The republic debate I did with Professor David Flint at NSW Parliament House last Monday, in front of 200 members of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy? It went well!
I was treated with courtesy, if not necessarily respect for my position, and hope I returned it in kind. I do confess to being amazed that when I called for a show of hands as to how many of them would like to go back to having God Save the Queen as our national anthem, a forest of them went up, and was stunned when the same number admitted they wanted to go back to the Privy Council, too! But I guess I shouldn't have been.
A surprising amount of people in Australia really think England does it better.Credit: Bloomberg
They seemed to be quite nice people, but the fundamental belief that if it is English it is just better – see governmental and judicial overview – and Australians can't be trusted to do it themselves, seems to be part their DNA. I don't get it, but we will get there.
What sort of chocolate bar, Harry?
Not sure what the story is on the Tasmanian backpacker, Andrew Gaskell, who was mercifully found alive in the Malaysian jungle this week, living on ferns, covered in leeches, but at least it allows me to retell my favourite Harry M. Miller yarn.
See, back in 1991 a young Australian by the name of James Scott was discovered alive in a cave in Nepal having survived for 42 days on just three chocolate bars.
Harry M. was one of the first to realise the commercial value of the story. He made his phone calls, booked his flight to Kathmandu and informed his staff of where he was going as he bustled out of the office.
"What kind of chocolate bars were they?" one of his staff asked as he passed. "It depends who pays the most money!" Harry shouted from the stairs.
Waleed Aly all class
The best in the business? For my money it is Waleed Aly. His ability to cut through oft complex issues and get right to the heart of the matter is second to none.
And yes, it is a tad on the surprising side that, given popular prejudices, an Islamic academic could become one of the most respected media figures in the country, but I belatedly read his Andrew Olle Lecture this week, where Aly shed some light on the journey.
For it is his wife, he joked, who regularly notes: "Primary school teachers do it because they love the kids; secondary school teachers do it because they love the subject; university lecturers do it because they love themselves." So I guess it was only a matter of time before I'd end up working in commercial television."
Sydney Uni loses an old friend
All over the country last Saturday afternoon, graduates of Sydney University got a little misty-eyed as the news that the famed jacaranda tree in the quadrangle was no more, having collapsed the previous night. For we remembered those long ago days and the university lore that the time to hit the books for final exams was when that tree was in bloom.
The question now under discussion in the higher realms of the uni is whether we should plant another jacaranda to replace it, or an Australian native tree. Your thoughts welcome.
Joke of the week
In the back woods of Scotland, Ian's wife goes into labour in the middle of the night and the doctor is called out to assist in the delivery.
To keep the nervous father-to-be busy, the doctor hands him a lantern and says, "Here, you hold this high so I can see what I'm doing."
Soon, a wee baby boy is brought into the world.
"Whoa there, Ian!" says the doctor. "Don't be in a rush to put the lantern down. I think there's another wee one to come yet."
Sure enough, within minutes he has delivered a bonnie lass.
"No, no, don't be in a great hurry to be putting down that lantern, lad. It seems there's yet another one besides!" cries the doctor.
Then Ian scratches his head in bewilderment and asks the doctor, "Do ye think it's the light that's attractin' them?"
Twitter: Peter_Fitz
They said it
"It's a suitable Cup day conversation – the racism that stops a nation."
Jonathan Green, host of RN Sunday Extra, on Tuesday, about the refugee plan.
"He's shown he's happy to suck up to chase the votes of One Nation senators to fight off Tony Abbott and keep his job. He's earning the praise of Pauline Hanson – I hope he's proud of that."
Bill Shorten about Malcolm Turnbull and the refugee plan.
"If not now, when?"
David Bennett, QC, about his client's application to be readmitted to the roll of solicitors. His client is 73-year-old Howard Hilton, who was gaoled for bribing Corrective Services Minister Rex Jackson to release his clients early.
"It was extremely stupid of me, really."
Australian hiker Andrew Gaskell, who went into the Malaysian jungle without a navigation system and was lost for two weeks before being found again this week.
"The museum doesn't return objects."
Spokesperson for the British Museum, which is refusing to return an Aboriginal shield taken by Captain Cook's landing party at Botany Bay in 1770.
"Subjected to such treatment, Hillary was rightly praised for her poise, but she should have told him at least once to go screw himself."
Clive James nails it.