Popeful punters | Taking the piss | Australia’s happiest city
This week InSider tries and fails to punt on the pope, splits hydrogen with urine and celebrates Adelaide’s latest accolade.
Don’t get your Popes up
When InSider woke up this morning, we were amazed to see the election of a new pope after just two days. And not only that, but an American! Sacre bleu!
With all the Catholic guilt of someone who only ever goes to church on Christmas and Easter, InSider promptly turned on the TV to see who this Pope Leo XIV (a.k.a Robert Prevost) actually is.
Prevost wasn’t a main papabile (someone considered a contender for pope), but the dark horse scored the holiest appointment nonetheless. Before the announcement, InSider, out of curiosity decided to check Sportsbet for betting odds on the conclave – an event we, like the rest of the world, have become invested in after watching the film starring Ralph Fiennes.
That’s where we were surprised to learn we can’t bet on the next pope due to gambling regulations in South Australia.
This got us digging: what specific legislation prevents South Australians from betting on the new supreme pontiff?
Well, according to the Authorised Betting Operations Act 2000, the Liquor and Gambling Commissioner “may approve, for all or specified betting operation contingencies related to races within or outside Australia (other than races held by licensed racing clubs); or contingencies related to sporting or other events within or outside Australia; or other contingencies”.
This means, if authorised by the Commissioner, South Australia could technically allow betting on the next pope.
However, on a list of approved betting contingencies dated January 30, 2025, the pope is not listed.
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Taking the piss
InSider was excited to get a press release this morning that indicated that state hydrogen boss Sam Crafter might not have had to switch positions to being in charge of saving Whyalla.
University of Adelaide researchers have helped develop two unique energy-efficient and cost-effective systems that use urea found in urine and wastewater to generate hydrogen.
Green – or is it now yellow? – hydrogen solved.
But the release came with a caveat, as they often do. This urine solution would be really expensive to scale up, so the scientists are trying to find commercial ways to replicate what they did in the lab.
The release was summed up in one breathtaking run-on sentence:
“The University of Adelaide team will build on this fundamental research by developing carbon-supported, non-precious metal catalysts for constructing membrane-free urine-wastewater systems, achieving lower-cost recovery of green hydrogen while remediating the wastewater environment.”
Shop anywhere else
This week, InSider strolled down Pulteney Street on the way to the mall for some retail therapy, only to be stopped in our tracks at the JCDecaux billboard that faces outward, greeting pedestrians and vehicles.
This isn’t the first time the traitorous billboard has pointed shoppers elsewhere, either. In November last year, it boasted ads for Burnside’s ZARA, pointing shoppers to what they can’t find in the mall.
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The Burnside ad really rubbed Rundle Street trader Azalia Boutique the wrong way, who shared it to Instagram, saying it was “like a punch in the gut”. Azalia Boutique vacated its Rundle Mall store after choosing not to renew the lease in February.
InDaily did report that more people visited Rundle Mall in late March to attend an Asian food festival than the shopping weekend right before Christmas, setting a new foot traffic record, so maybe the mall can share the love. But in a cost-of-living crisis that’s hurting traders, is it worth the risk?
New look for state Liberals
Off the back of a federal election thrashing, there’s been lots of chatter about how the Liberals will rebuild and the federal carnage trickling down into SA.
InSider wonders if the wheels are in motion after receiving a new-look media release from the state party on Wednesday.
Before
After
It may not seem like much, but the bold blue background made InSider double-take before bulk-deleting emails this week. The Libs have bigger problems than choosing the right font, but maybe one small step for Tarzia will mean it’s not a giant leap to have faith in Liberal leadership by March.
Adelaide is Australia’s happiest city
According to the Happy City Index, released this week, Adelaide is the happiest city in the country, clutching onto the 29th spot, which puts it safely in the ‘gold’ category of the top 31 happy cities in the world.
Canberra was the second-happiest of Australian cities, coming in at spot 51 internationally – a ranking we can surely say is only so high because of the visionary Questacon.
Melbourne followed at spot 67, Sydney at 75, Brisbane at 78, Gold Coast at 88, Hobart at 135, Darwin at 146 and finally, Perth at spot 165, unable to beat the Perth allegations.
What you may not know about InSider, given it’s our job to be a cynic week after week, is that we’re actually a pretty happy-go-lucky person.
In little old Adelaide, beyond the malls balls and Farmers Union Iced Coffee, our simple pleasures include the unpretentious lunch spot Favourite Fillings, a pint and a toastie at the Exeter and of course, the highest standard of independent journalism.
