The "nice" atheists are out in force trying to prove to themselves, mostly, that Dawkins and Harris are pushing the atheist barrow too much too far too fast too nasty. Some, like Jeff sparrow, even will say that:

An Open Letter to the Prime Minister, the Honourable Malcolm Turnbull

Dear Prime Minister,

In the last four decades Australian writing has grown into a major force, popular with readers in Australia in its many forms — children's books, young adult fiction, thrillers, romance, fiction and non fiction — and acclaimed internationally.

It's quite dizzying trying to understand both sides of the argument. The Turks supposed to have warned the Russian plane of an incursion into their Turkish Airspace. The Russians claim they never received such warming.

When looking at the map of the supposed incident, in which a Turkish plane shot down a Russian plane, one would have to admit that even if the Russian plane had gone through Turkish airspace, it would have taken the Russian Plane less than 30 seconds to cross the sliver indicated by the Turks. There would have been very little time for any communication of value. By the time the Russian pilots could reply, they were shot down. 

The day started funnily enough. The media reports from various countries placed various slant on the events of the times, being Paris. Paris, New York, Moscow, Sydney (News Limited) all had different spin. 

Make your own T-shit: buy a T-shirt and paint stuff on it as per sample on top. You will save the planet from the terrorists who use coal as their weapons against the planet.

Exactly 26 years ago last week, peace was breaking out in a manner that the world had not experienced since June 1914. The Berlin Wall - the symbol of a century of state tyranny, grotesque mass warfare and the nuclear sword of Damocles hanging over the planet - had come tumbling down on November 9, 1989.

Ashbygate roars back into life as the Australian Federal Police raid James Ashby's house, looking for material relating to three Turnbull Government frontbenchers.

At 8am on Tuesday, 17th November, eight AFP detectives raided the property of James Ashby’s mother.

Tony Abbott: a few cartridges short of a full clip, says Bob Ellis.