2011 Home
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December 24
Tens of thousands of people turn out on the streets of Moscow, St Petersburg and other cities throughout Russia demonstrating their support for condoms as the only democratic way to go to prevent more demonstrations in the future. This, as reported by the authorities, and given enormous credence by widespread Television coverage, underlines the Russian people's undying adulation for Batman, Robin, the siloviki and the rest of his neo-commie supporters far and wide.
Back in Sydney staying with relatives for Christmas I'm trying to guage just how serious a blow this is for the Russian opposition parties (who were nowhere on the streets to be seen) and their bid to turn Russia into a rich and free, liberal paradise modelled on the immensely succesful British economy of the 21st century. As faithfully noted by by Merryl Streep in her new movie about the unrelenting war she waged in the 1980's against the Nanny State, Europe and everyone else who could possibly get in the way of her future British nirvana, "cutting off the oxygen of their publicity" was paramount. But the mandatory use of condoms to supress such ridiculous liberal fantasies saves time and bullets. This, of course, the old KGB hand well knows. But getting Putin's supporters to take to the streets boldly advocating this strategy in front of an estimated global television audience of billions, just before Christmas, was a master stroke. Setting an example for the rest of the world, the uprisings in the Arab world, the sporadic but quickly suppressed outbreaks of unrest in China, the recent outreach by the Burmese military junta... there's a lesson in there to be learnt by all of them.
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December 19
The new film from Lars Von Trier has been widely dismissed by many critics as pretentious rubbish, unworthy of the Danish film maker's stature. Apart from some jaw-dropping visuals, particularly in the opening 5 minutes, they say Melancholia is nothing more than an overwrought, over-long display of actress Kirsten Dunst's suffering from acute melancholia, while a previously unknown planet (named Melancholia) heads for an imminent collision with Earth. Furthermore, the critics say, the preposterous storyline and the irritating dialogues that drag on and on during the wedding in particular, coupled with the extensive use of the hand-held camera technique through much of the movie, are all enough to make anyone doze off or get up and walk out in disgust.
I disagree.
And let me say that my contrary stance has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that approximately half way through the film, at the point where a much lesser person would have given up and left or gone to sleep, we are suddenly confronted with a stunning, breathtakingly-beautiful visual of the naked Dunst, as she writhes in a semi-orgasmic reverie before the glow of the approaching moon, her glorious natural assets bathed in its wonderfully radiant light.
No, my fond regard for the movie had nothing to do with this scene.
But I can't think of anything else to say about it except that the film ends (Warning: SPOILER follows) with the entire cast members absolutely wasted by the rogue planet.
Speaking to an elderly, mildly dotty member of the audience on the way out I discover that it was actually her mobile that went off behind me during the movie, waking me up in the nick of time just before the nudie scene. She was extremely apologetic but I was more than happy to reward her with a Gin & Tonic or two at Gusto da Gianni on the quay nearby.
Did she enjoy the movie too? I ask.
Crap, she answers.
What about the ending when they were all wiped out?
Serves them f***g right, she says as she gulps down the second G&T.
And that was that.
Back to the real world.
A number of famous people really have died this passed week. Christopher Hitchins, the equally inestimable Vaclav Havel - and now we hear it is North Korea's Kim Jong Il that has snuffed it. It seems that the dear leader had suddenly decided he'd had enough. Or at least his heart did. Overwork, was the initial official explanation. If this is true, one can only assume that it was the overwork caused by trying to salve his conscience from the millions of his fellow countrymen that he and his father before him have enslaved or starved to death.
His fat and very stupid looking son has previously been nominated as successor. If not, then a transitional committee of a bunch of other remaining lunatics will take over.
Fortunately for us, those currently in charge here in Canberra are not necessarily all lunatics and I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that none of them have nuclear weapons. Certainly not the delightful, always-smiling Sarah Hanson-Young, who found herself once again having to defend her party's policy opposition to off-shore processing of refugees and at the same time denying this ridiculous stance had anything to do with the latest boat-people tragedy. Over 180 people are feared to have drowned off Java on their way to Australia a few days ago.
Maybe the reason why this idealogue is always smiling is that she's not working hard enough.
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