When spring has sprung clothes will be flung

The Advertiser

3 days ago

This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
What a difference a week and a half makes.
The buds on the liquidambar, brown and tightly bound before I left for a few days in Asia, have swelled and turned green, the first tiny fingers of leaves unfurling into the sunlight.
The dawn arrives noticeably earlier, dusk lingers that little bit longer. And when the sun's out, it shines with more warmth. Spring is just around the corner.
When it comes, some will complain of allergies. Others will dread the magpies, which for a few weeks will terrorise unfamiliar passers-by as they guard their nests.
I'll most likely sneeze and wheeze but the maggies won't be a problem.
I know them and they know me and we have forged a lasting spring truce. And when spring rolls towards summer they'll appear on the lawn with their querulous youngsters - their antics always a delight to watch, even if their nagging is discordant.
There is much to love about spring. The sense of renewal, of new life, of light.
For me, one of its greatest pleasures is the gradual liberation from clothes. Fear not. I have no plans to run down the street in my birthday suit. I'm talking about winter clothes stress.
The burdensome feeling of being weighed down by coats, sweaters, scarves and gloves. The exhaustion that comes with having to peel them off whenever you step into an overheated interior and put them all back on when you go outside again. The boredom with that go-to mushroom coloured, fleecy-lined hoodie you wear so often in winter you're tempted to set fire to it come spring.
As the deciduous trees cloak themselves in new leaves, us humans shed ours. Puffers are packed away, along with the big black overcoats which made us look like tethered dirigibles. Shorts replace slacks and T-shirts take the place of those torture implements otherwise known as business shirts.
If we're sensible enough not to be imprisoned by outdated professional dress codes and required to wear inappropriate suits, that is. For those poor unfortunates, whose numbers have dwindled since the pandemic, spring means sweat and discomfort.
There's no doubt one of COVID's - excuse the pun - silver linings was the relaxation of workplace dress codes, which annoyed some diehards.
When that casualisation reached the Federal Parliament in 2022 and young Greens firebrand Max Chandler Mather rose tieless to ask a question, outrage over the MP's "state of undress" rippled from the opposition benches. Speaker Milton Dick sensibly dismissed the objections and a new dress code was set.
"It's completely bizarre that I need to dress up like a businessman when this place is supposed to represent all Australians," Chandler Mather told Nine newspapers after the stoush. It was one of the few occasions during his single parliamentary term I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with him.
As the saying goes, a swallow doesn't make a summer, nor does the odd warm day mean we've seen the last of winter. It will throw the odd spiteful turn. There will be more frost, more rain, so we'd be wise not to pack the woollies away quite yet.
Still, the promise that in a few short weeks we'll enjoy more time unencumbered by our winter wardrobe is sweet indeed.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Are you counting down the days until spring? Are you sick of wearing all the clobber required in winter? Is it time we did away with outdated dress codes? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The major parties in NSW, both claiming underdog status in the upcoming Kiama by-election triggered by the resignation of convicted rapist Gareth Ward, have confirmed women candidates, potentially lifting the state's proportion of women MPs to over 44 per cent.
- A multimillion-dollar retail crime syndicate allegedly operated by Indian international students has been dismantled. More than $10 million worth of items were stolen in the past five months, including baby formula, medicines, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries.
- Australia's insatiable appetite for illicit drugs is fuelling demand from international crime groups and drug dealers cashing in on the lucrative market.
THEY SAID IT: "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" - Robin Williams
YOU SAID IT: Underquoting by real estate agents draws an auction crowd but dashes the hopes of first home buyers and leaves them seriously out of pocket, wrote Garry.
Steve's experienced underquoting first-hand: "A well-known real estate company advertised a property at $1.5 million. At the auction it became clear the reserve for the property was actually over $2 million. The property sold for $2.3 million. When I commented on the high price to the agent, she said somewhat sheepishly, 'Yes, $800,000 over market.' It was abundantly clear that the expected price was well over $2 million and that the agent had underquoted in order to get as many people to the auction as possible. It appears that they all know it's illegal but continue to do it with impunity."
Ross writes: "No doubt, penalties for underquoting should be increased, but enforcement might be difficult, mainly because of the sheer scale of the problem. Recently, I have been looking at properties in a couple of Melbourne suburbs with a view to making a purchase. Eleven of those properties have been sold at auction and all sold well above the agent's estimated price range. On average, those 11 properties sold at 28 per cent above the lower end of the estimated range, and 17 per cent above the higher end of the range."
"We recently sold at a loss. At no stage were we given false hope by our agent," writes Fiona. "On the contrary, in the lead up to the auction he spelt out our legal obligations and we went into it with open eyes about minimum and maximum prices, and the likely progress. As with many other April-June auctions, there were no bidders. With considerable, energetic marketing they found a buyer and we accepted the loss. Put it down to market fluctuations, buying at a high we cut our losses when prices reduced or stymied. I can only attest that not all agents underquote the expected price range. And I would urge sellers to look at local experts who have a long association with your district."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
What a difference a week and a half makes.
The buds on the liquidambar, brown and tightly bound before I left for a few days in Asia, have swelled and turned green, the first tiny fingers of leaves unfurling into the sunlight.
The dawn arrives noticeably earlier, dusk lingers that little bit longer. And when the sun's out, it shines with more warmth. Spring is just around the corner.
When it comes, some will complain of allergies. Others will dread the magpies, which for a few weeks will terrorise unfamiliar passers-by as they guard their nests.
I'll most likely sneeze and wheeze but the maggies won't be a problem.
I know them and they know me and we have forged a lasting spring truce. And when spring rolls towards summer they'll appear on the lawn with their querulous youngsters - their antics always a delight to watch, even if their nagging is discordant.
There is much to love about spring. The sense of renewal, of new life, of light.
For me, one of its greatest pleasures is the gradual liberation from clothes. Fear not. I have no plans to run down the street in my birthday suit. I'm talking about winter clothes stress.
The burdensome feeling of being weighed down by coats, sweaters, scarves and gloves. The exhaustion that comes with having to peel them off whenever you step into an overheated interior and put them all back on when you go outside again. The boredom with that go-to mushroom coloured, fleecy-lined hoodie you wear so often in winter you're tempted to set fire to it come spring.
As the deciduous trees cloak themselves in new leaves, us humans shed ours. Puffers are packed away, along with the big black overcoats which made us look like tethered dirigibles. Shorts replace slacks and T-shirts take the place of those torture implements otherwise known as business shirts.
If we're sensible enough not to be imprisoned by outdated professional dress codes and required to wear inappropriate suits, that is. For those poor unfortunates, whose numbers have dwindled since the pandemic, spring means sweat and discomfort.
There's no doubt one of COVID's - excuse the pun - silver linings was the relaxation of workplace dress codes, which annoyed some diehards.
When that casualisation reached the Federal Parliament in 2022 and young Greens firebrand Max Chandler Mather rose tieless to ask a question, outrage over the MP's "state of undress" rippled from the opposition benches. Speaker Milton Dick sensibly dismissed the objections and a new dress code was set.
"It's completely bizarre that I need to dress up like a businessman when this place is supposed to represent all Australians," Chandler Mather told Nine newspapers after the stoush. It was one of the few occasions during his single parliamentary term I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with him.
As the saying goes, a swallow doesn't make a summer, nor does the odd warm day mean we've seen the last of winter. It will throw the odd spiteful turn. There will be more frost, more rain, so we'd be wise not to pack the woollies away quite yet.
Still, the promise that in a few short weeks we'll enjoy more time unencumbered by our winter wardrobe is sweet indeed.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Are you counting down the days until spring? Are you sick of wearing all the clobber required in winter? Is it time we did away with outdated dress codes? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The major parties in NSW, both claiming underdog status in the upcoming Kiama by-election triggered by the resignation of convicted rapist Gareth Ward, have confirmed women candidates, potentially lifting the state's proportion of women MPs to over 44 per cent.
- A multimillion-dollar retail crime syndicate allegedly operated by Indian international students has been dismantled. More than $10 million worth of items were stolen in the past five months, including baby formula, medicines, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries.
- Australia's insatiable appetite for illicit drugs is fuelling demand from international crime groups and drug dealers cashing in on the lucrative market.
THEY SAID IT: "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" - Robin Williams
YOU SAID IT: Underquoting by real estate agents draws an auction crowd but dashes the hopes of first home buyers and leaves them seriously out of pocket, wrote Garry.
Steve's experienced underquoting first-hand: "A well-known real estate company advertised a property at $1.5 million. At the auction it became clear the reserve for the property was actually over $2 million. The property sold for $2.3 million. When I commented on the high price to the agent, she said somewhat sheepishly, 'Yes, $800,000 over market.' It was abundantly clear that the expected price was well over $2 million and that the agent had underquoted in order to get as many people to the auction as possible. It appears that they all know it's illegal but continue to do it with impunity."
Ross writes: "No doubt, penalties for underquoting should be increased, but enforcement might be difficult, mainly because of the sheer scale of the problem. Recently, I have been looking at properties in a couple of Melbourne suburbs with a view to making a purchase. Eleven of those properties have been sold at auction and all sold well above the agent's estimated price range. On average, those 11 properties sold at 28 per cent above the lower end of the estimated range, and 17 per cent above the higher end of the range."
"We recently sold at a loss. At no stage were we given false hope by our agent," writes Fiona. "On the contrary, in the lead up to the auction he spelt out our legal obligations and we went into it with open eyes about minimum and maximum prices, and the likely progress. As with many other April-June auctions, there were no bidders. With considerable, energetic marketing they found a buyer and we accepted the loss. Put it down to market fluctuations, buying at a high we cut our losses when prices reduced or stymied. I can only attest that not all agents underquote the expected price range. And I would urge sellers to look at local experts who have a long association with your district."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
What a difference a week and a half makes.
The buds on the liquidambar, brown and tightly bound before I left for a few days in Asia, have swelled and turned green, the first tiny fingers of leaves unfurling into the sunlight.
The dawn arrives noticeably earlier, dusk lingers that little bit longer. And when the sun's out, it shines with more warmth. Spring is just around the corner.
When it comes, some will complain of allergies. Others will dread the magpies, which for a few weeks will terrorise unfamiliar passers-by as they guard their nests.
I'll most likely sneeze and wheeze but the maggies won't be a problem.
I know them and they know me and we have forged a lasting spring truce. And when spring rolls towards summer they'll appear on the lawn with their querulous youngsters - their antics always a delight to watch, even if their nagging is discordant.
There is much to love about spring. The sense of renewal, of new life, of light.
For me, one of its greatest pleasures is the gradual liberation from clothes. Fear not. I have no plans to run down the street in my birthday suit. I'm talking about winter clothes stress.
The burdensome feeling of being weighed down by coats, sweaters, scarves and gloves. The exhaustion that comes with having to peel them off whenever you step into an overheated interior and put them all back on when you go outside again. The boredom with that go-to mushroom coloured, fleecy-lined hoodie you wear so often in winter you're tempted to set fire to it come spring.
As the deciduous trees cloak themselves in new leaves, us humans shed ours. Puffers are packed away, along with the big black overcoats which made us look like tethered dirigibles. Shorts replace slacks and T-shirts take the place of those torture implements otherwise known as business shirts.
If we're sensible enough not to be imprisoned by outdated professional dress codes and required to wear inappropriate suits, that is. For those poor unfortunates, whose numbers have dwindled since the pandemic, spring means sweat and discomfort.
There's no doubt one of COVID's - excuse the pun - silver linings was the relaxation of workplace dress codes, which annoyed some diehards.
When that casualisation reached the Federal Parliament in 2022 and young Greens firebrand Max Chandler Mather rose tieless to ask a question, outrage over the MP's "state of undress" rippled from the opposition benches. Speaker Milton Dick sensibly dismissed the objections and a new dress code was set.
"It's completely bizarre that I need to dress up like a businessman when this place is supposed to represent all Australians," Chandler Mather told Nine newspapers after the stoush. It was one of the few occasions during his single parliamentary term I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with him.
As the saying goes, a swallow doesn't make a summer, nor does the odd warm day mean we've seen the last of winter. It will throw the odd spiteful turn. There will be more frost, more rain, so we'd be wise not to pack the woollies away quite yet.
Still, the promise that in a few short weeks we'll enjoy more time unencumbered by our winter wardrobe is sweet indeed.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Are you counting down the days until spring? Are you sick of wearing all the clobber required in winter? Is it time we did away with outdated dress codes? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The major parties in NSW, both claiming underdog status in the upcoming Kiama by-election triggered by the resignation of convicted rapist Gareth Ward, have confirmed women candidates, potentially lifting the state's proportion of women MPs to over 44 per cent.
- A multimillion-dollar retail crime syndicate allegedly operated by Indian international students has been dismantled. More than $10 million worth of items were stolen in the past five months, including baby formula, medicines, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries.
- Australia's insatiable appetite for illicit drugs is fuelling demand from international crime groups and drug dealers cashing in on the lucrative market.
THEY SAID IT: "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" - Robin Williams
YOU SAID IT: Underquoting by real estate agents draws an auction crowd but dashes the hopes of first home buyers and leaves them seriously out of pocket, wrote Garry.
Steve's experienced underquoting first-hand: "A well-known real estate company advertised a property at $1.5 million. At the auction it became clear the reserve for the property was actually over $2 million. The property sold for $2.3 million. When I commented on the high price to the agent, she said somewhat sheepishly, 'Yes, $800,000 over market.' It was abundantly clear that the expected price was well over $2 million and that the agent had underquoted in order to get as many people to the auction as possible. It appears that they all know it's illegal but continue to do it with impunity."
Ross writes: "No doubt, penalties for underquoting should be increased, but enforcement might be difficult, mainly because of the sheer scale of the problem. Recently, I have been looking at properties in a couple of Melbourne suburbs with a view to making a purchase. Eleven of those properties have been sold at auction and all sold well above the agent's estimated price range. On average, those 11 properties sold at 28 per cent above the lower end of the estimated range, and 17 per cent above the higher end of the range."
"We recently sold at a loss. At no stage were we given false hope by our agent," writes Fiona. "On the contrary, in the lead up to the auction he spelt out our legal obligations and we went into it with open eyes about minimum and maximum prices, and the likely progress. As with many other April-June auctions, there were no bidders. With considerable, energetic marketing they found a buyer and we accepted the loss. Put it down to market fluctuations, buying at a high we cut our losses when prices reduced or stymied. I can only attest that not all agents underquote the expected price range. And I would urge sellers to look at local experts who have a long association with your district."
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to theechidna.com.au
What a difference a week and a half makes.
The buds on the liquidambar, brown and tightly bound before I left for a few days in Asia, have swelled and turned green, the first tiny fingers of leaves unfurling into the sunlight.
The dawn arrives noticeably earlier, dusk lingers that little bit longer. And when the sun's out, it shines with more warmth. Spring is just around the corner.
When it comes, some will complain of allergies. Others will dread the magpies, which for a few weeks will terrorise unfamiliar passers-by as they guard their nests.
I'll most likely sneeze and wheeze but the maggies won't be a problem.
I know them and they know me and we have forged a lasting spring truce. And when spring rolls towards summer they'll appear on the lawn with their querulous youngsters - their antics always a delight to watch, even if their nagging is discordant.
There is much to love about spring. The sense of renewal, of new life, of light.
For me, one of its greatest pleasures is the gradual liberation from clothes. Fear not. I have no plans to run down the street in my birthday suit. I'm talking about winter clothes stress.
The burdensome feeling of being weighed down by coats, sweaters, scarves and gloves. The exhaustion that comes with having to peel them off whenever you step into an overheated interior and put them all back on when you go outside again. The boredom with that go-to mushroom coloured, fleecy-lined hoodie you wear so often in winter you're tempted to set fire to it come spring.
As the deciduous trees cloak themselves in new leaves, us humans shed ours. Puffers are packed away, along with the big black overcoats which made us look like tethered dirigibles. Shorts replace slacks and T-shirts take the place of those torture implements otherwise known as business shirts.
If we're sensible enough not to be imprisoned by outdated professional dress codes and required to wear inappropriate suits, that is. For those poor unfortunates, whose numbers have dwindled since the pandemic, spring means sweat and discomfort.
There's no doubt one of COVID's - excuse the pun - silver linings was the relaxation of workplace dress codes, which annoyed some diehards.
When that casualisation reached the Federal Parliament in 2022 and young Greens firebrand Max Chandler Mather rose tieless to ask a question, outrage over the MP's "state of undress" rippled from the opposition benches. Speaker Milton Dick sensibly dismissed the objections and a new dress code was set.
"It's completely bizarre that I need to dress up like a businessman when this place is supposed to represent all Australians," Chandler Mather told Nine newspapers after the stoush. It was one of the few occasions during his single parliamentary term I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with him.
As the saying goes, a swallow doesn't make a summer, nor does the odd warm day mean we've seen the last of winter. It will throw the odd spiteful turn. There will be more frost, more rain, so we'd be wise not to pack the woollies away quite yet.
Still, the promise that in a few short weeks we'll enjoy more time unencumbered by our winter wardrobe is sweet indeed.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Are you counting down the days until spring? Are you sick of wearing all the clobber required in winter? Is it time we did away with outdated dress codes? Email us: [e-mail]
SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- The major parties in NSW, both claiming underdog status in the upcoming Kiama by-election triggered by the resignation of convicted rapist Gareth Ward, have confirmed women candidates, potentially lifting the state's proportion of women MPs to over 44 per cent.
- A multimillion-dollar retail crime syndicate allegedly operated by Indian international students has been dismantled. More than $10 million worth of items were stolen in the past five months, including baby formula, medicines, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries.
- Australia's insatiable appetite for illicit drugs is fuelling demand from international crime groups and drug dealers cashing in on the lucrative market.
THEY SAID IT: "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" - Robin Williams
YOU SAID IT: Underquoting by real estate agents draws an auction crowd but dashes the hopes of first home buyers and leaves them seriously out of pocket, wrote Garry.
Steve's experienced underquoting first-hand: "A well-known real estate company advertised a property at $1.5 million. At the auction it became clear the reserve for the property was actually over $2 million. The property sold for $2.3 million. When I commented on the high price to the agent, she said somewhat sheepishly, 'Yes, $800,000 over market.' It was abundantly clear that the expected price was well over $2 million and that the agent had underquoted in order to get as many people to the auction as possible. It appears that they all know it's illegal but continue to do it with impunity."
Ross writes: "No doubt, penalties for underquoting should be increased, but enforcement might be difficult, mainly because of the sheer scale of the problem. Recently, I have been looking at properties in a couple of Melbourne suburbs with a view to making a purchase. Eleven of those properties have been sold at auction and all sold well above the agent's estimated price range. On average, those 11 properties sold at 28 per cent above the lower end of the estimated range, and 17 per cent above the higher end of the range."
"We recently sold at a loss. At no stage were we given false hope by our agent," writes Fiona. "On the contrary, in the lead up to the auction he spelt out our legal obligations and we went into it with open eyes about minimum and maximum prices, and the likely progress. As with many other April-June auctions, there were no bidders. With considerable, energetic marketing they found a buyer and we accepted the loss. Put it down to market fluctuations, buying at a high we cut our losses when prices reduced or stymied. I can only attest that not all agents underquote the expected price range. And I would urge sellers to look at local experts who have a long association with your district."