Swandives

Sorry. I just couldn’t help myself. It’s the obvious headline, given Ian Thorpe’s decision to quit. He’s an amazing althlete and it’s his decision, his life. Good on him. But contrast it to Grant, the man who won the 1500 m Olympic medal with practically one lung, who stood on the block afterwards, victorious and shaking with effort. Who doesn’t complain - just gets on with the job. Now that’s commitment.

EDIT 24/11: Told you it was obvious. The Tele’s Confidential ran it yesterday in its Murmurs column. Hehe.

Agh! And I really wanna, coz I’ve just had the best week of music

U2

Kylie

Pearl Jam

Agh! Awesome stuff. Wonderful. Lots to say, no time to say it. Mostly coz I got sucked into So You Think You Can Dance on Channel 10 last night. Have you noticed how dancing shows are making a comeback? Bring it on! Love it.

…for a place rather than a win. I’m an idiot. I got the first and second horses and still didn’t make any money.

Betting’s for boguns.

The reason I didn’t make any money is because I didn’t put Maybe Better into my trifecta. Bummer. But it’s the Melbourne Cup and you gotta have a go, which is exactly what Delta Blue did!

I miss Makybe. So does Lee Freedman, her trainer. This is a nice piece in the leadup to the big race.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/horseracing/watching-from-the-grandstand-its-easy-to-miss-a-champion-likemakybe-diva/2006/11/06/1162661619204.html

Undoubtedly my favourite cartoon as a kid - go ABC! Ok, so I was also very partial to Wacky Races, but, hey, I was young and fickle. BOTP still holds a place close to my heart.

http://www.vacuform.com/Gatchaman/GatchMain.htm

Last Monday I was an audience member of an Idol eviction show. Don’t you think it’s weird that we’ve ended up adopting the same vernacular as Big Brother? I admit, I’ve been watching, in between the episodes of Operatunity on the ABC. I’m a sucker for these kinds of things. Perhaps it’s because I can’t sing to save my life and envy those who do. I don’t know.

So how did I scam a ticket? Well, friends who have asked to remain nameless (hehehe) had a spare one and mentioned something about Kyle (one of the judges) in passing in an email, which sent me into a rant about how evil people prosper in this world and subsequently earned me an invitation to come along! Admittedly, we were at least 18 years too old since most audience members seemed to be tweeny boppers with the ability to scream at 120 decibels. But we knew all the contestants names and we each have a favourite (go Jess!).

Remember Hey Dad? Probably the last successful Australian sitcom? Well, going to an Idol eviction show is a lot like being in the studio audience of a Hey Dad episode. Some things don’t change eh? In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion the person who revs the audience up at the beginning and during the ad breaks is the same guy. It was kinda weird, as if I’d stepped into some alternate reality. Lots more screaming tho. Lots of screaming. And signs. You’re encouraged to bring along your own banner. We refrained.

The other thing that struck me is just how orchestrated the bitching between the judges is. Television has always been about smoke and mirrors and it’s very clear in the studio (which is much much small than it looks on the tele in ur lounge room). They may hate each other - I don’t know - but it’s really about playing up for the cameras. And I also thought that they boys - James and Andrew - were very nice. When Ricky was voted off the island one of the fans got very upset and was crying and James took her up onto the stage afterwards to meet him.

People call Idol a talent quest, but that’s not it. It’s a popularity contest - in that respect, its name is extremely apt. And longetivity was never its aim. It struck us as we watched the Young Divas - a girl group made up of previous contestants. As one person commented, what happens in a few years time when the blossom of youth has faded? Anybody seen Boyband yet?

But I had fun! It was great to scream and shout and boo and cheer with the audience. And on the way out I had the chance to shoulder charge Kyle and didn’t take it. Gosh, how grown up am I?

Australians have Banjo Paterson’s The Man From Snowy River, Canadians have The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W Service. I love it, morbid being that I am. And now somebody’s gone and put it on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lBkuz1TlVc

There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge
I cremated Sam McGee.

is on this Saturday…(Martin Place Tarpeian Way next to Botanic Gardens).

http://www.walkagainstwarming.org/

Everybody could make changes to their lifestyle to help with the problem. But it’s piddly, and we have a PM who hasn’t at all stepped up to the plate on behalf of the people of Australia, except to make a couple of ‘promises’ in the last couple of days. Grrrr.

My fave little Reddit site has been bought by Conde Nast, publishers of Wired mag. Not that I still don’t LOVE Wired, just that it’s another example of corporatised web that makes everything so darned dull…

In other news, I went to the taping of the Australian Idol eviction show last Monday! Woohooin. More on that to come.