China’s great wall of freedom, how Limewire could fix the UK budget, Apple news app of the Pulse, the first Twitter World Cup and other media tidbits from around the glove.
June, 2010
Media briefs: China promises free net … Tweeting the World Cup
World Cup: At the World Cup’s dawn, Australia’s own bid is in turmoil
Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed Bin Hammam has thrown his weight for a European nation to host the 2018 World Cup — at the expense of Australia, writes Matthew Hall.
Proof positive that K-Rudd does give a rat’s
Was the term rat fuck a surreal obscenity from a tired and frustrated PM who’d staked his reputation on climate action and a new relationship with China, writes Fully (sic) blogger Piers Kelly.
Daily Proposition: The other New Zealand wine
New Zealand sauvignon blanc has become Australian chardonnay’s biggest predator. And it’s only getting more threatening. So why not drink some NZ Pinot instead.
This day in Crikey: Tuesday, 10 June, 2008
Tuesday, 10 June, 2008, “Hillary concedes, let the contest begin”, by Guy Rundle.
Political snippets: Billionaires look out of place at RSPT rally
Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest did his best to disguise his billions by dressing like a common or garden mining worker. It didn’t work. Plus, a sleep update for Rudd and other business news.
Video of the Day: Everything from China is tainted by communism
A Californian school wants to teach Mandarin Chinese to its students and some parents are outraged. Why? Because everything from China is tainted with communism, says The Daily Show.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours: Stop the press
Which paper has been late the last few mornings, as the staff operating each of the five presses has been cut back from six to five personnel?
Crikey Says: People, rise up! For if not you, then who will think of the billionaires?
Sure, “Axe the Tax” has a certain ring to it, but what the miners really needed was a protest anthem.
We’re gonna need a bigger boat…
BP is collecting so much oil from its ruptured pipeline in the Gulf that it doesn’t have a big enough tanker to hold the captured black gold. Is Obama not doing enough to hold BP responsible?
Holmes: Getting to the source of it
Jonathan Holmes tells the story of his trip to Argentina in 1978 to report on government’s killings and kidnappings. A key witness appeared, but who could guarantee a source’s safety?
No more Chevy to the levee or the Chevy will die
General Motors is banning the use of “Chevy” as a nickname for Chevrolet, so as to have a consistent brand message. But since Chevy has wiggled its way into popular culture, the move mightn’t be a smart one.
Gaza: cake now allowed, freedom still banned
Israel has thrown a few scraps to Gaza in the form of cookies, soft drink and potato chips, with junk food now permitted through the Gaza blockade. But is this just a distraction from the flotilla attack?
Cut the comedy act, Kristina
Kristina Keneally is full of comedy gold in Question Time, like her jibes about the Opposition’s fashion sense. But with the state election set to be an ALP bloodbath, who’s laughing now? asks Sean Nicholls.
The journo who went diving in the oil spill
AP journalist Rich Matthews dives into the Gulf of Mexico oil spill — without a Hazmat suit — to get video footage from underwater. The thick oil is like cake batter and takes 30 minutes to scrub off.
No new New Matilda…yet
New Matilda editor Marni Cordell discusses the precarious future of the website: yes, it is still closing, unless a knight in shining armour appears very, very soon.
Why Britain should completely cut its armed forces
Britain spends £45 billion annually on Defence against “fantasy enemies”, says Simon Jenkins. Soldiers are no protection against terrorists.
Wal-Mart’s world dominantion
The average American isn’t the spend, spend, spend consumer it once was and retail sales reflect that. But retail giant Wal-Mart’s international operations are growing at a huge rate.
Is the internet destroying your concentration?
Even if you don’t click on a hyperlink, the neurons in your brain light up and think about whether or not you should click on it, writes W H Chong.
What’s a rat-fucker?
So Kevin Rudd called the Chinese delegation at Copenhagen the “rat-fucking Chinese” who tried to “rat-fuck” Australia. Rat-what? Piers Kelly explains the little known term.
Who gets Helen Thomas’ seat?
Retired journo Helen Thomas had the prime seat for White House press conferences: front row, centre. Now she’s gone, the battle is on the coveted chair, with Fox News the current frontrunner.
Sweeping away Bush’s crimes is tarnishing Obama
The revelations that the CIA under George Bush was engaged in human experimentation on detainees is not something that the Obama administration can just ignore, says Glenn Greenwald.
PM Abbott? It’ll never happen
Nobody in the Liberal Party wants to admit it, but Tony Abbott just doesn’t have the credentials to be prime minister. Abbott can’t recognise political realities and cut deals, writes Andrew Elder.
