I’m not sure this is related, but I certainly think that it’s appropriate at the current time.

I recently heard that the Rock Eisteddfod (and the JRock program) look like they might be canceled, due to a lack of funds. I heard about this on Channel 7 News, and I haven’t found anything on the ‘net or in the press, but I still think it’s worth a mention. Although this is being cancelled due to a lack of sponsorship money, I can imagine a future where these kinds of activities don’t exist at all – simply because school has become so focused on the NAPLAN testing agenda.

Let’s think about this for a moment: if, as a principal, you had to choose between directing your staff to spend time preparing students for NAPLAN or for the Rock Eisteddfod, which would you choose? Especially considering that, while, at best, you might get a bit of local press coverage for the Eisteddfod, your success or failure will be trumpeted in much-publicised detail on the myschool website.

Hmm? Not a hard question, I imagine.

I know there are principals and teachers out there who will say, ‘Be damned to these ridiculous dictates of testing. We will have an Eistedfodd team, and, by Jove, our parents will know us for the good school we are!’ But I think those kind of educational professionals will soon become few and far between.

Of course, it won’t stop with just an Eisteddfod. Excursions will go. Extracurricular activities will go. Enrichment activities will go. Personal, social, moral education will go.

You’ve been warned.

I’ve got to be honest with you, I watch a lot of sport. I know, I should get out there and play a little bit, but hey, I prefer to watch people exercise than actually take part in it.

In fact, it’s the only reason Mrs Heggart and I got Foxtel – well, that and so Mrs Heggart can watch Friends repeats. Never mind.
Anyway, I’ve noticed a bit of a concerning trend in some of the telecasts – from both Channel 9 (during the cricket) and Channel 7 (during the tennis). It’s what I call stealth advertising.

What basically happens is that during a lull in play, there’s a footer scrolling across the bottom of the screen, advertising some new kind of show, which the commentators then talk about, as if they are just talking.

Yeah, sure.

The first few times it was excruciating listening to Mark Taylor witter on about Underbelly or some crap, but obviously the advertising boffins thought that wasn’t working well enough – now they have some kind of script they read out.

It’s not the commentators I feel angry at – I’m pretty sure they’re embarrassed at being pimped out to sell viewers, and some of them manage to make their feelings clear while reading the script.
Rather, I get really annoyed that networks are so contemptuous of their viewers that they willfully destroy their viewing pleasure for the sake of a bit of advertising. Unbelievable.

Surely there must be some kind of law about this? Let me know.

Maybe we can get a petition started – saying that for every hour of cricket (for example) played, the networks must show 50 minutes of it – and only it – so no sneaky stealth advertising.

Next they’ll be teaming up with KFC for classic catches… oh, hang on…