I had reason to attend the local hardware store today on behalf of my husband. My mission was to purchase gardening tools to begin the assault on the terrifying quagmire we like to refer to as our 'garden'. I had been having a most enjoyable time conversing with a nice saleslady who had assisted me in all manner of plant choices with seemingly endless patience, when I asked after some equipment that was 'out of her department'. (I hate it when that happens !). I was subsequently pas...

I had reason to attend the local hardware store today on behalf of my husband. My mission was to purchase gardening tools to begin the assault on the terrifying quagmire we like to refer to as our 'garden'. I had been having a most enjoyable time conversing with a nice saleslady who had assisted me in all manner of plant choices with seemingly endless patience, when I asked after some equipment that was 'out of her department'. (I hate it when that happens !). I was subsequently pas...

The name John Holmes is synonymous with pornography. From the mid-Sixties until the early Eighties, the legendary adult movie actor starred in more than 2,000 pornographic films, gaining worldwide 'fame' for being both extremely well-endowed and unusually sexually permissive. Holmes' lifestyle reflected the apparently glamorous world of the porn industry and it's associated trappings, leading to a heavy cocaine dependency resulting in eventual erectile dysfunction and his subsequent 'ca...

I am horrified to admit, gentle reader, that, last night, while I was supposed to be posting the "Friday Five", I was actually at the Plantation Hotel watching my friends' band and behaving in a rather undignified manner !. I should explain that I avoid alcohol for two main reasons. One being that it tends to, err, intensify my personality. (ie: I begin to say even more things that I should only think ), and the other being that drinking just does not seem to agree with my body. Alcoh...

Andy Rooney says : "As I grow in age, I value older women most of all. Here are just a few reasons why ... An older woman will never wake you in the middle of the night to ask, "What are you thinking?" She doesn't care what you think. An older woman knows herself well enough to be assured in who she is, what she is, what she wants and from whom . Few women past the age of 35 give a damn what you might think about them. An older single woman usually has had her fill of "...

Who wants to be a millionaire ?. You do ?. Well, sorry, I'm afraid I can't help you with that, but I can offer you my pretend version to test how well you speak 'Australian' For $100.00 1/ If I tell you that I would like to ‘ snog ’ you, what am I actually saying I’d like to do ? a) Punch you Kiss you c) Hug you d) Ignore you For $200 2/ When I say I am ‘ chuffed ’, do I mean I am ... a) Tired Pleased c) Overfull d) Sick For $400 ...

The ongoing Chinese crackdown against Internet porn now includes the government working with the two top search engines in the country to restrict the use of keywords. Top Chinese search engine Baidu has revealed that they’ve barred 40,000 keywords after it was established that 70 percent of Chinese Web surfers used this search engine (plus Google) to search for information. Baidu told the Chinese state news agency Xinhua that barring the 40,000 keywords will effectively block about...

By Alan Sipress and Ellen Nakashima ~ Washington Post ~ Thursday, September 9, 2004; 2:47 AM JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 9 -- A large explosion was set off early Thursday outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta's financial district, killing at least four people and wounding more than 100, officials said. Police said the blast appeared to have been caused by a car bomb. The explosion at about 10:30 a.m. mangled the high metal gate in front of the Australian Embassy and shattered th...

Do you laugh when people fall over ?. If you do, it's likely that you suffer from an affliction I term 'the sausage sense of humour' . (So named for its' symptoms of causing one to laugh at things that make others look at one as if perhaps one is demented . Or maybe something worse). The word 'sausage' should not be allowed in decent conversations. My persistently puerile sense of humour announces me as the goose that I am via my honking with laughter at the mere mention of the w...

Do you laugh when people fall over ?. If you do, it's likely that you suffer from an affliction I term 'the sausage sense of humour' . (So named for its' symptoms of causing one to laugh at things that make others look at one as if perhaps one is demented . Or maybe something worse). The word 'sausage' should not be allowed in decent conversations. My persistently puerile sense of humour announces me as the goose that I am via my honking with laughter at the mere mention of the w...

I hate yellow cars, and it seems I am not alone !. Initially, I had no colour preference for a car. I was 16. I just wanted one that moved. My Toyota Corolla was sunshine yellow. Bright, bilious, happy, sick-making yellow. I loved it. For three days. Then a drunk guy smashed into it. It got repaired, but it happened again. The thing was like a magnet. It was the most obviously bright object in any given setting. I think it made angry people even angrier. It was like driving a moving ...

It is true that our 'sea change' has brought me many challenges. I have coped with these with varying degrees of success, but there is one area in which I fail miserably, and that is in tolerating the vermin known as the visit(wh)or(e). Moving to a coastal location is wonderful in that your home becomes a holiday destination for those that you love and miss. Yet, moving to a coastal location is revolting in that your home becomes a holiday destination for everyone else you know or have ...

I am no speed typist, but I do okay for myself with the glaring exception of my striking the "y" key in place of the "t" whenever I try to type too quickly or am overtired. For the sake of demonstrating just how challenging this can make deciphering the resultant 'writing', I will now switch to the problematic "y" instead of "t" mode for the remainder of this (thankfully short) blog. Iy sneaks up on me. I yhink I'm fine, yhen I syary yo gey yired and iy happens. My fingers syary a ...

From a report filed in Istanbul, Turkey, by Reuters: Turkey's government wants to make adultery a crime, the justice minister was quoted as saying Monday, a proposal that has outraged the main opposition and women's groups. Athough the legislation would also apply to men, a previous adultery law abolished six years ago was used mainly against women. The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which traces its roots to a banned Islamist movement, wants to include the adultery...

I read a while ago about the concept restaurants “Dinner In The Dark”, and although there are none located anywhere near us, I was intrigued by the concept. Basically, there are no lights at all in the restaurant, and the staff are visually impaired. Upon arrival, you are guided to your table and seated by the maitre’d, the wait staff read you the days’ menu choices, and you make your selection. (Of course, Braille menus are available on request). Imagine it: yourself and your comp...