Senator Steve Fielding is becoming predictably more frenetic as his moment of truth approaches. Plus, a sensible Abbott, something to thank Getup! for and other political news of the day.
June, 2010
Political snippets: Fielding makes the most of his fading 15 minutes
Video of the Day: When iPhones and books collide
iPhone and iPads and whatever else don’t have to mean the end of actual books, especially not for children, according to this fancy little device.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Julie’s doggy double
I think I’ve discovered the origins of Julie Bishop’s “death stare”…
Crikey Says: GetUp should’ve shelled out for Rudd, not Abbott
GetUp have garnered oodles of headlines this morning by buying their way in on a surfing lesson with Tony Abbott. Too bad they picked the wrong leader.
PHOTO GALLERY: When pollies get manipulated
Look, it might be silly to laugh at Photoshopped images of Australian pollies, but Kevin Rudd as Robin Hood and Tony Abbott as Count von Count from the Muppets is pretty funny.
Holmes: Quest for truth is more important than ‘balance’
Journalism shouldn’t just be about reporting what two opposite sides think about a topic. That doesn’t make a journalist “balanced” and it doesn’t give the reader enough information, writes Jonathan Holmes.
Sinodinos: Cat’s got the Crean
Simon Crean knew exactly what he was doing last week with his jibes against the RSPT. This election is being run like a presidential contest, which could be dangerous for everybody, writes Arthur Sinodinos.
The crowning glory of Foursquare
It’s not just the pride of becoming Mayor that keeps Foursquare fans checking in, it’s also the cute and quirky design of its badges. Forbes interviews their designer Mari Sheibley.
Revenge of the cheapskates
Nobody liked tightwads, until the GFC came around and made frugal the new fashionable. Cheapskates are more likely to be happier, higher educated and less likely to divorce.
Murphy: All the gossip, gowns and gaffes from Canberra
After the sex and political scandals of last year, the 2010 Midwinter Ball was a bit of a flop. But there was still awkward dancing by Conroy and terrible jokes by Rudd, says Katharine Murphy.
Reason #73673 why Oprah would be a great boss
Media queen Oprah Winfrey is known for being generous with staff, but this week was like an episode of Oprah’s Favourite Things, with all O magazine staff getting $10,000 cash and an iPad.
Ill-informed pollies and journalists undermine our war efforts
Reactions to the recent combat deaths of two Australian Diggers in Afghanistan again demonstrate serious problems in how we decide to initiate, fight and end our wars, says Australia Defence Association head Neil James.
Who’s pushing this ethnic war?
It wasn’t just spontaneous street violence between two ethnic groups that created the recent deadly havoc in Kyrgyzstan. But was it coordinated by organised criminals and financed by family of the recently ousted PM?
How Google sees the future of news
Google News creator Krishna Bharat offers up his views on how journalism will change in the next five years, saying news organisations will become more specialised and so will the advertising.
How the Bloody Sunday truth came out
Harold Evans explains how investigative journalism, done by The Sunday Times, served as the key evidence in proving that the 13 murdered civilians from Bloody Sunday were innocent.
Early election boat sails
Daily Media Wrap: Kevin Rudd had the chance to call an early election, one he probably would have won easily, but he didn’t and now the election is a far deadlier fight.
World Cup: 
Leave Pim alone!
Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has quite rightly, coped a fair whack over Australia’s defeat in its opening match of the World Cup but some of the criticism has been well over the top, says Neil Walker.
What’s a river worth?
A new report on the Mississippi-Delta is a refreshingly new approach to the valuation of natural ecosystems. Could it work for Australian rivers like the Murray-Darling? asks Bob Gosford.
PHOTO GALLERY: Pollies glam it up for the Midwinter Ball
The Midwinter Ball: it’s like the Oscars, except with more wrinkles and uglier dresses. Kevin Rudd took a young blonde in black (his daughter) while Julie Bishop takes out the Crikey best dressed award.
Pimple popping: why make such a pus about it?
Why is it acceptable to blow snot out of your nose in front of people, but squeezing a pimple is seen as gross behaviour? A fascinating examination of why we love pimple popping, even if we’re ashamed.
The death of Forbes?
Forbes.com faces a difficult balance between quality content and appealing to the lowest common dominator for ad money. But its move to have thousands of new unpaid contributors will kill all credibility, says Paul Carr.
Media narrative vs. political reality
The Australian may get the majority of the press for shaping the media and political narrative in Australia, but realistically the majority of voters rely on TV for their news, writes Mark Bahnisch.
Poachers and gamekeepers mingle to Make A Difference
A bit of a Tony Abbott faux pas at the launch of Liberal Senator Guy Barnett’s new guidebook for lobbyists and those who watch lobbyists, Make a Difference, reports Crikey intern Tiernan Kelly.
