Bunya Mountain Hiking

It was a beautiful place and my first opportunity to get out of Brisbane for awhile. Thanks to all who came.

Photo credits: OJJH & SRB

The theft of free speech

A great editorial by Jim Hopkins in the Herald today.

Because what our politicians are doing this week is not preventing people from buying an election. They're actually determining who can buy it. And they've very sensibly decided it should be them. While deftly wrapping a gag of red tape around everyone else's tongue, their bill specifically exempts parliamentarians from its provisions.

And fair enough too! Democracy is far too precious to squander on the common herd.

The Electoral Finance Bill comes up for its 3rd reading next week, sadly, it still looks set to pass (come on Greens, show some backbone!).

Call a spade a spade

A good article in the Washington Post about the seeming inability of the West to agree that arresting a teacher for allowing her kids to name a teddy bear Mohammed is not a "disproportionate punishment," there was no crime committed!

Are these two things related?

A couple of interesting articles from the newspapers this weekend, women becoming more violent (under the influence of alcohol) and men becoming more vain.

My first sea kayak: Peel island

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Thanks heaps to Andrew for the organization, great coaching and T-rescue when I needed it.