Categories
News and events

The language of disasters: active shooter, WMDs, robocalls

Tragic events in Boston last week. Being quite interested in language, a couple of things about the use of words caught my eye as events unfolded. Active shooter This is something I’ve noticed before, during all-too-often incidents in the US: the term they now use is “active shooter”. In this case it was at MIT,  ... [More]

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Culture News and events

My late father’s account of the newspaper story in 1964 that led to a suicide

In looking through my late father’s papers, I found the following, which he wrote about an incident on Rupert Murdoch’s Sydney Daily Mirror in the mid-1960s. I found it fascinating in light of the News Of The World controversy that was uncovered during 2011, though of course one should not jump to conclusions about the  ... [More]

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News and events

Priority seat: for people who are disabled, pregnant, less able to stand, and The Pope

The new Pope Francis is known for using public transport. Perhaps out of courtesy to the pontiff it’s time to update the signs? (Sources: pic, font)

Categories
Consumerism News and events

The last weekday of @TheAge as a broadsheet – I won’t miss it

I don’t read The Age in paper form everyday, but when I do, it’s either on the weekend where I can spread out as much as I like (so broadsheet is fine, though the smaller format of the supplements is fine too), or on weekdays on the train, where the broadsheet format is extremely awkward  ... [More]

Categories
Doctor Who News and events

Meteor & asteroid on the news – it’s like Doctor Who when they have the fake news bulletins

Over the past 24 hours, seeing the stories of the asteroid close-call and the meteor falling in Russia, it’s been a bit like those scenes in Doctor Who where they have a news bulletin about the latest alien invasion.

Categories
News and events transport

Happy Australia Day (on the trams)

Happy Australia Day. While I cringe at the “bogan display” in the supermarket selling Australian flag caps, t-shirts, capes, stubby-holders and so on, I quite like the (in comparison understated) flags that have appeared on the trams during the week. My recollection growing up is of small flags in this position on the W-class trams,  ... [More]

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News and events

NYE 2012

Having a night in. Just noticed my new year’s resolutions from two years ago — given I’m not really in the mood to write a new set, let’s review these old ones, shall we? Teach my kids chess — I did have one go at this, but didn’t push it. Should try again. Try to  ... [More]

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Bentleigh Culture News and events

Halloween approaches

Just after I moved to my current address, I noted that some of the local kids went Trick Or Treating for Halloween. It’s been the same in subsequent years, and I fully expect the same next week. I’ve decided that while I’m not into cultural imperialism and the adaption of American traditions to Australia, this  ... [More]

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Bentleigh News and events

Lest we forget: ANZAC Day 2012

I was passing Bentleigh RSL in early March when I noticed a new sculpture being installed out the front. (The bloke installing looks a tad grumpy…) Nearby on a truck were some more of the figures, ready for installation. The completed sculpture nicely captures representations of all the services. They went with songs to the  ... [More]

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News and events

Funny mining spoof video

Very funny mining video spoof… …so cutting that when Mumbrella re-posted it, they got legal threats from coal company Xstrata. They demand that Mumbrella takes the video off Youtube, to which Mumbrella points out: Your note suggests you may misunderstand who has published the video to which you refer. Your demand that the video is  ... [More]

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News and events

Who “owns” your surname?

Go to Google News (preferably in an anonymous browser window so it’s not skewed towards your usual searches — though it will detect your location/country). Search for your surname. Who comes up top? For me it’s Immigration Minister Chris Bowen. Related: Google’s top ten Daniels

Categories
News and events Working life

Why today is a holiday

It’s Labour Day today in Victoria, marking the reduction in working hours during the 19th century to 8 hours, and the relaxation of working conditions, which in the 1840s were strict: Conditions of the time were governed by the Master and Servant Act. Employees in Australia in 1840 who left their employment without permission were  ... [More]