Coles advertisement in today’s paper: “There’s no FRESHNESS like Coles FRESHNESS”.

Referring to fruit and vegetables.

When will we see them sloganise: “There’s no exploitation of addicts like Coles exploitation of addicts”?

If you want to buy anything in Coles, you must enter through the gate and exit through the check-out.

Anything?

Not quite . . . .

* * *

If you’re buying cigarettes you don’t need to enter or exit at all.

Grab them at the footpath-fronting front counter, bypassing both gate and check0ut.

They know that half the people to whom they sell cigarettes are on the pathway to DEATH from cigarette-related disease.

They need lots of recruits to replace the dead ones.

* * *

Impulse-buying by the weak-minded is what they love – what they live on and depend on.

How disgusting.

The money they make is BLOOD MONEY.

The money you save by shopping there is blood money.

After last election Julia Gillard promised Independent MP, Mr Wilkie, that she would legislate for mandatory pre-commitment for high-intensity poker machines by 2014.

That was enough to buy his support in forming a government.

Did she ever intend to keep her promise?

Now she has got around to saying she isn’t going to do it.

* * *

The government party calls itself the ALP.

What does the “L” stand for?

Its policies for a couple of generations suggest that their loyalties are not for those who “Labor”.

Would it be more appropriate for the “L” to stand for “Liars”

Or perhaps the “L” might stand for “Leaned on”.

This time they have been leaned on by the Registered Clubs sector, who seem to have a lot of clout based on having a lot of money . . . .

Money taken from the pockets of vulnerable problem gamblers.

Is the alternative government any better?

It’s a worry that the title of the opposition party, the LCP, also sports an “L” . . . .

Federal MP, Andrew Wilkie, threatens to stop supporting the Gillard government if they don’t legislate poker machine reform.

He wants to compel gamblers using high-intensity machines (which accept $10 bets) to pre-commit to a limit on their losses before they start playing.

When their loss reaches the cap, the machine will lock them out.

Low intensity machines (accepting $1 bets only) would not be capped.

But the Gillard no longer needs Mr Wilkie’s vote like before, and thinks there is little to lose by double-crossing him.

* * *

On Australia’s 200,000 high intensity poker machines, gamblers routinely lose about $1200 per hour.

Gamblers on low-intensity machines lose “only” $120 per hour.

Which is no good, either.

For many Aussie battlers, $120 is big money. Lose that much and the cash earmarked for paying bills and feeding the family is gone.

All poker machines should be phased out.

Clubs that cannot survive without poker machines should not survive.

The Church should preach that gambling is greed — incompatible with love for God and his vulnerable children.

Last year girls’ jewellery company DIVA ran — alongside their promotions for Disney Princesses etc. — Playboy accessories including Playmate and Miss January pendants.

Over 6800 Australians signed a petition complaining about this . . . .

And by early November received assurances from DIVA that the offending promotions would stop.

Which they did.

* * *

However there are stores which still continue to exploit clothing-porn . . . .

Including T-shirt depictions of naked female body parts — and demeaning anti-women slogans.

According to women’s issues website, Collective Shout, offenders include CITY BEACH AUSTRALIA, COTTON ON and ROGER DAVID.

Thinking Australians should definitely complain about this.

They should buy nothing from these outlets until certain that they have cleaned up their act.

For more details visit: www.collectiveshout.org

December 26 is listed as a “Christmas Day Holiday” in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia.

Nations which have 4%, 10% and 2% Catholic populations.

What is the point of them having such a rash of Christian observances . . . ?

It’s good to see, anyway.

* * *

What about Australia, with its nominally majority Christian population?

Here December 26 is famous for:

(1) Boxing Day Sales.

Shops selling off failed Christmas present-style goodies at “bargain” prices.

Already-fleeced punters all turn up yet again to be re-fleeced.

(2) The Boxing Day Test.

Australia’s cricket team plays a visiting team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Cricket enthusiasts drink diluted ethanol either from eskies at the MCG or in front of the TV until comatose.

Or have eskies been banned? I can’t remember.

* * *

Traditionally December 26 is/was the Feast day of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

A few weeks after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, Stephen preaching in Jerusalem challenging the people to become Christians . . . .

Hauled before a kangaroo court, he delivered a sermon to his accusers and judges about how they, too, should become believers.

They were peeved.

As recorded in the Bible, in the Book of Acts:

“He said, ‘Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’

But they stopped their ears and rushed at him.

They cast him out of the city and stoned him . . . and as they were stoning him, he prayed, ‘LORD, DO NOT LAY THIS SIN TO THEIR CHARGE.’”

About 5000 people recently participated in a gambling survey on the website of federal opposition front-bencher, Malcolm Turnbull

More than 60 percent said they support laws compelling gamblers using “high-intensity” machines (those accepting $10 dollar bets) to set a limit on their losses before starting to play.

Australia has 200,000 high-intensity poker machines in operation.

Gamblers routinely lose about $1200 per hour on such machines.

They should be banned.

* * *

There is a lot to be said for also banning “low-intensity”,$1-limit, poker machines as well.

Even on “low-intensity” pokies, a patron can lose $120 per hour.

For many, that is a lot of money.

Do it a couple of times a week and the cash for paying bills and feeding the family is gone.