from the shovel ….

Boat People Clogging Up Sydney Harbour Too

The resources boom has been the most spectacular of its kind in 150 years, surpassed only by the gold rush of the 1850s. It has created enormous fortunes in the hands of a few, impoverished some and left many isolated from its benefits. Now that we are coming out of the construction phase, the money piling up in the hands of the mining barons will continue to grow as production soars, but the jobs will be far fewer and the aftermath potentially quite painful to many.

Massacres of civilians are being exploited for narrow geopolitical competition to control Mideast oil, gas pipelines.

State politics lumbers along under the radar. But a few cracks are appearing in Barry O'Farrell's cabinet. This is not surprising almost three years into government, but worth noting.

from Mike Carlton ....

Sometimes the news rushes in so quickly from here, there and everywhere that I compact it all into one dense but manageable chunk. Everything you need to know in a single headline: MILEY CYRUS BANNED FROM ESSENDON, WEIGHS GAY OPTIONS FOR SYRIA AIR STRIKE.

from the shovel ….

Opposition Treasury Spokesman Joe Hockey will release the final details of the Coalition’s policy costings in a beautifully illustrated picture book, it has been revealed.

It's hard to have faith in a politician who plays with the truth and won't tell us how he will make us pay for his promises.

''We will be a no surprises, no excuses government … You could trust us in opposition and you will be able to trust us in government … This election is all about trust.''

the old “have you stopped beating your wife” gambit ….

Western countries, including Britain, are planning to take unilateral military action against the Assad regime within two weeks in retaliation for its alleged use of chemical weapons on civilians in Syria.

When the USSR collapsed more than 20 years ago, right wing academic Francis Fukuyama wrote a notorious article announcing “the end of history”. What he meant was that all the great ideological battles of human history had been settled, free market capitalism had triumphed, and there was nothing of any significance remaining to be fought over.

from our friend Vacy Vlazna

How to lose half a million dollars and feel better in no time.

Not many of us could give away $500,000, then forget we’d done it. Paul Ramsay is one of the few.

The NSA whistleblower says: 'I have never spoken with, worked with, or provided any journalistic materials to the Independent'

from antony loewenstein ….

from politicoz …..

paying for parental leave …