To mark the release of Dan Brown’s latest, The Lost Symbol, Tom Chivers plucks the worst phrases from his oeuvre.
September, 2009
Touched up: France demands labelling for airbrushed images
Valerie Boyer, an MP in Sarzoky’s UMP, is one of the politicians pushing in France for obligatory notices wherever photographs have been airbrushed. Our suggestion: “Models may be fatter than they appear”.
Giddy up! Behind-the-scenes of the Seinfeld cast reunion
Jerry Seinfeld, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jason Alexander and Michael Richards have reunited as guest stars in sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm. MSNBC follows the foursome as Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer come back to life for the first time in 10 years.
Has economics stopped working?
Did economists fail to predict the coming financial crisis as Paul Krugman controversially argued? Or was the problem that the research existed — but there wasn’t a way to communicate it to those in power? Joshua Gans takes a look at economic soul searching.
Did Rudd’s household handouts actually help?
Can government handouts actually help kickstart a flagging economy? Possibly, says Andrew Leigh, but it all depends on how you measure it…
Why the world kicks sand in the EU’s face
The European Union should be one of the world’s great economic and political powers — but it packs all the punch of a decaf soy latte and a soggy croissant. How did such heavy-hitting countries end up creating a 98-pound weakling?
Shafer: Save the newspapers from Obama!
Obama has suggested he might bail-out dying newspapers who are willing to reorganise as non-profits. But the last thing papers need is to be forever stuck with their hands out, says Jack Shafer. Run for your lives, publishers!
Crikey Says: A week in the life of Australia’s greatest living political hypocrite
Brendan Nelson learns the patriotic art of lying for one’s country.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Reports of neo-cons’ death greatly exagerrated
American politics is about more than just “left vs” right, say readers. Plus: the “Wangaratta Suppression”, some questions and answers on Penny Wong climate “compromise”, how to take a holiday from Kevin Rudd and more.
Morning Market Report: Market, Wall St down
The market is down 4, Wall St is down 41, and the dollar is down to 86.34c.
Political economy: Financial stress on the rise
Kevin Rudd is in New York with Penny Wong fighting valiantly to fix the world’s climate. Meanwhile, back home, financial stress for families on the rise, writes Henry Thornton.
The results are in on the world’s first national youth climate vote
The results are in from the world’s first national youth climate vote, and they’re startling reports Anna Rose. Can this generation take the planet back from the brink?
How Geoff Dixon’s millions grounded
Qantas
For eight years, former Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon was the highest paid airline executive in the world, despite a pretty mediocre performance in the job. The irony hasn’t been lost on the company’s embattled workforce.
Justice in the balance … bank balance, that is
Despite decades of lip service from governments and the legal community, the price of justice is still prohibitively expensive for most Australians.
Media briefs: The Oz’s new media ad spend … Zaetta’s payout … Obama to bailout newspapers?
Barack Obama is open to a bailout for dying US newspapers, journos are losing their jobs at three times the rate of average workers, High Times tokes up over a tanking economy, another classic cover from the NT News and more media news madness.
The wage gap: we’re stuck in the dark ages
New research has found a gender-wealth gap still persists in Australia — irrespective of what work is done, or the industry of employment, writes Jo-anne Schofield.
Rudd fails the environment test
Former coal industry executive Ian Dunlop says the government’s CPRS is a dud: it won’t reduce emissions, it will slow innovation, and destroy investment confidence.
The rise in independent contracting is a myth
It’s time to declare an end to the alleged rise in “independent contracting” that has purportedly dominated Australian workplaces over the last decade.
Gerard Noonan: Why I’m running for the Fairfax board
Veteran Fairfax journalist and editor Gerard Noonan makes his pitch for election to the board of Fairfax Media in an attempt to end the company’s “childish corporate bickering”.
Guy Rundle: Why Rudd said the F-word. Twice!
Kevin Rudd’s F-bomb attack caused an outbreak of “uh-maaaah”s from the News Ltd press. But there’s a way the ALP can spin this to their advantage…
Political snippets: Funeral lobby leaves regulation in its wake
This week in lobbyville, the nation’s undertakers appear to be embarking on a campaign to keep the cost of dying high by calling on governments to regulate low cost operators out of business.
