Bytes

Saturday, November 20, 2021

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

MORE ABOUT ‘THE GOOD OLD DAYS’ . . .

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A few days ago I posted an item headed ‘Today’s Reality’, sample:

Lots of friends on Facebook

No best friends

High IQ

Less emotions

Advanced medicine

Poor health

That was followed by a series of pics that had been sent to me, pics that looked back at days gone by and bemoaned comparison with today.

I also mentioned that I was not a fan of looking back through rose coloured glasses, that we perceive only goods times lost and are blind to the bad things of the past.

So it is ironic that friend and colleague Leo M sent the chat group of which I am a member an email headed This Is So True and doing just that. This touched off some responses and exchanges from other members in the group, posted below.

I would be interested in what others think.

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Leo’s email:

This Is So True

A Bit of Nostalgia

My mum used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread butter on bread on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food poisoning.

Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not in ice pack coolers, but I can't remember getting e. Coli

Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in a creek, the lake or at the beach instead of a pristine chlorinated pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then either?

We all took PE ..... And risked permanent injury with a pair of Dunlop sandshoes, bare feet if you couldn't afford the runners instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors that cost as much as a small car. I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now.

We got the cane or the strap for doing something wrong at school, they used to call it discipline yet we all grew up to accept the rules and to honour & respect those older than us.

We had at least 40 kids in our class and somehow we all learned to read and write, do maths and spell almost all the words needed to write a grammatically correct letter......., FUNNY THAT!!

We all said prayers in school irrespective of our religion, sang the national anthem and saluted the Flag and no one got upset.

Staying in detention after school netted us all sorts of negative attention we wish we hadn't got.

And we all knew we had to accomplish something before we were allowed to be proud of ourselves.

I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations. We weren't!!

Don t even mention about the rope swing into the river or climbing trees.

Oh yeah ... And where were the antibiotics and sterilisation kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed!

We played "King of the Castle" on piles of dirt or gravel left on vacant building sites and when we got hurt, mum pulled out the 2/6p bottle of iodine and then we got our backside spanked. Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10 day dose of antibiotics and then mum calls the lawyer to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.

To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that? We never needed to get into group therapy and/or anger management classes. We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac!

SOME OF US SHARED THIS ERA.

AND TO ALL WHO DIDN'T, SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR ANYTHING!

Remembering that life's most simple pleasures are very often the best.

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Speaking of swinging on ropes . . .

When I was 16 I swung across a creek in the bush where we lived and the rope broke. I broke my leg and, being on my own, crawled home a half kilometre or more. I was in a plaster cast from crutch to toe for 16 weeks and it left me with a leg shortening that causes me problems to this day.

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A response to Leo by Sam S:

Bullshit.

We all grew up in the same era and I defy anyone to say that if it were possible, he would want to revert back to those days of ignorance, racial and sexual discrimination, leaded petrol, the prevalence and tacit acceptance of wife and child-beating (despite what we hear these days about domestic violence), sexual molestation of young people because shamefully, there was no public hue and cry about it back then, etc etc etc.

For those that want to feel nostalgic about the good old days, good luck to you but you do know that Vegemite is still stocked on the supermarket shelves, don’t you?

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Reply to Sam by Tony G:

Sam che cazzo ? When did you first start feeling like this ??? I know some good therapists !!!

You certainly won’t be known as THE SENTIMENTAL BLOKE !!!

Have you read that Novel ?

Might be worthwhile.

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A response from Sam:

It’s fashionable among the older generation to reminisce on what things were like when they were young and consider them as the good old days. What a load of crap.

It’s our generation and those of our predecessors who have fucked up this planet for our children and their children. So where is the “good” in the old days that are we are referring to?

Don’t get me started.

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A response by Tony:

Which older generation ? Ours ? We are unfortunately Three Score and Ten and heading to eighty !!! It is our children's and grand childrens time now !!

I never think of the past except for when I am recalling my late parents who have been gone for many years.

I don't remember any of our cohort sentimentalising at our dinners or reminiscing about the past (only occasions are when Vince and Leo are sending around this type of revisit email).

I am with you---- but no use looking back with anger. It is non productive as is being sentimental.

But doesn't mean we can’t listen to the music of 60s, 70s etc with great pleasure.

Do you remember the Rita Pavone song- Giovane Giovane ??

One chorus is "Giorno per Giorno"-- that is how life is- day by day. In the moment.

Am I rambling a bit ?

Got an appointment with my therapist tomorrow morning.

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One final thought . . .

Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory.

Franklin Pierce Adams

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Friday, November 19, 2021

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

FUNNY FRIDAY

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Welcome to Funny Friday and some humour to introduce the weekend. Enjoy readers but there are some risque and some non-PC items ahead so proceed at yown risk.

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SOME HUMOUR:

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Recently, a fortune teller told me that in about 12 years I would suffer terrible heartbreak.

So, to cheer myself up, I went and bought a puppy.

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Telling a joke is like cheating on someone.

Trying to explain it just makes it worse.

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The teacher asked one of her young students if he knew his numbers. "Yes," he said. "I do. My father taught me." "Good. What comes after three?" "Four," answers the boy. "What comes after six?" "Seven." "Very good," says the teacher. "Your dad did a good job. What comes after ten?"

"A jack," says the little boy.

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I bought a Jehovah's Witnesses advent calendar today.

Behind every door someone tells you to fuck off.

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If you are a really excellent fisherman and you do it all the time they call you a master fisherman…

But, what if you are only really good at baiting the hook?

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A Northern Territory farm hand radios back to the farm manager.

"Boss, I gotta helluva problem here. I hit a pig with the truck. The pig's ok, but he's stuck in the bullbars at the front of my truck and is wriggling and squealing so much I can't get him out."

The manager says, "Ok, there's a .303 rifle behind the seat. Take it, shoot the pig in the head and you'll be able to remove him."

Five minutes later the farm hand calls back, "I did what you said boss. Took the 303, shot the pig in the head and removed him from the bull-bars. No problem there, but I still can't go on".

"Now what's the problem?" raged the Manager.

"Well boss, it's his motor-bike. The flashing blue light is stuck under the right-front wheel arch."

"You there Boss?"

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This guy walked into a bar and shouted for all to hear, “Lawyers are ASSHOLES!”

A man in the back of the bar stood up and shouted back at him “I take exception to that statement and I resent it greatly!”

The first guy said “Are you a lawyer?”

The man responded “No, I’m an asshole!”

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LIMERICK OF THE WEEK:

From moi . . .

Christmas, that time of Yule cheer

Is once more just about here.

Hope twenty twenty two

Will be better for you

Twenty one was an effing crap year.

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GALLERY:

Some visuals sent by John P, thanks John . . .

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CORN CORNER:

Roger was a simple man but everyone in town knew him.

For many decades he worked alone at his picture framing store, Abbott's Framing, which was on Main St. and he would often sit outside on a chair, chatting with many of the locals. One day old Roger passed away and they held his funeral under a big oak tree with a large framed picture of him sporting his friendly old smile.

A curious lady pointed at the picture and asked, "Wait, I don't get it.. Roger was the only one in town who knew how to properly make a picture frame."

"That's true," said her husband, "but what do you mean by that?"

"Well," she wondered, "Who framed Roger Abbott?"

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A man standing at a bus stop was eating a hamburger. Next to him stood a lady with her little dog, which became very excited at the smell of the man’s supper and began whining and jumping up at him. “Do you mind if I throw him a bit?” said the man to the lady. “Not at all,” she replied, whereupon the man picked the dog up and threw it over a wall.

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What did their parents say when they heard that Oxygen and Magnesium were going to get married?

OMg

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Recently, i decided to quit my job at the construction place because i couldn't deal with the heavy lifting.

I gave them my too weak notice yesterday.

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Thursday, November 18, 2021

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

NOSTALGIA

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I'm not a great fan of nostalgia that looks back to days gone by as great times compared to the present, conveniently forgetting all the crap that went with those times . . . polio, smallpox, racism, sexism, inequality, abuse. . .

Snopes.com refers to these type of messages as "glurge".

That said, I note that I posted an item in yesterday's Bytes that looked at modern reality, comparing what we have gained in today's world and what we have lost, so I realise that sets up a contradiction to what I said at the beginning of this post.

Here is another contradiction . . .

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Friend and colleague Vince C sent me the below item, the text accompanied the item sent, they are not my words.

Thanks, Vince.

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The Good Old Days

No they weren’t perfect, but then nothing ever was...

Try that today and you’ll be arrested!!

Use a shopping bag to create book jackets.

Haven’t seen this one for a while.

1950’s version of a back yard pool.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

TODAY'S REALITY

Today’s reality:

Lots of friends on Facebook

No best friends

High IQ

Less emotions

Advanced medicine

Poor health

More degrees

Less commonsense

Number of affairs

No true love

More knowledge

Less wisdom

Touched moon

Neighbours unknown

High income

Less peace of mind

Costly watches

No time

Lots of humans

Less humanity

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

THOUGHTS . . .

A Poem

There was a very cautious man
Who never laughed or played
He never risked, he never tried,
He never sang or prayed.
And when he one day passed away,
His insurance was denied,
For since he never really lived,
They claimed he never really died.

- Poet unknown

Monday, November 15, 2021

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

In looking up something in the Bytes archives, I came across the below item from November 3, 2014.

It is worthy of another outing . . .

I am indebted to my father in law for the following anecdote about Rex Harrison (pictured below). Rex is best remembered as the English actor who played Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, getting a Best Actor Oscar for his performance, and for the title role in Dr Dolittle.

The anecdote told to me by Noel also appears in the IMDB post about him and I will quote that:

He had a reputation for being very abrupt with his fans. One night, after a stage performance of "My Fair Lady", it was late, cold and pouring with rain and there was an old woman standing alone outside the Stage Door. When she saw Rex, she asked him for his autograph. Rex told her to "Sod off", and the old woman was so enraged at this that she rolled up her program and hit him with it. Stanley Holloway, who had followed Rex out in time to see this, congratulated him on not only making theatre history but, for the first time in world history, "The fan has hit the shit!"

Stanley Holloway

READERS WRITE

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Journo John P, friend and ace trivia player, sent me an email about my post of a few days ago about Sir Roden Cutler.

Funnily enough, when posting it I wondered whether anyone would find it interesting. I’m glad that at least one person did and hopefully many more. I believe that there is reason behind Sir Rodent Cutler being the first BIC winner name on the Remembrance Driveway.

John’s message:

Hi Otto

The excellent Bytes article on Roden Cutler, a man I admired greatly, sparked the following memories:

1

I was headhunted from Melbourne by the Sydney Morning Herald as a sub-editor in 1971 (celebrated 50^th anniversary of my arrival in Sydney in August this year).

One of the longest serving Herald journalists at the time was an elderly reporter named Geoff Allen, a general roundsman whose daily duties revolved around mundane news items. He did, however, produce a scoop in the mid-70s by beating every other newspaper, radio and TV reporter in securing an exclusive interview with a mystery recluse living behind barred windows in an inner-city suburb.

How does this involve Roden Cutler?

The Governor and Lady Cutler paid an official visit to the Fairfax building (then in Jones Street, Broadway) in the 1970s. And, rather than have the embarrassment of a dishevelled old reporter as a blot on the newsroom, the management at the Herald spirited Geoff out of sight into a side office for the day.

The best laid plans of mice and men, etc!

As the official party made its way along a wide corridor on the editorial floor, Sir Roden caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. He halted the tour, turned towards the side office and called out: “G’day Geoff”, to which the old journo replied “Stumpy?” They then embraced as old mates.

The two had been friends for years.

After his retirement Geoff wrote a bowls column for a local newspaper. It was in that capacity that he invited me to lunch in 1992 during a tournament at the City Bowling Club, which was demolished to make way for the Cook-Phillip complex on the corner of College and William Streets in the lead-up to the Sydney Olympics.

2

The Cutlers and I crossed paths at the Adelaide Festival in 1986. They were there as the guests of Rothmans, I think. I was there as an indulgent arts writer for the Daily Telegraph. We met a few times at our hotel (the Gateway) and at festival events.

The most memorable of our meetings was our last in Adelaide. We were checking out at the same time.

Sir Roden looked aghast as the seemingly endless bill emerged “kerchunk, kerchunk” out of the machine.

“Goodness gracious,” he said, in a state of shock, as the huge printout continued. “Oh dear!”

The hotel clerk was quick to put his mind at ease.

“That’s not yours, Sir Roden,” he said. “That’s Mr Pierce’s bill.”

“Thank heavens,” the good knight said, then turned to me and said: “Thank you.”

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An email from Steve M commenting on the post about the 1963 Grand Final from which came the photograph (entitled “The Gladiators”) of the muddied captains at the end of the match:

Enjoyed today’s Bytes Otto, especially your reminiscing at the end. I am not a lover of the sport – I prefer the refinement and artistry of soccer as opposed to the thuggery of rugby league, but nonetheless you got me today! Great stuff.

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From Tobye P in the US, commenting on the 12 Oct 2021 post of the boy throwing beached starfish back in the ocean:

Thanks for repeating the starfish story - Amen to that!

We all need to do what we can...

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An email from Steve M about the Bytes post on Set 28 2921 entitled “Urban Hell”, showing depressing photos of the condition of our modern world (sent before the Glasgow Conference was held):

Today’s Bytes... made me feel sad. I wonder what kind of mess we will make of Mars or other planets we eventually colonise.

And I want to have a whinge about climate change and all the fools that demonstrate about our so called contribution to the problem.

Go and picket outside the embassies of China, USSR and India! Better still, piss off over there with your placards and see how that goes

for you! They are the polluters and they are the ones having the worst effect on our beautiful planet. Australian politicians in general

have a social conscience and we will reach our targets in due course, and will do so responsibly.

Soap Box Steve

By way of a comment, I once said the same thing to a chap about the big polluters being the overseas countries such as China and India. His response was short and sweet: “It’s the price you pay if you want a ten dollar angle grinder.”

Very valid reply.

Just as purchasers of stolen goods ensure that there is a continuing incentive for theft, our purchasing the cheaper items produced by high polluting countries promotes the pollution. We are not blameless.

In a similar vein, shops are closing, businesses are failing, jobs are being lost but online purchasing, including from overseas, is at record levels.

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Sandra J commented on the Quote of the Day by Vincent van Gogh: "I often think that the night is more alive and more richly coloured than the day."

Sandra’s email:

The sky on Norfolk Island at night is the most spectacular sky I have ever seen. It is renowned for the view at night.

Never been there myself but I recall from my younger bushwalking days that the sky away from city lights is pretty amazing, wherever you are.

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Sandra had earlier sent me some comments about the Bytes post (Sept 5, 2021) on defunct occupations in England of mudlarks, toshers and grubbers:

Reminds me of my childhood somewhat – We used to scavenge at Milperra/East Hills Tip. Not for food, just something we could use. Mine was always at year end all the rich families threw their coloured pencils, biros, stationery out, there was always books with blank pages which, I ripped out I scavenged as much as I could. I used to take everything home and clear the top of our singer treble sewing machine for my desk and set myself up with these pencils etc and pretend I worked in an office. We also looked for school bags, I started high school with a plastic bag, Mum had 4 children in high school, she worked in a factory Dad was a Boilermaker/Communist/Drinker. When my younger sister started high school 5 years later she had a briefcase. With us 4 out working, paying board, things were easier for her and my younger brother. BUT we never went hungry, we had 3 meals a day, and a piece of fruit.

To this day I love stationery although now I don’t have to scavenge, I can afford to go to Officeworks. I have passed my love of stationery onto my daughter, who in turn has passed it onto her daughter Zoe (my flower girl at the wedding)

One of us 6 children found a gaudy clock surround, like an ornament, my mother had that on her dressing table as a decoration forever.

Anyhow that’s my scavenger story….

Cheers Sandy

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Thanks to all those who take the time and trouble to send me their emails, much appreciated.

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Sunday, November 14, 2021

QUOTE FOR THE DAY

Sydney in general is eclectic. You can be on that brilliant blue ocean walk in the morning and then within 20 minutes you can be in a completely vast suburban sprawl or an Italian or Asian suburb, and it's that mix of people, it's that melting pot of people that give it its vital personality.

- Baz Luhrmann

SYDNEY SUBURBS

CREMORNE:

Location:

Cremorne is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, located 6 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council.

Cremorne Junction is a locality within the suburb.

Immediately adjacent to the suburb, to the south, is the small residential suburb of Cremorne Point.

Cremorne is situated between Mosman and Neutral Bay.

Name origin:

Cremorne was named after the Cremorne Gardens in London, a popular pleasure ground in England, which derived its name from the Old Irish words Crích Mugdornd (modern Irish: Críoch Mhúrn), meaning 'boundary' or 'chieftain' of Mugdornd.

Cremorne, the Anglicisation of the Gaelic name Críoch Mhúrn, roughly meaning the 'Bounds of Mourne', was a barony in County Monaghan from which an Irish peer, The 1st Viscount Cremorne, took his title. Lord Cremorne gave his name to his London residence in what became the Cremorne Gardens.

Other sources claim that rather than referring to a Chieftain, it refers to the territorial area of an ancient tribal group in County Monaghan.

The Cremorne Gardens, Sydney, were established on the peninsula leading to Robertson Point in 1856, following the Cremorne Gardens, Melbourne, in 1853, just two of many such developments throughout Australia from the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century.

Although the Gardens closed in 1862, they gave their name both to the suburb at their location at Cremorne Point and to the suburb of Cremorne itself to the north.

About:

Cremorne is a mainly residential area with its commercial area centred along Military Road, around Cremorne Junction.

Cremorne features a historic cinema, the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace. In an Art Deco style, it features a Wurlitzer pipe-organ that is played at selected film screenings. Its restoration was undertaken in 1987 by its new owner, television personality Mike Walsh.

At the 2016 census, there were 11,227 residents in Cremorne.

Cremorne has a number of heritage-listed sites.

The Cremorne Point Circuit Walk is an easy 3km foreshore circuit trail following Sydney Harbour foreshore with beautiful views of Mosman Bay, the Harbour and the city skyline. Discover Robertsons Point Lighthouse, Cremorne Reserve and the MacCallum swimming pool, as you wander past picturesque gardens and impressive old mansions, only a short ferry trip away from Circular Quay. The ferry is the best way to get to Cremorne Point.

Gallery:

Some pics of the Cremorne Point Circuit Walk . . .