First it was an address to the National Press Club. Now Ferret, the spokesman for the United Motorcycle Council, is taking his message about how bad the state government's anti-bikie laws are directly to the country's potential future legislators. Ferret, whose real name is Mark Anthony Moroney and who is a member of the Finks outlaw motorcycle club, yesterday addressed law students at the University of Sydney. BAG OF TRICKS The NSW opposition's WasteWatch chairman, the Davidson MP Jonathan O'Dea, is obviously feeling a little neglected by the media. This week he sent a press pack to journalists containing a brown paper bag. ''Unfortunately brown paper bags are synonymous with the perception in NSW of politicians receiving corrupt or inappropriate payments. This brown paper bag is NOT about delivering money to buy influence, but SAVING MONEY for all NSW taxpayers.'' The stunt was designed to draw attention to the end of another stunt: in December O'Dea announced a reward of $1000 would be paid to whomever brought him the best example of ''government waste and mismanagement''. The winner, announced yesterday, was Ken Quick of Castlecrag, who brought to O'Dea's attention ''the costs associated with the unnecessary and very expensive desalination plant''. LAPTOP LAMENT Speaking of such things, John Agius, SC, who revealed to the Industrial Relations Commission this week that his laptop containing three years of work had been stolen from his office by ''some miscreant'', has announced his own reward. He told The Diary: ''I have offered a substantial reward for a return of the laptop, no questions asked; together with an offer of a free day's court appearance in a court of the miscreant's choice. Given that I hold a photo of the culprit he may need to take up the offer sooner than he might otherwise believe.'' He added: ''Seriously though the loss of the content on the laptop has caused enormous distress. The content has no value to anyone but myself. I would be very grateful for its return and the reward offer is genuine.''

GOT A TIP? Contact diary@smh.com.au or 9282 2179 STAY IN TOUCH... WITH RADIO'S LAWS OF GRAVITY WHAT comes up, must come down - even for the king of the airwaves, Alan Jones. The latest Nielsen radio survey results reveal 2GB's morning host recorded an audience share of 17.2 per cent - down 2.8 percentage points on his stellar ratings result of 20 per cent from the first survey of 2010. But there was plenty to keep the glass more than half-full at the station, which celebrated Jones and Ray Hadley once again topping their respective broadcast slots on the ratings table. ''Only last week Alan celebrated 25 success-filled years on Australian radio and today, not even a week later, he celebrates his 50th consecutive radio survey win,'' Macquarie Radio Network chairman Russell Tate crowed. 2GB led the survey with a total overall audience share of 14.7 per cent, a drop of a percentage point on the previous survey. Nearest rival 702 ABC Sydney rose 0.6 percentage points to take second place with 11.1 per cent of the total market, ahead of 2Day FM at 10.3 per cent and WSFM at 6.6 per cent.

While others were waxing congratulatory, the mood was more circumspect at dmg Radio, where Classic Rock inherited all but one week of the ratings result from predecessor Vega, which bowed out on March 11. It recorded an audience share of 3.2 per cent between January 31 and March 20. WITH A STAR FOR RUSTY THE man who once did the walk of shame from a New York cop shop is about to be honoured with a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The phone thrower, Oscar winner and actor Russell Crowe is to become the 2404th star to shine in the pavement of Hollywood Boulevard in a ceremony outside the Kodak Theatre next month. The event is a much more promising publicity coup for the release of Crowe's film, Robin Hood in May, than that suffered by Cinderella Man in 2005. Crowe demonstrated his ability to hurt the film's box office takings when he threw a phone at a hotel concierge, at an additional cost of an assault charge and a fine. But if he's thinking of taking the promotion of this role as the prince of thieves literally, he might like to bear this in mind: surveillance cameras are reportedly being placed in the walk district to catch star thieves. WITH DUETS THE anti-establishment rockers Rage Against the Machine have offered to perform a duet with the Scottish singer Susan Boyle as a way of burying the hatchet with the talent judge Simon Cowell. The US band spoiled Cowell's Christmas after an internet campaign and their track Killing In The Name kept his X Factor star Joe McElderry out of the top spot on the British charts. The Sun quoted the Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha as saying the group would be happy to perform the track accompanied by Boyle at their free London concert on June 6, organised to thank fans for the win. ''The truth is Simon's shows occasionally produce talent. We love Susan Boyle - she is hot,'' de la Rocha was quoted as saying. ''Everybody knows her in the US, and she can add her vocals to anything. It would be an honour for us.''