Croakey health blogger Melissa Sweet presents a summary of recent media coverage of health related issues, particularly on Twitter and in The Australian.
May, 2011
Spanish revolution ‘the crazy ones’ vid goes viral
A YouTube video in support of protesters currently lining the streets of Spain has gone viral, attracting nearly 300,000 views in three days. The protests are largely populated by young people worried about employment, according to The Independent.
Why do humans have zits?
Having pimples is part of what separates us from the animals (with the exception of Mexican hairless dogs). The curse of the zit arguably hit humans due to evolution — particularly because we lost some of our ape-like qualities too early, writes Jesse Bering.
Must-read journalism from 2010
Awards season in journalism is just about done and dusted, but The Atlantic associate editor Conor Friedersdorf nevertheless weighs in with his selection of nearly 100 pieces of quality non-fiction.
Another dirty coal plant approved
The approval by the Victorian EPA on Friday of a new coal power station is set to create yet another headache for Julia Gillard, since she promised no more would be built, writes John Hepburn.
theatre reviews How To Kill Your Husband — Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne
Victorian Opera’s new tortuously domestic quasi-operetta stands as more of a musical achievement than a theatrical one. It’s sweetly accessible but still jolts the audience out of their comfort zones, writes Jason Whittaker.
Is Qantas about to get done over dinners?
Today’s ambush-by-trolley for unsuspecting Virgin Australia economy class travellers on higher fares, who were served free meals and drinks, is the latest move to turn Virgin Blue into Qantas, writes Ben Sandilands.
Game-in-a-Box: Roosters hold off the Knights
It was a very dour first half with the Roosters just hovering into the domination zone for most of the half. The Roosters vs Knights NRL ended as a close and exciting game, writes Pat Byrne.
An African education in Accra
When Claire Chaffey’s housemate came home from work with a human tooth lodged in the sole of her shoe, it became obvious that ‘just another day in Accra, Ghana’ wasn’t a normal day at all.
Flanders 4 Krabappel? The Simpsons let the audience decide
In its 486th episode, recently aired in the US, The Simpsons creators had something a different in mind: the audience have been asked to vote online whether they want two of the characters to become romantically entangled, writes Matt Smith.
The Point Lowly desal plant that’s got SA squabbling
BHP Billiton refuses to back down from its controversial plans to build a desalination plant at Point Lowly, South Australia, despite fears of significant environmental damage, explains Esther Ooi.
Announcing Presidential nominations the YouTube way
The former two term governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty has ordained the internet as a major political campaign tool by choosing YouTube to confirm he will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for President, writes Richard Farmer.
aviation industry Will investors now pose a higher risk than unions to Qantas/Jetstar management?
With news of a ‘freeze’ on the Jetstar part time contract offer the chances that Qantas group operations will be impacted by lawful or ‘protected’ strike action before the end of this financial year continue to diminish, writes Ben Sandilands.
Essential Research: 53-47 to Coalition
The latest Essential Research poll has the Coalition lead at 53-47, up from 52-48 last week. Labor is down to a primary vote of 34 percent, writes William Bowe.
Is Gillard terminal or not?, the new $10b Aussie, considering a carbon budget, Simons on innovation in journalismEssential: voters back Labor on welfare, support grows for carbon tax
Support for a carbon price has risen again, and voters are happy to see high-income earners face a Budget shave on middle-class welfare.
Innovation in journalism: the age of the search engine
If the theme of the decades after the invention of the Gutenberg printing press was “publish”, the theme of today might well be “search”.
Commission’s call for carbon budget beyond political belief
The Critical Decade report released today by the Climate Commission calls for a “fresh approach” to setting emission reduction targets, in particular by using a global “carbon budget”. But what does that mean for Australia?
Is Julia Gillard terminal?
Some Labor MPs think Julia Gillard’s leadership is dead in the water. Others think she can turn it around. The solution is the same in both cases.
A free feed, drink on Virgin no longer pie in the sky
Large numbers of Virgin passengers flying interstate today on its more costly or flexible economy fares found themselves getting “free” meals, and “free” beer or wine after 4pm.
Who shut down the policy debate at Vic Labor conference?
Senior Left sources inside the Victorian ALP have accused conservative forces aligned to the Shop Assistants union of “breathtaking hypocrisy” for shutting down debates on gay marriage and asylum seekers.
Our filthy rich miners — and the new $10b Aussie
This year, the top of the rich list — like the rest of the Australian economy — will be transformed by the resources sector.
Crikey Clarifier: What is an expert witness?
Just a couple of weeks ago Senator Julian McGauran called for expert witness Professor Graham Burrows to be sacked from his job. In the process he raised a series of questions about the role of expert witnesses in the courts.
Por fin, the Spanish protest unemployment with a touch of fiesta
It’s been dubbed the “Spanish Revolution”, reminiscent of the workers uprising and social revolution in Spain during the civil war in the 1930s. The sad thing is, most of the thousands filling the streets of Spain in recent days are only wannabe workers.
New disclosures: NoW phone-hacking scandal just gets bigger
The News Of The World phone-hacking scandal — described as a “conspiracy” by the London High Court judge assessing some test cases — worsens by the week after more weekend disclosures.
