What do you assign to Orthanc?

[Mithalwen]

I have noticed that this thread has wandered from its original concept of being guilty pleasures to recording the clouds with silverlinings or other bittersweet sting in the tail things of life.

Just to go back to the original for a moment I assign:

shopping channels - I never buy anything but I find it fascinating about how people (who no doubt started of hoping for fame and fortune in more glamorous or prestigious areas of the entertainment industry) can whitter on for an hour about the most mundane and sometimes slightly outdated products using the budget airline principle that features you would think were basic requirements were actually luxuries that demand a premium: "this DVD player has a drawer that opens - AND CLOSES!" . Excellent insomnia treatment...

giving god-children slightly dubious presents. I got this letter from my 9 yearold godson this morning

"Dear Auntie Mith, I love my flying monkey which SRCREEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMS. But it annoys Mum when I fly it around her head.... " Mwahahahaha