The Australian (Federal) Labour Party...

Seems to have a death wish.  Surely someone has told these people that messy, intrigue filled leadership contests are a bad way of convincing voters that you will be able to provide a stable government if you are elected?  Even the mess that is the Republican primary system in the US at the moment seems better than what is going on here with Gillard and Rudd.

This is just silly...

Outrage in NZ over a Smokefree ad featuring Piri Weepu, in which he bottlefeeds his young child!  Bottlefeeds! As if breastfeeding were not good enough!  (Forget, for the moment, how difficult breastfeeding would be for him).

Really?  Really?

I would take it as a good thing that a man is being portrayed as a nurturing, involved figure in a popular ad campaign.  Complaining about this can only be counterproductive for the pro-breastfeeding groups making the complaints.

Rolling Stone: Best news source in the US?

At the very least, they do a wonderful line in long form journalism.  That talent is noticeably under-represented in more traditional new media.  For a thoroughly depressing example, take a look at this piece about how a small town in Michelle Bachmann's home district is creating such a strong anti-homosexual vibe (linked, naturally, to the strength of evangelical religion in the area) that many young kids have killed themselves there.

Articles online:

'The New Political Blogosphere', in Social Epistemology, here.

'The Limits of Criminal Disenfranchisement', in Criminal Justice Ethics, here.

Bad People:

The guy who decided that his religious views justify taking unilateral action against what is actually a kind of awesome billboard put up by a church in Auckland.  Apparently his name is Arthur Skinner and he thinks that everyone should accept his belief set.  Bad.

The Onion is better than most US news media....

 On the Penn State child rape case:

In the wake of the sex abuse scandal that rocked Penn State earlier this month, a coalition of 10-year-old boys from across the nation held a press conference Saturday outside Beaver Stadium, home of college football's Nittany Lions, to remind Americans that if they see someone raping a prepubescent boy, they should contact the police immediately

This should, of course, go without saying.  But if you watch mainstream media coverage, the simple things like this are pretty well concealed.  More here.

Youth wages

Are a bad idea.  If you can do the work, you deserve your wage.  The only reason suggestions like this ever get off the ground is that young people are politically impotent... a natural consequence of not letting them participate.