Category Archives: GOVERNANCE

Anything to do with how we do things – and the random opinion piece

Food: in japan

ARTS & CULTURE, photo-essay, random, travel
Photo-essay

Japan and food – an image

A photograph taken in 2006 of lunch time on a busy back street in Tokyo.

lunch-L1040534

The food was great.  Ordering in such places is always interesting as no-one there spoke English (and this is the usual off the tourist areas) and we spoke absolutely no Japanese. We managed through hand gestures and pointing and thanks to the politeness and very friendly nature of the owners. This experience was repeated often whereby the locals were both helpful and courteous to these foreigners who did not speak their language.

 

Architecture & Awards

architecture, opinions, urban development, URBANITY
Opinion Piece on the state of Australian Architecture Awards

frontNGA-P1020039 It was while standing in front of the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), that it occurred to me that the extension, which includes the new entrance, had not figured in awards. I am fully aware of the controversies about how these extensions came about. Should any of that have excluded this architectural addition to the nation’s art gallery from being the recipient of awards.

I intend to write more about the NGA in the near future, but for now I my curiosity has turned to the architecture awards as run by the national professional body, the AIA. These awards are lauded nationally, so why not apply a reality check as to how their award winners really stack up.

Continue reading Architecture & Awards →

Climate Change

climate change, opinions, politics, random,
“It’s time to stop this madness”
Philippines plea at UN climate talks
click on the image above for the speech whereby the Philippines pleads with the world to get out of their ivory towers and to do something about climate change.
Listening were you Rabbott? Oh that’s right, you had important things to do rather than have Australia properly represented at these climate talks.!

Paul Keating

opinions, politics, random,
Paul Keating: a most appropriate  speech

the Australian War Memorial 11 November 2013

Paul Keating’s Remembrance Day address “Those Australians fought and died not in defence of some old world notion of competing empires and territorial conquests but for the new world – the one they belonged to and hoped to return to.

This is why Australia was never in need of any redemption at Gallipoli, any more than it was in need of one at Kokoda thirty years later.

There was nothing missing in our young nation or our idea of it that required the martial baptism of a European cataclysm to legitimise us.”

full text of his speech at Australian War Memorial

Rabbott update

opinions, politics, random
Review: Things beyond belief

rabbott01It it time to monitor the performance of our nation’s pet Rabbott now that he and his followers are inside the pen with all the assets of people of Australia to play with.

The trend is to make fools of the media – and this is a turn around given the role of the mainstream media  in promoting  the Rabbott and Murdoch messages prior to the last federal election.

Continue reading Rabbott update →

Democracy threatened by dangerous idiots

opinions, politics,
Politicians & their supporting media types do not know when to keep their dangerous comments to themselves!

There’s nothing more basic in our democracy as the processes that underpin the election of our governments. At the time of writing , the WA Senate election has become  complicated, not just because of the necessary recount given the closeness of the first results, but because of the unfortunate event whereby by about 1,400 previously counted votes have been misplaced.

Continue reading Democracy threatened by dangerous idiots →

Halloween

cultural, opinions, random, ,
Why do we do this?

I do not get this one. The supermarkets and other retailers  have again attempted to convince us that Australia celebrates Halloween and we should be encouraging children and teenagers to wander around and knock on doors to demand sweets. I do not think so!

I’ll migrate that appropriate saying from that other not so relevant event: Bah Humbug.

Continue reading Halloween →

Climate Change

climate change, green infrastructure, opinions, politics, urban development
Reform failed – so let’s try Revolution

The Australian politicians were called on to address climate change over a decade ago (at least). Local community groups have recognised the need for climate change adaptation and have been frustrated with the lack of meaningful leadership that should be offered by elected officials.

The mainstream press, as led by Murdoch, and the ABC have provided their own biased information on these complex topics. The general public has received mixed messages instead of meaningful and useful information based on the overwhelming scientific evidence.

16RegentsCanal-1100774

Continue reading Climate Change →

those damn leaves!

A DICKSON RESIDENT, CANBERRA, random, URBANITY, ,
Need to rake those damn leaves!

September 2013.

Casual roaming of the neighbourhood can reveal some of the oddities of local urbanity.

First a background story. Going back several decades, there used to be tradition in Canberra that each winter the residents would rake their leaves in the street gutter and then set fire to them. The neighbourhoods were full of smoke from these frequent local burnings. Eventually the local government put a stop to this local tradition.

Continue reading those damn leaves! →

Signs of Life

CANBERRA, random,
Review: Signs that assist us daily

Always interested in how signs work and how our environment is being cluttered with so many well-meaning signs. Here’s one from near the Canberra airport.

This sign warns drivers to watch out for a certain animal (kangaroo) that apparently is much larger than humans. Note the size of the creature in relation to the human being in front of it.

I suggest that anyone driving along this road should definitely keep an eye for this giant.

Maybe it is a warning to parents about how dangerous giant kangaroos are to children.

(click on the image for a larger version)

Sign-P1010921

That Media Sneer

opinions, politics, random, , , ,
A note on Crickey Reporting

cyclistEver so often, actually a little too often, Crickey puts out a silly and patronising report that leaves you feeling What was the point?

Here’s one by Andrew Crook, who has a few of these out there.

Hold the bus! He has researched the possible annual income of the outgoing Prime Minister. Well that ‘s important information I needed to know!

One can not help sense that he is not going to let that Julia Gillard retire quietly and resume life peacefully in her new roles. Must be some dirt here somewhere. Surely such a ‘senior journalist’ could do some real journalism. Is that asking too much?  Andrew – get a life, on your bike…

End of the Road?

ARTS & CULTURE, books & readings, politics, , , ,
Review:  Book

End of the Road?, Gideon Haigh, Pengiun Specials, 2013

It’s a tough life taking an interest in your country. Traditionally the main sources of information for most people has been the media. In the last decade this source has become totally corrupted, especially the mainstream media and the ABC.

When it comes to the rhetoric around the car industry in Australia, the ideological arguments that are trotted out do nothing but harm and mislead. Thank god (or whoever is out there) Penguin has these ‘Penguin Specials’ and thank you to Gideon for his research and information that goes a long way to providing a reality check on where the country is at when it comes to having a car industry.

Continue reading End of the Road? →

Laura Tingle Great Expectations

ARTS & CULTURE, books & readings, politics, ,
Review: Book

Great Expectations, Government, Entitlement and an Angry Nation, Laura Tingle 2013
an expanded version of her previous Quarterly Essay

The beginning of the 21st Century is a time when something changed in society due to a rise in the lack of civility and anger over expectations not being addressed. This unrest has surfaced within the larger political debates as well as in more discrete arenas such as companies, community groups, societies and associations.

The media has had a great time fueling this dissatisfaction through the constant emphasis on problems, large, small and imaginary, about our  governments. Continue reading Laura Tingle Great Expectations →

Being Honest

opinions, politics, ,
The Crime of Speaking Up

On Monday this week, the new Labor opposition party met to talk leadership and opposition front bench positions. The leaders had already been elected and now the caucus would elect the members of the Opposition Ministers and then leave it to the leaders to appoint the actual opposition minister positions to those on the elected list.

No sooner had the list being announced, then one of their number, Anna Burke, the previous House Speaker,  let it rip as to what she thought of the process.

Continue reading Being Honest →

Democracry under threat

opinions, politics, random
Be Alert and Be Aware

The democracy experiment continues to be under threat in the United States.

A revealing article on a the web site, Independent Australia, explains how frightening the current political crisis is within the US and the background to the government shutdown.

Unfortunately it does not take much to join the dots as to what is going on behind the scenes in Australia now with the Abbott government.

here’s the link to the article – hope it dos not spoil your spring day.

A Word

opinions, politics, random, women
 Give PM Julia Gillard credit where credit is due

an article re-published   – in no fibs – was originally published by Mary Crooks
Executive director Victorian Women’s Trust on 5 July, 2013 as a full page advertisement.

I identify with her finishing paragraph:

“The truly ugly aspect of our national life revealed by the past three years should give cause for us all to reflect on what else is required to restore and maintain respect, civility, common decency and a fair go for women – in our society and in our democratic politics.”

read the original piece as reproduced here

Battlers & Billionaires

ARTS & CULTURE, books & readings, politics,
Review: Book

Battlers & Billionaires, Andrew Leigh 2013

lc-leadn-malone-20130720164836879543-300x0Have you been wondering whether Australia is that egalitarian society we keep talking about especially in comparisons with other western societies?

As I write this review we are witnessing a millionaire, Clive Palmer, use his wealth to buy personal power in the Australian Parliament. At the same time the millionaire clan of Gina Rinehart and her children are locked in some court battle over a family feud over their millions. Continue reading Battlers & Billionaires →

When Names Stick

random, , , ,

Sometimes your image of particular people changes to something silly and from then on they can no longer be taken seriously

It was while I was sitting at a meeting a couple of years ago that I became quite irritated and maybe even a little bored with the posturing, the rantings and endless domination of the conversations by one particular male at the meeting.

Continue reading When Names Stick →

Truth is out there?

opinions, politics, random, the media, , , ,
Julia’s ‘murderous rage’

An article in a paper today by Alecia Simmonds stopped me in my tracks.

In the piece she discusses the reporting of the conversation between Anne Summers and Julia Gillard in Sydney. Alecia questions why the reporting concentrated on the statement by Julia when she referred to ‘murderous rage’. Alecia point was that such reporting was about manufacturing controversy yet again. There remains so many celebratory aspects of this event to be highlighted and discussed but too many reporters have yet again chosen to concentrate on making a headline as some form of criticism.

Continue reading Truth is out there? →

Truth is out there

politics, random, ,
political spin at its worst

This morning on the ABC program, INSIDERS, the group were discussing the two very successful events last week whereby Anne Summers had two conversations with Julia Gillard, one in Sydney and the other in Melbourne.

Julia had made a statement that it was not acceptable to do things that undermine the government and the labor party. She was clearly having a go at Kevin Rudd and his close supporters and their three-year campaign to internally disrupt the Prime Minister and her government and to create the environment for Kevin to be re-installed. Continue reading Truth is out there →

Take Your Best Shot

ARTS & CULTURE, books & readings, politics, , , ,
Review: Book

Take Your Best Shot, The Prime Ministership of Julia Gillard, Jaqueline Kent 2013

It was a very strange three or so years in Australian politics. It remains difficult to make sense of it all.

The media, Tony Rabbot, Kevin Rudd and his ruddites and the shock jocks all part of the murky times. Then there was the uncivilised behaviour that morphed into accepted everyday behaviour and all those supposedly close colleagues who turn on you. What a time for anyone!

Continue reading Take Your Best Shot →

The Prince

books & readings, politics, religion, ,
Review: Quarterly Essay, The Prince, Faith, Abuse and George Pell.
David Marr, September 2013

This is one of those essays that I picked up knowing some of this story and already having opinions on religion in Australia, the associated politics and the horrible abuse issues.

I read this essay in one sitting and was totally taken aback by the details of events and the nasty side of human behaviour as told by David Marr.

This is recommended reading for anyone interested in the story of where this country has been and the issues we are yet to deal with properly. Continue reading The Prince →

Exhibition chatter

random, visual arts

When roaming the art galleries in Sydney recent, I came across a couple of women in Martin Browne Contemporary. As they slowly walked through the exhibitions they were chatting endlessly about all sorts of gossipy things and were not really stopping to look at any of the art on display.

They managed to meander through the two floors of the space without actually stopping to look and without pausing their conversations.

Amazingly I ran into them twice more at different galleries and they put on the same performance. Chat, slow wander, and no contemplation or discussion of the works.

They were not whispering. They spoke reasonably loudly, so it was hard to ignore, and the conversations were just plain boring!

what the F? was going on – it seems they were going through the motions of visiting galleries and exhibitions but in fact it was simply a meaningless social occasion.

The Stalking of Julia

books & readings, politics, women

Book Review

The Stalking of Julia Gillard, Kerry-Anne Walsh

I should be able to say that there’s really no need for thinking and observant people to read this book.

The last three years in relation to the governance of Australia were just something totally unbelievable. We all think we know what happened.

I now consider that the labor government lost power well before the election. Was it because it was delivering fantastic economic management or was it because it did not deliver an outstanding set of national programs?

Continue reading The Stalking of Julia →

Misogyny Factor

ARTS & CULTURE, books & readings, politics, women, , ,

Book Review

The Misogyny Factor, Anne Summers

It was a month or so after our First Women Prime Minister had been removed from her position and following a number of not so nice events in my own life that I had started to wonder just what is happening to our Australian way of life and culture. What has happened to civility and respect.

There is a generation or two who seem to think that feminism is a cause now won and we should move on.

I find that certain men and women are fully capable of all sorts of weasel words about equality and the role of women in the workplace and act as if they champion such matters. Continue reading Misogyny Factor →