Last week Michael Clarke, captain of Australia’s test cricket team, made 329 runs.

The newspapers showed photos of him waving his arms in delight when he reached the 300 mark — arms bearing numerous visible tattoos.

Why would a grown man get himself tattooed?

Why would a cricketing nation put a tattooed person in charge of a team?

* * *

“Tattoos are a form of self-expression,” according to some.

It’s how you can “make a statement”, they say.

A statement, yes.

Doesn’t every tattoo make the same statement?

A statement that, “I am incapable of making a statement any other way except drawing attention to myself by mutilating myself.

“I am also incapable of not following every mindless fad that comes along.”

Municipal Council tips are full of discarded analog television sets whose cathode ray tubes contain toxic components and cannot be recycled or just left lying around.

It costs a council about $20 each to have them properly disposed of.

One suggested alternative is to sell such sets off cheap as spare sets to put in children’s bedrooms . . .

* * *

No, please.

Already our children are mentally obtunded by the television seen in the lounge room. Shouldn’t we be discouraging such harmful passivity, not encouraging more of it?

And what will they be watching in the privacy of their room?

If a person entered your children’s room, swore continually, committed violent acts and indulged in acts of adultery in front of them, wouldn’t you get him/her out in a hurry?

Why install a machine which continuously portrays foul language, violence and adultery . . . ?

* * *

Think about making yours a television-free home.

If we don’t watch it ourselves, we’ll find more time to spend with our children

Help them become less dependent on artificial electronic amusements – to enjoy doing things, making things and reading decent books.

Christmas is over.

The whole twelve days of Christmas ended yesterday on the feast day called Epiphany.

New Years Day has happened.

What comes next?

Woolworths are already trying to sell hot cross buns.

Father Tony Kennedy, Parish Priest of Burnie, Tasmania, has complained, saying hot cross buns are a reminder of the death of Jesus Christ on the first Good Friday . . . .

So they shouldn’t be eaten before that day each year.

* * *

Woolworths say they start selling hot cross buns in January “because of consumer demand”.

In other words, because there’s money in it.

Woolworths sell cigarettes because there’s money in it.

Woolworths sell alcohol because there’s money in it.

Woolworths-associated companies are Australia’s biggest poker machine operators because there’s money in it.

If marijuana was ever legalised they’d sell it because there’s money in it.

Father Kennedy is right.

Woolworths are wrong.

Some things are more important than money . . . .

* * *

But nothing will change unless somehow one of their perverse marketings becomes a money-loser.

I haven’t been in a Woolworths store for years.

Have you?

The Australian media are currently over-full of tennis and cricket results.

Why?

Because that’s what attracts the most readers/viewers, who, on seeing the advertisements, will obediently buy the products advertised– thus making the owners of the media and sporting teams richer.

Sport is, of course, good in its way.

The Pope (speaking to soccer players in Spain) said as much:

“Sport should promote the virtues of loyalty, fairness, sobriety and mutual respect.”

* * *

It is important that sport does not promote assaulting other people, either physically or verbally.

And does not promote passively sitting in front of a screen and consuming junk food and alcohol.

And it should not promote turning Sunday, the traditional day for worshipping God, into a day of celebrity-idolising and self-worship.

* * *

If we get our attitude to sport wrong, we are on the way to cultural and spiritual suicide.

On Judgment day, God will not be asking you how much sport you played or whether your country’s team won the Ashes.

December 26 is listed as a “Christmas Day Holiday” in Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia.

Nations which have 4%, 10% and 2% Catholic populations.

What is the point of them having such a rash of Christian observances . . . ?

It’s good to see, anyway.

* * *

What about Australia, with its nominally majority Christian population?

Here December 26 is famous for:

(1) Boxing Day Sales.

Shops selling off failed Christmas present-style goodies at “bargain” prices.

Already-fleeced punters all turn up yet again to be re-fleeced.

(2) The Boxing Day Test.

Australia’s cricket team plays a visiting team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Cricket enthusiasts drink diluted ethanol either from eskies at the MCG or in front of the TV until comatose.

Or have eskies been banned? I can’t remember.

* * *

Traditionally December 26 is/was the Feast day of Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

A few weeks after Jesus was crucified and resurrected, Stephen preaching in Jerusalem challenging the people to become Christians . . . .

Hauled before a kangaroo court, he delivered a sermon to his accusers and judges about how they, too, should become believers.

They were peeved.

As recorded in the Bible, in the Book of Acts:

“He said, ‘Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’

But they stopped their ears and rushed at him.

They cast him out of the city and stoned him . . . and as they were stoning him, he prayed, ‘LORD, DO NOT LAY THIS SIN TO THEIR CHARGE.’”

Ex-Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, has written a foreword to a book which promises to be political dynamite.

“How to get expelled from school”, by Professor Ian Plimer.

Its message is that “man-made-climate-change”, as taught in our schools, is not based on good science.

* * *

Prof Plimer also promotes conspiracy theories about government backing climate-change views simply to collect more taxes.

He would do better to stick to the point, i.e. to the scientific facts.

If Plimer and co. can demonstrate that the “changes” have been exaggerated — and won’t be reversed by decimating industry . . . .

No need then to resort to attacking personalities and motives.

* * *

Yes, we should care for the environment better.

Australians consume too much – mainly products made by workers (God’s children) who are virtually slaves, e.g. in China.

We say we don’t believe in slavery. We like an affluent lifestyle. We want it both ways. We are hypocrites.

The moral issue is more important than “climate-change”.

Sort that out and the “climate-change” issue — such as it is – may well sort itself out.