[Joss Whedon is returning to television](http://www.eonline.com/gossip/kristin/detail/index.jsp?uuid=972f7d73-e0a2-43ea-abad-0abf6afba1f3). If you don't know who he is, go watch *Firefly*.
// page 148
*Announcements*: ALP has [$20m for a National Centre of Excellence in Water Desalination](http://alp.org.au/media/1107/msiwatloo020.php). That was all I could find... *Polls*: [AC Nielsen](http://www.theage.com.au/news/federalelection2007news/labor-retains-poll-lead/2007/11/01/1193619061391.html) ALP 55-45. And in [Bennelong](http://www.pollbludger.com/669) it's…
[Japan's Phillip's Curve looks like Japan](http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/11/rorschach-econo.html) (including picture). In case you were wondering: it doesn't seem to work for Australia.
[The Australian of the Year finalists](http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/australian-of-the-year-finalists-announced/2007/11/01/1193619053511.html?s_cid=rss_news). Only two sportspeople on the list, thankfully. But I've never been sure why on earth this prize exists, it serves no purpose…
[Star Trek themed coffins](http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/star-trek-coffin/star-trek-coffin-warps-your-corpse-to-the-final-nerd-frontier-317341.php). In case my loved ones are wondering: **NO!**.
[A history of US tax rates by income group](http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/2007/10/evolution-of-tax-rates.html). The decline in the top 0.01 per cents tax rate is astonishing, but it's noteworthy how badly the top…
[The iPhone may launch in Australia in 2008](http://www.tuaw.com/2007/10/31/iphone-looking-to-head-down-under/). Yay! Happy dance time.
*Announcements*: * The [ALP boldly copies 90% of the coalition senior citizen benefit increases](http://www.smh.com.au/news/federalelection2007families/41b-pitch-for-grey-vote/2007/11/01/1193619029438.html?s_cid=rss_news) (with some extra treats). $4.2 billion. * The coalition promises [50 new family emergency…
[Tiger Woods retirement fund could be worth $US 1 billion](http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news;_ylt=AvrCG7Va3rP9NtKe3.eLXJ45nYcB?slug=dw-pension090407&prov=yhoo&type=lgns). It's hard to find retirement funds better than the government one, but this manages it...
[Is the Star Trek Federation of Planets really a federation](http://volokh.com/posts/1190182117.shtml). Almost as fun as a debate as ['Is Star Trek communist'](http://stardestroyer.net/Empire/Essays/Trek-Marxism.html)