the new 'call to arms'???

apparently 'australia day' 2010 is all about barbecues and eskys...

we're being encouraged to 'man your eskys' and 'bbq like you've never bbq'd before' - and from the graphics on the posters apparently we should eat a lot of animal fat, flesh and gristle, and men should drink heaps (and, as is the 'aussie way', all byo of course)!!!! oooh, and notice everyone is white - some just more suntanned than others (skin cancer - another 'aussie custom')!!! and we should all look to the sky for some reason - what's heading our way???

such responsible advertising - eat and drink to excess - and then what? get in your car and drive home?? or maybe the message is - party hard because tomorrow you die - from all that animal fat clogging the arteries and - if you're male - if the fat doesn't kill you alcohol poisoning just might - and, failing all else, melanoma will get ya!!!! -

very  retro style posters aren't they - reminiscent of the style of propaganda posters put out during wartime...

and does it mean if you're not white, don't eat animal and don't drink, you're not a 'real aussie' because that's how australians party... does that make vegos, vegans, non-caucasians and non-drinkers unwelcome, unwanted aliens perhaps!!!!

rather than 'australia day' isn't a better description of the british invasion and its attempted genocide 'survival day' or 'invasion day', or perhaps on january 26 we should celebrate indigenous culture?

i came across this graphic in an article at dailyhistory.net and couldn't resist using it...

        and the rest is 'history' - they wanted everything!

even the debate over the australian flag is still raging... why the hell does it still incorporate the union jack - isn't it about time we cut the british colonial umbilical cord?? shouldn't we acknowledge the past and incorporate an indigenous symbol in the flag?

perhaps one of these designs - created for a competition by ausflag a few years ago - people are still submitting designs -  you can view them here (but you have to scroll right down the page!!)

although this beautiful quilting  fabric from the onestop fabric shop called 'awesome australia' totally epitomizes the country as far as i'm concerned and would make a wonderful flag - if we have to have one - it's a lovely depiction of australian flora, fauna and the indigenous art style - how much more 'australian' could you get - it's unmistakably australian - it gets my vote!!!

anyway, whatever you've got planned, whether you celebrate the day, ponder on the past or just relax and have a lazy day, enjoy the public holiday, and i'll enjoy the rest of my week off!!!!