Australian author and reprobate John Birmingham joins me yet again for another conversation about everything from journalism to turnips. In fact, journalism and turnips. Yes, it’s another episode of the Spring Series 2021.
We talk about Generation Z, adding chimpanzee hormones to chickens, #ThisIsNotJournalism, dreams, logarithms, how to organise your work, the simulation hypothesis, the Fitzgerald Inquiry, the privilege of having no hair, The Matrix, the pee tape — plus of course Scott Morrison, those submarines, and the art of lying.
This podcast is available on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, JioSaavn, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podchaser, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Speaker.
You can also listen to the podcast below, or subscribe to the generic podcast feed.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20:25 — 73.6MB)
John Birmingham has been on the pod four times before, in July 2018, September 2020, November 2020, and May 2021.
Thank you, Media Freedom Citizenry
The 9pm Edict is supported by the generosity of its listeners. Please subscribe for special benefits or throw a few coins into the tip jar. Please consider.
This episode it’s thanks once more to all the people who supported The 9pm Spring Series 2021 crowdfunding campaign.
CONVERSATION TOPICS: One person who chooses to remain anonymous.
THREE TRIGGER WORDS: Adam Baxter, Benno Rice, Crispin Harris, Julia Drake-Brockman, Peter Lieverdink, and Sheepie.
ONE TRIGGER WORD: Brenton Realph, Colgo, Dave Gaukroger, Drew Mayo, Frank Filippone, Gavin C, Joop de Wit, Mark Newton, Martin Gribben, Michael Cowley, Mick Fong, Paul Williams, Peter Blakeley, Peter Sandilands, Peter Viertel, Peter Wickins, Phillip Merrick, Ric Hayman, Scott Reeves, Shane ONeill, Stephen Holmes, Syl Mobile, Tim Johns, Wade Bowmer, Wyld, and five people who choose to remain anonymous.
FOOT SOLDIERS FOR MEDIA FREEDOM who gave a SLIGHTLY LESS BASIC TIP: Andrew Kennedy, Bob Ogden, David Heath, Garth Kidd, Katrina Szetey, Kimberley Heitman, Matt Bowden, Peter Blakeley, Peter Blakeley again, Peter McCrudden, Regina Huntington, Stephanie Papworth, Susan Rankin, Tony Barnes, Wolf Cocklin, and three people who choose to remain anonymous.
MEDIA FREEDOM CITIZENS who contributed a BASIC TIP: Errol Cavit, Michael Harris, Ron Lowry, Sam Spackman, Steve Turner, and one person who chooses to remain anonymous.
And another eight people chose to have no reward, even though some of them were the most generous of all. Thank you all so much.
Episode Links
-
[16 September 2021] Today, I announce a new partnership, a new agreement that I describe as a forever partnership. A forever partnership for a new time between the oldest and most trusted of friends. A forever partnership that will enable Australia to protect our national security interests, to keep Australians safe, and to work with our partners across the region to achieve the stability and security of our region. This forever partnership that we have announced today is the single greatest initiative to achieve these goals since the ANZUS alliance itself. It is the single largest step we have been able to take to advance our defence capabilities in this country, not just at this point, but for the future.
-
The mind-bending bigness of Neuralink’s mission, combined with the labyrinth of impossible complexity that is the human brain, made this the hardest set of concepts yet to fully wrap my head around—but it also made it the most exhilarating when, with enough time spent zoomed on both ends, it all finally clicked. I feel like I took a time machine to the future, and I’m here to tell you that it’s even weirder than we expect.
-
Trump was so obsessed with Obama that he hired a “Faux-Bama” to participate in a video in which Trump “ritualistically belittled the first black president and then fired him.”
-
[18 April 2019] On Thursday, Attorney General William Barr released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s two volume, 400-plus-page report on his investigation into the Trump administration’s possible collusion with the Russian government in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. I know, I know: But what about the pee tape?
-
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. It uses a timer to break work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. Each interval is known as a pomodoro, from the Italian word for 'tomato', after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer Cirillo used as a university student.
-
Forest Grow is an efficient way to BECOME more CONCENTRATED and disciplined! As a reward for your patience, virtual trees will remind you of your "phone-free" time records!
-
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity system developed by David Allen and published in a book of the same name. Described as a time management system, the author states in the book that if a task is on one's mind, it will fill one's mind completely, which guarantees that one will be incapable of handling yet another task; therefore one will fail to complete any of them.
-
The Axis of Time trilogy is an alternative history series of novels written by Australian journalist and author John Birmingham, from Macmillan Publishing.
-
Dinner with neighbours tonight. They like #ScottMorrison because “he’s moderate.” She doesn’t like #Albo because “he’s snarky” and doesn’t seem to do anything. She had to be helped to remember his name. A reminder to us all that elections are decided by the unengaged.
-
Pays on party which supplies the Prime Minister following the next Federal election. Bets settled at time of swearing in. All bets carry over if the Gov General does not swear in a PM because supply cannot be guaranteed.
If the links aren’t showing up, try here.
Series Credits
- The 9pm Edict theme by mansardian via The Freesound Project.
- Edict fanfare by neonaeon, via The Freesound Project.
- Elephant Stamp theme by Joshua Mehlman.