Most popular posts of 2014

Since we’re approaching the end of 2014, here’s my usual list of the most-read posts on this website.

This represents only the material published right here, not things I write for money elsewhere and which have a far higher readership. It doesn’t include traffic to the home page, the about page, or anything else on the site that isn’t an actual blog post.

  1. Updated: Christopher Pyne clearly says the C-word? Nope. Did Christopher Pyne drop the c-bomb in Parliament or not? I first thought yes, then changed my mind. But I’m wondering now whether I want to change it back.
  2. May Reza Berati be the last, Mr Abbott. I was in a mood that night, but I think the writing stands up.
  3. Operation Sovereign Borders, sinister and banal. My reaction to Mick Kinley, acting chief executive officer of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) shrugging off concerns that Australia removes safety equipment from the lifeboats we put asylum seekers on before telling them to go home.
  4. Adventures in Identity: Still struggling with Google+, from January.
  5. Guilty of being a teenager in a public place, in which I kick off about the actions of the police in Mosman.
  6. Algorithms and the Filter Bubble, Take 3, being the recording of my guest lecture at UTS in April. This reminds me that I haven’t posted the updated version from the second half of the year. Oops.
  7. Tone-Deaf Abbott no statesman, never will be, my comment on the Prime Minister’s message on the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
  8. Announcing 5at5, my new daily email letter, which explains itself.
  9. The 9pm Shire, one of my favourite episodes of The 9pm Edict podcast.
  10. A loving profile of Tony Abbott, which simply embeds the video of American TV host John Oliver’s roasting of Abbott.

Continue reading “Most popular posts of 2014”

The 9pm Words, what even are they?

ABC7 Los Angeles screenshot

It’s time to have a few words about words. Yes, words. Words like “webinar”. Words like “disruption”. And words like “I have no words”.

Elephant stamps of approval go to the staff of American Airlines and Los Angeles International Airport for being fearful of a Wi-Fi hotspot name, and the fans of One Direction who didn’t know what a poppy symbolises.

And there’s more stuff, but you’ll have to listen.

Continue reading “The 9pm Words, what even are they?”

The 9pm Vision for Australia

Screenshot of PM Tony Abbott paying tribute to the late Gough Whitlam

Australia’s former Prime Minsister Gough Whitlam is dead. Politicians across the political spectrum praise Whitlam as a man of vision, but how does the current mob stand up? And yesterday was International Fisting Day. What did you do to celebrate?

Elephant stamps of approval go to an Australians this time: Bronwyn Bishop, Speaker of the House of Representatives, for her rumour-based security process; and Senator Jacqui Lambie, for confusing outrageous movie-plot ideas with reality.

We received two listener comments! In my response, I referred to some things I’ve discussed previously in Berners-Lee, Silicon Valley, and Australia’s cultural cringe and And the digital Antoinettes cried ‘Unemployed? Let them cut code’ and iPhone, therefore I am …a selfish disruptor and Enjoy your Ubergasm, but don’t expect respect in the morning.

And we refer to videos including the 1972 campaign song It’s Time, tributes to Gough Whitlam by Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, and Will.I.Am’s launch video for i.am/PULS.

Continue reading “The 9pm Vision for Australia”

The 9pm Mental Health Awareness Week

Screenshot of HLN story on extreme drinking

Prime Minister Crusader Rabbit explains how consultation works. There’s quite a bit about Muslims and terrorism. And butt chugging at the University of Tennessee? We get to the bottom of it.

We hear how a family targeted in Sydney’s anti-terrorism raids has launched legal action and that a sword seized in another raid was just a plastic decoration.

Elephant stamps of approval go to alleged butt chugger Alexander Broughton of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Tennessee, and Tea Party activist Todd Kincannon for his unique solution to ebola.

Continue reading “The 9pm Mental Health Awareness Week”

The 9pm Get Some Goddam Perspective

TV screenshot of Julie Bishop, Tony Abbott, George Brandis

For nearly two weeks now, Australians have been more afraid of the fear of the risk of terror that ever before. We’re going to war, and the defence minister is an idiot. But don’t worry about why an event on the other side of the world is suddenly a threat here. We’re going to go butt chugging.

What does any of this mean? Who knows.

But we do hear how terrorism alert rankings serve no purpose beyond encouraging a burst of panic and how we won the war on Thai chilli sauce, as well as the evacuation of the Westfield Burwood shopping centre and how that did not relate to any contemporary issue.

Continue reading “The 9pm Get Some Goddam Perspective”