(I accidentally published the half finished version of this post this morning and then got to work and realised it made no sense!)

When it came to having an opinion a friend once said to me “Opinions are like arseholes. Everyone’s got one but no-one wants to see yours.”

I wasn’t the least bit interested in the Danish cartoon saga until it suddenly became news. Now I have searched for and viewed the cartoons. Ho hum… Such is life in a country where freedom of speech is normal and we regularly poke fun (and enjoy it) at sacred cows.

Jonny Baker summarised the tangled issues as ‘freedom of speech | blasphemy | deliberate provocation | embarassment to muslims | legitimate outrage’

Matt (a gifted Aussie cartoonist) is surprisingly surprised at the power of cartoons. I think cartooning is a wonderfully subversive mode of critique and a good cartoonist is a treasure – think Leunig (although I don’t always ‘get’ him)

So if you want to ‘see my butt’ read on… I have a few opinions:

I am not for persecuting or ridiculing people of other faiths, but I am for freedom of speech, and if a situation warrants a bit of jest then so be it.

Perhaps it wasn’t real smart to publish the images… however in a reasonable world (as I view it thru my lens) we ought to be able to cop stuff like that on the chin.

The extremist response and its spin offs have been appalling and done nothing for any kind of healing relationship. In many ways the cartoons are now more widely viewed than ever before and the whole muslim cause (at least in the west) has been more discredited than ever by the nonsense.

Now we have people over here making decisions about what we will and won’t publish partly from a desire for good relations and partly from fear of reprisals. Are we being wise and discerning or are giving in to extremists? Even if the average garden variety muslim is offended I don’t believe that ought to stop their publication. Its not that I am wanting to offend, but rather that I believe we need to be consistent with what we are prepared to publish. I’m sure the SMH wouldn’t bat an eyelid at pulling the piss out of Jesus on Easter.

It is very much a clash of cultures and worldviews. I fully admit that I am unable to view the world as a muslim and hence make good sense of their response. But even so from where I do sit it looks like it is out of all proportion.

Saint has plenty to say on the whole issue if you are interested. Funnily enough I notice many people are avoiding giving opinions.

Anyway there are my opinions… Maybe the saying is true!

A few thoughts from the last week…

I believe the death penalty is always wrong. I am not in favour of capital punishment.

I believe if you enter a country that still imposes the death penalty on drug traffickers and then try to smuggle drugs then you have to suffer the consequences. You are a fool.

I believe the idea of a minute’s silence for a convicted criminal is absurd. Who thought of it?

I believe Singapore stuffed it up by not allowing real contact between mother and son on the day of his death. That is really poor form.

I believe this is another example of where media attention has caused us to pay attention to one person’s plight when millions of others suffer also. Why Nguyen?… Is he really any more newsworthy than other folks?…

Watching the news tonight it was encouraging to see the Steve Vizard and Rex Hunt stories.

Vizard gets caught for insider trading, coughs to it and apologises.

Hunt lets slip a racial slur during his commentary on Saturday. He not only apologises but offers to stop announcing.

In a world where people so often refuse to accept responsibility for their own stupidity these two stories were the kind that give you hope.

We all stuff things up. Not everyone earns respect by the way they deal with mistakes. Full cred especially to Rex Hunt for copping it on the chin and not looking to make excuses. Definitely a ‘big’ man.julius caesar free

I was as ecstatic as anyone the day we heard that Douglas Wood had been freed from captivity in Iraq. He is someone’s husband, dad and brother and is in many ways ‘one of us’.

I was impressed with how the Wood (en!) brothers handled the whole process and how the different groups made it happen.

Then this morning I just about choked on my muesli when Wood was asked if he would consider returning to Iraq and he said… "Yes"

Why?

Because of some potential business deals – which would seem to infer that there is big $$$ to be made. (Of course the book and speaking deals he has been setting up could be enough to look after him for life anyway.)

Thanks everyone!… Thanks for the 12 million dollars spent, thanks for risking your lives and worrying about me. Now I think I might go back and add a few more $$$$ to my bank account.

‘Dipstick’ is the word that comes to mind. At least the word that i am happy to post 🙂 Lets not treat this clown like a hero. The reason he got out alive is because some people did intelligent and courageous things.

They are the heroes. Douglas Wood is not a hero.

Kim Beasley for PM?… How many attempts can one bloke have?… Crikey…

Mark Latham with pancreatitis… would he have had pancreatitis if he were PM? Would he have wanted to quit politics and give time to his family if he were in the top job?

Colin Barnett… why does this guy always come across so self righteous?

watch crooked aka soft target in divx I had no idea who to vote for last election. It just gets harder

One topic I normally veer well away from is that of the royals. I’d be happy if their corgies turned into sharks and ate the lot of them.

But…Prince Harry is copping a royal hiding for wearing a nazi swastika to a party and its ridiculous. He’s 20 years old, he’s a bloke growing up, expressing himself, having a laugh etc.

• ultimate gift the online

Along the way he’ll make some mistakes – I think he would see this as one. But give him a break. Would anyone give a hoot if he wasn’t a royal?

watch fahrenheit 9 11 in divx Just finished knocking together a set of pics for our gig on Sunday. They are set to a song called ‘God Weeps Too’ by Eli. A friend tipped me off to this one – its a beauty and really appropriate for the occasion.

If you could use a ready made resource for a similar event then drop me an email and I’ll send it thru. Its only 1.5 meg

Education minister Alan Carpenter is in trouble for ‘swearing’.

The issue at stake is whether kids from lower socio economic backgrounds are less likely to do well at school. Some school principals have been using this as a reason for poor TEE performance.

Mr C has told them this is ‘bullshit’ and that he would ‘kick the arse’ of any principal who held that view.

He has refused to apologise for his choice of words and has copped a barrage from everyone.

Why is it ok for everyone else to use similar words but not Alan Carpenter? Is it ok for us but not for him?…

Why have we missed the point of his comment?

Why do people who use much more colourful language get offended when a public figure makes a bold statement like this?

It all seems pretty lame to me.abbott and costello meet the invisible man free

I was getting a bit worried for him, but it looks like its all going to be ok now.

He must be relieved.