Archive for August, 2007

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Note to self: get pregnant, move to marginal seat, start religious private school

21 Aug 2007

The treasurer today announced a budget surplus of $17.3 billion, a whopping $3.7 billion higher than anticipated when the budget was announced in May.

A substantial $7 billion of this will go into the Future Fund (portrayed as ‘a sensible investment for the future’ instead of ‘politicians lining their own pockets‘). Another $6 billion goes to the Higher Education Endowment Fund. Medical research infrastructure gets $2.5 billion.

That leaves a good $1.8 billion to spend on . . . who knows? Tax cuts for the rich? Handouts for breeders? Pork barrelling in marginal electorates? Sorry, I meant to say ‘responsible spending on infrastructure that will not drive up inflation or interest rates’. Snort.

My only advice is: work out some way to cash in before October.

Posted in damned lies and statistics, money, politics | No Comments »

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Perspective

21 Aug 2007

“[My last visit to a strip club] was probably in Sydney, three decades ago with a group of mates, male and female. That’s the main reason people go to Sydney, isn’t it?”
- Victorian Premier John Brumby

“Four years ago Kevin Rudd got drunk and took himself into a strip club. Four years ago John Howard, sober, took Australia into the Iraq war. I think the electorate can judge which one did the more harm.”
-Senator Bob Brown

Posted in Sydney, politics, sensitive stuff about chicks | 1 Comment »

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Knacker’s yard for our Nic?

20 Aug 2007

Nicole Kidman’s latest flick The Invasion, a reportedly piss-poor remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, got a bucketing from the critics and plain old indifference from the public. It earned just US$6 million in its opening weekend, barely a third of Kidman’s obscene US$17 million fee for making the atrocious thing.

With her star power on the wane, perhaps it’s time our Nic found more gainful employment. But given she has proven pretty useless in the stud department, can the glue and dog food factory be far off?

Posted in media, sensitive stuff about chicks | No Comments »

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Dour outlook for Dow editorial independence

1 Aug 2007

So Rupert Murdoch has got his hands on Dow Jones after a few months of negotiations. However, not everyone is convinced Big Rupe will be able to resist using his considerable influence on the editors and journalists of the Wall Street Journal, which he will soon own, to advance his other commercial interests.

Some Bancroft family members were fearful that Mr Murdoch would destroy the Journal’s editorial independence, but he conceded to establishing an editorial oversight board if he won control of Dow Jones in a bid to appease such opposition.

Dow Jones reporters and a union representing its reporters also said that Mr Murdoch would use the Journal to promote his wider commercial interests if he succeeded in taking over the prestigious business paper.

The Australian onlineJust look at the online front page of The Australian today. A large picture - unusually prominent in the left-hand column - of Rupert Murdoch. Lead story: News Corp clinches Dow Jones deal. Top business story: News Corp clinches Dow Jones deal. Top media story: News Corp clinches Dow Jones deal. Top opinion piece: John Durie, Dow deal a personal coup.

You can’t imagine where they might have got that idea.

Posted in media, money | No Comments »