A permanent campaign is no way to run a country. Exhibit 1 — the United States of America.
August, 2011
Crikey Says: Groundhog Day
The hush-hush oil syndicate between China and Africa
Over the last seven years the ‘Chinese International Fund’ has, while shrouded in secrecy, signed contracts worth billions of dollars for oil and minerals from Africa, says The Economist.
A travel agent tale about Qantas losing loyalty
It isn’t just self-booking domestic travellers who find dealing with Qantas odd or baffling. A travel agent has sent Plane Talking a revealing account of his frustrations with the airline, which he says he works hard at supporting.
Pakistan’s Independence Day: bloodshed more visible than hope
64 years after partition, contemporary Pakistan could hardly be further from Jinnah’s vision of a secular, non-sectarian, stable, democratic and secular safe-haven for the subcontinent’s Muslims, writes Shakira Hussein.
Addictive and mind-consuming: the relationship between iPhones and cigarettes
In some ways, boldly argues Anna Jane Grossman, cigarettes are better for you than the equally addictive iPhone. They’re more social, more time efficient and certainly a lot sexier…
Who are the Republican front-runners for election ’12?
In the wake of the first major GOP presidential campaign causality (Tim Pawlenty) Reuters lists the front-running GOP hopefuls to take on Obama in 2012, including Mitt Romney, Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry.
A writer’s curse: too many ideas, too little time
In the midst of making major progress on a new novel, author Dave White was struck by a cruel but inspiring dilemma: he came up with a great new idea. White offers his advice on how writers can deal with an ideas overload.
The Twitter bird has a name. And his name is…
The ubiquitous Twitter bird is a world famous mascot for one of the internet’s largest social media platforms. And his name has been confirmed: it’s Larry, reports Shea Bennett.
Fukushima sparks ‘unprecedented’ public debate in Japan
Last week two esteemed Japanese entrepreneurs weighed into the debate about the future of nuclear energy. Passionate discussion aside, one thing they agreed on was that another disaster would seal the industry’s fate, reports Kazuaki Nagata.
The acting Serkis: recognition — or lack thereof — of performance capture acting
Actor Andy Serkis, currently “starring” on screens as an ape in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, believes performance capture acting deserves much greater recognition, reports Luke Buckmaster.
theatre reviews Rising Water — Playhouse, Melbourne
Tim Winton’s play Rising Water is set across the decks of three yachts that symbolise the loneliness and independence of their inhabitants. The set is brilliant, the acting top-notch and the script is hilarious, writes Suzannah Marshall Macbeth.
What WAS Bronwyn Bishop smoking?
The tobacco industry is unlike any other donor as its products kill people – but this has not stopped all parties from accepting their generous donations. And it didn’t stop Bronwyn Bishop harassing witnesses at a Joint Standing Committee inquiry last week, writes Anne Jones.
Nielsen: 58-42 to Coalition
Labor’s primary vote is up two points to 28% and the Coalition’s down three to 48%. Although a bad result for Labor by any measure, this is nonetheless an improvement on their last 61-39 Nielsen poll, writes William Bowe.
travel High adventure from Taos to Mesa Verde
If intense colours, imposing mountains and rich indigenous histories are your travel must-haves, then the 260-mile stretch between Taos, New Mexico and Cortez, Colorado will deliver your dreams in spades, writes Tammi Jonas.
theatre reviews The Merry Widow — Opera Theatre, Sydney
Franz Lehar’s operetta is naughty and playful, a hand-me-down story of a wealthy widow from a tiny nation, writes Lloyd Bradford Skye.
Daring to dream on the Coalition’s costings
The problem with the Coalition needing to find $70 billion in savings is they never found the first $50 billion last year.
Absolute power of NSW Crime Commission
unveiled
It has taken decades, and the drug conspiracy charges of former assistant director Mark Standen, for the absolute power of the NSW Police Commission to be truly held to account, writes the editor of The Power Index, Angela Priestley.
Parkinson: … or keep calm and stick with it
One of the great assumptions of the calls to invest large amounts of GDP into actions to reduce emissions, protect our natural capital, and become more resource efficient was that by saving the planet we could save the global economy.
Sideshow Alley: Rann’s presser, Nile on Wong’s baby & a non story
With the inimitable Lindsay Tanner about to rule on the merits of Crikey’s Slideshow Alley initiative, we thought it was time to bring out the big guns and shine a light on three instances of pollie and media egregiousness over the week that was.
Mental Health & Housing: vulnerable tenants ignored by department
Public housing tenants are taking matters into their own hands — and a recent ruling by the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal could mean Housing NSW is legally liable if it ignores complaints about abusive, disruptive and dangerous tenants.
Back to the future with Cameron’s digital Riot Act
David Cameron’s promise to crack down on social media travels a path well-worn both this year and in centuries past.
Sorry too hard a word for LinkedIn over privacy faux pas
Supposedly-professional social network LinkedIn has responded to criticism over its privacy faux pas with a blog post. The word “sorry” is nowhere to be seen, and neither is any evidence of real change.
Them and us: why we need a fair society
Much of the debate over the UK riots has focused on the particulars of today and the recent past. They miss the wider implications of the effect of changes to the public ethos over the past few decades.
