The attack of 1000ft blockbuster atrocities
I woke up this morning to the number one celebrity story in the news being Kate Beckinsale recounting how the director Michael Bay was an ass to her during and …
Read MoreMonth: May 2016
Hey Trump supporters, hands off Ronnie!
I have been born in a wrong place at a wrong time, and on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, so I can’t paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen’s immortal “oh snap†…
Read More
Our revolting elites
Just in case you’re still wondering what is causing the Donald Trump phenomenon, you could do worse than read any of Michael Lewis’ recent books. Not that people who support …
Read More
On being told to shut up, part three
The last time I went viral I had a glandular fever back in 1999. Now it’s all social media. Welcome to the 21st century. Two weeks ago I got abused …
Read More
Dear Japan, sorry, not sorry
President Obama visited Hiroshima the other day, and to his credit he didn’t apologise for dropping the bomb. He didn’t drop the bomb himself, of course. That was President Truman, …
Read More
Exodus: Gods, kings and Scotts
Hollywood doesn’t do Bible well. Hollywood doesn’t do religion well in general. Hollywood doesn’t do well anything that’s out of its comfort zone – patriotism, conservatism, family values. You would …
Read More
On being told to shut up, part two
Another Saturday morning down in Newstead, campaigning for my old friend Trevor Evans, and who runs into me again but another old friend, who a fortnight ago told me “You’re …
Read More
Walking the Bloody Nose Ridge
They were hoping to take the island in four days. After all, there was not much to take, just an expanse of bleached coral, some 10 km long and 1.5 …
Read More
The Daily Outrage
Today’s Daily Outrage courtesy of students at Oberlin College, Ohio, the institution renowned as the first in the nation (in 1835) to open admission to women and all races: “A …
Read More
Why we’re in the shit we’re in…
Want to know why Trump is about to become the Republican nominee and why Bernie is almost the Democrat nominee (though is unlikely to get there in the end)? Thanks …
Read More
The end of the end of certainty
With apologies to Paul Kelly, the era of economic reform in Australia is over. As is the era of a smaller, if not exactly small, government. Twenty-four years ago, Kelly …
Read More
In defence of Barnaby
He might be a tomatohead but he’s our tomatohead – and he’s right. Unless you have been in a quarantine yourself for the past few months, I’m sure you’re familiar …
Read More
An Election Mystery, Or The Tale Of Two Brochures
I have a sneaking suspicion it’s an election time. What do I base my suspicions on? Well, a few days apart two colourful fliers have popped into my letterbox, sandwiched …
Read More
On missing the 1990s
I miss the ’90s. I never thought I would say that, but there it is. As a Gen X, I’m a child of the ’80s, albeit as experienced on the …
Read More
Austria, America, Australia
The dark night of fascism is always descending in the United States and yet lands only in Europe, Tom Wolfe observed a long time ago. Or at least that used …
Read More
On being a poster Aussie
“If you live in one of Australia’s capital cities, you’ve likely seen this poster. The artist says if you haven’t seen it yet, you will soon,†opens a News.com.au story …
Read More
Inter-political dating 101
Antony and Cleopatra. Hitler and Stalin. James Carville and Mary Matalin. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. OK, maybe they’re not the best examples. Maybe that’s just it – there aren’t …
Read More
Picture perfect
Travel is great. Everyone should do it. Thanks to the historically stunning rise of cheap transport more people than ever do it more often than ever before. For young people …
Read More
Silicon is a left-wing element
Sometime later today I will finish reading Walter Isaacson’s “The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution”, his bigger picture follow up to the …
Read More