6 December 2011

Greens ruining H2G2 while fixing DA notifications

| johnboy
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There’s little sadder in life than a politician trying to make a pop-culture reference.

It’s not that they can’t tell a joke, it’s more the painful way they feel the need to ploddingly explain it for the thickies in the audience.

To that end the Greens’ Caroline Le Couteur is painfully referencing Arthur Dent from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

“The other issue this bill addresses is the Arthur Dent situation*, by ensuring a neighbourhood knows when a house or garage is about to be demolished or built. This refers to impending developments which didn’t need public notification along the development approval process.

“I have also proposed an amendment to improve information on signs for DAs for lease variations – those signs now basically say nothing about the proposed changes. I am glad that the Government agrees that people would really rather see the detail of what is being proposed, rather than just being told to look on a website.

* Arthur Dent, from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, wakes up one day to find bulldozers about to demolish his house to make room for a highway. Not only this, but Earth was to be demolished to make way for an intergalactic space highway. When Arthur asked the aliens why no one on Earth had been notified, they responded by saying that it had actually been in the galaxy notifications, it’s just a pity that Earthlings don’t have access to those communications channels.

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Jethro said :

Agreed, sad.

Dear Greens, please don’t ruin one of my all time favourite books and TV series.

I believe the movie may have already done that.

Sadly, I watched it.

And hated it with a passion.

To be avoided at all costs.

But notwithstanding H2G2 refs, it’s a brilliant and much-needed change.

johnboy said :

What’s the old saying about if you have to explain a joke?

Except in this case it is funny and the audience are cretins

johnboy said :

What’s the old saying about if you have to explain a joke?

I don’t know, what is the old saying about if you have to explain a joke?

neanderthalsis said :

So is she saying planning proposals are currently displayed in a cellar with no stairs or lights in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign outside the door saying “Beware of the Leopard”?

Have you tried finding things on the ACTPLA website?

neanderthalsis9:33 am 07 Dec 11

So is she saying planning proposals are currently displayed in a cellar with no stairs or lights in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign outside the door saying “Beware of the Leopard”?

If they feel that they need to explain the reference, then there’s no point in using it. Very clumsy indeed.

Gungahlin Al9:17 am 07 Dec 11

Many of those working in local media would be far too young to remember Hitchhikers.

It’s like at work when I go “Doctor – me brain hurts. It has to come out. Nurse get the chainsaw.” or various other Monty quotes, there is only one person who get it. I end up having to dig out YouTube clips and send links around…

So I guess she was just anticipating the question.

What’s the old saying about if you have to explain a joke?

DarkLadyWolfMother9:09 am 07 Dec 11

johnboy said :

DarkLadyWolfMother said :

Of course, if you’re going to have a go at someone referencing pop culture, you don’t want to get details wrong yourself.

‘Twasn’t Arthur that asked the Vogons why Earth hadn’t been notified.

And if you follow the furnished link you’ll see that’s the Greens’ explanation, not mine.

And if you’re going to have a go at someone about having a go at someone you’d better get your facts right. Oops!

My apologies johnboy. And my reply can’t even be said to have been that funny to make up for it!

DarkLadyWolfMother said :

Of course, if you’re going to have a go at someone referencing pop culture, you don’t want to get details wrong yourself.

‘Twasn’t Arthur that asked the Vogons why Earth hadn’t been notified.

And if you follow the furnished link you’ll see that’s the Greens’ explanation, not mine.

DarkLadyWolfMother8:07 am 07 Dec 11

Of course, if you’re going to have a go at someone referencing pop culture, you don’t want to get details wrong yourself.

‘Twasn’t Arthur that asked the Vogons why Earth hadn’t been notified.

Agreed, sad.

Dear Greens, please don’t ruin one of my all time favourite books and TV series.

I believe the movie may have already done that.

Oh Belgium.

The media are full of dumb-dumbs such as folks who complain that a 14yo boy doesn’t want to be photographed at every waking moment, the complain even more when they climb over the fences the boy’s family have put up and the family doesn’t agree to be interviewed in their own home by people they didn’t invite to their property.

These are really, really stupid people.

The explanation was a waste, because the journalists are too stupid to understand the story even with that reader’s digest condensed version of the opening chapter.

It’s written for the media though. There *are* a lot of thickies in the audience.

Agreed, sad.

Dear Greens, please don’t ruin one of my all time favourite books and TV series.

plus 42

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