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Rick LeCouteur
Inviting young readers to marvel at the wonder of nature's creatures
Rick's Blog
#bunyipsbooksbeyond
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Veterinary Medicine for Sale: When profit replaces purpose (#317)
Increasingly, private equity firms and multinational corporations are in charge. Not veterinarians. In the U.S., U.K., Australia,...
Rick LeCouteur
May 13 min read
The Chewy – PetSmart – BC Partners Saga (2 of 5): Raymond Svider & the billion dollar bet (#316)
In the world of private equity, convention is king: borrow big, slash costs, and squeeze profits. But Raymond Svider , Chairman and...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 303 min read
The Chewy – PetSmart – BC Partners Saga (1 of 5): Pet food to power play (#315)
In a previous Rick’s Blog post, titled Chewy’s Big Play , we looked at how Chewy evolved from a niche online pet retailer into a...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 303 min read
Restoring Columbus Day: A step backward for America (#314)
Columbus was a skilled navigator and undeniably changed world history by linking Europe and the Americas. But when you look closely at...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 284 min read
Memory, Dream, & Longing: A Soft Collision (#313)
A memory, a dream, and a longing. At first glance, they seem like separate phenomena, each belonging to its own corner of the mind. ...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 273 min read
Silent Collapse: The Global Coral Crisis (#312)
Imagine a forest suddenly turning gray, its vibrant life vanishing without a sound. That’s exactly what’s happening beneath the waves...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 273 min read
Who Are Indie Authors? Part 2: Indie Bookstore Day 2025 (#311)
Saturday April 26th 2025 is Indie Bookstore Day! It’s a nationwide celebration of everything we love about independent bookstores. Their...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 252 min read
Lest We Forget: The Spirit of ANZAC (#310)
Every year on April 25th , Australians and New Zealanders come together to commemorate ANZAC Day, a solemn occasion that honors the...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 242 min read
Who Are Indie Authors? Part 1: Why do writers choose this path? (#309)
Over the last two decades, the publishing landscape has undergone a quiet revolution. No longer solely the domain of large publishing...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 244 min read
Microscale, Mega Impact: How tiny robots are changing neurosurgery (#308)
What if a robot the size of a grain of rice could transform the way we treat brain tumors, navigate the labyrinth of the human brain with...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 233 min read
AI in Vet Med: Record keeping do's and don'ts (#307)
In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into veterinary medicine has transformed many aspects of clinical...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 233 min read
The State of Our Planet This Week: Insights from Inside Climate News (#306)
Inside Climate News was founded in 2007 and provides unbiased, non-partisan reporting on climate change to inform the national...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 193 min read
Chewy's Big Play: Dog food, vet clinics, insurance, and beyond (#304)
Chewy Inc., once seen as just an online pet supply retailer, is rapidly transforming into something much bigger: a full-service pet care...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 174 min read
Fission vs. Fusion: Splitting and merging atoms (#303)
Nuclear fission and fusion are both nuclear reactions that release energy, but they work in very different ways. Nuclear Fission ...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 162 min read
The 10:10 Mystery: The secret behind the time (#302)
Have you ever noticed that in advertisements for clocks and watches, the time is almost always set to 10:10? Whether it’s a luxury...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 162 min read
Growing Up Under the Stars: Trailblazer Edna Zigenbine (#301)
In the vast, untamed landscapes of Northern Australia, where the sky stretched endlessly and the land whispered stories of resilience, a...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 163 min read
Rethinking “Pet Parent”: Language, Expectations, and Animal Welfare (#300)
A fellow veterinarian recently asked me why I object to the term pet parent. It’s a fair question. After all, it’s everywhere: in...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 113 min read
Vet Med on the Brink: Lessons from Wall Street. (#299)
What does Sydney’s Northern Beaches Hospital teach us about veterinary corporatization? In recent years, Sydney’s Northern Beaches...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 104 min read
From Exam Room To Oval Office: The Cost of Putting Profit First (#298)
Have you noticed? There are some striking similarities between corporate greed in veterinary medicine and the ethos that characterizes...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 73 min read
Underwater Soap Opera: Kissing, cleaning, and changing sex (#297)
When we think of the Great Barrier Reef , our minds often drift to the kaleidoscope of corals, the graceful movements of sea turtles, or...
Rick LeCouteur
Apr 53 min read
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