Is the US at war with Pakistan?Three American soldiers have been killed in Pakistan, where the US has been launching missile attacks, drone strikes and raids since last year. Can we start using the “w” word yet? asks Noah Shachtman.
February, 2010
The NYT reviews Underbelly 2
What do the yanks make of Aussie drama Underbelly: A tale of two cities? “Seething and savage”, “slick and witty” says The New York Times, with a big thumbs up for the “gloriously gratuitous nudity”.
Are you smart enough to work at Bloomberg?
Current and former employees at financial news organisation Bloomberg have revealed the details of the test prospective employees must sit to score a job there, and Business Insider has recreated it for your enjoyment. Would you make the cut?
Sheridan: Ban the burqa
Immigrants must adhere to and embrace the values of their adopted countries, says Greg Sheridan. In western societies, like France and Australia, that means equality for women, and burqas have no place.
revealed 
What fashion labels pay to get celebrities in their front rows
Forget the clothes — fashion shows are all about which stars are sitting next to the catwalk, and labels are willing to pay a pretty penny to get their bums on seats. Fashionista has a list of what different celebs are charging for their presence.
graph pr0n Putting Haiti in perspective
150,000 dead in Haiti. It’s a big number — but just how big when viewed as a proportion of the country as a whole? And what about when compared with a worldwide epidemic like swine flu? It starts to look a whole lot bigger.
Saving forests won’t save the planet
New research suggests that forests don’t store anywhere near as much carbon dioxide as previously thought, poking major holes in both the Government and Coalition’s climate change policies. Back to the drawing board, says Gary Johns.
Why Chrome will be your next web browser
Firefox may be the fastest growing web browser right now, but it’s a bloated memory-hog, says Lance Ulanoff. Google’s Chrome browser offers a faster, more stable service and it just keeps getting better. Within five years, you’ll be using it, too.
Is Australia’s film industry really that bad?
Bemoaning the woeful state of Australia’s film industry has almost become a cliche in the local media. But are things really that bad? 2009’s fantastic crop of Aussie feature films should prove the critics wrong, says Sylvia Lawson.
What are Aussie freelancers getting paid?
What’s a “fair” rate for freelance journalism in Australia these days? Margaret Simons wants to know. If you’re writing for one of Australia’s mainstream publications, share your knowledge.
Ten politicians to watch this year
Brett Gale names 10 B-list pollies to keep an eye on in 2010, including Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim, former-UN-lawyer-turned-ALP-MP Melissa Parke and SA health minister John Hill.
Should Haiti rebuild its capital — or start a new one elsewhere?
Haiti’s official seismologist says the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, will face an even more devastating earthquake within the next two decades. Would the government be better to just start again from scratch?
Australian paywall just months away?
A fawning article about News Corp’s self-declared “new era of profitability” in today’s Australian foreshadows that the paper will be “at the forefront of the company’s shift to online payments in this country in the months ahead”.
Maher: Joyce is the new Joh
Barnaby Joyce was in full flight at the National Press Club yesterday, mangling words, numbers and messages — but he did it with conviction. Sir Joh would’ve been proud, says Sid Maher.
Hartcher: The Coalition doesn’t believe in climate change — but it will campaign on it anyway
Barnaby Joyce appears to have clarified the Coalition’s stance on climate change, says Peter Hartcher: it’s a fraud, but we’ll campaign on it for the sake of getting elected.
Barnaby Joyce’s billion-dollar
stuff-up
Former accountant Barnaby Joyce has made a bumbling debut as Opposition finance spokesman, claiming he can find $3.2 billion in savings from $1400 million. Pure Poison has the goods.
Forbes‘ Web Celeb 25 list
Forbes names its annual list of the 25 biggest names in net nerd-dom. Nate Silver Steve Rubel. Perez Hilton predictably heads the pack for the third year running, but there are a few more controversial choices, too.
How to turn a beautiful actress into a bogan
Hollywood is great at turning pretty actresses’ blue collar roles into Oscar gold (think Charlize Theron in Monster). But how do you turn a rich person into working class? An ugly jumper and lots of swearing helps.
Tax the voters or tax the polluters: which will you pick at the ballot box?
Tony Abbott’s new climate policy has shifted the political focus on the climate change debate, and his “taxing the voters” plan is going to bomb at election time. Rudd must be laughing, writes The Piping Shrike.
What we can learn from the US on hospitals
Croakey’s correspondent on all matters North American, Dr Lesley Russell, reports on health initiatives in the US aimed at improving patient safety in the US that has some useful pointers for Australia.
Slide night: having a volcano melt your runners
Settle back into your chair for the latest edition of Slide Night, with stories of climbing live volcanoes in Guatemala and having your shoes melt. They made for a great souvenir, says photographer Sally Johnson.
PHOTO GALLERY: Biodiversity in one square foot
How much life can be found in one cubic foot of nature? Photographer David Liittschwage documented the myriad lifeforms he found in 12 square inches of five different environments, with some pretty stunning results.
10 things I learned as a guest on The Daily Show
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart? Following his recent appearance on the program, journalist Ethan Watters spills a few backstage secrets.
The Lancet: We were wrong: MMR vaccine does not cause autism
Medical journal The Lancet formally retracts a now discredited paper it published 12 years ago, which linked the measles mumps rubella vaccine to autism and caused widespread panic amongst parents.
Book review: Eleanor Catton’s The Rehearsal
New Zealand author Eleanor Catton’s debut novel The Rehearsal requires a bit of audience participation: the reader is all the roles, all the characters and all the actors, says Angela Meyer.
