First byte
I have found a simple solution to the escalating price of petrol. Imagine the consequences if we all decided to buy a particular brand of petrol for, say, the next month. Petrol companies would be re-acquainted with the term "competition".
Karl Hartmann
Ascot, Qld
Why a nuclear-armed Iran would be so dangerous
MOST TALKED ABOUT
MIDDLE EAST
AT times, it's tempting to speculate that nations such as Iran and North Korea seek nuclear weapons for strategic reasons and that the likelihood of them being deployed against a neighbour is remote.
Reward the best teachers, but keep them in classrooms
HOW typical of bureaucrats to think that paying the best teachers more requires portfolios, videos and work samples ("Plan for high-pay super teachers", 12/7).
Same value as a whore's kiss
AFTER many years of trying to rationalise the behaviour of politicians in relation to the normal conventions of honesty, my expectation of probity, when it come to their promises and undertakings, has gradually withered over the years to zero, especially in the light of recent events.
Zidane is victim, not villain
I'M glad to see the great Zinedine Zidane finally speaking his mind about the provocation of Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final ("Sorry, but no regrets, says Zidane", 14/7). What a pity that a lot of people (including those on the Left) seem not to understand that this was a deliberate tactic by the Italian player. Zidane was insulted three times, and only after the third insult did he react. Zidane stood in the path of an Italian victory, and had to be removed. Zidane is the victim, not the villain.
Kiwis have cheap bananas
WHILE we are starving for bananas in Australia or saving all our money to buy a bunch at $13 per kilo, in New Zealand earlier this week I was able to buy some delicious bananas imported from The Philippines for 94New Zealand cents (about 77c ) per kilo.
Sell-out of our media
WE are now to have our media ownership freed up so that it will be easier for big foreign organisations to own our newspapers, magazines, radios stations and free-to-air and pay-television channels ("Extra channels in media shakeup", 14/7).
First byte
Anti-Italian feelings are getting out of control. Tony Herbert (First Byte, 13/7) even argues that "heroic" Zinedine Zidane should be restored to honour despite his head-butting of Marco Materazzi after the latter had verbally provoked him. If everyone reacted like the Frenchman to verbal taunts, some famous Australian cricketers would probably be dead by now.
Stefano Girola
Chapel Hill, Qld
There's no reason for PM to hand his job over just yet
MOST TALKED ABOUT
HOWARD'S FIFTH TERM?
I CAN'T believe it. Here we have a booming economy, a Prime Minister with around 60 per cent approval rating, as against an Opposition leader with around 30 per cent, and someone wants to rock the boat.
Adult stem cells free of damage inherent in cloning
WE expect better of Gustav Nossal than the unbalanced science evident in yesterday's article ("Cures, not clones, will flow from medical technologies", Opinion).
Let's not follow Napoleon
CERTAINLY one of the casualties of the political meddling in school curricula of recent times has been the systematic decline of the place of history. This must be addressed urgently.
Retreat from accountability
SO primary and secondary principals associations are happy to see teachers receive merit pay incentives ("Support for teachers' cash rewards", 11/7) as long as they are based on professional standards criteria rather than student achievement.
