Half a billion on Halloween pet costumes is latest sign of America's out-of-control consumerism

Oct 29, 2019 19:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Halloween spending is out of control. Americans are expected to spend US$8.8 billion on candy, costumes and decorations this year or $86 for every person who plans to celebrate. That includes a half a billion dollars...

Working conditions in aged care homes are awful, largely because the work is done by women

Oct 29, 2019 19:28 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

The aged care royal commission is the just the latest in an avalanche of reviews and inquires over three decades that have found the same things: abuse and neglect and, lying behind them, appalling work conditions. Our...

When can kids trick-or-treat without adults?

Oct 29, 2019 19:24 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Parenting today can be fraught with anxiety. With the rise in technology and social media, stories seem to abound about dangers, but the prevalence of crime and its severity is lower today than it was a decade or so ago in...

When Halloween became America's most dangerous holiday

Oct 26, 2019 08:27 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

The unquiet spirits, vampires and the omnipresent zombies that take over American streets every October 31 may think Halloween is all about spooky fun. But what Halloween masqueraders may not realize is that in the early...

'I'm in another world': writing without rules lets kids find their voice, just like professional authors

Oct 26, 2019 08:13 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Ask a child why they write and you might receive a common response: the teacher told me to. Kids often lack confidence as writers and find it emotionally draining. The problem might be the classroom and its detachment from...

To die well, we must talk about death and end-of-life care sooner

Oct 26, 2019 07:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

I would like to tell you an all-too-familiar story. It begins with a long-term care home resident, Laura, who has multiple chronic conditions and gets an infection that doesnt get any better. Her health has been...

Thoughts and prayers: miracles, Christianity and praying for rain

Oct 20, 2019 10:22 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

In a speech in Albury last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told his audience that he was praying for rain in drought-affected areas. I pray for that rain everywhere else around the country, he continued. And I do...