The central, befuddling economic reality of the United States at the close of 2020 is that everything is terrible in the world, while everything is wonderful in the financial markets.

I decided to make a cartoon to wish you a happy new year via my friend, Jules, who in his inimitable way summed up the politics of the season in an email. “May your fields of noodles be as productive as ours…”.

Happy new year 2022... I did not see 2021...

In his article "The most outrageous pardon of all time” the moustachioed religious genius, Michael Brown, goes exactly where I though he was going to… 

John Robert Hewson AM (born 28 October, 1946) is a former Australian politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994. He led the Coalition to defeat at the 1993 unloosable federal election. Hewson has a doctorate in economics from Johns Hopkins University. He is a global warming warrior against the awful sceptics and denialists… A good man.

Sydney Fireworks… Fireworks are an art form bordering on the art of warfare. Peacefully blowing up phosphorus and other chemicals. Fireworks tell us we are ephemeral. Transient. We’re there, shimmering beautiful lights in the night sky and soon we become cinders. Some people think we should give them up, forever.

There is no justification for having New Year’s Eve fireworks, none. Not this year, not any year.

UN rapporteur on Assange: 'The US is trying to criminalize investigative journalism'

A London court will decide on January 4 on the US extradition request for Julian Assange. For Nils Melzer, UN special rapporteur on torture, it's a political process and a travesty of justice.

DW: After four weeks of hearing evidence in the extradition trial against Julian Assange, Judge Vanessa Baraitser is going to deliver her verdict on January 4. You have followed the case of Julian Assange closely. What's your take on the proceedings?

Wishing our troops a safe return to our shores...

Climate change: Extreme weather causes huge losses in 2020

WASHINGTON — Congress on Monday night overwhelmingly approved a $900 billion stimulus package that would send billions of dollars to American households and businesses grappling with the economic and health toll of the pandemic.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said hundreds of dollars in direct payments could begin reaching individual Americans as early as next week.

This cartoon (24-25 October 2020) by Johannes Leak, Bill's son, has been modified by Gus to remove the exclusive intents of the Murdoch media that show Scott Morrison as an exemplary god-fearing Christian who never tells a porkie and acts like the principal of a college for future advertising delinquents. 

The original is quite lame and demand a bit of oldy-worldy sniggering: