NEW NEWS ORGANISATION FOR NORTH QUEENSLAND ?

It  might be  wishful  thinking, wild speculation  or  even   fake  news, but  the suggestion  that  talks  are   going  on  in  Townsville to set up a  news source  to  challenge  the  Murdoch  Townsville   Bulletin  in  particular  and  ginger up  the   rest of   the  northern  media  in  the process   has  created   much  interest .  The  first inkling of  such  a  much  needed  development   surfaced  in   North Queensland's  liveliest  and  most   (im) peck-able  website ,  The Magpie's  Nest ,  run  by  veteran journalist  Malcolm  Weatherup,  a  former Townsville  Bulletin reporter,   who  is  owed  more  than  $500,000   by  the  Murdoch  stable  for  defaming  him . 

Correspondence sent  to the  aggressive  bird   included  the claim that  some  reporters   made  redundant  at  the  Townsville Bulletin  are   engaged   in  talks to  start up  a news  centre .  Fairly regularly  ( almost every week ) ,  using  a mixed non- avian   expression ,  the   Magpie    aims  a  peck  of   pickled   peppers and   pungent  pars  at   the  The Bulletin ,  calling  it  the  Daily  Astonisher. 


The  Magpie  recently  took the  Bulletin    to  task    for  sensationally running a  map showing  Cyclone Debbie  tracking  straight  at Townsville   saying  all of North  Queensland  was  panicking  in expectation  of  280kph   destructive winds. 

Also  given a  serve   by  the  feathered  one , with a typically clever  drawing   by  the in house ( nest )   cartoonist ,   Bentley ,  were television  reporters  who stood out in the open  covering the  cyclone story ,    further   south , risking life and limb , while  saying people  should stay inside  because of  the danger of   flying debris .
  
Darwin readers  of this blog well  know that  the  local Murdoch paper, The  Northern Territory News ,    for years  has used  the  possibility of  a  cyclone, no  matter how  far  away , as  great front  page news to boost sales  when  crocs  and  aliens   from  another  planet  have  not  been  sighted  for   a  few  weeks .  

The Magpie also  got stuck into  the Townsville City Council   for paying  for   a  Townsville  Bulletin  reporter   to  accompany  the  mayoral  party  which flew  to India  with the  Queensland  premier , Annastacia Palaszczuk , like a cage  of tame   Mynah  birds  singing a  song of  sixpence ,  to   further  roll out the red  carpet   for Adani  . If  the giant  Murdoch  empire cannot   pay for a   reporter    to go on  such a  jaunt , it is a wonder that the Wall Street Journal  did  not start   an immediate  in depth probe   into  the financial viability  of the  outfit,  but then  Rupert  owns  the  Wall  Street Journal .

The  Magpie   rightly made great  play  over  a  strange editorial in the Townsville Bulletin which carried  an implied threat  to Adani  that  if  it  did not make Townsville  the  FIFO  hub  for the proposed  highly contentious  Carmichael mine  there would be  consequences...presumably the sky   could  fall  in on  the company  , as  predicted  by Chicken Licken , and nasty things would  undoubtedly  be  written  about  it   in  the  paper . 

"Geez,Adani must be  shitting themselves,"  was  how   the relentless  media bird   responded . The   editorial  said ... It is to be hoped Adani does not forget  who backed  it when it  desperately needed local support . Townsville  is   a generous city with a big heart . But it also has a long memory . Failure to  anoint  Townsville  as   the  FIFO  choice  will have  consequences . 

Each edition of The Magpie's Nest  ends   with  a  reminder  that  a   donation   from  any reader  would  help  the  old bird's  pecker  to   continue functioning    , enabling  him  to  occasionally  indulge in  a  second caraway seed. 

BREAKING   NEWS

There is  a huge  flap   in  Townsville media circles  over  the following   announcement  in   the  Magpie's Nest :
   
The Magpie’s site will now have the flexibility to add new pages as the need or whim  dictates. We hope in the near future to persuade Terry Butts to return with his own page, with news from his crowded world. Other possible pages in the future could be restaurant reviews (fair dinkum ones), book reviews, a travel page, perhaps a DIY page.


( Darwin  readers  will recall that  Butts , well known in horse racing  circles, once worked  in Darwin . He  and   a  former  NT News  editor ,  the   late John  Hogan ,  a  former  editor of  the  Townsville paper , were  close  friends . Butts  was involved in an incident related to  Peacocks   which  spooked  nags at the  Townsville  racetrack , so working with the Magpie, who  spooks the local paper  and  its editor , plus  numerous others,  would  be  a   good   match .)   

The  announcement  goes on to say  this expansion   will be of interest to the Magpie’s growing and  merry band of readers. Suggestions welcome, especially from anyone who  would like to contribute on a specialist subject. Contact the old bird at  townsvillemagpie@gmail.com

HONG KONG BY NIGHT : GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY , BRIDES AND NERVOUS ALLEY CATS

 

 

 

 

The  latest  Honkers study  from  catty  correspondents  Sarah and  Michael  

BREXIT , AUSTRALIA AND THE MASSIVE GLOBAL CON

Recommended powerful, illuminating  article   by  journalist ,  author  in  THE BAFFLER , headed  War of Nerves : Brexit , Pursued by Despair ...the latest alibi to mask the austerity .   Read  the  following  by  Laurie Penny , contributing  editor   to  New Statesman, her latest books  Everything Belongs to the Future  and  Bitch  Doctrine.
 

https://thebaffler.com/blog/brexit-austerity-penny
 

SKY WATCH NORTH QUEENSLAND

Cloud  eruption  Townsville  from Magnetic Island . Peter Photo .

Cairns . Abra  Photograph.

ISLAND EXPLOSIONS

Not picked up by  Townsville media  were  explosions which   reverberated across  Nelly Bay  , Magnetic  Island , on Saturday night . Spread over  several hours , there were   two    very  loud  explosions in the  industrial area off  Kelly Street . They took place not  far  from where  the owner of  the concrete batching  plant  fell  off  a  veranda,  which had no railings ,  broke  his  neck  and died  ,  some  months ago . There was an  exchange  of    heated  words  with a  man on the premises  who  had a   large  fire  out in the open  .  One  loud explosion  took  place   after  7pm , another some two hours later , causing birds in the  area to call out  in  fright . Concerned  residents   called  up  to  try and  find out  find out what was happening . No sirens  were  heard .    Lesser  detonations, which sounded  like rifle  or pistol shots   were   heard  over  the   period . It is  understood   police were contacted  about  the matter . It will  be interesting to see  what, if anything , is reported   about  the  incident  on  the island  and  on  the  mainland .   

 

NEW ZEALAND BRACING FOR DEBBIE FALLOUT

Auckland : Heavy rain   from ex Cyclone  Debbie  which  battered   Queensland and   NSW   is  expected to  add  to flooding   in  parts of  the North Island , Ramarama in  particular  , where   people  were  rescued midweek .  It has been reported that  there  are  70,000  wooden   houses   built  in  the  floodplains   about  Auckland. Our correspondent   in  Auckland   says the city  and surrounds   have  been warned to expect heavy  rain from  the   former   cyclone in the  coming  two  days .   

CYCLONE DEBBIE DIARY # V

COCKATOOS  EXTRACT  REVENGE  / DESPITE  DENTAL  PROBLEM , KIND  POLLIE  CATHY  O'TOOLE  COMES  TO  RESCUE AGAIN .

The  French   fighting  spirit (c.1890)  of  North  Queensland .

Due to marauding  Cockatoos , the   fruit  laden  mandarin tree   was wrapped  in  bird netting  months ago, after they had raided the passionfruit  vines .  We also  covered  up   an  orange tree for the Queen of  the Jungle . Before  the  Cyclone  Debbie threat and  afterwards , the  Cockies  were  evident --- shrieking , flying about  in  numbers , prepared  to  attack .

Our resident  Curlews, the   surviving chick now much  bigger ,   drew attention  yesterday afternoon  to the  fact that something  was   amiss   by  glaring  up at the mandarin tree . Sure  enough, there were   two Cockatoos ,  one clinging to the  netting , the other  inside the  crown of  the  tree  where there had been a netting  gap  , a yellow looking   piece of  fruit on the ground  , which  on inspection had   been  chewed in a  previous  assault  , green ants   running  all  over it .

 

Shooed away, the  birds nevertheless  came  back  , joined by another . Waving a straw broom  and hurling  the  pecked mandarin  at  them caused the tenacious  trio  to fly  off . However, they came back again ,  settled  high  up in a  palm tree on which  were  bunches of  nuts , nibbling ,  casting   their covetous  eyes on  the  forbidden  fruit  under  the netting . 

 

Barking , yelling and  broom waving   did  not shift  them from their perch , but  probably disturbed the neighbours and  made them  wonder if it was a full moon. Two stones   were then  thrown up  into the palm tree   and   a clanging noise was  heard, thought to  be one  landing on  part of  the   fencing set  up about  the  yard to  protect the  Curlew  chick from   attack  by Barking Owls and  Kookaburras . The Cockatoos  eventually   flew away and   did   not  return .    

     

Up early  this  morning , we  engaged in  what  amounted   to the start of a massive  spring  clean due to  having moved  so  much  about  because of  the Cyclone Debbie threat . Into the backyard  shed had  been packed many things , plants , outdoor  glass topped  tables , tools , wrought  iron  pieces , an old wood plane  bought  at a garage  sale .   Late  yesterday afternoon  two  glass  topped  tables had been moved out of  the  shed and  the larger , used    to display potplants , had been left outside because it  was   found to have  rough, rusty  edges  from  the  effect  of  living near  the  sea .

 

Intending to move the table back to the veranda  this morning , there was an unpleasant surprise . The  glass  top was   smashed  into many pieces- one of the stones  ,  or  both , thrown at the Cockatoos , had apparently  landed on the  table .   The  ground was  covered  in a circular pattern of  shattered  glass -possibly  a  great threat to  the   Curlew   chick  which now  is a  non stop  hungry  teenager , continually picking  around   for   snacks . Solution : call in  the  very same  Fairy Godmother who provided  protection for the   Curlew's parents when  they were sitting on eggs -pollie  Cathy O'Toole , Member  for Herbert   (ALP) .

On that occasion , a  sandwich  board  shelter , above ,  made of   O'Toole  corflutes was   placed over the Curlews , at  times  protecting  a  sitting  bird  from  being  donged  by  a  heavy   falling  frond .

After  much of the glass had been removed  by gloved  hand   and  with a  shovel , there were still  many dangerous  slivers  in the  grass . Over the  top  was  placed another Cathy  O'Toole   corfplute  attached  to a wooden stake  , above ,  which had   been  pulled out  and tossed on the ground  during the last  federal election,  one of her teeth   blacked  out  in  an act  of  deliberate  disfigurement .  Other odds and ends  and a  paver were  added  to  the  protective  Curlew  cover  to stop  it  being  blown   away should  there be a  storm .

The Townsville Bulletin  ran a  front page story about a  bedraggled Cockatoo  having been  saved   by one of its photographers  after  Cyclone Debbie , the  bird described  as the   spirit of North Queensland ;   the  story  went  viral . Sadly , the  Cocky   died .   In the aftermath of  the  cyclone   , a  bull  shark was  found  on  a bank  way  up  a  stream . A person   commented   that  if a big show was made  about saving a   Cockatoo , why  didn't   somebody  give  the  shark  mouth   to  mouth ?