Columnists this morning think scientists and politicians should not possess the passions of ordinary people, writes Richard Farmer.
Columns / Political snippets
Rann will do a Clinton
Mike Rann should practice looking a little sheepish in public and refuse to answer any more questions about his private life, eunuchs can now vote in India, and wine critic Matt Skinner admits to recommending wine he’s never tasted.
Australians prefer pretty cars to green ones
The ABS finds that environmental impact is the least considered factor by Aussies when purchasing a car, why criminals should wait until after an election to apply for parole, Rudds spinners spin out of control, and more from Richard Farmer.
Paying for a selection mistake
When a government asks a group largely representative of major team sports to determine where the emphasis of sporting policy should be put, that government should not be surprised that major team sports get the favoured nod.
Who needs Newspoll?
Who needs Newspoll when Crikey readers can predict the poll’s results? ABC Online readers’ lightweight tastes, and a judge rules that Scrabbl is a “game” — not a toy or a puzzle.
Climate change, coast to coast
Australia’s Department of Climate Change has finally started seriously looking at future options for when Australia’s temperature rises, and further evidence of global warming from the US.
Bring back those fluorocarbon sprays — the Antarctic ice needs them
Ice coverage in the Arctic is declining at a frightening rate while in the Antarctic, there has been a small but steady growth; Gordon Brown enacts some sweet revenge on Rupert Murdoch; and the US forms a Gang of Four.
Adelaide’s panda diplomacy
Giant pandas Wang Wang and Fu Ni arrive in Adelaide Zoo, while zoos in India are about to set all their elephants free. Plus our “pick the Newspoll” competition.
Rudd’s Indian diplomacy to be tested
Diplomacy to be tested … A good time to have something else on his mind … A glutton for interest rate punishment … Words of wisdom from on high
In praise of Gary Morgan’s common sense
Richard Farmer wishes the Morgan Poll had the same influence on journalists as Newspoll does today, marvels at the literal expansion of Uganda, hugs some babies and takes a punt on the future of sports betting.
Bob Hawke says “cheese” with some smiling former assassins
A happy snap of former PM Bob Hawke surrounded by the folks who ousted him from office shows time heals all wounds, the aesthetic costs of wind turbines, no outliers in the Crikey Election Indicator, and a thumbs up for the new Oz design.
A neighbourly disinterest
Two of Australia’s near neighbours are close to a state of war and what can you read about on the home web pages this morning of Australia’s newspapers? Not a word at all about the frightening deterioration in relations between Thailand and Cambodia.
Another one from that Liberal playbook
Some good old fashioned “wasting taxpayer dollars!” outrage at the Oz, the Victorian Liberal Party goes into early election mode, Obama’s brother writes a book, and why green is the new religion.
El Nino looking more and more likely
Time to start taking the idea of another El Nino seriously, some good advice from Peter Costello, and Argentina’s President lays the boot into the coutry’s media with free soccer games.
A firm favourite at 2.30pm
The Crikey Interest Rate Indicator is still predicting a 0.25% rise today, today’s Newspoll looks a bit suss, and Chechnya’s race horse-owning President Ramzan Kadyrov takes aim.
Good news from China, bad news from Copenhagen
Some good news from China on the economy, but some bad news from Copenhagen on the prospect of positive outcomes from the Copenhagen climate change talks. And au revior to the Breakfast Media Wrap.
The Barossa’s approach to a crushing problem
The beleaguered Australian wine industry gets some relief with the news that the crush during this year’s vintage was 5% less than in 2008, a cautionary tale from Paul Krugman, and why we’re still not “closing the gap”.
A message from the Governator
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sends out some very clever swearing in a revenge letter and there is growing evidence that the the weak El Niño in the Pacific Ocean appears to be strengthening.
Let the Olympic lobbying begin
A promising start for the Australian Olympic Committee’s four-yearly campaign to keep their funding gravy train on the rails, how much should we pay for some African goodwill? real interest rates return, and more meaty chunks from Richard Farmer.
I don’t wanna be buried in a pet cemetary
Australia becomes the world’s quarry, saying goodbye to Fluffy, Germany takes a punt on growth, and more from the mind of Richard Farmer.
Voters get older while participants get younger
As voters in Western democracies get get older, the participants seem to be getting younger, Asterix turns 50, why there’s no reason for inflation panic, and more from Richard Farmer.
Rudd office invasion! Dramatic picture!
Dramatic images from the invasion of Kevin Rudd’s office (by bogong moths), was Wilson Tuckey right? and some temperate modelling from the British Met Office.
A gloomy outlook in Copenhagen
Gloomy news for the immediate future of racing clubs as well as the environment.
Gay or straight, all families enjoy a day at the park
Happy families on both sides of the same-sex-marriage debate enjoy the great outdoors, Obama is more popular overseas than he is at home, and why Wayne Swan is furiously rubbing his lamp (get your mind out of the gutter!).
