-group up to the top, it means the future of cricket in this country is guaranteed.
"There will be a constant flow of players going up and the quality of leadership that has been assigned to look after the cricket here is of the highest quality that you can find anywhere in the world. It compares well with what we have in South Africa and other parts of the world."
Is this the same country that the somewhat corrupt Mr Mugabe is running (into the ground). Obviously all that money is being funnelled into cricket rather than feeding the population.
In other news Cherie Blair is in the running for Miss World, George Bush has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in Iraq and David Beckham is not a prima donna.
Where do these people come from? I mean it is nice to be nice to your neighbours, but a little reality would be more appropriate. By this reckoning, Scotland have a shot at the top rankings in cricket. How can I get a job like that?
I had exquisite timing in writing that post, with Zimbabwe beating Australia in the Twenty20 World Cup last night. You could get odds of 50 to 1 for the match before it started. Not bad for a 50:50 result outccome. Oh well perhaps Ray Mali can keep his job.
Ready for Take Off???? Leader in (Long Long) Waiting Peter Fly Like an Eagle Costello or Howard in Tights?
King John Winston Howard Fourth Term Emperor of Her Majesty's Antipodean Retreat, today unveiled a bold new reelection plan for his coalition groupies, to retire, if reelected.
It must be that vision thing. What was that fairy story about that Emperor with No Clothes. Come on Australia. Toss this guy out. Pass the wheelchair Peter, Alexander, Malcolm, Tony..... Anybody????
And these people. I read the article and the comment thread and there was not one positive comment about our glorious leader. I am beginning to think that the polls may be underestimating things.
The fact that this story has gone down this road after all the early outrage is astonishing. Common sense would suggest that it is extremely unlikely. Some of the evidence if true, suggests otherwise.
Fran Skud landed this one on me and I have struggled with completing it. Being the type to eventually finish what I have started, here it is. Not strictly compliant, but what to do.
4 Jobs I've Held:
* Short Order Cook When I moved to America in 1984 I was on a tourist visa and we moved to Aspen, Colorado where it would be easier to work (and play). My winter job was a short order cook in the Red Onion Restaurant, working with a chain smoking, drugged up, often drunk, psychotic Vietnam vet and some others. Interesting introduction to an aspect of American culture and sometimes dangerous things flew about the kitchen in times of stress. If you were lucky, you wouldn't get cigarette ash in your omelette.
* Saw Mill Worker One of my short term jobs between my two University stints in Scotland. This was memorable for the nail gun fights in the pallet shop, the older saw operators, none of whom had all their fingers left and the owner who never stopped shouting at people. I lasted four days.
* English Language Teacher When my first wife got a job working for the UN in Palawan, Philippines, processing Vietnamese refugees, I went along and taught English. Most of my time was spent in small groups chatting and drinking Cafe Su Dat and drinking San Miguel. I was very popular because the refugees assumed that I had some influence over their case, which was absolutely not the case.
* Energy Efficiency Consultant When my first wife got a job working for USAID in Kathmandu Nepal I went along too. Not too many jobs available on the local economy, so I ended up as a consultant. One of the projects was to do an energy and environmental evaluation of the USAID Office, which was a former Rana Palace and former home to one of the competing Nepali Royal Families. Interesting project and my recommendations were funded and implemented.
4 Films I Could Watch Over and Over:
* Sponge Bob The Movie. I love watching this with the kids.
* Paris Texas. I identify with this film through aspects of my life. Alienation R US. The sound track alone is worth watching for.
* One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. I love the dynamic with Nurse Ratched, the craziness of the fishing trip and the image of freedom at the end.
* Monty Python's Holy Grail. This is one of my sons favourite movies.
4 Television Shows I Watch:
* News Programmes Although wherever I have lived I have preferred the radio news. The best TV News at the moment is the Chasers War on Everything.
* Kids Programmes such as Angela Anaconda and George and Martha. I never really watch them in detail, but enjoy the interaction and enjoyment of the kids.
* Live Sport especially cricket and sometimes football.
* Murder Mysteries including Taggart and Cracker. I really like the grimy reality of Scottish television drama and particularly Robbie Coltrane. Takes me back to my former life in doom and gloom of Scotland.
4 Places I've Lived:
* Singapore. Food Capital of the World.
* Washington DC. Where I got my second degree
* Stirling, Scotland Where I got my first degree
* Puerto Princesa Palawan The Philippines. Where I worked in a refugee camp
4 Favorite Foods:
* Japanese When I was travelling around Asia, the one thing you could get reliably was Japanese food.
* Indian Growing up in Scotland you acquire a taste for northern Indian food. Living in Singapore, I was introduced to southern Indian food.
* Thai. I developed a taste for this living in America, although I have visited many times. Often the style of food presented outside the country is very different and surprisingly alien when you visit for real.
* Scottish Food including the full Burns Supper Menu. Haggis is outstanding a few times a year. Back that up with some deep fried specials. Yum.
Recently our kids have colonised our front yard tree. Pretty much anything of interest is now carefully arranged in virtual rooms throughout the tree. Sometimes they disappear for hours in a world of real virtual reality, not the computer versions.
It flags up a recent Unicef finding that British children are among the developing world's unhappiest.
The letter says: "We believe that a key factor in this disturbing trend is the marked decline over the last 15 years in children's play."
The experts say that play - especially when it takes place outdoors - is crucial to a child's health.
An increase in traffic, parental fears about abduction by strangers and a "test-driven" culture of education have all contributed to the trend, they insist.
They add that "the ready availability of sedentary, sometimes addictive screen-based entertainment and the aggressive marketing of over-elaborate, commercialised toys" have also played a part.
They call for a "wide-ranging and informed public dialogue about the intrinsic nature and value of play in children's healthy development".
There is so much pressure to watch TV, play on video games and computers and other electronic toys such as MP3 Players and Mobile Phones that do everything except feed and bathe you and taking care of poos and wees. There is no tactile experience there and we will be raising a generation of sedentary individuals, liable to be deaf and blind at 40.
Asafa "Run Like the Wind" Powell is set to sign on to anchor the Jamaican Bob Sled team for the next Winter Olympics, as he demonstrates that he can run a bit.
This is the man who is promoting Paul Potts (and a few others). This article is very interesting, but it now has to purchased. Mathew Ingram, who put me onto the article, summarises the state of play in the music industry. Good if you are a consumer. Not so good if you are a Music Monopoliser. The balance of power has changed.
Rubin’s abilities have helped to create acts such as The Beastie Boys, and rescued fading stars such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond from oblivion. But can he save the entire industry? That’s the subject of the NYT piece, which goes into some detail about how iTunes and file-sharing have eviscerated the business, and how young music lovers pay little or no attention to the radio or buying CDs any more.
In fact, hiring a guy like Rubin — who refuses to attend meetings or have an office at Sony’s Columbia Records despite now being co-chief executive, and who wears cargo pants and a T-shirt instead of a suit — should be evidence enough that executives in the industry are scared out of their wits. And it’s clear that one of the things Rubin wants to focus on is the music, which would be a refreshing change.
I bought all of Johnny Cash's later stuff produced by Rubin. I loved the dark themes and the production. Clearly a very talented music man. Not sure he will be able to turn around a greedy capitalist music empire. I was interested in the article that places like Tower Records had failed and that MTV hardly played music videos. Shows how out of touch I am. Tower Records was hot stuff when I was in the US in the 1990s. Although we have an MP3 Player in the house, I never use it and don't really know how to sync and load files. Is that what you do?
You learn something new every day. I had never heard of Driza-Bone and there is President Putin and Hu and their buddies wearing these Aussie iconic stockmen garb.
Wow it is really boring. I wanted to see some Aboriginal body art or at least a singlet and barbie wear.
Ryan is completely obsessed with this beer commercial, which is really only shown during Footy matches. It has got to be one of the most expensive ads ever made, judging by the people involved. It was filmed in New Zealand and very scenic too.
He has requested the CD, the DVD and has had me research it using Google. He has also watched the advert over and over on the internet, although the quality is not too good. The YouTube version has been taken off for music copyright violation. I hate that stuff. The music is Carmina Burana, which I have a copy of somewhere and which I quite like. Actually I prefer Catulli Carmina.
The two largest Fringe Festivals in the entire solar system are to have a major group hug, with opportunities for junkets and drinking sessions meaningful cultural exchanges for politicians and administrators, visiting each others festivals.
Edinburgh has the largest Fringe Festival and Adelaide, the second largest. The Fringe Festival in Adelaide is the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere. Adelaide also has the largest parade in the Southern Hemisphere, with the Christmas Pageant.
In my previous life, I acted in the Edinburgh Fringe when I was at University, doing Brecht, Shakespeare, Review and the fairly confronting The Hard Man. My mum made the straight jacket for that one. Wow, who would have thought I had a cultural side?
Following on from the likes of Slim Dusty and Steve Waugh and other noteables. If it were not for APEC, and the bloody Chasers, we may well have heard that Kochie, the bloody annoying, but nice presenter of Sunrise on Channel 7 is the Australian Father of the Year.
This succulent gets very fine star like flowers in the spring if it has enough sun.
One of the highlights of spring is the Jasmine, which has similar flowers and a great aroma. This one I planted a couple of years ago from a small pot and it has spread along the fence.
With the bash brothers version of the World Cup for cricket about to start in South Africa, Gideon Haigh details the history of the shorter foms of the game.
Twenty20 seems so fated to take over the world that it cannot be long before batsmen start hitting four4s and six6s, and falling for duck0s. But the underlying idea of making cricket faster, shorter, simpler and sillier is an old one. In fact, for a game whose commandments sometimes seem to have been handed down on clay tablets, cricket has throughout its history been interpreted with disarming freedom.
Nor should it be overlooked that the model of an 11-a-side two-innings game on which "first-class" cricket converged was only one of a host of cricket variations in use 200 years ago. Cricketers still took the field against one another as individuals, in single-wicket competition; as threes, fours, fives and sixes, in double-wicket competition - and against odds, often apparently overwhelming. When the first English team toured Australia from January 1862, it played 11 of its 14 games as XIs against XXIIs, and not until 1946-47 did English cricketers undertake an Ashes tour in which every game was on equal terms.
Sometimes the concepts combined. In one of the most famous duels, in 1810 the great allrounder William Lambert took on Lord Frederick Beauclerk and TC Howard - and won by 15 runs to claim a stake of £100. This he did, apparently, with wides, which did not then count against the bowler, and which, legend has it, drove the combustible Beauclerk crazy. There were combinations, too, that not even ECB marketers have dreamed up. Near Rickmansworth in May 1827, for example, "two Middlesex gentlemen" were defeated by Harefield farmer Francis Trumper "supported by his dog", providing a windfall for gamblers: an event of potential historical significance to Cricinfo, Coral, and Krufts.
like reader's digest cricket, or a book review rather than a book itself.
Seems to me that despite some of the poo pooing about Twenty20, this very commercial form of cricket has a great deal of potential. With increasing commercial interest in cricket and lifestyle changes limiting the time people have to watch cricket, this trend is likely to continue. The proposed Indian Cricket League, with a shorter format and short season is attracting a great deal of interest from current and recently retired marquee players, despite attempts by the cricket governing bodies to stifle participation. Television has voted with their cheque books, almost guaranteeing a success.
Despite all this at the essence, cricket still remains a competition between a batsman and a bowler and his buddies. All the other stuff is just noise.
Ian introduced me to this nifty map, where you can show where you have traveled and lived around the world. It is very easy to use and a good way to pass an hour or so. Another American centric thingy, where you can pick countries, but for America you can pick states. Woopee.
I was toting my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road When along came a semi with a high canvas covered load If your goin' to Winnemucca, Mack with me you can ride And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand And I said, "Listen! I've traveled every road in this here land!"
I've been everywhere, man I've been everywhere, man Crossed the deserts bare, man I've breathed the mountain air, man Of travel I've had my share, man I've been everywhere
I've been to: Reno Chicago Fargo Minnesota Buffalo Toronto Winslow Sarasota Wichita Tulsa Ottawa Oklahoma Tampa Panama Mattawa LaPaloma Bangor Baltimore Salvador Amarillo Tocapillo Barranquilla And Padilla
I'm a Killer I've been everywhere, man I've been everywhere, man Crossed the deserts bare, man I've breathed the mountain air, man Of travel I've had my share, man I've been everywhere
I've been to: Boston Charleston Dayton Louisiana Washington Houston Kingston Texarkana Monterey Ferriday Santa Fe Tallapoosa Glen Rock Black Rock Little Rock Oskaloosa Tennessee Tinnesay Chicopee Spirit Lake Grand Lake Devil's Lake Crater Lake
For Pete's Sake I've been everywhere, man I've been everywhere, man Crossed the deserts bare, man I've breathed the mountain air, man Of travel I've had my share, man I've been everywhere
I've been to: Louisville Nashville Knoxville Ombabika Schefferville Jacksonville Waterville Costa Rica Pittsfield Springfield Bakersfield Shreveport Hackensack Cadillac Fond du Lac Davenport Idaho Jellico Argentina Diamantina Pasadena Catalina
See What I Mean I've been everywhere, man I've been everywhere, man Crossed the deserts bare, man I've breathed the mountain air, man Of travel I've had my share, man I've been everywhere
I've been to: Pittsburgh Parkersburg Gravelbourg Colorado Ellensburg Rexburg Vicksburg Eldorado Larimore Atmore Haverstraw Chatanika Chaska Nebraska Alaska Opelika Baraboo Waterloo Kalamazoo Kansas City Sioux City Cedar City Dodge City
What A Pity I've been everywhere, man I've been everywhere, man Crossed the deserts bare, man I've breathed the mountain air, man Of travel I've had my share, man I've been everywhere
I've been everywhere
Listening to Johnny Cash, I have been to quite a few of the towns on the American version of a very famous Australian song, with a lot of indecipherable names, which I have never been to and probably never will.
Free Aussie Translation Service provided for the Auslingquistically challenged.
I've been everywhere...
Well, I was humpin' my bluey on the dusty Oodnadatta road, When along came a semi with a high and canvas-covered load. (Spoken) "If you're goin' to Oodnadatta, mate, um, with me you can ride." So I climbed in the cabin and I settled down inside. He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand, I said "Listen, mate, I've travelled ev'ry road in this here land."
Chorus: Cos "I've been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere, man. 'Cross the deserts bare, man; I've breathed the mountain air, man. Of travel I've had my share, man. I've been ev'rywhere.
Been to: Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba, Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah, Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla, Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla, Darwin, Gin Gin, Deniliquin, Muckadilla, Wallumbilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla, I'm a killer.
Chorus (Spoken) "Yeah but listen here, mate, have you been to..."
I've been to Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo, Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo, Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne, Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow and Narromine, Megalong, Wyong, Tuggerawong, Wanganella, Morella, Augathella, Brindabella, I'm the feller.
Chorus (Spoken) "Yeah, I know that, but have you been to..."
Simon Jackman a Stanford University Professor is covering the Australian Election in The Bulletin. He is an uberpoligeek, but he writes in a way even I can understand when we are dealing with the arcane world of political polling and election prediction.
His latest article makes a strong case for a Labor Landslide. Goodbye John Howard.
His blog is interesting too. He does a lot of work looking at betting odds for individual seats.
According to Answers, Bob Newhart is 78 today. I really like this quote from him.
"I don't like country music, but I don't mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like country music, denigrate means 'put down.'" — Bob Newhart
Classic put down. As a country music appreciator I feel insulted. Yee Ha
One of the best concerts I ever saw was Willie Nelson at Wolf Trap. He and his band just played and played for what seemed like ages. Great music. What a performer.
"We will not stand for the Fucking signs being removed," the officer said.
"It may be very amusing for you British, but Fucking is simply Fucking to us. What is this big Fucking joke? It is puerile."
Local tourist guide Andreas Behmueller said it was only the British that had a fixation with Fucking.
"The Germans all want to see the Mozart house in Salzburg," he explained. "Every American seems to care only about 'The Sound of Music' (the 1965 film shot around Salzburg.) The occasional Japanese wants to see Hilter's birthplace in Braunau."
"But for the British, it's all about Fucking."
And there is more here. No I know you don't have to.
A London lawyer runs a stop sign and gets pulled over by a Glasgow copper .He thinks that he is smarter than the cop because he is a London lawyer from London and is certain that he has a better education then any Jock cop. He decides to prove this to himself and have some fun at the Glasgow cops expense!!
Glasgow cop says," License and registration, please."
London Lawyer says, "What for?"
Glasgow cop says, "You didn't come to a complete stop at the stop sign."
London Lawyer says, "I slowed down, and no one was coming."
Glasgow cop says,"You still didn't come to a complete stop. License and registration, please."
London Lawyer says, "What's the difference?"
Glasgow cop says, "The difference is, you have to come to complete stop,that's the law. License and registration, please!"
London Lawyer says, "If you can show me the legal difference between slow down and stop, I'll give you my license and registration; and you give me the ticket. If not, you let me go and don't give me the ticket."
Glasgow cop says, "Sounds fair. Exit your vehicle, sir." The London Lawyer exits his vehicle.
The Glasgow cop takes out his baton and starts beating the f*ck out of the lawyer and says, "Do you want me to stop, or just slow down?"
The common citizen gardeners are revolting against a requirement that they cannot water their gardens, except using buckets. The talk back radio waves are full of angry upstanding citizens ranting against the State Labor Governments attack on gardeners rights and the injustice of old ladies getting up early to walk around with buckets to preserve their gardening treasures. With temperatures already in the high twenties and no rain, it is a real issue for many people.
On the weekend the Murdoch Rag had a serious double page spread on the issues of watering gardens, drippers and the like and the need for water economy, which nobody doubts. The major advertiser on the page supporting this was a swimming pool company promising swimming pools by Christmas. You can't fill them, but you can get them installed. Perhaps you can fill it with buckets. For a rainwater tank on the other hand, that would be about 9 months in some cases.
Today 27 years ago during the Centenary Test, John Arlott hung up his vocal cords for the last time.
As the rain-hit Centenary Test petered out at Lord's, Australia's Kim Hughes became only the third man to bat on all five days of a Test match. He made 117 and 84. But the day was probably more memorable for John Arlott's final stint behind the microphone. As the famous commentator ended his long career with the BBC's Test Match Special, play stopped as the whole ground stood to applaud him.
His voice is the one that I most associated with cricket commentary, although Richie Benaud comes close. He was television and John Arlott was radio. When I grew up, cricket was on crackly Radio Three, which I used to listen to on the large cabinet radio, having to retune slightly very regularly as the signal came and went.
John Arlott was a master of using silence to make his point. He was never as excitable and toffy as Henry Blofeld. My wife made me turn off the radio when he was commentating during the 2005 Ashes. Too grating for an Aussie ear.
Somewhat different from this gentleman, who is the one I associate with Rugby commentary from when I was growing up. I doubt that even John Arlott could have found a way to string an octopus and multiple haggises into one sentence.
Captain Greenhouse Gas and his band of merry men and all required equipment make the trek from Washington DC to Sydney to discuss carbon credits and the like at APEC. Unbelievable. Better go and buy some carbon credits.
Next week 1
man, US President, George W Bush will visit Sydney, Australia, for 5
days. He will travel in Air Force One which will be one of 3
747 Jumbo jets his entourage will fly in. A further 5
transport aircraft will accompany the Jumbos, carrying 2
helicopters (including Marine One, his official chopper), more than 20
motor vehicles including 1
ambulance 2
Presidential limousines, and 18
secret service and other vehicles, which will convey 50
White House staff and advisers. A 250
strong security detail is also on the way. All up there will be 525
people in the Presidential entourage, and it will cost over $200,000,000
to bring them here. Despite the cost, planning, and hype, there is approximately 0
chance any of us will get to see him!
It's OK I'll live with it. I think they will need a bit more of this if they try this loony stunt. What is it with these guys. Not content with screwing up one country, they are planning to annihilate another. Nutballs, loony tunes, liminey snickets....And now on with the regularly scheduled broadcasting.
Fantastic insight from and humble thanks to Dissociated
Our kids used to love theme plasters (or bandaids). Having a Bob the Builder, Buzz Lightyear or Hi Five plaster always made them feel better quicker. For adults you can always get some laugh therapy if you wear some Eggs And Bacon.
Tbe Birdsville Race Meeting in Western Queensland went ahead this weekend without horses because of the Horse Flu Epidemic. Jockeys raced Hobby Horses and others raced wheely bins down the main street. What to do when you can't bet on the horses.
A cat in Sydney’s eastern suburbs was taken to a vet high on cocaine and benzodiazepines. The eight-month-old Himalayan cat arrived at the Double Bay clinic on Monday morning with dilated pupils and a racing heart after being accidentally locked in a cupboard overnight, Fairfax newspapers reported. It was having trouble walking, was easily startled, paced incessantly and was too anxious to have a thermometer inserted into its rectum, said a report in this month’s edition of Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (…) the owner’s wife admitted the cat could have licked “plates of cocaine” which had been served at a dinner party two days earlier.
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Died Peter Tosh from gunshot wounds.
Died Divine from Sleep Apnea due to obesity.
