The Journal
All writing
-
Now There’s An Idea That Could Work …
This is both funny and tragic because the words put into Obama’s mouth are true, and the plan would work. But it will just never happen. Imagine the posibilities, the hopenchangen. But, instead, real hope, and real change. Darn.…
-
Quadrant Grant Slash A Disgrace
via Australian Conservative. During the years of the Howard government, the funding of left-wing magazines like Meanjin and Overland was never reduced. The Literature Board of the Australia Council has just reduced Quadrant’s grant (which is used entirely…
-
If We Are Not There To Win …
Why are we in Afghanistan at all? I noted a few weeks ago: Afghanistan was always going to be a harder fight than Iraq. It is also a fight that must be won – not just…
-
Shroud of Turin Debunked (Again) (Not)
The Times reports that experts claim a first century shroud discovered in a tomb near Jerusalem proves the Turin Shroud could not have been used to cover Jesus’ body. The Hebew University in Jerusalem said “Based…
-
Copenhagen – Agreement Reached
At an historic photo session in Copenhagen this morning, world leaders announced they had reached an agreement on climate change. French President Nicolas Sarkozy says all countries have agreed to the deal. “We have an agreement,”…
-
Indigenous Health
Research shows the Northern Territory spends over $6000 on health for each indigenous person, compared with less than $2000 for each non-indigenous citizen. This suggests two things. First, Australian governments do take indigenous health seriously. Second, spending more…
-
Hopenhagen Now Officially Hopeless
The Chinese leader skipped Obama’s session with selected world leaders. Well, why not? Wen Jiabao is not a schoolboy. He probably had better things to do. Polishing his shoes, for example. French president Nicholas Sarkozy wasn’t happy. According…
-
Smug and Nasty
St Matthew’s Anglican church in Auckland is the epitome of everything a religious group should not be – self-righteous, inconsiderate of the feelings of others, happy to belittle the beliefs of people it considers inferior. Like Christians. Outside the church…
-
Pessimism Rife at Copenhagen
So, good news all around. The SMH is reporting a draft deal at Crappenhuggen. What they are reporting is not a ‘deal’ but a draft document put together by developed nations as a possible basis for a…
-
No Lack of Rationality at Copenhagen
I’d be a believer too if I thought I’d be up for billions in grants, cars, holidays, Swiss bank accounts. There are vast amounts of money to be made in being victims of climate change. So…
-
Will Rudd Do Anything For A Headline?
Apparently so. Like Tony Abbott, I don’t object to Mr Rudd going to Mass. I don’t even object to his interest in the canonisation of Blessed Mary Mackillop. I am interested in that too, and have…
-
Consensus, Consensus, Consensus
I said it three times, so it must be true. Or it was true back in the seventies. No matter how much they try to deny it now (just as in five years time they will…
-
Wild Things
This afternoon Kathy and I went to see the movie of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. We were the only adults in the cinema who were not accompanied by children. I wrote in April: if…
-
Temperature Changing
Even when it hasn’t changed. This kind of ‘adjustment’ appears to have been so common it is hardly worth commenting on any more. Except that we are still waiting for any kind of acknowledgement of these…
-
Avatar
Darn. Early previews of Avatar were stunning. But it looked preachy right from the beginning – like a magnificent sci-fi retelling of the noble green fight against logging in Tasmania. Jim Schembri at The Age has…
