Ron “will he, won’t he” Walker regrets rienFairfax chairman Ron Walker is still being coy about whether or not he’ll resign come the fractious November AGM. He has told The Australian that without him, “this company wouldn’t be alive today.”
September, 2009
Oops 
Roll up, roll up for the vagabond Gaddafi circus
It’s the UN Summit in NYC, but Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is still roaming without a place to pitch his tent. He didn’t help his cause when he used his UN speech to compare the UN Security Council with Al Qaeda, right after he tore up the UN charter…
Obama addresses the world
With Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the fifth row, Barack Obama criticised Iran and North Korea for nuclear proliferation. It was just was one part of a speech to the UN General Assembly in which Obama called for a “new era of engagement” on climate change and peace. Full text here.
Breakfast Media Wrap: Red dust at home heralds climate change talks in New York
The pick of the morning’s media
The White House springs a leak
The Washington Post recently got its hands on a leaked report from the US commander in Afghanistan to President Obama. So who let it slip? And why?
Optus accidently spills new Pay TV channel details online
Optus has accidentally revealed details of the new Pay TV channels that will be launched later this year, including five new movie channels and one dedicated entirely to makeovers (no, really). The leaked info was quickly removed, but Media Spy has it all saved.
OMG we’re totes not tweeting our literacy away
Rather than Twitter and text speak destroying our rich language, are we creating a literary revolution not seen since Ancient Greece? Jessica Au explores the different schools of thought.
Expensive rides and underwhelmed city kids? It’s Showtime!
Because nothing says motherly love like a day at the Show, full of plastic items made by slave labour and food to rot the baby teeth off, says Catherine Deveny.
Honduras in crisis: riots and a smuggled President
In a move sure to grab the attention of world leaders at the UN summit, the deposed president of Honduras has made a dramatic return to his homeland after months in exile.
Which bank will be next to blow?
It’s the newest spectator sport for the finance industry: predicting which bank will go down the gurgler next. The Daily Beast attends to all your bookmaking needs with odds for all the big banks.
Subeditors: the real victims of the NSW dust storm
Pity the poor News.com.au subbie who had to come up with captions for 68 photos of suburbs glowing red, says Jeremy Sear.
Vote now for radical reforms to Australia’s electoral system
The Government is taking submissions on some wide-ranging reforms to Australia’s electoral systems, including letting non-citizens vote, removing “truth in advertising” requirements for campaigns, and ending mandatory voting. Have your say.
PHOTO GALLERY: Food packaging vs. food reality
German site PUNDO3000 documents the difference in what food products look like on their packaging, and what they look like in real life. Many of the products are weird and, well, German, but it’s a universal truth of advertising: what you see usually isn’t what you get.
Political snippets: A day of shame in NSW
Richard Farmer laments the mob rule governing the Dennis Ferguson Bill and the empty words of world leaders on climate change.
Talking the Town: Launch of The Making of Julia Gillard
ALP factions and fiction at the launch of Jacqueline Kent’s new book, The Making of Julia Gillard, last night. Social butterfly Andrew Crook has the inside scoop.
Kasparov vs. Karpov: it’s not 1984 but it’s still rock’n'roll
It’s the chess version of cricket dragging legendary figures out of retirement to play some well remunerated 20/20 games, writes Ian Rogers: great rivals Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov were at it again in Valencia last night.
The world, and Peter Ford, does a Wilkins over Charlie’s Angel “suicide”
Like Jeff Goldblum before her, reports of Charlie’s Angels star Jaclyn Smith’s death have been greatly exaggerated. On Twitter. Then mindlessly regurgitated by Australian entertainment reporters.
What drives Hummer owners?
According to a new study, Hummer owners see themselves as active environmentalists — unlike their latte-sipping Prius-driving counterparts — as well as protectors of America’s frontier lifestyle.
Crikey Says: We really are the lucky country, but…
Alright, we’ll admit it. Politicians have done a fairly decent job of running the nation for the last 20 years. However, climate change failings won’t be easily forgiven.
