A version of the popular television series Dancing With the Stars is about to come to Inverell as a fundraiser for the Cancer Council. It’s a great format started in Coffs Harbour that has seen Armidale and Tamworth also raise $50,000 each for the Cancer Council. On the Pulse will be very interested to see how it goes here.

Basically, the idea is that between eight and a dozen local stars, to use the term loosely, are paired with someone who actually can dance. 

They then go into training so they can ‘strut their stuff’ at a gala evening event, which their friends, family and other enemies get to attend and donate money to cheer, admire, encourage or sledge their respective stars. 

It’s to be held at Inverell on December 11, and On the Pulse thinks it’s a brilliant idea, especially since On the Pulse will participate. Yes, dear reader, On the Pulse will be represented, and with its natural disaster management capabilities, damage control experience, eye for de-tale and duck-like elegance, you would think OTP should be in there with a chance. And that’s why it will be interesting to see how this event goes. With On the Pulse involved, there’s the distinct possibility that the audience could be either rolling on the floor with laughter or fleeing in terror, and that might not be too good for donations.

Singing champ

Apologies to one of local songbirds Wendy Stevens, who was incorrectly identified in a recent Times report. 

Wendy is one of our four World Karaoke Championships stars, who will be heading to Tamworth on August 22 for the NSW state finals of the the World Karaoke Championship.

Wendy will be joined by Shandelle Morrow, Narelle Hanlon, Jordan Wilson for the state showdown.  

Whoever walks away with the NSW crown will compete at the Norwood Hotel, Norwood, SA on September 12, all expenses paid. Hope the rehearsing is going well folks! We’d love to see one of you jetting to Norwood.

Anonymous mail

An anonymous letter writer sent in a back page clipping of the article headlined ‘Chafing the dream snavel second place’ from last Friday's Times.

While On the Pulse has no idea who wrote it, the letter was passed on to the Pulse desk after arriving at Times HQ. 

The short, unsigned, printed note read, “This headline should surely have read ‘Chasing the dream snaffles second place’ Chafing has to do with abrading the skin and is hardly appropriate here and, as far as I know, the word snavel doesn’t exist, snaffle is the word you want!” 

With no contact details, there was no opportunity for discussion. Online they’re called trolls, and that’s why editors usually discard this type of letter without a second glance. 

However, in this instance it was handed to On the Pulse. So perhaps we might be able to ease someone’s obvious burden. On the Pulse knows exactly what ‘chafing’ is. Bicycle seats are renowned for inflicting it. Cyclists Brad Newman and Trent Loader knew that well when they entered the race under the team name ‘Chafing the dream’, which OTP thought was a witty play on the words ‘Chasing the dream’ (obviously not everyone got it).

Sorry, but the word ‘snavel’ does appear in the Oxford dictionary. ‘Snaffle’ is there too, and although the two words can mean the same in this context, the principle meaning of snaffle is associated with bridles (as in a snaffle bit). On the Pulse understands that Chafing the dream was the name of the team so it probably deserves to be in the headline, and it obviously caught someone’s eye.