“Day-to-day adult supervision no longer needed!” tweeted Google CEO Eric Schmidt early this morning Australian time as the company announced that Larry Page would take over in April. So without a chaperone, what now for the Google kids in charge?
January, 2011
Letter from...: Letter from: Belize, beating the drum for Garifuna culture
While legendary Garifuna drum maker Austin Rodriguez has all but retired, the heart of Garifuna culture is still beating strong in his thatched-roof workshop in southern Belize. Inga Ting reports from southern Belize.
My Cup Of Tea: No surprise arts journalism is languishing
The shoddy state of the profession is disappointing, but hardly surprising for those who have actually worked as arts journalists. Arts journalists are a motley crew, to say the least.
Media briefs: Roddick slams Channel Seven … beautiful one day …
Tennis star Andy Roddick delivered a backhand to Channel Seven’s coverage of the Australian Open, after it chose to broadcast the Alicia Molik vs. Nadia Petrova match after it had already finished. Plus other media news of the day.
Labor’s lazy levy
There’s something faintly absurd about a government with a budget loaded with superfluous spending and the lowest debt levels in the developed world insisting that it needs a new tax to pay for the impact of natural disasters.
Queensland bar protests over sitting judge just sour grapes?
Appointing a sitting judge to chair Queensland’s Royal Commission on the Queensland floods could blur the separation of powers between the executive and judiciary, says an expert in public inquiry. While another legal world watcher says complaints from the Bar could be just a case of barristers “beating their own drum”.
Bartholomeusz: hollow threats over NSW energy
The threat by the NSW Liberals and Greens to undo the Labor government’s privatisation of some of its energy assets is almost certainly empty and, more to the point, probably misconceived.
Caring for older Australians: a rethink on funding and facilities
A Productivity Commission draft report into caring for older Australians recommends a rethink on how aged care facilities are funded and how residents pay for their accommodation. Emma Buckley Lennox looks at the submissions.
Sudan and Tunisia — a rock and hard place
As the southern half of Sudan awaits official confirmation of their vote for independence, the Arab world to the north is reeling after Tunisia’s popular revolt and presidential toppling, writes Rafiq Copeland from northern Africa>
Floods aside, just how compassionate is Australia?
We do want a compassionate society. We do believe in the fair go, writes health economist Professor Gavin Mooney.
David Williamson: no apology for my play, but for my generation
After Crikey’s scathing review of David Williamson’s Don Parties On, the celebrated playwright hits back: he’s not apologising for his new play, but he will apologise for his generation.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Is it possible to have a natural disaster that is no one’s fault?
Correction In the article “Planners say it’s time to take people out of flood-prone areas” (yesterday, item 8), Brian Stewart was referred to as “CEO of the Planning Institute of Australia”. Brian is in fact CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Australia (Queensland). The suggestion in the Crikey article that unsuccesfull Afghan asylum seekers […]
Morning Market Report: China to raise interest rates to slow economy?
Stronger then expected economic figures out of China yesterday increased concerns that Chinese authorities will raise interest rates to slow down the economy. Initial and continuous claims came in better than expected.
Daily Proposition: See the insane genius of Black Swan
Writer/director Darren Aronofsky’s melodramatic psychos-xual thriller Black Swan plunges viewers into a familiar storytelling context — the blurry line between genius and insanity, this time tightroped by a self-consuming ballerina — and stretches its nightmarish hyper reality to damn near breaking point. By the sin of ambition, wrote Shakespeare, “fell the angels”, and the film comes close to falling […]
Political snippets: Richard Farmer’s chunky bits: Global warming and the Oz … don’t read all about it
For a paper whose editor Chris Mitchell says it really does believe in climate change, there has been very little coverage in The Australian of the three organisations that have recently found that 2010 was the warmest year on record or at least close to it.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
VCAT has some swearing to do. More than 300 members of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal have not taken an oath of office. Yet 4500-odd justice of the peace have. Are you hording illegal wattle? The AG’s office is calling for public submissions into its consultation on model drug schedules for Commonwealth serious drug […]
Crikey Says: Searing political commentary
US-China experts are calling it the most important US visit by a Chinese leader since Deng Xiaoping’s groundbreaking 1979 tour. Who said the standard of political discourse in the US was slipping?
2010 the equal warmest year on record, says the WMO
The Geneva based World Meteorological Organization has determined that 2010 temperature data confirm the Earth’s significant long-term warming trend. The year 2010 ranked as the equal warmest year on record, writes Richard Farmer.
podcast Pure Poison podcast: it’s a small world
Does Imre Saluzinsky understand the term global? Why do the armed forces in Afghanistan need so much Viagra? Answers to these questions and more on this week’s Pure Poison Podcast.
The funny business of high profile faux pas
While warming up the crowd for Chinese President Hu Jintao’s only policy address in the US, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent made a big boo-boo by ending his toast with the Japanese word “kanpai,” reports Michael Forsythe.
Video of the Day: Jon Stewart tries to lure Glenn Beck
After right-wing shock jock Glenn Beck name-dropped The Daily Show host Jon Stewart while defending himself against accusations of spreading violent political rhetoric, Stewart responded by imploring Beck to visit his program — or, in his words, to “come on Jon Stewart”. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Two Established Television […]
Is China playing favourites with Chicago?
Chinese President Hu Jintao’s trip to America includes a visit to Chicago, but why? Other cities like New York or Houston are just as appropriate, if not more. Evan Osnos explains why Chicago appears on the itinerary.
