Megaphones Watch. Comrade Janet identifies with the plebs, guess who came to dinner at chez Bolt, and Tim Flannery gets one up on Ray Hadley. Here’s what Australia’s most powerful Megaphones have been up to over the past week. Janet Albrechtsen: “Last week in Geneva, Sotheby’s sold a 110.03-carat yellow diamond ring for a record […]
November, 2011
Video of the Day: Tear gas attack in Sth Korean parliament
Here’s one way to try and block legislation: throw tear gas powder at your political opponents. That was the tactic used by South Korean opposition MP Kim Sung-dong, depicted in this video throwing a powdered substance at the deputy speaker in a bid to block a (subsequently ratified) free trade agreement with the US.
Tips and rumours: Tips and rumours
Flacks attack after media event goes awry. It was flacks at 10 paces in Canberra on Monday, with tensions rising between the offices of Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and the Transport Workers Union. As one spy tells it: “Matthew Chesher — husband of former education minister Verity Firth and former chief-of-staff to David Borger until he was arrested […]
Crikey Says: Three golden radio moments
Three golden moments from radio that have hit the news in the past 24 hours. Take a bow Kyle Sandilands, Ray Hadley and Alan Jones.
Climategate II: 5000+ new emails released sparking climate conspiracy despite evidence
Reminiscent of the ridiculous “Climategate” scandal, over 5000 hacked emails from climate scientists have been leaked just weeks before the crucial UN climate negotiations in Durban, writes Amber Jamieson.
Media briefs: Ten’s tweet-up … The Oz swings the axe … News Ltd and the senator …
In today’s Media Briefs: no hard feelings for Ten readers? … Axe-wielding coverage at The Oz …Front Page of the Day … The Department of Corrections and more …
Qantas social media #fail
When the Qantas marketing team asked Twitter users to describe their “dream luxury inflight experience” they probably didn’t envision the flood of sarcastic and bitter responses that followed, reports Daniel Miller.
Small biz anger at Federal Government hits three-year high
According to an MYOB report, angry with which small business owners regard the Federal Government has soared to a three-year high, writes Michelle Hammond.
Why Australia should not give Indonesian military a blank cheque
Giving a blank cheque to Indonesian military while there is continued suppression of political freedoms in West Papua is the surest way for Australia to help Indonesia lose a country, writes Jason Macleod.
Roseanne Barr: ‘menopause made me a nicer person’
“Menopause is the victory lap over the curse of being born female,” writes Roseanne Barr, who since discovered the pleasures of drinking wine and the cathartic joy of writing.
linguistics A look at Obama’s use of local lingo
When Barack Obama came to town he surprised many by showing off his use of Aussie vernacular. Lauren Gawne looks at the expressions he used and how well he fared.
Chaos and violence in Egypt: protesters and military clash
Crikey media wrap: Promises that the military junta would bring forward national elections was not enough to calm the 100,000 protesters in Tahrir Square and across Egypt.
Sandilands to ‘hunt down’ ‘piece of shit’ News editor
Controversy machine Kyle Sandilands has taken his token schtick as a shock job to shocking extremes with an abusive tirade sent to a news.com.au editor, reports mUmBRELLA.
theatre reviews La Traviata — State Theatre, Melbourne
There is nothing uniquely contemporary about director Elijah Moshinsky’s 17-year-old production of a 158-year-old opera, but it is adoringly faithful and recreates late-1800s Paris in all its opulence, writes Jason Whittaker.
Kate Carnell: the food lobbyist with many strings to pull
Kate Carnell, spruiker for the food and grocery sector, is tiny in stature but tough as teak, according to The Power Index.
In the face! UC’s hard to swallow hypocrisy
The University of California prides itself on a long tradition of campus activism, and yet actions ordered on UC campuses led to a shocking showdown between police and students, writes Robin Cameron.
Where film criticism fails
Print versus the internet, multiplex versus art house, ego-ridden writers versus philistine bloggers and how democracy wraps around movie culture — Charles Taylor applies a blow torch to film criticism in the digital age.
Flannery: Hadley concocted story on my waterside home
Of all the responses to Robert Manne’s Quarterly Essay on The Australian it is the letter from Tim Flannery published in the latest edition that adds the juiciest grist to the mill.
To state the bleeding obvious, more mining tax revenue is better than less
The mining tax is pay for perfect but if it taxed more miners — not just those who mine coal and iron — it would be better, says Dr Richard Denniss of The Australia Institute.
Afghanistan: another nebulous parliamentary debate isn’t good enough
A parliamentary debate on Afghanistan in which the same lines about “seeing it through” are repeated is simply not good enough.
Bluescope: this isn’t a company, it’s a black hole
Just days after its AGM, BlueScope has gone out fundraising — despite getting access to hundreds of millions in taxpayer assistance.
Rundle in Rome: peoples of Europe rise up, and demand la dolce vita
Southern Europe has held to an entirely different conception of life, one in which full human beings still have room to breathe. As the Eurozone collapses, the people of Europe should look to them now for how to live.
How KPMG legend David Crawford protected his old firm from questions
When it comes to the Melbourne business establishment, David Crawford is arguably the chief flag bearer.
