There is no excuse for domestic violence and even though we all know this such violence often goes unaddressed by families and communities alike.

So it was interesting to come across the website He Drove Me Mad: our traumatic experiences shared.
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John Durie finishes his column in the weekend Australian as follows:

Next Friday is the closing date for submissions on creeping acquisitions and the big business lobby is adamant no new law is required. The odds of Emerson agreeing with big business are high.

Let’s hope that Mr Durie is reading the political tea leaves correctly. Read more »

The latest issue of Policy has an article by Fred Argy comparing classical liberalism and social liberalism (no link). I thought this weekends Essay on Liberty should set out the differences between classical liberals (or libertarians) and social liberalism. It is by Leonard Read and was first published in 1954.
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Last week, I wrote about concerns that Telstra’s Bigpond usage meter was not measuring usage accurately. Similar issues were echoed by David Firth in The Australian who quoted from my experience (I posted my account on Whirlpool with the username ‘EconProf’ — that wasn’t to be anonymous but I must have chosen that at some earlier stage). It is time for an update. Read more »

One of the concerns I have long had about international carbon pollution reduction schemes is that they are designed by nice people in the developed world who have never been near a developing country. An article from the Indian “Economic Times” summarises my concerns. The article is here. The problem is simple and summarised by this quote from the article. Read more »

Australia has looked narcoleptic at times during this match.

But some cool shit has happened to the players who are awake.

Michael Hussey came back from the wilderness.

Brett Lee proved earnestness can produce wickets.

And now Marcus North, their major form worry, has made a calm hundred.

Sure Phillip Hughes can’t play short or full balls. And Nathan Hauritz would be more use cutting the oranges or holding the bags. But having three players find form in one match is pretty handy. Read more »

A funny thing happened on the weekend: the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter - the US - took the first step towards establishing a carbon reduction scheme and almost nobody wanted to talk about it.

The Obama-endorsed scheme passed the US House of Representatives and only has to clear their Senate to become law.

In Australia, a few people welcomed the vote and applauded the move, but almost no-one dared to lift the carpet and comment on the design of the US scheme.

I write about you in a professionally detached manner;
You engage in “navel-gazy bullshit”.

This week the U.S. Executive Office of the President has released a list of White House office staff and the annual remumeration received.

President Obama's speech writers collectively cost taxpayers US $276,000 annually as of 1 July 2009: Read more »

Back in the 1990s, I can remember being asked by a state government agency to comment on their proposal for ‘revenue regulation’ of a state utility. For the reasons stated below I told them it was stupid.

A few years later my colleague at RSSS at the time, Rohan Pitchford, was asked a similar question by a regulator. I can still remember him talking with me about it – something like “this is just nuts isn’t it?” Read more »

Frank Devine passed away on Friday morning. He enriched the lives of many people, whether or not they agreed with his views on politics, religion or anything else.

An early tribute can be found in The Australian, from Bernard Lane . The Weekend Australian tomorrow will carry stories from Peter Coleman and others.

Condolences to Jacqui, Miranda, Rosalind, Alexandra and others who are close to him. Read more »

Following on from Tony Sez, I sent the ABC article to a friend for her edification.

Edification = Outrage. Read more »

Read more…

Find out in The Age tomorrow Read more »

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He may have missed out on the Miles Franklin but if you need proof that Christos Tsiolkas is the writer of the moment, just check…