Why won’t Kate Ellis have a chat with the yoof of today?If there’s one part of public policy that needs attention, it is youth policy, since they will be affected by the society stuff ups we’ve created. Too bad that Kate Ellis, Minister for Youth, seems to be all talk, no action, writes Ben Eltham>.
October, 2009
Alexander McCall Smith on his love and addiction to bridge
Bridge, that card game played by grandmothers everywhere, is a “quintessentially bourgeois game”, writes author and player Alexander McCall Smith. It’s intellectual, addictive and its players are fiercely devoted.
On the death of letter writing
Hand written letters may be dead, but that doesn’t mean the process of thinking, communicating and creating a sense of self has been abandoned, writes James Bradley. It’s just now tweets not post cards.
The terrifying impact of rising sea levels
How will different proposed levels of rising levels affect different countries? Larvartus Prodeo map possible changes from the low lying Maldives to the US, comparing it to historical developments of sea levels.
Mayne: Investors unite for a CEO pay revolt
Stephen Mayne displays some shareholder activist at the Transurban AGM in Melbourne today, where the remuneration report was defeated by a whopping 69% of voters.
When online journalists moonlight as copy-writers 
How to power the entire planet with renewable energy
Ridding the world of fossil fuels doesn’t have to be a pipe dream, say scientists Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi. Here’s their plan to supply 100% of the world’s energy needs with wind, water and solar technologies by 2030.
The mysterious case of the missing honeybees
A new film about declining numbers of honeybees is causing a lot of buzz (sorry) that we’re on the verge of a global “pollination crisis”. But it’s all a big myth, says New Scientist
Coalition defends allowances to the death
The Coalition joint party room today rebelled against the Government’s restrictions on MPs’ printing allowances for “electoral purposes”, with Malcolm Turnbull labelling it “an assault on democracy”, writes Bernard Keane.
Could the polls actually be undercooked for Labor?
The ALP has been surging ahead in the polls of late, but Possum Comitatus has found a curious anomaly. Is it possible Labor’s vote is even higher than the headlines are suggesting?
Nine tries to buy itself some balls
Nine is paying about $450,000 an episode to secure the rights to air Top Gear next year and hopefully score itself more male viewers. That’s a lot of money for a network that is $3.8 billion in debt.
The hastily scribbled note that changed TV forever
In February 2001, veteran UK TV executive Alan Boyd met with Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller to discuss an idea that would change the face of television forever. Read the notepage of ideas from that meeting that became the blueprint for the Idol phenomenon
Crikey Says: The big stories: monster sharks and porn stars
Here’s the top stories that Australians are reading today, according to News Ltd. Lots of sex, sharks, gangs and Penthouse scandals. Paywall time?
Queensland doctors continue medical abortions bans, use of RU-486 widens
The ban on medical abortions by specialist obstetricians in Queensland Health hospitals is now in its third month, writes Caroline de Costa. And while some discussion continues between doctors and the state government, little progress has resulted.
Victorian abortion law: overriding the conscience of doctors
Victorian doctors who oppose abortion are legally obliged to be involved. The law doesn’t just legalise abortion, it silences dissent, writes Sinclair Davidson.
‘KangaSupa’ a one-shot wonder for many policy ills
A capital guaranteed national superannuation fund that only invested in fixed income securities would actually serve as an effective surrogate for a publicly owned bank, writes Christopher Joye.
Football codes bury hatchet to defend alcohol sponsorship
Football codes are uniting against a Health Task Force recommendation that would see advertising during live sport broadcasts phased out during high adolescent/child viewing times and the end of alcohol sponsorship of sport, writes Simon Chapman.
Kiernan empire continues to bemuse
The intrigue around the empire of mining entrepreneur Michael Kiernan continues to bemuse, with the cornucopia of companies with which Kiernan associates appearing to spend more time in administration than US-based airlines.
Political snippets: I don’t wanna be buried in a pet cemetary
Australia becomes the world’s quarry, saying goodbye to Fluffy, Germany takes a punt on growth, and more from the mind of Richard Farmer.
This emergency response is brought to you by … Telstra
Last week, Crikey received a curious query from a Victorian reader peeved at a recent call to Telstra’s triple-0 emergency service. It seems that emergency service call centres must say “thank you Telstra!” to every single call.
Not clean, not dirty … Turnbull masters inactivity
This Opposition is good at neither the high road nor the low road politics. The scandal over Malcolm Turnbull’s office proposing tactics for getting media attention just demonstrates this further.
Offensive Halloween costumes: a Crikey round-up
Halloween is around the corner and there are plenty of racist, sexist and grotesque costumes to pick from. While traditional Halloween imagery revolves around death and monstrosity, there’s often also a suspension of ordinary morality.
Are we witnessing the death of the shock jock?
Crikey / Tuesday, 27 October 2009
The position of the shock jock on our airwaves is becoming increasingly precarious, writes Luke Williams. Is radio heading towards a younger, user-generated and more democratic style of broadcast?