Book: Planet Simpson

I have just finished reading Planet Simpson by Chris Turner. It is written by an academic with a very genuine love for The Simpsons. Although at times it can be a little wordy when the author gets into full flow, it nicely illustrates how over the course of more than 13 seasons, the writers of The Simpsons have created an entire parallel universe that can be used to lampoon most elements of the very complicated and crazy world we live in.

The main chapters of the book present the reader with essays on Homer as the embodiment of modern life in America and the Baby Boomer generation, Bart is the punk icon, Lisa as the social conscience of the show and in the words of the author probably the character closest resembling the ideologies of the writers, Marge as the voice of the moral majority and C. Montgomery Burns is used to represent the real rulers of western society; Capital and Corporations.

As a huge fan of the show myself, I found the numerous references to excerpts from various episodes quite amusing. I was a little disturbed however, to find that I vividly remembered every example!!

Towards the end of the book I found it to be overly long, but I enjoyed every page. I would recommend this book for any fan of the show who understands most of the jokes!

Rating: ***

Thoughts on turning 30

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. It got me starting to think about those hopes and dreams from my late teens and early twenties that have fallen by the wayside. At the very least I would have liked to be responsible for something as important as helping to end the cold war. Of course I was a little young for that, and it would have stolen David Hasselhoff's thunder.

Check out this article... BBC NEWS | Magazine | Did David Hasselhoff really help end the Cold War?

I think for most of us, in our younger years, 30 sounds like a long way off. We heed none of that advice from older people that the time will fly. I mean what do they know? Right?

The problem with dreams of fame and success, is that you only hear about the people that have made it. They tell you "If you dream hard enough, no one can stop you." They don't tell you, "If you don't make it, no one will hear you."

Don't take any of this to mean that I am bitter, as I get older, I realise that they are silly goals and that family, love and self reliance are much more honorable goals (and attainable for all).

Kyoto, not just a Tokyo for anagram lovers

The Australian: Kyoto a pointless exercise [February 16, 2005]

Today is the day the Kyoto Protocol comes into effect.

Interesting, I found an article in Rupert Murdoch's Australian newspaper about the futility of the Kyoto Protocol.

The ridiculous author of this article refers to public figures willing to do something about global warming as "Climate Change Propagandists" and that future energy technologies are "dubious" and "doubtful" I can't really say any more to damn this guy that he hasn't said himself. The end of the article doesn't even say if this guy is qualified to comment on these things. I know this for sure though, his boss is the world's largest consumer of paper.

Addressing the problem is really only the first step. It's easy to make criticisms when not offering any alternative. Unlike the article in today's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper which sees Australia's current leader's refusal to participate in the first phase of the protocol as an opportunity to take part from 2012 when the protocol has evolved enough to begin the real battle with our environmental problems.

I fear that this current time we are living in, will be the period they look back on in the future as the time we could no longer claim not to know the extent of the damage we were causing to the planet, and were too greedy to do anything about it.

Don't Forget It

Is there any object that is a more apt symbol of how far consumerism has been allowed to go? Isn't it enough that the boffins at Colgate inflict us with the latest in analog toothbrush technology every 8 or 9 months? With their twisting heads, rubber grips for the prevention of slippery toothbrush related accidents and their squeegees for drying each tooth as the brush goes past?

Why don't any of the innovations of non-powered toothbrushes reach the electric toothbrush? If you listen carefully, you can hear the electric toothbrush vibrating in response to all of these improvements with "Yes, but I'm electric! Why would you want all of the grips and squeegees when you don't even have to move your arm? If I existed 100 years ago, all of those old people would still have their teeth! Go on, you deserve it."

So help keep Duracell in business. What would that cute pink bunny do if you started to move your arm?

Don't even get me started about the Hummingbird electric flosser! I'm still getting over the fact that Oral-B no longer offer the toothbrush with the blue bristles that fade when it's time to get a new one!

Happy Valentine's Day

This is a kind hearted reminder to all of you lovers out there to buy your cards, chocolates, flowers and lingerie for your significant other on Valentine's Day this year. If you want to make a real impact (on your lover and the air) consider skywriting. Never before has it been so important (or so easy) to show your love.

... and remember, making a card using recycled paper is just being cheap!

The Planetary Shuffle

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Global warming the key to life on Mars

A rather dry article to read today I'm afraid. It's nice to know "they" are thinking about where we can all go after the Earth has been exploited and rendered uninhabitable.

Scientists are thinking about ways that they could make Mars more hospitable for life in the future. Their solution? Let's use our expert knowledge on the effects of greenhouse gases to heat Mars to a level that will allow life to reawaken. I find it comforting to think that the knowledge of what we are doing to our own planet can be applied in a constructive way.

It's just a shame that we, the majority of humans can't work out that if doing this to Mars will make it more like Earth, won't doing the same thing to the Earth make it more like Venus?

Riots in Ikea

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Flatpack farrago

I couldn't believe it when I read this article. A riot in the new Ikea they've built in London. But I guess, after my few visits to that temple of Swedish practicality and european style I can see how it might happen. The car park at the Ikea in Moorabbin is alway full. I'm sure there are people driving around there from my last visit still looking for a spot!

The article states that Ikea is the place to get well priced moden furniture, but I have never found that to be the case. Sure, their advertising tells you that the FROOT hallway key holder is only $9, and you think "Wow! I've never even thought of a hallway key holder, but $9 is a great price and it would make me so European!" But really when you get there to buy anything useful, it's quite expensive when you realise it's sawdust glued together to make wood and you need to assemble the pieces they have put in the box for you. Having said that, I have been to Ikea a few times and am quite taken by the simplicity, stylishness and practicality of their BILLY shelf system and the complementing BENO CD shelves.

I have been taken in by their cheaper bits and pieces in the Market Hall, which is the section that you visit last in the labyrinth. The whole floor plan of Ikea must be designed to bamboozle you into a weak state of mind. You've walked through the big furniture areas and seen all of the cool room setups and thought to yourself "Man, those Swedes sure have style. If I didn't already have a house full of furniture, I'd love to set up my home like this." You've gotten past the lighting section without spending money on their THOMB lamp that is paper wrapped around coat hangers with a light bulb inside. But there it is, the Market Hall. If you don't buy something, you're no closer to living the Scandinavian dream. There they were, a set of measuring cups for $3 that even included a cute little tiny one to measure a pinch! They were sure to add a bit of well needed style to our kitchen and they were green!

I guess, we all keep going back hoping to find a reason why everybody else is going. Or maybe, everybody likes the BILLY shelves as much as I do.

Cities of the Future?

Rescuing the city's lost soul - National - www.theage.com.au

It's nice to read an article like this one that portrays a way forward from our current conundrum of living in suburbs that contain nothing but houses and cars.

A visiting academic by the name of Michael Sorkin is currently in Melbourne to speak on his vision of how cities can become more inhabitable and less of an impact on the world at large.

Higher density living, less driving, rooftop gardens and populations of no more than a million per city are some of the ideas put forward.

Let's just hope that in the not too distant future, people will think this kind of lifestyle sounds more appealing than living in a McMansion 30-40 kilometres from where they work and having nothing to do on the weekends.

The Very First Entry!

Well hello there nobody. I guess that you're the only one reading this as I must be the 23,059,752nd person in the world to do this.

I'm not too sure what I am going to write in this thing, but I guess it will be my comments on the world in general, how we need to get out of our consumerist dreamland, things I like watching on the tube (and things I don't like), articles and pages I see on the web and the odd glimpse into my private world.

Hopefully somebody somewhere will find it mildly amusing and hopefully in the long run, I become a better writer.

I watched Little Britain last night on TV. I live in Australia and it was the first episode of the second series. I am a huge fan of the first series and everyone who knows me, especially my wife is sick of me doing my impersonations of the characters. I must say though, that I was a little dissapointed with last nights episode. It seems like the show is too self concious. The sketches were more about grossing out the viewer than making them laugh. The favourite characters and catchphrases seemed to be too over the top with the exception of the Vicky Pollard sketch. Anyway, I will of course still watch the whole series and I hope it's not going to be same every week.

Bye for now.