The process of reading Cormac McCarthy, as pleasurably challenging as it is, reminds me of Donald Rumsfeld’s known unknowns. In book after book, the author suggests life is predetermined and that we are but specks in the cosmos. Now he takes a further step.satpa.pe/thepa1d9c7c

“The mere fact that we're seeing these draconian laws, I think, is a response to the realisation that they are losing the battle and in the future I think environment groups will exploit that.” | Mike Seccombe

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There are two types of people: those who think Jepsen began and ended with “Call Me Maybe” , and those who recognise her as a unique mastermind of contemporary pop music and a non-ironic cult icon. Her new album ‘The Loneliest Time’, will please both. satpa.pe/carly4eb4d

In 'Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes', Rob Wilkins is as frank as Pratchett was about his fury, decline and death following his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease. Have your tissues handy: the book opens with Pratchett’s “so I’m dead” letter. satpa.pe/terry77df60

'22-23 hours per day in bed, naps every two hours, half a day spent gathering the energy for the weekly shower...' Naomi Stead meets the architect designing spaces around people and what architecture’s “ethics of care” can look like. satpa.pe/archi1w2e

To those who seek to exploit the system, Australia's essential services are like gravy trains, writes John Hewson. All that’s needed is a bucket of mostly government money and a set of rules and regulations that can be interpreted subjectively.
#AusPol satpa.pe/hewso6e15

This week's cryptic crossword, by Liam Runnalls [LR]… satpa.pe/crypt3a25

The Bureau of Meteorology’s planned name change and new “corporate presence” began more than three years ago and cost far more than has been reported, writes Rick Morton. It is also symptomatic of a bigger and much more serious problem. satpa.pe/bom07d34

Lucianne Tonti meets designer E Nolan: “She explains how important it is when fitting a woman’s shape to ‘honour the body’. From the slope across the bust to the curve of the back, too much fabric will betray the fit and upset the line of the silhouette.” satpa.pe/nolan10u6

Even inside the environmental movement there are deep divides about the spate of protests targeting famous paintings by Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.

Mike Seccombe explains the dilemma that’s forcing protesters to take desperate action:
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Angela Meyer's science fiction novel 'Moon Sugar' follows a personal trainer whose young lover, hired through a Sugar Mamas website, vanishes during a secret drug trial presumed dead, in Berlin. satpa.pe/moons49a23

“The longer it takes the government to firm up a strong EV policy, the longer we will be stuck with dirty combustion engines that other countries don't want,' writes 🌏 Zali Steggall MP #AusPol satpa.pe/evs324d62

'I’m sadly finding it increasingly difficult to persuade investors to finance in Australia as opposed to, say, Eastern Europe, where media sectors are veritably booming, mainly for their reliable incentives.” satpa.pe/screen7f3a

📬 Today in #Post with Max Opray:

📩 Labor bill offers flexible hours

📩 Power costs need short circuit

📩 Medibank urged to pay hacker

📩 Jail strike to confine inmates

📩 Germany moves to legalise cannabis

thesaturdaypaper.com.au/post/max-opray…

In 'Decision To Leave', Park Chan-wook shows he is a master of cross-cutting and parallel action, something on impressive display in both cop-movie chase scenes across 'Vertigo'-inducing rooftops and sequences in which recounted scenarios come to life. satpa.pe/decis9o60

“All of these writers who wrote the best plague books have never experienced a plague, nor any pandemic,” says ‘Nights of Plague’ author Orhan Pamuk. “And I was going to say, my fantasy of fantasies, I am the fourth one … Then suddenly, bing!” satpa.pe/orhan025f7

Apart from the cooking time, this cake can be whipped up in about 5 minutes with very little mess. Feel free to embellish, drizzle over a citrus syrup, make a mandarin glaze or a simple icing. | O Tama Carey satpa.pe/manda72c49

Angela Meyer's science fiction novel 'Moon Sugar' follows a personal trainer whose young lover, hired through a Sugar Mamas website, vanishes during a secret drug trial presumed dead, in Berlin. satpa.pe/moons49a23