Pauline Hanson, the Burqa, and the Hypocrisy We Pretend Not to See
A sharp look at Pauline Hanson’s burqa stunt, the history of the burqa, and the hypocrisy around a garment that erases women’s identities.
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Happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate
A light look at Thanksgiving from an Australian Friday. Why Americans roast giant birds, why Canadians do it better in October, and why Black Friday feels like our Boxing Day. A quick chat about gratitude, turning seventy five, beaches, whales, writing joy, and a cheeky note about my US$0.99 book sale.
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How Black Friday Took Over The Planet
Black Friday used to be a very American thing, the sort of chaotic retail ritual you watched on the news while clutching your morning tea and wondering why anyone would sprint through a department store for a discounted blender. Now it has become a global shopping season, stretching from a single manic day into a…
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A Golden anniversay
It has been 50 years since The Dismissal, that climactic day the Governor General sacked the Whitlam government. Since it’s a golden anniversary, the press has been full of it, telling stories from (elderly) people who were there. Our Dear Leader, current PM Anthony Albanese, has had much to say about that sacked prime minister…
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The Race That Still Stops a Nation
The 2025 Melbourne Cup made history once again when Half Yours crossed the line first, ridden by jockey Jamie Melham. Her victory was a landmark moment — only the second time a woman has ever won the Cup. The first, of course, was Michelle Payne on Prince of Penzance in 2015, and Australia cheered just…
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How Halloween Crossed the Globe
It’s 5am on Halloween day. The sun’s up somewhere behind all that cloud, the road outside is wet and the distant rumblings might mean the rain is out over the Bay – or that more is approaching. According to BOM, it’s a bit of both. It hasn’t been a good night. In a way. You…
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Seventeenth Century Torture
In the seventeenth century the use of torture to extract confessions and the like was de rigeur. Everybody did it. The rack, thumb screws, weights on chest – you name it. You’ve all seen these things in the horror movies. In these more enlightened times we don’t do things like that, restricting ourselves to more…
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A short break from writing
Life’s peaceful at Hervey Bay. The weather is warming and we’re at that stage where we’d like some rain, please. Not like earlier in the year when the remains of a cyclone dumped hundreds of millimetres upon the town. Just – I dunno. 25mm? The garden is enjoying the sunshine. We have walking iris, which…
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The Hostages Are Home—but the War Is Far From Over
I’ll be honest. I didn’t think that Hamas would give up the remaining hostages. I thought they’d hang on as long as they could, buying themselves time to regroup, rearm, and consolidate. Yes, Trump deserves credit. Perhaps the real reason Hamas has agreed is because of pressure from other Arab countries. Maybe, also, a recognition…
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The Dawn That Changed Everything
It has been two years now. Two years since unspeakable horror poured over the Gaza-Israeli border. First, it was just the sound of rockets. Then the sirens. Then the chaos. The attacks started just before dawn when ordinary people were asleep in their beds. Communities near the Gaza border—small kibbutzim where people lived ordinary lives—were…
