General chat: July

A day in lockdown as told by Moira Rose

I warned you I was lonely, but you didn't seem to care, no no no 🎵

Posted by news.com.au on Tuesday, 14 July 2020

One for the Schitt’s Creek fans …

What’s everyone been watching, besides the pandemic news? I am on a sci fi jag, watching Snowpiercer, Dark (binged the whole final season in two days) and the new War of the Worlds.

Mr Juz is revisiting a favourite show from his youth that I cannot stand: Blue Heelers. What has the world come to?

I am actually enjoying the Netflix series Snowpiercer more then the film of the same name, probably because Jennifer Connelly is just so good as the “voice of the strain”, and the more leisurely pace of a TV series gives the director a chance to do more world building. It’s set in the not-too-distant future, where climate change has caused the Earth’s temperature to plummet. The last of humanity resides an a high-speed train, circling the planet on an endless loop. Life in first class is very different to those at the tail of the train, and exposure to just a few seconds of the air outside results in death.

That’s Kurt from Glee’s dad in the middle.


Facebooktwitterredditmail

77 Comments

  1. I used to watch Blue Heelers when I was a kid. I had a huge crush on Adam, the new guy. Damian Walshe-Howling was very crushable, back in the mid-90s.

    I haven’t been watching much commercial TV at all, lately. Even “Bachelor in Paradise” seems more awful than usual. “Have You Been Paying Attention?” is the one bright spot in my weekly TV rituals (I think the show has suffered *slightly* because the cast are all Skyping, but not too much. They seem to be sticking to the guests who they know have great comedic chemistry and timing. They’ve had Celia twice, in the last few weeks, and I absolutely adore her).

    I’m looking forward to the Masked Singer coming back on (I imagine it’ll be even better without Lohan. I thought the first season was great). They’re starting to advertise the next season of “Ninja Warrior” (I tend to watch just for the very attractive contestants, but I wonder if the fad is dying down, because I recall last year’s ratings weren’t so great).

    I think I maxed out my TV viewing through the May/June period, because I’m sort of at the point where I’m sick of being indoors and I’m tired of staring at screens looking at terrible news (three shark attacks in the last fortnight. Two of them fatal, one of them a teenage boy. Screw you, 2020).

    My hiking group has started organising events again (the joy of being in Queensland where restrictions have started relaxing), so I’ve got a big weekend planned, but I’m looking forward to it. One of my nerdy friends is going through a messy divorce, right now, so he’s started reaching out again (his wife didn’t like him spending time with us. Apparently we were a bad influence? To me, that’s a classic red flag, but there’s a reason he’s not with her anymore) so he’s been organising some get-togethers and board-game days, which is nice.

    And there’s always more Lego. I keep trying to not spend as much, but I keep finding really nice things (and the Jurassic World toyline continues to be one of the rare highlights of the year. I’m now the proud owner of a Sarcosuchus, with twisting head and snapping jaws. Sarcosuchus was a T-rex sized prehistoric crocodile, and it ate dinosaurs. Jurassic World wonders why it keeps having issues with dinosaurs attacking and eating guests. It’s because you guys keep cloning gigantic alpha-predators! Take the hint already!).

  2. Jennifer Connelly still looks like she hasn’t had food touch her lips. I find it disturbing. She was always really slim, but not scrawny looking plus she was always super pretty. I watched a bit of her show but I don’t really like it too much.

    Just finished Drag Race 12, it was really weird with Sherrie Pie being practically erased from the season and my favourite didn’t win this time around.^^

    I wanna check out Cursed on Netflix, it’s with the actress who played Hannah Baker on 13 Reasons why (I actually think she’s Australian).

    PS: The Old Guard on Netflix with Charlize Theron is a fun action movie. A bit bloody but very entertaining.

  3. I don’t think I could say what I’m watching on tv. I turn it on for the news at night, but am not paying much attention after that. SBS World Movies has had some good movies. Other than that, um, SBS Food, of which 2/3 seems to be ex MasterChef contestants showing how to make sandwiches. I fell asleep on the couch last night and awoke to 100% Hotter, so I watched for a while. What a load of sexist crap that program is. They actually show before and after pics of the participants to people in the street, and have them rate the women out of 10. Yeah, nah, bullshit.

    I, too, am sick of being indoors and only go out for food and medicine. But since it’s winter and rains on my head every time I step out the goddamn door, I can’t blame the pandemic for my cabin fever now. Because covid 19 cases are increasing here as well, I thought I’d replenish my mask supply before the rush began. Too late. I’ll have to do the rounds of local pharmacies and hardware stores to get more. No one has said medical personnel can’t get enough masks, so I will still get the best ones I can.

    I’m re-reading some books I own. Libraries are open here, but I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable borrowing books, although the libraries have cleaning and safety procedures in place. I might buy a deck of cards and play solitaire. :).

    • It hasn’t been a particularly cold winter (at least, not up here in QLD), and while we’ve had rainy weekends, the vast majority of our days have been beautiful. We had an amazing weekend, so I went for two hikes, the last two days, with two different groups of friends (although my knees are regretting it now. I think I’ll have a quiet Monday indoors, heheh). On Saturday, I hiked down the side of a mountain to find the lovely rainforest valley at the bottom, and on Sunday, walked through a nature reserve and met the emu again (he tried to steal my water bottle. I think it was the shiny metal cap that he was attracted to). But, no, I’m definitely not watching much TV.

    • Hi Von, Did you know you can join most libraries on line and borrow ebooks and audio books.
      I’m not saying that the selection is great (like most things these days, libraries are underfunded) but it is easy. I love an audio book. It lets me multitask.

      • Hi Bobi, good to see that you’re still around. Thank you for that, but I’m old school when it comes to reading; I prefer the actual physical book, one I can read in bed and not worry if it drops to the floor when I conk out.

        I’ve never tried an audio book. I wonder if my attention span is long enough these days for that. I’ll likely try one when I get sick of re-reading my book shelves.

        I hope you’re well.

  4. We are still moving through Doc Martin, and I am loving it because it is one of the few shows that both DH and I enjoy, so it has become almost like date night.

    Watched my first episode of Shakespeare and Hathaway, and have now set the pvr to record every week. Great fun show.

    Still watching several SBS Movie channel movies, although it is clear that they have a rotation schedule, so you have to be eagle-eyed to spot the new ones coming in. Recently really enjoyed The Man who Invented Christmas, which I think suffers an image problem from a terrible title. It is really a fairytale-like imagining of how Charles Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol. It was a gorgeous mix of storytelling and fantasy. If you have been to see A Personal History of David Copperfield (in the cinemas now), the two movies are very similar in style.

    My guilty pleasure was channel 7 recently having a Christmas in July week of hallmark movies at midday. I recorded several, and then gave them 15 mins to grab my interest. Strange feeling watching Christmas movies at this time.

    Which leads into the amazing news that Hallmark are releasing 40 new Christmas rom-coms in their Countdown to Christmas starting Oct 23. You can saturate yourself with Christmas tat for three months! (to be fair, I think some of the movies are okay as light rom-coms).

    Otherwise, the viewing schedule is footy, footy, footy. We even got to go to an A-League game on Saturday – weird in the middle of winter.

    • Am I the only person that thinks that this focus on the great Australian unwashed and their love of sport is massively over-hyped?
      In spite of my sanctimonious tone, I do enjoy the odd football game but this demand to have a sport to watch is just nonsense. And the cost of moving these people around the country must be horrific.
      11 million people visit the Opera House each year and yet i am not hearing cries for the ABC to play endless and back to back operas every weekend. Not that I’m complaining about that.

      • I used to think it was newspapers, given that half the Daily Telegraph is footy, but your suggestion sounds like a much better idea.

        • I always got the impression that Big Sport isn’t all that profitable, not when you factor in how much all the players are paid (which has gotten ridiculous) and then the coaches (some of whom get fired, but the board has to pay out their contracts regardless), and the training staff, then you have to hire the stadiums (which would be incredibly expensive for the big stadiums, in terms of power and lighting and so forth) … and for the NRL, the Brisbane Broncos are about the only team that makes a profit annually. The rest run at a loss, and the game has to bail them out.

          All that money comes from TV deals. Nine and Foxtel pay the game a billion bucks over so many years to air the matches.

          But when the matches stop airing? That money dries up.

          Not to mention, clubs with poker machines. Again, with the clubs closed, nobody’s in pouring their life savings into poker machines, so, the clubs don’t have an income.

          So I tended to think that the push for sport to come back is more an indictment on the nature of the industry. It’s so top heavy and cash hungry that it’s teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, well, always … and it takes one disaster for the whole thing to collapse in a heap. The games themselves needed to come back … because with no income, they have zero money at all.

      • I suppose I am on the other side of the fence. Losing the footy (or the cricket etc) is to me, what losing access to streaming services would be to others. I can’t really explain why, just like it is hard to explain why some people feel passionate about say, antiques, or art galleries, or motor racing (not a sport, imo), or stamp-collecting. It just becomes part of your life. And because it does, and does so for thousands of Australians, when it is withdrawn there is a negative effect on mental health.

        Add to that, nobody was allowed to either play or have their kids play. There is a very large cohort who dislike gyms (pointless exercise) and consider a walk or run in a park a very poor substitute for the thrill of being part of a team and competing.

        Yes, there are monetary issues – mainly because if these sports can’t run, then their future viability is threatened. That is like threatening the existence of FTA TV. Sport in general is hugely important for physical and mental health, and elite sport plays a big role in pulling people into moving their bodies.

        That said, anything that exists purely for gambling should be shut down, imo. Really annoying that the greyhound ban was reversed. And I would love gambling to be fully removed from elite sport, it has no place there.

        I also love live theatre. But in a realistic comparison, would Opera Australia be happy to put on shows with no audiences, as the footy has? Can the operas be staged outdoors, where risk can be mitigated more? Sadly, just not possible.

  5. Four Corners tonight is pretty horrifying and frightening. It’s about the spread of covid 19 in Italy, mostly from the perspective of hospital staff. I’m finding it difficult to watch.

    This should be mandatory viewing for the morons in Victoria who are whining about their civil liberties because they have to wear masks. Stick them all, masked, in a room, and make them watch this. Then see how many remove their masks when they come out afterward. What happened to “we’re all in this together”? I protect you by wearing a mask, and you protect me by wearing one. It isn’t that hard to understand.

    Anyone heard a reminder to download the tracing app lately?

    • The authorities spelled the slogan incorrectly. It’s “We’re all in shit together”

      That tracing app disappeared up it’s own…..

      The Beatles raised a few eyebrows here when they said they hated sport. I’ll watch it but with music on to drown out the dumbarse comments.

    • I think some of these gooses watch too much American tv. They obviously haven’t been to the US. It’s the equivalent of watching the Smurfs, and deciding that magic is real.
      I read an on-line story of a woman (in America) offending her SIL after her SIL argued that BLMs was overhyped because of all the successful black people in politics. And she knew that because she had been to see the musical Hamilton. Some of these people are on a different planet.
      I think there are problems with the app. I can’t remember exactly.
      I have ordered 2 pretty masks on-line. I wear glasses so I need the nose pinch bit. They won’t arrive until mid-August. I wish I was a sew-er. I could make a fortune.

      • Haha, Bobi. I made some masks but they took me about 2 hours per mask, so I can’t see myself getting rich. And then my creativity kicked in and a started embroidering them. That’s now 1 day per mask at least. I’ll stick to my day job, but they made nice gifts for vulnerable friends.
        Woolif won’t wear his. 🤪

      • Unfortunately, ignorance is not stopped by national borders. So many people seem to think that if they ignore the virus or disbelieve it is real, it won’t affect them. Oy. The virus doesn’t care what you believe, it can’t think, it’s an infectious agent. Denying its existence is akin to believing the earth is flat – or even dumber than that if I could think of an example.

        I was being sarcastic with my question about the tracing app. I haven’t heard a reminder or an ad or a recommendation to download it for weeks. There are so many glitches that it reportedly only works as intended 50% of the time, if that, depending on the type of phone you use, if the phone is locked or not et cetera et cetera. Powers that be may have had good intentions, but wish in one hand…

        I am using N95 masks and find that if I pinch the nose piece to fit tightly over the top of my nose, I don’t have problems with my glasses fogging. Well, only one day I did so maybe it depends somewhat on weather and humidity.

    • Why aren’t the politicians and “experts” apologizing to us for telling us masks were unnecessary, and “could even be worse than no mask because you might touch your face”.
      Not that I believed them and I made masks, but it annoys me that pillows and medical experts are being disingenuous in the way they have done an about face on masks (there’s a pun in there somewhere 😁) without addressing their previous comments. After repeatedly telling us masks don’t keep out the virus and are therefore useless, they should be saying either;
      1. We were lying or
      2. We were wrong.
      Pick one.
      It annoys me even more than that, “We are one” song, that they assume we have forgotten their repeated assurances on the ineffectiveness of masks.
      Now I know we can’t trust them.

      • We think the initial advice not to wear masks may be attributable to two things :
        1) There was not the perceived need for masks in the initial weeks of the virus in Australia as it was relatively under control
        2) The powers to be knew that there was not enough masks in the country (on the back of bushfires etc) to mandate they be worn without causing mass panic and an encore of toilet paper panic buying proportions when they could not be readily found.

        There was also concern over the effectiveness of the masks due to the varying quality. It seems to me that the Victorian premier is begging people just to wear anything as it is better than nothing.

        If the NSW premier deems them necessary to board public transport (outside Sydney) then we will try and find a mask but beyond that…

        • My problem now lies with them treating us as though we have amnesia. I want them to clearly acknowledge that they (even Norman Swan) previously stated most clearly and over a long period of time that masks were ineffective and of no use against the virus. So are they admitting they were wrong? If so, as Sgt Carter used to say, “I can’t hear you”, or are they telling us they lied out of necessity because they needed the masks for medical professionals?
          No they are just repositioning themselves like slithering worms into their new advice. So why should we take the politicians and medical experts as our source of information if they won’t have the integrity to acknowledge that what they said was just plain wrong. I could respect that. No they won’t do that. They just want it to fade away.

          • I don’t remember them saying masks were ineffective and useless. I think the advice early on was that they protect other people more than they protect the wearer, so they weren’t recommended or necessary for general use at that time.

            I don’t expect a mea culpa from medical professionals. I’ll give them a pass for amending recommendations. Who else are you going to get information from? Advice changes as knowledge and experience of dealing with corona virus is gained. If everyone knew immediately how to deal with the virus, it wouldn’t have turned into a pandemic, would it?

            I didn’t take medical advice from politicians anyway. To expect any of them to admit they made a mistake is a pipe dream at the best of times. Which this isn’t.

        • I don’t believe the medical opinion on masks has changed at all. They are still saying the same things. However, the constant outcry by the public about masks has worn them down to the point of saying “well, we may as well do it, so people feel that they have some control”.

          The advice is still that a mask protects others from an infected person. By asking people to wear them now, it is acknowledgement that the volume of possibly infected people has grown, and those people might not either know or isolate properly.

          Masks are a small tool in the fight. The other three “pillars” are far more important. But if they make the wearers feel better, then sure.

          • I agree, Fijane. Wearing a mask makes me feel better – and does offer me some protection. I would feel even better-er if more people did. It doesn’t hurt, you can breathe with one on, you are protecting others if you are infected but asymptomatic. There is no reason NOT to wear one. And, I found that a mask keeps your nose warm on a cold day. It’s easier than trying to keep your neck scarf over your nose.

    • Oh yay, we can always count on Pete Evans to spread wilful ignorance. Main stream media need to stop giving him a platform. No doubt when/if a vaccine is made for covid 19, he will spruik more anti-vaxxer bullshit, so that we will never be rid of the danger.

      He should just shut the fuck up. He is stupid and delusional and his denial of science is dangerous.

      • Unfortunately, the anti-science types just seem to be getting louder.

        You can’t help but wonder what would happen if he actually caught the disease, whether he’d change his mind about it all being a hoax, or whether he’d just stick to the script (becaue he’d stand to lose too much money if he admitted that, actually, he’s been wrong about this the whole time).

        People still aren’t questioning why he was selling a $15,000 lamp to cure a disease he thinks isn’t even dangerous.

    • I would like to say that we should just not give him, and all those other odd bods, any air time.
      But then whose going to police what may be a crack pot view and what is just a minority view?
      I am a huge believer in a universal income and I have been shouted at (Like shouted at) by people who are offended that I am going against decades of economic theory. Fftt.
      I don’t think I’m completely wrong but then talk to me again in 10 years time. Maybe I am. Maybe I’m just ahead of my time. Maybe I’ve done my homework. Who knows?
      I think we should treat him as entertainment and watch him if you want a laugh or change the channel and send a message to Channel 9.
      My personal view is that he’s a bit like Karl Stefanovic – he has friends in high places.

      • Well said, Bobi.

        We can’t determine whose view is the “truth” so the best option is to respectfully debate whenever necessary. Taking away someone’s “platform” just creates more echo chambers on both sides.

  6. Have watched ‘Snowpiercer’ on Netflix and was entertained. Watched ‘Two Hands’ and ‘ Kenny’ last weekend.
    Am in the medical profession and have worn a mask since March.
    To all the stupid ignorant people out there not wearing a mask, not socially distancing and thinking it’s all a government conspiracy, spend a day in our public ICU’s and see the suffering first hand.
    Like my work colleagues say, ‘You can’t cure STUPID’
    Stay safe xx

    • I might be setting up for a fall here, but not wearing a mask is not automatically aligned with disbelief about the danger and not socially-distancing. Most people, to this point, have done what was asked of them (s-d’ing, isolating, handwashing etc) and not worn masks, all of which was the exact medical advice given. This majority compliance flattened the curve and brought our cases down to nearly nil.

      All these people are fully aware of how bad things are overseas, and how bad they could be here. A very small group are complacent, and even smaller one are conspiracy-theorists.

      Not wearing a mask up until now has been totally acceptable. But as this is an evolving situation, things change, and many people will be choosing a mask when they didn’t before. They weren’t denialists before, and will now move with the very clear medical advice.

    • I am going to attempt to sew at mask, in part because I have been watching the Great British Sewing Bee and have decided I need to rediscover some lost skills.
      Lola, keep up the good work! I can’t imagine going to work every day knowing I am at an increased risk of catching a highly dangerous, potentially deadly disease.

      • Juz, if you can get elastic, make your masks with straps that go around your head and neck, rather than ear straps. I’ve found them more comfortable and they fit closer to your face.

        I was able to get some N95 masks at my pharmacy today. The woman who does stock control warned me that the price was more than before. The increase is $1 per mask. Not a massive jump, but a big jump. I overcame my momentary impulse to buy 10 and got 2. I use them more than once, alternating, and being very careful putting on and taking off..

        She said that suppliers were pushing them to buy large amounts. The supplier wanted her to order 20 boxes of 50 masks. That’s a lot of stock to hold, especially since we in WA have yet to experience a big jump in covid 19 cases, so it’s a balancing act for the pharmacy.

        There are still so many empty spaces on supermarket shelves. It’s silly to fuss about, but I haven’t been able to get HP Sauce for weeks. I know our lives are changed with the pandemic. But seeing a fully stocked Woolies or Coles would be a good day.

        • The masks I made, I modified from you tube examples. They have two bands of Elastic going around the back, so I don’t develop Corona virus ears.
          They are pleated at the sides, double layer with a slit pocket that can be filled with replaceable felt lining. I chose felt, because I already had it, it’s thick yet very breathable, and can be washed.

          • Some materials can filter particles better than others, significantly affecting how well your homemade mask may protect you from infection.

            Initially, people in the United States were told by the surgeon general and World Health Organization to not use face masks because they were unlikely to help, and because they were needed by healthcare providers.

            But experts insist that has now led to confusion, as the CDC now supports homemade masks.

            “It’s very unfortunate that the CDC and the surgeon general’s office initially, because they were panicked at masks being hoarded and unavailable for health workers, chose to address that by telling people that masks aren’t helpful. Masks are always helpful,” Dr. Benjamin LaBrot, founder and CEO of Floating Doctors and a clinical professor of medical education at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, told Healthline.

            “Whether they filter well or not, they are very helpful at protecting other people as well, especially from silent infections,” he said.

            How homemade masks help
            People with “silent infections” are asymptomatic. They don’t have fevers, coughs, or other typical symptoms of COVID-19. They could, unknowingly, spread the virus to others, finds a recently published studyTrusted Source that examined infections of residents in a King County, Washington, nursing home.

            THE BEST MATERIAL FOR HOMEMADE MASKS
            According to LaBrot, a surgical mask (that’s not an N95) only filters out about 60 to 65 percent of particles, which is normal for this type of mask.

            He explains that by using doubled up 600-thread count pillowcases or flannel pajamas, you could make a mask that provides up to 60 percent filtration.

            He emphasizes that “anyone can figure this out,” and that the “light test” is an easy way to tell how well a material may filter.

            “Hold it up to the light. If you can see light through the fabric, that’s probably not as good as something that you can’t see light through,” he said. “So, this is one where your intuitive approach is going to be effective. The thicker it is, the denser it is, the more likely it’s going to filter better.”

          • Daisy, can you send me the links to the tutorials if you still have them. I have been doing lots of googling. I bought quilting cotton as it has a high thread count. Not sure what my filter material will be yet.
            I think half the value of the mask is That it’s a visual reminder – people see you an go “oh, that’s right, I should keep my distance”.

          • Well written and good information Littlepetal. I like the use of the word, “unfortunate”. You could also say unwise; unwise because officials are trying to get the general public to use WHO and our chief medical officers as our source of information.
            For me I just want them to address and acknowledge the shift in their stance. If there is any chance of credibility or respect, own it and explain it.
            We had ABC news playing non stop for weeks and heard over and over politicians and the CMO saying, masks don’t prevent community transmission. And now they still want to be our authority.
            I could respect if they addressed that.

  7. Juz…https://youtu.be/Sc7yuOiqj6g

    Anything like this. Elastic at the top corners and bottom corners that goes around the head is better than on ears.

    Felt meets the light test as a filter and I was surprised how breathable it is.

    I have seen mask elastic loop on buttons on a child’s cap.

  8. Just on the mask issue and looking at quality, I have always been in favour because, one, Norman Swan (I know what you have said here, Daisy, but I have only ever heard him say that wearIng them was a good idea) and, two, I have a friend with some sort of obscure qualification who regular lectures me on the concept of herd immunity and maths.
    As always, I will get the numbers wrong so, like a good accountant, I will make them up.
    One person In the room wearing a mask reduces the likelihood of spread by 30%. Two people in the same room wearing a mask reduces the spread by 80%. Herd immunity for this virus (Herd immunity differs from virus to virus) is estimated at about 70%.
    The point being that, apart from the ridiculous face mask worn by Paris Hilton (attached for those who missed this piece of stupidly) or people who have to get up close and personal (❤️ to Lola), apparently the actual quality doesn’t really matter.
    But just to make sure I don’t misquote my friend, she is a fan of multilayered.
    Still, if everyone wears something, washes their hands and social distances then bingo, bango, bongo. All done.

  9. I accidentally put this on the Big Brother thread, but I have to slam Game if Thrones.
    I had to stop watching, not because of the violence but because the sadism and malevolance and sexual debauchery just didn’t let up. I feel like I was feasting on vomit. Now I have to get it out of me.

    • Yes, me too.
      I thought I would like it because I like sci fi and alternative stuff but it was too much.
      How that man sleeps at night, idk.
      In this time of BLM and MeToo, and with hope that some things are getting better, this show is just off.

      • Yes. They way women are debased is sickening. There was just too much sadism, including sexual sadism. It would have one been regarded as porn. The nonstop sadism was too much. I told Woolif that watching it was like eating vomit, but he doesn’t get what I mean. I can’t unsee those images. I watched more than I should have.

  10. Woolif is playing The Best of Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac Blues.
    My first big concert was not this FWM but FWM with Stevie Nick’s. It was wonderful.

    My “if you can only have one song playing for the rest of your life, what would it be?” answer is Albatross. Then Island in the Sun by Righteous Brothers because those vocal chords were insane.

    • My first concert was Jon English.
      We were a reluctant audience and he was fabulous- had us all up and dancing in 10 minutes.
      I also went to see him in Pirates of Penzance (as we age). Still fabulous.
      A highly underrated entertainer.
      Good times.

      • You’ve hit my soft spot, Bobi. DS and I saw him just a few months before he died, and the show was amazing. Loved Jon as an entertainer since “Against the Wind”, we both know PoP (and Mikado/Pinafore) nearly completely by heart, went to see Jon’s rock opera (he wrote) “Paris” twice, once when he was there. Have all his music on itunes.

        And I went to his memorial service. So few people grasp the breadth and diversity of his achievements.

    • Sadly, Peter Green has just passed away. Oh Well Pts 1 and 2 and Albatross will never be bettered. “The o,y man that made BB King sweat”

      • He was a bit amazing.
        I am sad when I hear of people with a mental illness that gets in the road of life.

      • He won me $750 on one of those “Who am I? ” radio competitions. Not many knew how great he really was.

        Humble to a fault, unlike Kanye and the current crop of wasters.

  11. There are a couple of “pre-obituary” documentaries on tonight. Nine has one on Bill Lawry, whose cricket career was a while before I became a cricket tragic. I mostly know about him from the 12th Man series, so a documentary may give me factual information :).

    The other one is on Prince Phillip, on SBS. I’m not interested in that one, but found it amusing that two fta channels have the same sort of docos on the same night.

  12. Hi guys. Just a question out of left field.
    As you know, a couple of weeks ago I ordered some masks on line. I am still waiting. So I ordered another one. It will be here in a couple of days. Go figure.
    Anyway. The second order has aboriginal artwork on it. Like a lot – see image. It is very pretty. And like all these things, part of the money goes towards something or other. I do my best to support lots of things.
    So, I feel a little awkward wearing it. Like, I have no aboriginal ancestry. Is this cultural misappropriation by me? My first thought is no. My second thought is yes. My third thought is, it might be.
    Any thoughts?
    I am happy for the decision to be that this goes in my bottom drawer or just for family so I am not wedded to any particular view.

    • You might also worry that you are wearing one half of my bathers top. Well almost.

      I’m not Aboriginal so I don’t get a say, but on art in general…..it’s meant to be seen. I’ll stop you if you wear one with Jesus or Mahomed on it.

      But back to your new mask, it seems you won’t feel comfortable wearing it.

    • Trivia:
      Way back in the late 80s, an Aboriginal lady/ TV host/musician asked me to paint her some “Aboriginal art” for her CD covers. And I did. You can’t do that now. Anyway, it wasn’t Aboriginal art because I did it.

    • It is pretty. I don’t think it’s cultural appropriation, but I’m not Black. When I lived in the tropics, there was an Aboriginal-owned souvenir store that sold tea towels, place mats, and all sorts of things that had facsimiles of dot paintings. I’d wonder if it is a “real” representation of a dot painting or not.

      But I agree with Daisy in that if you have put so much thought into it, you won’t be comfortable wearing it. Save it for when you’re digging in your garden.

      But, if it’s the only one you have, wear it rather than go out without a mask.

      • You make a really good point, Von. That you can but Aboriginal art souvenirs. So perhaps the key issue is, did the makers and sellers of these masks pay for the art or steal it?

        I suppose anyone seeing my cartoons could steal them but that would be hard to know or prove.
        People copy art all of the time and it’s annoying if it’s a straight up copy.

    • Thanks.
      That seems like the plan.
      Maybe as time goes on and cloth masks become more the norm, my public display will feel less uncomfortable.
      Those chemist ones have got to be a recycling problem so it’s only a matter of time before they fall into disfavour.

      • Wearing any mask in WA is awkward because I am the only one I know or see who wears one. I need one with a picture of the finger.

        • You know me, Daisy, and I wear one. We are in different towns though. And there’s an old guy on a mobility scooter who I often see at the shops; he wears one, too. So that’s three people. Woohoo.

          I’d like one that says BACK OFF. That’s what I say to kids whose parents are letting them run around the shops unsupervised. I hate when the little germ bags come near me.

          • Hey Von. How’s that Clive Palmer taking WA to the supreme court to force us to open our borders. Greedy b…….

          • You said it above, Daisy. He’s a prize wanker. I was discussing his lawsuit the other day with someone who pointed out that Palmer has mining interests here, but we both agreed that his businesses are probably doing just fine without his physical presence. Anyway, there are phone calls, emails, Zoom meetings, and what all to enable him to check on his money.

            Mark is doing just fine without any input from Clive frigging Palmer.

  13. Apparently my dear sweet Robbie Skibicki from “Survivor” was on Ninja Warrior, last night, but he was one of those guys who fell off the course during the ad break, and didn’t even get any air-time.

    I think they’ve made the course too hard, this year, because only 3 people actually made it past one obstacle, last night. So the episode has to burn time by focussing on the back-stories. Also, apparently Bec the commentator is back, tonight, so her absense was good while it lasted.

  14. I just want to say, to all of my fellow ttvers, be safe. I am hoping the CV disaster doesn’t come your way and that your lives can be safe and happy and normal.

      • And and can I add, on behalf of Western Australians; I hope that invading cane toad Clive Palmer takes his greedy arse off to Melbourne.
        Right now, he’s the most hated man in WA, and now I speak for myself in saying Scott Morrison is rubbish. Leave Mark McGowan to do what he is doing to protect WA.
        And Von days……

    • I have one bestie who is a denier; “It’s just a flu”. We’re both passionate about our opposite opinions. It’s weird because she’s normally quite sensible.

      • I don’t know any covid deniers. But I have two friends who have told me that the virus can’t live above 27 degrees C. The first time, I was taken aback and unfortunately was not very tactful when responding then how the hell then could it live in people, whose body temps are 37?!??!!! We’re still friends and can still talk about it :).

        To the other friend who said that, I suggested she read some more reliable sources than misinformation posted on Facebook…because that is exactly where she got that little gem from.

        Both are following proper guidelines re isolation, distancing, and hand washing. Maybe it’s just the scariness of the virus that momentarily overcame their smarts.

      • My dd used to be “it’s no worse than the flu” person.
        She’s not like that anymore, thank heaven.
        It’s hard to not take this seriously, given everything that’s happening in Victoria.
        I would say America instead of Victoria but a lot of that looks self-inflicted. Individual rights given preferential treatment over social obligations looks like a recipe for disaster over there.
        She’s not a Facebook user which would help. No bubble. No rabbit hole.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *