http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/communication/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. 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/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. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) 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 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-arent-out-of-the-woods-when-it-comes-to-pols-cliches/ Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-arent-out-of-the-woods-when-it-comes-to-pols-cliches/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/we-arent-out-of-the-woods-when-it-comes-to-pols-cliches/#item8508 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-change-and-the-crisis-of-communication/ It’s official. The climate change dialogue is getting loopier. Maybe the weirdness has been been brought on by heat-stroke. Yesterday’s Daily Telegraph reported that Tim Flannery and the Climate Commissions’s Professor Lesley Hughes warned that mental illness and all kinds of other maladies would increase with a few extra hot days. For those of us who believe the consequences of climate change could be catastrophic on a global scale, these kinds of statements are trivial to the point of public nuisance. They are like prank calls to 000. So here’s the real news. Scientists don’t actually believe heatwaves will send us all mad. They’re just saying stuff like this because they’re desperately fumbling for new ways to grab the public’s attention. How do I know this? Because Tim Flannery himself told me (and a small room of other people) pretty much exactly that this very weekend. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-change-and-the-crisis-of-communication/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/climate-change-and-the-crisis-of-communication/#item8498 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/uh-oh-time-for-another-round-of-working-families/ Do you remember what Wayne Swan said in his 2007-08 Budget speech? I bet you do. And in intricate detail. It went something like this: “Working families, working families, working-families—working-families—working-families—working-families! Working-families, working-families-working-families—working-families—working-families—working-families, Mr Speaker.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/uh-oh-time-for-another-round-of-working-families/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/uh-oh-time-for-another-round-of-working-families/#item8456 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/counterpunch-theres-no-proof-mobiles-cause-cancer/ We respect Dr Teo’s work as a brain surgeon and acknowledge his right to express his strong personal opinions about mobile phone safety and health issues. However, our industry relies on the expert opinion of national and international health agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), which have found no convincing evidence that radio frequency exposure within internationally accepted safety limits causes adverse harmful health effects. The WHO says in its fact sheet Number 193 of June 2011: “A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/counterpunch-theres-no-proof-mobiles-cause-cancer/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/counterpunch-theres-no-proof-mobiles-cause-cancer/#item8435 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-if-your-mobile-phone-is-giving-you-brain-cancer/ There are three undisputed facts about the link between mobile phones and brain tumours. Firstly, the jury is still out. Secondly, the number of mobile phone users is increasing rapidly and currently stands at over five billion worldwide. Thirdly, IF there is a causal link between exposure to non-ionising radiation and brain tumours, then the social and financial consequences would be devastating and on a scale never before witnessed in history. With over twenty one million mobile phones in use in Australia, why are we not spending the resources on finding the answer? Perhaps the answer is one that all of us would rather not imagine. Could those with a vested interest be misguiding us? The other, less divisive explanation is that epidemiologists and scientists truly believe that the jury is no longer out and that there is absolutely no link. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-if-your-mobile-phone-is-giving-you-brain-cancer/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/what-if-your-mobile-phone-is-giving-you-brain-cancer/#item8416 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/an-open-letter-to-people-who-write-open-letters/ Dear People Who Write Open Letters, How are you? Hmm. And what about the children? Do you have children? Well, please pass on my best to Oscar, your feline friend. Really? Look, names aren’t important, just tell your damn dog I said hello. Thanks. Right, I suppose you want to know why I am writing this open letter to you, Person Who Writes Open Letters. I couldn’t help but notice that you recently published an open letter on your Facebook wall/Tumblr or your globe-spanning Internet empire’s news website. I appreciate the time you took in uniquely presenting your argument and thoroughly enjoyed the “break up” analogy you employed. It was refreshing to see a break-up analogy used in an open-letter format, as this happens rarely. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/an-open-letter-to-people-who-write-open-letters/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/an-open-letter-to-people-who-write-open-letters/#item7820 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/This-year-we-should-all-go-a-little-bit-postal/ In 1945, an intelligence officer wrote a letter to his three-year-old son on Hitler’s personal stationery. “The man who might have written on this card once controlled Europe,” he wrote in elegant cursive. “Today he is dead, his memory despised, his country in ruins.” Last year, the letter became a permanent addition to the CIA’s private museum in Langley. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/This-year-we-should-all-go-a-little-bit-postal/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/This-year-we-should-all-go-a-little-bit-postal/#item7552 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/there-is-an-escape-from-the-clutches-of-a-hawker/ “Hello, is that Mrs Brooks?” “No sorry – she hasn’t lived here for about nine years.” “That’s OK, this isn’t a personal call. If I can just have a moment of your time…” And so it begins: one of those irritating telemarketing conversations that makes you wish you’d picked up typhoid instead of the telephone. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/there-is-an-escape-from-the-clutches-of-a-hawker/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/there-is-an-escape-from-the-clutches-of-a-hawker/#item7400 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.  http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/festival-of-obvious-ideas-14-whitepages-for-mobiles/ When I was growing up, my family had a tattered, handwritten book of friends’ phone numbers sitting next to the landline in the kitchen. If we wanted to call someone who was more of an acquaintance though, we’d have to look them up in the phonebook to give them a bell. Times have changed. Today, if you want to get a stranger down the end of the line you probably won’t hunt for their number in a phonebook. You might look them up on the White Pages website and find their landline number, but who needs Ye Olde Home Phone in this day and age? More than 10 per cent of Australians don’t even have them anymore. It’s a number that’s sure to climb. Landlines are both irrelevant and surprisingly moneysucking. You aren’t likely to find many from this mobile-only demographic in the White Pages either, because there’s not a whole lot of numbers starting in 04 in there. So this brings me to today’s obvious idea: make a White Pages for mobile phones. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/festival-of-obvious-ideas-14-whitepages-for-mobiles/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/festival-of-obvious-ideas-14-whitepages-for-mobiles/#item7012 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Let’s be clear about this. Let’s be absolutely, crystal clear. The reality is that politicians use clichés. Don’t let the other side try every trick in the book to cloud the issue. And can I say this: as with many decent, hard-working Australians, I find it understandable when politicians fall into using the same-old, same-old patterns of words, time and time again. Only politicians use short sentences. And they pause for effect. And they use rhetorical devices. With all due respect, some politicians will categorically deny these allegations. Some will say this is a fishing expedition. Some will question the timing of these accusations. And of course, some will decline to comment, saying that it’s a private matter.