I went to the memorial yesterday for my high school teacher, Barbara Kearney. She taught me German throughout high school, and remarkably, she agreed to an audacious plan that saw three of us travel to Germany with her. She was 43; we were 17. The short story is that we decided to raise our own funds to finance the trip. It was an extraordinary undertaking for our small group—quite revolutionary for the time as we…
The mercury hit over thirty degrees today, a warm day for the start of September, and I went out for a wander around town on my mobility scooter—getting swooped twice by a territorial magpie near Lismore Square for good measure. Some things, like dodging those black-and-white dive-bombers never change. It’s a rite of passage you just accept, much like growing up here in the seventies and eighties with a mop of long, blonde hair that…
Last night, I headed out with my niece Karran to see local comedian, Vanessa Larry Mitchell perform live, and she was in absolute top form. If I’m being entirely honest, I’ve now seen her live quite a few times over the years, and I genuinely hope she doesn’t think I’m a stalker! Don’t worry Vanessa : I’m not a crazy 60 year old straight man chasing after you. I’m definitely a gold star gay! As…
I’m old enough to remember the introduction of the mid-70s advertising campaigns on television and the introduction of a much tougher approach to drink driving. Back then, it started off with a blood alcohol limit of 0.08, which was later lowered to 0.05, and I think for many younger Australians today, the expectation is firmly 0.0. Now, here in 2026, the focus has firmly shifted to drug driving. Keeping with that theme, I went along…
Sitting alone in a café, eating food, looking at my phone, and listening to other people’s conversations always gives me a lot to think about. You hear so many dynamics playing out. You see two people sitting down, and one person just talks, talks, talks, and talks complaining about how someone did them wrong at work or in relationships. Meanwhile, the other person just sits there, affirming or listening. It made me think about research…
Sitting down at the local Mexican restaurant tonight for a couple of tacos (and a glass of sangria!) served as a timely reminder of why I prefer dining in over the default of home delivery. While food delivery apps certainly have their place—such as during the lockdowns or when I was recovering from surgery and unable to leave the house—they ultimately insert an unnecessary and sterile barrier between us and the people who actually prepare…