Since the days of Alexander the Great, binge drinking has been a very popular past time - leading to him apparently killing a friend and burning down Persepolis while drunk.

Those are some Great shoes to fill.

Yet, governments, schools and the media have repeatedly tried to teach us of binge drinking's dangers. 

Dartmouth University has taken the lead, instigating a new nationwide policy to curb heavy drinking by their students.

Pour me another glass.

Binge drinking is defined as "the consumption of five or more drinks in a row by men — or four or more drinks in a row by women — at least once in the previous 2 weeks. Heavy binge drinking includes three or more such episodes in 2 weeks."

Seems I don't know anyone who isn't a heavy binge drinker.

Do you think this definition should be changed or should we change people's attitudes? Or should you follow HPD's no fools guide to drinking a lot but not dying?  . . read more

Poor Julia has had quite some issues of late. All that trouble with the Indian killings had given poor Julia a great headache. After all, her diplomatic skills are as pathetic as if Kevin Rudd were trying to grow a moustache.

All those denials, all that effort to avoid the situation, had really taken her out of her comfort zone.

But now, Julia felt right at home.

Yes! Now is my time to shine. Now is my time to show Australia that I can be a true leader!

"It's a scandal!” mouthed Julia "I think we want to see a lot of the Boxing Kangaroo, particularly now that we've had this ridiculous ruling. So, yes, boxing kangaroos everywhere.

" Phew, Julia thought to herself, and smiled happily. I’ve done it – saved a flag with a boxing kangaroo on it from persecution by the Olympic committee, for the honour and glory of my country.

For this is what an Australian leader does!

Pout for Australia!

Our country doesn’t elect ministers and cabinets to further Australia’s place in the world, to handle tense diplomatic negotiations with an overarching developing superpower, to strive to achieve the best for Australia and its inhabitants.

No sir! All Australian voters really want is a mascot with a large mike.

“And I’ll give it to them”, thought Julia “this is what I got into politics for”.

For what on Earth do people expect?

It’s as if they want her to answer the tough questions all the time. Come on everyone!

She’s just Julia!

Who do you think she is?

The Deputy Prime Minister?  . . read more

The story that Canadian teen pop idol Justin Bieber has caused mass hysteria in a planned concert in Australia, has been reported the world over.

While the premise of what happened sounds simple- pop star, hyperventilating teen girls, absent parents, mismanaged security- the truth is a lot more complex.

It has shown that although Gen-Y is meant to be diffused and inherently individual there are still times- like for teen girls in the '60s during Beatlemania- that one group screaming for one thing dominates and scares the shit out the rest of us. 

So although Bieber Fever might not have a cure, it's a pretty amazing phenomenon and shows symptoms that maybe young people can unite.   . . read more

Yet, as any cricket aficionado would tell you 175 is usually a paltry team score, and one that should be snapped up with ease by any decent Test team.

Of course on the pitch things can get a little more complicated. The desire, the pressure to win, the intimidation can get so extreme that what should be achieved with your eye's closed becomes an everest like struggle to battle your inner demons.

And there, in a nutshell, is the brilliance of cricket.

How many other games can go on for five days of slow-paced chess like tactics and concentration and then end with the complete capitulation of a supposedly solid side? 

Why is it that confidence/grace of God/luck can so dramatically desert a group of players in a matter of seconds and then allude them when they need it the most?

These are the questions that any cricket lover will have pondered over for years- the inexplicable facets of the human mind which at one point can seem so strong and seconds later so fickle.

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...Kevin Rudd, the guest of honour at the launch of ABC 3 was the victim of a security scare from an unnamed contracted cleaner.

The story gets stranger as the AFP, the cleaning company and the ABC itself all refused to comment on what had happened.

It might not be a fair comparison but this 'incident' did make me think of the media world's reaction to Tareq and Michaele Sahali's White House invasion last week.

The couple got scorned and ridiculed from all corners and the Secret Service was forced to make an embarrasing apology for this uncharacteristic slip up.

Here though, Rudd's 'dance with death' has only been run on the 7pm ABC news (it didn't even make it to ABC online) and it looks like that will be it from here on in.

There hasn't been any mention of what risk Rudd had been placed in or what will be done differently to avoid similar breaches.

Why the difference if both breaches were equally harmless?

In my mind it shows that the media knows that Rudd's security isn't exactly going set the water-cooler ablaze, and that Rudd himself probably realises that to talk about it or investigate it further would look weak to a country that still prides itself on its stiff upper lip.

Kind of comforting that in Australia, the politicians ain't too precious.

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Choose a member of the Royal Family as your partner, any close-up of your partner deserves a 1 x Drink cheers

1 x Drink for anytime the commentators say Britain/British with gusto

1 x Drink anytime you see a Kate and Will tea-towel 

1 x Drink for the naming and onscreen shots of any current or former Head of State

1 x Drink for any time the Charles Diana wedding is mentioned

1 x Drink for any tears, drink again if the person is a member of the Royal family, male or old. E.g Prince Charles = 4 drinks

1 x Drink for anytime Prince Charles looks awkward

Any time Prince Harry appears all players must produce a Nazi salute. The last player to do so must drink

1 x Drink for anytime the Queen purses her lips and looks as if a doctor is using some ice-cold implements on her nether regions

If Elton John is spotted the last person to shout "Candle in the Wind" must drink

Finish vessel and lower Union Jack if the Bride runs 

Finish your vessel if/when the Bride gets given away

Sink your vessel and sing "Rule Britannia" for the balcony kiss

The winner of the game is the last one singing "God Save The Queen" who actually means it.

Are you playing our drinking game? Are you feeling feverently British? Tell us and remember....Disqus!   . . read more

Australia has been declared an obese wasteland. People are getting fatter and our athletes have lost the knack to win. At one point the perception of Australians around the world was a group of lean, tanned, happy-go-lucky individuals always keen to try something different. 

Last night we lost the opening bledisloe match to a group of superior sportsmen. It has been years since an Australian has achieved serious success in tennis or golf. 

These issues, we are fatter and losing our sporting edge indicate a strong turn for the worse, our americanisation. Australians are laughing less at themselves and more at others.

Our politics is continuing in a trend of conformist stupidity, our health is diminishing and our sport has waned. Australia, it is time for all of us to pick up our game.   . . read more

As plastic cups appear in bars all over Sydney, and the vast majority yell a hurrah of triumph, I whimper a little sigh of worry.

994 glassing attacks were recorded in 2008, a 70% increase in ten years.

Bottles were being liberally halved, thrown and smashed into the heads of pub goers all over the city.

And now they're taking our glasses away?

We, as citizens of Australia, deserve our right to defend ourselves against glassers, with our own glass.

The next time someone comes into a bar with a beautiful crystal schooner glass he brought from the club up the road, and you produce a plastic piece of recycled hippie crap – think about this article.

And think about how you'll be able to defend your family with a plastic cup.

Remember your right to bear glass.

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