Krugman and Wells: This banking crisis feels strangely familiar…Greece, sup-prime mortgages and Zimbabwe’s hyperinflation — the world’s latest spate of financial crisis are nothing new, write Robin Wells and Paul Krugman: they follow a well-worn script that countries have been re-enacting for centuries.
April, 2010
I am not a crook: India’s tribe of innocent criminals
A fascinating look at India’s “criminal” Pardhi tribe: 60 million Indians considered to be crooks from birth, though many have never broken a single law.
Kohler: How much will Telstra cost?
It’s been months of negotiations between Telstra and the NBN, but there is still $4 billion points of difference between the two. The government needs to step in and pay out, says Alan Kohler.
Doc Searls: Why Facebook will fail
Facebook is trying to take over the whole web with its new “open graph”. Yeah, I’ve heard that one before, yawns journalism and tech industry vet
Christopher Hitchens reviews Animal Farm
Christopher Hitchens re-reads George Orwell’s timeless dystopian novel Animal Farm: 65 years on, there’s still a lot to learn from a pen of power-hungry pigs.
Hotel ads vs. what they actually look like
A very clever new site compares the lovely pictures in the hotel advertising with actual guest photos. Surprise surprise, the pool isn’t really that big and empty. If only there was an Aussie version.
leaked 
A sneak peak at ABC News 24
A leaked photo of the set for the ABC’s new 24-hour news channel has been doing the rounds of Twitter and Facebook. It’s all very “cold-dystopian future”, says Dan Barrett.
interactive map The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
The 2010 World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards have been announced. Denmark’s Noma has knocked Spain’s El Bulli off the top spot and Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck into third, while Sydney’s Quay and Tetsuya’s both made the list.
In defence of plane spotters
Among the dumber mindsets in matters concerning security at airports there has been a crack down on photography in general and plane spotters in particular. Plane spotters aren’t a public nuisance! Ben Sandilands pleads his case.
Have the Greens gone off the rails?
Senator Bob Brown’s call for a new study on a very fast train between Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney risks provoking some fierce green negativity, since trains are powered by fossil carbon releasing coal fired power stations, writes Ben Sandilands.
NYT vs. WSJ: the last great newspaper war?
The Wall Street Journal is muscling in on the New York Times’ territory, launching a local New York section. Is this really the last great newspaper war, or just the first great battle of the online news age? asks Wired.
Stott Despoja: Why someone needs to keep the bastards honest
Australia’s needs a credible third political force to keep our mistake-making major parties in check, just like Nick Clegg is proving to be in the UK election, says former Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja.
revealed Read the Goldman Sachs emails [PDF]
Goldman Sachs is currently facing intense scrutiny in the US Senate, and these internal e-mails — where top company executives gloat about making “serious money” from the 2008 financial crisis — have been released as evidence, causing quite a stir.
Mark Day vs. Crikey
The Australian’s Mark Day has taken a swipe at Crikey’s muckraking journalism. Talk to the hand, says Margaret Simons.
The end of the Goldman gold mine
From placing bets on hamburger eating contests to waging that mortgage prices would fall, 2007 was a year of long hours, utter chaos, nibbling on fruit and nuts and a deep sense of foreboding in the Goldman Sachs’ offices.
Wolff: Is James trying to out-Murdoch Rupert?
James Murdoch is getting too big for his boots, and papa Rupert has had just about enough of it young man, claims Michael Wolff. Send him to bed with no supper, Rupe!
Henderson: Bugger off Malcolm, we don’t want you
There’s no way that Malcolm Turnbull should even reconsider his retirement, says Gerard Henderson. The Liberal Party don’t want an ETS and Turnbull doesn’t have the support of his party room.
Police sieze Gizmodo‘s computers over leaked iPhone
Tech website Gizmodo scored a huge scoop by getting its hands on Apple’s next iPhone, but now things have gotten nasty: police have raided the editor’s house, seizing his computers.
Savva: Kevin, you’re part of the ALP, remember?
Kevin Rudd may be the ALP’s top dog, but that doesn’t mean he gives a crap about being a loyal party member. He acts like he’s above the Labor faithful, but the Labor premiers will bide their time for revenge, writes Nikka Savva.
Child care: dropping the drop-off
The loss of 200-plus promised child care centres is the latest example of both a broken election promise and government misuse of data to justify bad policy making, writes Eva Cox.
Inside the Guardian‘s editorial election meeting
The UK’s Guardian appears to be crowdsourcing everything these days, but it has gone one step further: giving readers a say in its election lead line. Go inside the ensuing editorial meeting for a rare peek at how the news narrative is created.
Sarah Palin Inc.
Sarah Palin is the “president of right-wing America” — a job that has netted her $12 million already. New York magazine goes behind the building of the Sarah Palin brand-name: an empire driven far more by money than political ideology.
Bieber Fever sweeps the nation
A Sunrise stunt went horribly wrong yesterday when an appearance by floppy-fringed teen pop sensation Justin Bieber caused teenagers to riot. It’s a stuff-up for Seven, but a smash hit for Bieber’s management, says Dan Barrett.
Newspoll: 55-45 to Coalition in NSW
The latest NSW Newspoll has the Coalition’s two-party lead down from 57-43 to 55-45, while Kristina Keneally’s personal ratings continue to improve: her approval rating up six to 47%, reports William Bowe.
