Is It Safe to Leave Chargers Plugged In?

Phil speaks with Glen Farivar, Lecturer in Power Electronics at the University of Melbourne, about whether it’s risky—or costly—to leave chargers for phones, laptops and other devices plugged in all the time.

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Phil speaks with Dr Sarah Austin, Senior Lecturer in Theatre, Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne, about a new theatrical production of The Birds, a vivid, thrilling and ghastly: new theatrical adaptation of The Birds which evokes climate disaster, terrorism and lockdown

Malthouse’s new production of The Birds is a thrillingly realised take on the 1952 short story by Daphne Du Maurier. Adapted by Louise Fox and directed by Matthew Lutton, this vivid realisation is a chilling treatise on fear and resilience in the face of an external threat.

Paula Arundell plays Tessa, a wife and mother whose family has recently undergone a seachange to a sleepy little coastal town. Tessa serves as both our narrator and key storyteller as the show unfolds, and Arundell embodies multiple other characters with precise vocal and physical shifts.

As the birds start to amass on the sleepy seaside hamlet, Tessa becomes increasingly concerned about their intentions.

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Phil chats again with UFO researcher and author Moira McGhee about the mystery of UFOs.

Moira has focused on documenting sightings and alien encounters in Australia, New Zealand, and the Western Pacific.

Her books include The Gosford Files, Contact Down Under, The Alien Gene (which explores covert alien infiltration), and more. Her books are available on Amazon, eBay, and independentnetuforesearchers.com.au.

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Phil catches up with Andrew McFarlane, a familiar face on Australian TV since his 1972 debut in Homicide and best known for his role in The Sullivans.

With a career spanning shows like The Flying Doctors, Water Rats, Neighbours, and Underbelly, Andrew is also a NIDA graduate and long-time Play School presenter. and a seasoned stage performer across Australia.

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Phil speaks with Leon Hams, a sheep farmer from Jamestown in South Australia’s Mid North, who was featured on Wednesday night’s episode of The Project.

Leon is facing the region’s worst drought in years, and with no viable solutions in sight, he and other farmers are being forced to make heartbreaking decisions.

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Phil is joined by Chris Murphy, Visiting Fellow in Economic Modelling at the Australian National University, who argues that the Federal Government’s proposed tax on superannuation earnings over $3 million—known as the Division 296 tax—needs a rethink.

Murphy says the current debate has become overly politicised, missing the core issues first outlined in the 2009 Henry Review.

That review identified three key problems with the super tax system: concessions favour high-income earners, the tax-free retirement phase is unsustainable as the population ages, and the system is too complex for most Australians to understand.

With $4.1 trillion now held in super, Murphy believes an updated version of the Henry Review’s recommendations would offer a fairer and more effective solution than the proposed tax.

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Chances are that at some point in your life you’ll be asked to deliver a eulogy, or to present a spoken tribute after the death of a loved friend or family member.

It seems at first that words will never be enough to express the essence of a human life.

But words in the form of a eulogy, delivered by someone with a personal connection, can do much to support a community and to provide a respectful tribute.

Given most of us fear public speaking and it’s an emotionally charged occasion, taking the time to think deeply about what you’ll say and how you’ll present those words, will ensure you’re as prepared as you can be.

Phil speaks with Communications Expert, Monica Lunin, who shares some tips on how to write and deliver a eulogy that helps.

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Phil O’Neil’s weekly talk with Leith Van Onselen, Chief Economist at the MB Fund & Co-founder of Macrobusiness, to dissect the politics behind Australia’s economy.

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