The Very Model of a Modern Governor-General + June Follow-ups

   1. The Very Model of a Modern Governor-General?

   At my high school there was a Gilbert & Sullivan Society - I avoided
   it like the plague.  But somehow I'm reminded of a song with the line
   "The Very Model of a Modern Major-General" (from Pirates of Penzance),
   and the recent appointment of a former Major-General as Australia's
   new Governor-General sprang to mind.  I'm not claiming to be the first
   to have thought up the phrase "The Very Model of a Modern Governor
   General", but I think it's rather appropriate given recent events.
   In fact, after a quick googling, I've found that the phrase has been
   used before.  For example, a Canadian journalist rewrote the lyrics
   of the G&S song to refer to the appointment of the new Canadian G-G
   in 1999:
      < http://www.lautens.com/arch45.html >
   An interesting project would be to rewrite the lyrics in Australia's
   current context.

   Other uses of the phrase:
   * Hillary's travel tips for PM: "The very model of a modern Governor-General"
      < http://www.crikey.com.au/politics/2003/06/23/20030623hillary030623.html >

   * A Yank in Oz (weblog)
      < http://www.ravenna.com/~forbes/2003/05/ >
   Contains a couple of posts providing a Yank's explanation of the role
   of G-G and the recent crisis.

   
   2. Follow-ups to June Postings

   [Some Troublesome Kids]
   * "Second driving offence for boy, 10"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/2981066.stm >

   [Stuck in a Moment?]
   * "Police nab New York burglar stuck in chimney"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s890231.htm >
   * "Burglar arrested after getting stuck in chimney"  (different chimney)
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_793167.html >
   * "German thief caught short"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s889196.htm >
   * "Pilot Calls Wife To Report He's Stuck In A Tree After Crashing"
      < http://www.wftv.com/news/2292846/detail.html >

   [Shop Till You Drop]
   * "Natural born shoppers - and men"
      < http://www.news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=655042003 >

   [Alternative Olympic Events]
   * "Toe wrestlers gather for World Championship"
      < http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=29&art_id=qw1056181505945B232&set_id=1 >
   * "Eugene hosts huge ultimate Frisbee meet"
      < http://www.tdn.com/articles/2003/06/22/oregon/news02.txt >
   * "Mrs World crowned after rock climbing contest"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_793391.html >

   ["No Dress" Code]
   * "X-ray vision shows air passengers naked"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_794215.html >

   ["The Cog"]
   * Australian Honda Accord Ad
      < http://www.honda.com.au/accord/euro/the+cog/download+the+cog.htm >
   The links I gave last week were for a different model to that advertised
   in Australia, and have a slightly different ending.  The link above is for
   the local variation.

"The Cog"

   Have you seen that amazing ad for the Honda Accord Euro, where car
   parts are used to create a domino effect? The 1 minute version is
   often shown on SBS between programs. The complete version goes for
   2 minutes.

   85 different car parts were used, and 606 takes were needed to get
   it right. Apparently the Yanks won't get to see it on TV because
   the ad "doesn't say enough for U.S. viewers."  It wouldn't have
   anytthing to do with the fact that the model is called the "Euro"?

   The Official Honda Accord Euro multimedia web page
      < http://multimedia.honda-eu.com/accord/ >
   Has links to high, medium and low quality versions of the full ad.

   Download a zipped version of the clip (3.3 MB)
      < http://multimedia.honda-eu.com/multimedia/video/clips/cars/thecog.zip >

   Related articles:
   "Advertising: For Want of a Nail, the Car Commercial Rocked"
      < http://www.msnbc.com/news/929702.asp?0dm=W3ADN >

   "Artists claim Honda copied their film in TV cog advert"
      < http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/media/story.jsp?story=410170 >

"No Dress" Code?

   1. "Naked flight makes maiden journey"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_777340.html >

   2. "Naked flight gives new meaning to landing strip"
      < http://www.azcentral.com/ent/pop/articles/0508nakedflight08.html >

   3. "Naked bouncers reduce violence"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_777337.html >

   4. "Artist takes on vandals with 'nude' shutters"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_769010.html >

   5. "Nude models at art college join union"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/05/07/81790-ap.html >

   6. "Games' streaker warned by judge"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/england/manchester/3025035.stm >

   7. "Bare Naked Burglar"
      < http://www.kshb.com/kshb/home/article/0,1925,KSHB_9410_1990763,00.html >

   8. "Police thwart nudist picnic in London"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s869539.htm >

Alternative Olympic Events

   The International Olympic Committee is busily cutting down the number
   of events at upcoming Olympiads. Perhaps they are making room for
   some new events? Some possibilities ...

   1. "Triumph for Germans as English lose their marbles"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s835623.htm >

   2. "Mud-caked competitors get down and dirty"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_734121.html >

   3. "Truly 'mobile': Latvia hosts phone throwing championship"
      < http://www.ndtv.com/andfinally/showandfinally.asp?id=1152 >

   4. "Student becomes Paper, Scissors, Stone World Champion"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_761976.html >

   5. "World champion liar spins steel wool tale"
      < http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/weird_news/4847458.htm >

   6. "British men claim first place in trolley skill"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s847071.htm >

   7. "South African duo win extreme ironing photo contest"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_783502.html >

   8. "Norwegians launch beauty contest for cows"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_738357.html >

Post-Friday the 13th + Lucky Cats/Unlucky Dogs

   1. "Friday 13th - unlucky for some"
      < http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2987934.stm >

   2. "It's Friday the 13th. Watch out for mirrors, ladders and black cats"
      < http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-friday4jun13,0,614088.story >

   3. "Black cats may be the more fortunate felines"
      < http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993459 >

   4. "German Shepherds 'are unluckiest dogs'"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_785755.html >

Shop Till You Drop

   To mark the extension of shopping hours in South Australia
   (and Germany, I believe) ...

   1. "Why We Buy" [Book review]
      < http://www.salon.com/books/review/1999/05/21/underhill/print.html >
      Examines the sociology and psychology of the consumerist impulse.

   2. "Frustrated shoppers turn to GPS"
      < http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2440246a28,00.html >

   3. "First public wireless 'hotspot' opens at Dubai shopping mall"
      < http://www.ameinfo.com/news/Detailed/25002.html >

   4. "Chinese store opens husbands centre"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_782928.html >

   5. "Shoppers strip London store bare"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s841358.htm >

   6. "Orchestra has shoppers dancing in aisles"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_769279.html >

   7. "Meat hook artist leaves shopping crowds hanging"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s836241.htm >

   8. "Roseanne, Ozzy collide"
      < http://robots.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/02/28/showbuzz/index.html#1 >

   9. "Supermarket traps shopper"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_788935.html >

   10. "Whoever said shopping is fun?"
      < http://newstribune.com/stories/050503/com_0505030045.asp >
      A moving story about a woman shopping for clothes for her eldest daughter.

Google Fight

   Google Fight
      < http://www.googlefight.com/ >

   Enter two opposing keywords and see which has the higher hit-count on Google.
   Examples: love vs hate, television vs radio, Madonna vs Britney Spears,
   Letterman vs Leno, King Kong vs Godzilla.

   Featured Fights:
   * Hall of Fame: The best fights suggested by visitors
     < http://google-fight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?palmares=1&langue=us >
   * The Classics
     < http://www.googlefight.com/classics.html >
   * Funny Fights
     < http://www.googlefight.com/funnyfights.html >

   Some more examples:
   * Good vs Evil
     < http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=good&q2=evil
        &compare=1&langue=us >
   * Peace vs War
     < http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=peace&q2=war
        &compare=1&langue=us >
   * Star Wars vs The Matrix
     < http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=star+wars&q2=the+matrix
        &compare=1&langue=us >
   * U2 vs Radiohead
     < http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=u2&q2=radiohead
        &compare=1&langue=us >
   * George Orwell vs William Shakespeare
     < http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=george+orwell&q2=william+shakespeare
        &compare=1&langue=us >
   * The Simpsons vs The Flintstones
     < http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=the+simpsons&q2=the+flintstones
        &compare=1&langue=us >
   * Paris vs London
     < http://www.googlefight.com/cgi-bin/compare.pl?q1=paris&q2=london
        &compare=1&langue=us >

Stuck in a Moment?

   1. "German gets stuck in folding sofa bed"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s816362.htm >

   2. "Man glues hand to Inland Revenue desk"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_783482.html >

   3. "Teen prisoner adds to woes by getting arm stuck in toilet"
      < http://www.post-gazette.com/localnews/20030606toiletreg3p3.asp >

   4. "Firefighters free woman's hand in the pan"
      < http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s809465.htm >

   5. "Woman needs oxygen after getting finger stuck down sink unit"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_775702.html >

   6. "Man gets fork stuck in throat - twice"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_757297.html >

   7. "Man found sleeping in laundromat dryer"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/03/20/47432-ap.html >

   8. "BMW glitch locks Thai minister in"
      < http://asia.cnet.com/newstech/systems/0,39001153,39130270,00.htm >

   9. "Woman hurt by car wash"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_787879.html >

Some Troublesome Kids

   1. "Toddler twins go on scribbling rampage"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s839864.htm >

   2. "Children stole playground"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_774959.html >

   3. "Twin teens terrorise town"
      < http://www.expatica.com/germany.asp?pad=190,205,&item_id=31140 >

   4. "Motorway brick monsters"
      < http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-12331812,00.html >

   5. "Youths scramble after giant egg fight"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s862624.htm >

   6. "Boy, 6, takes car for a drive"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_781796.html >

   7. "Student fined for 'apple cannon'"
      < http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6226293%5E13762,00.html >

   8. "Kid for sale: $8 or best offer"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s851204.htm >

Zombo.com

   Welcome to Zombo.com
      < http://www.zombo.com/ >

   A bit of silliness for the middle of the week. Requires Flash.
   I don't know if anything else happens after the endless welcome
   announcements.

True Hairy Tales

   1. "Boy suspended from school over braided hair"
      < http://web.orange.co.uk/news/story/sm_783125.html >
      Braid it like Beckham?

   2. "Californian man locked up over hair cutting spree"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s825421.htm >

   3. "Bad hair day for inmate as wardens spy cash stash"
      < http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s833167.htm >

   4. "Woman awarded compensation for bad hairdo"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_769281.html >

   5. "Man fired over pony-tail attack"
      < http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=528932 >

   6. "Indian policemen uses ponytail to tow bus"
      < http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_766624.html >

   7. "Mets' Rey Sanchez denies he had clubhouse haircut during game"
      < http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2003/05/06/81083-ap.html >

   8. "Wacky World: The Bad Hair Day Parade: 27-02-2003"
      < http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/030227/318/du7te.html >