Cute and endangered: Hawaiian Monk SealLikes: lazing under a tropical sun, eating fish, squid, and even lobster. Dislikes: continuing commercial development, disease, fishing nets, and global warming.
June, 2009
A Twitter revolution? Hardly
Hold your horses, social media experts: some Iranian protesters have used Twitter to get people on the streets, but according to Business Week, most of the organising is happening the old-fashioned way.
Oh say can you see: the American anthem through pop culture
Almost every line of Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner” seems to be woven into the fabric of American pop culture. Mark Summers chronicles where it’s popped up.
PBS exorcises religious programming
US public broadcaster PBS have decided to ban their stations from airing any new religious TV programming, although they will allow religious programs that are already airing to continue.
Why travel writers lie
Martin Lane explains why Australian travel journalism’s freebie culture means you won’t be seeing too many Aussie hacks dishing the real dirt on tourism.
Take a virtual newsroom tour
10,000 Words checks out the best online, virtual newsroom tours, letting viewers experience where the magic of where the media happens, without having to interact with icky real journalists.
Is YouTube a financial folly?
YouTube’s financial losses probably aren’t as outrageous as some claim — and Google, which bought the video behemoth in 2006, likes to keep people guessing about just what it costs them.
How much money is YouTube losing?
It’s no secret YouTube are losing money — but just how much? The figure could be anywhere between $174.2 million and $470.6 million.
Slideshow: how the average man spends his time
Housework, educational activities, work and looking after the kids. Where does a man assign his time?
Death of the newsweekly?
Why is it that Time and Newsweek are faltering, while a notionally similar weekly news digest — The Economist — is thriving?
The last dictator of France
The death of Gabonese President Omar Bongo — France’s last old-style dictator-patriarch in Africa — has sparked renewed debate in France’s role over its former colonies.
Global warming could be slowing wind speeds
How are we going to save the planet if climate change decreases wind speeds to the point where turbines won’t work?
Gay Labor MP to Rudd: “let me marry”
In South Australian parliament, openly gay Labor MLC Ian Hunter has implored PM Rudd to change Australia’s laws: “I can’t marry the person I love, not in my own country.”
Perez Hilton to launch a “kinder” new site
Bitchy gossip bloggeratti Perez Hilton is planning to launch a new website with a kinder, gentler tone to appeal more to advertisers.
Airbus v Boeing face-off thanks to AirAsia X and Jetstar
AirAsia X has Airbus A350-900s on order; Jetstar is supposed to get the first of Qantas’ Boeing 787-8s. So two fuel-slashing “plastic fantastic” aircraft will compete in one market. Interesting.
The big bacon challenge
Bacon-mania has taken over the Internet, so the A.V. Club subject themselves to some of the weirdest bacon products on the market, from Bacon Vodka to bacon chocolates.
A wall of power points
Forget scrounging on the floor and battling with a tangle of cords to plug in your heater only to find there isn’t a power point left… this is a sweet design solution.
Gaming industry: we give Tasmania value for money
For each $1 in subsidy received, the mining industry produces $167 value to the State’s economy, according to the Felmingham Report. The gaming industry reckons it tops that.
CSR demerger: necessary but oddly rushed
A demerger of CSR’s sugar and building businesses has long made sense, argues Bryan Frith. Yet it was mere weeks ago that CSR said it was still off the cards. So what changed?
Obama’s problem with Jimmy Carter
Former US President Jimmy Carter is planning to urge Obama to take Hamas off the US terrorist list. The administration is “very pissed with him”, says one Washington Middle East hand.
Senior Ayatollah calls shenanigans on election
Iran’s most senior cleric, Ali Montazeri, has backed claims that the election was rigged, stating “No one in their right mind” could believe the official results.
Report on depression gene faulty
It turns out a 2003 study that claimed a single gene helps determine one’s risk of depression may have been premature in its findings.
Iran’s soccer team back Mousavi?
Members of Iran’s soccer team wore green armbands during their World Cup qualifying match against South Korea, in an apparent display of support for Mir Hussein Mousavi.
AF447 investigation draws closer to the truth
French investigators say they are getting closer to figuring out just what caused Air France Flight 447 to crash, with suspicion still strong that a computer bug may lie at the heart of the problem.
Greening bikinis: the world’s first recycled nylon swimsuits
On a catwalk somewhere in San Diego, California, models are strutting their stuff in the latest in eco-chic — Eco-Panda’s recycled nylon swimsuits. Hot.
