SPINE-TINGLING EARLY MORNING ENCOUNTERS

Echidna , also known as Spiny Anteater, on  track up Castle  Hill. Photo by Aeronautical  Correspondent  Abra . The  following  day,  another, larger one , was  spotted .     

 

NORTHERN TERRITORY ROMEO IN DANGEROUS FONDUE PARTY CASE

 In his relentless search for  items of  interest, at  times verging on the bizarre,  our  Shipping Reporter  made a  discovery  which  has   turned  him   into   a   budding  bush  lawyer.

It is the  2003 fourth edition of Torts, by Martin Davies and Ian Malkin,  designed  to  explain  the  concepts  of  Torts  for  Australian  law students. 

As luck would have it , the  book appears to  have once belonged to someone in the  multinational  law firm , MinterEllison , the biggest in  Australia . 

Apart from underlining  of   text  in  various colours  and  margin notes  , there  are MinterEllison sticky notes  attached to various interesting cases,  with  handwritten  comments . 

Our waterfront roundsman , who does have an obvious  twisted sense of humour,  almost became hysterical  with  laughter while  reading  details of   a  case  in  which  a  one armed man was badly injured  by a  faulty fondue  set  provided  by  a  friend  at  a  house warming  party. 

The kind host, identified as  Denny , had bought the second hand  fondue set at a  flea market as well as an uninsulated set of six metal spearing forks. He invited  former housemates to come  to  his first fondue  party in his  new flat  dressed  as singing  stars of the 70s .

One of the revellers, named  Benny, a large  person , who had recently lost his right arm , after drinking several margaritas , experienced  difficulties  using the  spears on the  hot,  bubbling   fondue components, the cheese  seemingly  seething  like  lava in an imminent  volcanic  eruption . 

He received serious burns  when a  spark  set fire to his polyester suit ,  his synthetic  beard and  wig , the latter two  apparently  part of  his  jolly  party  outfit !!!

The flames also set fire to Denny's orange nylon shag pile carpet . Benny sued Denny for damages  due  to  failure of  duty of  care , knowing about  shortcomings  in  the  dangerous  fondue  set  and  spears .

In discussing the case,  Torts  cited Romeo  v Conservation Commission of the Northern   Territory (l998)  where the High Court  held the defendant  had not been negligent despite its failure to  fence off a cliff  or put up warning signs to guard against the foreseeable  risk that someone  (like the plaintiff) , labouring under  impairment of senses , might fall  over  the  cliff .  

The  tasty  Torts  book  and  another  on  documents that shaped Australia were  unearthed  in  Townsville  by  our  scavenging   Shipping  Reporter. 

(Torts, Fondue, Romeo.)

TEEMING WATERS

Townsville. Vallis. 

 

BORN TO FLY IN A BLAZE OF COLOR

 Believed to be  a Cairns  Birdwing  butterfly  caterpillar  in  the  larvae  stage eating the leaves of  a  special   vine  which  while   nutritious  to  it  are poisonous to other  caterpillars. 

The  toxins in the leaves are stored in its orange-red spines and also warn predators  that   they  are  poisonous.   Danger  signs  exposed  below  on well  munched  vine  where  four  tiny  new  caterpillars  have  been  found . 

Before   turning into a  chrysalis , the  larvae  climbs into a nearby tree , attaches  itself   to  look  like  a  dead  leaf , later  emerging  with  wings, a female  shown  here,  the  brighter  male  only  lives  four  to  five weeks , mates  faster  than  Speed  Gordon.. 

(Butterfly,Toxic, Dead.)

SHOCK , HORROR : AMERICA CLEAR -FELLED BY LYING LUMBERJACK APEING HONEST HATCHET WIELDING GEORGE WASHINGTON

 

(Horror, America , Washington.)

UNCLE SAM ADMITTED TO SANITORIUM AFTER ZIPPITY- DO0 - DAH ELECTION

Appalled  by  Donald Trump  winning the  American  election, that  much  loved  fine   old  finger  pointing and  licking  Yanky  symbol ,   Uncle Sam ,  babbling  to  himself , stripped of his battered  straw-boater and  garish clothing  bought in  a  Bronx op shop,  has  been   rushed   to   an  upgraded   dark  celebrity  padded  cell  in  Disney Land  for  urgent  shock  treatment .  

An  anonymous deeply  concerned  Mayo  Clinic  doctor   told  Little  Darwin   Uncle  Sam  is  in  a  catatonic state ,  above,    ghastly  in appearance ... similar to  a  repulsive  Halloween mask   designed  in   the  USA  , made  in Mexico , smuggled  across the border , which  went  astray  and  warped  on  a  delivery  flight  to   Australia.      

(Trump,  Halloween , Mexico.)     

COMMERCIAL ART IN THE NORTH

 Aspiring  Townsville  artist   Walter  E. Badcoe  signed up for   the   Melbourne Australian  Art  Training  Centre   commercial  course  circa  l950s  and  was   soon  doing  well , reporting  that  in  his spare  time  he  had  made nearly 1000 pounds  producing  catalogues ,  covers   and  advertisements.

The  above  sample   for  Magnetic  Island  displays his  name on  the  bow of  the   launch .   Described as a  student , Badcoe's  following cover  design    on  fishing  won  an  Australian  Writers  and  Artists'  Federation  competition.

(Badcoe, Art , Townsville.)