I trust everyone enjoyed Christmas and survived the violent carollers and all the other hazards. All we have to do now is get over the questionable joy of New Years Eve (NYE) 'celebrations'. Events such as the NYE fireworks are a great 'bread and circuses' event but a great bore to be involved in.
Many commentators have mentioned how NYE sets us all up for disappointment. it's meant to be the greatest party ever, right? It turns into, in the words of Blackadder, 'One massively disappointing bang'. There are some fireworks going off, at which we all obediently 'ooh' and 'ahh'. It's quite a feat that we manage to ooh and aah while being trampled, jostled, challenged to fights over space to stand in (delivered as a kind of animal noise grunt) and all the other traditional amusements. That's before even trying to get home using the mythical 'public transport'.
I say 'No' to NYE. It is a crock. Let's all say 'No' and spend the fireworks money on something useful and enduring. They can show last year's fireworks on TV and we can all pretend it's this year's. Come on - the waste of money has gone on long enough.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Violent Christmas carols
A fascinating item from the Sydney Morning Herald on December 22 reveals that: 'A police officer was punched in the face and a teenager zapped with a stun gun when a carols by candlelight event turned violent in Sydney's inner-west last night.'
Have everyone gone completely bonkers? Based on this example of 'Christmas Cheer', New Years Eve is going to feature riots of regime toppling proportions.
Back to the carols by candlelight, where 'Police say two officers patrolling the crowd were forced to defuse a number of arguments and scuffles before one of the officers, a supervising sergeant, was allegedly punched in the face.' What a great event this must have been. It's right up there with reports of scuffles on the beach at this time of year, as family groups complete for space for cricket, picnics, or whatever else.
Clearly the solution is to avoid all this nonsense, especially the dreaded New Years Eve fireworks. These are the great 'bread and circuses' event of our times. Collectively, we should be ashamed of ourselves that this vast waste of time and money has become so important to us all every New Year. We fool ourselves that the crowding to see it, and then the ridiculous struggle home afterwards, is actually fun. Here is an idea: let's take all the money we spend on fireworks and spend it on something worth caring about. Can anyone think of something?
Have everyone gone completely bonkers? Based on this example of 'Christmas Cheer', New Years Eve is going to feature riots of regime toppling proportions.
Back to the carols by candlelight, where 'Police say two officers patrolling the crowd were forced to defuse a number of arguments and scuffles before one of the officers, a supervising sergeant, was allegedly punched in the face.' What a great event this must have been. It's right up there with reports of scuffles on the beach at this time of year, as family groups complete for space for cricket, picnics, or whatever else.
Clearly the solution is to avoid all this nonsense, especially the dreaded New Years Eve fireworks. These are the great 'bread and circuses' event of our times. Collectively, we should be ashamed of ourselves that this vast waste of time and money has become so important to us all every New Year. We fool ourselves that the crowding to see it, and then the ridiculous struggle home afterwards, is actually fun. Here is an idea: let's take all the money we spend on fireworks and spend it on something worth caring about. Can anyone think of something?
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The cricket and the TV wilderness
Does anyone else miss the cricket? It filled a programming hole if nothing else, and gave journalists about whose ravings we otherwise would not care the opportunity to blather about the demise of sporting behaviour. It's usually the same journalists, many seem not to care. Probably the ones covering Rugby league or the AFL.
Of course it's a TV wilderness around Christmas anyway; most of the sport has ceased and the programming is otherwise pretty dire. The networks are probably still showing 'The Little Drummer Boy'. That appalling animated or puppet show film from about 1974. I think they just repainted the 'Pinnochio' puppets and refilmed it all, adding only the quintessential 'Come they told me parumapumpum' on an endless loop as the soundtrack to drive everyone batty.
If the drummer boy went drumming in your average maternity ward he'd be summarily thrown out. I suspect the stable of Our Lord would similarly have been a drumming free zone. Now, if he had come and done some origami instead that would have been worth a look. That would have been right up there with the Three Wise Blokes who showed up with Gold, someone called Myrtle and a box of mosquito coils. Good on them, I say. Sporting conduct all round.
Of course it's a TV wilderness around Christmas anyway; most of the sport has ceased and the programming is otherwise pretty dire. The networks are probably still showing 'The Little Drummer Boy'. That appalling animated or puppet show film from about 1974. I think they just repainted the 'Pinnochio' puppets and refilmed it all, adding only the quintessential 'Come they told me parumapumpum' on an endless loop as the soundtrack to drive everyone batty.
If the drummer boy went drumming in your average maternity ward he'd be summarily thrown out. I suspect the stable of Our Lord would similarly have been a drumming free zone. Now, if he had come and done some origami instead that would have been worth a look. That would have been right up there with the Three Wise Blokes who showed up with Gold, someone called Myrtle and a box of mosquito coils. Good on them, I say. Sporting conduct all round.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Bah Humbug
I am entertained to see that the Christmas holiday rush is now in full swing. Here in Sydney we are enjoying Christmas in all its forms: The Christmas Strike (that is industrial action, not offensive strikes from drones....however I admit those things do sound similar), The Great Taxi Drought (part II to come on New Years Eve), the Great Shopping Nausea.
The masses teem on the streets, desperate to achieve shopping Nirvana. Stressed and irrational, they drive erratically, walk erratically, push prams erratically. I even had someone confront me from a four wheel mobility scooter. There are a few of these in my area, usually propelled at high speed on the pavement, scattering pedestrians in their wake. The drivers may be mobile without their scooters - one at least is often parked at the foot of some stairs while the owner climbs them to sip a coffee. Nothing wrong with that - it simply shows that one cannot make assumptions about how mobile the person on the scooter is.
So, I'm at a shop door and a mobility scooter mounted lady appears behind me and stops in the same shop doorway. Holding the door open politely I wait. And wait. Finally to break the deadlock I politely enquire whether the lady is coming in. Indicating her mobility scooter mounted state she snaps "Well I can't can I?" That told me. I'll remember in future to slam the door, fast. No doubt on someone who does want to come in. That, too, will teach me. One can only say "Bah Humbug".
The masses teem on the streets, desperate to achieve shopping Nirvana. Stressed and irrational, they drive erratically, walk erratically, push prams erratically. I even had someone confront me from a four wheel mobility scooter. There are a few of these in my area, usually propelled at high speed on the pavement, scattering pedestrians in their wake. The drivers may be mobile without their scooters - one at least is often parked at the foot of some stairs while the owner climbs them to sip a coffee. Nothing wrong with that - it simply shows that one cannot make assumptions about how mobile the person on the scooter is.
So, I'm at a shop door and a mobility scooter mounted lady appears behind me and stops in the same shop doorway. Holding the door open politely I wait. And wait. Finally to break the deadlock I politely enquire whether the lady is coming in. Indicating her mobility scooter mounted state she snaps "Well I can't can I?" That told me. I'll remember in future to slam the door, fast. No doubt on someone who does want to come in. That, too, will teach me. One can only say "Bah Humbug".
Party
Have just been to a party. Took along my small dog and of course some tosser wanted to make an issue of it by saying that my small dog was food for the resident larger dog. I was very pleased with myself in that I did not say "Why don't you put a sock in it you ridiculous knob". That would of course be the thing to say. He had a ridiculous shirt on as well.
On return home I noticed the local low lifes had stolen a mountain bike from somewhere and dumped it on our doorstep. No doubt they are terribly socially disadvantaged and simply must do that sort of thing. Before running off and graffiti painting a few buildings. Perhaps they could do something useful like emigrate to the Antarctic.
On return home I noticed the local low lifes had stolen a mountain bike from somewhere and dumped it on our doorstep. No doubt they are terribly socially disadvantaged and simply must do that sort of thing. Before running off and graffiti painting a few buildings. Perhaps they could do something useful like emigrate to the Antarctic.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Current Affairs
Have you ever wanted to just get out there and bully someone annoying? Take up a pet project and force everyone to be interested? I have figured this one out, readers, the answer is to become the editor of a 'current affairs' show.
Almost any story will do, you would be limited only by your own musings and petty annoyances. People hogging the footpath/sidewalk? Do a story on them! Erratic driving? Do a story! People barging in the checkout lines? Do a story! Everything can have assigned to it the gravitas that only You, the Current Affairs editor can bring.
I think this would be an excellent idea for a current affairs story!
Almost any story will do, you would be limited only by your own musings and petty annoyances. People hogging the footpath/sidewalk? Do a story on them! Erratic driving? Do a story! People barging in the checkout lines? Do a story! Everything can have assigned to it the gravitas that only You, the Current Affairs editor can bring.
I think this would be an excellent idea for a current affairs story!
An introduction
There are many matters I would like to comment on, for the benefit of the wider world, without the need to get to the top of the pile of letters to the editor of the communist rags and other daily newspapers, becoming a shock jock, or becoming the news and current affairs director of a television network. Blogging seems to be the answer to my needs.
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