The best winter escape is a pile of fresh books
The sun's early departure behind the escarpment used to fuel resentment. Any warmth turned quickly to chill. Muscles tightened, bones ached as night closed in after 4.30pm. I felt cheated.
Winter, you always seemed mean, a bitter interlude between autumn's colourful glory and spring's message of hope and renewal.
But you're changing.
As each year passes, you grow milder. The frosts that once settled regularly have become rare, at least in this coastal hinterland. The skies of unrelenting grey are now more likely cobalt. And less than a week in and I can already count the sleeps until the days grow longer and you begin your return to the northern hemisphere, where I've always thought you belong.
This year, I've resolved to seek out your charms and make the most of them.
You see, I'm changing too.
During the day, when you grace us with clear skies, I'll snatch a few minutes here, a few there, in that patch of sun that makes its way under the deck. Warmth in winter is precious, more so when delivered naturally by sunlight. It lifts the spirits and by helping the body to produce vitamin D boosts the health of muscles and bones. Not too much; a total of three hours per week will do.
I'll find enrichment in your long nights, too, and not just with the hearty food the season demands - the soups; the pasta; the long, slow roasts.
Winter is the season for reading and this year's headstart in autumn has me immersed in ancient Rome and Egypt.
Mary Beard and Tom Holland have introduced me to the scandalous lives of the Roman emperors, opening my ears to the echoes now sounding in world affairs. Caligula, I see you in the White House!
Guy de la Bedoyere is peeling back the mysteries of Tutankhamun's dynasty, revealing as he goes the immense difficulty faced by Egyptologists as they try to make sense of the ancient civilisation.
After that, Islam Issa's history of Alexandria awaits. Only self-discipline prevents me from leap-frogging to it.
The promise of losing myself in these fascinating stories bestows appeal on the long winter nights. I've even come to welcome them. As the house creaks and shudders in the cold, these histories transport me. They're inexpensive escapes into worlds unknown.
So, winter, while you have me in your grip, I intend to make the most of it. The pile of books by the armchair will grow. So, too, the pile on the bedside table which already threatens to topple over.
Not for me whiling away the nights in passive entrapment to the TV. Far better the adventures of the mind, which spring from the pages of books.
As I write this, the shadows outside lengthen. The sun dips towards the escarpment. My thoughts turn to ancient Egypt and the evening's journey which lies ahead.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you read more in winter? Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? What book are reading now? Besides time to read, what are winter's other redeeming features? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Minimum wage earners will take home an extra $32 a week in pay after the industrial umpire handed nearly three million low-paid workers a wage rise above inflation.
- The Greens are facing their "most serious test" as a party following the defection of a senator to Labor after a poor federal election result.
- Minutes from the last Reserve Bank board meeting reveal why they came close to an unusually large cut, as the bank's chief economist outlines how they think Donald Trump's tariffs could hit the domestic economy.
THEY SAID IT: "A home without books is a body without soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
YOU SAID IT: A chat with Giuseppe and a delicious panini show that food shopping need not be joyless chore.
Murray, who grew up in Christchurch in the 1960s, remembers his delight at the variety of food he found in local delicatessens when he moved to Australia. "It was a revelation. Over the last 20 years food shopping has gone a full circle. Everything is pre-packaged for your convenience. And to remove any sensory enjoyment whatsoever. It's all so dreary."
All is not lost, writes Paul, who recently spent 10 weeks in Tasmania. "People were generally a lot friendlier, always having the time to chat. Overall, the produce was so much nicer than on the mainland. Sourdough bakeries everywhere, good coffee, great wineries, and nearly every town has weekend markets where you can buy local. Everything is close."
Brad laments the changes: "Yes, there were delis, fruit shops, butchers and the ubiquitous milk bars in the '60s. And the proprietors were locals who knew our parents and us children by name. Now it's the super stores and the multinational franchises that inhabit every suburb. Time poor is matched by quality poor. Correlation with mental health crisis, anyone?"
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
The sun's early departure behind the escarpment used to fuel resentment. Any warmth turned quickly to chill. Muscles tightened, bones ached as night closed in after 4.30pm. I felt cheated.
Winter, you always seemed mean, a bitter interlude between autumn's colourful glory and spring's message of hope and renewal.
But you're changing.
As each year passes, you grow milder. The frosts that once settled regularly have become rare, at least in this coastal hinterland. The skies of unrelenting grey are now more likely cobalt. And less than a week in and I can already count the sleeps until the days grow longer and you begin your return to the northern hemisphere, where I've always thought you belong.
This year, I've resolved to seek out your charms and make the most of them.
You see, I'm changing too.
During the day, when you grace us with clear skies, I'll snatch a few minutes here, a few there, in that patch of sun that makes its way under the deck. Warmth in winter is precious, more so when delivered naturally by sunlight. It lifts the spirits and by helping the body to produce vitamin D boosts the health of muscles and bones. Not too much; a total of three hours per week will do.
I'll find enrichment in your long nights, too, and not just with the hearty food the season demands - the soups; the pasta; the long, slow roasts.
Winter is the season for reading and this year's headstart in autumn has me immersed in ancient Rome and Egypt.
Mary Beard and Tom Holland have introduced me to the scandalous lives of the Roman emperors, opening my ears to the echoes now sounding in world affairs. Caligula, I see you in the White House!
Guy de la Bedoyere is peeling back the mysteries of Tutankhamun's dynasty, revealing as he goes the immense difficulty faced by Egyptologists as they try to make sense of the ancient civilisation.
After that, Islam Issa's history of Alexandria awaits. Only self-discipline prevents me from leap-frogging to it.
The promise of losing myself in these fascinating stories bestows appeal on the long winter nights. I've even come to welcome them. As the house creaks and shudders in the cold, these histories transport me. They're inexpensive escapes into worlds unknown.
So, winter, while you have me in your grip, I intend to make the most of it. The pile of books by the armchair will grow. So, too, the pile on the bedside table which already threatens to topple over.
Not for me whiling away the nights in passive entrapment to the TV. Far better the adventures of the mind, which spring from the pages of books.
As I write this, the shadows outside lengthen. The sun dips towards the escarpment. My thoughts turn to ancient Egypt and the evening's journey which lies ahead.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you read more in winter? Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? What book are reading now? Besides time to read, what are winter's other redeeming features? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Minimum wage earners will take home an extra $32 a week in pay after the industrial umpire handed nearly three million low-paid workers a wage rise above inflation.
- The Greens are facing their "most serious test" as a party following the defection of a senator to Labor after a poor federal election result.
- Minutes from the last Reserve Bank board meeting reveal why they came close to an unusually large cut, as the bank's chief economist outlines how they think Donald Trump's tariffs could hit the domestic economy.
THEY SAID IT: "A home without books is a body without soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
YOU SAID IT: A chat with Giuseppe and a delicious panini show that food shopping need not be joyless chore.
Murray, who grew up in Christchurch in the 1960s, remembers his delight at the variety of food he found in local delicatessens when he moved to Australia. "It was a revelation. Over the last 20 years food shopping has gone a full circle. Everything is pre-packaged for your convenience. And to remove any sensory enjoyment whatsoever. It's all so dreary."
All is not lost, writes Paul, who recently spent 10 weeks in Tasmania. "People were generally a lot friendlier, always having the time to chat. Overall, the produce was so much nicer than on the mainland. Sourdough bakeries everywhere, good coffee, great wineries, and nearly every town has weekend markets where you can buy local. Everything is close."
Brad laments the changes: "Yes, there were delis, fruit shops, butchers and the ubiquitous milk bars in the '60s. And the proprietors were locals who knew our parents and us children by name. Now it's the super stores and the multinational franchises that inhabit every suburb. Time poor is matched by quality poor. Correlation with mental health crisis, anyone?"
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
The sun's early departure behind the escarpment used to fuel resentment. Any warmth turned quickly to chill. Muscles tightened, bones ached as night closed in after 4.30pm. I felt cheated.
Winter, you always seemed mean, a bitter interlude between autumn's colourful glory and spring's message of hope and renewal.
But you're changing.
As each year passes, you grow milder. The frosts that once settled regularly have become rare, at least in this coastal hinterland. The skies of unrelenting grey are now more likely cobalt. And less than a week in and I can already count the sleeps until the days grow longer and you begin your return to the northern hemisphere, where I've always thought you belong.
This year, I've resolved to seek out your charms and make the most of them.
You see, I'm changing too.
During the day, when you grace us with clear skies, I'll snatch a few minutes here, a few there, in that patch of sun that makes its way under the deck. Warmth in winter is precious, more so when delivered naturally by sunlight. It lifts the spirits and by helping the body to produce vitamin D boosts the health of muscles and bones. Not too much; a total of three hours per week will do.
I'll find enrichment in your long nights, too, and not just with the hearty food the season demands - the soups; the pasta; the long, slow roasts.
Winter is the season for reading and this year's headstart in autumn has me immersed in ancient Rome and Egypt.
Mary Beard and Tom Holland have introduced me to the scandalous lives of the Roman emperors, opening my ears to the echoes now sounding in world affairs. Caligula, I see you in the White House!
Guy de la Bedoyere is peeling back the mysteries of Tutankhamun's dynasty, revealing as he goes the immense difficulty faced by Egyptologists as they try to make sense of the ancient civilisation.
After that, Islam Issa's history of Alexandria awaits. Only self-discipline prevents me from leap-frogging to it.
The promise of losing myself in these fascinating stories bestows appeal on the long winter nights. I've even come to welcome them. As the house creaks and shudders in the cold, these histories transport me. They're inexpensive escapes into worlds unknown.
So, winter, while you have me in your grip, I intend to make the most of it. The pile of books by the armchair will grow. So, too, the pile on the bedside table which already threatens to topple over.
Not for me whiling away the nights in passive entrapment to the TV. Far better the adventures of the mind, which spring from the pages of books.
As I write this, the shadows outside lengthen. The sun dips towards the escarpment. My thoughts turn to ancient Egypt and the evening's journey which lies ahead.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you read more in winter? Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? What book are reading now? Besides time to read, what are winter's other redeeming features? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Minimum wage earners will take home an extra $32 a week in pay after the industrial umpire handed nearly three million low-paid workers a wage rise above inflation.
- The Greens are facing their "most serious test" as a party following the defection of a senator to Labor after a poor federal election result.
- Minutes from the last Reserve Bank board meeting reveal why they came close to an unusually large cut, as the bank's chief economist outlines how they think Donald Trump's tariffs could hit the domestic economy.
THEY SAID IT: "A home without books is a body without soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
YOU SAID IT: A chat with Giuseppe and a delicious panini show that food shopping need not be joyless chore.
Murray, who grew up in Christchurch in the 1960s, remembers his delight at the variety of food he found in local delicatessens when he moved to Australia. "It was a revelation. Over the last 20 years food shopping has gone a full circle. Everything is pre-packaged for your convenience. And to remove any sensory enjoyment whatsoever. It's all so dreary."
All is not lost, writes Paul, who recently spent 10 weeks in Tasmania. "People were generally a lot friendlier, always having the time to chat. Overall, the produce was so much nicer than on the mainland. Sourdough bakeries everywhere, good coffee, great wineries, and nearly every town has weekend markets where you can buy local. Everything is close."
Brad laments the changes: "Yes, there were delis, fruit shops, butchers and the ubiquitous milk bars in the '60s. And the proprietors were locals who knew our parents and us children by name. Now it's the super stores and the multinational franchises that inhabit every suburb. Time poor is matched by quality poor. Correlation with mental health crisis, anyone?"
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
The sun's early departure behind the escarpment used to fuel resentment. Any warmth turned quickly to chill. Muscles tightened, bones ached as night closed in after 4.30pm. I felt cheated.
Winter, you always seemed mean, a bitter interlude between autumn's colourful glory and spring's message of hope and renewal.
But you're changing.
As each year passes, you grow milder. The frosts that once settled regularly have become rare, at least in this coastal hinterland. The skies of unrelenting grey are now more likely cobalt. And less than a week in and I can already count the sleeps until the days grow longer and you begin your return to the northern hemisphere, where I've always thought you belong.
This year, I've resolved to seek out your charms and make the most of them.
You see, I'm changing too.
During the day, when you grace us with clear skies, I'll snatch a few minutes here, a few there, in that patch of sun that makes its way under the deck. Warmth in winter is precious, more so when delivered naturally by sunlight. It lifts the spirits and by helping the body to produce vitamin D boosts the health of muscles and bones. Not too much; a total of three hours per week will do.
I'll find enrichment in your long nights, too, and not just with the hearty food the season demands - the soups; the pasta; the long, slow roasts.
Winter is the season for reading and this year's headstart in autumn has me immersed in ancient Rome and Egypt.
Mary Beard and Tom Holland have introduced me to the scandalous lives of the Roman emperors, opening my ears to the echoes now sounding in world affairs. Caligula, I see you in the White House!
Guy de la Bedoyere is peeling back the mysteries of Tutankhamun's dynasty, revealing as he goes the immense difficulty faced by Egyptologists as they try to make sense of the ancient civilisation.
After that, Islam Issa's history of Alexandria awaits. Only self-discipline prevents me from leap-frogging to it.
The promise of losing myself in these fascinating stories bestows appeal on the long winter nights. I've even come to welcome them. As the house creaks and shudders in the cold, these histories transport me. They're inexpensive escapes into worlds unknown.
So, winter, while you have me in your grip, I intend to make the most of it. The pile of books by the armchair will grow. So, too, the pile on the bedside table which already threatens to topple over.
Not for me whiling away the nights in passive entrapment to the TV. Far better the adventures of the mind, which spring from the pages of books.
As I write this, the shadows outside lengthen. The sun dips towards the escarpment. My thoughts turn to ancient Egypt and the evening's journey which lies ahead.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you read more in winter? Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction? What book are reading now? Besides time to read, what are winter's other redeeming features? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Minimum wage earners will take home an extra $32 a week in pay after the industrial umpire handed nearly three million low-paid workers a wage rise above inflation.
- The Greens are facing their "most serious test" as a party following the defection of a senator to Labor after a poor federal election result.
- Minutes from the last Reserve Bank board meeting reveal why they came close to an unusually large cut, as the bank's chief economist outlines how they think Donald Trump's tariffs could hit the domestic economy.
THEY SAID IT: "A home without books is a body without soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
YOU SAID IT: A chat with Giuseppe and a delicious panini show that food shopping need not be joyless chore.
Murray, who grew up in Christchurch in the 1960s, remembers his delight at the variety of food he found in local delicatessens when he moved to Australia. "It was a revelation. Over the last 20 years food shopping has gone a full circle. Everything is pre-packaged for your convenience. And to remove any sensory enjoyment whatsoever. It's all so dreary."
All is not lost, writes Paul, who recently spent 10 weeks in Tasmania. "People were generally a lot friendlier, always having the time to chat. Overall, the produce was so much nicer than on the mainland. Sourdough bakeries everywhere, good coffee, great wineries, and nearly every town has weekend markets where you can buy local. Everything is close."
Brad laments the changes: "Yes, there were delis, fruit shops, butchers and the ubiquitous milk bars in the '60s. And the proprietors were locals who knew our parents and us children by name. Now it's the super stores and the multinational franchises that inhabit every suburb. Time poor is matched by quality poor. Correlation with mental health crisis, anyone?"
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This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to There's been a lot of weeping in this household lately. Tears have flowed freely, paroxysms have been exhausting. It's not grief or sorrow causing the run on tissues, nor the cutting of onions. It's been laughter. Gales of it. Laughter so hard, it reddens the eyes and makes breathing difficult. And it's all down to Donald Trump and the new golden age he's ushered in. American comedy is back, baby, and with a vengeance. In its sights, the most thin-skinned, thick-headed president in memory. The late-night chat show hosts are taking him apart, especially since CBS, owned by Paramount Global, committed the ultimate act of self-harm by cancelling Stephen Colbert. Colbert, who will remain on air until next May, told his audience the gloves were now off. On live TV, he told Donald Trump, whose administration had to sign off on a planned merger with Skydance, to "Go f*** yourself." It was delivered with the exquisite comic timing for which Colbert is famous. Responding to a gloating Trump post - "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings" - Colbert stared down the camera. "How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism? [Pause] Go f*** yourself." His one-time co-host Jon Stewart of The Daily Show didn't hold back either. In an expletive-laden rant, he ripped into the cowardice of American corporations and institutions cowing to Trump's bullying. But all that seems like ancient history. The late-night crew has been handed truckloads of material, all thanks to Trump's cack-handed and so far unsuccessful attempts to divert attention from the exhumed Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Newcomer to the rotating The Daily Show's lineup, Josh Johnson made a meal of the story that won't go away. He took aim at House of Reps Speaker Mike Johnson for dismissing the House early. "Do you understand that they cleared Congress out for the summer like they found a dookie in the pool?" No points for guessing what a "dookie" is. As for Trump accusing Barack Obama of treason: "The problem with this distraction is that it's so old, Jeffrey Epstein wouldn't date it." Johnson's right, of course. Trump's been pathologically obsessed with Obama for decades. Even the animated Millennial favourite South Park has joined the chorus of ridicule, infuriating the White House and its head honcho. The first episode of its 27th season featured a naked and clearly under-endowed Trump jumping into bed with Satan. The president's vision of a new golden age didn't include comedy and satire, which has stepped into to fill an expanding void of commentary abandoned by the once powerful newspapers like The Washington Post. Comics and cartoonists - Broelman and Pope, take a bow - speak more than truth to power, even if Jon Stewart insists the late-night comedians satirising the news only speak opinions to television cameras. They have a way of speaking it to idiocy and hypocrisy as well. We can expect an unconstrained Stephen Colbert to do that even more forcefully than he has been. We'll laugh, and the sleepless Donald Trump will rage and fume on Truth Social, providing the comedian with mountains of fresh material to work with. HAVE YOUR SAY: How important is humour in politics? Who are your favourite comedians, cartoonists and satirists? Have your opinions on an issue ever been shaped by cartoons or comedy sketches? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - Rural communities will have fewer banking services as Bendigo Bank moves to wind down its agency model and step up e-banking across regional Australia. - Australia and the United Kingdom have reaffirmed their commitment to AUKUS for the next half-century as US devotion to the trilateral security pact wavers. - Workers could eventually be $14,000 a year better off if an upcoming roundtable is successful, Australia's productivity tsar says, as competing interests draw battle lines over the summit's priorities. THEY SAID IT: "People say satire is dead. It's not dead; it's alive and living in the White House." - Robin Williams YOU SAID IT: Garry is mystified by a growing reluctance, especially among young Australians, to cook their own food. "We still cook 90 per cent of the time," writes Lee. "However, when I find something easy that we like, I print off the recipe and put it in a folder so I can access it again easily. I have raised five boys (all millennials, three with partners). They do most of the cooking in their families. I started teaching them to cook meals when they turned 10, and by 12, they were required to cook a meal one night per week. And it had to have veggies. This strategy worked a treat." Maria writes: "The 10 years or so between our ages must have created equal opportunity classes. In my day, girls were taught Home Ec, and boys did Woodwork! But as for me, it still didn't stir in me a love of cooking - in fact, you'll find my husband in the kitchen more often! And he learned from his mum, not at school." "I've worked to nine to 10-hour days most of my life, so some days I really don't feel like cooking a meal when I get home, but I also try to eat healthily," writes Stephanie. "Many years ago, I started making big batches of pre-cooked meals based around a bolognese sauce. It costs around $3 a serve and is ready to eat in less than 10 minutes."
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
ABC star's son tackles the haters of his very sweary podcast
And those haters will be delighted to hear the podcast has changed the young men's lives. They are now making a modest living off monetisation deals with Spotify and YouTube as well as their own individual sponsorships. Patricians v plebeians Shakespeare's Coriolanus tells the story of Roman soldier/tyrant Coriolanus, who when spurned by his own electorate marches on Rome seeking vengeance. The Bell Shakespeare production has come up with a cunning wheeze, dividing the audience up into noble patricians and common plebeians, in keeping with the play's themes of politics and class conflict. Who'd be attracted to such a play about a supreme egotist? Well, at the Arts Centre Melbourne premiere on Friday, the audience was thick with politicians and lawyers. Thus, Liberal senator Jane Hume, in Roman republic burgundy, found herself among the plebeians, as did rich lister and University of Melbourne chancellor Jane Hansen, and president of the council of trustees for the National Gallery of Victoria Janet Whiting, who joked that surely some mistake had been made. After the show, Bell Shakespeare chair Philip Crutchfield, KC, asked how Hume had gone sitting among the common people. She joked she could handle being the People's Princess. Having come from a federal parliament sitting week, Hume, no doubt having had her fill of sociopaths in warring factions, watched the Roman Republic events unfold with a wry smile and gave it a standing ovation. A case of she knows, she's been there? Unlimited has its limits Inching ever closer is the Women Unlimited Leadership Summit, starring Hillary Rodham Clinton, Leigh Sales, 'some of the nation's most senior women in the Australian Public Service' and others 'leading the pursuit of progress'. Regular readers will recall this is the summit at which former prime minister Julia Gillard will be beamed on stage via hologram. Talk about boldly going where none have gone before for PM27. First her very own stage play – now this. Certain journalists have been invited to attend the event, held in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and other capitals over September 30 and October 1. Also going around: speakers including Indigenous leader and advocate Lil Gordon, Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate Rachel Noble and co-creator of the 'glass cliff' concept, Australian National University professor Michelle Ryan. We reported earlier that the starting price to attend the two-day summit varies from state to state. Ticket prices in the ACT start from $3199, in NSW $2899, and Victoria and other states $2699 – all plus GST, of course. Loading But media access to the star attraction is not proving as unlimited as we hoped. CBD has learnt that the former US secretary of state, US senator (and spouse of former president Bill Clinton) has a contract that stipulates no interviews and no media in her session. Nor, it seems, are any photos or videos allowed. Lock up those smartphones, influencers. CBD is getting strong vibes of 1956's closed session of the 20th Soviet Congress when communist party first secretary Nikita Khrushchev gave a secret speech denouncing Joseph Stalin. Or more recently, Liz Hurley 's infamous 2024 Melbourne Cup appearance, where she refused interviews apart from one brief one with rights holder Nine. As one witness reported: 'She literally grimaced in disgust when asked to speak to media on the red carpet.' Been and gone After our item last week pointed out that the Greens still had ex-leader Adam Bandt emblazoned on their website months after he lost his seat in the May election, we wondered how long it would take the party to haul the former MP off the site. The answer: sometime before midday but not before 8am, which was three hours after our column hit the internet. Even in the online age, wheels can sometimes turn slowly.
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
ABC star's son tackles the haters of his very sweary podcast
And those haters will be delighted to hear the podcast has changed the young men's lives. They are now making a modest living off monetisation deals with Spotify and YouTube as well as their own individual sponsorships. Patricians v plebeians Shakespeare's Coriolanus tells the story of Roman soldier/tyrant Coriolanus, who when spurned by his own electorate marches on Rome seeking vengeance. The Bell Shakespeare production has come up with a cunning wheeze, dividing the audience up into noble patricians and common plebeians, in keeping with the play's themes of politics and class conflict. Who'd be attracted to such a play about a supreme egotist? Well, at the Arts Centre Melbourne premiere on Friday, the audience was thick with politicians and lawyers. Thus, Liberal senator Jane Hume, in Roman republic burgundy, found herself among the plebeians, as did rich lister and University of Melbourne chancellor Jane Hansen, and president of the council of trustees for the National Gallery of Victoria Janet Whiting, who joked that surely some mistake had been made. After the show, Bell Shakespeare chair Philip Crutchfield, KC, asked how Hume had gone sitting among the common people. She joked she could handle being the People's Princess. Having come from a federal parliament sitting week, Hume, no doubt having had her fill of sociopaths in warring factions, watched the Roman Republic events unfold with a wry smile and gave it a standing ovation. A case of she knows, she's been there? Unlimited has its limits Inching ever closer is the Women Unlimited Leadership Summit, starring Hillary Rodham Clinton, Leigh Sales, 'some of the nation's most senior women in the Australian Public Service' and others 'leading the pursuit of progress'. Regular readers will recall this is the summit at which former prime minister Julia Gillard will be beamed on stage via hologram. Talk about boldly going where none have gone before for PM27. First her very own stage play – now this. Certain journalists have been invited to attend the event, held in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and other capitals over September 30 and October 1. Also going around: speakers including Indigenous leader and advocate Lil Gordon, Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate Rachel Noble and co-creator of the 'glass cliff' concept, Australian National University professor Michelle Ryan. We reported earlier that the starting price to attend the two-day summit varies from state to state. Ticket prices in the ACT start from $3199, in NSW $2899, and Victoria and other states $2699 – all plus GST, of course. Loading But media access to the star attraction is not proving as unlimited as we hoped. CBD has learnt that the former US secretary of state, US senator (and spouse of former president Bill Clinton) has a contract that stipulates no interviews and no media in her session. Nor, it seems, are any photos or videos allowed. Lock up those smartphones, influencers. CBD is getting strong vibes of 1956's closed session of the 20th Soviet Congress when communist party first secretary Nikita Khrushchev gave a secret speech denouncing Joseph Stalin. Or more recently, Liz Hurley 's infamous 2024 Melbourne Cup appearance, where she refused interviews apart from one brief one with rights holder Nine. As one witness reported: 'She literally grimaced in disgust when asked to speak to media on the red carpet.' Been and gone After our item last week pointed out that the Greens still had ex-leader Adam Bandt emblazoned on their website months after he lost his seat in the May election, we wondered how long it would take the party to haul the former MP off the site. The answer: sometime before midday but not before 8am, which was three hours after our column hit the internet. Even in the online age, wheels can sometimes turn slowly.
