http://www.thepunch.com.au/author-bios/steve-williams/ Steve Williams was born in the shadow of the Big Merino, a rather attractive concrete likeness of a sheep in Goulburn N.S.W. He wrote his first satirical piece when he was nine, commenting on the unique playing styles and exotic fashions of his mother’s ladies midweek tennis club.  Steve’s done a few laps of the media block over 25 years, working in print, radio, TV, PR and the music business, but his biggest claim to fame is holding the record for pushing the highest number of shopping trolleys while working as a part-time “trolley boy” at Coles in 1979. Steve contributes words and images including features, travel stories and columns to international magazines, newspapers and websites. If nothing else, he’s a versatile bastard. Visit his website at http://www.randomswill.com en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +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/mobile-phones-in-the-air-is-vergin-on-plane-ridiculous/ Dear Mr. Branson, What have you done? Seriously, what the hell have you done? I admire your stunning business acumen, your ballooning skills, your outrageous PR stunts, I’ve bought many Virgin records over the years – in fact I still have an original vinyl copy of Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols. Love your work. However, what’s this about allowing mobile phone calls on Virgin Atlantic flights? Tell me you’re taking the piss. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mobile-phones-in-the-air-is-vergin-on-plane-ridiculous/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/mobile-phones-in-the-air-is-vergin-on-plane-ridiculous/#item8507 Tue, 15 May 2012 19:35:35 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stop-breastfeeding-im-trying-to-have-lunch/ I can feel the prod of pitchforks, the heat of flaming torches and suction of rampant breast pumps to nether regions already, but here goes. A. I am no prude, and B. I’m not a woman, so C. I’ve never had a baby (Where’s the fetus going to gestate? You going to keep it in a box?”) So obviously therefore, D. I’ve never breastfed. There. A few disclaimers to hopefully delay said prodding, heat and suction. I understand the evolutionary purpose of breasts, that they shouldn’t be sexualized, I get the whole feeding is natural, women shouldn’t be ashamed, blah blah, I get and concur with all of that. What I don’t get and strongly un-concur with is why a woman would choose to graphically breastfeed her baby in a crowded city café at lunchtime (ours as well as the baby’s apparently). feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stop-breastfeeding-im-trying-to-have-lunch/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/stop-breastfeeding-im-trying-to-have-lunch/#item7938 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:00:33 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-debate-thats-ignited-passions-and-lungs/ Two words that I always find amusing when used in the same sentence are “smokers” and “rights”. This week’s announcement by the NSW Minister for Health of the ban on smoking in playgrounds, public transport stops, swimming pools, entrances to public buildings and sports grounds has ignited passions and lungs. One such reader was all fired up in response to a news.com.au story. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-debate-thats-ignited-passions-and-lungs/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-debate-thats-ignited-passions-and-lungs/#item7845 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:35:10 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-bang-up-for-your-bucks/ The family of the 14 year old Australian boy detained in Bali has allegedly sought a TV deal through the boy’s Australian agent. This news has not been received favourably by Indonesian authorities, and both Nine and Seven are strongly denying any such deal. But as Punch contributor Steve Williams suggests, deals have been done before and probably will be again… Dear Mr Big Fat TV Executive, May I be the first to congratulate you on your rumoured signing of the latest Australian arrested overseas to become the new face of Your Network, even though no one has ever seen the person’s face. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-bang-up-for-your-bucks/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/a-bang-up-for-your-bucks/#item7087 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:55:21 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/filming-births-why-would-you-want-to/ This week online forums fired up with talk about whether or not you should be allowed to film births, after a report it had been banned. I’d like to know why you’d want to in the first place. I know it’s all about documenting the miracle of birth and so on, but why would you even think about taking a video camera into a delivery room? Maybe there’s some confusion with the operating “theatre” concept. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/filming-births-why-would-you-want-to/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/filming-births-why-would-you-want-to/#item4992 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:35:42 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/your-call-is-important-to-us-please-dont-lose-your-mind/ An open letter to Mr. Greg Bartlett, Chief Executive St. George Bank. Dear Greg, I used to like St. George. I liked his work against that dragon back in the day, I liked the fact that they let my footy team win the 1975 Grand Final, I like Julie Anthony – I’m pretty sure my mum has some of her records. I don’t like your bank’s customer service phone line any more. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/your-call-is-important-to-us-please-dont-lose-your-mind/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/your-call-is-important-to-us-please-dont-lose-your-mind/#item3317 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:35:23 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-poms-are-a-weird-mob/ If they were handing out gold medals for the most bizarre Olympic mascots, the recently unveiled characters for the London 2012 games would wins hands down. That is, if they had hands. Wenlock and Mandeville (catchy names) were apparently “created from “the last two drops of British steel used for the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.” More like an alcohol and substance fuelled creativeworkshopthinktank. To me they look like the result of a frenzied sexual encounter between a secondhand Logie award and a Teletubbie. And the blue one looks like it has an incontinence problem. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-poms-are-a-weird-mob/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-poms-are-a-weird-mob/#item3126 Thu, 20 May 2010 19:35:37 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sydney-roosters-the-new-name-is-plucked/ Forget plumbing the depths of “Lara Bingle and The Lost Ring”, (which sounds like a new Tomb Raider movie) – for me the biggest news story concerns some other birds and a beachside Sydney suburb which may, or may not cough up said ring. I read that the Sydney Roosters NRL team is considering changing its name. Like many a long-suffering time supporter, I’ve been strapped into that tri-coloured, clichéd emotional rollercoaster. We’ve seen it all – the halcyon days of the 70’s with back to back premierships including the exalted 38-blot plastering of Graeme Langlands’ white boots led Dragons, legends (in no particular order) such as Beetson, Coote, Harris, Brass, Hastings, Walters, Mayes, The Count, Peard, Fairfax, Schubert, right through to the Freddie Fittler and Fitzy inspired grand final victory in 2002. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sydney-roosters-the-new-name-is-plucked/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/sydney-roosters-the-new-name-is-plucked/#item2619 Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:35:48 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-all-turn-into-cliched-stereotypes-on-holiday/ You meet a lot of interesting people on holidays. Well when I say “meet”, I mean observing people from a safe distance and mercilessly taking the piss if warranted. I stayed at a rather nice beach resort in Malaysia over Christmas and it was simultaneously a pleasurable and fascinating experience. I think the five stars were awarded for the characters that were staying there. It really was a microcosm of humanity, mixed with sand and the odd Pina Colada. In no particular order we had the delightful Poms from Bogan-On-Trent who thought the dress code in the restaurant where breakfast was served was footwear optional. I love the look of tinea in the morning. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-all-turn-into-cliched-stereotypes-on-holiday/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-all-turn-into-cliched-stereotypes-on-holiday/#item2097 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:34:59 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pump-it-louder-the-stupid-rise-of-the-servo-television/ I read today that those wacky zany kids at Channel Seven are rolling out something called “Pump TV”. I thought they’d gone all naughty and were setting up a new digital porn channel, but it turns out they’re wacking in TV screens into petrol pumps. Well that’s a great leap for mankind. You need to get a bit of Mel and Kochie action while you’re filling up at the servo. Actually Beauty and The Geek will look a whole lot better while you’re topping up the brake fluid. How’s it going to work? Are they abridged, five-minute episodes of everything – or the time it takes to do your business and screw the cap back on? Or will we be faced with oceans of Shell V90 flooding out over the concrete Zoolander style, as motorists are totally engrossed with the latest love tryst between Dr. Rachel, Alf and Hugo on Home and Away? feedback@thepunch.com.au (Steve Williams) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pump-it-louder-the-stupid-rise-of-the-servo-television/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/pump-it-louder-the-stupid-rise-of-the-servo-television/#item1741 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:30:17 +0000 Steve Williams | Author bios | The Punch