I still remember the morning in 1993 when Sydney was awarded the 2000 Olympics. About the same time the state of Victoria was almost declared bankrupt.

I, like many others at the time, thought Sydney would catapult ahead and leave Melbourne in its dust. Almost the complete opposite has occurred.

One of the most tasteless terms used in the federal political arena is the ''killing season''.

It refers to the final sitting week for a parliamentary sitting, when MPs sometimes decide to change leaders before leaving Canberra for several weeks.

Homes devastated by Hurricane Sandy, on Oct. 30, 2012.

Here in Australia we are going through a mining boom. iron ore is worth Billions to our economy, as is coal and many other resources.

With the financial turmoil the world has been witnessing of late, the gold price has soared, making gold mining a very good business to be in. This has also made things a little more exciting for the weekend prospector.

In 2006, the late Tom Bingham - then Britain's most senior judge - gave a seminal speech on the rule of law at Cambridge University. He divided the broad principle of the rule of law which underpins democracy into eight ''sub-rules'', many of which are being undermined by the Gillard government's extraordinary proposal to excise the whole of the Australian mainland from the migration zone.

Christian preacher says God is punishing US for supporting gay marriage, while others blame Obama

LABOR'S diluted poker machine reforms allowing punters to voluntarily set bet limits are poised to go before parliament today after the Greens last night declared their support.

from politicoz ….

Parliament resumed this week. The polls have shifted, giving the Gillard government breathing space, but if anyone was expecting that to alter the parliamentary dynamic they were sadly mistaken.

from Crikey …..

by my friend, Vacy Vlazna