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t-shirts and get a free IDF cap. Tell 'em MM sent you.

A story

in a headline.

On flag burning

For sports fans there are few things quite as satisfying as seeing the referee fall over.

For followers of international politics, the nearest equivalent is the person being injured during a flag burning - 'pon which Gateway has the latest.

The above map marks in blue where there have been no recorded burnings of the American flag. Clearly, there are limited opportunities left for virgin flag burnings, though most Africans seem to have better things to do. In Mongolia, reportedly, you are better off American than Chinese.

But what does it all mean? Urbansemiotic has this to say:

"American Flag burning is necessary and important to marking our future as it pocks our past... A burning flag should be reflected in our wet eyes as the voice of freedom singing against the darkening air of repression."

Retard.

DPRK update

Kim Jong Il has expressed great satisfaction over the splendid ideological fighting spirit of revolutionary and militant volleyball players, after attending a recent match.

Meanwhile, the next generation of DPRK athletes are already demonstrating unsurpassed wading skills.

And meanwhile, meanwhile, North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea has blamed the South for pushing the two countries to the brink of a war.

Circulation spike

Overheard at the supermarket:

"You don't normally buy the (Sydney Morning) Herald?"

"I'm out of paper for the rabbit cage."

Community Service Announcement

The ShadowLands regrets to announce that the ninth annual Third Crossing Sled Dog Rendezvous near Frazee, Minnesota has been cancelled because of excessive snow.

The Frazee Sled Dog Club has planned the next race for Friday and Saturday, Jan 22-23, 2010.

Quelle surprise

It will come as no surprise to the uber-cool readers of The ShadowLands (pictured above left) that climate scepticism is "the new black". And why is it so? Check out the alternative...(via Timster)

Activism

Werribee style...

MM's complainin' heart

Dear ABC Corporate Affairs

On the PM program, Karen Barlow stated:

"The damage to Gaza's buildings is clear to see. Tens of thousands have been levelled or will have to be bulldozed."

This unsourced statement about the number of destroyed buildings is not good enough. Says who? Certainly not the UN - as the BBC reported:

"UN official John Ging said half a million people had been without water since the conflict began, and huge numbers of people were without power.

Four thousand homes are ruined and tens of thousands of people are homeless."

Yours sincerely

MM


Dear MM (with MM's responses in brackets)

Thank you for your email. (No sweat, don't mention it.) The ABC acknowledges your concern with this report and agrees the reporter's statement should have been attributed. The figure was sourced from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. I have attached a link to the site for your reference.

(Oooh er, sounds official! Hang on a moment 17,000 from their own bodgy figures are partially damaged, not "will have to be levelled or destroyed". The link says 17,000 buildings were partially damaged to a total value of US$82 million - that is average damage to a value of around $4,800. You have taken figures from a dubious organisation, not acknowledged the source, and then lied or exaggerated about them.)

An editor's note has been attached to the online transcript of the report alerting the audience to this fact. (According to the source of the story, your report is wrong - how about you alert the audience to this fact.)

The ABC notes that at the time of this report, no other alternative or independent estimate of structural damage in Gaza was available, owing to Israel's refusal to allow access into Gaza during its offensive.

(Why is it that Egypt is not also responsible? - they have a border with Gaza - your bias is showing. And are you saying that Karen Barlow was never in Gaza when she made the report? She said the "damage is clear to see". WTF?)

Thank you for allowing the ABC the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

Yours sincerely

ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs

(Spare us the faux politeness. See you at the Complaints Review Committee, dickwad.)