Distance is for the bold, writes Cam Hassard, in a candid and poignant reflection on the hefty emotional load synonymous with long distance relationships.
June, 2011
Homelessness in Melbourne: food for thought, but not enough for the belly
It is estimated that 370,000 Victorians will at some stage not know where their next meal is coming from. Meanwhile, supermarkets turf more than 700,000 tones of food every year. Eliza Houghton offers some food for thought.
Alec Baldwin for NYC mayor?
Actor Alec Baldwin is being touted as a possible candidate as mayor of New York City, now that Anthony Weiner looks like he’s out of the race. But he’s got a few skeletons in his closet, warns John Hudson.
Is Angry Boys getting any better?
By attempting to appeal to the largely different cultural markets of Australia, the US and the UK, Chris Lilley’s Angry Boys has become large, unwieldy and impersonal, says Matt Smith.
Roadkill of the week: Ringtail Possum and baby
Driving outbound through Humpty Doo, south of Darwin, Bob Gosford came across a freshly killed pair of Ringtail Possums — another reminder that it’s a good idea for people to slow down when they see wild life.
Beware! Cream coloured pants can ruin reputations
What, you may ask, is wrong with slipping into a pair of cream coloured pants and going to your local cafe? Jane Shaw presents a cautionary tale of how cream pants can soil reputations.
Video Memo to Steve Jobs: please make iPhones sync with fire alarms
After an odd experience involving an iPhone and a fire alarm, Norwegian filmmaker Espen Horne reacted by creating a short film imploring Steve Jobs to sync both technologies.
The fine line between teething problems and incompetence
Can Barry O’Farrell’s decision to rescind NSW’s feed-in tariff for solar power systems simply be put down to teething issues? That may be an excuse for some things but he ought to have known better, writes Mr Tiedt.
Katter goes troppo about MLA exports
Outspoken independent MP Bob “force from the North” Katter has slammed Meat and Livestock Australia for knowing about mistreatment of Australian cattle in Indonesia and has demanded compensation for farmers, reports George Roberts.
Tiger belly crawl into Melbourne under investigation
The approach and departure air space traffic controllers at Melbourne Airport last night warned a Tiger Airways A320 that it was too low, sparking an investigation by the ATSB, reports Ben Sandilands.
book reviews The Amateur Science of Love by Craig Sherborne
Craig Sherborne’s The Amateur Science of Love follows the grim journey of a love affair gone wrong. Sherborne’s humour is acerbic and his prose fluid and sparing, writes Raili Simojoki.
Murray Murmurings: Windsor Inquiry further muddies Murray debate
The Windsor Inquiry into the Murray-Darling Basin Plan handed down its results last week, calling for greater community engagement in creating the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. But the government has already dismissed one key aspect of the inquiry, reports Amber Jamieson.
‘Diagonals’ the hottest new thing in Hollywood
A recent spate of Hollywood movie posters have embraced the concept of ‘diagonals’, the theory presumably being that angles are more attractive to the eye than boring old straight lines.
Business Council of where?
Some of our “Australian” industry bodies don’t quite live up to their titles, write Bernard Keane and Crikey intern Iona Salter.
Kohler quits CEO gig to focus on journalism
Business Spectator and Eureka Report figurehead Alan Kohler has stepped aside as CEO of the two websites to focus on journalism and strategy, as the company hires new blood to expand and entrench its band of popular publications.
Hywood on Fairfax …expectation, hoping, wishing …
Fairfax CEO Greg Hywood faced a 40-minute interrogation yesterday. As the relatively new CEO of Fairfax, he’s a good performer. Hats off. But there’s an anomaly in his message that just can’t be ignored.
Media wrap: ailing president has Yemen holding its breath
Revelations that Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh was more gravely injured than previously reported have cast doubts over his ability to resume leadership in coming days. And protesters continue to exert pressure, writes Iona Salter.
Get out of our lives: when newspaper campaigns become sinister
When does a good old newspaper campaign become something a bit more sinister? Something like “guided democracy”?
Maley: China’s debt binge hides an imminent crisis
For the past few years, China watchers have worried about the mountainous debt levels being carried by local governments. Now, it appears, Beijing has finally resolved to take action, writesKaren Maley.
Are we being gouged on delivery as well?
Not merely are Australians being ripped off by local retailers for internationally available goods, it costs more to deliver them.
Deaths in custody: sweeping changes, but coroners critical of inquiry
Serious questions about the integrity, accountability and independence of death in custody investigations are still being raised by NSW coroners, despite sweeping changes following a Royal Commission, writes Inga Ting.
Emails reveal nature of attacks on climate scientists
Climate scientists have long been the target for abuse and so the latest revelations that researchers have been on the receiving end of death threats won’t surprise many people engaged in the issue, writes journalist Graham Readfearn.
Letter from...: Burkina Faso, rebellion in the land of ‘honest men’
Revolution was quelled in the tiny west African nation of Burkina Faso. But there’s bubbling resentment towards its 24-year president Blaise Compaoré and the conditions under which people live, writes Clair MacDougall from Ouagadougou.
Risky business in planning for rising sea levels
New government reports found a “worst-case scenario sea level rise of 1.1 metres” within 90 years would have a devastating impact, with as much as $266 billion worth of potential damage, writes David Spratt, climate change analyst and author of Climate Code Red.
