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In November 2015, a cartoon in Al-Ahram, an Egyptian state-owned newspaper, depicted an Islamic State ogre with “Made in America” emblazoned on his back. It wasn’t unusual. A look at Middle Eastern news media shows that this idea is startlingly common. Even prominent officials in the region, from Egypt’s former culture minister to a former deputy prime minister of Iraq, have publicly ventured conspiracy theories that Washington created the Islamic State.

I have been trying to place a date on this very funny cartoon, published say between 1960 and 1980 in The New Yorker... 

Australia has a population of just under 50 people, according to last night's census figures. It represents a fall from the 22 million measured in the 2011 census.

The snapshot of the nation showed that almost one in five of all Australians now live in a share-house in Coppin Street, in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond. The flatmates, who moved into the property last week, are still waiting for their internet to get connected.

read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/satire/australias-population-now-48-abs-confirms-20160810-gqp623.html

The Australian Bureau of Statistics says it believes a series of hacking attacks which led to the census website being shut down last night were part of a deliberate attempt to sabotage the national survey.

Vested interests and the subversion of the public interest.

The Olympics are now the summit of political games, sponsorship favourism, secrecy and drugs, including those that WADA is not looking for. It is a compliment to the Australian team to manage to swim in these murky waters without spitting turds... except one winner taunted a Chinese as a former drug cheat. Not on mate. Sledging is a cricket sport appendage...