A rant and a film review

I haven't posted for almost a week, which is a long time for me. I've been going through a period where I have become anti social media. Such spells normally start when something annoys me, which in turn makes me dislike myself for becoming annoyed at such trivial matters - such as the profusion of pictures of the latest rarity; tweets proclaiming the tweeters latest 'find' as if they are birding deities; moronic congratulations to birders for having travelled to see birds that others have found; words like 'BOOM!' and 'rares'; selfies (especially groups of middle-aged men trying to look like gunslingers when, in fact, they are birdwatchers); Facebook group dissing of posters because they are 'beginners'; tweeting out the presence of a bird even though that news has been broadcast a hundred times already; trying to pass birds off as if you have found them yourself when you haven't; 'scoring', 'connecting' and 'nailing' birds when they have simply been 'observed'; posing for pictures with a moth, or other type of insect, on your nose.... I could go on.

Yes, I'm a miserable git who needs to lighten up, fair do's, but I do wonder at the vapidity of some people out there, pretending to be heroes as they approach natural history merely as a product to be consumed and then used as a prop to try and weave some sort of mythology around themselves. The upshot is that I have stopped looking at Facebook, culled those that I follow on Twitter and haven't posted on this blog for a while.

Normal service will be resumed after I've calmed down.

PS: I took myself off to see Bladerunner 2049 yesterday. As a big fan of the original I was desperate for it to be a worthy follow-up. It exceeded expectations, in the storyline, beautiful imagery, haunting soundtrack and the acting. Conclusion? It was better than the original.

Comments

Dylan Wrathall said…
Welcome to old age - it's great once you actually accept the fact that your no longer part of the "Scene" - Anarchy is the driving force behind youth, yet it is so much more pleasurable when conducted by ageing middle England! - Dyl
6 October 2017 at 20:37
Derek Faulkner said…
Blimey, you're starting to morph into me, I thought Dylan and I had the copyright on being ranting old gits, welcome aboard. Here in Kent this week we've had all the tripe you describe above because a Wilsons Phalarope has decided to join a L.B. Dowitcher at Oare.
7 October 2017 at 06:00
Jonathan Lethbridge said…
Better than the original???? Go and wash your mouth out!!
7 October 2017 at 10:08
Jonathan Lethbridge said…
PS I am also finding blogging very hard!
7 October 2017 at 10:09
Steve Gale said…
I'm 'enjoying' the experience in a perverse way Dyl
7 October 2017 at 10:22
Steve Gale said…
Maybe we three could make a reality TV show and call it 'Last of the Summer WHINE'
7 October 2017 at 10:23
Steve Gale said…
Ah, but have you seen the new film Jono?
7 October 2017 at 10:23
Steve Gale said…
Stick with it my friend...
7 October 2017 at 10:24
Phil Slade said…
Much of it is often a good source of belly laughs at their sheer lack of basic knowledge of moult or migration. Just last week or so someone posted a sighting of a "first winter" Spotted Flycatcher! Other times, referring to a bird sighting," the same one as yesterday/this week/ etc/etc."

All good fun. Keep taking the pills.
7 October 2017 at 11:11
Derek Faulkner said…
Nice one Steve, I like that
7 October 2017 at 11:19
Steve Gale said…
I'd run out of pills, that was the problem Phil!
7 October 2017 at 13:19
Paul James said…
To 'BOOM' and 'Rares' you could add 'yeah boiiii' and 'absolute porn'. Further evidence that I'm also in danger of becoming a miserable git!
7 October 2017 at 17:06
Steve Gale said…
Paul, all I can say is "Welcome"....
7 October 2017 at 17:59
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