Whenever I go into town (Broken Hill) I notice the large numbers of middle aged and elderly folk. This used to not be the case. When the joint was booming decades ago it was a young man's town.

Anyway, I notice a difference between the older people here, and the older people on the streets in Sydney and Adelaide (the 2 cities I visit most). The older folks here in The Hill just seem more content, they smile a lot and are a lot less rushed. They're happy to look daggy (a word my daughter loves) in their check shirts, old jeans and dirty shoes (from the gardening and dusty lawns/yards). And yes, they wear cheap suits too. The Sallies and St Vinnies on Argent Street have lots of old suits on sale sometimes.

I was in Gribbles pathology recently for my monthly INR test (I'm on Warfarin, or "rat poison" as they call it). There were about 6 or us there in the waiting room, mostly strangers to each other and mostly getting on a bit. We had a GREAT OLD TIME, just about tore that joint apart with laughter. Now THAT sort of thing just doesn't happen in the big smoke - - - - the oldies and middle aged look dour and unhappy to me, and the youngin's often look driven and aggressive. I'm glad I'm here, and not there!

Houellebecq, True I did not understand you piece one bit. I had not seen the Movie you referred to but I take by the you writings that you are not yet ‘middle aged’ although 35-40 is just that. What I said was met to irritate & get some reaction. Best of luck with boobies heading south as you age not so gracefully. Women can look as offensive to the eye as any poor downtrodden male.

Master’s piece has cheered me up and I can picture Broken Hill as just that a friendly Country Town. Motel Owners in a nearby town returned there to retire and I can visualize their smile not having to work & forcible smile at irritable customers at all hours.

Col Rouge, I think I'm with you.

A suit should be, and in best practice is solely for having a good time.

A good (which might not be expensive) as opposed to crap (which might not be cheap) suit is not a misery.

Unfortunately too many try-hards wear good ones poorly while attending jobs they hate. Too many more (as the thread started) wear cheap imitations at jobs at which they don't get well-enough paid to justify a suit at all. They wear a uniform of servitude, not opression, perhaps giving others a hard time and certainly giving suits a bad name.

My own have seen two oscillations of 15 kilos and not been uncomfortable at any stage. They *have* hidden the tummy. My lady is well-influenced by good dressing. For any gentleman given such a good start, by the time the suit is off the lady doesn't care about the tummy anymore.

My own suggestions for absolutely anybody are go for wool, or at least wool blend, double-breasted, and black. If that doesn't suit work, then work doesn't *really* deserve a suit.

Further to Col: Skip the laundress, that's what machines are for, and skip the ironing lady too. The suit only needs steam, martinising as required, and the odd quick reinforcement with the iron which you shouldn't trust anybody else to do. Good pure cotton shirts won't stay ironed worth a damn anyway and what fool wants starch? What good a silk tie or scarf if the collar is stiff? Further: Who needs a cleaner? One's private quarters stay clean by not being piggish - thats what the workshop is for (large, better stereo, proper tools, a project on the go, better liquor, north light and *insulated*). Surely one only needs women for the particular best things that require them, and the otherwise necessary or routine which they render a social occasion?

You need room to be constructive (destructive?) and creative on your own, so does she, so do the kids. Failure to find the space to do so results in poisonous co-dependence and encourages the shrew.

Rusty.

Yep, I think we're getting to the meat of this thread, at long last.

>>Surely one only needs women for the particular best things that require them, and the otherwise necessary or routine which they render a social occasion?<<

Me Rusty Catheter

You Jane.

Pied Piper “am none the wiser, but I did read Red Dragon - if that was the one with the wild pigs?”

No the one with the pigs is just called “Hannibal” (the movie was a travesty and imho wavered too far from the original book, which I have also read). Red Dragon was not about Hannibal but about one of his patients. It was the first Thomas Harris novel. There have been a couple of movies made of it.. a real cheap one back in the 1980s but named “Man Hunter” and another in 2002

Re http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dragon_(novel)

It is in this book, Red Dragon that one of the characters is a psychopath called “the Tooth Fairy”.

Rusty Catheter (Ouch).. I got to ask .. how and why that logon?…

Yes, I believe in having a good time in everything I do.. including work.. so wearing a suit be it for work (which I tend to wear one less for these days) or fun should always be for a good time.

My lady is likewise (as yours) influenced by good dressing.. she weighs in at 43 kg and is as fit as anything (the side effects of being a dancer and dance teacher, among other things) but she likes to “dress to impress” (she is very vain.. I know because she told me so) and does so with alacrity.

“Surely one only needs women for the particular best things that require them, and the otherwise necessary or routine which they render a social occasion?.... Failure to find the space to do so results in poisonous co-dependence and encourages the shrew.”

Each to their own… I despise co-dependency but like the interaction which comes for sharing. The co-dependency is more when we "need" someone else.. and she and I do not "need" anyone but we simply "want" each other for and beyond “the particular best things that require them” LOL

Hey RC, you will get flack from the ultra-feminists around here but don’t worry…. I like you… which is especially important when I am, supposedly, the neighbourhood psychopath LOL

Houllie:

“Fractelle and Col are disappointing me..”

Well, boo hoo.

And this little porkie:

“ Also it seems you have forgotten it is you who labelled me a psychopath”

HUH?

Reminder on your opening post:

“Being the resident OLO psychopath I can relate....

… but I'm still always left wondering if I'm the only psychopath that finds this so distasteful. The waste of a soul. I'd love to feel more pity, but somehow the image of the suit and tie, the middle aged spread, the balding comb-over and glasses just fills me with loathing....”

And if I did apply such a label to you (which I honestly don't recall) I would've had a very good reason.

BTW, I have never stated that men are not sensitive or caring, just a few individuals who don't GAF (just as there are women who have all the empathy of a Maggie Thatcher).

Which brings me to Col, I did amend my description to narcissist, please pay attention.

However, when you post comments like:

“ I am indifferent to many. I do not like to see suffering but for most everyday folk, regardless of their values and beliefs, I am simply indifferent because whatever they do makes no different to me or what I do.”

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2965&page=0#68161

Nothing further is needed on my part - if the cap fits, so they say...

Foxy

:-)

If you are just “teasing” could you please make it a little more obvious to the entire OLO readership? Some people might think that you are desperate to be liked by everyone – not a problem that afflicts yours truly, heh heh.

Now have I missed out offending anyone? If so, don't fret I'll catch up with you on some other thread.

Cheers