I’ve started a blog to express thoughts on terrorism, security, human rights and other issues, usually with an Australian focus.

My main job is being a researcher at Monash’s Global Terrorism Research Centre. I’ve been inspired to start blogging by my friends’ blogs, the difficulty of engaging in in-depth discussions over Twitter, and a recent Lowy Interpreter debate over why academics rarely engage in blogging. Specifically, I was prompted by a contribution made by Alex Burns, who argued in favour of “semi-digested thought bubbles” and stated that blogging “can help you to self-reflect and to write more productively.” Hopefully, this is what will happen. Reflection and productivity are my key goals, and critical feedback on any posts is most welcome.

The site is bare-bones for now. Blogrolls, categories, RSS feeds, pictures and such will come later if I keep up regular posting.