The Melbourne International Film Festival is finding the politics of nationalism just a bit tricky right now. That’s a good thing, writes Ben Eltham.
July, 2009
My Cup Of Tea: Art and politics boil over for the Melbourne Film Festival
Aboriginal patients may end up the real losers in ACC victory
After a long-running legal tussle, a remote Aboriginal health clinic has lost its battle against the Australian Crime Commission to safeguard the privacy of its patient records.
Malaysia’s tigers under attack
The Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MyCat) — pause to admire acronym — is pushing for government to stop the illegal trade in tiger parts. It’s said there are now only 500 tigers in the wild in Malaysia.
The next big problem for US banks
Their problems with home mortgages, foreclosures and bad corporate loans show no sign of improving. Now US banks face fresh trouble, with the $US6.7 trillion commercial property sector.
In America, beige is the new black
Barack Obama, Tiger Woods’ kids, Michael Jackson’s kids… Biracial Americans are everywhere right now, writes David Swerdlick who calls for a new doco series: Beige in America.
graph pr0n 
Graphing the rise of US financial fraud
The Economist chart the astronomical rise of financial fraud in the US over the last 10 years.
The Coorong can stage a comeback
The Coorong won’t die if water is injected now. The first comprehensive study of the SA estuary shows the seven-year drought has taken its toll but there’s hope: the key processes and species are still there.
Run away to the bedroom
The latest design by Kidtropolis, a child-focused interior decorating blog, is a circus/carousel bedroom. You could say the children it’s intended for must be bratty. But your tiny inner child is just jealous.
Breaking the plastic bag addiction
How can we embrace the green-shopping-bag revolution when chirpy checkout chicks keep peddling the plastic? asks Simon Luckhurst.
UK losing 52 pubs a week
Should Australia brace for a tidal wave of broke backpackers returning home? The British Beer & Pub Association are reporting that the number of pubs in the UK has fallen by 2377 over the past year. How will aimless young Aussies avoid their HECS debts now?
MasterChef‘s trio of dishy judges
We give the last tasty word on MasterChef to Marieke Hardy, queen of professional overshare: “who didn’t want to nestle their face into Gary’s nurturing nape, or gently breastfeed the puppyish George?”
Australian property prices: will the bubble burst?
Will debt deleveraging lead to a collapse in property prices, as it has done in the US? Probably not, says Stubborn Mule: just calling it a ‘bubble’ doesn’t necessarily mean it will burst.
Silvio Berlusconi, a man’s man
With sex tapes revealed involving Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, an escort and “Putin’s bed”, ire has risen about his behaviour. But, while I wouldn’t vote for him, says Max Davidson, I wouldn’t mind being him.
Fox News say “fat chance” to Surgeon General nom
Fox News has run a segment asking whether new US Surgeon General nominee, Dr Regina Benjamin, is “too fat” for the role, including an interview with a guy in a “no chubbies” tshirt. All class.
Lance v Alberto: Tour de France tension is climbing
The most tense spot on the Tour right now is within the Astana team. With stage 17 of the Tour de France ended — won by Frank Schleck — Lance Armstrong has again slammed his team leader Alberto Contador.
Back to the USSR in Russia?
All post offices in Russia have been ordered to provide “special facilities” for state security officers to inspect and open letters and parcels, prompting fears the country is returning to Soviet-era invasions of privacy.
Crazy uncle Tuckey and the Coalition crash
The Coalition are tearing each other apart, with Joe Hockey likening Wilson Tuckey to the “the crazy uncle at a family wedding” and Warren Truss turning on Turnbull, as the ETS divides the party room.
Quake brings Australia and NZ closer. Literally.
Australia is now 300mm closer to New Zealand, after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake stretched the nose of NZ’s South Island ever so slightly. Choice, bro.
Hu faces life in prison
Stern Hu could be facing life behind bars, with China now claiming they have “ample evidence” against the Rio executive and his three imprisoned colleagues.
The 787 calamity: lies and evasions continue
The lie that Boeing used to makes fools of customers like Qantas was that the technology to build a high composite ‘plastic fantastic’ Dreamliner jet posed no difficulties. So is the Airbus any better? asks Ben Sandilands.
Breakfast Media Wrap: Bringing back the biff: Parliament Korean style
The pick of the morning’s media
S&P’s downgrade SNAFU
The credibility of ratings agencies, already tarnished by the sub-prime crisis, has taken yet another battering, with S&P downgrading some commercial mortgage bonds to near junk thanks to a new model.
Wall Street’s psycho meltdown
At the core of the global economic crisis lies unrestrained hubris, says Malcolm Gladwell. But is over-confidence an essential trait in professions like investment banking?
Ask the economists: China growth to slow
A survey of 10 economists by the Wall Street Journal indicates that Sino growth is set to moderate in the next few quarters. And that’s bad news for the West.
