Leave it alone George!
April, 2010
This day in Crikey: Thursday, April 23, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009, Meanjin: Productivity Commission committing cultural sabotage, The editorial to Meanjin 68:2.
Wankley Awards: Sky News’ trusty spinner, The Oz
The Australian has consistently acted as Sky’s spinner in its attacks on the ABC. For its services to shameless protection of its company’s interests, the newspaper wins the Wankley this week.
Here’s a crazy idea: What if the Pope is innocent?
How much actual evidence is there against Pope Benedict? None at all. Sure lots of people, including many Catholics, dislike the Pope. But being unpopular is not a crime, writes Paul Mees.
Christmas Island a ‘ghetto’, but ‘dire’ Curtin could be worse
The “ghetto-like” Christmas Island detention centre is bursting at the seams as boat arrivals swell. But housing asylum seekers at the long-defunct Curtain facility could make conditions even worse, writes Elizabeth Redman.
Miles Franklin Award: Alex Miller puts in the boot
Are there too many literary awards in Australia, and is our oldest one “slipping away”?, asks Angela Meyer. Perhaps we need to look to the UK Booker Prize for a good model and comparison.
Crikey Says: News contrite but conflicted in a perfect Storm
News Ltd chair John Hartigan pleaded ignorance at a press conference yesterday announcing the rugby league team he owns had cheated. He might as well have been talking about his journalists and his organisation.
How recycled toilet paper is being wiped out
The rise of the electronic office, coupled with China’s growing demand for paper products, means supplies of the nice, white office paper we recycle into the rough, brown stuff with which to wipe our bums are dwindling.
PHOTO GALLERY: Punk rock never dies — Malcolm McLaren’s funeral
Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren’s funeral was a definite punk affair, with an Anarchy flower wreath, his coffin emblazoned with “Too fast to live, too young to die” and “Malcolm was here” engraved on his tombstone.
Mud, war and video cameras: an interview with Brendan Cowell, star of Beneath Hill 60
Brendan Cowell, the mud-splattered star of Beneath Hill 60, sits down for a chat with Luke Buckmaster about being down trenches on a Townsville farm, their “no whinging” policy on set and the struggle of the Australian actor.
What My School really tells us about Australian schools
The government’s My School website may not really tell us about which are the best Australian schools, but it does reveal a lot about the nature of our country’s education system, says former principal Chris Bonnor.
PHOTO GALLERY: When bad art meets bad politics
Political ideologies may change, but bad sculptures live on forever, such as the statue of Stalin in Georgia, the golden Turkmenistan dictator statue which rotated so he always faced the sun and the giant stainless steel Gengis Khan.
How to restore your privacy on Facebook. Again.
Remember when Facebook tweaked its privacy protocols and revealed your drunken photos and messages to the world? It’s done it again. PC World has a step-by-step guide to re-securing your account (and dignity).
Archie gets a gay
Classic comic Archie may be over 60 years old, but it’s keeping up with the times: introducing an openly gay character to the series. No word on Jughead yet, though…
Deleting laptops from classrooms
The government’s went big a few years ago, promoting one computer per student in Aussie classroom. But are Twitter, You Tube and Solitare way too distracting to have in a classroom? Several US Law schools are banning them.
A compendium of crappy election leaflets
UK site The Straight Choice is collecting local election leaflets from the UK election, inadvertently creating a library of bad headshots, ugly graphics and cheap photocopy jobs.
The $US100 bill, as designed by Coogi
The classic green US$100 bill has been given a colourful makeover in order to prevent counterfeit copies and not everyone is happy with the new “god damn child’s crayon scratch pad” design, as Gawker calls it.
James Murdoch storms the Independent
James Murdoch stormed into the offices of the Independent yesterday — after the newspaper ran a cover emblazoned with “Rupert Murdoch won’t decide this election – you will” — reportedly shouting: “What are you fucking playing at?”
Our morbid fascination with public deaths
Why is it that audiences are so obsessed with the spectacle of the public death? Carl Williams death interested us because we are so fearful of addressing our own mortality, writes pyschotherapist Zoe Krupka.
WikiLeaks, drone strikes and Gunatanamo: the laws of armed conflict
Law professor Gary Solis has just published a definitive textbook on the laws of war in the age of terrorism. He sheds some light on the big issues facing the military at the moment: Did the WikiLeaks soldiers break the law? Should robots be allowed to kill?
Pat’s Super 14 selections: Week 11
There’s still room for some belief that this could be the first year with two Australian finalists since 2002, says Patrick Baume, as he offers up his tips for this weekend’s Super 14 rugby union games.
How China is colonising Africa
China is now likely the biggest investor in China, constructing new skyscrapers, resorts, factories, brothels, train-lines and farms, while buying up the continent’s raw commodities. Is the Middle Empire expanding?
Why it’s time to give up on bin Laden
US government and military leaders have been obsessed with capturing Osama bin Laden for ten years now. They’re wasting their time, says Rafia Zakaria: it won’t make one iota of difference in the war on terrorism.
Lethal’s AFL tipping advice: Round 5
NRL may be grabbing the headlines, but it’s time to put your bets on for this weekend’s AFL with Leigh Josey’s expert tips. It’s going to be a cracking ANZAC weekend, and not just the Collingwood vs. Essendon game.
