Robertson Big Spud Face on YouTube

Well, this story is bigger than Ben Hur!

Today I was interviewed about it on the local ABC Radio by Nick Rheinberger, (which by reports went well). I was also contacted by the local Newspaper (Southern Highland News). We shall see how that comes out on Wednesday.

The SHN reporter, who it seems is new to the Paper, and to the Southern Highlands, asked me if the Council had taken down the "Big Spud Face"?
My brother and a friend who was with me at the time said that I blurted out an unprintable comment, along the lines that it has nothing to do with the Council, and "besides they wouldn't f....'ing-well know where Robertson is.....". Something like that, anyway.
I wouldn't have said that --- surely not?

The artists who put up the Big Spud Face were keen to monitor the public reaction to it, so they set up a time-elapsed video in a strategic location where they could monitor visitors and their reaction to it.

Here is a link to the video which is now available on YouTube.

I am pleased to say that my little blue Daihatsu Feroza 4WD vehicle is in frame for the first 8 seconds of the video. But just look at the number of people who swarmed all around the Big Spud, and took photos of themselves in front of the Face.

This is very gratifying to see, and is great evidence of the popularity of the Big Spud Face.

The artists are considering revealing their identity to the Southern Highlands News, if the story is treated sympathetically this week. Lets hope it is.

Another day, another Cricket.

The "Cricket" is driving me nuts! Who really cares about how quickly we beat the Indians? Will it be 3 and a half days or 4, or will they drag it out to 5? Save me! It is boring stuff, and when the Cricket is on, all the other stations take that as a sign to show other uninteresting rubbish, like the Hopman Cup (which is an artificially contrived Tennis tournament, between teams no-one cares about, for a prize no-one knows about.) And the less said about Rich Men Showing off the Size of their Spinnakers, the better. The only good news on that front was that one contender's boat fell apart before it even got here.

So, lets talk about Crickets again - Real Crickets - Insects, Grasshopper relatives, sometimes winged, (but not in this Species), with strong legs, powerful jaws and huge antennae. It is the antennae which impressed me when I took these images, and I have marked in yellow the tips of the antennae. Click on the images to enlarge them, so you can see the very long, fine antennae properly.

These images were taken on 15 November, in a patch of warm weather we were having at the time. That was before the mist and drizzle (which is still with us) closed in on us. This Cricket had climbed up a stem of one of my Herbaceous Peonies (from which I had cut the flower).

In the top image, the antennae are spread - wide, left and right.
And in this second image, the antennae are held one up, one down. I am always impressed with an insect whose antennae are many times longer than its own body. And they are so completely adjustable. And this insect lives down a burrow, so what does it do with its antennae then? Another of the mysteries of the Nature of Robertson.
I didn't publish these images yesterday, as I thought that perhaps I had published them at the time they were taken, but events apparently overtook me, and I appear not to have published them before.

As with yesterday's images, this is the Illawarra Raspy Cricket, (Apotrechus illawarra).

Race riots - the role of the Media?

I have been unable to avoid reports from Sydney radio of supposed "Race riots" in Sydney yesterday (they were in my ears this morning before I was truly conscious).
I do not condone whatever violence did take place yesterday (and I refuse to publish links to any media sites on this subject). However, I object even more to Talk-Back Radio, especially the ABC's own flagship station, 702 in Sydney, allowing idiot talk-back callers to promote their prejudices on the open air waves.

This foggy day photo is symbolic of the Media's foggy mind, today! Dark looming ominous shadows - seem more dangerous than they really are.

We all know there are stupid people out there, but should the ABC give them the use of the broadcast media to spread their ignorant views? (Blogs are more appropriate for voicing one's personal opinion.)

I am going to boycott the ABC's news broadcasts (and chat shows) for another week. It isn't much, but it is the only way I can punish them for being so un-ethical and un-professional. I have only just restored my "patronage" after my previous personal boycott last week, regarding the Media's feeding-frenzy over the execution in Singapore. I do so hope they took notice!

If you think the Media's job is to "report" such events, just remember that they spent all last week "reporting" that people were trying (via SMS text messages) to promote a brawl on the weekend. Surprise, Surprise. It happened.

At what point does the Media cease to be an observer, and a commentator, and become a participant?

Lets have more clarity of vision, please.

Call me a naive

and sentimental fool,

if you will,

but I feel

one has to try something.

Denis - Robertson's own Fool on the Hill

"Well on his way his head in a cloud,

The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud

But nobody ever hears him,

Or the sound he appears to make, ....."

(Lyrics by Paul McCartney. Performed by "The Beatles")