Simon channells the Zeitgeist

Do you remember Simon? The novelist who lives in the granny flat at the back of Tracey’s? He may not have actually written a novel but he belongs to the local Writer’s Circle. The one that gets grants from the Australia Council to encourage community writing and literary discussions over morning tea. Actually the other local Writer’s Circle, the one for baby boomers that gets grants from the Australia Council to encourage community writing and literary discussions over morning grass, tried to get him to join. They needed some younger blood, they said, and someone to push their wheel chairs up the ramp at the Civic Centre. But Simon declined. He suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and found the fairy cakes the ladies gave him was setting it off.

I think I told you that he was thinking of suing Obama for plagiarism. Anyway, he’s given that idea away because he’s started a new job.

He’s joined Cripes – it’s an internet gossip thing on the internet. I said I thought it was going broke but Simon said that was just a rumour Tracey was spreading because she is jealous.

Simon told me the names of some of the people who work for Cripes and I wondered (but didn’t say anything) if Tracey is right.

Simon doesn’t get out much (because of the irritable bowel thing) and I wondered how he is going to write stuff for Cripes. No problem, said Simon. He records Media Watch on Monday nights, while he’s watching Underbelly on 9, then writes it up on Tuesday mornings. He adds in a couple of hits and kicks of his own to make it seem original. He calls it "channelling the Zeitgeist". Anyway, they all do it, he says.

When I Googled Cripes, on a Tuesday afternoon, I saw what he meant.

Spooky endnote:
On an entirely different website Greg Barns was very critical of Miranda Devine  – on the day after she was mugged on Media Watch. Amazing example of Life channelling Art. The coincidence was even commented on by his own readers.