What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Oscar Wilde, in Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892) It has been fascinating to watch the progress of the various revolutions in north Africa and the middle east, in particular the travails of the Libyan people trying to oust the long-standing dictator Gaddafi. Unlike the other countries in the region, … Continue reading Freedom – the price and the value #Libya #auspol
I was completely appalled to hear how a well known radio personality in Sydney spoke to the Prime Minister of Australia on air. The details are outlined well by Barrie Cassidy on The Drum in Liar, liar, shock jocks on fire; and you can listen to the entire interview here. This radio shock jock berated the Prime Minister of this country on air for arriving … Continue reading Who does Alan Jones think he is to speak to the Prime Minister like that?
Even though it was once said ironically, it has always seemed to me that Australia really is the lucky country. Our national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, sums it up: We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil… Our land abounds in nature’s gifts… We’ve boundless plains to share… In recent times the troubles of far off places like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and others have … Continue reading A lucky country indeed …
THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the … Continue reading More thoughts on revolutions #Egypt #Tunisia #Bahrain #Iran #Libya
There is a lot of talk about revolution happening now in online communities given the unfolding events in Tunisia and Egypt. This has got me thinking about the nature of revolutions. There’s a rather nice list of revolutions and rebellions on Wikipedia for those who are not up to date with the history of revolutions. Revolutions come in different forms. Revolutions in ideas and thinking … Continue reading Some preliminary thoughts about revolutions
A friend invited me along to his citizenship ceremony the other day. He’s terribly excited about becoming an Aussie after living here for a number of years. We went to the newly refurbished Sydney Town Hall and the Lord Mayor, wearing her Lord Mayoral bling, gave a lovely speech. Several hundred people from all over the world gathered to receive and to celebrate receiving Australian … Continue reading Australian citizenship, ceremony and ritual
Last year with the launch of Social Innovation Sydney I was inspired by the idea of rebooting capitalism. I had become depressed about the nature of business in our world today and wanted to do something practical about changing things. Then I went off to Paris for LeWeb 2010 Conference and ran into Tara Hunt and our conversation got me thinking (I love meeting people … Continue reading Rebooting business and capitalism
“I’m convinced that when an atmosphere is created which puts an extreme emphasis on experience over understanding, that atmosphere will inevitably create and encourage infantile selfishness.” Source: The Failure of the Human Potential Movement: From Self-Actualization to Experientialism (c) 1998 Geoffrey Hill This is a relatively old essay but it gives a good critique of the Human Potential Movement and the impact that this and related … Continue reading The Failure of the Human Potential Movement: From Self-Actualization to Experientialism
“What. WatchBlog is a multiple-editor weblog broken up into three major political affiliations, each with its own blog: the Democrats, the Republicans and the Third Party (covering everything outside the two major parties). Why. Let’s face it, politics is confusing. Sometimes it’s difficult to know who to believe, who to listen to and who to support. We’re here to help. Posting on a regular basis … Continue reading WatchBlog: 2004 US Election News, Opinion and Commentary
The NSW Independent Pricing & Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) released a report yesterday recommending that clocks and pop up messages warning gamblers that they have been playing too long on poker machines should become compulsory. The report also considers measures such as pre-committment such as setting a time or dollar limit prior to commencing gambling at a poker machine. The acting chairman of the tribunal said the … Continue reading Australia’s nanny state grows apace…
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