(Re)Entry

[active_apathy]

Today in Australia was marked by a fearsome display of nationalism...

which I carefully avoided, because nationalism is Not My Thing.

I have a singular lack of news today unless you've developed an unhealthy interest in my laundry basket, or in Murphy breaking in to sit and watch while I have a nap.

So, in closing, icon! 13 days to go... and I'm apparently in the running to win a Serenity poster bearing the signature of the One True Joss. Yay for not picking the slipcase. :D

Comments

[arib.livejournal.com]

What's the cause of the whacky nationalistic display?

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

It's Australia Day. We celebrate English people parking their boats in Sydney Cove for a bit.

[arib.livejournal.com]

I should have remembered this from high school.

See, when I was in tenth grade (sophomore year of high school, most kids are 15, I was 16,) my history teacher was Australian, and would occasionally throw in interesting little bits about Australian history. One day, on my way to school, I heard that today was Thomas Crapper Day, the anniversary of the birth of Thomas Crapper, the inventor of the flush toilet.

That day, in history class, the teacher asked us if we knew what today was. I proudly raised my hand and announced "Thomas Crapper Day!"

Boy, was I wrong... It was also Australia Day, and my teacher was not amused. :-)

[arib.livejournal.com]

Corrections:

Anniversary of his death. Also, he didn't invent the flush toilet, just popularized its use.

[active-apathy.livejournal.com]

Generally, it's not an incredibly important event. A whole heap of people get to bang on about how much they love the place, while wearing flags on every available surface (or using them for hairsticks) and somehow managing to look sane or normal.

It is a somewhat important event for migrants, since all citizenship ceremonies occur on Australia Day.

[deepfishy.livejournal.com]

It is a somewhat important event for migrants, since all citizenship ceremonies occur on Australia Day.

Or any other day one's local council/whatever can be bothered organising a ceremony, of course. But I guess becoming a citoyen on Australia Day is more exciting.

Plus, where's the percentage in putting citizenship ceremonies on the news daily/weekly/monthly, when you could be devoting time to explosions and riots and celebrities? It's so much easier to throw a quick shot of them into the patriotic montage that is Jan 26.