It's only natural for people to quarrel and bicker every once in a while and at least one participant will hold a grudge and punish the other for having the temerity to annoy them. Spouses fight, siblings fight, parents and their kids fight, friends fight.....and on it goes.
That being said, if you feel that punishment is necessary to set the other person straight, there's a fine line between being reasonable and being totally insane. Such was the case of the latter in two newspaper articles I read recently.
The first story featured a mother in China who, in an attempt to prevent her daughter from growing up spoiled and arrogant, lied to her child for 13 years and told her that she wasn't her daughter's biological mother. The girl, Cheng Cheng, grew up into a well-mannered, hard-working and independent girl but has been led to believe that her 'biological' mother died when she was very young.
Her unrepentant mother told reporters that she only did what she did so that her daughter would rise above her 'current' environment and grow up straight.
Well, all I have to say to that mother is that if your daughter hasn't already learned the truth, you may as well live this ridiculous lie for all eternity or prepare yourself for a psychologically traumatised child who will have every right to hate you for the rest of her life. Yeah, I'll bet having a spoiled brat doesn't sound so bad now, huh!? If you really wanted her to grow up to become a good person, why not just stress to her the importance of hard work and humility like any other SANE parent would!? It's a tried and tested method that has paid dividends over generations.
Our next story takes place in Osaka, Japan and looks at a bickering husband and wife situation. Yeah, we all know how colourful such occurrences can be! After getting into a heated argument with her husband, Masumi Nishino decided to get revenge on her hubby (who decided to sleep in his study room) by lighting pieces of paper on fire and then pushing them through gaps in the wall surrounding the study room. She then went to bed.
Later that night, her husband woke up to the smell of smoke and realised that his wife was trapped in her room. He immediately sprang into action and rescued her from their burning home.
Man, I wonder how it feels to be Ms. Nishino. You get into a squabble with your spouse (which isn't always bad), decide to punish them for ticking you off, but up destroying your own home AND making the one person whom you condemned to harsh punishment look like a big hero by saving you from the mess you created. If She really wanted to get even with her hubby, why not just give him the silent treatment? Why not just dye all his white shirts pink? Why not puncture the tyres on his car? Hell, why not kick him out of the bedroom for as long as the grudge is still burning!? ANY OF THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE!!!! Starting a fire in your own home and putting both your lives in danger? Really!?
Mr. Nishino, I don't know what your current status with your wife is, and no offense to you both, but she sounds unstable, dude. Just saying.
Bottom line, if you want to punish someone for rubbing you the wrong way, by all means go for it. But there is a fine line between punishing someone and just being a complete idiot who intends to ruin lives. And also, if you plan on going all out just to put someone in their place, at least make sure that it won't backfire and get you instead and that if it does, at least make sure that the damage will be minimal. Remember, your intent is to simply remind that person what will happen if they cross you again, not to kill them or scar them for life!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Idiot behind the wheel
Some people do strange things while driving. Sure, when us motorists got our driver's licences we were ordered to focus on the road, and on the road only unless we want to be the cause or victim of an accident. But that being said, drivers are only human and one can only stay focused on a single task for so long. And rather than pull over to the side of the road and get some rest, some drivers resort to warding off their boredom in little ways while operating their vehicle.
Some fidget around with the radio. Others sing along to the song on said radio. Some quickly check their reflection on the rear-view mirror. Others meditate silently. Others open the window and allow the wind to blow through their hair.
And then there are those who do pretty odd and at times, disgusting things that they think nobody can see. Eating, smoking, fixing their make-up, picking their nose....things like that.
Then you have the Singaporean bus driver who was caught on video for clipping his fingernails while on duty - and cost him his job in the process.
In the 29-second video, he is filmed resting his left hand on the steering wheel and trimming the nails using a clipper held in his right hand. Afterwards, he lifts his left hand off the steering wheel to inspect his newly-trimmed fingernails. In other words, he took his hand off the steering wheel and took his eyes off the road. Talk about a double whammy!
Anyway, the video made the rounds on social networking sites and on youtube (don't they always) and as a result, the poor driver was fired from his job.
Ok, first of all, there are things that one should not do while on public transport and clipping fingernails (and toenails for that matter) ranks highly on that list. It is disgusting to witness and really should be done in the privacy of your own home. And to perform this task on a public vehicle that you are operating? Driver, what on earth were you thinking!? Tell me, was it worth losing your job over?
Perhaps he had intended to do it at home before he went to work but forgot all about it. But that is a poor excuse. Couldn't he have waited until he got home? Heck, how does having long nails affect driving? Unless he had nails to rival those of Lee Redmond's it should not have been an issue that required immediate action.
Better luck next time you score another bus driving gig, friend. Your focus should solely be on the road and also on your next stop, not on something as trivial as the length of your fingernails. You're lucky that you only lost your job this time and not your life or someone else's. Yes, there are plenty of idiots behind the wheel on any given day but that doesn't give you an excuse to join that shameful club.
Some fidget around with the radio. Others sing along to the song on said radio. Some quickly check their reflection on the rear-view mirror. Others meditate silently. Others open the window and allow the wind to blow through their hair.
And then there are those who do pretty odd and at times, disgusting things that they think nobody can see. Eating, smoking, fixing their make-up, picking their nose....things like that.
Then you have the Singaporean bus driver who was caught on video for clipping his fingernails while on duty - and cost him his job in the process.
In the 29-second video, he is filmed resting his left hand on the steering wheel and trimming the nails using a clipper held in his right hand. Afterwards, he lifts his left hand off the steering wheel to inspect his newly-trimmed fingernails. In other words, he took his hand off the steering wheel and took his eyes off the road. Talk about a double whammy!
Anyway, the video made the rounds on social networking sites and on youtube (don't they always) and as a result, the poor driver was fired from his job.
Ok, first of all, there are things that one should not do while on public transport and clipping fingernails (and toenails for that matter) ranks highly on that list. It is disgusting to witness and really should be done in the privacy of your own home. And to perform this task on a public vehicle that you are operating? Driver, what on earth were you thinking!? Tell me, was it worth losing your job over?
Perhaps he had intended to do it at home before he went to work but forgot all about it. But that is a poor excuse. Couldn't he have waited until he got home? Heck, how does having long nails affect driving? Unless he had nails to rival those of Lee Redmond's it should not have been an issue that required immediate action.
Better luck next time you score another bus driving gig, friend. Your focus should solely be on the road and also on your next stop, not on something as trivial as the length of your fingernails. You're lucky that you only lost your job this time and not your life or someone else's. Yes, there are plenty of idiots behind the wheel on any given day but that doesn't give you an excuse to join that shameful club.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Drama all around
Well, what do we have here? Not one but two recent news stories that are going to get the ol' Bernd treatment! I just posted a blog a couple of days ago after a bit of a break and here I am about to post my second one in the same week. Seems like I'm making up for lost time here.
Anyway, we have two stories. One is on the comedic side, the other one, not so much. Let's take a closer look.
Our first story looks at an incident in Michigan, USA, where a resident dialled 911 after hearing a female neighbour shout 'stop! no!' at what was presumably an attacker and some loud noises in between. Police arrived at the scene only to find out that the woman was simply scolding her boyfriend because he would not stop farting. That's right, farting!
Well, clearly this a big misunderstanding (and an embarrassing one at that) but I have to ask, is the mere act of breaking wind worth getting bent out of shape over? I mean, if that woman's shouts were enough to be mistaken for those of an assault victim then surely she must have really spazzed out on her boyfriend. All because he wouldn't stop farting.
I think she should be properly ashamed of herself. It is natural for human beings to break wind and factors such as weight, health and the food one eats can affect the number of times they have an episode. For her to kick up a racket over something so insignificant is just plain nuts. She could have just simply told him to quit it, she could have told him to go for a walk outside until his digestive system is done expelling air out of his rear end or heck, if it was too cold outside, just told him to sit by an open window until he's done making music. But to kick up a fuss and prompt a 911 call? Wow, talk about melodramatic! It's almost as if she has never farted in her life, let alone been with someone who has.
Well, the woman admitted to police the truth and I'm assuming they left the scene - giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls all the way. Seriously, whoever this woman is, please save the histrionics for a situation that calls for it. You don't want to be the woman who cried wolf, do you? Or in this case, the woman who screamed 'OH MY GOD, STOOOOOOOP!!!!!' over something as trivial as farting.
Ok, onto our next story. According to leaked text messages that were made public, rapper 50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson) has just disinherited his 16-year old son, Marquise.
Some time earlier this year, Jackson visited Marquise at his home but the boy failed to open the front door. Jackson then texted his son and told him that he was waiting outside, only for Marquise to accuse him of lying. What followed was a heated back-and-fourth text message exchange between father and son, with Jackson calling his son names such as 's**thead', 'mother***er' and 'f***ing stupid'. He also implied at one point that Marquise may not even be his biological son since Marquise's mother, his ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tomkins, was not totally faithful to him during their relationship and then finally told him 'I don't have a son anymore. Tell your mother she won. I will have nothing to do with you. Don't text me ever again. Delete my number!'
Marquise seemingly kept calm throughout the exchange and at times tried to placate his father, though he did accuse him of not making the effort to visit him enough, never calling him and missing out on birthdays and Christmases.
When I first heard about this story, the first thought that came to mind was 'this is probably fake'. However, Jackson verified the incident on his twitter but then stated that 'Marquise' was actually the Shaniqua pretending to be his son. Despite this, he also stated that he has re-written his will and that his fortune would go to charity.
Now that we know it's true I'm just going to say, shame on you, Mr. Jackson. No child deserves that kind of treatment from their parent, ever. And if that really was your ex on the other end of the line pretending to be your kid then why didn't you call her out on it sooner? Why wasn't there a 'yeah, good one girl, I know it's you!' or a similar line during that exchange and why did you still go ahead and exclude your kid out of your will? I know that you've had a long history of getting into verbal wars with other rappers, former business friends, ex-girlfriends etc but I never thought you would turn your wrath on your own son.
I sincerely hope that you both sort out your differences. No parent-child relationship should descend into this.
Well, that's all for now. On the one hand, we had unnecessary drama that wasted everyone's time, then on the other we had some family drama that unfortunately had to be leaked out to the press. Hopefully the affected parties in both stories come through to the other side in one piece.
Anyway, we have two stories. One is on the comedic side, the other one, not so much. Let's take a closer look.
Our first story looks at an incident in Michigan, USA, where a resident dialled 911 after hearing a female neighbour shout 'stop! no!' at what was presumably an attacker and some loud noises in between. Police arrived at the scene only to find out that the woman was simply scolding her boyfriend because he would not stop farting. That's right, farting!
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| AAAAHHHH!!!! A FART!!!!!! |
I think she should be properly ashamed of herself. It is natural for human beings to break wind and factors such as weight, health and the food one eats can affect the number of times they have an episode. For her to kick up a racket over something so insignificant is just plain nuts. She could have just simply told him to quit it, she could have told him to go for a walk outside until his digestive system is done expelling air out of his rear end or heck, if it was too cold outside, just told him to sit by an open window until he's done making music. But to kick up a fuss and prompt a 911 call? Wow, talk about melodramatic! It's almost as if she has never farted in her life, let alone been with someone who has.
Well, the woman admitted to police the truth and I'm assuming they left the scene - giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls all the way. Seriously, whoever this woman is, please save the histrionics for a situation that calls for it. You don't want to be the woman who cried wolf, do you? Or in this case, the woman who screamed 'OH MY GOD, STOOOOOOOP!!!!!' over something as trivial as farting.
Ok, onto our next story. According to leaked text messages that were made public, rapper 50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson) has just disinherited his 16-year old son, Marquise.
Some time earlier this year, Jackson visited Marquise at his home but the boy failed to open the front door. Jackson then texted his son and told him that he was waiting outside, only for Marquise to accuse him of lying. What followed was a heated back-and-fourth text message exchange between father and son, with Jackson calling his son names such as 's**thead', 'mother***er' and 'f***ing stupid'. He also implied at one point that Marquise may not even be his biological son since Marquise's mother, his ex-girlfriend Shaniqua Tomkins, was not totally faithful to him during their relationship and then finally told him 'I don't have a son anymore. Tell your mother she won. I will have nothing to do with you. Don't text me ever again. Delete my number!'
Marquise seemingly kept calm throughout the exchange and at times tried to placate his father, though he did accuse him of not making the effort to visit him enough, never calling him and missing out on birthdays and Christmases.
When I first heard about this story, the first thought that came to mind was 'this is probably fake'. However, Jackson verified the incident on his twitter but then stated that 'Marquise' was actually the Shaniqua pretending to be his son. Despite this, he also stated that he has re-written his will and that his fortune would go to charity.
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| 50 Cent and his son during happier times |
I sincerely hope that you both sort out your differences. No parent-child relationship should descend into this.
Well, that's all for now. On the one hand, we had unnecessary drama that wasted everyone's time, then on the other we had some family drama that unfortunately had to be leaked out to the press. Hopefully the affected parties in both stories come through to the other side in one piece.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Who's hungry for some roasted pigs?
Greetings, readers! Big Bad Bernd is having a barbecue here and today's special is two whole roasted pigs.
Ok, lame jokes aside, yours truly hasn't blogged lately but lo and behold, the gods rewarded me with a couple of news stories that have compelled me to jump straight to the computer and type out another long rant that I like to pass off as blogs.
Both stories feature a couple of blokes - one a rich geezer with a penchant for assaulting his soon-to-be ex-wife and the other a radio sports reporter whose loose lips landed him in hot water following the Wimbledon women's final.
Earlier today, I read a story in the newspaper that British multi-millionaire Charles Saatchi announced to the press that he had made the decision to divorce his wife, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. The announcement came just four weeks after he made headlines for photographs that showed him having a squabble with his wife at a London restaurant, during which he grabbed her throat several times and even pinched her nose. Lawson would eventually leave the restaurant in tears and after Saatchi received a police caution for assault, Lawson packed her bags and left their home.
Saatchi initially dismissed the allegations against him, calling their argument nothing more than a 'playful tiff' and insisting that he did not apply any pressure on her neck when he grabbed her.
Yet her face clearly looked distressed and she ran off crying. I guess that's why he changed his story admitted that they had been arguing after all.
Want to know the best part? His reason for filing for divorce was that Lawson failed to defend him against the backlash for his actions and that his move was heartbreaking but necessary. To add further insult to injury, Lawson, like the rest of us, heard about his decision via the newspapers.
After I had finished reading this story while sitting on the train, I literally slammed the paper onto my lap and mouthed the words 'What the *BLEEEEP*!!???' to myself while shaking my head. Luckily, my fellow commuters didn't notice. It's bad enough that this guy assaulted his wife and made her cry in public, but to then hit her with divorce THROUGH THE MEDIA rather than manning up and confessing to her, and on the grounds that she didn't defend his boorish actions? Wow, what a whiney, self-righteous, extremely arrogant old pig. And a cowardly one at that. I guess all the money in the world can't always buy manners, class, integrity and courage. Well Chuck, if a divorce is what you want, good luck with it, buddy. Because you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of your immediate family who will be on your side and I would not at all be surprised if your lawyer secretly wishes they can beat you across the head for what you've done. Face it, Chuck. A lot of people out there would love to show you what a 'playful tiff' feels like!
Ok, onto idiot number two. This year, French tennis player Marion Bartoli won the Wimbledon women's final. After winning, she gave her father and former coach a hug. John Inverdale, a reporter on BBC radio 5 Live who was covering the event, uttered this memorable piece of commentary to his listeners: 'Do you think Bartoli's dad told her when she was little, 'you're never going to be a looker, you'll never be a Sharapova so you have to be scrappy and fight'?'
Naturally, he and his network were condemned for the stupid remark and the BBC was forced to issue an apology. To her credit, Bartoli shook off the controversy, stating, 'it doesn't matter. Honestly. I am not blonde. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No, I'm sorry. But have I dreamt about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely. And to share this moment with my dad was amazing.'
First of all, congratulations to Bartoli for realising her dream and much respect to her for taking that tacky remark on the chin. It is also refreshing to see a tennis player (or should I say athlete) who cares more about honing their craft in their chosen sport and winning the top prize rather than how many modelling contracts, sponsors and twitter followers they can get. That's about as honest and professional as you can get.
It should also be noted that Bartoli has an IQ of 175. I'd imagine that Inverdale's is at least 100 points below that.
As for Inverdale, you are a complete moron and I hope you have learned that there are some things that are best left unsaid, no matter how witty you think they are. As a guy working in the media, you must learn to think before you speak. And for someone who has no problem implying that someone is ugly, you sure made yourself look like a hypocrite.
I'd run and hide if I were you - I am pretty sure that there are many women out there wearing fancy shoes with the intent of driving the sharp heels into the part of the male anatomy that is sacred to guys - if not your head.
And that brings us to the end of this blog. Hopefully these two guys can get past their respective blunders and move on and that the women at the wrong end of said blunders can put it behind them and go on to bigger and better things. Until next time, Bernd wishes you readers nothing but the best. Peace out!
Ok, lame jokes aside, yours truly hasn't blogged lately but lo and behold, the gods rewarded me with a couple of news stories that have compelled me to jump straight to the computer and type out another long rant that I like to pass off as blogs.
Both stories feature a couple of blokes - one a rich geezer with a penchant for assaulting his soon-to-be ex-wife and the other a radio sports reporter whose loose lips landed him in hot water following the Wimbledon women's final.
Earlier today, I read a story in the newspaper that British multi-millionaire Charles Saatchi announced to the press that he had made the decision to divorce his wife, celebrity chef Nigella Lawson. The announcement came just four weeks after he made headlines for photographs that showed him having a squabble with his wife at a London restaurant, during which he grabbed her throat several times and even pinched her nose. Lawson would eventually leave the restaurant in tears and after Saatchi received a police caution for assault, Lawson packed her bags and left their home.
Saatchi initially dismissed the allegations against him, calling their argument nothing more than a 'playful tiff' and insisting that he did not apply any pressure on her neck when he grabbed her.
Yet her face clearly looked distressed and she ran off crying. I guess that's why he changed his story admitted that they had been arguing after all.
Want to know the best part? His reason for filing for divorce was that Lawson failed to defend him against the backlash for his actions and that his move was heartbreaking but necessary. To add further insult to injury, Lawson, like the rest of us, heard about his decision via the newspapers.
 |
| 'Playful tiff' indeed! |
After I had finished reading this story while sitting on the train, I literally slammed the paper onto my lap and mouthed the words 'What the *BLEEEEP*!!???' to myself while shaking my head. Luckily, my fellow commuters didn't notice. It's bad enough that this guy assaulted his wife and made her cry in public, but to then hit her with divorce THROUGH THE MEDIA rather than manning up and confessing to her, and on the grounds that she didn't defend his boorish actions? Wow, what a whiney, self-righteous, extremely arrogant old pig. And a cowardly one at that. I guess all the money in the world can't always buy manners, class, integrity and courage. Well Chuck, if a divorce is what you want, good luck with it, buddy. Because you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone outside of your immediate family who will be on your side and I would not at all be surprised if your lawyer secretly wishes they can beat you across the head for what you've done. Face it, Chuck. A lot of people out there would love to show you what a 'playful tiff' feels like!
Ok, onto idiot number two. This year, French tennis player Marion Bartoli won the Wimbledon women's final. After winning, she gave her father and former coach a hug. John Inverdale, a reporter on BBC radio 5 Live who was covering the event, uttered this memorable piece of commentary to his listeners: 'Do you think Bartoli's dad told her when she was little, 'you're never going to be a looker, you'll never be a Sharapova so you have to be scrappy and fight'?'
Naturally, he and his network were condemned for the stupid remark and the BBC was forced to issue an apology. To her credit, Bartoli shook off the controversy, stating, 'it doesn't matter. Honestly. I am not blonde. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No, I'm sorry. But have I dreamt about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely. And to share this moment with my dad was amazing.'
 |
| A real 'looker', isn't he? |
First of all, congratulations to Bartoli for realising her dream and much respect to her for taking that tacky remark on the chin. It is also refreshing to see a tennis player (or should I say athlete) who cares more about honing their craft in their chosen sport and winning the top prize rather than how many modelling contracts, sponsors and twitter followers they can get. That's about as honest and professional as you can get.
It should also be noted that Bartoli has an IQ of 175. I'd imagine that Inverdale's is at least 100 points below that.
As for Inverdale, you are a complete moron and I hope you have learned that there are some things that are best left unsaid, no matter how witty you think they are. As a guy working in the media, you must learn to think before you speak. And for someone who has no problem implying that someone is ugly, you sure made yourself look like a hypocrite.
I'd run and hide if I were you - I am pretty sure that there are many women out there wearing fancy shoes with the intent of driving the sharp heels into the part of the male anatomy that is sacred to guys - if not your head.
And that brings us to the end of this blog. Hopefully these two guys can get past their respective blunders and move on and that the women at the wrong end of said blunders can put it behind them and go on to bigger and better things. Until next time, Bernd wishes you readers nothing but the best. Peace out!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Tasteless
As I have previously stated in one of my blogs last year, I am not particularly interested in politics and I am not the biggest fan of Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. In that same blog, however, I defended her against the actions of radio personality Alan Jones, who stated on his radio show that Gillard's late father had 'died of shame' thanks to his daughter.
Well, how about that? Looks like I might have to take her side again thanks to a pair of morons who committed acts so dumb that they make the Barossa Valley's tourism ad that features 'Red Right Hand' (a song about a serial killer) as the soundtrack seem like a wise choice.
This past week has been horrible indeed for poor old Julia. Just a few days ago, at a restaurant where a fundraising event for Liberal party candidate Mal Brough was being held, a menu that made offensive comments about the Prime Minister was leaked. One of the items in the menu, a Moroccan Quail, was described as 'Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail - Small Breasts, Huge Thighs and a Big Red Box'.
Ouch!
The menu also took shots at former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in the form of an item called 'Rudd's a goose foie gras'.
Mr. Brough, naturally, was livid at the mishap, stating that the menu was not created by a member of his party and apologising for the incident. Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott also condemned the joke and commented that people should know better.
The owner of the restaurant, Joe Richards, stated that none of the menus were distributed on the tables during the event and that he had created the menu as a joke between himself, his son and staff members at the restaurant. Somehow, it was accidentally leaked and the rest is history.
A few days later, more pain for Ms. Gillard.
Yesterday, Gillard was being interviewed on a Perth radio show by the 'shock jock' Howard Sattler. Sattler quizzed Gillard about the menu incident, but inexplicably took it a step further by asking her about her religious beliefs, same-sex marriage and her partner Tim Mathieson's sexual orientation (Mathieson is a hairdresser). Sattler remarked that men in that field of work are viewed as being homosexual and so he asked Gillard if Mr. Mathieson is gay, to which a bemused Gillard answered 'of course not!'
Sattler was sacked by his radio station and is threatening legal action against them. He has also issued an apology to Ms. Gillard.
You know, I'll admit that I don't always act my age but there are boundaries that shouldn't be crossed and Joe Richards and Howard Sattler has crossed them.
Let's start with Mr. Richards. Ok, he did not intend for that joke menu to make its way into the public's consciousness but if that were the case then he should have been more vigilant in terms of making sure that only the right people had access to it. We'll never know how that stupid menu made its way into the public's consciousness but when it comes to private jokes such as these, particularly if they have the potential to tarnish people's reputation (including that of the creator), you'd go through great lengths to make sure that it is kept from prying eyes. Should have been more careful, Joey. Now look what you've done.
As for Mr. Sattler, all I can say is that you are a complete idiot who needs to grow up. I honestly don't understand guys like him and Kyle Sandilands who call themselves 'shock jocks'. Do they honestly get a kick out of behaving like jerks on the air and setting themselves up to have the label 'most hated' slapped across their foreheads? Well, who knows? Maybe Sattler isn't the biggest fan of the Prime Minister and wanted to humiliate her, even at the cost of his job. If that's the case, well done mate! Here's hoping that unemployment and a public shellacking works out well for you. And good luck with that court case. I heard that it's a really great way to make friends!
Gentlemen, hopefully in the future you will behave more like adults and think before you act. What you may find hilarious, others may find insensitive and tasteless and some things are best kept to yourselves - and in the case of Joe Richards should be handled with great care.
As for Ms. Gillard, you have of course used these two incidents to once again play the gender card and accuse any male who stands up to you or rubs you the wrong way - and the male population of Australia period it seems - of being sexist and misogynistic. Yeah, that's rich, considering that you have, in the past, hammed it up with Kyle Sandilands and just this week had a friendly meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man who, despite his popularity, has done and said some pretty sexist things in the past.
Ok, I'm digressing. It's time to end this.
Well, how about that? Looks like I might have to take her side again thanks to a pair of morons who committed acts so dumb that they make the Barossa Valley's tourism ad that features 'Red Right Hand' (a song about a serial killer) as the soundtrack seem like a wise choice.
This past week has been horrible indeed for poor old Julia. Just a few days ago, at a restaurant where a fundraising event for Liberal party candidate Mal Brough was being held, a menu that made offensive comments about the Prime Minister was leaked. One of the items in the menu, a Moroccan Quail, was described as 'Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail - Small Breasts, Huge Thighs and a Big Red Box'.
Ouch!
The menu also took shots at former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in the form of an item called 'Rudd's a goose foie gras'.
Mr. Brough, naturally, was livid at the mishap, stating that the menu was not created by a member of his party and apologising for the incident. Liberal Party leader Tony Abbott also condemned the joke and commented that people should know better.
The owner of the restaurant, Joe Richards, stated that none of the menus were distributed on the tables during the event and that he had created the menu as a joke between himself, his son and staff members at the restaurant. Somehow, it was accidentally leaked and the rest is history.
A few days later, more pain for Ms. Gillard.
Yesterday, Gillard was being interviewed on a Perth radio show by the 'shock jock' Howard Sattler. Sattler quizzed Gillard about the menu incident, but inexplicably took it a step further by asking her about her religious beliefs, same-sex marriage and her partner Tim Mathieson's sexual orientation (Mathieson is a hairdresser). Sattler remarked that men in that field of work are viewed as being homosexual and so he asked Gillard if Mr. Mathieson is gay, to which a bemused Gillard answered 'of course not!'
Sattler was sacked by his radio station and is threatening legal action against them. He has also issued an apology to Ms. Gillard.
You know, I'll admit that I don't always act my age but there are boundaries that shouldn't be crossed and Joe Richards and Howard Sattler has crossed them.
Let's start with Mr. Richards. Ok, he did not intend for that joke menu to make its way into the public's consciousness but if that were the case then he should have been more vigilant in terms of making sure that only the right people had access to it. We'll never know how that stupid menu made its way into the public's consciousness but when it comes to private jokes such as these, particularly if they have the potential to tarnish people's reputation (including that of the creator), you'd go through great lengths to make sure that it is kept from prying eyes. Should have been more careful, Joey. Now look what you've done.
As for Mr. Sattler, all I can say is that you are a complete idiot who needs to grow up. I honestly don't understand guys like him and Kyle Sandilands who call themselves 'shock jocks'. Do they honestly get a kick out of behaving like jerks on the air and setting themselves up to have the label 'most hated' slapped across their foreheads? Well, who knows? Maybe Sattler isn't the biggest fan of the Prime Minister and wanted to humiliate her, even at the cost of his job. If that's the case, well done mate! Here's hoping that unemployment and a public shellacking works out well for you. And good luck with that court case. I heard that it's a really great way to make friends!
Gentlemen, hopefully in the future you will behave more like adults and think before you act. What you may find hilarious, others may find insensitive and tasteless and some things are best kept to yourselves - and in the case of Joe Richards should be handled with great care.
As for Ms. Gillard, you have of course used these two incidents to once again play the gender card and accuse any male who stands up to you or rubs you the wrong way - and the male population of Australia period it seems - of being sexist and misogynistic. Yeah, that's rich, considering that you have, in the past, hammed it up with Kyle Sandilands and just this week had a friendly meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man who, despite his popularity, has done and said some pretty sexist things in the past.
Ok, I'm digressing. It's time to end this.
Monday, May 13, 2013
WHAT THE *BLEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!?????*
In the three years that I've been writing these blogs, I have come across some weird and wacky news stories. Seriously, some of the stories that I have chosen to comment on have left me shaking my head and wondering if the human race is evolving into a new level of idiocy or regressing back to the caveman days. During the past three years I have commented on news stories involving a middle-aged actor marrying a schoolgirl, a guy who came up with the 'brilliant idea' to light an explosive device up the part of his body where the sun don't shine, a crazy parent who published a book showing the 'positive effects' of exposing children to a potentially fatal disease, people who walk around wearing diapers and behaving like babies, famous people who say or do stupid things and so on and so forth.
Yes, it never ceases to amaze me how we as human beings, the most advanced species on this earth, can come up with new and stupid ways to make fools of ourselves. I honestly didn't think it could get any weirder.
Until yesterday.
I came across a news article on nbnchicago.com that left me shocked and speechless. The article's title was short but disturbing: Police Say Man Sexually Abused His Peacock.
Yup, told you it was disturbing. David Beckman, a 64-year old man from Roselle, Illinois in the US, was accused of sexually assaulting his pet peacock. He was visited at his home by police following reports that he had solicited a child and well. They found the bird, named Phyl, dead in Beckman's garage with signs that it had been sexually abused.
The article stated that Beckman was facing three charges of harassment by telephone, unlawful possession of drugs, two counts of marijuana possession, attempted indecent solicitation of a child, cruelty to animals and two counts of battery.
According to the huffingtonpost.com, he was being held at DuPage County Jail on a $10,000 bond and has an arraignment scheduled for June 12.
Wow. What do you say after reading that? I didn't know whether to feel scared or repulsed, or whether or not to giggle at the article's disgusting but frank headline. Seriously, it's bad enough that he tried to make advances to a child but to then direct his rage to an innocent peacock? I thought this kind of crap only happened on really sick TV shows and movies! He certainly put some of the lunatics that I have covered over the past three years to shame. Silly, life-threatening stunts, dangerous pranks and assorted acts of idiocy are nothing compared to what this demented creature did.
Then again, the article did note that he was charged for drug possession so perhaps he was not in a sound state of mind when he committed his atrocity. If that is the case I can only imagine how he'd react once he is made aware of what he had done to poor Phyl. We'd probably hear reports that he had hanged himself in his cell, his last words being 'Forgive me, Phyl!!!!!!'
Ok, unnecessary joke but I couldn't resist.
Well, not much more to say, other than that to prey on children is as cowardly as it is disgusting, but to prey on children and animals.....? I'm pretty sure there is a special place in hell for people who do that stuff. In the meantime, I hope that this debauched and immoral ogre gets the punishment he deserves and is locked up behind thick glass for good. That means one less predator roaming the streets terrorising children - and animals. There's a sentence I never thought I'd use.
Yes, it never ceases to amaze me how we as human beings, the most advanced species on this earth, can come up with new and stupid ways to make fools of ourselves. I honestly didn't think it could get any weirder.
Until yesterday.
I came across a news article on nbnchicago.com that left me shocked and speechless. The article's title was short but disturbing: Police Say Man Sexually Abused His Peacock.
Yup, told you it was disturbing. David Beckman, a 64-year old man from Roselle, Illinois in the US, was accused of sexually assaulting his pet peacock. He was visited at his home by police following reports that he had solicited a child and well. They found the bird, named Phyl, dead in Beckman's garage with signs that it had been sexually abused.
The article stated that Beckman was facing three charges of harassment by telephone, unlawful possession of drugs, two counts of marijuana possession, attempted indecent solicitation of a child, cruelty to animals and two counts of battery.
According to the huffingtonpost.com, he was being held at DuPage County Jail on a $10,000 bond and has an arraignment scheduled for June 12.
 |
| Be afraid. Be very afraid. |
Wow. What do you say after reading that? I didn't know whether to feel scared or repulsed, or whether or not to giggle at the article's disgusting but frank headline. Seriously, it's bad enough that he tried to make advances to a child but to then direct his rage to an innocent peacock? I thought this kind of crap only happened on really sick TV shows and movies! He certainly put some of the lunatics that I have covered over the past three years to shame. Silly, life-threatening stunts, dangerous pranks and assorted acts of idiocy are nothing compared to what this demented creature did.
Then again, the article did note that he was charged for drug possession so perhaps he was not in a sound state of mind when he committed his atrocity. If that is the case I can only imagine how he'd react once he is made aware of what he had done to poor Phyl. We'd probably hear reports that he had hanged himself in his cell, his last words being 'Forgive me, Phyl!!!!!!'
Ok, unnecessary joke but I couldn't resist.
Well, not much more to say, other than that to prey on children is as cowardly as it is disgusting, but to prey on children and animals.....? I'm pretty sure there is a special place in hell for people who do that stuff. In the meantime, I hope that this debauched and immoral ogre gets the punishment he deserves and is locked up behind thick glass for good. That means one less predator roaming the streets terrorising children - and animals. There's a sentence I never thought I'd use.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Dear Mike
An open letter from Bernd to Mike Jeffries, CEO of US clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch.
Dear Mike,
To be completely honest, while I have been aware of the clothing company that you preside over I have not heard about you until yesterday. I'm not exactly the sort of guy who follows the fashion industry and its whimsical world of trendy clothes, weird outfits, eccentric designers and underweight models. I read an article about you yesterday and all I have to say is you are a shallow bully and a hypocrite.
The article, posted on the generation Y-themed website Elite Daily, was titled Abercrombie & Fitch CEO explains why he hates fat chicks. In it, you were quoted as stating that you only want good-looking people to wear your brand and that overweight people can never have access to your goods because they are not cool enough to be deemed worthy of wearing your threads. While this may be seen as limiting your demographic, you claim that making your goods available to everyone would make the brand less desirable. Your defence is that your brand (which is primarily marketed towards teenagers and people in their early 20's) is akin to the popular and trendy brand that popular schoolkids like to wear and that, therefore, their ugly and unpopular peers shouldn't have access to them.
You also claim to only hire good-looking people to work in your stores so that they, in turn, can only attract other good-looking customers to enter your stores. Furthermore, you concede to having some XL and XXL sizes in your stores - but for males only since some male athletes like gridiron players are too big to fit into standard sizes.
But large sizes for women are unacceptable, according to you. Why? Because fat 'chicks' will never be part of the 'in' crowd.
Mr. Jeffries, the article noted that other retailers such as H&M and American Eagle cater to people of all sizes but you refuse to follow their lead. On the one hand, good on you for sticking to your vision and your beliefs (shallow as they are), but are you aware that you live in the country with the highest obesity rate in the developed world and that the problem is only getting worse? There are only so many 'thin' and 'beautiful' people (your words, not mine) that you can market your brand towards. Also, by limiting your demographic, you are sure to lose to your competitors sooner rather than later. I can hear the dudes at H&M and American Eagle licking their lips already.
Besides, nobody wants to be told that they are not good enough to wear your brand, which I'd imagine your salespeople are trained to do should the 'wrong' person walk through the doors of your stores. People who are scorned in a humiliating manner such as this WILL talk and that could mean less business and more headaches for you.
Also, Mr. Jeffries, for a guy who thinks he has the right to judge people on their physical appearance, you sure are sorely lacking in that department. No disrespect, but in my humble opinion, you look like Peter Helliar, Oliver Kahn, Donald Trump and an alien rolled into one hideous package. Does your aversion for 'ugly' and fat people stem from childhood bullying or, as the article pointed out, are you only surrounding yourself with good-looking people now to fulfil some childhood fantasy?
I hate to compare you with one of history's greatest villains, but one of the reasons why people laugh at Adolf Hitler today (besides the moustache, comb-over and psycho persona) is that he deemed the Aryan race to be the 'master race' despite not being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man.
In your case Mr. Jeffries, you're an ugly dude who preaches that only good-looking people should wear your clothes. Talk about hypocritical.
And need I remind you that in 2004 your 'stay bonus' dropped from $US12 million to $US6 million after the original was deemed too excessive? In 2008 you were deemed by the Corporate Library as the year's 'Highest Paid Worst Performer' after receiving a compensation package worth $US71.8 million.
And in 2009, it was revealed that during the retail recession, you refused to offer discounts and lower prices until your stores posted losses for 17 consecutive months - all the while still refusing to open your doors to everybody. Yeah, well done, Mike.
Finally, Mr. Jeffries, despite the growing obesity crisis there in the US (and other parts of the world), there are still people who are turning their lives around through diet and exercise. And what is the first thing that people who have managed to lose weight tend to do? Buy a new wardrobe. Mr. Jeffries, if you had only been more open and generous with your brand you could have had new customers dropping by for a visit but I'm pretty sure that thanks to your big mouth and superficial views, these people would pass your store, give it the ol' middle finger salute (or hurl a brick through a window) then keep walking. Great insults last a long time, Mr. Jeffries. People never forget them.
And also, just to let you know, a majority of the readers who have left their feedback on the article believe that you are unattractive, an idiot, a jackass, a jerk, that your goods are unimaginative, repetitive and far past their prime and that you really need to keep up with the times and trends. Oh yeah, and also, middle aged men who use the word 'dude' repeatedly are seen as sad and pathetic losers. Can't be too good for the already-tarnished image, buddy!
Yours sincerely,
Bernd.
PS: Nothing personal. Just telling it like it is.
Dear Mike,
To be completely honest, while I have been aware of the clothing company that you preside over I have not heard about you until yesterday. I'm not exactly the sort of guy who follows the fashion industry and its whimsical world of trendy clothes, weird outfits, eccentric designers and underweight models. I read an article about you yesterday and all I have to say is you are a shallow bully and a hypocrite.
The article, posted on the generation Y-themed website Elite Daily, was titled Abercrombie & Fitch CEO explains why he hates fat chicks. In it, you were quoted as stating that you only want good-looking people to wear your brand and that overweight people can never have access to your goods because they are not cool enough to be deemed worthy of wearing your threads. While this may be seen as limiting your demographic, you claim that making your goods available to everyone would make the brand less desirable. Your defence is that your brand (which is primarily marketed towards teenagers and people in their early 20's) is akin to the popular and trendy brand that popular schoolkids like to wear and that, therefore, their ugly and unpopular peers shouldn't have access to them.
You also claim to only hire good-looking people to work in your stores so that they, in turn, can only attract other good-looking customers to enter your stores. Furthermore, you concede to having some XL and XXL sizes in your stores - but for males only since some male athletes like gridiron players are too big to fit into standard sizes.
But large sizes for women are unacceptable, according to you. Why? Because fat 'chicks' will never be part of the 'in' crowd.
Mr. Jeffries, the article noted that other retailers such as H&M and American Eagle cater to people of all sizes but you refuse to follow their lead. On the one hand, good on you for sticking to your vision and your beliefs (shallow as they are), but are you aware that you live in the country with the highest obesity rate in the developed world and that the problem is only getting worse? There are only so many 'thin' and 'beautiful' people (your words, not mine) that you can market your brand towards. Also, by limiting your demographic, you are sure to lose to your competitors sooner rather than later. I can hear the dudes at H&M and American Eagle licking their lips already.
Besides, nobody wants to be told that they are not good enough to wear your brand, which I'd imagine your salespeople are trained to do should the 'wrong' person walk through the doors of your stores. People who are scorned in a humiliating manner such as this WILL talk and that could mean less business and more headaches for you.
Also, Mr. Jeffries, for a guy who thinks he has the right to judge people on their physical appearance, you sure are sorely lacking in that department. No disrespect, but in my humble opinion, you look like Peter Helliar, Oliver Kahn, Donald Trump and an alien rolled into one hideous package. Does your aversion for 'ugly' and fat people stem from childhood bullying or, as the article pointed out, are you only surrounding yourself with good-looking people now to fulfil some childhood fantasy?
I hate to compare you with one of history's greatest villains, but one of the reasons why people laugh at Adolf Hitler today (besides the moustache, comb-over and psycho persona) is that he deemed the Aryan race to be the 'master race' despite not being a blonde-haired, blue-eyed man.
In your case Mr. Jeffries, you're an ugly dude who preaches that only good-looking people should wear your clothes. Talk about hypocritical.
 |
| Handsome fella, isn't he? |
And need I remind you that in 2004 your 'stay bonus' dropped from $US12 million to $US6 million after the original was deemed too excessive? In 2008 you were deemed by the Corporate Library as the year's 'Highest Paid Worst Performer' after receiving a compensation package worth $US71.8 million.
And in 2009, it was revealed that during the retail recession, you refused to offer discounts and lower prices until your stores posted losses for 17 consecutive months - all the while still refusing to open your doors to everybody. Yeah, well done, Mike.
Finally, Mr. Jeffries, despite the growing obesity crisis there in the US (and other parts of the world), there are still people who are turning their lives around through diet and exercise. And what is the first thing that people who have managed to lose weight tend to do? Buy a new wardrobe. Mr. Jeffries, if you had only been more open and generous with your brand you could have had new customers dropping by for a visit but I'm pretty sure that thanks to your big mouth and superficial views, these people would pass your store, give it the ol' middle finger salute (or hurl a brick through a window) then keep walking. Great insults last a long time, Mr. Jeffries. People never forget them.
And also, just to let you know, a majority of the readers who have left their feedback on the article believe that you are unattractive, an idiot, a jackass, a jerk, that your goods are unimaginative, repetitive and far past their prime and that you really need to keep up with the times and trends. Oh yeah, and also, middle aged men who use the word 'dude' repeatedly are seen as sad and pathetic losers. Can't be too good for the already-tarnished image, buddy!
Yours sincerely,
Bernd.
PS: Nothing personal. Just telling it like it is.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
You're a professional, ACT LIKE IT!!!!!!
 |
| Wade Graham in action for the Cronulla Sharks |
For Cronulla Sharks rugby league player Wade Graham, he could very well face consequences for an act of immaturity that, quite frankly, didn't need to happen. The 22-year old back-rower went to an interview with The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA). Unfortunately for Wade, he showed up wearing a T-shirt, cargo pants, thongs and his cap on backwards, looking more like a bloke headed out for a house party than a serious, FORMAL interview with a governing body that was investigating the use of drugs within his club.
Graham was apparently advised to wear a suit to the interview but he chose to ignore it and his defiance was rewarded with the possibility of a fine from the NRL for showing a lack of professionalism in a serious setting. He issued an apology for his lack of fashion sense and failure to take the meeting with ASADA seriously but it was too little too late. Not only can he receive a fine for a silly, avoidable mistake but his outfit has also made him a laughing stock among journalists and especially fashion writers.
 |
| Wade Graham's 'formal attire' for his meeting with ASADA |
You know, when I was younger, I applied for a job in the city and turned up to a group interview wearing an outfit that still makes me cringe whenever I think about it. I wore a short sleeved polo shirt that was way too big for my slim frame, pants what we so high that the beltline may as well have been on my nipples and I didn't bother to comb my hair properly. Needless to say, I didn't get the job. Granted, my lack of experience in the field of work may have played a part but I am certain that my ghastly outfit contributed to my failure.
Wade should have known that when it comes to these formal settings, image is everything, especially if you consider yourself a professional in your field of work, in his case, sport. And if that formal setting involves a governing body that was doing investigative work for illegal practices in your workplace, it pretty much goes without saying that you have to represent your employers to the best of your ability and the first thing they notice is how you look. Way to give those hecklers that stereotype guys in your field of work as a bunch of low-IQ morons extra ammunition, Wade!
Some have suggested that Wade's defiance was a sign of him and his teammates' anger at how the ASADA investigations have sullied the image of their club and players but if that was the case, why couldn't he show up looking like a true professional and during the course of the interview, tell them how disappointed he felt that his club was getting a bad reputation? He'll probably be reprimanded for whinging but it's a lot better than showing up and trying to convey some kind of message through your silly outfit and not only failing to spread that message, but getting punished because of it.
As part of his apology, Wade stated that he took the meeting seriously and that his outfit was an accidental mistake and not a sign of defiance. I'm sorry, but that is a weak excuse. If he had every intention of taking that meeting seriously then he would have dressed accordingly. You're a professional, Wade. Act like it!
Monday, March 25, 2013
He who puts down the razor gets the power
 |
| Street Fighter's Zangief |
In short, the dude looked like a total badass. The type who could reduce you to a quivering mess just by glowering at you.
But I wonder.....would his tough-guy appearance be seriously hampered if he didn't have the beard? Sure, he'd still have the tricky but deadly wrestling moves, the tank-like physique, the mohawk, the attitude and all, but would a clean-shaven face make all that seem hollow?
And what about other bearded hard men past and present like Mr. T, Kimbo Slice, Ned Kelly, Russell Crowe, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Bill Goldberg? Would their masculinity be diminished if they had a more clean-shaven appearance?
Anyway, according to a scientific study conducted by the University of New South Wales' Ecology Research Centre, beards are a man's way of displaying his age, dominance, power, aggression and masculinity over his peers, even though studies have shown that women, while they recognise the beard's purpose of highlighting a man's masculinity, prefer facial stubble over a full beard.
In short, men use beards to impress and perhaps threaten other men rather than to attract women.
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| 'I pity the fool who picks up his razor, I DO!!!' |
Heck, 'stereotypes' that signify masculinity and aggression such as biker gang members, circus strongmen, lumberjacks and wrestlers often have full beards to enhance their strength, power and aggression and this is reflected in their often gruff personalities.
And let's not forget that 'Movember' was created in order for men to grow their beards and encourage them to raise awareness of prostate cancer and other male-related illnesses. It doesn't get much manlier than that.
So bottom line is, the more hair on your face you have, the more masculine and intimidating you will appear to both men and women. Sure, your missus will probably pester you non-stop to grab a razor and get rid of that monstrosity, but she will also grudgingly admit that it makes you look tougher, stronger and more aggressive than you really are - but that it makes you look like a hobo.
 |
| Harry Potter's Rubeus Hagrid |
Secondly, I have been told by my nearest and dearest that even with facial stubble, I look like a criminal. I'm pretty sure that with a beard I'd look like an assassin - or a pirate. Either way, I'd look like someone on the wrong side of the law. Sure, it would be nice to have that element of danger and mystery about me, but Bernd, for all his grumpiness, is a good guy!
And finally, when I am clean-shaven I've been told that I look remarkably young for my age - and that shallow reason alone is enough to keep it clean as a whistle!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Deserved result
Once the Olympics went underway, the Australian Men's Freestyle Relay team, consisting of Magnussen, James Roberts, Eamon Sullivan and Matt Targett were red-hot favourites to win the event (even against a strong US team that had Michael Phelps in its team). So heavily favoured were the Aussie boys to win that they christened themselves the 'Weapons of Mass Destruction' shortly before the race.
Well, as we now know, Magnussen may as well have warned the Australian media to brace themselves for a lamentable effort from him and the relay team may as well have named themselves the 'Weapons of Self Destruction'.
Magnussen failed to capture a single gold medal on his own and went home with a silver and bronze, which isn't bad but given the way he talked himself up prior to the games, it was a disappointing result.
As for the relay team, they came in fourth behind France, the USA and Russia. Way to be the heavy favourites going in, eh?
In other words, Magnussen and his boys went home branded as overhyped, egotistical losers and to add insult to injury, rumours of misbehaviour on their part began to surface after the games were over.
As it turns out, the rumours were true. Some time last week, Magnussen, Sullivan, Roberts, Targett, Cameron McEvoy and Tommaso D'Orsogna held a media conference to apologise for engaging in inappropriate behaviour at a training camp shortly before last year's Olympics. Boozing, partying, playing pranks on and harassing female swimmers, bullying younger swimmers and taking the controversial sedative Stilnox during 'bonding sessions'.
Roberts claimed not to have taken Stilnox but he admitted to partaking in the other antics that his teammates got up to. Sullivan, in particular should have known better, seeing as how he was a senior member of the swimming team and should have showed more leadership and responsibility.
And considering the effort they put up once the Olympics went underway, I think it's fair to say that they were still doing some goofing around on the side instead of warming up and getting into 'fighting' mode.
To make matters worse, the team's head coach Leigh Nugent did next to nothing about the situation and some female swimmers have come forward and said that the boys may not have been entirely truthful in their confession.
This is not to say that the boys were the only ones who misbehaved. 100m backstroke silver medallist Emily Seebohm blamed long sessions on facebook and twitter for her lack of focus and there were reports of coaches failing to discipline and control their athletes.
In short, the swimming team that represented Australia last year was in complete disarray and the weak results on the medal tally reflected it.
As for Magnussen, once I heard that he had gone home with just a silver medal and failed to qualify for one of his pet events, I have to admit that a part of my was snickering. All that talk and he couldn't back it up? Way to go, big man. A silver medal is a great result but the way that Jimbo Mag was talking, ONLY a gold would have been acceptable.
Needless to say that my disappointment in these guys were compounded when the allegations of bad behaviour on their part was exposed as truth. Talk about an embarrassment for themselves and for the country. Here they are, about to compete for the event that they have spent their whole sporting lives preparing for and use it as an opportunity to act like idiots. No, I don't buy the few who dismiss their antics as just 'boys will be boys' and 'kids being kids'. They are PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES about to represent THEIR COUNTRY in the freakin' Olympics! Thus, they are expected to conduct themselves professionally and that means staying focused and giving it their all.
But you know, they don't deserve all the blame. What the hell were the coaches doing throughout all this!? Enjoying the sights and sounds of London? Why wasn't there someone to lay down the law and get these crazy kids back in line?
Seriously, you guys failed your athletes and so the whole debacle rests partly, if not entirely on your shoulders. Shame on all of you!
The next Olympics is three years away, and I hope that by then, athletes AND coaches had cleaned up their acts. For most members of the swimming team, this is a chance to redeem themselves since most of them are still young enough to make amends.
As for the members of the team who might be too old or may have perhaps retired by the time the next Olympics happens, what can I say? It's a damn shame that you had to end your Olympic careers on a low.
As for the coaches, you guys had better get your act together unless you want to be crucified by the media yet again for bringing in a team of losers into the biggest show on earth.
When a team that lacks unity and leadership, there's only one guaranteed outcome - disaster. Looking back now, the poor results yielded from the pool was well deserved.
Time to get serious, guys.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
The importance of watching your mouth
Last week, Australian boxer Anthony Mundine was defeated by his countryman (and reigning IBF middleweight boxing champ) Daniel Geale. Sure, losing a fight is bad, but to make matters worse for Mundine, he had failed miserably to back up the non-stop trash-talk he had heaped onto Geale in the months leading up to the fight.
From the moment the match-up was announced, Mundine was every bit the ill-mannered, tactless motormouth. He called Geale a limited fighter among other things, and then had the nerve to take a shot at the champion's family and Aboriginal heritage. Journalists and internet boxing forums had a field day roasting Mundine for his disgusting comments and all the while, he proclaimed that he would not only take Geale's title away from him, but that he would beat him worse than he did during their first fight, which took place four years ago and saw Mundine win a controversial decision.
Anyway, Mundine's antics and subsequent failure came to mind when I watched an episode of My Kitchen Rules on TV last night. The show focuses on teams of two representing the Australian states competing against each other to transform their humble homes into instant restaurants, complete with menus, themes, decorations etc for one night. Two judges, both professional chefs, will oversee the proceedings.
From the moment this show began, best friends and New South Wales representatives Jessie and Biswa stirred controversy with their harsh judgment on their fellow contestants' offerings, frequently complaining that there was an element (or three) in the dishes that they don't like. Let's just say that I've lost track as to which foods they can and (supposedly) can't have.
If that wasn't enough, they talked a big game, boasting that they had what it took to get top marks and that they'd show the others how this competition should be played and that everyone will be in for a big surprise.
Needless to say, their moment to shine was eagerly anticipated. Problem was, the opposite happened.
Firstly, they greeted their guests at their home with the promise of 'no more boring dishes'. And just like that, any chance of them gaining any semblance of respect from their competitors and even the judges just went flying out the window.
Then came a series of disasters and silly mistakes in the kitchen that led to them being absurdly late in serving the entree and then the main course. The biggest shock there is that none of the guests left. I know I would have.
In between catastrophes and watching fellow contestants and the judges sample their dishes, the girls criticised themselves and each other and then started crying on each others' shoulders - although they did jump up and down for joy during the fleeting moments that something went right in the kitchen. I watched all this and thought, 'forget about whining, groaning and yahoo-ing, GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!!'
Finally, they served dessert on time - unfortunately it tasted so bad that at least 3 contestants nearly vomitted and even the judges had a hard time keeping it down.
In the end, Jessie and Biswa's boasting that they would get a perfect score went down in flames and instead they ended up with the lowest score in the competition to date.
You can call it bad luck or karma, but to me, I'd say it was them crumbling to the extremely high expectation that they inadvertently set for themselves thanks to the non-stop yapping they did leading up to their turn. It's one thing to merely state that they didn't like another competitor's food - it's another to constantly whinge and make a big deal about it as though they were served poison and then let the cat out of the bag by making stupid statements like 'NO MORE BORING DISHES!!!!!' If there is one key benefit to staying humble, it's that win or lose, you'll still have your fellow peers' respect.
Sure, confidence is a good thing. If you don't back yourself you won't go as far as you believe you can. But there is a BIG difference between confidence and arrogance and people like Anthony Mundine and Jessie and Biswa need to realise that. Constantly putting others down just to talk yourself up is not confidence, it is arrogant and downright disgusting and immature behaviour, especially if you resort to malicious personal attacks the way Mundine did before he fought Daniel Geale.
If hating on someone just to give yourself an advantage in a competition is what works for you, then by all means go for it. But keep your dignity intact and watch your mouth. Some things are best left unsaid. That way, if you win, people will still be willing to give you the respect you deserve.
Remember, the more you brag and put people down in your pursuit of victory, the higher people's expectations of you will be - and if you fail to meet these expectations even by the slimmest of margins, you will hear about it loud and clear for a very, very long time.
From the moment the match-up was announced, Mundine was every bit the ill-mannered, tactless motormouth. He called Geale a limited fighter among other things, and then had the nerve to take a shot at the champion's family and Aboriginal heritage. Journalists and internet boxing forums had a field day roasting Mundine for his disgusting comments and all the while, he proclaimed that he would not only take Geale's title away from him, but that he would beat him worse than he did during their first fight, which took place four years ago and saw Mundine win a controversial decision.
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| Anthony Mundine (L) samples Daniel Geale's right hand |
Anyway, Mundine's antics and subsequent failure came to mind when I watched an episode of My Kitchen Rules on TV last night. The show focuses on teams of two representing the Australian states competing against each other to transform their humble homes into instant restaurants, complete with menus, themes, decorations etc for one night. Two judges, both professional chefs, will oversee the proceedings.
From the moment this show began, best friends and New South Wales representatives Jessie and Biswa stirred controversy with their harsh judgment on their fellow contestants' offerings, frequently complaining that there was an element (or three) in the dishes that they don't like. Let's just say that I've lost track as to which foods they can and (supposedly) can't have.
If that wasn't enough, they talked a big game, boasting that they had what it took to get top marks and that they'd show the others how this competition should be played and that everyone will be in for a big surprise.
Needless to say, their moment to shine was eagerly anticipated. Problem was, the opposite happened.
Firstly, they greeted their guests at their home with the promise of 'no more boring dishes'. And just like that, any chance of them gaining any semblance of respect from their competitors and even the judges just went flying out the window.
Then came a series of disasters and silly mistakes in the kitchen that led to them being absurdly late in serving the entree and then the main course. The biggest shock there is that none of the guests left. I know I would have.
In between catastrophes and watching fellow contestants and the judges sample their dishes, the girls criticised themselves and each other and then started crying on each others' shoulders - although they did jump up and down for joy during the fleeting moments that something went right in the kitchen. I watched all this and thought, 'forget about whining, groaning and yahoo-ing, GET BACK TO WORK!!!!!!'
Finally, they served dessert on time - unfortunately it tasted so bad that at least 3 contestants nearly vomitted and even the judges had a hard time keeping it down.
In the end, Jessie and Biswa's boasting that they would get a perfect score went down in flames and instead they ended up with the lowest score in the competition to date.
You can call it bad luck or karma, but to me, I'd say it was them crumbling to the extremely high expectation that they inadvertently set for themselves thanks to the non-stop yapping they did leading up to their turn. It's one thing to merely state that they didn't like another competitor's food - it's another to constantly whinge and make a big deal about it as though they were served poison and then let the cat out of the bag by making stupid statements like 'NO MORE BORING DISHES!!!!!' If there is one key benefit to staying humble, it's that win or lose, you'll still have your fellow peers' respect.
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| Jessie (L) and Biswa |
Sure, confidence is a good thing. If you don't back yourself you won't go as far as you believe you can. But there is a BIG difference between confidence and arrogance and people like Anthony Mundine and Jessie and Biswa need to realise that. Constantly putting others down just to talk yourself up is not confidence, it is arrogant and downright disgusting and immature behaviour, especially if you resort to malicious personal attacks the way Mundine did before he fought Daniel Geale.
If hating on someone just to give yourself an advantage in a competition is what works for you, then by all means go for it. But keep your dignity intact and watch your mouth. Some things are best left unsaid. That way, if you win, people will still be willing to give you the respect you deserve.
Remember, the more you brag and put people down in your pursuit of victory, the higher people's expectations of you will be - and if you fail to meet these expectations even by the slimmest of margins, you will hear about it loud and clear for a very, very long time.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Downright irresponsible
But writer Stephanie Messenger isn't buying it.
An anti-vaccination campaigner, she is the author of an absolutely ridiculous childrens' book called Melanie's Marvellous Measles, which promotes the supposed 'health benefits' associated with contracting the disease.
At one point in the story, one of the characters, Tina, is reassured by her mother that the disease is beneficial for children, as it makes the body stronger and 'more mature' for the future. Sickeningly, Tina's mother then recommends that they go and visit Melanie so that she, too can catch the disease and that if it gets too annoying, carrot juice and melons will help.
Naturally, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) is totally against this book and doctors have called for it to be pulled off the shelves. Dr. Steve Hambleton, president of the AMA called Messenger and anyone else who approves of this tripe a bunch of 'crazies' who ought to hang their heads down in shame. He goes on to explain that Measles is fatal to children as a result of the encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and pneumonia associated with the disease.
Dr. Hambleton concedes that there can be some minor side-effects to the measles vaccine, but that it is still far better to get the vaccine than to forgo it and is still a mandatory part of a child's health.
While I am 100% against Ms. Messenger's story and think that she is an irresponsible nutcase for having the audacity to print such nonsence (that is also aimed at children to boot), I did feel compelled to do a bit of web-based research just to find out what could have possibly driven her to write this story and become such a staunch anti-vaccine campaigner. Unlike some campaigners such as movie star Jim Carrey, she seems to be against ALL vaccines whereas people like Mr. Carrey still see the importance of vaccinations against rubella, measles, mumps, whooping cough and other fatal diseases.
So I typed her name up on google and sure enough, there was a link commenting on different anti-vaccination posts she made on different forums across the internet, as well as the contents of a book that she co-authored called Vaccination Roulette (link is right here http://www.dilutedthinking.com/hln_story.php). Her crusade began when one of her children died due to a medical condition and she placed the blame on vaccination. She has since claimed that her unvaccinated children are 'alive and well' whereas her vaccinated child is not.
Unfortunately, according to the link, Ms. Messenger only arrived at this conclusion thanks to reading about the 'adverse' effects of the 'triple antigen vaccine' and watching an episode of The Phil Donaghue show back in the day in which Dr. Robert Mendelsohn (an American doctor who, strangely, criticised everything about his chosen field) appeared as a guest to speak out against vaccination.
Not only that, but she writes in her Vaccination Roulette book that her child was suspected of having a condition called Alexander Disease, which, apparently, is a genetic disease that was possibly passed to him by his father's genes. That guy, by the way, is Ms. Messenger's ex. Her other children are not from him. I guess that explains why they haven't inherited that condition.
Ms. Messenger definitely has the right to her own opinion and I guess good on her for sticking to her guns, but I wonder if she realises that a vast majority of the country believes she is crazy and that her book is the height of irresponsibility. It has medically been proven that measles is a highly-infectious and potentially deadly disease, particularly to children, yet her response to this is to come up with a childrens' book praising the supposed 'benefits' of the disease. Sorry, Ms. Messenger, but the people who labelled you 'crazy' seem to have the upper hand here.
Ok, blog's over, I'll sit back and wait for someone to come up with a book on the benefits of eating rat poison now.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Songs that drove me crazy this year.
I've made it no secret that most of the new songs that come out these days annoy the heck out of me, and this year was no different. I understand that different people have different tastes in music and therefore, what sounds irritating to some sounds beautiful to others.
But, as I've done in the past two years, I will now list the songs that I found quite irksome this year. I apologise if I've offended anyone's taste in music but please know that it is not intentional.
1. 'Live while we're young' by One Direction
You know, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the main reasons why Justin Bieber's been getting into a bit of trouble lately is because he's secretly distraught that he has lost some of his creepy fans to the 1D boys.
Anyway, sorry to digress, back to the original topic. I've not heard of these guys until this year, but apparently they've been around since late last year and the song of theirs that I am most familiar with ('What makes you beautiful') also came out last year. Anyway, I found that song to be quite cheesy and annoying and this song 'Live while we're young' is no different. Call it a clash in musical tastes but this didn't do it for me.
And the lyrics 'I know we only met but let's pretend it's love'? OUCH!!!!!!
2. 'Gangnam Style' by Psy
I didn't hate this song. Not saying that I like it but it didn't make me want to kill myself while listening to it, either. If anything I thought it was pretty catchy even if I couldn't understand half of what Psy was saying so I guess you could say that it drove me crazy in a more positive way.
And watching different parodies of the song on youtube was simply hilarious.
Just don't ask me to do the dance. I have two left feet and would struggle to do even this one.
3. 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' by Taylor Swift
Two blogs ago, I commented that Taylor Swift's 'I write songs about guys I broke up with' schtick was getting tiresome. This song pretty much convinced me of that.
Aside from the song's rather childish title, to me it lacked that 'straight-from-the-heart' feel that her previous songs had and came across as an immature rant by a stuck-up girl who thinks that all guys are lame.
And Taylor, like I said before, songs like this do more to convince listeners that perhaps you are the reason for your failed relationships rather than the guy you were seeing.
4. 'Star Ships' by Nicki Minaj
I know that this song came out last year but I didn't hear it until the beginning of this year so I will count it in my list of annoying songs for 2012.
I don't even know where to begin. The first time I heard this song on the radio, it wasn't even 1 minute old before I started to feel a shooting pain in my forehead and my eardrums start to bleed. Too loud, too garish and Minaj's delivery is absolutely ANNOYING!!!! Seriously, what's with the different voices and the weird accents? If I wanted to listen to a multi-voiced rapper I'd personally convince Robin Williams to put out a rap record. At least it would be funny rather than irritating.
Well, there you have it. Another year, more songs that made me want to smash the radio (well, at least 3 of them did).
I wonder what 2013 will bring?
But, as I've done in the past two years, I will now list the songs that I found quite irksome this year. I apologise if I've offended anyone's taste in music but please know that it is not intentional.
1. 'Live while we're young' by One Direction
You know, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the main reasons why Justin Bieber's been getting into a bit of trouble lately is because he's secretly distraught that he has lost some of his creepy fans to the 1D boys.
Anyway, sorry to digress, back to the original topic. I've not heard of these guys until this year, but apparently they've been around since late last year and the song of theirs that I am most familiar with ('What makes you beautiful') also came out last year. Anyway, I found that song to be quite cheesy and annoying and this song 'Live while we're young' is no different. Call it a clash in musical tastes but this didn't do it for me.
And the lyrics 'I know we only met but let's pretend it's love'? OUCH!!!!!!
2. 'Gangnam Style' by Psy
I didn't hate this song. Not saying that I like it but it didn't make me want to kill myself while listening to it, either. If anything I thought it was pretty catchy even if I couldn't understand half of what Psy was saying so I guess you could say that it drove me crazy in a more positive way.
And watching different parodies of the song on youtube was simply hilarious.
Just don't ask me to do the dance. I have two left feet and would struggle to do even this one.
3. 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' by Taylor Swift
Two blogs ago, I commented that Taylor Swift's 'I write songs about guys I broke up with' schtick was getting tiresome. This song pretty much convinced me of that.
Aside from the song's rather childish title, to me it lacked that 'straight-from-the-heart' feel that her previous songs had and came across as an immature rant by a stuck-up girl who thinks that all guys are lame.
And Taylor, like I said before, songs like this do more to convince listeners that perhaps you are the reason for your failed relationships rather than the guy you were seeing.
4. 'Star Ships' by Nicki Minaj
I know that this song came out last year but I didn't hear it until the beginning of this year so I will count it in my list of annoying songs for 2012.
I don't even know where to begin. The first time I heard this song on the radio, it wasn't even 1 minute old before I started to feel a shooting pain in my forehead and my eardrums start to bleed. Too loud, too garish and Minaj's delivery is absolutely ANNOYING!!!! Seriously, what's with the different voices and the weird accents? If I wanted to listen to a multi-voiced rapper I'd personally convince Robin Williams to put out a rap record. At least it would be funny rather than irritating.
Well, there you have it. Another year, more songs that made me want to smash the radio (well, at least 3 of them did).
I wonder what 2013 will bring?
Friday, December 14, 2012
Diapers are for BABIES, NOT ADULTS!!!!!!
In the two (mostly) magical years that Bernd has been churning out blogs, he has ran into some pretty weird stories that made news. From madcap celebrity antics, everyday folks committing acts that can only be described as looney tunes, sharing some stories that (hopefully) inspire, your's truly always had something weird and wonderful comment on.
The entry for this blog is no different.
According to a TV documentary that is set to screen in the UK, there are adults that are literally acting like babies, complete with wearing diapers attending fake nurseries accompanied by their spouses acting as their 'parents'. The reason? Because apparently behaving like a child takes the person back to their carefree and stress-free childhood years.
Honestly, I don't know what to say. Sure, there are times when I get so stressed and flustered that I wish that I was a kid again (to all you children out there wishing that you were 'grown up', believe me when I say that being an adult totally sucks and that you should enjoy your childhood years while you still can) but whenever that happens, I watch old TV shows that I used to enjoy, listen to songs that were popular during my younger years, read a comic book, look at the old photo albums - in other words, do things that remind me of those carefree, innocent years just to clear my head. I don't go around trying to squeeze into the clothes I used to wear as a kid, let alone behave AND dress up like a baby. I hate to sound hypercritical but that to me is the type of behaviour that warrants several sessions with a psychiatrist.
And you want to know what the sad part of this story is? Why are these peoples' spouses going through with this game? Pretending to be their other half's 'parents'!? Geez! I thought that part of being married to someone meant that you would look out for each other and make sure that your partner is well. Again, apologies for sounding cruel and judgmental, and no disrespect intended, but anyone who engages in this type of behaviour cannot possibly be all that well.
But, who knows? Maybe it's just another one of those silly 'fads' that are just coming out. Stupid, dangerous acts such as 'planking' and car-surfing became fads at some stage, why not turn disturbing behaviour into a fad? After this one, maybe we can get someone to turn behaving like a wild animal of your choice into a fad?
Seriously people, I understand that the real world can be cruel and that sometimes you just need an escape, but acting in a disturbing and weird manner is not the best way to deal with it. Read a book, watch TV, go for a walk or a run, go on a holiday....THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO COMBAT STRESS!!!!! It's no use trying to deal with it in a manner that could potentially land you behind bars - or in a padded room locked up in a strait-jacket.
The entry for this blog is no different.
According to a TV documentary that is set to screen in the UK, there are adults that are literally acting like babies, complete with wearing diapers attending fake nurseries accompanied by their spouses acting as their 'parents'. The reason? Because apparently behaving like a child takes the person back to their carefree and stress-free childhood years.
Honestly, I don't know what to say. Sure, there are times when I get so stressed and flustered that I wish that I was a kid again (to all you children out there wishing that you were 'grown up', believe me when I say that being an adult totally sucks and that you should enjoy your childhood years while you still can) but whenever that happens, I watch old TV shows that I used to enjoy, listen to songs that were popular during my younger years, read a comic book, look at the old photo albums - in other words, do things that remind me of those carefree, innocent years just to clear my head. I don't go around trying to squeeze into the clothes I used to wear as a kid, let alone behave AND dress up like a baby. I hate to sound hypercritical but that to me is the type of behaviour that warrants several sessions with a psychiatrist.
And you want to know what the sad part of this story is? Why are these peoples' spouses going through with this game? Pretending to be their other half's 'parents'!? Geez! I thought that part of being married to someone meant that you would look out for each other and make sure that your partner is well. Again, apologies for sounding cruel and judgmental, and no disrespect intended, but anyone who engages in this type of behaviour cannot possibly be all that well.
But, who knows? Maybe it's just another one of those silly 'fads' that are just coming out. Stupid, dangerous acts such as 'planking' and car-surfing became fads at some stage, why not turn disturbing behaviour into a fad? After this one, maybe we can get someone to turn behaving like a wild animal of your choice into a fad?
Seriously people, I understand that the real world can be cruel and that sometimes you just need an escape, but acting in a disturbing and weird manner is not the best way to deal with it. Read a book, watch TV, go for a walk or a run, go on a holiday....THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO COMBAT STRESS!!!!! It's no use trying to deal with it in a manner that could potentially land you behind bars - or in a padded room locked up in a strait-jacket.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Mate, are you serious!?
According to recent news, health workers in northern New South Wales have recently been slapped with a ban on referring to patients as 'mate', along with other terms of endearment such as 'honey', 'sweetheart' and 'darling'.
Apparently, this was a response to complaints from a few patients which prompted a request from staff to maintain a more 'professional' relationship with patients.
Ok, I will admit it now, but Big Bad Bernd gets nervous whenever he has to visit a doctor or a hospital, even when he is not a patient. I don't know why - I guess I just have trust issues seeing as how doctors are only human and therefore are capable of making mistakes and let's face it, being told that there is something wrong with you or that you'll need to be knocked out and then sliced and diced so that they can rectify whatever it is that is causing you grief is not exactly fun. Therefore, whenever I go to the doctor it would make me feel more at ease if they called me 'mate' or 'buddy' just to show that they mean well and that everything will be ok. It's a lot more comfortable than being given an ice-cold stare and a monotonous voice outlining what is wrong with you and what they are going to do to you to correct the problem. You might as well be sitting in a courtroom before a judge and told that you will be locked up for a long time or worse.
Ok, I understand that there are some people who don't take too kindly to such terms. They may find them immature or downright condescending. Therefore, don't use the term on them right away. Get to know the person first and establish some sort of rapport before you try to befriend them. That way, you'll know whether or not they want the 'friendly' doctor or the 'ice-cold' doctor.
So, to those out there who sent that memo, Bernd understands perfectly where you are coming from, but he thinks it is a little too extreme to ban all health workers from trying to be friendlier and approachable towards their patients. I'm sure that not all patients are against it, heck I'm sure that most of them quite like it. So rather than impose a ban why not just encourage them to choose their audience carefully. That seems a lot less tyrannical.
In other words, 'take it easy, mate!'
Quick take:
When Taylor Swift burst into the public eye some three years ago, I had nothing but high praise for her. It would've been an overstatement to call me a fan, but I thought she was cool. I mean, she writes songs that come from the heart, has a decent voice, loves her fans and projected a wholesome, down-to-earth image.
Unfortunately, that was then and this is now.
I don't know about you, but her whole 'I date boys, break up with them and then write songs about them' shtick is not only getting old, but it is getting quite irritating. It has gone to the point that I am starting to wonder if maybe the problem in her relationships is her and not the poor guy who is being shamed in her increasingly-annoying 'he-was-this-and-that-and-so-it-couldn't-last' songs.
Anyway, she was in the news recently over allegations that her relationship with UK boy band One Direction's Harry Styles is tearing him and his bandmates apart.
It all began when Styles ditched his bandmates to fly from New York to London on Swift's private jet. The rest of his band had to fly separately, were then mobbed by fans upon arrival at Heathrow airport (during which one of them was injured as a result of the chaos) while he and Swift arrived unnoticed and got away unharmed.
Since then, a rift has formed between Styles and his bandmates and fans are now branding Swift the new 'Yoko Ono'.
Well, what quite a turnaround for poor Taylor, isn't it? Three years ago she was the darling of the pop music genre (I'm sorry, but she never struck me as a 'country artist', she always seemed more 'pop' to me) and now, she starting to ruffle feathers. Oh boy, could she soon be headed towards the same, dreaded 'everyone's darling today, everyone's figure of hate' place in which Delta Goodrem now unhappily resides?
I guess we'll find out soon enough. Taylor, you have been warned.
Apparently, this was a response to complaints from a few patients which prompted a request from staff to maintain a more 'professional' relationship with patients.
Ok, I will admit it now, but Big Bad Bernd gets nervous whenever he has to visit a doctor or a hospital, even when he is not a patient. I don't know why - I guess I just have trust issues seeing as how doctors are only human and therefore are capable of making mistakes and let's face it, being told that there is something wrong with you or that you'll need to be knocked out and then sliced and diced so that they can rectify whatever it is that is causing you grief is not exactly fun. Therefore, whenever I go to the doctor it would make me feel more at ease if they called me 'mate' or 'buddy' just to show that they mean well and that everything will be ok. It's a lot more comfortable than being given an ice-cold stare and a monotonous voice outlining what is wrong with you and what they are going to do to you to correct the problem. You might as well be sitting in a courtroom before a judge and told that you will be locked up for a long time or worse.
Ok, I understand that there are some people who don't take too kindly to such terms. They may find them immature or downright condescending. Therefore, don't use the term on them right away. Get to know the person first and establish some sort of rapport before you try to befriend them. That way, you'll know whether or not they want the 'friendly' doctor or the 'ice-cold' doctor.
So, to those out there who sent that memo, Bernd understands perfectly where you are coming from, but he thinks it is a little too extreme to ban all health workers from trying to be friendlier and approachable towards their patients. I'm sure that not all patients are against it, heck I'm sure that most of them quite like it. So rather than impose a ban why not just encourage them to choose their audience carefully. That seems a lot less tyrannical.
In other words, 'take it easy, mate!'
Quick take:
When Taylor Swift burst into the public eye some three years ago, I had nothing but high praise for her. It would've been an overstatement to call me a fan, but I thought she was cool. I mean, she writes songs that come from the heart, has a decent voice, loves her fans and projected a wholesome, down-to-earth image.
Unfortunately, that was then and this is now.
I don't know about you, but her whole 'I date boys, break up with them and then write songs about them' shtick is not only getting old, but it is getting quite irritating. It has gone to the point that I am starting to wonder if maybe the problem in her relationships is her and not the poor guy who is being shamed in her increasingly-annoying 'he-was-this-and-that-and-so-it-couldn't-last' songs.
Anyway, she was in the news recently over allegations that her relationship with UK boy band One Direction's Harry Styles is tearing him and his bandmates apart.
It all began when Styles ditched his bandmates to fly from New York to London on Swift's private jet. The rest of his band had to fly separately, were then mobbed by fans upon arrival at Heathrow airport (during which one of them was injured as a result of the chaos) while he and Swift arrived unnoticed and got away unharmed.
Since then, a rift has formed between Styles and his bandmates and fans are now branding Swift the new 'Yoko Ono'.
Well, what quite a turnaround for poor Taylor, isn't it? Three years ago she was the darling of the pop music genre (I'm sorry, but she never struck me as a 'country artist', she always seemed more 'pop' to me) and now, she starting to ruffle feathers. Oh boy, could she soon be headed towards the same, dreaded 'everyone's darling today, everyone's figure of hate' place in which Delta Goodrem now unhappily resides?
I guess we'll find out soon enough. Taylor, you have been warned.
Monday, November 12, 2012
You ungrateful snob!
Last year she appeared in the critically-acclaimed Australian drama series The Slap and is now the star of a BBC series called Hunted.
Needless to say, Australia would be proud of her. Unfortunately, a recent tirade she made prior to appearing on The Morning Show on Friday morning may have dented her reputation in the eyes of the Australian public.
When George found out that the show's hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies were planning to ask her about her stint on Home And Away, George threatened to walk out of the studio and later went on a rant about how she would rather talk about her other roles (which is understandable) before unleashing a venomous attack on the Australian media.
While George has stated that she is always happy to return and work in Australia, she might not do so in a while out of apparent fear that she will be bogged down by questions about her stint on Home And Away.
'I don't need any credibility from my country anymore! If they have nothing intelligent to say, please don't speak to me anymore. I'd rather be having a croissant and an espresso in Paris or walking my French bulldog in New York City!' she said.
She also took a shot at the show that made her famous, stating that the Home And Away execs should pay her because, as she states, 'Nobody does more promotion for that f***ing show than me!'
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| George and her Home And Away co-star Dieter Brummer back in the day. |
And taking a cheap shot at the media? You do realise that as deplorable as some of their actions are, they are the people that have the power to trash your image if they wish to do so, right?
And the fact that she would even bring up that whole 'croissant and espresso in Paris and walking the dog in New York City' line makes it even worse. What an utterly shameless display of arrogance and snobbery. We're sorry, Ms. George, that not all of us can even imagine how good it would be to hang around in those beautiful cities whenever we please. Not all of us are celebrities who appear on TV and in movies and not all of us can marry and then date a string of wealthy people (I don't want to assume you're a gold digger, but considering the types of men you're usually linked with, some people WILL get suspicious). If that kind of life is the one you'd prefer, by all means live it. But don't you shove it up our faces because quite frankly, that's just arrogant and disrespectful and most of all, NO ONE CARES!!!!!!!
I hope the next time you decide to return to your homeland you pack and extra supply of manners and grace with you, Melissa. In the meantime, enjoy your self-imposed exile, eat all the croissants you want, sip as many espressos as you can until the awful ringing of Australian accents has left your head. And don't worry, we won't be holding our breaths awaiting your return.
BECAUSE NO ONE WILL CARE.
Quick Shot: So, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have split and it was Selena who ended it. I only have three things to say about this:
1. She probably called it off because she was tired of receiving death threats from Bieber's legion of psycho fans.
2. Ok, screw the zombie apocalypse, we have something much worse on our hands - TEENAGE GIRLS ON A RAMPAGE!!!!!!!!
3. Those One Direction boys heard about this and thought, 'Oh man, there goes our 15 minutes!'
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Santa Bernd?
Note: This blog was created by a very, very bored man. It is not meant to be taken seriously.
It's news that is guaranteed to make a child cry. Santa won't be coming to town this Christmas.
Ok, calm down, kiddies. He'll probably still slide down your chimneys on Christmas Eve but he'll probably be a no-show in your local shopping centre.
According to a major recruitment company that hires volunteers willing to don the red and white costume to play the big guy in department stores and shopping centres, there have been a shortage in volunteers this year and they are desparate to fill up the numbers. At last count, an estimated 50 more people are needed to fill up 600 pairs of Santa boots. Age, nationality and even gender are not an issue.
Aspiring applicants must undergo police and background checks and attend 'Santa School' before starting the job. Oh well, so much for the folks planning to imitate Billy Bob Thornton's character on that film Bad Santa.
Big Bad Bernd read this article and thought to himself, 'Hmmm.....maybe I should apply for this. I'll be making plenty of children happy and will be spreading that Christmas joy around.'
To that end yours truly sat down and compiled a list of pros and cons regarding his decision. Let's examine them now, shall we?
PROS:
1. Bernd is a funny guy:
I hate to sound conceited but, yeah, I've been told by friends and family that I'm a pretty funny guy. Yeah! Can we get a round of applause? *Crickets chirping*
Man, tough crowd! Even so, I may not have been able to get a laugh out of you, dear readers (unless my self-deprecating sence of humour worked), but I'm pretty sure I can elicit some giggles from the kids.
2. Bernd is a good boy:
Skip the police and background checks, folks, because you won't find anything on me. I'm a good boy who believes that crime and stupid behaviour doesn't pay.
3. Bernd is flexible:
No, I can't wrap my legs around my head or do the splits but when it comes to flexible working hours, I'm your man. Just let me know what hours I'll be working and I can easily schedule my daily life around it.
4. Bernd is great with kids:
I'm not patronising enough to lie to them, I can be funny without being crass and I'm generally a good sport when it comes to them. They are, after all, the future.
Ok, there are the pros. Let's go to the other end of the scale.
CONS:
1. Bernd is grumpy:
If I'm in a bad mood, I have a bad habit of letting it show sometimes. Might be too much for the kids, especially if Santa Bernd rolls his eyes at some of their wishes or tells them to shut-the-fire-truck-up when they're carrying on too much. *Sigh* so much for that part about not being crass in front of children.
2. Bernd is brutally honest and cynical:
Let's face it, some kids will make wishes that are out of this world. While Bernd would try his best to be supportive to the little tykes, he can't promise them that he won't be trying to stifle his laughter or cynicism upon hearing some wishes. Let's say a kid told him 'Santa, I wish I could fly'. Bernd would probably nod his head while tears leak from his eyes due to the strain of trying hard not to laugh.
And (no disrespect to anyone out there) if a chubby kid were to sit on his lap and wish to be thinner, Bernd might accidentally say something like 'Then why don't you get up and move it, fatso!' Yeah, not pretty isn't it?
And if a kid makes a wish like bringing a loved one back from the dead....wow. Let's not even go there.
And if a kid makes a wish that is selfish or despicable (ie: bringing harm onto someone they don't like or wishing for all the money in the world), or worse, tells him that he's not the real Santa, Bernd just might get the ol' heave-ho from the store's staff for making a kid cry.
3. Bernd is vertically challenged:
I don't know if there is a height requirement in the job description but considering that some children grow fairly quickly nowadays, he could find himself being mistaken for one of Santa's elves who decided to try on Santa's suit.
4. Bernd is a skinny man:
The last time Bernd went to Munich for the Oktoberfest, he decided to get himself a lederhosen to fit in with the locals. He was gently told that he was too short and thin to fill one out. A Santa suit would be no different. Unless the store folks are willing to get him a fat suit, he would be absolutely miscast as the 'jolly fat man in red'.
5. Bernd doesn't always feel comfortable being poked, prodded and hugged by children:
Ok, this doesn't apply to all kids. They're cool peeps and Bernd is more than happy to get a hug from them if they ask politely and if their parents are ok with it.
But I will say that if a kid decided he/she wanted to poke Bernd in the face, pull on his beard, play with his fake belly it might get tiring after a while.
And if a kid who had just licked their hands decided they wanted to touch Bernd - that would be too much. Santa Bernd would probably leap out of that chair and run away screaming like a cat on fire. YECH!!!!!!
Well, I think we've covered it all. As you can see, Bernd is probably not the best choice to play Saint Nick, but he still wishes the recruitment companies, department stores and of course, all the little kiddies all the best.
It's news that is guaranteed to make a child cry. Santa won't be coming to town this Christmas.
Ok, calm down, kiddies. He'll probably still slide down your chimneys on Christmas Eve but he'll probably be a no-show in your local shopping centre.
According to a major recruitment company that hires volunteers willing to don the red and white costume to play the big guy in department stores and shopping centres, there have been a shortage in volunteers this year and they are desparate to fill up the numbers. At last count, an estimated 50 more people are needed to fill up 600 pairs of Santa boots. Age, nationality and even gender are not an issue.
Aspiring applicants must undergo police and background checks and attend 'Santa School' before starting the job. Oh well, so much for the folks planning to imitate Billy Bob Thornton's character on that film Bad Santa.
Big Bad Bernd read this article and thought to himself, 'Hmmm.....maybe I should apply for this. I'll be making plenty of children happy and will be spreading that Christmas joy around.'
To that end yours truly sat down and compiled a list of pros and cons regarding his decision. Let's examine them now, shall we?
PROS:
1. Bernd is a funny guy:
I hate to sound conceited but, yeah, I've been told by friends and family that I'm a pretty funny guy. Yeah! Can we get a round of applause? *Crickets chirping*
Man, tough crowd! Even so, I may not have been able to get a laugh out of you, dear readers (unless my self-deprecating sence of humour worked), but I'm pretty sure I can elicit some giggles from the kids.
2. Bernd is a good boy:
Skip the police and background checks, folks, because you won't find anything on me. I'm a good boy who believes that crime and stupid behaviour doesn't pay.
3. Bernd is flexible:
No, I can't wrap my legs around my head or do the splits but when it comes to flexible working hours, I'm your man. Just let me know what hours I'll be working and I can easily schedule my daily life around it.
4. Bernd is great with kids:
I'm not patronising enough to lie to them, I can be funny without being crass and I'm generally a good sport when it comes to them. They are, after all, the future.
Ok, there are the pros. Let's go to the other end of the scale.
CONS:
1. Bernd is grumpy:
If I'm in a bad mood, I have a bad habit of letting it show sometimes. Might be too much for the kids, especially if Santa Bernd rolls his eyes at some of their wishes or tells them to shut-the-fire-truck-up when they're carrying on too much. *Sigh* so much for that part about not being crass in front of children.
2. Bernd is brutally honest and cynical:
Let's face it, some kids will make wishes that are out of this world. While Bernd would try his best to be supportive to the little tykes, he can't promise them that he won't be trying to stifle his laughter or cynicism upon hearing some wishes. Let's say a kid told him 'Santa, I wish I could fly'. Bernd would probably nod his head while tears leak from his eyes due to the strain of trying hard not to laugh.
And (no disrespect to anyone out there) if a chubby kid were to sit on his lap and wish to be thinner, Bernd might accidentally say something like 'Then why don't you get up and move it, fatso!' Yeah, not pretty isn't it?
And if a kid makes a wish like bringing a loved one back from the dead....wow. Let's not even go there.
And if a kid makes a wish that is selfish or despicable (ie: bringing harm onto someone they don't like or wishing for all the money in the world), or worse, tells him that he's not the real Santa, Bernd just might get the ol' heave-ho from the store's staff for making a kid cry.
3. Bernd is vertically challenged:
I don't know if there is a height requirement in the job description but considering that some children grow fairly quickly nowadays, he could find himself being mistaken for one of Santa's elves who decided to try on Santa's suit.
4. Bernd is a skinny man:
The last time Bernd went to Munich for the Oktoberfest, he decided to get himself a lederhosen to fit in with the locals. He was gently told that he was too short and thin to fill one out. A Santa suit would be no different. Unless the store folks are willing to get him a fat suit, he would be absolutely miscast as the 'jolly fat man in red'.
5. Bernd doesn't always feel comfortable being poked, prodded and hugged by children:
Ok, this doesn't apply to all kids. They're cool peeps and Bernd is more than happy to get a hug from them if they ask politely and if their parents are ok with it.
But I will say that if a kid decided he/she wanted to poke Bernd in the face, pull on his beard, play with his fake belly it might get tiring after a while.
And if a kid who had just licked their hands decided they wanted to touch Bernd - that would be too much. Santa Bernd would probably leap out of that chair and run away screaming like a cat on fire. YECH!!!!!!
Well, I think we've covered it all. As you can see, Bernd is probably not the best choice to play Saint Nick, but he still wishes the recruitment companies, department stores and of course, all the little kiddies all the best.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Some folks just have no shame
A few days ago, US rapper Soulja Boy was forced to apologise to his fans on Tumblr after posting a picture of his naked penis on his account.
He claimed that he had 'accidentally' posted the offending picture and quickly took it down once he realised what he had done. Unfortunately, some of his fans saw the photo before he removed it.
Thus, he was forced to apologise, simply posting 'I apologise to ever seen that, accident'.
Yes, that was the apology. Bad grammar and all.
Forgive me for coming across as a cynical and judgemental jerk, but how the hell do you ACCIDENTALLY post a picture of your bits on the internet, let alone take your time in realising the error of your ways long enough for your followers to admire (or perhaps be sickened by) your handiwork? I understand that maybe he intended to send the photo privately to a girl he's dating but then inadvertently posted it publicly for all to see and then left the computer before realising what he did. Yeah, that sounds like an honest, though highly unfortunate mistake.
But still, when you post something on your account in your preferred social networking site, you'd make sure that you're not setting yourself up to look foolish and if you're uploading photos, that the CORRECT photos are being uploaded. It does pay to revise before you post, people.
And as for Soulja Boy, for a guy who's had a history of taking photos of his erections and posting them on social media for his female fans' pleasures (this guy should really change his pseudonym to 'Shameless Boy' or, more appropriately, 'Dickhead'), his excuse that he made an accident seems futile. I was more inclined to believe that he had every intention of posting the picture but only took it down when someone reminded him that he could get in big trouble for it. Well, accident or not, I hope Mr. Boy realises from here on out that one must always think before they post on social media. Making the wrong post not only opens the poor sap into a world of ridicule, but can get them into serious trouble.
Unfortunately, considering that he has angered some of his fellow hip hop artists and the US military with his profane song lyrics and immature behaviour, I don't think he'll learn his lesson in a hurry.
In other news, a 23-year old man, identified as Jeremy Owens, was arrested after flashing his breast implants at fellow customers at a Walmart store in Pennsylvania. He tried to flee by boarding a bus but was dragged out kicking, screaming and spitting. He was allegedly intoxicated and was charged with aggrevated assault, drug possession, making terrorist threats and public drunkenness.
Inexplicably, he wasn't charged for indecent exposure.
Ok, judging by the looks of this guy, he is probably thinking of undergoing a sex change. In my honest opinion, he looks like a cross between Robert Pattinson and Jennifer Lawrence with a bit of Ke$ha thrown in. I guess he had too much to drink and decided that he wanted to show the whole world a preview of 'the new Jeremy' (or whatever girls' name he intends to re-christen himself with once the surgery is complete). But that's just my opinion - and I sincerely hope that is the reason why he decided to get implants done in the first place!
Well, that's about it. Short and sweet. It is funny seeing the things that people do to get attention. But seriously, while pushing the envelope once in a while is all good, you have to make sure that you can get out of it with your reputation and dignity intact. It only takes one costly mistake to render your image forever damaged. People can and will associate you with your blunder for a long time.
But at the end of the day, some folks just have no shame.
He claimed that he had 'accidentally' posted the offending picture and quickly took it down once he realised what he had done. Unfortunately, some of his fans saw the photo before he removed it.
Thus, he was forced to apologise, simply posting 'I apologise to ever seen that, accident'.
Yes, that was the apology. Bad grammar and all.
 |
| Soulja Boy |
Forgive me for coming across as a cynical and judgemental jerk, but how the hell do you ACCIDENTALLY post a picture of your bits on the internet, let alone take your time in realising the error of your ways long enough for your followers to admire (or perhaps be sickened by) your handiwork? I understand that maybe he intended to send the photo privately to a girl he's dating but then inadvertently posted it publicly for all to see and then left the computer before realising what he did. Yeah, that sounds like an honest, though highly unfortunate mistake.
But still, when you post something on your account in your preferred social networking site, you'd make sure that you're not setting yourself up to look foolish and if you're uploading photos, that the CORRECT photos are being uploaded. It does pay to revise before you post, people.
And as for Soulja Boy, for a guy who's had a history of taking photos of his erections and posting them on social media for his female fans' pleasures (this guy should really change his pseudonym to 'Shameless Boy' or, more appropriately, 'Dickhead'), his excuse that he made an accident seems futile. I was more inclined to believe that he had every intention of posting the picture but only took it down when someone reminded him that he could get in big trouble for it. Well, accident or not, I hope Mr. Boy realises from here on out that one must always think before they post on social media. Making the wrong post not only opens the poor sap into a world of ridicule, but can get them into serious trouble.
Unfortunately, considering that he has angered some of his fellow hip hop artists and the US military with his profane song lyrics and immature behaviour, I don't think he'll learn his lesson in a hurry.
In other news, a 23-year old man, identified as Jeremy Owens, was arrested after flashing his breast implants at fellow customers at a Walmart store in Pennsylvania. He tried to flee by boarding a bus but was dragged out kicking, screaming and spitting. He was allegedly intoxicated and was charged with aggrevated assault, drug possession, making terrorist threats and public drunkenness.
Inexplicably, he wasn't charged for indecent exposure.
 |
| Jeremy Owens |
Well, that's about it. Short and sweet. It is funny seeing the things that people do to get attention. But seriously, while pushing the envelope once in a while is all good, you have to make sure that you can get out of it with your reputation and dignity intact. It only takes one costly mistake to render your image forever damaged. People can and will associate you with your blunder for a long time.
But at the end of the day, some folks just have no shame.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Teacher, you get an F
WARNING: This blog contains strong opinions that may offend. Apologies if I inadvertently insult anyone but that was never my intention.
I am very pedantic when it comes to spelling, punctuation and grammar. What you don't know, dear reader, is that whenever I compose these tirades that I like to call blogs I always use the spell-check function on Microsoft Word just to make sure I spell certain words or even sentences correctly.
This is not to say that my spelling, punctuation and grammar is always perfect - I do make mistakes once in a while - but I always try to ensure that I am spot on.
But you will never, I repeat NEVER catch me using words incorrectly. No offence to anyone but I find it astonishing that some people cannot tell the difference between some words that sound alike but have different meanings. Take the words 'allowed' and 'aloud' as an example. They are not the same word, people. Same with the words 'there', 'they're' and 'their'. I shake my head at the number of times I catch someone using those three words in the wrong context - and that's just newspaper and internet reporters.
Unless you're sending out an SMS on your phone or an informal message to your friends or family on some social networking website of your choice you really have no excuse to be mixing those words up on a frequent basis.
Now, whenever I send SMS messages I do abbreviate some words and expressions (ie: later written as 'l8er', because written as 'coz', seriously as 'srsly') just to save time and space. But that said, I will never allow any SMS-style spelling get in the way of my real spelling ability. Could you just imagine how my blogs would look if that were the case? There would be a decided lack of vowels and numbers slotted in the wrong areas.
A story I read today in the paper made me cringe. If you've read some of my past blogs, I've ranted that some kids these days are ill-mannered and disrespectful, had irresponsible parents and that schools have gone soft and stupid on them.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse I read today that some school teachers have been caught using SMS-style spelling and grammatical errors when filling out school reports, report cards and lesson plans. Some parents also complained that their childrens' teachers were lacklustre and languid in their approach to their profession, taught incorrect information and provided children with 'word lists' to study that were littered with spelling errors.
One teacher griped claimed that many graduate teachers who lacked a basic understanding of grammar, spelling and punctuation only have themselves to blame due to their lackadaisical approach to their own schooling. She added that she was concerned for the future of her childrens' learning as long as teachers like these existed.
The situation is so dire that the federal government plans to give current teachers specialist training in which they will be mentored by more experienced teachers.
I have always said that I am glad I was a schoolkid years ago rather than now. It was bad enough being bullied back then and having to put up with a few idiot teachers whose mind-numbing and incoherent methods prevented me from realising my full schoolwork potential. But at least I still finished in one piece with my sanity mostly intact and with decent, if not outstanding grades.
Today, bullying has escalated to include cyber-bullying and assaults with deadly weapons, more kids are skipping class, schools are becoming more lax and ridiculous with their rules and now some teachers are getting dumber. Seriously, SMS-style spelling and grammatical errors? School reports, lesson plans and report cards filled with errors? A lax approach to their profession? Wow, just wow. Are you telling me that there are people out there educating the youth of our nation who can't even form simple sentences without screwing up!? The thought of it makes me sick.
Seriously, if I had a kid and he/she brought home a bad report card that was full of spelling and grammatical errors from their teacher I would be livid. Not just from the kid's lack of effort in class but from his/her teacher's lack of effort in their profession. I would immediately report the teacher and push for them to be sacked and sent back to school. Call me overdramatic but that's just how I feel. I would be absolutely disgusted if I knew my children were being taught by some incompetent imbecile who spells simple words with numbers inserted to substitute at least two letters in that word.
To you teachers out there who make these mistakes, do you review what you've written before they get sent out to students and their parents? Did excessive use of your electronic devices scramble your brain cells to the point that you do not remember the original spelling of certain words or are you so dumb that you cannot seem to differentiate between school reports and text messages sent to friends? Your job is to teach these kids, people! If you have lost your ability to spell simple words correctly and COMPLETELY and to formulate sentences without messing up then perhaps it's time to look for a new line of work. How do you expect to be taken seriously when angry parents are howling for your dismissal?
Let's suppose your child was misbehaving in class and you got a letter from their teacher expressing their concern. How would you react if the letter looked like this?
Dear *insert name here*
*Insert child's name here* wuz l8 4 class 2day an wuz actin lyk a tool so I snt him hom erly. Sry 4 da trouble.
This is a serious problem, people. If the teachers in our schools can't even do their jobs to the best of their ability then the children of today and maybe even the future are in serious jeopardy. Luckily, the government have seen this problem and are taking steps to fix it, which I am all for. You can fix the school and put up new rules, regulations and systems to raise students' performances but what's the point if their teachers can't do their part?
Let's keep the SMS-style spelling and real spelling separate. And let's learn how to use words and formulate sentences the correct way. Teachers back when I was a kid were able to, there's no reason why some of you teachers today shouldn't be able to do the same.
I am very pedantic when it comes to spelling, punctuation and grammar. What you don't know, dear reader, is that whenever I compose these tirades that I like to call blogs I always use the spell-check function on Microsoft Word just to make sure I spell certain words or even sentences correctly.
This is not to say that my spelling, punctuation and grammar is always perfect - I do make mistakes once in a while - but I always try to ensure that I am spot on.
But you will never, I repeat NEVER catch me using words incorrectly. No offence to anyone but I find it astonishing that some people cannot tell the difference between some words that sound alike but have different meanings. Take the words 'allowed' and 'aloud' as an example. They are not the same word, people. Same with the words 'there', 'they're' and 'their'. I shake my head at the number of times I catch someone using those three words in the wrong context - and that's just newspaper and internet reporters.
Unless you're sending out an SMS on your phone or an informal message to your friends or family on some social networking website of your choice you really have no excuse to be mixing those words up on a frequent basis.
Now, whenever I send SMS messages I do abbreviate some words and expressions (ie: later written as 'l8er', because written as 'coz', seriously as 'srsly') just to save time and space. But that said, I will never allow any SMS-style spelling get in the way of my real spelling ability. Could you just imagine how my blogs would look if that were the case? There would be a decided lack of vowels and numbers slotted in the wrong areas.
A story I read today in the paper made me cringe. If you've read some of my past blogs, I've ranted that some kids these days are ill-mannered and disrespectful, had irresponsible parents and that schools have gone soft and stupid on them.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse I read today that some school teachers have been caught using SMS-style spelling and grammatical errors when filling out school reports, report cards and lesson plans. Some parents also complained that their childrens' teachers were lacklustre and languid in their approach to their profession, taught incorrect information and provided children with 'word lists' to study that were littered with spelling errors.
One teacher griped claimed that many graduate teachers who lacked a basic understanding of grammar, spelling and punctuation only have themselves to blame due to their lackadaisical approach to their own schooling. She added that she was concerned for the future of her childrens' learning as long as teachers like these existed.
The situation is so dire that the federal government plans to give current teachers specialist training in which they will be mentored by more experienced teachers.
I have always said that I am glad I was a schoolkid years ago rather than now. It was bad enough being bullied back then and having to put up with a few idiot teachers whose mind-numbing and incoherent methods prevented me from realising my full schoolwork potential. But at least I still finished in one piece with my sanity mostly intact and with decent, if not outstanding grades.
Today, bullying has escalated to include cyber-bullying and assaults with deadly weapons, more kids are skipping class, schools are becoming more lax and ridiculous with their rules and now some teachers are getting dumber. Seriously, SMS-style spelling and grammatical errors? School reports, lesson plans and report cards filled with errors? A lax approach to their profession? Wow, just wow. Are you telling me that there are people out there educating the youth of our nation who can't even form simple sentences without screwing up!? The thought of it makes me sick.
Seriously, if I had a kid and he/she brought home a bad report card that was full of spelling and grammatical errors from their teacher I would be livid. Not just from the kid's lack of effort in class but from his/her teacher's lack of effort in their profession. I would immediately report the teacher and push for them to be sacked and sent back to school. Call me overdramatic but that's just how I feel. I would be absolutely disgusted if I knew my children were being taught by some incompetent imbecile who spells simple words with numbers inserted to substitute at least two letters in that word.
To you teachers out there who make these mistakes, do you review what you've written before they get sent out to students and their parents? Did excessive use of your electronic devices scramble your brain cells to the point that you do not remember the original spelling of certain words or are you so dumb that you cannot seem to differentiate between school reports and text messages sent to friends? Your job is to teach these kids, people! If you have lost your ability to spell simple words correctly and COMPLETELY and to formulate sentences without messing up then perhaps it's time to look for a new line of work. How do you expect to be taken seriously when angry parents are howling for your dismissal?
Let's suppose your child was misbehaving in class and you got a letter from their teacher expressing their concern. How would you react if the letter looked like this?
Dear *insert name here*
*Insert child's name here* wuz l8 4 class 2day an wuz actin lyk a tool so I snt him hom erly. Sry 4 da trouble.
This is a serious problem, people. If the teachers in our schools can't even do their jobs to the best of their ability then the children of today and maybe even the future are in serious jeopardy. Luckily, the government have seen this problem and are taking steps to fix it, which I am all for. You can fix the school and put up new rules, regulations and systems to raise students' performances but what's the point if their teachers can't do their part?
Let's keep the SMS-style spelling and real spelling separate. And let's learn how to use words and formulate sentences the correct way. Teachers back when I was a kid were able to, there's no reason why some of you teachers today shouldn't be able to do the same.
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