Today dear readers, is Melbourne Cup Day – the race that stops a nation (that last bit is apparently a trademark)! It is also a public holiday, but only in the venerable deep southern state of Victoria. Although the other states tend to treat it as a half day with a boozy lunch and don’t do much work past twelve. They should really get the day off too.
I think Melbourne is one of the only towns in the world to put such importance on a horse race as to make it a day off for its citizens. Do you know of any others?
It’s always the first Tuesday in November – which means if you can get the Monday off (most people do) then you get a four day weekend.
Personally I am no fan of horse racing. All that horse flesh being traded for billions until they break a fetlock… I can’t stomach it. And all the dressing up to the nines only to get trashed and ugly… to me it seems so pointless.
But for many in this wide brown land, Cup Day is a heaven sent day of betting and booze, and a much needed reason to kick up one’s heels given the last footy grand final of the year has ended and the cricket hasn’t begun to warm up properly yet.
But instead of waxing on about horses, what I’d really like to discuss right now is dinosaurs. More specifically my new favourite blog for giggles – Dinosaur Comics.
It’s basically a few dinosaur characters running around stomping on houses and chatting. The images don’t change much from comic to comic but what the ‘saurs talk about varies widely. Here’s an example that tickled my funny bone:
So on Cup Day, don’t go out and bet on poor horses that are only as good as their next race.
Invest in a laugh or two with Dinosaur Comics instead!
Full disclosure: I know nothing of this site or the author, I’m just giving it a plug coz discovering it made my day and its now firmly embedded in my RSS reader.
~Svasti
T-Rex is one of my fave philosphers π
That was sooo my family when I was growing up! Thanks for the laughs and the link.
As you already have the Arte Y Pico Award, I’ll cross you off my list. But you should know that you are on it.
@LBG, he’s definitely a philosopher, the ol’ T-Rex!
@Dano MacNammarah – yeah, I liked that particular comic coz it sounds a little like my family too. My heart has developed boners for Dinosaur Comics!!
And thanks for the award love. But yeah, please share it ’round to someone who hasn’t yet been awarded the Arte Y Pico… π
euphemisms for emoticons! yay!
um, sorry for this crass language. i mean, this reminds me of the day i went to the cup and my horse won.
π
@ isabella – LOL. Yeah, I love that particular cartoon but they’re all good. Very quirky!
Haha, you like horse races? Each to their own… glad you won something! π
actually, this was a feeble attempt at a feeling-avoiding euphemism, inspired by the mystery novel i’m reading right now, which involves horse racing.
i have extremely little talent for gambling, i have to confess π
@isabella – which euphemism – the one about your heart having a boner for something? I love that! Well, shall be interesting to read your novel when it gets there.
I also have no talent for gambling…