P.S. Think about it

Ladybirds! Every child loves the sight of ladybirds (also called ladybugs or lady beetles), they're such charming little bugs and they're so sweet and unassuming, they're one of the best bugs to show to your kids as a teaching tool about insects because they're very gentle, usually quite slow, they've got vibrant colours and they don't (usually) bite!! Amazing!! In Australia we have a many varieties of ladybirds - about 500 species in fact ; just like we have hundreds of species of native bees !! They are helpful in your garden for two MASSIVE reasons: 1. They're one of our native pollinators and play a very important role in the ecosystem  Vital pollinators! won't do much good on a blanket though! 2. They (and all stages of their larvae) eat aphids! Which helps keep their numbers down naturally in your garden Ladybug larvae look HARDCORE!! Check it out!! ^ Aphids and mealybugs can cause a lot of damage in the garden, but t...

I am continually astonished by the way I see people treat others, particularly those in service-type roles. Bus drivers, mail deliverers, kiosk workers, retail attendees, janitors, airline flight attendants and supermarket check out assistants are among the biggest targets for rude behaviour and this has to change. I used to commute to work by taking a train and then taking a bus service; It is a very popular bus (I worked at a university) and there were always lines of people standing - bored, untalking, unmoving, at the train station bus stop waiting for the bus to the university and, of course, there were always lines of people at the university waiting for the bus going back to the train. Day after day I commuted with dozens of passengers and day after day I watched most of them get on the bus without making eye contact or acknowledging the driver, and at the end of the trip they got off silently, as if the bus was merely an inconvenience, an obstacle in their schedule an...

Cancer. It's a horrible word, and a horrible concept linked to so much fear, uncertainty, heartbreak and loss.  Cancer is most likely the scariest bodily illness we face in modern western society, it scares us so much because it comes from within us, can strike anybody and can be so totally overpowering and have shocking ramifications on our lives. It is also notoriously difficult to treat, control and recover from and leads to a huge amount of mortality, morbidity and disability each year here in Australia.  Cancer is a dirty word  and rightly so. The methods we do have to control cancer are extraordinarily uncomfortable and difficult to cope with. We are all quick to join our friends and family and make it clear that we are against cancer and we want to help bring an end to it. Cancer-related charities are among the most popular that we raise money for here in Australia, which is fantastic! I myself shaved my hair off to raise money for a Cancer foundation in...