Sunday, 8 March 2009
BAPR does Comic Relief 2009
This is a viral that I and fellow BAPR students at Bournemouth created to raise awarness of Comic Relief around the campus. Take a look and pass it on if it raises a smile.
Friday, 6 March 2009
The "quantitative easing" of sports little guys
So, Mervyn King has decided that the only forseeable way out of the current economic whirlpool is "quantitative easing" or to the man in the street, creating money that will hopefully filter through to the butchers , bakers and candlestick makers that are feeling the pinch up and down the country. It is hoped that this will eventually solve the cash-flow problems that are seeing these small businesses go to the wall.
This got me thinking about sporting economics and how sporting small businesses had their own recession, or indeed depression that outlived the curent credit cruch. Finance in sport bears more similarities to the distribution of wealth in broader society than many care to notice. Chelsea and Liverpool are two football clubs in precarious financial territory, with the West Londoners' losses only offset by their Russian oligarch, whilst Liverpools quibbling American owners only manage to service the debt that they have accrued in the club's famous name. However, that self-same famous name ensures that these global brands of football clubs will always have a revenue stream, if only by reputation, to see them through rocky terrain.
For every critic of foreign ownership of football clubs, even brand ownership is no guarantee of security as evidenced by the near-loss of the Honda F1 team before they were brought back from the brink and given the self-indulgent Brawn GP moniker.
So whilst the Liverpools and Hondas of the world may resemble RBS and HBOS in living beyond their means, what of the small sporting businesses that having their "quantity eased" in the current climate. Weymouth Town were on the wrong side of a 9-0 defeat to Rushden & Diamonds 2 weeks ago having had to field a youth team having not been able to pay their first team squad. Long before Honda decided they couldn't afford to back their own team, their retraction of financial assistance to Super Aguri again saw the little guy take the hit. So, if the government is putting pressure on the banks to pass on fiscal stimulus, in a hyper-stimulated sporting economy, who looks out for the small businesses? Grass-roots sport is the liveblood coarsing through the country's veins and often acts as a mitigator of the apathy oten directed toward the ostentatious golden gates of elite sport. Whilst Premier League football and Formula 1 can ride the crest of a wave to commercial nirvana, more and more sporting plankton will be swallowed by the sharks with Darlington FC the latest club to head into the choppy waters of administration. As ministers around the world are advocating a move toward "ethical capitalism", why aren't such ideas being conveyed to the sporting community? It's almost as though they don't see it as "their" problem. It is every bit there problem and the disparity in revenue distribution in sport existed well before the current recession and is equally likely to outlast it.
Economists argue on how, when or if the recession will hit sport and in the process, are perpetuating the misguided notion that sport is somehow immune to its wider social context. Tuesday's shocking attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team was evidence that sport and politics are inextricably linked and basic economics is surely an equally large millstone around the broad shoulders of our sporting culture.
This got me thinking about sporting economics and how sporting small businesses had their own recession, or indeed depression that outlived the curent credit cruch. Finance in sport bears more similarities to the distribution of wealth in broader society than many care to notice. Chelsea and Liverpool are two football clubs in precarious financial territory, with the West Londoners' losses only offset by their Russian oligarch, whilst Liverpools quibbling American owners only manage to service the debt that they have accrued in the club's famous name. However, that self-same famous name ensures that these global brands of football clubs will always have a revenue stream, if only by reputation, to see them through rocky terrain.
For every critic of foreign ownership of football clubs, even brand ownership is no guarantee of security as evidenced by the near-loss of the Honda F1 team before they were brought back from the brink and given the self-indulgent Brawn GP moniker.
So whilst the Liverpools and Hondas of the world may resemble RBS and HBOS in living beyond their means, what of the small sporting businesses that having their "quantity eased" in the current climate. Weymouth Town were on the wrong side of a 9-0 defeat to Rushden & Diamonds 2 weeks ago having had to field a youth team having not been able to pay their first team squad. Long before Honda decided they couldn't afford to back their own team, their retraction of financial assistance to Super Aguri again saw the little guy take the hit. So, if the government is putting pressure on the banks to pass on fiscal stimulus, in a hyper-stimulated sporting economy, who looks out for the small businesses? Grass-roots sport is the liveblood coarsing through the country's veins and often acts as a mitigator of the apathy oten directed toward the ostentatious golden gates of elite sport. Whilst Premier League football and Formula 1 can ride the crest of a wave to commercial nirvana, more and more sporting plankton will be swallowed by the sharks with Darlington FC the latest club to head into the choppy waters of administration. As ministers around the world are advocating a move toward "ethical capitalism", why aren't such ideas being conveyed to the sporting community? It's almost as though they don't see it as "their" problem. It is every bit there problem and the disparity in revenue distribution in sport existed well before the current recession and is equally likely to outlast it.
Economists argue on how, when or if the recession will hit sport and in the process, are perpetuating the misguided notion that sport is somehow immune to its wider social context. Tuesday's shocking attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team was evidence that sport and politics are inextricably linked and basic economics is surely an equally large millstone around the broad shoulders of our sporting culture.
Thursday, 19 February 2009
David Beckham, The Rossineri and Meat Loaf Soccer
As David Beckham nursed a tight calf on the flight back from Bremen this morning, he had an awful lot of occupy his mind. Two weeks on Monday, Beckham will either have his way as a permanently signed up member of the Rossineri, or he will fly back to L.A with the duration of a Transatlantic flight to carefully position his tail between his expensive and celebrated legs.
The 9th March is the day that Beckham is expected back at the Home Depot centre in Los Angeles to begin preparations for his third season in Major League Soccer, yet his stint in Europe's fashion capital , however brief, has re-lit his fire with regard to top-level European football. Indeed, Beckham's admiral fitness has only been improved from 6 weeks at the famous "A.C Milan Lab", famed for allowing pros to continue their careers into their late thirties and early forties.
However, if Beckham is to have his wish and turn his back on the Galaxy and stay in Serie A, a financial minefield is still to be negotiated. Most news outlets are quoted as saying that Milan have bid anywhere between £5m-£6.7m with Galaxy reportedley holding out for something north of £10m. And why wouldn't they? Beckham did sign a five year deal taking him through to 37 in 2007, which, after sponsors and endorsements were included, would see the MLS smash its wage ceiling to the tune of $200million. The price? Beckham had to trade his twilight footballing years from La Liga, the Iglesias of world football, trim, easy on the eye with fans around the world, for the MLS, where clapped out performers have one last hurrah, the Meatloaf you could say.
Beckham's impact on the Galaxy and the MLS cannot be overstated, with Beckham's arrival seeing a 25% increase in Galaxy's home attendance and 7% added to the overall MLS attendance. Most tellingly of all, TV ratings for games featuring Beckham had, on average, 68% more viewers in American households than games without him, showing how key he is, and may yet continue to be, to "soccer's"efforts to increase market penetration Stateside.
So is Beckham merely watching from the stands as this clash between two footballing franchises with contrasting heritages duel over his famous signature. Not entirely. Beckham can, in theory, buy out his LA Galaxy contract immediately for £18 million, allowing him free to put pen to paper with Milan, or whoever tickles his fancy. Beckham would then we free to assist AC Milan's UEFA Cup campaign & title challenge through to their respective conclusions. That said, if Beckham wants European football and a title challenge, as a free agent he could equally choose Aston Villa for example, over Milan. That said, I can't imagine the Birmingham Fashion show being a patch on Italy's finest. So in the coming days and weeks, we will see how much Beckham values the Indian summer of his England career, if the Galaxy stay strong and refuse to yield, will Beckham write the biggest cheque of his life? He constantly talks about how much his England caps mean to him. We will no doubt find out, in the words of Meatloaf, he would do anything for an England cap,...but will he do that?........
The 9th March is the day that Beckham is expected back at the Home Depot centre in Los Angeles to begin preparations for his third season in Major League Soccer, yet his stint in Europe's fashion capital , however brief, has re-lit his fire with regard to top-level European football. Indeed, Beckham's admiral fitness has only been improved from 6 weeks at the famous "A.C Milan Lab", famed for allowing pros to continue their careers into their late thirties and early forties.
However, if Beckham is to have his wish and turn his back on the Galaxy and stay in Serie A, a financial minefield is still to be negotiated. Most news outlets are quoted as saying that Milan have bid anywhere between £5m-£6.7m with Galaxy reportedley holding out for something north of £10m. And why wouldn't they? Beckham did sign a five year deal taking him through to 37 in 2007, which, after sponsors and endorsements were included, would see the MLS smash its wage ceiling to the tune of $200million. The price? Beckham had to trade his twilight footballing years from La Liga, the Iglesias of world football, trim, easy on the eye with fans around the world, for the MLS, where clapped out performers have one last hurrah, the Meatloaf you could say.
Beckham's impact on the Galaxy and the MLS cannot be overstated, with Beckham's arrival seeing a 25% increase in Galaxy's home attendance and 7% added to the overall MLS attendance. Most tellingly of all, TV ratings for games featuring Beckham had, on average, 68% more viewers in American households than games without him, showing how key he is, and may yet continue to be, to "soccer's"efforts to increase market penetration Stateside.
So is Beckham merely watching from the stands as this clash between two footballing franchises with contrasting heritages duel over his famous signature. Not entirely. Beckham can, in theory, buy out his LA Galaxy contract immediately for £18 million, allowing him free to put pen to paper with Milan, or whoever tickles his fancy. Beckham would then we free to assist AC Milan's UEFA Cup campaign & title challenge through to their respective conclusions. That said, if Beckham wants European football and a title challenge, as a free agent he could equally choose Aston Villa for example, over Milan. That said, I can't imagine the Birmingham Fashion show being a patch on Italy's finest. So in the coming days and weeks, we will see how much Beckham values the Indian summer of his England career, if the Galaxy stay strong and refuse to yield, will Beckham write the biggest cheque of his life? He constantly talks about how much his England caps mean to him. We will no doubt find out, in the words of Meatloaf, he would do anything for an England cap,...but will he do that?........
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Chelsea's much needed Dutch of class
Guus Hiddink breezed into Cobham this week tasked with the unenviable task of trying to rescue a proud football club from its slide further into the realms of pulp fiction. Hiddink, it is hoped, will re-unify a dressing room rumoured to be ruptured and, in an interesting re-dressing of Chelsea's more lofty prior ambitions, is expected to be keep Chelsea merely "in a position to compete for trophies" .
Perhaps the greatest quality that Hiddink could bring to Chelsea would be to re-connect them with the idea of humility. Since Roman Abramovich's roubles transformed the club overnight, Chelsea have seemingly made more enemies than friends. The meetings with Anders Frisk in the referee's room in Barcelona & Ashley Cole in a Mayfair hotel were symptomatic of the perception that Chelsea were insatiable in their desire to buy, pressure or bully their way to success. However, if ever a man could act as a unifying force, it is Hiddink. The man who brought South Korea together in 2002 and Australia so close to eliminating the eventual world champions in 2006, is a footballing everyman. The respect he has throughout the game has seen him given the licence to combine the Russia and Chelsea jobs, as he did with Australia and PSV prior to Germany.
Whilst Mourinho was arrogant, Grant too stoic and Scolari increasingly paranoid in post-match press conferences, Hiddink could just have the desired blend of personality and footballing style to appease increasing anti-Chelsea anymosity and Abramovich's desire for "sexy" football in equal measure. Indeed, Hiddink is almost Abramovich's last chance. James Lawton, in the Independent, states that Hiddink can re-invent Chelsea into a football club, rather than their increasing appearance as a "rich man's indulgence". Hiddink made the first step today, opening up Stamford Bridge for fans to watch his first training session in charge in a shrewd PR move. Where the last step lands Chelsea will depend on whether Abramovich decides Chelsea need Hiddink beyond May, and what the implications of Hiddink's departure would be for his homeland.
Perhaps the greatest quality that Hiddink could bring to Chelsea would be to re-connect them with the idea of humility. Since Roman Abramovich's roubles transformed the club overnight, Chelsea have seemingly made more enemies than friends. The meetings with Anders Frisk in the referee's room in Barcelona & Ashley Cole in a Mayfair hotel were symptomatic of the perception that Chelsea were insatiable in their desire to buy, pressure or bully their way to success. However, if ever a man could act as a unifying force, it is Hiddink. The man who brought South Korea together in 2002 and Australia so close to eliminating the eventual world champions in 2006, is a footballing everyman. The respect he has throughout the game has seen him given the licence to combine the Russia and Chelsea jobs, as he did with Australia and PSV prior to Germany.
Whilst Mourinho was arrogant, Grant too stoic and Scolari increasingly paranoid in post-match press conferences, Hiddink could just have the desired blend of personality and footballing style to appease increasing anti-Chelsea anymosity and Abramovich's desire for "sexy" football in equal measure. Indeed, Hiddink is almost Abramovich's last chance. James Lawton, in the Independent, states that Hiddink can re-invent Chelsea into a football club, rather than their increasing appearance as a "rich man's indulgence". Hiddink made the first step today, opening up Stamford Bridge for fans to watch his first training session in charge in a shrewd PR move. Where the last step lands Chelsea will depend on whether Abramovich decides Chelsea need Hiddink beyond May, and what the implications of Hiddink's departure would be for his homeland.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Hair straighteners, social media and the Christmas closure of three pubs.
Two isolated incidents during my Christmas holiday twigged a trail of thought in my mind about a trend,that whilst already in motion, could hugely accelerate in 2009. My 18-year old sister created an almighty racket in my house a couple of days before Christmas, screaming blue murder all through the upstairs hall and turning her bedroom upside down. She’d left her hair straighteners at work and was due to meet her three closest friends, who she’s known for 7 years, at a local pub to swap Christmas presents.
Despite the family’s assurances that she looked equally lovely with a hat on, or with her hair up, she was still mumbling on and further chastising herself until she eventually came out with: “Think about it, they’ll take their cameras and they WILL be pictures ……on Facebook and MySpace”. Hold that thought.Also, whilst at home, three well-known pubs in my hometown were closed down.
The pubs are traditional spit and sawdust British pubs that have suffered from the recession, but have also attracted a notoriety of being, shall we say, of interest to an older clientele. The biggest problem that these pubs faced is that they weren’t bringing in the MySpace generation, and there was a clear disparity between these pubs’ average customer age and the other thriving bars in the town centre.
The question I am posing is about the “local pub’s” role in the community and the perpetuation of the public sphere and the potential effect social media may have on this. Historically, the pub has always been a pillar of the community, and central to the local community, transcending normal social stratifications like gender, age, salary and occupation. It could be argued that my sister’s preoccupation with protecting her online image, occurs at the potential detriment of the traditional community function of the public house.
If the pub is 2009’s version of the Habermasian coffee house for social discussion, surely this is lost if trips to the pub descend into a precession of various pouting photos. If new, 18 year old patrons are more concerned with how this particular trip to the pub will contribute to their online profile, how can this not relegate the discussion that takes place to at least secondary. Obviously, the penchant for digitally capturing every quiet pint is generational, those of us whose parents are on Facebook wouldn’t expect to see, in my case, pictures of their Dad asking Terry how he’s finding retirement. The one-night, one pub, often one drink photo albums are often posted by the newly legal pub goers, those who have been social media users for 3-5 years before they walk into their first saloon. So does this mean that pubs of the future, in say 20-25 years will be full of the flash of cameras as the pub becomes less of a place of discourse, but just another venue in the continued online documentation of people’s existence.
Whilst this obviously isn’t going to happen overnight, if the MySpace generation are lost to the pub trade or don’t utilize it as an arena for the public sphere to thrive, how will the night-time economy change? This trend could, in future generations, lead to the traditional public sphere moving online and the public house having to hand over the responsibility of hosting social discourse over to the online community. Current trends show that 35 pubs a week close in the UK, in the same week that Tesco announced that their 2008 digital camera sales were up 19% on last year and they now sell a camera in the UK every 40 seconds.
Beck (1994) argues that society in general is being aestheticized through our preoccupation with style, fashion and presentation. Considered discussion is being replaced with Nike trainers and Ferrari Testarossas and while the Marxist idea of a docile public is not new one, the current state of the British pub trade in conjunction with the rise of social media, demands its re-examination. Perhaps of still greater concern, is Bauman’s idea that the very idea of a public sphere, be it online of offline, is in danger as the idea of “common interests is becoming increasingly nebulous” as fragmentation pulls society in a multitude of different directions.(Bauman, 2000).
Another development on this theme is Facebook mobile. Over the Christmas period I noticed a massive rise, amongst my friends at least, of status updates whilst people are actually out socializing.
Examples have included:“Luke is out drinking at the Light Bar having a blinder”“Claire is in Liquid clubbing it up with my cousin”
I struggle to comprehend this and surely this is an example of my argument. If a few people are sacrificing a certain amount of the time they spend actually socialising to use social media, surely the enjoyment and importance of face-to-face conversation is being slowly phased into the background. Whilst only one of an ever-growing list of nemesis’ to the pub trade, if social media is picking up the reins of social discourse, could an argument be made that the lost generation of potential trade is as big an issue as the credit crunch or the smoking ban? Could this be why my local had 3 balliff letters last month and might not still be open when I next go home?
Perhaps I am looking too much into this, maybe all the ladies reading this will simply feel my sisters pain re hair straighteners. My perception was that her reasoning was symptomatic of a wider trend that leading to an increasing number of pub visits by new pub goers descending into mere contributions to Flickr, Facebook and MySpace.
Despite the family’s assurances that she looked equally lovely with a hat on, or with her hair up, she was still mumbling on and further chastising herself until she eventually came out with: “Think about it, they’ll take their cameras and they WILL be pictures ……on Facebook and MySpace”. Hold that thought.Also, whilst at home, three well-known pubs in my hometown were closed down.
The pubs are traditional spit and sawdust British pubs that have suffered from the recession, but have also attracted a notoriety of being, shall we say, of interest to an older clientele. The biggest problem that these pubs faced is that they weren’t bringing in the MySpace generation, and there was a clear disparity between these pubs’ average customer age and the other thriving bars in the town centre.
The question I am posing is about the “local pub’s” role in the community and the perpetuation of the public sphere and the potential effect social media may have on this. Historically, the pub has always been a pillar of the community, and central to the local community, transcending normal social stratifications like gender, age, salary and occupation. It could be argued that my sister’s preoccupation with protecting her online image, occurs at the potential detriment of the traditional community function of the public house.
If the pub is 2009’s version of the Habermasian coffee house for social discussion, surely this is lost if trips to the pub descend into a precession of various pouting photos. If new, 18 year old patrons are more concerned with how this particular trip to the pub will contribute to their online profile, how can this not relegate the discussion that takes place to at least secondary. Obviously, the penchant for digitally capturing every quiet pint is generational, those of us whose parents are on Facebook wouldn’t expect to see, in my case, pictures of their Dad asking Terry how he’s finding retirement. The one-night, one pub, often one drink photo albums are often posted by the newly legal pub goers, those who have been social media users for 3-5 years before they walk into their first saloon. So does this mean that pubs of the future, in say 20-25 years will be full of the flash of cameras as the pub becomes less of a place of discourse, but just another venue in the continued online documentation of people’s existence.
Whilst this obviously isn’t going to happen overnight, if the MySpace generation are lost to the pub trade or don’t utilize it as an arena for the public sphere to thrive, how will the night-time economy change? This trend could, in future generations, lead to the traditional public sphere moving online and the public house having to hand over the responsibility of hosting social discourse over to the online community. Current trends show that 35 pubs a week close in the UK, in the same week that Tesco announced that their 2008 digital camera sales were up 19% on last year and they now sell a camera in the UK every 40 seconds.
Beck (1994) argues that society in general is being aestheticized through our preoccupation with style, fashion and presentation. Considered discussion is being replaced with Nike trainers and Ferrari Testarossas and while the Marxist idea of a docile public is not new one, the current state of the British pub trade in conjunction with the rise of social media, demands its re-examination. Perhaps of still greater concern, is Bauman’s idea that the very idea of a public sphere, be it online of offline, is in danger as the idea of “common interests is becoming increasingly nebulous” as fragmentation pulls society in a multitude of different directions.(Bauman, 2000).
Another development on this theme is Facebook mobile. Over the Christmas period I noticed a massive rise, amongst my friends at least, of status updates whilst people are actually out socializing.
Examples have included:“Luke is out drinking at the Light Bar having a blinder”“Claire is in Liquid clubbing it up with my cousin”
I struggle to comprehend this and surely this is an example of my argument. If a few people are sacrificing a certain amount of the time they spend actually socialising to use social media, surely the enjoyment and importance of face-to-face conversation is being slowly phased into the background. Whilst only one of an ever-growing list of nemesis’ to the pub trade, if social media is picking up the reins of social discourse, could an argument be made that the lost generation of potential trade is as big an issue as the credit crunch or the smoking ban? Could this be why my local had 3 balliff letters last month and might not still be open when I next go home?
Perhaps I am looking too much into this, maybe all the ladies reading this will simply feel my sisters pain re hair straighteners. My perception was that her reasoning was symptomatic of a wider trend that leading to an increasing number of pub visits by new pub goers descending into mere contributions to Flickr, Facebook and MySpace.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Take your coffee and Buck off!!!
The economic downturn has claimed many victims, and threatens to claim many more into the New Year, but this week saw a local council take a stand against the true embodiment of American capitalism that has the potential to ruin us all.
Brighton & Hove City Council have ordered the Starbucks cafe on St James Street to stop operating as a "drink-in" cafe. The coffee shop opened in May, fragrantly ignoring the fact that they had yet to receive planning permission from the city council to operate as a cafe or a restaurant. The ruling means that the Starbucks can only sell takeaway sandwiches and coffees and the American giant faces the very real prosprect of having to rip out their tables and chairs to adhere to an English bureaucratic system, very unamerican.
This isn't a tirade against the nature of American capitalism, indeed globalisation has lead to the choices that British consumers have being increased exponentially. Microsoft, Nike, Budweiser and Ford are examples of brands that have migrated from the States and have been enveloped within British culture. Indeed, the alleged "special relationship" between our nations has seemingly manifested itself in recent years more in commercial opportunities than in any sense of shared political orientation.
However, this relatively low level protest could be symobilc of the broader struggle that we find ourselves in the midst of in December 2008. Brighton & Hove Council are to be admired for standing for the independent retailer, when arguably another American brand would bring more revenue into St. James Street in these times of recession. As a resident of the Greater Brighton & Hove area outside term time, Brighton has always been a bastion of cultural resistance, holding onto the traditions and cultures that were mockingly discarded by the masses years ago. The fact that the council seem to have absorbed this spirit is encouraging and perhaps Brighton & Hove City Council embody a future where the corporate giants no longer ride roughshot over legislative procedures.
Brighton & Hove City Council have ordered the Starbucks cafe on St James Street to stop operating as a "drink-in" cafe. The coffee shop opened in May, fragrantly ignoring the fact that they had yet to receive planning permission from the city council to operate as a cafe or a restaurant. The ruling means that the Starbucks can only sell takeaway sandwiches and coffees and the American giant faces the very real prosprect of having to rip out their tables and chairs to adhere to an English bureaucratic system, very unamerican.
This isn't a tirade against the nature of American capitalism, indeed globalisation has lead to the choices that British consumers have being increased exponentially. Microsoft, Nike, Budweiser and Ford are examples of brands that have migrated from the States and have been enveloped within British culture. Indeed, the alleged "special relationship" between our nations has seemingly manifested itself in recent years more in commercial opportunities than in any sense of shared political orientation.
However, this relatively low level protest could be symobilc of the broader struggle that we find ourselves in the midst of in December 2008. Brighton & Hove Council are to be admired for standing for the independent retailer, when arguably another American brand would bring more revenue into St. James Street in these times of recession. As a resident of the Greater Brighton & Hove area outside term time, Brighton has always been a bastion of cultural resistance, holding onto the traditions and cultures that were mockingly discarded by the masses years ago. The fact that the council seem to have absorbed this spirit is encouraging and perhaps Brighton & Hove City Council embody a future where the corporate giants no longer ride roughshot over legislative procedures.
Monday, 1 December 2008
Merry Christmas ...what will Santa bring the economy
So, it's the first of December and as the first door of advent calendars are opened across the country, will this Christmas be a tad different from any other my generation can recall? 16 years of unprecedented economic growth has been curtailed and we now face the first Christmas in a recession than any of us can probably remember. The economic downturn was evidenced by the lass than festive news that the pound lost the most value against the dollar in one day since 1992. Yet amidst all the doom and gloom and the 20% day sales that the likes of Beales and Marks and Spencers have used in the last week, could tightening our belts be a good thing?
People my age have grown up surrounded by unlimited material desires. As a child, if it wasn't a Playstation it was a Go-Kart and if it wasn't a go kart, it was the latest pair of football boots. But, could this economic downturn lead to people beginning to re-connect with the true spirit of Christmas, and not be blinded by a proliferation of flashing gizmos and glittering bows. Don't misconstrue this as religous fanatiscism that is extolling the virtues of midnight mass, but I do feel the true meaning of the festive season has been somewhat clouded. Could this Xmas be the beginning of the end of the rat race of consumerism that has come to embody the festive season?
People my age have grown up surrounded by unlimited material desires. As a child, if it wasn't a Playstation it was a Go-Kart and if it wasn't a go kart, it was the latest pair of football boots. But, could this economic downturn lead to people beginning to re-connect with the true spirit of Christmas, and not be blinded by a proliferation of flashing gizmos and glittering bows. Don't misconstrue this as religous fanatiscism that is extolling the virtues of midnight mass, but I do feel the true meaning of the festive season has been somewhat clouded. Could this Xmas be the beginning of the end of the rat race of consumerism that has come to embody the festive season?
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