I’m going offline for 24 hours now (update: OK, now that the Mark Ferguson story is out of the way, I’ll disappear for 24 hours). I am available for urgent contact only, on my mobile. In my absence, enjoy some video.
Samuel
Add comment July 3rd, 2009 at 01:44pm
2GB’s livenews.com.au is reporting that Channel Nine newsreader Mark Ferguson has defected to Seven.
Nine newsreader Mark Ferguson has quit Channel Nine, and will be defecting to Channel Seven to read weekend news.
Ferguson had been in contract negotiations with Nine over the past few weeks, but has decided not to stay on at the station.
The move comes as little surprise to many, after Ferguson was punted from his weekday 6pm newsreading slot to the weekend, to make way for 60 Minutes journalist Peter Overton.
The axing reportedly left Ferguson furious.
For Nine, the shift didn’t prove to be a smart tactic – the one time news leader experienced a sharp decline in the ratings.
Ferguson had been presented as the face of Nine’s new This Afternoon news program, which debuted only this week.
His departure leaves Andrew Daddo and Katrina Blowers as the remaining hosts.
[..]
Ferguson’s shift to Seven raises questions about the future of [Seven's] current newsreading line-up.Rumours have been rife for some time that veteran reader Ian Ross is on the verge of retirement, with the popular Chris Bath set to take his place.
This would leave weekends for Ferguson.
Neither Nine nor Seven is commenting officially at this stage, although LIVENEWS.com.au sources have confirmed that the move is occuring.
Apologies for the quality of the text…it looks like somebody at livenews forgot to use a spellchecker.
I’m surprised that Mark would jump ship less than a week in to being “the news guy” on Nine’s new afternoon show, but to the same extent, he has every right to be annoyed with them. He was doing pretty well in the 6pm slot, was dumped on a whim, and has been shuffled between weekends, the Today show and weekday afternoons since. His body clock must be confused by now, and if Seven are promising to treat him better, then more power to him and them.
Mark is, in my opinion, the best television newsreader in the state. I wish him (not that I think he needs it) the best of luck at Channel Seven.
Samuel
Add comment July 3rd, 2009 at 01:43pm
Your “Jerk of the Week” submission
Gerard RamalhoWhy should this person be the “Jerk of the Week”?
Getting Casey’s name wrong on Channel 3 news.Your Name (Optional)
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
KXNT’s Casey Hendrickson was interviewed by Channel 3 news about funding for the Springs Preserve park. They called him “Casey Hendrix”.
The great thing about the internet is that I’m able to see this for myself on the Channel 3 news website. It’s the video titled “Addressing operating costs for Springs Preserve” under the “Featured Videos” heading.
Update: Casey has forgiven Gerard because “Gerard is awesome”. End Update
Samuel
Add comment July 2nd, 2009 at 07:30pm
2QN in Deniliquin is now back on the air after a wind gust during a storm knocked over their transmission tower yesterday.
The station went off the air at about 4pm yesterday, and was returned to the airwaves this afternoon at around 2pm. According to a staff member’s Facebook messages, 2QN’s sister station Classic Rock was also taken off the air in the incident.
Other reports say that power in Deniliquin was restored this afternoon, after being lost in yesterday’s storm.
File photos of the 2QN Transmitter site, taken on the 10th of March
Samuel
4 comments July 1st, 2009 at 05:27pm
Today we wish the Good and Services Tax a happy birthday, for it was on this day in the year 2000 that the Howard government replaced a whole bunch of archaic taxes with it. Unfortunately the GST hasn’t replaced income tax yet, but I look forward to the day that it does.
Samuel
Add comment July 1st, 2009 at 09:55am
One of the many tried and true methods of making oneself feel better is to write annoying letters to politicians who happen to annoy one.
Senator Kate Lundy
Unit A
Law Society Building
11 London Circuit
Canberra ACT 2601Dear Senator Kate Lundy (or the nameless minion reading this letter),
Your Senatorialism,
Please find enclosed the “Community News” newsletter, which you recently had mailed to me.
I am returning this to you as I have no need for it. I hear enough from you and your loopy lefty fruitcake colleagues in the media, without needing to be subjected to it in my post office box as well.
Please feel free to do with this newsletter as you see fit. Contrary to appearances, I would be most pleased if you decide to reuse this newsletter by sending it to one of your other constituents, as this would, in theory at least, mean that some of the taxpayer funds which go in to your various allowances would not need to be spent on printing an extra copy of the newsletter.
Wishing you the most interesting of times,
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
I find that closing with ancient curses is most pleasing. The letter will be in the post momentarily.
Samuel
1 comment June 30th, 2009 at 05:06pm
I’m not looking forward to tonight. At about 8pm, it will be precisely one year since I rolled my car on Parkes Way.
I still have a text message on my phone from that night. One of the first things I did after getting out of the car was (presumably in a slightly incoherent state of shock) call a friend to ask if they knew the number for a tow truck, which they promptly sent via text message. I have also just been re-reading some of the emails from around that date, including one in which I spelt out some events from that night, and the next day, which I had more-or-less forgotten about…it seems that such memories never disappear, they just get buried…reading those emails just brought back some visual memories which I wish were gone, and made me feel sick.
I think I might just go to bed early tonight. If I can be asleep by 8pm so that I completely miss the one year anniversary of the events of that night, I think I’ll be happy.
Samuel
Add comment June 30th, 2009 at 03:03am
Dear to hello on this day of the much lovely”
It is day of sun here in the Sydney which is good as I have been day off today from the working of Graderns and can be doing good enjoyment of walking. I am do think that people who have the dogs are much lucky to be doing go for the walks of with company as I can not be doing take Slavcatchski for walk as it is not as much easy to do with cats.
Last week I did do find and see on the tevlevision of Sbs that the newses of tevelvision from the Russia are on and in the Russian which is good and nice but often at time of when I am doing at gardren so can not be doing watch and it is also not always of on in time of do happen in of the Russia and so I am not sure it is of current at the up to date.
I am often doing call on tepehelphone to the Russia to have talk with Mother of Russia and she dos do of somethimes have conversation and chattings with me of time when I am on tepehelphone at time of newses on the tevelevision in the Russia and so she has done do of the put of telehphlephone near the tevelevision so that I can be do hear of the newses from of the Russia which is good to be doing hear of the newses.
Also of times when I am do of call to mother of Russia in recent she did do of the say to me that she is much happy to be receiving on the postals the weight records of nice cat Slavcatchski on daily as I am do weigh him on scales on each day and do the postings of records to Russia and mother of Russia has now do do say of that she will be do weighings of pet mouse Squeelivich so that she can be do send weight records to me in postals which is much lovely as Squeelivich is my pet mouse as present from Mother of Russia but I can not be do of bring him to the Australia as for the rules of Customs and I am not think he can be done come to country.
I am do hope that day is lovely for you and in times of to come in soon.
From Maritz
1 comment June 29th, 2009 at 06:46pm
G'day Guys, and a special hello to Andrew,
It's great to see you back on the tele Andrew.
This has been a good first show, although perhaps a bit over the top with the orange.
Good luck for the future.
Regards,
Samuel Gordon-Stewart
Canberra
Update: Actually, Andrew seemed a bit clunky to start with today but got better as the show went on. I was amused by the sign off though…Andrew being drowned out by music, Katrina saying “good night” followed by Andrew saying “good afternoon” and then before the microphones were muted, Mark Ferguson having a go at them for it.
If the show can pick up a bit in the coming weeks, I’d like to see it extended to 6pm, and Millionaire Hot Seat bumped to an evening timeslot. 7pm (the old Sale Of The Century/Temptation timeslot) would be good, but only if WIN will replace one of those infernal 7:30pm screenings of “Two And A Half Men” with Hot Seat. Seriously, Two And A Half Men has become the Nine version of The Simpsons on Ten…”We have nothing to show…quick, find a tape of Two and a half men!”. It’s an entertaining show, but it’s on far too often.
Samuel
End Update
Add comment June 29th, 2009 at 05:17pm
As promised I have , for this week, suspended the randomised selection of musicians from the ever-growing waiting list so that I can give the award to Michael Jackson.
The feature song is my favourite Michael Jackson song, “Beat It”.
They told him don’t you ever come around here
Don’t wanna see your face, you better disappear
The fire’s in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat itYou better run, you better do what you can
Don’t wanna see no blood, don’t be a macho man
You wanna be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you wanna be badJust beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat itThey’re out to get you, better leave while you can
Don’t wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man
You wanna stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat itYou have to show them that you’re really not scared
You’re playin’ with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare
They’ll kick you, then they beat you,
Then they’ll tell you it’s fair
So beat it, but you wanna be badJust beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or rightJust beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or rightJust beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
(beat it, beat it, beat it)
(beat it, beat it, beat it)
(beat it, beat it)
(beat it, beat it, beat it)Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated (oh no)
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or who’s rightJust beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated (oh no)
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or rightJust beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Samuel
Add comment June 28th, 2009 at 07:54pm
This is without a doubt the single most disturbing dream that I can recall. It takes that title from the dream I had as a kid where some bad guys from a western barged in to my house and kidnapped me.
The dream started off innocently enough. I was in the New South Wales town of Conargo, in a building, chatting with ACT Opposition Leader Zed Seselja who was sitting at a table. The rest of the ACT Liberal Party turned up for a meeting with Zed, so I left and went to a friend’s place to sleep for the night (it was probably around 9pm in the dream at this time, and in reality this friend lives in deepest darkest southern Tuggeranong, but for the purposes of this dream, he lived in Conargo) where I slept until about 2am at which I time I felt an urge to visit the local store.
The store happened to be on a street corner which looked a bit like an amalgam of about five streets in Fyshwick. I drove to the store, but before I could get there a fire truck rushed past in the opposite direction, heading straight for the airport (which was probably a derivative of the Deniliquin airfield, just with more warehouses around it).
I made chase, as a fire at the airport would naturally be the lead story of my news bulletin in the morning, and parked about a block away from where the fire truck stopped. I got out of my car and started walking towards the airport, but was approached from behind by a very large man (both tall and bulky) wearing a State Emergency Service uniform (OK, perhaps not a uniform, just a fluoro yellow vest with reflective tape, and the letters “SES” printed on it in large black writing) and carrying an axe.
The man started yelling quite angrily about how I was being offensive, breaking the law, and upsetting him, by walking through a federal government construction zone. I offered my apologies and explained that I was a journalist, that my aim was to go to the airport to cover the story about the airport fire, that I did not intend on trespassing, and besides which, there was no signage to warn me about the construction zone.
The man was not impressed. He continued to yell at me, and continued to approach me. I started to back away and muttered something along the lines of “well, I’ll just leave now then”, at which point I turned around and started running. The man started yelling that I needed to be punished, and started to chase me. I ran in to a nearby building (which looks like the building in which I had started the dream, minus Zed Seselja and the rest of the Liberal Party), tripped on a rug and fell. The man with the axe caught up with me, and as I was lying on the ground, he continued yelling, and started to swing the axe toward me.
The axe came at me…and I woke up, rather shaken, and with my heart pounding.
I have more dreams from the last week to write about in the coming days, thankfully none are as dramatic as that one…I’m just hoping that my occasional ability to endure sequel’s to my dreams does not occur with this one.
Samuel
Add comment June 27th, 2009 at 10:03pm
Not the best day in the history of American politics. Their version of the emission trading scheme has been passed by the US House Of Representatives, but still needs to make it through the Senate.
The Democratic-controlled House, dealing a legislative victory to President Obama, narrowly passed sweeping legislation Friday that calls for the nation’s first limits on pollution linked to global warming and aims to usher in a new era of cleaner, yet more costly energy.
The vote was 219-212, capping months of negotiations and days of intense bargaining among Democrats. Republicans were overwhelmingly against the measure, arguing it would destroy jobs in the midst of a recession while burdening consumers with a new tax in the form of higher energy costs.
The House’s action fulfilled Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s vow to clear major energy legislation before July 4, and sent the measure to a highly uncertain fate in the Senate.
[..]
The legislation would require the U.S. to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and by about 80 percent by mid-century. That was slightly more aggressive than Obama originally wanted, 14 percent by 2020 and the same 80 percent by mid-century.U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels are rising at about 1 percent a year and are predicted to continue increasing without mandatory limits.
Under the bill, the government would limit heat-trapping pollution from factories, refineries and power plants and issue allowances for polluters. Most of the allowances would be given away, but about 15 percent would be auctioned by bid and the proceeds used to defray higher energy costs for lower-income individuals and families.
[..]
On the House floor, Democrats hailed the legislation as historic, while Republicans said it would damage the economy without solving the nation’s energy woes.
With any luck this thing will die in the Senate, much likes it seems to be doing here in Australia.
Samuel
Add comment June 27th, 2009 at 01:51pm
Technically speaking, the barcode itself is older than 35, but today (June 26) does mark the day that it was first used commercially, all the way back in 1974.
(FORTUNE Magazine) – As revolutions go, this one ignited with something less than a boom. But that doesn’t mean the events of June 26, 1974, didn’t usher in a transformation. On that day a checkout clerk slid a ten-pack of Juicy Fruit gum over a bar-code scanner at a Marsh supermarket in Troy, Ohio. The cash register automatically displayed the price, and an era was born.
The IBM UPC barcode is everywhere in our lives. As somebody who was not alive before barcodes became ubiquitous, I can’t imagine life without them. The mere thought of a weekly grocery shopping trip without barcodes is the material of nightmares.
My favourite use of the barcode though is in making self-serve checkouts possible. I gravitate toward self-serve checkouts when I’m in a store which has them. I just find the process of dealing with a competent (if slightly naggy) computer to be much more enjoyable than the process of dealing with a checkout operator who wants to argue with me about how many packets of biscuits I’m buying.
Happy birthday to the commercial use of the barcode!
Samuel
Add comment June 26th, 2009 at 11:02pm
Average temperatures in the Arctic have not gone above zero degrees Celsius yet this year, which makes this year a particularly cold year up there as normally the average temperatures would be above zero by now.
The average arctic temperature is still not above (take your pick) 32°F 0°C 273.15°K–this the latest date in fifty years of record keeping that this has happened. Usually it is beginning to level off now and if it does so, it will stay near freezing on average in the arctic leading to still less melting than last summer which saw a 9% increase in arctic ice than in 2007.
Yes, that’s right, it’s the coldest year on record for the Arctic, and they not only had a 9% increase in ice last year, but they’re on track for another bumper ice season.
Temperatures usually begin flatlining in late June which would suggest less ice loss, although the water temperature beneath plays a key role and all of the warm water that entered the Arctic when the Atlantic was very warm in the middle 2000s (now is nearer normal) may not have circulated out yet.
And there we have further support for the fact that the planet is cooling. The seas were warmer a few years ago than they are now.
Meanwhile CNN’s Ross Hays has even more good news:
Kiruna had had the coldest June in 150 years!
Kiruna, incidentally, is in Sweeden, where Ross is based.
Samuel
1 comment June 26th, 2009 at 04:50pm
As I noted yesterday on Facebook (and thanks to Padders for pointing it out to me), I am very pleased to see that Senator Steve Fielding has sided with the truth, and declared that global warming/climate change is not caused by human activity.
After talks with the government and top scientists, Senator Fielding, whose vote could be crucial in passing the Federal Government’s plan to put a price on carbon emissions, has released a document setting out his position.
“Global temperature isn’t rising,” it says.
[..]
Senator Fielding’s document was prepared with the help of some of the country’s most prominent climate-sceptic scientists.It says it is a “fact” that the evidence does not support the notion that greenhouse gas emissions are causing dangerous global warming.
The even better news is that this could be the end of Kevin Rudd ridiculous Emission Trading Scheme.
The Government is struggling to muster enough votes to pass the legislation ahead of a vote scheduled for tomorrow [Thursday/yesterday].
Senator Fielding’s stance appears to torpedo the chance of the scheme passing as the Government would need his support, as well as that of the Greens and independent Nick Xenophon.
The support of the Greens is not assured. The party is concerned that the Government’s model for emissions trading lets big polluters off too lightly and has an emissions reduction target which is too weak to do any good.
[..]
If all cross-bench senators reject the ETS, the Government would need the support of the Opposition to pass the scheme.
Since that article appeared on Wednesday, the vote on the ETS has been delayed until August.
Samuel
1 comment June 26th, 2009 at 03:35pm