Pigs with wigs? Last week I appeared on WakeUp Sydney, which to state the obvious, is a morning show down under. The assignment: help explain why Swiss voters defeated a national referendum that would have appointed animal lawyers in each of the country's 26 cantons.
To be clear: it would have been lawyers for animals... as opposed to, you know.
In any case, it the idea was rejected by about 70 per cent of the population. That doesn't mean we're not animal lovers. People take their dogs everywhere. They're allowed everywhere. The Swiss also have quite strict rules for the keeping of fish and rodents.
Getting back to the story, I had arrived on Wednesday morning fresh off an overnight from Toronto. I appeared in the office a few hours later and was asked do the interview. I spent a couple of hours brushing up on comparative animal rights around the world.
We ended up talking about kangaroos, tuna and kayaks, elephants and hamsters for rent. Have a listen.
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Roger Federer played like a champ this afternoon and despite his loss, it's difficult not to love him. A great champion and a classy runner-up, it's difficult to imagine he will ever return to the top of the men's singles game.
But Nadal, who had come off a marathon semi-final match against countryman Fernando Verdasco, dominated the deciding set in a manner that seemed to solidify his status as king of the men's singles game.
Federer, resting on his bench after four hours and 23 minutes of play, appeared resigned.
"Thank you for your support," Switzerland's tennis hero told a roaring crowd after the match but managed only a few moments of silence more before his voice faltered and he came to tears.
Nadal looked on stoically as an adoring audience at Melbourne Park did it's best to console the former champion.
"I'll try again," Federer said a few minutes later. "I don't want to have the last word. This guy deserves it."
As Nadal began his remarks, Swiss television ran into a technical glitch cut to a cycling race.
"What just happened?" an off-air voice asked as viewers were left witnessing something that obviously shouldn't have happened. Federer might have been wondering the same thing.
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