The pick of the morning media on a day when six papers have a different page-one choice.
July, 2009
David Cameron drops the ‘twat’ bomb on radio
While the Kyle and Jackie O show provoked controversy in Australia, British Conservative Party Leader David Cameron stirred up his own little storm on popular commercial radio in England overnight.
Life as a professional lab rat
Meet the people who make a living as “professional guinea pigs”, trialling drugs and products for scientists — a career where the more you put your body at risk, the more you get paid.
The Taliban’s new nightmare
The Taliban’s leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, has been AWOL for three years now, effectively leaving his number two, Mullah Baradar, in charge — a man Newsweek says “may be more dangerous than Omar ever was”.
Expensive products and their cheap ingredients
What’s really inside high-tech audio cables, fancy whitening toothpaste and rip-off energy drinks? Mostly cheap crap, explains Cracked.
Divorce can kill
Divorce doesn’t just make your poorer. People who are divorced or widowed are 20% more likely to suffer issues like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
British MPs should be quaking in their boots
With public trust in politicians at an all-time low, being an incumbent MP in Britain will be a huge liability in the next election, says Michael Brown.
Beyond Spiderman: Obama’s superhuman success
Since appearing in an edition of The Amazing Spider-Man, US President Barack Obama has become an unlikely star in the comic book world, with cameo stints in a number of titles.
The news aggregator newspapers like
Newspaper publishers love a good whinge about those free-riding leeches of the media world, news aggregation sites. So why are news orgs like The Washington Post, NPR and Newsweek such big fans of aggregator Daylife? The Observer investigates.
How are Australian intellectuals going?
Australia’s had an uneasy relationship with its intellectuals, but they are becoming more involved with recent mainstream public debate, from bushfires to anti-terror laws, writes Nick Bryant.
WWDD: What would Dumbledore do?
The Harry Potter books aren’t just tales of wizards and teenage drama. Instead, some, like the Harry Potter Alliance, use the books as a blueprint for social activism in the real world.
From social to solo: the evolving music experience
Growing up, music was a social experience. You got an album, went to someone’s house, and anywhere between two and twenty people would cram into someone’s bedroom to listen. What happens now? asks Tim Dunlop.
Asia’s new Axis of Evil
North Korea and Burma are not natural allies, but sharing an identity as international pariahs and an interest in nuclear weapons could be bringing the two countries together.
The dawn of the jet age (and Qantas bag)
This afternoon 50 years ago saw the start of the jet age for passengers in Australia, and on the Pacific. Ben Sandilands, the last full-time shipping cadet at The Sydney Morning Herald, reflects.
Future of journalism: Jon Stewart with journalists?
How does a show a la Jon’s Stewart’s Daily Show with real journalists sound? That’s what NPR’s Ira Glass is proposing as the future of the journalism: real news using real language.
The curious rise of the “fan-doc”
Fans of films, TV shows, cartoons and more are sharing their love with the world by making documentaries about their obsessions. “When did an entire wave of budding documentarians decide to start making the equivalent of unsolicited DVD bonus features?” asks the A.V. Club.
A brief history of great sporting code switchers
Rugby League pin-up boy Karmichael Hunt is switching codes to join the AFL’s newest franchise, the Gold Coast Football Club. We take a look at other sporting switch-hitters and whether their big gambles paid off.
Jackie Chan in cyberworld
Huh? Jackie Chan promotes Russian internet security software… we think. No idea what the Segway is about. Highly entertaining, whatever it’s for.
Phelps loses World Championships: blame the suit?
America’s golden boy Michael Phelps has lost his Midas touch, coming second to Germany’s Paul Biedermann in the 200-metre freeestyle at the World Swimming Championships. But was Biedermann the superior swimmer, or just swearing a superior swimsuit?
Blistering barnacles! Interview with a Somali pirate
A real life Somali pirate tells Wired about the ins and outs of running a successful swashbuckling operation on the high seas.
The soundtrack of war
Music isn’t just about delighting the senses. Sometimes its about getting soldiers amped up and ready for killing. The New Yorker explores what US soldiers are listening to on the frontlines.
Do you like your milk flavoured and fizzy?
Coco-Cola is trialling a new carbonated sweet milky drink in the US called a Vio, something they call “a refreshing sensory experience”. Will the idea be a fizzer for the beverage barons?
Does this LA Times photo look fake to you?
Readers of the LA Times are constantly questioning the authenticity of seemingly impossible photos published in their newspaper. But the actual culprit is far simpler: a long lens.
Student journos head to Iraq
Three Alaskan journalism students are heading to Iraq to become embedded journalists. Frighteningly, this means the University of Alaska is about have more journalists in Iraq than any major US paper.
Govt orders: Don’t ‘buy Australian’
The government won’t encourage consumers to ‘buy Australian’, because a protectionist stance would affect crucial international trade crucial to the Australian economy, writes Lindsay Tanner.
