Tragedy, blame and the cowardice of easy narratives

After tragedy, grief is quickly hijacked by blame. Votes are counted, ideologies accused, and humanity lost in the noise. But violence is not a referendum, and collective guilt solves nothing. What matters is courage, evidence, and a media culture that informs rather than inflames.


Going South

The Swan Newspaper is going south…specifically the South West of Western Australia.  We will be telling stories about the great southern region, its history and…


Loaves (no fishes)

I always wanted to open a bakery…if I win lotto I will and call it ‘This Day’…as in ‘give us this day our daily bread’. …


MR Soup Kitchen

A bunch of really special people start chopping and slicing at the Margaret River Soup Kitchen every Wednesday morning in preparation for the 5.00 pm…


Motorbike Frog

Margs people or ‘Margites’ as I affectionately call them will get a kick out of  a newby (a Maggot) who was annoyed about what sounded…


Cow Bullshed

The Cowaramup Bullshed is the ‘Men Shed’ for the Margaret River region. Apparently others are planned for Margs itself and there is also  one at…


Saint Pastuer

Travelling companions aren’t always pleasant. If you are forced to sit beside someone who is obnoxious or smelly or you aren’t in the mood to…



Typhoid Mary

Many people have heard the term Typhoid Mary, and may have even used it to describe someone who makes other people sick. What few people…


Tragedy, blame and the cowardice of easy narratives

After tragedy, grief is quickly hijacked by blame. Votes are counted, ideologies accused, and humanity lost in the noise. But violence is not a referendum, and collective guilt solves nothing. What matters is courage, evidence, and a media culture that informs rather than inflames.


Australian Exceptionalism

You may have heard of American exceptionalism?  Wikipedia says this – ‘The theory of the exceptionalism of the U.S. has developed over time and can be traced…


Chasing Immortality: From Solar Swarms to Eternal Minds

Immortality has always been humanity’s oldest dream. From myths of gods to the latest neural implants, we’ve searched for ways to outlast time. Now, Dyson swarms — vast constellations of solar-panel satellites — promise limitless energy, while artificial intelligence and neural technologies hint at endurance beyond biology. Could machines carry our voices, memories, and even our identities into futures powered by the stars?