On Friday 20th September we drove over to Hawthorn (Melbourne) to view the Leonard Joel Auction’s exhibition of women’s art that was open for viewing that weekend. An excellent experience. It was so good, we returned on Saturday for another look around.
This piece as originally published in 2022
Looking at the creative political sign in front of the Kingston Glass Workshop in October (now removed), the message was clear.
Continue reading Does Clive Hamilton value his own backyard?
Recently I was sent a real estate advertisement for a rooftop unit on Northbourne Avenue Canberra.
Developers love putting up their signs of things to come that will make life better for future residents.
Rebecca Solnit has written about regimes such as Trump’s do not last forever.
George Monbiot writes about the signs for change. Please make it happen.
Recommended reading for all of us as we try to work out what the hell happened with democracy and how our governments have ruined this country.
The words populism and populist have no simple, coherent meaning.
click on the image for the story – and wonder which century these people live in?
Analysis shows that while land values per acre rose at 2.2% per annum, land rents fell by 0.3% per annum in the 1800s. Powerhouse Museum/Flickr, CC BY-SA
click on the image for this very interesting view on Brexit
New book by Naomi Kleinthis is my second post on this book:
here’s a new review of the book on The Guardian – click here
The Uber CEO is gone – why?
click here for the story in The Guardian and read about Susan Fowler, the person who did not do as advised – to ignore the sexist behaviour around her.
Yet again the media has misunderstood what Pauline Hanson said!
It is definitely time for all forms of peaceful and concerted actions to adjust our democratic structures to deal with the damage being done by forces that have resulted in Trump and his cronies being where they are.
the democracy experiment continues – but will it get beyond the influence of neoliberalism
New book by Naomi Klein“This is one attempt to uncover how we got to this surreal political moment. It is also an attempt to predict how, under cover of shocks and crises, it could get a lot worse.
And it’s a plan for how, if we keep our heads, we might just be able to flip the script and arrive at a radically better future.” — From the Introduction
George Monbiot on how dark money is subverting democracy in the UK.
Click on the banner above
A few stories on this topic – and the world needs more people to identify this and to lead the change away from this nasty ideology.
Oh how we wish for more voices to be critical of the current political class and their hangers-on – and I include many journalists as being hangers-on.
This post will probably upset a few dog owners. Unfortunately, that is also part of the story – being that whenever you raise the problems you have with dogs, many dog owners (not all) go into denial.
Medicare was great. Having a universal health care system was the envy of many other countries.
click on the image for the website – Women Photograph
Very good article about this event – click on the image
click on the image for the story of how art galleries could make a stand against the Trump actions on equity and immigration.
click on the image for the wise words about dealing with Trump
Click on the image for the Guardian article
click on the image for the story behind these ‘we the people’ posters
Australia continues to be Turnbulled – and is being led by dud politicians.
click on the image for the story
Click on the image for an article from Independent Australia.
There’s so much wrong with the democracy experiment at the moment. But is good that a few journalists are seeing the issues that must be dealt with.
Clive Hamilton, Charles Sturt University (republished from The Conversation)
( a note from Paul Costigan – Before you read the Clive Hamilton article below from The Conversation– – have a look at the photograph above. It is scary!)
Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump’s triumph–click on image
It took about three hours of argument on Friday 28th October for a decision by the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) on whether certain government planning documents should be released to those making objections to the Government’s agreement to the revised Development Application (DA) for the Dickson supermarket.
Continue reading Lawyers, files and money–and those responsible for this mess
Sadly our political system has been corrupted. As much as we wish we lived in a democratic country–sadly it is not so.
click on the image for a good report on Jon Stanhope’s message to his Labor colleagues. Note the link in the story to the full speech – it is worth reading.
America is exceptional! Because god says so. America has the right to deal with matters anywhere in the world as it wishes – because America is exceptional.
click on image for the piece from The Guardian.
She nailed it. How do we vote for Michelle Obama?
How far the USA has travelled – down.
Image linked from a site by Amy Dickinson – click here
click on image for the piece by Anne Summers
click on the image above for the article from Aeon Magazine
Good to see people at last calling out Trump on his habitual lies. click here.
It was indeed a sad story to see serious journalists and scientists trying to debate with the latest of the Australia’s right wing nut jobs on TV.
It should be known well by now that there is no use in using the usual polite and logical approaches with such people. It just feeds into their well practised weird ways of arguing or debating.
One would like to think that it would be reasonably easy to work out what is happening with milk pricing in Australia.
click on the image for some more wise words from Kristina
From The Guardian UK – a piece about ageism – and how it effects women – and men. click here
Following weeks (or was that months) of questions over land dealings and major developments, and now audits being announced into departmental processes, the Chief Minister has gone on the front foot and announced an idea to change his government’s methods of consulting on ‘Urban Redevelopment’.
Keeping a perspective on the movements of the far right in Australia.
click here for the story – by Michael Moore on Trump’s strategy
Click on the image above
click on banner for this post on The Arts Museum
Click on image for the story of the lack of public statues depicting women in the UK.
The Judgement of HistoryHere’s George Monbiot’s piece on the crimes committed by the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ and the UK Chilcot Report. click here
George has offered a positive take on the Brexit vote. He has published his thoughts on seeing the opportunities despite the nastiness of those who championed the exit vote. Click here.
George Monbiot and the UK Brexit from the EUI cannot say that I understand what the UK lobby for the exit from the EU is all about. Nor can I say which option is the better. Sadly George Monbiot has clarified this with his usual precise summation of a dreadful situation.
Australia’s shame and pointless crueltyMore from Michael Moore on the topic that should be the top of the list of issues for the coming elections – click here.
There is a now a long list of candidates announced for the 2016 ACT Government election.
Continue reading Politicians fly too close to the sun
Here’s another sad tale about the ACT Government’s patronising attitude towards residents.
In so many ways Australia was being Turnbulled by Malcolm Turnbull.
Now he and his treasurer have struck out against women – when will this stop? Click here for the story about the budget.
Here’s a good read by George Monbiot – Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems. Think John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. Click here.
The government’s response to the Top Hat bankers’ rampage through the economy is yet another case of smoke and mirrors. This is in effect putting the Top Hats in charge of the regulator and at the same time pretending to fund ASIC. Turnbull and his crew are Top Hats looking after their Top Hat mates.
There are many things about the current ACT Government that are causing concerns, to me and local residents I meet with often – and I think most of us voted for them.
Book ReviewSupermarket Monsters:
The Price of Coles and Woolworths’ Dominance
This is yet another excellent quarterly publication by Redbacks Books – a subset of Black inc Books – publishers of The Monthly and the Saturday Paper.
Australia continues with inhumane treatment of people who were legal refugees.
A couple of follow ups to the previous post on Dogs, ducks and dubious decisions
click on image for the story from Independent Australia
Several decades on my first visit to London the bus we were on had reason to be delayed. Most people understood what was happening and why the delay had happened. But not so one couple. They became very agitated and complained very loudly that this was not good enough. Apparently because of the delay the sky was about to fall and all manner of disasters were to strike us all!
From The Conversation, Michelle Smith, Deakin University
Over the weekend, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton inadvertently sent a text message calling journalist Samantha Maiden a “mad f—ing witch” to Maiden herself, rather than his intended recipient, fellow MP Jamie Briggs.
Continue reading Witches both mad and bad: a loaded word with an ugly history
an article in the guardian – click on the image above
An article that sums up the problems within the current government…. click on image
Good to see artists speak out on issues – click on the image for the story
Some good thoughts on the current tax debate – click here.
The interviews on the ABC program Kitchen Cabinet are in some cases simply soft propaganda for particular politicians.
click on image for the story
I suspect that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is still locked into appeasing those on the far right that this country needs to reduce its spending on the social welfare programs. There is little evidence that the Turnbull government is looking to have the top wealthy few and big business pay their share of taxes and thus increase the revenue.
click on image for a piece in the New York Times
August/September 2015 issue available online – click on the image for the download
This sign has been mentioned by me previously – click here.
Continue reading Teams have opponents, communities have friends
A political speech with a difference! She nailed the issue right on the head!
Here in Australia there is no-one like this in our Parliament. It is time for a change – where are the Australian Mhairi Blacks?
It often occurs while driving south along Limestone Ave, that you encounter a new message from a local church. Often they make powerful political statements on current issues.
The eulogy by the US President demonstrates how leadership can inspire.
click on image for the story from Crikey
It has been interesting to watch the political responses to the decision by the Irish to back marriage equality. Sometimes a writer’s opening lines hit the nail on the head.
All the boys in the Australian Government continue to prove to the world their attitude to women. Through the recent budget processes, we had the astonishing revelation that so many women at home with children who had been using the paid leave system available to them have now been identified by this government, those wonderful band of big boys, as being rorters and fraudsters.
One would think that by now people would make sure there is equity with the appointment of people to corporate boards, panels, committees etc.
I met Jon Stanhope a couple of times when he was Chief Minister for the ACT. Canberra benefited from his leadership. He continues to be a person known for his strong ethical stance on important issues.
He also liked public art – but that program was killed off because of the Liberal Party trolls who used the media to hammer the program.
This country is being so badly governed. Politicians in this government openly bully those who do not share their view. This is how Abbott’s Team Australia deals with anyone deemed not to be on side with the government’s views. Democracy itself is being trashed by senior politicians almost daily. Graeme Innes’ article says it all – please click on the image
