Media Mayhem

Well readers, the media have had a field day this week with the apocalypse of weather (?) we've had in the past 48 hours.  Yesterday, unbeknownst to me, there were cyclonic conditions in Brisbane, with 1/3 of a year's worth of rain dumped on the city and surrounds in several hours. You can imagine the mayhem.  As I was in my office, with no windows, I was oblivious & if it had not been for the News at 7 showing me images of flooded streets, floating cars & kids playing in puddles, I wouldn't have believed anything had happened.  I guess I am one of the lucky ones however, in that my home did not suffer any impact other than a soggy back yard & two freaked-out pets.  Tonight the havoc is being wreaked on my mum in Mullumbimby, where the wind is gusting to 130km/hr at Cape Byron.  I called mum who is terrified & taking solace in red wine & the thought of crawling under her bed.  Here in Brisbane, about 150km away, there is not a breath of air or a sprinkle of rain.  However, we'll tune in to the News at 7 to hear them rave on about "the eye of the storm" and how it will be "worse than ever" tomorrow.  Poor media, I am sure they are so disappointed when there is no good footage.  Oooo, there's the ABC's Kerry O'Brien telling us now that we've been exposed to "the worst floods in 35 years".  I still haven't seen any water!!  How can it be? Am I living in a bubble?  You'll need to click on This Link to see some photos because I am unable to download them.  They are taken in my neighbourhood.

Now, this evening, Steve showed me an ad that was recently banned from an Australian late-night show called "The Gruen Transfer".  I'd heard about this but tonight I saw the ad.... and found it incredibly offensive and confronting BUT ... it's obviously effective because here I am now, writing to all of you about it.  I still don't know what to think of it but on first viewing, I was completely repulsed.  I still feel revulsion towards it, but it has certainly made me think.  I guess that's the aim of the ad.  So, I am posting a link to it here BUT I take no responsibility for your reactions (it does not contain violence, cruelty to animals/children or pornography).  It's certainly a Highly Controversial advertisement, in my mind, and I can see why it would have been banned from viewing.  Hmmm.... this posting, for me, has been about the Power of the Media to alter your thinking.  What do you think?