http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/damien-leith/ Damien Leith was born in Ireland and became an Australian citizen in 2007. He is married to an Australian and has two children Jarvis, 4 and Jagger 2. Damien started out his career as a chemist but his love and passion for the arts won over in 2006 when he won Australia’s TV show; Australian Idol. After years of playing with numerous bands across the globe, he found a home at Sony Music Australia. Since then he has released four albums and his most recent, Remember June, has received great critical acclaim. Damien is also an accomplished author, having released his first novel One More Time in 2007 through Harper Collins and his highly anticipated second novel is due for release in April this year. You can find Damien online at his official website and on MySpace. 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/kids-need-encouragement-to-play-to-their-strengths/ When I was a kid, I loved watching all the old movies. I can remember precisely the day that I asked my mother for a pair of black and white wing-tip shoes so that I could learn to dance like Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Turns out those shoes, even at that time, were very much out of fashion and hard to find, so I never got them. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kids-need-encouragement-to-play-to-their-strengths/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kids-need-encouragement-to-play-to-their-strengths/#item5436 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 19:35:19 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/if-i-were-an-atheist-id-still-believe-in-ricky-gervais/ I recently watched Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globe Awards and found it hilarious. He’s got guts. In his closing line he shouted out that he wanted to thank God for making him an atheist. I think that also took guts - on top of everything he mentioned during the night he finishes off the show with a jab at religion. It makes me wonder sometimes, being a religious person myself, how different would life be if you’re an atheist? I moved into a new house not long ago and on our first night’s sleep, we discovered a note was cellotaped to the back of our bedroom door. It was a prayer, one I hadn’t heard before. The following morning I looked it up and discovered that it’s a life prayer. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/if-i-were-an-atheist-id-still-believe-in-ricky-gervais/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/if-i-were-an-atheist-id-still-believe-in-ricky-gervais/#item5119 Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:35:02 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/struggling-to-get-hold-of-the-christmas-spirit/ It’s hard to believe that another year is over and tonight thoughts of Santa Clause’s arrival into homes across Australia will have many a young mind too excited to sleep.  It’s a fabulous time of year for sure and as things wind down towards Saturday, the festive spirit is rapidly starting to sink it.  Around this time of year I always find myself reminiscing back to when I was a child and it always gets me thinking, is Christmas still the same? Overlooking the obvious differences of my AGE and the fact that I now spend my Christmas in a hot climate away from the snowed over landscapes of Europe – do I still celebrate Christmas like I used to? Not getting into any of the religious aspects of Christmas, for me the spirit has always been that something in the air, that thing that can’t really be described but which I know exists. A festive feeling, a general vibe! For some reason though, I’m not feeling it yet this year and I’m wondering why? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/struggling-to-get-hold-of-the-christmas-spirit/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/struggling-to-get-hold-of-the-christmas-spirit/#item4759 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:40:29 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/taking-out-the-trash/ Recently I was at an airport, about to set off on a 24-hour long haul flight. If you’ve ever travelled on a plane and felt frustrated at hearing a crying baby on a nearby seat, multiply that frustration and stress by ten and you’ll understand what the parents are going through. Having a young family myself, I’ve been there plenty. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/taking-out-the-trash/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/taking-out-the-trash/#item4471 Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:50:41 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kids-parks-and-needles-dont-mix/ My kids love playing in parks – I think every kid does. Swings, slides and see-saws can sometimes be a God-send for parents who need a break. Tell the kids to go off and play and if you’re lucky, there could be five minutes of freedom in it for you too. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kids-parks-and-needles-dont-mix/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/kids-parks-and-needles-dont-mix/#item4304 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 19:55:10 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-to-be-a-good-parent-at-100-miles-an-hour/ I was deep in conversation recently with a very successful retiree about his experiences as a father. The banter was light until it was time to part ways at which point he grabbed my arm and hastened me to listen carefully. “Be sure that you love your children equally!” he said with an unsettling eeriness in his voice not unlike a line spoken in a disaster movie moments before all hell breaks lose. “I have two sons”, he continued, “One of them has always been motivated, successful and talented and has never relied on my wealth to survive, while the other has always been lazy, unsuccessful and forever in trouble. Instead of rewarding my successful son for all that he’s achieved, I’ve spent my life chasing after the other son, bailing him out time and time again. I hardly know my boys now. The son that I’ve always protected only talks to me when he needs something and because throughout his life he’s needed so much attention, I never had time to get to know my other boy. I’ve been left virtually with nothing!” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-to-be-a-good-parent-at-100-miles-an-hour/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/how-to-be-a-good-parent-at-100-miles-an-hour/#item3959 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:35:42 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/customer-service-is-on-hold/ I reluctantly faced one of the simpler but more infuriating challenges that life throws at you. It can be summed up in three words: telco customer service. (Eds - this is a distressing column. Let’s start with some cheery hold music.) I’ve had a mobile phone account with a leading telco provider for a number of years. Since moving to my new house over a year ago the coverage in the area has been terrible and as such I queried the problem on numerous occasions. It recently came to a head and I did the unthinkable – spent two and half hours of my life either on hold or chatting with one of a multitude of provider staff. I spoke to iPhone, billing, the provider service centre, customer support and mobile customer support – I was flung like I rag doll around from representative to representative and each time I had to relay the same information; name, address, date of birth and nature of the problem.  On two separate occasions, just when I thought I was making progress, the connection failed while I was on hold and just like Groundhog Day I was forced to start all over again. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/customer-service-is-on-hold/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/customer-service-is-on-hold/#item3669 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:30:01 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hard-time-may-be-the-only-deterrent-for-young-offenders/ Last weekend my heart sank as I watched the 60 minutes investigation into the horrific UK murder in 1993 of 2-year-old James Bulger. The vicious murder of the toddler by Robert Thompson and Jon Venables is regarded as one of the most violent crimes of Britain’s modern history, particularly because the boys who committed it, were themselves only kids at 10 years of age. This story always leaves me deeply saddened and sickened to my stomach every time I hear about it – not just as a father, but as a human being. The fact that two young boys could be so calculated, violent and evil is hard to comprehend. When you hear about terrible things like this, the last thing you expect is to discover is that they were carried out by children themselves. It’s terrifying. What’s equally hard to comprehend is the sentence they received – 8 years of detention and rehabilitation. Is that a suitable punishment? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hard-time-may-be-the-only-deterrent-for-young-offenders/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hard-time-may-be-the-only-deterrent-for-young-offenders/#item3513 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:55:05 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sorry-is-no-longer-the-hardest-word/ Last week British Prime Minister David Cameron apologized in the house of commons for what he called the ‘unjustified and unjustifiable’ actions of British troops on Jan 30 1972 in Londonderry Ireland – a day better known now as Bloody Sunday. On that day 14 demonstrators were killed and many more injured while protesting against internment. An investigation in the aftermath of the day cleared troops largely of any wrong doing.  However, 38 years later and a follow up investigation costing $280 million, it was concluded that the initial findings were incorrect and that the victims were unarmed and had been engaged in a peaceful protest. In Northern Ireland, the Troubles had been rife in the two years prior to Bloody Sunday, but that day remains one of the most significant events since it was carried out by the army and not paramilitaries, in front of the public and world press. For that reason, David Cameron’s apology is most significant and was duly met with great applause. But where does an apology like that lead, are there consequences? Will potential criminal prosecutions for “unlawful killing” by soldiers open up old wounds- what about the other side, the unionists? Will they now seek apologies for those in their community who were also killed during those years through bombings, assignations or shootings.  Could this apology destabilize the peace process or alternatively, strengthen it? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sorry-is-no-longer-the-hardest-word/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sorry-is-no-longer-the-hardest-word/#item3385 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:35:52 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-problem-with-the-naplan-tests/ Where to send your child to school? With my two young sons approaching primary age and a multitude of themed kids’ birthday parties to attend in the lead up, this is the most common topic of conversation amongst all the parents. Some parents are anxious about it, others take it more in their stride but they’re all talking about it. At first I wasn’t too interested, in fact, I avoided the conversations. I thought them unnecessary. Yes I want a good school for my kids but it’s not the end of the world if it’s not perfect first time. Growing up I spent many years travelling the globe with my parents, and as such, I attended a vast array of primary and secondary schools. I can honestly say that at no point in my life have I felt that the regular changing of schools impacted adversely on my education. It was exciting, varied and helped to broaden my interests. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Damien Leith) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-problem-with-the-naplan-tests/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/my-problem-with-the-naplan-tests/#item3285 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:03:56 +0000 Damien Leith | Author bios | The Punch