Some AFL teams need to start picking teams - in particular defenders - based on who they play! Dockers are classics...Coach loves his big 3 (Pearce, Cox and Ryan) and picks all the time. But when they see small forward lines, one or two of them are mismatched and found wanting (& lumbering)

Why not do simple rather than complicated re the >$3m super earnings tax? Dont have to bring unrealised gains into it. Anything over $150,000 taxable earnings in a year gets hit with 15% tax. I would go simpler if I had my chance but this is an idea.

Suns v Crows a beauty. Of course, I tipped incorrectly!

Prime Minister Keir Starmer pays tribute to John 'Paddy' Hemingway - the last surviving Battle of Britain pilot who has died aged 105 #PMQs

For those AFL followers based in US, who like the game seeing how it is played recently, I suggest some youtubing Open Mike (with Mike Sheahan) interviews, and maybe some State of Origin/Grand Finals games of the 1980's. More man on man contests with players more positional. Fast and high scoring.

Rights and freedoms for pronouns...great trade!

T :Wow! That' a great drive. One of the greatest I think. I do alot of great things. And that's the greatest drive, maybe in the history of golf. ODDJOB: *whispering* It's splashed into the water, Sir. T: I don't visit the water. You know what to do. OJ places ball next to pin. Partner Norman claps.

BILL : Sounds like a fair deal to me Macca. Oh, and next watch, do your full shift....you owe me some minutes now. Bill exits, and Macca moves in and sits down stewing. KENDALL : Archie. Get the team together after your tea. Say, before I warm her up in 15 minutes. Kendall exits the mess area.

KENDALL : You'll learn to pick on people your own size. Macca laughs at the difference in their physical appearances, as he towers over the smaller Kendall. KENDALL : I wasn't talking about your height...or weight. Bill gets up and walks over to leave the mess.

KENDALL : Tell you what, leave my men alone and I'll give you a free swing at me. You find me when we get home safe and sound, and you can throw a punch at me. I won't even fight back! I'll give you one hour after we dock to find me. MACCA : You'll do a runner you useless piece of shit.

KENDALL : If you have a problem with my team then have a go at me. Right? Not them. MACCA : I'll have a go at you alright. I'll knock you to kingdom come. KENDALL : OK. But not today. Or any day we're at sea, if you know what's good for you.

MACCA : Making sure the real workers are looked after before the hangers on. KENDALL : Archie works bloody hard. All my team do. MACCA : Don't see your crew do any watches. From what I see all you do is eat, drink, sleep...and shit!

A small ruckus at the counter as Macca enters and pushes Archie out of the way and gets a mug of tea and sandwich before him. Kendall excuses himself from Bill's company and heads to the fracas building. KENDALL : Archie? You ok? MACCA : Biggles to the rescue KENDALL : Is tgere a problem Macca?

BILL : You haven't met my father! KENDALL : You've got a father?! From what the men have been calling you behind your back I didn't think you had one. A laugh for both and then more silence as they finish their tea. Kendall is rarely quiet in company. BILL : You'll do fine, son. You'll do fine.

KENDALL :...They know we will be crossing today. And today, of all days, the ceiling lifts! A long silence. BILL : Luckily I redid my will yesterday then KENDALL : Am I in it? BILL : Yeah. I'm giving you my debts. KENDALL : I'm no lawyer but don't think that's how it works.

KENDALL : Iforgot about that. You need a better union, comrade! Don't do this run again. BILL : I heard you. I won't be volunteering, I guarantee you that. A lull. KENDALL : They know where we are. They know when we left Murmansk. Bet they know when the other convoy left Iceland...

BILL : Can't. Wife wouldn't let me. It's why our marriage works! Got to earn a living. Besides, it's not voluntary anymore. Look, I believe you John. Y'know it's even worse for us merchant seamen. If we are sunk on a private ship we stop being paid from the time we're sunk.

KENDALL : When the weather allows it, and they're organised, they will attack, attack, and attack. For days! Maybe convoys can get further from the coast but once they have a bead on a convoy it's going to be carnage. Only one plane with you after escort leaves....well, stay at home Bill.

BILL : You think this trip's been cold. Getting ice off the ship 24 hours a day so the ship wont tip over with the weight! Being careful not to let skin touch bare metal. But your right. Rather that than getting sunk. Don't have many minutes in that water...not enough to get to Iceland (laughing).

KENDALL : Nice one. No. "Into the valley of death they rode" BILL : Tennyson. "Ours is not to reason why, just to do or die"...or something like that. KENDALL : Well, it's going yo be like that. Winter you get light and weather protection. BILL : Done one of those winter runs.

KENDALL : Better weather so they can takeoff. More planes at the Norwegian airfields. And their pilots are good! They don't lack skill...or courage. They'll do what's ordered. It'll be like that poem. What's the name of it? BILL : There once was a man from Nantucket? Kendall laughs.

KENDALL : You saw how they went at us on the way over. Three ships down in a few minutes. And that's when they're not that organised! And early May. By mid-summer it's going to be light all the time and they're going to be organised. Bill nods knowingly

KENDALL : Four convoys is enough. A year gone by... Bill, if you get the choice, din't do this run again. BILL : Sometimes you dont get a choice. KENDALL : But if you do. That's what I'm saying.

KENDALL : I miss flying. Took this on because things were tame after what had happened in 1940. Teaching others to fly...well, I'm no teacher. And I guess I wanted action. Thought this lark would give me that thrill again. But it's been....mind-numbing. And little or no flying!

KENDALL : Should cross the outward convoy around midday, and pick up their heavy escort by evening. Then it's home sweet home. And the end of ny duty! BILL : You finishing up? KENDALL : Four's the limit...thank God. BILL : I thought we were good company (smiling)

BILL : Ceilings lifted? Kendall nods BILL : No comrade cracks today John? KENDALL : No Marx quotes for me? BILL : Think he said something about women - if they aren't working you're not running at max level KENDALL : Ladies' man? BILL : (laughs) Yes. He was! We still on track?

Bill sits quietly in a corner of the mess area. He is older. In his mid 40's. As the mess starts to get busier Kendall heads over to where Bill sits. BILL : John KENDALL : Change of watch time? BILL : Yeah. Going to relieve Macca KENDALL : They might spot us today. Keep your eyes open.

WILLIE : (Leaving with the tea) Fuck school! KENDALL : Sounds like Macca's influence. COOKIE : Na. Think it's getting to him. First voyage and all. KENDALL : It's a test alright. COOKIE : Have a quiet word to him sometime. He'll listen to you. KENDALL : Everyone does COOKIE : Not everyone.

COOKIE : Got to start at tge bottom in everything you do. KENDALL : Especially in the navy (laughing) WILLIE : I'm no poof! KENDALL : Only a joke Willie. Cookie needs to work on your sense of humour. Got a brother about your age. He loves schoolwork...doubt he can make a decent brew though.

KENDALL : Young chaps, these days, don't know how good they've got it. How old are you Willie? 15? WILLIE : Nearly 16! KENDALL : Don't age yourself prematurely. WILLIE : I should have stayed in school then. COOKIE : I'm learning you instead, aint I? WILLIE : How to make a tea? Fuckin useless!

KENDALL : Hey Willie. Get a tea ready for the PO when he comes in. He should be finishing the warm up soon. Willie looks at Kendall angrily. KENDALL : Please? Willie starts muttering about having to take orders all the time as he preps the tea. Cookie and Kendall chuckle again with one another.

KENDALL : Well, if I ever I ever put on a show, don't miss it. Rockets will warm you up. COOKIE : I'll make the effort just to see you off the ship so we can have some peace and quiet. They chuckle amongst themselves.

KENDALL : Everything tastes better when safe. Now is the time for the good stuff! COOKIE : Cold out? KENDALL : Better than usual. Bit cold enough. You should get out more often. COOKIE : If you don't like the cold, stay in the kitchen is my motto.

KENDALL : (feigning disappointment) I wanted your best stuff. The proper food hidden away. COOKIE: Under lock and key. KENDALL : No good to us if we're sunk...shame not to eat it. COOKIE : I like to do something special when we get to safety. You know, to celebrate.

Kendall moves inside, the relative warmth of the mess area. The cook and galley boy man area. A few others are seated. KENDALL : (slapping palm down on the benchtop) Mug of tea and a fry up PDQ Cookie. Cookie places the usual bit of meat slapped between slices of bread as the boy gets a mug of tea

Kendall laughs. KENDALL : I'll see what I can do if I get the chance. Archie smiles and gives him the thumbs up. Kendall heads back from whence he came. As he goes past the merchant seaman he shouts KENDALL : Cold enough for you Macca? Kendall disappears inside before Macca can respond.

Faulks, the pilot officer (PO) in cockpit, notices Kendall and gives the thumbs up. Kendall's seen that everythings in hand, turns to Archie. KENDALL : Jack still running silent? Archie nods KENDALL : Every day he doesn't speak costing you money? Archie nods sadly.

Archie stands on deck checking the plane out from a distance. Kendall approaches. They acknowledge one another as both look intently at the plane. KENDALL : (shouting) Any problems? ARCHIE : It's good... The engine misfires a little ARCHIE : ...when it warms up, sir. Kendall gestures "ok".

Kendall raises gestures "hello" with his hand. The merchant seaman responds by raising his free, mittened hand in an upward motion, confusing Kendall. The seaman removes the mitten and repeats the "up yours" gesture. Kendall laughs, and gestures goodbye as he heads towards the forward deck.

Kendall goes down to the deck and enters on the starboard side. A rugged up merchant seaman is on the rail with binoculars in one mitten. Kendall gives a friendly tap as he goes by. The noise of the plane makes hearing anything else difficult.

On the bridge, the Captain (Cruickshank) and a few seaman stand, together with the Flight Directions Officer (FDO Peter Mallett), chatting. MALLETT : Could be busy today. SEAMAN 1 : What will Durex think? CAPTAIN : "Durex" seaman? SEAMAN 1 : Sorry sir. What will FO Kendall think?

The camera approaches the ship from aft and into the bridge of the ship, moving around the bodies of the sailors on the bridge to settle on the ship's nameplate at the back of the bridge EMIRE MORN

The camera zooms through heavy cloud until the cloud breaks a bit as the camera appears quite close to the water. Soon a convoy of ships is seen, heading east to west, and the camera circles the convoy ending up on a ship towards the front of the convoy.

The camera cimes to earth - like a google earth shot- eventually zooming down over northern Europe. Countries are either coloured black for German controlled, red for Russian controlled, and blue for neutral. The camera zooms north and past the northern tip of Norway and our into the Arctic Sea.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY MAY 25, 1942

The use of these Empire CAM ships with Atlantic convoys from mid-1941 and, then, their use on Arctic convoys when weather allowed in 1942.

Words on the screen show the lives and tonnages of vital goods lost in this period. Churchill's instructions to protect the convoys. No air craft carriers available to provide air cover. The building of Empire CAM ships and formation of the all-volunteer Merchant Ship Fighter Unit ("MSFU").

The curtain at the cinema slightly expands after the ads and previews have finished...it is time for the movie to begin. On the screen a collage of black and white, old clips of Atlantic convoys during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1940, and attacks by U-Boats and German planes.

Don't know how to gain followers but from now until it ends I will try to tell a story. A story in serial form, post by post, scene by scene, over many days. Hope it gives a different respite from the serious stuff of today's world.

16. Interesting. That cat's out of the bag IMO. Why not give 16 -17 the vote though? Taxation without representation?