"In the so-called "silly season" columnists the world over tend to reach back to their childhoods for inspiration. If you’re lucky, the result is sometimes gently humorous or deeply spiritual," writes The Gadfly columnist ROBERT MACKLIN.
"All that touchy-feely stuff and secret plots between points is truly off-putting. They should make plans, have a big cuddle in the dressing room and use the court for playing tennis, not kissie-kissie peek-a-boo," writes ROBERT MACKLIN.
"My only concern is Trump's dealing with China, but even there I think his tariff threats are part of his so-called Art of the Deal. Will he sacrifice American lives to prevent a Chinese takeover of Taiwan? Really?" writes ROBERT MACKLIN.
"Unfortunately, the human mind is a precision instrument of self-delusion. Its most fearsome power is its capacity to provide self-sustaining fables that support its natural desire to escape its own demise," writes columnist ROBERT MACKLIN.
"The tableau became unhinged. Blue angels, sprawling shepherds, wise men and even the doll’s doting parents panicked. Theatrical chaos threatened," Gadfly columnist ROBERT MACKLIN fondly remembers when the school nativity play goes awry.
"In so many ways we are returning to the botany that is our only hope to survive and prosper in the decades ahead," writes The Gadfly columnist ROBERT MACKLIN.
"Like most journalists-cum-authors, I've had my own bout with booze, particularly in my 30s and 40s. Fortunately, a resilient and beloved wife and my dedication to the storyteller’s art pulled me through," writes ROBERT MACKLIN.
"I’m aware that it’s early days yet. And when Trump actually takes the reins in late January, he might well begin knocking down the guidelines of presidential restraint," writes The Gadfly columnist ROBERT MACKLIN .
"My wife discovered a catalogue filled with goodies and, once she ordered something, that damned internet has been sending her Christmas 'suggestions' for months," bemoans The Gadfly columnist ROBERT MACKLIN.
"We’ve never had health insurance, and until the government blew the budget on that idiotic tram it'd worked well. Now it’s a mess and we're caught between insane premiums and waiting forever for "elective surgery," writes ROBERT MACKLIN.
"We agree that if US voters re-elect Trump, America’s international standing would take a disastrous dive. That doesn’t trouble Alan, but it fills me with pain. In so many ways the US is the engine room of progress," writes ROBERT MACKLIN.
"Like other TV news programs, its producers are obsessed with the vile, the criminal and the foolish things men do, but they censor themselves in their reportage and thereby 'normalise' such behaviour," writes ROBERT MACKLIN.