One of the good thing about having a distinctive name, such as Brett Debritz, is that is reinforces uniqueness. However, it can also trick up technology and give rise to unfortunate nicknames. At work I'm often known as "Daybreaks". Why? Because the spellchecker on Queensland Newspapers' production software refuses to accept either of my names as a real word and proffers "Beret Daybreaks" as a suitable alternative.

Some relatives of mine on the southside of Brisbane are rather concerned about the council's priorities - and well they might. Seems workmen have just removed perfectly good street signs and replaced them with new ones. I'm told the signs weren't faded or falling over. The new signs are just centimetres from where the old ones stood. Will someone please explain?

Ellen Burstyn's reaction to being nominated for an Emmy award for a 14-second performance in the telemovie Mrs Harris: "My next ambition is to get nominated for seven seconds, and, ultimately, I want to be nominated for a picture in which I don't even appear."

The recent on-air changes in breakfast at 4KQ and 97.3FM in Brisbane have raised some comment on my other blog. While it's clear that Marnie Titheradge (who was axed from breakfast on 97.3FM and now "floats" across both stations) has some fans out there, the big question seems to be: why swap anchormen Mark Hine and Bob Gallagher? Given their ages and styles, they would seem to be more suited to the stations they were on. Perhaps it's a forward-thinking move for 4KQ to have a younger host who may appeal to the older female audience, while giving 97.3FM listeners an "avuncular/ voice-of-experience" type to balance young mum Robin Bailey? Just a thought.

I'm probably way behind the times on this, but I've just discovered The Australian Index. It's a great resource for finding Australian bloggers writing about the things that interest you. You can search by subject or by state.

I usually enjoy it when I'm shopping and the counter attendant makes friendly conversation. But I hate it when it gets personal. Yesterday,a shop assistant gave me the third degree about my plans for the evening which, frankly, was none of their business. But how do you say that without being rude? Perhaps I should have just made something up. "Oh, well I thought I'd drink a carton of beer, snort some cocaine, then head off to a bondage parlour. Do you want to come too?"

Heard any good jokes lately? Me neither. Perhaps there's a joke drought. All remedies gratefully accepted.

I trialling a way to make a modest amount of money out of this website - an online store via Amazon.co.uk. I'm attempting to select products that will have some appeal to people who like this site and are happy to make purchases from Britain. You'll pay the normal price and I'll get a small commission on anything that you may want to buy. Don't buy anything unless you really want to, though. It's still in the testing phase, and there's very little there, but you can find the store here. I will add a link in the menu bar at left when I'm happy with it.

I was delighted to discover today that The Guardian published this commentary on the Lady Chatterley's Lover legal case on the very day I was born. Wayland Young wrote:

Sometimes one could not keep a straight face at all those skilful men seriously arguing whether it was safe for people to read words they all know describing things they all do.

The paper went on to publish, 46 years ago, a word that is still banned in many newspapers (and I won't publish here for fear of attracting the wrong kind of traffic to this blog).

It's even more annoying than loud music in pubs. I've written about it before, but just this morning I encountered an even more virulent strain of whatever it is that makes people working in shops talk loudly and inanely to each other when they should be serving customers. This morning at the fruit and vege markets I had to endure a conversation that went something like this:

1st person: I've got Taurus rising
2nd person: I've got Taurus rising too
1st person: We'd be good together ...
1st person: I'm feeling a bit tired today
2nd person: Yes, I really need some of that Aries energy ...

It got to the point where I couldn't stand it any longer, and I wanted to shout out: "Get a grip. Take some responsibility for your own lives and do your job!" Instead, I ab

Ever walked into a pub or a small shop in the middle of the day and been blasted by music that you don't like? It surprises me how many places I go to where the volume is pumped on music that is obviously chosen simply because the staff like it, not because it's going to make the customers or potential customers happy. It's especially annoying in pubs where it's so loud you can't have a conversation.

This morning on 612ABC, Spencer Howson and I spoke about the La Boite Theatre Company launch today (details will be on my other blog after midday), the issue of arts funding, which way is up and which way is down, and why I buy clothes online (and how I could come unstuck with two identical pairs of shoes).

Is Tom Cruise the next Charlie Chaplin? He and his production partner Paula Wagner have taken control of United Artists, the studios set up by Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith. But does Cruise, who was sacked by Paramount after his bizarre public antics were deemed to have hurt the box-office performance of Mission: Impossible III, have the nous to run a studio making four films a year? Time will tell.

Nigel Kneale, the British screenwriter who created the various Quartermass series and foresaw the ubiquity of "reality" television in The Year of the Sex Olympics, has died at age 84. There's more at my Celebrity Deaths Archive.

I'll try to avoid a Sally Field moment* here, but it is gratifying to note that this website received a record number of visits last month. Thanks to you all.

* When she picked up her second Oscar in 1978, Field told the audience: "I wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it and I can't deny the fact you like me. Right now, you really like me!"

My wife and I were at the cinema last night and we were discussing how fortunate is was that we arrived early for a packed session. I said: "Otherwise we'd have to sit up the front." She said: "You mean down the front." I said: "Well if it was a plane, you'd say up the front." And she pointed out that, because of the rake of the seating, "down" was definitely the right word. "It's so down," she said, "that you have to look way up and hurt your neck."
PS: It reminds me of a story my father used to tell about a European immigrant who couldn't understand why, in English, we speak of chopping a tree down when it is up, then chopping it up when it's down.

Britons love Doctor Who and Little Britain if the latest television awards are any indication. The sci-fi program won three gongs at the National Television Awards while the sketch comedy picked up the most popular program award for the third year running. Special guest for the night was Queensland's Terri Irwin, who presented Sir David Attenborough a lifetime achievement award. She said Attenborough had greatly inspired her late husband Steve.

Dean Martin may have died in 1995, but his fame lives on. According to the the BBC, EMI Music has signed a deal which will allow it to market his name, likeness and image. EMI already markets Martin's back catalogue, which includes hits such as That's Amore, Ain't that a Kick in the Head and Everybody Loves Somebody.

I've either wasted some time this afternoon or I will be on Extra sometime between 5.30 and 6o'clock tonight on Brisbane's Channel 9 talking about the new ticket scalping laws.

Maybe I'm not as clever as I think buying two identical pairs of shoes. A friend tells me he had the same idea, but came unstuck when he went on a business trip and unpacked at his destination to find he'd packed two left shoes.