Recently Penny Wong was asked, What's your vision of the best Australia can be, in the world? She replied: I have a view that foreign policy is obviously an expression of the assertion and prosecution and protection of one's national interests and values; it is also the expression of identity. Referencing Gough Whitlam she continued … Continue reading Unspoken Realities: A Comment on the Howard Era
Tag: Australia
Awesome!
Not a word I use, but one I often hear. My first encounter with the root word 'awe' was as a child when we described something horrible as 'awful'. It's synonyms are words such as: disgusting; nasty; terrible; dreadful; ghastly; horrid; horrible; vile; foul I fitrst encountered a slightly different usage in Kipling's Recessional. We … Continue reading Awesome!
Reflections on Borders: Empire, Cold War and Covid19
For a wide review of these themes lookout for my latest collection of short stories, Beyond Borders.For some, the notion of borders is that of a hard border, one clearly defined and assertively maintained. Certainly, in the Covid19 era borders reflect this standard, yet borders are by no means constant, or definite, whatever the political … Continue reading Reflections on Borders: Empire, Cold War and Covid19
Cubbie: An Uncle’s Tale
This is a story from Ronni Salt, @MsVeruca on Twitter. I've restructured it a little and added some supporting links, articles and active graphics. “Back home at the farm,” she said, “uncle called and regaled us with a yarn about Cubbie Station, the largest private water holder in the southern hemisphere.” The gist of his story … Continue reading Cubbie: An Uncle’s Tale
#Indonesian #peatlands are torched again as the #burning season gets underway
I wasn't expecting things to deteriorate quite as quickly as they have today. Just in case readers aren't familiar with this Air Quality Index scale, readings are based on several factors but the figure 248 refers to parts per million of particles 2.5 microns in size. These have a capacity to enter the lungs … Continue reading #Indonesian #peatlands are torched again as the #burning season gets underway
#BookLaunch of ‘Seen & Unseen: a century of stories from #Asia & the #Pacific’
This is a Chitter Media Production, produced and edited by Adrian Metlenko, camera operators Adrian Metlenko and Evan Darnley-Pentes.
A Twitter conversation on the eve of an execution: a polylogic epistalory story
Speaking to the CSIRO Forum on 25 November 2013 in an address titled Indonesia: What Asia's Third Giant Means for Australia, and Australian Business, former Australian Foreign Minister, now Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AC QC, reminded the audience of his often quoted comment that, “No two neighbours anywhere in the world are as comprehensively … Continue reading A Twitter conversation on the eve of an execution: a polylogic epistalory story
Can Australia ever have sovereign borders? We never really have and the porosity is ancient.
A simple Google search reveals that as an adjective sovereign means 'possessing supreme or ultimate power. These words are also offered as synonyms: supreme, absolute, unlimited, unrestricted, unrestrained, unbounded, boundless, infinite, ultimate, total, unconditional, full, utter, paramount. Powerful as the invocation of sovereign might be the simple answer to the question 'Can Australia Ever Have … Continue reading Can Australia ever have sovereign borders? We never really have and the porosity is ancient.
The #ParthenonMarblesAustralia Website is Now Live
Last night the new website of the International Organising Committee - Australia - For The Restitution Of The Parthenon Marbles, was launched at the Athenian Restaurant, Sydney. Designed by Dennis Tritaris from Orama Communications, I believe it represents a new standard in website design. Dennis has created a website that has the potential to … Continue reading The #ParthenonMarblesAustralia Website is Now Live
What do we do about the decline of Bahasa #Indonesia in #Australia?
Yesterday I listened to an interview with Dr Jane Orton, the director of Melbourne University's Chinese Teacher Training Centre. She made two critical and obvious points. First, education is a state matter and as a nation we would benefit from a national languages curriculum. Secondly, she explained that the top results in studies of Chinese … Continue reading What do we do about the decline of Bahasa #Indonesia in #Australia?