Not a lot economic news in Australia this week but the US is cramming five days worth of economics into just three days thanks to the Thanksgiving holiday.
November, 2009
Morning Market Report: The pre-Thanksgiving market rush
We think we’ve got problems — Greece has a backlog of 30,000 refugees
Rather than self-righteous indignation on asylum seekers, we need to regain our sense of perspective — in Greece, there is an estimated backlog of at least 30,000 refugees waiting to be processed, writes Tony Barrell.
Letter from...: Zimbabwe
The one non-political word most likely to cause animated, angry outbursts in Zimbabwe is ZESA. Officially the acronym stands for Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, more appropriately it is known as Zimbabwe Electricity Sometimes Available.
What I saw on my trip to Canberra: self interest and infighting
As a fresh HSC graduate from Newcastle, Georgia Lowe was invited by GetUp to give MPs from NSW some insight into youth sentiments on climate change. She came away from Canberra with more questions and few answers.
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Video of the Day: Tea Party: The Documentary
So far as we can tell, this is NOT a parody. This is a real film.
The 20 best gadgets of the decade
iPods, flash drives, smart phones and eReaders: the noughties was truly the decade gadgetry came into its own. Paste looks at the 20 most innovative and important gadgets of 2000-2009.
Taking a punt on Liberal leadership
The Sportingbet odds between Malcolm Turnbull and Joe Hockey leading the Libs to the next Federal Election have narrowed today, with Turnbull moving up to $2.25 from $2.00, while Hockey sits on $2.35. Paying out at $4.25, Tony Abbott might just be worth a tipple.
How Indonesia can become a global superpower
With a lot of land, a lot of people, a big army and a growing pool of cash, Indonesia could be ready to emerge as a world superpower, on par with China, India, Russia and the United States says The Jakarta Post.
Bishop bans Kennedy from Communion
He may come from one of America’s most famous Catholic families, but Democratic Rep Patrick Kennedy has been banned from receiving Communion over his support of abortion rights.
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How the AP got the scoop on Sarah Palin’s new book
An internal memo from the Associated Press reveals how its intrepid reporters scored and scoured a copy of Sarah Palin’s bio five days early. The reporters responsible earned themselves a cool $500 reward for securing the news agency’s “Beat of the Week”.
Film review: The Twilight Saga: New Moon: a pubescent Mills and Boon
Luke Buckmaster has one word to describe the second installment of the Twilight films: lame. New Moon is a cheesy soap opera jazzed up by a half-assed supernatural twist.
PHOTO GALLERY: Before they were parents…
My Parents Were Awesome collects photos of people’s parents when they were still young and child-free. Celebrate your folks’ youth and vitality before you came along and ruined it all.
Cash for tweets: advertisers now recruiting Twitter users
Is that an ad or a tweet? It’s getting harder to tell, as advertisers pay regular Twitter users to post personalised spruiks and links for their products. Will Twitter’s effectiveness as an advertising medium ultimately spoil it?
Private equity funds and the pillage of Australia
The big winner in the recent Myer float was the private equity firm that managed to float $452 million of tax money offshore, writes John Passant.
The Dyer Index: boom fatigue as Black Friday looms
America is heading towards Thanksgiving and the now-familiar ritual of “will the retail surge from Friday onwards save the economy (and our bonuses)?”
graph pr0n 
Magazine income over the last decade
The Awl graph big US magazines’ circulation revenue versus their ad page sales, with some interesting results: contrary to popular wisdom, there’s been some actual growth in the industry.
Who’s eating Madagascar’s lemurs?
Madagascar’s lemurs are one of the area’s biggest tourist drawcards, but illegal loggers and starving locals are hunting the endangered primates for their meat, whilst corrupt police and politicians turn a blind eye.
MasterChef: The Magazine
Looks like Matt Preston’s CD was just the tip of the MasterChef cash-cow-milking iceberg: News Magazines is spinning the hit TV show into a magazine.
Local newsreaders attempt to explain “emo”. Fail.
When news programs attempt to keep up with “da yoof”, hilarity often ensues. Case in point, this round-up of local US news programs warning on the dangers of teen “emo” culture: “the more depressed you look, the more points you earn.”
Milne: The Coalition is surrendering its one hope
If the Coalition agrees to the government’s ETS, it surrenders the one issue it can actually fight an election on, says Glenn Milne. There’s still a broad base of voters out there who don’t believe in climate change to be won over.
Goldman’s empty apology
The NYT calls out Goldman Sachs over its “apology” for its role in causing the global financial crisis: if it were truly sorry, it would have pledged more than a (by its standards) meager $500 million to help out struggling small businesses.
The hottest toy this Christmas: an $8 toy hamster
For once, the hottest toy of the Christmas holidays is something parents can actually afford: $8 toy hamsters called Zhu Zhu Pets are flying off the shelves.
Anniversary journalism (literally): 70 years of The Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph celebrated its 70th birthday over the weekend with this walk down memory lane, featuring heart-warming anecdotes like Sir Frank Packer’s constant refrain: “You’re all useless leeches. You’re a pack of bloodsuckers. Get out. You’re all sacked.” Good times.
US edges closer to health reform
The US Senate has voted to begin debating Obama’s health care reforms. It’s another hurdle cleared, but there’s still a long road ahead, with the country — and even the Democratic Party itself — deeply divided over the issue.
