Analysis
New Year
The stories that shone some light in the darkness of 2023
This was, in so many ways, a horrific year. Thank God for the Tillies.
- by Neil McMahon
Latest
Updated
Melbourne radio
After more than three decades on air, Neil Mitchell hangs up the headphones
A self-proclaimed observer of Melbourne, Neil Mitchell has been a ratings juggernaut for decades. Today was his last morning on 3AW. Just don’t call it a retirement.
- by Neil McMahon
I asked AI to conjure a recipe using fridge ingredients, and now I make it on repeat
Neil McMahon asks AI to come up with a recipe based on the contents of his crisper. The result is terrifyingly good.
- by Neil McMahon
Warnie, Roger, Novak or Boon: Which athlete is your extreme couch snacking spirit animal?
With the Ashes, Wimbledon and the Tour de France keeping many of us up to the wee hours, the big question is – what to eat and drink to stay awake?
- by Neil McMahon
Suck on this: Five classic lollies we must save at all costs (and five that can get in the bin)
The news that Fantales were being discontinued was met with sweet disbelief and raised big questions, like did anyone ever actually like banana lollies?
- by Neil McMahon
The snackmaker smackdown: The kitchen gadgets you need in your life (and the ones you can skip)
Baffled by the growing range of snackmaking appliances hitting the shelves? Neil McMahon hits the ON button and puts them through their paces.
- by Neil McMahon
Analysis
News & current affairs
What David Koch’s departure means for Australian TV’s breakfast wars
Now that David Koch has left Sunrise, who will fill his shoes? And will the show remain the heavy-hitter of breakfast television?
- by Neil McMahon
Opinion
Vegetarian
Bye-bye bacon: How I became an accidental vegetarian
What happens when you go from being a card-carrying carnivore to only eating vegetables? The good news is I haven’t had a dud meal yet.
- by Neil McMahon
Opinion
Moomba Festival
Is Moomba crap? Probably, but it’s a distinctively Melbourne kind of crap
Is it a corny dag-fest, a diorama of another age? Of course it is, and this is exactly why we should love it, even if we are inclined to find it a bit embarrassing.
- by Neil McMahon
We were in Xanadu: How a girl named Fleur gave Olivia her look
Fleur Thiemeyer’s friendship with Olivia Newton-John spanned half a century, and was the spark for a story that has never really been told.
- by Neil McMahon
Opinion
Australian Open
Mistakes? According to Djokovic, he’s made none
It’s January in Melbourne and you know what that means: behold Novak Djokovic, always the winner – but never, ever the sinner.
- by Neil McMahon