Column 8
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday January 11, 2008
"I, too, was annoyed about the convex mirrors on my new car until I discovered their worth," writes Robin Hammond, of Armidale. "They are wonderful for getting you in and out of tight parking spots when reversing but, most importantly, they can prevent you reversing over small children and animals in driveways. In some models they are actually called 'child-friendly reversing mirrors'." We've had mountains of mail on this subject, which is split 50-50 on whether the mirrors are a hazard or a blessing. Motorcycling readers simply plead that we all keep our eyes open at all times.
"A friend of mine was staying with me at Hawks Nest this week," reports Richard Beeman, "and had a sudden urge for a 'real' cup of coffee. I gave him the directions to the 'real' coffee shop. He returned after enjoying his coffee, but shaking his head. He explained that he'd asked for a flat white and accepted the offer of a biscuit. The coffee came to $3.00 and the biscuit was $1.50. The 16- or 17-year- old girl behind the counter got her calculator out, and a few moments later said: 'That will be $4.50, thank you.' Long gone are the days when the local greengrocer added up two rows of figures in his head at once." Blech! "For those who did not get Caroline's 'chocolate-coated gorgonzola balls' for Christmas like I did not," writes James B. White, of Eden Park (Column 8, January 1), "rest assured. Since the early '70s I have enjoyed Tim Tams spread with Danish Blue. I thought I was alone in the world. But not so. Go on - you know you want one. Don't knock it till you try it." Surely James is alone in the world on this. Are any other readers prepared to admit to consuming this bizarre combination? "Dead ducks (and fish) go belly-up because of the accumulating gas from the putrifying stomach contents," writes Johann Schroder (Column 8, Tuesday). "This gas bubble then becomes the lightest part of the body, from which the rest is suspended." David Sayers, of Gwandalan, adds: "What stops ducks from keeling over while alive are two great big winged keels. Ben Lexcen knew."Yet more on kids and religion (Column 8, for some days), from Paul Hunt, of Engadine. "While we're still singing from the same hymn book, I recall when I asked my six-year-old son, who found it hard to concentrate in Mass, what the sermon was about, he replied 'God'. He couldn't miss with that one, really." "There's no such thing as a 'bar sinister' in heraldry," insists George Bryant, of Bradninch, Devon, England (Column 8, Wednesday). "Your correspondent is referring to a 'bend sinister', and it doesn't denote bastardy. Some royal bastards' arms contain a 'baton sinister', which is a bend sinister with the ends chopped off. A bar actually goes horizontally across the shield and therefore can't be sinister or dexter. So there." Hmm. Is it possible that Bar Sinister is an unsavoury licensed establishment run by a bad bastard named Dexter? Column8@smh.com.au(no attachments please).Phone 9282 2207 fax 9282 2772. (include name, suburb, daytime phone)
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald