The news services this morning thought that it was newsworthy to report the outcome of a study done by an representative body of distilled mixer drinks.

The distillers have discovered that binge drinking of mixer drinks is decreasing. This comes amid the hot topical debate about legislating for reduced alcohol content in such drinks.

This is a credible source for your new items I must say!

What crap...

I've ranted previously about reality television. The description of this palpable human waste as 'reality' is in itself a misnomer. It is no more like real life than is CSI Miami. I not only dislike it - I passionately abhor it. (Sorry Lisa!)

Each to their own and if people want to spend countless hours taking this in that is fine with me. Likewise, if I chose to slag it mercilessly, that is fine with me too. I think Network 10 is the worst offender and has offered us the 'Big Brother' and 'Idol' tripe. Sadly, the other networks and even dear old Aunty are on the bandwagon too.

I have missed out on television (by choice) for so long that I can not relate to, nor understand the attraction. Even more, I am genuinely saddened and disturbed by the level to which it is entrenched in the psyche of the all too average Australian fodder watcher. Such shows dominate radio discussion, newspapers and magazines. Predominantly 13 year old females of our species flock to shopping centres where these erstwhile nonentities arrive for promotional work. They are famous for absolutely fucking nothing yet they are famous nonetheless. They get paid about $1,000 to turn up at a pub and hang around for an hour (they really do).

The main thrust of such shows are to strip people of their self-respect and then hang them out in front of the viewers of Australia so that they can gawk in humour, sorrow or amazement.

The real trick is to make contestants cry. The more tears - the better it is. Watch the promos for these shows. Notice how they concentrate on the tear factor? Somebody said something nasty to someone else so ..... BLUBBER! Some fat fuck didn't lose 20 kilos in the last month despite cutting down the cream bun intake to 5 per day, so ..... BLUBBER! Some dipstick on an island got voted off because they are a first class spanker, so ..... BLUBBER! It's all rather tacky.

I actually only started this rant to because I wanted to comment on the fact that Channel 10 are to introduce Corey, the recalcitrant ratbag partyboy, to the Big Brother house this weekend. You know what disappoints me? I haven't heard anyone yet comment on the morality shown by one of our licensed television networks in allowing this booze-swilling buffoon to further play on his celebrity status.

I think it is improper and I think it is immoral. Here is a punk who caused vast damage to property and wasted immeasurable public resources and now Network 10 now sees fit to validate his behaviour.

What message is being given here? Will the young and impressionable in society feel that such behaviour if not condoned, might still be worthwhile because it's all just a bit of a laugh?

The executives of Network 10 will no doubt defend their right to put this teen wanker on the show and would probably claim some pious responsibility to show the public what they want. They would also claim that after all, they only reflect community standards - they don't shape them. Well, they do shape them and they continue to plummet to new depths in the vast pool of sewerage that is reality television. 

Network 10 executives are a disgrace and were I able to, I would dismiss the lot of them and  force them onto the streets to get a real job. Perhaps there could be a reality TV show in it?

So the gabfesting is over and the idealists God bless 'em are winging their way back to obscurity. I don't mind people wanting to change the world for the better and I really don't intend this to be a criticism of their good intentions. However...

What is 2020 really going to be like? What is achieved by inviting Corporate Australia Ltd. and the multimedia whores to a weekend chat?

Do you actually trust people whose primary claim to fame is the siphoning off of your wealth into their bulging pockets? I don't. The media are a subsidiary of Corporate Australia Ltd. and they represent their parent company magnificently. Our leading politicians have to bare their arses to Corporate Australia or they will be hounded out of office by an army of sheep, whipped into a frenzy by their media subsidiary. 

If we could transport now to 2020, I think you would be horrified by what you see. In the same way, if you were taken from 1978 and dropped into 2008, you would be equally horrified. There would be some amazement at the technological advances and sure, a lot of that is driven by business. I ask you though, at what price progress?

2020? I see even more of the same x 100. People who have no opinion other than that which is shoved into them by the media. I see a society where you dare not set out of your door without a can of mace, a knife and a personal alarm.  I see a society were we spend so much of our resources on human offal, that we can't afford to look after those who have put their lives on the line for us. I see a society where even more of the government is sold off to Corporate Australia. The balance sheet rules now and will rule stronger in 2020.

Seriously, what is your vision of 2020? Not what you would like to see, but rather what will you see?



What do you see for Australian society in 2020? How will it change?

"Earth Hour is an international event that asks households and businesses to turn off their lights and non-essential electrical appliances for one hour on the evening of March 29th at 8PM local time to promote electricity conservation and thus lower carbon emissions.

It is promoted by World Wide Fund for Nature Australia (WWF), an environmental lobby group, and the Sydney Morning Herald."

One hour. What pointless tokenism! How often these days do we see this sort of feelgood nonsense? 

One hour to tone down our power usage and pretend that you give more than a passing interest in the future of the planet, global warming or the environment in general. 

I don't see the need for it. I think we have come to the point were we all actually know what is required to slow down the ravaging of this planet. We are well informed but we choose by and large to ignore it. Ultimately, we are not prepared to make the sacrifices. 

The media are on board of course but maybe they should do their bit permanently. Perhaps the Sydney Morning Herald could stop printing huge newspapers made from lopped trees. They could go fully electronic and run their news online. If they really, truly care enough that is. If they really, really want it badly enough. 

Maybe street lights could be switched off every night like they used to in the 'good old days'. I mean, why not? It is more important isn't it? Do we really want to save the planet badly enough or are we really more about paying lip-service to it? 

All this Earth Hour crap does, is rehash a message that has already got through but is largely ignored. This is in spite of the fact that some see the future of the planet hinging on our actions. 

The truth is, that people live for themselves and not for future, unknown generations. We are selfish and encouraged to be so in a world where we are constantly fed consumerist propaganda by Corporate Greed Incorporated. We have been conditioned to use and abuse and it is as simple as that.

Even when the lights are on, no one is home.