Tomorrow is April 25th, known in Australasia as ANZAC day. It's probably the closest thing to a holy day either country has, and has long been touted as an example of how the trans-Tasman sniping masks an underlying fraternal affection, forged in the fires of war. As a committed supranationalist, I've long believed this to be un crock de merde, and today, the hominid(?) currently serving as OZ PM confirmed my cynical suspicions.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3258475a10,00.html.
Worthy of note in this sorry story is that, despite the generally low esteem in which Howard is held in the prisoner isle, no word of outcry has been heard from that side of the ditch.
Referring to Air Marshal Ferguson, the news story to which Max refers us sez:
"He said it was an emotional time and Gallipoli was becoming a right of passage for young people, particularly those going there for the first time."
"Right of passage"? I always thought they spoke English is New Zealand.
Actually it is right of passage. This comes from the instructions that were posted in the crowded corridors of troop ships to prevent collisions in the dark between those who were used to keeping to the left of the passageway and those who grew up keeping right of passage(way).
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There's a particularly uncomfortable rung of Purgatory reserved for guys like you, TEd.
I went to a gig by June Tabor a few weeks back - she was in great form with her customary excellent musicians playing tightly - but by half time it was apparent that she was playing a new set, with no reruns of older material. I slpped backstage in the interval (taking advantage of my privileged position in the theatre I founded!) and made a special plea in the name of Zild friends that she sing the spine tingling lament by Eric Bogle
And the Band Played Walzing Matilda.
I have her version of this playing now in honour of all the pain and suffering of those times; may we
never forget, as you say max, the supranational lessons.
http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/matilda.html
Subtle, Fr. Steve, very subtle. I can feel my ears burning.
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There's a particularly uncomfortable rung of Purgatory reserved for guys like you, TEd.
Ooo, ooo, can we watch, please? From a suitable height, of course. Harps optional.
Actually, Mav, Eric Bogle was one of those enigmas wrapped up in a riddle. He was actually Scottish. We saw him in concert at some point (or at least I did). My wife loves his music and has several tapes of his stuff.
TEd writes: "Subtle, Fr. Steve, very subtle."
Sometimes my thoughts and their expression are so subtle that even I miss all of the nuances contained therein. It is a blessing or a curse?
google has recognised ANZAC day, at both google.com.au and google.co.nz
> actually Scottish
Yes, I know, Pfranz - the page I linked to gives his potted bio. It seemed particularly appropriate to me, given that many try to conjure nationalistic fervour out of these kind of occasions, that I could use the music of a guy who was born in one country, settled in another and who can empathise with the experiences that were also common to young Zild men of that far away era. I also like the title to his other famous song, also on that link: No Man's Land.
This thread seems to be much ado about nothing. I'm sure that once Mr Howard realises that he may have upset or offended NZ, he'll say sorry.
Gallipoli was, of course, a famous Aussie defeat. It seems that at least some Aussies have conceded defeat in another long-running war. The truth will out:
http://maxqnzs.com/pav.jpg
Oh, come on, Maxie, not a chance. They don't give up that easily ...
Vernon, you're exactly right. Of course John Howard, that fair-minded and liberal individual, will say "Sorry!" once he realises that he may have, in the heat of some moment, somewhere, given some slight offence to his friends across the ditch. And it will be raining $1000 notes and pigs will fly. What a day it will be!
$1000 notes
Would they be enough for me to buy the emoticons I ought to have used to clarify my post?
don't worry Vern, I recognised your tone :)
But a 'flying pigirony' emoticon would be handy, wouldn't it?!
In reply to:
don't worry Vern, I recognised your tone :)
Thank you. At times I almost get an eery feeling that you somehow know the real me, as it were.
> as it were
So shall it be...
hey, speaking of pigs have you joined in our occasional games of Hogwash? ~ I bet you'd do twice as well as most of us :)
Umm ... Vernon, I was agreeing with you and reinforcing your view ...
Very nice, Mav. Wish I had the kind of ability to make a pun like that.
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I got an unasked-for apology for Howard's boorishness from an Australian colleague today. I was very appreciative!
In reply to:
I got an unasked-for apology for Howard's boorishness from an Australian colleague today. I was very appreciative!
It seems that a lot of Australians do a quite a lot of apologising for Howard's being. Maybe he's their revenge for our giving them Joh Bjelke?