Sponsored time

Diseases can do it. So can facial hair, in partnership with a disease. How do we decide who sponsors the time? We can have World Cocktail week, Movember. The length of time doesn't seem to relate to the importance. I always felt like a woman with great cleavage during Movember... people would just talk to my mo. I'm up here!

The Earth only got one hour. Then again, what has the Earth done for me lately?

I was at a party recently, and I didn't realise that it was Earth Hour. The party was split right down the middle. The people outside wanted the air conditioning off, because they wanted to have the doors open, to move in and out. The people inside wanted the air conditioning on because it was really hot.

The people outside asked if we could have the TV off, or at least the lights off and switch to candles. The Swans are always on during Earth Hour, but who knows how long AFL goes for?

Some people may think this doesn't make sense. Why should people outside complain and ask those inside to turn the air conditioning off? It doesn't really have any effect on them does it? Why, it's just like the US and other developed countries telling China, India, and the developing nations to not burn fossil fuels and so on. Or maybe it's just that the Hour itself doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. The future is not going to be one where we have to conserve energy like we conserve water, only switching our lights on every other day. We might be better off just getting better light bulbs and keeping them on all the time.

I guess it doesn't really matter. What's one hour out of your whole year? We could go our whole lives thinking like that.

The Company Wombat

The northern hairy nosed wombat is one of the most endangered species in the world.  Only 138 exist, and none exist in captivity.  They are really rare.

Xstrata is one of the biggest mining companies in the world.  They now own the northern hairy nosed wombat... or should I say the Xstrata northern hairy nosed wombat.  As part of the millions they are spending on the wombat, they get 'exclusive' naming rights, like Etihad stadium.  Something that humans haven't really had since the Garden of Eden with Adam.  Books, clothing, backpacks, .. anything northern hairy nosed wombat is now Xstrata.

Their investment mainly goes to the development of a second colony of wombats, located near St. George, Queensland, which has helped to increase numbers in the last 2 years by about 20.

I think it's one of the most bizarre tie-ins in the world.  I can understand home loans and stadiums, but wombats and mining?  What do the mining company get out of it?  138 wombats can barely do much heavy labour.  They don't seem to be the most resilient of species either.  

I think the wombats do get a bit of benefit from it, a trendy little Xstrata logo to have branded on their backs or somewhere conspicuous.  Maybe a guest starring spot in some recruitment videos.  Anyway, hopefully this is just the start of more businesses owning some animals.