The Brown Note

Why Pregnant Journalist Charlotte Bellis Does Not Deserve Your Sympathy

In one of the years great misreported stories, the world was aghast at demonic New Zealand's treatment of this stranded pregnant journalist. The truth is NZ was her third choice country after she had to leave Qatar and Belgium said no (neither receiving any condemnation at all), and then engineered a PR storm that has enabled her to bypass a scheme to enter New Zealand she did not qualify for, and leap frog thousands of stranded Kiwis.

Neil Young V Joe Rogan V Spotify

With Neil Young being probably my favorite recording artist of all time and a famously curmudgeonly one, I've found his battle with Joe Rogan and Spotify hilarious and very in character. A look at why he has reason to be touchy about vaccines and illness.

The Tragedy Of The Labo(u)r Party

It's the same situation for both the UK and Australia's left wing Labo(u)r parties - after an unforgivable, interminable, in-explainable run of election victories by right wing parties, riven with endless incompetence and corruption, they are both finally in a position to likely win elections.

Why this makes me really sad.

The Wiggles Win The Triple J Hot 100

What used to be an Australia day icon has lost more than its date, with the childrens band The Wiggles winning what used to be a great round up of alternative music. The only problem is, that was the most alternative track in the list.

Australia Day

Australia's great celebration of national pride and unity is with us once again... to bring us together in our mutual hatred of each other

Sexuality Is The New Vegan

A not particularly serious piece about how the new sexualities have replaced Vegans as the people that just can't stop telling you who they are.

J.K. Rowling Is A Feminist Hero

Echoing my "Why I Stand With J.K. Rowling" piece from a year and a half ago, in light of three recent events. The Scottish court's refusal to prosecute a trans activist for doxxing J.K., the mooted though unlikely version of Harry Potter, casting a trans woman in a biological woman's role and the disgraceful treatment of Rowling by the ingrate cast of the movies during the mawkish 20th anniversary celebrations. Why I still support her fight for biological women, in a world where they still come last - even to activists - in ownership of their story, their rights, their politics, their treatment and their self definition.

The China Olympics Hypocrisy

The China Winter Olympics is on us and Australia (in economic and diplomatic war with China) is having a schizophrenic breakdown. Celebrating the event with their trademark over the top bombast, whilst pretending they don't know where it is. The TV network spamming adverts about the event, even have the words "Beijing" in tiny letters you can barely see. It's embarrassing. We are going to a party where the host hates us. And our government are claiming a political boycott. It's not a boycott if you still send your athletes and promote the event. Whilst our prime minister will as always play both sides of the fence, wanting credit for standing up for human rights AND every gold we win.

The Truth About Ukraine

With the prospect of conflict in Ukraine flaring up again - a look at one of the Western world's most inaccurate media narratives of the last decade. That democracy loving freedom fighters overthrew Russian tyranny. What actually happened was an a Western backed coup, ousting a democratically elected leader, because he wouldn't accept trading Ukrainian sovereignty and autonomy, to accept European Union loans, in order to turn them into a giant NATO base on Russia's doorstep.

The Best And Worst Films Of 2021

Exactly what is says it is, with a no doubt popular choice for worst film of the year.