Imagine this:

Sometime in the future, everyone on the planet decides to live in a utopian virtual world [think Second Life 100 years from now], however they don’t access that world via a computer screen and keyboard.

The physical body would be stored away on life-support. Everyone would be tube fed the perfect amount of energy, fat, vitamins and minerals; delivered in a constant stream throughout the day.

We would have electronic messages sent right into our brain so our eyes wouldn’t have to be open. Smells, tastes and touch would all be created in our brain or spinal cord. The mind would be free to escape the physical disabilities of real life; the paralyzed would be able to walk, no one would have AIDS or bird flu. We could all choose to live our lives however we chose, free from the constraints of real-life.

In a utopian virtual world, where resources are unlimited, would we have to buy products and services, would we have to work to earn currency, and how would goods and services be priced?

Some other questions:

• In the absence of work, what would we do all day?
• What would we talk to our friends about?
• Would we be immortal?
• What value would life have if we were immortal?
• Would there be a government; someone to make decision about the world?
• How would that government be chosen?

How would heaven be different to this utopian virtual life?

If every ‘good’ person goes to heaven for eternity, there must be quite a few people up there. Just like in a virtual world, they won’t need physical things like food, water, medicine, money, and they won’t need to go to work to buy things.

• What would these people do and what would be their purpose?
• How would they feel fulfilled?
• What would their dreams and aspirations be?
• What would they talk about with their friend and family?

• Maybe they will decide to learn and gain knowledge and wisdom. But, for what purpose?
• Maybe they will decide to play sport or compete against each other. But how will teams be chosen?
• Will there be rules and regulations for competitors? Who will make these rules?
• Would they compete for a prize? What could the prize be?
• What if I am really passionate about my team and someone says they’re rubbish? Could I dislike them?
• Would there be arguments? How could arguments be resolved?

• Would music, art, movies, entertainment or literature exist in heaven?
• If I was passionate about writing theatre, film, music or poetry, could I continue with that in heaven? Could I share my work with an audience, maybe in a theatre? Who would perform my work? How would they be chosen over the many others who wanted to perform? Who built the theatre?
• How would someone passionate about food or wine get on?
• What if my whole family was here except my very lively and entertaining gay sister and her caring partner? Their two adopted children are here though, forever without their parents.

Heaven is a fantasy. This is heaven.

Looks like I was with the crowd last night watching the election coverage on ABC.

More viewers turned to the ABC for Saturday’s election coverage than commercial offerings. ABC1 won the five-way primary share tussle with a 27.0% share ahead of Nine’s 20.3% and Seven’s 16.9%. With its AFL commitments TEN slumped to a lowly 10.5% while SBS ONE’s belated coverage was just 3.3%.

TV Tonight

I did switch over to Seven and Nine but the graphics on Seven were barely legible – with those glittery edges – and Nine had too many panelists to deliver a coherent analysis in my opinion. There is no debating Kerry O’Brien is extremely talented, and I reckon Antony Green must prepare for elections for months.

Bob Katter used some very strong language about the plight of rural Australians. Very interesting result! #ausvotes

“I can’t speak for the other independents, but as far as I’m concerned the gong goes to whoever [is going] to allow rural Australia to survive.

“We’ve had 12 years of LNP [Liberal National Party] government – they smashed us into the ground and the ALP government in three years hasn’t restored anything.

“We have got in a position of power and surely we must exercise that to try and ensure survival for our people, which we haven’t enjoyed and are not enjoying at the present moment.”

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/22/2989895.htm

Brisbane Time (+10 GMT)

6:35pm: Tsonga to serve.

6:47pm: First serve a little wild. Novak wins the first point. An omen?

6:49pm: Djokovic breaks in the first game. Not such a great start for the Frenchman.

7:00pm: A nervous start for both players. I’m predicting Nole will win! We are back on serve.

Fourth game is very tight. What a point to get back to deuce!! Novak wins the point from defence. The players are more relaxed now and hitting freely.

7:14pm: And we have a funny umpire (Carlos Ramos). He forgot to turn his microphone off and told the stadium that the ball was “quite close”. Then said: “Djokovic is challenging the ball that was quite close on the left service line”. Haaha! We are on serve: 3-3. Tsonga to serve next.

7:25pm: Tsonga complaining that Djokovic takes too long to serve. Oh poor baby! Djokovic did get a time violation for this against Federer if I remember correctly.

7:29pm: We are still on serve but it seems that Djokovic is having more trouble holding his serve. Tsonga has so far won two more points in the match than Novak (33 to 31). Djokovic will serve to stay in the set.

The crowd is totally going for Tsonga at the moment. Which is weird because Nole is nice too.

7:36pm: Well the first set point goes to Tsonga and he converts. First set: 6-4.

Djokovic hasn’t dropped a set this tournament and neither player has lost the first set and had to come back from behind. This definitely gives the advantage to Tsonga. Basically Djokovic had too many unforced errors (12) in that set in my opinion compared to Tsonga (8) and continues that trend into the first two points of the second set.

7:46pm: Tsonga gives a point to Djokovic by incorrectly challenging a call but seems unaffected by it. On serve, 2-1 to Tsonga.

8:00pm: Djokovic holds to love and keeps the momentum going with two break points in the next game. Three all 15-40.

8:05pm: Djokovic breaks serve. Game on! Two minutes later he is in trouble – his dad left the stadium and didn’t make it back to his seat before play started. He throws in a double fault. Nole’s ball-bounces reach into the double figures. But he ends up holding his serve. Tsonga serving to stay in the second set and seems a little off.

Djokovic bounces the ball before he serves and on the big points sometimes gets up to 25 bounces. I think it probably builds tension in the other player before he serves. It certainly works though – Novak serves really well on the big points.

8:15pm: Easy hold for Djokovic. Second set Djokovic, 6-4. One set all.

Third set, update at the end.

8:58pm: The third set: massive. Tsonga, realising he can’t dominate from the back of the court, tries a few different things. Most were unsuccessful. Even though Djokovic was up a break for most of the set it was still a massive battle. Tsonga seemed to lack confidence early in the set and Djokovic was on fire. Novak’s first serve percentage was the highest it has been for the match at 70% (which is important when you are winning 93% of the points when it’s in). Novak had multiple set points but couldn’t convert. Finally, he wins the set 6-3.

I’ve fuelled up on my falafel burger and I’m ready for the fourth set.

9:00pm: Roger Rasheed (commentator and former coach of Lleyton Hewitt) reckons that Djokovic has been able to flatten out the ball (rather than using a lot of top spin – for newbies) so that it gets back to Tsonga quickly. Something that Nadal couldn’t do.

9:11pm: A few really physical points; both players sliding around the court. Djokovic is a little buggered. Is he fatigued and can he bounce back? Two all.

9:13pm: Jim Courier (commentator) reveals that Djokovic doesn’t play Poker on the court. Translation: he shows his emotions and fatigue. Federer is great at poker. Novak holds, 3-2.

9:20pm: Djokovic gets a nice rub down and changes his shirt. He’s been playing for two and a half hours and needs a little break. Poor kid! He is very fatigued and if Tsonga can win this set he might be in with a very big chance.

9:34pm: Tsonga serving to stay in the match. And a great game for him. He really lifts and puts the pressure back on Djokovic.

9:42pm: The eleventh game of the fourth set was huge. Tsonga had one break point but couldn’t convert; the first break point he has had since the first set.

9:47pm: Tsonga is anxious; serving his first double fault for the match. Can he win the tiebreak?

9:48pm: Novak bounces the ball eight million times and is up a mini break. Three points away from the match. 5-1 Djokovic. It isn’t looking good for Tsonga. He just can’t control the pressure. 5-2 Djokovic. He only needs to win the next two points on his serve.

9:52pm: Six match points for Novak. It’s over.

9:53pm: He only needed one. Djokovic wins the Australian Open 2008. Congratulations. Roll the emotional montage with emotive music.

I’d like to thank the sponsors: Kia, Garnier, Optus, Wolf Blass. Channel Seven for the coverage.

Update: 2.346 million people in Australia watched the Australian Open Final 2008.