Archive for June, 2009
This week’s award goes to British band Spacehog, and the feature song is one which borrows quite successfully from The Penguin Cafe Orchestra’s “Telephone and Rubber Band”…the song is “In The Meantime”.
Incidentally, thanks to our good friends the copyright police, YouTube don’t appear to have the studio version of this song, and audio has been disabled on the one video I could find where the studio version does appear…as a soundtrack to somebody’s footage of their skiing holiday! As such, today’s video comes from DailyMotion and loads more slowly than a YouTube video would.
ohoooohoooooooohooooooooooh
ohoooohoooooooohooooooooooh
ohoooohoooooooohooooooooooh
ohohooooohooooooooooooooooh
And in the end we shall achieve in time
The thing they call divine
And all the stars will shine for me
When all is well and well is all for all
Forever after
We’re living in the meantime wait and see
We love the all the all of you
Where lands are green and skies are blue
When all in all we’re just like you
We love the all of you
And when I cry for me I cry for you
With tears of holy joy
For all the days still to come
And did I ever say I’d never play
Or fly toward the sun
Living in the meantime something’s gone
We love the all the all of you
Where lands are green and skies are blue
When all in all we’re just like you
We love the all of you
Well that sounds fine so I’ll see you sometime
Give my love to the future of the humankind
Okay, okay, it’s not okay.
While it’s on my mind there’s a girl that fits the crime
For a future love dream that I’m still to find
But in the meantime
We love the all the all of you
Where lands are green and skies are blue
When all in all we’re just like you
We love the all of you
We love the all the all of you
Our lands are green and skies are blue
Just like you
Just like you
Just like, just like
Just like you
Just like you
Just like you
Just like, just like
Just like you
Samuel
June 14th, 2009 at 06:27pm
It would appear that I chose the time of my “spur-of-the-moment-escape-Canberra-for-a-couple-hours” escape to Corin Dam on Tuesday quite well, as a few hours after I left there, the road to the dam was closed due to snow. It wouldn’t surprise me if the road remains closed for most, if not all, of the rest of winter.
Corin Dam is a lovely spot which is quiet, scenic, not near anything useful and out of mobile phone signal range. I have been there many times but haven’t properly explored the area until this last visit, and I’m glad that I did because I found some good spots to take photos when I eventually get around to resuming my photographic series on Canberra’s dams.
Of course before I can do that, I will actually need to setup the photo gallery again and publish the photos from last year’s trip to Googong Dam. A project for after I return from Deniliquin I think.
Samuel
June 14th, 2009 at 02:40pm
Update 17 June: I have been informed that, contrary to the information below, 2CC and 2CA are in fact not dumping local news on weekends, and instead only closed the local newsroom last weekend due to a shortage of staff. Needless to say, I am pleased to hear this.
I apologise to the people at Capital Radio. I think it might be worthwhile if I just stop commenting on things relating to Capital Radio for a while. End Update
I’ll sum it up in one word: “disappointed”.
2CC and 2CA seem to have dumped local news on weekends, opting instead to take 2UE news all day. Previously, locally produced news bulletins were broadcast every half hour from 6am until 9am, and then every hour until midday. Now, zilch, zero, zip.
This drops the local news service back to producing less news than they did before the local newsroom started producing the entire news service instead of just local news. I have vivid memories of a time when 2CC took 2UE news and followed it with a local news bulletin, even on the weekend…to not even do that is, as I said earlier, disappointing.
It’s possible that I have just been spoiled by a good local news service in recent years and that this dropping of local news on weekends just brings the station in line with what many other stations do, however this doesn’t change the fact that it is disappointing that a standard can be set, and then the service can drop away in such a manner, to lower levels than the old standard.
Whilst I have a very busy day lined up tomorrow, I will be sure to listen with interest in the morning to see if there are any changes to the weekday news service. I, for one, hope that there aren’t.
Update: Weekdays are not affected by this change, thankfully. End Update
Samuel
June 14th, 2009 at 11:52am
2AY Albury/Wodonga have dropped the Derryn Hinch drive show and the Stuart Bocking evening show in favour of local music programming.
ACE Radio CEO Stephen Everett says the move is based on market research. He told RadioInfo:
The subtle change was in response to our own market research that has been most favourable since our move towards more music in the afternoon.
However I’m not convinced that this is the case. I think that this has much more to do with Fairfax’s ongoing satellite issues which, amongst other things, mean that Derryn Hinch’s show and Sports Today are not available on the satellite and must be taken off a webstream, meaning that they not only do not time out to the top of the hour properly, but also can not be automated and require a panel operator.
And this is just the known issues with Fairfax’s satellite distribution while they wait for a part to arrive from Israel. The last time I was in Deniliquin, Fairfax replaced, mid-show and for no apparent reason, 3AW’s Nightline with the Stuart Bocking show.
If you ask me, this has everything to do with Fairfax’s satellite issues, and minimal, if anything at all, to do with market research.
The local paper, The Border Mail, have jumped on the chance to do the typical “local paper bashes local radio station” act, citing listener outrage that Hinch and Bocking, along with weekend news, has been dumped.
I also note the absence of the Steve Price hour which 2AY used to run. Cost cutting and dumping dodgy satellite programming all in one move. It will be interesting to see how the audience reacts from here on.
Samuel
June 14th, 2009 at 09:37am
Two men for whom I have a lot of time and respect will be on the television tonight. 2GB’s Alan Jones will be interviewed by Seven’s Mike Munro on “Sunday Night” tonight.
As I will be on-air at 1WAY FM at the time, I will record it and watch it later, although I may keep an eye on it in the 1WAY FM studios. Mike, if you can hold the interview until just after 7pm, that would be great.
Samuel
June 14th, 2009 at 06:50am
I was quite amused, whilst watching the Rugby Union match between Australia and Italy on the television, to see what can only be described as steam billowing off the players who were clearly much warmer than the air which surrounded them.
The result, however, when a large group of them got together (for a scrum, for example) was a fog, through which it was difficult to see all of the players.
I maintain that it is not cold tonight, indeed it is currently 0.9 degrees. It will be cold though if the temperature continues to fall. I think the Bureau’s rounded overnight low of 1 degree was wishful thinking.
Meanwhile Rex Hunt is singing on 3AW. The fat lady sings. Richmond are home…even if Denis Cometti does think they look like Richmond, which is not a compliment.
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 09:37pm
Denis: “Richmond are looking like … Richmond.”
(pause)
Co-commentator: “I take it that’s not a compliment.”
Denis: “No, it’s not.”
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 07:57pm
And yet one can easily work out who, in the crowd at Canberra Stadium for the Rugby Union match between Australia and Italy, is a tourist…they’re the ones who are rugged up like Eskimos.
It’s 4.5 degrees outside right now according to the Bureau…I could quite happily go for a walk for an hour or so without a coat right now…but alas I’m inside listening to 3AW’s AFL coverage, and later I will be watching The Bill.
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 07:37pm
I can’t claim to be surprised by this, because quite frankly when the ACT Government builds a prison which isn’t a prison, but rather some nice, warm, fuzzy, friendly, wondrous place of leprechauns and criminal bonding sessions, this is inevitable.
The ACT has become the second jurisdiction in Australia to allow prisoners who behave to receive conjugal visits.
The Alexander Maconochie Centre’s conjugal visits policy, which includes same-sex couples, came into force on March 30 when the jail received its first prisoners.
The Canberra Times reports prisoners and remandees who meet certain criteria can have access to such visits every two months.
During the visits, couples are provided with “domestic surroundings”, condoms and reduced supervision so they can have their intimacy.
But there is a catch – the prisoner has to change the linen after the visit.
The policy excludes partners who are also prisoners at the jail.
It’s ridiculous that a place which is supposed to be an unpleasant punishment for doing something wrong, a place which should be bad enough to ensure that criminals don’t want to reoffend and find themselves “inside” again, a place which, whilst not necessarily awful, should not be a place which inmates can enjoy…it’s ridiculous that a place which should be all of these things I have mentioned, is instead being turned in to a nice friendly place.
Naturally the ACT Government are clinging to the “Victoria are already doing it” line, as if that’s some sort of good reason to do something…”oh, but they’re stealing candy, so therefore we should steal candy too”.
Realistically, prisons should be places of solitary confinement in small rooms with just a bed and a toilet, and three meals per day. Prisoners should not be permitted human contact except for occasional (monthly at most) monitored visits with family and legal counsel (the latter would have to be allowed at any interval if an appeal is either likely or underway). As far as I’m concerned, if prisons can be made as inhospitable and unaccommodating as possible, then people would be far less likely to re-offend, as they wouldn’t want to go back there.
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 06:34pm
It must be a year with a 2, a 5 or a 9 in it, because the bureaucrats have decided to overhaul the ranking system for students wishing to enter tertiary studies.
The good ole University Admission Index (UAI) is dead, and is being replaced by the “Australian Tertiary Admission Rank” which…try and get your head around this one, will have scores “higher than equivalent UAI ranks which may push up course entry scores at universities” but will have a lower maximum score.
In a show of true political correctness “we can’t let people get a perfect score in case others don’t feel just as perfect” methodology, the new top score will be 99.95.
So, everyone gets a higher score and feels better as a result, but nobody is able to get a perfect score. I see how this could backfire very quickly…with scores being effectively squeezed in to a narrower band, students are going to miss out on entry to their preferred course or university by smaller margins, which will probably make them feel somewhat hard done by.
Here’s the really amusing part of all of this though, Kim Paino of the Universities Admission Centre is urging students not to worry:
The scaling process for students will be the same, the rank order of students will be the same, and the same applicants will be selected for the same uni courses
So, if the only thing which changes under this new scheme is the end score, why do we need a new system? There is only one good answer to that question, and it is this: it keeps our bureaucrats in a job, pushing paper for the sake of pushing paper.
It’s a shame that we have wasted money on a pointless new system, when that money could have been better spent on school maintenance or, shock horror, actually educating students.
Now there’s a thought…actually educating students in schools. Oh Mr. Rudd, what happened to your “education revolution”? Did you accidentally empty a sauce bottle on it during your shaking of said bottle fairly?
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 12:55pm
One thing which I have been enjoying of late on the Internet is Mike Jeffreys‘ “High Speed Analysis for the Conversationalist on the Run”. Basically, Mike is taking a brief look at a number of issues at a time which is proving to be quite interesting.
In his latest post of this ilk, one of the topics is something which I too have noticed…an increase in the number of bank scam emails lately:
There seem to be more than the usual number of bank and credit card email scams right now… and the quality is up. Was a time when the bad spelling and ludicrous grammar made you wonder how anyone could be taken in, but not now. I recently rang the Commonwealth Bank on their praise or comments number – got straight through to a real human being. Full marks. You don’t have to be a customer to get one of these things. Example: today I received an offer to win a Porsche Cayenne for completing a survey as a St. George customer. Which I’m not. Be nice to know of a way to get these damned nuisances where they live. Maybe experienced net nerds know how. Unfortunately I don’t.
A comment from “Alf” of Belconnen in reply to this certainly caused some amusement:
Can’t agree more on the presistent nuisance emails we receive, although quality control still falls down at the scammers end. Raised a smile after receiving virtually identical scam emails, the first “from the St George bank”.
A giveaway in the second was the sign off, as the St Commonwealth Bank.
Perhaps the scammers know about an impending merger?
That said, the last time I checked, there is no “Saint Commonwealth”, and raising interest rates all on their lonesome isn’t getting them any closer to sainthood.
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 10:46am
Having spent the last few days dealing with wonderful and persistent migraines, its nice to be back in the land of heads which don’t hurt.
I’ll be catching up on a bit of a backlog of blog posts over the next day or so, and things should quieten down a bit again on Monday or Tuesday. Actually I have some videos which I might hold over to Monday seeing as I’ll be on the road for most of that day.
Samuel
June 13th, 2009 at 09:46am
As Bob and Gordon have discovered, Browns just aren’t the flavour of the month.
Greens Leader Bob Brown admits he’s facing bankruptcy after being forced to pay $240,000 in court costs after a failed bid to stop Tasmanian logging.
Senator Brown has until the end of the month to pay the money to Foerstry Tasmania, after losing a Federal Court case to stop logging in the Wielangta Forest in the south east of the island.
He says he may become bankrupt if he doesn’t raise the money and could lose his Senate seat as a result.
“As a Senator, and somebody who’s been able to accrue assets down the line, I’ll be talking with people who may be able to lend that money and if not, I’ll be taking some more adventurous action,” he said.
Oh goody, adventurous action…perhaps it will be celebrity (if you can call Bob a celebrity) skydiving for the “Save Bob Brown from bankruptcy foundation”.
Meanwhile for Gordon:
EMBATTLED British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was locked in a showdown with angry MPs from his party on Monday, reports said as he clung to power after a second humiliating poll defeat within days.
Mr Brown’s Labour was beaten into third place in the European elections, behind fringe anti-Europeans the UK Independence Party (UKIP), leaving him fighting for his job after 11 ministers resigned in recent days.
But at least one critic confronted Mr Brown at a regular meeting with MPs at the House of Commons on Monday evening, amid growing calls for him to step down and give the party a chance of winning the next general election.
To Gordon Brown’s credit though, he did give a speech which nobody will remember, but somehow seems to have saved his neck for the moment.
“I have my strengths and I have my weaknesses. I know there are some things I do well, some things not so well.”
And in related news, sometimes traffic lights are red, sometimes they are green, and every now and then they are amber.
Samuel
June 9th, 2009 at 01:06pm
About two weeks ago I was confused by the thinking behind the answers being provided to a poll on the KXNT website.
The question was:
The [police] officer who was killed in a crash last week was driving 109 mph [175 km/h] with no lights, sirens or seatbelt. The other driver who turned in front of him had been drinking, but was not legally DUI. Who is at fault?
And the results at the time of writing that blog post were:
The Officer. He was totally reckless. ( 57% )
Mostly the officer, but the driver contributed. ( 24% )
Both of them. It was a “perfect storm”. ( 15% )
Mostly the driver, but the officer contributed. ( 2% )
The driver. He was still impaired. ( 2% )
I was part of the 57% and couldn’t comprehend how people could believe the other three answers, especially the last two.
I’m pleased to be able to report that the authorities in Vegas have seen sense, and dropped all charges against the driver.
Metro Police have dropped all charges filed for last month’s crash that took the life of Officer James Manor.
Officer Manor was killed back on May 7th when his police cruiser collided with a pickup truck driven by Las Vegas resident Calvin Darling.
Darling was initially arrested for DUI and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, but was later released when tests revealed his blood alcohol content was not over the legal limit. Further investigation revealed that Officer Manor was traveling 109 miles-per-hour with no emergency lights or sirens on just before the crash.
With the investigation now complete, police say they’ve determined the accident was caused by Officer Manor’s excessive speed, and that Darling was not at fault.
Police recommended that District Attorney David Roger drop all charges against Darling, and Roger agreed, calling the case “a tragedy all around.”
(line breaks added by Samuel for readability purposes)
There is one part of the story which still leaves me puzzled though, and that is the original cause of Officer Manor’s decision to speed and what authorities have decided to do about it:
In addition, Metro says no charges will be filed against the 14-year-old girl who placed the fraudulent 911 call prompting Officer Manor’s rapid response.
A fake 911 call which results in a death, and no penalty? Not even community service? If it were up to me, she would be working alongside the emergency services for a while so that she comes to grips with the extraordinary work these people do, and why you can’t waste their time with fake emergency calls.
Samuel
June 9th, 2009 at 11:46am
Sorry that I’m a bit late with this. I was going to post this at the start of the month but got sidetracked and forgot about it. None-the-less, here are US President Barack Obama’s approval ratings for May as measured by the Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll.
May saw a stop (for the most part) the closing of the gap between the approval and disapproval numbers, and on the whole Barack Obama enjoyed a pretty good month by the polls.
Data courtesy Rasmussen Reports, LLC
The gap between the “strongly approve” and the “strongly disapprove” numbers, known as the “Rasmussen Approval Index” were fairly positive with only a couple low points.
Data courtesy Rasmussen Reports, LLC
To put this in context, here are the graphs for all of 2009.
Data courtesy Rasmussen Reports, LLC
Data courtesy Rasmussen Reports, LLC
It’s quite clear that from those graphs that May was a better month that the preceding few, however I have to wonder about June as it hasn’t started brilliantly for Mr. Obama, with the Rasmussen Approval Index hitting zero on the 5th, however it has rebounded since then.
I should point out that the missing day in the graphs is the 11th of May. No polling was conducted on this day due to Mother’s Day.
Samuel
June 9th, 2009 at 09:44am
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