In the face of declarations of insufficient funding for program making, which high profile ABC executive is about to embark on an exorbitant taxpayer-funded meet and greet cocktail party trip across the Pacific Islands for several weeks. Makes the pitch to government about the shortage of program-making funds seem rather empty really, doesn’t it.

Chas Licciardello from The Chaser was overheard sincerely confirming that David Hicks and father Terry were in the Wednesday Night Audience of their stage show – and went back stage to say “hi”. Considering the show is finished by 9pm it is well within David’s curfew.

Another minor equipment malfunction on Qantas flights. On my Melbourne/Sydney 767 flight on Tuesday morning all individual overhead lights were switched off because of problems with the attendant call buttons ringing continuously. While this was not a major problem, it was the fifth flight I have been on this year with similar small niggling cabin equipment faults. How the mighty has fallen.

Not sure if anyone noticed, but the first five pages of Wednesday’s The Age contained three full page ads (pgs 2, 4 and 5). This is the future for newspapers – earlier pages generate bigger ad dollars, and early r/h pages the ad biggest dollars of all. Stay tuned for the imminent arrival of the pg 3 ad – a staple of US newspapers, and on the way here too. Media buying agencies have been sounded out, and surprise, surprise, the response was very positive. Also, The Age is running a buy 2 get 3 for free subscription offer aimed at cafes etc. Not a bad way to boost circulation.

Regarding Penguin Books publishing Boned in June by Anonymous — remember, Rowe’s mother, Penelope, has published novels and short stories.

I’ve been wondering who to point out to the incredible similarity (well on my quick-skim-while-making-school-lunches morning read) between Janet Albrechtsen’s column on how wonderful the US is regarding Burma in The Oz this week and Alexander Downer’s same in The Advertiser…

Tony Mokbel is flying back to Australia and the chartered Gulfstream flying back from Greece is owned by Execujet Australia. Execujet’s marketing manager is Dominique Gatto. Gatto? Any connections?