Smokin' Mirrors

The Glossy Stories and Seedy Underbellies of the Great Nuclear Race If The Telegraph in Calcutta, India, is anything to go by, George W Bush is a handsome, rock-star-esque man – powerful and yet humble. Reports centre on an impetuous kiss on the cheek he received from a woman, while “[f]or a split second, the most powerful man in the world was stunned. The next, he gracefully pulled himself away from K. Padmavathi and started patting her on her shoulders.” More pic: 'Hang on a sec, buddy, I just wanna get this little happy snap.' George W Bush with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week (pic: Al Jazeera) This article first appeared in the Cheers weekly political column, Smokin' Mirrors, on March 8 2006.

The Secret Life of Japan's Homely Hermits By Willhemina Wahlin March 1, 2006 Flicking on a TV in Japan can be a disturbing experience. But the endless game shows, sensationalist news and samurai dramas reflect a cultural curse passed down the generations, where complex issues are seldom discussed and people are required to manage their personal problems without support. More This article first appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on 1 March 2006.