Australia must be desperate for news when half the TV News-time is taken up by dire warnings of a hurricane bearing down on the East Australian Coast. Nothing is sure yet. A man with a small face wearing glasses is brought to the camera to explain the latest about this hurricane that has now been ‘bearing’ down for at least a week. Warnings about giant waves are interspersed with footage of surfers happily riding those big waves. Drone shots are shown of Gold Coast skyscrapers perilously close to the breaking waves. The BOM ( Bureau of Metereology) man on TV tries to spin it as long as possible and now shows maps of large circles and a red centre. It shows New Caledonia on its right and the Australian coast on the left. Cyclone Oma is still 1200 kilometres from Australia but large waves have already arrived.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-22/cyclone-oma-weakens-to-stay-off-queensland-coast/10834820
We normally pay the weather little attention and know it roughly behaves as it does. Why it is part of the News is a mystery. I remember that in the past, farmers used to study the sky and figure out what the weather was likely to do. Even so, we too take some notice of the weather that is yet to come. The map on TV shows the name of towns and have either a sun, cloud or rain droplets displayed above them. The weatherman rattles off the future chances of wind, sun, rain or even snow and does it with an air of someone announcing the upcoming marriage of the Pope. One ABC weatherman has a curious way of lifting his left foot up on its heel while pivoting around back to his map. When he is finished he is curtly thanked by the News reader and that’s that.
I suppose with the impending tornado, nature is forcing us to become more attentive. A flood, a tsunami, blizzards or any other localized apocalypse, the forecasters do get our attention more than the average weather forecast or news of a baby that is held upside down by its feet for alternative spinal manipulation.. The trouble when a tornado goes on too long, it wears us out and we slip away again. It is when a Prime minister arrives on the screen, wearing rubber boots and a face mask that we get to sit upright again. The TV screen shows us the wrinkled face of a farmer, hoisting by the help of his tractor, a cow’s carcass out of the mud. Our PM, Mr Morrison, all puckered by concern mumbles a few inanities feigning concern but fully concentrated on future votes. I fear, with the resignation of M/s Bishop, chances of the party holding on to power has now slipped away altogether. However, don’t underestimate the anti refugee mob! The pot of hatred is being stirred again.
The weather is so much kinder, isn’t?
Tags: abc., apocalypse, Cyclone Oma, Flood, Miss Bishop, Mr Morrison, News, Refugee, Storm, tornado, TV
Oosterman Treats Blog 
February 22, 2019 at 10:48 am |
I see no comment yet, so we must all agree with you. The weather is indeed more interesting than the upcoming election. Perhaps a cyclone is just what ScoMo needs to appear on TV and feign concern and appear statesmanlike. He could call an early election and ride the wave 🌊 to be our next PM. Again.
LikeLiked by 2 people
February 22, 2019 at 11:21 pm |
In the meantime, despite the move to free the refugees held captive on Nauru and Manus, no one has yet left. A dreadful political game is being played whereby they are being used as pawns for the next election. Who would have thought that they, the refugees could still be further exploited? Even Himmler in his grave is being outdone by Morrison and Dutton.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 22, 2019 at 12:00 pm |
Everyone here laughs and laughs at the antics of the weather readers on television. They long for chaos and destruction — it’s their chance to wrest attention away from the “real” newspeople for a while. One of the most famous incidents involved a weather person reporting in “pour rain and deluges” during the runup to a hurricane. Later, footage emerged of the person with the step ladder pouring “rain” over him from the side.
I did have to laugh at the thought of a storm called “Oma.” That’s the German for grandmother, of course. I’m not sure a storm name that evokes hugs, gardening, and cinnamon rolls is the best, but maybe there’s a different meaning over there.
LikeLiked by 3 people
February 22, 2019 at 11:33 pm |
The Tornado ‘Oma’ that is threatening Australia is being downgraded to a nr 1 storm and even taking a U-turn. Even so people are being advised to tape up their windows and stock up on sandbags.
For some years, our grandsons have called us Oma and Opa. I am waiting for the next tornado the be an Opa, Linda.
When one walks around, there seem to be so many Opas and Omas now. Retirement villages are everywhere, now under scrutiny by another Royal Commission. Together with weather reports we are now being shown videos of elderly inhabitants of aged care homes getting bashed up or maltreated. Compliments of the Royal Commission!
Visiting children secretly install cameras in the hope of finding out why Oma or an Opa end up getting all those bruises.
Tomorrow we will be visiting our daughter and her sons for a nice lunch. We take life a day at a time. It is no good lingering too much about the past nor worry about the future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 22, 2019 at 9:05 pm |
It is! 🙂
“Bearing down” reminds me of birth-in’ my babies! 🙂
Funny how weather (even boring weather, but certainly exciting weather) gets so much attention at times. 24 hour weather stations and apps, etc., these days. 🙂
We just got 18 inches of snow over the past 24 hours and it’s snowing again now. Everyone is all ‘aflutter and ‘atwitter! 🙂
The way you described the small-faced man/weather man made me giggle. 😀 Weather-people on the news always interest me.
Please stay safe and have fun and give Helvi some (((HUGS))) and Milo some PATS!!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 3 people
February 22, 2019 at 11:41 pm |
Yes, the weather man or women are specialists in their field. I wonder how one feels being a weather man? Do they arrive home after a hard day and tell their spouse; ‘I really did a good weather report today, darling.’ Does the spouse than give him a nice hug and a glass of wine? How does one train to be a good weatherman?
One job I really admire is to be and work taking colonoscopies. I could never do that but someone has to do it. They should sometimes be given a special day of the year as recognition of all the important work they do.
Hugs to you Carolyn. You always make us feel good! Milo is wagging his tail.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 23, 2019 at 7:39 am
Yes, I wonder that about weather-people, too. And if they live where it’s sunny all the time is their job boring? And do their spouses ever say “What’s the weather today, Dear?” HA! OR “Enough about the weather! Hush, Hon!” 😛
HA! I appreciate the colonoscopy-people, BUTT I do not want that job! What would we call that special day?!?!
Thank you! I’m glad! and YAY Milo! 🙂
LikeLike
February 22, 2019 at 11:43 pm |
Well in another life I would have been a Meteorologist. I find weather fascinating, this Tropical Cyclone is interesting as it has done something quite rare, managed to make it into NSW waters, with the impact being felt on Sydney Beaches. It might happen once every 30 odd years. This one started its life near Cairns headed into the gulf where it stopped and dump a metre or two of rain in Far North Queensland. before heading out into the coral sea to somewhere near Vanuatu then head back. It looks like it will head north again to where it all started.
The language they use is interesting bearing down, I’m unsure that Cyclones give birth to anything other that plenty of rain and lots of wind. The wind is something that has come out of our interim PM over the past few weeks though, an embarrassment to all Australia who chooses to lie because there’s an election coming. Somehow though its Helloworld and the $1b handed out to party mates that will sink him.
LikeLiked by 2 people
February 25, 2019 at 3:03 am |
Well, Algy. It has all gone to pass now. It has caused erosion along the millionaires Gold Coast Strip. Fair justice, I think.
The news has become too depressing. We now watch the weatherman only and Mrs Wilson on ABC. I found ‘The Cry’ disappointing and the plot was unconvincing.
LikeLike
February 23, 2019 at 12:05 pm |
Colonoscopy, bearing down, where the sun don’t shine. Standards in blogging are plummeting. Very funny. Bit smutty. Don’t stop.
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 25, 2019 at 3:07 am |
Going to he dentist is not much fun either. At least with colonoscopy one gets a nice lunch afterwards including a nice jelly. Try and get that out of the dentist.
LikeLike
February 23, 2019 at 9:01 pm |
This week in Sth Oz..temp at 38-39deg’s C///raising to 42 C over the weekend…that’s March..it’s now hitting 42 deg C in March…after a week of over 100 deg’s in the old money…The ground temp is still high from the Summer and will stay so into Autumn…where to from here?
LikeLiked by 1 person
February 25, 2019 at 3:09 am |
Yes, Jo.
We can’t wait for a bit of frost to come about. It has been a long hot summer. This morning a heavenly 12C and the heaters on again. How nice!
LikeLike