Taking adversity on the chin, Ebert styleVeteran American film critic Roger Ebert, who lost much of his chin after a battle with thyroid cancer, explains on his online journal how and why he is returning to TV with a prosthetic replacement.
January, 2011
Angry Birds to hurtle from app to teev
The mega popular iPhone app Angry Birds, which has been downloaded more than 50 million times, is set to make a transition from the very small screen to the small screen, with a new animated show in the works, writes Michael Starr.
The books, they are a-comin’: Dylan signs deal
Legendary troubadour Bob Dylan will follow-up his 2004 memoirs Chronicles: Volume One with not one but five new books, according to The Telegraph. Dylan has signed a six book deal and his literary agent is reportedly seeking an eight figure sum.
Google to turn Page with replacement CEO
Google have announced a surprise change to upper management: current CEO and co-founder Eric Schmidt, who has held the job since 2001, will be replaced by fellow co-founder Larry Page, reports Roger Cheng.
Putting the coca back into cola
Bolivia has petitioned the UN to overturn a provision of the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires countries to eradicate the chewing of coca leaf, and have launched a new energy drink to coincide with the campaign.
film reviews Black Swan — dancing with brilliance
Writer/director Darren Aronofsky’s melodramatic psychosexual thriller Black Swan, which features a career best performance from Natalie Portman, is a chilling and precisely measured head trip about a tortured ballerina, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Violence in indigenous communities: tolerated and not disclosed
In some Australian Indigenous communities violence is so widespread there is an expectation that it is inevitable and is something to be tolerated and not disclosed, reads the grim conclusion to an Australian Institute of Criminology paper released this week, reports Richard Farmer.
Seeking Virginity: Air New Zealand buys into Virgin Blue
Air New Zealand’s pursuit of a stake in Virgin Blue comes at a time when Richard Branson, who owns 26% of the Australian airline, is working the European finance media with stories confirming that he is prepared to sell down his 51% stake in the UK flag carrier Virgin Atlantic, reports Ben Sandilands.
Re. “Media briefs: Gold Coast Bulletin editor branches out … new News of the World phone saga twist … Comcast & NBC merge…” (19 January 2011).
Former Executive Producer of Sunrise Adam Boland shovels the dirt on a Crikey story that took a dig at Sunrise’s Brisbane flood coverage.
Bowen’s Afghan memorandum: is it better for failed applicants?
Despite the rhetorical battle from both sides, there’s a question that needs to be asked — is it better to ensure people whose asylum applications have been rejected are sent home, instead of languishing in indefinite detention?
Qld floods: don’t mention climate change (or the ‘tiny’ emissions from coal)
As the floods in Queensland and Victoria gushed through homes, businesses and streets leaving tragedy behind, all of that murky water and grime sent moral compasses and other measures of taste and decency spinning in all directions.
Berlusconi temporarily out of ardor … is it curtains?
One of the most riveting dramas in international politics — that of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi — looks as if it might finally be nearing its climax.
Retailers and the loophole that wasn’t there
The retail lobby against the internet has successfully seeded the idea that there is a GST “loophole.” But no such loophole exists and and if they think it does, they’re in a lot of trouble.
The end of the road for lil’ Lleyton Hewitt?
Surely now, even the hyper-competitive little man from Adelaide — who has more than made up for his physical shortcomings in 14 years of Grand Slam tennis with an unparalleled strength of mind — must see the writing on the wall: his days of winning the biggest tournaments are over.
Maley: China’s changing taste for debt
Figures released on the eve of the Chinese presidential visit showed that China was a net seller of US government debt in November, although it still retained its position as the largest foreign creditor to the US., writes Karen Maley.
From party ice to rent, prices are up post-flood
From moveable houses to milk, Queenslanders are having to deal with higher prices on the essentials and more, writes Crikey intern Emma Buckley Lennox.
Cox: being a stamp is OK, but I’m still pushing the envelope
What does it feel like being a postage stamp? Odd, writes Eva Cox, who “accepted on behalf of the stirrers and advocates”. Even if she has to put up with the jokes about people licking her backside.
Letter from...: Letter from: Togo, a forgotten nation trying to forget its past
Liberation Day in the forgotten African nation of Togo celebrates a coup led by a solider who four years earlier was involved in the assassination of the nation’s first democratically-elected president. Clair MacDougall reports from Lomé on the simmering tensions.
GST $1000 threshold: retailers’ share in more trouble than Harvey’s image
Online purchasing, whether it is from Australian or foreign websites, will transform retail in the coming decades, delivering lower prices, greater choice and, almost inevitably, fewer local retail jobs, writes Dr Richard Denniss, executive director of The Australia Institute.
Planners say it’s time to take people out of flood-prone areas
With the flood waters subsiding, Queenslanders are beginning to think about rebuilding their towns and cities, with discussion from academics, politicians and urban planners on appropriate places to rebuild starting to rumble, writes Crikey intern Emma Buckley Lennox.
Ivory Coast double: a country with two presidents
Ivory Coast now has two governments, writes Rafiq Copeland, a freelance writer in northern Africa.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: To keel a Sunrise: shame Crikey shame
Crikey readers have their say.
Morning Market Report: The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ fall after yesterday’s gains
The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ, down 1% and 1.6% respectively, had their worst single-session losses in almost two months.
Check, mate: rediscovering the chess board
I grew up knowing I was no good at chess, but …, writes Crikey reader Jay Martin.
