Algorithms may be smart, but not as smart as many of our recent Storm suggestions. Last week we all tried to earn some extra commission, on-selling books and movies that owned some kinky link to the primary sale. And the evidence is clear: most of you have quite the career in creative retail. A special mention to [...]
The Cha-Cha Challenge went gaga. Sixty-or-so entries, with more than several standouts, making my job as judge just one more welcome migraine. But before I hand out the cha-cha bling-bling for the best three sextets, let’s celebrate those pearls hiding among the packs. In chornological order, I applaud these treasures: TIDE [Simon L]: Antidepressant [...]
Naomi Paul? (Watts Newman, as Mr X freshly coined.) Well, I’m married to an SBS quiz show is what’s new – a frolicsome time-soak at this early stage – so can’t be trusted to be as steadfast in responses and general blog upkeep. That’s not an excuse, but a plea for patience. In the coming [...]
Our ‘State of Origin’ storm was a little ripper – wherever that expression comes from. We didn’t define that phrase, though we boldly ventured to backdate nong and billabong, ending up seven award winners, split into two mobs. First we have the Fair Dinkums, those bogus derivations that sound so good you can almost swallow [...]
Entries arrived from Tokyo and Kyoto via submarine and semi-urban sprawl. Some were ardent – others ranted tearily (and irately). While others were subtle, or displayed five-star bustle. All in all a robust Storm where the turbos among us found pole position. If I had criteria, they were brevity and freshness, though many of the [...]
Elephant stamps all round this week, just putting up the online flux. Let’s stick together on the Cassowary nest for another few weeks, and then I’ll invite you across to the renovated domain. Or in the spirit of this week’s Storm – let’s tick together. A flood of entries by the way (on two sites!) [...]
As we pull up our metaphorical socks for tonight’s game against Ghana, let’s spend some time on the gross FIFA oversights in Cape Town. Instead of bunching nations together based on some flaky ratings system, in combination with chicken entrails and frequent flyer points, the fixture secretaries here at Brainstorm Central have a far more [...]
Remind me not to play cards with you lot. You either know your Texas backwards, or you have an inbuilt knack for coded table talk. Our poker Storm went wild last week with sixty-plus entries, and no less than 22 suggestions on my initial shortlist. These included Mr X’s glorious blue streak: JK (Off) and [...]
Mozart to iSnack. Lady Di to JFK. Holt to Bart. This was a Brainstorm to embrace both the news and the alphabet with equal vim (and using phrases like EQUAL VIM). We heard about DUMB ACKER and BP OIL GUSH. Visited ISRAEL – both the nation and the footballer. Even heard about HAZY JUG FIBS, [...]
Wish I could say I’ve been basking in the Bismarck sun…. Instead, have been buried in puzzles, papers, columns and stories, accounting for the late file of last week’s ebullient Brainstorm. I’ve tried to be fair, concealing names and inspecting clues on their twisted merits. Twice, where an island seems marooned for want of a true [...]