iPhone therefore iAm ? #2

Today the iPhone 4 was released in Australia. For my opinions on such displays of human covetousness please read my post of July 12, 2008. The queues were surprising considering the iPhone 4 apparently has reception ‘issues’ and doesn’t work as it says on the box. I think I’ll stick to my iPhone 3g for a while longer, until the issues are resolved (and I am out of contract). I’ll let the early adopters throw away perfectly good existing 3g iPhones and fork out massive termination fees for their breaking their contracts all so they can be the first (among thousands) to own the latest (partially defective) status symbol*.

*Written whilst shaking head in despair at the gullibility of the human race and its innate weakness in the face of rampant and strategic, manipulative, cynical marketing.

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!

In this year's Australian budget $625 million was allocated for the environment. A noble course, and what you might think is a fair amount of money, until you look at the money allotted to sport - $1.2 billion. I am disgusted. Even for a country obsessed with sport (sport being, in my humble opinion, a pointless exercise to keep the unimaginative occupied) there is something manifestly and abhorrently wrong about this. As much as I like many aspects of this country, there is still a lot wrong with the attitude here. On reflection though, I imagine this type of governmental funding disparity is unique to Australia.

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!

The Australia Day national holiday this year falls on a Tuesday, tomorrow in fact. A good opportunity for many to take a long weekend by having Monday off as annual leave. Not me though. I made the effort and went in to the office. In fact it’s a good day to do it. The trains are almost deserted and the whole city seems to be in a holiday mood.

As I write these words thousands of generation Y kids will be excitedly preparing their Aussie flags ready for wrapping around themselves tomorrow, making sure they have plenty of VB in the drinks fridge and using facebook to plan where to go to be loud, drunk and annoying with their friends.

I’m best off staying at home tomorrow I think… Luckily I have neither a large Australian flag or a desire to be insincerly patriotic in public.