Understanding Trump And US Politics Through The Lens Of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis

Baz Luhrmann has triumphed again with some fast-paced, layered cinema, delving into the behind-the-scenes story of the Elvis phenomenon and in doing so has created an allegorical tale that sheds light on Trump and US politics. Elvis, the movie, focusses…
Covid is like a Russia virus

In the heat of battle against Covid-19 on Thursday night, my tired mind likened Covid to a Russia virus, most likely because my thoughts have been saturated by concern for Ukrainians in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s illegal and brutal…
Waking up to mindfulness meditation at the beach

I have dabbled with mindfulness meditation a few times over the years but my latest adventure is showing signs of great promise, with Sam Harris as my guide. These few paragraphs are being writting to mark an awakening moment I…
Colleen’s Crunchy Salad

Nardia’s mum, my mother-in-law, Colleen Symonds, died this week and one of the strongest bonds between us, apart from her daughter, was her crunchy salad. So, this week I’ve been making this salad, using Collsy’s recipe with annotations, in her…
Reflecting on the journey into stand up comedy

What is the journey into stand up comedy really like? That was the question posed to me by Paul Richards on FIVEaa on on Friday, February 1, 2019. The interview took place a week after my first (unsuccessful) tilt at…
The valuable damaging lost art of reviewing

What is this valuable damaging lost art of reviewing? Or, should I be asking, how do we solve a problem like reviewers? Well, here’s something interesting. I’ve been reviewing for two decades and aim to do a fair job, writing…
Bohemian Rhapsody: An ode to silence and emotion

Much has been written about Bohemian Rhapsody and its factual shortcomings but be that as it (Brian) may, there is much to endear this film to those of us who enjoy and appreciate succulent moments of reflection and emotional depth.…
Learn stand up comedy in Adelaide with me, Glynn Nicholas, and Marc Ryan

UPDATE: The hilarious king of comedy timing, Gerry Masi, is the guest teacher in the next comedy course in Adelaide, March 3-7 2019. I’ll be facilitating this course and would love to see you there. Book your place for the…
Is this thing on? A week on a comedy TV set with nine other aspiring comedians

Is this thing on could easily be restated as when will this thing be on. We have just wrapped an intense week of doing a stand up comedy course while also being filmed documentary/reality tv style with cameras everywhere and…
3 bleak ideas that lead to life

I have been mulling over 3 bleak ideas that lead to life for me, and I have decided to capture them in words to help me digest them further. If you find them helpful, that is a superb bonus to…