Nic, i felt sorry for the poor writer trying to be funny and making a total arse of him/herself. i think it's yet another sad reminder of the flaws in our mental health system and the work for the dole program. and by the way, as an omnivore (with a whole series of rationalisations for it, as many double-standarded as i could manage):
1. i quite like soy chocolate, but prefer the proper non-dairy chocolate (i.e. with cocoa solids rather than unidentified milk products).
2. i don't think i have any problems with vegetarians or vegans as a whole, i'm actually happy that people think about what they eat, and am proud of people who live according to their sense of ethics. i don't have a problem with the more strident veg-persons i've encountered as i have pre-prepared rationalisations to stonewall behind. and on at least two occasions said haranguers were wearing leather shoes.
2a. i have a problem with the following stereo/types: the very waif-like, pale undernourished veg person, as (against my own will) i do tend to start plotting how to sneak a great big steak into their meal without their realising or getting offended; and the "i'm a vegetarian, but..." type. fish is not a vegetable! i did kinda start shouting at a girl i went to school with when she said "well, i'm a vegetarian, except for fish, chicken, seafood, and ham when it's on a pizza".
3. i prefer vegans to organic food nazis any day. vegans who have crossed my path have been more reasoned, prettier, and have never tried to convince me that chicken shit is an appropriate salad garnish.

every year i have to have a new rationalisation for sitting down and enjoying the Eurovision Song Contest. (erm, not to mention all the getting excited the week before, and piking out on social engagements). the theme for this year?

irony-proof.

i hold my hand up and say that i'm sorry for all the times that i've complained about various stupid people having no understanding of irony. it's my fault, i shouldn't have encouraged them. what we have now is stupid people who think they know what irony is. i'm referring to things like the resurgence of the playboy logo, just about anything that has been printed on a t-shirt and sold in a retail chain store, people who think being sexist or racist or homophobic or just fucking ugly is sophisticated irony. (it really really isn't, there's this whole cleverness thing you have to do too). oh, and trying to be clever with ironic retro style should probably be avoided too. it's hackneyed when you've got no class.

but with Eurovision, irony just doesn't seem to work. such is the silliness of the spectacle, attempts to be clever just absorb into the rich kitsch fabric of the extravaganza. posing just makes you a part of the whole thing, and i find it such a joy to watch. so far beyond normal levels of ridiculousness that it is somehow untouchable by my cynicism, because there is nothing to say beyond what it so obvious and intrinsic to the event.

i will even watch 2 hours of music not to my taste, just for the event.

reason to get out of Brisbane, leaving it a heap of charred rubble fit only for the dilapidated whorehouse of the most depraved of cockroaches #9287704: while sitting on the bus (departing from the uni), overhear boys talking about some girl of their acquaintance. one appears desirous of the wench in question, but is deterred by the other saying "yeah, but she's like a fucking librarian. did you see her the other day? she was reading a fucking book, it was like 200 pages or something".