JOHN HOWARD SAYS WHOOPS TO A WAR CRIME

^{Pic by ABC}

In an interview on Seven’s Sunday Night, John Howard says he was “embarrassed” to decide to go to war in Iraq based on wrong intelligence. Yes he said “embarrassed”. 600,000 people were killed in that war. He attacked and persecuted whistle blowers who kept telling the US, UK and Australian governments the intelligence was wrong or false. Bush, Blair and Howard cherry picked the data and used it to justify tearing away our civil rights and caused tensions in our c...

I was only in primary school in the late 1960s. But I have vivid memories of hearing and watching news reports on the Vietnam War on radio and TV. We would tune into the news at half past six and watch front line footage from war correspondents embedded with Australian or American platoons out in the field with the ocassional glimpse of North Vietnamese troops firing back. We’d see footage of burnt out villages and Hueys coming into land to evacuate wounded troops. We would hear crackling telepho...

Whoever came up with the line, “sing like nobody is listening” can claim one of the most misrepresented quotes of all time going by what I have been hearing on the radio and on stage of late. I agree with the sentiment of the quote. Get out there and release your energy and feel whatever sense of freedom that releases you from the shackles and hum drum of everyday life and the burdens that that pin you down. Just don’t charge punters while you’re doing it please. If you think you’re good enoug...

If Kevin Rudd keeps his seat, I think an appropriate penance for him would be to serve for another three years as leader opposite the most unpopular Prime Minister this country has ever elected. Thanks Kevin. You couldn’t let it go could you. You couldn’t accept the umpires decision back in 2009 when your party saw you were unfit to continue as its leader. You knew you didn’t have the numbers so you didn’t call a spill and resigned and made it look like Julia Gillard knifed you. Thank you Kevin f...

I was having lunch with a dear friend of mine recently. She is also a musician but spends most of her time writing articles for music websites in Australia and abroad. We were having a long overdue catch up. We talked about life, the kids and then went on to music. As musicians do. We got on to talking about why we write music and in part of that conversation I said, “I don’t care one way or another if any of my tunes get commercial airplay or not”. She instantly went from musician mode to in...

^flickr.com

I’m going to start by saying that the ANZAC legend is born from bravery, mateship, resourcefulness and the fire in the belly of men and women who sacrificed their lives to ensure future generations inherit a world of freedom, peace and tolerance. This is not about our diggers. This is about the fine line between national pride and nationalism. The other day we witnessed yet another racist rant on a train and what struck me was the way she mentioned Aussies who f...

I don’t know why I keep doing it but I somehow always seem to find myself dragged in front of the TV when The Voice, X-Factor or one of those “reality” talent shows are on. Now don’t get me wrong. I have no trouble with talent shows. My earliest memory of TV Talent Shows goes back to New Faces on Channel 9 with Bert Newton or Pot of Gold with Tommy Hanlon Jr. and Bernard King .. The original 'Kyle Sandilands arsehole' judge. Now I will save my thoughts on the current crop of TV talent shows for ...