For some unfathomable reason, I just opened a news update received on my ipad. Blame Apple, Adam, the Black Russian I was shlurping, or the first of many happy hour draughts as you wish. Worse still, I skim read a few paragraphs. Feck me- disaster of all disasters, they dropped in the ratings.

Firstly, How the hell does this qualify as news? Has internetty type influencer achieved such a status? Along the same line as a précis of the latest soap opera intrigues meets the criteria of the latest national and international news.

What the hell is an influencer? (This should be treated as a rhetorical question)
When I was growing up, an influence might have not adopted such a sobriquet, let alone used it as a definition or job title.

My ‘influencers’ were the likes of John Pilger, Maggie thatcher, Paddy Ashdown, Leonard Cheshire, Paul Hogan, my Grandfather, among others. You neither are required to agree nor approve. Choose your own. It certainly wasn’t some bronzed bimbo/(whatever the male equivalent might be) that exists on the energy pulses of likes through some internet connection. Do they have some sort of data connection that tickles their egos like some game show applause?
A few generations back, they’d have had unofficial identities as cannon fodder, slapper.

Being an 'influencer' is more of a contribution to society than being some stupid doctor or firefighter these days. Here's some influencers that came to Cambodia not too long ago:

general-chatter/deesha-damien-ashcroft- ... 38358.html

SternAAlbifrons wrote: ↑Wed Jan 20, 2021 9:41 am C'mon, what are you selling Freight?
What overpriced trendy crap are you trying to steer us onto?

These days you gotta be suspicious of everyone that lives a glamorous globetrotting lifestyle like yours.

I know, next thing you'll be posting selfies from the crew immigration line at KLIA and selling us Sampsonite suitcases.
Glamour boy.

Talking of KLIA. I nostalgically recall the days when AirAsia were in the cattle sheds on the other end of the airfield. They seemingly moved up market, and suddenly were queueing in the big terminal. Along with far too many other folk.

/drift off