Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? BillShrink presents the ultimate guide to eating on the cheap — from ordering off the kids’ menu and pretending it’s your birthday to the ultimate in desperate dining, the Ikea cafeteria.
November, 2009
Penberthy: Olympic glory isn’t about gold medals
The Crawford Review heralds an important national debate about how we measure our sporting success, says David Penberthy. Australians don’t need the guarantee of a gold medal to paint their faces green and gold and scream “oi oi oi” like loons: we love it no matter what.
Stuff the medals: sport is for all
The Crawford Review is damning, says Greg Baum: Australia is burning millions in an Olympic race against much bigger rivals we can’t possibly compete with. Let’s put that money back in the grassroots.
Don’t shatter our Olympic dreams
Australia’s Olympic prowess is an important part of our national identity, says Wally Mason, and every Australian deserves a chance to strive for gold. The Crawford Review’s recommendations would rob them of that chance.
Australia’s health is more important than Olympic glory
The Crawford Review’s recommendation to unshackle the government-funded sports sector from the gold-medal-thirsty Olympic movement is right on the money, says Richard Hinds.
Get professional or get out
The Crawford Review’s assumption than any sporting organisation can become an AFL clone — competing for funding and sponsorship with the big boys — is misguided, says Jacquelin Magnay.
Costello: Publishing protectionism is bad — just as Farnsie
The Howard government’s decision to lift parallel import restrictions on CDs didn’t kill the Australian music industry, says Peter Costello, and the local public industry could survive just as well without protectionism.
Automatic enrollment: Sneaky plot or common sense?
Crikey pundits have been duking it out over the NSW government’s plan to introduce automatic electoral enrollment. Is it really a “shameful encroachment on basic rights”, or just good bureaucratic process? William Bowe wraps the debate.
Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue: the reviews are in…
The most highly-anticipated book of the year, Going Rogue by former Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin is about to hit shelves, and the critics have weighed in. Is it scandalous? Insightful? Coherent? The WSJ wraps the coverage.
revealed 
UN secretly negotiating with Iran to lift nuclear sanctions
Documents leaked to the Times reveal the United Nations has been negotiating with Iranian officials to lift the country’s nuclear sanctions, allowing it to retain most of its nuclear program, in return for co-operation with UN inspectors.
Grattan: Turnbull vs the hardliners
Malcolm Turnbull is facing dissent in the partyroom from 10 Coalition ministers refusing to budge on emissions trading, reports Michelle Grattan.
Read the Church of Scientology’s response
Read the Church of Scientology’s response to Nick Xenophon’s attacks.
Xenophon: Scientology is a criminal
organisation
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon hit out against the Church of Scientology in a speech to Parliament yesterday, accusing the organisation of widespread abuse and criminal conduct. Read his full speech here.
Crikey Clarifier: Scientology. WTF?
Who exactly are the Scientologists and why have they suddenly come up in the news? Crikey intern Michelle Loh waded into the morass…
PODCAST: What’s next for the ABC?
An interview with the ABC’s director of news, Kate Torney, on the brave new future of our national broadcaster as it steps up its presence in the online world.
Keane: Does anyone even care about misleading Parliament anymore?
Malcolm Turnbull called a press conference yesterday to accuse the Prime Minister of misleading Parliament over the Oceanic Viking deal. But does telling the truth in Parliament even mean anything any more? asks Bernard Keane.
Is America’s gay press dead?
Window Media, publisher of the Washington Blade, Southern Voice and other big US LGBT newspapers has filed for bankruptcy, and will cease publishing immediately.
Coke brands buskers
This Christmas in London, out-of-tune hippies torturing Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah and little girls squealing Jingle Bells on their recorders will be brought to you by icy cold can of Coke.
Former Microsoft ambassador: Why I’m ditching Gates for Google
Microsoft’s former “ambassador to startups”, Don Dodge, worked at the company for almost five years, but now he’s saying goodbye to Outlook, Office and IE, and hello to Gmail, Docs and Chrome: he’s a born-again Googler.
What if we fail in Afghanistan?
It’s time to start asking: what happens if the US and its allies can’t prevent the Afghani Taliban from taking control of the country and restoring a second Islamic Emirate? Steve Coll explores some hypothetical outcomes (spoiler: none of them are good).
Tim O’Reilly: The War for the Web is just getting started
Murdoch’s threat to take News Corp content out of Google’s results in just the beginning, says tech publisher Tim O’Reilly: big players like Facebook, Apple, and, yes, News Corp, are breaking off bits of the Web for themselves — and they won’t always want to share.
Turnbull facing partyroom revolt
Ten Coalition MPs have warned Malcolm Turnbull that they will cross the floor and vote against emissions trading laws laws, regardless of any negotiations.
Kevin Rudd, Al Jazeera wants you
Al Jazeera’s English-language news network has just hit Australian screens, but neither the PM nor his pals have been willing to make an appearance. Come on Kevin, you’ll do Rove, but not one of the world’s largest news networks?
Would calorie-counting menus help bust Australia’s big bellies?
There is a weight-busting move afoot in the US to introduce calorie-counting menus in chain restaurants. Would such a move be useful and welcomed in Australia? Health experts weigh-in.
