Opinion

Jeff Corbett

Tomatoes or not

Posted: 09 Jul 10 | The tomato season is approaching fast and even with urgency since the poisoning last month of millions of seedlings in North Queensland is expected to leave the fruit scarce and expensive until Christmas. |

Comments (32)

Car insurance woes

Posted: 08 Jul 10 | I would not be comfortable about giving my identifying details to these ranting, arm-waving drivers, and a fellow I know in the insurance industry tells me that an increasing number of people are not giving ID to the other driver. |

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Memories of lollies

Posted: 07 Jul 10 | I remember buying Choo Choo Bars, packets of sherbet, fags that had a red tip and a filter colour at the other end, bull's eyes, bubble gum squares wrapped in paper, chewing gum in packs of four pillows, musk sticks ... |

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Overseas call centres

Posted: 06 Jul 10 | My contract for Telstra phone and broadband services was an agreement made with people and a company in Australia, and the fact is that I would have made no such agreement with people and a company in The Philippines or India. |

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Should junkies and alcoholics be sterilised?

Posted: 02 Jul 10 | It is hard to see how paying junkies and alcoholics to be sterilised can be regarded as anything less than wonderful, and so extending it to other people likely to produce distressed children would be extending the benefit. |

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Dysfunctional families

Posted: 01 Jul 10 | What can be done about seriously dysfunctional families? Many people would have Centrelink payments withdrawn, others want the children removed. But where to? |

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Bossy wives

Posted: 30 Jun 10 | It was eight years ago that my wife started becoming bossy, and at first I assumed it was because she'd started working with schoolteachers. Female schoolteachers. But I think it is more than that. |

Comments (53)

Thunderbolt conspiracy

Posted: 29 Jun 10 | It appears that the belief that Constable Alex Walker shot dead someone other than bushranger Captain Thunderbolt was born three days after the shooting at Uralla in May 1870, when at least two police constables recognised Frederick Wordsworth Ward at Glen Innes races. And it's growing still. |

Comments (26)

Newcastle drivers

Posted: 28 Jun 10 | Many Newcastle drivers don't seem to care that others have somewhere to go within a limited time. It is nothing more than inconsideration, and I see the most exasperating instance of this as driving below the speed limit. |

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A region's favourite places

Posted: 25 Jun 10 | We're not short of famous people, and their choices will carry weight around the world. Yours too will carry weight, right here on this blog! And so I'm asking you for your favourite Hunter places and activities. |

Comments (97)

Mental health prejudice

Posted: 24 Jun 10 | I cannot see why anyone should be a lesser person because they are of below-average intelligence or are mentally ill. And I can't explain why we seem to find a satisfaction in denigrating these people. Can you? |

Comments (25)

Children in squalor

Posted: 23 Jun 10 | Surely some will have phoned DOCS, or Community Services as it calls itself now. Remember Ebony? Did DOCS go to check? Was it fobbed off at the front door? I have seen too many DOCS failures to allow a name change to sweeten my cynicism. |

Comments (57)