Marty
07-18-2005, 09:58 PM
New South Wales, Australia -- Teaching old dogs new tricks may be out, but who says you can't give one a makeover?
Owners of allegedly "savage" dog breeds are waging a campaign via the internet against breed-specific legislation across Australia that threatens to make certain dog breeds, including Dobermans and pit bulls, extinct.
One owner of a Doberman has taken a novel approach to the problem - dog camouflage kits, called Attackchi, which can transform a threatening looking Doberman into a perfectly polite peace-loving poodle.
"Now you can go to the park with your kids and your dog (like you have been doing for years), without the worry of people thinking you are a bad parent," says the Attackchi.org.au web page.
"Responsible dog owners are being treated like criminals and considered as being irresponsible parents, based on their dogs' breed rather than the individual merit of the dog," says Daniel, the creator of the disguise kits, who asked that his surname not be published due to the "hate emails" he has received.
On the website, Daniel's dog, a purebred seven-year-old Doberman named Maxine, can be seen being "morphed" into a poodle.
With the aid of a few well placed fake fur pieces (four ankle pieces, one body piece, head piece and tail attachment), a bit of padding and a splash of dog-safe black face paint, from a distance Max could easily be mistaken for a giant poodle.
Brendan's all aglow
Scoffing and question time in Parliament usually go hand in hand, but even we feel the Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, was trying to stretch a particularly long bow on Friday when he spoke about responsible management of radioactive waste from Lucas Heights, and where to bury it. Naturally it was a contentious subject, though Nelson was winning support when he brought up the important medical work carried out using "radio pharmaceuticals" sourced from Lucas Heights. "Every year around 400,000 Australians undergo medical procedures that use these isotopes," Nelson said. We suspect he may have lost a bit of support when he brought up "industrial purposes".
"They are also used in ... the accurate measurement for the filling of Coca-Cola and beer cans and other kind of refreshments." We agree the measurement of beer cans is of national importance, but Coca-Cola?
No-vermin Vanstone
We now have confirmation that the Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone, would refuse to eat a dead rat, if offered one. This curious assertion arose during a discussion of the mooted national identification card on breakfast television yesterday. As the Prime Minister, John Howard, talked up the debate in Washington, Vanstone was weighing the merits of biometric identification on the Nine network. While struggling to find a metaphor to describe her less-than-wholehearted support for the scheme, she turned to food. "It's a bit like saying, you know, 'would you like something to eat?"' she told Channel Nine viewers as they tucked into their breakfast. "If you offer me a dead rat, I'll say no. It really depends on what you put in an ID card as to whether it's effective."
Coolhand Luke
There wasn't a dribble mark to be seen on Luke Mangan's spotless white chef's uniform on Friday night for the opening of his new restaurant, Glass, in the Hilton Hotel. Spike's mole observed that Mangan strutted about the front of the house most of the night and was rarely seen going into the kitchen. "He looked more like a waiter than a chef ... the food was fine, but I have no idea who cooked it," our spy reports.
The death of reality TV
Reality television used to be about watching the everyday lives of ordinary people - now it is about watching their deaths as well.
A new ABC television series called Dust to Dust will follow the fortunes of one of Australia's last family-owned funeral homes - A.O'Hare - which handles up to 500 burials a year in Sydney. The cameras have been following the business's Andrew Valerio for weeks, and the result is a five-part series that, he says, challenges the myth undertakers are cold and harsh.
"We do share a tear," Valerio told the Australian Associated Press, recalling a recent burial where a 41-year-old mother had died, leaving her two young children behind. "There's no doubt about that. I mean I even had the priest in tears on the day of the funeral." Dust to Dust starts on July 26.
Rusty's loss
Danielle Spencer must be crowing, following the news that her husband Russ's favourite Coffs Harbour watering hole is no more.
The Coffs Harbour Hotel was evacuated and severely damaged by fire last Thursday night. No one was seriously hurt, but locals say the interior was badly damaged in places. The news is likely to hit Rusty hard, as he is fond of slipping down from Nana Glen, his property in the hills outside the town, and sipping a schooner or three.
Earlier this year he played an impromptu set there, to the bemusement of locals. The bar's temporary demise means one less temptation for Russ, whose record in the town is patchy. As well as getting in a brawl in 1999, he was videoed chatting to two girls in the bar. When they turned down his approaches he is alleged to have told them to "show some respect".
Owners of allegedly "savage" dog breeds are waging a campaign via the internet against breed-specific legislation across Australia that threatens to make certain dog breeds, including Dobermans and pit bulls, extinct.
One owner of a Doberman has taken a novel approach to the problem - dog camouflage kits, called Attackchi, which can transform a threatening looking Doberman into a perfectly polite peace-loving poodle.
"Now you can go to the park with your kids and your dog (like you have been doing for years), without the worry of people thinking you are a bad parent," says the Attackchi.org.au web page.
"Responsible dog owners are being treated like criminals and considered as being irresponsible parents, based on their dogs' breed rather than the individual merit of the dog," says Daniel, the creator of the disguise kits, who asked that his surname not be published due to the "hate emails" he has received.
On the website, Daniel's dog, a purebred seven-year-old Doberman named Maxine, can be seen being "morphed" into a poodle.
With the aid of a few well placed fake fur pieces (four ankle pieces, one body piece, head piece and tail attachment), a bit of padding and a splash of dog-safe black face paint, from a distance Max could easily be mistaken for a giant poodle.
Brendan's all aglow
Scoffing and question time in Parliament usually go hand in hand, but even we feel the Education Minister, Brendan Nelson, was trying to stretch a particularly long bow on Friday when he spoke about responsible management of radioactive waste from Lucas Heights, and where to bury it. Naturally it was a contentious subject, though Nelson was winning support when he brought up the important medical work carried out using "radio pharmaceuticals" sourced from Lucas Heights. "Every year around 400,000 Australians undergo medical procedures that use these isotopes," Nelson said. We suspect he may have lost a bit of support when he brought up "industrial purposes".
"They are also used in ... the accurate measurement for the filling of Coca-Cola and beer cans and other kind of refreshments." We agree the measurement of beer cans is of national importance, but Coca-Cola?
No-vermin Vanstone
We now have confirmation that the Immigration Minister, Amanda Vanstone, would refuse to eat a dead rat, if offered one. This curious assertion arose during a discussion of the mooted national identification card on breakfast television yesterday. As the Prime Minister, John Howard, talked up the debate in Washington, Vanstone was weighing the merits of biometric identification on the Nine network. While struggling to find a metaphor to describe her less-than-wholehearted support for the scheme, she turned to food. "It's a bit like saying, you know, 'would you like something to eat?"' she told Channel Nine viewers as they tucked into their breakfast. "If you offer me a dead rat, I'll say no. It really depends on what you put in an ID card as to whether it's effective."
Coolhand Luke
There wasn't a dribble mark to be seen on Luke Mangan's spotless white chef's uniform on Friday night for the opening of his new restaurant, Glass, in the Hilton Hotel. Spike's mole observed that Mangan strutted about the front of the house most of the night and was rarely seen going into the kitchen. "He looked more like a waiter than a chef ... the food was fine, but I have no idea who cooked it," our spy reports.
The death of reality TV
Reality television used to be about watching the everyday lives of ordinary people - now it is about watching their deaths as well.
A new ABC television series called Dust to Dust will follow the fortunes of one of Australia's last family-owned funeral homes - A.O'Hare - which handles up to 500 burials a year in Sydney. The cameras have been following the business's Andrew Valerio for weeks, and the result is a five-part series that, he says, challenges the myth undertakers are cold and harsh.
"We do share a tear," Valerio told the Australian Associated Press, recalling a recent burial where a 41-year-old mother had died, leaving her two young children behind. "There's no doubt about that. I mean I even had the priest in tears on the day of the funeral." Dust to Dust starts on July 26.
Rusty's loss
Danielle Spencer must be crowing, following the news that her husband Russ's favourite Coffs Harbour watering hole is no more.
The Coffs Harbour Hotel was evacuated and severely damaged by fire last Thursday night. No one was seriously hurt, but locals say the interior was badly damaged in places. The news is likely to hit Rusty hard, as he is fond of slipping down from Nana Glen, his property in the hills outside the town, and sipping a schooner or three.
Earlier this year he played an impromptu set there, to the bemusement of locals. The bar's temporary demise means one less temptation for Russ, whose record in the town is patchy. As well as getting in a brawl in 1999, he was videoed chatting to two girls in the bar. When they turned down his approaches he is alleged to have told them to "show some respect".