Opinion on politics and social policy
from
across the board
Adele Ferguson wrote in the SMH (Feb 17) that at least 40% of the biggest companies in Australia pay no tax.
That must mean they aren’t profitable, since profits gets taxed, don’t they?
But the tax man is going after them, which makes you wonder how long this has been the […] Continue Reading…
Could riding a push bike be a superior way of controlling blood pressure? […] Continue Reading…
I could have asked Marina Orlova (who always reminds me of Grishkin), but a friend in Chile posed the question and I suspect found the answer which will do me, unless someone else can come up with an even better theory. The question? What is the origin of the […] Continue Reading…
Lucien Leon lectures in the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences and made this animation which he calls a “poltoon”.
It’s clear what he thinks of Tony Abbott, but what is he saying about Kevin Rudd. Was that Mahler that his imported car was playing on the stereo?
Lots of people I know are either still pouring their money into super or leaving it for another few years until it recovers the losses of the past year or so. One friend told me just the other day that this was her strategy, in preference to paying off […] Continue Reading…
From the Institute for Public Accuracy, a new twist on lobbying. I quote their message, it is a logical next step for those who have seen the doco The Corporation:
“Following the recent Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission to allow unlimited corporate funding of federal […] Continue Reading…
We know China is a Goliath, but is Google now willing to use its slingshot to give it a black eye? Google is at last standing up to China, going to pull the plug rather than give in to China’s demands to censure sites relating to democracy, Tibet and […] Continue Reading…
Everyone might as well go see James Cameron’s Avatar. It’s visually delightful and imaginative, especially in 3D, and I just wish I’d seen it on an IMAX as well. The characters are good enough, and Sigourney Weaver as the crusty but conscientious scientist is sort of a reprise for […] Continue Reading…
Just how incompetent can a journalist be and still retain their job? I’ve yet to work it out, but it is no wonder that members of my profession are held in much the same regard as used car salesmen, based on the competence of their work.
I’ve been listening to […] Continue Reading…
If you have just hummed that tune correctly, you may avoid being caught with bubble gum on your face. It’s an old tune, probably from the 1940s, but familiar enough to those who like jazz or who grew up with big band music in their background. That cohort has […] Continue Reading…