Episode 45 is online, Peter Costello!

Screenshot of Stilgherrian Live episode 45, showing Pong playing with his hair

Episode 45 of Stilgherrian Live, the Fame Edition, is now online for your viewing pleasure.

I was surprised that the Swine Flu Panic didn’t win “Cnut of the Week”. T’was only second place (28%). Jim Carrey (for suggesting vaccines are the real worry — yes, when I want advice on epidemiology I’ll ask an actor) was equal third place (20%) with cockroaches who refuse to die when confronted with a veritable tidal wave of insecticide.

Does than mean Jim Carrey is a cockroach? That’s a shame. It means I can’t poison him.

Photograph of Peter Costello as Cnut of the Week

Our winner, on 32% of the vote, was Peter Costello, who still refuses to shut the fuck up about… well, I just wish he’d shut up full stop. Go away, Peter.

The program also contained an unusual use for a cocktail shaker. It has to be seen to be believed. Although that may be over-selling it.

Congratulations to Jason Appleby, who won a t-shirt for his efforts at nominating the Swine Flu Panic, thanks to our new friends at King Cnut Ethical Clothing.

Episode 45! Cnuts! Prize! Exclamation marks!

Photograph of King Cnut t-shirt reading: U R A CNUT®

It’s Thursday. There will be a Stilgherrian Live tonight. Nominations are now open for “Cnut of the Week”. And there’s a prize!

Please remember the rules. For “Cnut of the Week”, we’re looking for people, organisations or other entities who are futilely trying to hold back the tide of change. It has to be something in the news in the last week, and you have to explain yourself.

Nominees have to be not merely doing bad things, but failing to notice or adapt to the change around them.

And did I mention the prize? Everyone who nominates and leaves a valid email address goes into the draw for a free t-shirt of their choice from our new friends at King Cnut Ethical Clothing.

(Of course, neither they nor us are as lame and unethical as to share your email address with anyone else. I for one have site policies about this sort of thing, and so do they.)

Cnut of the Week graphic

Nominations for “Cnut of the Week” are open until 8.30pm Sydney time, and you must nominate at the website to be eligible.

Then at 8.30pm you should be watching Nick Hodge‘s program @NickHodge before Stilgherrian Live starts at 9.30pm.

Who do you nominate, and why?

Links for 29 April 2009

Here are the web links I’ve found for 29 April 2009, posted with postalness.

  • Australia 2020: Government Response: A year after the event which seemed so important at the time, we finally have the government’s response.
  • Developments in internet filtering technologies and other measures for promoting online safety | ACMA: The second of ACMA’s three annual reports on “developments in internet filtering technologies and other safety initiatives to protect consumers, including minors, who access content on the internet”.
  • The Full Story: “The Full Story is a media and information release portal where individuals and organisations can post breaking news, publicity, information or their side of the story on issues of local or national importance — free, as it happens, unedited and in full.”
  • Internet-Age Writing Syllabus and Course Overview | McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: “Course Description: As print takes its place alongside smoke signals, cuneiform, and hollering, there has emerged a new literary age, one in which writers no longer need to feel encumbered by the paper cuts, reading, and excessive use of words traditionally associated with the writing trade. Writing for Nonreaders in the Postprint Era focuses on the creation of short-form prose that is not intended to be reproduced on pulp fibers.”
  • NBN Luddites will be proven wrong | BuddeBlog: Analyst Paul Budde with another thoughtful piece.
  • RedR Australia: This organisation provides training for people working in overseas aid and disaster relief, covering everything from logistics to personal protection. Yes, there is a reason this is being bookmarked, but it’s secret.
  • Swine flu: Twitter’s power to misinform | Net Effect: Once more, the usual human trait of passing on information which may or may not be true is blamed on Twitter, not on the humans. Fail.

No, we are not the same, Snarky Platypus!

Photographs of fictional Ja'mie King and Stilgherrian

On the right is perhaps one of the best photos of me ever, taken by @funkycoda on Saturday and posted by Miss Wired. Snarky Platypus reckons I look like Ja’mie King, that’s “her” on the left. Ahem.

Now I’m not that sure that I like this comparison. However Courtney Gibson says, “Ja’mie is a beautiful and sweet-natured Australian girl in the first flush of womanhood — at least u can feel flattered.”

Should I be flattered? Really?

[Update 28 April 2009: Edited to correctly credit the photo.]