In a great post here.

Europe has been surprisingly firm against Russian adventurism.

The French President is publicly annoyed that the Czech President will not fly the EU flag from his castle.

Hoping Obama will not be like Blair.

The current Miss England is apparently “too chunky” to work as a model.

The apparently desperate (and expensive) need to control children’ ( Read more... )

Tuesday night, chaired the November Adam Smith Club meeting where Paul Kerin, business columnist for The Australian, free marketeer and Labor voter, discussed the prospects for economic reform (pdf) under a Rudd Government ( Read more... )

Really, you couldn’t make this stuff up:

“A RACIST: A racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality. By this definition, ( Read more... )

A group of Aborigines riot in Redfern; it is a sign of their justified alienation and lack of confidence in the police.

A group of skippies riot on Cronulla beach (with rather fewer injuries) ; it is a sign of how deeply racist our society is. It is absolutely not a sign of their justified alienation and lack of confidence in the police ( Read more... )

Thanks to Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Aziraphale and Crowley’s New Year Resolutions (the angel’s are funnier). Via usekh.

kenshi pointed to a lovely Christmas gift for the broadbanded: watching folk find really expensive sports cars rather impractical.

Canadian court decides that group sex between consenting adults is not a threat to society. Via meninaiscrazy ( Read more... )

Shifting sunrise, three great pics. Via lokicarbis.

Harry Potter in dance. Via katsudon.

Wow, an airship teapot. Via baralier.

About gladiators and gladiatorial games.

How do you follow up a film in Latin and Aramaic? By one in Mayan of course.

Someone tell these university researchers than doing horrible things to Barbie is just part of playing with dolls ( Read more... )

Really bad Santas. Via pache. Abused Santas. And a Santa cartoon we can all get behind … Another.

A classic collection of excerpts from university student history essays is now online.

Duct-taping the mouth of obnoxious 5-year olds is surely a strong temptation at times. One school bus driver gave into it.

A picture of toll booth stupidity.

( Read more... )

After the recent troubles, many NSW beaches are locked down and declared no-go areas. This strikes me as a dubious tactic. It surely would be better to reclaim the beaches as places of civility. And the beaches are central to Sydney’s life so one wonder show long folk will put up with being barred access, with various regular events being ( Read more... )

I was reading this link via dr_nic when this passage encapsulated what has been bothering me about the whole It’s Racism approach to the Sydney riots: The Australian Arabic Council has insisted on the racist elements of the riots, which erupted in bashings at Cronulla beach on Sunday in an "Aussie Pride" rally, leading to reprisals that night and the ( Read more... )