Does SBS board member and West Australian editor-in-chief Bob Cronin have a conflict of interest? The inside word on ABC’s summer holidays, and the farce of Australian airport security.
November, 2009
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Double-standards at ACMA?
Political snippets: Rudd’s Indian diplomacy to be tested
Diplomacy to be tested … A good time to have something else on his mind … A glutton for interest rate punishment … Words of wisdom from on high
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Lunatics on asylum seekers steal the show
The Tamil asylum seeker issue remained number one despite the best efforts of Nick and Tony’s fruit loop academy, writes Patrick Baume.
Guy Rundle: Ask not what your country can do for you, but how often you can die for your country
It’s Remberance Day, but we don’t need a moment of silence; we need to start talking about the death cult being perpetrated and perpetuated, and the lives never lived by the children sent to these wars, the marriages never made, the children never had.
Jetstar creates a jet stir in Vietnam
The $A53.9 million Qantas investment in Jetstar Pacific has flown into an ideological chasm in the ranks of the Communist Party and government in Vietnam, and it isn’t clear how it can escape.
Rudd ducks again: book import slug stays
So we retain parallel import restrictions on books. Those of us who don’t buy our books online will continue to pay too much, with the bulk of that extra cost going to overseas authors and publishers.
This is not the time for Mark Scott to build empires
Last week’s speech by ABC managing director Mark Scott advocates the creation of an expensive new ABC global television service as “an important way of putting Australian democracy on display”. But there’s a much more important place for the ABC to do that — at home, writes Eric Beecher.
Top executive earners: pay for performance a myth
The Financial Review today produced its annual salary review for 2009 and it appears that despite claims to the contrary, there is a significant disconnect between executive remuneration and shareholder return, writes Adam Schwab.
NSW ALP rank-and-file told to commit political suicide
On Thursday last week, the NSW Left voted against one of its defining tenets, namely the support of rank-and-file preselections, writes Prue Believer.
The rise of meaningless management speak is PI in the sky
The Department of Health and Ageing’s annual report worships at the altar of performance indicators, writes Professor Gavin Mooney.
Iraq: where the bloody hell are you?
Iraq may be war-torn and rife with crime, bombings and insurgency, but that’s not holding it back from going on a global tourist drive, hoping to attract European and American travellers to sites like the Garden of Eden and Babylon.
Video of the Day: Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry vs. The Catholics
Is the Catholic church a force for good in the world? On the affirmative, Archbishop John Onaiyekan and British MP Ann Widdencombe. On the negative, Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry. Let’s get it on!
The paper dragon: is China’s economic growth a sham?
Conventional wisdom is that China’s surging economy will pull the world out of its economic slump. But what if China’s growth is all a facade? What if the country is “cooking their books”, pumping money into manufacturing and infrastructure for which there is no actual demand?
“Copenhagen is our date with destiny”
At the opening of the Climate Vulnerable Forum yesterday, President Nasheed of the Maldives delivered an incredible speech, imploring world leaders to commit to real carbon targets at Copenhagen: “We will not sign a global suicide pact.”
Film review: A Christmas Carol
Luke Buckmaster looks at the latest retelling of Dickins’ classic A Christmas Carol, starring Jim Carrey (aided by a thick sheen of CGI profiling): one of the best big-screen versions yet, and easily one of the best-looking features of the year.
Internet: 1, Glenn Beck: 0
Controversial Fox News anchor Glenn Beck has lost his battle to rid the internet of the site glennbeckrapedandmurdered ayounggirlin1990.com. Following his victory, the owner of the domain has penned an open letter [pdf] to Beck slamming him, but volunteering to relinquish the site.
In defense of Hamid Karzai
Afghan President Hamid Karzai may not be a saint or a statesman, but take a look at some of his predecessors, who were responsible for torture, slaughter, dictatorships and harbouring terrorists, says Bret Stephens. No wonder Afghans are “a collective sigh of relief”.
15 years later, can Clinton finally reform US health care?
Bill Clinton has paid a visit to Capitol Hill Democrats, urging them do what he never could: pass a health care reform bill. Don’t miss the audio of the speech: “It’s my Secretary of State calling!”
PHOTO GALLERY: Bernie Madoff’s garage sale
Convicted Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff’s personal affects are going on the auction block next week in an effort to repay his victims some of their financial losses. Check out the catalogue of crap you can bid on, including boogie boards, golf umbrellas and a life bouy.
Why Google just dropped $750m on a mobile ad network
Google just spent $750 million to buy out mobile phone ad network AdMob. Why? Check out the chart: the mobile ad market is booming, with AdMob reporting 10.2 billion ad requests in September.
scandal 
Former editor: Murdoch’s NY Post aims to destroy Obama
The New York Post editor fired over that whole chimp cartoon saga has levelled some shocking allegations at the paper, amongst them, that the publication’s stated goal was to “destroy Barack Obama.”
Greenpeace: Our plan for a nuclear-free Australia
Greenpeace’s Steve Campbell says Australia can be powered by clean energy without resorting to nuclear like France, Finland and now the UK. Instead, we should follow the lead of countries like Spain, who can generate more than half of its energy needs from renewables.
The best Mad Men web spoofs
As we all eagerly anticipate the return of Don, Peggy, Pete, Betty and the gang to our screens for the third series of Mad Men, check out the best spoofs of the show that have surfaced online.
