random newsbites

Today was one of the first days in a long while I turned on the radio, just for kicks, and I hear in the news the overly discussed subject of the civil service pay increase. The phrase 'fairly paid' was repeated like some mind-numbing, not so subliminal message. What does 'fair' anyway? It's such an un-thought about word. I don't think the factory workers or the starving artists who think of 'fair' as equitable distribution of wealth would agree with the phrase. But then again, since The Powers say it, that it must be fair. We as The Powers' People (not the people with power), have the heroic ability to internalise The Powers' words and values.

Whatever.

Currently I'm wondering about the recent spate of train-meet-human accidents. My mother says her colleague saw the recent accident of the man who got head injuries because the train banged his head. Duh. In her words, 'my colleague saw the blood fly'. It's almost like trains have morphed into stealth killers whose Modus Operandi involves huge magnets that vacuums people off the platform to splat them on the tracks, blood and innards and all.

Heard another fascinating piece about the father of two twins in England who became a father at the age of 12. His girlfriend at that time was 16. Now he's 20, and his twins are 8. I know of friends with siblings that age, not children. But I think that's cool. Too bad about the lost childhood though, but childhood is overrated. It really sucks being a kid these days. My small cello students keep getting the sniffles because of work overload, or so they claim. The 8 year old Chatterbox complains that he has no time to play Club Penguin because of his Kumon Math, piano, wakeboarding, gymnastics etc. (I left 'cello' out because he doesn't practice.)

A side note on my dismal Club Penguin membership thing: It is a major blow to my self esteem, when 5 year old kids know more about it than I do, and whose penguin has money, clothes, hats and badges, and knows the best way of making money.

"Fishing is very fun but the money is very little. Making pizza is very boring but you earn a lot of money". (this is a very articulate kid)

"Really ah!" (this is a not so articulate me)

"My penguin's name is Flippy Floppy. Meet me on American Freezer!"

My penguin's name is cellistic and it is purple. It has no clothes and no money and no job and not hats and no badges. It doesn't have a job because it doesn't know that it needs one.

That might be because I runs away from all the penguins that try to talk to me. I've attempted to log on to 'Snow Angel' but it was too scary and I got lost, and didn't know what to do so I logged out. What an antisocial penguin I am.