Why is tech making everything so complicated?
In this sleekly automated modern world everything, actually, seems to be taking longer, with more grunt and grumble along the way.
Columnists
What, if any, parts of our modern life will survive 1000 years?
The best way to consider how we might live a thousand years from now is to go back a millennia to 1025, a time that predates the Norman Conquest of Britain.
Who comes out on top in the battle of the mini-vans?
Between the Kia Carnival and Hyundai Staria there can only be one winner – and by ‘winner’ I mean one which I hated significantly less than I expected to.
Secrets of growing dragon fruit revealed
Ever wondered how this beautiful tropical fruit is grown? The answer will astonish you.
I hate the idea of my kids getting a tattoo – so I made them a deal
I told my four children if they made it to 25 years old with no tattoos then they’d earn themselves a generous cash prize. But I fear at least one of them will be disqualified.
What happens when Ferrari makes a car to suit Greta Thunberg?
I can only liken this Ferrari 296 GTS – a plug-in hybrid – to what happens when you ask the world’s best chef to make supper using only a turnip and dog food.
The best movies ever made? I’ll kick things off…
The Third Man takes us from the top of Vienna’s ferris wheel to deep in its sewers. It has the finest final scene in cinema history – only one comes close.
Two questions that will shape our destiny in the next 25 years
In the 21st Century, Australia’s direction has been largely shaped by global events – take the GFC and the Covid pandemic. What would a regional conflict do to the nation?
Is this ABC host’s brutal sacking part of a new world order?
Why do older men persist at ABC radio when whip-smart women are let go? The witches are up to their elbows in watchfulness as a new political reality dawns.
‘It’s like liquid Viagra is flowing through the fuel lines’
For years I’ve pretended to dislike the Porsche 911, if only to wind up my Top Gear colleagues. But now I’m coming clean.
Remember when shopping meant cheery social interactions?
With all these developments in Australia’s retail landscape, I wonder if we haven’t lost something along the way.
It’s a pity this Christmas tradition has died out
I was raised by grandparents on a tiny farm where our daily fare was simple. Working-class tucker. Nanna was a crook cook, but to be fair, she had one pièce de résistance.
I love to seek out the roads less travelled
My favourite place to go is where I’ve never been. It’s a rule of thumb out bush, if we have the time, and it drives the tin lids bananas if they’re with me.
I’ve spent a lifetime in the news business. My, how it’s changed
Having been in the news business since the age of 12, I fear the end of the newspaper. Who now gets their news, if that’s what you call it, from the traditional chip-wrapper type?
I’m all in favour of the policy keeping jerks out of the office
Are you a possibly quite unpleasant person on the road? In the supermarket queue? Boardroom? Office kitchen, or, perhaps, at a commercial TV station? This applies to you.
Faith is declining — but could God make a comeback?
Godlessness has gained ground in the 21st century, it seems. But I wonder if this isn’t a temporary shift, a tidal flow, that will change in due course.
Independent book stores are a joy. But it’s tough out there
This holiday season, if you’re considering buying a book, think about supporting your local independent bookshop. They may well need it.
Dread public speaking? A solution is on its way
For some people the greatest dread of all is public speaking. Not even the prospect of death comes close. But there is hope.
When was the toughest time to be born in modern Australia?
An 80-year old today is only two lifetimes separated from the start of European settlement in Australia, which raises some interesting questions.
If you’re game, press the ‘rocket launch’ button on this EV
This feature allowed me to turn a couple of 50-plus male passengers into hooting school boys as it hurled us from a standing start to 100km/h in a hilarious 3.7 seconds. But don’t get me started on the impenetrable operating system.
Could I have done more? The question that haunts me
I knew my friend was in a terrible way – three days before he died I told my wife I was worried he was going to kill himself. But I didn’t tell him that.
As ambassador to America, imagine what I could do
I’m going to be a very busy boy. There’s AUKUS – all those nuclear-powered subs to negotiate. Not to mention US bases, Pine Gap and other means of sacrificing our sovereignty in the cause of better US relations.
Lessons from the most consequential election of our time
How many consultants and pollsters did a billion dollars buy Kamala Harris? Did any of these advisers (boldly, bravely) suggest that the thinking of middle America had shifted? I reckon the answer is not one.
‘Tis the season for splitting up — could we be next?’
As the kids get older The Chap and I are increasingly living separate lives, publicly. All marriages evolve. The key is to evolve with them
This lame horse EV needs to be put down, frankly
Yes, Ford did have to design and build an all-new electric vehicle from the ground up, because the market demands it. But putting a Mustang badge on it is like slapping the Apple logo on two tin cans connected with a length of string.
It’s good to admit your own ignorance sometimes
Having failed to complete my secondary education – I walked out the gates of Eltham High at the age of 15 – I’ll confess I know very little about anything. Or everything.
Why are young women turning away from religion?
Young men in greater numbers are cleaving to conservatism and all the traditional comforts this offers them, while young women are veering off into something else.
This Audi is one of the greatest hot hatches ever
Sadly, buying an RS3 is a too-expensive proposition, but why not try this experience instead?
This speech by King Charles is a masterpiece in communication
In a world where communication skills can shape a career, this speech delivers lessons for us all. Here is why I love it so much | WATCH
Why I joined a secret society of guerilla gardeners
Our underground movement is fighting back against the march of the black roofs on the hems of our cities and our denuded, sun-slapped carparks and pitifully neglected nature strips. And there’s an art to avoiding being caught.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/columnists/page/4