China plate

FORGET the Rumble in the Jungle. Today we hope to see the Raging in Beijing.

FORGET the Rumble in the Jungle. Today we hope to see the Raging in Beijing, the long-awaited showdown between Tony Abbott and Vladimir Putin.

Our Prime Minister clarified the rules on Saturday as he campaigned in Melbourne — it will be shirt-fronting AFL-style, not NRL — when he said “I’m going to have a very robust conversation with him, and Victorians in particular understand the use of sporting metaphors, and I’m going to have a very robust conversation with him ...” Abbott’s second (or parliamentary secretary, anyway) Josh Frydenberg emphasised the diplomatic angles of the stoush when he told Sky’s Australian Agenda yesterday: “It’s not the judo black belt versus the boxing blue.” And speaking of diplomacy, full marks — yet again — to Julie Bishop for her weekend work. Anyone who can say “Since the phrase ‘shirt-front’ was used I understand it’s now entered the diplomatic lexicon of many countries” while keeping a straight face deserves to be star of the global stage.

Bring on the biffo

SAY what you like about Gerard Henderson. The man is dogged. Hendo bravely pressed on in the face of a force-five flounce from fellow guest David Marr onABC TV’s Insiders yesterday after he insisted the correspondent for The Guardian had made a little too light of reports of a Remembrance Day terror plot against the Queen. Marr first slumped and clutched his brow. He then crossed his arms and sat up very upright and announced: “I am not ridiculing terrorism and you know it … This is a ridiculous story and you’re being ridiculous now.” Henderson held his ground. He continued unabated. No biff, however, ensued. Marr merely collapsed into the corner of the sofa, chin on hand. Which is a pity, really. Strewth would have loved to have seen the other guest, Fran Kelly, reprise the Bubbles Fisher “Stop fighting!” role from that most celebrated televisual brawl, the Normie Rowe-Ron Casey clash.

A wee advisory

STREWTH applauds Greens senator Larissa Waters’ water-saving Twitter tip (pictured above) but warns it is the start of a slippery slope. Taken too far, the same logic would justify befouling swimming pools.

Serenading Julia

BACK in the 1950s, British cartoonist Gerard Hoffnung staged a series of musical spectaculars that featured works such as the Concerto for Hose-pipe and Strings and an overture for three vacuum cleaners, a floor-polisher and full orchestra. These works immediately sprang to mind when Strewth read the blurb for ABC Classic FM’s special Julia Gillard concert on Saturday night. “The concert features the world premieres of seven newly commissioned works by outstanding Australian composers reflecting on the Hon Julia Gillard’s time as the first female prime minister of Australia. The broad collection of works includes a six-girl choir, instructions from goldfish, spoken phrases turned into musical gestures, mouth organs and more.” It sounded suitably chaotic and nonsensical, to reflect those years. Strewth, alas, cannot tell you about the performance as he had a pressing engagement that evening washing his hair.

Deprived jihadists

THERE was an interesting moment on The Bolt Report yesterday. The host was discussing the target audience for jihadist recruitment material on social media: “Losers, people that ... kids that haven’t had a girl and haven’t had a, you know ...” Haven’t had a what, Andrew? Bolt, swerving back into decorum, went on to say they were people who “haven’t had any power”.

Wrong side of the wall

THE anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall has been marked by personal reflections. Here’s one from senator Lee Rhiannon, who in 1989 was editing a little magazine called Survey, a digest of goings-on in the Eastern Bloc. She greeted events by running an interview with an East German “reformer”. The start of the Q&A gives a good taste of the rest — and on which side of history it landed. “Do you believe the GDR will remain a socialist state?” “Absolutely.” “Aren’t you afraid that developments may lead to a reunification of Germany?” “All groups and parties here are agreed that they will not leave the socialist way.”

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