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America Is So Ideologically Fraught

by SpeakTruth

23 November 2023 2 weeks

If you dip into American political history you are confronted with a whole bunch of surprising anomalies. America is so ideologically fraught and vulnerable to domestic propaganda. The riven polarising state of politics in America today is not as unusual as some commentators make out. Perhaps, it is more a reflection on the general ignorance about America’s past that we get this emphasis today. Political leaders have been lying to and manipulating their citizens for the life of the nation. Trump’s lies are legion but they are nothing new in the political framework of the United States.

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man standing on stage facing an american flag

by SpeakTruth

12 December 2022 12 mths

Rachel Maddow’s ULTRA Podcast

by SpeakTruth

9 December 2023 1 dy

Trump’s America

Any sane person watching on has concern enough to be worried about Trump’s America. The very fact that this guy is still the leading GOP candidate for the 2024 presidential election is a judgement on the American people. Despots and dictators don’t rise to power without the help of the people. Everybody knows that Donald J Trump is a liar and a cheat. I mean, the guy is compulsive in both these character failings. More concerning is that he has broken the law on numerous occasions and has managed to avoid prosecution or conviction. No one voting for Trump is truly unaware of who is and how he goes about business.

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by SpeakTruth

6 December 2023 4 dys

The Australian Media Landscape

The Australian media landscape is a predominantly conservative one. The ABC stands out as a beacon of social inclusiveness and a leader in this regard. The national broadcaster was the first to feature Indigenous presenters on their roster and to break through the colour barrier. Similarly, the inclusion of presenters with a disability has paved the way for more Australians to see these members of our community in a new light. The commercial networks are never leaders in this space, rather they revel in the comfort zone by featuring attractive exemplars from the dominant white cohort.

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by SpeakTruth

4 December 2023 6 dys

A Letter To Australia

Dear Australia, I don’t want to be negative but fear you are in the grip of vested interests. A letter to Australia to warn you about stuff. Ever since the days of the squattocracy some hard white men have been having their way with your resources. Never minding about the Indigenous blood they carelessly spilt upon your red earth. These determined settlers disregarded British instruction about allowing Aboriginal people to access their waterways and hunting grounds, preferring to slaughter them expediently instead. The British overlords were piss weak in this regard, it must be said.

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Episode 11: The Kitchen: Hestia & Sacrifice - Robert Sudha Hamilton's Podcast

The kitchen is a place of warmth and potential danger. It is packed with sharp implements, in most cases, and home to fire. Our kitchens are all about fuel, with fuel for the body and fuel for the oven and cooktop coming to the fore. Modern kitchens can disguise their function through artifice and interior design but at their heart they are fiery places. What voice is most at home in the kitchen? An imperative one barking instructions is oft required in the heat of the moment and under the duress of cooking up a storm. “Happiness is a sharp knife.”Here in the kitchen you will meet the no bullshit You. The part of you that needs to get the job done, the family fed, and keep the pantry full of food. The subpersonality which monitors and maintains the state of your refrigerator. The You that keeps a tidy kitchen. The Captain in charge of the sink and ensuring the washing up gets done. You may delegate these roles to underlings but keeping everything ship shape is the role of the Captain on deck. Kitchens like ships demand order and constant vigilance, lest they fall into chaotic disrepair. Interestingly, Hestia was a virginal goddess and refused the suits of both Apollo and Poseidon. Perhaps this is where we get the separation of the sexual roles of the wife and mother in the home and the focus on providing nurture and hospitality instead. Hestia was seen as the giver of all domestic happiness and good fortune in the home and she was believed to dwell in the inner parts of every home. She was also the first god mentioned at every sacrifice, as she represented the hearth where sacrifices took place – this is the direct link to our kitchens today and the idea of the sacred chef. There are very few temples of Hestia extant and this is thought to be because every home was her temple in the Hellenistic world. I think we can draw some intuition from this in our view of our homes being places of divine inspiration.

Police investigate shooting outside Melbourne strip club 9 December 2023
A man has been taken to hospital after being shot outside a strip club in Melbourne's CBD.
'People calling me a terrorist': Canberra students subject to racist taunts as Israel-Gaza war rages 9 December 2023
Nineteen members of Australian-Palestinian Rema Al-Nabieh's family have been killed over the course of the Israel-Gaza war, and throughout the conflict she's also had to face ostracism from her high school peers.
Jade Toomey
Ariarne Titmus intended to keep her surgery 'under wraps' but selfie requests from nurses changed that 9 December 2023
When Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus had to have surgery in September she was reluctant to go public but selfie requests from nurses led to her changing tack and now she wants to normalise conversations about women's health.
Chris Rowbottom
Pelicans injured by fishing hooks rescued in time by passing SA kayakers 9 December 2023
Two pelicans found entangled in fishing lines in South Australia's south coast have been saved thanks to nearby kayakers and wildlife rescuers, prompting reminders to fishers to be responsible with their equipment. WARNING: The story contains images that some readers may find distressing.
Josephine Lim
Do you use a bucket in the shower to save water? This award-winning young inventor has found a better solution 9 December 2023
Watching water go to waste while waiting for the shower to get hot sparked an idea that high school student Rani East-Jeffs hopes can help save thousands of litres of the precious resource. It's also caught the attention of Australia's inventors.
Isla Evans and Emma Siossian
Rising Aussie star sparks bidding war in WPL auction 9 December 2023
All-rounder Annabel Sutherland earns a bumper pay day at the Women's Premier League auction, while Australia teammate Phoebe Litchfield also attracts significant interest.
Why it's more expensive to live in Sydney than Melbourne 9 December 2023
While the two cities are often pitted against each other for cultural supremacy, they are clearly divided by another major factor — the cost of living.
Greta Stonehouse and Millie Roberts
These unique island-dwelling goats need saving, so advocates hope you'll eat them 9 December 2023
Once the saviour of stranded sailors on the Great Barrier Reef, Percy Island's goats are facing eradication by officials. But advocates hope that promoting the heritage breed for food will help protect them.
Abbey Halter
City of Melbourne to commission statue of first woman to stand for election in Australia 9 December 2023
A Melbourne woman who left an indelible mark on Australian politics will be honoured in statue form as part of a council effort to install more female statues.
Andi Yu
Winds to ramp up on Queensland's north coast as Cyclone Jasper continues its approach 9 December 2023
Jasper is now forecast to cross the coast on Wednesday or Thursday, anywhere between Cape Melville and Townsville.
Jessica Black
SA flood flows help toothy fish travel 825km in annual migration 9 December 2023
Water flows from South Australia's floods are helping the lamprey travel more than 800 kilometres from the Goolwa Barrage to New South Wales.
Dixie Sulda and James Findlay
'I may have to resign': Court documents allege NDIS commissioner mistakenly misled Four Corners over autism program 9 December 2023
 The head of the government watchdog for the NDIS swore and said she might have to resign after she discovered she had made a mistake in telling Four Corners the regulator had shut down a program where children with disabilities were abused, court documents allege. 
Anne Connolly
Not just 'rats of the sky': Why pigeons are mini-dodo superheroes 9 December 2023
The humble pigeon is often known by its unflattering nicknames "flying rat" and "rat of the sky". But there's more to these common creatures than meets the eye. Here's four facts that might restore their reputation.
Ann Jones and Petria Ladgrove
There are two wars going on in Gaza right now — the one Israelis are watching, and the one the rest of the world sees 9 December 2023
Each evening, Israelis are sitting down to watch their prime-time television news to see what's happening in the war. And each evening, the pattern is much the same, writes John Lyons.
John Lyons
This Aboriginal language was officially extinct. A new generation is giving it life 9 December 2023
A 94-year-old is the last living keeper of an officially extinct language. Generations have worked to revive the Kalkutungu language, which will now be taught to students in the outback.
Julia André and Larissa Waterson
It's one of the loudest sounds in the ocean, but is it killing whales? 9 December 2023
Environmentalists say whales could go deaf during seismic surveys for offshore oil and gas. The reality is more complicated.
Jack Fisher
'Bringing migration to a sustainable level': New strategy aims to cut Australian arrivals 9 December 2023
The federal government is set to unveil a major new migration strategy that aims to dramatically cut Australia's intake after a surge of arrivals after the COVID-19 pandemic.
David Speers
Alan and Kerry 'just fit'. Then out of nowhere, he was shot dead by his neighbours. She believes no-one will ever really know why 9 December 2023
The crime shocked the nation – two young police officers and a good Samaritan neighbour ambushed and murdered. One year on, the identity and motives of the killers still rocks the quiet rural community of Wieambilla.
Cindy Wockner, Peter Gunders, Kelsie Iorio, and Heidi Davoren
Can antiques stores survive the rise of online marketplaces — or will they become relics of the past? 9 December 2023
As a much-loved regional Victorian vintage store closes its doors for the last time, its owner urges shoppers to support other antique shops amid the rising popularity of online marketplaces.
Lexie Jeuniewic
Cassiel Rousseau inking his way towards a slice of family Olympic history 9 December 2023
Australia's diving world champion Cassiel Rousseau has booked his spot in Doha in a bid to defend his crown ahead of the Paris Olympics.
Simon Smale