Looking back through the mirror at the wall
The television seems to have gone into a time warp this evening. Channel after channel, knocked back decades along the timeline with a strange view of history.
Of course there’s great excitement in the media, because this week marks the 20th anniversary of the “fall” of the Berlin Wall. Actually, the breech, because the concrete slabs didn’t go down overnight. Twenty years ago, we were watching the news. What had become emblematic of the political polarity in our lives had ceased to be a barrier, and there was joy throughout the land. Tomorrow, a set of foam dominoes will fall. Not quite the same.
On Radio-Canada, Donald Lautrec (Chaud) has brought us back to a simpler time. I didn’t know that he was a parent of the videoclip and the eventual Musique Plus. Nevertheless, a short clip of a game show where the contestant was “buying” appliances showed how prices have changed. When was the last time somebody had to pay $400 for a basic microwave oven?
Tele-Quebec showcased film shot by individuals during the period of WW2. Around the world in a Kodak haze; the colours were certainly vivid back then. I’m unable to turn away from images that show the golden age of rail, and there were lots. Ditto for the shots taken in small villages in the Ukraine and Greece.
We had a wonderfully warm day here, with temperatures up to 13.6C which is not seasonal. The news said that lineups for vaccinations were “down” and laid the blame on nice weather. Go figure. I would have blamed the lists of restrictions and the coupons that must be solicited at 06hoo as the rationale.
