The International Federation Against Normal People
Well, apologies for my long silence. Yes, there have been good reasons for this, foreign trips, work commitments and drinking engagements. However, “This Ordinary Life” has not been forgotten and will now again receive the attention it deserves.
Today’s entry is about a new and exciting organisation I stumbled across. The International Federation against Normal People (aka IFANP) was established in the late 1980’s in response to the proliferation of boredom throughout societies around the world. The onset of such technological advances such as sitcoms, the Playstation 3, Internet in almost every home and more recently a highly litigious environment where the individual no longer has any responsibility.
The aims of IFANP are simple…
1. Identify behaviours, systems and trends that will result in people becoming predictable, conformist and boring
2. Counteract these activities through the development of anti-boredom tactics through the creation of new hobbies, activities and pastimes
3. Provide support and guidance to those on the edge of becoming boring to enable them to overcome these temptations
4. Create a network of IFANP supporters all over the world to spread the word and make the world a fun and exciting place once more
Since it was founded IFANP has tried various tactics in the battle against boredom. Remember the pogo ball, Hungry Hippos, the Lambda and Kite Surfing? Well, we can thank IFANP for all of these.
The most recent activity that IFANP are attempting to disseminate is called “Urban Rollo-twitching”. I find this particularly fascinating, because it is the first time that improvisation and personal interpretation feature heavily in an IFANP originated activity.
“What is Urban Rollo-twitching?” you may ask. It’s simple. It combines rollerblading in an urban setting with bird watching. Now it’s in the interpretation of “bird-watching” where the magic happens. For some of us, this simply means to appreciate the waterfowl and other Aves that inhabit our cities while rollerblading. Whereas others will interpret this as the covert appreciation of the female form while zipping by on rollerblade. Either way this activity is guaranteed to keep people outdoors and far away from the boredom created by couch-surfing and Grand Theft Auto IV.
The more I find out about IFANP the more it intrigues me. We all have to agree that society is becoming more boring and in turn lazy. It’s great to see that a group of people have taken it upon themselves to fight back.