The (thankfully unsuccesful) McCain/Palin campaign often struggled to display a unified front; with the two candidates trying to somehow shoehorn their divergent politics onto one all-inclusive ticket.
Still, this video seems to confirm that they both had one talent in common. Sarah Palin can definitely pick a turkey; and, in picking her as his running mate, John McCain most certainly did the same.
Keep your eyes peeled at the 2:25 mark as she prattles on aimlessly, totally oblivious to the slaughter going on behind her. It's probably the best advert for vegetarianism never made.
Sarah Palin's traditional thanksgiving pardon means that one 'lucky' turkey gets to dodge a bullet. And the more you see of her, the more it becomes clear that America (and the rest of the world) did the same.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Bad management, management speak, and a lesson to prospective journalists
Times are tight right now, and money's too tight to mention. So are the words 'Redundancy' and 'Sacking', apparently. So, we'll just use the word 'Pooling'.
Yes, it seems NewsTalk and Today FM are to "pool" their resources. And before the cynic at the back starts making noises, no, there are not to be any redundancies - that's already been made perfectly clear. What they are however doing is letting freelancers go; and two freelancers from the NewsTalk newsroom were told their services were no longer required yesterday (along with another three freelance researchers from various shows).
(It's a good tip: make sure you don't actually hire 'staff' and then you don't have to fire them or make them redundant - you merely tell them not to come in tomorrow. It's also convenient in saving you the bother of paying benefits and pension payments. But that's another story for another day)
What the two stations are planning to do is to start sending out one reporter to events. One reporter that will file a story with both of them. What they are also doing - and this is beautiful - is having one newsreader on weekends, reading bulletins that will be heard on both stations simultaneously. You were spoilt with all that choice anyway.
The true crowning turd in this particular cesspit of a story though is how people at NewsTalk heard that there were to be sackings - sorry, pooling. Apparently the news was leaked to RTE before anyone at NewsTalk had been told. Therefore, yesterday lunchtime, people working at NewsTalk were receiving calls from friends in the RTE newsroom enquiring what was going on. Thus the faithful workers of NewsTalk heard the bad news from a rival media outlet. Lovely.
Still, what can you expect when the management was so noticeably absent while the shit was careering towards the fan...
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Oh, and the lesson for prospective journalists? Well, there are actually two to be learnt from this particular sorry mess:
1. Chances are you won't be offered a permanent position in the first place.
2. You'll hear you're no longer needed from another news organistion.
As I said, lovely.
Yes, it seems NewsTalk and Today FM are to "pool" their resources. And before the cynic at the back starts making noises, no, there are not to be any redundancies - that's already been made perfectly clear. What they are however doing is letting freelancers go; and two freelancers from the NewsTalk newsroom were told their services were no longer required yesterday (along with another three freelance researchers from various shows).
(It's a good tip: make sure you don't actually hire 'staff' and then you don't have to fire them or make them redundant - you merely tell them not to come in tomorrow. It's also convenient in saving you the bother of paying benefits and pension payments. But that's another story for another day)
What the two stations are planning to do is to start sending out one reporter to events. One reporter that will file a story with both of them. What they are also doing - and this is beautiful - is having one newsreader on weekends, reading bulletins that will be heard on both stations simultaneously. You were spoilt with all that choice anyway.
The true crowning turd in this particular cesspit of a story though is how people at NewsTalk heard that there were to be sackings - sorry, pooling. Apparently the news was leaked to RTE before anyone at NewsTalk had been told. Therefore, yesterday lunchtime, people working at NewsTalk were receiving calls from friends in the RTE newsroom enquiring what was going on. Thus the faithful workers of NewsTalk heard the bad news from a rival media outlet. Lovely.
Still, what can you expect when the management was so noticeably absent while the shit was careering towards the fan...
-----------------------
Oh, and the lesson for prospective journalists? Well, there are actually two to be learnt from this particular sorry mess:
1. Chances are you won't be offered a permanent position in the first place.
2. You'll hear you're no longer needed from another news organistion.
As I said, lovely.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Feminism, Religion, and why the French have got it right
France is often pointed at (sometimes justifiably) for certain failings in its society - its rather relaxed work ethic for one, its simmering ethnic divides for another.
However, this is something they've got spot on.
It was Karl Marx who wrote that it is only the society that does not base its foundations on any particular religion that can guarantee the rights of all its citizens. Thus, in this story, it is only through not bowing or seeking to respect any religious law or practice that the French Court of Appeal can provide equality to all its citizens.
Whilst in this particular case it was seemingly perfectly fine for a husband to seek annulment of his marriage because his wife had lied about being a virgin prior to their nuptuals, you will notice that she, under same religious 'practice', would not have been afforded the same remedy had the situation been reversed. This is not religious practice, it is instead merely institutionalised sexism.
Would the courts in Ireland or the UK have had the bravery to rule in the same way? It's pure speculation, but I suspect perhaps not. One thing is for certain though: following the ruling, Muslim women in France are a step closer to equality - and that's just the way it should be.
Vive la France - and may we all take note.
However, this is something they've got spot on.
It was Karl Marx who wrote that it is only the society that does not base its foundations on any particular religion that can guarantee the rights of all its citizens. Thus, in this story, it is only through not bowing or seeking to respect any religious law or practice that the French Court of Appeal can provide equality to all its citizens.
Whilst in this particular case it was seemingly perfectly fine for a husband to seek annulment of his marriage because his wife had lied about being a virgin prior to their nuptuals, you will notice that she, under same religious 'practice', would not have been afforded the same remedy had the situation been reversed. This is not religious practice, it is instead merely institutionalised sexism.
Would the courts in Ireland or the UK have had the bravery to rule in the same way? It's pure speculation, but I suspect perhaps not. One thing is for certain though: following the ruling, Muslim women in France are a step closer to equality - and that's just the way it should be.
Vive la France - and may we all take note.
Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush...
Like Monica Seles returning to the world of tennis after two years having been stabbed by a deranged nutjob with a slightly skewed worldview, yours truly has returned to the world of blogging after one day having suffered - metaphorically and electronically - the same.
The focus and content may remain the same, but the title and level of anonymity have not. If you know me - cool; if you don't - let's keep a polite distance between us, shall we?
I will, from now on, steer clear of such controversial subjects as the death of toddlers and will, altogether, plough a much more gentle furrow. Please look forward therefore to articles concerning domestic abuse of adults, the largesse of Mayor Quimby, and an essay I'm just wrapping up entitled '10 reasons why Hitler would have prevented a recession'.
Onward!
The focus and content may remain the same, but the title and level of anonymity have not. If you know me - cool; if you don't - let's keep a polite distance between us, shall we?
I will, from now on, steer clear of such controversial subjects as the death of toddlers and will, altogether, plough a much more gentle furrow. Please look forward therefore to articles concerning domestic abuse of adults, the largesse of Mayor Quimby, and an essay I'm just wrapping up entitled '10 reasons why Hitler would have prevented a recession'.
Onward!
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