Well there is no doubt that in Queensland we are a little different to the rest of Australia. This video is produced by one of this states best Ad Men – Ben Hale – and it is a ripper. It is a history listen, a geography lesson and a biology lesson all rolled into one, with a fun plug for Queensland prawns thrown in for good measure. Enjoy.

As you can probably tell from my website I do a lot of keynote presenting and from time to time I also MC events. Over the weekend I was MC for a conference in Palm Cove, Far North Queensland. We had 150 wonderful folk from throughout Queensland spending a few perfect days in the tropical north and all went perfectly.

But I encountered my most challenging MC role ever at this event. The Gala event was set in the rainforest – a spectacular backdrop on a stunning night. As people were settling in and getting their meals I casually directed a lady to the rest rooms and as she stared walking down the steps I glanced down and saw a python slithering between her feet.

You can imagine what happened from there. In amongst this I glanced over to the dance floor and lo and behold, there is another python slithering across the dance floor to towards the band. So I had to run over there and shoo that snake back into the rainforest.

For me the rest of the night was all about racing around the site, chasing off snakes and trying to look as casual as I possibly good. “Snake? What snake? That was a legless lizard……..”

So next time you think MC’s just stand around waffling on, spare a thought to those of us who do this job in the wilds of Tropical North Queensland………

Here are some real headings from newspapers around the world with some appropriate smarty pants comments in brackets. It really does pay to get someone else with a fresh pair of eyes to look over your copywriting…..

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
(It took two or three readings before the editor realized that what he was reading was impossible. They put in a correction the next day)

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
(No crap, really? Ya think? Those experts really know their stuff)

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
(Literally???)

Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
(Yep, that is taking one for the team)

Miners Refuse to Work after Death
(When I was a boy miners would walk a thousand miles in a snow storm after they died…….)

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
(Fair enough I reckon)

War Dims Hope for Peace
(War has that affect on peace)

If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
(good point)

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
(and we thought it was linked to the striking miners)

Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
(They may be on to something)

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
(You mean there’s something stronger than duct tape?)

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
(Well that is kind of funny)

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
(Weren’t they fat enough?)

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
(That’s what he gets for eating those beans!)

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
(Do they taste like chicken?)

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
(Chainsaw Massacre all over again!)

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
(Boy, are they tall!)

And the winner is….

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
(Did I read that right?)

I love the Jib Jab family and their take on 2009 is politically wrong on every level. Isn’t that a relief? Enjoy. Lets hope we can all stay a little more irreverant for the next few years.

There really are a lot of people with way too much time on their hands. This is very funny (it does contain swearing in German, English and Apple languages). Enjoy.