The Silly Season

If you've ever thought The Silly Season was an inappropriate name for this time of year, I'd ask you to reconsider. Sure, there's an increased incidence of depression, alcoholism and suicide, but there's something about this time of year which is causing everyone to go a little nuts. Look at the evidence...

Yesterday, a truck with a crane on board hit a pedestrian overpass in the Sydney CBD. Not so much an unusual event you may think, but it takes a special kind of stupid to hit smack in the middle of the "low clearance" sign (if you click on the link - go on, no one's that busy at this time of year - you can see it in the photo).

I book a lot of classified ads in newspapers for my job. Yesterday the rep at a particular paper sent me the proof of an ad I requested, and I emailed back saying that it was approved for publication. Her reply? "I'm so glad you like it." Did she think this somehow mattered to me? Maybe her whole self-esteem was pinned on me approving this Tender ad, and if I'd had to make any changes, she'd have sobbed herself to sleep that night.

There's a pub in Glebe with a sign out the front saying "We wish to thank our customers for their patients and understanding during our renovations". Either the place is being refitted as a medical centre, or someone is functionally illiterate.

This isn't specifically related to Christmas time, but as an example of ridiculous behaviour, it's hard to go past Marcus Einfeld. If he'd just admitted he was speeding and paid the fines, that would have been the end of the matter. But he lied (including claiming that it wasn't him driving his car, but someone else - specifically, a woman who was dead at the time, and I imagine still is now), lied to cover up his lies, and is now facing a trial for perjury. Remember when you were a kid and told a lie to get out of trouble, that ended up snowballing and making things a hell of a lot worse? But Einfeld was a Federal Court judge, presumably a smart guy, and should have known better. As well as his reputation, he'll also lost what's most valuable to Australian government officials - his pension!

And on that note, thank you for your patients in reading this post.

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Random Observations of A Semi-Sober Blogger

I can't tell you how often I print an email, and have it run onto another page because of the disclaimer, Please consider the environment before you print this email.

Has anyone noticed that McDonalds has suddenly gotten much worse? I know McDonalds was never the place for a culinary experience par excellence. But recently (in Australia at least), instead of having burgers made and ready to go, they've switched to a system of preparing all food "fresh when you order". It sounds nice. What it actually means is that you order your food, then stand around with a lot of hungry, cross people waiting for burgers of haphazard contruction which, a lot of the time, aren't even what you ordered but you'll be goddamed if you're going to wait again. Listen, Maccas, no one visits you for quality food. People go to you because they're in a hurry, and because they want the same thing everytime. (Not - as happened to me yesterday - a Crispy Chicken Deluxe With Bacon that was without bacon, and with the salad falling outside the burger altogether). We can only hope that this experiment proves so unpopular - and juding by the looks on people's faces yesterday, it is - that it's soon abandoned entirely.

According to a recent study, today's teenagers are more "moral" than previous generations, having sex later and taking fewer drugs. Well of course they are! There are so many distractions for kids these days; they're all too busy Facebooking each other and buying tweenie-oriented products to have sex. Back in my day, we were all popping Es and f**king like bunnies because there was nothing else to do.

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