PC and I had been arguing a little in recent days but after a big emo chat we managed to work a few things out and came away feeling much better.
I dedicated the Johnny Cash version of this song to her on the show last night (and am not afraid to admit I got a little emo as it played and I thought about our first meeting) - it was nice to hear that she had the same reaction. She also told me that it's always been one of her fave songs and she choked up a little as I played it. (I could only find it in this YouTube video as the soundtrack for some other couple's Christmas/New Year in Berlin - ignore them and just enjoy the music)
I initially heard it in "Play Misty for me", Clint Eastwood's 1971 directing debut where he played a radio dj who gets stalked by an obsessive fan he had a one night stand with. The version in the film was the original Roberta Flack version, which PC tells me is her fave. (And it really is an amazingly beautiful song, I must say)
And just for the hell of it - here's an instrumental version behind a montage of anime with robots - because they're hella cool and I'm a little geeky :)
10.8.07
LOLing: the universe as an operating system
This is possibly the geekiest thing I've posted yet but I found myself nodding and chuckling a fair bit through it so I figured I'd share it.
It's a simple, text based animation that shows what might have happened if God was a computer programmer in the process of writing Earth. (Parts are funnier than others but if you've ever had a computer refuse to do something you told it to, you should enjoy this)
Check it out here.
(Interestingly God only seems to work an hour or two a day, must be a public servant :)
9.8.07
Looking forward to: Black Sheep
In the great spectrum of funny animals, sheep are way up there.
In the great spectrum of horror sub-genres, zombies are way up there.
How has it taken so long then for someone to join the dots?
Fortunately, our brilliant cousins on the other side of the ditch (the Tasman Sea, which separates Australia and New Zealand) have come up with the goods.
OK, so maybe they aren't zombie sheep as such but from what I can see in the trailer, they have the whole large, dumb, menacing, people-eating group (mob) thing working for them which is an essential element of the zombie flick.
(And like most good things out of the land of long white cloud recently, effects are done by Peter Jackson's Weta)
The website for the movie is great as well - check it out here.
This opens in Canberra next thursday - can't wait.
8.8.07
Sharing: Bogan Jokes
Bogan is a term that could just as easily be interchanged with redneck, hillbilly, westy, bevan, booner, chav or anyone uncultured, poor, rough and dumb. These are a bit mean but I grew up in a bogan area so I claim some right to use them.
Check out this site - www.bogan.com.au - to learn more.
Q. Two bogans jump off a cliff. Who wins?
A. Society.
Q. What does a bogan chick use as protection during sex?
A. Bus shelter.
Q. What do you call a 30 year old bogan girl?
A. Granny.
Q. Why did the bogan cross the road?
A. To start a fight with a complete stranger for no reason whatsoever.
Q. What do you call a bogan girl in a white tracksuit?
A. The bride.
Q. What's the first question during a bogan quiz night?
A. What you looking at?
Q. Two bogans in a car without any music - who is driving?
A. The policeman.
Q. What's the difference between a bogan boy and a bogan girl?
A. The bogan girl has a higher sperm count.
Check out this site - www.bogan.com.au - to learn more.
Q. Two bogans jump off a cliff. Who wins?
A. Society.
Q. What does a bogan chick use as protection during sex?
A. Bus shelter.
Q. What do you call a 30 year old bogan girl?
A. Granny.
Q. Why did the bogan cross the road?
A. To start a fight with a complete stranger for no reason whatsoever.
Q. What do you call a bogan girl in a white tracksuit?
A. The bride.
Q. What's the first question during a bogan quiz night?
A. What you looking at?
Q. Two bogans in a car without any music - who is driving?
A. The policeman.
Q. What's the difference between a bogan boy and a bogan girl?
A. The bogan girl has a higher sperm count.
7.8.07
Updating: Day 60 No Shampoo challenge - PC's story
As you can see, my hair continues on it's merry way and I'm happy to report that the PC is finally having some luck with hers now as well.
She initially posted this as a comment but I think it deserves a post in it's own right.
PC here again. After my previous rant, I am happy to say that hair has come around to the plan now! However, this was only after I encouraged it by pouring about a quarter cup of lime juice in my hair (and then rinsing it out) to get rid of the excess oil. After this, all the gunk which was coming out has vanished and my hair does look normal and healthy now!
I also tried something else - going swimming in a chlorinated pool. Well, I didn't do that to be kind to the hair, but I figured I'id put it off for long enough and I should just go swimming if I wanted to and the hair was ok about it. Following a suggestion on the ABC messageboard, I wet it before going in the pool, so that the hair would be saturated already and then likely to absorb less chlorine. and then I rinsed it thoroughly afterwards and it really only smelled very vaguely of chlorine and by the next day it was gone. Hurrah - bye bye shampoo and conditioner! Kiss my butt, drug companies and your evil and incessant advertising!
6.8.07
Comparing: New Neighbours vs Old
Neighbours has changed and I don't like it.
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In the face of sliding ratings and a merger with a new production company, Australian soap (sorry - tv drama) institution Neighbours underwent a major revamp on July 23rd.
A large part of this was to herald the use of new production technology - shifting to High Definition Digital Video (which the glossy and soulless Home and Away has been using for a while) and a new lighting setup. (The previous one, known in the biz as wankbank, was made up of a bunch of fluoro lights designed to flood the set with soft light and apparently hadn't been changed for 20 years.)
The new style has made Neighbours look crisper and allows for more dramatic lighting options but saps the show of it's inner beauty. It used to feel like a big, soft, warm, daggy multicoloured cardigan - kind of like comfort food for the eyes. Now it just looks slick and glossy and the same as everything else. (And who really needs the extra detail that much - I don't want to know if Harold has chin cellulite)
Here's the old style Neighbours from a few months back:
And here's the new HDTV version:
Now YouTube does funny things with the pictures so it's not the best way to see it but it's just not as friendly looking.
Ok, so boohoo, the picture isn't as soft and warm any more - get over it. But it's not just that - the theme song has changed (meh, probably due for a change) and the title sequence as well.
This is more of an issue for me as it gets us closer to the real problem with this whole thing - the show seems to have lost it's cutting edge.
The old title sequence drew heavily from the work of Howard Arkley, a Melbourne artist widely respected for his edgy, garishly neon coloured paintings of suburbia. His work celebrated while simultaneously gently mocking suburban life, which meshed nicely with some of the writing on "old" Neighbours. This wasn't something particularly overt but from time to time, characters would come out with some relatively subversive and hilarious remarks - kind of like the way jokes for adults get slipped into animated kids films.
Here are the old titles:
The new titles on the other hand could hardly be blander - very much in the spirit of chocolate box art (a term my old art teacher used to favour for anything simple and inoffensive)
Here are the new titles:
Snore.
Cast members come and go on soaps, it's a fact of life but again, with the "revamp" there has been wholesale class genocide going on in Ramsay St (can someone explain by the way why something that is clearly a court gets called a street?) with the removal of the entire, working class (aspirational if you prefer) Timmins clan to sunny Queensland.
Obviously the new faces take a little while to become familiar and comfortable but my middleclass-o-meter has just about exploded with the blandness of the new arrivals.
(Don't get me started on the whiteness of the cast either - apparently Italian heritage is the only other acceptable ethnicity in Erinsborough)
Storywise there is apparently a shift to more family driven drama (i.e who loves who) - and away from over the top antics, scheming and chicanery (evil twins, blowing up Lassiters again etc). I realise that Karl and Susan are largely backbone comic relief characters but when the dramatic highlight of an episode is whether Karl is going to stick a valium up his stressed dogs arse, you know things have slowed down a little.
In fairness, I've tuned out of this show a little in recent weeks - not sure whether it's been because I've had other things to do or if it's just become less compelling so maybe it will right itself but I'm really wondering.
.jpg)
In the face of sliding ratings and a merger with a new production company, Australian soap (sorry - tv drama) institution Neighbours underwent a major revamp on July 23rd.
A large part of this was to herald the use of new production technology - shifting to High Definition Digital Video (which the glossy and soulless Home and Away has been using for a while) and a new lighting setup. (The previous one, known in the biz as wankbank, was made up of a bunch of fluoro lights designed to flood the set with soft light and apparently hadn't been changed for 20 years.)
The new style has made Neighbours look crisper and allows for more dramatic lighting options but saps the show of it's inner beauty. It used to feel like a big, soft, warm, daggy multicoloured cardigan - kind of like comfort food for the eyes. Now it just looks slick and glossy and the same as everything else. (And who really needs the extra detail that much - I don't want to know if Harold has chin cellulite)
Here's the old style Neighbours from a few months back:
And here's the new HDTV version:
Now YouTube does funny things with the pictures so it's not the best way to see it but it's just not as friendly looking.
Ok, so boohoo, the picture isn't as soft and warm any more - get over it. But it's not just that - the theme song has changed (meh, probably due for a change) and the title sequence as well.
This is more of an issue for me as it gets us closer to the real problem with this whole thing - the show seems to have lost it's cutting edge.
The old title sequence drew heavily from the work of Howard Arkley, a Melbourne artist widely respected for his edgy, garishly neon coloured paintings of suburbia. His work celebrated while simultaneously gently mocking suburban life, which meshed nicely with some of the writing on "old" Neighbours. This wasn't something particularly overt but from time to time, characters would come out with some relatively subversive and hilarious remarks - kind of like the way jokes for adults get slipped into animated kids films.
Here are the old titles:
The new titles on the other hand could hardly be blander - very much in the spirit of chocolate box art (a term my old art teacher used to favour for anything simple and inoffensive)
Here are the new titles:
Snore.
Cast members come and go on soaps, it's a fact of life but again, with the "revamp" there has been wholesale class genocide going on in Ramsay St (can someone explain by the way why something that is clearly a court gets called a street?) with the removal of the entire, working class (aspirational if you prefer) Timmins clan to sunny Queensland.
Obviously the new faces take a little while to become familiar and comfortable but my middleclass-o-meter has just about exploded with the blandness of the new arrivals.
(Don't get me started on the whiteness of the cast either - apparently Italian heritage is the only other acceptable ethnicity in Erinsborough)
Storywise there is apparently a shift to more family driven drama (i.e who loves who) - and away from over the top antics, scheming and chicanery (evil twins, blowing up Lassiters again etc). I realise that Karl and Susan are largely backbone comic relief characters but when the dramatic highlight of an episode is whether Karl is going to stick a valium up his stressed dogs arse, you know things have slowed down a little.
In fairness, I've tuned out of this show a little in recent weeks - not sure whether it's been because I've had other things to do or if it's just become less compelling so maybe it will right itself but I'm really wondering.
5.8.07
Programming: Tunes for Monday
Here's a nice mixed bag
Three Dead Passengers In A Stolen Secondhand Ford Stephen Cummings & Dave Graney 3:57 Totally Wireless
Great acoustic story song from a couple of Oz greats
Blind Willie McTel Charlie Owen, Don Walker & Tex Perkins 5:48 Totally Wireless
More Oz greats with another acoustic gem
Willow tree Not Drowning, Waving 4:07 Follow the geography
Downbeat but beautiful from a band that doesn't really sound like anyone else
So Entertaining Gus & Frank 3:46 Confession of a Roooftop Killer
Picking up the pace a little with a fun Femme's-esque party song.
Blade-running Elf 4:12 Preview
Lively local electronica - I used this as the soundtrack to a bike-chase short film I made a few years back.
The Illustrated man Konrad Lenz 3:57 Living with the spirits of the dead
Local lad sings dirty bluesy track with a voice like a man with 5 testicles
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Live) Nitocris 4:00 Epic Voyage
Melbourne girls rock out.
Kiss of Fire (Allen/Hill) Monsieur Camembert 5:43 Absynthe
Quirky gypsy/French style jazz
You're Too Kind Machine Translations 3:17 Abstract Poverty
So much style and suaveness
Karma Police Easy Star All Stars 4:48 Radiodread
Fantastic version of Karma Police from an album which covers OK Computer in a reggae style - it might be a big call but this equals the original in many ways.
The Tourist Easy Star All Stars 4:07 Radiodread
More prominent reggae sounds on this track but it's still awesome
Everybody Knows Leonard Cohen 5:37 The Essential Leonard Cohen (Disc 1)
I've liked this track ever since I heard it on the Pump Up The Volume soundtrack, I wish I could be a tenth as cool as this
Roscoe Midlake 4:49 The Trials Of Van Occupanther
Unfailingly catchy lowkey modern rock
Breakthrough Modest Mouse 4:06 This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About
Louder modern indie rock
D.C. Semifinalists 2:59 Semifinalists
Solid pop with good guitars and silky vocals
Misspelt Youth The Swedish Magazines 2:09 Eat More Baby
Underrated Melbourne rock that pays tribute to the Powdermonkeys
Cheyenne Guided By Voices 2:59 Universal Truths And Cycles [Bonus Track]
Bit of an alterna-rock classic this one
Elevate Myself Grandaddy 3:43 Just Like The Fambly Cat
I really need to listen to these guys more - I'm always surprised and impressed when they pop up randomly on the iPod with their clever poprock
If you could read my mind Johnny Cash 4:30 American V: A Hundred Highways
Heartbreakingly beautiful song of love from the crackly voiced Cash on his last ever album.
Three Dead Passengers In A Stolen Secondhand Ford Stephen Cummings & Dave Graney 3:57 Totally Wireless
Great acoustic story song from a couple of Oz greats
Blind Willie McTel Charlie Owen, Don Walker & Tex Perkins 5:48 Totally Wireless
More Oz greats with another acoustic gem
Willow tree Not Drowning, Waving 4:07 Follow the geography
Downbeat but beautiful from a band that doesn't really sound like anyone else
So Entertaining Gus & Frank 3:46 Confession of a Roooftop Killer
Picking up the pace a little with a fun Femme's-esque party song.
Blade-running Elf 4:12 Preview
Lively local electronica - I used this as the soundtrack to a bike-chase short film I made a few years back.
The Illustrated man Konrad Lenz 3:57 Living with the spirits of the dead
Local lad sings dirty bluesy track with a voice like a man with 5 testicles
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Live) Nitocris 4:00 Epic Voyage
Melbourne girls rock out.
Kiss of Fire (Allen/Hill) Monsieur Camembert 5:43 Absynthe
Quirky gypsy/French style jazz
You're Too Kind Machine Translations 3:17 Abstract Poverty
So much style and suaveness
Karma Police Easy Star All Stars 4:48 Radiodread
Fantastic version of Karma Police from an album which covers OK Computer in a reggae style - it might be a big call but this equals the original in many ways.
The Tourist Easy Star All Stars 4:07 Radiodread
More prominent reggae sounds on this track but it's still awesome
Everybody Knows Leonard Cohen 5:37 The Essential Leonard Cohen (Disc 1)
I've liked this track ever since I heard it on the Pump Up The Volume soundtrack, I wish I could be a tenth as cool as this
Roscoe Midlake 4:49 The Trials Of Van Occupanther
Unfailingly catchy lowkey modern rock
Breakthrough Modest Mouse 4:06 This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About
Louder modern indie rock
D.C. Semifinalists 2:59 Semifinalists
Solid pop with good guitars and silky vocals
Misspelt Youth The Swedish Magazines 2:09 Eat More Baby
Underrated Melbourne rock that pays tribute to the Powdermonkeys
Cheyenne Guided By Voices 2:59 Universal Truths And Cycles [Bonus Track]
Bit of an alterna-rock classic this one
Elevate Myself Grandaddy 3:43 Just Like The Fambly Cat
I really need to listen to these guys more - I'm always surprised and impressed when they pop up randomly on the iPod with their clever poprock
If you could read my mind Johnny Cash 4:30 American V: A Hundred Highways
Heartbreakingly beautiful song of love from the crackly voiced Cash on his last ever album.
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