Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Choice Excerpts From Peter Costello’s Memoirs
2:08PM Jess McGuire | I haven’t had a chance to glance at Peter Costello’s giant sookfest, but I’ve just read a few lovely excerpts thanks to my friend Jessica who had an hour and a half spare whilst waiting for a late plane this morning and scribbled down the best bits.
Are you ready?
On what can loosely be described as his sense of humour:“In my later years as Treasurer, YouTube was also emerging as a powerful medium. Bloggers pick up parliamentary broadcasts carried on television and post them on YouTube. Some of my attempts at humour can be viewed there.” p76
More after the jump. More » 
YouTube Clip Of The Day II
2:04PM Jess McGuire | Alright, today’s second clip is more of a mystery than anything containing belly laughs. It’s shaky footage we were sent of a billboard being driven around London, an announcement about moving to Australia being blared over a loudspeaker (no doubt confusing the locals). Interestingly, the billboard says ‘Australia. Uninhabited.’
I thought the powers that be had decided the nation’s slogan was ‘Where The Bloody Hell Are You?’ which, although sort of aggressive and proving to be unsuccessful as far as tourism campaigns go, is at least a question based on the truth – there are people in Australia, and you’re not one of them, so get your arse over here. More » 
YouTube Clip Of The Day
1:24PM Jess McGuire | My internet connection has decided to spend some quality fisting itself, so I can’t actually get the following YouTube clip to work, dammit. That said, it was sent in by the infamous Anthony The Crunchy Poet Dude, and he’s had such a fine run so far, I’m just going to assume it’s good, and look forward to being able to watch it myself.
The clip above better not be five minutes of footage of your doodle, Anthony. I’m trusting you here! More » 
Casey Donovan Has Been Punched In The Face By An Idol Hater!
10:37AM Jess McGuire | Thinking Australian Idol is a bit crap and preferring to listen to Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets” in your spare time is one thing. But carrying around your Idol hatred until a day you find a winner jiving on the dance floor of a pub and punching them in the face? Not on!
Embattled former Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan has taken another hit after allegedly being punched in the face by a man at a bar in New South Wales.
More » 
Attention Australian Liberal Party Members: Malcolm Turnbull Is Your God Now
9:51AM Jess McGuire | Poor Brendan Nelson. From the second he took over from John Howard after the resounding election defeat last year, everyone was thinking “Dude is a Band-Aid that’s gonna get ripped off and thrown away once the wound isn’t quite so icky to look at anymore” and he was like “No, for real! I am leader! And quite popular! Look and marvel as my colleagues appreciate me and support me!” and Malcolm Turnbull was all “Hey bitch, call me when you’re done cleaning my office and I’ll move my stuff in” and… well, I’ve run out of idiotic things to say on this topic, and wahey! Did you see that the Libs decided to go with Turnbull after their Top Secret Ballot this morning?
Malcolm Turnbull is the new leader of the Liberal Party after beating Brendan Nelson in a ballot in Canberra this morning..
More » Do You Have Any Questions For Transvision Vamp’s Wendy James?
9:35AM Jess McGuire | Because I am interviewing her this afternoon and will ask her stuff, and then pop the results online. Please, suggestions for penetrating questions are most welcome. More » The Brisbane Broncos Players Under Investigation For Sexual Assault Have Been Named
9:34AM Jess McGuire | Following on from revelations yesterday that three Brisbane Broncos players were under investigation by police after a woman claimed she’d been assaulted by the trio at a Fortitude Valley nightclub on Saturday night, the men at the centre of the scandal have been named.
Broncos and Queensland State of Origin stars Karmichael Hunt, Darius Boyd and Sam Thaiday were allegedly named by a 24-year-old woman in a sexual assault complaint made to police on Saturday night.
Details of the alleged incident are after the jump (and make me feel a little bit sicky, to be honest). More » 
Jon Hamm Disses ‘Crazy Showbiz Guy’ Regis Philbin
9:10AM Mark Graham | Aspiring celebrities about to make your first rounds on the talk show circuit, take note. Earlier this year, we cautioned you regarding the pitfalls of repeating the same anecdote word-for-word on multiple talk show appearances, using Jason Segal’s penis-bearing fable as our example. Tonight, we’d like to walk through the subtle art of how to recognise what kind of stories are good for dinner parties versus those that are suitable to be told to a national television audience, showcasing Mad Men star Jon Hamm’s disastrously disrespectful appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Friday night.
Pepsi Man Jack White Lashes Out at ‘Quantum’ Theme in Coke Commercial
9:03AM STV | There are no quantums of solace to be found today in the Jack White household, where the recent unveiling of his and Alicia Keys’s theme song to Quantum of Solace via a Coke commercial has the songwriter lashing out at his Sony patrons. “Jack White was commissioned by Sony Pictures to write a theme song for the James Bond film Quantum Of Solace, not for Coca Cola,” read a statement obtained over the weekend by NME. “Any other use of the song is based on decisions made by others, not by Jack White. We are disappointed that you first heard the song in a co-promotion for Coke Zero, rather than in its entirety.” Ah ah ah — make that Coke Zero Zero Seven, rebranded exclusively for the occasion of Quantum’s release this November. We’ll withhold judgment of the song itself until we can hear it in its entirety, but the sample available after the jump certainly sounds low-calorie. More »
Brendan Nelson Versus Malcolm Turnbull In A Cockfight To The Death!
8:40AM Jess McGuire | There’s just twenty minutes until members of the Liberal Party go into a secret room, wallpapered with images of great conservative leaders of the past like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, and vote for school captain. Or who they want to be the leader of the Liberal Party.
“I’m not going to win, am I?”
You’re not in the race, Peter. Shut up.
Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull are about to face off in a Liberal leadership vote after Dr Nelson’s attempted ambush of his rival.
Dr Nelson pounced on his jetlagged leadership rival last night, hoping to catch Mr Turnbull off guard by bringing leadership speculation to a head this morning rather than waiting for the shadow treasurer to strike against him.
Vaguely interesting! Can’t wait to see how this turns out. And then laugh heartily.
MORE: Malcolm Turnbull, Brendan Nelson to face off in leadership ballot (news.com.au) More » 