http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/catherine-warnock/ Catherine Warnock is the author of “Hot Tips for Cool Parents: the key to raising awesome kids” (Connorcourt 2009 )- a down-to-earth look at positive role-modeling and writes a humorous weekly newspaper column in six Victorian newspapers under the banner of “The Kitchen Philosopher”.  Visit http://www.kitchenphilosopherblog.blogspot.com for more info. 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/pit-stop-medicine-with-formula-one-gps/ I’m sure most people would agree that it’s often difficult to get an appointment with your preferred doctor these days. Sometimes you wait days—if not weeks—for a non-urgent consultation. So, when you finally do get an appointment you’re loathe to give it up, even if you’re feeling better. I was reminded of this recently when I was a bit off-colour and decided to arrange a visit to the doctor. As the appointment was nine days away, naturally my body did one of the two things that bodies do when there is a delay in medical intervention – it got better. When the only other option is to die, it kind of spurs you on. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Catherine Warnock) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pit-stop-medicine-with-formula-one-gps/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pit-stop-medicine-with-formula-one-gps/#item4625 Sun, 05 Dec 2010 19:30:40 +0000 Catherine Warnock | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Would-it-kill-ya-to-say-Hello/ People are sometimes very strange.  Yes, I know this sounds a bit rich coming from someone who peddles her own strangeness in her writings week after week, but I’m sure you’d agree that other people - ie not you or me - can be very odd at times. So what’s brought me to this not-so-earth-shattering conclusion?  I preface my answer by saying it’s hardly the first time this has happened to me, but it always gets up my nose when it does. You see, I was out walking my dogs very early the other morning.  It was actually almost still dark, with an eerie fog settling in the bush around my local walking track. The dogs and I were ambling along the track with the place to ourselves, when along came a young guy, jogging.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Catherine Warnock) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Would-it-kill-ya-to-say-Hello/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Would-it-kill-ya-to-say-Hello/#item4177 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 18:30:08 +0000 Catherine Warnock | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/yes-tonight-tonight-your-sleeziness-has-my-attention/ For about the fifty-millionth time on my television screen in recent times, I recently witnessed yet another slimy current affairs story that shouldn’t have been screened at 6.35 pm. This time it was the tale of a woman who is taking her former boss to the cleaners for sexual harassment.  In itself, the story on Today Tonight didn’t particularly offend my sensibilities; it was quite newsworthy and, if told sensitively, may not have aroused my ire.  But it’s the sleazy manner in which these stories are so often portrayed that really gets up my nose. Why did they have to give the intimate details of the case – word for word?  Why did they have to quote the man who supposedly said to the young woman during dinner that the dessert was so good it was ‘like a **** in the mouth’?  Oh yes, they beeped out the ‘offensive’ word.  Woohoo!  Good on them for being so ‘family friendly’.  feedback@thepunch.com.au (Catherine Warnock) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/yes-tonight-tonight-your-sleeziness-has-my-attention/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/yes-tonight-tonight-your-sleeziness-has-my-attention/#item3938 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:30:47 +0000 Catherine Warnock | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/foul-language-gone-wilde/ Oscar Wilde, the famous 19th century Irish poet once said: “The expletive is the refuge of the semi-literate”.  In other words; swearing is for dumb heads. Well, all I can say is, if the ‘refuge’ was an actual place, it would be packed to the rafters—considering the number of foul-mouthed ‘dumb heads’ around these days.  And yes, okay, I might be among their number too at times, I admit.  (Before anyone starts calling me a hypocrite because they’ve heard me say naughty words).  Yes, we 21st century folk certainly say lots of words that would’ve made our Victorian ancestors’ hair curl. As a kid, while I soon became aware of most swear words (mainly thanks to the neighbourhood kids who were clearly more world-wise than me) I would never dare use them.  And, even though my Dad, an ex-army pugilist and a Scotsman to boot (apparently a very bad combo for swear-ability) was always pretty careful not to swear around us kids or in public, I still, in fact, heard my first F Bomb from his own lips. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Catherine Warnock) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/foul-language-gone-wilde/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/foul-language-gone-wilde/#item3548 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:50:02 +0000 Catherine Warnock | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-law-must-step-in-where-parents-have-failed/ One night recently on a suburban Melbourne train, several young teenagers—some reportedly as young as 13 or 14 years of age—terrorised a carriage full of innocent passengers who were returning from a day out at the football. Purportedly this bunch of pimple-faced brats pelted rocks at the windows of the train and threatened the frightened passengers, including elderly people and young children.  Meanwhile, on another suburban train, a young woman was smashed over the head with a bottle in an unprovoked attack by a group of hostile teenage girls, resulting in several stitches to her head. What is wrong with these kids?  And why should innocent people have to put up with this? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Catherine Warnock) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-law-must-step-in-where-parents-have-failed/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-law-must-step-in-where-parents-have-failed/#item3283 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:00:38 +0000 Catherine Warnock | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Pondering-lifes-big-questions-on-the-sofa-bed-of-death/ Picture this.  Somewhere in a laboratory in Zurich, a team of nerdy looking scientific guys with fruzzy hair and white coats are huddled around a stainless steel workbench.  They are so engrossed in their project that they barely even notice the sound of atoms splitting in a nearby nuclear collider (or even the smoko bell, for that matter). On the bench before them lies the blueprint for one of the most dastardly weapons against mankind ever invented.  The Nerdy Scientist guys cackle gleefully as one of them adds yet another masterstroke of design to their drawing.  “Aha!” cries Professor Springbunger delightedly sketching his infamous vicious coil-shape, “Vee must never forget zat our ultimate aim is to ensure that zee person who uses ziss device suffers greatly.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Catherine Warnock) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Pondering-lifes-big-questions-on-the-sofa-bed-of-death/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/Pondering-lifes-big-questions-on-the-sofa-bed-of-death/#item2918 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:40:37 +0000 Catherine Warnock | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/honey-we-wrecked-the-kids/ So we’re all wondering what’s wrong with the kids of today.  Why can’t they amuse themselves, behave themselves and do things for themselves?  Why is there so much bullying, disrespect, vandalism, drug taking, sexualised behaviour and violence? Our generation didn’t behave this way, we reminisce proudly.  We did as we were told, respected ourselves and others, worked hard and went to bed at a reasonable hour.  We didn’t stay out clubbing til five a.m, trash the streets with litter and graffiti, harass people at train stations and dress like porn stars. We were great! And besides, today’s kids have everything.  They should be so grateful that they wouldn’t even think of stepping out of line. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Catherine Warnock) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/honey-we-wrecked-the-kids/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/honey-we-wrecked-the-kids/#item2821 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:55:45 +0000 Catherine Warnock | Author bios | The Punch