James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar may now be Australia’s highest grossing film ever, but why was Cameron too tightarsed to create a new Avatar font? asks Luke Buckmaster.
January, 2010
Howard was a ladies man, Abbott wants a piece
The importance of the female vote for the coalition shouldn’t be underestimated — they’ve historically enjoyed a dominance among women — but a dominance that the polling suggests has ended, writes Possum Comitatus.
Video of the Day: A sneak peek inside the Crikey office
It’s quite hot in Melbourne at the moment, which has made for restless nights with broken air-conditioning and that eternal “sheet or no sheet” question. So today, we bring you a look inside the Crikey office this morning.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The lack of good journalism
Crikey readers weigh in on lazy summer journalism, hate groups of Facebook — how can they be stopped? — and the PR abuse of science.
The banks have Swan cornered
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan knows that he needs to get more competition back into the Australian banking market — the only question is how, writes Karen Maley.
Why the property boom? Simple. We’re borrowing more
Assets prices inflated by excessive leverage are not sustainable, leading to a gross misallocation of scarce resources. It is a lesson that Australian property buyers appear slow to learn.
On the face of it, Avatar isn’t such a nice type
James Cameron’s Avatar is taking a bit of a beating … for the wrong type of reasons, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Media briefs: Foxy Palin hits the screens … Crunch time for Facebook …
Sarah Palin has confirmed her status as official wingnut by nabbing herself a job with the Fox News Channel. Plus, secret goss from an anonymous Facebook insider and all the rest of the geeky media world news.
Weather extremes equal the sun of their parts … or do they?
A frozen northern world and new heat records in the southern hemisphere are suddenly making the impact of a deep solar minimum on the world’s weather a politically correct topic.
The Excessive Heat Events Guidebook
How do you survive the heat, besides sucking down box loads of lemonade icy poles? Try consulting the Excessive Heat Events Guidebook…
Pakistan’s martyrs and the image problems of suicide bombers
How long can we delude ourselves that doing this will improve the lives of ordinary Pakistanis when we prop up those who oppress them?, asks Benjamin Gilmour.
Where to buy fake ‘authentic’ Aboriginal art
How much of what is sold as Aboriginal art in Australia is authentic and genuine and how much is fake? asks Bob Gosford from Alice Springs.
Political snippets: Mac’s randy Ranny ripper
Tennis great John McEnroe serves up a classic when introducing SA Premier Mike Rann. Plus, is no game sacred, arsenic on your cereal and other political snippets.
Ponies and pigs: the Californian Budget mess
For Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, it will take a feat of termination far greater than any celluloid achievement to overcome the fiscal problems of America’s Golden State, writes Binoy Kampmark from San Francisco.
Students’ broad-brush approach paints wrong picture
It is the responsibility of student organisations to promote an inclusive and open environment and realise that angry “kill 10 birds with one stone” protests are not always the most productive, writes Matthew Incerti.
Hamilton: Viscount Monckton of Brenchley’s over-egged CV
One thing’s for sure, Viscount Monckton of Benchley — the “high priest” of climate scepticism soon to tour Australia — does not lack self-belief. His significance on the world stage is enough for him occasionally to forget himself and rewrite his biography.
Abbott looking for the women behind Howard’s success
The importance of the female vote for the coalition shouldn’t be underestimated — they’ve historically enjoyed a dominance among women — but a dominance that the polling suggests has ended, writes Possum Comitatus.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: No holidays for grant writers
Kevin and the rest of Canberra are allowed to have a holiday break, but not the local governments and community groups busy trying to pen grant applications during a heat-wave in the holiday season.
Crikey Says: No ads cause newspapers’ nightmare on E-street
Can the e-reader save newspapers and quality journalism? In a word, no.
The insider tales: an anonymous Facebook employee spills
An anonymous Facebook employees dishes all the dirt on working inside the social media compound, from the secret master ‘Chuck Norris’ password to employees being fired for abusing their ability to change profiles.
Christopher Hitchens on Gore Vidal
Is Gore Vidal this century’s answer to Oscar Wilde, or just a cantankerous old crackpot? asks Christopher Hitchens
China stamps all over Antarctica
China has come out and said what other countries have previously not dared: they want to mine the natural resources of Antarctica. Can the Antarctic Treaty hold or will China flex its muscles like it did in Copenhagen?
China only knows the “throw another shrimp on the barbie” Australia
China is our biggest economic trading partner, yet most their knowledge of Australian culture is limited to the kangaroo and Nicole Kidman basics. More federal funding is needed to promote cultural diplomacy, writes Dan Edwards.
