For those who came in late… why the Phantom continues to appeal

I am on leave this week from work, a combination of routine medical appointments for my elderly mother in between days of annual leave to rest and undertake life admin. For example, late last week I arranged for repairs to my iPhone (I cracked the screen recently). On Monday, I mowed the lawn and dug …

Love and Death and an American Songwriter

I’m part of the Countdown Generation. That comprises the callow youth growing up in Australia in the second half of the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, when Countdown was the ABC’s most popular show, probably the only thing the ABC had which could compete with the commercial networks in terms of ratings. …

A Great Start to the AFL Season, but I stay cautious

The Western Bulldogs (aka the Footscray Football Club) are sitting on top of the AFL ladder after round 5, undefeated and with a huge percentage (thanks to recent matches against current easy beat teams like North Melbourne and the Gold Coast). Commentators are saying that this is the best start to a season the Bulldogs …

AstraZeneca Vs Astronauts – the perils of not taking risks….

Right now, I am watching season 2 of the Apple TV series For All Mankind, which is about an alternative reality where the Soviet Union won the moon race and how that causes the space race between the USA and USSR to continue. Giant moon bases and more powerful rockets are the result. Risks get …

Does the passing of Prince Philip create a Global Leadership Vacuum?

As a fairly staunch supporter of the British Imperial Monarchy, I am saddened by the death of Prince Philip. But some people might argue that this creates a global leadership vacuum. Former soccer commentator and currently uber-eccentric conspiracy theorist David Icke claims that the world is secretly ruled by a race of reptilian aliens living …

What Happens When A Cargo Cult God Dies?

Prince Philip would have to be the coolest Royal. He even had his own cargo cult worshipping him – and not even within the boundaries of the British Empire: — Read on http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/royal-wedding-vanuatu-duke-of-edinburgh-god-prince-philip-tanna-pacific-island-celebration-eat-many-pigs-a8362046.html And much as I am a bit annoyed with the Sussex branch of the Royal family right now (ie Ginge and Whinge), …

Honi Soit editors show a lack of courage

http://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/news/university-newspaper-capitulated-after-removing-article-critical-of-chinese-communist-party/news-story/49566f19ffc077525881ce7d84449bcd Whilst not familiar with the current dynamics inside the student union at Sydney university, I think that calling Honi Soit a ‘renowned’ university newspaper is a rather long bow. It’s the campus publication of the student union, with, unless things have changed in recent years, elected editors with close links to one side or …