I love it because you can say what you really think. In public certain opinions are not only frowned upon but can definitely come back to bite you and it's frustrating not being able to say, "I disagree. I don't think that at all. In fact I think that's complete garbage. You can have your opinion but please don't ever speak for me".

OLO is also article & issue-driven & therefore hopefully educational & purposeful. Poor & lazy (but common) thinking, when written as opposed to spoken, inevitably gets exposed & weeded out over time as better thinking takes its place. And thank God the site is by & large non-partisan by it's creators. The American scene is crazy where nearly all sites are partisan-based.

Keep up the great work OLO. Best political site for me by far.

Spendo...I haven't quite got to the 'yelling' in public places yet.. nothing more than a sign or 2 so far..and TNT I did get bitten in the bum, well.. kind of.. my sign got attacked by a Red who came out from under the bed ( a woman) for the IR laws protest rally, and took exception to my otherwise well received sign "Blame China" (subtitled 'Tax slavery at customs').....

OLO is magnificent because we connect with not only the issues, but others in a very important way.. we are all trying to change the country and contribute to its future. Even though we disagree, I HAVE seen some amazing changes which I didn't really expect.

Also, its rare that anyone here abuses people HAH... 'not' :)... but at least they don't use profanity.. cos it aint allowed..
No problem ..a bit of abuse here and there adds color and flavor to the debating mix.
I cannot imagine OLO life without Pericles and CJ Morgan. But Kenny.. I can imagine it without you :) you never really grapple with issues.. just jump in with throw away lines and put downs.. BADDDD Kenny :)
Blessings all.

spendocrat, now everytime I read your name it will make me laugh. An image of you shouting political slogans at random in the street -cracked me up.

David thanks for your kind words. It's always comforting to know that there are others that acknowledge and see some of the things I see and feel.

I fear that the system has dumbed and cut our society down so much and for so long that nobody knows to care about anything anymore.

Apathy everywhere.

Yes, I agree - OLO's my favourite website, for all the reasons above, and also that it provides me with firsthand experience of the workings of some fascinating minds and worldviews that I would otherwise avoid like the plague in my daily life.

I love you too Boazy :)

However, I think GrahamY could ease up a bit on his AGW 'scepticism' crusade - it gives the rest of the site a bad look.

I know what you mean JC. Graham is not in my good books at the moment.

I enjoy this site, and most of you know my fun playing the serious, the mischievious, the crusader, the party pooper, the church basher, the red basher, I was even called a gay basher and a red basher. My rantings always get me into strife, occasionally make a total dick of myself, and above all, I am satisfied if it is interesting or even quirky or funny, sometimes serious.

Others have been funny, quirky, dry in humour, so many "devils advocate", informative, passionate, dogmatic, inncocent and human.

Those I disagreed with most I seem to empathise with most lately and that is a strange thing to learn about people.

With left right and centre aside, when people care, I tend to take notice of your postings the most as there is some humane drive that fires up people's words.

I think I have made some friends, even the rivals I have been mean to. I think we are kinda mates, in a pub kinda a way. Is this all just informative or therapy to let out our frustrations?

OLO is the village garden that grows with many plants and flowers. Let it grow, it is a part of Australia as its own entity. We can cultivate admire, or mow over. We all like a garden to contemplate.

Happy year of the pig to you all.

I too thoroughly enjoy online opinion and some of the wonderfully written articles and viewpoints and also some of the humorous comments that have really given me a laugh at times.

I also have a soft spot for David Boaz because of his sincere approach and his come on lets get organized and do something about it attitude.

Best wishes to everybody for the rest of 2007.