Paul Barber of Windsor says, “For the longest time I’ve considered Melbourne a bit weird. Weird football, weird weather, weird public holidays (horse races and grand final parades), a weird river, weird pronunciations (Kassel Main, Darnce). However, I have to admire their cultural superiority in radio programs, reading they have given Kyle & Jackie O a huge thumbs down”
“Post-Olympics, we’ve continued to immerse our six- and eight-year-old grandchildren in all things French,” writes Lea Collins of Coffs Harbour. “Baguettes from the French baker for lunch have been the highlight. However, the request for Vegemite brought a moment of stunned silence as we contemplated the effectiveness of our mission. Round one (and the gold medal) goes to Vegemite!”
“In the late 1980s, I worked in a place where cash payrolls were being replaced by direct deposits, requiring employees to interact with banks,” says Geoff Baldwin of Drummoyne. “In a workforce of over 50,000, there was a bit of opposition, so a kind of conscientious objection process was established. One employee wrote to me, heatedly saying that while ever he lived he would never have anything to do with the Number of the Beast, and quoting the biblical passage. Those who had Bankcards (C8) will recall that the logo was three differently coloured lower case ’b’s nestled within each other and, yes, you could understand how the design could have been seen as a stylised 666.”
Expat C8-er Peter Buckley of New Ulm, Minnesota (US) recalls, “Back in 1978, I needed to rent a car in North Dakota, but the rental car agency wouldn’t accept cash or traveller’s cheques, only credit cards. The only credit card I had on me then was a Bankcard. The agent was sceptical and phoned his manager before they would accept it. So, I was able to secure the car and then ironically paid cash for the rental when I returned it, as they didn’t know where to send the slip for processing. Anyone else manage to use Bankcard in an overseas location?”
On the subject of superheroes in the media (C8), Michael McFadyen of Kareela points out that the Green Hornet is the alter ego of Britt Reid, publisher of the Daily Sentinel.
“The Herald has its own superhero doubling as a journo, whose superpowers don’t require a cape or exposed underwear,” claims Paul Wynn of Wentworth Falls. “Take a bow Kate McClymont!”
Column8@smh.com.au
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