Qed

The Berg

What do you say about plans to build a 1000m mountain in the middle of Berlin?

The Berg.

Quadrant Online goes to town

Nothing like a good stouch, complete with the usual character assassinations. Mervy Bendle must have gotten out of the wrong side of bed before he penned this little diatribe…complete with an attack on the lunatic left, represented in the red corner by none other than Guy Rundle of Crikey fame. Of course the wicked witch of the west makes her obligatory entry, is there anyone the right despise more than Julia Gillard? And of course Robert Manne gets a serve because he probably has the temerity to quote Chomsky to his students and word has gotten about that he’s a closet loony leftwinger who has a Naomi Klein pinup above his bed.

I feel very much indebted to Mervy who assures us all that

all the Left is about are simplistic ideas and slogans, jealousy, resentment, opportunism, and a lust for power and personal advancement.

Such intellectual refinement could only come from the sunshine state, where the light is ever increasing.

Quadrant Online – Left Forum: Green Left Weakly.

Phenomenal Handclap Band “15 to 20″ Official Video on Vimeo

Phenomenal Handclap Band “15 to 20″ Official Video from friendly fire recordings on Vimeo.

A world first: Vaccine helps prevent HIV infection

Never say never…

For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible

via AP Wire News | nvdaily.com.

Compared with ’29 | vox

Some cheery economic data…The world economy is tracking or doing worse than during the Great Depression (September 2009 update) | vox – Research-based policy analysis and commentary from leading economists.

Don’t you just love capitalism? And Glenn Dyer over @ Crikey describes the US situation as a social powderkeg:

Yes, Friday night’s employment figures were better than expected: just 216,000 jobs went last month and the unemployment rate rose to 9.7% because more people went looking for work, a sign of increasing confidence among the unemployed.

And yet that’s a bit of a mirage because it hides the continuing pain and agony across thousands of American cities and towns.

As well five more American banks failed on Friday night in another few hours of financial bloodletting in the US heartland: all were small and 89 have now collapsed so far this year. That’s another part of the picture with job losses in some towns and cities and rising bad debts starting to impact on financial institutions.

The economic slowdown may be reversing itself (American economists are talking about growth of 3-4% annual for the rest of this year, and surging corporate profits, but millions of Americans are being left behind having lost their houses, their jobs, having hours and pay cut and worse, more than 34 million are on some sort of government food aid, so desperate are their circumstances.

Los Angeles – Squid Ink – New KFC Opens In Palms? Sort of…Instead of Fried Chicken, They Sell Marijuana

Can you imagine an international chain of these stores?

Los Angeles – Squid Ink – New KFC Opens In Palms? Sort of…Instead of Fried Chicken, They Sell Marijuana.

Trekking alone is fine, says Tim Holding | The Australian

Absolutely, he probably could have walked out anyway! He was fit, able and equipped. Maybe he just likes walking by himself.

Trekking alone is fine, says Tim Holding | The Australian.

The C-Word Ain’t What It Used to Be – Arts & Living News Briefs | Newser

Ahh bugger that, first the f-word and now the c-word…

The C-Word Ain’t What It Used to Be – Arts & Living News Briefs | Newser.

What would Eric think?

Polluters win no matter who is in power | theage.com.au

Kenneth Davidson sums its up rather nicely…“policy is developed between key ministers and industry lobbyists representing mining, private heath insurance, religious and independent schools and employer groups….It is clear that the Rudd Government is not prepared to undertake reforms to reverse the Howard government’s policies, which created two-tier health and education systems where access is largely determined by income and reinforced by fiscal policy.”

via Polluters win no matter who is in power | theage.com.au.

Ted Kennedy: His Life and Times – Photo Gallery, 26 Pictures – LIFE

Ted Kennedy: His Life and Times – Photo Gallery, 26 Pictures – LIFE.