Really weird as he was happy to have diet cokes with the Taliban at Camp David around the 9-11 anniversary. That meeting would have lived in infamy.

It's a moot point whether it's worth winning these productions. Countries around the world throw money at the film and television industries. I don't like to think of my taxes subsidizing all this. Some don't seem to mind.

Jacinda is in town next week. Hopefully she doesn't have to do much ego stroking in public. She'll do what's needed in the national interest. It's difficult because Trump is such a weak character and so peculiarly sensitive. You don't want to underwhelm him.

Trudeau is a perplexing fish for non-Canadians. He doesn't seem to be what we thought he might be.

I suppose many Brits in Thailand are more attached to the value of the pound than the Brexit politics. That's understandable. It's moved so much it really affects people's lives.

I read Cameron has dragged the Queen into the Brexit politics. Perhaps it's a good thing for some sunlight to be thrown on her behind the scenes role in politics. At least with Prince Charles it isn't nearly so subtle.

That's over the top. I'm not into motorsports but saying all followers of one form just want to see crashes is mean. Car crashes can be horrific.

Well, that risk has passed. The fine women of Melbourne won't need to be locked up next weekend. When commenting on couch potatoes, I forgot to mention how out of shape Gary Ablett senior looked sitting up in the stands. He seems to have really struggled post-football. The Giants might go all the wa...

Don't worry 747man. That's just Yartims indulging in some modern English poetry. Regular readers know you are a man of sober habits.

Only 6?

Outside the US fewer guns appears to work better.

I think there's a lot more legs in the Prince Andrew chatter.

California is, of course, an American success story. Among other successes: "It has the nation’s second-highest life expectancy, comparable to that in European nations with much higher life expectancy than America as a whole. This is, by the way, a relatively new development: Back in 1990, life expe...

The Tiger army was out in force again. I was struck how rotund many members of the Tiger army were. The contrast with the players was striking. The gap between couch potatoes and professional athletes is enormous. I love the skills on display at this time of the year. I hope Collingwood win today. A...

Ah, an exchange of British pleasantries about an expensive dunny.

There now seems to be an allegation Prince Andrew had sex with a minor in London. This story is building. If it's true, given the Prince hung around Epstein for ages, he would appear to be a serial offender. MI 5 and 6 might have rather thick files on the Prince's dalliances with female acquaintances.

I don't know what you're going on about their Barney. I'm an Aussiephile. It's one of the best countries in the world on many measures. The picture you're painting isn't what comes across in the Aussie media. I also wouldn't hold NZ up as being a particularly good international citizen on efforts to...

The Labour government here even swung employment laws more in favour of people working in this industry. It doesn't seem to have put Amazon off.

Doodoo wrote: ↑

September 11, 2019, 7:26 pm

9) Squandering 169 million vacation days like Americans did in 2013, or not taking a single day off like almost half the country last year is completely and utterly unfathomable to a European.

Yes, it seems really weird.

Perhaps AlexO could start a thread on that one. I expect quite a few readers might love the opportunity to thrash the EU with spin.

Toby Greene is lucky to be out for just a week. Go Richmond.