Maverick makes a comebackAfter looking like it was nearly retirement time, US Senator John McCain heads to the primaries with good odds and a rebound in popularity. But will his recent lurch to the right — particularly in regard to immigration — affect his future?
August, 2010
Why I’m glad that I suffer from horrible depression
Depression is a heart-breaking, soul-destroying disease. But it’s not all bad. One man tells of how his battle with depression allows creativity and a chance to actually feel something.
Film review: Tomorrow, When the War Began — on track to become an Aussie classic
John Marsden’s Australian invasion novel generated record sales, six sequels and now a slick big screen adaption from writer/director Stuart Beattie, who does a fine job bringing the book to cinematic life, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Where did all the helium go?
American scientists have warned that the earth’s supply of helium - the world’s #1 non-renewable balloon-inflating resource - is rapidly depleting. This is ominous news not just for children’s parties but also for hospitals, which rely on helium for MRI scanners.
What you read in magazines is bullsh*t
Right now Jezebel are battling legal threats to remove untouched photos of Jennifer Aniston from its website. But it says readers need to be aware of how much celebrity women are photoshopped.
Australia comes out in support of World Cup Gay Rugby
Australia’s bid to host the 2012 World Cup of Gay Rugby has been greeted with widespread support, including endorsement from politicians, rugby union legends and a thumbs up from the nation’s oldest and most traditional clubs.
A federal election needs big picture issues
This election has been run like a state election with a focus on small, local issues, not national and global ones. Tony Abbott may have ‘won’ the election, but that doesn’t mean he’ll win the government, says Dennis Altman.
News journalism and the rise of the app
The business model of mainstream journalism failed to capitalize on the rise of the internet, but now the advent of smartphone and tablet PC apps may be giving the industry a second chance - but you wouldn’t want to bet on it, writes Adrian Monck.
Megalogenis: Meet the three Australias
We’ve got progressive Australia, conservative Australia and one who doesn’t like either option. Who can blame them, writes George Megalogenis.
Oil, blood and lower taxes: the billionaire brothers’ battle against Obama
Oil billionaires David and Charles Koch, staunch advocates for radically lower corporate and personal taxes, are bankrolling a concerted and largely under the radar effort to oust Obama and “take back America.”
Gillard may sneak over the line
Daily Media Wrap: Three days since the election and the job of PM is still up for grabs. Who is best placed to manage a minority government?
Did ALP state governments impact the federal vote?
One of the big questions floating around at the moment is whether ALP state government and parliamentary performance had an impact on the federal election results. Possum Comitatus finds some hard to argue with comparisons.
Video: Ground Zero anti-Muslim rally
Tensions continue to flare in American as anti-Muslim advocates take to the streets. This confronting video of a rally at Ground Zero depicts an African American man harangued by the crowd.
At least Gillard never played the gender card
The press may have created the odd meaningless report about Julia Gillard’s wardrobe, but the PM admirably avoided gender stereotypes throughout the campaign. This stands as one of her greatest achievements and is a victory in itself, writes Julia Baird.
Karaoke, capitalism and cold beer in China
An anonymous reader tells the tale of his trip to China to visit his father, with a bustling new economy, warm beer, dodgy planes and a dash of melancholic karaoke.
Crabb: How will this pan out?
Don’t think it’s obvious that the three independents with the balance of power will automatically support the Coalition. Annabel Crabb explores their murky political relationships.
Electorate send a message on climate change
The Australian electorate have chosen wisely by not choosing at all. The delivery of a hung parliament presents, for the first time in living memory, an opportunity to deal with the substantive policy issues that have been ignored in this campaign. This is something the three conservative independents, Bob Katter, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, […]
Does GG Quentin Bryce have a conflict of interest?
Law experts are split over the perceived conflict-of-interest between Governor-General Quentin Bryce and Labor MP Bill Shorten, as the constitutional impasse after Saturday’s election result looms large.
Australia can’t plug WikiLeaks saga
Australia is shaping up as a key player in the WikiLeaks saga, with explosive new allegations over the weekend that an Australian intelligence figure warned WikiLeaks about an impending character assassination campaign.
Parliament is hanging, but the economy won’t fall: economists
Australian stocks have failed to fall off a cliff this morning, despite the dire predictions of the conservative elements of the Australian media that suggested a hung parliament would create mayhem on the market.
Parliament hangs on a broadband fibre
Who ends up governing Australia will depend on how three, maybe four independent MPs and The Greens view broadband. Early indications are that the independents will favour Labor’s publicly-funded, publicly-owned National Broadband Network.
Power is within reach for Abbott
There’s plenty of bad blood between the three independents and the National Party. But that’s no impediment for them to back the Coalition.
Poll bludger: minority government and the rise of the greens
Minority government was a frequent occurrence in the first half of the twentieth century, and has undergone a renaissance as the major parties’ share of the vote has declined in the past two decades.
How the rest of the world digested Oz election 2010
The Australian media is confused enough, but how did the rest of the world explain the Australian federal election which so far has no winner? Like in Australia, the major media narrative focused either on the collapse of the ALP’s popularity in recent months or Tony Abbott’s strength in leading the Liberal Party. After Saturday’s […]
The Crikey contest goes down to the wire
Our Crikey Election Contest can match the election proper for being described in cliches. The outcome is a real cliffhanger.
