I’d just returned from dinner with a friend from when I worked in a university. We had enjoyed a wide-ranging conversation over some tasty Indonesian food – words like ontology and epistemology were used freely. So I decided to veg out a little and let my brain slow down […] Continue Reading…

THE new Premier of Tasmania, Paul Lennon, has long been my kind of politician – no nonsense, tell it exactly how you see it, and reject political correctness with enthusiasm.
Yesterday, in a statement running to just three sentences, Paul Lennon confirmed why he is the kind of politician those […] Continue Reading…

There is something decidedly Oedipal about federal politics these days. Here is the overtly patriarchal John Howard (stern, authoritative, self–righteous) brawling with the brash, energetic and hungry Mark Latham over ownership of the motherland. Latham made the character of this conflict obvious when he made that crack about the […] Continue Reading…

Mandate theory is being given a work-out in Brisbane. Liberal Campbell Newman has been elected Lord Mayor, but 17 out of the 27 councillors are Labor. Neither side is taking it well. Newman says he is “the Boss” and his programme will be implemented. Labor […] Continue Reading…

THE media has given virtually no coverage (bar this) to one of the more extraordinary results in the weekend’s council elections in New South Wales and Queensland – the re- election of the Mayor of Maitland, NSW, Peter Blackmore.
Mr Blackmore is the former Liberal MP for Maitland who lost […] Continue Reading…

I’ve been enjoying the current ABC nature series on Sunday nights. They show the amazing special effects available to even documentary makers now and highlight the growing understanding of natural relationships. The name – “Wolf (or ‘Shark’ etc) Battleground” – which no doubt the marketeers thought would appeal to […] Continue Reading…

I watched ‘Pearl Harbor’ last night on TV –yet another Hollywood blockbuster that made me think, “Glad I didn’t blow ten bucks on this stinker”. It certainly palls beside the 1970s movie ‘Tora, Tora, Tora’, a joint US-Japanese production that tried for some historical accuracy. That version could not […] Continue Reading…

The allegations of sexual misconduct against rugby and Aussie rules footballers just keep on coming. What, aren’t soccer players, basketballers, etc, real men too?
Of course, there may actually be something in this. It might be the specific culture of violent sports like the two football codes that promotes the […] Continue Reading…

Ah, John Howard, what a funny guy… I presume that was a joke when he said all those Coalition parliamentarians calling Latham an ally of Al Quaida were doing it on their own, and so forbid he should intervene. I can only imagine how the phones would be steaming […] Continue Reading…

Now I am sure why my ALP source only told me Campbell Newman’s primary vote, but not Tim Quinn’s. The Courier Mail published its polling today. Both candidates are each receiving only 38% on primaries. That means that Newman has possibly picked up 4% since last week, and […] Continue Reading…