Incumbent tactics in the nominal democracies (i.e., where the ones were fatal violence is rarely dished out to citizens who are 'in the way') are fascinating. (The shifts and continuities of tactics were the subject of my PhD). Anyone paying any attention for more than five minutes will know that one favoured tactic - deployed... Continue Reading →
aka some cishet white guy's uninvited commentary on two feminist literary icons. But it's his website and he can say what he likes. Nobody is forcing you to read it, 'kay? Rebecca Solnit will be known to the casual reader as the woman who wrote the (fantastic) 'Men Explain Things To Me’. Last night she... Continue Reading →
On Wednesday morning Jay Weatherill and 200 or so of Adelaide’s soi-disant cognoscenti gathered at Adelaide Oval, scene of triumph, disaster and foreigners hurling dangerous things at locals. Everyone was there for the launch of the programme of the second ‘Open State’ festival, which will chart the potential triumphs and disasters of our species as it careens into the 21st century, with... Continue Reading →
A rather interesting event today, high above the mean streets of Adelaide. What place might “technology” (we will come back to the scare quotes) have in helping Adelaide (and South Australia more generally) cope with the slings and arrows of deindustrialisation and globalisation? The event was organised by the Dunstan Foundation (named for the last... Continue Reading →
When I was in Australia, I ended up with a smartphone (the handset was as cheap as the cheapest non-smart model, so I thought 'why not?'). There were two consequences a) I met up with someone who I'd have otherwise missed because I was able to check email on the move b) I freaked the... Continue Reading →
‘Sexism isn’t the problem: anyone can talk when they want to,” declared one man. “It’s just that some of us have had more experience and can talk more easily in groups.” “We all support women’s liberation,” chimed in another man. Around the room, reactions spanned a wide range: resentment, distraction, passive interest, eagerness and anxiousness.... Continue Reading →
The oil major Shell has a blisteringly slick and seductive new advert that extols the virtues of gas as a ‘transition fuel’ (which it isn't). As a piece of propaganda, it would make Donna Haraway guffaw with delight. It’s 80 seconds of ‘Jenna and Cory’ who live together extolling the virtues of hybridity. They are 'alternative'... Continue Reading →
According to the American humourist Dave Barry “Meetings are an addictive, highly self-indulgent activity that corporations and other large organizations habitually engage in only because they cannot masturbate.” (As in, meetings aren't just ego-potlaches, they're also for the recycling of anxiety and responsibility). While meetings might be full of wankers, they’re surprisingly joyless experiences. “Nesta”,... Continue Reading →
Just read a fascinating article; "The Influence and Deception of Twitter: The Authenticity of the Narrative and Slacktivism in the Australian Electoral Process" by the following people Benjamin Waugh, Maldini Abdipanah, Omid Hashemi, Shaquille A. Rahman and David M. Cook, all from Edith Cowan University, While I would quibble with their definition of slacktivism, I... Continue Reading →
marchudson.net 