Right now we are bogged down in politics, but we talk about a great deal more.
Do not however relax we are bound to be hooked on this subject for at least three years.
We live in interesting times.
Thought I would rattle the tin,it is a job you do often in my job.
Always for a good reason, now GY do not stop the thread it needs to be said.
I also want to ask that we not ignore politics but we rattle our brains too, for subjects that do not divide us.
At least do not set us against one another.
Pre election I said we are the lucky country,we may not be at one another's throats after, well got that wrong.
Remember even if your team gets the opposition bench's half of us voted that way.
Lets contribute to the thread and OLO, if you can make a donation why not?
part of the cost of one daily paper would help or half of that.
Those who can not should not be excluded in time ,just over 12 months I will not be able but give if you can.
Tell us why you post here and how OLO may look in ten years,rechtub, mate, how about doing a bar b q for OLO?
I will not come don't want to ruin our friendship sorry about your team, went off too early?

Verbal tennis, not just a sport but a mind expanding pass time.
One of the joys of OLO.
I hit the tin myself before asking it of others.
No fortune but every bit helps.
If we can surely we should help?
GY has big plans, I am happy to have heard them, but just to be able to continue to learn to think and say what we think is worth something.
Tuesday, By mid afternoon not much more we will know who governs us.
If you think I am about to predict that one you are very wrong.
But seconds after the insults will start.
That out come I Hope will be the start of getting my party back to the place it was just 6 months ago
In fact it will either way.
Refugees from conservative ranks will either return with real power or continue to have that power on my side of the house.
No rubbish please give them air, in the end if they are the men I think they are they act for their electorates and Australia.
It may not work, but the dream every one can be happy is fantasy.
Give a few bob to OLO if you can, unlike the share market you will get benefits every time you log on.
Belly

Dear Belly,

Thanks for this thread and for being
so open and honest.

Today, lawyers, accountants, and other middle-class
professionals make up the vast majority of members
in parliament. This doesn't mean that they're not
wise of knowledgeable, far from it. However, their
life experiences and lifestyles are uniformly
middle-class, and therefore it is the interest of this
class that they tend to promote. Some of us would take
this outcome to represent a loss of the diversity of
knowledge and interests that parliaments need. Yet there
doesn't appear to be an answer yet as to what we should
do to improve parliamentary democracy.
The solution has to be to improve the
knowledge across the board.

The democratic experiment should be pushed to deliver much
more than it does at present. It shouldn't be curtailed
as some conservative thinkers want.

Dear Belly

Thank you for starting this thread - the spirit and intention are both generous and pertinent.

Please read the following link to a post I made earlier, I think it is important for you to know (not the first part as it relates to the topic, but the second part):

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3939&page=0#97279

Thanks Severin, we each and every one of us, have to let our selves learn.
While my early posts can be seen to be disjointed and very badly spelled this is not my first forum.
I about 4 times, thought of leaving this one as I did all the rest, except Australian politics, it folded under me.
I hope examinator will re consider.
I was wrong to seek confrontation, it never resolves anything.
Few of us think about it, can not out smart those we have conflict with.
And how many of us would ask that freedom to express them selves be taken away from those we do not see eye to eye with.
GY has plans, hopes, dreams, that one day soon may let us send internal e mails in private.
What ever funds are given are for the daily running of this site, not to install a swimming pool at GYs home.
In my work roll almost every month tragic things happen and we beg for funds sell raffle tickets, yes beg in lunch rooms.
One day with luck and help my dream of individual workplaces getting the best act of mate ship I know of, a Aluminum plants donation of ten dollars from every worker, for how many weeks it takes, over 900 workers, in every workplace.
Examinator come back we want you to, and lets every one of us consider if we can give something to our online home so it grows as we too will.
I can not, ever give out my e mail no not fear but just respect for my job. but no one wants the trouble that can bring.

I too was sorry to read about Examinator. He was always a great leveler in the long debates.

I have also thought about stopping my involvement in this forum recently because I find myself getting too annoyed with one or two posters that I normally just deal with ok.
I have been sent to the naughty corner for the first time :(

Then I thought of all those posters who often bring me back down to earth- such as Foxy, CJ, Severin, Pynchme, Belly, Pericles and Johnny Rotten, to name a few. You guys make it all worth it.

Great to see you back too Severin.
I feel like we are in sync with most topics here!

Keep up the good work Graham.