08 July 2007

greek chorus

All quotes not really quotes, only what I thought I just heard on the TV behind me.

First, courtesy of the lazy man's almanac, Wikipedia, the
Greek chorus: In tragic plays of ancient Greece, the chorus (choros) is believed to have grown out of the Greek dithyrambs and tragikon drama. The chorus offers a variety of background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance, commented on main themes, and showed how an ideal audience might react to the drama as it was presented.

So, back to the news:

(1) Lying sack of shit, cunningly disguised as a PM - we will keep you safe from people who want to do you harm. Because believe me, there are people you want to do you harm. (No, I don't mean my government!!! Don't believe everything that Alan Ramsay says!!)

(2) Idiot son of the aristocracy - people want to do you harm in Indonesia. We know this for a fact. What? Oh, yeah. Sorry, got the line wrong a bit there. I meant to say, I am advised that there are people who want to do you harm in Indonesia. I'd also like to send Kevin Rudd to Afghanistan.

(3) "Treasurer" - our brave soldiers are not fighting to keep interest rates petrol prices low.

Hint - they're fighting for one of the many other reasons we have said they are fighting, as amended from time to time.

Kevin Rudd: mouth moves, stuff comes out.

And further: They also represent the general populace of any particular story.

Well, they represent 51%. Or they once did.

In many ancient Greek plays, the chorus expressed to the audience what the main characters could not say, such as their fears or secrets.

Oh be still my beating heart! Do I really want to know what is really in hearts of our gallant triumvirate of feudal Liberal overlords? Puke, no. I can't handle the truth!


Meanwhile back at chateau VVB, I decided that I'd like some apple dumplings like mother used to make. With a little assistance from Mrs VVB - but not a hell of lot, 'cos she'd never made them before either - we have made some.

My main recollection of mother's apple dumplings from when I was little, apart from the fact that I used to really like them, was that I could never remember "cloves", so I'd ask whether the dumplings had "those umm" in them.

And as is the case in families, "those umm" passed in to everyday conversation, such that cloves were always referred to as "those umm".

Oral family histories - I love it.

5 comments:

Ann ODyne said...

1, re Govt - have never in 6 decades voted Liberal, but now have huge problem with Workers Party whose wife runs $170 million business created out of Government's outsourcing of Clink's employment services.

2, pleased to have further confirmation that Other Families blend those verbal idiosyncracies into perpetual language which mystifies outsiders.
... (hossital/vegeble) because kids can't say (hospital/vegetable) etc

phil said...

Yes, there's a word for that, isn't there? Hardly the free market in action, I would have thought. As my old man worked for CES for a number of years, I have a good recollection of what the government used to do, free of charge, in that area.

On the other hand, I still reckon having a PM whose wife understands opportunity and how to build a business is preferable to one whose only interest is the flower arrangements and ensuring that other people's children get an inferior education.

mei ultra vires said...

Wow Phil - talk about "batter up"!!! got to say that if government outsources job placement, I don't actually have a problem with the wife making good. I'm not convinced Kevin Rudd has all the answers, but I think anyone who has crawled out of the lowest rungs of society actually has a better understanding of how many Australians live. It's damn hard work!!!

Our family emulsion of idiosyncratic english extends to "ginti" for icecream, "lindo" (window - although Simon's not averse to translating to mindo), and the all time family favourite -"ladybird" for cockroaches, compliments of the husband's little brother when they first moved to North Queensland from the UK.

R.H. said...

What nonsense. Rudd's got spiv written all over him. What can low income people expect from toffs like this? Every silvertail from Wrann onwards claims to have started on the 'lower rung'. It's bullshit. Meanwhile the entire ALP is contaminated with political correctness -which is fine for the bourgeoisie, but useless to a working class -who want food, not etiquette.

phil said...

Spiv no, machine man yes. What I'd like to see is some bloody ingenuity and a bit of risk-taking, but that's been focus-grouped out of politics.

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