Sanderson Media

Hairdresser Cherie Hill helps a journalist on his bad hair day. The hair industry is increasing its client base as men discover hair colour and follicle liberation. I was facing a scary job interview and some un-cool grey hair was looking back from my mirror. It is a fearful prospect to approach one’s use-by date in a world where most folk seem young, hip or just plain cool. The nervous middle-aged male may choose a backyard or professional makeover, and I did. Full of trust I consulted my better half, an amateur exterior decorator. “So you’ve done this sort of thing many times and there seems to be no need to bother the local hairdresser,” said I. Yep, sure thing. Men, women, all hair is the same. At our place we pride ourselves as do-it-yourself junkies who are inspired to watch the weekly television lifestyle programs to see if there is something new to be done. She planned to save money and use a small percentage of her dark brown dye and because I had light ...

Losing teeth is something that slowly creeps up on you. As your standard of living improves, your teeth go backwards, not keeping pace with the enjoyment of life. Poetic justice says that the trendiest people you envied, eat the best food, and sweetest desserts, but in the end have worse teeth and you. Travellers have to be careful because some have blurted their dentures into the sea, over the side of a tourist boat and you can’t do that if you are poor. Dentures also have a connection to romance. You may think no one will love you with dentures, but when your partner or best friend gets a partial denture, the world is back to normal. With a toothy smile you can both go back to nuts and sweet Arabic desserts. New dentures give grey nomads chewing confidence, a passport to the rest of their adventurous lives that include slightly more classy food, holidays, whale watching and cruises. When your partner or best friend gets a partial denture, the world is back to normal From a chewi...

  A true understanding of kiwis and aussies,   OR why are the cuzzie bros lecking a convuct icksunt? As the New Zealand yacht, skippered by an Aussie, finally prised the America’s cup from USA’s proud fingers, NZ must have known they would share the glory with their cousins across the ditch. It is therefore a good time to ask if New Zullanders object to Australians sharing their glory and pinching their stars? I put this to Ellyshah and her Dad Tim, fresh from the long white cloud, both fairly open-minded about the local  good-natured habit of stealing heroes. It appears that Aussies attract Kiwi visitors because they don’t take themselves too seriously. But we have things to learn from our weird-speaking cousins: Ellyshah said she grew up with the perception that Australians are larrikins and don’t work as hard as NZ people. Apparently it’s part of everyday conversation. “Don’t you Kiwis also love public holidays and barbecu...

Wherever you look in America people are crazy about dogs.  If you have a rotten relationship, a dog will make you feel everything is ok, that the planets are aligned, much more than a trite box of chocolates or a selfish cat,  Dogs are valued as companions that dispel loneliness. Not many would say, “when my partner dies I will buy a selfish cat”. Usually a loving friendly dog is on the shopping list. In America, dogs bring joy to millions and sell all manner of products. A cat wouldn’t care if a product needed endorsement, however dogs are different. In the USA, dog ownership is at 36.5%  compared to only 30.4% that own cats. Americans don’t have dog favorites, they just love all dogs. Any shape of dog will be walked down the street in front of you, by a comely lady or gent and a variety of dogs appear to be selling products on American TV. Dogs are companions that dispel loneliness, that bring joy to millions and that sell all manner of products. In New York Ci...

  The above sign was in NYC and a similar one below, was on the way out of Vegas. They offer to help Americans to litigate someone. T ime drags a bit when you are on an elderly folks package tour but the road signs will keep you entertained. Signage in USA is unsurpassed anywhere else in the world. Signs offer to help to litigate someone if you got recently damaged. Is Vegas where you get very easily damaged? Maybe it happens everywhere because New York had similar signage. Personal injury is very likely to happen in that city too. Was your coffee too hot? Did the lid fall off while drinking the brew? It was reported on their litigation calendar that someone even held the cup of steaming coffee between their thighs momentarily, and then the lid fell off. Did you fall in front of a car in the USA? If so you have a choice, to either sue the driver or the bartender who sold you the liquor. A non American might say, “was there a notice to say to drink responsibly, on the bottle or a s...

In the USA there is eccentric enjoyment everywhere; One of the old ladies wanted to hit everyone on the bus…. Adverts urge us to send our precious child to a Christian college right next to it is signage for the next big gun exhibition. As an eccentric Aussie who takes a mouthorgan while travelling the world, what do I care about the height of luxury? Nothing at all. I want to remember the USA for the quirky and eccentric stuff, not the big monuments. I care less for the grand Statue of Liberty than for jamming with a keyboard player in the NYC underground. Two funny old grey people, continents apart, who spoke the language of Moon River. As Moon River wafted down the railroad track  commuters were inspired to give money (not to myself) but to this deserving New York Musician Now back to the highly revered Las Vegas where our room didn’t have a coffee pot, but neither did anyone else’s room, and we didn’t care. (the wife did a bit). We knew we wouldn’t get ...

“The choice between an idyllic drive to Rockhampton or a relaxed airplane flight should have been an easy one. What could possibly go wrong…” I never expected to provide fodder for an airline security program but that all changed on the way to a funeral in a regional Australian city. I arrived at Brisbane airport with good cheer and a song in my heart, which is not hard when you have been a musician for 55 years. If that appears irrelevant, then bear with me. We all imagine how we appear to others. I imagined myself as a dapper grey old chap, nudging 63, the complete antithesis of airline security silage.