Viikon mölyt ja möläytykset
Lifechanging developments
Kuva liittyy tämän hetken Hyvään Aikomukseen. Lainasin kokeiltavaksi Daven isoisän harmonikan saadakseni selville, onko jo pitkään eläneillä hanurinsoittohaaveillani minkäänlaisia todellisia elinmahdollisuuksia tässä kylmässä maailmassa. Toistaiseksi olen löytänyt neljä sointua ja saanut aikaan varsin viipyilevän version ikivihreästä ruotsalaisesta kansanlaulusta Vem kan segla förutan vind.
Vasemmalla, soittajan näkökentän ulkopuolella tuntuu olevan aivan liikaa keskenään samanlaisia pieniä nappeja. On kuin opettelisi itsekseen lukemaan sokeainkirjoitusta. Oikea käsi löytää oikeat näppäimet helpommin, kun pianon koskettimisto on ennestään tuttu.
Andy on vähän epätoivoinen ja toivoo kai salaa, että unohtaisin koko asian.
Viikon möläytyksestä vastaa konservatiivikansanedustaja Danna Vale. Hänen mielestään aborttipilleriä ei pidä päästää vapaille markkinoille, sillä australialaiset abortoivat jo entuudestaankin itsensä sukupuuttoon, kun muslimit (jotka edustajan mielestä eivät kai sitten ole australialaisia, jos lienevät ihmisiäkään) tekevät lapsia minkä ehtivät ja koko maa uhkaa muuttua 50 vuodessa muslimivaltioksi. Kukkanen on kuultavissa ABC:n uutissivulla.
Right-hand side of the instrument is easy enough, but there are far too many little buttons on the left, where you can't see them. Only three of them have tiny little markings that you can read with your fingers. I've tried practising in front of a mirror. So far I have only managed to produce a bizarre, molto rubato 4-chord version of the Swedish folk song Vem kan segla förutan vind.
The highlight of the week (I am sure even if it is only Tuesday) is coalition MP Danna Vale's intelligent remark regarding the free availability of the much-discussed abortion pill. She managed to insult not only the whole Muslim population of Australia but also every woman of reproductive age by lamenting the high abortion rates of 'Australians'. In her opinion, 'Australians' are aborting themselves out of existence while the Muslim population grows. She seems to think that it is a national duty for all 'Australian' women (and we can only assume she doesn't think Muslims qualify as Australians) to reproduce and refrain from aborting just to keep the statistics neat.
In fairness to MP Vale, here is the link to the ABC news page where you can hear her original remarks.
Comments - Kommentit
DATE: 5:44 PM
Minulle hanurin näkeminenkin tuottaa ahdistusta. Sain aikoinaan lopettaa pianon soiton sillä ehdolla että opettelisin soittamaan haitaria. Porin teatterin kapellimestari antoi minulle tunteja. Sinällään hän oli hauska herra ja ihan ystävällinen. Mutta oli se varmasti hirvittävää kärsimystä kummallekin. Hauska tuo viikon möläytys. Tai hauska ja hauska, mutta...
Posted by: Kirsti | February 23, 2006 06:17 PM
DATE: 12:25 AM
People are scary when they're bigoted and selfish. (This has nothing to do, darling Anni, with your accordion habits - it's just the sad impression formed by the more depressing news of the last few days). I once saw a well-dressed, middle-aged 'lady' (nicely placed inverted commas, Denis) give what-for to two teenage girls in a supermarket - one in hijab and the other in a beanie; accusing them of stealing and letting them know in no uncertain terms that 'everyone' would have their eyes on them. I tried to comfort the girls when they went into the next aisle to cry, but oh how I have regretted not being bold enough to give the woman a piece of my mind.AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!More positively, I understand that NZ is really very beautiful - and not just because of its one-time approximation to Middle-Earth; an American-born friend of mine was living there when the US invaded Iraq, and on that day had to be restrained by her husband from marching down to the NZ or Canadian embassy and demanding sanctuary!
Posted by: Angharad | February 23, 2006 06:17 PM
DATE: 1:26 AM
Thanks, Angharad, for noting the delicate use of inverted commas.Anni, thanks for highlighting Donna Vale's contribution to public debate. She managed to combine racism, religious bigotry and good old-fashioned "God-bothering" in one statement. I think she deserves a "Standing Ov(ul)ation"Denis
Posted by: Denis Wilson | February 23, 2006 06:17 PM
DATE: 1:56 AM
Angharad, I meant to commend you for your efforts to console those young women. I think your positive efforts would have had more effect than any rebuke you might have wished to direct at the woman who insulted them.But I'm glad that you got your scream out on Dr Anni's couch, as I did yesterday. Should we start paying for our therapy sessions, do you think?Denis
Posted by: Denis Wilson | February 23, 2006 06:17 PM
DATE: 8:36 AM
Kirsti, anteeksi tuottamani ahdistus!Angharad and Denis, I think the health minister might have something to say about my right to charge for therapy sessions.Anni
Posted by: ah | February 23, 2006 06:17 PM