election – Stilgherrian

29 January 2026

The 9pm 57 Varieties of Thai with Erin Cook

A white woman with her long brown hair tied back wears a yellow and black top, sunglasses, and a smile like the Mona Lisa. Behind her stretches out a view of a tropical landscape and, eventually, the ocean. It?s Erin Cook! — Erin Cook stands tall over South-East Asia. (Photo: Supplied).

With Thailand’s general election just over a week away, I figured it’s time once more to chat with journalist Erin Cook, who specialises in South-East Asia. But as always we talk about much more than just Thailand.

28 April 202528 April 2025

The 9pm Bears of Heaven with David F Porteous

*David F Porteous, watching out for bears. Can he taste the fish? (Photo: Supplied)*

With just days remaining until Australia’s federal election, who better to talk with than Scottish author and social researcher David F Porteous? Well, lots of people, but here we are.

10 November 202412 November 2024

Weekly Wrap 754: Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean!

Wide view across off-white sand, past sunbathers and soon-to-be swimmers, to the gently rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean. But the vast majority of the age is the sky, and apart from a line of cloud out bye the horizon, it's a clear and brilliant blue.

Apart from Certain Events in The America, which quite a few people found alarming but it wasn’t my fault, my week of Monday 4 to Sunday 10 November 2024 saw the start of a burst of podcast production. Here’s hoping I can sustain it.

03 November 202409 November 2024

Weekly Wrap 753: Another calm before a storm of work

A view across a street wet from recent rain to a vast brick block, which hides the ventilation shaft for a Metro station. Along the side, on the verandah overhanding the entrance stairs, are the words VICTORIA CROSS. Nearby, a healthy-looking London plane tree.

My week of Monday 28 October to Sunday 3 November 2024 wasn’t as productive as I’d hoped � nothing to worry about, just too much stress and too much fatigue � but productive enough for the purposes. No new podcasts, but some solid work behind the scenes. It’s good to have some calm before the storm.

28 October 202403 November 2024

Weekly Wrap 752: The travels end with podcast planning

In the middle distance, the late afternoon sunlight catches a sandstone clock tower which rises above the treeline. The view is framed on the left by a red brick building and a modern stainless steel lighting tower on which there's a traffic light (red) and a NO RIGHT TURN sign, and on the right by the silhouette of a bus.

My week of Monday 21 to Sunday 27 October 2024 began on the Gold Coast, progressed through Sydney to the Blue Mountains, and ended up back in Sydney � and as a result, the Weekly Wrap is once again running late. That said, I did some planning for the future. As opposed to planning for the past.

22 October 202423 October 2024

Weekly Wrap 751: My busy holiday certainly didn’t dragon

A chunky strong-looking lizard with its boxy head raised. It has a sharp ridge down its spine, and on the side of its face a black striped edged with yellow.

My week of Monday 14 to Sunday 20 October 2024 was spent on holiday in Queensland, and now it’s already the following Tuesday. I’ll tell you more about the holiday another time, but right now here’s a shorter Weekly Wrap.