, writes Greg Dickson, on Crikey language blob Fully (sic).
Articles by Michael Vaughan 
Daily Proposition: A heavenly drink for a cake of blue swimmer
Crab cakes were the perfect accompaniment to a traditional Summer favourite — a Pimm’s with lemonade and dry ginger. Is it “the most heavenly drink on Earth”?
Daily Proposition: A cheesy pasta with a chocolatey drop
A Donna Hay-inspired three-cheese pasta (OK, maybe four) washed down with a Amherst Pyrenees Dunn’s Paddock Shiraz 2009 — just one of Michael Vaughan’s wine highlights from the past week.
GM canola spill reignites battle between farmers, mates
It has been a while coming, but Steve Marsh — the farmer who lost his organic certification last year because of GM contamination — is preparing a writ for a “common law” battle with his neighbour, writes Lisa Roth, of student publication 3rd Degree.
Daily Proposition: Christmas in October — a festive Shiraz
Christmas has lobbed early. The Oomoo Sparkling Shiraz was decidedly festive — even with a Middle Eastern lamb tart as accompaniment.
Daily Proposition: In the company of a Canadian (scallop) and Aussie (chardy)
A night in with some big, fat Canadian scallops and an Ashcroft 2009 Chardonnay from Margaret River offered the perfect company after a dinner date gone wrong.
Daily Proposition: The good oil on the good life
It’s hard to stress enough the importance of spring, of getting some edible stuff into the garden and the subsequent joy of harvesting.
Fisherman loses leg, Oz risks losing reef’s World Heritage listing
Last Friday the Queensland government suspended dredging in Gladstone Harbour — for three days. This was in response to ongoing deaths of green turtles, dugongs, blind barramundi, fish kills and fishermen ending up in hospital, writes Crikey naturalist Lionel Elmore.
Daily Proposition: The tastes and smells of Spring
The weather has turned decidedly spring — so I made it a perfect example of things good and things easy. I hit the market to buy some goodies and have a “welcome-to-spring” feed.
Daily Proposition: Happy as a pig in …
The ever-reliable Chateau Tahbilk Shiraz made a perfect accompaniment to a home-made pork terrine for a beautiful Sunday lunch.
Daily Proposition: California dreamin’ with a chardonnay
Right now though, Californian dreamin’ has become a reality, courtesy of some Dry Creek Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay 2008 out of Sonoma. What a good wine.
Bid to hush-up report on serious near miss between jets
There is a clear inference of conspiracy between the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and the federal government to hush-up a serious near miss between airliners in Australian airspace.
Remembering 9/11: New Yorkers tired of the publicity
Visitors to New York City who travelled to Ground Zero, the former site of the World Trade Centre, have always seen more than the location of the worst terrorist act on American soil, writes Daniel Ziffer, a freelance writer, in New York City.
Daily Proposition: A riesling and twice-cooked duck
His doctor might not approve, but Michael Vaughan spent a weekend wining and dining on some of Australia’s best. His weekly adventures with wine and the good life continue …
Daily Proposition: Try a Spanish red via the Barossa
Siento Tempranillo, from a grape variety originally from Spain, is now going gangbusters in the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. The smooth, velvety drop works great with a fishy pasta.
Singapore gets a new president
There’s something rather surreal about an election in which the four candidates are all called “Tan”, but that was the situation in last weekend’s presidential election in Singapore.
Daily Proposition: Enjoy a winning cleanskin
In the first of a series on wine and general good living, our resident wise head (and Crikey subeditor) Michael Vaughan finds a cleanskin he likes. And at 15 bucks a bottle it’s great value.
Privacy Eye: media paranoia distorting facts on privacy tort
The media as a whole have got to get over their desperate paranoia, writes Roger Clark, chair of the Australian Privacy Foundation
Daily Proposition: Take a bath under the stars
Warm spring pools are filled with thermal mineral waters and, if you believe the blurb, are chock full of health-giving stuff that you normally see in jars in a chemist’s shop. I’m a believer.
Malaysian detention centres court risk of human rights abuse
What this new deal is really about is trying to win back public confidence in the government’s ability to control its borders, writes Khalid Koser, a visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute.
The case for plain packaging of tobacco
Blogger Alister Air takes a long, hard look at the plain packaging debate.
Merchant under fire in bank data breach affair speaks out
After speculation surrounding the identity of “the merchant” at the centre of May’s bank data breach, the head of online retailer Crazy Sales has moved to fend off rumours, writes Charis Palmer, editor of Technology Spectator.
Won’t someone think of politicians when it comes to pay rises?
With confusion and routine bickering about parliamentary pay, politicians’ remuneration should be fixed to a multiple of the median full-time wage, writes Adam Creighton, a research fellow at The Centre For Independent Studies.
Memo to the banks: the housing party’s over
While many Australians realise that the housing party is over — the Financial Review reported that first “buyers joy turns to despair” — there are still a few who haven’t quite read the memo.
Subeditors? Substantial savings? Get ya hand off it, Fairfax
Subeditors rarely make mistakes, they sometimes miss other people’s and, generally when that happens, the sub is usually first in line for a kick in the arse. Crikey grumpy old man and sub Mick Vaughan laments a soon-to-be-lost art.
