Friday, September 08, 2006

There's just no fun in "global warming"

Usually, I'm in complete agreement with Australian PM, John Howard, but I think he missed out on a great opportunity here. Girlie global warming show too hot for Australia:
The Australian government has withdrawn funding for a climate change conference after organisers booked lingerie models for a raunchy dinner show.

Conservative Prime Minister John Howard on Friday described the risque entertainment as "not appropriate" and two government departments withdrew funding totalling A$8,000 (US$6,000) from the event late Thursday.

Local media reported that a number of female scientists walked out of Wednesday night's dinner at the Australia-New Zealand Climate Forum in protest.

"I am appalled at what happened and the inappropriateness of the entertainment," Environment Minister Ian Campbell said.

The show consisted of lingerie-clad women inviting hot-under-the-collar guests to pop balloons attached to their costumes as they made suggestive remarks.
Woo hoo! How about, "Is that Al Gore in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?" Or, "Just call me Gaia, the earth mother. Wanna get earthy?"
Dancer Rebecca Gale said the balloon dance was harmless "bump, grind and shimmy" that did not include any nudity.

"There was not even midriff on display," she told Australian television. "It's just been blown so far out of proportion."
That didn't keep AFP from illustrating it with a bare midriff file photo though, which you'll see by clicking the link.

(Hat tip: Global Warming News Site where global warming humor is regularly displayed unintentionally.)

Thursday, September 07, 2006

I guess we don't get to see all the details





ABC should have done it right in the first place, which is damning enough, and then told the Donk saber rattlers to stuff it. It would have been a "hot" story even if they didn't have that bureaucrat's wet dream, Jamie Gorelick, building the "wall" (1, 2, 3) so as not to offend any terrorists.



Anyway, I'm with the Curmudgeon:
Yeah, well the left are always surprised and incredulous if the Drive-by Media, of which ABC News is a charter member, doesn't tow the official party line, so I, like you, am surprised and incredulous too, LOL.

Today's Hoot!

Democratic Senators Hug Their Beloved Pal, Joe Lieberman.:
Right now, all across the left side of the blogosphere, there are undoubtedly keyboards being pounded, Indigo Girls CDs being thrown across living rooms, and doves who won't even swat mosquitoes are wishing horrible and foul dooms on half the Senators in their own party.

Why?

Because of the enormous wet, sloppy, kiss the Dems in the Senate figuratively planted on Joe Lieberman.

Just imagine the reaction Jane "Rape Gurney Joe" Hamsher and Kos must have had when they read this...
Follow the link for all the messy details and imagine how messy it will be when Joe gets re-elected as an independent.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Darn those pesky citizens!

It seems that over in the UK, they're having a spot of trouble with participatory democracy coupled with the Internet - British MP falls foul of wiki-d pranksters:
A British Government Minister may have thought he was keeping up with modern trends when he put a draft policy on the Internet on Friday, but he was soon left red-faced when hundreds of pranksters defaced it.

Weblogging, techno-savvy Environment Secretary David Miliband, tipped as a bright young spark in Prime Minister Tony Blair's administration, had put a draft "environment contract" on his department's website, setting out social responsibilities for people, government and businesses.

But embarrassed administrators were forced to haul it down after more than 170 cyber-jokers trashed the document by adding in bizarre paragraphs for fun.

The page used "wiki" editing techniques, which allow readers to alter the content.
While there were some monkeyshines, a number of additions rather improved it:
Under a list of things citizens should do, one wag added: "Pay a higher proportion of their income to the government, and see little tangible improvement in their standard of living".

One passage said everyone had the capacity to tackle environmental problems, but that people were too often dissuaded by "doubts about whether our actions will make any difference".

One joker swiftly tagged on: "Besides which we just can't help but meddle, interfere, impose our views on others, and generally use taxpayers' resources in ways that are wasteful except in our own self-aggrandisement".
I guess the little people just don't understand the big picture even when the swells explain it to them carefully. Of course, there's an alternative explanation.