This will hurt me...

Political comment. Elizabeth Street, North Hobart. July 2013. Master Georgie , Beryl Bainbridge: This book won a lot of prizes, and it isn't hard to see why. Novel represents a unique glimpse at a character from a prism of lenses formed by those around him. This conceit works well and it allows Bainbridge to really explore three very different narrative voices. Not for everyone, as the author showcases a real mastery of technique here that can be quite challenging at times. However, if you love reading, you should love this book. A . The Second Tree from the Corner , E.B. White: A collection of literary miscellanea, some dated, some prescient. Uneven. C . Poodle Springs , Raymond Chandler (and Robert B. Parker): Private dick settles down, but circumstances won't let him. This was Chandler's last novel, incomplete at his death and finished by Parker. It's okay, if somewhat hackneyed. C .

That naughty Abu Bakar Bashir is at it again! I don't want to enter too much into this guy or his latest caper, because to be honest there is no need as the guy doesn't need my help to establish that he is a fool. However, there is one aspect of his latest tirade against infidels that struck me. Here is this bloke, 69 years old, advising to the youth of Indonesia that "the young must be first at the front line - don't hide at the back. You must be at the front, die as martyrs and all your sins will be forgiven. This is how to achieve forgiveness." Right. And how many times has old Abu martyred himself for the grand cause? That would be the first question I would ask if someone was advising me to die for something they believe in.

People might have missed the surprising results coming out of the Malaysian elections held on the weekend. (As usual), the Australian media haven't really captured what happened particularly well, so I was pleased to see Andrew Leigh post the thoughts of his father, Professor Michael Leigh , who has studied Malaysian politics for some time now. For those of you interested, or even if you don't know anything about South East Asian politics, it's an easy and informative read: the Malaysian Election Roundup . [Amended 10:04 am] Trust me to post before looking at all the papers! Michael Leigh has an opinion piece in The Age this morning that expands upon his post on Andrew Leigh's blog, here is the link .