Taking questions from the flawed

While Rosemary O’Brien (C8) says she’s been waiting for the “that’s a very stupid question” retort, Peter Riley of Penrith reckons she’s been overlooking the obvious: “You haven’t been paying attention, Rosemary. The Hon P. J. Keating at the National Press Club last year labelled a question from a Sky News reporter as ‘dumb’, and another questioner was rebuked with ‘I’m surprised you even have the gall to stand up in public and ask such a question, frankly; you ought to do the right thing and drum yourself out of Australian journalism’.”

Then there’s Evan Green’s interview of Formula 1 champion Alan Jones after he’d retired from the Australian Grand Prix. Glenn Lemcke of Kiama recalls that “Evan started with ‘You’ll probably think this is a stupid question, but I have to ask it’. He then asked how he felt after coming all the way from the UK to compete and then having his car fail. Alan’s response was succinct: ‘You’re right. That is a stupid question.’ End of interview.”

“Yes, Malcolm Davison (C8) is a real person and on Monday I was able to thank him in person for his par in C8 when we were both in attendance at the Christmas luncheon for the Westpac Group Alumni,” says Allan Gibson of Cherrybrook. “Ray Witherby, we missed you!”

Peter Miniutti of Ashbury “was surprised to read that Joe Biden was letting his son off. I had no idea he was father to a firecracker.” Bill Leigh of West Pennant Hills isn’t too bothered and is reminded that “in politics there’s nothing wrong with nepotism, providing it’s kept within the family”.

Lawyers can be pretty base, too, as Andrew Cohen of Glebe explains: “My colleague Greg and I were enjoying a client’s gift of a bottle of Scotch with Coke and lemon when his partner said, ‘Are you yobs aware that a New York bottle shop is advertising that bottle on special for $US900?’”

“I did not realise there was such scope for enjoyment from Christmas until I read about the range of advent calendars available in yesterday’s Herald,” writes Nola Tucker of Kiama. “I once bought a chocolate cheapie for the kids but, lacking control, they went through the lot in a couple of days. I think I’d do the same if some obliging sugar daddy dropped a Tiffany & Co. version into my letterbox (address available).”

Column8@smh.com.au
No attachments, please.
Include name, suburb and daytime phone.