But there is one existentially scorching brand of humiliation that towers above all, and it owes its existence to the animal kingdom.

I speak, with grim and recently acquired expertise, of the Adult Nit Infestation.

Getting nits as an adult is quite different from getting nits as a child.

When you are a child, you genuinely don’t care.

And to the extent that you do, in any event, you will in all likelihood be absolutely satisfied with the assurance that “head lice prefer clean hair”.

If you think I am kidding myself, consider a reversal of the stereotyping on others. How about users of illegal drugs as an example. If someone were to stereotype them all as useless losers who sponge off society on welfare, break into our homes and steal from us, there would be an outcry. You see, apparently it is OK to engage in stereotyping of a senior conservative politician, but not of others.

An independent Scotland would not be in the best interests of the international community, Australia’s prime minister has warned.

Volunteers at a food bank in the Dutch town of Maassluis diligently pack ripe tomatoes and chicory into little bags for those who need it. They only open once a week, and when they arrived this week, it was to find a donation of 32 boxes of fresh produce.

An apathetic and uninformed citizenry, electing clueless second-rate politicians to govern us, is sending Australia to the dogs, writes uni student John Ray, who says we must reform our faux democracy.

Joe Hockey is doing an “inspirational” job as Treasurer and has long been standing up for low-income earners, Education Minister Christopher Pyne says.

Mr Hockey is reportedly facing internal criticism over his suggestions poor people do not have cars and some colleagues are questioning his ability to sell the budget.

The Abbott government’s chief business adviser, Maurice Newman, has warned that Australia is ill prepared for global cooling owing to widespread “warming propaganda” in his latest critique of mainstream climate science. 

So, the prime dimster Tony Abbott has pledged that Australia "should do what we can to protect people from potential genocide" ….

No doubt every Palestinian will be encouraged by this bold proclamation!!

Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey says the Government is prepared to consider wider exemptions to the Medicare co-payment, after he met with crossbench powerbroker Clive Palmer in Brisbane last night.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says that the government must do “whatever we reasonably can to ensure that the Australian community is safe from people who have been radicalised ….”

from antony loewenstein …..