Go full glitz

Today in the local paper a lady was complaining about all the Facebook hate mail she gets for encouraging her 5 year old to participate in beauty pageants. She says “I just don't understand what I am doing wrong!”, as her daughter cavorts in a $600 rhinestone bodice that Nan bought over the internet. They love watching a show I had never heard of called Toddlers and Tiaras.* Her kiddie copies the walks and smiles of the girls on the show. Also Mum says “with her lovely olive skin she'll never need a spray tan, though I often catch her playing at spray tanning, using our hair dryer.” I don't have daughters, so maybe I just don't get it, but the idea of a 5 year old copying smiles from TV shows and being encouraged to do so, freaks me out.

*Synopsis of a typical T & T episode: Tiny Miss USA is in Mississippi. Kragen, 8, has something to prove this time, vying for the elusive Tiny Miss crown she calls "the one that got away." Bayleigh, 5, is excited to go full glitz for the first time, while McKenzie, 7, is hoping to win big as well.

Great news - parents are chucking money at tat

This story was printed in the local paper this week. I was wrong-footed by the headline into thinking it was bad news.

PARENTS BLOW BUDGET ON GIFTS FOR KIDS

[Hmm, that's no good. Another glum story about financial difficulties.]

Australian parents will blow their budgets buying presents for their kids this festive season, spending an average of $390 per child, researchers say.  
 [Tsk. Those researchers must be quite concerned about the parents making ends meet]

When it comes to buying Christmas presents, Queensland parents are the most generous while South Australians and fathers are likely to spend the least money, according to Bankwest research released today. Bankwest Retail chief executive Vittoria Shortt said the research was a glimmer of hope for retailers who have complained of a flat shopping season in the run-up to Christmas this year.

 [Ah. My mistake, This is a good news story! Those researchers were employed by Bankwest Retail, and were in fact delighted with their findings!]

"Kids' bedrooms these days really are a treasure trove, with everything from the latest video games to Ben Ten and Bratz", she said. [Those scamps!]

"It's no surprise the bills add up and carefully laid budgets go out the window".

[Rueful chuckle and shrug.] 

I thought banks had some sort of role in encouraging people to stick to budgets and live within their means. I'm so 1950s sometimes.

Handwipegate

You may have seen this story regarding George W. Bush and Bill Clinton shaking hands with crowds in Haiti. It is alleged that Bush wiped his hand on Clinton's back. The story is a beat up in my humble opinion. End of story. But I want to talk about the whole "...gate" cliche, which is based on the Watergate scandal from nearly 40 years ago.

I encountered the Haiti story on The Age website, which used the term "Handwipegate". If I ran a newspaper, any journalist who used "gate" would be put on lawn bowls duty immediately and permanently.

It occurs to me that many journalists now working are under the impression Watergate was actually a scandal about water.