The 9pm Edict

Australia’s former Prime Minsister Gough Whitlam is dead. Politicians across the political spectrum praise Whitlam as a man of vision, but how does the current mob stand up? And yesterday was International Fisting Day. What did you do to celebrate?Elephant stamps of approval go to an Australians this time: Bronwyn Bishop, Speaker of the House of Representatives, for her rumour-based security process; and Senator Jacqui Lambie, for confusing outrageous movie-plot ideas with reality.We received two listener comments! In my response, I referred to some things I’ve discussed previously in Berners-Lee, Silicon Valley, and Australia’s cultural cringe and And the digital Antoinettes cried ‘Unemployed? Let them cut code’ and iPhone, therefore I am …a selfish disruptor and Enjoy your Ubergasm, but don’t expect respect in the morning.And we refer to videos including the 1972 campaign song It’s Time, tributes to Gough Whitlam by Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, and Will.I.Am’s launch video for i.am/PULS.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00031/

Prime Minister Crusader Rabbit explains how consultation works. There’s quite a bit about Muslims and terrorism. And butt chugging at the University of Tennessee? We get to the bottom of it.We hear how a family targeted in Sydney’s anti-terrorism raids has launched legal action and that a sword seized in another raid was just a plastic decoration.Elephant stamps of approval go to alleged butt chugger Alexander Broughton of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at the University of Tennessee, and Tea Party activist Todd Kincannon for his unique solution to ebola.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00030/

For nearly two weeks now, Australians have been more afraid of the fear of the risk of terror that ever before. We’re going to war, and the defence minister is an idiot. But don’t worry about why an event on the other side of the world is suddenly a threat here. We’re going to go butt chugging.What does any of this mean? Who knows.But we do hear how terrorism alert rankings serve no purpose beyond encouraging a burst of panic and how we won the war on Thai chilli sauce, as well as the evacuation of the Westfield Burwood shopping centre and how that did not relate to any contemporary issue.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00029/

It’s time to heed the words of the Prime Minister. Clarity of purpose, that’s what we need more generally on this arsehat-ridden island continent. I’ve been trying to bring it to you, through this, the finest goat-oriented political and social commentary podcast in the galaxy. But it’s not enough.This podcast needs to happen weekly. This podcast needs your help now.“The 9pm Operation Budget Repair” is a subscriber drive for The 9pm Edict, the same as with community broadcasters — or public broadcasters, as the Americans call them.The target is to get enough subscribers on board by the end of September to allow this podcast to go weekly — because I think it needs to be weekly to get into the rhythm of things.The full details are on the Skank Media website at skank.com.au/repair — the targets, the subscriptions on offer, the things you can do to help if you’ve already subscribed — and in coming days I’ll be adding progress reports and further suggestions.More information and audio credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00028a/

Prime Minister Tony Abbott points to the enemy, and to the difficult road ahead. What road is that? Foreign Minister Julie Bishop gives a clue.We also determine the three key differences between Philip Ruddock and a mechanical duck.We award elephant stamps for people who have been exceptional in the category of thinking to the authorities of Summerville, South Carolina, for arresting a 9th-grader for an alleged dinosaur killing (pictured above), and the 20-year-old man arrested at Riverwood on 26 August.And we introduce a new segment, Ubergasm, exploring the work of our favourite libertarian disruptors. Today we hear about Uber’s playbook for sabotaging Lyft and a tweet from PR columnist Ed Zitron.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00028/

Prime Minister Tony Abbott rallies the troops. Attorney-General George Brandis explains how the internet works. And Employment Minister Eric Abetz provides scientific and moral guidance.In this episode of The 9pm Edict you’ll hear how Australia’s favourite Attorney-General, Senator George Brandis QC, turned a routine TV interview into a train wreck, leading to me calling him incompetent; Brandis’ wig-based adventure; and much more.We award elephant stamps for special thinking to NSW treasurer Andrew Constance, US congressman Curt Clawson, and the Republican Party generally.And we discuss Victoria’s proposed laws, Nazis, Godwin’s Law, and my blog post from 2007, Stay alert, ye nameless, toiling animals.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00027/

This episode of The 9pm Edict heads into a eucalypt forest in search of the internet, and encounters a dog.You’ll hear about the National Broadband Network’s fibre-to-the-node trial, Russell Brand, Bertrand Russell, the 20th anniversary of a sarin nerve gas attack in Japan, the 25th birthday of the internet in Australia, the 60th birthday of nuclear power stations, Hillary Clinton and the mangoes, Google co-funder Larry Page’s threat to kill 100,000 people, and the arsehattery of Village Roadshow co-CEO Graham Burke.And there’s the dog, of course.And a cat. Sort of.But don’t forget the dog.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00026/

The sharing economy explained in just two minutes. A Florida meth lab is a threat to dolphins. And the failure of hashtag diplomacy.This episode of The 9pm Edict heads to the United States, at least in some strange warped sense.There’s a story of a meth lab in a Florida hotel room, and we encounter both an episode of Hannity on Fox News and a “sharing economy guru” on the BBC.There’s also mention of Glassholes harassing a New York restaurant, a bread line in San Jose. and a plan to reverse the California Aqueduct.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00025/

Australia’s treasurer Joe Hockey exudes love and understanding. We take the train to Cronulla to find out exactly what makes this southern Sydney suburb so great. And there are shellfish, damn fine shellfish.Back from hiatus thanks to your support, this episode of The 9pm Edict heads south to the Sutherland Shire to follow up the words of our Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison, as quoted in The St George & Sutherland Shire Leader in March:“I get so much encouragement when I walk through Cronulla mall, go down the beach, or up to Miranda Fair… On Australia Day we were at the fireworks at Cronulla and I was walking through the crowd and people were coming up to me to say ‘g’day’ and encourage me and congratulate me on what we had done so far, and basically saying ‘keep giving it to ’em and don’t back down’.”He said residents weren’t against immigration or asylum-seekers but wanted a process that was done “the right way”.But there’s much more, including observations about the films The Princess Bride and Solaris. For some reason.Episode notes and full credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00024/

So you know how the other day I told you about the return of The 9pm Edict podcast and how the next episode would be posted on Sunday 4 May? Well it isn’t going to happen quite like that.I did go to Sydney’s Sutherland Shire as planned yesterday. And I did record stuff. But for reasons explained in this mini-podcast, I didn’t get the material I needed to fulfil the plan. Sorry.I’m heading back to Cronulla tomorrow. Stay tuned. I’m hoping to post the new episode on Tuesday 6 May or thereabouts.Further information and audio credits are at:https://stilgherrian.com/edict/00023f/