A worry to come for the government. The sagging public confidence about economic conditions that the pollsters are reporting is unlikely to be improved when workers get their next statement from superannuation funds. The tragedy of the drowning boat people was probably the reason this story did not get the run it deserved this morning:

But the impact will surely come when people get their super statement. Combined with a decline in house prices over the last year and rising unemployment it is no wonder that people are a little apprehensive about the future

I hope so too! The Nobel prize winner turns his attention to our biggest trading partner:

In case you were worried. Lil’ Kim is still with us and still performing. All those tweets yesterday were wasted on a case of mistaken identity.

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The Economist remembered the true identity. Hello – a cover from 2000…

And Goodbye — yesterday’s website…

A type to beware of at Christmas party drinks. Watch out for those people who focus on the here and now, without thinking about the impact on the future. They are more aggressive than others when they are sober, but the effect is magnified greatly when they’re drunk. That’s the finding of professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University, Brad Bushman, the lead author of a study into personality types and the impact of alcohol on aggression.

According to Prof Bushman, “if you carefully consider the consequences of your actions, it is unlikely getting drunk is going to make you any more aggressive than you usually are.”

In a press release summarising his results, which are to be published in the  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Bushman says it makes sense that alcohol would make present-focused people more aggressive.

“Alcohol has a myopic effect — it narrows your attention to what is important to you right now. That may be dangerous to someone who already has that tendency to ignore the future consequences of their actions and who is placed in a hostile situation.”

No more passing the buck on hospitals. It sounded too good to be true when Kevin Rudd as Labor Leader promised it: no more passing the buck on hospital funding. And so it has come to pass.

In Tasmania they are closing down surgical beds everywhere and the waiting lists are growing again. This week it is Launceston’s turn. By the end of this week, it will drop from 60 to 40 surgical patient beds, and two of its six operating theatres will close. The local ABC reports that Hobart has lost 25 surgical beds, and the state’s North-West has lost 16.

And the Commonwealth has ruled out financial help. Some things never change.