The Brown Note

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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

In the weakest year for albums, tracks and movies of the century.

Working our my usual radio show end of year best-of lists, I was struck by how weak 2021 was - across albums, movies and tracks, the lamest of the century, why?