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

Australian

via Bastards Inc

John Quiggin rejoices in the Federal Government’s decision to buy water from irrigaters and give it back to the frogs (also published in the AFR).

Andrew Bartlett is equally excited by signs of a serious intention to ‘quickly reverse the amendments made to the Electoral Act by the Howard government, which were a breath-takingly self-serving abuse of power’

Mark Bahnisch highlights a citizen journalism initiative to cover the Queensland local government elections, and suggests that may be its niche qua MSM.

Currency Lad and Saint are talking about Dr Nelson at each other. In some sort of furriner. ((I had to cast Comprehend Languages (‘googleous translatacus’) to understand it all. Frankly, if they can’t integrate and speak English, they should git out.~gilmae))  ((It’s easy really. CL wants bread. I like me circuses ~saint))

Possum Comitatus explores what might happen if Costello, Downer, Vaile etc resign and cause by-elections in previously safe Coalition seats.

Peter Martin appreciates the fine shiv work by Dr Ken Henry. ((Who had clearly been hiding in shadows, only stepping our for a quadruple damage backstab. Revenge was sweet.~gilmae))

International

Not much penetrating analysis of the Texas/Ohio primaries outcome.  Just lots of football commentary and partisan barracking making a pretense of analysis.  Norman Geras, however doesn’t think much of the communication skills of Hillary’s campaign manager who was quoted as saying ‘Let me be crystal clear – Hillary Clinton is not going anywhere.’

Juan Cole sees consolidating ties between Iran and Iraq, which certainly doesn’t look like good news for anyone else. 

John Bambenek examines the increasingly erratic Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez’s latest escapade.

Economics

Joshua Gans replies to Gittins’ anti-immigration argument at greater length (also published in The Age).

On his continuing theme of performance pay for teachers, Andrew Leigh links to some American advocates who take the unions’ objections seriously, and try to promote dialogue.

Harry Clarke reports that some oil industry experts are claiming that the extraction peak is further away than we thought. If so, it will be a much harder task to push energy energy companies to develop nuclear and renewable technologies.

Andrew Norton on whether the HECS debt should be sold.

John Humphreys hits back with a long rebuttal in his increasingly bitter war of words with Gerry Jackson about carbon taxes and global warming.  Meanwhile, James Farrell effects a much more succinct comment box demolition of Jackson’s arguments.

Law

Tommy Crocker looks at yet another Dershowitz-style academic lawyers’ apologia for US government use of torture.

Issues analysis

Mercurius has found a list of possible ingredients of success in the Finnish and Singaporean school systems. 

Mark Richardson on Britain and Sweden’s state war against the male provider.

One could almost start a regular round-up of enviromentalist radicals and loons.

Arts

Here’s an index by Perry Middlemiss of the impressive range of ozlit blog snapshot interviews of Australian crime fiction authors to date.  Perry posts a roundup of MSM lit coverage for good measure.

Chris Boyd previews this year’s Adelaide Festival.

Alison Croggon gives a rave review to a new Melbourne production of Chekhov’s first play Platonov.

Sport

Colin Campbell asks if cricket presenter Mark Nicholas is unctious.

tigtog asks:

Still, was Symonds response appropriate to the trespassing nuisance, or was it indefensible thuggery? ((It might have been indefensible thuggery if he’d kicked the f***wit in the cods while he was on the ground, though personally I’d feel pretty relaxed about that too ~ KP))

Snark, strangeness and charm

What a cool name for a cleric. Opposites attract?

Peter Nicholson has Fireworks Display Exhaustion Syndrome. ((As distinct from Fireball Exhaustion Syndrome, otherwise referred to as -1 HP.~gilmae))

Tim Blair’s recovery update for the wimp intolerant.

Greenwashing spreads to beer.  ((That’s it with the greenies for me. This means war. ~saint))

The Kerplunk Definition of little ‘l’ liberal perjorative terms.

My love is like 124,000 red red roses, says a woman in Iran. Could she have claimed her dowry in Louisiana ?

David Tiley looks at maximum impact methods of robbing ATMs.