News and current affairs
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer is Doctor John Carnie. So I’m wondering… Where is he? I’m sure acting CHO Rosemary Lester is doing a fabbo job, but if the state has a WHO-recognised pandemic on its hands, shouldn’t the actual CHO turn up? Shouldn’t it be all hands on deck?
Just over two years after the accident, the verdict in the Kerang disaster case was returned yesterday. The truck driver was acquitted. There’s no question over the fact that he was at the wheel, or what happened after impact. And we know that the crossings lights and bells worked, because the traffic coming the other ... [More]
Had to laugh at the Indian protestor talking to Jon Faine on Monday who appeared to inadvertantly use the phrase “Too many chiefs, not enough Indians” (at about the 20:45 minute mark, using the ABC media player’s weird countdown system.) I haven’t actually seen this week’s controversial Chaser episode yet. But judging from last week’s ... [More]
I’m not panicking about swine flu. From the cases in Australia so far, it appears to be reasonably easily treated, with minimal effects for those who catch it. Quarantine? Well I don’t think I’d enjoy it much, but I guess I’d get a bunch of tidying and video-game-playing and DVD-watching done. I’d certainly try out ... [More]
I was saddened to see the damage to the Flinders Street Station stained-glass windows on the news, from the protests by Indian students today, but I think it probably shows just how angry they are about the crimes against them. I’d be angry too. Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said there was a perception that Indian ... [More]
One commentator says Claire Werbeloff (the “fully sick” “Chk Chk Boom” Kings Cross bogan hoaxer) is this year’s Corey Worthington. Uh huh. Well it might be worth pointing out that last year’s Corey Worthington is now an unemployed nobody looking for a labouring job. Perhaps the best Claire Werbeloff commentary came from the victim of ... [More]
Just days ago I was watching an interview with a guy on The Daily Show, who, like most of their guests, was flogging a book. His was called “Dread: How Fear and Fantasy have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to the Avian Flu“: Even at our most level-headed, the thought of an epidemic can ... [More]
This is Private Eric Smith. According to the Australian War Memorial listing, Eric, of Bentleigh, enlisted on 12 March 1915. This photo was taken in May. He sailed to war aboard HMAT Wandilla on 17 June 1915. He died of illness on 22 August 1915, aged 27. He was buried at sea. The listing says ... [More]
Call me slow. I didn’t realise until reading the paper on Monday that SIEV is an acronym. (As in SIEV-X.) It’s authorities jargon, and stands for “Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel” — the one involved in last week’s fatal fire being SIEV 36.
Vague news Dear national news programme: Don’t just say something happened “in eastern Melbourne”. Use a couple more words and tell me what suburb. Do the same for other cities too. Dream I had a dream that I’d gone back to my old primary school, and was being shown around by a lady who said ... [More]
Wow. Following up from frivolous calls after Melbourne’s earth tremor a couple of weeks ago, and just in time for yesterday afternoon’s tremor, Victoria Police put out a press release that reveals how many clueless people there are, who dial the Triple Zero emergency number for stupid reasons. January 2009 – Caller telephones 000 to ... [More]
For those who missed it, last Thursday night’s Daily Show was a corker. Jon Stewart took on TV financial advisor Jim Cramer in one of the best TV debates I’ve seen in a while. The interview was one of those classic television moments that crystallised the public mood in the credit crisis. Stewart articulated the ... [More]
It was just before 9pm last night. I thought at first it was a ruddy big truck moving down my street. Or a really strong gust of wind. But the whole house was shaking. It passed after a few seconds. Nothing had cracked or fallen. I looked outside. Silence. No thunder, no wind. Twitter and ... [More]
A great little video (about 10 minutes long), illustrating in a very Hitch Hiker’s-like style how the financial system (in the US particularly) got into such deep do-do. The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo. Making-of information
A few quick things… This Daily Show segment about Obama’s inauguration was mucho funny. The Daily Show With Jon StewartM – Th 11p / 10c Changefest ’09 – Obama’s Inauguration Daily Show Full EpisodesImportant Things With Demetri Martin Funny Political NewsJoke of the Day Speaking of Obama, as with Rudd before him, I’m still getting ... [More]
I wasn’t affected by the heatwave power outages the other week, though I know people who were, and at one stage I got off the train heading for home to find a lot of the shops had lost power, with many shopkeepers having left early for the day, and the supermarket throwing out all of ... [More]