This is really pathetic, I know. But when I received this invoice from a supplier this afternoon I just had to laugh. And then share it with you.
A Night of Politics: grubby, grubby…
The entire evening was filled with politics yesterday and the chafing this morning is quite painful and I learned a lot.
Christian Kerr, the national affairs editor for Crikey, was promoting his book “in conversation with” Antony Green, the thinking woman’s crumpet — a combination too good to miss! We went for dinner afterwards.
I didn’t realise I’ve actually met Christian before, until he saw me. “I know you,” he said. “You were the first person to play me I Like It Both Ways with Shaun Micaleff at 5UV.” I have no recollection of this event, Your Honour. However Christian recalled sufficient details for me to be convinced the event probably did happen. Somewhere. He knew certain obscure hand gestures. Stop asking questions.
In a preview of the federal election and subsequent conversation I learned:
- Christian thinks that the election won’t be fought over industrial relations, as many pundits are saying, but over the economy. It’ll be about the Howard government’s “sound economic management” (as they describe it) versus the It’s Time factor.
- Unless something changes, it will be a Labor victory. For all the talk of “the polls are all over the place,” Antony Green says this is the most consistent series of polls he’s ever seen.
- There is a Big Yabby in Alexander Downer‘s electorate, at Goolwa, which is symbolic somehow.
- Malcolm Turnbull could still win the federal seat of Wentworth thanks to his Fabulousness Factor.
- No-one seems to understand why John Howard won’t support gay-related issues. And I’ve just finished reading his biography — nothing there gives a clue either.
- Mattresses.
- Iguanadons.
Now where’s that moisturiser…?
Moonbase Krakow
No, this isn’t something from Thunderbirds, but a new radio studio complex in Krakow, Poland. Thanks Richard.
5 marketing lessons from Houdini
37signals posted an excellent summary of Five marketing/business lessons from Harry Houdini: focus on the killer bit; judo big problems into small ones; beat copycats by innovating; give ’em a story; free samples build buzz. Worth a read.
Citizenship Test debate continues
Debate on the Citizenship Test continues. I’ve just written a lengthy response to comments which appeared overnight — follow the link and scroll down. And if you’re following this blog in an RSS reader, you might also want to subscribe to the comments feed.
Slagged off nationally: I’ve made it!
Monday’s piece on the Citizenship Test generated some intriguing comments in Crikey yesterday and here too — but this one takes the biscuit.
Adrian Ridgway writes: Stilgherrian must be an idiot — my eight year son old got thirteen of the sample questions right — without referencing the booklet! My guess Stilgherrian must have gone to Grammar or one of those other special schools where the only skills necessary are football and socialising with the right sort of people — he’s probably a lawyer or stockbroker these days. Or maybe an immigration broker. Latte-set liberals (small l) need to pull their heads in — being invited to become an Australian citizen is a privilege — not a right, just as Stilgherrian probably exercises the right to invite who he chooses to a party in his into his home, we as a society should be allowed to exercise the right to determine who, and under what circumstances, immigrants are allowed to enter Australia. The point of the test is not to put up a barrier to anybody, but to enshrine in law as part of the process Immigrants understand they are joining an established society, not establishing colonies. (Many apologies to Aboriginal Australia — we knew not what we did at the time).
Just how many ways can one paragraph be wrong? And I’m not talking about the typos…
I love it!