Timely challenge from Professor Josephine Quinn: 'I want to tell a different story: one that doesn't begin in the Greco-Roman Mediterranean and the re-emerge in Renaissance Italy, but traces the relationships that built what is now called the West from the Bronze Age to the Age of Exploration...'

“Against stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.” Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens. (Die Jungfrau von Orleans) Friedrich Schiller, German philosopher, playwright, co-founder with Goethe of Weimar Theatre; born #OTD 1759. Portrait c 1810 by von Kügelgen Frankfurter Goethe-Haus

"Copyright is dead. When it comes to AI my property has been stolen all the same" by Michael Bradley #ThePoint thepoint.com.au/opinions/251...

Delighted that the University of Canberra has announced my appointment as Donald Horne Professor of History and Public Ideas, and Director of UC's new Vice-Chancellor's Centre of Public Ideas. Looking forward to developing this exciting initiative from early 2026. www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/med...

Trump's tariffs are hurting us in two ways: First, the obvious: Higher costs → either lower profits or higher prices. Second, more subtle (perhaps bigger): We’ve signaled we’re an unreliable partner, so allies are reorganizing supply chains to avoid us. That's hard to unwind.

Excellent piece: what Mr Mamdani does we have to wait and see; but that listening to and responding to people's ordinary needs can be seen as extraordinary tells us a lot about his critics.

To fix the economy, fix housing johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...

‘Labor sources have told ABC Investigations the PM’s office has been putting pressure on advocates for gambling reform within the parliamentary Labor party to prevent them from speaking up.’ Arise, Caucus MPs! You have nothing to lose but your chains! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

What are “rusted-on” Labor voters thinking ?

Amen to that.

The second Dismissal – the loans affair and meetings with Kerr johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...

Plenty more where that came from. Industrial relations is a field of its own.

No hurry. My @smh @theage cartoon.

"When I'm directing an opera, I dream about a film, when I'm working on a film, I dream about an opera, and when I'm doing a play, I'm dreaming about music. Working in another field is a change, a rest. You must always work with pleasure." Luchino Visconti, born 2 November 1906.

Liberals can’t roll over to the right to battle One Nation — there’s another way www.crikey.com.au/2025/11/03/n...

Is social media dying? How much has Twitter changed as it became X? Which party now dominates the conversation? Using nationally representative ANES data from 2020 & 2024, I map how the U.S. social media landscape has transformed. Here are the key take-aways 🧵 arxiv.org/abs/2510.25417

#Messages in bottle written by World War I #soldiers in 1916 found on #Australian beach: "Absolutely stunned" Link for more: www.cbsnews.com/news/message...

Really stunning that the British Royal Family — just about the most insulated institution in the free world! — has managed to enact stronger consequences for an Epstein friend than anything the US has managed at all.

Well done Victoria ❤️ www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Delighted to be on the excellent #SundayShot again, despite the visual metaphor of my lighting. (Off to remedy that now 😬) Climate, disinformation, Christian Nationalism. As always expertly led by @instanterudite.bsky.social & @davemilbo.bsky.social with the ACF & unmissable @ketanjoshi.co #auspol

Trump’s risky American economy johnmenadue.com/post/2025/10...

What is the ‘idea of Australia’? What defines the soul of our nation? @juliannes.bsky.social set out to answer these questions and more in her recent book, ‘The Idea of Australia: A search for the soul of the nation’. See you there!   6pm 10 Nov 2025 Kambri ANU events.humanitix.com/meet-the-aut...

At dawn this morning I took my last plunge in the Ganges. Am now lost in airport hell.

As the Trump Administration slides further and further into authoritarianism, it becomes increasingly clear Australia needs to escape the disastrous AUKUS deal. Two-thirds of Australians support a Parliamentary Inquiry into AUKUS. Add your name to the call. ✍️⤵️ #auspol

A plea to open the archives in full: Whitlam dismissal secrets unearthed from the archives of the Canadian governor-general www.crikey.com.au/2025/10/27/w...

The #SundayShot is up! While trying to solve a small technical issue, I unwittingly created another so enjoy us all loom LARGE in Speaker View..but a great discussion with @nicolechvastek.bsky.social, Bruce Wolpe & Bob Carr. Subscribers, 👍s & 💲 always appreciated. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArHd...

Normal: but if from another city one never gets used to it.

Haven’t been to the platypus bridge in ages so I popped in after the rain today hoping that I hadn’t missed peak seasonal activity and OMFG?!?!

signs like these are up all over Chicago cafes and storefronts (here, cafes in Brighton Park and Back of the Yards) warning ICE not to enter without a judicial warrant

Gallego: "It's murder. It's very simple. If this president feels they are doing something illegally, then he should be using the Coast Guard. If this is an act of war, then you use our military and then you come and talk to us first. But this is murder ... it's disgusting."

AI playing games: theprint.in/national-int...

This week's #SundayShot is a good one - Bruce Wolpe and @nicolechvastek.bsky.social join @davemilbo.bsky.social and me on the panel, plus Bob Carr gives his take on the White House meeting and @mrkrudd.bsky.social. Subscribe to ensure you don't miss a moment. 👇 www.youtube.com/@TheSundaySh...

how it feels explaining early 2000s hipster history to young people

‘The aim now is to ensure that these settings are such that they benefit us all, not just the chosen few members of the team sitting beside the political negotiators.’ 🔥🔥🔥 @juliannes.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... #auspol

Omg he literally just said that wind and solar farms are more damaging to koala habitats than coal-fired power plants.... 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Wife took a fall in a busy city street in Melbourne. Got lots of help. One young couple offered first aid and walked us to our destination. A credit to the city. Posted with many thanks.

How’s your Friday? I’m at an old skool community meeting at Fitzroy Town Hall about decisions to close down community GP, counselling and pharmacy services in Fitzroy, Collingwood and Kensington. Huge attack healthcare for the most vulnerable in my neighbourhood. Overflowing.

Ed Luce watching democracy die in the United States of America

Made it 200km in strong headwinds to SA and Border Village but the new NRMA Sinexcel charger won't communicate with my car. NRMA tried resetting it. I tried all the apps but it just won't work. Rather than backtrack, just going to chill and slow charge here for the night. Needed a break anyway!

The Fraser manifesto: A former prime minister’s plan to replace the Liberal Party www.crikey.com.au/2025/10/24/c...

Pritzker on Fox: "He's challenging the integrity of the next election by sending troops into our cities. It isn't about fighting crime. He said he's going after the worst of the worst. That's not what they're doing. They are literally after black and brown people because of the color of their skin."

Is Melbourne really the ‘crime capital of Australia’? theconversation.com/is-melbourne...

Merkley: "What we've seen is that democracies no longer die bc men w/guns go in and take it over. Instead, it's electeds who erode the separation of power. If you have a rubber-stamp Congress & courts that deliver more power to the executive, suddenly you have an authoritarian state. It's here now."

Leavitt: At this moment in time, the ballroom is really the president's main priority.

Leavitt: "At this moment in time, of course, the ballroom is really the president's main priority."