THE War Memorial’s daily tweet “On this day…” featured a wonderful howler on September 16 when the esteemed national centre for Australia’s war history asserted that “On this day: 1943 Australian attack on Hindenburg Line”. It caught the sharp eye the militarily-savvy citynews.com.au editor John Griffiths, who knew it was the wrong war and tweeted back: “Do you perhaps mean 1917?”. John was wrong, it was 1918, but he was 24 years closer than the people who are paid to know these things!
Right or wrong?
CC’s love of cocked-up municipal signage has been in abeyance lately. but here’s corker that one of our dedicated, senior snouts spotted on Callum Street, leading to the Launceston Street intersection, in Woden, telling drivers they must turn right with a sign below telling them they mustn’t! How does that work, Shane?
Cedric to the rescue!
WITH the news that Chinese visitors to the ACT are on the rise, ever-helpful gardening writer Cedric Bryant bumped into a small group of them looking for directions in Civic the other day. He wasn’t sure where they wanted to go and a look at their Canberra map revealed it to be all in Chinese. Unfazed, Cedric said: “Follow me” and led the group straight into Mr Wei’s Chinese duck and dumpling restaurant on London Circuit.
What women want
WHEN conserving energy in the post-oil crisis ‘80s ran to leg warmers and chunky jumpers, the “ANU Reporter” of July, 1982, did a full-page spread reflecting staff views on saving energy in the face of escalating costs, which had “made conservation a topical issue on campus,” the paper reported.
Among the suggestions from staff members, the paper quoted then-director of the ANU Health Service Dr Bryan Furness as saying: ”Fashion is a factor that can lead staff to sitting over heaters, which is perhaps the greatest waste of electricity.”
Dr Furness is then paraphrased as saying women should know that they look just as sexy in a chunky jumper and leg warmers as they do in a skimpy pullover and fine stockings.
Backbencher with a message
ADVERTISING in the digital age. Look at how the website newmatilda.com was, until last week, cajoling clients into taking space. Somehow a backbencher in Speedos doesn’t have the same cache.
Winterwear arrives
JUST as the footy season mercifully grinds to a close and the sun begins to lift spirits away from the cold of winter, CC is bewildered by the timing of the arrival of the Scongo, some sort of multi-purpose tube of seamless polyester aimed at keeping rugby fans warm.
Available in Raiders’ colours, it can apparently be worn at least six ways – from beanie to pirate style to headscarf to wristband. Scongos cost $24.99 and probably will next year when it might be useful!
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