http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/brett-rutledge/ Brett Rutledge is a master of communication who has parlayed his knowledge into a career as an in-demand business speaker, facilitator and coach. He has over the past 10 years forged a solid track record both here in Australia and overseas. His clients include such respected names as AMP, Fuji Xerox, Canon, BHP Billiton, Vero, Axa, IBM, Samsung, Westpac, Ford, Peugeot, ANZ, HSBC, Fonterra, General Motors, Caltex, DHL, Bridgestone, Nestle and Microsoft, to name just a few. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/they-are-legion-dangerous-and-stupid/ Enough. Unpopular though it may be, it is a time to take a stand. We have to stop celebrating morons and their attendant antics. We have to stop defending idiots and their self-imposed tragedies. Whether it be a middle-aged former cricketer with a penchant for romancing equally vacuous bimbos or drug-addled footballers with a natural gift for screwing up every fifth chance offered to them - it’s about time we drew a line in the sand and said “sod off!”. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Brett Rutledge) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/they-are-legion-dangerous-and-stupid/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/they-are-legion-dangerous-and-stupid/#item5237 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:55:24 +0000 Brett Rutledge | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/love-in-the-time-of-tragedy/ Jordan Rice was 13 years old when he died. His rescue was imminent but he refused the help, insisting his would-be rescuers take his 10-year-old brother, Blake, first. When his rescuers returned Jordan was insisting they take his mother, Donna, first - but there was no more time. The rope to which he and Donna desperately clung snapped and they were both swept away by the raging floodwater. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Brett Rutledge) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/love-in-the-time-of-tragedy/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/love-in-the-time-of-tragedy/#item4885 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:45:42 +0000 Brett Rutledge | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/santa-claus-is-completely-out-of-touch/ Such are the lows that society has now sunk to that within the Santa Claus persona, you have an example of almost every type of political incorrectness possible. He embodies everything that is wrong with the world and he must be stopped no matter the cost!  I give you Exhibit A: his leather belt and boots with white fur trim. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Brett Rutledge) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/santa-claus-is-completely-out-of-touch/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/santa-claus-is-completely-out-of-touch/#item4760 Fri, 24 Dec 2010 02:00:41 +0000 Brett Rutledge | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/want-to-be-happy-oprah-holds-the-key/ Oprah Winfrey (depending on which figures you believe) has anywhere between 25 and 45 million people tuning in every week to watch her uplifting combination of positive thinking and self-acceptance.  This “Oprah Movement” love Oprah and they hang on her every word – if Oprah says Australia is a nice place then somewhere between 25 and 45 million people are going to believe it.  That is why Julia is so keen to be on the show and give Oprah a warm Prime Ministerial hug.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Brett Rutledge) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/want-to-be-happy-oprah-holds-the-key/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/want-to-be-happy-oprah-holds-the-key/#item4669 Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:55:08 +0000 Brett Rutledge | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ralph-what-we-have-here-is-a-failure-to-communicate/ Ralph Norris and the Commonwealth Bank have had a tough week. Following the decision to raise lending rates by almost double the Reserve Bank’s own rate hike there has been stinging criticism from pretty much every sector of the economy and a bit of personal abuse thrown in for good measure.  Representatives from across the political spectrum have anointed “bank bashing” as Australia’s new national sport and the CBA and Ralph himself are a daily headline for every journalistic medium. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Brett Rutledge) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ralph-what-we-have-here-is-a-failure-to-communicate/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/ralph-what-we-have-here-is-a-failure-to-communicate/#item4429 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:55:04 +0000 Brett Rutledge | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-politics-of-fear-and-why-we-love-it/ Much is made of the depressing and irrational intrusion of the “Politics of Fear”.  We all lament how our political parties are prone to distorting statistics, leaving out facts, stigmatizing minorities, corrupting words, oversimplifying situations and events or just plain making stuff up.  We criticize the media for their willingness to spread the “politics of fear” throughout the population and most of all we just hate the fact that it seems to work. Given its ever-increasing influence it’s worth pondering why. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Brett Rutledge) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-politics-of-fear-and-why-we-love-it/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-politics-of-fear-and-why-we-love-it/#item4144 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:40:40 +0000 Brett Rutledge | Author bios | The Punch