Hear, bloody hear!

David Barham’s stepped down as president of #Essendon. There will be reams of analysis in coming days, some of it informed, a lot of it ungenerous. While the team fell short of his ambitions he did a lot of the heavy-lifting his predecessors sidestepped. The club will be better for it.

Looking on from Australia, I can’t believe how compliant and submissive Americans appear to be in the face of galloping oppression

Robert Redford playing a gentle incarnation of death, coming for a frightened old woman in The Twilight Zone episode "Nothing in the Dark" (1962). An extraordinary performance then, terribly bittersweet today

John Lyons has been a friend and colleague for more than forty years. All that time he’s been speaking truth to power and staring down bullies. Especially proud of him today www.theage.com.au/world/north-...

How cheap is the Nine Network? Broadcasting the Australia-Belgium Davis Cup tie from Sydney using what appears to be the European feed, complete with British commentators. Apparently couldn’t afford the cab fare out there for Todd and Jelena. #daviscup

Not exactly the sort of behavior you expect from a captain. #essendon www.nine.com.au/sport/afl/ne...

This might be the most mealy-mouthed post in the history of social media - by the mealy-mouthed Post

The WSJ analysis nails him even harder. In any normal democracy Trump would be gone after this. And still he lies.

Lunacy from the President of the United States. They’ll be lucky to get another election.

Well, they’ll struggle to get celeb players now. Great idea for a great cause, ruined by blokes who refuse to grow up www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/co...

Just Victorian Libs doing what they do. What a circus www.theage.com.au/politics/vic...

This is true and it confounds me. I can only conclude that the “most influential newsrooms” are coming under pressure from their C-suites to go easy on Trump. Indefensible on both sides.

What an odious foot-licker Miller is. Suspect we’ll one day find one he was behind most of the worst of Trump.

Australia: A land of lost opportunity www.theage.com.au/environment/...

As an Essendon supporter it’s hard to watch Patrick Voss tear it up at Marvel. Happy for him, but how the hell did our army of coaches miss his potential? He’s exactly what the Bombers need and we delisted him. Groan….

America is so screwed up.

The AFL just doesn’t have the normal antenna. Read the room for chrissakes www.theage.com.au/national/vic...

Well, at least he’s beating someone…

Finally, I thought, @nytimes.com has done some actual reporting and learned Bondi told Trump months ago he was in the Epstein files. But it turns out the footslogging was done by @wsj.com Worse, NYT don’t credit them till eighth par of their story. Be better.

Interviewed Ozzy in LA in the mid-eighties. Never laughed so much with an interview subject. So glad he lasted another four decades and had so much success along the way.

Particularly in light of this latest US outrage..

More Chifley and much less Morrison please Albo www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politic...

Damn right! www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/go...

Back early from North America after abandoning a five-day visit to Los Angeles which was supposed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my wife and I living and working very happily there in the mid-eighties. But in the end we just couldn’t face Trump’s America or his foot soldiers. Very sad.

If you’re not obsessed with the mushroom trial verdict , there’s not a lot to read on Melbourne news sites at the moment.

Travelling in Canada and at Calgary Airport they’ve removed the traffic lights that regulated the flow of US-bound passengers and US-arrivals who used to clog the airport. No need for them anymore; the terminal is pretty much deserted now. Chalk up another victory to the Orange One. So much winning

Morrison? Why?

Very sad and disturbing news about the brutal death of Dominic O’Brien, who I worked with at The Sunday Age for many years. A truly gifted photographer who never failed to deliver a great shot. Lovely man too. Part of a close-knit staff in the early 90s that made coming to work a joy.

Apt.

So, America’s now Pottersville and Trump’s playing the Lionel Barrymore part. But who’s the new George Bailey…Gavin Newsom? They sure need someone, and quickly. #LAprotests

Had the same thought. The @nytimes.com needs to get some proper perspective on Trump’s march to authoritarianism.

Where are all those pundits who said Harris lost to Trump because she focussed too much on his threats to democracy? She was right to do so but these days commentators prefer tactics to truth. #LA

The cop needs to be charged. And Lauren Tomasi and Nine should sue him and the LAPD. It’s the American thing to do.

Another nail in Vic Labor’s coffin. Third-term hubris has well and truly set in. It always does www.theage.com.au/national/vic...

Trump wouldn’t have won the presidency without this drug-addled megalomaniac’s billions. American democracy is in great shape.

#AFL teams are now recruiting utes and SUVs, according to The Age site. Half-back flankers no doubt.

A lot of distracted spectators (background) missed this mark of the year contender but they’ll tell everyone it happened right in front of them.

Peak Melbourne today at St Ali, South Melbourne: “Hi, we’re just here for a couple of coffees.” “Do you have a reservation?” This is getting ridiculous

The old money of East Egg seem put out by West Eggers encroaching on their territory. All very Gatsby. www.theage.com.au/national/sor...

Millman’s right: this is incredibly harsh for a bloke who didn’t even take a banned substance. In tennis there’s one rule for those at the top and another rule for the journeymen and women www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis...

Attended the dawn service this morning and the antics of this bloke and his mates were disturbing and distressing. Of course, many of those being remembered died fighting the ideology the hecklers so crudely embrace www.theage.com.au/national/vic...

The ultimate eyewitness account, in stereo. The reporter - any reporter - will never top this.

Song of the week.(Hat tip to 3RRR’s Brian Wise) open.spotify.com/track/5vCLLF...

Don’t get this at all. Gave the third season a chance after giving up on the second, but found it duller than Dutton. And who needs even more appalling Americans in their life?

Pass it around, people !

All grew up to be MAGA voters. Still haven’t figured it out.

Lachlan Murdoch - and his role in this mess - gets off very lightly.

Bit of a shock this; bumped into Petro last month and he was jovial and energetic. The man had principles, which are in short supply these days www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...

Actually, I think we’ve reached “Barnaby Joyce Friday night” levels.