The Reserve Bank seems to have concluded its most sustained and dramatic sequence of rate cuts.
May, 2009
Tips and rumours: What is a leak? Job losses at News Ltd?
A robust round of SackWatch rumours in today’s edition of tips and rumours.
The Super disaster lurking for the unwary
In publishing super tables, there is a significant danger that consumers will make decisions that could seem them losing out twice, writes Alan Dixon.
Tele’s Hanson apology laughable
Considering the extent of the defamation against Pauline Hanson by the Sunday Telegraph, the apology published by the Sydney tabloid on the weekend seems almost laughable.
Shaun Tait’s strange axing by Cricket Australia
To the shock and horror of some, Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait took a break from International cricket in January last year, writes Jarrod Kimber.
ABS staff removal shemozzle
The downright bizarre process adopted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics to cut 180 staff prior to the Budget has now been acknowledged as “clearly inadequate”.
Seage: how to turn the NSW sex industry legal
It’s time for authorities to rethink the whole brothel thing and I have developed a blueprint for the industry that could be adopted in NSW and throughout Australia, writes Chris Seage.
If identical twins married identical twins, would they have identical babies?
The answer is quite simple, says Professor Rodney Scott, head of medical genetics at the University of Newcastle.
The science of slang
A new book by Michael Adams dissects slang — from Cockney rhyming slang to cheeky sexual euphamisms — and makes a case for the linguistic device as poetry.
Mockingbirds can hold a mean grudge
A new study has found that mockingbirds can recognise people who have threatened them in the past — and when they do, they can get pretty nasty.
Supreme Court to review Conrad Black’s fraud conviction
The US Supreme court have agreed to review the conviction of former Hollinger chairman Conrad Black, who is currently serving time for stealing $6.1 million from the publishing company.
Cupcake as art
Sprinkles cupcakes are serious business, and with flavours like chai latte, ginger lemon and the wildly popular red velvet, a sweet treat for the sophisticate.
Age employees start planning their 2010 holidays
Management at The Age are insisting that staff take great swathes of long-accumulated leave, and that they plan their annual leave dates a year in advance. So forward thinking.
ACA credibility delivered via firebomb
Senior Perth ACA reporter, John Mort’s car was firebombed Sunday night after he had reported on the activities on bikie gangs in the city. Thumbs-up to rival news orgs for reporting it properly.
Shiny new Newsweek
US magazine Newsweek rolled out a redesign on Monday, as the weekly title seeks to reinvent itself in an age of constantly updated news on the Internet, declining circulation and falling advertising revenue.
News Corp’s “newspaper revolution” marketing ploy
The News Ltd Sunday tabloids were tarting a “newspaper revolution” last weekend that had a far more crass motive: cross-promoting a movie from the Fox film studios.
YouTube Classic Video of the Day: Advanced cat yodelling
The Can Can never sounded so full of humiliated cat.
The mastermind behind Twitter
The man behind Twitter, Jack Dorsey, talks user retention and Facebook comparisons.
Is the recession causing more abortions?
No-one wants her most intimate decisions to be driven by money. At the same time, opting not to have a child you can’t afford to raise can be a realistic and responsible-if painful-choice, argues Annie Murphy Paul.
Death knell sounds for rural enterprise
The recent collapse of Great Southern and Timbercorp could spell the end for rural investment schemes designed solely as tax write-offs.
UK expenses rorts: Her Majesty is not amused
It is now reported that the Queen herself used the audience she gave Gordon Brown last Tuesday to express her distaste at the disclosures. It would be surprising if she hadn’t, writes Simon Heffer.
Is the recession really making us better people?
Nope, says Derek Thompson; we’re not spending less due to sudden epiphanies about altruism and the true value of money — we’re just broke.
awwwww VIDEO: Milky Way passes over Texas night sky
Time lapse video of night sky as it passes over the 2009 Texas Star Party in Fort Davis, Texas. Images taken with 15mm fisheye lens by William Castleman.
China to set the gold standard
China hold huge sway over the US dollar, but news from the Middle Kingdom is that they plan to break the dollar’s grip on world currency by diversifying into gold and making it the new global de facto currency.
