The Mahendra's Ties Television Fund

No, seriously, this blog needs an injection of [chemical] or [propellant]. It is true that I espy Mahendra and miscellaneous newsreaders on occasion, but it's often by chance. [I caught a glimpse of him on Saturday evening: dark jacket, dark red/maroon shirt, stripy tie of dark hues.] But since the loss of my very own idiot-box, I haven't been in watch-mode and therefore was overcome more with a despair, reminded again that I have no television by way of which to follow the Tie-man. I have consequently been reading a lot and have become a bit more ruminative on the nature of things.

E.g. why does our man read the news articles with such - how shall I say - such wild diversion in tone, as if he is reading a story of some narrative and dramatic import? I mean, yes, news items do have narrative import and many, of course, are of high drama. But I feel that our man in Auckland Park needn't add such intonations as would render the telling of the tale as melodramatic performance. Of the older generation, I am quite prepared to have my news come to me in neutral tones - not droll, not droning, but some neutrality of voice will have me focus on the content of each item and not its delivery. Then I will leave it to media studies students to launch enthusiastic but ultimately formulaic critiques of the contradiction between neutrality of voice and its ideological intentions.

In any case, it is partly my fault: losing focus in my mission, straying off message, etc. It shows a weakness, yes, and I shouldn't let the redistribution of television sets become a major setback.

Alas, it has. I can't imagine myself strolling over to the local and asking the struggling proprietor to switch the channel from the football/rugby/cricket to the SABC3 news now, can I? There are not enough Mahendra-watchers yet to turn this television event into a moneyspinner such as a FIFA or FIA event.

So, apart from begging co-writers, who have their own moments, phases or seasons of rumination, to contribute more freely, I have decided, also, to suggest - quite reticently, reluctantly - to suggest... or, rather, I was thinking that maybe I should suggest a television fund to buy a television set of modest proportion. The kitty already sports ZAR16.00, revenue generated through advertising on this site - we could be well on our way if we can find a chink in the closed circle of no-TV-no-entries-no-readers-no-ad-revenue-no-TV. A television fund may well provide hammer, chisel, wedge and ramrod.

Dear reader, you decide.