MIT Speaks for Science & Climate Change
A message from the MIT President in which he reacts to the Trump announcement on how Trump is yet again out of touch with the rest of the world. Yah for our scientists!
Category Archives: governance
A tale of two parklands
Very strange things happen in the urban design planning space in Canberra.
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton makes a fiery commencement speech at her alma mater – taking aim at Trump and his colleagues. She makes the speech nearly 50 years after graduating from Wellesley College in 1969
Being Negative
The message from ACT Labor friends
There’s definitely something evil being played out locally.
George Monbiot
George Monbiot on how dark money is subverting democracy in the UK.
Click on the banner above
ACT labor and the need for new leadership
Very strange events have been unfolding since the local ACT elections in late 2016.
Monbiot on Terrorism
Nicole Lawder, a Liberal who has your back
We expect a lot of our politicians. People rightly expect their elected representatives to do just that – be representatives of the people who elected them. That’s not always a success story.
Remember they are people
A lot has been written about the ACT Government’s announcement to establish small government housing estates on community-zoned land in Weston Creek suburbs.
Hillary Clinton
Inventing the Wicked Witch: Review of Susan Bordo’s The Destruction of Hillary Clinton
Penguin - Michelle Smith, Deakin University
Hillary Clinton
A message to all the purists liberals
see message below – very appropriate for all those who bought the lies
Hillary Clinton
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton
I have already reviewed this book – click here.
However I cannot stop pondering the challenge this story throws up for anyone interested in equity, fairness, and the role of the media in so many aspects of our daily lives.
If we had a real media, this story would have been totally different. Instead what happened here was the total manipulation of the media and through them members of the public, by all forms of malicious groups of people and individuals.
Architecture
a note to the ACT Chief Minister
About the architecture along Northbourne Avenue
Architecture
How to waste public money
The saga of the proposed Garden Bridge over the Thames in London has been well covered in the UK press. It is indeed a saga. It is about a folly.
Hillary Clinton
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton
It was on hearing certain phrases used over and over again on Australian TV programs talking about the 2016 US election campaign that I became suspicious that we were witnessing a lazy press.
Almost daily the media was taking the same phrases and words and using them over and over again – with no evidence that they could be accurate except that they were the words and phrases being used by most journalists and commentators at the time.
On the basis we were supposed to accept their words as fact.
Caroline Le Couteur MLA
Canberra’s planning system remains super complicated and out of reach of ordinary citizens.
Higher Education
Australian Universities screw themselves
Australian universities have made a mess of their own advocacy – at the expense of students.
Julia Baird
Julia Baird on the sleaze bags that affect people’s lives – click on the image
Being Turnbulled
Australian Values – The Master of Spin
Australians are again being subject to being Turnbulled. Yet Again.
The New Yorker
A great magazine cover!
Neoliberalism has run its course
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.
SHOUT and Jon Stanhope
Sometimes you wonder just what is going on in the heads of our local government and its bureaucrats who make funding decisions.
Quarterly Essay – David Marr
David Marr – The White Queen
From the publishers: Most Australians despise what Pauline Hanson stands for, yet politics in this country is now orbiting around One Nation. In this timely Quarterly Essay, David Marr looks at Australia’s politics of fear, resentment and race. Who votes One Nation, and why? How much of this is due to inequality? How much to racism? How should the major parties respond to anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim voices? What damage do Australia’s new entrepreneurs of hate inflict on the nation?
Woden planning
When the government says one things but does the other…
The press release from the Woden Community Council points to the problems with planning in Canberra.
Weston Creek Community Council
Weston Creek Community Council – in the news
click on the image for the piece in the Canberra Times.
Weston Creek Community Council
Weston Creek Community Council – Media Release
A group of Community Leaders met late last night to discuss the outcome from last week’s Weston Creek Community Council Meeting, which had to be postponed due to an overwhelming attendance.
The Monthly
Recommended: The Monthly April 2017.
This is a must read for the articles on the ALT-Right by Richard Cooke – who pulls no punches and tells it as we all know it but it seems few in the press are game to do – well done Richard; and then there’s a condemning article – with maybe far too much detail – but totally providing an accurate picture of the damage done to the NBN by Malcolm Turnbull and his pals. And what a cover!
Urban Bites
Bureaucrats doing what bureaucrats do..
The other day we ran a set of small stories on urban issues – one being about student parking and how it has become a nuisance in the streets near the school.
Inappropriate letterboxes to be replaced
Following the resignation of their highly paid CEO, it seems that our postal services need to recover some of the revenue it has been paying out in the last few years.
Linton Kwesi Johnson
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.
Dogs
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.
Land Development – who should fall on that sword
When a system is broken, how easily it is to point the figure at one person and say “It wasn’t me, it was that person over there.”
Continue reading Land Development – who should fall on that sword
Holy Crime!
Clive Hamilton on Turnbull
being Turnbulled!
Author Clive Hamilton has been engaged in the climate debate for more than 20 years, with books selling worldwide.
The Medicare barn
Medicare was great. Having a universal health care system was the envy of many other countries.
Randy Newman
Randy Newman on PUTIN
Time for some fun – and a new song from Randy Newman…
Being Turnbulled
Again – workers are being Trumped – and Turnbulled
Click on the image for the piece by Andrew P Street – about how workers are to be further exploited by the decisions endorsed by the Prime Minister – and he loves it.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Very good article about this event – click on the image
Rebecca Huntley Still Lucky
Book Review
Still Lucky, Rebecca Huntley, 2017. This is a good book. The message is clear – Australians are far more optimistic than we have been led to believe by our governments and the media. This researcher has done the research, travelled the country, talked to loads of people over many years. If you are interested in her reports on her research and comments – this book will give you all that and more.
Being Turnbulled
That idiot Scott Morrison laughs!
Very good article about how low Australian politicians have travelled – and their lies about the dangers of climate change. Click here.
ACT politicians and planning?
It was several months ago that the suburbs were being infiltrated regularly by ACT politicians trying to get attention – anyone’s attention.
Being Turnbulled
Turnbull on alternative facts and energy
Two stories that point to the big problem we have here in Australia.
Jonathan Jones
Jonathan asks the question of Barack Obama
How can Barack Obama smile at a time like this? I think he knows something. Click on the image for the story by The Guardian.
ACT Chief Planner – to be or not to be
Following a couple of pieces in the local press, one would think that the ACT Government’s planning was in turmoil because key people are on the move.
MoMA protests Trump
Note to Australian Galleries – how to easily make a statement
click on the image for the story of how art galleries could make a stand against the Trump actions on equity and immigration.
Online Surveys
I have said elsewhere about online surveys – they are useful but caution needs to apply if anyone intends to use them to inform planning. They are not reliable for that purpose.
Alternative Facts and the ACT Planning Chief
The ACT will be looking for a real Chief Planner
It was reported today in the Crimes (what we call the Canberra Times) that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.
Continue reading Alternative Facts and the ACT Planning Chief
ACT Planning Chief to step down
ACT now needs a real Chief Planner
News to hand that the ACT Head of the Planning Directorate will not be renewing her contract due to end this April.
Turnbulled
If ever there was a time for Australia to have a leader who speaks for Australia – the time is now. Continue reading Turnbulled
Trump and the Climate
Trump Orchestrates Major Shift on Climate and Environment
click on the image for the story on The Dirt.
Trump and 1984
Trumpland gets even weirder
OMG – is this really 2017 – or 1984. Click on image for the story
Trump and the media
click on the image for the wise words about dealing with Trump
Rebecca Solnit
Click on the image for the Guardian article
Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey‘s new posters
click on the image for the story behind these ‘we the people’ posters
Climate Change, Trump and language
George Monbiot on Trump and the climate
click on banner for the Guardian article by George Monbiot Continue reading Climate Change, Trump and language
The Media
Did Media Literacy Backfire?
click on the image for the article
Cherry-picking the Griffin’s legacy
At the meeting in August 2016 on the government’s proposals to redevelop the West Basin of Lake Burley Griffin, the main line taken by the government was that their proposals were based on the Griffin Legacy.
Ashby Hanson
postnationalism
Australia continues to be Turnbulled – and is being led by dud politicians.
trump
irony on the streets of Mumbai
click on the image for the story
Architecture
Architectural vandalism at Parliament House
They have tried before and have failed–but this time they have got their way.
trump
Jane Fonda on Trump
Michelle Obama
More on the Braddon bowling club development
This is the question (what is going on?) residents around Braddon had hoped to be answered when they attended a developer initiated information session on Thursday evening 8th December.
Continue reading More on the Braddon bowling club development
Canberra
a light on the hill
A very good piece by Jack Waterford about Canberra. Click on the image
The climate is Turnbulled and now Trumped
Here’s a worrying view on Trump and the efforts to deal with climate change.
The Arts – after Trump
Trump’s win shows how vital the arts and humanities are
Julianne Schultz, Griffith University (This has been reprinted from The Conversation)
Being Turnbulled
How we are being turnbulled on economics – and everything else
Click on the image for a piece about a load of garbage- or what Turnbull is now saying.
Paid work in Australia
First they reduce it, then they lie about it
Click on the image for an article from Independent Australia.
Lies, lies and the NeoCons
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.
Kingston Arts Precinict
LDA up to its old tricks again
There’s one thing about the way the ACT Government goes about planning for Canberra–it will always use any tricky method to justify how it assists the developers.
Climate, Trump-Abbott-Turnbull
An article about how this country has been there on the climate before Trump with both Abbott and now Turnbull. Click here.
Clive Hamilton on Trump
Trumpism as Whitelash
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!)
George Monbiot
Neoliberalism: the deep story that lies beneath Donald Trump’s triumph–click on image
Australia’s shame
Dutton’s ‘sham marriage’ furphy
Hillary Clinton
Leslie Knope writes to America about Trump
US election
Kristina Keneally gets it right on her take on this disaster.
A last word or two on our 2016 politicians
We were driving along Limestone Ave when the Ainslie church sign came into view. It is regularly changed and sometimes takes a minute or two to comprehend.
Being Turnbulled
The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top Hat
I wrote briefly about this earlier – and as I said before – it’s a book for anyone puzzled by the current loser who is Prime Minister.
click here for more on the book and here’s an article by the author about his dilemma–click here.”
Lawyers, files and money–and those responsible for this mess
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
Being Turnbulled
The Australian Government has carried on bullying good people
All this and more is happening with the blessing of the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull. The country is being Turnbulled again – or is that ‘still’. There are two good articles that address the issue of this officially sanctioned bullying. This is an international disgrace. Here’s the first – click here; and the second – click here.
George Monbiot
George Monboit identifies the Trump amongst us all
Sadly our political system has been corrupted. As much as we wish we lived in a democratic country–sadly it is not so.
Stanhope to ALP MPs: Take a stand on asylum seekers
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.
Women in Museums
Being Turnbulled
The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull, the Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top Hat
Here’s a book for anyone puzzled by the current loser who is Prime Minister. I am still reading it… click here or on the image. and here’s an article by the author about his dilemma–click here. Review to follow…..
Being Turnbulled
Has Turnbull TRUMPed Abbott
a sad story about how Turnbull and his Murdoch allies are doing their best to Turnbull (stuff up) the country’s advances with renewables. Click on the image above.
George Monbiot & Ewan McLennan
George Monbiot & Ewan McLennan – Breaking the Spell of Loneliness
A collaboration between the writer George Monbiot and musician Ewan McLennan seeking to use music and word to open up the issue of loneliness and bring people together.
Another idiot senator
James Paterson, Institute of Public Affairs senator
Just when things were getting stupid in most sectors of Australian politics, up pops another idiot. These people vote!
American exceptionalism
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.
George Monbiot
on democracy – reality or myth?
click on image for the piece from The Guardian.
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama on Trump
She nailed it. How do we vote for Michelle Obama?
Dickson parklands under threat–again
Mike Hettinger and the so called LDA–Tradies win win
The revelation by the Canberra Times of a land swap between the Land Development Agency and the CFMEU-linked Dickson Tradies Club opens the way for more dodgy deals that will harm the community.
Canberra Community Voters Candidate Mike Hettinger noted, “The land swap itself isn’t necessarily the problem. It’s what it enables the LDA and the Tradies to do in the future that should really concern us.”
OMG – in the USA today
How far the USA has travelled – down.
Googong or Canberra?
With the debate in Canberra about housing affordability, the ACT Liberals have been using a particular line in their election statements to criticise the current government’s Land Development Agency (LDA) and its handling of land prices.
The creature from our worst nightmare
Image linked from a site by Amy Dickinson – click here
Art and The PM’s Lodge
NGA art on the walls of the PM’s Lodge
Have a look at the photograph above – taken from the Canberra Times.
The Auditor-General, the Chief Minister and pesky chooks
There were moments during the ‘meet the candidates’ forum in Lyneham a fortnight ago when it seemed that something was not right with the Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
Continue reading The Auditor-General, the Chief Minister and pesky chooks
Women & Trump
click on image for the piece by Anne Summers