Reality Bites

With the year slowly winding down to a close the current crop of TV shows will also be wrapping up for the year.  Some will go quietly and die on a dark corner of the studio lot, if you’re very lucky, you will even get a final episode to tie off loose ends or really piss off the fans depending on the amount and types of hand waving the producers do to explain open plots that they didn’t get to finish before the axe.  Others will come roaring back, ready for the new year.  Still others will refuse to die, against all odds and, much like a flea infestation, continue to annoy.

The Rat Race

Since the announcement of the Federal Election a couple of weeks back, political commercials have been popping up more and more in all the varied media outlets to the lead up of the big day this Saturday. I’m not sure if it’s just that this time I’m taking more notice of the different ads but I have been noticing many more ads for many of the minor parties who are running in the Senate, the house that votes whether to push proposed legislation into law, block it or send it back for further review. Sure, there are many more ads on mediums like Facebook and the like, but there even seems to be ads on the TV for parties like the Greens, which I can never remember from any other election and even radio ads for the religious whack job party, Family First.

Today's Top 5

It's been a while since my last post here and I've been deciding what to put in.  I've an idea for a long term project but that will have to wait until more time can be set aside on a regular basis but in the mean time  I've come up with a Top 5 type of series, where I will list my 5 favourite X

May The Sauce Be With You

About a month back I saw an interesting page on the net that documented how one Italian family made their pasta sauce.  The page is no longer reachable otherwise I would add the link, but it got me thinking.  Our own family, being Italian, have that day as well, where the whole family get together and make a year's supply of pasta sauce, and reading through the page mentioned above and speaking to a few other people at work who do it as well put the idea in my head that I should document the way OUR family does it.

Human compulsion is a curious thing

Over the past couple of weeks, I've noticed a habit people have.  Many other people notice this habit and comment on it, so it's not a very original observation and I doubt much insight will be gleaned from it, but I wanted to discuss it anyway.

The Great Australian Internet Blackout

For those who frequent this blog, wishful thinking to think that but what the hey, I have made a small change for the week of the 25-29th of January.  This blog, as well as my other one Ianis' World will be taking part in the Great Australian Internet Blackout.

This innitive is to protest the Australian Government's attempted filtering policy which will see Australia end up like China but obliterating our nation's freedoms under the guise of protecting the children.  The only problem is, it won't work.

Please, don't let Australia become a communist country overnight and take part by visiting this website The Great Australian Internet Blackout and blackening out your websites and social networking profiles.  Don't let your freedoms be taken away!

Proportion Control

Welcome to 2010.  Ringing in the new year was the flash of fireworks, beat of music and the cries of "racist" from across the Pacific.  What was it that caused this knee-jerk reaction?  A KFC commercial in Australia advertising their product and sponsorship of the cricket during summer.  Why are they saying it's racist?  Well, the ad shows a white Aussie passing around a bucket of chicken to a group of black West Indies and the accusatory finger of racism was pointed.

Here is the offending ad

Was the ad actually racist?  Well, that question isn't relevant to what I want to discuss here.

Was reaction to the ad and responses to these reactions blown out of proportion?  Yes, yes they were, and that is what I want to discuss.