by Eleanor Black

With the housing market so volatile, vendors are girding their loins while buyers are hopelessly confused

Our little house in the hood is on the market. It smells like orange zest and window cleaner, and I don't see how it could look any cuter—it is a plastic red Monopoly house brought to life, squatting on a prominent corner, palm trees and agaves gathered round it like disciples.

All we can do now is wait for those cashed-up buyers we were promised to come rushing through the doors.

We're nearly one-twelfth of the way into 2010, but if you're averse to new year's resolutions it takes that long to make them

I don't do new year resolutions. I find them depressing. There is little that is worse than cleaning out a drawer to find a rumpled piece of paper bearing promises made to yourself five years before in the vein of, I will walk to work everyday, I will floss my teeth every night, I will be nicer to the drop-kicks I come across stealing disability car parks at the mall.

What to do about the perennial Christmas gift problem? Sorry, no answers provided here—unless you're in the market for a cupcake car

Oh, dear. December begins next week, the shops are laden in their Christmas finery and the new-look Whitcoull's Santa is peering over activities at the intersection of Queen and Victoria St West.

Time to panic about presents.

Octomom Nadya Suleman has made a new documentary—once again stirring a hornet's nest of contempt and condemnation. Diss her if you like, but think of the kids

I have to admit, this is one cheesy British "documentary" that I really want to see.

Mummy blogging is so yesterday—now new parents are posting their birth videos online

Days after the Herald revealed, somewhat behind the eight ball, bless them, that New Zealand mothers are getting in on the international mummy blogger trend, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that American mothers have

Brian Tamaki convinced 700 men to "pledge allegiance" to him at a Destiny Church conference. Makes the tithing and chastity rings look pretty harmless, doncha think?

It's not often that I read one of Garth George's columns from start to finish, but I was riveted by his account of Brian Tamaki's latest step towards evangelical superstardom.<

Another bottle of wine leaves Pundit HQ

Congratulations to new member Peter Martin, winner of the Pundit First Birthday wine draw. A bottle of fine French Madiran wine is in the post.

Here we go again—property prices are on the rise and all sense and order has flown out the window

As the successful bidder ducked his head and stepped into a glass-fronted room to seal the deal, people in the packed auction room applauded. It was a heartfelt moment during a dreary event, the sale of mortgagee properties.

Who wants to sit around and talk about nappies and gripe water anyway?

Mini-mister is six months old. He can roll, squeal like a dolphin for 40 minutes at a time and blow raspberries, he has two teeth and a wonderfully silly sense of humour and he likes to play with his feet. In the time he has made these great strides in becoming a more fully functioning person, his mother has bombed out of two coffee groups.

Sarah Palin's memoir is rushed to print and another of Bill Clinton's ladies, oops aides, writes a tell-all

Only 49 sleeps till Sarah Palin's book is released in the US, y'all!