A former welfare minister has delivered a dramatic appeal to landlords to take direct action against the “bedroom tax” by knocking down walls or bricking up windows in protest against housing benefit cuts.

NSW Premier, “Barangaroo” Barry O'Farrell, sent the above announcement to all public servants yesterday.

I know the 13.8 billion year-old universe is divided along many fault lines and one of these chasms regards Julia...

There are the Julia haters and the Julia "lovers"... Even this site, YourDemocracy, is divided... John does not like Julia Gillard one bit, while Gus is a supporter... 

from Crikey ,,,,,

Cox: when did 'Labor values' become John Howard's values?

Why it is important to tally the number of days above a certain temperature compared with similar period in past records...

Thursday's sound and fury in Canberra changed only one thing. A government that was on the ropes now has the smell of death to it.

As most of the mainstream media uses epithet like "disaster", "Labor's shrivelled bacon", "chicken Kev", "catastrophe" and even a "%$&(#@ that" to describe Julia staying in the PM chair — and of course blames Julia and Swan for the "debacle" (it's not a debacle — it was actually lancing a big boil that has been festering in the Labor Party), I for one could not be happier... Having been through many changes of fragile government in Europe, I can see a Shakespearian drama/comedy being climaxed... and there will be a clever twist at the end... Julia wins the election...

JERUSALEM — President Obama made an impassioned appeal Thursday for renewed peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, urging each side to compromise on key issues so as to sideline extremists who “thrive on conflict.”

c

What a farce...

And I don't mean the Labor's spill today... the fault of which lay squarely on Simon Crean's lap...

a case study of quick picture switch at News Limited...

News Limited is the main perpetrator of media abuses in Australia, writes Alan Austin, and hence the strongest proof the current self-regulation system is useless.

Journalists and editors love to bang on about press freedom - but which interests curtail freedom of the press most? Veteran journo Trevor Grant on the day his idealism died