Missing Link Daily

A digest of the best of the blogosphere published each weekday and compiled by Ken Parish, James Farrell, Gilmae, Darlene Taylor and Saint.

Politics

Australia

 Apparently Peter Costello is retiring from Parliament.  As if anyone cared.

The case of the Archbishop and Sharia Law seems to be drawing conflicting interpretations in this hemisphere: David Bath sees it as a harmless call for more creative solutions like Islamic banking; Kim seems to think the Archbishop wants to license stoning for adulterers. They can’t both be right.  Perhaps Theo Hobson or Fred Halliday may throw some light on the question at openDemocracy.

As the Opposition wrangles over whether to block the WorkChoices Abolition Bill, Mark Bahnisch tries to fathom the ‘Third Option’ being canvassed by some Liberal parliamentarians.

Apropos of the trial of Benbrika et al., Ken Lovell explains why he’s not satisfied that civil liberties are protected under the terrorism legislation.

Guy Beres does a sterling job of that old blogosphere staple the Albrechtsen slag over her column on mandate theory.

Possum Comitatus with perhaps the best Sorry Day reflective piece I’ve (KP) read.

Economics

Joshua Gans likes the idea of bidding systems for allocating students to subjects and class times — but mainly as a teaching tool.

Joshua Gans argues that Henry Ergas’s criticisms of the ACCC merger guidelines miss the point.

Issues analysis

Andrew Leigh offers five ideas for the bipartisan war cabinet to implement, 40% of which are not recycled from his previous venues. Maybe someone will listen this time around.

Vote Green to go Blackshirt (at least in Britain) argues Rob Johnston at Samizdata.

Arts

To listen to an interview with the lovely Sarah Blasko, pop over to Spark Online. Evidently Sarah is appearing at WOMAD this year.

While Spark Online is chatting to Sarah, Matilda takes a look at J.M.Coetzee, the author of Disgrace, among other books.

Tim Sterne is on the hunt for a job. Mr. Sterne would like a job that’s “tangentially related to placing words in order on a page”.  Mr. Sterne is a talented writer, so good luck to him.  

Gordon Hauptflesch reviews Peter Carey’s book His Illegal Self. 

Lucy/Laura elegantly reviews the Coen brothers’ movie No Country for Old Men.

Mink Tails is (rightly) not happy about the lack of non-Anglo faces in the mainstream theatre:

The apology was a long time coming, but a crucial step, indeed. It’s about bloody time we started casting more indigenous actors (nay, actors of all races) on our mainstream stages in non-indigenously/non-ethnically specific roles. If we can apologise to a people wronged, then surely, the arts are a logical first step in reparations. Who are we, as a nation? Now? And how do we want to see ourselves? We’ve long passed the day and age where we need to see largely snowy-white casts in order to affirm our sense of national identity. And yet it’s something we continue to perpetuate. It’s a shame. A deep and ugly shame. 

Sport

Niall Cook on the V8 Supercar news, namely the demise of a team (along with alleged inside information about the owner’s suspected financial problems).

Snark, strangeness and charm

tigtog confesses a fetish for men in kilts.

Why I blog: David Bath Hilzoy at Obsidian Wings posts about a Texas court decision overturning legislation banning promotion or sale of dildoes.Ilana Mercer advocates a policy of exporting women from the US, but only some women.

The picture at right shows what economist Alex Tabarrok gave his wife for Valentine’s Day.