The 2024 Festivus holding page: The Boxing Day Tests

1. Ooft. It hurts a bit to see AI art here. Same when Dan Liebke went big into it on Bluesky. I know you don’t do requests yer Maj, but is there any chance we could never see it again here ever?

   Up for Zim vs. Afg, really glad for Zimbabwe to get a Test outing.

   1. Surely it’s how you use it that counts? Dan’s weird family Christmas AI image is one of the funniest things we’ve seen this year.

      https://newsletter.liebcricket.com/

      1. I’m not a professional artist myself, so I won’t outright disagree. I only know that it takes money away from artists when that’s a viable alternative option (I appreciate it isn’t here) and has a disproportionate environmental impact when it doesn’t.

         Also the current UK governmental suggestion that corporate copyright law be waived for generative AI benefits is a shitshow, which is slightly separate but still warrants mentioning I feel.

      2. COPYRIGHT. *Copyright* law.

         I’d bemoan the site’s lack of an edit function if I didn’t know it was all on me.

      3. Ah, we’ll sort that for you.

         Parallel to this, it has to be said that AI is proving extraordinarily bad for those who write for the web too – although Google’s ‘AI overview’ results are so infamously unreliable that hopefully people will vote with their mouse fingers and they’ll be shown less and less frequently.

      4. I don’t use Google but I am aware that blind application of genAI is screwing over all kinds of art on the ‘net – and of course this site counts. Happily I already have it bookmarked.

         Meanwhile my search engine of choice is increasingly adding AI-enabled functionality, which is definitely what their users want. Sigh.

      5. Additionally, and with the caveat I use ai in my work as a teacher, the environmental impact is really heavy for AI

   2. We would however agree that the sizeable chunk of time we spent sifting through countless images of the letter X in toilets will never be recovered and possibly wasn’t well spent.

   3. Textbook Airing of Grievances.

      1. Quite. Let the grievances rain down on all!

      2. imdoingmypart.gif

2. I rather like that artificial image, KC. I can’t help wondering why there is a giant golf ball in the sky, though. Did you specify that in your text briefing?

   I am using artificial images occasionally in my blog and am quite comfortable with using them. I think we have more important things to worry about if we are concerned with the infringement of intellectual property rights and/or the ability of creative folk to make a decent living from their talents.

   Here’s my recent posting about seasonal gatherings, my grievance being the fact that I had seven of them in less than a fortnight.

   https://ianlouisharris.com/2024/12/19/several-seasonal-events-december-2024/

   You CAN have too much of a good thing.

   Enjoy the seasonal cricket, folks!

3. A boy who was born after the 2005 Ashes is about to make his Test debut for Australia.

   1. That’s not how we date cricket things. The age of a cricket thing should be expressed relative to Ged’s cricket troos.

      1. I’m so glad that you made this point, KC, rather than leaving me to make it.

         Sam Konstas was born in the year 4 AT (anno troos). Whereas Harry Brook was born in the year 2 BGT ( before Ged’s troos).

         And Sam Konstas is not a boy, Sam. He’s a Sam, Sam.

      2. Bit concerning that no-one moved to set things straight before we did. How about taking a bit of responsibility, people?

      3. I feel attacked. And sleepy.

         Happy Festivus, one and all.

      4. “Attacked and sleepy” is a perfectly reasonable response to a full-tilt Festivus, Sam. Well done.

         Meanwhile, your boy…I mean, your Sam…Konstas, scored a few on taboo.

      5. Do they still make Taboo? Is that what the Australian yoof are drinking these days?

      6. A good day for those on taboo.

         Corbin Bosch (crazy name, crazy guy) took a wicket with his first delivery and three more besides, for the Saffers against Pakistan..

   2. Seems Kohli was somewhat p***ed off affronted by how young and experimental the youth was and decided to veer violently off course and shoulder barge him with extreme intent while the poor lad was wandering down the side of the pitch to natter to his new mate (in Australian parlance).

      Hopefully Kohli will be banned for a few years and forced to retire.

      Politeness prevents me from adding another nickname, but “Kohli the —-” (use your own filthy mind to fill in the blanks. Mine is too clean to come up with anything) would be apt.

      1. Ravi Shastri said: “…I would say it was unnecessary. You don’t want to see such things. There’s a line, you don’t want to overstep that line…”

         Someone other than an Australian talking about overstepping THE LINE is, itself, massively overstepping THE LINE. Only Australians can determine where THE LINE is located and whether or not it has been overstepped.

         On reflection, as a non-Australian myself, I have just massively overstepped THE LINE by suggesting that Ravi Shastri overstepped it.

         I think I should go and lie down for a while.

      2. Ged, that was indeed a massive overstep. Disgusting behaviour. You are hereby fined 20% of your blog fee and handed one demerit point.

         …and that will mean as much hardship for you as it was for that man-child I previously wrote of.

         So consider yourself suitably admonished and stuff.

      3. If there’s anyone bold enough to speak about lines despite lacking the necessary nationality, it’s Ravi Shastri.

         The incident also gave rise to this magical quote about the tools employed by the Australian media from the great man: “When the physical contact happened, it was like, ‘this is our chance.’ They brought out the fangs and the paintbrush to create a larger story.”

      4. Indeed KC. The decision by Kohli to do what he did was quite unfathomable as surely he’d would have known the consequences beyond the cricket field, although that’s perhaps the least of the reasons for condemning his behaviour. Hey-ho.

4. Corbin Bosch, the left wing domestic appliance. Handy with the bat too. Corbin ‘Bish Bash’ Bosch.

   Three very contrasting matches, a great demonstration of the variety of Test cricket. And a comedy run out involving Virat Kohli. Happy festivus all round!

   1. I gather Corbin Bosch is currently the best all-rounder in test cricket. Nay, maybe the best stand-alone bowler and stand-alone batter. An average run rate of infinity and a bowling strike rate that would make George Lohman weep, although he’d have pointed out his very average bowling average and economy.

      It’ll only be downhill from now on.

      1. …and apparently then some.

         Could be the shortest, but one of the most successful and least successful test careers ever.

5. It’s nice having two Tests at the same time to wake up to, although I do then get very confused when one ends before the other in the day.

   1. And appear on different days on the BBC’s live scores page, which still routinely fails to show ongoing Australia Test matches on the basis that the day’s play hasn’t started yet.

      1. A rainy day in the antipodes, it seems.

         Almost dry in London today; can’t imagine why we are not playing cricket here. Bad light? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a holiday season and cricket is supposed to be an entertainment industry.

6. Abbas, a bat, a-battered.

   1. Ah yes, decline and fall.

      Well done the Saffers.

      The way Rameez Raja was going on last night after stumps, you’d have thought a Pakistan win was a racing certainty. As if any match situation anywhere in the world makes a Pakistan win a near certainty.

      Meanwhile, last night, Marco Jansen towered above the three diminutive pundits while coming across as well short of confidence for the batting. It was quite a sight. I nearly called the giant Saffer Mariss Jansons, confusing myself as, that afternoon, I was writing up visits to the Proms from decades ago, including one conducted by that Latvian maestro.

      https://ianlouisharris.com/1995/08/12/a-visit-to-the-proms-by-some-big-norwegians-royal-albert-hall-12-august-1995/

      I don’t suppose Mariss Jansons could bat or bowl, but then I don’t suppose Marco Jansen would get all that far if he tried shaking a stick at big Norwegian musicians.

      1. Great stuff from SA, especially a fast bowler playing some beautiful strokes (according to Cricinfo anyway) to get them over the line.

         Meanwhile potentially quite tense ending in Melbourne too. Unless Starc just marmalises the batters.

         Meanwhile in Bulawayo, enjoyable but not exactly tense.

7. Insomnia is generally a curse, but very occasionally is has its blessings such as being able to watch proper cricket being played the way it should down under. One of the best matches I’ve seen.

   Wish I was able to see the last wicket stand by SA to beat a fighting Pakistan. The crappy third party highlights don’t give it justice.

   I think we need more test cricket.

   1. Correction – near last wicket stand.

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