It’s official: New Zealanders hate Snoopy

I’ve put this post in the “levity” category, however, I note Kimberella’s Culture Wars…now and forever! was also placed in “levity”, so perhaps this post should be in “so bloody shallow even Paris and Darlene would find it lacking depth”.

Anyway, readers of The New Zealand Herald have had their say (“baaa”) about what they think are the worst Christmas songs ever in the history of the earth, world, universe etc:

Now … Also Now

Now:

Clarissa Keil, a freelance writer who “shares her time between Switzerland and Australia”, piously explained it all in the Sydney Morning Herald last week: “The more contemporary practice is a charitable donation on behalf of a family member or friend instead of the purchase of a conventional Christmas gift.”

It works like this. You send your child, say, a note to warn you’ve become so high-minded that they’ll get no present this Christmas. You’ve instead sent the money for their present to one of the many charities now offering “ethical” Christmas gifts.

It’s not the tax deductions you’re after, of course, although you’re careful to keep the receipts. Waste not!

What really stirred you was the thought that your child’s present would do more good if sent to someone who might need it more, such as some herder in Africa or farmer in India.

So World Vision will send, for your children, a goat to Ethiopia or a beehive to the Gaza Strip. Oxfam will send condoms to Zimbabwe and even a $15 bag of manure to a Sri Lankan farmer—which hardly sounds in the Christmas spirit, frankly.

…

(Andrew Bolt, today)

Also Now

Christmas baubles of horror

So, it’s the season where Carol rage escalates, and too much late night shopping is never enough time. Personally, I’m most disturbed by these enormous Christmas decorations at the Macarthur Centre on Edward Street. I wouldn’t like to be standing under one.

Hi-res version of image here.

Condemn away. You know you want to.

Culture Wars… now and forever!

Okay, let’s concede a point to Planet Janet, Bolta and the rest of the defeated culture warriors - we still need your voices in our national conversation! John Quiggin suggests:

With no share of political power anywhere in the country, the culture warriors can’t do any actual harm, except to the conservative side of politics. So, there’s an argument that they should be encouraged, rather than persuaded to give up the struggle.

In a long post about the culture warriors, Quiggin correctly argues that there’s no constituency for most of the moralising mendacity of the punditariat:

As regards the policies themselves, the idea that Australians are brimming with conservative fervour, or any kind of fervour, on these topics is silly in most cases. Most people are vaguely in favour of a republic, but aren’t in any hurry. As regards legal recognition of gay relationships, only a handful of people are aware of the fine distinctions between civil unions and registered relationships, and even fewer care.

Precisely. Which is why, aside from the comedy value, I’d be quite happy for Christopher Pearson and his ilk to go on with their “battlers hate teh gay!” denialism about the fact that the fast eroding economic credentials of the Coalition and WorkChoices were the key factors in swinging the “Howard battlers” away from the Dear Leader. If they’d prefer to believe that sanctimonious posturing about family values is going to be the bbq stopper that reinvigorates the Libs and hurtles them towards electability, so be it. And if the Libs buy it, we’ll be laughing all the way to the next election, fellas…

Ps: Of course, the culture warriors claim they’re vital because they vigorously fight the battle of ideas. Taking the civil unions will be an electoral liability for Labor ”argument” as a case study, the problem with that thesis (as enunciated by John Heard) is, that as Andrew Norton demonstrates, their arguments aren’t arguments and don’t make any sense.

A Melbourne Christmas

Getting Federation Square for Christmas is probably only marginally more disappointing than getting a pair of socks.

The best $20 you’ll ever spend?

 

On the bookshelf at home a copy of The Rules sits between a book by Donna Tartt and something or rather by Jeanette Winterson.

The guide to getting a bloke was left by a former tenant (perhaps she thought the incoming residents would need it).

For those not in the know, The Rules sold trillions of copies to females wanting to know how to act around potential paramours.

State of the White House race…

Courtesy Talking Points Memo, a “just barely watchable” three-and-a-half minute summary of the Republican presidential primaries through the medium of TV campaign ads: