A Current Affair is probable my least favourite show so it is surprising I actually caught their segment Fifty + fabulous last night. My excuse is that I was at the gym and it was on the shared TV, but for whatever reason I did watch this truly appalling item, and having just viewed it again, I can confirm it is one of the worst pieces of reporting I have seen for many a long year.

It was screened straight after ACA’s first two reports – a “bizarre” love triangle, and the best frozen chips. I guess these topics should have been a warning about the level of seriousness ACA might attach to the concept of turning 50. What purported to be a celebration of the way “older” celebrities are (not) ageing, was the most condescending pap to hit the airwaves in a long, long time.

Now we don’t expect much from this show – a recent low point saw a recent previous report describe residents of a retirement village as “pensioners” – clearly the reporters do not understand the distinction – some may be on social security benefits, some may be self-funded. Last night Fifty + fabulous offered a round up of celebrities (no, no brain surgeons, Nobel Peace Prize winners or distinguished philanthropists, just actors, singers and those who like to marry a lot) who appear to have great bodies. As Homer Simpson would say, duh! We also heard the astonishingly naïve statement from the editor of The Australian Women’s Weekly, Robyn Foyster, referring to Olivia Newton John, “She looks so happy and beautiful. You can’t believe she is about to turn 60!”
Oh dear. Is this the level of maturity our society deserves from such powerful editors? I think not!!

What exactly is the problem, here?
Are turning 60 and looking happy and beautiful mutually exclusive? I sincerely hope not – if so the 5.5 million baby boomers heading toward their sixties might as well give up on good looks and happiness right now.

We know that many magazines and TV shows are based on the cult of celebrity, but it really is sad that what is supposed to be a “celebration” of older people is in fact a patronising, ignorant, often wilful misunderstanding of the beauty and wisdom and good looks which are commonplace for people aged 50, 60, 70, 80 and beyond. And for those who wish to view intelligent television highlighting the real achievements of older Australians, Andrew Denton’s Elders series is a great start. In fact it is hard to believe both Denton’s show and ACA were produced on the same planet.

It is said we get the politicians we deserve. Is it also true that we get the television we deserve? Until we rise up in our hundreds and thousands and share with the decision makers at all television stations that we think this type of reporting is gratuitous rubbish, then TV producers have every good reason to keep on serving it up!

What do you think?

Geoff’s Blog - Mistake on a mast

When Peter Garrett or Penny Wong blurb on our media about the virtues of Solar Power I have the “chuck bucket” ready. Have either of them a solar installation? A real one? I doubt it. If they had they would have experienced the total and utter unreliability of solar and wind where there is no back connection to the grid.

I guess that on the farm we have spent close to $70,000 for an installation using professionals all the way only to find that the equipment, the batteries, the exposure to the elements makes this a very dubious technology indeed. As part of our installation we had two wind turbines. Not only did they keep us and the neighbours awake at night, they became victims of lightning which struck at the very core of our system and took significant money and time to re-asses and replace.

That’s not the only thing. Over- zealous sales people (who talk more like religious fanatics than green-power professionals) sold us the wrong batteries for our installation, gave us, and recommended, an installer whose work had to be redone, etc, etc, ad nauseam. So P.G & P.W, get some first hand experience before you become such evangelists. The solar/wind cost per KW hour is something, which, if applied to a suburban household will have our beloved Kevin out on his ear in no time.

And another thing, as I was out preparing the mast for the new wind generator there was certainly no global warming, it was just above 0 degrees and the windchill reminded me of my time in the snows of Canada. So all in all, P.G and P.W for me, your credibility gets lower by the minute. It was probably not enhanced by my mood because I had to adjust the old wind mast guides to accommodate a new, heavier mast. My mistook. Grumble. Grumble. Fumble. Fumble.

Which, now I’m sitting in the comfort of the house at the computer, seems a little unfair (but only maybe) because here I am, taking out my frustrations on our elected’s who are probably easy targets.
And I am reminded of the parable about a man who owed a king’s ransom and who begged for time to pay from the monarch. Not only was he given time to pay, but the debt was wiped.

However, once out of the king’s presence, he saw a person who owed him a tiny debt, just enough to get him into court. Which he duly does and sells the family of the small debtor into penury and prison. This is observed by some of the king’s other servants and they duly report it. Where upon the tables are turned.

Perhaps I should grant P.G. and P.W. a little more slack. My green power frustrations are my business not theirs. I’m sure they mean well. However I do have a question of them.

At dinner last night we had a guest who works at a coal fired power station. He bulldozes the coal into the station. 25,000 tons per day. Assuming no CO2 capture or advanced technology, and being generous in that one ton of coal produces one ton of CO2 (it’s up to 3 times that), if Kevin, P.G and P.W set the carbon price at $20 per ton, that power station is going to be paying a tax to the aforementioned of $500,000+ per day ($182,000,000 p.a) to operate. What is that going to do for power bills? Is it my imagination or is the hoax on us because of some “ expert” scientists and the economist’s report?

We may all find ourselves owing a king’s ransom just for power and petrol to satisfy the government’s desire to lead the world in what is demanded of them by the global warming high priests who may be proven wrong when the ice age approaches in the next decade.. I somehow suspect that we won’t be getting our debts forgiven.

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