Digested week: Trump showers satirists with gifts

Monday

Even if it was primarily intended as a diversionary tactic to stop people asking her about Brexit for a few days, it was good to hear Theresa May talking about making mental health a priority. Though I couldn’t help thinking her words might have sounded a little more sincere if she had offered a little more than the £1bn for mental health services that David Cameron had promised, but never delivered, in an almost identical speech the year before. Under the Conservative and coalition governments there have been 4,000 fewer nurses and 600 fewer doctors working in mental health. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to pay for my all-too-frequent visits to psychiatrists and therapists over the past 30 years; without that ability, I dread to think what would have happened to me. Or if I would still be around. But I’m all too aware that many people aren’t that lucky, and either have to struggle on alone or wait a long time to get help. By which time for some it will have been too late.

Tuesday

The last that I – and most others – saw of Dominic Cummings, the eccentric former special adviser to Michael Gove and passionate advocate for Brexit, was at his remarkable appearance before the Treasury select committee during the EU referendum campaign. He got things off to a bad start by telling the chair, Andrew Tyrie, how busy he was and that he had to get away early. He then refused to engage with the committee’s concerns about the accuracy of Vote Leave’s figures. “It’s only a couple of decimal points,” he shrugged petulantly. “There’s quite a few decimal points between £33bn and £16bn,” Tyrie observed. At which point Cummings started muttering about Tyrie chatting to his wife in his slippers, just in case he hadn’t been offensive enough already. But now Cummings has partially re-emerged, having written a detailed blog about the Vote Leave campaign. Much of it is very entertaining but, perhaps not surprisingly, some of it doesn’t ring entirely true. He insists that both Boris Johnson and Gove could barely contain their excitement the morning after the referendum. That doesn’t quite square with the impression left with those of us who attended their joint press conference. Johnson acted like a mute zombie while Gove looked like someone who had come down off a bad trip to discover he had murdered his best friend.

Wednesday

Fifa has come in for a lot of criticism for expanding the World Cup from 32 to 48 countries from 2026. Having just under a quarter of all the world’s countries qualifying for the finals does seem rather excessive – though maybe not if you’re Scottish as your team will probably still struggle to make the cut. I suspect the increase in numbers has more to do with lining Fifa’s pockets than making football more inclusive. But at least one good thing should come out of it – the 2026 Panini sticker album should be the biggest yet. Panini began making sticker albums for the 1970 World Cup and it was rather a low-key affair. For a start only 16 teams appeared in the finals and Panini didn’t even bother to print stickers for all the players; teams like Israel and Peru were designated a squad of just 11 players. Still, if you’re like me, you’re sitting on a completed 1970 album your nerdiness has paid off to the tune of about £1,500. By Rio 2014, the number of stickers had expanded well into the 600s and for 2026 we might even get past the 1,000 mark.

Thursday

What with the coalition, the Scottish referendum, the 2015 general election and Brexit it’s been a good few years to be a political sketch writer. Scarcely a week has gone by without at least one politician managing to embarrass themselves. This week we had Theresa May slagging off the Red Cross and Jeremy Corbyn contradicting himself at least three times on the same day of what was supposed to be his relaunch. But part of me would love to be in the US right now. Donald Trump may not be great for the US but he’s a gift to satire. The president-elect’s Twitter feed is a goldmine in itself. With Trump there is no filter; he just wakes up in the night and tweets the first thing that comes to mind. No British politician would dare having a pop at Judi Dench the way Trump went for Meryl Streep. More’s the pity. Then there was THAT press conference. If a British politician was caught up in a sex scandal – made up or not – he or she would first try to ride it out in silence and when pushed make a brief two-minute statement with no questions. Trump went for it big time. On and on he went, shit-bagging any member of the press who happened to have upset him and trotting out “germaphobe”’ – a word that once heard can never be forgotten. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Friday

There’s no part of an MP’s life that goes unrecorded these days. A new organisation, Polimonitor, has taken to counting the number of swear words used by MPs on Twitter. Excluding retweets MPs swore 256 times in 2016, with Labour taking up six of the top 10 places. Perhaps that’s a sign their opinion poll ratings are getting to them. The sweariest MP was Jamie Reed, who has already announced his resignation, with 20. Mike Dugher was second equal with 17. The top Tory was Nicholas Soames, also with 17. It was Brexit that did it for him. Labour’s Jess Phillips – the only woman on the list – will be disappointed to have only made it to fourth place, but not many would bet against her making a concerted effort for top spot in 2017. Perhaps the most surprising entrant was Douglas Carswell who finished in seventh place: the Ukip MP is one of Westminster’s more sensitive souls and usually takes to blocking anyone who doesn’t understand his brilliance rather than swearing at them. I got blocked by him long ago. Still, Carswell’s language might be severely tested if Nigel Farage contests and wins the Stoke byelection following Tristram Hunt’s resignation to become director of the V&A. Carswell and Farage hate each other far more than they do the Tories or Labour and won’t be pleased at having to sit next to each other in Westminster.

Digested week: Snow and showers.

Digested week: Trump showers satirists with gifts

Very best Father"s Day Gifts For The Energetic, Healthier, Traveling Dad

Father’s Day is coming up rapidly, and if you haven’t taken care of purchasing nevertheless, don’t fear – right here are some best concepts for the Dad who enjoys sports activities, workout or merely travels a whole lot.

Yesterday I covered Father’s Day Gifts For The Whisky Loving Dad.

The Every Bike: If Dad is presently a cyclist, read through on, there are plenty of acceptable gift suggestions below. But if he’s been that means to start off doing exercises much more and requirements incentive, take into account the multi-purpose Giant Roam , from the world’s leading bicycle maker. This do-it-all bike can deal with dirt roads, city streets, country blacktop and reasonable trails, and is equally at home for fitness, charity rides or urban commuting. The Roam has a lot of of the most recent attributes that have been covered in this column as present enhancements and trends: a comfort-driven far more upright riding position with flat-handlebars disc brakes, which perform far better in all situations but particularly wet weather a light but powerful aluminum frame quickly-rolling 700c wheels for greater road riding coupled with a front suspension fork for rough roads or dirt and FlatGuard Deflect 3 puncture safety tires, all for under a thousand bucks. If this does not get Dad off the couch, absolutely nothing will ($ 980). [There are plenty a lot more cycling related gift ideas in the last Forbes.com Holiday Gift Guide For Cyclists , click here to see the checklist.]

Giant’s Roam O Disc is a close to excellent all objective bike – and a bargain.

Greater Headphones: I in no way travel without headphones and for flying and watching films I’ve previously advised Sennheiser’s prime-of-the-line noise cancelling model, the MM 550X ($ 500). Noise cancellation rivals that of its chief rivals while the acoustics are far better and extras contain volume controls integrated into the earpiece, Bluetooth two.1, SRS surround sound, and a TalkThrough function where you press a button and hear what is going on close to you. You can even management the playlist on your iPod, mobile phone or laptop from the earpiece. But not everybody focuses on watching motion pictures on planes. If Dad is a lot more into music or utilizing headphones at residence and superior fidelity is amount a single, take into account the acclaimed Momentum series. Not only are they very, very relaxed with great audio and perfect at home, they provide sufficient passive isolation to even now enhance travel a great deal, and at $ 300, are roughly half the cost of the noise cancelling model. Of course if cost is no object or you believe Dad would desire ear buds, effectively, Sennheiser claims its new ceramic IE 800 are the very best sounding ear buds ever manufactured, but they’ll set you back $ one,000.

Large-fidelity meets design meets comfort meets wonderful sound at house or on the street with Sennheiser’s Momentum series of above the ear headphones.

Keep Outdoors Jacket: Outdoor Research can make acclaimed technical gear for mountain climbers, pro athletes and expeditions, but they can also support hold Dad energetic on a canine walk or hike in the nearby park. The Helium II Jacket is that little insurance policy for cloudy days, an ultra-light, ultra-packable garment made for flash-storm safety. It is 100% waterproof, very breathable, weighs just 6.four ounces, has zippered “Napoleon” chest pocket, drawcord hem, inner front-zip storm flap, totally taped seams, adjustable hood and stuffs into its own pocket. It even has a loop for clipping to belt or pack, so Dad in no way has to depart it residence, and it comes in many colours ($ 150).

The ultra-light Helium Jacket from Outside Study is 100% waterproof and fits in a pocket – Dad will not have any excuse to keep inside.

Present day Traditional Luggage: It has constantly been trendy, rugged and ultra-effectively made – but now there are new benefits to ZeroHalliburton’s premium aluminum luggage. For 80 years the luxury brand has been the choice of globe-touring rock stars (like Aerosmith), US Presidents (the infamous “nuclear football” is created from one particular of the company’s attaché cases), countless expert photographers, scientists and anyone searching for to protect their possessions. It is the two extremely light and practically indestructible, safeguarding laptops, cameras, and significantly much more. Now that practically all airlines charge for checked baggage, more and far more travelers are opting to carry-on and room is increasingly at a premium. As a outcome, as planes fill up, airlines typically force passengers to check out their roll aboards at the last minute. With a roll-aboard from ZeroHalliburton (shown, $ 900) you are covered both way: if you place it overhead you don’t have to be concerned about it acquiring crushed or broken as other passengers jam factors into the bins, and if you finish up checking it, your possessions could not be much more protected. These cases are also much more safe from theft and tampering than soft or polycarbonate luggage. At the exact same time, the instances are practically as light as the highest-quality ultra-light polycarbonate and lighter than most comparable sized luggage. They will likely last Dad the rest of his life, and have been up to date with the total array of desirable present day characteristics, such as 4 “spinner” wheels for super effortless rolling, a telescoping take care of with numerous positions for different heights, a totally lined interior with mesh pockets for organization, and a constructed in TSA authorized blend lock. ZeroHalliburton makes a total assortment of luggage, from massive checked bags to laptop and business attaché circumstances, and also gives versions in titanium and carbon fiber.

Light, classy and practically indestructible, ZeroHalliburton’s classic aluminum luggage has been up to date with spinner wheels and adjustable telescoping manage.

Custom Bike Sneakers for Street or Mountain: Skiers and runners have more and more benefitted from the advances in customizable footwear, and now it is time for cyclists. Shimano, a foremost manufacturer of sneakers and pedals from entry degree to skilled caliber, has additional heat moldable custom-match technology to several of its increased-efficiency shoes for the two street and mountain biking, which consist of a customized-fit insole with adjustable arch help wedges. Simply go to a cycling retailer that has Shimano’s heat molding apparatus (there are loads) and turn off the rack into bespoke for better match, comfort, performance and alignment. You do not have to buy the professional race editions to get these and other new technological innovation benefits. In street sneakers, the premium SH-R260 ($ 300) includes most functions of the prime tier SH-R320, such as a extremely light but stiff carbon fiber Dynalast sole. In the MTB lineup, the new Dynalast XC outsole gives numerous enhancements, which includes much better pedaling efficiency, lighter fat, and a new interchangeable spike and lug style that sheds mud far better and lets the rider fine tune all-climate overall performance. For 2014, Shimano’s Dynalast XC line includes the new SH-XC70 with the total heat moldable custom-match technology ($ 200). [Is Dad a skier? If so, you might consider customized ski boots, which can make dramatic enhancements in comfort, warmth and performance. Click right here to go through about the method in detail at Forbes.com]

Thanks to its heat-moldable design and style, Shimano’s new R260 street cycling shoe is customized match you can by off the shelf.

Running &amp Biking GPS: There are plenty of fitness monitoring devices on the market place these days, but without having GPS you make massive compromises in abilities and accuracy. Counting methods is one particular point, counting true distance, along with elevation alterations and even accessing maps is a total yet another story. Industry leader Garmin tends to make the biggest lineup of active fitness GPS gadgets and just announced several key new models. For runners, the new Forerunner 15 is its lowest priced GPS-enabled operating view with heart fee keep track of and foot pod capabilities, as effectively as everyday exercise tracking. It can record running distances, pace, calories, private data, and heart charge more than lengthy intervals of time, but at the exact same time, in between routines it doubles as a normal exercise tracker, counting methods and calories burned all day. It can even sound an alert when a consumer has been sitting also long. The optional foot pod accurately tracks treadmill runs, making it ideal for indoor and outside instruction ($ 169 or $ 199 with heart keep track of). For cyclists, it’s challenging to beat the Edge one thousand, brand new last month. It gives all the classic bike personal computer attributes such as pace, distance and typical speed, but much more accurately thanks to GPS, plus elevation and total map show, including parks and trails, on its color touch screen – never get misplaced again. But there is a lot more, like “racing” against your self or “segment leaders” through social media, downloading planned trip routes with turn-by-turn instructions, on-the-go upload and downloads from social media, advanced bike-certain navigation and mapping abilities, smartphone connectivity, plus connectivity with optional wireless heart-price monitor and cadence sensor. Probably greatest of all for any individual who has ever struggled via installing and calibrating a classic cycling computer, this goes on the bike and is up and working in much less than three minutes, and can be swapped from bike to bike in even much less time, no wires, no wheel sizes to enter, just user pleasant set up and characteristics. Going on a cycling trip in Texas or Tuscany and not bringing your bike? Basically bring the Edge one thousand and have all the very same attributes on no matter what bike wherever you ride ($ 600 or $ 700 with heart-fee check and speed/cadence sensors).

Combining the very best characteristics of GPS, bike computers and smartphones, Garmin’s brand new Edge 1000 is the prime of the line in cycling personal computers.

Action Observe: Switzerland’s Omega is steeped in observe background, every little thing from generating the very first and only watch ever worn on the moon to serving as longtime official timekeeper of the Olympic Games. They are also famously connected to the undersea realm via their venerable Seamaster series of dive watches. Omega just manufactured horology historical past again with the introduction of the Seamaster Aqua Terra &gt15,000 Gauss, the world’s very first truly anti-magnetic mechanical observe. The classic Aqua Terra was fitted with the new Omega Co-Axial caliber 8508, a special motion created fully of non-ferrous resources and resistant to magnetic forces better than 1.five telsa (15,000 gauss). The new model was just lately produced offered for retail at Omega boutiques nationwide ($ six,500).

The newest model in Omega’s venerable Seamaster line boasts an modern anti-magnetic movement – and looks wonderful.

Very best Father"s Day Gifts For The Energetic, Healthier, Traveling Dad