Happy Mardi Gras to the out and proud gay athletes and their supporters who marched and manned floats for their sports clubs and teams in the 2018 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. This year no less than nineteen clubs and sports associations took part in the parade that once protested the oppression of LGBTQI people but has now evolved into a celebration of strength, courage, … [Read more...]
Exercise and depression – new study
A landmark study led by King’s College London and the Black Dog Institute in Australia has revealed that regular exercise of any intensity can protect against depression - and just one hour can help. Published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the results show that even small amounts of exercise could prevent depression, with mental health benefits seen regardless … [Read more...]
Melbourne Cup and what it says about us
I heard Radio National philosopher Scott Stephens describe the Melbourne Cup festival as Bacchanalian. Hmm. Not sure that Bacchanalian works for me. I had always associated a feast of Bacchus with, yes, debauchery, but also hilarity, pleasure and the sating of very natural desires. A life-affirming thing. A Bacchanalian party, for me, would be one that inspires, rejuvenates and … [Read more...]
A-League goings on – “Bes” gets two weeks. Teenager gets “mandatory year. WTF?
The Besart Berisha suspension after last week’s A-League football game opens a huge can of worms, the way I see it. If Berisha gets a two-week suspension for pushing a match official in the A League, how come a seventeen-year-old girl gets a twelve-month suspension for unsporting conduct toward an official in a regional third division game. According to the soccer … [Read more...]
Men disrespecting women… again! And its not just AFL players.
The current scandal about the Richmond player who launched a picture of a topless female friend wearing his AFL Grand Final medal on social media, even after she requested for the image to be deleted, continues to bite. Peter Fitzsimons and fellow Channel 9 sports show host, Emma Freedman, went hard at each on the Sunday program after Freedman offered some “just don’t take your … [Read more...]