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Dick's had enough already of the media's obsessions

Mike's Pith & Wind - Bargains
It’s funny, isn’t it? It’s an aspect of consumerism that affects everybody and everybody has a bargain story to tell. A bit like flying I suppose – everybody has a tale or two to tell about their last hideous flight to somewhere. It’s not just bargains, of course. Sometimes the story is about some exorbitant amount you had to pay for an item. Houses are always good for mutual clucking and hand wringing. Mind you, you have to be a bit careful with the expensive stories - it’s part of social etiquette knowing when to advertise your stupidity and when to stay stum – you don’t want to be seen as a complete fool.
But, back to bargains. Like the story of my trackie pants. I’ve been persisting with a couple of pairs of trackie dacks for a decade or more now and they’ve both reached a highly questionable stage, according to some observers anyway. The material itself doesn’t look too bad, on the outside anyway, although one pair has a hole at the top of the left thigh where I’ve attempted to pick off a drop of hardened super glue.
Wear and tear aside, the main problem is aesthetic. The elastic in the waist of both pairs surrendered quite some time ago and the frayed cords have been surgically removed, so I have to use a belt to keep them up and without belt-loops the effect is quite medieval-looking – even Bill thought it was hilarious.
In the meantime my non-musical partner has become my fashion advisor and while her personal.... read more

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Dick's Toolbox - Enough already!
Enough already! Stop before I scream! Another royal baby is not an earthshaking event. Nor, in this case, is it the result of completely unskilled labour as it is apparently number two on Ms Middleton’s production schedule. Why do we care, why should we care? Why are the airwaves, television, internet and every facet of modern media saturated with the latest offspring of royalty? Why should we be interested in the balding fragment of a social hierarchy and his doughty little wife that really have no relevance to life as we know or live it? Unlike Mr Abbott I don’t think it ‘a great day for Australia’ though no doubt a nice day for the parents and child whom, incidentally, endured yet more excruciating invasion of their privacy with an astonishingly good grace. It was almost as if their financial well-being depended upon it.
As, of course it does, for the institution of the royal family is generously supported from the public purse, the queen getting eight million.. read more