Sideswipe: October 2: Dry cleaner humour

Spotted in Matamata by Phil.

Trump strategy revealed

Donald Trump has emerged as the big winner from the first presidential debate, after securing the highly sought-after 'undecided white supremacist' vote in a fiery encounter with Joe Biden. President Trump left no stone unturned in his attempts to reassure racists Americans that he 'has their back'. Part-time KKK member Chuck Williams told NewsThump.com: "I wasn't sure if Trump was really the guy for us, given he says a lot that could sound like support, but only when he thinks no-one is paying attention. So I was absolutely delighted to hear him telling the Proud Boys to 'stand by' last night when asked to condemn racists by the debate moderator. It would have been really easy for him to say of course he condemns us, and move on, but instead he chose that huge platform to acknowledge people like me and to tell us to be ready and waiting for the race war we all covet."

Did you know…

1. Stevie kicks: In 1983, Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and ABBA's Anni-Frid Lyngstad appeared in an Australian self-defence book together.
2. In 2015 a fan of the Australian band Peking Duk got backstage at their concert by adding himself as a family member on their Wiki page and showing it to security. The band wasn't even upset, saying "We ended up having a bunch of beers with him and he was an absolute legend."
3. In 2014, a Polish town banned Winnie the Pooh from appearing in a playground, with one council member arguing that "It doesn't wear underpants because it doesn't have a sex", and another that "It doesn't have a complete wardrobe. It is half naked which is wholly inappropriate for children"

Famous Last Words

There are memorable last utterances — Emily Dickinson's "I must go in, for the fog is rising." Or Oscar Wilde's "This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One of us has got to go!" — but what do people really say? Not like in the movies, for sure. Much of it is nonsensical, owing to medication, fading physical and neurological function, pain, and so on. But, it sounds like Steve Job's "Oh wow. Oh wow" is right in line with the apparently common exclamations or use of expletives. The dying often use the metaphor of travel to alert those around them that it is time and heartbreakingly, the last words of dying men are often calls to their mother.