Obscure Box

British author Cressida Cowell may know a thing or two about dragons but her knowledge of Vikings might need a little updating. Her series of children’s books are the basis for the new 3D animated blockbuster How to Train Your Dragon. It’s a fascinating movie that’s entertaining for all ages and I confess I shed [...]

It’s a brave sub that opts for a headline with so much potential for mispronunciation. So it was that the ABC posted a story it headlined “Cup punt not child’s play” on Melbourne Cup day (Tuesday November 3, 2009). I’m sure the linguists have a name for it; that move from the first word to [...]

Who hasn’t cursed at the automated telephone answering systems that have infected many organisations today? Press 1 for rage, press 2 for even more rage and press 3 if you would like to swear at our automated response system in another language. “I just want to talk to someone,” a very forward UK bank advert [...]

Too often these days you call an organisation looking to speak to someone for a story only to be told you’ll be sent a media release. Sometimes the protesting works and you get to speak to a human being, sometimes it doesn’t and you are left with a statement that claims to be the words [...]

The ABC’s Media Watch television show is always keen to highlight the blunders of the media, so nice to be able to return the compliment. Last night’s episode on ABC1 brought the ABC audience up-to-speed with the rest in its coverage of the Kyle Sandilands saga – the shock jock who’s sparked outrage by a [...]