Fallacious Fuckwits

I’ve paraphrased a very excellent article   (yes I’m aware of the double superlative) that a friend posted on Facebook recently because it so mirrors my thoughts on the panic that seems to be overtaking,  particularly the US, in relation to the Japanese Nuclear Plant disruption. 

I do however acknowledge that Australian media also have the propensity to talk total uninformed shite and have been trying to terrify everyone into believing that the apocalypse is nigh. I believe the sale of nuclear bunkers in the US has gone through the roof and the purchase of iodised salt has soared in China. Fortunately, Australians with their intense apathy aren’t swallowing it.  I wish, as a result of being well-informed rather than more truthfully, laziness. 


While recent events in Japan are awful with 23,000 confirmed dead or missing. The earthquake they could have survived but the tsunami did the real damage. However what’s truly appalling is the media coverage of the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant claiming it is the ‘next Chernobyl’ about to render Tokyo a post-apocalyptic ghost town through to radiation threatening the US West Coast.  


I have a friend over there who’s more concerned about the earth moving than nuclear radiation which given recent events in NZ, then Japan . . . who knows, perhaps the old SA Fault is about to slip ‘n slide. But I digress. Where do these media people get the nerve? Anyone else who lies to the public, (with the exception of politicians) has to bear the consequences. However, the media (and politicians) are it seems, allowed to report anything and everything based on heresay.


Exactly one person died on the site of the plant . . poor bugger fell off his crane when the quake hit.  Thirty more were injured due to the hydrogen explosion and exposed to a tiny amount of radiation. Less than that you are exposed to by a chest x-ray. There’s a very interesting chart here which puts the issue of radiation into perspective.


Perhaps the journos and doom mongers should have had a look at that before sprouting their prophecies of slow death by radiation poisoning. At the height of the ‘disaster’ the radiation levels in Tokyo were lower than the current American average at 1753 microsieverts pa compared to the US average of 3000 pa.


Quoting John Evans from Tech Crunch

“Disaster there was averted by genuine heroism and desperately hard work. Nuclear power is potentially extremely dangerous and raises many serious issues, and it’s important to debate them in a well-educated way. Instead we got a crowd of fear mongering idiots, each trying to shriek louder than the last. As a result, Fukushima was the first major world story for which the best way to stay well-informed was to tune in to the knowledgeable blogosphere—and tune out the so-called 'mainstream media.' We all know they’re dying. Now I’m starting to wonder why we should care”

Couldn’t agree more. Fuckwits all of them and those who believe their crap. At least the Japanese know how to put it into perspective for their school children:

Phew, got that off my chest . . . Have a lovely weekend folks. 

Flash Mob Fuckwits

I love the concept of a flash mob . . a group of people who gather surreptitiously in a public place then break into dance. 

 

Hundreds of flash mobs occur each year and while the majority of them take place without legal consequence there have been notable occasions from around the world where flash mobs have resulted in legal actions taken by local authorities or the government against flash mobs or its participants.

In the United States, in 2009 and 2010, the city of Philadelphia experienced a wave of flash mobs that either started with the intent or led to the destruction of private property, rioting, violence, and personal injury. As a result, police used pepper spray to disperse crowds and arrests were made.Law makers and lobbyists in the city are pursuing enacting bylaws to counter flash mobs by extending curfew hours, limiting the hours of bus passes, and holding parents more accountable for the actions of their children.

Legal actions have been taken in other countries to stem flash mobs for reasons other than violence such as the disruption of business and service. The city of Braunschweig, Germany has stopped flash mobs by strictly enforcing the already existing law of requiring a permit to use any public space for an event.  In the United Kingdom, a number of flash mobs have been stopped over concerns for public health and safety.

Well I think those who try to stop it are sad sacks and fuckwits frankly and on St Patrick's day, Sydney commuters at Central Station were treated to a flash mob incident put on by the Irish Tourist Board and starring the cast of Riverdance who are touring at the moment - aweseome fun.

Thanks Sara Lulu for the heads up!

Birdie Num Nums

I've done bugger-all this weekend beyond the usual cleaning and washing stuff. Well, prepared a short story for competition submission, caught up on a few blogs, took my dawg for a walk, fed the horses and sploshed copious amounts of chemicals in my now clean pool, edited some photos and IM'd with my sweet friend Tom at Half Moose With A Twist and my 'second son' in Ireland. Nice as it was, all a bit of an anti-climax compared to last weekend's wedding shenannigins but a welcome relief. 

Watched "Ghost Writer" not bad, then I have a mighty crush on Ewan McGreggor. Then Nick Cage in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," not to be mistaken for the Disney classic cartoon. Lots of explosions and effects but generally a yawn and my 'mostly online friend has secured work at  the LA "So You Think You Can Dance" Auditions for the next few days, so that he can afford a big bottle of Chanel No. 5, so no time-wasting on Skype. 

What's a girl to do?  Meh! Just take the dog and the camera for a spin. Since I have no cash, I went to meet the other Merry Widow at the Castle Hill Grower's Market on Saturday morning at some un-Godly hour but had a coffee, a chat, and took the Lilster for a little walky-poo, (of course that's a real word) around the showground.  No possums, roos or hot, hot men. Just a cock or two, er, I mean Cockatoo.

Just one, high in a sawn-off branch. Unusual because they're usually in flocks

Now, how to get into said hollow branch

Check the circumference, measure against diameter

Perfect, backwards entry successful

Amazes me how something so colourful can be so hard to spot - then they're noisy as hell

Rainbow Lorikeet sucking up some Red Flowering Gum delicousness

Look at his likkle footsies

Acrobats all, when it comes to nectar

Lily living in my shadow- oops bit over exposed that one.

Arse-end view of the world. Lucky me.

Soft Toilet Tissue and Sexy Scent - Now there's two phrases you don't see together very often.

Just been reading about Granny Mar's 'Obsession'.

You know, there are some things which do not deserve compromise. Sure, in a relationship there has to be give and take. At a wedding reception, you get the fish, he gets the lamb, you can swap. Christmas? Sometimes you have to go to his family first. Even when your kid's behind in his board because the bike payment's due, hey we can waive it. But there are two things which I will never compromise . . . soft toilet paper . . .good perfume.

I know, I know, in my current precarious financial state, these are probably two of the last things I should be thinking about but hey . . I can make a million meals with mince and I'm a dab hand with eggy thingies. Veggies are cheap. Wine is currently being paid for by a gift card presented by my previous employer. But that which wipes the area from which only sunshine emanates . . . must be soft Quilton Triple length which apparently provides 'the gift of time, soft and pillowy' Well not sure about that but it makes the toilet smell nice and saves me from rescuing dozens of toilet roll holders from the loo windowsill (because my son thinks that's where the empties should be stacked rather than the small bin beside the toilet).

Perfume? I blame my mother. The first I remember was Elizabeth Arden's Blue Grass. I guess it was 'her' smell. Cheap enough but she bought it for me as a tween. Then, my Nana who was given a 150ml bottle of Chanel No 5 Eau de Parfum. Get that! Almost full strength and 150 mls of the nectar. I was in my early 20's and went ballistic when she said, "Oh you have it, someone gave it to me and I never wear it." (She was an Estee Lauder Youth Dew freak - yuk).  At that moment, there was a God. It worked with the romance at that time too. But enough said about that.

Sadly, Chanel is way too expensive and I still use the bottle I bought in Paris very sparingly. Thanks Clare Bear. It is the perfect pong.

So I dabbled in a little Thierry Mugler Angel, (well until I found out that it might kill me - Yar!), Yves Saint Laurent,  La Rive Gauche and Lancome's Magic Noir even Giorgio Armani's Aqua de Gio was quite nice but in recent years, because it's affordable at $75 for 150mls, Calvin Klein. Which Calvin Klein? Not fussed really.  My favourite? Eternity. Second off the rank probably Euphoria. But if you really want to turn me on, or him for that matter (I can vouch for it's efficaciousness) . . still  Chanel No. 5.  As the lovely Madame Chanel said herself: "A perfume like nothing else. A woman’s perfume, with the scent of a woman."  Sexy, non?

You paying attention Jeffscape?  Bring it on and I'll find you a Gippsland worm. (Don't ask!)

Friday Fuckwit

Another week gone by already? I've been working in a Mortgage Broker's office setting up his Financial Planning business this week and hopefully will be able to spin the job out for four or five weeks but seriously? I could nail it in two so going slow is a bit difficult for me.  It's a lovely job, really nice friendly people and only 20 minutes from home. Shame it's just a one-off but hey, it'll help pay the rent for the next month or so. 

My Mother In Law is now at home, still a little uncomfortable nd short of breath but hopefully on the mend after heart surgery. A few too many visitors last night so we'll leave her to settle in for a few days before springing up there to see how she's going. She looked wonderful when I saw her last Tuesday but had to stay in a little longer due to palpitations which have now settled. Thank you to those of you who asked about her welfare.

Since, I'm using the Boss wife's laptop, I haven't had much time to search for a fuckwit but this darling needs no words to accompany it. I just thought it was funny. 

Avagoodweekend everyone. No Weddings or excitement this weekend, hopefully some rain and a little couch potato honing.  Oh, and a lot of job applications. Wish me luck.

Wedding Al Fresco

My nephew was married on the 4th March at our place and it was lovely. I know everyone says that but my brother spared no expense and this was an al fresco wedding of grand proportions from the huge marquee to tea lights on the pool, lanterns in the trees and rose petals along the aisle. Chef's buzzed hurriedly for two days preparing, gravlax, mushroom and goat's cheese pastries, lamb cutlets and barramundi fillets.  There are dozens of bottles of wine and champagne left over and everything was just perfect. 

For the first time in a long time our entire family was together with the exception of our errant brother who I'm sure was invited but . . . The settings were gorgeous, the bride looked beautiful, the groom didn't show his nerves and everyone behaved despite the whole shindig not winding up until 3am when finally, the MIL demanded music be turned down (by which time I was long in bed and couldn't hear a thing). 

Highlights? 

• Laurie deciding to do a poo in the background during the ceremony
• The tea light candles getting stuck in the corners of the pool due to the breeze
• Me gamming my knee dancing like a teen when I should know better
• Rebecca (the groom's sister) giving by far the most heartfelt speech
• The food - awesome!
• The chef's (two of them) eye candy all over
• My Sister In Law giving the bride away (since her father is in England)
• Adam managing to get the bloody pool sparkling just in time
• Brownie swan diving into the front seat of a ute and not moving for six hours - priceless

Seriously, it was a gorgeous day, the weather was perfect and everything went according to plan. The happy couple are now in England having another wedding before heading off to Thailand for a proper honeymoon. Congratulations James and Jessica, it was indeed a night to remember. Just enough breathing time before the next one in July.

The Marquee went up around a green pool

The crowd waited in anticipation

Nervous Groom but he didn't show it

Beautiful bride and her Mother In Law to be

Sister, Cousin, Sister

Lighting a candle was a little trixy

Sealed with a kiss

Off in a Hummer for photographs, no it wasn't pink

A drink Madame?

My crew chatting before dinner

Happy throng

Two Chefs . .yes they were very cute

Mushroom en croute with goat's cheese

A toast . . .

A cake . . .

Then all became a bit of a blur really . . . .

"Brownie" nothing else needs to be said

I'm Being Spoofed

And not in a good way. For the second time in as many weeks a phishing spoofer has attacked my Gmail account and sent you lovely people in my address book unpleasant emails. I've been locked out of my account for 24 hours twice so please accept my apologies. 

Account names have been changed, complex passwords employed, settings set to https:// and security updated including a new phishing filter that unfortunately, doesn't do much for internet based spammers. My apologies to those who think that I'm assaulting your sexual prowess. It has nothing to do with me and I've made the necessary complaints to Google reporting the spammer and providing their link. If you get an email from me, please, don't open it.  If it happens again, I'll have to enact a new gmail account and hope they can't find me.


River, I'm sorry but since I'm locked out, I can't respond to your email. I didn't send it.  The only emails you'll receive from me will be in response to blog comments or clearly marked as legit from now on.