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You are wondering what the hell that picture is, aren’t you!
Go on, guess …
Any ideas?
OK, let me put you out of your misery …
Once upon a time, not so long ago, an environmental body in Australia declared that the whole nation – as an act of unity against global warming – should switch off the power in their homes at exactly 7:30pm.
Australia is quite good at this sort of thing [even if their commitment lasts only 60 seconds] so at exactly 7:30pm, people all around the country [well the bits that were actually dark] collectively reached for their fuse boxes and switched the buttons to ‘OFF’.
That is except my great friend, Tony van Oosten.
Yes ladies and gentlemen … the photo above is of his apartment – lights shining bright into the night sky of Manly, while all around him, conscientious residents have switched off their power for the good of mankind.
And what would make Tony act in such a careless, provocative manner?
Two words. The Bill.
You see as much as Tony is abit of a ‘greeny’, he loves following the weekly adventures of the coppers of ‘Sunhill’ even more.
And before you make any generalisations of character, please know this is a normal bloke … who has friends … drinks beer … has girlfriends … and has never played Second Life even once in his life!
The best bit is the person who took the photo [the wonderful Rich, Tony’s housemate] walked past a couple who were muttering about how “…the people in that house obviously don’t care about the environment” which is funny because if anyone is conscious about that sort of thing, it’s Rich.
So to Tony … for proving to the ad community that television still has incredible power over the masses … I bestow upon you the McDonalds award for Environmental Pollution, congratulations!
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Um, if I am not mistaken, didn’t you once pay to go on a tour of the areas where the Bill is filmed?
Comment by George April 11, 2007 @ 4:23 pmWhat the hell are you doing up at this time? Don’t tell me … one of the ‘beautiful nightmares’ is playing up!
Anyway, I did once pay money to go on a trip of the locations where The Bill [capital letters please] is filmed but I was young and needed the money. And before you say it, yes … I did once spend 72 hours over an Easter watching a re-run of The Bill from the pilot episode to the present day and again, I was young and needed the money.
Before I go, whilst I DON’T drink and HAVE played ‘Second Life’ … I do have friends and have had girlfriends [now a fiance] so I too cannot be characterised as one of those weirdo’s who don’t talk to people, wear only black, listen to Sepultura and masturbate while eating crisps.
Thank you.
Comment by Rob April 11, 2007 @ 4:29 pm1. Correct.
Comment by George April 11, 2007 @ 4:36 pm2. Sad.
3. Really sad.
4. That is open to debate.
This is a comment welcome post. I like this.
Comment by Marcus Brown April 11, 2007 @ 4:37 pmI agree Marcus, taking the piss out of Rob always is a cause for celebration and happiness.
Comment by George April 11, 2007 @ 4:44 pmHave to say your post was really wonderful and moving. My wife hasn’t been able to stop talking about it and she thinks blogging is pointless and self indulgent.
Thanks George, and regards to your wife.
Comment by Marcus Brown April 11, 2007 @ 4:50 pmGo and change some nappies Mr Daddy! 🙂
Please know that the reason I put this post up was NOT because I was concerned people would see my blog as being abit depressing because …
1 I couldn’t care aless if they did
2 I think it is a beautiful, heartfelt peice of writing that few people with blogs could write, let alone dare write
3 To me, the post actually is about how humanity can triumph over all and that is a cause of celebration.
The reason I put the post up was because my friend literally just told me about it and I thought it was funny. That’s all.
Without doubt I want more people to check out Marcus post because it is brilliant and should be an inspiration for more to liberate themselves of the troubles they’ve had in their lives … who knows, there’s a small, small chance it could help us all live an even happier, healthier life. Now wouldn’t that be amazing …
Comment by Rob April 11, 2007 @ 4:57 pmGod you are very proper to George aren’t you … especially when you say things like, “Say Hi to Jill, she’ll know you I am- I’m the cute one”. Ha.
Comment by Rob April 11, 2007 @ 4:58 pmThanks Rob. That means a lot. But please take a prozac.
Comment by Marcus Brown April 11, 2007 @ 4:59 pmHave I ever told you the time I got drunk on Strepsils?
Comment by Rob April 11, 2007 @ 5:09 pmThe strepsils episode. That was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.
Do it again, but wait till I’ve woken up in a few hours.
Comment by George April 11, 2007 @ 5:15 pmYes, quite …
Why has MY blog developed into the ‘Look At All The Daft Things Rob’s Done?’ How can that happen? It’s bloody amazing … ha!
Comment by Rob April 11, 2007 @ 5:18 pmIve never met a Sepultura fan who does that, and I know plenty of them… they wear black yes, but the rest..nah!
Strepsils??
The madness never ends!
Comment by Rob Mortimer April 11, 2007 @ 5:19 pmYou’re right Rob, it’s not Sepultura fans, it’s Norweigen Death Metal like Deicide and the like. Manic masturbators – the lot of them. Allegedly.
Comment by Robert April 11, 2007 @ 5:39 pmHaha, deicide are comedy Christian baiters. Surely no one could have an upsidedown cross on their forehead without a riotous sense of humour…
Comment by Rob Mortimer April 11, 2007 @ 5:47 pmIt could be worse, it could be Stryper, ha!
Comment by Robert April 11, 2007 @ 6:19 pmWell yes. Or Manowar…
Comment by Rob Mortimer April 11, 2007 @ 6:24 pmVenom? The Geordie mob?
Comment by Robert April 11, 2007 @ 6:30 pmSo. strepsils??
Comment by Rob Mortimer April 11, 2007 @ 6:34 pmAnother day … hahaha … only because I have a meeting to go to, not because it highlights me as an even bigger fool than you think I am, ha!
Comment by Rob April 11, 2007 @ 7:09 pmIm saying nothing 😉
Comment by Rob Mortimer April 11, 2007 @ 7:13 pmgood morning all. what a strange post and comment thread this is! i laughed when i read about The Bill overriding all concern for environmental causes, but your friend still deserves a drubbing because I know that The Bill is repeated on Tuesdays here and surely that would have sufficed for one week?!
PS – rob, i saw your beloved Mika on Jules Holland for the first time last night and now i know why you like the poor fella. He’s Queen minus the yellow jumpsuit and handlebar moustache! Condolences.
Comment by lauren April 12, 2007 @ 8:49 amLauren … you obviously are NOT a ‘Bill’ lover as the Tuesday night episode is NOT a repeat but a whole new episode. Or at least it was when I lived in Oz and if it’s changed, I will personally lobby ABC to sort it out on behalf of my dear mate Tony.
As for sending me condolences for Mika, that’s kind of you – I know it’s an illness but we all have our issues don’t we! Ha
Comment by Rob April 12, 2007 @ 9:19 amUPDATE ON THIS STORY:
The whole ‘turn-your-lights-off’ experiment saved the carbon generated by SIX cars!
So everyone turned off their lights for an hour and it saved the equivalent of 6 cars worth of pollution.
The question [posed by Rich, the photographer on the above post] is…
“Wouldn’t it have been better to take all the money spent on advertising (including the trees that would still be standing if they didn’t need that extra page in the newpaper) and put that into planting a forest?
Surely that would have taken something like 100 cars worth of carbon out of the air every year for the next 50 years!”
Good point, Rich … but then you know how much companies and organisations like to make ‘a statement’ even if that statement is fundamentally flawed!
Comment by Rob April 12, 2007 @ 12:14 pmhang on – 6 cars? I heard that the STATE’s electricity usage was reduced by 10% that night by shutting off the CBD for just an hour – it seems a hell of a lot more than 6 cars’ worth – and not just reduction in pollution, but usage of natural resources too. not that i’m disagreeing that planting another forest would do a hell of a lot, but a forest takes 50 years to develop. this took 1 hour in 1 city in 1 country.
Comment by lauren April 12, 2007 @ 2:08 pmand perhaps this about changing habits, rather than just relying on mother nature again to clean up our dirty work.
i thought there would have been far more shitty things to be cynical about than a populist effort towards environmental repair.
Don’t shoot the messenger … hahaha!
In all seriousness, as much as 6 cars seems a very small figure, I also think 10% is pretty high .
The trouble with these things is that you never actually know who is actually coming clean [excuse the pun] – but regardless of that, I do think any effort is worthwhile, I just hope it is more than a random occurance and people appreciate and understand the real meaning behind their actions rather than just wanting to ‘appear’ like they care.
I was going to say I like you more when you’re angry … but I don’t want to sound like Andy! 🙂
Comment by Robert April 12, 2007 @ 2:24 pmi’ve got a fucking cold. i’m grumpy. sorry – shooting messengers is a past time when i’m like this.. he he…
Comment by lauren April 12, 2007 @ 2:30 pmyou and andy are married, eventually you’ll begin to sound like each other, i wouldn’t let it bother you :).. now.
i’m going to grump off to bed and hopefully wake up with clear sinuses. like magic.
Well you should be ill more often, you’re far more interesting, EXCEPT WHEN YOU SAY ANDY AND I ARE RELATED … then that’s just mean.
Get better me duck [as they say in Nottingham] and look forward to more pissed-off behaviour soon.
Comment by Rob April 12, 2007 @ 2:42 pmjust for today, rob, i’m going to try and ignore the fact that you’ve pretty much said that i’m dull and boring most of the time…
Comment by lauren April 12, 2007 @ 6:04 pmHave I? Oh bugger …
Well you’re the greatest dull and boring design bod I know. Better?
Comment by Rob April 12, 2007 @ 6:21 pm