Saturday, September 01, 2007
GLOBAL WEALTHING
Erik F. emails:
My six-year-old has recently discovered the online game AdventureQuest. I was playing the game myself - doing some research on his behalf - and came across an extremely powerful spell in one of the stores: the Algorstorm!
Naturally, it’s a coldening spell:
Description: Summon a mighty Algorstorm, a storm that creates huge shards of ice in the sky!
Summoning an Algorstorm costs substantially less than summoning Al himself, who appears later this month in Victoria, BC:
Gore’s standard fee is reported to be $175,000. Event organizers are seeking corporate donations to defray costs, as well as charging the $199-plus ticket fees.
“I suppose in a way I’d like him to do it for free,” [organiser Brian] Gordon told CH News.
“But on the other hand I know that his fees do go back into the climate project ... The money is going to a good cause.”
Sure it is. Al hasn’t finished wallpapering his office with computer screens.
(Via andycanuck)
SITE’S MILITARY WING EXPANDED
Habib joins the RAAF! The prospect of a weaponised Habib should be of special interest to Phillip Adams.
PURSUIT OF GAPPINESS
Traceeee Hutchison calls for gap action:
After 20 years of economic boom times in Australia, the cashed-up corporate sector is finally looking around and realising that the gap between rich and poor has grown.
Time for Traceeee to exercise her 13th Right.
BROILIN’ BROLIN
Desperate for a slice of Al Gore’s muttonburger fame, James Brolin - Mr Barbra Streisand - wants to open an organic burger chain:
I had an idea for healthful organic food and burgers for your children that looks like fast food, but everything would come from organic cattle, free run. I have a design for that and a promotional thing that, if I just went ahead and did it, I’d have a thousand or two thousand franchises right now.
It’s just that easy! Well, what would I know about the chances of Babsburger™ succeeding; I’m only a Streisand-style communist myself.
JUST FOR THE RECORD
Crikey ran a subscriber-only item this week (by error-prone editor and immigrant insulter Jonathan Green) that some may have thought implied I was obsessive about correcting this Wikipedia entry.
Not so; I’ve never contributed a single word to Wikipedia, never contacted Wikipedia, never edited anything at all on Wikipedia. Thus is maintained Crikey’s remarkable record of getting something wrong almost every time they mention me. I never knew I was so complicated.
RADICAL PADICAL
Anti-APEC activist Paddy Gibson:
This year on the radical left, there has been an accepted wisdom that a key component of our activism should be building support for a major mobilisation at the APEC conference in Sydney in September. However, earnest discussion of the political content of such a mobilisation is only really beginning.
Translation: The ferals want to riot but have no clue why. Too bad Paddy himself is locked out:
University tutor Paddy Gibson, 24, is on a list of people who NSW Police have said cannot enter any APEC security area.
He’ll have to stay at home with his friends.
(Via Alan R.M. Jones)
NATION INSULTED
Swedish correspondent Trond Jarle emails:
In Sweden a local artist has made three drawings of the prophet’s head on a dog.
The followers of the religion of peace start to move and begin burning flags.
Interestingly they don’t know the difference between blue (as in the blue and yellow Swedish flag) and green.
Brilliant people.
Hey ... green and gold are Australia’s colours! We’ve been insulted! Let’s all throw rocks and act like idiots.
CAR SOLD IN CHINA
Stephen F. emails:
The next time Stern and Co. make ridiculous assertions about US vehicle imports into China, direct them to this page.
The pic shows a Hummer in Shaanxi Province. Even better, it’s got a huge advertisement on the side for Xifeng Liqour (a famous brand of Chinese white spirits). Note also the number plate; it suggests a person of very high status - plates with sort of number only go to very heavy hitters (i.e., if this guy runs over you and you call the police, they’ll probably tell you to forget about it and get on with your life ...).
Also find attached a photo I took this morning in the Hong Kong-Macau ferry terminal. Paco‘s business interests in Asia are clearly growing ...
WARMING REVERSED
“Under forecasts for how global warming will affect the U.K,” Bloomberg reports, “summers are actually predicted to get drier ...” Let’s see how that’s working out:
The U.K., which in June and July was beset by flooding in cities across England, had its wettest summer on record this year, provisional data show.