http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/philanthropy/ 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 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +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/dick-smith-takes-a-sledgehammer-to-the-mega-rich/ Dick Smith, the former electronics giant, is a household name, an Australian icon. A former Australian of the Year, he was awarded an Order of Australia in 1999 “as a benefactor to charitable organisations”. By any measure, he has earned the right to vent his opinion in public. His recent argument in favour of naming and shaming Australia’s mega-rich who do not give philanthropy garnered headlines nationwide and would have raised eyebrows – and probably voices – at the top end of town. But we should be grateful for his candour. Few people have such courage, fortitude and leadership. And whether you loved or loathed his comments, he has done an important service in kick-starting a critically important conversation. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dick-smith-takes-a-sledgehammer-to-the-mega-rich/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dick-smith-takes-a-sledgehammer-to-the-mega-rich/#item6781 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cough-up-cos-were-all-going-on-a-fundraising-holiday/ I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cough-up-cos-were-all-going-on-a-fundraising-holiday/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cough-up-cos-were-all-going-on-a-fundraising-holiday/#item5783 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/visionary-millionaire-puts-the-art-into-hobart/ I have just returned from three days in Hobart, attending the opening of MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. It is a $200 million, quixotic project of Tasmanian businessman David Walsh. Walsh commissioned the museum from architect Nonda Katsalidis, filled it with his own art and made admission free. Walsh has a scientific mind but an artistic temperament. In his interview with Andrew Frost he says that if he could make art, he would. He has an intellectual fascination with Darwinian evolution, time, ancient cultures and the dark areas of our humanity. The inaugural exhibition is called Monanism, a play on the word onanism (masturbation). MONA and Monanism were exciting and I want to put down a few thoughts now, while the experience is fresh in my mind. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/visionary-millionaire-puts-the-art-into-hobart/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/visionary-millionaire-puts-the-art-into-hobart/#item4964 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-crush-queensland-with-kindness/ It warms my heart to think of all the Australians donating cash to Queensland flood victims.  What frightens the crap out of me is all those who’d rather give Aunt Beryl’s chest of drawers, the toaster with only one grill functioning, the shorts that Jayden grew out of and the packet of Sao biscuits that lay dormant at the back of the pantry. As amazing as Anna Bligh has been this week, I’m sure there’s probably one thing she desperately wishes she could say but can’t. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-crush-queensland-with-kindness/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/dont-crush-queensland-with-kindness/#item4917 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/research-finds-super-rich-also-super-tight/ Legendary philanthropists are often also legendary tight-arses. Oil man John Paul Getty, whose now multi-billion dollar trust and art collection underpin the J. Paul Getty Museums in California, had a payphone installed in his London mansion Sutton Place. “The guests won’t mind paying for their calls,” he said, “and as for the deadbeats, I couldn’t care less.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/research-finds-super-rich-also-super-tight/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/research-finds-super-rich-also-super-tight/#item4774 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/giving-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/ Tonight I’m going to pour myself a generous glass of red made from biodynamically grown grapes, turn the ABC up loud, and take down the Christmas tree. I’ll lovingly pack away the angels made from old tin cans by poor kids in South Africa. Then the hand-painted Christmas balls, lovingly painted by Hazara women, will go back in the box. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/giving-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/giving-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/#item4771 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/twitchange-celebrities-show-they-care/ Quick someone hold the babies, Angelina Jolie may about to be trumped in the unabashed pursuit of profile building philanthropy. Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria, singer LeeAnn Rimes and actor Tim Robbins are just three of the big names giving support to the latest social media craze: TwitChange. The brainchild of an Atlanta minister seeking new ways to raise money for children of the Haitian community, TwitChange is also the latest way for celebrities to show how much they care, in 140 words of less, just as long as you’re willing to pay for it. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Lightweight http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/twitchange-celebrities-show-they-care/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/twitchange-celebrities-show-they-care/#item4067 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-giving-your-time-is-the-best-chrissy-gift-of-all/ You can’t go anywhere without hearing about climate change. There’s no denying that it’s a critical issue for many of us when thinking about the future. Today as I walked to work I noticed a young man wearing a T-shirt with an image of Earth and text that said ‘Defend Tomorrow’ and it was clear what his views were. It’s great to see this sort of passion, but it made me think about the thousands of volunteers who contribute to The Smith Family’s work, because their social conscience is undoubtedly just as strong as this man’s, just perhaps less overt. Although many Australians are continuing to feel the effects of the global financial crisis, The Smith Family has been inundated with requests from members of the public to offer their services as volunteers over the Christmas period. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-giving-your-time-is-the-best-chrissy-gift-of-all/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/why-giving-your-time-is-the-best-chrissy-gift-of-all/#item1917 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/light-flickering-out-for-a-beacon-of-our-prosperity/ This is a sad week for Australia. For more than 30 years the not-for-profit organisation Young Achievement Australia brought business skills to some 190,000 students. It was a beacon of inspiration, a source of knowledge, and a cultivator of leadership for thousands of young Aussies. This week YAA will shut down, because its funding has dried up. It is a tragedy for all of those who have experienced its excellence, and for all of those who never will. feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/light-flickering-out-for-a-beacon-of-our-prosperity/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/light-flickering-out-for-a-beacon-of-our-prosperity/#item1761 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/charter-for-compassion-lets-pass-the-can-around/ The Kimberley is spectacular and spiritual. However, it’s not a place to get a flat tyre or have any other mechanical failure. I know, I had a flat there in July. Believe me, finding a working jack, an inflated spare and the manual can take on real meaning.    In the course of the next hour, four cars came down this rutted and dusty road.  Despite being covered in red dust, oil, blackened by the tyre remains and wielding a large tyre lever, not one of those drivers assumed I was Ivan Milat or Bradley Murdoch. Each pulled up to offer assistance. All courageously took the risk to make sure I was safe. I wondered if we would do this closer to home? A good friend once told me the story of running out of petrol and being given a full can of petrol by a stranger, whose only request was “refill the can, keep it in your boot and pass it on to someone else.” feedback@thepunch.com.au (Antony McMullen) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/charter-for-compassion-lets-pass-the-can-around/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/charter-for-compassion-lets-pass-the-can-around/#item1719 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:00:12 +0000 I am about to go on holiday… scrub that. Start again. Myself and a group of my well-remunerated stockbroker buddies are about to undertake a gruelling 800km ride from Adelaide to Melbourne. 20 years ago we would have gone on a golf trip, sucked piss for five days and told off-colour jokes. The times they are a-changing hey? What’s also new… well not so new now, is that my holiday is now an opportunity for you to lighten your wallet.