This will hurt me...

So the team with the player just suspended for three tests for racial abuse is claiming the moral high gound? Riiighhht...

I have another word to say on Peter Costello's decision to walk away from politics. I am very much surprised by the amount of people (from all sides of politics), who interpret his actions in a far more generous manner than I do. The general consensus is one that I actually agree with on a fundamental level; that is, that he realises that he will not become PM, and that the decision to walk away demonstrates "good judgement”. In a way, they are correct. However, I cannot help but to add that while running away often shows good “judgement”, but it also demonstrates lack of character in this context. People really should be grateful that this guy never became PM.

All during the campaign Peter Costello kept claiming that Rudd didn’t have the stomach for tough decisions. Well, the very first time Costello gets to do it tough, he curls up into a ball to “spend time with his family”. It’s just as well he is not going to lead the Government. He was primed and ready when the Prime - Ministership was to be handed to him on a plate, without actually having to fight for it or do the hard yards (like Howard did). He really must go down in Australian political history as the biggest gutless wonder we’ve ever seen. Can’t say that I’ll miss that smirk much either. As a great man once said, "all tip and no iceberg".

1919: The Treaty of Versailles, which allocates sole guilt for World War One to Germany, is signed near Paris. That went well...

I've been thinking about the extensive coverage given to the Virginia Tech killer's home movie. I appreciate the line that if you've got the video, why not show it and demonstrate what sort of character could perform such acts. However, I think that the continuing loops of this guy's ranting and posing seem gratuitous and unnecessary. I'm not sure how much it really contributes to understanding the story in greater depth. Really, it would have been enough to perhaps describe the content of the video, and establish that the man was in an obvious state of mental illness. To broadcast it merely publicises the killer, and sends very much the wrong message to other sad, deluded individuals who seek to achieve fame or publicise their (however confused) message. It also has the potential to prolong the grieving of the families of victims.

Retired Miami Heat guard Tim Hardaway said Wednesday that he hates gay people, but later said he regretted the remarks. "You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I'm homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States.'' Asked how he would interact with a gay teammate, Hardaway said: "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that is right. I don't think he should be in the locker room while we are in the locker room.'' If he did find out that a teammate was gay, Hardaway said he would ask for the player to be removed from the team. "Something has to give,'' Hardaway said. "If you have 12 other ballplayers in your locker room that's upset and can't concentrate and always worrie...

Gerard, way to go in making even more of an absolute dickhead of  yourself.  I understand why he gave in, it's clear that he's in line to be voted off by the blue team at first opportunity. But be a man about it and say "I'm going after immunity, I can't afford to promise to resist the temptation". But no, better to make an absolute dick of yourself, make a promise you never intended to keep, break it not once, not twice, but THREE times in ever more excruciating ways! I'm sure that the kids will be bound to be proud of their dad now. Although the positive aspect of the whole sorry scenario is that they will all be able to watch Gerard's glorious display of human weakness on that beautiful new wide-screen TV as one big happy family! And really, how much of an annoying prick must Gerard be in real life in order to be such a dead cert for voting off when there's a lazy, annoying bitch like Kelly in the team?