Watch out for the start button

According to Bryce Templeton of Mudgeeraba (Qld), “One of the things that seems to have been forgotten about the submarine deal is that the used American submarines need to be converted to right-hand drive, including putting the windshield wipers on the right side and matching amber turn signals.” Since Bryce has experience customizing an American 1960 Ford Falcon, he offers to do the work on the first three Virginia-class submarines with the help of some buddies, “for the rock-bottom price of 1 billion dollars. The UK subs wouldn’t need this conversion of course, but would probably be a bit eccentric with things like the speedometer in the center of the dashboard, or the start button on the floor, etc. Anyway, which do we prefer? A Chevy El Camino Sub or a Morris Minor Sub?”

Referring to Susan Haylock’s story of the Morris Minor (C8), George Veness of Pennant Hills “also had one in the early 1960’s and I can attest from experience that you don’t ‘go fast’ in a Morris Minor. You set off very leisurely.”

During her daily commute along the River Road to and from Liverpool in the 1980s, Anne Cloak of Bargo recalls that somewhere near Peakhurst I would “occasionally pass a red Fiat Bambino with a big white button (C8) similar to those of the old trains, turning on his rear motor.”

Jack Dikian of Mosman says that “part of the reasoning for the Kindle keeping an eye on (C8) when we’re done reading a book is to help us avoid what we call ‘book hangover’ – that post-story feeling is gone, but we miss the characters and the plot so much that only a book like it can bring relief.”

Not only Kindles are looked at (C8). Last week, Burraneer’s Judy Bower took a recently gifted watch to a high-end jeweler in Westfield Miranda to have its band adjusted. “I was ushered in by the bouncer and handed the watch to the saleswoman. No credit card was used, no names were exchanged, and yet that afternoon I received a pop-up post on my Facebook page promoting the exact same jeweler.”

With all the issues surrounding power availability and pricing, East Ryde’s Roger Holt asks, “Can C8 readers shed some light on how much power would be saved if the internet didn’t exist?”

Column8@smh.com.au

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