September, 2010
Mercy kills: 5 TV shows needing a bullet
There are many TV shows that simply need to be ripped from the airwaves, says Dan Barrett, as he offers up the five he’d send to the executioners, including cult hit Weeds and Aussie music show Spicks and Specks.
Australia maintains world class employment rate
New data released from the ABS paints a very positive picture for Australia: last month the national unemployment rate fell to 5.1 per cent, with more than 53,000 full time jobs created.
Rice’s tweets reveal the real homophobes
Swimmer Stephanie Rice may have tweeted “faggots”, but the real homophobia lies in sponsors who refuse to support openly gay athletes, like Olympic gold medal-winning diver Matthew Mitcham, says Steve Hind.
PHOTO GALLERY What superheroes look like when they get old
Want to see Batman as wheelchair clad old codger? Spider-Man on a drip-feed? Check out How to be a Retronaut’s amusing series of illustrations of over-the-hill superheroes.
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How old is the average Facebook user?
You might think Facebook is just for tweens and young folk. You would be wrong. The average age of a Facebook user is just 38, while younger people are more likely to use social media than email.
Obama amps up anti-Republican rhetoric
In the final weeks before the US midterm elections, Barack Obama has delivered his most stinging speech so far in the campaign, attempting to persuade voters that the Republicans are dogged defenders of the rich and prosperous.
Why Clinton is better than Obama
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the best speech of the entire Obama administration last week, when she spoke of “a new American moment”. She would have made a far better president, argues Tunku Varadarajan.
Christchurch quake shakes up some positive press for young’uns
The “yoof” of today are often unfairly maligned as drunken reckless ruffians. One of the positive things to come out of Christchurch’s earthquake has been the generation of some positive press about young people, writes Sarah Green.
Barrels of laughs at new conservative comedy channel
Just in case Fox News wasn’t amusing enough, a new conservative entertainment channel called RightNetwork launched in the US yesterday, with Frasier star Kelsey Grammer as its public face.
An unlikely ménage à trois: Google, Apple and Dylan
The launch of Google’s new instant search function is likely to rankle Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and not just because it steals the techie headlines. To help sell it Google has used one of Jobs’ idols, Bob Dylan, and his iconic Subterranean Homesick Blues video clip.
Film review: Boy – a sweet and endearing NZ dramedy
The most successful New Zealand film of all time is this modest humdinger from director Taika Waititi, who mixes comedy with pathos to create a highly memorable experience, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Pacific bloodbath may continue for Virgin Blue
Bad news this morning for a cornerstone of Virgin Blue’s plans to become a profitable long haul carrier, with the US Department of Transportation proposing to reject its intended trans-Pacific joint venture with Delta, writes Ben Sandilands.
Gillard was the right choice for education
Now that Julia Gillard is re-elected Labor can pursue its education agenda with renewed gusto and maybe even achieve some results. In terms of education programs she was the right choice, says Maralyn Parker.
Maiden: The Bishop death stare strikes again
News that Andrew Robb was to challenge Julia Bishop for the Liberal deputy position had Canberra abuzz yesterday. But just hours later the story was crushed, as Bishop continues to live up to her cockroach nickname, writes Samantha Maiden.
Wilson: Oakeshott is Australia’s newest Big Brother contestant
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott is a johnny-come-lately who talks loud but is quick to disappoint. He’s like an initially popular Big Brother contestant you soon stop voting for, says Rebecca Wilson.
Cracks emerge in the Labor-Greens alliance
Crikey Media Wrap: Yesterday Labor wouldn’t have been happy to hear Bob Brown raise the prospect that the Greens and the Coalition may side on some issues. Already the so called “rainbow alliance” isn’t looking so colourful.
great read 
Rise of the mega city
The planet now has over 20 cities with a population of 10 million. Check out Global Post’s five part series on Dhaka, Bangladesh, the fastest growing city in the world. With urbanisation comes poverty, slums and pollution.
It’s this secret place, you’ve probably never heard of it
There’s a special joy in finding a secret travel destination that no one else knows about. Sure, sharing it does slightly dull your smug grin, but you can’t lay claim to a beautiful spot. So spill your travel secrets…
Book people face audience verdict: “Boring”
While Rome fiddles, book people burn. A brief illustrated report on a small but critical event beyond Canberra, by W H Chong.
Which journo dropped the f-bomb during the live Oakeshott presser?
It was the talk of Canberra yesterday — not Julia Gillard, but which journalist dropped the f-bomb during the all-important, broadcast-live press conference with Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott.
Top five regrets from people on their deathbeds
When confronted with their own mortality, people have a tendency to look back and reflect on their lives. Some common themes emerge; here are the top five according to Inspiration and Chai.
Julia’s chance to fix Labor and pursue New Politics
Julia Gillard has been handed an opportunity to fix Labor’s problems while pursuing a new agenda forced on her by the hung Parliament.
Iceland-Australia relations freeze over WikiLeaks sex case
Birgitta Jónsdóttir, the Icelandic MP who caused a stir this week by discussing the r-pe investigation against Julian Assange, claims she was misquoted, writes Luke Miller.
The potential for renewables in regional Oz
Yesterday Australia took one step out of the quagmire of pollution politics, where scare campaigns and excessive claims for assistance from many of the big polluters influenced both the politics and the outcomes, writes John Connor, CEO of The Climate Institute.
