Silent Night

Oh dear:

The survey of 1,000 school children aged between five and seven years old reveals that 36 per cent don’t know whose birthday we celebrate on December 25 - with over one in five believing the festivities are in aid of Simon Cowell's birthday.

Read the piece. It gets worse:

In addition, the research by online retailer Woolworths.co.uk found 24 per cent of children believe that Brentwood in Essex, home to TOWIE stars favourite nightclub the Sugar Hut, was the location of Jesus' birth.

Another quarter think Jesus was born at 10 Downing Street or Buckingham Palace, with only 28 per cent of those polled able to name Bethlehem as the correct birth place...

...The confusion over festive traditions are not just confined to the nativity story with over a quarter of those polled thinking Lapland was the name of a London nightclub and 35 per cent could not even name Rudolph as one of Santa’s reindeer, despite his famous red nose.

Instead the average British child thinks the reindeer are named after celebrities, including Tulisa Contostavlos, David Beckham and Pippa Middleton...

'We’re not saying that celebrity culture has ruined the traditions of Christmas but from these results it certainly seems to have had an effect on how children think about the big day!'

They may not want to say it by I will.

Celebrity culture has ruined the traditions of Christmas and many other aspects of society.

-- Nora

Putting Away Childish Things

Powerful parenting advice from author Tony Woodlief in the Wall Street Journal:

While some mothers and fathers stubbornly cling to the utopian beliefs of their childless years, the vision of humans as inherently sinful and selfish resonates with many of us who are parents. Nobody who's stood between a toddler and the last cookie should still harbor a belief in the inherent virtue of mankind. An afternoon at the playground is apt to make one toss out the idealist Rousseau ("man is a compassionate and sensible being") in favor of the more realistic Hobbes ("all mankind [is in] a perpetual and restless desire for power").

Go. Read the whole thing.

If you're a parent you'll find it liberating. If you're contemplating parenthood you'll see a road map.

Hat tip: Hot Air

-- Nora

Premier Swamped

Could our dear Premier be just a tad paranoid? Beleagured? Feeling like no one loves or appreciates him?

PREMIER Peter Beattie has told opponents of the proposed superyacht marina at The Spit on the Gold Coast that the project will go ahead.

``Thinking people will support this ... it's a done deal,'' he said.

``I don't expect them (opponents) to love it but we said prior to the election that we're going ahead with superyachts and I believe we have a mandate to do so...

..."I don't want people to get caught up in propaganda.

"We want The Spit to be world class and it will be. This will be a successful, balanced development and we'll get a lot of (private) interest.

"We set the rules and the rules are the ones I have spelled out."

But let's see what the 'opponents' actually have to say about the new project:

THE State Government's revised blueprint for The Spit has been backed by the spectrum of Gold Coast groups in a rare display of consensus.

The city's lucrative marine industry believes the proposed superyacht berths will bring 'the richest people in the world' to the Coast, signalling a new era in commercial and property investment.

The Save Our Spit Alliance, which whipped up a grassroots campaign that sank plans for a cruise ship terminal, lauded the latest vision, which will ban development north of Sea World.

And environmental group GECKO was thankful private developers -- who will tender for parcels of Crown land -- would contribute to the maintenance and improvements of Doug Jennings Park and Federation Walk.

Charles Dickson, president of the Gold Coast Marine Industry Association, congratulated the State Government for promising to develop a dredging strategy.

See, was that so hard Pete?

The above exchange is clearly demonstrative of a man who is out of touch with the community. First Beattie tries to force a cruise ship terminal on the Gold Coast (despite having spend multi millions on building one 40 minutes up the road in Brisbane) and can't understand why people aren't swooning at his feet.

Now the Premier announces new plans for the land and belittles the people who hated the first plan.

Gee, thanks.

Whatever happened to 'Government of the people, by the people, for the people'?

Beattie has forgotten who is supposed to serve.

-- Nora