There’s been some concern expressed that perhaps a paper clip isn’t engineered to quite the right tolerances for use in a car.

Although it did the trick, the only stress on it is what comes from your arm via the gear stick, I have replaced the paper clip with an aircraft-grade Titanium split pin. For a total cost of $3. And I had to by 20, so if you need one let me know.

In yet another plug for the Whiskey Bar, by way of there I stumbled across the The Road Through 9/11.

It’s a reasonably detailed look, compared to the news, yet brief, compared to a real study of history, at the recent history of the Middle East and other factors which the author feels might provide background to the events of 9/11. It begins in 1948, and obviously runs through to 2001 and beyond.

There’s plenty of countries who come out of it smelling less than sweet, and although Australia doesn’t really rate a mention, we’re there by inference on the side of good the West. Needless to say the yanks have a few skeletons too.

Definitely worth a read.

Needless to say I’m not a big fan of politics and religion, either that is, and definitely not the two together. But I’m not going to rant about Hillsong and the fleet of Polies they attracted this week, Costello being but one.

However, I just couldn’t go past Costello’s interview on Lateline the other night.

TONY JONES: Now, Brian Houston’s belief – and Hillsong is his church – he says he’s fundamentalist on this issue – he doesn’t believe in evolution. In other words, he believes that Darwin got it wrong and that God created the world in six days, etc, etc. I mean, doesn’t it worry you when someone like that has sway over a lot of impressionable minds?

PETER COSTELLO: Well, you know, I think young people make up their views themselves, to be frank. People get information from all sources. It might be from watching television, it might be from listening to the radio, it might be from reading the media, and it might be from going to church, and actually I think sometimes the church will be a balance to all of those other sources of information. At the end of the day, they’ll make up their own minds. I don’t think it’s fair to say, just because they go to a particular church, that they can’t think for themselves. In fact, I’d encourage them to think for themselves. I think it’s a big part of exploring and learning your way towards faith.

TONY JONES: I take it you do believe in evolution, then?

PETER COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Look, you know, you shouldn’t overstate the influence that kids are under. I think they’re under a whole powerload of bad influences, frankly, that come through the media, through some forms of rap music, and actually, a bit of counterbalancing the other way may actually even the playing field a bit.

(my emphasis)

Sorry? Rap music? Is it freakin’ 1985 again!? I guess when the housing bubble bursts, that’ll be because of rap music too!

To be fair some of the rest of what he said was at least reasonable.

And as Ben very insightfully pointed out, seeing as “young people make up their views themselves” and “get information from all sources”, there shouldn’t be any problem with that little girl and her two mums?.

Been lazy lately, and busy I guess, so haven’t been keeping the blog updated as I should!

I guess last week was inevitably going to be a bit lack lustre given that I was just doing the same old, in cold rainy Canberra, rather than being elsewhere. Time to get skiing I think, at least make the most of the cold.

Some brave soul climbing Tai Chi, ~21 (??), above Calpe.

Annnnnyway. Had a quiet weekend, bike riding and bouldering on Saturday while the sun (sort of) shone.

Yesterday Tom and I headed up to Fish(ing/erman’s) gap in the Tidbinbilla valley. It was a pleasent stroll, beautiful sunny weather, and an amazing view down to Canberra which was still cloaked in low cloud. Unfortunately my camera wasn’t happy so I didn’t get any shots.

Popped down to Trinity and then Dickson Asian Noodle House for dinner after, with Tom and Catherine. Trinity was lively for a Sunday night, a bunch of people, even a DJ, but we were still able to get a couch which was nice.

ANU wall’s open again! Tour de France is on! Alli’s back soon (I think)! (we’d better clean the kitchen!)

Last Saturday, got a bit tipsy (ha!) at Jo’s place for Jess’ farewell party. Was fun to have a house party for a change, rather than hitting the pub. I was led to believe the house was out of glasses, so I spent most of the night drinking Tom’s homebrew out of a rather large coffee jar. Try it some time.

On Sunday Catherine, Ben, Jo and I headed up the Corin road to do the stroll to Square Rock. It was pretty misty which was kind of spooky, and it started raining just before we got to the rock, but we had rain coats so it was fine.

It’s a cool spot, even if I have been there a bazillion times now. We were saying we should head up in summer and camp out on top of the rock and watch the sunset and then the dawn, it’d be a cool spot for it.

Afterwards we headed back to Ben’s place and had chocolate fondue for some crazy reason. I’ve never felt so full in my life, I swear.

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