The Perfect Christmas

I've noticed a trend on British TV for things to be advertised using the phrase "the perfect..." as in "the perfect Christmas" or "the perfect kitchen".  You might think I'm overstating things, but the unnecessary raising of one's expectations in this way is more likely than not to result in disappointment.

How many of us, I wonder, had "the perfect Christmas?"  Indeed, what is the perfect Christmas?!  What makes a meal, or a birthday, or a fancy new kitchen installation "perfect"?  Are we not more used to that sensation of looking forward to something for weeks or months, only for the final event not to live up to the hype? Is this not a recurring phenomenon?  Why do we not learn to reset our expectations accordingly?

I guess that's the difference between optimism and realism.  The optimist is always looking on the bright side, regardless of the facts.  The realist hopes for the best but knows things could go otherwise.  The pessimist... well, let's leave him well alone.  I opt for the middle ground on this one.

Human beings are insatiable.  We will always want more, no matter how much we get.  I think it's important for us to understand that we live in a broken world, filled with both good and bad, and that it's unrealistic to expect things to go "perfectly" for any prolonged period of time.

So, Mr. Marketing Man, please stop trying to sell me "the perfect" anything.  I know you're just selling me a lie.

Football Is Just a Game

Obvious, right? Perhaps not. I've enjoyed the buld up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and have watched my fair share of matches to date. Every team I've supported has been eliminated, but let's not dwell too much on that unfortunate fact. At least, I still remember that when all is said and done, football is just a game. And I was taught from a young age that winning or losing doesn't really matter; it's how you play the game. How sad, then, that our professional footballers choose to lie and cheat through every match, and I'm not talking about exceptions. It's the norm! Diving, raising of hands to appeal against non-existent fouls and hand balls, and feigning innocence in the face of blatant misdemeanours... The list could go on and on. Add to all that the weeping and crying and shouting and fighting on and off the pitch, and you'd be forgiven for thinking that we're talking about some thing more serious than 22 people trying to kick leather-bound air between vertical wooden sticks and under a crossbar.

They're all overpaid anyway. Perhaps that's the root of the whole problem...