The North Korean hyper-nut has done it again. Kim Jong-un has lobbed a missile over Northern Japan. Then a H-bomb test! This man seems determined that there will be no winner here, and US President Trump has said the time for talking is over. Fortunately, Mr Trump's military adviser thought more talk might be useful.
Australia, 'second-level attack dog for the USA' as some Asian leader suggested is focused on same sex 'marriage'. (Reasonable people happy to let the minority marry whomever they wish are however concerned what a yes vote may mean for 'gender studies' in schools across the wide brown land.) The ongoing sideshow about power price hikes in a land of plentiful energy resources, including excess sunlight, plus the controversy over who may or may not be eligible to sit in parliament, 'second rate' seems to generous.
What is going on with the Internet, Telstra? Last weekend no internet in leafy Kew. This weekend no access from Friday noon until we left for Balnarring, where the Internet was dropping out and in every few minutes. The nice young lady in the Philippines said she would ask about a credit for us, which if achieved would be an amazing performance. To think that the NBN was going to be Mr Turnbull's great achievement. He's moved on to Snowy 2.0 of course with lots of photo opportunities in helicopters and vast empty tunnels.
Lots of controversy involving Captain Cook and his 'discovery' of Australia. Will our indigenous brothers and sisters accept 'discovery by the civilised world?' one is forced to ask. Geoffrey Blainey, author of The Triumph of the Nomads has provided the best idea. First he asks why our indigenous people have not erected statues that celebrate Australia's 'discovery' by early humans 60 or 70 thousand years ago? And pointed out that the Aboriginal community could get on with this task now, better late than never.
Good news about the trial of welfare cards that allow no purchases of booze or drugs in remote regional centres. Very substantial reduction in household violence, lack of food for kids, far fewer arrests of dusky men, far happier women. If this is not a policy to be rolled out throughout Australia, so much the worse for us all.
Kulture
This no booze'n'drugs policy has a big potential positive influence on Australia's currently out-of-control welfare culture. So too would a consistent narrative of the desirability of working hard, using ingenuity to get a job, (even offering to work as an intern), saving rather than spending and avoiding welfare if at all possible - Chapelle Corby please note. One rather hopes that Treasurer Morrison's previous appeal to people to spend up big to 'help' the economy is no longer at the top of his mind.
Fiona Prior, thank goodness, brings us her regular report on culture, focusing this week on Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady, currently playing in Sydney. Please note the change of culture on the role of women, shown most clearly in Fiona's addendum.
Henry' editor has posted a new image today. It features the RBA governor fishing for better forecasts.
The sporting world
The AFLW state of origan game this weekend saw the Victorian wimmin flog the 'Allies', sort of like Germany against the rest of Europe in the first few weeks of WWII. A victorious Victorian player finished an exciting interview by shouting 'We shoved it right up 'em', showing the great progress of wimmin footballers. (A modern bloke footballer would say, even after a 97 point win, something like: 'The allies are a great team, but we got the breaks today. It was a tough game, and we were lucky to have a win.'
Great to see the men's Rugby team almost beat the mighty All Blacks in Bledisloe 2. Amazing turnround, really, shows what a flogging in the press can achieve.
The Melbourne Storm stormed home with a big win in Rugby League, cementing their spot at the top of the ladder and showing all the other teams the size of their challenge in the final series.
This being a rest week in AFLM the weekend press has been light on footy news. Dusty Martin's signing for the rest of his career for Richmond produced several accounts of his starring aged six in the under tens, and starring for the local senior team when only ten, or was it thirteen? If only he had been snaffled by Caaaarlton! The Blues re-signed Levi Casboult, who is great at pack marks (second in the AFL in 2017) and kicks better after coaching by the big Savaloy.
Next week the finals begin, with Dusty Martin and friend verses Geelong.
Image of the week
