Why it’s much more than “only rock ’n’ roll” — “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll” consists of three chords, a clapping beat and a pretty simple guitar lick. It’s the anthem for female rockers everywhere and taught me that women can rock just as hard as men. The classic rock song, performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, was inducted…

$10 isn’t much, but it is to me — Everyone’s been writing about why they’ve signed up to be a Friend of Medium. It kind of made me feel guilty because, while I also want to support other writers, I simply can’t afford the extra $10 a month. When I first heard new a friend tier was coming to…

Controversial quotes that may or may not please you — In the dark recesses of my phone, I keep a list of quotes that resonate with me. These quotes will give you a wee idea about how I think — what inspires me and what concerns me. You could think and be inspired quite differently. …

8 surefire ways to get your unofficial Aussie citizenship — Everybody loves Australians. Except New Zealanders. Regardless, we are a wonderful people — Miranda Kerr, Hugh Jackman, Elle MacPherson, the Hemsworths, Nicole Kidman, Nichola Scurry. You’re probably tired of being an American or a Brit so why not become an honourable Aussie? Take a break from broken healthcare, Brexit and…

Adventures in Lostwave music — Picture it: the Internet, 2007. A catchy new wave song is posted online without information about who wrote or performed it. Since that time, a community of amateur detectives, mostly on Reddit, have spent countless hours trying to identify the song. With little luck. It’s been 16 years, and we…

Andrew Jackson and his debt-free scream — As of November 6 2023, the US national debt is $33.7 trillion. I owe $100K on my mortgage and the interest is giving me the shits. Imagine the interest on $33.7 trillion. Yikes. It wasn’t always that way in the good old US of A. Why, back in 1835, the…

Discovering hidden masterpieces at a new Barcelona museum — In October this year, the Museu de l’Art Prohibit (Museum of Prohibited Art) opened in Barcelona. It’s the world’s first museum dedicated to art that’s been “censored, prohibited or denounced due to political, social or religious reasons”. As someone who’s both deeply concerned about censorship and loves art, I booked…

My analysis of top-grossing movies from 1929 to today — It’s no surprise these days that most popular movies are sequels, remakes or parts of some “universe”. As someone who’s not into Marvel or Disney and who thinks there’s no need to remake a good movie, there’s not much for me in the way of new Hollywood blockbusters. That’s cool…

Musings from a woman “of a certain age” on the October Partner Program Update — The words that caught my bright but myopic eye in Buster Benson’s October Partner Program Update were the following: “…it’s inevitable that certain types of writing will see earnings go up, while others will go down.” This certainly got me thinking. What certain types of writing? Am I writing certain…