Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 01, 2014 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
My first column for 2013 was captioned, “Do people read the newspapers on New Year’s Eve?” I repeat the question. In that January 1, 2013 piece, I argued that given the energy and time humans spend on the night of December 31, the next day, they just don’t want to do anything at all, much less read the newspapers.
I went on to state that even if they get up early, they would turn on the idiot box. In an age of social media, they would be getting all types of messages. So the newspaper becomes a casualty on January 1 of each year. But at the same time, this is a world that we think we know. Maybe we don’t know anything about it.
We may think we comprehend the world but when faced with some amazing facts, we are stunned to find out how little we are familiar with the human species.
Who says in today’s world because of Twitter, social media and all the young people, few would read newspapers on New Year’s Day?
Here are some facts that you should ponder on.
Some of the entertainers that brought in the highest intake for 2011 and 2012 were performers for over sixty years, include Paul McCartney (who is in his seventies), Pink Floyd Frontman, Roger Waters (who is in his seventies) and Elton John, among others. Taylor Swift, a young superstar, earned the same amount as Paul McCartney in 2012
You would think that in today’s world, people would not know of Roger Waters, whose group dominated the rock scene in the seventies. Yanni plays music that young people would not gravitate to, but Yanni is one of the highest grossing performers.
My point is that the world is wide with all kinds of people and you may think that on New Year’s Day, few people would read the newspaper, but that may not be so.
I do concede that the number of newspapers sold and read on this day will not be as great as on a normal day. Of course, content is another matter. Do people want to read ponderous analyses in their newspapers on New Year’s Day? I rather suspect they would not. Would they not prefer to indulge their eyes on the lighter things in life?
Here are some of my lighter moments in 2013. I start with a pizza I bought in September. I will always remember that incident. The sight and taste of that pizza I will never forget. I just found that thing truly intriguing. Why it shocked me was because I don’t think any restaurant would bake such a poor pizza.
In 2013, the proofreading at Kaieteur News was overbearingly irritating. I know I make typographical mistakes but surely, the proofreader’s role is to back us up. They just come in to read and spot the mistakes. Often, they don’t.
In 2013, I discovered the Chinese channel CCTV (channel 78 in Guyana). It is going to compete with Al Jazeera and CNN. Of course the BBC is the best. CCTV does have its features on China, but the network is very good on Third World news.
And by Third World, I mean it goes all over the Third World and bring you news that CNN and others are not interested in. It has a fantastic business section that looks in depth at investments and business developments around the world.
And it interviews global personalities just as any other network in any other country.
I had an interesting encounter with a very dirty person last year. This man was smelly and half dressed. It was obvious he was homeless and not a hundred percent in control of his faculties. The incident occurred on Alexander Street outside the Kitty Market where the vegetable vendors ply their trade. I stopped on my way home to buy lettuce.
I cannot eat a sandwich without lettuce. I don’t know the reason, but that is how I feel. Colin Smith, the editor of the Catholic Standard couldn’t believe it when I asked him to spin by the market to buy me lettuce to go with my sandwich.
They say the genes are so strong that nurture cannot compete with nature.
My daughter cannot have her sandwich without the green stuff so she called to ask me to pick it up. I bought the lettuce, went into my car, and this smelly guy came right up to the driver’s window.
His eyes were roaming and he certainly looked mentally disheveled. He put his hand out and asked for money, as I mashed the accelerator, he yelled out; “Please Mr. Kissoon!”
I was speechless. I would never ever believe that given the mental and physical state of this human that he knew the environment. We simply do not know this world and the people in it.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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