Dude...

...it's been a busy couple of weeks.

A couple of links!
- Pravda says "Australia's new Prime Minister to face severe unfeminine problems."

- The crazy Russians also say "Give Obama a chance."

- I love the way Bob Ellis writes this piece. The writing style just feels so flowing.

One of the few maxims I live by, Bad things happen fast, was evident yesterday in Canberra, where I saw the big change unfolding.

It was all too fast, and it was not thought through. And mistakes were made that needlessly gave the Abbott Opposition a tactical edge.

The first was to give Rudd permission to speak first, and emphasise (like Mark Antony) the enormity of his assassination and the majestic wonder of his many achievements (I cured the lepers, he said, and I raised the dead and I sought to save the planet but they wouldn't let me save the planet, the bastards, and the knife-thrust to this valve in my heart was cruel and unusual punishment, in my humble view) and to show, for the first time in years, the decent, civic-minded, smart, self-mocking, uxorious husband and parent that I (for one) first met and very much liked, and liked getting on the turps with, in 1999. 

 - Oscar Wilde quotes.

There are only two kinds of people who are really fascinating: people who know absolutely everything, and people who know absolutely nothing.

 - The most mental new soccer move I have seen in a while.

That is Juan Mata nutmegging Raul Albiol at World Cup training. Brilliant.

- How Germany saw Rudd's defeat.

- A crime novelist happened to be on the scene of the Rudd stabbing when it happened.

IT’S FOUR on Wednesday afternoon and I’m wandering the corridors of Parliament House trying to figure out where I am. The place is vast, a world entire, and its navigation presents a considerable challenge for the non-denizen on a temporary visa.

I arrived yesterday, come for a bit of a sniff around, collecting background for a novel way beyond deadline. I’ve already got what I came for – a few minutes with a handful of members, people who can draw diagrams of processes and describe situations that will become grist to my fictive mill – and I’m wondering if I can trade my cut-price ticket for an earlier flight back to Melbourne. What I don’t yet know is that an accident of timing has put me in the dress circle for the biggest show in town.

- Anna Kournikova and Martina Hingis got back together to play doubles at Wimbledon. I saw them play together at the 02 Australian Open and it was great. The other pair kept hitting the ball to Kournikova, trying to keep it away from Hingis. Anna was great.

- Possibly the most successful band you've never heard of.

- Bill Simmons' hilarious draft diary from a while ago. It's great.

5:09: Just found out that Rasheed Wallace is definitely retiring. Gotta say, I respect Sheed for knowing when to call it quits … and then waiting two more years, getting two more paychecks, and finally calling it quits.
(Follow-up note: Apparently he's doing one last noble act, not filing his retirement papers right away so the Celtics can trade his cap figure for another player … which, ironically, gives him real value to teams looking to dump payroll and/or get under the tax. This reminds me of a dying Darth Vader being nice to Luke Skywalker at the end of "Return of the Jedi." I don't know where this is coming from, but thank you, Darth!)

- The Bulwer-Lyton Competition for the worst writing in the world - winners announced!

- Larissa Riquelme (on the left) has become something of a massive celebrity since she's been following Paraguay at the World Cup.

There are plenty of galleries of her floating around, but here is a mainly safe for work one. She has said she deliberately went to the World Cup to boost her career by being photographed. It worked!

- The owner of the Cavaliers wrote a bitter letter to LeBron James after he dumped them for the Miami Heat (full post to follow). Unfortunately... he wrote it in Comic Sans. Heh heh heh.

- Snoop Dogg eyes cameo on Coronation Street!?!?

- The story behind why soccer players swap jerseys at the end of games. (Thanks Ben).

- Awwww the cutest thing from the World Cup Final!

Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas being interviewed by his journalist girlfriend Sara Carbonero... and giving her a big kiss :)

- Some criticism of Germany because they didn't have as many German-born players as people might have liked. At least Thomas Mueller hasn't let the team down.

- Is Suliemen Benn the Baddest Boy In Cricket??

His career highlights so far:

At least two tripping incidents.
Mouthing off to every opposition player.
Mouthing off to most players on his own team.
Getting in scrapes with Johnson and Haddin that lead to a suspension.
Being thrown off the field by his own captain.
And getting spat at by Dale Steyn.

That is not bad for a guy who has played 50 international matches.

Nathan Hauritz played that many before anyone knew he was alive.

- And... every pick up line on Mad Men.