BRILLIANT BATHURST!

Drama, excitement, disappointment, and every lap a thriller – the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour delivered, big time.

The winning Ferrari fought all the way to the finish, but in the end it was well clear of the second placed Porsche, and Bentley M-Sport grabbed third place on the podium with a solid performance throughout the day.

This race has now established itself as one of the great global annual motorsport events; and this year’s race guarantees the top teams will be back next year to entertain us.

The results sheet will simply not tell the whole story of how the day unfolded.

The Ferrari got pole position, fastest lap of the race, led the most laps and won by a big margin.

But you had to be along for the ride to watch joy turn to sorrow in seconds, and major dramas which overall delivered 12 hours of truly entertaining motor racing.

BATHURST 12 HOUR RACE - FIND A TV! NOW!

Wherever you are in the world if you love close racing; watching the world's best brands battle it out, and are looking for excitement; race drama and thrills find a way to watch or stream the 2017 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, NOW!

The stupendous road circuit snaking across Mount Panorama at Bathurst, west of Sydney, is playing host to the world's greatest GT cars.

This is a circuit for bravery and balls - but don't let it catch you up! Otherwise you're out of the action.

Bentley, Audi, AMG, Ferrari, BMW, Nissan, McLaren and Lamborghini - they're all there, and since race start at 5:45am it's been one of the most thrilling races you will have ever seen.

This is great motor racing, don't miss it!

APPLE CARPLAY. A SAFER WAY TO DRIVE

After sampling Apple CarPlay on a number of cars recently, my advice to car companies is to simplify the head unit you are fitting as standard equipment, and just make sure it's compatible with, and offers, Apple CarPlay. In fact I think it should be the default choice.

For those in a parallel universe there is also Android Auto, however as I am a happy member of the Apple ecosystem, I’m happy to plug the Apple system.

Using it is simplicity itself. Plug in your compatible iPhone, engage CarPlay and the display acts as a 'mirror' for everything on your iPhone, including maps, which means you don’t need a GPS SatNav option on the head unit.

I was a reluctant user of Siri, but in the car it makes perfect sense. “Who do you want to call?” Speak the name under which that contact is listed in your Contacts List, and, voila, Siri dials the number and you’re connected. Siri will also read your messages to you, and take replies. Groovy.

Likewise playing music from your library. Select any of the options: Album, Artist, Playlists, and you’re rockin’.

I think Apple CarPlay and Android Auto could be major contributors to safer driving, that is until using the features of mobile phones is outlawed completely.

EMBARRASSING? WHO CARES!

Okay, now it’s our turn. In my comments on the outcome of the US elections I have tried strenuously to be respectful about the people’s choice of President, and it’s been hard.

However, since Trump’s undeserved outburst at our Prime Minister all bets are off. Australians can cope with this, it’s water off our backs.

All Malcolm Turnbull was doing after all, was trying to ensure a deal already agreed with the US government was brought to fruition – he wasn’t asking any favours.

What has not been widely reported is that this was not a one-way deal, only beneffiting Australia.

The U.S. had planned to take as many as 1,250 asylum-seekers. In exchange, Australia—which enforces a blanket ban on accepting asylum-seekers who arrive by boat—would take refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras seeking to come to the U.S.

Unsurprisingly, there has been an outpouring of support in the US media from American citizens who feel embarrassed and ashamed at Mr. Turnbull’s treatment.

The bonds between our two countries and its peoples are strong, well-established and genuine. We have suffered in the trenches together, and supported each other not only in times of war, but also in the continuing disaster which is the Middle East.

My wife and I lived and worked in the USA for 12 years, enjoying mutual regard, friendship and a palpable sense of respect for where we came from. I am in no doubt Australia enjoys a prominent place in the hearts of most Americans.

By all accounts it does seem that Mr. Trump could be termed an ‘accidental President’. He has been described by a prominent US citizen as a President who can be legitimately called a ‘minority’ President, losing the popular vote by some three million votes, and winning the Electoral College by just 42,000 votes in States where almost 400,000 voters were purged from the electoral roles and not allowed to vote.

Saddest of all is the fact that Trump conducts his Presidency in the same vein as his campaign. He speaks only to his heartland, repeating the words they long to hear, and assuring them he has not forgotten them. Given the number of Americans who declined to vote at all, because of the awful choices, one could assume that President Trump does not, indeed, speak for all Americans.

The outcome of this recent election could easily be described as the most polarizing incident in the recent history of the USA, and we have four more years to endure Trump, the Tweeter–in-Chief.

However, this weekend, we’ll just put another shrimp on the Barbie, and be ever-grateful we are governed by a Statesman, who represents great dignity and integrity.

TRUMP POLICY EXPLAINED

Now, this may not be as earth-shattering as the discovery of Penicillin, but I have finally figured out why we are seeing outrageous policy announcements which upset so many people outside the USA, and find favour inside the USA.

First you have to recognize a couple of situations:

1.    Only a minority of American citizens have a passport.

2.    Most Americans do not, and do not wish to, travel outside America.

3.    Donald Trump’s heartland voters are mostly lower middle class, poor, rustbelt and Midwest citizens, who are extremely unworldly.

4.    Donald Trump’s supporters could care less about global outrage.

5.    Donald Trump is crazy, like a fox.

Now to policy, and implementation:

Here’s how it works, and we’ll use the immigration/border closing issue as an example.

First, Steve Bannon identifies countries which are Muslim, but in which Donald Trump’s companies have no financial dealings. They are put on a ‘banned list’ and the countries where Trump has financial links are exempted.

So far so good.

Second, Trump announces the ban, it is cheered by his heartland voters because he is implementing a policy espoused on the campaign trail.

All Trump supporters are now heartily glad they voted for Trump.

Why does Trump appear unaffected by criticism? Because the ban will only be in place for 90 days, and then, mysteriously, it will be announced that the President is satisfied new processes are now in place to protect America, and the ban will disappear.

Trump’s supporters will relax. The President has implemented a campaign promise; he has halted the unchecked flow of refugees and Moslems, and now things have been ‘fixed up’, life can go on. I know this is a very cynical observation, but I’m sure I’m right.

That great American showman P.T. Barnum once said: “Never overestimate the intelligence of the public.”

Of course, he was referring to how easily his paying customers were taken in by sleight of hand and magic tricks. Funny, isn’t that what President Trump is doing to his heartland.

The educated section of the USA can see what’s happening, but his heartland will continue to support his showmanship, grand gestures and tyrannical outbursts. They will love every minute of it.

Until we get to something serious. Then let’s see if the Trump Administration is really up to the job of protecting America, creating more jobs, defending the dollar and ‘Making America Great Again’.

This is going to a very interesting (and probably scary) four years.

To quote one of my favourite American composers, Cole Porter: "Anything Goes"