A strangely reflective, even melancholy day. Is that because, unlike our cousins in the northern hemisphere, Easter is not associated with the energy and vitality of spring but with the more subdued spirit of autumn.

The yearning for strong leadership is more about strength of purpose - clarity of vision - than about merely 'getting tough'.

Universal literacy was a 20th-century goal. Before then, reading and writing were skills largely confined to a small, highly educated class of professional people.

Actually, I can't imagine anything more tedious than a perfect person, especially if it was someone who also demanded perfection from me.

But the rule seems to be that the bigger and more life-changing the decision, the less it will seem like a decision at all.

Some researchers sensibly suggest that rather than worrying too much about which programs our children are watching, we should concentrate on trying to reduce the total amount of time they spend in front of the screen.

With increasing frequency and growing vehemence, you hear people saying they are ashamed to be Australians.