Wednesday 20 August 2008

A Tattered Coat Upon a Stick

Here's a prime example of the kind of thing charities get up to these days - an utterly pointless protest about a road sign. What, I wonder, would the generic sign they're suggesting look like? Any ideas? Darned if I can think of one...
If these charities are really interested in the dignity of old people, they should be campaiging vigorously to get hospitals and other arms of the state to stop calling them by their Christian names, thereby infantilising them and robbing them of their identity along with their dignity. But charities today, driven by marketing and publicity 'experts' and consultants hired at great expense, are more interested in 'raising awareness' - by getting stories like this into the news, and by launching offensive and alientating advertising campaigns. All part of the onward rush of 'professionalism'.
I wish this weather would improve...

4 comments:

  1. A suitable sign would show a frozen pensioner sitting outside of an igloo. Re weather, follow the Malty's Nige, commence Ark building.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Another episode from "The Arse Diaries", in which a man whose arse has fallen off curses the weak, bendy, cheapo Chinese bolts that caused his tragic loss but, for some reason, will not purchase the sturdy German-made steel numbers that will cure the problem? Only joking, I hasten to add. Terrible weather, I agree.

    Ask among your friends. I'd guess you'll find a huge amount of voluntary work goes on without any of these modern inanities - visits, teas, readings, raffles, trips to the seaside or to Lourdes for all sorts of people and organized by just as wide a variety. The charities we hear about are often the ones to avoid, imho. They are the ones with the publicity managers. But under the radar, the good stuff goes on as (I believe, anyway) it always has.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Damn those cheap Chinese arse bolts! Never again Mark, never again...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Tales of unsung heroes No 1. A cousin of mine was for many years a funeral director, years ago, with the advent of 'old peoples homes' he thought he had an excellent idea. Instead of wasting those nice flowers after the funeral, why not give them to the homes. The idea took off, my cousin, or his staff would deliver the flowers, every day to the staff of the homes. Big problem, the occupants of the homes, upon seeing a hearse draw up at the door drew the conclusion that their brand new retreats were Charnal houses, requiring the removal of corpses on a daily basis. A compromise was reached and the flowers were delivered in unmarked vehicles.
    The best laid plans etc.

    ReplyDelete