Friday, January 02, 2009

Headlines Friday 2nd January 2009

RIDLEY’S GOT
Tim Blair
Yvonne Ridley – the British journalist who converted to Islam after being kidnapped by the Taliban – converts complaints into cash:
Former Sunday Express journalist Yvonne Ridley has been awarded more than £20,000 in compensation and £5,000 costs after winning a case for unfair dismissal and sexual discrimination against the Islam Channel …
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DAILY NON-NEWS
Tim Blair
“As Bush tries to stay relevant in his last days in office,” sneers the Daily News, “the News takes a look back at some of the other memorable photo-ops from one of the lamest ducks in presidential history.” Bring on the lame:
Bush has also had his share of turkey while in office, shown above [in image 30] bringing a turkey to troops in Baghdad, Iraq. However, the turkey was only for the photo op - it wasn’t real.
Via John in Toronto, who writes: “The Bush-serving-a-plastic-turkey-in-Iraq story refuses to die.” Indeed – despite corrections running in US newspapers from coast to coast.
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IT ALSO JULIENNES CARROTS
Tim Blair
The New York Times celebrates the magical ability of Toyota’s hybrid Prius to rescue the frozen:
The Prius has a new use, and it does not involve driving. The Harvard Press — which serves the Massachusetts town of Harvard as opposed to the university — reported that the car’s battery helped keep the lights on for some locals during the recent ice storms.
Note that the battery gets all the credit in the first paragraph. Second paragraph:
The newspaper reports that John Sweeney, a resident who lost power, “ran his refrigerator, freezer, TV, woodstove fan and several lights through his Prius, for three days, on roughly five gallons of gas.”
So evil oil was actually responsible (still, using a Prius as a winter generator might be a better move than driving one).
UPDATE. In other car news, Vicki Butler-Henderson demonstrates why drivers are inclined to keep their old Mazdas:

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JUST CANCEL THE WHOLE SEASON
Tim Blair
First Winterfest is cancelled because of winter, and now:
Ice rinks cancel sessions because of ice
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NOT SO SQUEEZY
Tim Blair
Palestinian advocate Michael Shaik claims:
The Gaza Strip is the most crowded area in the world today, with 1.5 million Palestinians — most of whom are refugees banned from returning to their homes in Israel — eking out an existence in a walled-in holding pen on the edge of the Mediterranean.
Writes Alan R.M. Jones: “Gaza’s area is 140 square miles or 363 square km (along some of the world’s best beachfront real estate, turned into a wasteland by a bunch of fanatical ratbags). That gives Gaza a population density of 4,132 people per sq km. Hong Kong has seven million people living on 1,092 square KM, for a population density of 6,392. The rest of the piece is equally fact-challenged.”
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Emergency rooms stalled by staffing shortage
The wait to get treatment in emergency rooms across the NSW is at its highest level in 18 months.
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Report justifies shooting woman: Police
An interim report shows a Sydney police officer "acted appropriately" when she shot a woman twice, leaving her with serious injuries.
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Footy legend Barassi bashed by thug
Footy legend Ron Barassi says he has no regrets about running to the aid of a woman at a Melbourne restaurant, despite being bashed for his efforts.
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Nude prostitutes, customers flee brothel fire
Employees and patrons of a brothel in Sydney's west have spilled out onto the street in the nude after a fire broke out in the building.
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Rudd should reject Guantanamo inmates: Turnbull
Malcolm Turnbull has called on the Federal Government to absolutely rule out allowing Guantanamo Bay detainees into the country.

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