Seeing as how the Sixers had won two in a row, I thought it was time I jumped back on the bandwagon. Took my Dad to the game against Cairns last night, my first regular season game this year.
I had no idea who was on the Taipans these days, so was kind of surprised to see they have two ex-Sixer players - Mee and Cattalini. Cattalini doesn't start though, and Mee went almost the whole game without scoring, so times have changed. Actually, they mentioned at the start of the game that they were integral members of the team in 98 and 99 and it hit me that that's a decade ago, a long time in the past.
Right from the first quarter the Sixers struggled to keep up with Cairns, who were playing a full court press. The Sixers were doing pretty much the opposite defensively, not even picking up players properly in the half court, and giving up some wide open threes. We fell behind my 17 points, and the only Sixer really playing well was Brad Hill, who at least took it to the basket a bit.
In the second quarter things improved and we started to close the gap a little as the team picked up the defense. Tyndale did some nice things, and the big front line of Schenser, Cooper and Ballinger was really good defensively. Where we struggled though was the guard play - Maher was injured again, and although I've heard good things about Aaron Bruce, he was terrible. It wasn't just the fact that he missed every shot he took (including a wide open three that he airballed), he played some pretty bad D leading to open three pointers by the other team, and had some suspect decision making. Maybe he was worn down by the full court D. It reminded me of when I used to watch Spurs games, and whenever Udrih was on the other team would go to a full court press, and poor Beno would turn the ball over. After that I've never had any faith in little Beno as an NBA player, although I guess Ash must have missed those contests.
Anyway, by the end of the third quarter the Sixers had actually put together an eight point lead - 59 - 51. They went completely dry offensively in the first few minutes of the fourth period though, and Cairns closed the cap quickly.
With about thirty seconds left we had the ball, up by one. Bruce dribbled around till the shot clock was almost gone, and jumped in the air to pass. Of course, the ball was stolen, and the Taipans were headed the other way on a fast break. Tyndale came up with a freakish block on what would have been the game winning layup, but the ball went straight back to a Taipan player, who swung it to Mee, who was cutting to the basket. As soon as he laid the ball up I knew it was dropping in, and knew it was going to bounce around the rim just long enough for the buzzer to sound.
It did, and the Cairns guys went crazy as the Sixers stood around looking stunned.
It was a really good game and the guys showed a lot of heart coming back from such a big first half deficit, but I suppose they didn't really deserve to win the way they played.
Not really sure what the problem with the team is, although like I said I think a lot of it is the backcourt. Bruce was absolutely horrible (missing every fg attempt, and five of his six free throws) but we still seem to lack a really great, creative, explosive guard. The front line is really solid, but then you've got Holmes who's a bit of a tweener, Winitana who hasn't showed much after the preseason, Hill who's not really that consistent. Maher would have helped I suppose but he's definitely winding down now.
A few final thoughts . . .
Cattalini is still a bit of a bad tempered jerk. Was more fun when he was on our team though.
I never thought I'd say this, but we miss Ng and his long range shooting. Unfortunately I think he's focussing on his schoolwork this season. Hopefully he can reach some sort of arrangement with his Mum and Dad where he's allowed to play next year, maybe by promising to do his homework before practice or something.
The refs seemed rather bad . . . although that's not meant as a complaint because it was going both ways, Cattalini got mugged on a few of his shots without a foul. But then they were calling some really light fouls on what seemed like pretty clean blocks.
Unfortunately Dad and I were sitting in front of a guy who just talked the whole night, trying to show off his knowledge of basketball and the NBL I imagine. Not fun.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Fight Club
For the past few months my mate Matt and I have been doing weights at the gym, and watching the Mixed Martial Arts class that runs in the room next door. We'd discussed joining the "Fight Club", as Matt dubbed it, on numerous occasions, but never got round to it. Last week though I ran into one of the instructors while at the gym, got the details, and we turned up last night for our first class.
We joined another ten guys and girls of varying sizes, plus a huge guy called Dave who was the instructor. He mentioned that he'd accepted an offer to fight an-ex WWE wrestler in a MMA event in Florida in five weeks time, so I figured he was not someone to mess with.
We started off with a "warm up session", first of all crawling around on all fours, then on our toes and fingertips. It's kind of hard crawling on your fingertips when you weigh 100 odd kilos. Next we did "pikes", a kind of sit up but harder, followed by pushups (on our knuckles, just for added difficulty). Then we did about twenty squats or so, which weren't heaps easy.
Next up, we put on the gloves, and matched up against a partner. We worked on left-right jab combos to the head, and using the gloves to protect the face. We did a few other types of combos and blocking, then we worked on taking a punch. Which meant one of us held our hands in the air, while the other one punched them in the stomach. This wasn't as bad as it could have been, since we were wearing gloves. Unfortunately for Matt though, he took a bare knuckle punch from the instructor when he decided to show me how it was done. Not having had a lot of experience getting punched in the belly lately, this started to get to me after a while, and I felt like I was going to throw up.
The instructor then decided we would do squats again, so we did 20 or so of these, and I was hurting. Then he said "OK, now we're going to do 100".
You've got to be freaking kidding me.
I knew there was no way I could do that, but I wasn't going to not try. I managed to get most of them, cheating a bit when the instructor turned around to face the other side of the class. At one point, he told me "Don't bend your back, it's going to be sore tomorrow". I thought of responding "All of me is going to be sore", then I remembered that he's willingly fighting this guy next month, and thought better of it.
After that we were given 30 seconds for a drink, then came back with the gloves and worked on some punching kicking combinations. Obviously someone thought we didn't get enough punishment to our midsections earlier, because then we did an exercise where we each got to kick our partner in the ribs ten times.
After this it slowed down a bit, it was more wrestling/grappling type stuff, with the instructor demonstating moves and us copying them. At one point he left to use the bathroom and told us all to do pushups till he got back. Awesome. I got through about thirty, then held the last one until he came back, then started doing them again.
The whole session lasted perhaps an hour and 40 minutes, and left me completely stuffed. He said at the end "I think you'd all agree it was a pretty light session tonight", so I'm a bit worried about what a heavy one will be like. He also told us that there'd be a two week break and we'd be starting again at a new location, because they wanted to "ramp up" our training. Not sure what that means specifically, hopefully it's not related to an increase in stomach punching.
I'm pretty keen to stay at it though, not just in terms of the physical side, but also the mental strength I reckon it will bring. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done, and I think that's a good thing, you've got to stretch yourselves sometimes. Even if it does involve being repeatedly kicked in the ribs.
We joined another ten guys and girls of varying sizes, plus a huge guy called Dave who was the instructor. He mentioned that he'd accepted an offer to fight an-ex WWE wrestler in a MMA event in Florida in five weeks time, so I figured he was not someone to mess with.
We started off with a "warm up session", first of all crawling around on all fours, then on our toes and fingertips. It's kind of hard crawling on your fingertips when you weigh 100 odd kilos. Next we did "pikes", a kind of sit up but harder, followed by pushups (on our knuckles, just for added difficulty). Then we did about twenty squats or so, which weren't heaps easy.
Next up, we put on the gloves, and matched up against a partner. We worked on left-right jab combos to the head, and using the gloves to protect the face. We did a few other types of combos and blocking, then we worked on taking a punch. Which meant one of us held our hands in the air, while the other one punched them in the stomach. This wasn't as bad as it could have been, since we were wearing gloves. Unfortunately for Matt though, he took a bare knuckle punch from the instructor when he decided to show me how it was done. Not having had a lot of experience getting punched in the belly lately, this started to get to me after a while, and I felt like I was going to throw up.
The instructor then decided we would do squats again, so we did 20 or so of these, and I was hurting. Then he said "OK, now we're going to do 100".
You've got to be freaking kidding me.
I knew there was no way I could do that, but I wasn't going to not try. I managed to get most of them, cheating a bit when the instructor turned around to face the other side of the class. At one point, he told me "Don't bend your back, it's going to be sore tomorrow". I thought of responding "All of me is going to be sore", then I remembered that he's willingly fighting this guy next month, and thought better of it.
After that we were given 30 seconds for a drink, then came back with the gloves and worked on some punching kicking combinations. Obviously someone thought we didn't get enough punishment to our midsections earlier, because then we did an exercise where we each got to kick our partner in the ribs ten times.
After this it slowed down a bit, it was more wrestling/grappling type stuff, with the instructor demonstating moves and us copying them. At one point he left to use the bathroom and told us all to do pushups till he got back. Awesome. I got through about thirty, then held the last one until he came back, then started doing them again.
The whole session lasted perhaps an hour and 40 minutes, and left me completely stuffed. He said at the end "I think you'd all agree it was a pretty light session tonight", so I'm a bit worried about what a heavy one will be like. He also told us that there'd be a two week break and we'd be starting again at a new location, because they wanted to "ramp up" our training. Not sure what that means specifically, hopefully it's not related to an increase in stomach punching.
I'm pretty keen to stay at it though, not just in terms of the physical side, but also the mental strength I reckon it will bring. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done, and I think that's a good thing, you've got to stretch yourselves sometimes. Even if it does involve being repeatedly kicked in the ribs.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Movie of the year?
I'm convinced now it really was Madonna holding Guy Richie back. Apparently they split unofficially about a year ago, which would be when Guy started working on "Rocknrolla", his best film in years.
I saw a preview screening at Palace Nova last night and loved it. I'd rank it as my second favourite of his films, right behind Snatch, which I don't think will ever be topped just because of Brad Pitt's phenomenal performance.
The plot for "Rocknrolla" is exactly the same as the first few Richie films - several groups of criminals are involved in a series of schemes to rip each other off, and all of their storylines come together at the end of the film, typically resulting in a bloody shootout. Walking down Rundle Street after the movie I was saying to my friend Rebecca that I kind of like that all of these films are the same. It's like buying a Pearl Jam album - by now you know almost exactly what you're going to get, just a slight variation on the last record, but it's still great.
Most of the movies I've liked over the last twelve months have tended to be comedies, but this is by far the best movie I've seen that didn't involve Seth Rogen. If you liked "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock . . . " definitely make sure you see this one.
I saw a preview screening at Palace Nova last night and loved it. I'd rank it as my second favourite of his films, right behind Snatch, which I don't think will ever be topped just because of Brad Pitt's phenomenal performance.
The plot for "Rocknrolla" is exactly the same as the first few Richie films - several groups of criminals are involved in a series of schemes to rip each other off, and all of their storylines come together at the end of the film, typically resulting in a bloody shootout. Walking down Rundle Street after the movie I was saying to my friend Rebecca that I kind of like that all of these films are the same. It's like buying a Pearl Jam album - by now you know almost exactly what you're going to get, just a slight variation on the last record, but it's still great.
Most of the movies I've liked over the last twelve months have tended to be comedies, but this is by far the best movie I've seen that didn't involve Seth Rogen. If you liked "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock . . . " definitely make sure you see this one.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Way better than "Body of Evidence"
I was standing in the cinema foyer last night, waiting for my friend to arrive, when I realised I wasn't sure why I was there seeing "Body of Lies".
I hadn't seen a trailer, or even really heard what it was about. The only thing I'd seen was this poster, with Leo DiCaprio running somewhere, holding a gun. And I was sold.
The movie was pretty good, a lot better than "Burn After Reading", that's for damn sure.
Leo plays a CIA operative in the Middle East, fighting against the terrorists. Then he comes up with a plan to infiltrate their world by creating a fake terrorist operation, that the real terrorists will be impressed by, and possibly jealous of.
Russell Crowe plays a management type person back in Washington. Like most Australians I don't really care much for Russ, and he didn't do anything to change my mind in this. Vince Collossimo is also in it, as Leo's assistant.
There's a few fantastic scenes, including a great chase through the desert, with bad guys in 4WDs chasing Leo and his partner, and helicopters picking off the bad guys with rockets at the same time. It is a bit long, kind of like American Gangster, so does slow up a bit a few times. Still for what it is it's pretty good, and I don't think too many people would regret going to see it.
I hadn't seen a trailer, or even really heard what it was about. The only thing I'd seen was this poster, with Leo DiCaprio running somewhere, holding a gun. And I was sold.
The movie was pretty good, a lot better than "Burn After Reading", that's for damn sure.
Leo plays a CIA operative in the Middle East, fighting against the terrorists. Then he comes up with a plan to infiltrate their world by creating a fake terrorist operation, that the real terrorists will be impressed by, and possibly jealous of.
Russell Crowe plays a management type person back in Washington. Like most Australians I don't really care much for Russ, and he didn't do anything to change my mind in this. Vince Collossimo is also in it, as Leo's assistant.
There's a few fantastic scenes, including a great chase through the desert, with bad guys in 4WDs chasing Leo and his partner, and helicopters picking off the bad guys with rockets at the same time. It is a bit long, kind of like American Gangster, so does slow up a bit a few times. Still for what it is it's pretty good, and I don't think too many people would regret going to see it.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Burn After Reading
Last night I went to the Picadilly Theatre at North Adelaide for the first time in years, and saw "Burn After Reading". It is not a movie I would recommend to you.
To start off with though, it's so weird in that cinema, it's kind of stuck in a timewarp. You're almost surprised they're showing current movies there. It's dead quiet, and I kind of expected the place to shut down permanently sometime during the screening.
I wasn't expecting much from the movie itself, but Mirjana was keen to see it, and I generally like at least 50% of the Cohen brothers' movies. This was completely different to "No Country For Old Men" - it was more along the lines of "Fargo" - a comedy about stupid people, interspersed with sudden acts of violence.
Fargo was funny though, this was not. Brad Pitt was mildy amusing in his portrayal of a male bimbo, and I did like the head CIA guy (played by the Dad from Juno). John Malkovich didn't do anything for me, and Frances McDormand seems to be permanently annoying. I wonder what she's like in real life.
Tonight I'm seeing "Body of Lies", and hoping that's a lot better.
To start off with though, it's so weird in that cinema, it's kind of stuck in a timewarp. You're almost surprised they're showing current movies there. It's dead quiet, and I kind of expected the place to shut down permanently sometime during the screening.
I wasn't expecting much from the movie itself, but Mirjana was keen to see it, and I generally like at least 50% of the Cohen brothers' movies. This was completely different to "No Country For Old Men" - it was more along the lines of "Fargo" - a comedy about stupid people, interspersed with sudden acts of violence.
Fargo was funny though, this was not. Brad Pitt was mildy amusing in his portrayal of a male bimbo, and I did like the head CIA guy (played by the Dad from Juno). John Malkovich didn't do anything for me, and Frances McDormand seems to be permanently annoying. I wonder what she's like in real life.
Tonight I'm seeing "Body of Lies", and hoping that's a lot better.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Rocknrolla
Guy Ritchie used to be one of my favourite film directors - within a few years he made "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch", one of my top-10 movies of all time. Unfortunately, he went off and married Madonna, and everything went downhill. He made a movie with his new bride which was universally-loathed, and then followed up with a movie that I don't think even got a DVD release here.
He's got a new one coming out now though, and I'm hoping it's a return to his earlier work. He's ditched Madonna which is a good sign, although I guess they were technically married while he was making this, so maybe she jinxed it.
Anyway, I got some tickets to the preview next week and will go along. I'm pumped that the film stars both Ari Gold and Avon Barksdale, that should be cool. I'm not expecting Snatch Part 2, but the early reviews haven't been horrible so it's worth a shot.
He's got a new one coming out now though, and I'm hoping it's a return to his earlier work. He's ditched Madonna which is a good sign, although I guess they were technically married while he was making this, so maybe she jinxed it.
Anyway, I got some tickets to the preview next week and will go along. I'm pumped that the film stars both Ari Gold and Avon Barksdale, that should be cool. I'm not expecting Snatch Part 2, but the early reviews haven't been horrible so it's worth a shot.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Fantasy Draft
So yesterday we held our fantasy basketball draft. Now that I'm a little older and birthdays and Christmas have lost their appeal a bit, this day is a solid contender for my favourite day of the year.
Unfortunately, we had a few no shows - Corey was looking after a few kids and a sick partner, and Adam was MIA, possibly still somewhere in Europe. There were also some technical MSN Messenger related issues. Still, we got there in the end, and everyone had a good time. Other than Dylan presumably, who endured about 100 jokes about his upcoming gay holiday.
I was pretty prepared for the draft, but things never go as you think they will. The players I was hoping to get in the 7th and 8th rounds went in the 5th and 6th - not sure if my expectations were unrealistic, or guys were just really reaching. I did end up getting a nice surprise when Iverson fell to me with the 12th pick, I wasn't expecting that at all.
It's standard practice that everyone loves their team immediately after the draft. I think it's called "drafterglow". I don't really feel any attachment to a lot of my players though. They weren't guys that I was planning on getting, I just felt like I couldn't pass them up at the spots I took them.
After the draft James and Forcey hung around for pizza and NBA 2K9. James beat us both repeatedly, presumably because he's a member of Generation Y, and they're good at computer games and stuff. I finally beat him in the last game, but it took overtime, and two buzzer beaters to get there (including a ridiculous Derek Fisher three over Greg Oden).
Unfortunately, we had a few no shows - Corey was looking after a few kids and a sick partner, and Adam was MIA, possibly still somewhere in Europe. There were also some technical MSN Messenger related issues. Still, we got there in the end, and everyone had a good time. Other than Dylan presumably, who endured about 100 jokes about his upcoming gay holiday.
I was pretty prepared for the draft, but things never go as you think they will. The players I was hoping to get in the 7th and 8th rounds went in the 5th and 6th - not sure if my expectations were unrealistic, or guys were just really reaching. I did end up getting a nice surprise when Iverson fell to me with the 12th pick, I wasn't expecting that at all.
It's standard practice that everyone loves their team immediately after the draft. I think it's called "drafterglow". I don't really feel any attachment to a lot of my players though. They weren't guys that I was planning on getting, I just felt like I couldn't pass them up at the spots I took them.
After the draft James and Forcey hung around for pizza and NBA 2K9. James beat us both repeatedly, presumably because he's a member of Generation Y, and they're good at computer games and stuff. I finally beat him in the last game, but it took overtime, and two buzzer beaters to get there (including a ridiculous Derek Fisher three over Greg Oden).
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Scars On Broadway
Checking out the lineup to Soundwave Festival I noticed a band I hadn't heard of before, Scars on Broadway. Closer inspection revealed they were comprised of two members of System of a Down - the guitarist/singer, and drummer, who formed the group as a side-project from SOAD. I've always been a bit of a fan of theirs, so downloaded the album and was pleasantly surprised.
It doesn't veer all that far from System, with the middle-eastern influences and weird-singing, but it's definitely more alternative-rock based than metal, which I think is a good thing. I don't love the singer's voice, but the tunes do stick in your head, underneath everything they're actually quite poppy. The songs are short too which is nice, no point going on and on when you've made your point.
A few drawbacks - as mentioned, I don't love this guy's voice, and on some of the weaker tracks it gets annoying. Also, some of it is quite coarse. Unnecessarily so.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty good album and hasn't left my car stereo in a week. And the best part is they're playing the Soundwave festival here next February, which I'm planning on attending, so seeing them will be an added bonus.
Here's their single "They Say".
Parental guidance is recommended.
It doesn't veer all that far from System, with the middle-eastern influences and weird-singing, but it's definitely more alternative-rock based than metal, which I think is a good thing. I don't love the singer's voice, but the tunes do stick in your head, underneath everything they're actually quite poppy. The songs are short too which is nice, no point going on and on when you've made your point.
A few drawbacks - as mentioned, I don't love this guy's voice, and on some of the weaker tracks it gets annoying. Also, some of it is quite coarse. Unnecessarily so.
Nevertheless, this is a pretty good album and hasn't left my car stereo in a week. And the best part is they're playing the Soundwave festival here next February, which I'm planning on attending, so seeing them will be an added bonus.
Here's their single "They Say".
Parental guidance is recommended.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Poker night
So I rock up to Josh's for poker night last night, and let's just say the standard of play was lacking a little. With no money on the line, some players were playing some ridiculous hands. In fact, I think we had three all ins in the first four hands.
There were nine players in total - Josh, his wife Sally, Narelle and I, as well as Josh's brother Wes and his wife Sascha, a guy I knew from Portside called Ben, old Seaton guy (and current stalker of Michella's housemate Amy) Bin, and another guy called Aaron. All nice people, some of them not so hot at cards though.
Actually Josh and Sally were decent, and Wes played a few good hands. But for the rest, the combination of no idea and no financial incentive meant some crazy hands were played. After seeing guys going all in at the start of the night with hands like Queen - Eight, I held back for a long time. I don't think I won a hand in the first half hour. Eventually though I started to get some decent cards, and knocked a few of the weaker players out. Came down to Narelle, Sally and I, although by this stage I had a pretty big stack, and finished it off quite quickly.
A nice night out, but I wouldn't be missing a game with my regular group for this anytime soon.
There were nine players in total - Josh, his wife Sally, Narelle and I, as well as Josh's brother Wes and his wife Sascha, a guy I knew from Portside called Ben, old Seaton guy (and current stalker of Michella's housemate Amy) Bin, and another guy called Aaron. All nice people, some of them not so hot at cards though.
Actually Josh and Sally were decent, and Wes played a few good hands. But for the rest, the combination of no idea and no financial incentive meant some crazy hands were played. After seeing guys going all in at the start of the night with hands like Queen - Eight, I held back for a long time. I don't think I won a hand in the first half hour. Eventually though I started to get some decent cards, and knocked a few of the weaker players out. Came down to Narelle, Sally and I, although by this stage I had a pretty big stack, and finished it off quite quickly.
A nice night out, but I wouldn't be missing a game with my regular group for this anytime soon.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Friday afternoon update
At lunch today I picked up NBA 2k9 for my PS3. I was almost swayed in the store when I saw NBA Live 09 offers a new feature where you can play as one of 24 international teams, meaning I could presumably play as Australia, and re-enact the Olympics, losing to the rest of the world. Then I remembered that for the last few years the NBA Live series has been really bad, and so went with 2K9. I'd be looking forward to firing it up tonight, except . . .
I have a poker game at my friend Josh Poyzer's place. Never played with his crew before, but he's told me they don't play for money. That's a noble idea and all but in my experience it doesn't work. Noone plays seriously if money isn't involved. Still, even if the poker sucks, I've got a six-pack of Coopers Dark Ale and a pack of Lime and Cracked Pepper chips, so I'm sure the night will be at least a moderate success.
For some reason people have been stealing from me lately. To start off with it was my mail - I haven't been receiving my magazine subscriptions since moving house (and yes, I did update my details). Now though it's my breakfast. I bought two Iced Coffees yesterday morning (just $4.50 at my local servo), with the intention of having one then, and saving the second one till today. When I went to our fridge at work this morning though it had disappeared. I don't understand who would steal something like that from their colleague?
Had the family round to dinner last night and cooked butter chicken. Definitely adding this one to my rotation. So simple - just chicken breast, butter, cream, and packet mix. And since most of those things come from nature it must be healthy too. Best part is the taste - not as good as restaurant butter chicken, but better than food court butter chicken.
That Batman movie sure is popular. Got to the movies on Tuesday night and saw the 8.30pm screening had already sold out - at 7pm - and this is months after it was released. Good movie and all, but wouldn't you have seen it by now if you were keen?
I have a poker game at my friend Josh Poyzer's place. Never played with his crew before, but he's told me they don't play for money. That's a noble idea and all but in my experience it doesn't work. Noone plays seriously if money isn't involved. Still, even if the poker sucks, I've got a six-pack of Coopers Dark Ale and a pack of Lime and Cracked Pepper chips, so I'm sure the night will be at least a moderate success.
For some reason people have been stealing from me lately. To start off with it was my mail - I haven't been receiving my magazine subscriptions since moving house (and yes, I did update my details). Now though it's my breakfast. I bought two Iced Coffees yesterday morning (just $4.50 at my local servo), with the intention of having one then, and saving the second one till today. When I went to our fridge at work this morning though it had disappeared. I don't understand who would steal something like that from their colleague?
Had the family round to dinner last night and cooked butter chicken. Definitely adding this one to my rotation. So simple - just chicken breast, butter, cream, and packet mix. And since most of those things come from nature it must be healthy too. Best part is the taste - not as good as restaurant butter chicken, but better than food court butter chicken.
That Batman movie sure is popular. Got to the movies on Tuesday night and saw the 8.30pm screening had already sold out - at 7pm - and this is months after it was released. Good movie and all, but wouldn't you have seen it by now if you were keen?
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Technology
So last night I went to turn on my laptop, and rather than start up, it came up with some message telling me it was re-installing the operating system. Twenty minutes later, it was ready to go, minus all of the photos/music/additional programs I'd accumulated on my hard drive this year.
Luckily I backed up all my photos to CD a few weeks ago so didn't lose all of them. However, I did lose all of the music I'd ripped to my computer, as well as all of the additional programs that you need these days (itunes, divx player, nero etc). It's pretty frustrating considering the computer is only six months or so old.
Also, even though it says Windows Vista is the operating system, what I see on my screen looks suspiciously like Windows 95. It seems to be working now so I guess I'll leave it and begin the process of downloading all that extra stuff I need, and re-populating my itunes library. I probably should check for spyware, I can't see any other reason that something like this might have happened.
Luckily I backed up all my photos to CD a few weeks ago so didn't lose all of them. However, I did lose all of the music I'd ripped to my computer, as well as all of the additional programs that you need these days (itunes, divx player, nero etc). It's pretty frustrating considering the computer is only six months or so old.
Also, even though it says Windows Vista is the operating system, what I see on my screen looks suspiciously like Windows 95. It seems to be working now so I guess I'll leave it and begin the process of downloading all that extra stuff I need, and re-populating my itunes library. I probably should check for spyware, I can't see any other reason that something like this might have happened.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Step Brothers
Last night I went to Marion to see "Step Brothers" with my friend Mirjana. I knew going in it wasn't going to be the best movie, but thought it would have a few laugh out loud moments.
It did, and was actually funnier than I thought it would be. Like Forcey pointed out in his review, Will Ferrell tries a lot of pretty crazy stuff comedically, and some of it works, and some falls flat. It's all pretty far fetched, throughout the film the two main characters seem to go from being reasonably self-aware to borderline retarded at different times. The movie had some great stuff in it though, my favourite parts were the a cappella family singalong to "Sweet Child O Mine", and the scenes where Ferrell and Reilly went to job interviews together.
Perhaps the funniest thing to happen though was we got to see a couple of kids get kicked out of the cinema by an usher for being under 15. I'd never seen it happen before but it was strangely enjoyable, like watching underage kids get busted for trying to buy alcohol or cigarettes. Some of their friends who must have shown ID to prove they were 15 were allowed to stay, in the spirit of true friendship they did exactly that, remaining for the movie while their younger friends presumably waited outside.
It did, and was actually funnier than I thought it would be. Like Forcey pointed out in his review, Will Ferrell tries a lot of pretty crazy stuff comedically, and some of it works, and some falls flat. It's all pretty far fetched, throughout the film the two main characters seem to go from being reasonably self-aware to borderline retarded at different times. The movie had some great stuff in it though, my favourite parts were the a cappella family singalong to "Sweet Child O Mine", and the scenes where Ferrell and Reilly went to job interviews together.
Perhaps the funniest thing to happen though was we got to see a couple of kids get kicked out of the cinema by an usher for being under 15. I'd never seen it happen before but it was strangely enjoyable, like watching underage kids get busted for trying to buy alcohol or cigarettes. Some of their friends who must have shown ID to prove they were 15 were allowed to stay, in the spirit of true friendship they did exactly that, remaining for the movie while their younger friends presumably waited outside.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Just when I thought I was out, they drag me back in
I kind of figured I was done with music festivals, but heard about the Soundwave Festival in Adelaide next February and think I'll give it a go.
Nine Inch Nails are headlining, and Alice in Chains are performing too, which will be quite a feat seeing as their singer died like a decade or so ago. Apparently they've got a new guy now though, and the guitarist did a lot of the singing anyway, so should be good.
It's not the kind of thing I can see myself staying at all day - the rest of the bands fall in the hardcore/metal/punk genre, and so I'm guessing I'll get sick of all the emo kids with their full sleeve tattoos, long fringes, and razor-blade scarred limbs. But I don't think I can pass up the chance to see Alice In Chains, one of my favourite bands from the 90s.
Anyone want to join me?
Nine Inch Nails are headlining, and Alice in Chains are performing too, which will be quite a feat seeing as their singer died like a decade or so ago. Apparently they've got a new guy now though, and the guitarist did a lot of the singing anyway, so should be good.
It's not the kind of thing I can see myself staying at all day - the rest of the bands fall in the hardcore/metal/punk genre, and so I'm guessing I'll get sick of all the emo kids with their full sleeve tattoos, long fringes, and razor-blade scarred limbs. But I don't think I can pass up the chance to see Alice In Chains, one of my favourite bands from the 90s.
Anyone want to join me?
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Avocado on a Quarter Pounder???
I went down to Marion this morning to get a CD player installed in my car at JB Hi-Fi. The guy told me it would take about 45 minutes, so I figured I had two options - shopping or eating. I chose the latter.
Went up to the food court thinking I'd get a donut from Donut King, but those guys have gone crazy with their prices. I settled on Maccas, and told myself it would be a combination breakfast/lunch.
So I'm standing there waiting to order, and I notice that they now offer avocado on their Quarter Pounders. That, to me, is a very strange thing to do. I'm probably biased because I hate avocado, but I don't see how those two things would mix at all.
Thankfully there is some sanity evident in the bigwigs who run McDonalds = they've reduced the cost of the apple pies back to $1, like they were back in the 80s. At that price I figured I couldn't really say no.
Went up to the food court thinking I'd get a donut from Donut King, but those guys have gone crazy with their prices. I settled on Maccas, and told myself it would be a combination breakfast/lunch.
So I'm standing there waiting to order, and I notice that they now offer avocado on their Quarter Pounders. That, to me, is a very strange thing to do. I'm probably biased because I hate avocado, but I don't see how those two things would mix at all.
Thankfully there is some sanity evident in the bigwigs who run McDonalds = they've reduced the cost of the apple pies back to $1, like they were back in the 80s. At that price I figured I couldn't really say no.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Team building day
So we had our team building day yesterday, and there were no quad bikes to be seen. Nor Go Karts. Instead, we went on a bus trip to Monarto. Awesome.
We got there about 10ish, and had a half hour update, then did a getting to know each other exercise. We went round the room, and everyone said their name, how long they'd been with the organisation, and something they were passionate about. I said "Music", most other people said stuff like "Changing perceptions of South Australia interstate" or "Developing regional communities through tourism."
After this we did the next best thing to quad-biking - we had someone come in and give us a two hour course in "stakeholder management". Once he was done, we had a barbecue lunch, which was actually quite delicious.
After lunch we did the bus tour of the grounds, which would have been better if I hadn't already done it with Michella last year.
Finally, the day concluded with us being split up into groups to each make a 30-second tv ad for Monarto. Or basically do a thirty second play, like you might do on the last night of a camp. Ours wasn't particularly funny, although a few were. Much of the humour seemed to be based on gay-jokes. I'm 95% sure none of the people there were gay.
We got back on the bus around 4pm, and were back in Adelaide just after 5pm. Not a terrible day by any means, but definitely lacking the element of fun I was expecting.
We got there about 10ish, and had a half hour update, then did a getting to know each other exercise. We went round the room, and everyone said their name, how long they'd been with the organisation, and something they were passionate about. I said "Music", most other people said stuff like "Changing perceptions of South Australia interstate" or "Developing regional communities through tourism."
After this we did the next best thing to quad-biking - we had someone come in and give us a two hour course in "stakeholder management". Once he was done, we had a barbecue lunch, which was actually quite delicious.
After lunch we did the bus tour of the grounds, which would have been better if I hadn't already done it with Michella last year.
Finally, the day concluded with us being split up into groups to each make a 30-second tv ad for Monarto. Or basically do a thirty second play, like you might do on the last night of a camp. Ours wasn't particularly funny, although a few were. Much of the humour seemed to be based on gay-jokes. I'm 95% sure none of the people there were gay.
We got back on the bus around 4pm, and were back in Adelaide just after 5pm. Not a terrible day by any means, but definitely lacking the element of fun I was expecting.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Saving the world
I had someone come to my door last night collecting for charity. I don't get a lot of visitors, so got a little excited when I heard the knock on the door. Sadly, it was just someone who wanted my money.
She explained that she was collecting for some international wildlife fund, and this year they were collecting for the River Murray too. She asked me if I cared about those things, and even though I don't really, I said I did. It's not that I'm anti-wildlife or the environment - it's just that I think there are more important things to focus on. Like people for example. If someone said to me "We've got a rare polar bear here, and a human, and we're going to kill one of them, which one would you like to save?" I'm taking the human every time. Just common sense really. Let's solve the people problems first, then we'll deal with the animals.
So I tell her to hold on, I'll just go find my wallet. I grab it and realise I've only got twenties, and no way do I care about polar bears that much. So I ask if she has change.
And she tells me that it's not that type of thing, she's not actually collecting money now, just "signing people up". She tells me I fill in this form, and then at the end of the month, I send them all the loose change that I've put aside. I figured that was something I could deal with, I do hate having a bunch of coins in my wallet, so I agree to take the form. Then I notice that there are details for my bank account or credit card details. Turns out, when she said "you give us your loose change", she actually meant "give us your bank account details, so we can siphon money from your account every month."
Of course, that wasn't going to fly, so I politely explained that it didn't really sound like my thing, and wished her a good night.
It was the second time in the last week someone had asked me for money in convoluted, creative manner, and I'm not a fan. I got a phone call from Mumbai a few nights ago where the caller started off by saying that my phone number had been randomly selected and I had won a free mobile phone. Of course they were trying to sell me on a phone plan. Just once I'd like to hear someone ring and say "I'm gonna be totally honest with you, I'm going to try and convince you to change your current telecommunications provider." It's possible I'd still hang up on them, but it would be a more pleasant experience for both of us.
She explained that she was collecting for some international wildlife fund, and this year they were collecting for the River Murray too. She asked me if I cared about those things, and even though I don't really, I said I did. It's not that I'm anti-wildlife or the environment - it's just that I think there are more important things to focus on. Like people for example. If someone said to me "We've got a rare polar bear here, and a human, and we're going to kill one of them, which one would you like to save?" I'm taking the human every time. Just common sense really. Let's solve the people problems first, then we'll deal with the animals.
So I tell her to hold on, I'll just go find my wallet. I grab it and realise I've only got twenties, and no way do I care about polar bears that much. So I ask if she has change.
And she tells me that it's not that type of thing, she's not actually collecting money now, just "signing people up". She tells me I fill in this form, and then at the end of the month, I send them all the loose change that I've put aside. I figured that was something I could deal with, I do hate having a bunch of coins in my wallet, so I agree to take the form. Then I notice that there are details for my bank account or credit card details. Turns out, when she said "you give us your loose change", she actually meant "give us your bank account details, so we can siphon money from your account every month."
Of course, that wasn't going to fly, so I politely explained that it didn't really sound like my thing, and wished her a good night.
It was the second time in the last week someone had asked me for money in convoluted, creative manner, and I'm not a fan. I got a phone call from Mumbai a few nights ago where the caller started off by saying that my phone number had been randomly selected and I had won a free mobile phone. Of course they were trying to sell me on a phone plan. Just once I'd like to hear someone ring and say "I'm gonna be totally honest with you, I'm going to try and convince you to change your current telecommunications provider." It's possible I'd still hang up on them, but it would be a more pleasant experience for both of us.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Keep on rockin' in the free world
The first round of acts for the 2009 Big Day Out were announced today, and it's the worst lineup I've ever seen.
The "headliner" is Neil Young. I actually don't mind a bit of Neil, every decade he seems to write one or two good songs. Would I want to go see him in concert though? No I wouldn't.
Headlining the boiler room is the Prodigy. If this were 1997 it would probably be big news, but I'm pretty sure noone cares about them anymore. I have their CD Fat of the Land up on ebay at the moment, and despite the fact that it features their biggest hits "Firestarter" and "Smack My Bitch Up", it hasn't got a single bid on it yet.
Also in the lineup are The Living End (who I don't care for personally, but I recognise they've got a decent size audience), Arctic Monkeys (who I've only heard once but thought were a poor-man's Strokes) and Sneaky Sound System.
I don't really enjoy the Big Day Out at the best of times - the combination of hot weather, drunk and stoned kids, and bad sound isn't a recipe for success. But sometimes I feel like I don't really have a choice - like last year, when a reformed Rage Against the Machine played. After years of hoping they'd someday get back together, I wasn't going to pass up seeing them because the situation wasn't ideal.
This year I'm not even remotely tempted to go though. I'm wondering what the turnout will be like - if it's anywhere close to years passed it will confirm my suspicions that the majority of people who go couldn't really care less about music, they just go because it's the thing to do.
The "headliner" is Neil Young. I actually don't mind a bit of Neil, every decade he seems to write one or two good songs. Would I want to go see him in concert though? No I wouldn't.
Headlining the boiler room is the Prodigy. If this were 1997 it would probably be big news, but I'm pretty sure noone cares about them anymore. I have their CD Fat of the Land up on ebay at the moment, and despite the fact that it features their biggest hits "Firestarter" and "Smack My Bitch Up", it hasn't got a single bid on it yet.
Also in the lineup are The Living End (who I don't care for personally, but I recognise they've got a decent size audience), Arctic Monkeys (who I've only heard once but thought were a poor-man's Strokes) and Sneaky Sound System.
I don't really enjoy the Big Day Out at the best of times - the combination of hot weather, drunk and stoned kids, and bad sound isn't a recipe for success. But sometimes I feel like I don't really have a choice - like last year, when a reformed Rage Against the Machine played. After years of hoping they'd someday get back together, I wasn't going to pass up seeing them because the situation wasn't ideal.
This year I'm not even remotely tempted to go though. I'm wondering what the turnout will be like - if it's anywhere close to years passed it will confirm my suspicions that the majority of people who go couldn't really care less about music, they just go because it's the thing to do.
Monday, September 29, 2008
More discrimination
So this Thursday we have our "team building" day for work. In what was a very poorly kept secret, we were meant to be going quad-bike riding down on the Fleurieu Peninsula. However, the owner of the business realised after taking our booking that there wouldn't be enough time for our entire group to ride, so he cancelled it.
Now we're looking at going Go Kart racing, another past time which discriminates against solidly built fellows like myself. Since all the cars have the same engine, which isn't that powerful to begin with, the lightest drivers always come out ahead.
The last (and only) time I went was for Ash's bucks night. I can clearly remember the feeling of utter helplessness as I floored the accelerator while watching all his skinny Greek friends fly past me.
I was teamed up with Con Pappas, and we were meant to switch every 20 laps, although he forgot and did like the last 60 on his own. At the time I was kind of pissed, but looking back it was probably for the best, otherwise I would have still been going round that damn track with everyone else done and ready to leave.
I'm hoping that maybe this is all a trick, pretending like we're not going quad bike riding because everyone found out that we were, then surprising us all at the last minute. I don't think our management is that devious though.
Now we're looking at going Go Kart racing, another past time which discriminates against solidly built fellows like myself. Since all the cars have the same engine, which isn't that powerful to begin with, the lightest drivers always come out ahead.
The last (and only) time I went was for Ash's bucks night. I can clearly remember the feeling of utter helplessness as I floored the accelerator while watching all his skinny Greek friends fly past me.
I was teamed up with Con Pappas, and we were meant to switch every 20 laps, although he forgot and did like the last 60 on his own. At the time I was kind of pissed, but looking back it was probably for the best, otherwise I would have still been going round that damn track with everyone else done and ready to leave.
I'm hoping that maybe this is all a trick, pretending like we're not going quad bike riding because everyone found out that we were, then surprising us all at the last minute. I don't think our management is that devious though.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Sunday 28 September 2008
Got up this morning and after 28 years or so decided to give another church a go, and went to Edwardstown Baptist (where Ash and Kerry and their respective spouses now attend). It was quite a good experience, the people seemed nice, and the message was good. Plus it's just down South Road, so convenient to my new location in the inner South West of Adelaide.
After church Ash and Ange had all of us over for a delicious meal of chicken and chips. When Natalia started crying Paul and Kerry left, and Ash and I got down to some PS3. I beat him twice in NBA 2K8, but he kicked my butt badly in Gran Turismo, even giving me my choice of car and driving lower end model himself he destroyed me. Maybe driving's not really my thing.
After lunch I drove down to Marion to buy a new CD player for my car. Mine broke around three years ago, and I never got round to replacing it. I had no idea what to look for other than a detachable face and ipod input, so I just went with the one that was marked down the most. Got a $170 Kenwood one for $89, and even arranged to get it installed next weekend.
When I was younger, stealing car stereos was a popular thing to do. I think I had mine stolen twice, and at least one of those times it was just a tape deck. I hope everyone has moved past that phase, because I don't really want to be cleaning broken glass off my front seat anytime soon.
After church Ash and Ange had all of us over for a delicious meal of chicken and chips. When Natalia started crying Paul and Kerry left, and Ash and I got down to some PS3. I beat him twice in NBA 2K8, but he kicked my butt badly in Gran Turismo, even giving me my choice of car and driving lower end model himself he destroyed me. Maybe driving's not really my thing.
After lunch I drove down to Marion to buy a new CD player for my car. Mine broke around three years ago, and I never got round to replacing it. I had no idea what to look for other than a detachable face and ipod input, so I just went with the one that was marked down the most. Got a $170 Kenwood one for $89, and even arranged to get it installed next weekend.
When I was younger, stealing car stereos was a popular thing to do. I think I had mine stolen twice, and at least one of those times it was just a tape deck. I hope everyone has moved past that phase, because I don't really want to be cleaning broken glass off my front seat anytime soon.
More Damien Rice brilliance
An audience made recording of an unreleased song, and it still sends chills down my spine. I have absolutely no idea why Coldplay sell out stadiums and he remains widely unknown . . .
Saturday, September 27, 2008
A brief history of the twenty-first century
A short excerpt from Chuck Klosterman's new essay that I liked:
October 2, 2051
In the new age of global remoteness, military strategy becomes murky. Conventional wisdom suggests Australia is the most important region, as it can only be invaded via Indonesia. Others point to South America, since it is vulnerable only to Central American freedom fighters or North African warlords. Everyone agrees that Europe is a waste of time.
October 2, 2051
In the new age of global remoteness, military strategy becomes murky. Conventional wisdom suggests Australia is the most important region, as it can only be invaded via Indonesia. Others point to South America, since it is vulnerable only to Central American freedom fighters or North African warlords. Everyone agrees that Europe is a waste of time.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Discrimination
I hate discrimination, of all kinds. Especially when I'm the one who is being discriminated against.
Some of you may know it has long been a dream of mine to go skydiving. Not a dream in the sense that I spend most of my waking hours working towards this occurence, more a "If the opportunity ever presents itself, I think I'd like to do it" kind of thing.
Anyway, one of my friends has decided she's going to go on her birthday this year, and has told me I can tag along if I want. She also mentioned that there would probably be some sort of discount involved if we book together through the Entertainment Book, which goes a long way towards explaining why she's happy for me to crash her birthday celebrations.
So we look up the details on their website, and sure enough, there's a discount offered, but there's also a surcharge for people "over 90kg".
Now I know what you're thinking, but in fact it's true, I am over 90kg. Somewhere around the century mark actually. And I'll concede that yes, I am a little overweight. But why do they have to rub my face in it by charging me more? Do they need to bring an extra parachute for my fat ass? Is it danger money for the poor instructor who has to accompany me to the ground?
Besides, if you ask me, 90kg isn't even really that heavy for a fully grown adult male.
I think I might look around to see if this type of discrimination is industry standard. If it is, I guess I'm just going to have to hit the treadmill.
Some of you may know it has long been a dream of mine to go skydiving. Not a dream in the sense that I spend most of my waking hours working towards this occurence, more a "If the opportunity ever presents itself, I think I'd like to do it" kind of thing.
Anyway, one of my friends has decided she's going to go on her birthday this year, and has told me I can tag along if I want. She also mentioned that there would probably be some sort of discount involved if we book together through the Entertainment Book, which goes a long way towards explaining why she's happy for me to crash her birthday celebrations.
So we look up the details on their website, and sure enough, there's a discount offered, but there's also a surcharge for people "over 90kg".
Now I know what you're thinking, but in fact it's true, I am over 90kg. Somewhere around the century mark actually. And I'll concede that yes, I am a little overweight. But why do they have to rub my face in it by charging me more? Do they need to bring an extra parachute for my fat ass? Is it danger money for the poor instructor who has to accompany me to the ground?
Besides, if you ask me, 90kg isn't even really that heavy for a fully grown adult male.
I think I might look around to see if this type of discrimination is industry standard. If it is, I guess I'm just going to have to hit the treadmill.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
ebay update
So, over the last week I've sold 50 items on ebay, bringing in a little more than $400 cash money. I'm about halfway to my target, ie having enough money to buy one of these . . .
It's actually quite an enjoyable process. Putting stuff up isn't a whole lot of fun, but watching the final minutes as the price starts to climb is a strangely hypnotic experience. And it's great sitting at work and getting emails periodically that say "so and so has just sent you $20 though paypal".
I've found that especially on the cheaper items, you make most of your money out of overcharging for shipping. And there's an added bonus, as ebay charges you a fee based on a percentage the selling price, which is exclusive of your shipping costs. The most annoying thing is people who want to come and pick up their purchases. Especially when they have bought a DVD for $1, and want to drive to your house to get it. I think I'm going to specify no pickups from now on. It kind of reminds me of what I hate about garage sales . . . by and large, you don't want to be dealing with the type of people who haggle over a dollar or two.
It's actually quite an enjoyable process. Putting stuff up isn't a whole lot of fun, but watching the final minutes as the price starts to climb is a strangely hypnotic experience. And it's great sitting at work and getting emails periodically that say "so and so has just sent you $20 though paypal".
I've found that especially on the cheaper items, you make most of your money out of overcharging for shipping. And there's an added bonus, as ebay charges you a fee based on a percentage the selling price, which is exclusive of your shipping costs. The most annoying thing is people who want to come and pick up their purchases. Especially when they have bought a DVD for $1, and want to drive to your house to get it. I think I'm going to specify no pickups from now on. It kind of reminds me of what I hate about garage sales . . . by and large, you don't want to be dealing with the type of people who haggle over a dollar or two.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
I'm too old for this . . .
For the third week in a row I joined Ash's Tuesday basketball pick-up game last night. I thought I was getting used to it, but my body is telling me otherwise today.
It was a pretty good series of games though, and I felt like I won more than I lost. Thankfully the numbers were down a bit, we had 15 last week, which led to games of 5 on 5 on 5, with one team always waiting in defense (so no fast breaks). With a rotating group of 8-10 players last night though we were able to play proper full court games (even though the full court is maybe 2/3 the size of a regular court), which was much better. Especially during the final game where I teamed up with the best point guard there (only known as "Foetus", possibly because of his resemblance to Mike Dunleavy), and got to actually run the break, rather than just jack up long threes.
Quick aside - after reading Basketbawful's "Hacker's Rules" here, one guy stood out last night as perfectly fitting this mould - the gangly, awkward kid, who couldn't shoot, pass, dribble or play defense, but kept saying stuff like "Wow, my fitness has really dropped off in the last week." Right, that's the reason you can't play . . .
We finished a bit after 12, but by the time I got home, and had a shower, it was approaching 1am. I was feeling dehydrated, so I had several glasses of water. I think I fell asleep just after 2am, but because of the water drinking binge, I ended up getting up several times during the night to go to the bathroom. So, not feeling so crash hot today, and wondering if maybe I am getting a little too old for this type of thing.
It was a pretty good series of games though, and I felt like I won more than I lost. Thankfully the numbers were down a bit, we had 15 last week, which led to games of 5 on 5 on 5, with one team always waiting in defense (so no fast breaks). With a rotating group of 8-10 players last night though we were able to play proper full court games (even though the full court is maybe 2/3 the size of a regular court), which was much better. Especially during the final game where I teamed up with the best point guard there (only known as "Foetus", possibly because of his resemblance to Mike Dunleavy), and got to actually run the break, rather than just jack up long threes.
Quick aside - after reading Basketbawful's "Hacker's Rules" here, one guy stood out last night as perfectly fitting this mould - the gangly, awkward kid, who couldn't shoot, pass, dribble or play defense, but kept saying stuff like "Wow, my fitness has really dropped off in the last week." Right, that's the reason you can't play . . .
We finished a bit after 12, but by the time I got home, and had a shower, it was approaching 1am. I was feeling dehydrated, so I had several glasses of water. I think I fell asleep just after 2am, but because of the water drinking binge, I ended up getting up several times during the night to go to the bathroom. So, not feeling so crash hot today, and wondering if maybe I am getting a little too old for this type of thing.
What Darren's watching
Last week I got season five of Entourage off Amazon, and I've flown through it. Perhaps it says more about my social life than the show itself, but the thing I love about Entourage is what a lot of people hate - it's lightweight entertainment that doesn't ask for a lot from you.
The last series I watched before this was the final season of The Wire. Absolutely brilliant television, but man does it take a lot out of you. Thankfully there wasn't an ambiguous, Sopranos-esque ending, but in some ways it would have been better. Watching the endings for some of the characters was heartbreaking, especially after you've followed them for years.
Anyway, there's not a lot of this in Entourage. If The Wire is about the consequences of actions - both by individuals and institutions - Entourage is about the complete absence of consequences. Vince and his posse run out of money? No problem, through some crazy turn of events, he'll get a multi-million dollar job offer the next episode.
Season five does show the guys struggling a little bit, with Vince's vanity project Medellin struggling to find a buyer, and everyone crashing at Johnny's new apartment. You never really get the feel that it's permanent though, it's just a small speedhump on their way to an even more lavish lifestyle.
What I did like about season five was there was a lot of Billy Walsh, probably the best character on the show outside of Ari. For some reason he always reminded me of my friend Boris Djuric. Anyway, his constant verbal battles with both E and Ari are a definite highlight of the show. The writing seems to be a little below the standard of the first two seasons, there's not quite as many classic Ari lines in each episode, but there's still enough to make it laugh out loud funny every now and then.
The last series I watched before this was the final season of The Wire. Absolutely brilliant television, but man does it take a lot out of you. Thankfully there wasn't an ambiguous, Sopranos-esque ending, but in some ways it would have been better. Watching the endings for some of the characters was heartbreaking, especially after you've followed them for years.
Anyway, there's not a lot of this in Entourage. If The Wire is about the consequences of actions - both by individuals and institutions - Entourage is about the complete absence of consequences. Vince and his posse run out of money? No problem, through some crazy turn of events, he'll get a multi-million dollar job offer the next episode.
Season five does show the guys struggling a little bit, with Vince's vanity project Medellin struggling to find a buyer, and everyone crashing at Johnny's new apartment. You never really get the feel that it's permanent though, it's just a small speedhump on their way to an even more lavish lifestyle.
What I did like about season five was there was a lot of Billy Walsh, probably the best character on the show outside of Ari. For some reason he always reminded me of my friend Boris Djuric. Anyway, his constant verbal battles with both E and Ari are a definite highlight of the show. The writing seems to be a little below the standard of the first two seasons, there's not quite as many classic Ari lines in each episode, but there's still enough to make it laugh out loud funny every now and then.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Ultimate fantasy
Or not. . . Even though our fantasy basketball draft is still a month out, we set the order for it today. I did it via a nice little website which you feed your team manager email addresses into, and it randomly assigns an order, and emails everyone their spot. As it's all automated, there was no way for me to cheat. Which is kind of a shame, because for the second year in a row I got a really crappy pick. It was much better in the days when Ash and I used to rig it each year.*
As soon as I saw the draft order email I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. Number nine. In a ten team league. In that split instant, all my dreams of watching Chris Paul rack up the assists, Kobe scoring 30 plus a night, and Lebron flirting with a triple double every game were dashed.
Instead, I'm left talking myself into certain best-case scenarios, like "Sure (player x) has a history of injuries, but he was fine last year, perhaps he can do it again". Or "Maybe he's been practicing free throws this off-season, instead of knocking up team dancers".
Nevertheless, I'm slowly coming around. I'm definitely at the acceptance stage in the cycle of grief. I've come up with a few ideas, which I won't share here, since 75% of you guys are in my league. Let's just say as long as no more blue-chip players get injured in the next month, I think I'll be OK.
* Just a joke Mike. I can sense your blood pressure rising ten thousand kilometres away.
As soon as I saw the draft order email I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. Number nine. In a ten team league. In that split instant, all my dreams of watching Chris Paul rack up the assists, Kobe scoring 30 plus a night, and Lebron flirting with a triple double every game were dashed.
Instead, I'm left talking myself into certain best-case scenarios, like "Sure (player x) has a history of injuries, but he was fine last year, perhaps he can do it again". Or "Maybe he's been practicing free throws this off-season, instead of knocking up team dancers".
Nevertheless, I'm slowly coming around. I'm definitely at the acceptance stage in the cycle of grief. I've come up with a few ideas, which I won't share here, since 75% of you guys are in my league. Let's just say as long as no more blue-chip players get injured in the next month, I think I'll be OK.
* Just a joke Mike. I can sense your blood pressure rising ten thousand kilometres away.
What Darren's reading
If I had to list the five greatest books of all time, four would be written by Chuck Klosterman.
There's his brilliant debut "Fargo Rock City", which is both a biography of his teenage years in North Dakota, and a history of eighties metal. There's "Sex, Drug, and Cocoa Puffs", the collection of pop-culture essays for which he's probably best known. You've got "Killing Yourself To Live", which people either love or hate, which is kind of about a cross-country trip visiting sites where rock stars died, but is really about understanding love and death through music. And finally, there's Chuck Klosterman IV, which is just a collection of his previous writings plus a new short story. It's probably the worst thing he's released, although I'm sure he'd recognise that, I think it was mainly just a means of allowing his readers access to some of his earlier work.
I got the new Chuck Klosterman book "Downtown Owl" in the mail yesterday. Following on from the short story in his last book, the new one is entirely fiction. But after reading the first two chapters on the bus this morning, it's obvious that he's again taken parts of his own experience, specifically the knowledge of what it's like growing up in a small semi-rural American community, and written about that.
I haven't read a whole heap in recent years, but I can't wait to get through this one. Detailed review to come soon . . .
There's his brilliant debut "Fargo Rock City", which is both a biography of his teenage years in North Dakota, and a history of eighties metal. There's "Sex, Drug, and Cocoa Puffs", the collection of pop-culture essays for which he's probably best known. You've got "Killing Yourself To Live", which people either love or hate, which is kind of about a cross-country trip visiting sites where rock stars died, but is really about understanding love and death through music. And finally, there's Chuck Klosterman IV, which is just a collection of his previous writings plus a new short story. It's probably the worst thing he's released, although I'm sure he'd recognise that, I think it was mainly just a means of allowing his readers access to some of his earlier work.
I got the new Chuck Klosterman book "Downtown Owl" in the mail yesterday. Following on from the short story in his last book, the new one is entirely fiction. But after reading the first two chapters on the bus this morning, it's obvious that he's again taken parts of his own experience, specifically the knowledge of what it's like growing up in a small semi-rural American community, and written about that.
I haven't read a whole heap in recent years, but I can't wait to get through this one. Detailed review to come soon . . .
Monday, September 22, 2008
City to Bay
My long distance (well kind-of) running career spanned about eight months - from last year's City to Bay in September to the half marathon I ran in May this year. This second run left me unable to walk properly for about a week, and I vowed I would never willingly run such a distance again.
So I never really considered doing the City to Bay this year. But reading about it in the paper today, I kind of wish I did.
Not for the fitness benefits, or the sense of accomplishment, but because it featured celebrities from my favourite reality show, "The Biggest Loser".
Apparently Cosi (my favourite from last season) ran the whole way, which you'd expect, seeing as he looks pretty fit these days. As did JJ, the annoying truckie from Adelaide. Shannan, the trainer with a heart of gold, also ran it, and in a respectable 48 minutes (although some 18 year old guy who's still in high school did it in 34 minutes, so . . . ).
Some of the contestants didn't fare so well though. Gary (the big fella who was going bald), Nicola (the super-sized Meadow Soprano) and Carrie-Anne (one half of the annoying twin combo) all opted for the 6km route. Which they WALKED. I would expect that from their pre-Biggest Loser selves, but if you've been through the show, and lost all of that weight, you can at least run 6km, if not 12km.
I don't think any of them live in Adelaide, which makes it even worse - they booked tickets, accommodation etc just so they could come to our city for the weekend and walk a measly 6km. What an incredible waste of everyone's time.
So I never really considered doing the City to Bay this year. But reading about it in the paper today, I kind of wish I did.
Not for the fitness benefits, or the sense of accomplishment, but because it featured celebrities from my favourite reality show, "The Biggest Loser".
Apparently Cosi (my favourite from last season) ran the whole way, which you'd expect, seeing as he looks pretty fit these days. As did JJ, the annoying truckie from Adelaide. Shannan, the trainer with a heart of gold, also ran it, and in a respectable 48 minutes (although some 18 year old guy who's still in high school did it in 34 minutes, so . . . ).
Some of the contestants didn't fare so well though. Gary (the big fella who was going bald), Nicola (the super-sized Meadow Soprano) and Carrie-Anne (one half of the annoying twin combo) all opted for the 6km route. Which they WALKED. I would expect that from their pre-Biggest Loser selves, but if you've been through the show, and lost all of that weight, you can at least run 6km, if not 12km.
I don't think any of them live in Adelaide, which makes it even worse - they booked tickets, accommodation etc just so they could come to our city for the weekend and walk a measly 6km. What an incredible waste of everyone's time.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Ebay
One thing that's become clear to me lately is that I have too much crap. Way too much. Even though I got rid of a whole bunch of stuff when I moved a few months ago, my house is still full of piles of CDs and records I won't re-listen to, DVDs I won't rewatch, and books I won't re-read.
So I decided to throw a whole lot of stuff up on ebay this week. Being my first time I've done this on this level, I think I made a few mistakes. To start off with, I listed some stuff too cheap - 99c is a good starting price for something that there will be a lot of demand on because the bidding will drive the price up. A lot of the stuff only one or two people were interested in though, so DVDs ended up selling for like $1.04.
It's interesting what some stuff goes for though. My previously viewed copy of "The Game" with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn sold for $10.50. Or about ten times the price of some of my other movies.
I took a guess regarding the postage costs. Hopefully I don't find out tomorrow that it's way more than I thought, and I'm actually going to lose money on this little venture.
I'm going to keep going though, next up is a bunch of CDs and perhaps some books. The idea is if I sell enough stuff eventually I'll have enough in my Paypal account to buy something good myself, perhaps a new guitar or something like that. Which I'll probably end up auctioning on ebay again in a few years, as the cycle continues . . .
So I decided to throw a whole lot of stuff up on ebay this week. Being my first time I've done this on this level, I think I made a few mistakes. To start off with, I listed some stuff too cheap - 99c is a good starting price for something that there will be a lot of demand on because the bidding will drive the price up. A lot of the stuff only one or two people were interested in though, so DVDs ended up selling for like $1.04.
It's interesting what some stuff goes for though. My previously viewed copy of "The Game" with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn sold for $10.50. Or about ten times the price of some of my other movies.
I took a guess regarding the postage costs. Hopefully I don't find out tomorrow that it's way more than I thought, and I'm actually going to lose money on this little venture.
I'm going to keep going though, next up is a bunch of CDs and perhaps some books. The idea is if I sell enough stuff eventually I'll have enough in my Paypal account to buy something good myself, perhaps a new guitar or something like that. Which I'll probably end up auctioning on ebay again in a few years, as the cycle continues . . .
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Tropic Thunder
After few false starts, last night I saw "Tropic Thunder" with Mirjana at Norwood.
We got there a bit early, so after getting our tickets, popped into Cafe Primo for a bite to eat.
I'm not really a Cafe Primo fan. A while back you'd put up with the annoying ads and average food because at least it was cheap. Now they've put their prices up which is annoying. Because as far as I can tell they haven't improved quality or service anywhere. Anyway didn't really have a choice, since we only had 40 minutes, and they are usually quick at least. I get anxious when I'm waiting for my dinner with a movie start time quickly approaching.
I had what was basically a meatlovers pizza with chicken. It was a little dry. In hindsight, some pineapple would have helped. I also had a 600ml bottle of Coke Zero, which I think costs roughly the same as the 250ml glass bottles, which doesn't make much sense.
So onto the movie . . . it started with a few fake trailers for movies that the actors in the film were in. We then jump straight into the action, with Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr all playing actors in a war movie that is "in it's fifth day of production and already a month behind schedule". Desperate to get his actors to embrace their roles, the director decides to dump them all in the middle of the jungle and stage the action around them, so they think they've actually stumbled into a war zone, and then capture it all on hidden cameras.
Of course, after dropping them off, the director steps on an actual land mine (which everyone apart from Downey Jr thinks is a set up), and the group are left on their own. They wander into an area used for heroin production, and Stiller is kidnapped by a local gang. Luckily they are fans of his movie "Simple Jack", a story about a retarded farmboy, and let him live, if he performs the movie live in its entireity each day. His castmates arrive to save him (despite the fact that their guns are just filled with blanks) and although Stiller isn't sure he wants to leave, they end up busting out together.
All in all, not a bad film. It had some flat points, although some good scenes, like the one where Robert Downey Jr explained to Ben that you never win an Oscar going "full retard" . . .
Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Count toothpicks to your cards. Autistic, sure. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There." Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam." Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed...
Tom Cruise was good as the overweight and balding studio head, but to be honest, I think I'd heard this hyped up to much, would have been better if it was a surprise.
All in all not a bad movie, not a classic but worth a look if you want something lighthearted.
We got there a bit early, so after getting our tickets, popped into Cafe Primo for a bite to eat.
I'm not really a Cafe Primo fan. A while back you'd put up with the annoying ads and average food because at least it was cheap. Now they've put their prices up which is annoying. Because as far as I can tell they haven't improved quality or service anywhere. Anyway didn't really have a choice, since we only had 40 minutes, and they are usually quick at least. I get anxious when I'm waiting for my dinner with a movie start time quickly approaching.
I had what was basically a meatlovers pizza with chicken. It was a little dry. In hindsight, some pineapple would have helped. I also had a 600ml bottle of Coke Zero, which I think costs roughly the same as the 250ml glass bottles, which doesn't make much sense.
So onto the movie . . . it started with a few fake trailers for movies that the actors in the film were in. We then jump straight into the action, with Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr all playing actors in a war movie that is "in it's fifth day of production and already a month behind schedule". Desperate to get his actors to embrace their roles, the director decides to dump them all in the middle of the jungle and stage the action around them, so they think they've actually stumbled into a war zone, and then capture it all on hidden cameras.
Of course, after dropping them off, the director steps on an actual land mine (which everyone apart from Downey Jr thinks is a set up), and the group are left on their own. They wander into an area used for heroin production, and Stiller is kidnapped by a local gang. Luckily they are fans of his movie "Simple Jack", a story about a retarded farmboy, and let him live, if he performs the movie live in its entireity each day. His castmates arrive to save him (despite the fact that their guns are just filled with blanks) and although Stiller isn't sure he wants to leave, they end up busting out together.
All in all, not a bad film. It had some flat points, although some good scenes, like the one where Robert Downey Jr explained to Ben that you never win an Oscar going "full retard" . . .
Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Count toothpicks to your cards. Autistic, sure. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There." Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam." Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed...
Tom Cruise was good as the overweight and balding studio head, but to be honest, I think I'd heard this hyped up to much, would have been better if it was a surprise.
All in all not a bad movie, not a classic but worth a look if you want something lighthearted.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
All music is heavily shaped by the time and place in which it's created. "Appetite for Destruction" is a case in point. The first and best Guns n Roses album, it still sounds raw and honest. The "Use Your Illusion" albums? Not so much. The band were rich and famous by the early nineties, and the passion that fueled their debut was gone. Even if they wanted to create Appetite 2.0 they wouldn't have been able.
The Offspring are another example. In 1994 they released "Smash", their only album I've ever liked. Despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of punk music, I'd rank it in my all-time top 10 albums. Lots of other people agreed, according to Wikipedia it's since sold 14 million copies worldwide. There's not really a bad song on the CD, and in parts, it's actually quite funny. I'm generally not a big fan of humour in music, but the comedy here is subtle, and based on everyday experiences that are easy to relate to. Like frustration bordering on road rage (Bad Habit), or manipulative girlfriends (Self Esteem).
On successive releases the band tried to mine the comedy vein further, but ended up with broader songs like (Pretty Fly) for a White Guy and Original Prankster. Which were popular in their time, but not widely loved anymore.
Even though Smash is still in reasonably high rotation on my ipod, I hadn't listened to a new Offspring album in years. I read a review of their new one "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace" on the net a few weeks ago though, and was pulled in by promises of a harder sound than previous albums.
I downloaded it, and while it wasn't the hardcore punk album I'd heard it described as, it was an improvement on anything I'd heard from them since the mid-nineties. There's a few too many slow songs (I don't think anyone wants to hear an Offspring ballad) but the fast stuff is really good. It's as melodic as anything on Smash, but they don't get caught up in the novelty side of things.
Here's one of my favourites from the new disc, You're Gonna Go Far, Kid . . .
The Offspring are another example. In 1994 they released "Smash", their only album I've ever liked. Despite the fact that I'm not a huge fan of punk music, I'd rank it in my all-time top 10 albums. Lots of other people agreed, according to Wikipedia it's since sold 14 million copies worldwide. There's not really a bad song on the CD, and in parts, it's actually quite funny. I'm generally not a big fan of humour in music, but the comedy here is subtle, and based on everyday experiences that are easy to relate to. Like frustration bordering on road rage (Bad Habit), or manipulative girlfriends (Self Esteem).
On successive releases the band tried to mine the comedy vein further, but ended up with broader songs like (Pretty Fly) for a White Guy and Original Prankster. Which were popular in their time, but not widely loved anymore.
Even though Smash is still in reasonably high rotation on my ipod, I hadn't listened to a new Offspring album in years. I read a review of their new one "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace" on the net a few weeks ago though, and was pulled in by promises of a harder sound than previous albums.
I downloaded it, and while it wasn't the hardcore punk album I'd heard it described as, it was an improvement on anything I'd heard from them since the mid-nineties. There's a few too many slow songs (I don't think anyone wants to hear an Offspring ballad) but the fast stuff is really good. It's as melodic as anything on Smash, but they don't get caught up in the novelty side of things.
Here's one of my favourites from the new disc, You're Gonna Go Far, Kid . . .
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Midnight basketball
Until last night, I hadn't played basketball in months. I was kind of missing it though, so joined Ash and his friends for their 10pm-midnight Tuesday night run at their church court.
I'd played in this game once before, but it always takes a while to get used to. The main thing is that the court is a bit smaller than usual - kind of like the one Will Smith played on in the episode of "Fresh Prince" where he joined the high school basketball team.
This affects the spacing (especially playing 5 on 5), cuts down on the fast breaks (even in a full court game there were only a few, and you needed to execute well to pull them off), and allows guys to shoot threes from close to half court.
I ended up with Ash during the first game, and I liked our chances. Unfortunately the other team had a guy called Tom, a fifty-something American dude, who was by far the best older player I've ever come up against. He spent most of that first game shooting threes from near halfcourt, and didn't miss a single one.
After a few rematches, we switched up the teams, and this time it was Ash, Tom and myself, plus another top player, plus the worst guy in the game. I really felt like this was going to be our chance, but we lost a steady stream of games by one or two points. It made little sense to Ash or I, we felt like we had better positions at three of the five positions (which was important since we were playing man on man) but we just couldn't seem to grab a win.
I started off really badly, missing all my outside shots, but after the first game or two started driving and grabbing boards, and ended up doing ok for myself around the rim. Didn't get to bed until about 12.30 or so, and then had a pretty rubbish night of sleep, so woke today feeling rather average. It was good to get out there and play in something close to a real game again though, I think I'll be a semi-regular from here on out.
I'd played in this game once before, but it always takes a while to get used to. The main thing is that the court is a bit smaller than usual - kind of like the one Will Smith played on in the episode of "Fresh Prince" where he joined the high school basketball team.
This affects the spacing (especially playing 5 on 5), cuts down on the fast breaks (even in a full court game there were only a few, and you needed to execute well to pull them off), and allows guys to shoot threes from close to half court.
I ended up with Ash during the first game, and I liked our chances. Unfortunately the other team had a guy called Tom, a fifty-something American dude, who was by far the best older player I've ever come up against. He spent most of that first game shooting threes from near halfcourt, and didn't miss a single one.
After a few rematches, we switched up the teams, and this time it was Ash, Tom and myself, plus another top player, plus the worst guy in the game. I really felt like this was going to be our chance, but we lost a steady stream of games by one or two points. It made little sense to Ash or I, we felt like we had better positions at three of the five positions (which was important since we were playing man on man) but we just couldn't seem to grab a win.
I started off really badly, missing all my outside shots, but after the first game or two started driving and grabbing boards, and ended up doing ok for myself around the rim. Didn't get to bed until about 12.30 or so, and then had a pretty rubbish night of sleep, so woke today feeling rather average. It was good to get out there and play in something close to a real game again though, I think I'll be a semi-regular from here on out.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
A few links
I loved this article from Esquire, written by a soldier who served his time in Iraq, retired from the army, and received a letter from the Government a few years later telling him he needed to report for active duty in five weeks time.
It starts off in a less than serious fashion . . .
I had no idea that the Army was going to turn into this psychotic ex-girlfriend that you'd need to file a restraining order against because the crazy bitch doesn't get the hint that there's no way we're getting back together again--ever!
But as it progresses it takes on a tragic tone, as it becomes clear that he's suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, and the Army couldn't care less.
I also enjoyed this Seth Rogen interview from GQ. I think he may be my favourite actor - since his first significant role in The 40 Year Old Virgin, he's done three movies - Knocked Up, Superbad, and Pineapple Express, which in my opnion ranged from good to great.
Finally, a website I've come across and enjoyed a lot is "What's Alan Watching", where Alan blogs about his TV viewing.
He only covers US shows, so fans of "Australian Idol" and "The Farmer Wants a Wife" will have to go elsewhere. But his writing on The Wire is fantastic, and provides some really good intelligent analysis of the series.
It starts off in a less than serious fashion . . .
I had no idea that the Army was going to turn into this psychotic ex-girlfriend that you'd need to file a restraining order against because the crazy bitch doesn't get the hint that there's no way we're getting back together again--ever!
But as it progresses it takes on a tragic tone, as it becomes clear that he's suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome, and the Army couldn't care less.
I also enjoyed this Seth Rogen interview from GQ. I think he may be my favourite actor - since his first significant role in The 40 Year Old Virgin, he's done three movies - Knocked Up, Superbad, and Pineapple Express, which in my opnion ranged from good to great.
Finally, a website I've come across and enjoyed a lot is "What's Alan Watching", where Alan blogs about his TV viewing.
He only covers US shows, so fans of "Australian Idol" and "The Farmer Wants a Wife" will have to go elsewhere. But his writing on The Wire is fantastic, and provides some really good intelligent analysis of the series.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Free music
A couple of months ago I came across a blog called Antiquiet, which was hosting 9 leaked songs from the upcoming Guns n Roses album "Chinese Democracy". I ended up going back to this blog quite a bit - the music reviews are well written, and I've been turned onto a few new bands through it. Anyway, the GNR leak was minor news when it happened, but became even bigger a few weeks ago, when the FBI arrested the website's owner at gunpoint at his house at just before 7am, and charged him with copyright violation. The whole thing seems a bit over the top (even the Judge in the case questioned why they didn't just send him a summons for his court appearance) but I guess someone is trying to make a point about stealing music.
The thing is though, it's not a one way street. Sometimes bands steal from us too. The way I see it, Metallica owe me $20 that I wasted on their last album, "St Anger". More, if you consider the time I spent listening to it.
It was therefore with a very clear conscience that I downloaded their new CD, "Death Magnetic" last week (also, Lars is a wanker, which makes the decision even easier). I was curious to see how they recovered from the disaster that was St Anger. And it seems like what they've done is pretended that album never existed. In fact, the CD sounds like a return to their eighties sound, with little to do with the mid-tempo stuff they released last decade. There's 10 songs on a 74 minute CD, so they're back to epic seven and eight minute long songs; with some pretty frenetic drumming and guitar riffs. I read a review online where the author wondered how these forty-something musicians were going to pull this stuff off live night after night, and made a good point. It's funny, these guys have been around 25 years or so now, and this is probably as heavy as anything they've ever done, it's not something you'd really expect.
I'm not a huge Metallica fan, but I will listen to this when I want to hear something fast and heavy.
Another CD I came across in the last week was the new EP from The Gutter Twins, "Adorata". I found it at another music blog, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, which doesn't even bother to offer reviews or editorial - they just post links to downloads of full albums. Seems that's a policy that might land them in trouble one day.
I did feel a twinge of guilt downloading this though. Mainly because I think Mark Lanegan is a genius, and doesn't get the recognition he deserves. If I could give him the money for this directly (and have him look me in the eye and promise not to spend it on heroin) I would. Unfortunately I can't, and I know if I purchase it on itunes I'm mainly giving money to Apple, so I'm keeping my cash.
This EP is a follow up to their full-length album "Saturnalia" which came out earlier this year, and includes six covers and two new songs. I actually had no idea the thing was out until I came across it, which is weird these days, where usually I'll know about a release from my favourite artists weeks, or even months before it comes out. I've been listening to this quite a bit the last week, and an early favourite is their cover of Jose Gonazles' "Down the Line", as well as their original "Spanish Doors".
Finally, I've also been enjoying the new Verve album "Forth". A month or two before it came out I kind of rediscovered Richard Ashcroft's solo album "Alone with Everybody", and this is quite different, much more psychadelic and layered, but still really good.
The thing is though, it's not a one way street. Sometimes bands steal from us too. The way I see it, Metallica owe me $20 that I wasted on their last album, "St Anger". More, if you consider the time I spent listening to it.
It was therefore with a very clear conscience that I downloaded their new CD, "Death Magnetic" last week (also, Lars is a wanker, which makes the decision even easier). I was curious to see how they recovered from the disaster that was St Anger. And it seems like what they've done is pretended that album never existed. In fact, the CD sounds like a return to their eighties sound, with little to do with the mid-tempo stuff they released last decade. There's 10 songs on a 74 minute CD, so they're back to epic seven and eight minute long songs; with some pretty frenetic drumming and guitar riffs. I read a review online where the author wondered how these forty-something musicians were going to pull this stuff off live night after night, and made a good point. It's funny, these guys have been around 25 years or so now, and this is probably as heavy as anything they've ever done, it's not something you'd really expect.
I'm not a huge Metallica fan, but I will listen to this when I want to hear something fast and heavy.
Another CD I came across in the last week was the new EP from The Gutter Twins, "Adorata". I found it at another music blog, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers, which doesn't even bother to offer reviews or editorial - they just post links to downloads of full albums. Seems that's a policy that might land them in trouble one day.
I did feel a twinge of guilt downloading this though. Mainly because I think Mark Lanegan is a genius, and doesn't get the recognition he deserves. If I could give him the money for this directly (and have him look me in the eye and promise not to spend it on heroin) I would. Unfortunately I can't, and I know if I purchase it on itunes I'm mainly giving money to Apple, so I'm keeping my cash.
This EP is a follow up to their full-length album "Saturnalia" which came out earlier this year, and includes six covers and two new songs. I actually had no idea the thing was out until I came across it, which is weird these days, where usually I'll know about a release from my favourite artists weeks, or even months before it comes out. I've been listening to this quite a bit the last week, and an early favourite is their cover of Jose Gonazles' "Down the Line", as well as their original "Spanish Doors".
Finally, I've also been enjoying the new Verve album "Forth". A month or two before it came out I kind of rediscovered Richard Ashcroft's solo album "Alone with Everybody", and this is quite different, much more psychadelic and layered, but still really good.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Great article
A short interview/feature on Ricky Gervais I came across in Esquire this month . . .
http://www.esquire.com/features/the-screen/ricky-gervais-0908
http://www.esquire.com/features/the-screen/ricky-gervais-0908
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Taken
If you like your movies to be plausible, you probably won't really like "Taken". If you're willing to completely suspend disbelief though, it's not too bad.
Liam Neeson plays a retired CIA guy who quit his job to spend more time with his 17 year old daughter, now semi-estranged from him, living with her mother and rich step-dad. Right from the start Liam seems to care just a little bit too much about his daughter - he gate crashes her 17th birthday party, takes a photo of them together, then goes directly to a drug store to get the photo developed and put in an album. Yeah a bit too full on if you ask me.
Anyway, she wants to go to Paris with a friend for a few months, and needs him to sign some paperwork because she's under 18. He doesn't want her to go, because he thinks it's too dangerous, but eventually agrees. Turns out he was right, she gets abducted the first night she's there, and he flies over to track her down before she disappears forever, and get revenge on the guys who took her.
After speaking to some CIA friends, he's told if he doesn't find her in the first 96 hours, he won't find her at all (and she'll be sold as a prostitute). So everything needs to go right for him, and it does, which is where the implausability comes in. He finds the young guy who helped abduct the girls within about an hour of arriving in Paris. He found his daughter's friend after bugging a random pimp, and overhearing him talk about a "construction site" (luckily he picked the right one). Other stretches include Liam outrunning an Audi, Liam defeating six or seven armed guys at once in hand to hand combat (this happens quite a bit), Liam recognising one of his daughter's captors by remembering his voice from a two word telephone conversation etc.
Anyway, somehow he manages to escape corrupt cops, and kill about a hundred gangsters and rescue his daughter, before escaping the country on a commercial flight.
It's shot well, although some of the fight scenes are shot really close up which makes them hard to follow. If you want a really good movie about revenge I'd recommend "Man On Fire" with Denzel, but this isn't too bad, as long as you don't expect too much.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
TV . . . generally, it kind of sucks
I've been in my new place for about three months now, and I haven't bothered to get an aerial installed, and so haven't watched a minute of live television. Every now and then I think I should get it done, and then I realise how bad TV is right now.
Take the other night for instance. I was at my lady friend's house, and we turned on the TV, and found a dancing reality show on one channel, a medical reality show on the other, plus some sort of singing competition that I believe is reasonably popular. If I kept it on there would have been the airport reality show, the cooking reality show, the real estate reality show . . .
I guess most people figured this out a long time ago, but I just realised that pretty much everything on TV is reality programming. And it's mostly dull and repetitive (this week, on Border Patrol, someone tries to smuggle drugs into Australia! How novel!)
I mean, I'm not someone who has really elitist tastes. Last night I hired "Snakes on a Plane" from my DVD shop. But it seems there's an awful lot of crap on these days, and I don't know why everyone puts up with it. I often think the average person is at least as smart as me, sometimes I'm not so sure.
Anyway, a TV show I have enjoyed on DVD the past week was season 2 of Dexter (it's on free to air on Sunday nights, which would ruin my argument, except they are still showing season one, even though season one and two are available to buy/hire. Genius.)
If any of my seven readers haven't come across the show, the basic premise is that Dexter Morgan is a blood splatter expert with the Miami Police Department, who kills serial killers in his spare time. Season two focuses on his efforts to evade detection - the bodies of his victims have surfaced, and his colleagues (including his step sister) form a special FBI-led task force to track the killer. Which means that in addition to his normal killing duties, and his day job, he also has to intervene from time to time to taint evidence and throw his colleagues off his scent.
I thought season one was OK, but season two was definitely a step up. I watched all twelve episodes in six days, which sounds quick but it was two more than it took Murray. Amanda apparently watched season one and two combined in even less time, which is rather impressive. It's definitely a show that pulls you in.
If I had one complaint it would be that they stole one of the characters - Lila - from Fight Club. Skinny pommy chick who's kind of hot but has all sorts of issues, and goes to support group meetings even though she doesn't have an addiction. Yep, sounds like Marla Singer. Also, I didn't really see why she had to be topless in almost every episode, but I guess I'm not a professional TV-directing guy.
Despite the rampant breast baring in season 2, the show isn't as full on as it sounds. A lot of the violence is implied, there's probably not a lot more than an average episode of CSI (admittedly, there's more than you'd find in Columbo Paul). The main thing is that it forces you to identify with, and sympathise with, someone who is a serial killer. If you can get past that (and I'm sure some can't) you'll love it.
Season three starts in the US in a few weeks. I could wait until 2010 or so when it makes it to Australian TV, but most likely I'll download it as it airs.
The following trailer shows Jimmy Smits (my favourite fictional president) joins the cast, so it should be great.
Take the other night for instance. I was at my lady friend's house, and we turned on the TV, and found a dancing reality show on one channel, a medical reality show on the other, plus some sort of singing competition that I believe is reasonably popular. If I kept it on there would have been the airport reality show, the cooking reality show, the real estate reality show . . .
I guess most people figured this out a long time ago, but I just realised that pretty much everything on TV is reality programming. And it's mostly dull and repetitive (this week, on Border Patrol, someone tries to smuggle drugs into Australia! How novel!)
I mean, I'm not someone who has really elitist tastes. Last night I hired "Snakes on a Plane" from my DVD shop. But it seems there's an awful lot of crap on these days, and I don't know why everyone puts up with it. I often think the average person is at least as smart as me, sometimes I'm not so sure.
Anyway, a TV show I have enjoyed on DVD the past week was season 2 of Dexter (it's on free to air on Sunday nights, which would ruin my argument, except they are still showing season one, even though season one and two are available to buy/hire. Genius.)
If any of my seven readers haven't come across the show, the basic premise is that Dexter Morgan is a blood splatter expert with the Miami Police Department, who kills serial killers in his spare time. Season two focuses on his efforts to evade detection - the bodies of his victims have surfaced, and his colleagues (including his step sister) form a special FBI-led task force to track the killer. Which means that in addition to his normal killing duties, and his day job, he also has to intervene from time to time to taint evidence and throw his colleagues off his scent.
I thought season one was OK, but season two was definitely a step up. I watched all twelve episodes in six days, which sounds quick but it was two more than it took Murray. Amanda apparently watched season one and two combined in even less time, which is rather impressive. It's definitely a show that pulls you in.
If I had one complaint it would be that they stole one of the characters - Lila - from Fight Club. Skinny pommy chick who's kind of hot but has all sorts of issues, and goes to support group meetings even though she doesn't have an addiction. Yep, sounds like Marla Singer. Also, I didn't really see why she had to be topless in almost every episode, but I guess I'm not a professional TV-directing guy.
Despite the rampant breast baring in season 2, the show isn't as full on as it sounds. A lot of the violence is implied, there's probably not a lot more than an average episode of CSI (admittedly, there's more than you'd find in Columbo Paul). The main thing is that it forces you to identify with, and sympathise with, someone who is a serial killer. If you can get past that (and I'm sure some can't) you'll love it.
Season three starts in the US in a few weeks. I could wait until 2010 or so when it makes it to Australian TV, but most likely I'll download it as it airs.
The following trailer shows Jimmy Smits (my favourite fictional president) joins the cast, so it should be great.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Go Sixers!
Last night I went to see the new look Sixers play the Melbourne Tigers in their first practice match of the season (by my count only four players remain from last year - Maher, Cooper, Hill and Ballinger).
We arrived at about 6.30pm for a 7pm tip off. It was so weird going to a Sixers game and only seeing a few hundred people there.
Before the game, they had a worst haircut competition, and this guy won.
We came into the match missing a few key players - new pg Aaron Bruce apparently hasn't arrived yet, neither has our second import.
We've got a new guy I'd never even heard of called Winitana. When I saw his darker skin, I assumed he was our new import, but Michella said "he looks more Maori than black". She was right. He's a NZ'er, which rules because it means he gets to play as an Aussie. Anyway he was our best player on the night. He seemed a bit undersized as a sg/sf (apparently he's listed at about 6 foot 4 1/2) but he was really aggressiv going after rebounds, had a nice three point shot, was aggresive on his drives, and even went for two pretty ridiculous tip dunk attempts.
The other key new guy, Schenser, was pretty good. Kind of like a slightly taller David Cooper who can play OK offense. There was one sequence where a Tiger player tried to lay it up and got blocked by Cooper, the loose ball went to one of his team mates, who tried to dunk and got blocked by both Cooper and Schenser. It's going to be tough scoring against those two inside, and with Ballinger we've got a pretty fearsome front line.
I wasn't completely sold on Holmes. It's nice to have him back and he seemed to play really well for South Melbourne last year, but I'd rank him pretty lower than Ballinger, Maher, Schenser, Winitana, and presumably import number 2, and maybe even Bruce from what I hear. When Jacob Holmes is your sixth or seventh best player though, that's a good sign for your team.
The Sixers did give up a lead in the last few minutes and lost the game, but nothing to worry about there really, Ninnis seemed to be trying out the new guys, Maher and Ballinger sat off most of the end of the game.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this team - on paper they seem pretty stacked, but will have to see how things actually work out when the season starts in a few weeks.
We arrived at about 6.30pm for a 7pm tip off. It was so weird going to a Sixers game and only seeing a few hundred people there.
Before the game, they had a worst haircut competition, and this guy won.
We came into the match missing a few key players - new pg Aaron Bruce apparently hasn't arrived yet, neither has our second import.
We've got a new guy I'd never even heard of called Winitana. When I saw his darker skin, I assumed he was our new import, but Michella said "he looks more Maori than black". She was right. He's a NZ'er, which rules because it means he gets to play as an Aussie. Anyway he was our best player on the night. He seemed a bit undersized as a sg/sf (apparently he's listed at about 6 foot 4 1/2) but he was really aggressiv going after rebounds, had a nice three point shot, was aggresive on his drives, and even went for two pretty ridiculous tip dunk attempts.
The other key new guy, Schenser, was pretty good. Kind of like a slightly taller David Cooper who can play OK offense. There was one sequence where a Tiger player tried to lay it up and got blocked by Cooper, the loose ball went to one of his team mates, who tried to dunk and got blocked by both Cooper and Schenser. It's going to be tough scoring against those two inside, and with Ballinger we've got a pretty fearsome front line.
I wasn't completely sold on Holmes. It's nice to have him back and he seemed to play really well for South Melbourne last year, but I'd rank him pretty lower than Ballinger, Maher, Schenser, Winitana, and presumably import number 2, and maybe even Bruce from what I hear. When Jacob Holmes is your sixth or seventh best player though, that's a good sign for your team.
The Sixers did give up a lead in the last few minutes and lost the game, but nothing to worry about there really, Ninnis seemed to be trying out the new guys, Maher and Ballinger sat off most of the end of the game.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this team - on paper they seem pretty stacked, but will have to see how things actually work out when the season starts in a few weeks.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Great lyrics
I'm really more of a music than a lyrics guy, but I love the lyrics to "One for the cutters" from The Hold Steady's new album "Stay Positive". It's like a Bret Easton Ellis novel in less than five minutes . . .
When there weren’t any parties, she’d park by the quarry, walk into the woods until she came to a clearing where townies would gather and drink until blackout, smoke cigs till they’re sick, pack bowls, and then pass out. Windows wide open to let the hard rock in, theirs was a rage that didn’t need much convincing. The girls gave her glares, but the boys were quite pleasant. To be totally honest, they didn’t seem much different. When there weren’t any parties, sometimes she’d party with townies.
Out on the parkways, after the parties, it was always arousing, when they’d rev up their engines. It’s hard to describe, so she kept it a secret. The girls that she lived with, they knew nothing about it. The night with the fight and the butterfly knife, it was the first night she spent with that one guy she liked. She gave him a ride to some kid’s house in Cleveland. He stayed there for two weeks. The cops finally found him. He didn’t seem that different, except for the blood on his jacket. He didn’t seem that different, except for maybe his haircut. He didn’t seem much different. They didn’t seem that different, up until this one little incident. They didn’t seem much different…
Now, the cops wanna question everyone present. They parade every townie in town through the station, but no one says nothing, and they can’t find the weapon. The girl takes the stand, and she swears she was with him - her father’s lawyers do most of the talking.
She’s sick of the questions, sick of the concept of justice and fairness. Who the hell cares who gets caught in the middle? She smokes and she ponders this riddle: When one townie falls in the forest, can anyone hear it? When one townie falls. . . when one townie falls in the forest, does anyone notice?
One drop of blood, an immaculate kiss . . . Mom, do you know where your girl is? Sophomore accomplice in a turtleneck sweater . . . Dad, do you know where your kids are? Sniffing on crystal in cute little cars, getting nailed against dumpsters, behind townie bars. It’s a cute little town, boutiques and cafes. Her friends all seemed nice, she was getting good grades, but when she came home for Christmas, she just seemed distant and different.
When there weren’t any parties, she’d park by the quarry, walk into the woods until she came to a clearing where townies would gather and drink until blackout, smoke cigs till they’re sick, pack bowls, and then pass out. Windows wide open to let the hard rock in, theirs was a rage that didn’t need much convincing. The girls gave her glares, but the boys were quite pleasant. To be totally honest, they didn’t seem much different. When there weren’t any parties, sometimes she’d party with townies.
Out on the parkways, after the parties, it was always arousing, when they’d rev up their engines. It’s hard to describe, so she kept it a secret. The girls that she lived with, they knew nothing about it. The night with the fight and the butterfly knife, it was the first night she spent with that one guy she liked. She gave him a ride to some kid’s house in Cleveland. He stayed there for two weeks. The cops finally found him. He didn’t seem that different, except for the blood on his jacket. He didn’t seem that different, except for maybe his haircut. He didn’t seem much different. They didn’t seem that different, up until this one little incident. They didn’t seem much different…
Now, the cops wanna question everyone present. They parade every townie in town through the station, but no one says nothing, and they can’t find the weapon. The girl takes the stand, and she swears she was with him - her father’s lawyers do most of the talking.
She’s sick of the questions, sick of the concept of justice and fairness. Who the hell cares who gets caught in the middle? She smokes and she ponders this riddle: When one townie falls in the forest, can anyone hear it? When one townie falls. . . when one townie falls in the forest, does anyone notice?
One drop of blood, an immaculate kiss . . . Mom, do you know where your girl is? Sophomore accomplice in a turtleneck sweater . . . Dad, do you know where your kids are? Sniffing on crystal in cute little cars, getting nailed against dumpsters, behind townie bars. It’s a cute little town, boutiques and cafes. Her friends all seemed nice, she was getting good grades, but when she came home for Christmas, she just seemed distant and different.
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