Posts

around the traps

around the traps

around the traps

  • Water buffalo on the loose in Newtown:

    Sydney University student Rachel Murdolo said she was walking to class when she saw two of the beasts charging down King Street.

    “I was walking down King Street towards the city and these two big bulls were running along the inner side lane towards the city,” Ms Murdolo said.

    “It was kind of bizarre but it was Newtown so I didn't think it was that unusual,” she said.

    Ahh, Newtown.

  • Motion picture industry continues to stagger under piracy with mere record-breaking income - Boing Boing: Once again, the "piracy-stricken" motion picture association has had a banner year, with box office revenue breaking all records (as they've done in most recent years). The biggest gains this year come from China -- a market condemned by the studios as a hive of piracy.
  • George Brandis' Racial Discrimination Act changes create the whitest piece of proposed legislation I've encountered: This is what happens when protection from racism becomes a gift from the majority rather than a central part of the social pact. It’s what happens when racial minorities are required to be supplicants, whose claims to social equality are subordinate to those of powerful media outlets outraged they might occasionally have to publish an apology.
  • Japan's whaling program not for scientific purposes, rules International Court of Justice - ABC News. It seems pretty likely they'll just withdraw from the relevant treaties, but at the very least they will be obliged to stop insulting the world's intelligence claiming it was 'scientific research'.
  • Wil Wheaton on bullying, compassion, and being a nerd. | WIL WHEATON dot NET
  • Revealed: Red Bull's $1.2 billion Bet On Formula One:

    The financial statements for Red Bull Racing’s immediate parent Red Bull Technology reveal that the drinks company has poured $1.2 billion into the team since it took it over. In 2005 its bill came to $100 million but by 2012 this had risen 60% to $159.4 million.

    ...

    Red Bull’s Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE), the price it would have to pay to buy a similar amount of on-screen exposure, came to an estimated $283.2 million last year. This was the highest of any brand in F1 and was equivalent to 11.9% of the total gained by all the teams.

    ...

    Nevertheless, if F1 doesn’t continue to meet Red Bull’s needs then it would not make sense for it to remain in the series. The catalyst for this could be the end of its winning streak.