North West will be grateful for her name one day
EIGHT-YEAR-OLD me did not like my name. And after the birth of baby North West, I have a feeling she too might not be too happy with mamma Kim and poppy Kanye.
Opinion
Growing up in the shadow of the world’s greatest leader
WHAT’S a “free Mandela”, I asked my mum when I was about eight. This sign “Free Mandela” was popping up as graffiti on walls across Cape Town, where I grew up.
Whales’ lives resting on Hague case
THREE weeks of hearings will start at The Hague this week as Australia makes a final bid to halt Japanese whaling.
Our government system seems to be in a rough patch
POLITICS is not exactly my strong suit. When asked to name as many former Australian prime ministers as possible, few come to mind after John Howard.
Immigrants make good Australians
I THINK Australians are more sympathetic than most peoples of the world to the aspirations of immigrants.
Muddy shoes have no place on a clean floor
LADIES, if you share a home with a farmer, a tradesman or a labourer – I need your advice.
Heartwarming moments in The Life of Pi
THE Life of Pi is based on a novel and is about a boy whose family is moving a zoo from India to Canada.
Just a sucker for an easy line
WHEN my darling wife suggested a cruise along the Queensland coast, I leapt to agree.
Joseph Akers gives After Earth a dressing down
AFTER Earth had promising trailers, yet I wasn’t really anticipating it as it didn’t look like it had room to explore.
Yeah, I know … I’m missing a leg. Let’s move on
“HOW did you lose the leg?” the elderly lady asks me as we stand opposite one another on the parallel bars in the rehab gym.
So long sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll
A QUICK disclaimer: I’m not a particular fan of Good Charlotte, KFC, Vodafone, The Voice or any of the products that endorse or are endorsed by Joel Madden.
Our language is a living thing
SOMETIMES I think I must be in my second childhood – or perhaps my third.
Euthanasia can be a touch of kindness, not akin to murder
EDITORIAL: Death is always tragic. But what is even more tragic is those who end up living in a vegetative state for years on end.
Gillard’s blue tie line now a joke, along with menu row
JULIA Gillard overplayed the gender card, suffered a backlash, and then was saved by the appearance of a sexist menu from a Liberal fundraiser.
Dumbing down the reality of reality TV
I AM going to tell you a sure-fire way to win absolutely any genre of reality competition show on TV.
Let’s rewind to sport for sport’s sake
I WISH I’d written Patrick’s line “It’s time we all calmed down and started to enjoy sport again.”
A piercing look at the pointy end of fashion
I COULDN’T help but stare at them – they were such a cute couple … I was mesmerised as they giggled, cuddled and looked adoringly at each other.
British like killing their wildlife too
NOT content with wiping out a serious proportion of native animals in past decades, Britain has embarked on a cull to rid the countryside of badgers.
Fans in mourning over latest Game of Thrones shocks
BLOG: Fans have turned to social media to pour out their grief and dismay over the latest belly blow in Game of Thrones. Some have vowed never to watch again.
Rudd leaves door open to lead again as he rallies Labor
KEVIN Rudd has given heart to his loyalists by failing to repeat his categoric March declaration that he will never lead Labor again.
‘I’m just a girl’ who wouldn’t mind some male help
I’M ALL for equality, I like to think I can do most things. But call me old fashioned, I still like it when gentlemen open the door for me.
What do the backpackers think of our colourful language?
OPINION: Sometimes I feel a bit sorry for backpackers and other foreigners working on our farms.
Hunting the great off-white
OPINION: “At last our opportunity to be local heroes. We will go and hunt the black panther of Cordalba State Forest.”
Disciplining our children has become a creative challenge
OPINION: Long gone are the days of the cane. Today, announcement boards and other creative measures are being used by parents.
Glimpse in the mirror enough to provoke the ‘F’ word
JUST KIDDING: Is there anything wrong with using the ‘F’ word? I ask because we’ve come a long way from days when ‘bloody’ was blasphemous.
Just tidy your room … and don’t slam the door!
“CLEAN up your bedroom and make your bed NOW”. That is a sentence I’ve yelled, screamed and begged at least a couple of thousand times.
Finding Dory, is it really necessary?
FINDING Dory will be the sequel to Finding Nemo. I loved Finding Nemo. I grew up with Finding Nemo.
Sipping in the magic that is autumn
STORIES FROM THE SOIL: I THINK the turn of the seasons might be my favourite times of year.
Easter marks major highlight of activity in trading
THE Easter weekend, which was the quarter mark of 2013 is also one of the times of the year that retailers are brought strongly into the spotlight.
No serious incentive to pay on SPER
EDITORIAL OPINION: I’VE no doubt the State Penalties and Enforcement Registry has made it easier for some people who would otherwise have struggled.
Weather watching for more than just the farm
STORIES FROM THE SOIL: The weather is one thing that seems to affect us all.
The Croods is a fun film for the school holidays
CHECK out DreamWorks animation The Croods for some school holiday giggles.
The road to lucrative perks
FREDERICK FRANKLY: I had thought seriously about running for the prime ministership but have decided against it.
Save ‘hero’ tag for the deserving, not for sports stars
OPINION: THE word hero gets bandied about a fair bit these days.
Miners do a job on environment
ONE of the saddest things to watch in recent years has been the realisation dawning on the faces of the desperate that there were no golden egg jobs for them in the mining boom.
Joseph Akers’ review of Beautiful Creatures
THE romance isn’t well written… and the fantasy is bonkers, so you really don’t know what genre you’re watching.
Your mind is the best tool you have in a business
IF YOU were a carpenter, how hard would your job be if you used a blunt saw? How much time, energy and effort would it take to cut through a piece of timber?
How to put the passion back in a lustless lovelife
LOVE doctor Gabrielle Morrissey talks about what to do when your love life is in a rut.
Colour really is an issue in Easter chocolate debate
OPINION: IT IS hard to get excited by foods that are plants, or derived from plants.
I want a rest, not arrest
MY GIRLFRIEND and I were pretty disappointed when we didn’t win a trip to Dubai last week.
“Easter” ban from school’s egg hunt political madness
WHEN it comes to religious freedom, is it the Christian with the biggest target on their back now?
In vroom versus va-voom stakes, size does matter
“IT IS not nearly big enough to impress any woman,” my grandson announced emphatically and with ill-concealed disgust.
Infants’ Friend and V8 partnership is just super
LOCAL car racer Ash Walsh and Ipswich-developed baby soother Infants’ Friend will join forces in a V8 Supercar sponsorship.
Emotional resilience now essentail for business
IT IS important for business owners, and indeed anyone, to develop as much emotional resilience as possible, says Dennis Hoiberg.
I bought my underage teen alcohol – would you?
ON SATURDAY afternoon I dropped my 16-year-old daughter at a party with a four pack of cruisers … that I suspect I’d broken the law to buy.
Gaynor shares his political thoughts through poetic Tweets
FORMER Katter Party Senate candidate Bernard Gaynor has taken to using poetry to vent his thoughts on recent parliamentary shenanigans.
Ugly parent syndrome has no place in the sports arena
SO WHAT do I mean by ‘the ugly parent in sport’?
Child control likely to go to the dogs
STORIES FROM THE SOIL: As expectant parents, The Farmer and I have been having a few hypothetical conversations lately.
Job search can be an ugly business
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JACK: When I look for a job, the selection criteria are fairly important.
Why Labor has lost any chance of winning the next election
IN DECIDING to stick with Prime Minister Julia Gillard, it’s entirely likely Labor relinquished its last chance to be competitive at the next election.
Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/queensland/bundaberg/opinion/page/119