Changes
Posted on | May 26, 2008 |
It seems important to write something about Tasmania.* I found out early in the day that Paul Lennon had resigned as Premier and just watched the telly footage from the various press conferences. Wow though: the amount of time being devoted to the story says something about the status of my home state in relation to the domestic political agenda–as if I didn’t know already. I’ve had a few friends enjoy themselves on holiday in Tassie recently which still seems extraordinary in many ways but it’s a long way from seeing the state as part of the national conversation.
Except that it is. Beyond the local opinion polls, Lennon’s resignation has to be understood in the context of a number of media campaigns–particularly in relation to environmental issues–largely run by mainlanders and which famously play to an image of what Tasmania should be rather than what it actually is and has always been for those who live and work there. Demographically and geographically it is a very splintered island.
I was briefly excited that The 7.30 Report ran the resignation as its second story before dissecting Clinton, but still, was there really only one Tasmanian academic commentator available to speak today? And without a local accent either?
Knowing almost nothing about the new guy I can only say anyone would have to be better than Lennon at this point. I was even embarrassed to join the bid for a Tassie AFL Team seeing his face on the front page. The new Premier has a background in IT which suggests interesting new possibilities for how the state might define its potential economic strengths. It’s also wonderful to see a lady, Lara Giddings, as Deputy. New blood, new hope?
Of course there was another high-profile resignation today, in the Australian blogosphere. Not being a Melburnian I don’t have much idea of what she did BB (Before Blog), but is Marieke being literal when she signs off with the words “I am richer for the challenge”? There will be more to write about this, but for the moment it is worth paying tribute to one of the first female bloggers in the country to successfully translate her online persona to the elite of portfolio careers I’ve discussed here before. Of course she is but one of many early adopters currently learning how to capitalise on the ‘broadcast impulse’, translating web work into recognised employment rewards. And when a paid job’s demands get in the way of blogging’s insistent temporality, she makes a choice many others have and will, without disowning blogging in future either. Good on her.
Since I last wrote a few big-ish things have happened. I am now planning Brisbane’s best ever engagement party having successfully proposed to my beau, William. Yes. Perhaps I am getting closer to the lifestyle implied in my blog title’s after all. Stay tuned. And after having been a bit grumpy with the state of blogging and internet studies for the past few months I’ve now written a draft of most of my thoughts for Catherine’s amusement or indeed despair. She may never come back to the country, but I will at least see her in Jamaica. We are scheduled to give papers on the panel we’ve organised with our lovely colleagues Kate C and Genevieve B. Finally, as is the way with these things, just after I threw my tanty about A-Listers online a bunch of good friends and colleagues have taken up the blogging mantle much more fervently than I. So it feels much less lonely here now after all.
That’s right people, the lesson for today is together we can beat the Googlearchy. Yes we can.
* This may or may not be related to the fact that I finally joined the Facebook group “RIP the Doghouse, Bav Tav & Round Midnite, c. mid 90’s, Hobart”.
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