In a column in The Weekend Australian former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie described his decision to get screened for prostate cancer as “an easy choice.” But it isn’t and he should have known better, says Dr Norman Swan.
January, 2011
book reviews 
Mining the classics: The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Originally published as two autobiographical novels in the 30’s, The Berlin Stories focuses on characters encountered by author Christopher Isherwood. The stories make for colourful and fascinating reading and the book deserves every bit of its status as a classic, writes Angela Meyer.
All villains and no heroes: everyone’s guilty on Wall Street
The Finding Crisis Inquiry’s Commission into actions on Wall Street that led to the global financial crisis appears to have taken inspiration from Murder on the Orient Express: everyone’s guilty. They partied hard and the hangover was horrible, writes Susanne Craig and Ben Protess.
film reviews True Grit — authentically hard-boiled
No working American filmmakers are as prolific, diverse and consistently impressive as the inimitable Coen Brothers, whose latest film starring Jeff Bridges as a one-eyed whiskey guzzling law enforcer provides terrific viewing, writes Luke Buckmaster.
Queensland floods What does a 1.8 billion levy look like?
Labor’s “Great Big New Levy” is certain to generate commentary and controversy, but what does a $1.7 billion levy look like in the context of the wider economy? It looks, well, minuscule, which makes you wonder why the government even bothered, writes Possum Comitatus.
Flood levy: the best packaging from Labor for a long while
The Prime Minister has switched the Government’s campaign for a flood recovery levy from a fiscal to an economic focus, arguing it is critical to ensuring the recovery effort doesn’t drive inflation and skill shortages, reports Bernard Keane.
Pentagon red faced over WikiLeaks suspect
The US Department of Defence suffered another damaging leak this week when NBC learnt the government’s chief suspect in the WikiLeaks case could not be tied to Julian Assange by its own investigation, writes Harley Dennett, in Washington DC.
Jetstar … are you being served? Well, yes, but only sometimes
Passengers flying economy who make connections from full-service airlines to Jetstar will continue on “selected” flights to get meals and the same free baggage allowance as they took for granted on their non-Jetstar flights.
What does Australia Day mean for the ‘iPod generation’?
Most of my peers don’t buy into the pageantry of Australia Day. They might enjoy their day off, get drunk on Aussie beer and wine and eat lamb, pavlova and lamingtons, but they’re uncomfortable with conspicuous nationalism.
McGuire Supreme Court challenge could expose Broady branch stacks
This morning’s backing by CFMEU overlord Bill Oliver of a Supreme Court challenge to block the ALP National Executive’s parachuting of Frank McGuire into John Brumby’s seat of Broadmeadows is almost certain to founder and will instead shine a light on the electorate’s notorious history of branch stacking, party insiders say.
NASA climate chief: Labor’s targets a ‘recipe for disaster’
NASA climate expert James Hansen says that the Australian government goals of limiting human-made warming to 2 degrees and CO2 to 450 ppm are prescriptions for disaster, writes author David Spratt
Community sector excluded from flood disaster talks
Some important voices are missing in talks on how to fund the national response to the floods, writes Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO, Australian Council of Social Service.
Egyptians online and on the streets, but a US ally stands firm
“This is the beginning of an uprising,” Mohamed ElBaradei reportedly told Al Jazerra yesterday. ElBaradei has been dubbed Egypt’s “reluctant revolutionary” and is viewed as the man who could help topple an oppressive regime.
Female MPs: you’re either a mum, or the owner of an empty fruit bowl
Far more than men, female politicians have their political identities framed around their family and relationship situation.
How does Gillard the Oz day orator stack up with former PMs?
How did Julia Gillard’s Australia Day speech stack up with those of her predecessors? Crikey spoke with Joel Deane, a poet, novelist and former chief speechwriter for Premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby.
Inside the hive-mind
Anonymous is supposed to be a “juvenile” “underground hate group”. A look at its operations reveals a complex and thoughtful movement that is unlike traditional real-world activism.
Kohler: the cost of our surplus obsession
The Australian Prime Minister is too worried about the fiscal balance and the US President is not worried enough.
Google, Demand Media, Lance Armstrong and ‘the worst IPO of the year’
What do cyclist Lance Armstrong, “content farmer” Demand Media and Google have in common? Read on.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: The youngest person ever elected to parliament in Australia
Crikey readers have their say.
Daily Proposition: Read an illuminated (and bizarre) novel
To call your novel “illuminated” is a dangerous thing. Five Wounds’ claim holds with it the expectation that it should be something beyond a typical read. And it is, says writer and blogger Lyndon Riggall.
Media briefs: BBC to trim World Service … how the US covered our floods …
How did the United States press cover the deadly floods in Brazil and Australia? Plus, a supermarket censors Elton John’s icky gay parenting, Men’s Health editor plagiarizes his own writers and other media news of the day.
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Anna Bligh continues to draw headlines
Julia Gillard reclaims her mantle atop the table which, in a sign of the times, is led by women, writes Media Monitors’ John Chalmers.
Video of the Day: Obama’s State of the Union address
During his second State of the Union address yesterday Barack Obama canvassed a broad range of topics including clean energy, the war in Afghanistan and America’s economic recovery.
