49 posts tagged “news”

Things are looking down for the Russian auto industry, but then, the writing has been on the wall for years. This al-Jazeera report looks at UAZ and VAZ (the latter makes the Shigulis, Okas, Ladas and other models). I would guess that even the price-conscious these days are more likely to buy Indian-built models such as the Hyundai i10 than a Lada.

   At least government departments still buy them, unlike the UK where it’s no longer uncommon to see Lexus and Subaru police cars.
   But most of the Russian brands need new models if they are to keep up with Korea, India, Turkey, the Czech Republic and even Uzbekistan. Newer cars like the Siber are still out of reach of many Russians. And there are only so many Shigulis and Volgas you can sell before people ask, ‘Wasn’t that the same shape you sold during Brezhnev?’

A very good one found on Snowy’s blog. So, Mr Beck, which is it?

For completeness, here is an analysis of the video, which attempts to give some context to Glenn Beck’s remarks. However, even the writer there feels Beck has fallen short, but for different reasons.

Some Grey Bloke has got it right with the swine ’flu: that it is the Susan Boyle of illnesses. It hasn’t done much, but everyone with an internet connection knows about it.

I stayed away from Twitter for a day and was surprised to find #MrsSlocombesPussy a trending topic. When I searched for it, however, nothing came up, and I decided it was an elaborate prank by hackers.

   It was only much later, in a Facebook comment (after I had noted that I had had a 24-hour gap between Tweets) that Kate (who used to blog here at Vox) told me of Mollie Sugden’s passing, at age 86 (odd, there was nothing on my Google News home page). Which means, of course, that I broke Twitter’s search. (Notch another one up to my brilliant skills with computer programs.) And that if I were Frank Thornton, I would be really worried.
   Farewell, Mollie.

PS.: I have just discovered that every other search works on Twitter, just not one for #MrsSlocombesPussy. The reason, says one Tweeter, is that this hashtag has been blocked. Shame on Twitter: it is either down to ignorance (they do not know the cultural impact of Are You Being Served?), xenophobia (American admins balking at British culture), disrespect (to the memory of Mollie Sugden) or dirty minds (everyone else outside Twitter HQ knows that this refers to Tiddles, Mrs Slocombe’s pet cat, and we also know the meanings of pussy, but at least in the rest of the English-speaking world, double entendres are acceptable).

This has got to be one of those bad journalism moments:

Specifically, the report states (sic):

Analysts say its small-car technology can help Chrysler, known for its minivans and Hummer line. In the past five years, Fiat has been able to regain market share in Europe with its economy fuel-saving cars as well as its luxury line, Alpha Romero.

   I’m sure Chrysler would love to know it owns Hummer and have extra headaches about what to do with that brand, and do Alpha Romeros have anything to do with actor Cesar Romero?

From 3 News tonight: wow, there are some angry people over in Australia.

   I’m not going to say that this wouldn’t happen here, but I would have expected it at a pub, not a pizza shop!

Show us your favourite news anchor.

Soledad O’Brien has to be one of the most generous, decent people I have met in the news business, and we share a birthday. I remember having a long conversation with her just before she gave birth to her twins and thought to myself that the intelligent, kind image she has on television is so very true to life.

   In comparison, other talking heads are, well, talking heads. They read from teleprompters and often get it wrong (in New Zealand, Simon Dallow’s ‘last bitch did’, or Carly Kirkwood’s ‘US Marine Corpse’).

Anyone in New Zealand catch this from the One News 6 p.m. telecast?
   Simon Dallow on the David Bain retrial: ‘His defence team has failed today in a last-bitch did to avoid a retrial over the deaths in Dunedin in 1994.’
   Mr Dallow is a smooth dude: he didn’t blink and continued. Well done, sir!
   But I bet that when the news report aired and the newsroom wasn’t live, he and co-anchor Wendy Petrie had a good giggle.
   Before 6 p.m. Tuesday local time, I believe you can view the gaffe online, in the first few minutes of the programme.

Farewell to Wendy Richard, the only Geordie on EastEnders (her words). It is very sad that relatively young Are You Being Served? cast members such as Richard and John Inman are no longer with us.

We are all sick of news about Paris Hilton, I would imagine, and wondered who would knock her off her perch.
   On the TV news, I noticed that an item about Gov. Sarah Palin’s grandson preceded one on Paris Hilton in Australia.
   You now have your answer. It’s Sarah Palin.