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The use of history as therapy means the corruption of history as history.


It is Summer in Tasmania, and that usually means two thing: enormous cruiser liners filled with wealthy retirees kitted in gold lamé tracksuits dripping in diamonds; and rain, rain and even more rain. Take a look at these green leaves, can you tell that we're in a drought?

I attended a VIM [Very Important Meeting] today. No cake, no biscuits, no fruit. Just business, and a few thirds of baguettes packed with salad presented lovingly on a platter caked with lettuce leaves. I wish that I had the nerve to take a photograph, but that would risk sending the dogs to the door of this blog, and I'm not sure that I'd want that just yet.

You can always tell the difference between a VIM and a CAC [Casual Aggreable Chat], and it can often be found in the nibblies. One organisation that I deal with regularly cater their CACs with pizzza (an accommodating mob, they usually go a supremo and capricciosa, which allows me to be generous upon the appearance of that abomination of the pizza world: the Hawaiian).

Of course, you'll never see a pizza at a VIM. Similarly, you'll never see sausage rolls, cocktail saveloys, scones, chicko rolls, hot chips or dim sims at a VIM. You never see Tim Tams, Iced Vo-Vos, Monte Carlos or Kingstons at a VIM. VIMs are far above biscuits out of a packet.

I'll be honest with you, I've never even seen cake at a guaranteed, bona fide, fair dinkum VIM. Truth be told, I've never seen anything that I would broach eating at a VIM.

VIMs you see, are not about eating. Pissant talkfests are about cake and biscuits, bitching and moaning. That's not what VIMs are about at all. VIMs are about big wigs pow wowing with VIPs. VIMs are about interfacing. VIMs are about linkages. VIMs are about strategic partnerships between movers and shakers.

VIMs are not about ordinary people.

VIMs are about lots of cucumber, discretely tucked away in napkins on boardroom tables because you can't stuff a thousand dollar suit full of cucumis sativus. That's not what VIMs are about.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
Hum...interesting read.
21 November 2008 at 21:32
MurciaDailyPhoto said…
Please, don't invite me to a VIM? I prefer a CAC.
Great photo, Kris. Have a good weekend with your family.
The same to Abe.
22 November 2008 at 03:54
Anonymous said…
Fascinating read, totally agree, it is imposssible to eat at VIM and usually due to the stress before and during I am usually hungry but not able to eat. I had never really thought about how food tells its own story, but I can see that now, Thanks for giving me something to chew on...
22 November 2008 at 07:24
Kris McCracken said…
Abe, you're not convincing me.

MDP, CACs are better than VIMs, you're spot on there.

Sheila, a bowl of fruit suits me fine, if I am honest.

FF, no, indeed it is not.
28 November 2008 at 09:35
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