Hope ?

 The man considered to be the mastermind behind the shambles successful BREXIT campaign Nigel Farage is soon to grace our shores. While the political party he started, UKIP stumbles from disaster to election disaster, the MEP (Member of European Parliament)  who finds little time to actually spend in Brussels will tour Australia for 5 days spruiking his message in September. Farage will also visit New Zealand. Perhaps he'll be telling the New Zealanders they need to break away from Australia.
A "VIP" ticket to his events will be around $500 but you get to attend a backstage cocktail party or you can pay $250 for a photo with him or you can fork out nearly $1000 for a pre-show dinner with Farage. 
Most people should be aware that things are not going well in the UK Parliament as they wrestle with just how to manage the split from the rest of Europe. One major problem is the Custom's Union between Ireland and North Ireland which now enjoys unfettered access with the EU saying this must cease. To date several large corporations have threatened they may have to leave Britain and base themselves in Europe for easy access. The giant Airbus Corp being just one but there are fears several big banks may also decide to HQ in France or Germany.
Never mind, Nige is quoted as saying he will bring his Oz listeners "a message of hope and optimism". Perhaps he's specifically targeting that at current PM Malcolm Turnbull who needs all help he can get at present. What a shame Whispers happens to be busy that night. Whenever it is.
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Trigger Warning ! 
 Over night on Twitter the following message appeared from the UKIP MEP Neil Hamilton. 

Apparently some chap called Milo has joined the party with a conspiracy apparatchik from the bizarre US Alex Jones show along with Sargon of Akkad whoever that is.

She's back !

How pleasing to see our favorite chanteuse and actress Maria Venuti made it to the Bong Bong Picnic Races this week. Maria suffered a stroke earlier this year after she found a stranger in her living room. But she's looking much better and as always, larger than life. Maria is pictured here with two Southern Highlands' residents broadcaster Alan Jones and the always stylish Glen Marie Frost.

There was a time when the Picnic Races had to be cancelled for a number of years due to the attendees imbibing just a little too much in alcoholic refreshments and basically running amok. Now they have returned to calmer times and really are a wonderful day out in a superb location.

Noticeable attendees: broadcaster Alan Jones who tends to be to the right of politics but his new friendship with the former Australian Labor Party candidate for Prime Minister Mark Latham has taken on all the attributes of a bromance. Latham seems to have veered to the right at a rapid pace and now writes for the right-wing website Rebel Media and when he's not castigating "snowflakes" he's cosying up to that Milo character or getting stuck into former Labor colleagues like ex-PM Kevin Rudd and former NSW premier Kristina Keneally who has a real chance of picking up the Bennelong seat in the upcoming by-election which could put Labor in power and PM Malcolm Turnbull out.

We digress: Latham and Jones have teamed up to give the world just what it needs- another cookbook as Mark tweeted with the accompanying photo : "Here we are in the kitchen enjoying the great story about Alan's sultana scone recipe. One of many cracking recipes to feature in the book.'
We can't wait.