Ah Australia This is what we do well. This may appear ugly to Gina Rinehart but that is because plants get in the way of the mines. - liza
A friend just emailed me to tell me I am being accused of impersonating Australia's biggest blogosphere loon, John Jay, on this site. It is not me and I have nothing to do with his ravings here. John Jay must be suffering from serious withdrawal as Akerman is on leave and the Daily Terrorgraph has imposed a pay-wall; so he is unable to access his usual pulpit for his deranged religious rants. Insofar as Kevin Rudd is concerned, I have long held the view that he is the most narcissistic deadshit this country has ever produced. He is an "A Grade" spoiler who just cannot bear the fact that Julia Gillard is a better PM and Bob Carr is a better Foreign Minister than was he. I was unaware that he had a blog - but now that I know, I'll make sure he knows just what I think of him. On the subject of same sex marriage ... well, there are many more pressing problems for the Government to deal with. I couldn't care less what happens as marriage is an institution few young people bother with these days - it's becoming a quaint anachronism. I think it was Paul Keating who said, "Two blokes and a dog don't make a family" - and he was right - and neither does a marriage certificate. And BEL, you are completely wrong about me being bitter. Why don't you pay your money and keep commenting on Akerman and Bolt and believing every lie Murdoch and Rinehart's snivelling lackeys and bum-boys tell you to. You have a very strange idea of what makes a "kind gentleman" who has a "deep connection to God". The man, John Jay, is a raving nut case, as his words here evidence. His writings on other blogs defy description for their utter lunacy, absurd conspiracy theories, complete disconnect from cause and effect. When someone seriously thinks that Julia Gillard is a re-incarnated dark soul from Atlantis who was married to Barrack Obama in a past life thousands of years ago, then something is seriously amiss. I have long held the view that anyone who believes in any religion is a dangerous lunatic. They all claim to be about "peace" and "love" - but just have a look at Iraq and Syria today, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia; or, perhaps, the sorry history of Ireland and the break-up of Yugoslavia. That's religions for you: rivers of blood and piles of bodies - all over whose imaginary sky fairy is the real one. Just have a look at those skunks in the Catholic Church and the way they've been indulging in, and covering up, centuries of systematic child abuse - and getting away with it! Leave Kylie out of this. At 44 she's still got the world's sexiest legs and arse and it matters not that her singing voice sounds like gravel swirled in a rusty tin can. You're just jealous because you got a lousy ACGT combination and have spent your whole life being an overlooked face in the crowd. - Jack Richards
[...] To read more, visit The Hoopla. [...] - I put my money on O’Farrell | Gabrielle Chan
An insightful piece - found myself nodding all the way through. From the perspective of both parent and teacher I hope you are right and O'Farrell doesn't bow to Federal pressure. And as you say, let's hope the other premiers will ultimately be "as astute" - it's unlikely but one can hope. There can be fewer more important issues than the education of our children. - Lee-Anne
@metoo - interesting reaction - Robyn
How did the guesthouse proprietor know they were lesbians??? Why did she/he need to know that. I sure don't say I am hetro when I am booking into a hotel - be it on my own, with my sister or female friends (who could be some other woman I am in a relationship if I was a lesbian) or my male friend that I often go on holidays with. I don't understand how the whole lesbian subject came up during check-in and was it necessary? - Robyn
2 facts I've learnt recently that don't appear here - correct me pls if I'm wrong but - the Indonesian govt has agreed to extent the forestry moratorium. 2. The Aust Food and Grocery Council and WWF released a sustainable palm oil report - The Net Balance Foundation report - this month and called for sustainable production. An unusual partnership and at least something gd coming from Aust. - Deb Nesbitt
A great article - the voice of reason in the face of foolish bigotry. Love your mother's house rules (more or less), love yours too. I think karma has a way of catching up with mean people...I imagine Mrs Ruskin will have fewer requests for rooms following her homophobic display. - Lee-Anne
My apologies, I was not commenting on whether being gay is an opinion or a political or religious view. I was using that as an example for the bigger picture application of diversity and tolerance. To ensure clarity let me give a detailed example : Tony Abbott says many, many things that I find abhorrent and frankly annoying. It scares me greatly that he may well be the next Prime Minister. But even if I dislike his views, he has just as much right to express them as the people I do like. In an open and free democracy, we hear views we don't agree with, but that's fine, they have just as much right to share them. This is a very hard stand to take, as its so much easier just to dislike and ridicule people we don't agree with. - Diversity
Is that you, Mrs Woog?! - Gemma

I PUT MY MONEY ON O'FARRELL

Barry O'Farrell's support of Gonski gives hope to voters who love good ideas. But straying from the election year script has its issues, says GABRIELLE CHAN.
BLOODY OUCH! THE PAIN OF 'BEAUTY'

Oh, the lengths women go to in order to achieve 'beauty'. These x-rays from 1908 show the constriction of a woman's ribs during the process of strapping on a corset.
MY HOUSE. MY RULES. OK?

Meanwhile in New Zealand, a lesbian couple was refused accommodation because the owner wanted to "protect" her guests. MRS WOOG ponders "house rules".
PSYCH V PSYCH

Increasing numbers of medicated children; grief classified as a mental disorder. Should we change the way we think about mental health? LUCY CLARK reports.
KEVIN CONVERTS

Former PM and "unreconstructed dinosaur" Kevin Rudd has finally seen the light on gay marriage. GABRIELLE CHAN reports on clever Kev's journey of discovery.
LETTER TO OUR GROWN-UP CHILDREN

You love them, but they can be exasperating. SUSANNA FREYMARK pens a letter to her adult children about the things she wishes they would (and wouldn't) do.
I'LL HAVE WHAT SHE'S SELLING...

Celebrity endorsements. They work, don't they? Now that our Nicole has signed up for Jimmy Choo, WENDY HARMER takes a look at the long and short of it.