The Smoke Fairies album Through Low Light and Trees is a beautiful dream in which so much of the music I love magically combined somewhere deep in my unconscious and came out just the way I wanted it, says Tim Dunlop, in his final album review for Johnny’s in the Basement.
November, 2010
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How the ALP went from a political juggernaut to a complete fiasco
One of the astonishing things about the federal election result is how the ALP managed to destroy such an enormous amount of public goodwill over such a relatively small time frame, writes Possum Comitatus.
Ay caramba! The Simpsons to hit 23 series, 500 episodes
Producers of The Simpsons have good reason to yell “woo-hoo!” — the show, still America’s longest running sitcom, has been given a green light for a 23rd season. The 500th episode is expected to be broadcast in February 2012.
Errr, what’s a Berlusconi bunga bunga?
Reports of orgies at Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi’s villa — dubbed bunga bunga sessions by Berlusconi — has thrilled the Italian press. The term supposedly come from Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi. But what does bunga bunga mean?
Richardson: Gillard has a lot of work to do
Labor bombed on climate change, rushed to the federal election with barely developed policies and then looked surprised when it blew up in its face. Gillard should take a leaf from the Bob Brown book of politics, declares Labor stalwart Graham Richardson.
Al Cappu-pacino a boon for coffee company
Hollywood star Al Pacino has been credited with creating a massive surge in business for Australian coffee company Vittoria, which hit record sales following the 70-year-old actor’s endorsements.
Dining with the enemy: Rupert and Media Matters do lunch
The CEO of Media Matters — a progressive media-monitoring organisation that is highly critical of Fox News — paid $86,000 for the chance to lunch with Rupert Murdoch. Uncle Rupert will pick up the bill though.
GOP endorsement: the secret to a hit TV show?
An American research company has compiled months of data that suggests a hit TV show is almost always linked to approval from people who vote Republican. The GOP even likes Desperate Housewives.
Theatre review: The Grenade — utterly conventional and thoroughly enjoyable
Playwright Tony McNamara’s production The Grenade, which was tried and tested at the Melbourne Theatre Company and has just arrived in Sydney, is an enjoyable lark that proves there is nothing wrong with a conventional play, writes Lloyd Bradford Skye.
Psst, Google TV: TV is about making money
Did Google really believe that the US TV networks would allow them to re-distribute their content through the Google TV service? Pretty naive of them if that is the case, says Dan Barrett.
Berlusconi, Caesar and the fall of great Roman lovers
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is not the first controversy magnet Rome has ever seen. He is the latest in a long line of scandal generating leaders, including Julius Caesar. The big question is: how will the Berlusconi reign end?
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Pobjie’s guide to the Victorian Election
Can’t tell your Brumbys from your Baillieus? Ben Pobjie clarifies the main players, the big issues and the height differences in the biggest state election held in Victoria in nearly a decade.
Deep seated oil fire confirmed as suspected cause of Qantas incident
The European Aviation Safety Agency has issued an emergency directive for Rolls-Royce Trent 900 series engines, saying a deep seated oil fire is the suspected cause of the incident on flight QF 32 on November 4, reports Ben Sandilands.
Wright: Over sideways and under on a (green) magic carpet ride
Bob Brown’s recent Melbourne Press Club address was a soaring stream of consciousness speech that smoothly segued between political issues and talking points. It was like going on a magic carpet ride, says Tony Wright.
A win for asylum seekers: but how big?
Crikey Media Wrap: The High Court ruled yesterday that two Sri Lankan asylum seekers were denied “procedural fairness” by the Migration Act, as they were processed offshore. Will it end offshore processing or instead lengthen the time it takes to process claims?
Why we need traffic light food labelling reform
Sydney lawyer Professor Roger Magnusson has investigated the merits of competing proposals for food labelling reform and discusses on Crikey’s heath blog Croakey why a traffic light model is the most successful for helping consumers identify healthy foods.
travel One Spanish November weekend: Gaudi vs the Pope
The topic of the day for the good citizens of Barcelona last weekend was the visit by the Pope to officially open the completed interior of Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, an event 128 years in the making. Dr Terry Cutler was there.
Mon dieu! Sarkozy spies on journalists
A French satirical weekly, Le Canard Enchainé, accused president Sarkozy of “supervising the spying of French journalists”, claiming that intelligence agencies were forced to investigate and monitor calls of journalists who were critical against the government.
Kohler: the Gillard regime is faceless no more
The men and women who work behind the scenes advising ministers and devising their policies, etc, definitely prefer to remain behind the scenes.
Employment data might give pause to hairshirt brigade — or not
The rise in unemployment is good news and bad news — good news because it reflects higher participation, but bad news because it confirms the domestic economy is still soft.
Beers on Rupert at the Burvale Victorian election forum
For a “people’s forum” littered with angst over anti-social behaviour, police crackdowns and binge drinking, there was perhaps no greater venue than Melbourne’s Burvale Hotel.
Crikey Clarifier: wading through the Wild Rivers laws
The Wild Rivers Act has been a contentious topic since it was introduced in 2005. Opposition leader Tony Abbott wants it scrapped, but Queensland premier Anna Bligh is standing firm. Crikey intern Cat Wall gets to the facts.
Phone tapping in the Top End: a loophole in the law, or just a ‘beat-up’?
NT police asked the NT News to reveal its sources of information about a specific leak from a serving officer in relation to a raid on the home of Darwin lord mayor Graham Sawyer. They declined. But there are worrying implications.
‘Populist bank-bashing’ gets another endorsement
The G20’s new rules on bank capital and liquidity further strengthen the case for an overhaul of domestic banking regulation.
High Court rules in favour of asylum seekers
A High Court ruling that two Sri Lankan asylum seekers were denied “procedural fairness” under the Migration Act will allow offshore arrivals to challenge their decision in Australian courts, says the instructing solicitor behind the case.
