Tag: history
ANZAC 2012
I don’t think that many romanticise war too much these days. And there is something very poignant and compelling about seeing the fruits of war. In northern France and Belgium the unimaginable scale of loss wrought upon so many families in the great wars of the twentieth century is still visible at every step. It was in north eastern France that I found some family … Continue reading ANZAC 2012
ANZAC Day: remembering some ordinary diggers, not famous, not important #ANZAC
Another ANZAC Day and another day to remember the sacrifices made by Australian and New Zealand forces. Those who serve in battle never get off lightly, even if they manage to survive seemingly unscathed. This year I remember some family members – Claude and Tim from Crows Nest, and Henry Demas – who fought in the Second World War. These men were ordinary working class … Continue reading ANZAC Day: remembering some ordinary diggers, not famous, not important #ANZAC
What’s in a name? Pirate, freedom fighter or terrorist
I recently discovered that one of my ancestors was arrested by the British in 1828 as a pirate and sent to Australia as a convict. He had originally been sentenced to death, but he appealed to the King and his sentence was commuted to life as a convict in Australia. It was pretty cool to discover that my relative was both a pirate and a … Continue reading What’s in a name? Pirate, freedom fighter or terrorist
Interesting perspective on war, innovation, skills and strategy from Col. John Boyd
This rare video of US Air Force Colonel John Boyd shows his 1991 House Armed Services Committee Testimony and is worth watching. Many consider him to be one of the best strategic thinkers of the twentieth century and his ideas have influenced many of today’s leading strategists. Of particular interest is his focus on the essential inputs for winning victories in war, especially given the … Continue reading Interesting perspective on war, innovation, skills and strategy from Col. John Boyd
Democracy in action, civil society and political change
Yesterday in New South Wales there was a major shift in the state’s political landscape. We saw a significant shift in voting with enormous swings against the ALP across the state and especially in traditional heartland seats. The Liberals won seats in which they’d never imagined a serious contest. As election guru Antony Green noted: “It’s very hard to believe it when you see a … Continue reading Democracy in action, civil society and political change
Twitter turns 5: will it rule? via @stilgherrian
I had a chat with Stilgherrian (@stilgherrian) on ZDNet’s Patch Monday along with Open-source software advocate and developer Jeff Waugh (@jdub) and James Purser (@purserj) from Collaborynth, a consultancy that develops collaboration tools for business, government and not-for-profits. You can listen to our discussion on this nifty embedded player: http://www.zdnet.com.au/blogs/podcast/embed/22540003/ Continue reading Twitter turns 5: will it rule? via @stilgherrian
A lucky country indeed …
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 …
Some preliminary thoughts about revolutions
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
Inspiring women: Louisa Lawson – women’s suffrage activist and publisher
The fight for women to get the vote was a monument to cooperation, ingenuity and collaboration on the part of many women in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These women educated themselves and their peers about women’s issues and agitated for women’s rights. And the women of Australia owe a debt to these women of the past who achieved the privileges of full … Continue reading Inspiring women: Louisa Lawson – women’s suffrage activist and publisher
Aide Mémoire 