The Voice
There’s an Irish proverb which says that if you’re going to cut Sean’s hair, make sure he’s in the room. A coat-of-arms on the Australian Parliament House. PICTURE: Marcus Reubenstein/Unsplash It seems that for too long our governments have made decisions about Indigenous people, without them being in the room, and we’ve wondered why they […]
Crime
Did you know that most crimes in Australia are trending down. Some of the few exceptions include youth crime, domestic violence and cybercrime. PICTURE: David von Diemar/Unsplash Cybercrime is booming because that’s where commerce is moving. It’s easier to sit at a computer and steal money than rob a bank. Cyber crime is annoying, but domestic […]
Improve at school
Being married to a teacher and, as a parent, here are some simple things you can do with your children, that will have a huge impact on their schooling. PICTURE: note thanun/Unsplash Be interested and positive about school. Ask your children what they did each day, show interest. Support the teacher. Help them with their homework. […]
Artificial intelligence
Hasn’t AI – artificial intelligence – arrived quickly? And who knows what this is going to mean for the world? PICTURE: Mojahid Mottakin/Unsplash I heard about a CEO who gets ChatGPT to rewrite his emails before he sends them so they come across as authoritative, upbeat, encouraging and inspiring. (Maybe I should do that for these […]
University
At university, young people explore who they are. They test boundaries and rebel against the mainstream. PICTURE: Frannyanne/Shutterstock When I went to uni it was enough to grow your hair, protest, and stop all personal grooming to demonstrate your non-conformity. Since so many radical things have now become mainstream, how do young people rebel? If you […]
Medical access
Have you taken you pet to the vet recently? Isn’t it hugely expensive!? PICTURE: Matt Seymour/Unsplash You know why don’t you? There is no Medicare for animals in Australia. You have to pay what it actually costs to treat your pet – and my understanding is that vets and vet nurses are paid a lot less […]
Culture wars
You have no doubt heard about the culture wars. Right wing and woke people battling it out in the public square for the hearts and minds of the average Aussie. Image posed by models. PICTURE: Afif Ramdhasuma/Unsplash It’s easy to get sucked into this battle and become an online keyboard warrior. My 22-year-old daughter recently pointed […]
Falling, or standing, in love?
What an idea from psychiatrist Irvin Yalum – “there is a world of difference between falling in love and standing in love.” PICTURE: Christopher Beloch/Unsplash When you fall in love, you risk subsuming yourself in another person, becoming lost, dissolved in them. It sounds romantic, intoxicating: it is. But it’s our unconsciousness trying to deal with our loneliness, anxiety, and fear of […]
Owning your problems
I’ve worked with a number of people who had issues – they couldn’t hold a job, or a relationship. No-one would let them lead. PICTURE: Liudmila Chernetska/iStockphoto And when asked, it was always someone else’s fault. Four jobs in 12 months? Denial! It’s psychology 101 – until you’re willing to own your problems, you can’t fix them. […]
Freedom (as a child)
Freedom is such a hard concept. In my own life I have felt most free as a child on holidays. Nothing to do but play outside. Riding bikes, pets, playing cricket, or in the mud. PICTURE: MI PHAM/Unsplash But is that even freedom? I was safe in the world mum and dad made. I had […]