I feel another of my tedious soapbox lectures coming on, so if you don't like them look away now.

Star City Casino spent about a year doing a refurbishment and rebranding itself as "The Star". (You have to wonder which marketing consultancy was probably paid a 6 figure sum for that incisive piece of pure genius, but I digress.)

Apparently the refurbishment wasn't sufficient for it to have the grand reopening within its own premises, though. No, instead the roadway across from The Star had to be closed off for several hours and the bus service, one of the few ways of getting the h3ll out of Pyrmont at least for the hoi polloi, suspended for that period. In addition a large part of the open space on the far side of the road had to be appropriated for several days to ensure that the oh-so A List guests could be shipped in by luxury water craft (mere Limos simply wouldn't do, you know) and enjoy the water views as they were shepherded in to the Newly! Refurbished! Venue! by bull necked security guards in their tasteful dark suits with orange shirts.

(And yes, that attire gives you some indication of what the results of the refurbishment were. I've been in there once since it was re-opened to go to a joke that passes for a cafe. (Three items of food on the menu... three?!) In my opinion it retains all the ambience of an up market RSL club. I found it to be dark, tacky, tasteless and with that depressing sense of style which suggests that the 70's never really left us, we (or most of us, casino decor designers excepted) simply left them.)

But the sign explains everything.
"We are proudly staging the reopening of THE STAR, an event that will be seen internationally, and one that will promote Sydney and Australia to the world."

Ah, so they're actually doing it for our benefit. I try to avoid expletives in my commentaries but in this case it just can't be avoided.

Bullsh*t. Complete, and utter bullsh*t.

Who, exactly, broadcasted this extravaganza? And who on Earth, literally, watched it? Did the US networks interrupt their regular programming much like they did to bring us the moon landings? Were there be housewives in Topeka Kansas and merchant bankers in Mayfair London and Parisian sophisticates glued to their flat screens thinking "Oh may gaaaahd, Ahstralia has a casino! We must book tickets immediately!" Or is it more likely that it got 30 minutes on The Casino Channel (I'm sure that there must be one out there somewhere) with a viewing audience into 4 digits?

No. There are many things to see and do in Sydney, NSW and indeed all of Australia. Going to what is in my opinion a tacky casino which is probably no different to what these international jet setters have at home is no different, and I doubt that any of them are thinking that if they come here then they too may get an autographed photo standing next to Leo Di Caprio.

This was, as it always is, nothing more than an excuse for A Listers to "network" and try to find new and innovative ways to squeeze money out of people. Oh, and to remind themselves of how important they are that large areas of the public space of a city can be closed off just for them, so that they can be photographed next to movie stars. Normally this is done under the pretext of a charity event, but when you can't play that card then the next best thing is to claim (or in this case merely imply) that it will bring great economic benefits to the city / state / nation / you.

And the amazing thing is... OK, it's not so amazing really... that our People's Representatives continue to fall for this garbage and give all manner of special concessions to subsidise and promote someone else's profit.

Here endeth the lecture.

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