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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Recent posts
The latest and greatest
The Punch is moving house
Good morning Punchers. After four years of excellent fun and great conversation, this is the final post…
Will Pope Francis have the vision to tackle this?
I have had some close calls, one that involved what looked to me like an AK47 pointed my way, followed…
Advocating risk management is not “victim blaming”
In a world in which there are still people who subscribe to the vile notion that certain victims of sexual…
Nosebleed Section
choice ringside rantings
From: Hasbro, go straight to gaol, do not pass go
Tim says:
They should update other things in the game too. Instead of a get out of jail free card, they should have a Dodgy Lawyer card that not only gets you out of jail straight away but also gives you a fat payout in compensation for daring to arrest you in the first place. Instead of getting a hotel when you… [read more]From: A guide to summer festivals especially if you wouldn’t go
Kel says:
If you want a festival for older people or for families alike, get amongst the respectable punters at Bluesfest. A truly amazing festival experience to be had of ALL AGES. And all the young "festivalgoers" usually write themselves off on the first night, only to never hear from them again the rest of… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
Superman needs saving
Can somebody please save Superman? He seems to be going through a bit of a crisis. Eighteen months ago,… Read more
