Thousands of Oprah fans are screaming for their idol (and celebrity guests including Jay-Z, Bon Jovi and Russell Crowe) at the renamed “Oprah House” in Sydney this morning. So just how big is the American multi-media gigastar? Crikey runs the numbers…
December, 2010
Swan’s mousey bank plan the nastiest extension of taxpayer support
The whole argument over banks is a charade confected in Canberra by Joe Hockey, Tony Abbott and the gutless Gillard government, along with the cynical, scheming Greens.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: WikiLeaks and a whole-of-government-taskforce
Crikey readers have their say.
Morning Market Report: Commodities rally as China holds rates
China decided to leave rates on hold for now causing a rally in commodities.
Daily Proposition: See a sweaty, claustrophobic thriller
Set during the 1982 Lebanon War and based entirely inside a tank, Israeli filmmaker Samuel Moaz’s Lebanon is the second single-setting war movie released in 2010.
Media briefs: Courier Mail in a spin … early Globes picks …
The spin on Hauritz’s sale. Yesterday, The Courier Mail had a scoop on its back page — dumped Test spinner Nathan Hauritz was selling his cricketing wares, resigned, apparently, to never donning the baggy green again: “In a scene both normal and bizarre, there was Australia’s premier spin bowler sitting in front of a cardboard box on […]
Political snippets: Assange shows his class
Every new publication by WikiLeaks is bringing in more donations to help the organisation keep functioning.
Video of the Day: The Assassination of Yogi Bear
Are you itching to see the new Yogi Bear movie? Have you ordered your tickets? No, neither have we, and we assume this terrific unofficial alternate ending inspired by The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is a thousand times better than the real deal.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
Who wants to head up CPR? Labor lobbying firm CPR is in need of resuscitation following the removal of founder and chairman Adam Kilgour by troubled parent company Photon a few months ago. Several high-profile competitors have been approached in recent weeks by Photon with lucrative offers to head up the firm, but it seems […]
Star witnesses to front court in Simon Artz Oz leaks case
The Office of Police Integrity has been dealt a savage blow in its case against Victoria Police officer Simon Artz, after Magistrate Jack Vandersteen allowed all 12 contested witnesses to be cross-examined when the saga heads to trial next year.
Crikey Says: Who do you trust?
There is a trust gap between public broadcasting (especially the ABC) and commercial media. And it’s substantial.
PHOTO GALLERY 
The best news photos of the year
As the year comes to an end and the “best of” lists begin, check out Reuters pick of its 55 best news photos from 2010, from refugees desperate for food to grieving families at military funerals. Even more fascinating, the photographers explain the stories behind each startling frame.
Where does one US$10 bill go in a month?
Using the old “follow the money” Watergate adage, journalist Steve Boggan followed a US $10 note around the country for 30 days and 30 nights. From hunting to churches and diners, it tells a fascinating tale of the US economy.
Psycho-genital affinities and political correctness
W H Chong offended some readers when he wrote that the most sensible comment about Julian Assange’s rape case came from his son Daniel. In his rebuttal Chong discusses political correctness and how our opinions are inevitably coloured by factors such as religio-ideological beliefs and “psych-genital affinities.”
Crikey readers’ choice awards 2010
Who were the heroes, the villains and the just plain boring-if-sexy people of 2010? Nominate now!
Twitter 
Keeping the spammers at bay: five words to avoid on Twitter
Twitter is not impervious to the threat posed by those morally depraved cretins we call “spammers,” but there are certain techniques one can use to avoid dodgy users. These include not tweeting words such as “credit card” and “lonely,” writes Lauren Dugan.
Assange’s rape case a setback for women
The media, the public and just about everybody with half a brain understands that the rape charges made against at Julian Assange are more like a little iffy. In fact they reek of political opportunism and that hurts women around the world, writes former sex crimes prosecutor Wendy Murphy.
Foreclosures make the figures “better”
Negative equity in their housing loans is affecting 10.8 million, or 22.5 percent, of all residential properties with mortgages in the United States according to an overnight report from CoreLogic, writes Richard Farmer
Fairfax shamelessly pushing real estate industry’s interests
A bank that would profit handsomely from stamp duty being cut (because, perhaps counter-intuitively, such a cut would actually increase house prices) releases some self-interested “research” and The Age just repeats it uncritically, explains Jeremy Sear.
film reviews Lebanon — white knuckle single setting war
Set during the 1982 Lebanon War and based entirely inside a tank, Israeli filmmaker Samuel Moaz’s Lebanon is a tense, twitchy, sweat ‘n’ stink soaked film that makes for uncomfortable and occasionally thrilling viewing, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Throw some caution in your coffee: it’s not quite a health tonic
A new Nescafe advertising campaign running in the Medical Observer trumpets the supposed health benefits of drinking coffee. But beware: the coffee industry is very good at promoting health claims but it’s the overall pattern of consumption that matters, writes Melissa Sweet.
The federal Health Department’s document dump
What does the Department of Health and Ageing’s brief to the incoming government tell us about the state-of-play on health reform? Questions about the detail and implementation of reform remain unanswered, particularly regarding primary health care, reports Rebecca de Boer.
