🎭 2/2 Friels’ heartfelt performance resonated with the malignant narcissism of a Trump. The staging of this play at this time was perfect commentary to our current situation. “Machinations, hollowness, treachery, and all ruinous disorders, follow us disquietly to our graves." (King Lear, Act 1:2)

🎭 1/2 Saw King Lear at the Belvoir Saturday night. The minimal staging allowed us to concentrate on the words, difficult words despite our familiarity. Standout performances by Peter Carroll as the Fool and Raj Labade as Edmund. Alison Whyte’s Gloucester amazing and cathartic.

Mark Kenny at his best on Nikki Savva at hers. The Libs as a “work in regress” & “Earthquake [as] a cautionary tale for both sides. Their concrete silos stand half-empty; their grains of truth are no longer a staple in a world of fluid allegiances and ephemera.” theconversation.com/niki-savvas-...

Racists seldom see their own race based intolerances as racism. HoWARd is one such racist.

A beautiful, true and heartfelt article. Thank you for sharing.

Half mast flag in Bendigo today. #Bondi

Parents please STOP sending your kids to private schools. It does not give an educational advantage once they are at university. Furthermore it is anti-democratic. Why not support a universally excellent public system for all Australian children and youth? www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/educati...

johnmenadue.com/post/2025/12... John Frew does it again. Shame on us! He writes: “The emotional force that binds the pecking order together is shame. Shame turns structural inequality into individual failure.”

A really great roundup of the year. Don’t miss it. Thank you Sunday Shot!

open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/... The writer would be better placed in criticising the “draconian’ algorithms that expose young minds to poisonous content. Australia at least is calling these platforms to account. Some hard evidence, not sensationalist claims, was needed.

Yay People Power! open.substack.com/pub/crickete...

At Least We Tried! As quoted in the Crikey Worm this morning: “The world will follow like nations once followed our lead on plain tobacco packaging, gun reform, water and sun safety. How can you not follow a country with clearly prioritising teen safety ahead of tech profits?” Julie Inman Grant

Top shot from Gideon Haigh! open.substack.com/pub/crickete...

This evening at Albury, the mighty Murray River, Milawa, giver of life in Wiradjuri country. This river marks the colonial boundary between New South Wales and Victoria, an invisible construct unknown to the original peoples of this land. They had other much older maps to go by.

Well Jess Wilson, you failed in leadership by not supporting the apology to First Nations people in Victoria today. Shame on the Liberal Party born- to- rules who can’t admit that colonialist wealth to which their party is heir was stolen. History will out and Treaties must be made with reparations.

There’s more than a whiff of sexism around the targeting of Anika Wells (guess who broke the story? Sky News, Home of the Patriarchy). Speers pursues piddly travel items rather than policy - his Sky “training” comes to the fore.

More neoliberal bean counters instead of well resourced teachers and students. johnmenadue.com/post/2025/12...

The Humanities are vital! open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

Brilliant, angry and true! David Milner concludes: “The tide is turning, hence the pushback, hence the fascism, so we’re clearly more powerful than they want us to know. Don’t buy their shit.”

Wrong again. Repeal and amend this clause immediately.

“Strategic Reorganisation Change Proposal.” - neoliberal bullshit strikes again.

Rising Tide Newcastle, NSW, Australia. Hundreds of protesters demonstrated their commitment to climate justice today by disrupting shipping of coal. Australia must halt coal mining and export urgently. 140 climate warriors were arrested. Bravo Knitting Nannas!

Absolutely loved this article - except the editor’s tag “from below” - time to get rid of this homogenising and condescending epithet for histories encompassing the varieties of people it purports to cover. insidestory.org.au/the-dismissa...

“A country that continually weakens its knowledge institutions cannot prosper. A nation that invests in them cannot fail.” So true! My old university talks now about its “business” as if it were a business. What rubbish. This totally misconstrues the idea and purpose of the university.

Fascinating research in a growing field of historical research - photographs have much to tell us!

As someone who was not such a quiet protestor (I marched in both huge Sydney marches & in Newcastle) I will be fascinated to read this new book.

Every word of this, thanks Birmo! @birmo.bsky.social aliensideboob.substack.com/p/who-deserv...

A timely analysis. johnmenadue.com/post/2025/11...

Sabotaging & smashing our biggest & best science & research organisations is exactly what our worst enemy would do. Why can't we have a govt which creates hope, creativity & cleverness & a better future instead of a festival of fossil fuel and Trump toadying? Boo. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

COALition Climate Vandalism - shame on them. Karmic justice will be that they have just consigned themselves to political oblivion. Hallelujah to that! “Emissions reduction would no longer be an objective of Australia's energy operator under a Coalition plan” www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11...

Thank you George Monbiot! Another storm front in the epistemic crisis is the dismantling of universities under the “leadership” of overpaid neoliberal managerialists. They are hollowing out the collective research and teaching effort of academics. 12000 + university jobs lost in the UK this year!

Fabulous Lecture; AI on Australia’s terms themonthly.com.au/amelia-leste...

I will always be personally grateful for this magnificent man’s government. Bongiorno’s review of Jenny Hocking’s second volume on Whitlam makes this book a must read! insidestory.org.au/a-flawed-gia...

History denied comes back uglier. Truth telling is essential- and not just for the USA. Australians take note.

A fascinating discussion - why are these billionaire tech bros so angry? open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

Grace Tame's review of Tony Abbott's book is an absolute scream, in two ways.

trickle down economics trickle down economic trickle down economi trickle down econom trickle down econo trickle down econ trickle down eco trickle down ec trickle down e trickle down trickle dow trickle do trickle d trickle trickl trick

This is absolutely unacceptable. Trump is a danger to us all.

Very annoyed and embarrassed by Sarah Ferguson’s interview with former US Vice President Kamala Harris which was too concerned with Biden. Gotcha journalism is anathema to good journalism. Apologies Kamala.

Marilyn Lake always makes sense. This book review is especially strong on education arnd the deleterious impacts on it of neoliberalism and privatisation. theconversation.com/is-australia...

Brilliant review of three books on Australian labour and Labor by Prof Frank Bongiorno. One can only lament the neoliberal destruction of the union movement, bastion of the demand that workers are human beings first and workers second, deserving of a fair go. insidestory.org.au/larrikins-le...

Ireland is taking its cue from Australia by banning Candace Owens for eternity. “We haven’t had snakes here in thousands of years - why invite one in.”

John Lyons on ABC 4 Corners doing an important service to democracy. A free, fearless and unfettered press is a vital instrument in the fight against authoritarianism. Bravo! youtu.be/sij89ENvZqQ?...

The Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Women’s Council strongly opposes a series of harmful legislative and policy changes to the youth justice system introduced by the Northern Territory (NT) Country Liberal Party (CLP) Government since August 2024.

Vale Diane Keaton, the essence of cool, who brought joy to millions through her work. Didn’t every 60s girl want to be her?

4 Corners on ABC (Aust.) has really lifted its investigative game this year. Steve Cannane nails it on the disgraceful behaviour of the gambling industry, and the almost equally shocking inaction of governments. Come on Labor, implement Peta Murphy’s recommendations! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

Brilliant and important last words. Jane Goodall was a great human being.

Okay this rot has to stop! Public funding should be immediately stopped to these schools that teach mythology not Science! rationalist.com.au/christian-sc...

We MUST do better by public schools. They are the seed bed of democracy and inclusion. Stop overfunding of private schools that promote values of division and inequality. archive.md/2025.10.02-0...