What I Got (Watching)

New look blog! Or at least, until I decide to change it again. The background seems to be the hardest thing to decide on. So expect further changes, as I am indecisive.

I've had all these posts rushing around in my head, so I'm going to try and combine them into a rapid-fire short-form-list of what I've been watching/reading/listening/Apping.

Is Apping a word? It is now.

Warning. Excessive linking ahead.

WATCHING With my longer commute, I've finally been delving into things I've had on the HDD for months, including Transformers Animated, Justice League, Teen Titans, and Transformers Prime. All are highly recommended, for different moods. T:A is arc-based, like Justice League, so it's great to watch the stories unfold when you can watch 3 or 4 episodes in a row. TT is much MUCH more episodic and far less serious (they even have a special Japanese version of the awesome PuffyAmiYumi theme song as a signal that it'll be a silly show). Transformers Prime is as if Beast Wars, War For Cybertron, and the Transformers film series had a crazy LAN Party/threesome which made beautiful shiny robotic baby, and then had it raised with the G1 series as a nanny, which is a strange image and I want you all to forget it. Thing is, I know the first half-season of ALL these shows are not the best. Persevere. They will Grow The Beard. Promise. Also, seeing all these awesome shows has made one I previously loved look a bit shallow. Batman Beyond was always my favourite of the DCAU, and compared to Justice League, frankly most of it seems a bit shallow (but I could listen to the theme song all day long). Oh, and the first season of Batman: The Animated Series sucked. Like a lot. At home, since we've run out of Castle, Modern Family, & Community (which we still love), and Big Bang Theory, Chuck and 30 Rock (which we're starting to wane on, due to Flanderization and Seasonal Rot), we've been looking into movies. The arrival of Netflix Instant streaming into our house caused an evening of Emma/How To Marry A Millionaire (which showcased examples of Politeness Judo & Ship-To-Ship Combat in the former and MegaNekko in the latter). It's also caused me to find the Astonishing X-Men Motion Comic. It's also caused an overabundance of choice, which has led to occasional BSOD moments when deciding what to watch. Happily, there's always Firefly. My podcast watching has slowed ever since I took a few weeks off watching Podcasts while trying to sort out my music library. Then they piled up and suddenly I have 14 episodes of FrameRate, 10 of NSFW, 42 of the Totally Rad Show and 17 Diggnations. Funnily enough, I was about to keep up with Destructoid, Appjudgment, Death Battle, and Bytejacker due to their shorter run times. Though Bytejacker is now on hiatus, which makes me sad.

Oh, crap, that took 34 minutes to write. I might need to pick this "What I Got" thing up later, as I must get ready for work.

My Game of Thrones Review.

Filmed early in the morning at Parramatta station. I say "awesome" a lot.

Artoo's Premium Beer

Day 22, in which I tried a 3DS and decided that I loved it and that I didn't just want to buy a DSi XL second-hand from eBay.

That one's a TeeFury.

So I started watching The Last Airbender yesterday. Started is the operative word. I have not finished it. I'm not sure I intend to. It's terrible. The acting is hammy, Zuko's scar make-up looks a) too small and B) fake, the casting is way off (not the racial thing that caused waves when it came out, just that these don;t look like anything but modern kids), and the exposition just grinds out.

I think what bothered me most was the seriousness. Every line was delivered like a sentence of death. Now, while Avatar: The Last Airbender (the series) had big sweeping stories and epic battles and prophecy and such, the kids involved were just kids, and acted as such. More on that later.

So after literally 9 minutes (yes, literally, I just checked the timestamp), I turned it off and put on my Avatar: The Last Airbender episodes.

And was immediately struck by how silly and childish the first episode was.

I thought maybe it was just in comparison, but no. There's Aang sliding on a penguin, there's him with his tongue stuck to his staff, there's Sokka getting sneezes on by a Sky Bison (and reacting as any 16-year-old would). In any case, it's different in the later seasons, but a thread of humour still follows.

It was only when I was making dinner that I realised what it was: we need to see these characters happy in order to understand their pain later. It's the same reason we spend 45 minutes with Hobbits in the Shire before we take off to adventure: we need to know what's at stake. The journey Aang takes to become a fully-realised Avatar involves growing up, putting away childish and selfish inpulses and desires and accepting that in war there is real damage, and there are casualties, on both sides.

I'll forgive a few episodes of silly for that.

But the movie still sucks.

Serenity Saké

Day 9, in which I am a little worn out from practice and the beer that came with it.

...Not that that would stop me. I pledged, damnit!

Today's shirt is yet another Teefury (sensing a pattern?) by Ian Leino (sensing a pattern?). I saw this and not only bought it, but that day dug out my Firefly episodes and watched them again. And to think? I saw Serenity for the first time, having not seen the series, and hated it. HATED it.

I found that it dumped us too quickly into the world, that I couldn't follow the language (was actively bothered by it, in fact) and that all in all, the film wasn't worth finishing. I blame Ted for forcing the series upon me (and a good thing he did). After a few false starts (sensing a pattern?), I watched it all the way through and fell hard for Firefly (I nearly wrote "fell hard for Nathan Fillion... and his crew"). I convinced Tanja to sit through it (sensing a pattern?), and then watched Serenity again.

And hated it, but for different reasons.

I also loved it, let's get that straight. Basically, now that I loved the crew and the story that I'd gone through with them, I found the re-integration of tension that had long-since been worked out in the series was suddenly back, so we could have some tension in the early going. Simon and Mal are at odds again, Kaylee and Simon are back to will-they-or-won't-they, River's still bugnuts insane without any of her clarity from the later series... I understand why they did it, it just felt fake, like it hadn't been earned. The later story, making the Reavers into a front-line threat instead of a (sorry) phantom menace, Miranda, and River's awakening, all that won me over big-time.

So yeah. That was a thing that happened.

Here's hoping Nathan Fillion (who has one of these shirts, bless 'im) gets to buy the rights and make more Firefly. Also, the comics by Dark Horse are pretty awesome.

Polar Beer Maaaaaaaaaaaalt Liquor

Day 8, late in the evening.

So this is another Teefury shirt, by the great Ian Leino. It was my second purchase, bought when Tanja and I were watching Lost like nobody's business, before the inevitable burnout mid-season 3. The shirt is crammed full of references, but as I learned, Lost as a show is so dense that very little of it has filtered through into Pop-cultural Osmosis, ie that someone on the street would recognise a reference.

My struggle today has been with my main iTunes playlist. Basically, when I had my 32 gig iPod Touch, I had about 25 gig of it filled with music and the rest with podcasts, TV shows, movies and apps. Then when I got my iPhone (same size), I tried to put the same playlists on. No dice. Not enough room, apparently. So I whittled it down, but then had very little room for other things.

Time passes and I decide before Christmas to clear off the main music list, put a small music list on, and fill the rest with video. This was in preparation for the Christmas break, where we'd be at Tanja's folks' place and I'd be bored. What I didn't expect is that I'd get new CDs during the break, add them to the list, then realise the playlist was too big.

Time passes again. I've got more apps now (4.5 gigs worth) and the list I'm STILL trying to add is 25 gigs. So now I'm trimming songs. The going is is slow, because the more recent tracks I've uploaded are much larger in size (due to my hating compressed sound on my big headphones), and the old songs I'm sick of are 2-3 megabytes. Also, throughout the process, I've been downloading new things, getting new CDs, and (here's the worst bit) taking old CDs and re-ripping them to replace old compressed songs because I want the better quality. It's a Sisyphean task, damnit.

Adam & Alan & Myf & Spicks & Specks

Day 2! I am sticking to this self-imposed regime.

So this was one of the merchandised shirts from the Spicks & Specks live show when it toured. I did not go to this show, though I wanted to. Spicks & Specks has, over time, become the only network TV program I watch when it's on. Other than that, I have no appointment viewing in my TV schedule. And, being the sole survivor of that habit, I often miss it when it's on, due to not being in the habit of sitting down at a certain time to view something.

Also, as I have to remind people, this shirt is a pastiche of a Ramones design. I also like Warren Ellis' take on this shirt.

I've chosen it today because we're going to see some of Tanja's friends in Epping for lunch, and as they have children, I've been asked not to wear anything "rude". My shirts aren't rude! Well, most of them aren't. I think the kiddies would have enjoyed the shirt I posted yesterday.

Family Values! Now with costumes!

After watching the "Family Values" episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (season 3), in which several non-traditional couples are features, including one who each had a girlfriend and a boyfriend who lived with them, a foursome essentially, Tanja and I had this conversation (while I was cleaning up after making dinner):

T: I think the only way I'd have another person into our marraige was... wait a second. I could have two of you?
L: Yep. One of me could be rubbing your feet while the other cleaned up the dinner he just cooked.
T: Well, one of you would have to love dusting and making the bed.
L: Well, yes. Otherwise, I'd be stuck doing that.
T: So we could go to someone "Don't care about tits, don't care about cock, just need someone to do the dusting."
L: Tanja, you do realise that what you're describing is essentially... a maid, right? You're saying our marraige needs a maid.
T: Well, a maid... who puts out.
L: Okay, so a maid... who's a slut.
T: Yeah, pretty much.
...
T: He'd have to be a guy of course.
L: Whoa, whoa, whoa, don't go changing it up. You said a maid who's a slut, a slutty maid so to speak, and my brain went to one place in particular. I'll thank you not to change it.


Ha!

4 Unrelated Comments

1) I introduced Tanja (and myself) to Penn & Teller's Bullshit! series. I've been watching Penn point for a few months now and have seen Penn & Teller at just for laughs, but the show, for once, has done exactly what I wanted it to do. It's stimulated debate without causing argument. It has hit the metaphorical sweet spot of couples conversation. We've also agreed that underneath it's vulgar showing of nudity and profanity, the show is rather sweet, wanting to think the best of people and asking them to think for themselves, ask questions, and apply critical thinking to everything. Most of all, though, they don't blame the victims. They point out that the villians are those who are running the scams of reflexology, talking to dead people, and self-help, not the scammed, who just want something to divert them from the pain in their lives.

2) Dear comics artists: if I can't tell the people in your story apart, you have not done your job. The writer can do their best job they can putting different voices to characters, but if you make them all look the same, or at least similarly nondescript, I won't know what the hell is going on. Then I'll focus on my frustration instead of the story you're telling, and I'm out of the picture, viewing your work purely as an artistic exercise instead of a work I'm interested in. Sure, I can blame it onMark Texiera on the Moon Knight series "God & Country" but it's an issue I've had before.

3) It's ridiculously easy how one comment from someone we like can puncture whatever security or confidence we have. Yes, I know that confidence comes from within, and thinking that everyone must like/agree with you is a road to misery, but still. One comment, meant in jest, or casual conversation, can, distinctly, cut like a knife. Just sayin'.

4) I can't remember what the 4th comment was.

Gen What?

I was slightly stunned when an ad for a new show called "Talking About My Generation" defined Gen Y as being anyone born between 1980-1995. Wow. See, I'd never considered myself a Gen Y person. Hell, the speaker at our graduation referred to us as "move over, Generation X. Here come the Dot-Com Kids." which was a moniker I kind of liked. But Gen Y? Okay. I guess. Part of what bothers me is the negative stigma associated with Gen Y, especially in the media and in business circles. The idea that Gen Y people are nigh-impossible to motivate, hate hard work, and expect to turn up and get paid as much as possible while putting in the least amount of effort as their birthright. I'm not like that. At least, I don't think I am.

Also, I find that I've been self-censoring lately in a noticeable way. Some might say that's a good thing, judging by how often I'll put my foot in my mouth. I just find it a bit worrying. I've even censored myself three times while writing this blog entry. Sigh.

The Altos

Tanja and I started watching the Final Episodes of the Sopranos on DVD last night. It’s been a while since we’ve tuned in both in real-time and in show-time. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve been watching the Wire recently, but I’m finding I just don’t like the tone of the Sopranos anymore. You watch an episode waiting for Tony to hurt someone, either physically or emotionally. It’s like watching a car wreck in slow motion. I’ve found that I have little or no emotional involvement with the characters anymore. I find some of the psychological aspects interesting, but that’s all I’m now kind of waiting for the show to end. Maybe it’ll get better. I don’t know.

Hell of a Day

Today might have been one of the greatest days ever. Like for serious.

Wake up, don't have to be at work. Good start.

Have two cups of coffee and peanut butter of morpeth sourdough bread.

Head out with Tanja to Powerhouse Museum to see the Star Wars exhibit. Awesome. Got tons of pictures of the ship models.

Afterwards, walking in the 39.5-42 degree day to the Heritage Belgian Bier Cafe. Have a porterhouse steak, medium-rare, chips and salad with a Hoegaarden & a Kwak.

Head out from there, and go to Myer to look at outdoor furniture (we've been planing to use some of our wedding present money to get an outdoor lounge). Found one we like. It's $300 cheaper than usual. Buy it.

Meanwhile, I start explaining to Tanja how I've been thinking of trading in my PS2 and all my games for a discount towards a PS3. She inquires if I've done the research. I have, saying JB Hifi has the best deal because you get an HDMI cable with it. We go to JB Hifi. I show her.

"Well," says she, "you should probably get it now. You've got some good PS2 games, I'd hate to see you get rid of them."

So I bought a PS3. With Little Big Planet (it's so cute!) and GTA4 (when you hit something high speed, you fly out the windshield like in Tom & Jerry).

On the way home, walking back in a now-cool evening (lovely breeze) we bought a six-pack of Stella. Tanja made pasta and we watched the first bit of our new season of the Wire.

In the running for best day ever. Hell, it's in the top 3.

Nightmare Fuel and Over My Head (reposted from The Lucas Letters)

"Dear all and Sundry:

Ok, been a while since I updated The Lucas Letters. Seems to be one of those things I keep meaning to do.

Work has been busy as of late, with my team merging with another team to create a super-team (no Blind Faith or Plastic Ono Band jokes, please) so there's lots to be done.

The name for this post comes from my recent viewings of the Muppet Show Season 2. In the first episode (with special Guest Star Don Knotts, who looked like he wandered into the wrong studio) something happened which triggered a powerful memory. In the skit, Knotts is playing a scientist, studying a little baby Muppet puffball, which inexplicable starts trying to attack him. It's funny seeing a Muppet the size of a coffee cup trying to eat someone. Then he knocks it away into next week, and the thing's mother comes along. Which is one of the huge Sweetums-sized Muppets, all eyes and teeth. The mother eats Don Knotts, and the last we see of him is his feet disappearing down the creatures gullet.

This scene transported me back to Victoria street, when I must have been 5 or 6 (I recall it being a school night), watching a similar skit from a later season where, instead of a little monster, the scientist was trying to feed 5 or 6 giant monsters in cages, and it goes worse and worse, this one biting his fingers, another grabbing his leg, until one finally grabs and eats him.

This shocked the ever-loving crap out of my little 6-year-old brain.

I actually couldn't sleep that night. I was scared to close my eyes. I remember Dad coming in and talking to me about it, and (in a move I was told about years later in my psych classes) got me to draw a picture of the monster. He then held up the sheet and I punched straight through it.

End of scared. Slept just fine.

I've also been reading lots of the Ex Machina series by Brian K. Vaughan (writer of Y: The Last Man and some of the Buffy Season 8 comics) and I love it, but it tends to give me the feeling that certain later episodes of the Wire, The Sopranos, and the last half of certain Discworld books give me: it goes over my head.

It's kind of like I'm following the storyline like someone following a helium balloon. It's at waist-level, I can see it, and can reach it if I want, then it's at shoulder height, whoa little dicey now, can still reach it, then at head height, but I can still see what's going on and I'm still walking at the same pace as the balloon. Then it goes up and I can't see it anymore. I keep walking, though, as I know the balloon is travelling at the same pace, and hope that eventually, it'll come down low enough from me to see it, and maybe, if I'm lucky, grasp the string again before the end of the episode/trade paperback/book.

It tends to be when the plot (or more so, the ideas in the heads of the characters) gets so twisty that I can't follow, but I hope it'll come back and I'll get the gist before it's over. It's like a magic trick. You're following along, thinking "ooh, nice overhand shuffle, into a card force, well layed there, nice patter and how the hell did he do that, and where is that dove coming from!"

I don't know if that makes me shallow or stupid, but I'm still reading/watching, so I'm game to fine out.

Sincerely,

Lucas"

Ain't no "good parts" version.

I've been thinking about TV lately.

A comment has been leveled at me that I don't like shows that take "a long time to develop". To a point, this is true. Just off the top of my head, I can think of several shows where I attempted to get into them, and failed:

[-]Neon Genesis Evangelion: Craig lent me his big honking box set, and before Christmas, when Tanja was in the mountains visiting her Mom, I cracked the box and a beer and gave it a shot. I hated it. I found the storyline silly, the voice acting over-the-top, and it all seemed like the average Giant Mecha show, but with added wierd phychological undertones. After the first disc, I stopped watching.

[-]Heroes: I had heard big things about this series when it had started, but missed the pilot due to work. I did, however, catch the second episode, which I later learned was the direct continuation of the pilot. I was so confused (although, since it was a two-parter, it was partially my fault). I didn't know why Ali LArter was running away and looking worried/pensive/hungry into the camera, I kind of like Hiro, but then didn't know what he was about, apparently, this Mohinder guy is important and intelligent, but not very bright on a practical level, the chick's dad is acting sacary for no reason... I didn't finish the episode.

[-]Dead Like Me/Arrested Development: both things I got the first disc of from Bigpond movies and both comedies where I barely laughed. I thought Arrested Development had a bit of potential, but I found it tried too hard to be zany and wacky, and though David Cross is a funny, funny, man, I hated his character (no, not in an "I'm supposed to not-like-him" way, but in that "I-don't-want-him-onscreen-anymore" way). Dead Like Me seemed to be trying to be deep, but missing the point and just being depressing.

Now, that being said, there have also been shows I've watched that grabbed me, sucked me in and took a major break to get me out:

[-]Lost
[-]The Sopranos
[-]30 Rock
[-]The Wire
[-]Band of Brothers
[-]Family Guy
[-]and one for Tanja, Nip/Tuck

With all of these shows except 30 Rock, I was hooked in good and tightly because I started watching them on DVD. By watching three or four 1-hour episodes per evening, I really got a chance to follow the big story of the characters and their arcs. However, these DVD darlings had their break moments too (except the Wire, and Band of Brothers). For Lost and Sopranos, it was when I caught up with what they were showing on TV and started to watch one show per week. Suddenly, the characters were acting in unexplainable ways, everything seemed obtuse and confusing and I stopped caring. The Sopranos remedied this once I got the last season on DVD and could watch it together in one go. Lost still hasn't won me back. With Nip/Tuck, which originally got Tanja's attention due to the focus on hard topics and not shying away from having their characters do horrible things, the show/characters eventually got so horrible that we didn't give two fucks about what happened. We've had the last two episodes to go of Season 3 (in which a big reveal is meant to happen) for nearly two years now. We couldn't care less. I read the Wiki for the reveal and boy was it stupid. Family Guy, well, when you get Season 5 as a gift, watch 5 episodes and don't get one laugh? It's time to quit.

Recently, Craig has been twittering that he started watching Buffy and that it sucked. I felt for him, because yes, those early episodes can be a real slog. Then a lightbulb went off. How come I slogged through Stone Age Buffy and didn't give up? Why was I able to coach Tanja through the first two seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation without one of us throwing tomatoes at the screen? How can I watch the first series of the Muppet Show, with celebrities I've never heard of, except in jokes on Pinky & the Brain (Ben Vereen, Ethyl Merman, Paul Williams, Connie Stevens, Avery Schreiber, etc)? What's the difference?

I've thought a little and I think the answer is that I came to all three of those shows on TV myself (Buffy, with one or two Season 1 eps, then the most of Season 2; Star Trek, through reruns when I was 10 or so, ditto the Muppet Show) and so had made the decision to like them before I watched them in order. That way I know it'll be good once I get through the bad stuff. Maybe I've just grown to expect more from shows that people tell me are great and then lend/encourage me to rent.

In any case, I currently have waiting for me on the living room shelf:

[-]Half of Frasier, season 10
[-]the last half of Season 3 Seinfeld (having watched the seasons in reverse order)
[-]Season 5 of the Wire (just ordered from Amazon)
[-]Season 2 of 30 Rock (which Tanja was unhappy to discover consisted entirely of episodes we'd already seen because I'd downloaded them)
[-]the tail-end last episode of Season 5, then Season 6 & 7 of Star Trek: Deep Space 9.
[-]Seasons 2 & 3 of the Muppet Show
[-]Season 1 of Heroes, which Tim lent to me.
[-]The rest of Craig's Neon Genesis box.

So I think I've got enough to watch for now.

Dollhouse'D

Joss Whedon's new show. Could be interesting. Could just be Cleopatra 2525-esque. And hey look! Eliza Dushku.

Musings on the final Seinfeld.

Having picked up the last series of Seinfeld recently, I had a chance to view the finale for the first time since it originally aired. Upon this re-viewing, I noticed two points which had escaped me when I first saw it. I call them "It's all been done" and "What were we doing?"

Point the first: It's All Been Done.
In the opening scene, George and Jerry are in the coffee shop, and George is complaining that the waitress is inattentive. He would like more ketchup. "They seat you, and then they're gone. Adios!" he explains "It's like seeing someone and having them never call again." Jerry then suggests he ask the people behind him for their ketchup. George does so. The couple behind him have a very George-and-Jerry-like conversation about how they dislike passing condiments and how "they'll use it sporadically, so they'd rather not." George is angry, but Jerry distracts him by asking if he wants to see a movie. George then begins to rant about how it's always the same, and that he's seen it before. While Jerry protests that he hasn't seen this movie before, George rants on saying it's always the same: you go in, sit down, eat your popcorn, and then it's over. The couple behind him then get up to leave, and offer George the ketchup bottle. George accepts it, but when he goes to use it, it's empty.

I realised that this scene is a microcosm for why Jerry, and co. didn't want to continue working on the series. Observe. In the scene, the waitress is the viewing public. When the show was new and fresh, they were there. Now that it's a staple, people have accepted it and moved on. The ketchup is key: it symbolises the laughter and attention from the viewing public. The couple, who have the ketchup, represent the dozens of other shows using the Seinfeld formula (unrepentant singles, sitting around talking about themselves), even if they use it sporadically (like Friends) or constantly (Mad About You). By doing so, however, they get the attention of the public as the new It Show. Jerry asking George to go to a movie (a common plot thread throughout the series as a way of getting the characters out) is Jerry (in his guise as the writers/cast stuck in a rut, and the network wanting the same old thing) asking to rehash the same thing yet again, and George rejects it, becoming both the public wanting fresh ideas and the writers not wanting to write stock. Then as the couple/new shows leave/are cancelled, they offer the ketchup/viewership back to Seinfeld, and it's empty. People are tired of the rehash, so they get sick of the original. Once the new couple/show leaves, the regulars are still there, eating the same sandwiches in the same booth.

(I think that makes sense. It made sense in my head.)

Point the second (and the shorter): What Were We Doing?
The whole point of the trial in the second act was the writers and cast turning a mirror into exactly what has become this nationwide sensation and template for damn near all future sitcoms. People will discuss the show amongst themselves, say how great it was when Jerry was callous to a new girlfriend, or George tried to cut a corner, or Elaine talked herself into a corner, or Kramer did something without considering the consequences. The things being held up as hilarious and amazing are things that, had they happened to us in life, we'd be appalled by. Think of it as Passion of the Christ-lite: This Is What You've Been Worshipping.

(That being said, I still love the show, and felt this was a strong season, and look forward to seeing more on DVD.)

So!

[-]Saw Iron Man. Loved it loved it. Missed the scene after the credits, though. And La Premiere is the only way to see it.

[-]New TV delivered! After a lamentable purchase of cheap coaxial cable, got a good one and can now get all channels (including HD and digital ones). Have so far watched Hot Fuzz, Stardust, Lord of the Rings and *sigh* The Devil Wears Prada.

[-]Played drums for the first time in weeks on Saturday. Wrist held up, but started to hurt once I stopped. Played D&D briefly as well. Don't feel I was very productive in either arena (35 minutes of drumming and killing one wolf in D&D in an hour and 45 minutes).

[-]Got a good book of comic strips called Roasted by Andy Riley, a former Black Books writer. Very good. Dooga, there's one guy who IS you.

[-]Got a Crumpler backpack today. It also has a removable laptop sleeve which fits my laptop. So one-the-go gaming. Now only if I can get a battery that lasts more than 20 minutes.

[-]Aiming to get 30 Rock Season 1 this week. I was going to pick it up today, but it was $50 at Hum, and I know I can get it at EzyDVD for 34.95. Patience.

Cough Cough.

Despite sleeping poorly and waking up with a stuffy nose, sinus headache, and sore throat, I was overshadowed. First at work, by the fact that everyone and their dog was as sick if not sicker than me (including 70% of my and Craig's team, my boss, and my fellow coaches). So I had a LemSip and, in the words of Chopper Read, hardened the fuck up. Secondly, once I got home, it seems that Tanja had hurt her leg just below the knee in an unknown mishap, causing her to hobble about and be generally immobile. So I did the running around. Sigh. No time to be sick. Got a world to run.

Checked the online TV guide tonight and saw to my delight that Spicks and Specks was showing, despite it being a Monday. Great, said I. So I killed the hour between then and 8:30, watching Top Gear, which (surprisingly) I thoroughly enjoyed, despite not being a car guy, and the presence of Steve Coogan, who I still think is a wanker. They actually had these two guys, who were experts in parkour (free running), as seen in Casino Royale, racing a guy in a car across Liverpool. They used a combination of gymnastics, capoeira, and general athleticism to, well, generally run around being awesome and jumping things. Unfortunately, the Monday-night Spicks/Specks was not to be. I read the wrong column. People in Queensland got to see it instead. Bugger.

Oh, and I bought a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars for $40. Score.

The very model of a modern blogging general.

I was part of a monochromatic Abbey Road moment. This morning, wlaking to work, I was wearing black Levi's, my Docs, a black beanie, a grey hoodie and a leather jacket. Suddenly this guy starts walking in front of my. He's got the shaved head, the black biker jacket, black jeans and big-ass boots. I glance behind me. There's a guy with long hair, a black wool trenchcoat and black jeans. We walked in lock-step for like 4 blocks. A monochromatic Abbey Road. All we needed was Paul in a white suit.

Oh, and Ashleigh has joined Da Band as a singer. And she's bloody good. But she's all modest and shit. It's annoying. Practice tomorrow. We've nearly got a whole complete song! And Mel's going to do guitar stuff.

I've been watching Reboot on my iPod. It's reminding me how terrible the first season-and-a-half was (what with it's pandering to the 10 and under audience) and how kick-ass the 3rd and 4th seasons were (darker themes, mature content,and lots of CGI action).

Dr. Phil.

I just overhead Dr. Phil saying that fighting in front of kids is bad because the kid blames themselves. My parents fought and divorced, and I never blamed me. I was never that narcissistic. Stupid Dr. Phil. Seems he's he's gone to the universirty of Stands To Reason with a summer at the College of My Dad Always Said, and took an after-school job at Some Bloke In The Pub Told Me.

"If he doesn't comply, send his wife a bit of him in the post."

Watching Dead Ringers. A bit meh, but I like when they put someone in character dress and put him on the street with regular people. They had someone as a Tom Baker Doctor Who, and another as Russell Crowe in full Maximus gear talking to builders for his ruins. Very funny. And they have Tony Blair speak like this: "I'm very outraged. Serious forehead, tilt of head, and gentle hand gesture showing the togetherness of Britain's people."

Oh, and we had Christmas. I got an iPod Video. Tis very flash. However, I learned that if I put the entire contents of my harddrive, games, documents, everything, it wouldn't fill up. Shocking.

Also, I just bought Tanja a Kylie CD. She said an Australian woman of a certain age needs one. Go figure.

And we've found a new house. We move on the 18th. It's here.