subscrib now

The Kings Tribune

follow the kings tribune
follow us on twitter find us on facebook

Out Now

March 2012

Find a Stockist

IPS

Email Updates

Tribune Twtter

Jane's Twitter

Something from My Brain...

corporateBrief from my editor: “How are things in your brain at the moment? Got any thoughts you’d like to throw together for us? Something political if you have it lying around...”

Well, yes I do, I guess — I mean everything is political at some level, right? I mean if you think about the fuel you burn driving to the supermarket and the working conditions there and the petrochemicals in washing powder you buy and the conditions for the workers wherever it is they make the glorified soap and the fuel burnt to transport it here and the coal burnt to provide power for the washing machine and the petrochemical residue you then flush into the waterways, all to make your shirt white for work... then all stuff has a political element. Although the above example works best if you work for a petrochemical company. Oh, yes — if you manage third world labour for a petrochemical company. See? Now it works good.

What has happened to me though, as I have aged, is that all my political thinking has become broader, like the broad majestic Shannon. Or something. I have decided to age in a situation where we need to be mindful of the weather and the climate, of the soil and all the beetles, bugs, spiders, birds, possums and quolls in order to get along alright, to have food for ourselves and a place that we feel we are living in with some semblance of balance. Or something. I’m not getting my point across all that well with that last paragraph — but think about the fact that I had to break off from writing it to rescue some beetles that had flown into the outdoor bath we’re preparing before the fire got hot enough to do them harm. There we are. All clarity and light now, eh?

I HAVE TAKEN LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE/ESSAY/WHATHAVEYOU BUT IT WAS NOT TO MY LIKING AND SO I HAVE LARGELY MADE UP ALL LAWS AND LEGAL REFERENCES. IF ANY OF IT IS TRUE IT IS BY CHANCE ALONE.


This article is only available to subscribers.

Subscriptions are amazingly cheap and completely worth it.

Not yet a subscriber? View subscription options

Already Subscribed? Login

 


In the December Issue

Editors’ Rant
Jane Gilmore and Justin Shaw - December, 2011

jane shaw I think we bring together an outstanding group of writers for you here at the Tribune. We’re proud of the work they do and proud that we can publish it. We look for writers who have more than just...

The Baillieu Government and Monster Creation...
Peter Hoysted - December, 2011

jack the insiderThe Baillieu Government, like so many state governments around Australia, promotes a “tough on crime” agenda. The media happily tags along, creating a fear of youth driven crime waves that,...

Howard’s End
Justin Shaw - December, 2011

John HowardAfter 10 years of nurturing my hatred of John Howard, I should have been ecstatic at his defeat, I should still be dancing about it even now. I’m not, but thanks to him I understand a little...

Gay Marriage: What the FUCK!?
Sue-Ann Post - December, 2011

gayLet me say up front that as someone who has been ‘out’ as a lesbian for 27 years, I just don’t get this push for gay marriage. I don’t understand why it has become a headline issue in the push for...

Something from My Brain...
Anthony Morgan - December, 2011

corporateBrief from my editor: “How are things in your brain at the moment? Got any thoughts you’d like to throw together for us? Something political if you have it lying around...”

Well, yes I do, I guess...

If Labor Wants to Win the Next Election
Tim Dunlop - December, 2011

Julia GillardJulia Gillard has problems but they are not the ones usually mentioned in the media.

Her problem is not the way she replaced Kevin Rudd as leader, or that she ‘broke’ her ‘promise’ about a carbon...

Asylum Seekers - Some Facts
Jane Gilmore - December, 2011

Christmas islandThe asylum seeker debate has almost never been about the facts, it’s about fear. Most often it’s about baseless fears, cynically manipulated by politicians looking for traction and the mainstream...

How Not to Scare People - Even If You’re Gay
Ben Pobjie - December, 2011

gay rainbowAnyone who knows me knows I have always been a friend to the gay community. I regularly watch Glee, and once I listened to a Lady Gaga song. I even know someone who’s met a gay. I think. He may...

Is the Media Consumer Always Right?
Drag0nista - December, 2011

sunday ageAnd so, with the demise of 6.30 with George Negus, Australia’s dirtiest secret has been exposed. There’s no longer any point denying it, now the courageous programming innovation featuring the...

Henry II (1133 – 1189): England’s Ranga King
Jane Gilmore - December, 2011

Henry IIHenry II was a short, stocky, bad tempered ranga who married the wealthiest and most desirable heiress in Europe. At the height of his powers he liked to brag that his empire rivalled...

Labor’s Australian Story
Fatima Measham - December, 2011

vote laborThere was a slight frisson of excitement amongst pundits last September when word got out that Labor left figures had vehemently argued in caucus against the Malaysia people-swap deal. Though some...

The Magical and Sensuous Cowshit Moustache
Mat Larkin - December, 2011

moustacheThe manager is standing over me as I peruse his lengthy cheese platter.

‘The one on the far end is especially piquant,’ he says.

‘Oh?’

‘Oh yes. Especially,’ he says.

I am about to make two decisions,...

Occupy Some Common Sense
Jeff Carmichael - December, 2011

occupy2The “occupy” movement in Australia would be funny if it wasn’t so infuriating and ignorant. It’s a little solar system with a small sun of a genuine point, then orbiting socialism groups,...

Occupy Melbourne
Mike Stuchbery - December, 2011

occupyIn the last few weeks, I haven’t been sleeping so well.

I wake up in the middle of the night, with an anxious feeling gnawing at the pit of my stomach. I lie in bed, trying to go back to sleep and...

The Majesty of the Mundane
Dave Gaukroger - December, 2011

lawn moverOne of the things that makes me look forward to Spring is the accelerated rate at which my lawn will grow, meaning that there’ll be plenty of opportunities to mow the lawn. I didn’t always enjoy...

Leadership in a Media Orgy
Thomas Cummings - December, 2011

vote laborThe mainstream media has been convulsed in an orgy of navel gazing over leadership speculation recently. Not just fuelling the stories, but actually creating them and then feverishly pulling them...

Australian Classical Music Performance At...
Preston Towers - December, 2011

msoWhenever you hear the phrase “Australian Classical Music”, you get a variety of responses. “For the elites”, “old people listen to classical”. “Classical? Boring.” “Music Appreciation Classes”,...

It’s a Wonderful Movie
Tara Judah - December, 2011

its a wonderful lifeGiven how early and how aggressively retailers put out their Christmas product it’s nothing short of a Christmas miracle that the studios don’t go overboard with seasonal cinematic spirit. But for...

The Versatile Prawn Roll
Sunday Relish - December, 2011

prawnSome years ago, friends and I drove from Manhattan to Provincetown on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. We sampled the local lobster along the way — stopping off at the likes of ‘Clem and Ursies’ Diner...

Australian Wine Out in the World
Duncan Wilcox - December, 2011

I recently returned from an extended trip to the States that took me to both California and Pennsylvania. The two states offered up a world of difference in terms of what, where and how (which may...

Cryptic Crossword - Dec 11
Justin Shaw - December, 2011

Cryptic goodness.

+ 0
+ 0
A Better World - Dec 2011
Alex Hallatt - December, 2011

Alex Hallatt Dec 2011


+ 0
+ 0
Bloody John Howard
Morgwn - December, 2011

bloody John Howard


+ 0
+ 0
More POLITICS