Double Take

Double Take

DESPITE a looming state election, random outbreaks of violence and other outrageous local misfortunes, the big talking point in Geelong over the past week was….zombies.
Their starring role with Mayor Darryn Lyons as some type of post-apocalyptic saviour cowboy in the local tourism authority’s new promotional video, The Tale of Sleepy Hollow, set social media and newspaper columns ablaze.
Praise, wonderment, mockey and scorn flowed in thick measure as many passed judgement on the controversial two-minute, 15-second You Tube clip.
But turning the absurdity up to 11 was a thunderous editorial that threw self-awareness to the wind and declared: “We are not zombies”.
Just as well. Zombies need brains to eat, after all.

THE GLOVES are well and truly off in the state election campaign, with coalition media releases as much about criticising Labor as they are trumpeting the Napthine Government’s achievements.
The latest argy bargy is over the coalition’s East West Link versus Labor’s Westgate Distributor.
Roads minister Terry Mulder accused the opposition of fudging a project that “could take years”.
He must have forgotten that the western section of the East-West Link is scheduled for completion in 2019, a scant five years away.

The Indy’s story last week on Geelong paediatrician Paddy Dewan criticising the use of Melbourne surgeons at Geelong’s public hospital drew some interesting feedback from readers.
Particularly revealing was the now-hidden post of one reader below a link to the story on the Indy’s Facebook page, with a picture of Paddy above.
“Stephen,” typed the poster, “this is the dude that did your circimsisam (sic).”
A cutting comment, for sure.