Lots of companies are giving time, money and services to help flood victims. The problem PR people face in these situations is how to help while ensuring that what they do doesn’t spill over into counter-productive self-promotion.

One of the most significant events in human history was the technological shift from scrolls to codices. But while the Christians lead the way with the codex they are catching up, a bit late, with the next piece of revolutionary technology.

Australian politics – aided by much of the media - is experiencing one of those idea-free periods enjoyed by the US when the know-nothings were around and again with their re-appearance in Tea Party form.

Adshel's gay safe sex ad saga is a case of the worst of all possible worlds - being gutless and dumb and then belatedly principled with worldwide publicity focussing on the former.

No-one can really judge whether the Michael Caton and Cate Blanchett ads are any good until research is done on community reactions.

The Vietnamese Government has been remarkably generous in the time and effort put into repatriating the remains of missing US soldiers and also a number of Australian servicemen’s remains. Until recently there has been less emphasis on the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese ‘missing’.

Approaching that time of the year when the words heroism, selflessness, sacrifice, courage sometimes get used in apposite contexts, we have a Defence Minister who might just challenge some of the assumptions which have been left unchallenged as a result of PR and fear.

Anyone imagining that the nuclear industry is reeling in disarray and on the defensive after the Japanese disaster ought to think again.

Why did Klim, Thorpe, Trickett and Hugell return to swimming for the money or the glory? And why were their decisions reported the way they were in the media?