Travelling in Japan (Part III): Reflections and Highlights

“What must be admitted, very painfully, is that this was a disaster made in Japan…Its fundamental causes are to be found in the ingrained conventions of Japanese culture: our reflexive obedience, our reluctance to question authority, our devotion to ‘sticking to the program,’ our groupism, our insularity.”            Source I studied […]

Australian Beach Culture & Change

My children love Nippers. Every Sunday morning during the summer they learn more about staying safe at the beach thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, of all ages, who support our local surf lifesaving club.* It is important, living where we do, minutes from the beach, that my daughters are accomplished swimmers and surf savvy. […]

The Wrong Conversations

  Fairfax has signalled that the future is online Fairfax cuts 1900 jobs   Fairfax media, publishing the Sydney Morning Herald, since 1831, is the latest industry to be forced to change, perhaps too late, in response to the digital revolution. Many suggested the writing was on the wall 15 years ago and that tardiness, […]

Sir Ken Robinson: Changing Education Paradigms

Sir Ken Robinson‘s narrative about education is a powerful reading of the institutions at the heart of our societies. It is ‘a reading’ difficult to dispute.  RSA Animate have made this particular paradigm understandable to all with a brilliantly constructed series of drawings. You can see the whole series of RSA animations here. Please, if you […]

Hung Parliaments and the Importance of Literature, Philosophy and History

The political uncertainty of the election ‘result’ that Australians watched unfold last night will lead to concerned discussion about what a hung parliament will mean for our democracy. There will be many at the moment worrying, including myself, about the NBN plan and what will happen to the Digital Education Revolution, if Mr Abbott is anointed. However, another interesting question is, obviously, how […]

David Crystal – texts and tweets: myths and realities

Thanks to Ben Jones for alerting me to David Crystal’s recent talk. Like you, I have many of his books on my shelf and find his insights into language, especially the English language, sage. [vodpod id=Video.3937737&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] David Crystal – Texts and Tweets: myths and rea…, posted with vodpod

The Empathic Civilisation

Tim Kastelle posted this video talk by Jeremy Rifkin which I repost here and am sure you will enjoy. [vodpod id=Video.3625992&w=425&h=350&fv=%26rel%3D0%26border%3D0%26] more about “RSA Animate – The Empathic Civilisation“, posted with vodpod   I like the point Tim’s emphasises, that when, “you develop…deep connections with the people you serve, the ideas that you give them […]

'Civilisation'

Kenneth Clark‘s television series Civilisation was written and filmed in the year of my birth, 1968. It is not funky, fashionable, contemporary, postmodern or politically correct but I recommend you view or read the book for a stimulating ‘personal view’ of ‘civilisation’. Of course, when you view it now there are passages that make one cringe and would not be broadcast today. It is […]