Abc Insiders 24 September So, there was an 'extra' bit with Barrie Cassidy pondering the consequences of Abbott's behaviour for energy policy (compare coorey article on same topic in AFR). Programme itself opens with interview/intersplice with the headbutt guy in Hobart Sadly no music over the top of this- too controversial? Could have had “Can't... Continue Reading →
Activism: ffs, read this – Building Movements, Not Organizations
Building Movements, Not Organizations Creating a healthy, humane world will require more than new organizational designs. It will take rethinking the nature of organizations entirely.... What might be possible, therefore, if socially minded organizations and businesses acted more like movements than organizations? And what might that look like in practice? To answer those questions, consider... Continue Reading →
Oz at a distance #1; podcasts and Insiders
Minimal biog bit - I am from Adelaide. Just spent a lovely 7 weeks there bludging of my parents and doing research for The Thesis. One ritual we got into, mater and I, was watching 'The Insiders', an ABC TV show on a Sunday morning for politics junkies. The format's the same each time -... Continue Reading →
Max Weber nails it on politics, natch #stupidity
"Only he has the calling for politics who is sure that he will not crumble when the world from his point of view is too stupid or base for what he wants to offer." Reminds me of "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert... Continue Reading →
#WordsIDidntKnow – Gaman (‘endurance’)
One attribute highly prized in Japanese society is that of "gaman", or "endurance". Gaman is the quality of enduring what seems unbearable with dignity and grace. The idea basically that is that if there's something unpleasant around you, it's better to tough it out in an act of self-sacrifice rather than act immediately to change... Continue Reading →
Advice to activists – “Educate yourselves first” Gary Foley
Garey Foley advice to activists- Educate Yourselves first... This is well worth a watch.
“Depends on what I was taking” – of coherence, ambiguity, classic works of art
So, writing something I shouldn't (I will retrolink to it), I stumble on this, about one of my favourite songs, 'After the Gold Rush' by Neil Young. Dolly Parton once commented about the making of her version of the song: "When we were doing the Trio album, I asked Linda and Emmy what it meant,... Continue Reading →
What would a genuinely “empowering” #OpenState look like? @JayWeatherill
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 →
Turnbull’s Judgement – of Keating, Katter and Crabb #auspol
Annabel Crabb, in her book ‘Stop at Nothing’ about current Prime Minister (correct at time of publication) Malcolm Turnbull, recounts a phone call from ex Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating to then PM Kevin Rudd. The story originally comes from Peter Hartcher of the Sydney Morning Herald (27 June) and here’s the grab- When Malcolm... Continue Reading →
What may Jay say? The alternative @JayWeatherill speech for #Openstate
The following document fell through a wormhole from an alternative universe, landing as a smoldering set of singed papers, with a comedy thump, on my desk. It purports to be an account of the speech given by South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill at the launch of the “2017 Open State Program.” Standing at the podium... Continue Reading →
