To the risk of being ridiculed and making an idiot of myself I am going to ponder about poverty in Australia... I will start here to say that I saw poverty and sickness in Africa beyond the imaginable. Actually, my indigenous cook was paid far more than I was (I was getting peanuts), though it was ridiculously low moneys, but she had six kids to look after and I had none....

So I will keep my crooked analysis of the subject on Australian median poverty in a somewhat "ruthless" calculated manner... Which is very rotten of me as there are real needs out there...

By contrast, Russia and China are led by pragmatic governments guided by the concepts of profit and self-interest. They support and want to do business with existing governments and governing systems around the world. This has made them the 21st century’s major global powers of the right.

An open letter to Rob Oakeshott

Dear Rob

What I am writing here is between you, me and a defunct lamppost in a secret location. As you know in politics nothing is ever simple. 

Federal Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop has defended decade-old remarks about women made by the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

ROME, Oct 10, 2012 (AFP) - The captain of an Italian luxury liner which crashed in January is taking ship owner Costa Crociere to court for firing him and is demanding his job back, Italy's Repubblica newspaper said Wednesday.