Today in Writing History May 21, 1703: The authorities imprisoned writer Daniel Defoe for seditious libel. Defoe was most famous for his novels Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, and Moll Flanders (1722). However, he also wrote political pamphlets, including The Shortest Way with the Dissenters, which satirized how Tories handled religious dissenters by proposing that they all be exterminated. As a result, the authorities arrested and imprisoned him for seditious libel.
Government Secures Australia’s Future By Handing $300 Directly To Power Companies On Behalf Of Households
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is today basking in the glow of one of the greatest budgets the nation has ever seen.
Handing down his 3rd version of the nation’s financial plan, Chalmers now looks set to enter the Labor Hall of Fame alongside figures like Curtin, Chifley, Whitlam and Gillard.
Faced by a cost of living crisis, growing job insecurity for millions, an inflated housing bubble which will continue pushing more and more people into poverty, flagging health and education sectors, energy insecurity, and uncertain futures for a raft of industries that made Australia strong – Jim Chalmers has decided to lean into his Labor values and tackle the monumental task in front of him head on.
Outlining an extraordinary vision for ordinary Australians, Chalmers has revealed historic plans to give power companies $300 for every single Australian household and small business.
The groundbreaking policy will ensure that rather than price gouging Australians directly, the energy sector will price gouge Australians through the taxes they pay to the government.
Chalmers said the measure was designed to ease pressures on the cost of living, citing the war in Ukraine as the generic reason why power prices have been pushed up.
However, rather than seeking to pull the ‘trigger’ to ensure multinationals don’t send all our gas overseas which allows power companies to then jam up the price of electricity because they are unregulated as part of the ‘free market for large corporations’ mantra we run the country on, Chalmers said he’d rather just give the sector taxpayer money.
“It’s a vision for the future to ensure the nation has a cheap and reliable energy source,” explained Chalmers.
“Think of it as an investment, that has no return and does nothing other than slightly lower the heat being turned up on average Australians.”
While criticised for the inflationary nature of the stimulus, Chalmers has seemingly dodged any criticism of the fact it’s a short sighted handout to giant corporations.
Chalmers was then recited the famous words from Ben Chifley in the post-war years;
“I try to think of the Labor movement, not as putting an extra sixpence into somebody’s pocket, or making somebody Prime Minister or Premier, but as a movement bringing something better to the people, better standards of living, greater happiness to the mass of the people. We have a great objective – the light on the hill – which we aim to reach by working the betterment of mankind not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand. If it were not for that, the Labor movement would not be worth fighting for.“
Pausing for a short time to consider his role as the money man in the Australian Labor movement, Chalmers shrugged.
I've finished: House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky
House of Open Wounds wasn't what I expected.
It's not a middle book in a trilogy, it has an ending. It's not about the mysterious Woods at the edge of Ilmar that were so promenant at the end of City of Last Chances.
It's about my favorite characters from that novel, Yasnic and his God. It's about the healers that are allowed to work their miracles at the periphery of the Pall war camp because they are useful. It dangles the promise of healing in return for pacifism at a humanity that can't stop fighting.
Like City of Last Chances, it's about the people stuck in the gears of the Palleseen Empire's ambitions. Not about kings and emperors.
Tchaikovsky has grown allot at a writer since the Shadow of the Apt series and has written a very compelling story that concentrates on engaging characters.
I couldn't put it down, I listened at every opportunity. It did sometimes feel repetitive and perhaps could have been shorter. But the ending clinched it all and most of it payed off brilliantly.
A friend of mine told me that the characters in this series remind him of Pratchett characters and that House of Open Wounds reminds him of Monstrous Regiment. Now that he has brought my attention to it, I can't unsee it.
Tchaikovsky isn't Pratchett and isn't trying to be Pratchett. He is not trying to be funny, but the social commentary, humanism and satire are reminiscent of Pratchett.
Latest reminder that the Trump stolen-classified-documents case judge is effectively a member of the defense team:
"Judge Pushes Back Critical Filing Deadline in Trump Documents Case
"Judge Aileen M. Cannon did not immediately set a new date, but the delay increases the chance that the trial will not happen before the November election."
To be fair, how the hell is she supposed to get in on the good grifting if #Trump isn't elected in 2024????? Leave the poor Judge alone. She is just trying to get rich. Jeez. #Satire
“I was in love with the book. In pure, ignorant defiance of the decree of the Iowa Writing School that controls almost all modern fiction, Galt tells without showing.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin discusses John Galt’s ANNALS OF THE PARISH
Some good news from media land! Satire outlet The Onion is under new management, with one of the owners being Jeff Lawson, co-founder of Twilio, the cloud communications firm with a market value of $11 billion. “The Onion is an institution, a national treasure, and we need it,” says Lawson, the new chairman. “But its success is based on something different than most media companies. The Onion has been stifled, along with most of the internet, by byzantine cookie dialogs, paywalls, bizarro belly fat ads, and clickbait. The Internet sucks, and it’s time we made it better.” The new CEO will be Ben Collins, the reporter who previously covered disinformation, extremism and the internet for NBC. He says that the plan is to work with the union, keep all the writers, and "make it so they can hopefully get paid a little bit more money." Here's more from Deadline.
Every time I reread Going Postal I like it even better. This is indeed Pratchett at his finest.
As a conman is running for US president again, and the true faces of billionaires are exposed, Going Postal also becomes more and more relevant.
This time I listened to the new audio edition, narrated by Richard Coyle and it was very good.
I must admit that I had trouble with my previous attempts to listen to the new audio editions. I may be getting old and cranky, almost 50. But there was always at least one character I found it hard to listen to. Be it Nanny Ogg in the witches novels, or Vorbis in Small Gods. Nanny should always sound like she is smiling, and planning something, Vorbis has a calculating quiet evil soul, he will condemn you to death without showing emotion. He would not sound like he is planning something nefarious.
I think the actors hired to read the new editions are too good. Most of the Discworld novels have characters that are suited to more exaggerated acting. I think Going Postal is different because it is so well written, it works with more subtle acting and Coyle understands the essence of all the main characters.
I'm also having trouble with the footnote sound effects in the new audio editions. They break the flow; I end up forgetting what they refer too. It's kinda like the effect you get when entering a room and finding that you've forgotten why you went there.
Yet again the footnote sounds didn't bother me as much this time. Perhaps I'm getting used to them.
Luckily, I still own the older versions and can listen to the edition I prefer.
Be(com)ing Nigerian is an outrageously funny and acerbic guide to how to be a Nigerian; from how to attain the much-maligned, but heady rank of politician to achieving the status of the silver-tongued, private jet-flying religious leader.
Starting very soon over on https://www.twitch.tv/chilliteracy, Sam's going live to read you some short stories by Mark Twain! Head on over now to get settled
In a special episode of Channel 7’s Border Security, Border Force agents have detained the Easter Bunny at Sydney International Airport after attempting to smuggle dairy products into Australia.
Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil has celebrated the arrest, stating that bringing joy to children everywhere isn’t an excuse to be lax on immigration.
“We will not be providing special considerations when protecting our borders. If you or any bunny attempts to smuggle dangerous food products into the country illegally, you will be stopped like the terrorist you are.”
“We will be sending this bunny off for interrogation on Nauru, once we make sure there is no magically hidden chocolate on him that he could try to give to any child refugees we may or may not have locked up there.”
Biden, who was in NYC for a campaign event, is taking an unusual route to Camp David this weekend according to the official schedule: Marine One helicopter from Manhattan to JFK, Air Force One (747) to Andrews, where he change planes to a different (probably 757) Air Force One to Hagerstown.
Usually they take Marine One from DC directly to Camp David. Unclear why they couldn't fly a smaller AF1 directly from JFK to Hagerstown. (I think Marine One lacks range to get from NYC to Camp David)
THE GREAT MIAMI NOVEL may well be this devastating blend of satire, magical realism, and local history—the story of a wannabe gangster and the imprisoned orca that fascinates him. Startling, distinctive, surreal. A MINUS
I've finished: The Sky is Your's by Chandler Klang Smith.
My first attempt to read The Sky is Yours ended with me throwing it in the Audible App's archive. It starts with a rich brat crashing on a garbage island and immediately taking advantage of a naïve girl. I wanted nothing to do with it.
I forgot about it and when I encountered the title again, I gave it a listen. When you continue reading, you understand that his is a satire about late stage capitalism and no one likes the rich brat.
As we follow the three main characters, the afore mentioned rich brat, a naïve girl raised alone by an insane mother with anti-technology beliefs and my favorite, Swani a rich well educated and over achieving girl. We learn more and more about the corrupt world they are inheriting.
This is a mix of stupidity, and smarts. Some parts are dumb on purpose and some are dumb for comedic effect. Some parts are smart and some downright poetic. Each of our protagonists will find a mentor that will help them grow, but they are not being cuddled and their paths are winding. Again, I was impressed with Swany's journey.
Swany is also overweight, I'm not saying it's never referred to as unattractive, but men are attracted to her both physically and intellectually.
The ending detracted a bit from my rating, as we step back from the interesting characters and take a more distant view of the aftermath.