Hello Ramblers,
After a discussion on the weekend with my good friend Mong, I kind of got to thinking about something I've been meaning to do for quite a while - start getting positive. Let's face it, it is eminently easy to see the glass as half empty and to blame the man for shortchanging you. Whilst I do get a certain amount of cathartic release from venting my spleen, I am sure that it's not great reading for the 1.5 people that visit my site every week (on average).
With that in mind, I hold my hand on my heart, feeling the gentle palpitations, and promise that from now on, there will be at least a 50-50 balance of positive and negative, erring on the positive side. Don't ask me to totally give up my ranting, because there's always gonna be some poison to get rid of...
Speaking of positive - one of my favourite jokes follows:
The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The optimist sees the glass as half full. The engineer sees the glass as being twice as big as it needs to be.
I don't know about you, but I am filled with mirth at that one. The warm glow of genuine humour suffuses my body.
Anyhoo, on to a lovely warm and fuzzy happy post, without any hint of irony or negative vibe. Recently on the teev, I caught a program that left me breathless and inspired me hugely. It's called "What About Me?" - 1 Giant Leap. Let me try in my inept rambling way to describe what is a true wonder...
Firstly, you can check it out on the official website, for they say it better than I ever could. The URL is:
http://www.whataboutme.tv/#about
This is a multimedia extravaganza par excellence, as two dudes with music in their veins and questing souls travel across the globe in search of the diversity that makes the human race a true wonder. It is this diversity that fills me with hope, pride and joy. Showcased wonderfully in the television show, forthcoming DVD and soundtrack CD(s), these guys lay down a basic beat track, and get all manner of indigenous populations to add their own particular slant on a truly universal musical project. Along the way, they seek out great thinkers, philosophers and people who have truly lived, and each episode of the television series tackles a new and interesting verity of human existence.
I am tickled pink that this show exists, and look forward to purchasing all of the creative output that results from this wonderful project. I would humbly urge you all (all 1.5 of you) to check out the website and perhaps see for yourselves if this is the kind of thing that rocks your boat. One of the most amazing things about the human race is diversity, and this project showcases it to great effect.
As the great Molly Meldrum says - do yourselves a favour.
Catch you on the flip side, ramblers.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Maths Lesson (And The Human Cost)
Hello Ramblers,
Long time no post. This is my first rant for the year, and a rather topical one. Australia is currently reeling at the terrible tragedy in Victoria, with bushfires killing hundreds and turning townships to ash. While I do not wish to trespass on the misery of the people affected, I would like to make a crucial point. Bear with me as I set the scene for this one...
Having recently changed political direction with a new government in power, our esteemed political leaders have once again proved the old adage "same shit different shovel" very much true. We continue to drag our feet in our attempts to recreate our society into an environmentally sustainable entity.
Maths seems to be the constant defence for our unwillingness to make some hard decisions and usher in a new era wherein we can pass the future to our children with pride. It would be too expensive to invest in alternative energy. Too many jobs will be lost if we scale down the coal and timber logging industries. After 11 years of sunshine in which the previous government did nothing but waste opportunities and piss on the hay, the world has tumbled into an inevitable financial meltdown. Now the purse strings have been tightened (except for the occasional misguided attempt to pump prime our wasteful comsumption, as if that is going to save us). The chances of some genuine investment in the future are looking pretty low.
Climate change, a much discussed issue that has been greatly misrepresented over the years by the fluffy irrelevant mass media that purports to disseminate knowledge and information to the masses, is finally starting to flex its muscle in ways that can neither be denied nor ignored.
So, if simple mathematics of financial cost are applied by our leaders to deny the change to sustainable practices in our continued rape and pillage of the world, why doesn't the cost of disasters like the bushfires in Victoria and the floods in Queensland get factored in? This would more than even the equation, tipping the need for sustainable practices and fundamental change in the way that we live on this planet well into the lead. The cost in human suffering puts the issue well beyond doubt.
But no, there's a simpler answer. Just go out and spend your $950 on Chinese consumer products that you don't need. Go about your lives. Move along. Nothing to see. Everything is fine. Ruddy marvelous!
Long time no post. This is my first rant for the year, and a rather topical one. Australia is currently reeling at the terrible tragedy in Victoria, with bushfires killing hundreds and turning townships to ash. While I do not wish to trespass on the misery of the people affected, I would like to make a crucial point. Bear with me as I set the scene for this one...
Having recently changed political direction with a new government in power, our esteemed political leaders have once again proved the old adage "same shit different shovel" very much true. We continue to drag our feet in our attempts to recreate our society into an environmentally sustainable entity.
Maths seems to be the constant defence for our unwillingness to make some hard decisions and usher in a new era wherein we can pass the future to our children with pride. It would be too expensive to invest in alternative energy. Too many jobs will be lost if we scale down the coal and timber logging industries. After 11 years of sunshine in which the previous government did nothing but waste opportunities and piss on the hay, the world has tumbled into an inevitable financial meltdown. Now the purse strings have been tightened (except for the occasional misguided attempt to pump prime our wasteful comsumption, as if that is going to save us). The chances of some genuine investment in the future are looking pretty low.
Climate change, a much discussed issue that has been greatly misrepresented over the years by the fluffy irrelevant mass media that purports to disseminate knowledge and information to the masses, is finally starting to flex its muscle in ways that can neither be denied nor ignored.
So, if simple mathematics of financial cost are applied by our leaders to deny the change to sustainable practices in our continued rape and pillage of the world, why doesn't the cost of disasters like the bushfires in Victoria and the floods in Queensland get factored in? This would more than even the equation, tipping the need for sustainable practices and fundamental change in the way that we live on this planet well into the lead. The cost in human suffering puts the issue well beyond doubt.
But no, there's a simpler answer. Just go out and spend your $950 on Chinese consumer products that you don't need. Go about your lives. Move along. Nothing to see. Everything is fine. Ruddy marvelous!
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