Thank goodness that Obama won the election convincingly. I hope that now the U.S can begin a new phase and feel better about itself as a nation. I have always said that it’s about perception and Obama represents a new and refreshed America. As a nation, Americans want to be liked. They care what the rest of the world thinks of them and they want to be able to declare that they live in the best country in the world. If America is happy then Australia is happy and that’s what counts for me.

When you analyse what Obama has promised, there is nothing new. Most of the time he just asked questions. There were questions about tax, school fees, health costs, the aged and main street and Wall St. As his campaign continued his tone became more and more evangelical and this appeals to Americans.

As I write, he is currently talking about the long and difficult road ahead, but of course, nobody is hearing this part of the victory speech.

I hope the mood in the U.S improves because I want the financial climate to recover. If he can heal the economy then that will cheer me up since we are so bound to the American financial situation.

Congratulations to Obama! Here’s hoping he doesn’t disappoint…too soon.

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I have just watched a Parkinson interview with Sir Michael Caine who is not only a fine actor but also an admirable man. He was telling Parkinson that his mother asked him what mini-skirts were, so he took her into trendy London to show her some women wearing them. This happened in the Sixties.

When he asked her what she thought about them she commented “If it’s not for sale, don’t put it in the window.”

It’s seldom that I would agree with the likes of Sheik Hillaly who described the clothes on some young “ladies” as being like uncovered meat. But in my opinion, if you send out an invitation don’t be surprised if some people accept it.

On seeing the occasional music videos with women spreadeagled in the pap smear position and so-called celebrities who flaunt it all makes one feel very ashamed for them. They are the first to scream rape and sexual harassment when they go out of their way to prop up, inflate and Lord knows what else to their body parts just to get some attention. When they do get attention, they complain. How hypocritical is that? I could be wrong, of course. Perhaps they do want that sort of attention.

Feminists would screech at me for saying that women should have some decorum. Feminists expect women to be theoretically able to wear whatever they like and behave in any manner they choose and then be respected no matter what message they send. Well, it doesn’t work like that. People have to earn respect. If you don’t want people to think you’re an idiot or a slut, then don’t behave like one.

Sir Michael Caine’s mother might have been a poor charlady but by George she was smarter than those Generation X-cess, Y-nots and Z for zero brains, who are parading half naked all over the place. That’s if they are not passed out drunk on the pavement. And she certainly had more dignity in her little finger….you know the rest.

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Yesterday, I wrote about how much I am bored and fed up with sports mania. From soccer mums to ranting football fanatics and silly people who go to the races to show off their outfits, it is a part of life that leaves me cold. But, as with everything in life, there is another side to all this.

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What is it with me and purchases? I always have to keep the docket because I’ll have to go back to the store to exchange the ruddy thing. Whether it’s an electrical appliance or an item of clothing, my shopping will always involve at least two trips.

Last time I had a moan about this problem it involved a toaster whose thermostat had died and a thermal spencer which grew and grew until it became a thermal dress.

The replacement toaster seemed okay for a while and then yesterday it decided that it would have only one setting which was ‘Burn the bread to a crisp”. So now we have packed the toaster once again (we now keep the packaging) and will have to make our pilgrimage to the mall next week.

I could philosophise about the disposable society and all that stuff, but I don’t feel like doing that because I’m convinced that my purchases are jinxed. Even my Miele vacuum cleaner of two weeks had to have some electrical adjustment because “some of the cleaners have been found to have a minor electrical problem,” which led to its conking out, I was told by an apologetic salesman. Not that I’m paranoid, but I reckon that if I bought a Rolls Royce car (as if) it would stall in the middle of traffic.

I had a Rolex watch, not the phony one that I fell for on a whim a few years ago, but a genuine Rolex Datejust which slowed down every month to the point that I complained to the Rolex agent. He said that it is normal for Rolexes to slow down and that one minute a month was usual. Have you ever tried to reset a Rolex? It’s hard work!

The least the Rolex company can do is make a watch that keeps the correct time. Makes one wonder how accurate the timing was at the Beijing Olympics lol. What’s one minute between friendly competitors?

I got rid of the Rolex and bought a watch that tells the time.

My plea is as follows. It’s great that now we have a 12 months replacement warranty on small appliances, but I wish that it wouldn’t be so necessary. I would like to buy an appliance that will do what it’s supposed to do for a legitimate period of time. I find it annoying that I should have to file all my receipts for the inevitable trek back to the store. We are filling up the world with useless appliances when we should be discarding much less.

I know that electrical appliances are much cheaper now than they used to be, but the waste bothers me extremely. If expensive products like the Miele vacuum cleaner and the Rolex watch can let you down then that argument of “it costs too much to have quality control” doesn’t gel, does it?

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I have enjoyed David Lodge’s writing ever since I watched a U.K mini-series based on his novel, “Nice Work”. After watching this entertaining duel between a working class bloke played by Warren Clarke of “Dalziel and Pascoe” fame and a snooty university type, I couldn’t wait to read the original novel.

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Now that we have settled into our new home in Melbourne we decided to register with a medical clinic. Naturally, the doctor wanted to know our family’s medical history and this is where I had to face my latest obstacle.

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Politics is a tangled web whose main ingredient is deception. It should be otherwise. People should be more ethical and truthful and have integrity, blah, blah, but it ain’t gonna happen.

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There has been lots of chatter lately about the need to change the way we teach history. Should we teach according to grand themes or chronological events? At the moment, the syllabus seems to be rather general and at the mercy of the teacher’s pet likes and dislikes. Consequently, if you are taught by a lesbian, whale-watching, PETA-supporting, greeny, then heaven help you if your view is different from hers.

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We only have one daily newspaper in Brisbane, Australia. Our “Courier-Mail” has a habit of getting facts wrong and then correcting them in fine print where hardly anybody would find it. I believe that if a paper makes a mistake then it should print its corrections on the front page.

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There has been an intolerable spate of bullying in Australian schools. I’m not one for statistics because they are misused, but apparently 70% of senior students in our schools consider bullying a problem. See what I mean by a silly stat? I would have thought that 100% would regard it as a problem, but there you are. Your child has been bullied and so you do the right thing. You go to the authorities who should be protecting him or her. But the school headmaster and the police are derelict in their duties and nothing is done about it. So what should you do about the problem?

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