Ben and Steve

Did you hear that? That was the sound of another cheap Hollywood facade shattering into a million pieces, as Whitney Houston was reported dead in a bathtub. You can expect two things now, one good, one bad: Houston’s estate will get a Michael Jackson-like posthumous cash injection, as I Wi..

A few weeks in, and Steve has discovered there’s a health professional for every step of the way... THE pack has been unleashed. It’s my own doing of course. Since I hopped on board the Bendigo Weekly Better Health Club it’s been nothing but questions and proddings from the ..

Ben calls out on grunting and noise as tennis takes front row in the sports arena You can’t fault it, the tennis has captured the imagination of the Australian public this summer like never before. Usually the tennis is a curious distraction from the cricket, but with the Indians mi..

LAST week the Weekly kicked off the Better Health Club, in a bid to teach the folk of Bendigo a healthier outlook. By chance I was booked into a mega session with Mrs Doctor. I don’t know how the poor woman puts up with me, bad jokes and evading answers. It’s like a day in..

As we drag ourselves into 2012, Steve seems to think some are taking advantage of the season of goodwill when it comes to days off GOODNESS me, what a tough time of year this is. Not so bad if you are off on your holidays with the boat or caravan, but if for reasons of your job you w..

This year Steve took some culinary advice from the TV royalty of cooking. Out with Nigella and Jamie and welcome to centre stage Gordon PHEW, that’s all over for another year. I did take the easy route over Christmas though, internet Christmas cards, phone calls to family. No stick..

Like children at Christmas, adults tend to go a bit loopy on New Year’s Eve. Like the promise of a new cricket bat under the tree on Christmas morning, there’s the smell of new beginnings in the air after the clock strikes 12. For whatever reason, NYE makes a lot of usually level..

I KNEW the Christmas party was going to be good. As soon as I arrived last Saturday a woman asked me my name. Very insistent she was. I told her, but when she asked me my name immediately afterwards I knew she had been partying a while. She had the look. Next I bumped into Lyndal. “Loo..

When is the right time to laugh at a situation? Are the rules set in stone, or is it a matter of judgement? How soon is too soon? And who says so? We’ve all been guilty of an inappropriate or insensitive comment at a party, usually when somebody within earshot suffers from baldness, ..

Last Friday was big. The Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch and White Ribbon Day were both spreading the word. IT happens in films and comedy skits, and it’s finally happened to me. I was at the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch last Friday and was taken up in the excitement of it all. A few drinks..

This weekend’s festival is an example of what can be done if you aim for the stars Always plan big. And why not? If you’re going to the effort of dreaming up elaborate schemes, you may as well make ‘em big ‘uns. In life we’re always planning, whether it&rsquo..

I DREW some adverse comment last year when I dared to attack the “scarfia” of Bendigo whose only focus seems to be the expansion of the arts. Of course the only attacks came from those with a vested interest in keeping the certain few in even bigger galleries and more extravagant shows..

There is nothing like a bit of close-proximity annoyance to bring out the worst in some INTOLERANCE. Big word to start with this week. I think I’m guilty of it on many levels, mostly aimed at drivers around town. However, I came to really dislike a fel..

The movies provide the best kind of heroes, but in the real world, we’re sadly lacking Attention world leaders: we might all be sheep to you, but watch out, we bite. True leadership is an inspiring thing, which comes in all shapes and sizes. Let’s face it, mo..

On an unfamiliar road, in an unfamiliar car, Steve finds the perfect travelling companion. I AM travelling in England, and I have a secret to share. I have a new partner. Come rain or shine, wind and hail, I have Pippa by my side. Though I know the country quite well, Pippa knows every ..

Whatcha-got? All of us love to upgrade, trade up and improve at some point in our lives, whether it’s our faces, cars or conversation skills. So much so, divorce is no longer taboo like it was in the good old days and self empowerment companies are sucking in pe..

IT doesn’t happen often, but I was star-struck on Sunday. I have openly ridiculed the fascination some people have with stars of AFL, fawning around them as if they were gods rather than sportsmen, but I think I can understand the feeling now. There I was tuckin..

It seems the path to the dream home has many hurdles to cross, with descriptions ranging from the optimistic to downright invention. IN popularity surveys of those most trusted, journalists are pretty much near the bottom of the pile. They alternate with the real estate agents and ..

We all love to feel special, and an important title certainly helps. While nobody wants to be pigeon-holed (unless it’s “good luck charm”, “life of the party” or “chick magnet”) most are happy to have a highfalutin’, more-important-sounding-than-it-a..

A couple of horses, a few cats and two lambs, but to me it’s a mess of a menagerie IT is now official.I I’m animal crackers. Gone are the peaceful sleep-ins and nights of sleep. Last week I told the tale of the loss of Harry the tabby cat, and recently I covered the saga of th..