Go Austrayyyaaaaa!!
posted by Sarah @ 7:30 am
8 comments
Sunday, March 19, 2006
On this day:
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- Name: Sarah
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
I’m nothing but a chocolate loving, puppy hugging, martini sipping, left wing, wishful thinking, Domestic Goddess
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8 Comments:
Ok, yes, I am not doubting that it is excellent that Australia is, as always, leaving the competition for dead. And don't get me wrong, I am very proud of my second-home country. But really, who do you expect to do better...Australia or the Isle of Man..? Is it really a fair competition or a self-congratulatory self-honourship-fest by a country which pours WAY too much money into sport rather than into perhaps more important public interests such as education or health care.
Let me use this site to vent my feelings on a particular example of this lunicy.
In 2004, the ex-captain of the Australian cricket team won the honourable title of 'Australian of the Year' over Fiona Wood, a pioneering Western Autralian doctor who created the technology for spray-on skin that saved the lives and treated the burns of many many victims of the Bali Bombings. Whats going on?? What do we value more? Yes, Fiona Wood may have been 'Australian of the Year' 2005, but that is just comming in second best. This sends out a clear message to all Australians that we value a man who can bat and bowl a ball more than we value a person who would go to the ends of the earth to save lives. Clearly in the eyes of the powers-that-be, curing burns and saving lives is not as important as bringing home a trophy.
No doubt someone who disagrees with me would use the justification that being a excellent sporting nation gives us a sense of national pride... Do we think that researchers the nation over are proud of this though? What about those public servants who are working 16 hour shifts while cricketers are off on over-seas jaunts drinking and eating too much while cheating on their wives (I am speaking of one prominent cricketer here, obviously)? Do they have national pride?
Yes, go aussie go, but don't forget the cost.
(Incidently, does anyone actually believe that Ian Thorpe is too sick to compete?).
You raise a good point, sis. And Australia wonders why they have a brain drain - all the PhDs bugger off to countries of the sporting underdogs to get some quality research done with decent funding.
Its a conspiracy, Thorpe is not there because someone found out he wears pearls!
Not that Canada is a sporting underdog peeps!! You guys have best winter Olympics team ever!!!
Click here and here to see Ian Thorpe wearing Pearls
I used to think that Ian was a bit saucey, you know...a bit of alright...but now...I dont know what to say. His good looks have gone the way of his swimming career.
So, again, how much have australian tax payers contributed to the likes of Ian Thrope and Grant Hackett etc so we can cheer them on at the games and rub their victories in the noses of the rest of the world? But, where are they? "too sick to swim"- what crap. And what are the remaining Aussie men doing in the pool?? This is not a Sunday stroll people!
Jojo, we here at the little things believe you are a joy to have on this blog. Come back and visit often!
oh fine then
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