Wanderings of the White Knight
World News:
Sources: The Australian, The Straits Times
1. Proposal for an Oscar for stuntmen fails
For the past few days, Hollywood stuntmen have been campaigning for a new Oscar to recognise exceptional work by stuntmen, but their bid has been turned down.
"All of our peers think we belong there, and the public thinks we belong there. We're being shoved aside and I don't understand why," said Jack Gill, a veteran stuntman who has led a campaign for an Oscar for Best Stunt for 20 years.
Gill's work includes the 1980s TV series Knight Rider. In the recent action film Fast Five, he oversaw a scene in which 200 cars were wrecked. "We deserve an Oscar," Gill added. "Many films could not be made without a stunt co-ordinator."
Conrad Palmisano, chairman of the Stunt and Safety Committee of the Stage Actors Guild, told The Hollywood Reporter: "Undeniably, we deserve the award ... I really don't know why the reluctance."
The academy has rejected the idea, largely because it fears opening the floodgates to a slew of fresh appeals for other new Oscars. Only one stunt performer, Yakima Canutt, has won an Academy Award, in 1966.
2. Kevin Rudd calls off assassination party
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday called off a so-called 'assassination' party to mark the one-year anniversary of his ousting as Prime Minister by Julia Gillard.
Ms Gillard led a backroom coup which brutally dumped Mr Rudd in June 2010. He was subsequently appointed foreign minister but the pair reportedly have an icy relationship.
Mr Rudd himself dubbed his ousting as 'Assassination Day' and he was due to hold a party for his loyal staff and friends marking the event this week. But after a series of recent interviews that have angered some party members, his wife Therese Rein tweeted that they will hold it at a later and quieter time.
'We will hold (it) a bit later on so we can catch up with our friends and thank these terrific people properly.' As the June 24 anniversary of Ms Gillard's rise to power approaches, a Nielsen poll on Saturday showed support for her Labor party at 27 per cent - the lowest first-preference share for a major party in the poll's 39-year history.
Speculation is rife that Mr Rudd wants his old job back. Yet despite the same poll of 1,400 voters showing 60 per cent prefer him as leader to Ms Gillard's 31 per cent, he continues to play down his ambitions. Asked whether he was plotting a comeback by the Sun-Herald on Sunday, Mr Rudd said: 'Nice try.' 'I am set on being the best foreign minister I can be. But nice try.'
3. Apple fails to make Top 20 most highly rated companies in India
A list of "top 20" companies, ranked according to factors such as an ability to pioneer new ideas and communicate clearly, is peppered with homegrown Indian companies including Tata Group, Mahindra and drug company, Dr Reddy's Laboratories.
The TLG consultancy, which commissioned the survey of over 300 opinion leaders, said there could be a number of reasons why Apple was struggling to crack India.
Among the factors suggested by TLG were a lack of 3G network in India and a preference amongst Indian consumers for pre-paid phone cards, which does not fit well with Apple's fixed contracts.
Apple, maker of the phenomenally successful iPhone and iPad, has had to fight against Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer and long-time favourite of local consumers.
Aside from Apple, other major Western brands failed to make the cut of India's top 20 companies. Microsoft, which was ranked number six in both the UK and US came in at number 37 in India. Toyota was ranked number 17 in the USA but only hit number 39 on India's league table.
However, internet giant Google made it into the top ten in the US, UK and India, coming in at number two in America and Britain and third in India.
TLG said that Google had adapted to the Indian market by launching special services streaming Indian Premier League cricket matches and Bollywood music.
Malcolm Gooderham, founder of TLG, said: "Our research shows that thought leaders in emerging and developed markets enjoy similar benefits, principally being the most trusted and admired companies in their sector.
"So the absence of many 'Western' major brands from the top 20 may concern chief executives who are trying to crack the BRICs [Brazil, Russia, India and China]. They need to refocus their energies on telling their leadership story."
Europeian News:
By Swakistek Alexander Hartwell
As the Europeian General Elections heat up and draw ever nearer, the race is hotter and in fuller swing than many of us can remember. With nominations closed a short while ago by Supreme Chancellor Lethen, we have Henry, often cast as a maverick or the underdog in this election, up against Rachel, a hard worker who has done enormous work over the past term or so, and Pope Lexus X, a hero from the Golden Age of Europeia who has returned to contest his old Presidential seat once again.
Minister without Portfolio Common-Sense Politics had the following to say to us today.
Is this on your iPod? If not, why not?
Title: Wherever You Will Go
Artist: The Calling
Clicky!
1000 words = 1 picture:
Lago de Atitlàn, Guatemala
1000 pictures = 1 word:
Source: Oxford English Dictionary
izakaya, n.
Etymology: < Japanese izakaya (1751 or earlier) < i-, combining form of iru to be (in a place), to stay + sakaya liquor shop ( < saka-, combining form of sakesaké n.2 + ya house).
Definition: A type of Japanese café or bar serving alcoholic beverages and a variety of small, typically inexpensive, dishes or snacks.
A few short words = a piece of wisdom:
"It's just one more tentacled monster after another...will my minions ever shut up?! Chaos in the evil genius base as we test out World Domination 2.2...shutting down the sun is harder than we thought...” –Swakky
What is this advertisement about??
Clicky!
New Heaven Admittance Policy
It was getting a little crowded in Heaven, so God decided to change the admittance policy. The new law was that, in order to get into Heaven, you had to have a really bad day the day you died. The policy would go into effect at noon the following day. So the next day at 12:01 the first person came to the gates of Heaven.
The angel at the gate, remembering the new law, promptly asked the man, "Before I can let you in, I need you to tell me about the day you died.
"No problem," said the man. "Well, for some time now, I've thought my wife was having an affair. I believed that each day on her lunch hour, she'd bring her lover home to our 25th floor apartment and have sex with him. So today I was going to come home to catch them. Well, I got there and busted in and immediately began searching for this guy. My wife was naked and yelling at me as I searched the entire apartment. But, damn it, I couldn't find him!
Just as I was about to give up, I happened to glance out onto the balcony and noticed that there was a man hanging off the edge by his fingertips! The nerve of that guy to think he could hide from me! Well, I ran out there and promptly stomped on his fingers until he fell to the ground. But, wouldn't you know it, he landed in some bushes that broke his fall, and he didn't die. In a rage I went back inside to get the first thing I could find to throw at him. And oddly enough, the first thing I could grab was the refrigerator. I unplugged it, pushed it out onto the balcony and heaved it over the side. It plummeted 25 stories and crushed him!
The excitement of the moment was so great that right after that I had a heart attack and died almost instantly."
The angel sat back and thought for a moment. Technically, the guy DID have a bad day, and it WAS a crime of passion, so he announced, "Ok, sir. Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven," and let him in.
A few seconds later the next guy came up. "Ok. Here's the rule. Before I can let you in, I need to hear about the day you died."
"Sure thing," the man replied. "But you're not gonna believe this. I was out on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment doing my daily exercises when I got a little carried away and accidentally fell over the side!
Luckily however, I was able to catch myself by my fingertips on the balcony directly beneath mine. When all of a sudden this crazy man comes running out of his apartment and starts cussing and stomping on my fingers! Well of course I fall. I hit some trees and bushes on the way down which broke my fall so I didn't die right away. As I'm laying there face up on the ground, unable to move and in excruciating pain, I see the man push his refrigerator, of all things, over the ledge and it falls directly on top of me and kills me!"
The angel is quietly laughing to himself as the man finishes his story. "I could get used to this new policy," he thinks to himself. "Very well," the angel announces. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven," and he lets the man enter.
A few seconds later the third man in line comes up to the gate. "Tell me about the day you died," said the angel.
"Ok. Picture this," says the man. "I'm naked inside a refrigerator...."
Legal Notices:
This segment is produced by Swakistek Alexander Hartwell for the Europeian Inquirer, under licence for publication by the Europeian Broadcasting Corporation.
World News:
Sources: The Australian, The Straits Times
1. Proposal for an Oscar for stuntmen fails
For the past few days, Hollywood stuntmen have been campaigning for a new Oscar to recognise exceptional work by stuntmen, but their bid has been turned down.
"All of our peers think we belong there, and the public thinks we belong there. We're being shoved aside and I don't understand why," said Jack Gill, a veteran stuntman who has led a campaign for an Oscar for Best Stunt for 20 years.
Gill's work includes the 1980s TV series Knight Rider. In the recent action film Fast Five, he oversaw a scene in which 200 cars were wrecked. "We deserve an Oscar," Gill added. "Many films could not be made without a stunt co-ordinator."
Conrad Palmisano, chairman of the Stunt and Safety Committee of the Stage Actors Guild, told The Hollywood Reporter: "Undeniably, we deserve the award ... I really don't know why the reluctance."
The academy has rejected the idea, largely because it fears opening the floodgates to a slew of fresh appeals for other new Oscars. Only one stunt performer, Yakima Canutt, has won an Academy Award, in 1966.
2. Kevin Rudd calls off assassination party
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Monday called off a so-called 'assassination' party to mark the one-year anniversary of his ousting as Prime Minister by Julia Gillard.
Ms Gillard led a backroom coup which brutally dumped Mr Rudd in June 2010. He was subsequently appointed foreign minister but the pair reportedly have an icy relationship.
Mr Rudd himself dubbed his ousting as 'Assassination Day' and he was due to hold a party for his loyal staff and friends marking the event this week. But after a series of recent interviews that have angered some party members, his wife Therese Rein tweeted that they will hold it at a later and quieter time.
'We will hold (it) a bit later on so we can catch up with our friends and thank these terrific people properly.' As the June 24 anniversary of Ms Gillard's rise to power approaches, a Nielsen poll on Saturday showed support for her Labor party at 27 per cent - the lowest first-preference share for a major party in the poll's 39-year history.
Speculation is rife that Mr Rudd wants his old job back. Yet despite the same poll of 1,400 voters showing 60 per cent prefer him as leader to Ms Gillard's 31 per cent, he continues to play down his ambitions. Asked whether he was plotting a comeback by the Sun-Herald on Sunday, Mr Rudd said: 'Nice try.' 'I am set on being the best foreign minister I can be. But nice try.'
3. Apple fails to make Top 20 most highly rated companies in India
A list of "top 20" companies, ranked according to factors such as an ability to pioneer new ideas and communicate clearly, is peppered with homegrown Indian companies including Tata Group, Mahindra and drug company, Dr Reddy's Laboratories.
The TLG consultancy, which commissioned the survey of over 300 opinion leaders, said there could be a number of reasons why Apple was struggling to crack India.
Among the factors suggested by TLG were a lack of 3G network in India and a preference amongst Indian consumers for pre-paid phone cards, which does not fit well with Apple's fixed contracts.
Apple, maker of the phenomenally successful iPhone and iPad, has had to fight against Nokia, the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer and long-time favourite of local consumers.
Aside from Apple, other major Western brands failed to make the cut of India's top 20 companies. Microsoft, which was ranked number six in both the UK and US came in at number 37 in India. Toyota was ranked number 17 in the USA but only hit number 39 on India's league table.
However, internet giant Google made it into the top ten in the US, UK and India, coming in at number two in America and Britain and third in India.
TLG said that Google had adapted to the Indian market by launching special services streaming Indian Premier League cricket matches and Bollywood music.
Malcolm Gooderham, founder of TLG, said: "Our research shows that thought leaders in emerging and developed markets enjoy similar benefits, principally being the most trusted and admired companies in their sector.
"So the absence of many 'Western' major brands from the top 20 may concern chief executives who are trying to crack the BRICs [Brazil, Russia, India and China]. They need to refocus their energies on telling their leadership story."
Europeian News:
By Swakistek Alexander Hartwell
As the Europeian General Elections heat up and draw ever nearer, the race is hotter and in fuller swing than many of us can remember. With nominations closed a short while ago by Supreme Chancellor Lethen, we have Henry, often cast as a maverick or the underdog in this election, up against Rachel, a hard worker who has done enormous work over the past term or so, and Pope Lexus X, a hero from the Golden Age of Europeia who has returned to contest his old Presidential seat once again.
Minister without Portfolio Common-Sense Politics had the following to say to us today.
Is this on your iPod? If not, why not?
Title: Wherever You Will Go
Artist: The Calling
Clicky!
1000 words = 1 picture:
Lago de Atitlàn, Guatemala
1000 pictures = 1 word:
Source: Oxford English Dictionary
izakaya, n.
Etymology: < Japanese izakaya (1751 or earlier) < i-, combining form of iru to be (in a place), to stay + sakaya liquor shop ( < saka-, combining form of sakesaké n.2 + ya house).
Definition: A type of Japanese café or bar serving alcoholic beverages and a variety of small, typically inexpensive, dishes or snacks.
A few short words = a piece of wisdom:
"It's just one more tentacled monster after another...will my minions ever shut up?! Chaos in the evil genius base as we test out World Domination 2.2...shutting down the sun is harder than we thought...” –Swakky
What is this advertisement about??
Clicky!
New Heaven Admittance Policy
It was getting a little crowded in Heaven, so God decided to change the admittance policy. The new law was that, in order to get into Heaven, you had to have a really bad day the day you died. The policy would go into effect at noon the following day. So the next day at 12:01 the first person came to the gates of Heaven.
The angel at the gate, remembering the new law, promptly asked the man, "Before I can let you in, I need you to tell me about the day you died.
"No problem," said the man. "Well, for some time now, I've thought my wife was having an affair. I believed that each day on her lunch hour, she'd bring her lover home to our 25th floor apartment and have sex with him. So today I was going to come home to catch them. Well, I got there and busted in and immediately began searching for this guy. My wife was naked and yelling at me as I searched the entire apartment. But, damn it, I couldn't find him!
Just as I was about to give up, I happened to glance out onto the balcony and noticed that there was a man hanging off the edge by his fingertips! The nerve of that guy to think he could hide from me! Well, I ran out there and promptly stomped on his fingers until he fell to the ground. But, wouldn't you know it, he landed in some bushes that broke his fall, and he didn't die. In a rage I went back inside to get the first thing I could find to throw at him. And oddly enough, the first thing I could grab was the refrigerator. I unplugged it, pushed it out onto the balcony and heaved it over the side. It plummeted 25 stories and crushed him!
The excitement of the moment was so great that right after that I had a heart attack and died almost instantly."
The angel sat back and thought for a moment. Technically, the guy DID have a bad day, and it WAS a crime of passion, so he announced, "Ok, sir. Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven," and let him in.
A few seconds later the next guy came up. "Ok. Here's the rule. Before I can let you in, I need to hear about the day you died."
"Sure thing," the man replied. "But you're not gonna believe this. I was out on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment doing my daily exercises when I got a little carried away and accidentally fell over the side!
Luckily however, I was able to catch myself by my fingertips on the balcony directly beneath mine. When all of a sudden this crazy man comes running out of his apartment and starts cussing and stomping on my fingers! Well of course I fall. I hit some trees and bushes on the way down which broke my fall so I didn't die right away. As I'm laying there face up on the ground, unable to move and in excruciating pain, I see the man push his refrigerator, of all things, over the ledge and it falls directly on top of me and kills me!"
The angel is quietly laughing to himself as the man finishes his story. "I could get used to this new policy," he thinks to himself. "Very well," the angel announces. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven," and he lets the man enter.
A few seconds later the third man in line comes up to the gate. "Tell me about the day you died," said the angel.
"Ok. Picture this," says the man. "I'm naked inside a refrigerator...."
Legal Notices:
This segment is produced by Swakistek Alexander Hartwell for the Europeian Inquirer, under licence for publication by the Europeian Broadcasting Corporation.