Archive | Weekend Magazine Columns

Teenagers and Party Drugs

By Ruth Ostrow on 28 October 2011 in All Posts, Weekend Magazine Columns

Agonising over ecstasy: What do we tell our kids about party drugs in the era of the backyard mix?

IT was a horrible story — every parent’s nightmare. A number of years ago the daughter of an acquaintance died. She was only 18 and had just finished her Higher School Certificate. She was a lovely, normal girl. It was her first trip abroad. She landed in Europe. And went to a club. Of course no one ever knows the details of these things, but her parents were rung in the middle of the night to say their daughter had died on the dance floor.

The autopsy showed ecstasy in her system. She’d been offered party drugs from what’s known in the industry as ‘‘a bad batch’’. The story, and those like it, are more prevalent than anyone could imagine.

Which brings to light a controversial issue. I’ve been battling with friends over my views regarding teenagers and drugs. Continue Reading →

Positive attitude

By Ruth Ostrow on 14 October 2011 in All Posts, Weekend Magazine Columns

To what extent does having a positive disposition change your Fate?

I SAW a local store owner, whom I shall call ‘‘Sam’’, in the street recently. His shop seems empty a lot of the time. I politely asked how he was going and was met with an angry tirade about how no one comes in any more because X down the road had stolen all his customers away by offering uncompetitive prices.

‘‘Customers! You customers expect this and that. Everyone wants a discount. I haven’t had a holiday in ages. My supplier has upped his costs; I have rent to pay; I have kids to feed,’’ he raved as I stood there blinking.

I remember the last time I went into his shop. The chewing gum I bought was stale. I brought it back to the counter. He looked at the use-by date and said: ‘‘There’s nothing wrong with it’’, and handed it back. Continue Reading →

Marrying the wrong person?

By Ruth Ostrow on 7 October 2011 in All Posts, Weekend Magazine Columns

30 per cent of women get married to the wrong person, knowingly

US social worker and writer Jennifer Gauvain in her Huffington Post column recently wrote that 30 per cent of women ‘‘dated and eventually married the wrong guy’’.

She sent a survey to divorced women, asking: ‘

‘Did you know you were making a mistake as you were walking down the aisle?’’

Within days their in-boxes were jammed as close to 1000 women gave detailed accounts about why they knowingly dated and eventually married the wrong guys. Continue Reading →

Animals shot in the wild

By Ruth Ostrow on 30 September 2011 in All Posts, Weekend Magazine Columns

Animals are instantly killed for attacking people in the wild, recently 3 bear cubs. It’s unjust.

THERE have been several incidents of animals attacking humans recently. Several shark attacks; two incidents involving bears — one a polar bear attacking a young camper, and another bear and her cubs in Russia eating a young woman; there have been a spate of dog attacks; and elephants and tigers on rampages in India.

After most incidents the animals were shot dead. Even the bear cubs were shot for doing what their mum showed them to do.

I went into a state of grief over the shooting of the cubs and again with the polar bear, rare and precious as they now are. It’s not that I don’t feel profound grief for the parents of the children killed. As a mother of a teenager, my horror at the death of a child is unquestioned.

But where’s the justice? When people kill, they are given a fair trial. The judge hears about mitigating circumstances before a death sentence is pronounced. So let me argue for the animals. Continue Reading →

Jack the Cat

By Ruth Ostrow on 23 September 2011 in All Posts, Uncategorized, Weekend Magazine Columns

Why do millions fight to find a cat lost by baggage handlers in USA yet do nothing for kids in Africa?

I’M very curious about the issue of Jack the cat, who went missing before a flight from New York to California in August, sparking a severe social network backlash against American Airlines.

The cat had been checked in as cargo but at some point he got out, and owner Karen Pascoe was told that the cat had been lost in the baggage claim area. At first the airline was rather nonchalant about poor old Jack. But when Karen’s sister posted a plea on Facebook, the story went viral.

The airline subsequently launched a frantic hunt and pulled out all stops in a bid to avoid a massive PR disaster as thousands upon thousands of people joined the Facebook site in support and protest, and became Jack followers on Twitter. There were reports of a cat detective being sent by the airline to find the feline, and of people voluntarily going to JFK to search. Continue Reading →

Noisy Neighbours

By Ruth Ostrow on 16 September 2011 in All Posts, Weekend Magazine Columns

I’d like suggestions on what we can do to help insensitive people desist from their selfishness?

I WAS woken last weekend by a screeching drill across the road. Fair enough if you want to do a bit of home reno but not on a Sunday morning at 7.30.

Due to acoustics, given the height and proximity of terraced houses in our street, even the quietest noise reverberates. A conversation across the road is audible, so it can be presumed the fellow understood the implications of pouring such an unsavoury cacophony into the street. I guess when you gotta drill, you gotta drill. Continue Reading →

Waste of money

By Ruth Ostrow on 15 September 2011 in All Posts, My Daily Raves, Weekend Magazine Columns

Julia! I don’t want my tax money to go to a stupid media inquiry. to muzzle criticism against YOU! Hundreds and millions of dollars!! Can anyone imagine how many starving kids in Africa that would feed or hospital beds here! We are fed up. Send our tax money to Africa or to the struggling health/ education system!

Please join me in my outrage

Click on the small comments icon in right hand corner

Coping with loss

By Ruth Ostrow on 9 September 2011 in All Posts, Weekend Magazine Columns

HOW do we cope with the untimely deaths of close friends? How do we find meaning in grief?

I was overwhelmed with this question recently when I found my old address book and realised that so many friends were no longer around. I was reminded of all the women and men I’ve loved who died so young, leaving young kids or bereaved parents behind: three of cancer, one of Motor Neuron disease, one of a heart attack, two in car accidents, one by suicide.

And I wondered how other people deal with the grief from all the losses we’ve suffered and the impending losses we know are yet to come? Continue Reading →

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