How blogging can be a public service

Who is Julie Hempenstall? She lives in Bendigo and she likes reading Australia's historic newspapers. The National Library has hoisted its collection on the net and had them digitised by computers. I can see what keeps her there.

Shock around the jock - disease is the defence du jour

Now the swelling's gone down on Tiger Woods's dented head, the campaign to rehabilitate his dented image has begun with news he may seek rehabilitation for sex addiction. Meanwhile, talkback radio listeners have the fate of Chris Smith, 2GB's former afternoon announcer, to ponder. The disease excuse is the defence strategy du jour for wayward celebrities and anyone else busted behaving badly. This is not to say it's rubbish. But its claimants might do well to think about the conditions that apply.