Tuesday, May 21st, 2013

Ben O'Shea

Why are Australian Olympians a protected species?

Face the facts, Australia; after years of punching above our weight at the Olympics we’re on the cusp of being knocked to the canvas at the London Games.If you needed any proof that our Olympic campaign is in tatters before we even reach the halfway...
August 3, 12:27 pm
Tweet for your country this Olympics

Even before an athlete jumps, throws or lifts anything, the London Games has already been widely dubbed the “first social media Olympics”.Now, this isn’t because a race to tweet 140 characters has been added as a demonstration sport, but rather an i...
July 26, 12:22 pm
Now Shire-ing

I can’t tell you how excited I was to see a show called The Shire pop up in the TV guide this week. Motivated by an abject fear of accidentally tuning into a second episode of Being Lara Bingle, a blanket ban of Network Ten programming meant I knew ...
July 19, 2:07 pm
I land in the stream

From time to time, a journalist will face an ethical dilemma; a standard of personal or professional morality they must measure themselves against.In the case of radio broadcaster John Laws and the infamous “cash for comment” scandal of 1999, Laws w...
July 12, 2:31 pm
Pour de France

We are half a dozen days into the Tour de France and, with a mere 15 more to go, there really isn’t any time to waste if you’re going to get on board.And why wouldn’t you? As well as being close to the ultimate test of willpower in all sports — a un...
July 5, 1:29 pm
Keeping up with the LHC

Forget the new season of Keeping up with the Kardashians, if you want real drama don’t miss the 36th International Conference on High Energy Physics at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre next week.However, when compared with all that Kar...
June 28, 2:00 pm
Not dead yet

When you work at a newspaper it gets a bit irksome to hear people predicting the demise of old media at the hands of the internet and social media.Take this week’s announcement that Fairfax was shedding 1900 jobs; can you hear the death knell of the...
June 21, 12:21 pm
All-star struck

Though the ratings are sinking faster than a souffle in a tap dancer’s kitchen, Network Ten and the production house behind MasterChef Australia are determined to wring every last drop from the franchise while they can.To this end, Ten has just anno...
June 14, 12:27 pm
Taking stock

You know that feeling of helplessness you get when you accidentally drop a $2 coin down that stupid gap between the driver’s seat and the handbrake? Well, spare a thought for the brokers who watched more than $20 billion disappear as the Australian ...
June 8, 10:50 am
Quay performance indicators for WA

Let’s not beat around the bush, Premier Colin Barnett’s decision to name the $440 million Perth Waterfront Elizabeth Quay, in honour of Her Majesty’s diamond jubilee, is about as lame as it gets.It’s bad enough we all got down on bended knee for the...
May 31, 2:30 pm
Spam filter

From: William DouglasSent: Wednesday, 16 May 2012 7:35 PMTo: Ben O’SheaSubject: Attention: Ben O’Shea, Please contact meAttention: Ben O’Shea,I’m Mr William Douglas, Attorney to the Supreme Court of Judicature of England and Wales. One of my clients...
May 24, 12:32 pm
Incorrectly political

Beyond its ability to make us laugh, cleverly nuanced comedy has the power to spark debate and reveal poignant truths. And then there’s the work of Sacha Baron Cohen.Words such as “nuanced” are replaced by words like “man-kini” in the Baron Cohen le...
May 17, 12:58 pm
Inconvenient truths

In case you missed the scoop, media reports emerged last week of alleged impropriety at the annual UWA Student Guild O-camp, an event held near Dwellingup each February.Purportedly designed to introduce first-year students to uni life, activities al...
May 10, 11:31 am
Note to self…

Stop lying to yourself. You might think you’re all about helping your fellow man and doing right by the environment but chances are it is self-interest that really motivates you.We see this at every election when such community issues as education, ...
May 3, 2:55 pm
What a Marvel

It’s not often you get propositioned by Disney but that’s what happened to me the other week.Have a genuine Marvel artist sketch you with The Avenger of your choice and, in return, write a piece about the film, which is out now.Forget John Laws’ cas...
April 26, 12:56 pm
An open letter to Perth’s music industry

Whassup?! The industry has faced a lot of challenges over the years and Perth hasn’t been immune; from dwindling album sales to increased pressure on live music venues, times have been tough.But through it all, WA has emerged with a vibrant and prod...
April 19, 1:24 pm
Bad as it gets

Foxtel’s new reality series WAG Nation premieres next Wednesday and it would be a cop-out to say words can’t describe how mind-numbingly horrible it is.Fact is, there are words that can do the job, they just have to be heavily censored for publicati...
April 12, 2:34 pm
Attention seekers

Among the many things pinned on Gen-Y — including, but not limited to, poor work ethic, sense of entitlement and Justin Bieber — a short attention span is usually near the top of the list.Preceding generations are quick to lay the blame, and current...
March 29, 12:57 pm
Size matters

Though it sounds suspiciously like shit Perth people say, one of the most interesting developments over the past few years has been the rise of a small bar culture in this town.In their many guises - some good, some not so good - these bars are offe...
March 21, 9:00 pm
Serious situation

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has given the world a number of things since she rose to pop culture ubiquity as a cast member of MTV's Jersey Shore, and I don't just mean a new definition of meatball.She has taught a generation of girls that revealing your...
March 14, 9:00 pm

Most Viewed

Breaking

11:50 pm Imran Khan's party wins Karachi seat election rerun
6:56 pm Teacher charged with child sex offences
6:51 pm Friends struggle to cope with disappearance
6:05 pm Witness heard crack, saw unconscious man
3:15 pm Prison for paedophile in 'evil' sex ring
2:50 pm Chopper crash call a hoax
2:48 pm Drug row led to stabbing, court told
2:40 pm Brennan bounces back from blow
2:22 pm Two from WA Lotto winners
2:15 pm Inquest into plane, chopper collision

More Breaking News »

THE WEST NEWS HOME

ALSO ON THE WEST

'The West Australian' is a trademark of West Australian Newspapers Limited 2013.

All rights reserved.

The West News Preferences

Close

Select your state to see news for your area.