From XKCD.COMTuesday 17 June 2008
Is it a nerd? Is it a pain? No, it's SuperRudd!
SuperRudd has unleashed his rather mindless razor gang on everything that moves, except those silly dob-in-a-terrorist TV ads which seem to be running each day this week and obviously costing unnecessary dollars because Australia's domestic terrorism threat level is still where it was in 2002 - at an arbitrary "medium" level.
The Nerd of Steel is also understood to have enlisted the help of the Attorney-General to see how much more money can be wasted on this redundant campaign to promote the National Security Hotline.
If ASIO's 2006-07 Year in Review figures are to be believed, this national hotline is so popular that half of the country must have its freecall number tattooed on their foreheads or still have Howard's fridge magnet in plain view.
Time to get back in the phone box, Kev. You're expecting an irate call concerning the cost of government advertising in a year where pensioners and working families are tightening their belts.
The Nerd of Steel is also understood to have enlisted the help of the Attorney-General to see how much more money can be wasted on this redundant campaign to promote the National Security Hotline.
If ASIO's 2006-07 Year in Review figures are to be believed, this national hotline is so popular that half of the country must have its freecall number tattooed on their foreheads or still have Howard's fridge magnet in plain view.
Time to get back in the phone box, Kev. You're expecting an irate call concerning the cost of government advertising in a year where pensioners and working families are tightening their belts.
Monday 16 June 2008
The butler says he didn't do it
In a tale that has all the elements of a mystery that only Agatha Christie's Miss Marple could solve the former royal butler Paul Burrell has rejected claims that he boasted about having sex with Princess Diana.
The Australian newspaper reports Mr Burrell said he was "sad and hurt" by claims made by his brother-in-law Ron Cosgrove, who told a British newspaper that the former butler confided to him 15 years ago about his intimate relationship with the princess.
The former butler also denied Mr Cosgrove's claims that Mr Burrell had told him he had seen the Queen naked at Buckingham Palace.
Mr Burrell said there was "not one shred of truth" to what Mr Cosgrove had told the News of the World tabloid and that his brother-in-law could have decided to "invent" the claims because he had refused to lend him money.
"Myself and my wife Maria feel tremendously sad and hurt that he has resorted to such vengeance by way of response," Mr Burrell said.
"Anyone who knows me, who knew the princess, and who understands the boundaries and decencies of royal service, as well as the integrity and trust which existed within our working relationship at Kensington Palace, will know just how fanciful, distasteful and malicious these claims truly are."
In a lengthy interview published yesterday, Mr Cosgrove said Mr Burrell had told him during a conversation in a pub in 1993 about he and Diana "did it in the bedroom, the bath, everywhere".
Mr Cosgrove said Mr Burrell had also claimed to have seen the Queen naked after chasing a royal corgi into her bedroom at Buckingham Palace.
The Australian newspaper reports Mr Burrell said he was "sad and hurt" by claims made by his brother-in-law Ron Cosgrove, who told a British newspaper that the former butler confided to him 15 years ago about his intimate relationship with the princess.
The former butler also denied Mr Cosgrove's claims that Mr Burrell had told him he had seen the Queen naked at Buckingham Palace.
Mr Burrell said there was "not one shred of truth" to what Mr Cosgrove had told the News of the World tabloid and that his brother-in-law could have decided to "invent" the claims because he had refused to lend him money.
"Myself and my wife Maria feel tremendously sad and hurt that he has resorted to such vengeance by way of response," Mr Burrell said.
"Anyone who knows me, who knew the princess, and who understands the boundaries and decencies of royal service, as well as the integrity and trust which existed within our working relationship at Kensington Palace, will know just how fanciful, distasteful and malicious these claims truly are."
In a lengthy interview published yesterday, Mr Cosgrove said Mr Burrell had told him during a conversation in a pub in 1993 about he and Diana "did it in the bedroom, the bath, everywhere".
Mr Cosgrove said Mr Burrell had also claimed to have seen the Queen naked after chasing a royal corgi into her bedroom at Buckingham Palace.
Show and tell in Federal Parliament?
Will the flood gates open in Australia's Federal Parliament today when Belinda Neal, the Member for Robertson, is expected to be in Parliament for the first time since the Iguanas nightclub incident?
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a spokesman for Federal Opposition leader Brendan Nelson said, "We expect Mr Rudd to call on Belinda Neal to go into the chamber and explain what happened."
According to the Herald, Nelson is set to exploit the MP-behaving-badly issue and press Mr Rudd to require Ms Neal to explain to Parliament her side of the story over the fracas with staff at the Gosford nightclub.
Comment:
MPs behaving badly? Brendan Nelson should be very careful. His side of the House has more than its fair share of MPs whose unacceptable behaviour could be highlighted.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a spokesman for Federal Opposition leader Brendan Nelson said, "We expect Mr Rudd to call on Belinda Neal to go into the chamber and explain what happened."
According to the Herald, Nelson is set to exploit the MP-behaving-badly issue and press Mr Rudd to require Ms Neal to explain to Parliament her side of the story over the fracas with staff at the Gosford nightclub.
Comment:
MPs behaving badly? Brendan Nelson should be very careful. His side of the House has more than its fair share of MPs whose unacceptable behaviour could be highlighted.
Fight for the right of your community to have a say in local development - go to www.keepitlocal.org.au and have your say
It's time to step up and support the push for a NSW Upper House inquiry into Frank Sartor's draconian, pro-developer changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.
Go to www.keepitlocal.org.au and follow the links to its email page.
To make it easy the Local Government and Shires Association has produced a template email letter.
The need for an inquiry into the 200 pages of changes to planning laws will be debated in the Upper House tomorrow, Tuesday 17 June 2008.
A parliamentary committee has raised serious concerns about the proposed New South Wales planning laws.
The cross-party committee, which included four Labor politicians, found 20 problems with the new bills, including that they could provide Planning Minister Frank Sartor and the planning commissions with oppressive power.
It also found the laws could compromise people's rights and liberties, and remove procedural fairness.
Local Government Association president Genia McCaffrey says the findings vindicate her call for an Upper House inquiry into the bills.
"We've been saying this is going to remove the rights of people to protect their homes," she said.
"The parliamentary inquiry is confirming exactly what we're saying when it says they're concerned that the rights of local residents will be seriously under threat."
US08: political attitude in the race for the White House
Bumper stickers available online from what appears to be a pro-McCain website Fredstates.com .Moving from the bitter to the politically sugar-laden. Click onto Cats for Obama
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