Comments on: Panel discussions, festivals of ideas and organising a ball

By: epicurean

epicurean — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 04:45:37 +0000

Apart from having “the usual suspects”, most of whom I quite like, Diddums is definitely losing his edge. OK, he’s an old fart (ie a couple of years older than i am)but come on, the RAGE, the RAGE! Forget 1975 if you must (or weren’t born) but, if today’s crop of shiney arsed, ethic/idea free zones and moral myopics don’t get your adrenalin pumping then I’m off Outback with a sharpening stone, some good blades and a couple of sunhats. Should I return in 10-20yrs and find the staus quo, … look out.

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:25:09 +0000

I would have liked to go to the Festival of Ideas. As always (such as with the Fringe) I forget until it’s too late.

By: Rafe

Rafe — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 09:33:21 +0000

On the topic of pirates… http://austrianeconomists.typepad.com/weblog/2007/07/peter-leeson-in.html

Peter Leeson continues to report on his research on the rules and regulations that evolved outside the rule of national laws.

By: cynic

cynic — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 05:24:43 +0000

this from mumble.com.au

July 11 (pm) Casualties in the Newspoll wars
I think Dennis Shanahan wrote this this morning (as opposed to yesterday). The "PhD" mentions refer, I believe, to me.
A courtesy call from Editor-in-Chief Chris Mitchell this morning informed me that the paper is going to "go" Charles Richardson (from Crikey) and me tomorrow.
Chris said by all means criticise the paper, but my "personal" attacks on Dennis had gone too far, and the paper will now go me "personally".
No, I'm not making this up.
If they only get as personal as I get with Dennis, then it should be tame, as I don't believe I've ever criticised anything other than his writing.
And to think I described Dennis, in a chapter in a book being launched this month, as (with no sarcasm) "a fine journalist".
All very strange. And - I'd be lying if I didn't admit - a little stomach-churning"

J-HO has got to go NOW

By: Nicholas Gruen

Nicholas Gruen — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 01:55:40 +0000

Blogs are not immune from most of the diseases of the MSN. I’m not sure how anyone got the impression I was arguing otherwise (if they did). But – though it is not particularly relevant – I don’t think they hold those stagy panel pieces that spend so much time blighting RN (Despite my love for most other things about it). Australia Talks is particularly irritating. (Though I suppose it’s pretty inevitable if one wants to do current affairs talkback).

By: Link

Link — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:06:17 +0000

Your picture (BTW) should have an ‘Adults Only Viewing After Midday’ warning attached. First thing Nicholas, at sparrows’. Most alarming for us little flower fringe dwellers, first woke up.

By: Link

Link — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 20:01:11 +0000

I think Radio National should be compulsory. Aside from a quick look at the SMH site, listening to RN is the only way I get to find out what’s going on in the MSM and I consider it to be fairly mainstream and blogs to be more or less ‘fringe’. Its all become so disparate, while on the other hand, perversely, simultaneously homogenised, which is probably why an un-themed Festival of Ideas would rapidly turn into a Carnival of Freaks. The only thing I’ve noticed about the mainstream is that more and more of it are buying (or wanting) plasma screens to view it on and wanting chicken salt on their chips. Neither of which appeals to me in the least. I will continue trying to not let my right hand know what my left hand is doing.

By: Jacques Chester

Jacques Chester — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 18:09:10 +0000

A topic is chosen not for its inherent interest because its running in the media.

It's not like blogs are immune to this.

We chould invite a panel of Nobel Prize winners and dress them up in black hessian, put black patches over one eye and make them say Aye aye me hearties.

Only as long as it took place on September 19.