I just don’t get it. Increasingly, my mobile beeps to advise that a message has arrived. Sometime later, I attempt to access my message bank but sadly – it’s not that type of message. It’s one of the other type (no pun intended), it’s a SMS or text message, exactly the type that I’ve managed to live without … until now, that is. Had I paid any attention to my mobile’s tune, I would have noticed that it was an SMS, but you know, I don’t pay that much attention to inbound mobile messages of any kind for that matter. Simply because they have a habit of interrupting when I’m concentrating on a more profitable task.

The mobile phone seems to have a self proclaimed sense of urgency, allowing a caller to jump the queue whenever they choose. This sits at odds with me, because I regard my phone as a tool for me to speak to others when I want, not the reverse. Call it a form of narcissist time management, but it allows me generally get the things done in the order I want rather than have my days dictated to me by others.

Email was a time waster too, but not any longer, now I have turned off the chimes and those neat little screen alerts. Try turning these alerts off, and I guarantee within two months your computer productivity will improve by a marked degree, or I’m a monkey’s uncle.

Vicki Byram (Port Central) left abruptly early in the month, something to do with staff reductions. What’s happening to shopping centre wars? Being surpassed by club wars, that’s what. My money is on Port City Bowling Club now that astute Jordan Humphries has arrived from the Macquarie Hotel Group.

He’s had more jobs than hot dinners, so where is David Miedling off to now that he’s left the local Bank of Queensland, who are searching for a new franchisee.

Thanks to the kind supporters who voted for Adams Marketing in the Business Awards. After some thought I chose not to accept the nominations, as I’d rather spend the time working on our clients’ projects. Looking through the finalists, I note that many, if not most, have been there the last few years.

They have been awfully quiet at Sovereign Hills lately, so what’s going on? There is a new rumour every week, most of them unrepeatable here, yet after all the hoopla and hubris since 2006, the present silence is most out of character. The website is a treasure trove of clever images, inventive statements (my favourite is the self reference: “fully connected, knowledge-based ‘Fibre Town’”), and out of date milestones such as the display village, ‘due for commencement in the first half of 2009’. You never know … some of these might actually come to fruition one day. We called for an update, but at the time of going to press Robert Yendell had not returned our call.

Better get used to it; a 20 metre pylon sign, bearing those Golden Arches on Ocean Drive, is not far away. C’mon, get real … an arterial road without a fast food joint was never a long term proposition, but are you ready for the next Ocean Drive shock? How soon before a score of billboards appear? Inside 3 years, is the latest.

Brett Gilbert is back in business operating Gilberts Law from 66 Lord St. Now before you cynically say, “Not another lawyer”, think carefully about the value the profession adds … but don’t take too long, Christmas is not far away.

Did you hear about the lawyer fuming with impatience because the golf group ahead of him were ponderously slow?

After complaining to the club captain, he learns that the slow group are in fact blind. Unappeased, the lawyer tells the official, “That’s great they can play, but since time is money, why don’t you get them to play at night?”