February, 2009

Because it’s there.

It was only a matter of time before Heath Ledger and bushfires found some point of conflation. We await confirmation that Heath’s ability to dig so brilliantly deeply into character was a hitherto unseen manifestation of the Aussie spirit. As The Australian reports: Before leaving for the US, Kim Ledger said a win could bring [...]

Wet cat on the bed this morning. Rain on the road for the ride in. Lights on. Sodden feet. Bliss.

… but word is that News Ltd Australia is about to axe its LA bureau. Least they got the Oscars out of the way first.

I wasn’t there, so this is a little once removed, but from what I saw on TV something of a standout moment at the bushfire memorial service yesterday in Melbourne was a massed choir reading of Leonard  Cohen’s Hallelujah. First thought was ‘Can’t they leave that song alone!’, but there’s more. How did this admittedly [...]

This is just really unhelpful and spiteful. I understand that some of you are frustrated, but blaming and starting the pissing contest over the level of training really does not help anyone Tensions build as firefighters from each side of the volunteer/MFB firefighrer divide have their say. Spirited post here from ‘CFA volunteer’.

Can’t we find a way to be Australian, even proudly so, without subscribing to all that rot?

There is a growing body of opinion, a chorus of well-informed and considered thought, that is urging a role for public subsidies in support of quality journalism. Newspapers, you see are dying. As Salon co-founder Gary Kamiya argues: Journalism as we know it is in crisis. Daily newspapers are going out of business at an [...]