http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/reading/ 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 20:00:40 +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/whats-on-your-reading-list-for-prison/ Bradley Umar Sariff Baladjam, part-time actor, part-time bomb-maker is not happy at the prospect of serving longer than his current 14 year sentence, because the prison library is not up to scratch. Currently ensconced behind the walls of Goulburn’s Supermax prison, Baladjam told his barrister that not only were the prison library’s opening hours far too short, he finds their collection lacking, especially books on maths and Islamic art. He’s been forced to use his Year 9 textbook to pass the time. Now we can’t have that. Say what you will about Australian prisons and our rising rates of recidivism, but the last thing we want is bored prisoners. Who knows what else they’ll choose to get up to in there. Serving time for bad deeds is obviously necessary, but serving time without books is quite another altogether. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/whats-on-your-reading-list-for-prison/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/whats-on-your-reading-list-for-prison/#item8223 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/if-you-dont-read-books-you-shouldnt-be-writing-one/ What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/if-you-dont-read-books-you-shouldnt-be-writing-one/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/if-you-dont-read-books-you-shouldnt-be-writing-one/#item7996 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/reading-off-an-ipad-is-nothing-like-reading-a-book/ “Nearly half the population struggles without the literacy skills to meet the most basic demands of everyday life and work. Forty-six per cent of Australians can’t read newspapers, follow a recipe, make sense of timetables, or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle.” So begins the “why we exist” page of the National Year of Reading 2012 website. This staggering statistic suggests the literacy issue in Australia is so urgent that emoticons could one day become functional rather than fashionable. A friend recently asked me to translate a cover letter from Italian into English. The Gen Y jobseeker ended the formal letter to a prospective employer with a smiley. I couldn’t translate the smiley and didn’t charge her for it, though I felt guilty charging her at all given she didn’t get the job and the smiley soon became a frowny. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/reading-off-an-ipad-is-nothing-like-reading-a-book/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/reading-off-an-ipad-is-nothing-like-reading-a-book/#item7809 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-definitive-summer-reading-guide-for-our-pollies/ With Parliament over for the year and Christmas just around the corner, our politicians will be looking forward to a well-earned rest. So what will they be reading over the summer break? Usually they tell us they’re tucking into long, complex works by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky or biographies about obscure and impressive sounding military strategists from ancient Rome. Of course that’s rubbish. Luckily, someone in Kevin Rudd’s office has leaked the entire list of what our leaders will really be reading this summer. Some of the highlights are reproduced below. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-definitive-summer-reading-guide-for-our-pollies/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-definitive-summer-reading-guide-for-our-pollies/#item7371 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/publishers-and-book-sellers-have-sealed-their-own-fate/ Reading the news yesterday that the United States bookstore chain Border has gone into bankruptcy, I began to ask myself how long it could possibly be before a big Australian chain met the same fate. Unfortunately the wait wasn’t long. A press release came out that afternoon announcing that REDGroup, who control Borders Australia, Angus and Robertson and Whitcoulls in New Zealand, were being placed into administration. This will affect 260 stores. Really, it is a wonder this didn’t happen earlier given that Australian booksellers have been defying the laws of market theory that would have sent other businesses bust long ago. There are a few reasons why this was pretty inevitable. One involves parallel import laws and the other the internet, but the two are closely linked. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/publishers-and-book-sellers-have-sealed-their-own-fate/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/publishers-and-book-sellers-have-sealed-their-own-fate/#item5169 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-read-heads-best-of-2010/ I could lay some line on you about it being that time of year again when I go to the great effort of trawling through twelve months of this blog to painstakingly figure out the best items of 2010 so that if you missed them the first time around, you won’t now. But the simple fact is, like an ageing rocker with no new hits and a great back catalogue, releasing a “best of” compilation at Christmas is just too easy an opportunity to pass up.  Apparently I have more in common with Rod Stewart than just a penchant for blonde tips and women half my age. That was a joke people. The only thing I actually have in common with Rod Stewart is a disturbing tendency towards patterned jackets.  I present Rod as Exhibit A and myself in the Rod Stewart stylings as Exhibit B (above). penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-read-heads-best-of-2010/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-read-heads-best-of-2010/#item4614 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-the-most-arrogant-interview-ever/ I remember once going to Guantanamo Bay on assignment and reading “Lolita” on the military jet en route.  I didn’t think anything of it until I noticed a few people giving me sideways glances.  It made me wonder if it weren’t slightly inappropriate reading material for a public place.  Sort of like clipping your toenails at the dinner table. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-the-most-arrogant-interview-ever/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-the-most-arrogant-interview-ever/#item4509 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-dissenting-adults/ Is conflict an essential ingredient in a successful creative partnership? Two memoirs released during the past fortnight beggar the question.  Life, by the seemingly indestructible Rolling Stone Keith Richards, reveals greater animosity in his relationship with Mick Jagger than anyone imagined. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-dissenting-adults/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-dissenting-adults/#item4403 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hit-or-mitford-everybodys-doing-it/ I have a passion which many others might quietly share: I am in love with the Mitford girls. Such is my passion I have developed a parlour game which some players initially sneer at but soon become obsessed by. What sisters they were: Dowdy and heroic Jessica, ultra sophisticated Nancy, gloriously beautiful Diana, Unity the tragic Valkyrie, and Pamela who, in Decca’s (Jessica’s) phrase, emerged as ``a you-know-what-bian’’ living with an Italian woman. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hit-or-mitford-everybodys-doing-it/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/hit-or-mitford-everybodys-doing-it/#item4117 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-now-with-less-schadenfreude/ One of the things I’ve always loved about foreign languages is the way they throw up the perfect single word for a complex concept which takes many English words to explain.  Perhaps the most famous of these is the German word ‘schadenfreude’, meaning the delight we take in another person’s misfortune.  For Lateline, I recently read a book called ‘Tokyo Vice’  that included a number of fascinating Japanese examples.  My favourite was ‘doki’ which refers to a group of people who join a corporation at the same time; the sort of work family which whom you form a strangely unique bond which endures even after everybody moves on.  There were also a number of different words for the generic English word ‘sadness’.  ‘Setsunai’, according to author Jake Adelstein, is “a feeling of sadness and loneliness so powerful that is feels as if your chest is constricted, as if you can’t breathe; a sadness that is physical and tangible”.  Another word ‘yarusenai’ means a grief or loneliness of which you can’t rid yourself. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-now-with-less-schadenfreude/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/well-readhead-now-with-less-schadenfreude/#item4103 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:40 +0000 What’s the difference between Jon Hamm and Kyle Sandilands? Ha! Just kidding, nobody has that much time. Let’s make it easy and narrow it down to one central thing – reading. Jon Hamm loves reading. In an interview with Oprah several years ago he described it as “rewarding” “calming” and “edifying”. And in today’s News.com.au story he also claims to reject our culture of celebrating “stupidity” and “incuriousness”. Kyle Sandilands on the other hand, hasn’t read a book since he was about fourteen years old. Despite this he’s writing a book. The shock-jock told Sydney Confidential that he’s secured a deal to write an autobiography of his life that will be out before Christmas. Only problem is, he hasn’t actually started writing it yet.