Author Archives: Tom
Castan Centre For Human Rights Appeal
When I was a wide-eyed little thing I entered and won an essay on human rights run by the Castan Centre for Human Rights (based in the Monash Law Faculty). It was an awesome experience for me, I learnt a lot and I think it’s really important we have places that celebrate, discuss and bemoan the degradation of human rights in Australia and around the world.
Plus if it means a few slick young law students with dollar signs in their eyes are reminded about fighting the good fight for the little people during the studies, that’s nothing but good news.
The Centre is running its annual appeal at the moment so if you have a dollar or two to chip in, you can do so here.
Vale John Pinder
Today we heard the news that comedy impresario John Pinder has passed away at the age of 70.
I met John very briefly a few years ago when I was lucky to enough to perform at his World’s Funniest Island venture. He looked exactly like what you want your comedy impresarios to look like: whacky glasses, a big smile, the centre of attention. WFI didn’t turn out to be a successful festival, but the very notion of taking over Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour with a huge weekend of comedy shows, Big Day Out style, might give you an idea of this man’s passion for comedy and his ambitious thinking.
If you’ve ever been to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival or watched something on the Comedy Channel or if you just generally appreciate the fact that today’s Australian comedians have places to tell their jokes, lease take the time to read this lovely obituary for John by Melbourne arts writer Richard Watts.
(Illustration by Bill Leak)
20 – Jarrod McKenna
Jarrod McKenna is one of those “cool Christians” you’ve heard about, except he actually is genuinely cool.
Jarrod is many things: a pastor, a protestor, the National Advisor for Youth, Faith and Activism for World Vision Australia, founder of the Love Makes A Way campaign and the First Home Project, theologian, husband, dad and drealocked d00d. He subscribes to the whacky idea that Christianity should look like Jesus and that compels him to do good, important things.
In this conversation (recorded in the communal kitchen of the First Home Project) we covered a lot: the problematic nature of ANZAC Day, his journey to faith, living Jesus’ love, being the Christian kid at school, non-violent protest and how he turned a further meth lab in the Perth suburb of Midland into a home for people who are trying to build a new life for themselves.
My upcoming dates on the MICF Roadshow
The First Home Project campaign video
The First Home Project on Facebook
Causes of the Week: The Coalition for Asylym Seekers, Refugees and Detainees (carad.org.au), the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au), SOS Blak Australia (sosblakaustralia.com)
MICF Roadshow 2015
I’m off out on the road for the next little while on the MICF Roadshow and I couldn’t be happier about it. You can check out all the dates across Australia on the MICF website here, but here are my dates’n’locations:
NSW
Wednesday June 3rd – Manning Entertainment Centre, Taree
Thursday June 4th – Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, Cessnock
Friday June 5th – Sunday June 7th – Civic Theatre, Newcastle
VIC
Wednesday June 10th – The Rex Theatre, Charlton
Thursday June 11th – Wesley Performing Arts Centre, Horsham
Friday June 12th – Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat
Saturday June 13th – Marysville Community Centre, Marysville
Friday June 19th – Hamilton Performing Arts Centre, Hamilton
Saturday June 20th – Colac Otway Performing Arts and Cultural Centre, Colac
Sunday June 21st – Burrinja Theatre, Upwey
Comedy At The Imperial 26/5
I’m hosting this one and the one-and-only Tom Gleeson is headlining.
Plus
Dave Quirk
Nellie White
Michael Chamberlin
Richard Marks
Sally Kimpton
and more.
Door sales available from 8, show starts at 8:30. Good times at the Imperial Hotel, corner of Bourke and Spring St, Melbourne.
Tickets are on sale now for only $10, available here
Portland Hotel Comedy 21/5
19 – Sara Pascoe
Super-dooper brainy (and very funny) comedian Sara Pascoe was in Australia for a bunch of festivals and kindly gave me some of her time to talk about sperm and hymen in a hotel lobby. Her work is whip-smart and politically active and has recently focussed on the fascinating world of sexual biology and its implications.
Here we cover her early political awakening, the difficulty of being a good person, kamikaze sperm, pornography, incest, hymens, paedophilia – you know, all the good stuff.
Prepare to do a lot of LEARNING.
Article: Scott McIntyre sues SBS for discrimination over “political” sacking for ANZAC Day tweets
Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
Article: Should I tell my fiancee that I’m bisexual and I used to have sex with her dad?
The Great Porn Experiment: A TED Talk by Gary Wilson
Cause of the Week: Eaves For Women (eavesforwomen.org.uk)
Interview with Student Edge
18 – Father Bob Maguire
After my little rant about this nonsense, sit back and enjoy my wide-ranging discussion with Melbourne’s one-and-only “larrikin priest”, dear Father Bob Maguire.
A humanitarian, broadcaster, philosopher and community leader who makes me laugh and think, Bob was an absolute joy a to talk to. We discussed his history with the Vietnam War, ideology, the problems in the Middle East, the idea of heaven, “doctrinal constipation”, his “wife” and much more besides.
At one point he exclaimed “Bugger Rome!” and that made me laugh quite a bit.
Article: What ISIS Really Wants
In Bob We Trust – a documentary
My show Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred at the Perth Comedy Festival
My show Taxis & Rainbows & Hatred at the Edinburgh Fringe
Cause of the Week: The Father Bob Maguire Foundation (fatherbobsfoundation.com.au)