from Crikey ….

The $800-a-night pokies habit and paying the ultimate price

from politicoz ….

The winter break for the politicians with all the glorious distractions, the overseas trips, holidays in the north and the Olympics, is about to end and the spring offensive is upon us.

The Coalition's aim is to find new ways to belt the Gillard Government on the well worn issues, keeping its foot on a grounded opponent.

The Olympics are replete with breathtaking sights and sounds. The blur of Usain Bolt. The wash created by that human propeller Michael Phelps. 

However, at London 2012, there is unlikely to be a moment more utterly gobsmacking than the Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates declaring the key to an improved performance by Australia was to make sport compulsory in school, and to thus increase participation rates.

I have not forgotten them... they lurk on the drawing board in various forms... this is number 32...

A spectacular boat explosion, pointed guns, BRW rich listers and secret shareholdings in the British Virgin Islands are just some of the intriguing elements involving former government ministers, investors and controversial coalmining deals worth tens of millions of dollars.

No less than the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) posted a column on the history of putting to death those who engage in financial malfeasance. 

Bill Shorten, nasty little prick, insulted an Asian woman about her pie. This is big news in Australia. It is much more important evidently than the possible charges to be laid against Rupert and James Murdoch in Britain.

from politicoz …..

Wayne Swan is a working class legend in his own lunchtime. Just ask him. Or rather just read his John Button memorial speech.

Commentators are fairly unanimous that the Rio+20 talks have been a failure. Expectations had of course been low. And because of this most developed country leaders stayed away. In opening the summit Ban Ki-Moon admitted the draft outcome was “disappointing” due to the conflicting interests of member states. China’s Sha Zukang, the UN’s lead on the conference agreed, calling the statement “an outcome that makes nobody happy.”