Thinking of Linking

This week I have been mostly reading...

Australia:
Instant Experts

I suppose we must grieve for the lost, but ...

Unfortunately for outraged journalists, the high court was right to rein in Icac

Gallipoli 2015: Remember the brave and timid

'Gallipoli fatigue' causes poor ratings for WWI TV shows as war weary Australians switch off

Abbott government plans to be rid of senate 'ferals'

Hockey and Abbott pay the iron price as Labor circles

University of WA academics demand end to deal with climate change contrarian "Contrarian" sounds so much better than "crank," doesn't it? And on that topic, a "consensus centre," kind of sounds like a "wellness clinic."

Homeless Diggers reveal Australia's double standards 

Anzac Day: Time for Australia to stop fighting other peoples' wars

Has Australia learned nothing from the Gallipoli military disaster?

US:
Two buffalo still loose in Hot Springs - They may not be Buffalo buffalo but these buffalo buffalo.

Oklahoma finally admits it’s got a frackquake problem From the "who'da thunk?" files - why would actually fracturing the earth cause earthquakes?

Most Homeless Women Can’t Get Pads Or Tampons. These Women Want To Change That.

I Am a Cook in the U.S. Senate But I Still Need Food Stamps to Feed My Children

David Petraeus Is Sentenced to Probation in Leak Investigation

World:
Repatriation Blues: Expats Struggle With the Dark Side of Coming Home

Latika Bourke's Indian story

Survivor recounts Mediterranean boat disaster

The wisdom of humane prison design

Gender politics:
Yes, Men Have Problems — But The Men’s Rights Movement Doesn’t Come Close To Dealing With Them

Music:
The Waterboys' Mike Scott Sees the Ghost of Elvis in Modern Blues Quote of the week: "when someone hits you, you know you've been hit,but when someone fucks with your mind you don't know that it's happened, and the victims can blame themselves." 

Media:
Katie Hopkins has just written a piece so hateful that it might give Hitler pause – why was it published? 

Jon Stewart: why I quit The Daily Show 

Will we pay for stories if native ads arrive? 

Assange: How 'The Guardian' Milked Edward Snowden's Story

Rupert Murdoch berated Sun journalists for not doing enough to attack Ed Miliband

The Weekly’s Charlie Pickering: internal fights ended Channel 10 relationship

Literature:
I read books by only minority authors for a year. It showed me just how white our reading world is.

Tech:
50 Years On, Moore’s Law Still Pushes Tech to Double Down 

Why India's Flipkart abandoned its mobile website

Faith:
Could this Dalai Lama be the last?

Why Proof-Texting Is Not Like Other Sins

History:
Extracts from the Endeavour Journal of Joseph Banks (1769)

Model for Norman Rockwell’s ‘Rosie the Riveter’ dies at 92

I got stupid on me and I need to wipe it off on you:
NBN: FTTP not essential for Netflix era, Turnbull argues

Madonna’s Thatcher gaffe is a warning – quote at your peril Madonna ignorant and insensitive? Well, I... probably could have expected that.

Clickbait of the week:
20+ Space-Themed Interior Design Ideas That Bring The Stars Into Your Home

14 money-saving hacks from the 'Man Who Flies For Free' 

The least boring photo on my camera roll:

  

Thinking of Linking

This week I have been mostly reading...

Australia:
Calling all: Richie Benaud’s last transmission  

Karl Kruszelnicki steps up concerns over 'flawed' Intergenerational Report

Dr Karl: 'I deeply regret having done the whole ad'

Yes, Google does pay tax on $2 billion ad revenue: $5 million in Singapore

'Brandzac Day': Historian criticises 'new low in the commercialisation of Anzac'

Jack The Insider: Ahead of Anzac Centenary, cost of war has a price tag

Malcolm Farnsworth: Peering through

Why Dr Karl did Treasury a big favour

Peter Costello's five most 'profligate' decisions as treasurer cost the budget $56bn a year

Unfriendly fire as Costello blasts Abbott government

Some brutal budget honesty might go a long way for Abbott "If this government wants to enlist public support to balance the budget, it should do two things: Admit it behaved like a prat when in opposition; and acknowledge its own profligacy when last in government."

US:
There’s A Reality About Hillary Clinton That Many Liberals Need To Face

Hillary Clinton for president: low-key high-tech announcement a sign of dominance

Barack Obama to John McCain: Back off John Kerry

5 libertarian oligarchs who made fortunes off the government they want to destroy 

Terrified ‘Tea Party Patriot’ realizes he could lose Obamacare if GOP wins in 2016

UK:
VoteSwap
Interesting tactical voting idea

Seven Up! director Paul Almond dies aged 83

An English teacher decided to mark a UKIP election flyer that came through her letterbox

Society:
Generation X Is Sick of Your Bullshit

Music:
Old music: New Radicals – You Get What You Give "You only need eight seconds to make a guitar solo really burn. Someone should tell Eric Clapton."

Roger Waters - Amused to Death reissued

Johnny Marr streams his live version of The Smiths' 'Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want'

Ride reunion: ‘More bands should beat the crap out of each other for a while'

Media:
Fairfax's photo nightmare 

Science:
Explaining Saturn's Epic Storms

Mental health: 
If your boss finds out you have a mental health problem

I got stupid on me and I need to wipe it off on you:
Abbott government gives $4m to help climate contrarian set up Australian centre

The least boring photo on my camera roll: 

Like everyone else on the internet, I also watched that new trailer that came out this week. I'm sure you did too, or have the resources to find it.

Thinking of Linking

This week I have been mostly reading...

Australia:
Redgum Songwriter Disturbed At Reclaim Australia's 'Co-opting' Of Iconic Song Of Peace

Rupert Murdoch's US empire siphons $4.5b from Australian business virtually tax-free

Liberal chief Michael Kroger warns party must change or face electoral death

Promises, promises ... now it's time for Tony Abbott to focus on the nitty-gritty 

Change, Bill Shorten, Change!

They Came, They Swore, They Reclaimed Australia

What no one wants to mention in Grant Hackett's 'remarkable' comeback

"There is something rather perfect about humiliating fascists on pesach."

Anti-penalty rates campaign backfires From the "who'da thunk?" files.

How To Respond To The Reclaimers: Troll Them Like This MP Did

George Brandis just spent $134,200 on this paperweight

Richie Benaud dies: Former Australia captain, journalist and broadcaster's most memorable quotes 

How Ernst Wanke Road got its name (and how to pronounce it) I had wondered

What Joe should tell his colleagues about his budget 

Reclaim Australia protests threaten more division

US:
Heckuva job you’re doing on foreign policy, Congress

Iran letter blowback startles Republicans They also expressed shock at how a ball falls to the ground when you let it go and wondered why ice turns to water if you leave it out in the sun.

Rand Paul’s Bid To Be Everything To Every Republican Voter (Buzzfeed warning, but still a good analysis)

Terrytown rapper didn't see his killer walk up with pistol, witnesses testify

News Corp.’s $1 Billion Plan to Overhaul Education Is Riddled With Failures Hmmm... why would News Corp want to influence education?

“The GOP has scores of racists”: A former Bush official condemns modern Republican orthodoxy 

In 2016 campaign, the lament of the not quite rich enough 

A Lot Of Bottled Water Comes From Drought-Stricken California

UK:
The tide is turning against the scam that is privatisation 

Website maps locations of Nazi attacks in London

Ed Miliband in 'politician with genitals' shocker

World:
I was radicalised by a neo-Nazi group. It could just have easily been Isis 

The Big Life: More Than John Lennon’s First Wife

Salutin' Putin: inside a Russian troll house

In Bed with Neo-Nazis

Bombing Yemenis? You bet. Fighting IS in Iraq? Not so fast

Music:
Mike Oldfield, The Best of the Warner years 

Mental health:
An open letter to Katie Hopkins

Razer on Mark Latham’s Harden Up prescription for the depressed chattering class

Humour & Satire:
Reclaim Australia Accidentally Reclaims 1930s Germany

Millions Mourn As Rocker/Activist Ted Nugent, Age 66, Found Alive

A racist carrot reclaims Australia

Technology:
Never Redesign Your Website Again

April-fools Gameboy add-on for the iPhone may soon be a reality

Media:
5 People Who Became Memes, And How They Reacted 

Dallas Buyers Club: how Hollywood turns a buck from 'pirates'

Worried about a fine for pirating Dallas Buyers Club? It serves you right

Hannity’s Slavery-Loving Pal Blames Walter Scott For His Death – And The Other Guest Walks Off! Just how much of an extremist do you have to be to make Hannity seem reasonable? 

Vale:
Stan Freberg (1926-2015)

Stan Freberg: five top parodies from the master of the funny commercial 

Comedian and Voice Actor Stan Freberg Dies at 88

Richie Benaud RIP: Summer will never be the same again

Richie Benaud's best quotes

I got stupid on me and I need to wipe it off on you:
Flag-burning reported to Human Rights I'm not entirely sure George Christensen knows the difference between a human and a flag.

Australia’s Politicians From Luke Warm To Smoking Hot (Buzzfeed warning but actually really, really terrible. Did someone actually get paid to "write" this?)

Clickbait of the week:
Random acts of kindness (No, I've just got something in my eye)

The least boring photo on my camera roll:

Thinking of Linking

This week I have been mostly reading...

Australian politics:
Jane Gilmore: Eleventy Joe and the IPA

Please don't cut penalty rates. It's the only way I can feed my kids and pay my bills "While China and other countries are pulling their people out of poverty, our current leaders seem intent on grinding ours into it. Wistfully I’m remembering an Australia where people were paid an honest rate for an honest job."

Why Ricky Muir should really be a Labor man

Kevin Rudd's Ted talk may be his first step towards redemption

US Politics:
Clinical psychologist explains how Ayn Rand helped turn the US into a selfish and greedy nation

Jon Stewart's 'Daily Show' Segment Leads To Huge Change For Veterans
Want to talk about supporting the troops? Your court, Fox!

Florida’s Climate Denial Could Cause Catastrophic Recession

World:
Lubitz and the minds of airline pilots

Hamish McDonald

Media: 
I'm alright, Jill - The problem with online 'choice feminism'

Alexei Sayle: it’s time for a Marxist Top Gear  

Music:
The Waterboys at Melbourne Recital Centre
(by the excellent H-Bomb, and I took some photos)

A real record store guy celebrates the genius of High Fidelity 

Roger Waters’ Amused to Death to be reissued with new artwork

6 Exciting East Coast Live Music Venues Set to Take Off in 2015

The AV Club interview with Noel Gallagher 

The science is in: Taylor Swift is louder than AC/DC

Faith
It's time for the right to stop tarnishing Christianity's image

10 Reasons Why Christians Should Give Pizza to Everybody

Humour and satire:

How To Be A Great Comedy Reviewer 

Won't somebody think of the swift parrots? 

Google Unveils Funky New Tax Avoidance Lab

Dick from the internet

Language:
30 Copy Editors Tell Us Their Pet Peeves (Buzzfeed warning) 

Art:
Skinny-dipping in the void: the day I toured James Turrell's art show naked

I got stupid on me and I need to wipe it off on you:
Possibly the biggest social media own-goal of the year

Related to the above: Anti-Penalty Rates Campaign Backfires (Sorry, Not Sorry) Ha ha ha!

Why Our Children Don’t Think There Are Moral Facts

Good news dept:
Astor Theatre to close, and to reopen, as George Florence agrees to sell to Palace Cinemas 

The least boring photo on my camera roll:

Hi!

The most delicious irony of the day

If you need any proof that the organisers of today's so-called "Reclaim Australia" rallies are a bunch of racists, then (a) you're probably an idiot and (b) you need look no further than their own promotions.

Picture: @geraldmellor

Notwithstanding the inability to count, most peaceful protests don't need to specifically tell attendees not to wear their neo-nazi gear. If you're rallying people who need to be told this, or even if you think you might accidentally attract the kind of people who need to be told this, you should probably rethink your lifestyle choices.

If there was some element of plausible deniability in the above facebook post, this message board post totally blew the cover:

Picture: @TheMurdochTimes

Now have you all got that? It's an undercover operation so whatever you do, Don't look like nazis! Okay? We want passers-by to think we're just like them. Shouldn't be too hard.

They forgot to tell them to cover up the tattoos though:

Picture: Herald Sun

I am reminded of the story of the Jewish cobbler, who knew the identities of all the klansmen in town, despite their white sheets, by their shoes.

We can be thankful that by and large, racists aren't very smart.