November, 2011
Crikey Says: Just who is benefiting from the resources boom?
Today’s Essential Report illustrates just how badly the Rudd government bungled its case for the Resource Super Profits Tax, and how timid Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan have been on the issue ever since.
NW’s obsession with putting women down
Unflattering photographs, gross exaggerations, phoney quotes…Women are the key demographic of NW magazine, so why is it so intent on putting them down? asks News with Nipples.
Half a century later, Kesey’s trip arrives
Ken Kesey’s LSD road trip in the 1960’s, an opening chapter in the hippy movement, became the stuff of legend. Fifty years later raw footage previously stored at Kesey’s home can be seen in a new documentary, writes Steve Rose.
Australia’s record on arms control may harm UN Security Council bid
Last Friday over fifty states at the UN rejected US-led attempts to introduce a lesser standard of arms control. Australia, however, was not one of them, writes NAJ Taylor.
Debunking the great JFK myth
For decades John F. Kennedy has been widely regarded as a good and potentially great president whose leftist politics were violently cut short. The public remember him through a haze of nostalgia with myth upon myth clouding his actual achievements, writes Ross Douthat.
2011 Aria Awards: a vast improvement on last year’s debacle
Not much was made of the anniversary element of the 25th Aria Awards, a brief montage of highlights notwithstanding. Channel Nine did as well as they could but it’s hard to escape the feeling that this was all about industry back slapping, writes Neil Walker.
travel On the road: travelling through Nevada’s sun-scorched Death Valley
In the lagging hours of a slow afternoon last year, Julia Gardiner agreed: “let’s do a road trip in the US.” With a picture of a half-naked Bruce Springstein hanging from the back of their SUV, Gardiner and a friend headed to Nevada and Death Valley.
New Murray-Darling Plan leaves everyone unhappy
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority today released the draft of the $10 billion Murray-Darling Basin Plan. And it seems neither irrigators nor scientists are happy with the latest inclination of the Plan, writes Amber Jamieson.
Mubi: setting the benchmark for Video on Demand
Mubi is an online cinema portal accessible online and through Playstation 3. With a festival-like selection of popular and obscure films, it sets the the benchmark for what Video on Demand services should be striving for, writes Dan Barrett.
Climbling the fence of the Delamere air weapons range
Most people wouldn’t have heard of the Delamere air weapons range before Barack Obama’s visit to Darwin last week. So where — and what — transpires in this area that covers around half a million acres? asks Bob Gosford.
film reviews X — striking, scungy street thrills
Writer/director Jon Hewitt takes to the streets of Kings Cross to plunge a low budget home ground thriller into the scungy world of street sex workers and back alley crimes, writes Luke Buckmaster.
10 bite-sized thoughts on The Inbetweeners movie
Opening in cinemas this week, The Inbetweeners Movie features lots of girls, penis, callbacks and people who look 32. Just ask Dan Barrett.
Swan can cut, but the bad news from overseas won’t stop
While the mining boom continues to power the Australian economy, the news from offshore continues to worsen.
Guy Rundle: Sienna Miller stars with winning Leveson performance
Down to the Royal Courts of Justice again, those bizarre fairytale towers in the middle of the Strand, their gravitas all gone the moment you learn they were created in the 19th century, the modern state wrapping itself in ancient stone.
NZ Nats cruising to victory, but poll nerds pay attention
New Zealand prime minister John Key and his National Party are cruising towards an easy victory in tomorrow’s poll. But those who are interested in the prospects for democracy will be interested.
The Power Index: where the powerful lunch — spitchcock at The Italian
Every Friday, The Power Index profiles a place where powerful people wine, dine and travel. Today we start the series with a restaurant frequented by Melbourne’s business elite, The Italian … The Italian enjoys its power by proximity. The elegant CBD long-lunch spot sits smack bang in the rear of one of Melbourne’s centres of […]
Coba Point residents back Flannery in 2GB spat
Residents of the Sydney riverside retreat of Coba Point have backed environmentalist Tim Flannery in his bitter climate spat with 2GB presenter Ray Hadley and a dissenting neighbour David.
Labor’s revenge helped by Abbott’s tactics?
Labor has finally extracted revenge for the defection of Mal Colston by installing Peter Slipper as parliamentary speaker. But how much did Tony Abbott’s strategy help them?
Harmer: Kyle Sandilands? A misogynist? Too easy
To brand Kyle Sandilands as a “woman-hater” overlooks the fact that he is an equal-opportunity bully, writes Wendy Harmer.
The Power Index: pokies lobbyist Anthony Ball at #6
Anthony Ball is the driving force behind Clubs Australia’s campaign against Andrew Wilkie’s poker machine reforms. He’s got the footy codes, the tabloids and the Libs on his side, plus plenty of cash left in the bank. And now that Wilkie’s clout is weakened, thanks to the shock resignation of speaker Harry Jenkins, he’s more powerful than […]
Bartholomeusz: making sense of a Murchison success
When former AGL chief executive Greg Martin accepted the role of Murchison Metals chief executive mid-year, he made no bones about what his role was.
Minister ‘Sir Lunchalot’ — did Medich put the ‘lay’ into Labor?
Christmas came early for political voyeurs yesterday when the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption opened an inquiry into whether a former Labor minister had accepted s-xual services.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
Schools paying top students to stay? “It is widely known within the school community of a leading Sydney North Shore private girls school that when four high-achieving year five students announced they would be leaving at the end of year six they were offered full scholarships for years seven through 12 just so the school could […]
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Morals take back seat when it comes to taking political advantage
Crikey readers have their say.
