Hi Laughter Lovers! If you watched the news as presented by the mainstream media you could easily have got the impression that Australia Day 2012 was all about angry people, police cordons, fleeing politicians, and a lost shoe. In the interest of balance I want to tell you about my Australia Day experience which was, thankfully, very different and a lot more fun! I had the honour of being Australia day Ambassador for North Sydney. For many years I have been lucky enough to be an Ambassador in different parts of the country and it has always been a delightful experience. The highlight for me is always the Citizenship Ceremony during which we welcome people from all over the globe who want to make an official commitment to being Australian. At North Sydney we had folks from dozens of countries as diverse as Myanmar and Mexico supported by cheering friends and family. It was so touching to see these new citizens beaming with joy and wiping away tears as they proud .. Read more of Advance Australia Funny!

Hi Laughter Lovers, Let’s face it, “Resolution” is a word that holds many negative connotations for many people. This is particularly true when you put the words “New" and “Year’s” in front of it. Come on, we’ve all been there…it’s New Year’s eve and through a gob full of chocolate mousse and a skin full of dessert wine you proudly proclaim – “This is it. Tomorrow I start dieting/ jogging/ writing my novel/ tidying the garage/ going to bed earlier/ getting my finances together/ talking kindly to my spouse/ meditating in order to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings / unknotting my pyjama cord." The research of psychologist Richard Wiseman shows that only about 80% of those who make New Year’s resolutions have any success in keeping them. Most us get into a pattern of resolve, try a bit, give up, feel bad. To remedy this I suggest that in 2012 you make a New Ye .. Read more of Your New Year's Laughalution!

Hi Laughter Lovers! Well, it’s a scandal that could wipe the smile from your face. During a recent Senate Estimates hearing Australian Senator Mitch Fifield was not amused when he learned that Centrelink (the Government organization that looks after the unemployed in Australia) had spent 2660 taxpayer dollars on a staff workshop that focused on, wait for it folks, laughter. Fifield demanded to know who was responsible for this frivolous squandering of public coffers. Wilting under the full frowning force of Senatorial interrogation Department Deputy Secretary of Enabling Services, Barbara Bennett, admitted to the committee that, yes, this instance of organized jocularity had indeed taken place on her watch. Bennett pleaded her case that the laughter workshop served as an ice-breaker for a two day Centrelink program on leadership and was “designed as a way to have an informal moment to get to know each other better.” Fifield would have none of it  .. Read more of Laughgate! - The Story that Rocked a Nation (sort of)

Hi Laughter Lovers, Walking through King’s Cross, Sydney yesterday I took a short cut through a back alley. There I was confronted by a shady looking character who whispered to me: “Hey, dude, wanna get high? I got some really good stuff. You’re gonna love my punchlines. C’mon, I got all the funny you need, my man – jokes, riddles, cartoons, one liners. Wrap your laughing gear around some of my amusing anecdotes and hilarious witticisms, my friend, and you will be on a humour high that will have your nucleus accumbens jumpin’ for joy!” This guy was obviously acquainted with the research of Dr. Allan Reiss, director of the Stanford Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory. Reiss and his colleagues were the first to discover that the part of the brain that responds to the enjoyment of humour is the same reward centre that responds to the pleasure of drugs such as methamphetamines and cocaine. No wonder people love to laugh. And .. Read more of Laughter - Drug of Choice