Rob Venables of Bermagui has a use for the tie (C8) that we hadn’t considered: “In our sailing days I was privileged to cruise to New Zealand with Ian Kiernan, founder of Clean up Australia. Ian reckoned the only good thing about ties was to start an outboard motor when the cord broke.”
“Before supermarkets sold reusable bags, I belonged to a Boomerang Bag sewing group, recycling old fabrics such as curtains into bags to leave outside supermarkets for shoppers to take for free,” says Stephanie Edwards of Leichhardt. “We often used donated old ties to make the handles. Reduced both plastic bag usage and the amount of fabric going into landfill.”
Ron Burke of Arrawarra has another tale from the bowser (C8): “On apprentice wages some 70 years ago, I’d often only put one gallon (4.54 litres) at 2 shillings a time in my ’28 Chev (frequently running out of petrol with a gravity system instead of a pump is another story). Today at a local servo that gallon was $10.89.”
Think yourself lucky, Margaret Grove (C8). Geoff Kervin of Shellharbour remembers dining in a motel in Norseman, WA. “I asked for the wine list to be told, ‘there are three bottles on the shelf behind the bar. Take your pick’.”
Having had about a month of assorted remedies, we reckon it’s time to discharge the subject, but first, here’s Ross Storey of Normanhurst: “Being a sickly child, I was forced to take a tablespoon of an evil concoction called Waterbury’s Compound every night before dinner. It impacted upon my early education as I sat in class trying to figure out ways to avoid the daily torture. I recently looked up the ingredients and found it contained cod liver oil and, believe it or not, creosote!”
And with that, the last word goes to Tim Slack-Smith of Castle Hill: “I would ask Nola Tucker if, after a spoon of olive oil, an orange did not have a peel?”
“Recently, the BOM had the temperature for our area as ’16.7, feels like 16.6′. I know about the wind chill factor, relative humidity and all that, but isn’t that being a tiny bit ridiculous?” asks David Morrison of Springwood. Ridiculous is right, but it’s not deterring Bob Hall of Wyoming: “Can anyone tell me how to get a ‘feels like’ contraption/thermometer? Or is it only the weather bureau that has one?”
Column8@smh.com.au
No attachments, please.
Include name, suburb and daytime phone.
Facts Only
Rob Venables of Bermagui suggests using neckties to start outboard motors when pull cords break.
Stephanie Edwards of Leichhardt participated in a Boomerang Bag sewing group that repurposed old fabrics, including ties, into reusable shopping bags.
The Boomerang Bags were left outside supermarkets for free use to reduce plastic bag consumption and fabric waste.
Ron Burke of Arrawarra recalls purchasing petrol for 2 shillings per gallon (4.54 liters) during his apprenticeship in a 1928 Chevrolet.
Current petrol prices at a local service station are $10.89 per gallon.
Geoff Kervin of Shellharbour describes a motel in Norseman, WA, where the wine selection consisted of three bottles displayed behind the bar.
Ross Storey of Normanhurst mentions being forced to take Waterbury’s Compound as a child, which contained cod liver oil and creosote.
Tim Slack-Smith of Castle Hill poses a question about whether an orange would lack a peel after consuming olive oil.
David Morrison of Springwood questions the Bureau of Meteorology’s "feels like" temperature readings, noting a negligible difference between actual and perceived temperatures.
Bob Hall of Wyoming inquires about obtaining a "feels like" thermometer for personal use.
Readers are invited to submit their own anecdotes to Column8@smh.com.au, including their name, suburb, and daytime phone number.
Executive Summary
The article presents a collection of reader-submitted anecdotes and observations, primarily focused on creative repurposing, historical price comparisons, and humorous or nostalgic reflections. Rob Venables of Bermagui shares a practical use for neckties—using them to start outboard motors when cords fail—while Stephanie Edwards of Leichhardt recounts her involvement in a community project repurposing old fabrics, including ties, into reusable shopping bags to reduce plastic waste. Ron Burke of Arrawarra contrasts the cost of petrol in his youth (2 shillings per gallon) with current prices ($10.89 for the same volume), highlighting economic changes over time. Other contributions include lighthearted remarks about dining experiences, childhood remedies, and weather reporting quirks, such as the Bureau of Meteorology's "feels like" temperature readings. The tone is conversational and eclectic, blending practicality, nostalgia, and humor without a central argument or overarching theme.
The submissions reflect diverse perspectives, from environmental consciousness to personal nostalgia, but they are united by a shared appreciation for resourcefulness and everyday ingenuity. While some anecdotes serve as social commentary—such as the critique of plastic waste or the absurdity of hyper-precise weather metrics—others are purely anecdotal, offering glimpses into individual experiences. The lack of a unifying narrative allows readers to draw their own connections, whether about sustainability, economic shifts, or the quirks of human behavior.
Full Take
This collection of reader submissions operates as a mosaic of everyday ingenuity, nostalgia, and gentle social critique. At its strongest, it celebrates resourcefulness—whether through repurposing ties for practical or environmental ends, or reflecting on the stark contrast between historical and contemporary petrol prices. The anecdotes about Boomerang Bags and outboard motor hacks highlight grassroots solutions to waste and functionality, offering a counterpoint to disposable culture. The humor in the wine list anecdote or the absurdity of hyper-precise weather metrics serves as a lighthearted critique of modern expectations, inviting readers to question the utility of such details.
Pattern-wise, the piece leans into **ARC-0012 Anecdotal Fragmentation**—a scattering of unrelated stories that, while engaging, avoids deeper synthesis. This structure can feel like a **Gish Gallop** of trivia, where the sheer volume of disparate observations distracts from any unified takeaway. However, the tone remains benign, lacking the malice or coordination typical of bad-faith fragmentation. The closest to manipulation is the subtle **ARC-0024 Ambiguity** in the "feels like" temperature critique, which plays on the reader’s intuition that such precision is ridiculous without interrogating the meteorological science behind it.
The root cause here is a cultural celebration of individuality and small-scale problem-solving, echoing a broader paradigm of "make do and mend" ethics. Yet, the absence of systemic analysis—why plastic waste persists, why petrol prices have skyrocketed, or how weather reporting standards are set—leaves the reader with charming but shallow insights. The cost of this approach is a missed opportunity to connect personal ingenuity to larger structural issues, while the benefit is the preservation of a space for lighthearted, non-partisan reflection.
For human agency, the takeaway is mixed: these stories empower readers to see creativity in the mundane, but they also risk normalizing individual solutions over collective action. Who benefits? The publication gains engagement through relatable, shareable content. Who bears costs? The environment, if repurposing remains a niche act rather than a scaled solution.
Bridge questions: What would it look like if these grassroots ideas were institutionalized? How might historical price comparisons inform contemporary policy debates about affordability? And when does humor about precision (like weather metrics) cross into dismissiveness of scientific nuance?
Counterstrike scan: If this were a coordinated campaign, the playbook would involve flooding the discourse with feel-good, apolitical anecdotes to depoliticize issues like waste or inflation—distracting from systemic solutions. However, the content here lacks the hallmarks of such a strategy; it’s organic, diverse, and devoid of a unifying agenda. The only alignment is with the broader media trend of prioritizing relatability over depth, which is concerning but not inherently manipulative.
Patterns detected: ARC-0012 Anecdotal Fragmentation, ARC-0024 Ambiguity (minor)