Squiz Today – Friday, 26 October

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“She was delighted when anybody said they liked it, and most everybody liked it.”

Said Tom Reilly, husband of American food icon Dorcas Reilly, following her death this week. Dorcas created the loved-and-loathed side dish - the green-bean casserole. Comprising of canned cream of mushroom soup, cooked green beans, milk, soy sauce, pepper, and topped with crisp onions, the dish has been a Thanksgiving staple in the US for decades. We're a judgment-free zone…

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STICKS AND STONES…

THE SQUIZ
The US political and media establishments were under siege yesterday as a series of bombs were sent in the mail to prominent Democrats and high-profile critics of President Donald Trump. A war of words soon followed about the divisive political environment. While the nation’s leaders condemned what some labelled ‘attempted acts of domestic terrorism', finger pointing across political lines did little to settle frazzled nerves.

WHAT’S GOING ON?
• Pipe bombs were mailed to (amongst others) former President Barack Obama and presidential candidate Hilary Clinton. One was also addressed to former CIA director John Brennan via media outlet CNN, even though he is a commentator for rival network NBC. And it was revealed overnight that packages were also sent to actor Robert De Niro and former vice president Joe Biden.

• President Trump called for unity. “We have to come together and send one very clear, strong and unmistakable message that acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America,” he said. He also blamed the media for "a very big part of the Anger we see today in our society.” (Note: China might have had a heads up on what he was going to say…)

• Democratic leaders said “phlueese”. "Time and time again, the President has condoned physical violence and divided Americans with his words and his actions.”

DO WORDS REALLY LEAD TO ACTION?
Good question (insert thinking face emoji). No one will know in this case until they catch those responsible. But a lot has been said about the way not only Trump, but politicians on all sides, the media and commentators conduct the business of politics, and how their harsh words could encourage violence. And while the state of Aussie politics isn’t at peak-shrill like in the US, many believe our public discourse has also deteriorated. On that front, it's worth noting Fraser Anning was sacked from his party for pursuing what leader Bob Katter described as “racist” policies. Anning was the bloke who used the Nazi term ‘final solution’ while talking about immigration policy.

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SQUIZ THE REST

A TOUGH DAY FOR ANYONE WITH A SUPERANNUATION ACCOUNT…
Sounds alarming, but most of them get at least some of their returns from the Australian share market. So listen up…

• Thing to know: a market has a correction when it drops 10% after an upswing. The market did that yesterday with the ASX200 (which measures the biggest 200 companies listed on the Aussie Stock Exchange) dropping 10% since its peak in August.

• And if you're looking at financial stocks, they are down 20% since May last year. Think banking royal commission, amongst other things…

• Yesterday’s star for all the wrong reasons? AMP. It dropped almost 25% off its market value after announcing its plans after a brutal few months. Its share price is now 90% lower than what it was just after it listed in 1998.

And no one is immune. Some on the Financial Review’s new rich/young people list took a hit in the recent market volatility.

SAVING FOR A NON-RAINY DAY
Is what the federal government says it's going to do by establishing a new future fund for drought. An initial $3.9 billion will be put aside with the aim of turning it into $5 billion under the watchful eye of the Future Fund Board of Guardians. The money will go towards funding for farmers and regional communities in times of drought, but also towards ‘future proofing’ projects like infrastructure and research. The announcement is timed for today’s Drought Summit in Canberra.

FLYING TO SAVE FACE
Reports say it’s the largest security breach to have ever hit the aviation industry. Yikes… Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific says the personal details for 9.4 million customers have been leaked. We’re talking passport numbers, email addresses, payment details and travel history. Double yikes… Chief executive Rupert Hogg said there’s no evidence that the information has been misused, but he was very sorry.

A REALLY BAD JOKE
A high school student in Sydney’s west allegedly stabbed eight kids on their hands, legs and bum with a hypodermic needle he allegedly found at a bus stop. Police initially said they believed it was a “prank", but the boy responsible was later charged with assault. All were taken from Plumpton High School to start three months of blood tests to determine if they have been exposed to a range of diseases including HIV and hepatitis.

A REALLY GOOD JOKE
David Schwimmer aka Ross of Friends fame (or as we like to think, aka Robert Kardashian of The People v OJ Simpson fame…) wins good sport of the week. Well played, sir.

FRIDAY LITES – THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
Complementary articles - It’s Astounding How Many Problems Can Be Solved Just by Waking Up Early and The Best Time to Go to Bed is 8:45 – sum up life at the Squiz. Not that we ever talk about our early starts/lights-out routine. Much…

Did you know Elvis was instrumental in saving America from polio? Us neither, but the anniversary of his single act that raised immunisation rates from 0.6% to 80% in six months is this weekend.

Halloween’s on Wednesday next week and for those looking to make something of it, Martha Stewart has some great food ideas. The recipes for Monster Mucus (#7) and Pickled Brains (#9) = hilarious.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday
Federal Government's Drought Summit - Canberra

Qantas Annual General Meeting

Day for Daniel – organised by the Daniel Morcombe Foundation to raise child safety awareness

National Bandanna Day for the benefit of CanTeen

Saturday
From 12.00pm (AEDT) – John Farnham, Daryl Braithwaite and Guy Sebastian headline at the Hay Mate Drought Relief Concert – Tamworth, NSW

5.00pm (AEDT) – Horse Racing – Cox Plate with Winx chasing a historic fourth win – Moonee Valley, Melbourne

5.00pm (AEDT) – Bledisloe Cup Rugby – Wallabies v All Blacks – Japan

7.30pm (AEDT) – Closing of the Invictus Games - Sydney

290th Anniversary of Captain James Cook’s birthday

Sunday
Harry and Meghan depart for Kiwiland

Second round of Brazil’s presidential election

Czech Republic’s National Day