Tim Blair

look at the trauma that gambling causes, tim.

The horror. I can almost picture you reading it with disgust.

Tim, you need a lawyer to look over that bet. You may have agreed to subscribe to the SMH, but did you agree to *read* it, also?

That's OK, Tim. Just buy yourself a parakeet or a hamster and you'll always have a use for that "news" paper. ;>)

If you don't read it, that's outright censorship. A suffocating atmosphere of censorship. I hope you understand the gravity of your actions, Mr. Blair.

Whereas Kerry's daughters look like the kind of young women who would display their breasts in a see-through dress.

The bright side:

Now you can threaten, on a daily basis, to cancel your subscription.

Bryson needs to spend more time in the USA. Raw corn is yummy. Lots of people eat raw corn.

I don't know about raw rice but my mother used to chew raw wheat straight from the field instead of chewing gum.

Find some mope who reads it in the first place that you know fairly well then tell them you have to get a year's subscription to the SMH and make a deal with them to sell them your subscription at half price and put their address on the subscription form. That way you save half the price of the subscription while fulfilling the obligations of the wager. Ummm...that is unless there is some fine print somewhere.

The SMH is unique among newspapers worldwide; it editorialises in news pages, but declines to editorialise in editorials.

Classic.

As one who believes profanity should be employed sparingly, so as to maximize effect, let me invite Mr. Bryson to go fuck himself.

Tim - Question for our friends and allies in Sydney:
If they could choose between the Bush twins and Teresa Kerry jumping out of their birthday cake, which would they choose?

a fan in Texas

Southpaw, Doesn't matter, so long as they're wearing latex, we'd do 'em.

At least, I would. But that's just me...

I used to enjoy Bryson's travel books and pretty much accepted the witty facts (sic) and sardonic comments he sprinkles through out his narratives without question. Then he wrote one on Australia and managed to cock up facts, figures and locations so badly that I now view him with a much more sceptical eye. This article is pretty much in line with his trade mark air of amused condescension.

...on the chance there might be a svelte boy inside it.

No, looking at his photo, I must disagree. It would have to be a goat in the cake. Of either sex.

I love that line about not editorialising the editorial - it really is a crap paper, that I've only ever read once (by which I mean, I read two articles someone sent me on an email and promised that if i ever visit Oz I'lll buy a book instead.

On Bryson, I think you're being a bit harsh folks - compared to most liberal articles, that was pretty good. Though anything is pretty good compared to most liberal articles, come to think of it.

it editorialises in news pages, but declines to editorialise in editorials.

That is briliant tim! your insight never ceases to amaze!
That in one sentence is the problem with much the western press.

Oh, and Bill Bryson's from Iowa.

Just so you know.

I wouldn't mind having the Bush twins popping out of my cake...

"He's [Kerry] married to a woman of independent wealth and mind who looks as if she would have to ask a servant where the brooms in her house are kept. When he puts on a hunting jacket or fishing gear, it always looks as if it has come straight out of the packaging. You kind of suspect he doesn't own a single old hat."

Come on, Tim, give it to him about the old hat. Lileks would. Steyn would. BB's right there in the crosshairs.

How dare that nasty man use humour.

What is society coming to?

While the Bush twins are mighty fine fillies, Bryson obviously hasn't been to many really high class Bucks Nights.

I wouldn't mind having the Bush twins popping out of my cake...

Add in their cousin Lauren, and then we're smokin'!

Did you enjoy dinner with Margo and Macca?

As far as I am concerned Barabara Bush Jr could jump out of my birthday cake anyday, if you ever needed another reason to vote for Bush..

As far as I am concerned Barabara Bush Jr could jump out of my birthday cake anyday, if you ever needed another reason to vote for Bush..

Don't come the raw corn with me, it's still a funny picture.