Simon Black
Originally from Canberra, Simon works over at news.com.au where he puts the site to bed of a night, when it isn’t asking for repeated drinks of water and telling him it can’t sleep.
His winding path to journalism has seen him work over the years as a chef, personal trainer, kickboxing instructor and disabled carer.
Articles by Simon Black
First there was Big Tobacco. Now there’s Big Social
It’s good to be big. But being big doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing good things. Think what people mean when…... Read more
You can’t barrack for scientists
“Why don’t scientists and people who contribute something to the community get the same amount of admiration as sportspeople?” Mia…... Read more
When political sunshine means democratic melanoma
Well we’re a few days into what will come to be known in days to come as the great “carbon…... Read more
Did you hear the one about Parliament joke time?
Those of you who are eagle-eyed and able to connect the dots may have noticed our elected representatives have been…... Read more
Botnets: My PC is a zombified gun for hire
Most of the time I use the internet to research stories, look up movies or stalk… errm, I mean keep…... Read more
Gay sex. Apparently sexier than straight sex.
Should we allow the depiction of homosexuals in the media? Well of course we should, shouldn’t we? The answer is…... Read more
The evil genius of Donald ‘the Birther’ Trump
They say there’s no such thing as a silly question - but sometimes it can be silly to answer one.…... Read more
Drunken idiots: here’s a toast to the douchebags
I would like to propose a toast. Here’s to the jerks that stabbed a Sydney bouncer in the neck and…... Read more
Are we creating a generation of “cash in hand” mums?
It doesn’t matter if it’s making babies as a commercial surrogate or a10-year-old kid stitching together basketball shoes in Vietnam,…... Read more
No power in the boardroom? Try the bedroom instead
Lost jobs, failing economies, broken marriages. Now you can add a massive upsurge in the level of sexism in ads…... Read more
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RT @JamieTravers: I'm in Europe and don't care for Eurovision, why is my twitter feed filled with Aussies recounting the bloody thing!?
Ukraine song pinches chord progression from The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony. Fo real #sbseurovision
RT @GerardDaffy: @antsharwood all the talk over there is the grannies will win.they entered to get a church built,feelgood story
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Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it
An email was sent to almost every politician in Australia this week saying that someone should cut off…
Our special forces don’t always need special treatment
We admire them, but we’re not entirely sure why. We allow them to operate in the shadows; we rarely…
A good holiday is about unrest, not rest
Like a fat full-stop, it lay in my hand. A small orange – not exactly fresh, but purchased anyway…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
Michael S says:
"A teacher at Geelong Grammar had criticised her for using words that were too long, which had left her confused and had made her doubt her ability to write essays. She became ''quite distressed'' when her English marks began to fall." I can sympathise. My scholastic mentors conveyed to me a causal relationship… [read more]From: Welfare for breeders is a bonus for everyone
Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
A private school girl’s family is sueing her elite, extremely expensive private school for not… Read more