April, 2010


Want to write a book? Become an editor

Usually being a writer and being an editor was a complete different kettle of fish. But is it actually advantageous for a young author to work in the publishing industry or does that just cause writing and reading fatigue?

Who’s spending the most on renewable energy?

GOOD compares countries’ expenditure and production of renewable energy, and how much of their total energy output that actually represents.

Your lunch break is not just for lunching

Here’s an idea: how about rather than sitting at your desk eating your lunch, go out and do something on your lunch break and get your brain kick started. Try reading, exercise or even lunch with your mum.

The true truth about Kristina Keneally’s hair

Yesterday was Kristina Keneally Hair Avatar Day on Twitter — sponsored by Crikey. Today we announce the winners, as decided by the flicky haired woman herself!

Doling out the hard truths on youth

Young people are naive, criminals or lazy, if you listen to the political rhetoric. In which case, Abbott’s plan to ban the dole for under 30s makes sense. Except, moving an unskilled person away from their support network and down a mine is ridiculous, writes Dr James Arvanitakis.

Sarah Palin’s other speaking contract

The Onion gives its take on the infamous Sarah Palin speaking contract found in a dumpster. A packet of string cheese for Todd and some extra red clothing? Sounds right to us.

Birmingham: Carl Williams didn’t deserve to die

Carl Williams may have been a ruthless killer, but we don’t execute criminals in this country, so his murder was still wrong — even if it feels a little bit right, argues John Birmingham.

Headbanging against oppression

Forget hip hop or folk, the latest protest songs from Morocco, China and Palestine are coming from an active, underground heavy metal scene. But what happens when metal goes mainstream? asks James M. Dorsey.

Mexico’s murder city

Caught in the center of Mexico’s drug wars, Ciudad Juárez is now the most dangerous city in the world outside of a war zone, with 686 murders this year alone.

Why NRL referee boss Robert Finch must go

Fans, coaches and players of NRL have lost faith in the referees and the system of officiating. Straight to the sin bin for referees boss Robert Finch, due to all damage he has done to rugby league, argues Nick Tedeschi.

Merrill Lynch just as dodgy as Goldman Sachs?

Goldman Sachs is being sued by the SEC for deliberately intending to defraud investors. But it isn’t the only US bank pulling those shonky moves, with Merrill Lynch accused of doing the exact same deal.

The most valuable soccer teams in the world

Soccer is big business, with teams increasingly becoming brands in their own right. Forbes names the clubs kicking the most financial goals around the world.

Cheers TV: Cheers TV Episode #1: Pleased to meet you, try the bubbles

Introducing Cheers TV, a show that’s all about great wine without the snobbery. Today, sommeliers Ben & Dan pop the cork on the series with a bottle of Perrier-Jouët “Belle Epoque” 2002 vintage (if you don’t mind).

Why Google style is now more important than AP style

The journalists of tomorrow will need to learn the correct writing style for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) more than they will need to learn the correct writing style to please sub-editors and grammar nazis, argues online journalist Robert Niles.

Lindsay Tanner: Expect a tightarsed budget

Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner gives his warnings for this year’s federal budget. Expect big cutbacks in spending but apparently no “electoral bribery”. Let’s just wait and see on that one.

Burying ethics for the sake of photojournalism

Photographer Marco Vernaschi created a stunning and shocking series of images on child sacrifice in Uganda. But to get the shots, he persuaded a grieving mother to exhume her mutilated daughter’s body so that he could photograph it, raising some serious ethical and legal questions.

Maley: Curtain not yet closing on Greek tragedy

Is the Greek economic mess spreading over the Mediterranean to Spain, Italy and Portugal? The IMF had announced the conditions of its loan to Greece and worries that Greece will turn into a full-blown contagious sovereign debt crisis.

A history of US Presidential bookworms

Barack Obama is well known as a “reader” — but he’s hardly the first US President to bury his nose in a book: Nixon loved Tolstoy, Reagen studied the ideas of Milton Friedman, and Clinton liked the “cheap thrill” of a mystery novel.

Carl Williams, gangsters and footy: a brief history

AFL has always been intrinsically linked to the underbelly of Melbourne. Why? The answer is obvious: gangsters and footy players are very, very similar. It’s all money, women and violence, writes Jamie Johnstone.

Politico‘s Mike Allen: The most powerful journalist in DC

The NYT profiles Politico’s Chief White House Correspondent Mike Allen, the man whose Playbook drives the nation’s daily political discourse.

Bob Carr: It’s our right not to have a human rights charter

We don’t need a human rights charter in Australia because we don’t have human rights issues. Luckily Frank Brennan’s recommendations have been ignored, since it was all a waste of time and money, writes former NSW premier Bob Carr.

The new pin-up girl of Australian politics

Daily Media Wrap: Kristina Keneally has become the golden girl of Australian politics in the last few days after her importance in cinching the national health reform deal. Is she the next Powerfox?

Which blog is the Australian government trying to censor?

On Tuesday, Google released data on government censorship requests from last year, revealing that an Australian government asked for a blog to be removed. So which blog was it? asks North Coast Voices.

Cassidy: Bursting Abbott’s thought bubbles

Tony Abbott is an expert in distraction, dangling the tasty “no dole for under 30s” lollipop in front of us just as Kevin Rudd’s historic health reform deal has been passed. Except, the distractions don’t detract from Rudd’s clever deal, says Barrie Cassidy.

Is Hitler responsible for Islamic extremism?

A new book claims the roots of Islamic fundamentalism can be traced back to Nazi radio broadcasts across the Middle East during WWII.