As a celebrated bullshit artist, it’s really no surprise my charismatic grandfather Laurie Sheales ending up on national TV in May 1992 telling Ray Martin one of his tallest tales. My 87 year old and gloriously hirsute Pa was sitting in a pub one night, swilling beer and telling those assembled how he’d been completelyContinue reading “My Pa ‘bullshitting’ Ray Martin on national TV (1992)”
Category Archives: Journalism
Did the promise of pudding swing the Victorian election?
THE internet engaged in a collective ‘isn’t he adorable’ a few months back when it transpired actor Benedict Cumberbatch couldn’t say the word “penguins”. You can watch the video here. (The fact Cumberbatch had just lent his voice to a nature documentary about penguins — or “pengwings” — and is currently starring in the PenguinsContinue reading “Did the promise of pudding swing the Victorian election?”
‘Human rights’ built on a bedrock of shame
When a troublesome child is chastised for bad behaviour they’re often quick to point the finger at somebody else, as if that other child’s wrongdoing might somehow lessen their own guilt. New research suggests this very natural ‘Look! Over there!’ impulse — enacted on an international scale in the 1970s — might have spurred enthusiasmContinue reading “‘Human rights’ built on a bedrock of shame”
The troublesome truth about politics
This review of Jonathan Green’s The Year My Politics Broke (Melbourne University Publishing) first appeared in The Voice. As a detailed account of how politicians and politicking has veered off course in Australia over recent years The Year My Politics Broke isn’t an enjoyable read. But then, it isn’t meant to be: the book isContinue reading “The troublesome truth about politics”
ABC ‘Reseach Report’ March, 2013
1) Surgeons who play video games are better at ‘keyhole’ procedures University of Rome. Laparopscopic surgeons may improve certain aspects of surgical performance by regularly playing on a Nintendo Wii, according to research published in PLOS ONE. Researchers analyzed how a four-week training regimen on the Wii impacted the laparoscopic skills of post-graduate residents inContinue reading “ABC ‘Reseach Report’ March, 2013”
Journey to belonging
Each year thousands of asylum-seekers try to settle in Australia. Most are fleeing persecution because of their race, religion or lifestyle. They’re looking for something simple yet sometimes elusive: a fresh start. Ryan Sheales reports on their struggles and triumphs. Randomly stop 10 people in the street and ask for their view on asylum-seeker issuesContinue reading “Journey to belonging”
No journalist should have to report on their friend’s murder.
JILL Meagher’s death is an unfathomable tragedy. Her family remains in a state of shock and despair. My heart goes out to them. But I want to pay tribute to Jill’s ABC colleagues. My former colleagues. This has undoubtedly been one of the toughest weeks of their lives – both personally and professionally. Journalists dealContinue reading “No journalist should have to report on their friend’s murder.”
My long lost TV debut, age 11.
My mum recently digitised all our home videos. Gone are all those boxes of VHS tapes — my entire childhood now fits on a single external hard drive. Amid the tedious hours of birthdays and backyard working bees, I found my very first ‘TV appearance’. The year was 1995, I would have been about 11.Continue reading “My long lost TV debut, age 11.”
Crimes in the home, lessons in the newsroom?
This article and image first appeared on the ABC’s The Drum. Many Victorians were surprised when that state’s latest crime statistics showed a dramatic, 15 per cent increase in domestic violence. Many journalists were not. And the media must shoulder some of the blame for that disconnect. One of the first tasks for a journalistContinue reading “Crimes in the home, lessons in the newsroom?”
Meanwhile in Victoria the old paradigm rules
This article and image first appeared on the ABC’s The Drum. I have a breaking news story. Make sure you’re sitting down. Here it is: governments spin, twist and contort events to suit their party political ends. OK, so it mightn’t be a huge revelation. But what’s interesting is that a senior Labor spin doctor hasContinue reading “Meanwhile in Victoria the old paradigm rules”
Ryan Sheales 