Thawing for the rural gay community?
It’s the best part of 15 years since I left the beautiful countryside and fossilized social mores of small-town country Victoria behind for the bright lights of Melbourne. But it’s still a shock to the system to read about a [...]
Will the fertile crescent disappear this century?
Probably, according to a new study reported in the New Scientist. Possibly not according to two Israeli hydrologists in commentary on the study: In conclusion, owing to the large differences between the simulated and the observed meteorological and hydrological values, [...]
What should I read?
The years continue to tick off in my personal march towards senility and physical decrepitude, and another milestone isn’t far away. And so, when the usual requests of “what do you want for your birthday?” came from family and friends, [...]
Markets as a solution to climate change: Epic Fail
If anything ends up completely discrediting the worship of markets, it will probably turn out to be the vacuous and endlessly deferred nature of quasi-market “solutions” to climate change, which have little support even among those who are ideologically predisposed [...]
Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence?
Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand? Incoherent question, isn’t it? Nevertheless, that’s the question that New Zealanders are answering in a citizens initiated referendum. The referendum is being conducted by [...]
The Coalition approach to emissions trading – outsource to Asia
As Bernard Keane points out at Crikey, the key feature of the Coalition’s proposed modifications to the CPRS can be seen in one page of the modelling report put out by Frontier Economics, on page 20. In a nutshell, domestic [...]
Lazy Sunday!
Since we don’t live by politix alone (I sincerely hope), what did people get up to this weekend? Join in, share some tales, regulars and lurkers all!
Saturday Salon
An open thread, where at your weekend leisure, you can discuss anything you like.
Punters pan the dirty diggers pay for play scheme
Yesterday saw another installment in Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to stem the tide of change…..or bend it to his will. Quality journalism is not cheap, and an industry that gives away its content is simply cannibalising its ability to produce good [...]
Primaries
Andrew Leigh notes that the British Tories have run an “open primary” for one of their safe seats. An “open primary” was just that – open for all the electors in the seat to vote in it. The primary was [...]
One for the WTF files: SMH cartoon on QANTAS "overbooked babies" error
WTF SMH? WTF Simon Letch? Why represent women planning to engage in political action as smugglers? In their underwear? And barefoot? What the hell is your point? That women are being treated like they should be barefoot and in the [...]
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