Sydney's Apocalypse now: fear and loathing in Bondi jungle

In a country debating the rise of obesity, we must find ways of keeping our kids – and adults- physically active. Most kids should be active most of the day. We will need to emphasise movement in teacher education courses which are already packed with umpteen must-have perspectives and understandings.

Fourth, just when we need a thoughtful, critical media to point the finger at greedy developers and land sharks, the media is becoming full of yes-men and toadies. Almost no strong voices are found to shame bad developments. The Sydney Morning Herald becomes packed with silly stories. And every nearly every story is full of "I think.." " I feel"… "We went…" "I enjoyed a relaxing day in the spa at..."

Men are getting fake tans. Some woman tells us she isn't a feminist. Men's Health magazine panders to male vanity. Surely Sydney's intelligent readers deserve better than this!

Yawn. The ABC seems incapable of meeting the challenge. Funding cuts are being announced. And ABC management wants to cut the programs which watch over State politics. It seems intent on feeding us more and more inane quiz shows and old British stuff (the last time I checked the date on the tedious "QI" I'd just avoided, it showed a date of 2003, if my Roman numerals are correct. Maybe they should show the date in some long-dead Aztec language , so nobody can recognize it?

Finally, we will get more and more arguments about traffic jams, noise, squabbles about planning, and more and more development. While roads get more crowded and more and people move in with their "Balmain bulldozers" (4WDs) and demand amenities, we will become more and more like animals scratching at each other in the urban jungle.