The secret stories behind 12 famous brandsWhere did the Playboy bunny come from? Who designed MTV’s iconic ‘M’? Why has a can of Campbell’s soup looked the same for almost a century? Fast Company introduces the names and stories behind the image.
July, 2009
O’Reilly’s muddled maths
Why does America have lower life expectancy than Canada? Why, because they have more people and thus more accidents, says Bill O’Reilly.
Video of the Day: Ricky Gervais: newspapers’ future? What a silly question
“Are you going to be unhappy when there’s no more perambulators to put your baby in?” We sense the comedian doesn’t understand just how serious this whole newspaper death thing is.
Buff Bernie speaks from behind bars
Convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff has given his first interview from the slammer, via a lawyer. Reportedly looking fit from “working out”, Madoff said he was surprised he got away with his scam for so long and detailed exactly how he pulled it off.
Faction fighting at ALP convention
The national ALP conference may no longer be that relevant, but the Left faction is still bound to heat things up on issues like gay marriage and 457 visas.
Rudd no poster boy for prime minister
It’s surprising how poorly Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull is rating, considering Kevin Rudd’s many failings on foreign policy, economic policy and health reform, writes Bruce Haigh.
Grow your own chicken
Tesco, noticing consumers’ growing desire for self-sufficiency (not good for a supermarket chain!), now offers allotments to consumers to plant seeds — and even raise their own live chickens. Smart.
Dreaming of a Niger Delta Republic
Amidst the nightmare of bloody violence in Nigeria, Sonnie Ekwowusi dreams of an independent Niger Delta, a republic where those indigenous to the area are afforded the right self-determination.
Oops 
File-sharing leaks classified White House docs online
Some very sensitive US government data is now online due to inadvertent peer-to-peer file-sharing: the location of America’s weapons grade nuclear fuel, the First Lady’s safe house, the government’s witness list and more.
Can Abbott make a real crack at the Lib leadership?
Is Tony Abbott remaking himself as a feminist intellectual with some real leadership prospects? Quite possibly, writes Miranda Devine.
Needed: a national watch dog for colleges
Australia needs a national education regulator to weed out the few remaining dodgy colleges pitching themselves to international students — they’re not “back-door migrants” and deserve better, says Tony Pollock.
Nigeria: Behind the bloodshed
Four days of violence in Nigeria has left 200 dead and sent 4000 fleeing from their homes. Government forces are closing in on the rebels responsible, but the real root of the unrest lies in endemic problems in the Niger Delta, which won’t be solved so easily.
The rising tide
King tides and storm surges have always been a fact of life for people living on islands in the Torres Strait, but new areas are being inundated. Andrew Bartlett reports from a meeting on Australia’s flooded neighbours.
Choose your own ice-cream adventure
Perfect Flavor is an online shop that lets you invent your own ice-cream. Choose a base first, like sweet cream or mousse, then go nuts (or chocolate sprinkles).
US destroys Babylon
The ruins of Babylon lay even more ruined since the US military set up camp there six years ago, according to a UNESCO report that says troops caused “major damage” to the site.
Ashes 09: Edgbaston faces First Day wash out
Several members of Edgbaston’s groundstaff will work on the water-logged outfield through the night, but have privately conceded there is little chance of play on Thursday.
The search is over: Yahoo gives in to Microsoft
Yahoo has officially given up on trying to best Google in the search engine game, finally reaching a partnership deal with Microsoft after years of negotiations and scrapping their own search engine in favour of the software giant’s new model, Bing.
Sandilands: Don’t use rape to attack me
Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands responds to yesterday’s on-air incident in which a 14-year-old girl disclosed she had been raped, after being hooked up to a lie detector.
Previously: Kyle and Jackie O’s live lie detector test goes very wrong
Australia have lost their aura
Times Deputy Cricket Correspondent assesses the mood in the camps before the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston. He talks to Ben Smith.
Will Edgbaston be denied a result by rain?
Between them, Kevin Pietersen’s injured fetlock and a July damp even by local standards have removed some of the anticipation from the Birmingham Test match, writes Peter Roebuck.
An interview with Michael Clarke
Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke told Grandstand’s Jim Maxwell the make-up of the bowling attack is undoubtedly the most contentious issue facing selectors ahead of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
Australia must keep the faith on Johnson
Much like Jeff Thomson before him, Mitchell Johnson just needs to click into gear. When he does it will make you gasp
BBC turns its back on Test cricket
The BBC will not call for live Test match cricket to be restored to the A-list of ‘Crown Jewel’ events protected for free-to-air television.
Will Ian Bell roar?
I doubt it.
Ian Bell has been various described as the “most talented batsman in the country”, “Atherton-esque” and “complete shit”. And his Test match record raised more questions than Aunties.
Peter Siddle: You can’t worry about being dropped
I’ve enjoyed the chance to see a bit of England over this tour, and we’ve had fun in Birmingham despite the bad weather. Mitchell and I went for a walk around the shops and the city centre the other day.
