Author: liligans

“Final Answer?” How Eddie McGuire prompts contestants in “Hot Seat”

liligans So you think you're cultured?, T.V

It’s so blatant that I wonder how Eddie McGuire can look himself in the mirror. His quiz show, “Hot Seat,” (Channel 9 at 5.30pm weekdays) consists of a set of four possible answers, A,B,C and D. The contestant has to pick the correct answer and then be allowed to move on to the next level.

What Eddie does is to prompt the contestant to make another choice by asking “Final Answer?”. This actually means, “pick another answer because this one is wrong.”

I know he does this because I have recorded the programme after I became suspicious about the possible manipulation of answers.

There is definitely a discernible pattern in Eddie’s responses to the answers. The only exception to this pattern occurs where there is insufficient time to ask “Final Answer?”

It’s possible that Mr McGuire is not aware of his habit, but one has to remember that this show is first and foremost “Entertainment” and sometimes its producers just want to keep the ball rolling instead of having a series of drop-outs.

After all, too many losers could mean a fall in ratings.

Aldi tells it like it is. Sad but true.

liligans So you think you're cultured?, totally absurd

It’s no secret that I’m an Aldi supporter. But even yours truly was slightly bemused when I picked up a packet of cleansing wipes for removing make-up and read the Germanically matter of fact description of the product.

It was for “Very Mature Skin”. Not slightly dry skin or even skin in need of nourishment to combat the seven or perhaps twenty signs of aging. This product is strictly for the geriatrics, according to the directive. It even has a diagram which shows that it is suitable for the over sixties age group. I kid you not. But then neither does Aldi… lol.

So you have to give the Germans credit for telling it like it is.

Let’s face it, if the Germans can describe that tantalising bit of feminine underwear as a holder of bosoms, ein Bustenhalter (with the two dots on the U) then I guess a cosmetic for “Very Mature Skin” is a fair description.

Not for them the sophistication and B.S of French cosmetic products which sell fantasy. Not for them the advertising slogan “Because You’re Worth It” whatever that means.

Apparently, Aldi’s message is “Because You’re Past It”. What chutzpah!

Giving up your seat for an older person is very un-Australian

liligans Society

We have just come home from a trip on the tram and, as usual, an Asian stood up to offer us a seat. We accepted gracefully and yet we were sad.

Why? Well, it’s because Asians are the only young people to give up their seats nowadays. They are still respectful of elders and that comes from their culture.

It’s not the first time this has happened. In all the times that a seat has been offered to us, there has only been one occasion when a Westerner has stood up for us and he was a man who was getting off at the next stop.

While Western teenagers remain spreadeagled in their seats while fiddling with their I-phones, the Asians will stand up for an older person.

Of course, it all comes from the home, doesn’t it?

Anyhow, I made sure to thank this Asian couple in a very audible voice. This is what I said to them:-

“Thank you very much for giving up your seat. I hope that you don’t become too Australian by forgetting manners. Stick to your culture which still shows some respect.”

Yom Kippur! What a day for an election!

liligans Politics, What Pisses me off

You can really see the hand of Foreign Minister Bob Carr in setting the date for the coming Federal Election. How about the holiest day in the Jewish calendar? Well, that’s what the Prime Minister of Australia has done. It shows how little respect she has for the Jewish community.

I bet that she would not have dared to choose the most holy day for Muslims to hold an election.

p.s When a Jewish member of parliament queried the selection of the date on Judaism’s holiest day, Julia Gillard said that it was hard to choose a date because of some international commitments and, wait for it…Football finals. She chose football over franchise.

Why you cannot trust Calypso mangoes

liligans Society, T.V, What Pisses me off

I have to speak out about the disgusting TV ad promoting Calypso mangoes. Picture this…

A little old lady is shopping in a supermarket. She pretends to try to reach an item on a high shelf but can’t manage it. Why? Because she wants to distract a fellow shopper, an obliging tall man who has Calypso mangoes in his trolley. Why? Because she wants to steal from him.

I kid you not.

So when he turns his back on her to reach her item on the top shelf she steals four Calypso mangoes from his trolley and chuckles. To make matters worse, she tells him he is a nice man. So much for the storyline of this TV ad.

Impressed?

Well, I’m pretty turned off by the unethical behaviour of the old woman. She has stolen from the Good Samaritan. She depicts old people as being dishonest. She is certainly giving the wrong message to any child who watches this ad. And in my opinion, she makes me wonder about the ethics of a product that promotes such despicable behaviour.

Are the growers of Calypso mangoes to be trusted when their ad is based on theft? Who approved of this ad? Was it One Harvest itself which is showing it on its web site. Who has the final say as to what is acceptable to be aired on TV?

Or don’t they give a damn?

I, for one, do give a damn and will never buy a Calypso mango. It would go against my moral code.

Quartet, the movie- a triumph for Dustin Hoffman

liligans Films

When it comes to films I’m not easy to please. Blockbusters make me yawn. Adventures put me to sleep. Fantasy films and space things make me despair at the childishness of it all. I could go on and have been known to, but I’ll keep it brief because I simply want to praise Dustin Hoffman for having produced and directed an excellent film.

His film, “Quartet”, is based on a play which has been adapted for the screen. It’s good, it’s funny, it’s sad and very entertaining.

If you enjoyed “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” then you will definitely appreciate “Quartet”.

Hoffman did a great job directing the many performers in the film. The four main actors, Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Tom Courtenay, Pauline Collins and Billy Connolly form the quartet of the title.

I particularly liked Tom Courtenay’s and Pauline Collins’ excellent acting. They were superb. Maggie Smith was her usual grumpy old self and Billy Connolly was, well, Billy Connolly. I’m afraid he can’t escape his persona but he was well cast in the role.

Since the action takes place in a retirement home for aging musicians, there is some beautiful music in it and the setting is glamorous.

I don’t want to tell you any more about the film except to say that it will make you laugh, cry and reflect a little about life and how to live it.

What’s most telling is that I sat still while the credits were rolling and that’s always a sign that the film is good.

I wish there would be more films like this one instead of the rubbish that is being directed at the younger mob. I suspect that as the baby boomers keep aging more quality films will be made for that demographic and I’m looking forward to that time. Our time will come.

Lawson’s Bread no longer worth the extra cost.

liligans So you think you're cultured?, What Pisses me off

Four years ago I praised Goodman Fielder for making Lawson’s bread. There is no doubt that it is tasty and wholesome. Apparently, many people agreed with me because they have been buying it. At the time I thought it was expensive, around the $4.25 mark. That was very dear compared with other breads.

As time went on, Lawson’s has risen in price. Remember that it’s just bread made by the big company, Goodman Fielder, and bread should not be pricing itself out of the market. But that is exactly what Lawson’s has done. It now costs 37 cents a single slice which is prohibitive.

I think that $5.45 a loaf is far too dear and so I suggest that you do yourself a favour and buy Aldi’s very comparable seeded loaf called “Baker’s Life Original”. It costs $1.46 cents less and is just as good as Lawson’s. In fact, it weighs 900gms which is 100gms heavier than Lawson’s.

Let’s see if Goodman Fielder can match that!

Stupid news about Australia from the ABC.

liligans totally absurd

Sometimes I cringe at the absurdity of Australian news items.

While the East Coast of the U.S.A is bracing itself for one of the most terrifying natural disasters which will hit its shores in the next two hours, we in Australia have announced that our natural rock wombat numbers are going to increase by 20% today.

Apparently, 8 rock wombats (little furry animals) will be released into the wild today. This announcement was made this morning straight after the Hurricane Sandy news.

I have no idea what a rock wombat is and I have no objection to its release into the wild. Let it run free for all I care.

All I can do is shake my head in disbelief at this bit of trivia that could not wait.

We certainly live in a very lucky country, don’t we?

Don’t miss “Argo” the movie.

liligans Films, Politics

What can I say about “Argo”?

Amazing, exciting, brilliant story based on true events. The acting was superb, the editing, production etc were excellent. But most of all, it had me jumping out of my seat with the suspense.

Do yourself a favour and go see it. I predict that Alan Arkin will win an award for his performance.

It was gratifying to see how brave the Canadian ambassador was while the not so Great British Embassy was too cowardly to even give asylum to the endangered Americans who were trying to escape Iran. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

Barak Obama grovelled before the Arabs

liligans Politics

In yesterday’s third U.S debate, Governor Romney asked why the newly-elected President Obama avoided Israel on his visit to the Middle East.

Obama replied that he did visit Israel on a previous visit, the one that he made during his election campaign.

Any person can see through this ploy. He was courting the Jewish lobby during the election, of course.

Once he was became President, however, Obama felt that he no longer had to suck up to the Jews. So he blatantly omitted Israel from his visit to the Middle East.

I can still see the image of Obama grovelling to the Arabs, bending over and kissing the hands of the Saudis. It was a degrading act for the leader of a nation which fought and won independence from monarchy.

And there he was bending over and grovelling to the the nations that nurtured the attack on the Twin Towers.

Now in this third debate Obama said he stands with the Israelis.

Now what is that famous saying again? “With friends like these……”

It will be another four years of this and thank goodness that he can only have two stints in the presidency.