Today, summer officially begins, meaning the cricket season — led by The Ashes — is finally here. The money is on Australia to win the first test and Leigh Josey gives you the players to watch.
November, 2010
When advertising overrides editorial
An absolute shocker by The Age this morning. Hopefully part of the latest ‘transformation plan’ at Fairfax includes remembering that news should always over-ride advertising, writes Dave Gaukroger.
The fight for Melbourne
The latest polling for inner city Melbourne. Plus, a fascinating look at how voters respond “worm-style” to Victorian election ads, with Liberal voters reacting far more positively about their own side’s advertising than Labor was about theirs, says William Bowe.
And financial regulators wonder why smart people don’t trust them…
It was only back in July that the international financial regulators gave the major Irish banks the tick of approval. Fast forward four months and it’s a very different Ireland, notes Richard Farmer.
Xenophon extracts NBN plan from govt
Crikey Media Wrap: Despite the government previously insisting that its NBN business plan could not be released, Julia Gillard and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy finally coughed it up yesterday after pressure from independent senator Nick Xenophon.
Murray Murmurings Should we think of farmers as we do teachers?
In the latest of the Murray Murmurings series, Professor Chris Miller talks about the need for a Basin Investment Fund, created by the government, to held fund and engage local rural communities, mixing local knowledge with scientific knowledge.
aviation industry How Airservices Australia nearly killed 443 people
Crikey’s aviation blog Plane Talking has a by-the-second account of how an inadequately trained and supervised air traffic controller came close to killing a combined total of 443 persons 60 kilometres south-east of Mildura on September 3 last year.
Betting the Hilfenhaus on a swinging Ashes series
Watch out for Australian swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus this AShes, writes Cricinfo’s Peter English, for in an age when bowlers hurl the ball into the pitch, Hilfenhaus comes from an older era and starts every innings by trying to swing the new ball.
When Mark Webber as a teen sitcom star
Well Mark Webber was never actually in a teen sitcom, but Jalopnik has uncovered a series of remarkable historical photos taken on January 4, 2001, during a very different era of Formula One — an era when a young Mark Webber was only dreaming of a successful F1 career.
Brisbane set to determine tone of The Ashes
A good start in Brisbane on Thursday — the First Test of The Ashes — is likely to lead to a good middle and a good end for whichever side takes the lead, writes The Guardian’s Barney Ronay.
Tiger Woods, one year on…
So how does Tiger Woods rediscover repose? First, there are the things he must stop doing: Stop talking. Stop apologizing. Stop explaining. Stop promising. It’s creepy and defeating, writes Esquire’s Tom Chiarella.
An NBA player visualisation
Sports blog
Who are the NBA’s most overpaid players?
Forbes crunches the numbers to find out, on a statistical basis, which NBA players are the most blatantly overpaid.
The Top 10 vainglorious footballers in the world
Who are the footballers who shout “look ate me!”? Who Ate all the Pies has a list.
Fairfax’s ‘culture of losing’: analysts rip apart slow transformation
Leading media analysts have savaged Fairfax CEO Brian McCarthy’s five-year plan to save the ailing publisher from the scrapheap, rounding on yesterday’s investor briefing they say amounted to little more than an organisational chart change.
Victorian gaming minister slams NSW pollies and industry
After a lot of viral and video promotion involving Tim Costello and Nick Xenophon, it was remarkable to have the Victorian election campaign’s pokies forum in Melbourne yesterday with not a single person from the media turning up.
Hoges, dodging the ATO, expecting a smaller tax bill
The Crime Commission yesterday waved the white flag in its fight against Australian entertainment icon Paul Hogan and his manager and mate John Cornell. But Hogan isn’t exactly in the clear yet with the other Wickenby authorities, says Chris Seage.
International TV service should be left to die, not put to tender
Our international television service costs $20m a year and has no discernible impact. Now we’re going to extend it for a decade.
Korea on the brink: war unlikely, but Kim Jong Il Jnr off the leash
While the recent action by the North Koreans is serious — as serious as it has been for a long time — Korean relations expert Danielle Chubb says it’s important to take a step back and ask what the immediate causes for this action may be.
Guy Rundle: Rundle: Ireland failing as economic woes turn to political upheaval
Ireland is edging closer to political uproar today, with Taoiseach (i.e. prime minister for goddsake) Brian Cowen being accused of “clinging to power”, and rumours that members of his own party, Fianna Fail, may vote against him.
Liquid explosive scanners at airport leave way open for other attacks
There will be tens of thousands of opportunities at all domestic and international terminals in Australia today for baggage handlers, cleaners, caterers, retailers, refuellers, police officers and security company staff to pass bombs, guns, knives, and vials of germs to passengers once they have passed through the security checks.
Schwab to Joye: I have 50 grand to say house price will be lower in real terms
Adam Schwan throws down a $50,000 gauntlet to Chris Joys.
Political snippets: Swan and the OZ strange bedfellows
Treasurer Wayne Swan cannot be accused of preaching to the converted by taking his thoughts on the future of the Labor Party to the op-ed pages of The Australian.
Fairfax has ’4 years max’ to steady the ailing ship
Yesterday’s Fairfax revamp is being viewed on the newsroom that the changes were flawed, rushed, not well thought through, with little attention to detail.
‘Careless’ governance at Meanjin: former ed on the storied journal
To lose one editor is a misfortune; to lose two or three, damned careless. So said Jim Davidson, a former Meanjin editor, who had some pointed words for the current management. W.H. Chong was there.
