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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Best wishes for the New Year
Peter and I hope you all had a blast over Christmas and that Santa was good to you.
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Let hatred grow and murder follows
All those not living under a rock know about the dreadful events that took place at Bondi Beach. Two heavily armed men opened fire on a group of Jewish people celebrating Hanukkah, the festival of light. Fifteen innocent people died. I won’t count the death of the assassin. He got what he deserved. And yes,…
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Giving Up Territory Is Not Peace. It Is Surrender.
the way to end the war in Ukraine is for Ukraine to hand over a chunk of itself to Moscow and call it peace. Sorry, but that is not peace. That is surrender
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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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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…
