Bran Guns and Beth: Yarns Over the Years

Albert Asher is a 98 year old veteran of the Second World War and New Zealand welfare system. Born into a large family who couldn’t afford to keep him, granddad spent his first 20 years in foster care. From there, he became a milkman, and just a few years later, joined the army where he …

In Defense of the Dark Arts

Changing attitudes in any generatiion starts at the top; politicians, the media and business people need to spread the message that creative thinkers are people we need in society. If not, our world will lose out on potential agents for the change it is crying out for. Inequality, war, environmental problems, health epidemics and recessions show no sign of ending, and obviously we need to look at new ways of doing things. With their skills in innovation, research and analytical thinking; arts students will be part of that solution - including me

Drugs? What drugs? Hide your dirty habits from everyone with these exercises customized to your illicit substance of choice. Pass your degree AND have fun.

Picture this: It’s the morning after a big night out (the can’t- remember-what-happened kind of event), your head is pounding and you feel like death. But you have things to do today! Perhaps you have a weekend job that involves customer interaction. Or, maybe you have a Sunday dinner back home with Mum, Dad, Grandma …

What is Health? Educate Yourself Now

I want to talk about health. In this crazy world of obesity, eating disorders, confusing messages to love your body the way it is - whilst obsessively counting calories, exercise crazes, diet fads and the unattainable bodies of supermodels projected everywhere we look on billboards and TV ads, it’s hard to know what health really …

Fear of future and the cynicism that increases with age

I’m coming from a place of disappointment, hurt and rejection right now. I’m accustomed to praise of my writing skills, but I applied for a paid blogging position at the University I’ll be attending this year and didn’t get it. Journalism, which is what I want to do for a career, is a seriously competitive …

Is today’s newspaper tomorrow’s fish and chip paper?

Roger Parry said that, “Old media formats have suffered disruption, but are adapting to the changed conditions.”Newspapers, having existed conceptually since the times of Ancient Romans, when Julius Caesar had daily information carved on stone for public viewing, are perhaps the oldest form of media, and have always been known as a reliable source of …

No-meat November

  Vegetarian. For some, the word may elicit images of non-shaving greenie, Buddhist or otherwise eccentric hippies, but to me it just sounds like an interesting and healthy way to live. It’s an uncontested fact that as long as you’re careful to include the necessary proteins, vitamins and nutrients, you don’t need meat for a …

A Tribute to Fast Food Workers

I am probably fairly safe in assuming that the vast majority of people reading this will have purchased fast food at some point in their lives. It’s a simple expedition, one that we all do perhaps a little too often; when we’re out with friends in town, at the mall or just too lazy to …