Saturday, August 3, 2013

The numbers keep sinking for the The Daily Astonisher – and did Captain Snooze slumber on when Labor’s Herbert hopeful Cathy O’Toole made her first mini-gaffe of the current campaign? He is her campaign manager after all.



It was a slip-up allowed the Townsville Bulletin to continue to ignore media ethics and do the big media no-no - break an embargo, which did not amuse a visiting pollie or other media.

Conspiracy Theory, Dept of: Why some are betting PM KRudd will hold off for a few more days - maybe about mid-week -  before naming the date for his own execution – there are those who believe there’s a lucrative backroom rort behind the delay ... 

And Telling Pix Dept of:  there is a picture worth those proverbial thousand words of one of the most prescient political commentators of this campaign …. and a WORLD EXCLUSIVE ... hitherto unseen photographs from KRudd, The Early Years. 

It seems mangled language – Manglish – is a required talent for those who have signed up to Katter’s Cut Snake Party – even the ‘celebritiy candidates’ … there was one thigh-slapper Bob himself would have been proud of ….

Cairns’ new $4.2billion mega resort and casino a major step closer, and The Pie is alarmed at one possible but undeclared effect on the ‘Ville ….

Plus all the usual fun of the fair, with the week’s silliness, quotes of the week – which includes a ‘what the hell were you thinking moment’ for Townsville state member John Hathaway - and Bentley’s usual skewed view on life, all here in the nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

With KRudd copping so much flak over just about everything, this photograph has to get top billing this week … nothing more to say really.

Trained by Joolya?


But did you know PM KRudd has known many of his parliamentary friends and foes from infancy? Proof positive fell into the nest when this pic landed  during the week.
 
Had the same hairstyle all his life.
From Left: Bill Shorten in the not unfamiliar position of relaxing in Nicola Roxon's lap, Julia Gillard
having her lollies snatched by Kid KRudd, watched by Penny Wong, who was deciding even then she didn't like boys.
And Bentley was startled by the announcement that drags on fags will shortly become only for the wealthy, most of whom are too smart to smoke anyway. For our doodler, the choice is stark.


More on KRudd and election timing a bit later, but now onto other matters.

Now here's a rare event but The ‘Pie apologises if some of you have seen bits and pieces of the following – some were posted as comments during the week, and those of you who subscribe to the (free) blog automatically get all posted comments as they are published.  Unfortunately, many Saturday/Sunday readers don’t subscribe (don’t know why not, it’s free with no strings, makes it easy to enter the commentary fray) so please bear with the old bird as he regurgitates some of the best of the week.

The Quote of the Week didn’t strictly fall within the week, but that was when it was revealed, it immediately won the Ewen Jones Golden Gob Award.



Townsville MP John Hathaway

'I love it when we have the V8s in Townsville, and then we have the Chamber Music Festival, both attract people with fat wallets - and then we can (rubbing his hands together) fleece them.'

Member for Townsville John Hathaway, stunning the audience into a groaning silence with this clunking attempt at comedy at the recent Chefs of the North dinner at Jupiters. Nice bloke and all that but his misplaced remarks tend to confirm The ‘Pie’s long-held theory that serving and ex-military folk should steer well clear of attempts at comedy at all times. But The 'Pie does idly wonder if that Shylock motel owner who jacked up his prices more than 300% during the V8s was in the audience ... if he was, he probably didn't think it was humour, just fact.


Having a few problems with lyrics?

"There has been very little response from the populace of PNG to find out how they feel about being the suppository for the world's homeless population."
Katter’s Cut Snake Party senate candidate and sometime warbler James Blundell, quoted in the Brisbane Times. Mr Blundell may or may not have actually meant that PNG is about to cop it up the arse with this disgraceful and dodgy refugee deal - about which he would be right. Or did he mean repository?


Who trod on me tail, oi, gaffer?

‘Woof Woof’
The Old Trafford Third Umpire’s seeing-eye dog (name: Magoo) – Magoo assists his master by making the call on reviewing the video – it’s obvious his master doesn’t – and one ‘woof’ means ‘not out’ and ‘woof woof’ means ‘out’ – Magoo initially gave a single woof, then somebody trod on his tail, causing a second bark and Usman Khawaja was on his way back to the sheds. Well, that’s the only plausible and possible reason The Magpie can think of to justify the Worst Umpiring Blunder of the Century (this century and last one).

'He hasn't got a plate in his head, he's got the whole bloody dinner service'.
An unfriendly professional colleague's comment about an eccentric and unpleasant acquaintance  who has a surgical plate in his skull. Same could be said of Old Trafford’s third umpire.



Alf 'Nothing's My Fault' Lacey.

"I thought those days were over ... (but) that's always going to be the case with a lot of our issues - the 'white is right' mentality. It's disappointing to say that. It kills self-determination and economic prosperity in Aboriginal people. The issue goes beyond alcohol and is about indigenous people determining their own future.’
Self-confessed booze smuggler and Palm Island mayor Alf Lacey disgracefully pulling the race card to avoid doing the honorable thing and resigning from office after being found guilty of smuggling illegal liquor onto the island against his own council’s regulations. Why would redneck racist grubs around here (and there's plenty of them) need poisoned flour when they’ve got this bloke barracking for indigenous self-extermination through booze and the attendant violence and terminal illness. And it’s all whitey’s fault, eh, Alf? What a leader. Hang your head in shame, Lacey, you are a disgrace. And a dope.


Free marketeer Tony Fung.


‘I ask for no favours or financial input from the Queensland Government  … I only seek investment certainty from an approval process.’
Hong Kong developer Tony Fung’s refreshingly novel attitude to free market investment when commenting on the Newman Government’s decision to fast track the approval process for his $4.2billion hotel and casino development at Yorkey’s Knob near Cairns.

And therein lies fertile ground for conjecture of possible effects on Townsville.

When the approval was announced, The Magpie posted this comment.

Uh, Oh, the Townsville Whine's brigade will be peeping out shyly from under their rocks, blinking in the blinding light of the news from up north, and Dudley Do-Nothing boss David The Kipper Kippin will be green around the gills .... Cairns is to get a mega-resort /(second) casino project. 

Chinese developer Tony Fung's $4.2 billion Aquis Great Barrier Reef Resort last night was given Queensland Government approval to allow it to get all the red tape fast-tracked if all requirements are met.

Handsome looking beast, it is too - have a squizz for yourself 

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/08/02/246086_local-news.html


BUT why pray tell The 'Pie hears you asking, would that upset Townsville, the centre of North Queensland influence (according to a well known paper)? 



Because this project includes a 25,000 seat sports stadium, that's why.

This could be part of the Cairns push for an AFL team up this way - good luck with that - but The 'Pie will let the local whiners work out where that could lead if the northerners' beady eye is actually on an oft-mentioned wish to share the Cowboys, given that such a stadium component would not have been included without some backroom engineering about how to fill it. The Yorkeys Knob Throttlers v the Gordonvale Galoots won't do the trick, nor will a ukelele festival.



What's more, one of Queensland's largest aquariums is included.



Memo David Kippin: (if you can tear yourself away from polishing up your golden begging bowl before heading down - unprepared - to Canberra - to ask for handout for a super stadium) - Mr Fung brings a refreshing and original idea to all this, although the concept might be a bit hard for you to grasp.

The Hong Kong-based developer said 'I ask no favours or financial input from the Queensland Government for its support of this project. I only seek investment certainty from an approval process.' 

Startling stuff, eh, Dave?  Have you and your lot found any time out from trying to wheedle money out of the public purse to approach international movers and shakers like Mr Fung? Any truth in the rumour that it was so cold the other morning, you were seen with your hands in your own pockets?


Moving on.

Even the election date could be part of a rort on the taxpayer, if this theory from a seasoned Canberra gnome holds any water. 


And why wouldn't this man be smiling?
The only squeaky thing about Albo is his voice.
'And you think Matty Bowen is a slippery customer -
he's got nothing on me. Put the money here, Kevvy.'
This comment landed in the nest mid-week.
Has it ever occurred to you that Rudd has been ‘stonewalling’ over the naming of an election date to enable promoted back benchers such as Albanese (DPM), Bowen (Treasurer), Bird et al to qualify for a higher pension and associated perks in their new ministerial appointments? When I worked in Canberra many years ago prior to retirement, the ‘rule of thumb’ used to be that, in order to qualify for payment at the higher rate, one had to be acting in that capacity for six consecutive weeks. If the ‘rule’ continues to be in vogue today – and, I’m no longer in a position to ascertain whether it remains extant or not - I suggest that government pollies transitioning from back to front bench will not qualify for a greater pension and associated perks until, at least, each has served in their new capacity for six consecutive weeks or longer.  The math tells me Albanese, Bowen, Bird et al will not qualify at the higher rate until, about, 7 August  13, which will be roughly six weeks since Rudd knifed Gillard to reclaim the prime ministership. If I’m right, Rudd will make the short trip to Yarralumla on or shortly after 7 August 13. Of course, it has dawned on me that I may be totally off tangent, and Rudd will go to Yarralumla before the 7th. But, when loyal ALP soldiers and acolytes such as Albanese are quoted today as saying today Rudd was in “no rush…” to take the short trip to Yarralumla any time soon, the ‘political tea leaves’ tell me he will stall the announcement of an election date until Albanese, Bowen, Bird et al can ‘walk’ can fully qualify for a ‘nice little earner’, should Labor be unwanted after the 2013 polls results are known. I imagine you’re wondering why Rudd’s visit to Yarralumla is becoming is important. The answer is fairly obvious. Aside to voter impatience, currently, Business is in a state of flux and uncertainty will continue to haunt them.

Whenever that date is, Labor’s Herbert candidate Cathy O’Toole will have to be alert to certain political nuts and bolts realities.

Cathy O'Toole
Her campaign manager (and brother-in-law) Mike Capt Snooze’ Reynolds must have been on the back verandah on his La-Z-Boy in an Iced VoVo-induced nanna nap when Ms O’Toole tip-toed to the fax machine late on Thursday afternoon and sent out a media release, giving all the details of what Senator David Seeney, a minder of KRudd's bows and arrows (parliamentary defence secretary), travelled to Townsville to announce the following morning.


One assumes when Snooze snurffled himself awake and when he had seen what had happened, this brief missive – formally declaring the information embargoed – followed two hours later just before 8pm.

I wish to clarify that the press release that I sent to you earlier this evening is actually a press release for tomorrow Friday 2nd August 2013.Unfortunately the date of the press release was inadvertently omitted Thanks Cathy O'Toole Labor Candidate Herbert.

It was a hasty and proper make-good, so there was plenty of time for everybody to hold their horses, and let the good Senator make the announcement the next day … something he’d travelled a long way to do. It's a time honoured game.

But notions of propriety and following age-old unwritten rules about respecting embargoes of material given in good faith are a constant source of chortling 'aww, yeah, right' banter and jokes in the Astonisher’s office. So the paper trumpeted the good senator’s news to the world before he’d even arrived at the site to say in effect what a good bloke he was, asbestos was bad and Kevvy was your man. Mayor Mullet no doubt felt aggrieved at having some of the reflected glory pulled from before her very eyes, and The Pie is told that other media were muttering furiously among themselves.

Well, Senator Feeney, you can take heart that those who read your words before you uttered them are an increasingly small band. The latest Roy Morgan readership figures have caused a lot of damage to bitten bottom lips as well as bottom lines, making grim reading for the bean counters. The bad news for The Astonisher (and the good news for advertisers if the paper is forced to cut its rate hahahahaha, yeah, as if) is the flagship Saturday (or weekend edition as they hopefully call it) has plummeted more than 17%, down from 97,000 to 80,000 in the year to Match, 2013. Weekdays started from a much lower base and have come off 2000 readers Monday to Friday, down from 64,000 to 62,000.



As you can see, it’s not good news anywhere, unfortunately, with the numbers signaling some dire circulation drops in the next round of official audit. Even Typo’s new plaything, the Sunday Mail, will severely test his delusional self-image of News Ltd wunderkind.

And it'd be good if The Astonisher showed a bit more care on its website if they want to insist on forever running this story about poppets in pot holes, it would be nice if they ran it through spell check first.

The 'residnets' probably feel like writing the paper themselves.

But one suspects there’s more word salad where that came from.

Speaking of mixed up messages, here’s a road sign from Africa.

Someone failed biology.
And just to keep it light’n’bright, The ‘Pie loves this little item sent in by a reader – reminded him of jokester mate Doc Doran who became a bit restive once while wandering the aisles of BiLo with The 'Pie. He kept chucking things - especially - ahem - ladies thingos - into the trolley when the beady eye was averted -  fellas, might want to show it to the missus or the squeeze when she tries to drag you along on one of those oh-so-bloody-fascinating shopping trips.


Finally, to end on a musical note (oh, groan). Here's a triffic little video - very clever - made by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra to mark their move into a swisho new home in Brisbane. Shame the little snot they brought in for the cuteness factor can't drum for sh-t. All done to Ravel's Bolero.

And with that, it is away to Poseurs' Bar, where as ever The 'Pie will hope his evening will be one of musical mateship, too, and of course, ending like Bolero, in a loud climax.






















33 comments:

  1. There's plenty of dissent in PNG on their suppository status - UPNG students attempted to march on the Australian High Commission on Friday but were met by armed Police (hello Egypt?), Belden Namah has resubmitted his court challenge to the constitutional legitimacy of the Manus detention centre. Even the Governor of Manus Island is being kept in the dark.

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  2. Conan the GrammarianAugust 3, 2013 at 9:27 PM

    Thank you, 'Pie, especially for that Canberra Gnome leak re the election-timing rort.
    I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting really bloody tired of the increasingly frequent revenue grabs emanating from Canberra. The latest imposts on Superannuation and the earlier-announced impoundings of allegedly-dormant savings accounts is nothing more than institutionalised theft.

    Saving the best for last... WTF was Treasurer-pro-tem Bowen talking about yesterday, complete with quavering voice and shaky hands, "We are not in crisis, we are in transition."?

    Next time I see a fat, balding 45+ male gunning his red convertible through town, accompanied by a triple-D-cup 19-y-o bimbette, can I point and laugh out loud at his "Mid-life Transition"?

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    1. Conan - Bowen IS right - transition is underway - for Labor into Opposition. I too am sick of their money grabs while middle class welfare payments remain unaffected it seems - payments I don't receive because Labor says I'm rich after years of working hard and getting somewhere. And now stopped in my tracks by this poorly managed inept government and its Prime Ministers - all three of them!

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    2. Conan and News Views, you have both hit the nail on the head. Labor's litany of mismanagement since 2007 can be best summed up by a new word I saw displayed on a tee-shirt:
      INEPTOCRACY -- A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

      I'm off to the UK next week for a break from election bullshit. If the voters do something incredibly stupid and give that prissy little egomaniac and his sorry lot another go, I may not come back.

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  3. Just for your information Pie; I attended a Liberal funding luncheon here on Magnetic Island last Sunday 28th July. I am not a Lib voter but I wanted to have a word with our MP Mr Jones, mainly about the s- l- o- w internet speeds we poor souls on Maggie have to endure with our ISP, Telstra. Mr Jones must have got word I was going to bend his ear, as he was a "no show" to his own fund raiser... Ah well, it wasn't all bad, my grandma in law, Joy, whose an atheist at age 94, won a key ring in the raffle - from Bethlehem.

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  4. I wonder if the award judges at the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers Association (PANPA) are aware of the free-fall in The Astonisher's readership figures.
    During the week the iditor proudly announced that The Astonisher was a finalist for PANPA Newspaper Of The Year.
    One wonders what bulldust he conjured up in his nomination form for this award. Maybe the paper's coverage of local council issues, or perhaps its fair handed views of the V8 Supercars, or maybe its "pass the tissues" front page on Saturday on sacked Cowboys coach Neil Henry (sacked coach not happy - front page - really????)
    From what I hear, former Bulletin general manager Jason "Bottomline" Scott is now in charge of all the News Limited newspapers in Queensland, so he must be wondering what has gone wrong since he took over.
    I imagine the head honchos in Sydney and New York will be doing the same, especially given Scott's disastrous advertising rejig in the south, and his loss of memory concerning certain payments to his bank account.
    I'd love to be a fly on the wall the next time the Alice Springs wonderkid fronts the big boys in Sydney.
    There is one word to sum up all of this: karma.

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    Replies
    1. Panpa is rigged.

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    2. Col Allen might turn up.... yikes.

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    3. Always good and always entertaining Pie.
      Miss lou

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    4. Makes me shudder at what the readers are having to deal with in the other papers! Luckily I don't have to pay to enjoy the TB - it gets dropped at my house on its way to the re-cycle bin .. and it does make good nesting for the chooks!

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  5. I smell a little rat with the RDA funding for the lights at Tony Ireland Stadium.

    I thought the RDA funding announcements were supposed to be non political and if so why did Kevin Rudd have to journey to Townsville, with the appropriate timing (Mayor Hill off to PNG the afternoon of the announcement) to make the announcement). Seems a very political announcement to me, given that the mayor has stressed she is an independent Mayor and stood claiming she was an independent.

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  6. The nicest resident on Maggie Island is former Astonisher, Mary Vernon.

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  7. Well, what a weekend of sporting miracles. Especially in the In-Credibility Cup.

    Bet you didn't know that Luke Burt (Parramatta) spearheaded a narrow two point win over the Cowboys on Saturday, but not to worry, North Queensland are fifth on the ladder - so finals here we come - yippee!!!

    Err, what? How does The 'Pie know this? How d'yer think, ya idiot - The Townsville Bulletin told him ... it's all there on page 19 of today's paper. Uh oh, it's headed 'NRL ROund-Up - Round 4'.

    Umm, hang on a sec .... err, that appears to be the complete stats for round four LAST YEAR!!

    Yep, the paper that has trouble with even the date on the paper have now added to their more recent gaffe of printing a day old racing form guide along with the results (now that is service, every punter's dream) by somehow putting in a 16-month old panel of NRL statistics.

    That is particularly unfortunate because it comes on that rarest of circulation boosters, a Cowboy's thumping win against high-flyers South Sydney. Must be even more galling for the Sports Iditor, because as he would well know, Monday sales are always up when the Boys win, so many more than would normally buy the paper have now got a first hand example of how much this sloppy, not-to-be-trusted rag has gone to the dogs.

    And there are those twerps who berate The Pie for daring to say boo about the Astonisher ... well, get used to it, the paper trumpets everybody else's errors, inaccuracies and perceived public sins but never its own, so it looks like The Magpie will be in business for a while yet.

    Will eagerly await the apology/explanation (that will be good old 'production error').

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  8. So all those who paid for this paper should be reimbursed,otherwise they have paid for old news. But that happens on most days anyway

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  9. You'd think with sinking circulation numbers, the Astonisher would at least hire quality journos. Take Kate Higgins' column yesterday - If Only Warnie was Running - peleeeese this is such drivel and getting close to Gray Matters which seems to have vanished-thank God! I know it's tongue in cheek - I hope- but could someone tell her and the Iditor it doesn't work! She comes across as a 30 some thing air head too lazy to research her work and has an affinity with celebrities. And this gets past the Iditor?? No wonder circulation is dropping like a stone!

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    1. Kate Higgin's irrelevant and nonsensical dribble is a real case for non-compulsary voting. When readers comments reinforce this, OK!, but when a journalist prints their immature attitudes as fact - not on! Kate, by the way is 20+/- 4, Enough said!

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    2. Yes, and Cat Wobble at the Goldie appeared like a bogan on Sunrise Breakfast Show. Did you watch the wannabe seleb iditor?

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    3. Also, when are you booking advertisers pie? Why aren't they advertising with you?

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  10. I'm not sure if the journalist working at the Astonisher could report an unbiased election.

    Didn't typo's wifey work for the ALP?

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  11. More Asbestos.. amazink! Has the photographer filled out an occupational health and safety form yet? Did he wear a mask? Amazingly, they publish this and not their own asbestos scare in the office.

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  12. and here's the comment from a reader regarding this story...

    Sue them Andrew...!! Sue em,you will probably get millions
    Posted by: AUSSIE BURKA of Mundingburra 9:50am today

    if its so unsafe why the hell are you sitting beside it.... also why let your child crawl out there if you KNOW its unsafe for her to do so. get a life
    Posted by: dr 9:30am today

    firstly PMG workers followed by Telecom workers followed by Telstra workers all worked or installed asbestos pits years ago along with asbestos conduits, cutting conduits and banging holes in pits to allow cables to be installed. Don't see mass deaths from the above workers or mass deaths from carpenters who built whole houses from asbestos. Asbestos can cause death media causes fear.
    Posted by: Abers of Townsville 8:35am today

    Why complain to nbn. Its telstra fault. Why dont people ever actually lay the blame where it belongs .. it is TELSTRA.
    Posted by: bg 8:21am today

    WELCOME to TELSTRA.....2013....!!
    Posted by: AUSSIE BURKA of Mundingburra 8:05am today


    Will you sue the Astonisher Pie?

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  13. Who are hte bunnies in the NRL? Not South Sydney, accordig to the Townsille Bulletin. More likely, those sports fans who paid money for last weekend' Bulletin.

    Credibility in the sports area of the Townsville Bulletin has surely reached its lowest ebb - it has been brought to The Magpie's attention that apart from the credibility-crushing blooper in Monday's paper - printing a weekend stats round-up that was actually round 4 from LAST year - all semblance of believability had actually fled the coop on Saturday.

    For The Bulletin to get something really wrong about their cash-cow, circulation-boosting Cowboys was unthinkable until a few months ago, but on Saturday, the Bulletin's lift-out Home Game Guide - generally a good read for those interested in this sort of minutae - contained the regular full page each 'How They Line Up' for the Cowboys and their opponents, South Sydney.

    Only on the South Sydney page the team listed the entire BRONCOS team! Not a single solitary Rabbitoh! A cock-up certain to add to the flight to the Courier Mail.



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  14. You've got to love the chutzpah of The Astonisher. In their continuing quest to stir up fear and loathing (and therefore, they think against the evidence, sales) with stories like this minor asbestos matter yesterday beaten up within an inch of its miserable life

    http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2013/08/06/386779_news.html

    .... yet where was this hysteria when asbestos dust ACTUALLY FELL on Bulletin staff in the old Ogden Street offices a couple of years ago? Not a peep. This is an issue that is still hanging around - quite simply, it cannot be dismissed - and stories like the above continue to demonstrate the hypocrisy and arrogance of our only daily paper and its southern owners.

    But News Ltd realizes that particular chicken is a slow flyer and could take up to 20 years to come home to roost. Yet another vile and uncaring News Ltd approach to management respopnsibilities.

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    Replies
    1. Well said. It not only fell on staff, staff are sent out to cover asbestos stories without safety gear and would rather send them out to their long term deaths without protection.

      Inside the building, mould and after yasi it was brittle. It's only by chance they watched it fall onto a memember chances are it fell everywhere in the building.

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    2. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/knives-out-for-rudd-but-whats-in-it-for-rupert-20130806-2rdb6.html

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  15. http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/

    See the video? Also, has anyone contacted media watch about the asbestos?

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  16. I thought it strange there was no link to watch the video modeling of this interesting story in Wednesday's Astonisher re the storm surge modelling by the CSIRO and Green Care - see here:http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2013/08/07/386839_news.html

    But go to the Harden UP Green Cross site you see the actual video of inundation of some Townsville suburbs - see here and worth a look and would have been a good vid for their web site.

    http://hardenup.org/be-aware/weather-events/storm-surge-simulation.aspx

    So did they miss this or purposely leave it out? Strange all round! PS I might have to move!

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  17. We learn from The Astonisher's Daniel Bateman (or Master Bateman as you call him 'Pie) that the white whale Migaloo is named for the aboriginal word meaning 'white fella'. Does that mean it'll be OK if we spot a black whale, we call it 'jigaboo'?

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  18. Hear that the readership and circulation figures, or lack of them, were discussed at length in News Ltd's Sydney bunker early this week.
    To say there was blood on the floor would be an understatement. My inside informer tells me it was like an Indonesian cattle slaughter floor.
    Expect some repercussions in Brisbane and Townsville.

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    1. Your facts may be correct - discussions have no doubt taken place in Sydney, but no one would or should be surprised at the numbers, it's happening everywhere - but your interpretation may not be so correct, Grimmy me old sourpuss.

      No one in Holt St cares too much about circ and readership figures or the woeful sloppy product the paper has become - BECAUSE it is the only game in town (at the moment). The paper still probably pulls in a handy $10 to $14million profit in what are relatively lean times.

      Where the Sydney agnst comes in is the recent splitting of the company, hiving off the lucrative media - films, TV and video - from the increasingly unprofitable papers. (The one strange anomaly appears to be that Foxtel has stayed with the poor cousin papers in Australia - and that is maybe because Murdoch is hedging his bets, knowing if the NBN continues as is, Foxtel has just been corned by the hounds and the ripping and tearing will start in earnest soon enough. That could even happen but more slowly under the Turnbull agenda.

      But it would seem we're stuck in Townsville with the woeful twaddle of the Daily Astonisher for a while yet, and the advertisers with its thieving and arrogant rates card. However, a few cashed up folks might start looking in their counting houses - the paper could well come up for sale as things go pear shaped for the new News Corp - better be ready with around at least $100million though. If locals could get their sh-t together, could be well worth it, otherwise we'll just get another distant and community-uncaring press overlord. Christ, a thought: hope Clive and/or Gina don't get any ideas, otherwise The 'Pie might have to start saying nice things about the current Iditor and owner.

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    2. OK! - $100m. Our adult population is about 40,000. We need mum and dad investors and local businesses to buy shares and finally represent the needs of Townsville and outer area communities.

      Their is so much talent in Townsville to provide local and State information and allied with news services give our people an accurate viewpoint on what affects and involves our community.

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  19. News Corp boss Kim Williams has just resigned. That leaves REALLY hard men and sensationalist sleaze bags like Col Allen (still) in charge. Be nervous Townsville, the backwash will reach this far if the rejigged management decides the 'Ville needs a boost to the Astonisher's sagging fortunes with some 'instructional discipline' to introduce greater excesses of tabloid journalism.

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    Replies
    1. I read this in Fairfax. Ah, revenge. Hurry up Piebee, we love your blog.

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