I live in Richmond, have done for years, and, out of nowhere, while enjoying my first pint — a flash flood! Nothing like I have seen before. How ’bout that weather hey?

Now what I just experienced was a microcosm of what Queenslanders have been through over the past month. But what it does demonstrate is the pure awesomeness of mother nature.

The rain was strong, strong enough to have water pouring through the roof of the first floor of the RCH (the pub burnt down a couple of years ago and the second floor is being rebuilt). All of a sudden Swan St — the hub of Richmond — is flooded! Swan St became a river.

Now I am back at home — my house isn’t flooded but the sheer amount of rain has the gutters overflowing and causing my front and back  “yards” (they are tiny) to resemble small ponds.

So I am off to have a beer. Somewhere dry with Boundi. Cheers for the photos Moose (I’ll get the first round when I see you).

Unfortunately, this was my last beer as the water rendered the pub useless.

Good fishing year round at the corner of Lennox and Swan.

Nature's barrier between me and beer...

]]> http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2011/02/04/floods-in-inner-city-melbourne/feed/ 0 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2011/02/04/floods-in-inner-city-melbourne/ http://feeds.crikey.com.au/~r/CrikeyBlogs/crikey/~3/LlGX-I6OB4E/ http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2010/12/21/a-year-in-crikey-office-iphone-photos/#comments Tue, 21 Dec 2010 04:02:11 +0000 Amber Jamieson http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/?p=1649 What a difference a year makes. A look back at last year’s photos sees bright and joyful times.

No one has got around to putting decorations up this year. I haven’t brought flowers in to the Crikey office for weeks. We are broken, tired little souls in desperate need for Melbourne to get some sunshine and quit acting like it’s June.

But let’s take a look back at the year, since it’s been a big one for the Crikey crew. Jason Whittaker gave up the sunny skies of Brisbane to stalk the theatre aisles of Melbourne, as Crikey’s new deputy editor (and ruler of the Curtain Call blog). Website editor Ruth Brown left us for the coffee shops and hipster hangouts of Portland. Cinetology blogger Luke Buckmaster became website editor and Tom Cowie got hired as a journalist after his desperate and shameless search for a job (he even demanded I link to his blog. That’s how shameless he is).

There’s only one way to tell it: a year in iPhone photos.

Lovely Jason joined in the fine Crikey tradition of drinking coffee.

He did not like it.

Mick the sub wore some rad boots.

That is, when he wasn’t also appearing on the front cover of Fairfax publications.

An intern bribed us with macaroons. Can’t remember who, but obviously they were great.

The man who never shows his face.

But does sleep on the CEO’s couch when she isn’t looking.

Julia became PM while we watched the news and madly tried to update everything.

Dog wrote a book and we went to the book launch and there was a LINE of people waiting for an autograph. Which is hilarious, because he tries to sign things for us all the time and we just ask him to leave us alone.

The wonderful moment went the Walkleys magazine wrote “Tow Cowie” rather than “Tom Cowie” on its front cover. He will forever be known as Tow Cow.

Someone asked him to sign their copy. Still not completely sure if that was a joke.

Our diet for much of the election campaign:

The year in office flowers:

Maybe we can help bump it up a bit:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Doing it for Vinnie and Huey. From today’s NT News…

Croc watch #676. Today’s NT News front cover has a front page scoop that combines a lost dog and a cave of crocs:

First Dog watch #98. First Dog makes the back page of The Age sports section today:

When goldfish attack. Last week the UK’s  Kentish Express went large on an issue that concerns us all…

Sleep with the fishes, awake to find yourself in the NY Post. This is why this paper is great…

Luckily for me, it appears Australia’s newspapers agree…

Pimp my honeymoon. Hey Willie! [insert name of place of newspaper publication] is the best place to honeymoon eva!

So says the Geelong Advertiser…

And the NT News…

And the Gold Coast Bulletin…

Pass me the Royal spittoon for one may be sick… but for straight out WTF, you can’t be serious, get a room Royal reporting, I tip my busby to today’s Adelaide Advertiser editorial. That’s right, the editorial…

Sadly, on the opposite page of this worthy tome, Advertiser readers appear to be at odds with the newspaper…

A Royal metaphor too far… expect sales of 3D televisions to skyrocket, courtesy of today’s Daily Telegraph editorial…

The wedding dress. Don’t worry Katie, the Cairns Post may have already picked out your dress…

However, the award for the story for the most tedious link to the Royal Engagement goes to ….who else .. the NT News…

Yes, this is actually a story in a newspaper:

HUMPTY Doo bloke Les Schultz would say, “G’day darlin”‘ and then treat the future Mrs Windsor, Princess Kate, well, like a princess.

Les has ideas for the wedding between Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales and the chick named Kate.

He has a five-year-old tame buffalo cow name Beverley who he has promised to let his mate from Casino, NSW, Jimmy Roache marry. It’s a long story.

…

Les reckons the young couple should head out to his place and they can have a double wedding, next to the verandah by the pool. Just in case Beverley gets thirsty during the ceremony.

Although, as always, the UK tabloids do royalty best… Today’s Daily Star page three girl, “Kate”, has a striking resemblance to someone .. and.. well … you figure it out…

]]> http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2010/11/18/a-special-royal-engagement-edition-of-leigh-josey%e2%80%99s-morning-media-mauling/feed/ 1 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2010/11/18/a-special-royal-engagement-edition-of-leigh-josey%e2%80%99s-morning-media-mauling/ http://feeds.crikey.com.au/~r/CrikeyBlogs/crikey/~3/o6JgnpBzUZ4/ http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2010/11/17/leigh-josey%e2%80%99s-morning-media-mauling-3/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:09:11 +0000 Leigh Josey http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/?p=1618 Royal romance in the air. So Prince William and Kate Middleton are getting married. Hell, there’s already commemorative mugs available. So I turned my attention to the British papers and I wonder if yesterday’s Evening Courier — “the voice of Calderdale” — jumped the gun a little early…

Meanwhile, it’s a Victorian election campaign… and the good people of Shepparton know an election issue when they see it…

Front page of the day. The Gold Coast Bulletin … I guess…

What to do with excess newspapers? According to today’s Tatura Guardian the answer is toilet paper for animals!

These biscuits rarely last long, often just for a few minutes, but their presence is always a point of much discussion in the fabled Crikey Skype chat.

The following is an unedited transcript — including spelling and grammatical typos — of one such occasion, when a packet of Caramel Crowns made their way into the Crikey team’s hands and led to a political imbroglio of heretofore unimaginable proportions.

It was a typical Monday afternoon in the Crikey bunker…

—————————————————— START TRANSCRIPT —————————————————-

18/10/2010 2:19:50 PM

Firstdog Onthemoon: secret biscuit stash

Luke Buckmaster: sshhhh

Firstdog Onthemoon: i found the biscuits HIDDEN in the kitchen in a secret spot and STOLE THEM so shutup amber or else you will ruin it for everyone

Amber Jamieson: People, the reason the biscuits are being handed out like rations is BECAUSE people keep nicking them

Tom Cowie: so YOU’RE the biscuit stealers

Firstdog Onthemoon: no

Amber Jamieson: YES

Amber Jamieson: so they’ve been hidden around

Firstdog Onthemoon: we only stole the stolen biscuits

Luke Buckmaster: we’re just reacting to a political environment – we didn’t start it

Firstdog Onthemoon: bucky is right

Luke Buckmaster: it’s a war and we’re the good guys (and gals)

Amber Jamieson: yes, hidden by the person who buys them so that people dont just pilfer them

Tom Cowie: two wrongs don’t make a right…unless biscuits are involved

Amber Jamieson: you’re letting the terrorists win

Firstdog Onthemoon: they didn’t hide them very well if i found them

Luke Buckmaster: but things become muddlied in times of war….

Firstdog Onthemoon: we are the terrorists

Luke Buckmaster: notions of morality, questioned….

Firstdog Onthemoon: we are the caramel crowns

Luke Buckmaster: but we are TOGETHER!

Luke Buckmaster: Am I right people???

Firstdog Onthemoon: YES

Tom Cowie: solidarity caramel comrades

Firstdog Onthemoon: yeah

Amber Jamieson: now we’ll have to live forever in a rationed world

Firstdog Onthemoon: no biscuits for amber “goody two shoes” jamieson

Amber Jamieson: it was supposed to just be a PART TIME THING so people stopped stealing

Amber Jamieson: you’re ruining the system

Firstdog Onthemoon: they hid them somewhere stupid

Tom Cowie: yet you’re apart of the system!

Luke Buckmaster: we need to have a meeting, now-ish, to discuss how to “acquire” our next packet. we need multiple landing spots, different hives, back up supplies

Amber Jamieson: yes, i KNOW where the secret biscuits are

Firstdog Onthemoon: yea amber, we’re trying to stick it to the man

Amber Jamieson: (this packet might have been different)

Luke Buckmaster: and we need somebody to go “in”

Firstdog Onthemoon: so uncool

Luke Buckmaster: I nominate Cowie.

Firstdog Onthemoon: really? you know? where

Luke Buckmaster: he’s the most reputable looking of all of us.

Firstdog Onthemoon: Go the Cow

Tom Cowie: not me, I’m too close

Firstdog Onthemoon: Cowman!

Luke Buckmaster: It’s the closeness that will work to our advantage

Amber Jamieson: this is ridiculous.

Tom Cowie: I could never get away with it, they see it all over the back of my head

Luke Buckmaster: they woudl never suspect.

Luke Buckmaster: all you need to do is being the carrier

Firstdog Onthemoon: no one would ever suspect the cow

Luke Buckmaster: strap them to your chest, stick them down your pants, whatever – but the package must be delivered!

Firstdog Onthemoon: just bat your eyelashes – works for me every time

Tom Cowie: I don’t know if I like this game anymore

Amber Jamieson: Cowie, work within the system. it’s the best way to get change.

Firstdog Onthemoon: i don’t want them if they have been down his pants

Luke Buckmaster: Dog it’s time of war – nothing is ideal.

Tom Cowie: yes you do, don’t lie. it’s unbecoming

Firstdog Onthemoon: shut up

Luke Buckmaster: there will be a plastic layer seperating (potentially sweaty) underwrear from delicious biscuits

Firstdog Onthemoon: ewwwww

Firstdog Onthemoon: sweaty biscuit gate

Luke Buckmaster: how do we recruit J Whit?

Luke Buckmaster: Is he trust worthy??

Tom Cowie: Buckmaster has clearly been planning this for years

Firstdog Onthemoon: biscuitist

Luke Buckmaster: Operation Caramel

Luke Buckmaster: JI whit crucial minutes for you – 2:19pm onwards

Tom Cowie: brush up, there will be a test

Amber Jamieson: dear god men, this has become a pathetic affair

Amber Jamieson: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-17/china-may-finish-coal-mine-rescue-before-oct-20-radio-reports.html

Leigh Josey: AJ, what has that goit to do with caramel chocolate biscuits? Are the Chinese on to us?

Luke Buckmaster: I feel sullied by this whole sordid affair…as if i have sacrificed a chunk of my integrity for a chunk of delicious caramel, yummy, caramel

Amber Jamieson: http://www.crikey.com.au/topic/rethinking-afghanistan/

Tom Cowie: it was worth it buckmaster

Firstdog Onthemoon: the morning after Operationa Caramel…

Leigh Josey: Many boffins died to bring us that sweet sweet caramel

(Deputy Editor Jason Whittaker enters and starts talking quite loudly about the biscuits)

Tom Cowie: SHUT UP WHITTAKER

Leigh Josey: Ixnay of the aramelscay Jason!

Amber Jamieson: Pack of thieves.

Leigh Josey: COver blown! Cover blown!

Firstdog Onthemoon: ittakerway!

Luke Buckmaster: shit I’ve got the package.

Luke Buckmaster: you fuckers have framed me!

Firstdog Onthemoon: It’s like Hogans Heroes!

Luke Buckmaster: abort abort

Tom Cowie: code red code red!

Tom Cowie: this is not a drill people

Leigh Josey: If no one talks they can’t press charges. No one rat us out

Tom Cowie: Whittaker is the weak link

Tom Cowie: we need to take him out

Luke Buckmaster: if he keeps blabbing we’re all goners.

Tom Cowie: he knows too much

Firstdog Onthemoon: Amber, he trusts you… you’ll have to do it

Luke Buckmaster: especially me, i have the hot potato!

Luke Buckmaster: shit he’s coming back

Luke Buckmaster: 2:19!

Tom Cowie: quick quick hush

Luke Buckmaster: i has a hollowed out tissue box

Luke Buckmaster: we need to switch packaging

Tom Cowie: bucky has the package

Jason: :O

Firstdog Onthemoon: I know nussingk!

Leigh Josey: It’s too hot. I’m out

Luke Buckmaster: i’ve been set up

*Name censored*: what’s this about biscuits?

Leigh Josey: *Name censored*, it’s high level. We have a secret stash of caramel biscuits in the tissue box in Bucky’s desk. If people know, it’s all over. We’ve almost been exposed once.

*Name censored*: yeah but judging from this transcript they have Cowie’s groin mist embedded in them

Tom Cowie: I can’t tell a lie

Leigh Josey: Here’s a smokescreen — not sure about this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y54FRMedT_s

Amber Jamieson: *Name censored*, you know you’ve been banned from saying groin mist.

*Name censored*: what about groin paste?

Firstdog Onthemoon: I thought groin mist was something else

*Name censored*: mist and paste are better than juice

Firstdog Onthemoon: ewww

Tom Cowie: forget code red, now its code blue

Luke Buckmaster: its now code WTF

Leigh Josey: Good cover soldiers. Keep it up

Firstdog Onthemoon: trust *name censored* to make something as innocent and boyish as biscuit theft into a grubby episode

——————————————————- END TRANSCRIPT —————————————————-

18/10/2010 2:47:24 PM

The very next day it had a double page spread to thank its outgoing coach:

Now let’s fast forward to today. Yesterday, Thomson announced he’ll be signing on as an assistant coach for rival Essendon. And the Geelong Advertiser are not happy:

What the hell is this? Cane toads? Dressed in human clothed? In a car? It can only be the NT News…

Derek the Angry Dugong’s horrorscope. It’s Thursday … and the Port Douglas and Mossman Gazette’s favourite cranky marine mammal doesn’t let Crikey down…

Fear the airlines! Far north Queensland can be a pretty hairy place .. five metre tiger sharks, huntsman spiders, elephant bugs … and airlines…

Separated at birth. Kudos to reader Fiona who drew my attention to this from yesterday’s Age website:

Smoking hot cyclops martians? In the top end?

Here is the opening few paragraphs of the Page 3 story. Make of it as you will…

Tiger watch #1. Ok, we know the great golfer and legendary pantsman is in Oz but … Gold Coast Bulletin don’t tell me you just did this…

Mixed signals. With one hand (at the top of page 5), yesterday’s Geelong Advertiser tells its male readers they are fat:

And on the other hand (on the exact spot on page 9, four pages later) — it offers this:

]]> http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2010/11/10/leigh-josey%e2%80%99s-morning-media-mauling/feed/ 1 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2010/11/10/leigh-josey%e2%80%99s-morning-media-mauling/ http://feeds.crikey.com.au/~r/CrikeyBlogs/crikey/~3/q7fVFEepGTs/ http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/2010/11/08/the-leigh-josey-media-briefs-experience/#comments Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:42:39 +0000 Leigh Josey http://blogs.crikey.com.au/crikey/?p=1553 OK. I’ve been at Crikey for a while and most mornings I peruse the newspapers of this fine country finding snippets that I think are funny, stupid, brilliant, may contain traces of crocodiles — or a combination of all — in the aim of adding to the rich texture of the “Media Briefs” section in the daily Crikey email.

This is done mostly as an anonymous contribution, but before it makes it’s way into the email I send a little email around to Crikey’s in-house editorial team for their benefit — titled, ridiculously, “Leigh Josey’s Morning Media Mauling.”

Anyway, Crikey website editor Luke Buckmaster wanted me to start blogging my daily findings with the aim of starting a daily record. So here  it is, with all the wonder that stories about crocs and UFOs and vox pops bring…

First Ablett, then Bomber, now KFC… just when the good burghers of Geelong thought that it couldn’t get any worse …

And what do the people think? By people, we mean 12 year old McDonald’s employees…

My love for the NT News know no bounds… And this is why! Territorians, don’t go into the CBD this summer! A lovely Jurassic Park-esque front page to start the week:

You call that a tabloid? This is a tabloid. Alas, the NT News still has a way to go to match it with the great NY Post…

First Dog on the Moon on the campaign trail #1. Crikey‘s beloved cartoonist is out and about promoting his book The Story of The Christmas Story. Here’s the cut out of Saturday’s The Age:

Newspaper pic of the day: From the NT News sports section. Are they some sort of geranium underpants your would grandmother wear?

With this we promise — with great uncertainty — to possibly blog more about interesting stuff that actually happens within these hallowed walls. If it happens at all.  The key will be finding interesting stuff to actually blog about. But don’t despair dear reader — we’ll think of something. Hell, if you want us to do something — anything — email us at boss@crikey.com.au.

Anyway, if you want to know who all the crazy characters designed by the deft hand of Crikey cartoonist First Dog on the Moon are, here’s the run down:

• Sophie Black (Crikey editor) — a Superb Fairy Wren
• Jason Whittaker (Deputy Editor) — a Bell, a.k.a the god damn Town Crier
• Luke Buckmaster (Website Editor) — an Australian Fur Seal
• Amber Jamieson — (journalist) — a Tea Cup
• Leigh Josey (Production Ninja) — a Monkey (and a particularly striking one at that)
• Mick Vaughan (subeditor) — a Poodle
• First Dog on the Moon (cartoonist) — a Dog (and the only non-First Dog creation)
• Andrew Crook (journalist) — a Banana
• Tom Cowie (journalist) — a Dairy Cow

Sitting next to me, First Dog just said; “we need to go back to the pub.”

And I agree…