Living the life of Larry again! Born-again penman Larry Pickering is back serving it up to pollies and public figures with unerring and hilarious accuracy - see for yourself.

Larry's Back!!! 

Veteran cartoonist and biting social commentator Larry Pickering has - hallelujah - picked up his pen again and is once more skewering puffed-up political pig's bladders left, right and centre. His return will be a delight for those who eagerly sought out his take on Hawke, Howard, Whitlam and Keating et al in The Australian all those years ago. 

And he has graciously given The Magpie permission to present a sample or so of his latest takes on the current flapdoodle on the national political scene. He is as devastatingly funny as ever, as irreverent and as brave as ever and even offers a modern sample on the notoriously uproarious 'nude politicians calendar'. WARNING: That  particular sample is very naughty but very nice - if you can describe a nude Julia Gillard as nice; if either of you readers is a sensitive little petal prone to a fit of the vapours and you don't want to know, then don't look. Says it all really, so plough on in at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

The Astonisher gets a new editor, just when News Ltd admits print is pretty well buggered, the pommy boo-boo brigade goes gaga (again) and our Wayne declared a little treasure.

Well a national one, actually.
More on that, as well as a couple of language traps that were sprung during the week, the dark night of the nanny state gets worse in England, and how Typo's last hurrah became more of an harumph. All here in this week's Nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

RIP Sheila Bairstow: A special message for those who knew her.

It was with great sadness that I learnt today of the death of Sheila Bairstow in Perth on the weekend.

Sheila, wife and business partner of PR professional Ron Bairstow, had been battling heart and breathing problems for some years, but continued to a live a full and rewarding life in retirement, often traveling overseas.  She collapsed suddenly and died at home on Sunday morning.

Ron has asked me to pass on the sad news. A personal view here at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

The measure of the man - departing Townsville Bulletin editor Peter Gleeson's disgraceful low blow - and he's even f ... err, make that ... mucked that up.

This is personal. And serious.

So in this case, I will drop the usual third person persona, and leave you to judge the following for yourself.


I should be flattered, but I'm not.

Robbie Katter joins his old man's political push, so now is it The Two Bob's Worth Party - and why Cuddlepie is terrified of the date February 7 2012 .

And a new and welcome foe of the Nanny State arrives on the scene, with the power to makes his presence felt big time. It's all here in this week's Nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

The political uses of gaffer tape, real and possible - mayoral aspirant Dale Last puts two and two together - and the story that wasn't; Typo stays true to form to the end.

Lots of nonsense around during the week, as always culminating in The Magpie's great steaming dollops of guano, to which you are transfixed right now. 

In among the trinkets to follow, The 'Pie highlights one of the cruelest 'double crimes' ever to shake this city, and also looks at a lost language to ponder its 'known knowns, unknown knowns and unknown unknowns' to quote war criminal Donald Rumsfeld in 2002.

It's all here in this week's Magpie's Nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

Typo buggers off - at last. Is Jenny Hill thinking of quitting Labor and other bizarre scrabbling behind the political skirting boards and Nanny State buffoonery in pommyland.

So the mail last week was right, Typo has confirmed he is heading back to the Gold Coast to take up the job as editor of the Gold Coast Bulletin from whence he came into our unsuspecting midst three or so years ago.

In other drivel this week, we look at:
whether Jenny Hill is serious about leaving Labor if she doesn't get to head a Labor council ticket;

other jostling in the mayoral race - it could end up a Melbourne Cup field;
that meat-headed Beattie beat-up about a possible foray into federal politics
Julia Gillard's accidental honesty;
and the Poms get this week's medal for Nanny State nonsense - not once but three times! It's all here in this week's nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au .