People From Melbourne

"I believe that there is a fundamental mystery in my existence, transcending any biological account of the development of my body (including my brain) with its genetic inheritance and its evolutionary origin. … I cannot believe that this wonderful gift of a conscious existence has no further future, no possibility of another existence under some other unimaginable conditions."

"In order that a "self" may exist there must be some continuity of mental experiences and, particularly, continuity bridging gaps of unconsciousness. For example, the continuity of our "self" is resumed after sleep, anaesthesia, and the temporary amnesias of concussion and convulsions."

"I can now rejoice even in the falsification of a cherished theory, because even this is a scientific success."

"Fuck Dacre. Publish."

"Few people bear more responsibility for Trump than Murdoch. Fox News gave Trump a regular platform for his racist lies about Barack Obama's birthplace. It immersed its audience in a febrile fantasy world in which all mainstream sources of information are suspect, a precondition for Trump's rise. (Many people have described losing loved ones to Fox’s all-consuming alternative reality.) After Trump lost in 2020, Fox helped spread the defeated president’s falsehoods about a stolen election, which both contributed to the Jan. 6 insurrection and cost Fox nearly $800 million in its settlement with Dominion Voting Systems."

"Rupert Murdoch, a right-wing billionaire, is one of the most powerful people on the planet. His News Corporation owns enormous amounts of media throughout the world, including the major newspapers on three continents-North America, Europe, and Australia. In the United States, Murdoch's major holdings include Fox television, The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, TV Guide, and Barron's. At a time when scientists speak in an increasingly urgent tone about the planetary crisis of climate change, Murdoch works in tandem with the fossil fuel industry in rejecting science."

"It seems hard to believe today, but as recently as 2008, tackling climate change still had a veneer of bipartisan support, even in the United States...in 2007, Rupert Murdoch-whose Fox News channel relentlessly amplifies the climate change denial movement-launched an incentive program at Fox to encourage employees to buy hybrid cars (Murdoch announced he had purchased one himself). Those days of bipartisanship are decidedly over."

"I once asked Rupert Murdoch why he was so opposed to the European Union. "That's easy", he replied. "When I go into Downing Street they do what I say; when I go to Brussels they take no notice.""

"Murdoch runs his media empire in the US as an unvarnished political operation."

"Media conglomerates like Murdoch’s News Corp. are among the most powerful corporations on the planet. His papers beat the drums for war while distracting with gossip and glitz."

"We're both looking forward to spending the second half of our lives together"

"I was very nervous. I dreaded falling in love – but I knew this would be my last. It better be. I'm happy"

"The current American political debate is profound, whether about education or welfare or economic opportunity. It is crucial that conservatives play an active, forceful role in that debate, but that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past. The past is the past, and the country is now in a contest to define the future."

"What a fucking idiot."

"Content is not just king, it is the emperor of all things electronic."

"People are reading news for free on the web, that's got to change."

"While it's impossible to be completely prepared for a downturn of this magnitude, we began priming ourselves for a weakening economy earlier last year. We have implemented strict cost cutting measures across all our operations. We have reduced headcount in individual businesses where appropriate and we've scaled back on capital expenditures. Even in plush times, we have never been a company that tolerates fat. So in times like these, we are better positioned to weather this cycle than our competitors."

"They’ve started it. We’ve had bitter, personal attack on some of our people. They tried to destroy our credibility as a network. But it is only natural that the people can stand who were personally attacked and their children were personally attacked should fight back and I support them. I support my people completely."

"Keith Olbermann is trying to make a business out of destroying Bill O'Reilly. He's done certain things to Bill O'Reilly that I believe were way over the line. I think that's bad behavior. But it's okay for him to criticize Bill. And Bill shouldn't be so sensitive. He should ignore that."

"Well, except for ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, New York Times, the Washington Post, and about another 100 newspapers, I find little evidence of liberal bias in the media."

"The greatest thing to come out of this [the war in Iraq] for the world economy, if you could put it that way, would be $20 a barrel for oil. That's bigger than any tax cut in any country."

"I have to admit that until recently I was somewhat wary of the [global] warming debate. But I believe it is now our responsibility to take the lead on this issue."

"In this country, Fox News has gotten a big, big audience that appreciates its independence. There's passion there, and it's pushed. … It has taken a long boot time, but it has now changed CNN because it has challenged them — they've become more centrist in their choice of stories. They're trying to become, using our phrase, more fair and balanced."

"Can we change the world? No, but hell, we can all try."

"News — communicating news and ideas, I guess — is my passion. And giving people alternatives so that they have two papers to read (and) alternative television channels."

"After all, we are in the entertainment business."

"…now that I'm really pursuing being a jazz trumpet player. I’m working really hard on it every day, every day, and it's difficult, you know, and I'm I'm a student… I’m humbled. I am humbled…as I study this craft. The other day I was… I was in New York and I was playing my record for a group of people including a bunch of really good jazz musicians who were there, and I'm kind of insecure around jazz musicians you know, I'm like, I'm not that good, you know, and I was talking to my friend John Lurie and … I said I hope they they weren't like looking down their nose at me, you know what I mean, and he's like “what the fuck are you talking about, you can play man, you're a player, you're a musician” and I realized I was like because of that kind of shit I felt when I was a kid around the jazz musicians, and I admired them so much, and I felt I went to this other kind of music. I've always felt so insecure about it, you know, and I realized… I don't need to… especially… when I went to go make my record and I was playing with these great jazz musicians and I… was insecure with them… I was like, "God, I'm hope… they're not just doing it for a check and they're going to look down on me and think, oh, “he's a no playing fucking rock dude. He doesn't really understand.” …But and it wasn't like that at all …they’re like “we're all climbing this mountain of music”… Where you are in the fucking mountain, you got something to offer that… They were all just wanting to and sincerely… realize my vision with me. Mhm. you know, in the most beautiful way…it moved me like, and I’m just now in my life …conquering … all.. those feelings of inadequacy as a musician, you know, and and just wanting to work and be as good as I can…I now I work more than ever, you know what I mean?"

"[Flea is] one of the most versatile bassists around and willing to play with anybody, anywhere. Flea's played with the likes of Jane’s Addiction, Johnny Cash, and Tom Waits. Not to mention, he's also among rock's great characters and noted for his remarkable stage presence, clothed or not."

"In Flea’s hands the Jazz Bass becomes both a rhythm and a lead instrument, a clean and a dirty one."

"People that are uptight about the kiss on the magazine are the same people that are gonna be watching macho football players in tight pants wrestle around and slap each other on the butt and think it's the all russian macho thing to do."

"I love, I love, I love, killer whales, and I love mangos, and Iggy Pop too, I love Iggy Pop, and eating, getting up in the morning, and going swimming, and taking a good shit, and I love all of you too!"

"I smell like vitamin C, rose-oil and old smelly socks."

"The music industry, I've never been concerned with. I've been very fortunate that it has taken care of me. Like a baby being breast fed."

"We're [the Red Hot Chili Peppers] jamming and that works really well. We don't talk much about songs or how songs should be constructed. We just start to play and see what happens, how they develop. We improvise a lot. We find a groove. We experiment and somehow it turns into music. The Koreans have influenced us a lot, through their loving attitude, evil dictatorship, and funky bass playing."

"I think my path would have always gone back to or delivered me to wildlife. I think wildlife is just like a magnet, and it's something that I can't help."

"I've probably saved thousands of people's lives with my educational message on snake bites, how to get in around venomous anything. Yeah, I'm a thrill seeker, but crikey, education's the most important thing."

"I don't know, man; don't worry about it."

"I have a message for my fans. Whatever you want to do in this world, it is achievable. The most important thing that I've found, that perhaps you could use, is be passionate and enthusiastic in the direction that you choose in life, and you'll be a winner."

"Crikey, mate. You're far safer dealing with crocodiles and western diamondback rattlesnakes than the executives and the producers and all those sharks in the big MGM building."

"Crikey means gee whiz, wow!"

"I've got the Terri factor, mate. I've got this wife that is so incredibly intelligent and strong that I reckon, between us, we'll get through it."

"I'm very embarrassing to look at. You know why? Here's why I'm embarrassing: 'cause there's a little bit of me in everybody... I'm like the boy that never grew up. I'm very, very passionate about what I do. I mean, I love what I do....and people are like "God, give this guy a valium or something, you know? Can't he have a bad day?""

"I have a deep-seated respect for parrots. As gifted as I am with all other wildlife, parrots have this uncanny desire to kill me. I'm not sure why, but they're like my kryptonite!"

"Born a wildlife warrior, die a wildlife warrior."

"If something ever happens to me, people are gonna be like 'we knew a croc would get him!'"

"And [Steve] came up on Croc One, and we sat down and had a talk. And he said, "Look, this is what I want to do and I want you to teach me about it." And I said, "Look, Steve, you do realize that people think you're an absolute moron." And he went, "Yeah." And I said, "Are you?" And he said, "Jamie, do you watch my shows?" And I went, "Not really." And he said, "Do you watch any of them?" And I said, "Yeah, a couple." And he said, "Why do you watch?" I said, "To see what you're gonna do wrong." He said, "Gotcha! The moment I've got you whipped in to see whether I'm gonna do anything wrong, I can tell you anything. And you're gonna remember it.""

""We used to have a view that to really be a good Australian, to love Australia, you almost had to cut your links with the country of origin. But I don’t think that was right and it never was right." Malcolm Fraser, at the opening of the Special Broadcasting Service in Oct. 1980."

"Life wasn't meant to be easy."

"The prime minister, because of his unreasoned drive to get his own way, his obstinacy, impetuous and emotional reactions, has imposed strains upon the Liberal Party, the government and the public service. I do not believe he is fit to hold the great office of prime minister, and I cannot serve in his government."

"And so I set these things down before the onset of the first of a thousand small physical degradations as, in a still-distant suburb, Death strides whistling towards me."