The recent news story of the message in a bottle finding its way from Canada to Ireland, reminded Malcolm Nicholson of Katoomba that his family have a letter that was found in a bottle on a Victorian beach during World War I: “My great great uncle threw it overboard as he left Albany, WA, on his way to Egypt. He asked that, should anyone find it, to return the letter to his family in Springwood, NSW. A lady and her daughter found the bottle and forwarded the letter, with a note of explanation. Now a family keepsake.” David Prest appears to have the wrong McCarthy in placing Andrew, of Toormina, in the 1973 entry into HMAS Nirimba: “I was a sprog when he was in 6th term, so he may have had the pleasure of rolling me out of bed. I’m a proud MOBI and not a MUPPET, like A.R. McCarthy.” For those struggling with all this naval neologism, it would appear that a MUPPET is the “Most Useless Pathetic Person Ever Trained.” Here’s hoping A.R. isn’t a C8-er. Elevenses came early for Kerry Kyriacou of Strathfield: “Whenever I see the words ‘prime minister’ and ‘Xi Jinping’ on the news. I think of cricket. I wonder why?” Still more roundabout advice (C8) from Col Begg of Orange: “Surviving roundabouts here depends on hearing boom box-equipped Hyundai Excels, approaching at speed, sans signals, while the P-plate driver has the mobile phone wedged between head and shoulder, while delicately painting toenails on a foot propped up on the dash.” With both being German establishments, the recent Audi/Aldi mix-up (C8) has Judith Allison of Bexley seeking a bargain: “Should I now await the chance to buy an Audi in their famous centre aisle specials?”