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A further update on the Terry Wallace issue and SEN’s involvement. Yesterday morning SEN were running a station promo that said they were “first with the news at 10″ that Wallace had reportedly been sacked, then “first with the news at 11″ that maybe he hadn’t been and then “first with the news at 12″ confirming he had not been sacked. Seems that at SEN, accuracy is not interesting. It’s only interesting to be “1st”.

 

 

 

 

 

That was 09h30 on the Herald Sun website yesterday

 

 

 

 

 

And now half an hour later

 

 

 

 

 

I think I know a little journo who jumped the gun! Check your facts boys.

A pleasant evening at the local asparagus farm with the Bennetts, Fox, Duncans and visitors David Blakely, Mike Brady and Caroline Ferguson was the prelude to a week of some heavy machinery and the first move of our sarcopage from Jean-Pierre’s garage to the pool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jose and Nikola the Kangaroo then commenced work on the front entrance. Much noise and hooting greeted a brand new green bobcat which made short work of the entrance. Fortunately, we saved our letter box from extinction and it is now propped up against the middle wall, much to the Postmistress’s chagrin – she now has to leverage her formidable shape out of her tiny Renault ‘la poste’ van to deliver the mail, instead if the traditional French way of driving up and tossing the letters into the box without leaving the comfort of the van.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was the turn of the cement mixer – up she came and with a flourish, the floor and foundations were poured.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, the sarcopage. For the uninitiated a sarcopage is a Roman coffin. Made of stone, weighing in at over 750kg, these were used to store noble Romans’ remains.

Under Jean-Pierre’s house are the ruins of a Roman church, complete with two sarcopages. Some time ago, the first was placed between our properties and is now resplendent with geraniums. After much negotiation, eyelash flicking, blushing, hugging and begging, Lovonne has managed to get Jean-Pierre to part with his last one and it will be placed next to the pool – surprisingly, to be used as the base for a fountain!

But, how to get it out of a cramped space and up to the pool. Discussions have been held, local transport companies have been consulted, a variety of eclectic people have viewed the sarcopage – and then voila! the solution.

We received a message – to-morrow we ‘attack’ the sarcopage. And to-morrow was Friday: rainy, slippery and cold. However, up the hill came a large convoy of battered Renaults, Citroens and other vehicles with their badges and makes long since fallen off. Emerging from this mass of vehicles was a gathering of some of the hugest people you have ever seen! Os du Randt – you’re a pigmy.

No problem – we were moving the sarcopage in the ‘traditional way’, brute force. One of the giants – at least tipping 2m – put a large strap around his neck, draped the rest under the sarcopage and up it went off the ledge on to three pallets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing for the move

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusting the strap in mid-flight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out she comes…………. and now for the move to the pool. But, the French are having a rest. “Next week we will attack the pool”.

Off to Marseilles airport we went to collect a battle- and Iberian airlines-weary Crooksie. But that’s a story for another day.

Au bientot.

Lovonne and Simon

2007 – Chinese year of the Chicken <http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZRman000> – Bird Flu Pandemic devastates parts of Asia

2008 – Chinese year of the Horse <http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZRman000> – Equine Influenza decimates Australian racing

2009 – Chinese year of the Pig <http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb001_ZRman000> – Swine Flu Pandemic kills hundreds of pigs around the globe.

Has any one else noticed this???!!!

[thanks L&E]

A little reported into to Barack Obama’s speech at the Correspondents dinner at the White House:

“We meet tonight at a moment of extraordinary challenge for this nation and for the world, but it’s also a time of real hardship for the field of journalism.

And like so many other businesses in this global age, you’ve seen sweeping changes and technology and communications that lead to a sense of uncertainty and anxiety about what the future will hold. Across the country, there are extraordinary, hardworking journalists who have lost their jobs in recent days, recent weeks, recent months.

And I know that each newspaper and media outlet is wrestling with how to respond to these changes, and some are struggling simply to stay open. And it won’t be easy. Not every ending will be a happy one.

But it’s also true that your ultimate success as an industry is essential to the success of our democracy. It’s what makes this thing work. You know, Thomas Jefferson once said that if he had the choice between a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, he would not hesitate to choose the latter.

Clearly, Thomas Jefferson never had cable news to contend with — (laughter) — but his central point remains: A government without newspapers, a government without a tough and vibrant media of all sorts, is not an option for the United States of America. (Applause.)

So I may not — I may not agree with everything you write or report. I may even complain … from time to time about how you do your jobs, but I do so with the knowledge that when you are at your best, then you help me be at my best. You help all of us who serve at the pleasure of the American people do our jobs better by holding us accountable, by demanding honesty, by preventing us from taking shortcuts and falling into easy political games that people are so desperately weary of.

And that kind of reporting is worth preserving — not just for your sake, but for the public’s. We count on you to help us make sense of a complex world and tell the stories of our lives the way they happen, and we look for you for truth, even if it’s always an approximation.”

Never a truer word spoken.

This is what happens when a person whose second language is English is given free rein to write the copyline. Where was the Creative Director? At lunch, probably. Not to mention the client!

A South African Gaviscon ad

[thanks Simon K]

Monday has seen a sudden acceleration of activity from Jose and his mates.

First, they all arrived early in the morning. Jose donned a pair of wellies and the rest leant on their shovels looking expectant. Nikola (nicknamed ‘kangaroo’) revved up his little cart by taking it down the hill for a drive and then they waited…..

Not long after a rather large truck came up the hill:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nikola filling up his cart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re pouring the floor!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jose tells us that his wellies are ‘bon’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch, all is quiet again.

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