I have decided this year that I am not going to send any Christmas Cards. I believe this is an anachronistic and wasteful practice that is contributing to global warming, the destruction of the Amazonian rainforests, the propping up of inefficient postal systems, the extinction of Koalas and the popularity of Sarah Palin.
As I write a Blog four times each week (sometimes five if Merisi hounds me) I will reward the readers with Christmas Greetings closer to the event. Those who do not read the Blog can make their own arrangements but don’t bother looking in the letter box for a card from Wien to bright your otherwise dull and stultifying existences.
If you are looking forward to a card from me then you have confirmed my long held suspicions about you.
Of course I expect cards. As someone who has bored you witless with 278 Blogs I expect some sort of reward and the thought of you writing a card to Badger in Wien and then coughing up for the significant postage is a small reward for my efforts.
I received from William an invitation to join Google Wave. It’s a bit hard to explain – sort of like real time chat but with the ability to do much more. It is in beta so there is a lot of development to be done but it looks like fun.
Like all new web developments it is designed for younger people so someone like me spends an inordinate amount of time trying to do the most simple tasks. For example – it took me two days to work out how to bookmark my Wave page – and the solution was blushingly simple. I will plod along and get the hang of it.
I had a chat with Lenny on Wave and he pointed me in the direction of some excellent YouTube videos – one of which I will share with you cat aficionados.
Spaghetti Cat
Cate and I saw the Messiah last night (no it is not rapture time – we went to see the performance at the Wiener Konzerthaus conducted by Emmanuelle Haim). It was very different to those which we have seen in the past – but sensational.
There was a choir of 20 – compared with 600 to which we are accustomed in the Sydney Opera House – but those 20 sang their hearts out and lacked for nothing.
The Baritone (correction:Bass) looked like a gangster and was busting out of his suit - as was the pregnant Mezzo-Soprano (correction Soprano) but gave an excellent performance. He went very red in the face a few times and I thought he might pop a valve – but he came through nicely.
And the Soprano (correction: Alto) was a man (and therefore a Countertenor) – and not a particularly good looking one. I had trouble with this for a while and spent a long time wondering if they still have Castrati here.
Emmanuelle is a bit distracting to watch as she conducts like she has Tourette Syndrome so I focused on the bass drummer who apparently spent the entire evening reading the sports section of Der Standard (when I say the whole evening he did rouse himself during the Hallelujah Chorus and the closing bits).
We met Richard who writes about music at:
viennesewaltz
(which has nothing at all to do with waltzes – Viennese or otherwise - so try not to be too disappointed when you get there).
We were his guide as to when to stand up but this did not happen. No one stirred at the start of the Hallelujah Chorus so we stayed glued to our seats – which did seem rather strange.
Deadliest Catch is a ‘reality’ show about crab fishermen in the Bering Sea. It is not the usual type of ‘reality’ show in that it is actually a real documentary.
Cameramen go out on the boats and watch crab fishermen work their clackers off, catch crabs, freeze, survive mountainous seas, icebergs, ferocious winds, giant killer octopuses (OK I made that one up) - and drown. It is strangely compelling to watch this and the best time to do it is when the weather outside is appalling - preferably sleet and howling winds.
Cate and I will sit in front of the fire with the cats and watch this and wonder why we are so lucky. I might finally get the last two panels of my Koala quilt done and ready for the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2010.
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- Happy New Year Everybody
- Kakapo Artificial Insemination a 2009 Success
- Gott nytt år!
- It's the last day
- Art Trap
- Spiral Icon
- Inside Bubble Bobble
- Varför börja lagom när man kan börja med sällskap?
- Racing Year in Review
- Halsrapport
- Manhattan Paleolimnology
- En hals som förstör
- Kontraster
- Rousseau and Echolocation
- Harrietsham 10k
- Week Ending Dec. 27
- Re-shaping
- Sluggish and meandering
- Saltwood Boxing Day Run
- Playlist - 26th December 2009
- Snöigt
- Mystery of Amazon Manatee Migration Solved
- In Memoriam
- The Shining movie poster
- Min julafton
- Music for Landscapes
- God jul!
- Julen är här
- Merry Christmas and have a cup of Civet Poo!
- Jeez Louise and Thomas Sabo
- På plats i värmlandsskogen
- East Kent Sea and Countryside
- Merry voXelMas!
- Banana flavoured Cinnamon Chips Mmmm!
- Across the ocean
- Julledig!
- Stephen Fry on Operation Rhino
- The Ducks gave Cate the cold shoulder
- Leviathan: An Interview with Richard Mosse
- Geospatial Holograms
- En vit jul?
- Muscatatuck
- The Burj Dubai as Storm Machine
- Week Ending Dec 20
- Både bra och dåligt
- Crash State
- Dance and show us your miracles!
- Playlist - 19th December 2009
- Med solen i ögonen
- On Bombs and Preservation
- VIERNES
- A User's Guide to New York City pt. 2: Street Vend...
- A User's Guide to New York City pt. 1: Tenants' Ri...
- And the winners are!!!!
- Don't skip in Landstrasser-Hauptstrasse
- Technabob logo redesign
- Overweight
- Recent Site Change
- A PHOTO STORY BY REED + RADER
- An Ocea of calm
- Merry Christmas !
- THE FIRST DAYS OF SPRING - A FILM BY NOAH AND THE ...
- China, Iran, Myanmar, Australia
- CANDIE - POSITIVE MAGAZINE
- PHOTOGRAPHY OF GALA COLLETTE
- WASHED OUT - BELONG VIDEO
- PHOTOGRAPHY OF SANDY KIM
- Best New Blogs of 2009
- Love in the Time of Home Quarantine
- Pica-sso
- Napoleon did not have this much trouble!
- They might be Golden Crowned Hornswoggles
- Cracking the Planet
- Pirate Radio Speleology
- And a little child shall lead them (and my giveaway!)
- Christmas Classic 4 Miler
- Week Ending Dec 13
- Playlist - 12th December 2009 - Funkology
- HOT CHIP - ONE LIFE STAND
- ART OF COREY SMITH
- Editorial cartoons
- We would like to talk to you about the bible
- Northern White Rhinos Returning to Africa?
- Blog catchup time
- HEALTH LIVE VIDEOS AND INTERVIEW
- It's time to Butt Out
- Ninja christmas
- MEMORYHOUSE - TO THE LIGHTHOUSE
- CANDIE - STIMULUS RESPOND "SKIN"
- Eat the Earth
- PORTISHEAD - CHASE THE TEAR
- When a door closes
- TIMES NEW VIKING - BORN AGAIN REVISITED
- Get the Rat Hat ready
- Blackout
- Don't stand during the Messiah
- Make Mine a Minaret
- How To: Seed Grenade
- Welcome to the Sultans Suite
- Agenda
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