Now that we have settled into our new home in Melbourne we decided to register with a medical clinic. Naturally, the doctor wanted to know our family’s medical history and this is where I had to face my latest obstacle.

Comments (0)

There has been an intolerable spate of bullying in Australian schools. I’m not one for statistics because they are misused, but apparently 70% of senior students in our schools consider bullying a problem. See what I mean by a silly stat? I would have thought that 100% would regard it as a problem, but there you are. Your child has been bullied and so you do the right thing. You go to the authorities who should be protecting him or her. But the school headmaster and the police are derelict in their duties and nothing is done about it. So what should you do about the problem?

Comments (0)

In an affable meeting between President Bush and Aussie Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, Bush said he admired Rudd because he was like a Texan, a straight-shooter. Rudd reciprocated by saying that he will make Bush an honorary Queenslander.

Comments (0)

The latest obsession in the media is the number of young people who binge drink. It’s astounding how some old topics crop up from time to time. Nothing comes of the discussion. Nothing can come. Just a lot of hot air. Here’s more of it…

Comments (0)

Australians can’t bring themselves to celebrate Australia Day with much enthusiasm.

Comments (2)

When Britney Spears is in the news for doing something stupid we are quick to say “Tut Tut” and “Isn’t she awful!” We even say in all sincerity, “Why don’t they leave the poor girl alone?” and we can’t wait to blame the paparazzi for hounding her. But the truth is that we take some delight in her downfall. The Germans have a name for this feeling.

Comments (0)

There are two kinds of people in the world. The ones who gravitate towards crowds and those who run the other way.

Comments (0)

France has come kicking and screaming into the 21st Century with a ban on smoking in public places. The ban had been approved and came into effect on New Year’s Day in 2007.

Now they’ve gone one step further and are going to ban smoking in restaurants on the 1st January 2008. Now this is quite a shock for me because I can’t believe that there won’t be another French Revolution over this issue.

Comments (0)

What is this obsession with fat lips? For years, celebrities have been having their lips blown up by inserting all sorts of things into them. There have been bits of string pulled through, injections and fillers. Women even apply irritants to their lips so that the lips swell in protest. Some of the results have been quite horrifying.

Comments (2)

There has been an outcry this week both in Australia and in many other parts of the world. It concerns the pack rape of a ten year old indigenous girl. This is not news in itself since about 80 child protection cases are reported in just one North Queensland indigenous community every month.

But as I said, that wasn’t the news. What really upset the entire nation, except for one aboriginal activist, who is my subject today, is that the judge did not give a custodial sentence to any of the nine males involved explaining that the ten year old girl probably agreed to it.

Comments (0)

« Previous Page — Next Page »