Articles written by Sue Myburgh

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About me - Sue Myburgh

I was born in South Africa, and have travelled extensively in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as living for extended periods of time in Europe and North America. Australia has been home for the past 15 years, where I work as an academic at a university.
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Style & Beauty > Fashion Trends & Styles Trends in women's fashions: Morality, economics and individualism: 1 of 11
Fashions come and fashions go - but speculation about what they mean goes on. But it is not only cultural theorists who think that fashions reflect our society and what we think is important: that fashion epitomises contemporary feelings about money, life and life. These attitudes, it is maintained, affect (or reflect) the st... More..
Travel > Travel (Other) Has Muslim extremism damaged world tourism irrevocably?: 3 of 25
I suppose that this question has been posed because of the lingering malaise caused to the airline industry after the calamitous events on 9/11, which will forever remain in people's memories. For a short while afterwards, there was certainly a disinclination to use airplanes, which meant people stayed close to home, changing... More..
Computers & Technology > Phone Technologies & Issues How cell phones create new issues of public rudeness: 10 of 46
The trouble with cell phones is that they are everywhere you go: on the buses, trains, even planes: walking in the mall, down a sidewalk, watching a game; dinner parties, concerts and movies. Is there no escape? Or could there be, if people had manners?Do you like being interrupted when you are talking to someone? Do you allo... More..
Arts & Humanities > Ancient History The importance of river valleys to ancient civilizations: 3 of 13
As astronomers investigate the galaxies, there is one substance in particular that they hope to find: water. Earth appears to be exceptional, not only because it supports life, but that it contains the combination of hydrogen and oxygen molecules that is vital for sustaining life. It comes as no surprise, therefore, to discov... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Sleep Issues How to get the baby to sleep through the night: 5 of 19
Parents of newborns crave sleep like others crave chocolate. Getting baby off to sleep, and keeping baby asleep for a reasonable length of time (at least 6 hours) seem to be insurmountable challenges. But don't be fooled: that little human knows just how to train you and how to get your undivided attention!The most important ... More..
Health & Fitness > Gym & Health Club Health club etiquette: Most annoying behaviors seen at gyms: 8 of 30
An interesting phenomenon that I have observed at the gym is that when people engage in exercise - whether running on a treadmill, lifting weights or just stretching - they seem to go into a world of their own. Perhaps they are just concentrating on counting, or on where their next breat will come from. But the downside of th... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting Styles (Other) The benefits of having children close together in age: 4 of 13
Having had my children 15 months apart (as did my mother and her mother before), I can report that this is the best way to survive and enjoy the child-rearing phase of life. There are many advantages that I can think of:1. While you are caught up in a blur of bottles, diapers and nightfeeds, you can engage fully with this - a... More..
Home & Garden > Vegetables & Herbs Long term herbs for the garden: 4 of 11
There is nothing that adds zest and zing to food like fresh herbs. Once you have tasted a simple omelette with the addition of fresh chopped parsley, or lamb sprinkled with rosemary, or leaves of basil on a tomato salad, you will not be able to return to dusty, flavorless dried herbs.Herbs are tough plants, used to demanding ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > News Industry Whatever happened to quality journalism?: 8 of 18
What is quality journalism? Well, it seems to be really difficult to answer this one as we are so seldom exposed to it. In a world dominated by huge and powerful media companies that are driven solely, it seems, by the profit motive, I wonder if we will ever see quality journalism again?To my mind, quality journalism possess ... More..
Home & Garden > Cleaning (Other) Household tips for keeping your home germ free: 11 of 24
"Germs" include a multitude of small particles and organisms that can harm your health. These include dust particles, pet hair, bacteria, dust mites, nits and other creatures that are too small for the eye to see. On top of this, nobody likes bad smells: old food, sweat, smoke and pets can all make your home an unpl... More..