Saturday 18th May 1996
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Twentieth Century Fox the distributors of the popular cartoon series, The Simpsons, took legal action against South Australian Breweries and its parent company Lion Nathan Australia Pty Ltd over their new Duff beer which was marketed in five states during November and December last year.
Justice Tamberlin was played two whole episodes of The Simpsons and several excerpts during the hearing.
Poor fellow, he probably made a ruling just to escape the next episode! A spokesman for Lion Nathan said that they were considering an appeal - maybe they wanted to see more of The Simpsons in court. Will we ever know? Fox declined to comment!
Seems like Prime Minister John Howard won't be affected to badly as his daughter has just graduated!
In other news breaking it appears that the media are now howling for the blood of Victorian Premier Geoff Kennett. It is alleged that Kennett's wife was given a special deal of 50,000 shares in the Chinese Guangdong Corporation float in 1993. This after Kennett had met with parties associated with the float including a Mr Mathieson who had a burgeoning interest in poker machines during the period when the Victorian government was opening up the gaming industry.
Soon after the float the shares went through the roof and Mrs Kennet was able to dispose of a number of shares at a very tidy profit. Mr and Mrs Kennett have denied that there was any impropriety involved.
It appears that the money Phillip Bowman is seeking from Coles amounts to about Au$1.7 million and Coles have agreed to about Au$1.6 million. Somehow I think the cost to the company by letting this drag on will far exceed a settlement ten times that amount - especially as the media are now back onto the story.
I have a stong feeling that Natal are going to win today and Auckland tomorrow leading to a South Africa-New Zealand final in Super 12.
I also think that Natal will take out the final, but let's see if they get through today. My selection might appear a bit strange for a Queenslander, but there again my roots are firmly embedded in Natal - as I went to school in the Natal Midlands at a boarding school called Michaelhouse.
A 20-year landmark study has forced a major rethink of government support programs for the poor and disadvantaged.
The study tracked every single child born in the south-west Queensland town of Cunnamulla in 1974 and 1975, tracked their childhood and adolescence in what is claimed to be the nation's longest investigation.
The outcome was the simple fact that race and culture have far less impact on determining a child's future than having a parent in the household who has a job. The study showed that all the funding and support given to Aboriginal communities in the past had not helped improve the situation one iota.
In fact I believe far more damage than good was done. After all what incentive is there to work if you grow up at a certain standard of living, know no other and can continue through your life at that level by being given what you need?
Doesn't seem to hard to work out to me!
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