2021-12-05 05:30
Square Pegs posts can now be found at D.A.CAIRNS AUTHOR.Quite a long time ago, Blogger changed their interface, (or whatever you call it - sorry for my non technical knowledge/awareness), an… Read More
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.square Pegs Blog
dacairns.blogspot.com
A personal blog by Australian author DA Cairns featuring bite sized articles on a range of topics plus links to his novels and other published works.
2021-11-15 01:42
The name of one of Shakespeare's plays. Much Ado About Nothing, entered the vernacular as an expression meaning to make a big deal about something which is either untrue or not such a big de… Read More
2021-11-07 01:47
In the 21st century, everything is apparently of interest to someone and the evidence of this can be found on social media and in reality television. Since the early noughties, reality telev… Read More
2021-11-01 05:31
Informally, we might use the word 'yuk' to describe such food which we don't like. We don't though. 'yuk' or 'yukky' tend to be used by children as adults have developed more sophisticated w… Read More
2021-10-25 01:19
Once upon a time I bought a house and the purchase of that house necessitated many other purchases. A great number of those purchases related to home maintenance which is not a thing when yo… Read More
2021-10-16 05:45
In 1970 Victoria became the first state in the western world to introduce laws making the use of seatbelt in cars compulsory. within year and a half the other Australian states followed suit… Read More
2021-10-12 23:37
Without wishing to downplay the stress involved in what happened, this is not a heartwarming, emotional post. It's a post about shifting: changing situations, attitudes, jobs, and addresses… Read More
2021-09-26 04:02
Cinderella is an old story which has been retold and reimagined in various ways, hundreds of times, most notably in movies. Last night we watched the latest adaption of this very well known… Read More
2021-09-19 01:49
My wife insists on washing all fresh food, including pre packed meat before she eats it, or uses it to cook. Even after washing, she is suspicious of skin and will peel it off: even grapes… Read More
2021-09-11 23:00
As I write this, things have been quiet on both platforms. I haven't got a new client on Freelancer for months, nor done any work for existing clients since a disagreement over what I consid… Read More
2021-09-05 02:38
Starting a new business is not easy, especially when you're not a business oriented person. For me the 'business' of writing is nowhere near as fun as actual writing. It has its moments of c… Read More
2021-08-29 01:40
I stepped off the edge, but I didn't fall. Was it a miracle? Was it luck? Was it, in fact what I had suspected all along? That if I surrendered my right to financial security based on w… Read More
2021-08-22 00:29
Right off the bat, I have to say I am not a fan of the expression 'filthy rich' because it suggests that riches are dirty. That being rich is a bad thing. Wealth is a tool, and tools can be… Read More
2021-08-14 02:16
Three hundred years ago, Jonathan Swift wrote a fantasy novel which his protagonist called a travel diary. He visited five fantastic lands during his travels, describing them in excruciating… Read More
2021-07-24 02:23
With apologies to Dominos, whose pizzas I enjoy periodically, I present the histories of vegetarianism, pizza and vegetarian pizzas. I will then explain how all three are intricately connect… Read More
2021-07-11 04:08
Some time in everyone's life - multiple times throughout life in fact - difficult choices will present themselves. There are moments when decisions have to be made, important, pivotal points… Read More
2021-06-29 07:57
The day had not gone at all according to plan, and as I sat in the taxi, I was contemplating how unfair it all was. For a fraction of the cost, I should have been riding a bus. My intention… Read More
2021-05-18 00:39
It's truly surprising how busy you can get when you lose your job. Nearly six weeks ago now, my position at work was made redundant due to restructuring, and my employment was terminated; ef… Read More
2021-04-24 23:44
I need to confess, right off the bat, that I only used the word 'bomb' to grab your attention. Although I do have experience with letterbox bombs during my wayward and rebellious teenage yea… Read More
2021-04-10 01:36
You've probably heard the expression 'gone the way of all flesh' meaning that someone has died. However, you may not know that this expression comes from the Old Testament. Check out Joshua… Read More
2021-02-18 21:23
I’ve been a fan of Neighbours since it first came on our screens back in 1985. When I say fan, it isn’t my favourite show, not by a long shot and I haven’t seen every episo… Read More
2021-01-30 23:45
It's advertised as a family home, but I'm struck by a thought as I reach the end of the hallway which extends from the front door to the back of the house. I've walked past four small bedroo… Read More
2021-01-16 05:35
When it comes to snake oil, it goes without saying that 'wariness' should be our collective middle name. Advertising bombards us with disingenuously seductive messages, and although we are n… Read More
2020-12-31 00:42
Leaving aside the eternal debate about whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not (it is in my opinion), most people have a favourite. Christmas movies, in my opinion, are not only those a… Read More
2020-12-24 01:13
I didn't read The Barefoot Investor from cover to cover, but I still reviewed it and I'll explain why. I didn't read it all because not all of it is relevant to me at the moment. I gave… Read More
2020-12-13 07:00
My sixth novel was unleashed on the world last week. Scorpion's Breath joins shelf mates, Devolution, Loathe Your Neighbor, Ashmore Grief, A Muddy Red River&nbs&hell…Read More
2020-11-28 04:11
I've appeared in courts of law four times in my life...so far. Each time I was in a different role, and at a different stage of my life. Only my most recent experience was without considerab… Read More
2020-11-22 05:29
I'm almost always behind the times with respect to fashion. Whether it be clothing, technology, music or whatever, I'm not an early adopter. I've even been known to deliberately avoid… Read More
2020-11-08 08:34
Based on outgoing US President Donald Trump's strong anti China stance, my wife was hoping he would win another term in the White House. She's from Vietnam, whose government is essentially a… Read More
2020-11-01 08:13
"As Mark settled himself at a table inside Peewee’s at the Point, he gazed out through the window across Fannie Bay to Darwin city. He sighed with contentment as he soaked up the exclu… Read More
2020-10-18 06:26
What makes a good book review? Do you read reviews before you buy or read a particular book? Or do you read some reviews when you've finished reading the book? Maybe a little of both. Do boo… Read More
2020-10-10 02:30
Back in 1984, my 15 year old friends and I went to see a film which legally we weren't supposed to be able to see. I was able to buy alcohol as well around that time thanks to looking… Read More
2020-09-29 01:57
It's not even a word, you know. Centimetering. And to make it a word, I have to use the US spelling of metre which is meter, otherwise it reads as metring. This doesn't seem important. In fa… Read More
2020-09-12 06:51
Here's a quote from someone who I directed to check out one of my books: "I just read the blurb and it filled me with indifference."Here's a quote from me after discovering a movie which I t… Read More
2020-08-29 09:05
There are some people who seek truth and some people who just seek. I want to examine this profound quote of mine by writing about two men from completely different worlds. One is livi… Read More
2020-08-16 05:59
L plates are squares of magnetic vinyl or plastic which are put on cars and other motor vehicles to indicate the driver of that vehicle is learning to drive. It is a legal requirement for th… Read More
2020-08-09 11:22
I believed two lies which informed my life practice for decades, underpinning every decision I made. I learned these things indirectly, by observation and experience, and in the case of one… Read More
2020-08-02 04:42
Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse is an interesting spin on the the very popular Marvel superhero story. It explores the idea of parallel universes, each of which has its own Spiderman. The he… Read More
2020-07-19 03:01
Ironically, I was talking about books with too many unknown words being hard to read and therefore not being read. In other words, some readers pick them up because they're interested in the… Read More
2020-07-11 07:07
Have you ever looked in the mirror and been forced to shake your head at what you see? Have you ever seen a photo of yourself which you would describe at best as unflattering or at worst hor… Read More
2020-06-28 00:17
Jack Johnson sat on a beach (presumably), strummed his guitar, while singing Good People and asking where they'd all gone. In Terry Pratchett's Guards! Guards! the Patrician, speaking t… Read More
2020-06-21 05:12
On a recent edition of the hugely successfully, internationally syndicated radio show, Over the Fence with Trev and Dave, I had to fly solo, so I chose to honour my missing radio partn… Read More
2020-06-14 00:12
Great movies sometimes appear from nowhere. You never hear anything about them before they are released, when they are released or after they are released...nothing; until you notice it amon… Read More
2020-06-08 00:39
Social media trends come and go in whirlwinds of popularity bandwagons. Somebody films themselves doing something, calls it a challenge, attaches the deed to a cause and posts it on one or m… Read More
2020-05-24 08:55
I imagine it came with a book which was gifted to me; most likely from my mum. She often buys interesting books for me and they occasionally come with a bookmark from the store where th… Read More
2020-05-17 05:38
Today we were back in the House; God's House. For the first time in six weeks we were able to meet together at church for a gathering which perhaps some of us had begun to take for granted p… Read More
2020-05-03 00:08
Saturday night in our home is family movie night. We take turns selecting a film, which we agreed beforehand we would either like, love or hate without criticizing the person who chose it. F… Read More
2020-04-19 01:04
There's a particular way people move around the kitchen so as to avoid bumping into each other, thus averting spillages and other accidents, and generally respecting people's space… Read More
2020-04-12 08:10
Food is purchased from the supermarket, brought home and stored in the fridge and the pantry. At the appropriate time that food is consumed, and will need to be replaced, if it's a staple or… Read More
2020-04-04 07:17
It's funny you know. I didn't plan to write at all about the only thing people want to talk about. (Even if the main topic is not COVID-19, the subtext often is.) I guess the rebel in me, th… Read More
2020-03-28 23:30
Most of us are trying to look for sunshine amid the gloom of the worst pandemic in our lifetimes. We're adjusting our behaviour in response to advice and regulation. Flexibility is the key b… Read More
2020-03-20 23:21
Sheep are very social animals which like hanging out together and among which there is very little dominance or aggression. They run from danger (sensible) and stick together in a large tigh… Read More
2020-03-01 05:04
Speaking from within her apartment in Wuhan, a woman said she feels like it is the end of the world. She is in quarantine in a city which is the epicentre of the COVID-19 (corona virus). A c… Read More
2020-02-22 07:32
The oft fought battle between governments and individuals under their authority is usually referred to as a contest between David and Goliath. Everyone is familiar with the story of the brav… Read More
2020-02-08 01:48
Early in the 19th century, Johann David Wyss wrote The Swiss Family Robinson; a novel about a Swiss family of immigrants whose ship, en route to Port Jackson, Australia, goes off course and… Read More
2020-02-01 06:47
Google 'quotes about power' and there is one which is sure to appear on every list. Attributed to the nineteenth century Catholic historian, politician and writer, Lord Acton, it is often no… Read More
2020-01-26 07:38
Facebook posts ads on our walls based on our previous searches, likes and other interactions. I get a lot of advertising for flights and holidays because I've traveled quite a lot over… Read More
2020-01-19 00:12
Many of our students are refugees who suffer what is known as complex trauma which is a result of long term experience of traumatic events, including torture and other acts of violence again… Read More
2020-01-11 05:59
Most people are familiar with the concept of seasons in life, but these are really more aptly called stages. And stages have within them seasons. Periods of time. Happy days where every… Read More
2019-12-01 05:18
A special price used to be...a special price. A once a year sale used to be...a once a year sale. Back in the day a product could outsell competitors on the strength of a good advertising ca… Read More
2019-11-16 07:06
I sometimes wonder if people understand the cyclical nature of life. I don't mean birth, marriage, life and death. I'm not talking about the cycle of life because with minor variations here… Read More
2019-11-09 07:40
Every second Thursday, my friends and I get together for dinner. We call it Connect and Chill. On the alternate Thursdays, we meet to study the bible and to pray. These nights are called Con… Read More
2019-11-02 08:11
There are 56000 charities on the ACNC Charity register in Australia. They are all competing for our money. If you'd like to know more about charities and not for profit companies in Australi… Read More
2019-10-27 09:20
I don't know how many times I've seen the film Armageddon or, until last night, the most recent time I saw it, but I really enjoyed watching it again. For those who don't know it, the b… Read More
2019-10-19 04:28
Advertisers push boundaries, deliberately creating ads which will cause controversy because controversy sells. Sex is also a great seller so if you combine the two you, ladies and gentlemen… Read More
2019-10-12 05:31
It's a thing of the past now, but I once had a blog called 'I Don't Cook' which had a huge following in Poland. For all but 9 months (that's interesting) of my 3 year and 2 month long Darwin… Read More
2019-10-06 04:53
Gyms are like different countries which many people choose never to visit. However, I have a passport and a permanent visa so I'm a regular visitor. I almost belong to the gym sub-culture. I… Read More
2019-09-29 04:05
You once made a poor choice which had long lasting and widespread consequences for you and those you love. Let's be honest, most of us have done this multiple times. You have the m… Read More
2019-09-21 00:39
Snake Oil posts are typically reserved for comments on advertising. I could write about the controversial Libra television ads showing menstrual blood, but I want to stretch the Snake Oil mi… Read More
2019-09-14 23:31
It happened one morning as I was walking home along a damp footpath mostly covered by the unfortunate leaves and twigs which had been ripped from their arboreal homes by the power of re… Read More
2019-07-06 07:14
I wonder if anyone believes that education solves all problems. Education solves problems, education provides opportunities, education is a worthy and useful pursuit, but it is not a panacea… Read More
2019-06-30 04:58
The license plate reads "liontmr". I quickly fill in the missing vowels, then begin to wonder. Those are two things I do compulsively; read and ponder. (I have considered, for example, why t… Read More
2019-05-25 02:53
At different times in most people's lives there are periods of necessary financial constraint. Sometimes it's a choice in order to save for a big want, like a house for example. Other times… Read More
2019-05-18 04:40
Time travel stories, with narratives driven by the need to explore "what if?" scenarios are fascinating. Typically, some error in the past has caused a problem in the future, so with the pos… Read More
2019-05-04 06:05
Is James Faulkner gay or not? Apparently this is a major issue. His social media post saying he was out with his mum and boyfriend, and his subsequent backflip to clarify the other man was h… Read More
2019-04-20 07:34
I develop an itch and a wild tic when the frequently abused adverb "ever" is tacked on to any statement (or question for that matter). I have a condition called HSD (Hyperbole Sensitivity Di… Read More
2019-04-13 07:39
Israel Folau has been sacked because he is anti gay...not because he is anti adultery (adultery is okay, right?), nor anti liars (because lying is acceptable as well) or because he is anti d… Read More
2019-04-06 09:10
Everyone strikes some sort of trouble at one time or another in their life. Even those who don't court disaster, sometimes find themselves buffeted and shaken by misfortune. Those who do lik… Read More
2019-03-23 02:51
I was beginning to think I had this all wrong until I Googled the ad I'm going to talk about, and discovered it was the subject of an official complaint to the Advertising Standards Bur… Read More
2019-03-16 03:53
Anarchists feel that rules are like prison bars, so do rebellious teenagers. There is something of the rebel in all of us: it's human nature. However, most of us learn to accept rules and ac… Read More
2019-03-09 00:30
This post could have been a Snake Oil post, but it didn't quite fit. Having not written a Snake Oil post for some time, I wanted to, but if it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. You can't put a sq… Read More
2019-03-01 22:37
Australia's highest ranking Roman Catholic, Cardinal George Pell has been convicted of historical sex crimes against children and is now in prison. Pell is appealing the verdict and mai… Read More
2019-02-23 01:58
I love Star Trek. I've spent the last number of months (can't remember how many-maybe more than a year) working my way through nine seasons of Voyager and then seven seasons of Deep Spa… Read More
2019-02-02 00:42
I find myself of late, for a couple of months now actually, without anything much to say. Time has not been the issue. Desire has. In terms of my writing, I have felt uninspired.Thankfully… Read More
2018-12-31 07:05
Six hours and fifty five minutes remain of 2018 as I write this. Time for a bit of reflection: my year in a nutshell, with healthy doses of gratitude.This time last year, I had just arrived… Read More
2018-12-15 00:17
Twenty nine years ago I shared a room with a bloke named Taz. The room was one of three in a house full of young Christian men from around the world. Taz and I hit upon a way of encouraging… Read More
2018-11-18 05:42
Using the broadest definition of the word, a condiment is a substance, sauce or herb, (I'm going to include spreads as well) added to food to enhance its flavour. There is an unbelievable nu… Read More
2018-11-10 00:49
Every now and then the elephant driver would appear to get a little frustrated with the beast beneath him. He was sitting on the elephant's neck, one leg on each side with his knees cocked b… Read More
2018-11-04 07:48
My experience of Vietnamese people, both in Australia and in Vietnam, is that they are extraordinarily hospitable. As it is across Asia, it's all about the food. There's always a fine select… Read More
2018-10-28 07:11
Towards the end of our Cu Chi (pronounced goo jee) Tunnel tour, as we headed back to the bus, I stopped to sign the visitor's book. Bich had pointed it out and asked me if I wanted to w… Read More
2018-10-06 00:49
The film Like Father, which stars Kelsey Grammar as Harry and Kristen Bell as Rachel, is a reconciliation story, and that's primarily why I loved it. There is so much brokenness in this… Read More
2018-09-15 07:26
"Because you have seen me, you believe: blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."In the immediate aftermath of the disappearance of Jesus Christ's corpse which had bee… Read More
2018-09-08 00:07
Shout out to the evening class ELICOS* students at another college, whom I had the pleasure of teaching this week while filling in for their regular teacher. I don't know how long I could ha… Read More
2018-08-11 01:48
It's easy to be good to your friends, and by being good to them, it's easy for them to reciprocate.Strangers are a slightly more difficult proposition, because although a bare minimum of cou… Read More
2018-08-03 23:57
Bill and Fred have different opinions of George: one good, the other bad. Which is true? The Bible says that George is a bad man, but no worse than Bill or Fred. The truth is, compared to Go… Read More
2018-07-28 02:09
Death seems to make saints of so many sinners. When somebody dies, there is very rarely a bad word spoken about them because it is generally accepted that one should not speak ill of th… Read More
2018-07-07 02:32
My Nana died on June 11 aged 96. Last Wednesday, July 4, the funeral was held at Woronora Cemetery, followed by a wake at The Bridge restaurant on Woronora River. The funeral was delayed to… Read More
2018-06-23 03:24
A video came up in my news feed on Facebook this morning of a guy reviewing some spectacular football 'dives'. Overlooking the liberal use of expletives, it was quite funny so I shared it. I… Read More
2018-06-20 10:43
Fortunately I had a caring tablemate- two of them in fact- who served me by doing the hard yakka of cracking the crab shells and extracting what little meat was contained therein. Had I been… Read More
2018-06-02 02:29
It's a familiar story, even if you are not a Bible reader or believer. When people want to commend men on their strength they'll often call them Samson. The name of this Biblical judge who l… Read More
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