Why Mayor Jenny The Moaning Mullet Hill is not only proud to be an adopted Queenslander, but also very, very lucky to be one. And in the week that News Ltd sacked its Townsville sub-editors, hilarious poetic justice strikes the paper.

Oh, indeedy, The Astonisher’s editor accidently pricks his own pomposity with one of the best own goals of the year..

But it’s not just The Astonisher having adventures in language  - sources as diverse as Clive James and an unnamed ABC reporter have been having their merry way with words , too.

Larry Pickering explains Gina Rinehart’s desire for seats on the board of Fairfax,

a mind-blowing property deal in the UK, and Bentley continues his sporting theme when summing up the week in Townsville City Council’s inner sanctum, all here in the nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

Can it be true - The Ogre is no more in Townsville? And if so, will it make any difference?

Word is that Michael Wilkins - the Ogre of Ogden Street - has completed his slash and burn Fly In Fly Out tasks here in Townsville and has been relocated back to Sydney.

A couple of other News Ltd appointments in Queensland are vying for the Irony of the Week award.

Details here is a brief Magpie Extra at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

Smack down in Walker Street - will a fed up Ray Burton ask council for a vote confidence on Tuesday.

And News Ltd’s Kim William’s callous water torture – a restructure drip by drip that will make it bye-bye Bully – as we know it. We’ll look at wither the Astonisher – a hot topic stirring up apathy in a disaffected community.

A new name for the Sydney Morning Herald? And for a Victorian town.

And some interesting pics from the animal world showing how Paul Keating got it wrong (what, again?) and an amazing shot of a cuckoo finding an unlikely nest at Dairy Farmers Stadium.

Clever boy Bentley yet again sums up the main yarn with a picture telling a thousand words, all here in the nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

Statement of Council CEO Ray Burton

NOTE: If you are reading this post before the other one published  simultaneously today, it is an expansion on a matter discussed in the blog 'Smack down in Walker Street'

Townsville Council CEO Ray Burton's statement in reply to Mayor Jenny Hill's public attack on him.

We discover that The Mullet remains a party girl … always has been, actually – and why many people think the Minister for the Environment can’t even spell his own name.

Also, a wonderful and timely new word for our modern language - an astonishing bit of public bullying by The Townsville Bulletin – and our deputy mayor unleashed!

If any of that floats your boat, hop into the nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

Mayor Mullet gets her moneyman – but not the one she wanted and one that no one expected – and a startling bit of attempted illegal bureaucratic bullying can be revealed in of all places, Charters Towers.

Also, the Nanny Staters have been at their absolute best (means worst) in the past week, both here in good old Oz and in Pommyland, where public servants have been hauled over the coals for celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee. Here ast home. it’s the heavy handed Swimming Australia officials joining the boo-hoo brigade - resident cartoonist Bentley chimes in on that one, all here in the nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

Forget Craig Thomson (if only we could), the burning political question is: should we fear for Mayor Mullet’s mental health? And the Miracle of Ogden Street – The Daily Astonisher pulls off a unique world first.

As a general rule, you can spot a political loser when they say things like ‘these people must stop playing politics’. Then you know the game is up, because Politics IS a game. But then so is Russian Roulette, and both can have catastrophic results.

While Mayor Jenny The Moaning Mullet Hill continues her wrestle with reality, The Astonisher continues to wrestle with the meaning of certain words. Maybe the subs are distracted by an ominous-sounding diktat due to be delivered from Sydney HQ later this week. Are more heads about to roll at paper? The ‘Pie will crystal-ball it.

Also, what Bentley thinks of the demeaning hoopla in Canberra during the week, all here in the nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au