Life Matters - Separate stories podcast ABC listen

Anybody hanging out in the Melbourne early 80's music scene will know Painters and Dockers, the veteran punk band fronted by Paulie Stewart.

But these days you are far more likely to hear him singing with the Alma nuns in Timor Leste.

Paulie's activist work is shaped by a personal tragedy and you might even say his music was too.

The recent move by Cumberland Council in Western Sydney to ban books about same sex parenting in its libraries is not a one off.

The Australian Library and Information Association says there has been an increase in so-called book challenges in Australia, where community members try to have certain books removed from library shelves.

The move echoes a trend to ban books in the United States and other parts of the world, which has been documented in a new RN Series Banned Books.

Ahead of the Federal budget, SNAICC, the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, is calling for childcare and early education to be made more affordable for First Nations families, through subsidies that would provide up to 30 hours of free access to childcare.

SNAICC and parts of the Aboriginal community-controlled early learning sector argue that increased access to affordable and culturally safe childcare would help close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Watching your parents grow old can be challenging at times, but there can be some comfort in being the arm they use to steady themselves on as they age.

But what happens when you don't live in the same city, or even the same country? How are first-generation immigrants tackling long-distance caregiving? 

We might be spending less on luxuries now, but perfume is the exception. Sales are surging in 2024 for big brands and independent makers alike.

So, when times are tough, why are we still forking out for something sweet-smelling? And what do perfumes really do for our well-being and confidence?

The Germans have a word for anticipatory happiness: vorfreude.

It's the recognition that anticipating something good can be great for us. We know it has several benefits for our mental and physical health, so how can we build it into our lives, in both a big and small way daily?