November 11: Independence Day in Poland (1918) and Angola (1975); St. Martin's Day in the Netherlands; Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth, Armistice Day in Europe and Veterans Day in the United States.

• 1880 - Australian bank robber and bushranger Ned Kelly (pictured) was hanged in Melbourne.
• 1918 - Germany signs an armistice treaty with the Allies, ending World War I on the Western Front.
• 1965 - Ian Smith, Premier of the British Crown Colony of Southern Rhodesia, issued the Unilateral Declaration of Independence.
• 1975 - The Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 came to a head as Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was dismissed from office by Governor-General Sir John Kerr.
• 1978 - Maumoon Abdul Gayoom began his first term as President of the Maldives.

[listening to: Biancaluna - Gianmaria Testa ]
10:17:54 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

While I was in hospital, I read Ben Elton's new book - Chart Throb, which is described as "A biting social satire of one of the world's most popular cultural phenomena from the bestselling author of FIRST CASUALTY."

It was a real good read, Typical Ben Elton

Ninety five thousand hopefuls. Three judges. Just one winner.

And that's Colin Simms, the genius behind the show.

Colin always wins because Colin writes the rules. But this year, as he sits smugly in judgement upon the mingers, clingers and blingers whom he has pre-selected in his carefully scripted 'search' for a star, he has no idea that the rules are changing. The 'real' is about to be put back into 'reality' television and Colin and his fellow judges (the nation's favourite mum and the other bloke) are about to become ex-factors themselves.

Ben Elton, author of POPCORN and DEAD FAMOUS returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows.

CHART THROB. One winner. A whole bunch of losers.

[listening to: Big Star - Reel Big Fish ]
9:16:07 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random