Sectarian theories of consumption

We were in an Annandale cafe yesterday next to a tiresome trio in who spent their entire time complaining about their relationship troubles. All that was of note was their strangely anachronistic sectarian notions of thrift.

"I'm from a Presbyterian background, and it's not that we're scabby...but we practice self denial. But he's from a catholic background, every week gets his paycheque and wants to spend it all at once...I think catholics like to splurge".

Lucky he wasn't accused of being a drunkard.

Tourist Photos

The other day I was riding back from Parramatta on the rivercat. We had gone past the dismal industrial shores and vital but visually unimpressive mangroves and entering the harbour proper began to gain glimpses of the bridge. The Bridge.
I was quite swiftly muscled away from my position near the bows by tourists eager to take pictures.
Simmering due to their unapologetic jostling, I began to wonder why they would take a picture at all. Is it

a) Memories? I can understand taking a picture of a restaurant, of people met, an interesting example of local life. But I cannot imagine a tourist flipping through their snaps and, coming across a photo, exclaiming "oh....THAT bridge, I forgot about that"

b) Faith in one's own photographic endeavours? "This may be one of the most relentless photographed landmarks in the world...but MY photo will be unique!"

c) Proof? "You saw the bridge? Bullshit! Such an act is extremely unlikely and dare I say it, without evidence I must adjudge it impossible by mankind!"


Still, it strikes me as more reasonable that those tourists whom walk around with a video camera lodged in their eye socket. I can only presume that seeing the location they're in reduced to two dimensions makes it more akin to television, and therefore superior to reality. That or they hope to catch the moment the landmarks being filmed collapse/start doing the macarena.