Vol 33 No 6

03 April 2023

AUSTRALIA

Take this: A story of pharmacy
- Michael McGirr
- 14 April 2023
5 Comments
What are the implications of widespread use of Metformin, Pembrolizumab, or Nivolumab, and what do they say about us? Featuring a humourless pharmacist and a thick wad of prescriptions, the story of our complicated relationship with pharmaceuticals is a meandering map of the human condition.
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CARTOON

Ins and outs
- Glen Le Lievre
- 13 April 2023
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Forgiveness and duty collide in Time
- Paul Mitchell
- 13 April 2023
Prisons are settings to which TV and film writers return regularly. It’s because ‘the joint’ gives them an environment in which they can enact the dramatic principle of the crucible easily: tension between duelling inmate protagonists and antagonists is heightened quickly to boiling point because no one can simply walk away.
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RELIGION

Thereafter
- Bill Uren
- 13 April 2023
15 Comments
In a world where we are constantly faced with life's fragility, it's no wonder that we find ourselves wondering what lies beyond. Is it the bright promise of immortality, or the endless cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth? Or perhaps nothingness? When contemplating the 'thereafter,' what can we hope for?
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ARTS AND CULTURE

King of sand
- Damian Balassone
- 12 April 2023
Where the highway of man and the desert intersects there’s a dude on a cross with a crown of spinifex who’s dying in the stifling heat. A mulga lurks below his feet, then slides across the sand alone, condemned to rule a desert throne.
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AUSTRALIA

Lessons in disagreement
- Sam Kiss
- 12 April 2023
7 Comments
With the Let Women Speak rallies over gender identity sparking violence in Australia and New Zealand, there have been renewed calls for tolerance and respectful discussion. Drawing on examples of how religious disagreements have been managed in the past, there is hope for peaceful cooperation in the face of fundamental differences.
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ENVIRONMENT

The complicated path to saving the world
- Michael McVeigh
- 11 April 2023
The government’s Powering Australia Plan promises renewable energy and net-zero emissions by 2050. However, analysts warn that there is little change in the economic and bureaucratic structures that support the fossil fuel industry. Unless Australia finds a way to prosper sustainably, the country will continue to benefit from emissions while the rest of the world suffers.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Recipe for welcome
- Gillian Bouras
- 11 April 2023
6 Comments
Food has the power to evoke memories, connect people, and bridge cultural divides. In Australia, the diverse range of cultural influences enriching the culinary landscape stands as a testament to that sense of connection. In a time where the world feels increasingly divided, perhaps sharing a meal is just what we need.
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AUSTRALIA

Dutton's gamble against the Voice
- James Massola
- 05 April 2023
17 Comments
Peter Dutton confirmed the Liberal party will oppose to the Indigenous Voice to parliament, putting him at odds with a new prime minister, Indigenous leaders, and community sentiment. With the Aston byelection defeat, concerns have arisen over the party's direction and the narrowing path back to the Lodge.
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ARTS AND CULTURE

Egg hunt mayhem: A plea
- Juliette Hughes
- 05 April 2023
2 Comments
From chocolate-covered canines to sugar-rush-induced meltdowns, some Easter egg hunts don't quite go as planned. But with the promise to pay for damages and a reminder to all parents that sharing is caring, we can't help but wonder, was it all worth it?
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RELIGION

From dust to life
- Simon Smart
- 04 April 2023
3 Comments
In a culture that shies away from ageing and death, the annual ritual of Ash Wednesday is a sobering reminder of our vulnerability and mortality. However, it also invites us to reflect on our failures and fallibility, and to recognize that life is not all about us, but about how we relate to others and contribute to their betterment.
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AUSTRALIA

Chocolate's bitter truth
- David Halliday
- 03 April 2023
1 Comment
As consumers become more aware of the ethical issues surrounding chocolate production, the challenge lies in navigating the various certifications and information to make informed choices that support human rights.
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ECONOMICS

The debt crisis we all saw coming
- David James
- 03 April 2023
As the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and Credit Suisse poses a renewed threat to the global financial system, the question arises: how can we manage out-of-control debt? With global debt exceeding 230 per cent of GDP, could nationalising banks be the solution to the ongoing crisis, or will the debt merry-go-round continue to spin out of control?
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RELIGION

The unlikely hope of Easter
- Andrew Hamilton
- 03 April 2023
6 Comments
Easter is a story of unlikely victory, which underlies the hope that inspires Christians to link the Palm Sunday March to the plight of refugees and to walk with them. This hope acknowledges the power of evil in the world which drives people out of their country, yet it refuses to be intimidated by such evil or to allow it to pass unchallenged.
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Vol 33 No 6