Savage, fresh from his stint guesting on Matt Cooper's Last Word on Today FM, has been filling in for Ryan Tubridy on the radio; meanwhile Terry has been everywhere discussing her new and aptlynamed book, Talk the Talk. And we need to take them seriously, if the book is anything to go by. Talk the Talk promises to help you get whatever you want by teaching you the secrets of communication.

Prone and Savage must be experts at getting their own way at this point. How are we meant to resist these masters of communication when they're systematically taking over every known form of media?

Soon we'll all be powerless to help, as the Prone/Savage family hold us in sway with witty oration and verbal prowess. I just hope they're working for the cause of good, and will inspire us all to give up our Celtic Tiger ways, stop giving a damn about stamp duty, and send all our SSIAs to Sudan. Or else they might be evil overlords.

Either way, it looks like we won't be able to resist their superior communication skills, unless we take to blocking our ears with cotton wool to stop their mellifluous influence.

The PDs could have used some mellifluous influence themselves last month; unfortunately, it looks like Prone has her own plans for global domination in place.

Nevertheless, she should still be of some use. The 'how to cope in an interview' section of Talk the Talk should be compulsory reading for certain ex-deputies who currently find themselves with a lot of time on their hands. They need to get back in the game at once if they want to continue living in the style to which they have become accustomed. After all, man cannot live on appearance fees from Questions & Answers alone.

According to Terry Prone, now that Higgins, McDowell et al have "decided on a career change" they should start with the cover letter for their CV.

Be sure to check the spelling . . . there is a difference between 'their' and 'they're' as Prone comprehensively explains. You might get away with incorrect grammar for election slogans, but it will do you no favours when looking for a spot on the lecture circuit.

Maybe Michael McDowell could use some of her tips on updating his CV . . . everyone loves to hear about "crisis management", and he's had more than his fair share of crises in the past year which he could share with the country's movers and shakers, though the jury's still out on how well he managed them.

Talk the Talk is a handy guide to better communication and presentation; expect to see it on the nightstands of many an ex-deputy in the next few weeks.

But maybe we shouldn't be talking about Talk the Talk at all. Maybe the whole book is riddled with subliminal messages, intricately placed there by Prone familyf Oh no, I feel a sudden inexplicable urge to tune in to Anton Savage as he fills in for 14 radio presenters at once. And one step further towards global domination they gof

'Talk the Talk' by Terry Prone is published by Currach Press, /14.99