The fatigue of permanent outrage
It feels as though we now live in a state of permanent outrage. Every day brings a new crisis, a new scandal, a new moral emergency.
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Iran: What’s Really Happening Beyond the Headlines
January and February 2026 have seen the most significant challenge to the Islamic Republic of Iran in decades, with protests spreading across the country over deep economic pain and broader political repression. What started in late December 2025 with shopkeepers in Tehran’s bazaar reacting to a currency collapse and soaring inflation quickly escalated into nationwide…
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From Sunburnt Country to Snow Gold
This article reflects on how a dry country like Australia can have produced world class Winter Olympics athletes. Yes, we do have snow.
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The Quiet Shift We Barely Noticed
A quiet shift is happening in how we gain access to goods and services. Increasingly we are forced to rely on technology
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From Improbable Lorikeets to Moving Pictures: AI Animation
For a long time, AI-generated images were… let’s be kind and say enthusiastic. Australian wildlife suffered particularly. Kangaroos that looked like deer. Lorikeets that looked like they’d been assembled from fruit. But now AI Animation has arrived. That phase is mostly behind us now, and the change has been surprisingly fast. What’s really catching my…
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Sharks in Sydney Harbour, what the headlines miss
In recent months there have been four confirmed shark attacks in Sydney Harbour, and that fact alone has been enough to set nerves jangling. Four incidents, close together, sound alarming when they’re stripped of context and dropped into headlines. Add social media amplification and suddenly the harbour is being talked about as if it’s turned…
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The joys of operating systems
I’ve had to deal with many operating systems over the years. Here are a few stories about my relationship with Apple, IBM, and Android
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From Bushrangers to Seahorses, Our Last Day in Tasmania
On our last day in Tasmania we visited Brady’s lookout, seahorse world or platypus house, Hillwood berries, then Legerwood’s memorial trees
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Murals, Meanderings, and Our Noble Refusal to Queue
We left Devonport for Launceston, stopping on the way at Sheffield, then Deloraine for a delicious lunch then on to Cataract Gorge
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Cradle Mountain to Devonport, With Detours
In a full day we visit Cradle Mountain at Dove Lake, Waldheim Chalet, Burnie for lunch, then the Nut at Stanley before heading for Devonport
