I don't like getting angry. I honestly find it a waste of time, doesn't necessarily resolve any problems, and just leaves me drained and annoyed. I think I am a patient person (I also think a judgment like this requires the input of others to verify though...). I like to believe that my patience and general ability to stay calm when getting frustrated is one of my more appealing qualities.
Not tonight though.
Due to the freakish incompetence, rudeness and general inability of some people to organise themselves into a vaguely cohesive office worker bee colony, I get to start my next three mornings at 7am.
Yeah, I know, so 7am isn't that early. But it is when I'm the one who has to set the room up, and deliver 2 hours of training while my brain attempts to find the clutch to shift gears to second.
I had 18 hours... almost 50% of my ENTIRE week last week scheduled to deliver this training. You should be able to cram learning almost anything into 18 hours, except when the attendees don't actually turn up. Now I get to screw up my workload for this week to deal with the problem.
So I'm pretty angry. Part of me hopes my patience completely wears out, and I turn green and Hulk out. Corporate destruction, Incredible H-style.
Probably good stress relief...
Monday, July 31, 2006
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Cool Sounds, Vol 1
Stabbing/slashing sound effects in tracks...kind of like electronic swords. Hard to explain, I just dig them.
Try:
"Kill The DJ" - Peeping Tom featuring Massive Attack
"Pug" - Smashing Pumpkins
"Exterminator" - Primal Scream
Try:
"Kill The DJ" - Peeping Tom featuring Massive Attack
"Pug" - Smashing Pumpkins
"Exterminator" - Primal Scream
Frustration
It's Sunday. Lovely day. Been out for brunch, had great berry pancakes with maple syrup and ice cream. Kicking back at home, windows and doors open, sun streaming in, the busy sounds of the world filtering inside. What's missing?
Reading the Sunday paper, of course.
But it's late afternoon now. Quick, run down to the nearest place that has papers. Aargh. Sold out.
I feel incomplete without my Sunday newspaper fix! Grrr.
Reading the Sunday paper, of course.
But it's late afternoon now. Quick, run down to the nearest place that has papers. Aargh. Sold out.
I feel incomplete without my Sunday newspaper fix! Grrr.
The XBL Chronicles, Vol 1
Continuing the well-established theme of my geek credentials, I have recently bought a 1 year subscription to Xbox Live, which is the online service for the Xbox. Out of the box, the Xbox 360 comes with a "silver" subscription, which basically lets you log on, download game demos and trailers etc. You need a "gold" subscription to actually play games online against other like-minded souls. After my complimentary 1 month gold subscription when I first logged on, I was hooked... it's just taken me a while to arrange a full subscription.
I logged on yesterday for the first time with my new subscription. Hah, I'd forgotten how entertaining it was!
Now, part of the appeal of Xbox Live is the ability to download older style "arcade" games i.e. games that only require a short attention span, or are easy to pick up and learn. This includes both old arcade classic and newly developed games that are deliberately short and sweet for the purpose of being added to the Xbox Live Arcade. Retro gaming can be a lot of fun... I've been messing around on demos of Frogger and Galaga; feels like I have one of those coffee table arcade machines on my tv. I've also been trying out one or two of the newer games, like Bankshot Billiards, a nice, well-executed billiards game. It's actually quite strange coming back down to earth and playing games that only require one or two buttons, rather than an entire controller to manage.
As fun as the mini arcade games are, the real gold of Xbox Live is playing against other folks in multiplayer games online. A large amount of games include multiplayer components, but the majority of these are first-person shooters (FPS); I'm not going to get into an argument here about the effects or lack thereof from playing violent video games. A global favourite in this genre is no doubt Halo 2, a future-themed humans vs aliens shoot 'em up where you play as an enhanced human warrior called Master Chief. But really, that stuff doesn't matter. What matters is the complete insanity of playing this game online.
I thought I was half-way decent at Halo 2. I finished the single player game. I tend to do well when playing against my friends in multiplayer when we hook up a local game of multiplayer across two Xboxes and two TVs. But when I logged on to Xbox Live, and started playing against other people.... I got owned. Completely. The most entertaining (and slightly annoying) feature... everyone is able to communicate in-game. So when I get shot and killed from behind while I'm still trying to figure out which way is up, I get to hear the 13 year old from Texas complete the humiliation with trash-talk in his not-yet-broken voice.
It might be humiliating, but it is also an absolute adrenalin rush. You really do need razor-sharp hand-eye coordination and reaction times to perform well against the folks online. Fortunately, Halo 2 is one of the most well-balanced, finely tuned games I've ever played... if you have the skills, your character will do exactly what you want, when you want. It just works.
So in the coming weeks, I'm going to occasionally post some stories from my time online playing Halo 2 as I try and turn myself from walking target practice to a smooth operator. Unfortunately, I probably need to be playing 12 hours a day to ever compete against anywhere near the best players... but other stuff like work, eating, sleeping and socialising are going to get in the way. And as addicted as I might sound to the concept of skilling up in Halo 2, I do indeed enjoy the rest of my life.
Epilogue:
If you've never played video games before, you probably just think I'm an idiot.
If you think video games promote violence and stupidity, and are only played by 13 year olds, then you'll still think I'm an idiot.
Come play a game of 2 vs 2 multiplayer with rockets and grenades as the only weapons... and if you aren't entertained, frustrated, nerve-wracked and experiencing an elevated pulse, then yeah, you'll probably definitely think I'm an idiot. Perhaps you should have just skipped this post...
I logged on yesterday for the first time with my new subscription. Hah, I'd forgotten how entertaining it was!
Now, part of the appeal of Xbox Live is the ability to download older style "arcade" games i.e. games that only require a short attention span, or are easy to pick up and learn. This includes both old arcade classic and newly developed games that are deliberately short and sweet for the purpose of being added to the Xbox Live Arcade. Retro gaming can be a lot of fun... I've been messing around on demos of Frogger and Galaga; feels like I have one of those coffee table arcade machines on my tv. I've also been trying out one or two of the newer games, like Bankshot Billiards, a nice, well-executed billiards game. It's actually quite strange coming back down to earth and playing games that only require one or two buttons, rather than an entire controller to manage.
As fun as the mini arcade games are, the real gold of Xbox Live is playing against other folks in multiplayer games online. A large amount of games include multiplayer components, but the majority of these are first-person shooters (FPS); I'm not going to get into an argument here about the effects or lack thereof from playing violent video games. A global favourite in this genre is no doubt Halo 2, a future-themed humans vs aliens shoot 'em up where you play as an enhanced human warrior called Master Chief. But really, that stuff doesn't matter. What matters is the complete insanity of playing this game online.
I thought I was half-way decent at Halo 2. I finished the single player game. I tend to do well when playing against my friends in multiplayer when we hook up a local game of multiplayer across two Xboxes and two TVs. But when I logged on to Xbox Live, and started playing against other people.... I got owned. Completely. The most entertaining (and slightly annoying) feature... everyone is able to communicate in-game. So when I get shot and killed from behind while I'm still trying to figure out which way is up, I get to hear the 13 year old from Texas complete the humiliation with trash-talk in his not-yet-broken voice.
It might be humiliating, but it is also an absolute adrenalin rush. You really do need razor-sharp hand-eye coordination and reaction times to perform well against the folks online. Fortunately, Halo 2 is one of the most well-balanced, finely tuned games I've ever played... if you have the skills, your character will do exactly what you want, when you want. It just works.
So in the coming weeks, I'm going to occasionally post some stories from my time online playing Halo 2 as I try and turn myself from walking target practice to a smooth operator. Unfortunately, I probably need to be playing 12 hours a day to ever compete against anywhere near the best players... but other stuff like work, eating, sleeping and socialising are going to get in the way. And as addicted as I might sound to the concept of skilling up in Halo 2, I do indeed enjoy the rest of my life.
Epilogue:
If you've never played video games before, you probably just think I'm an idiot.
If you think video games promote violence and stupidity, and are only played by 13 year olds, then you'll still think I'm an idiot.
Come play a game of 2 vs 2 multiplayer with rockets and grenades as the only weapons... and if you aren't entertained, frustrated, nerve-wracked and experiencing an elevated pulse, then yeah, you'll probably definitely think I'm an idiot. Perhaps you should have just skipped this post...
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Explanation
On the off-chance that you are reading this, and don't know me, I think you should have realised by now, I'm a geek.
The odd "gamercard" thing on the right hand menu there is my Xbox Live gamercard... yes, I play Xbox, and yes, that is extraordinarily geeky. The gamercard basically lists my gamertag (name) and "achievements" score (kind of like how far I have played through in all my games). The gamercard tracks the games that I play, and updates any changes. I thought it was a pretty cool feature that I could link to it off this blog.
I like the intersection of assorted technologies (games console, computer, internet etc.) and communities (blogs, Xbox Live etc.), and the way these sorts of features are steadily being integrated together.
Expect to see more geek features and stories like this in the posts ahead...
The odd "gamercard" thing on the right hand menu there is my Xbox Live gamercard... yes, I play Xbox, and yes, that is extraordinarily geeky. The gamercard basically lists my gamertag (name) and "achievements" score (kind of like how far I have played through in all my games). The gamercard tracks the games that I play, and updates any changes. I thought it was a pretty cool feature that I could link to it off this blog.
I like the intersection of assorted technologies (games console, computer, internet etc.) and communities (blogs, Xbox Live etc.), and the way these sorts of features are steadily being integrated together.
Expect to see more geek features and stories like this in the posts ahead...
Monday, July 24, 2006
A Wonderful, Magical Animal
I don't each much pork. Two reasons... firstly, I've never learnt how to cook it in any tasty dishes (I focused on chicken, beef and lamb in my early days away from home). Secondly, since J-Star doesn't eat it, it's a bit difficult to cook in our current household. Doesn't matter, because I don't really miss it. Well, not much until recently.
In the last 2 months, I have tasted 3 of the greatest pork dishes that I have ever had. Each time, I felt like my heart was going to give out on me, and I could almost feel my belt stretching as I consumed each tasty morsel.
Round 1:
Confit of Western Plains Pork Belly with Pea Custard and Apple Balsamic Dressing @ Becco
Becco is one of my all-time favourite restaurants, so maybe I'm biased, but this dish was divine. The small-ish confit of pork belly was rich, yet beautifully delicate. The apple balsamic cut through the richness perfectly. If Becco didn't do so many other delicious entrees to entice me, I could eat this dish every time I went there.
Round 2:
Pork Hock @ Lamaro's
Tempted by the memory of the pork belly at Becco, I chose the pork hock as main course for lunch. The pork literally fell to pieces as I cut, sliced and stabbed with knife and fork. Tender, succulent, rich and fatty. Mmmmmmm.
Round 3
Crispy Pork Belly @ North Fitzroy Star
Inspired by my last two pork choices, I went the crispy pork belly for entree. Oh my god. An entree size, with 4 main course sized chunks of pork belly. Crispy, crunchy and very Sunday-afternoon-extravagant.
No real point to this entry, apart from the memory of taste sensations. Not sure if I'll try pork again in the near future though... I don't think any other dish I could try would do justice to these three culinary wonders. Even the essential ham on a capricciosa pizza just won't be the same...
In the last 2 months, I have tasted 3 of the greatest pork dishes that I have ever had. Each time, I felt like my heart was going to give out on me, and I could almost feel my belt stretching as I consumed each tasty morsel.
Round 1:
Confit of Western Plains Pork Belly with Pea Custard and Apple Balsamic Dressing @ Becco
Becco is one of my all-time favourite restaurants, so maybe I'm biased, but this dish was divine. The small-ish confit of pork belly was rich, yet beautifully delicate. The apple balsamic cut through the richness perfectly. If Becco didn't do so many other delicious entrees to entice me, I could eat this dish every time I went there.
Round 2:
Pork Hock @ Lamaro's
Tempted by the memory of the pork belly at Becco, I chose the pork hock as main course for lunch. The pork literally fell to pieces as I cut, sliced and stabbed with knife and fork. Tender, succulent, rich and fatty. Mmmmmmm.
Round 3
Crispy Pork Belly @ North Fitzroy Star
Inspired by my last two pork choices, I went the crispy pork belly for entree. Oh my god. An entree size, with 4 main course sized chunks of pork belly. Crispy, crunchy and very Sunday-afternoon-extravagant.
No real point to this entry, apart from the memory of taste sensations. Not sure if I'll try pork again in the near future though... I don't think any other dish I could try would do justice to these three culinary wonders. Even the essential ham on a capricciosa pizza just won't be the same...
Try and Remember...
OK, before I forget, a few things I want to write about in the future.
- My addiction to buying new pairs of jeans
- Clogging my arteries by consuming three of the greatest pork-related dishes I have ever tasted
- The fragments of songs that I like that make them "work"
- The worst surfaces to walk over with crutches
- Life as an obsessive-compulsive
- My part-time hobby as a music-making novice
- Poor working habits
There are obviously more topics than that. But they came to me over the last day or two.
- My addiction to buying new pairs of jeans
- Clogging my arteries by consuming three of the greatest pork-related dishes I have ever tasted
- The fragments of songs that I like that make them "work"
- The worst surfaces to walk over with crutches
- Life as an obsessive-compulsive
- My part-time hobby as a music-making novice
- Poor working habits
There are obviously more topics than that. But they came to me over the last day or two.
Friday, July 14, 2006
The Gig List
Thinking about my favourite gigs tonight was what started this whole list business. No idea what started me on thinking about my favourite gigs.
What falls into the gig list? Basically, any day/night out where I have gone to a venue for the specific reason of seeing an artist, whether a DJ, band, solo artist, whatever.
Without further messing around, the list begins (numbered, but in no particular order)...
1. Patrick Lindsay versus Steve Douglas @ Revolution, The Palace, 2000 or 2001 (I think)
This was insane. It was a stinking hot summer night, and "Cliff" (I'll call him that for the moment, he'll love it) and I went to a this party. Can't remember much of who else was on the bill (Christian Smith maybe?, CJ Boland maybe?). It was about 5am in the morning, and we'd had a pretty great night already. My feet were aching, my sneakers were sticking to the floor, and I probably stank of sweat from all the dancing. We were definitely ready to leave. Before we walked out, we decided to check out the back room of The Palace one last time. I think we caught these guys at the start of their set, and already the crowd was jumping...the tunes were sounding decent, so we figured we'd listen for a few moments. I don't know what happened next, but suddenly I was going absolutely mad, crazy-dancing like I'd only just started my night... this was the single greatest set of party techno I had ever heard. Patrick Lindsay was out in front of the decks, beatboxing and dancing around himself, and then every track or so, he'd jump back behind the turntables, and mix a track or two while Steve Douglas took a breather. I've never seen so many people dancing that fast and happy, with that much energy, ever. Sure, some of them (most of them?) could have been under the influence (I was clean), but my god... no mosh pit or dance floor has ever felt like that again. Couldn't name a single track they played, but that doesn't matter.
2. Summersault @ Melbourne Showgrounds, Summer 1995/1996
This was my first festival experience, and my first ever gig with big name internationals; everything up until this show had been Australian bands in pubs. I remember how excited I was when I read the line-up... Pavement, Beck, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Rancid and more. No side stage distractions, just one main stage and one smaller stage right next to it. I spent the entire day in the sun, sitting on the grass just in front of one of the mixing desks. Didn't go with anyone, didn't know anyone. Just me and some of my favourite bands. I didn't mind if I got sunburnt, I didn't mind that I looked friendless... just to be there to watch Stephen Malkmus and Spiral Stairs lead a Pavement-powered afternoon of beautifully awkward slacker rock, to see a sickly Beck fumble around trying to start and re-start one of his acoustic tunes, to see Dave Grohl in front of a mic instead of a drum kit. It all just worked.
3. Beck @ The Forum, sometime in later 1990's
4. Pavement @ The Forum, again sometime in the later 1990's
The Forum is such a beautiful venue, I fell in love with it the first time I saw a show there; which I think was Pavement. Just walking out through the booths to the stage area, marvelling at the Roman columns and being freaked by the ceiling when, just for a moment, I thought I was outside under a twilight sky, stars gentling sparkling.
I saw both Beck and Pavement there at separate times in the 90s. They were, and still are, two of my favourite artists. Both gigs were perfect... getting a full, non-festival set from Pavement at the height of their powers, and seeing Beck channel James Brown as he shimmied across the stage, wailing, dancing and doing the splits like a man possessed. Loved every second I was there, they were both gigs where almost every song you could hope for was played. The Beck gig was based off Odelay, while Pavement were at least up to Wowee Zowee. Wish I could remember more...
5. Luke Slater @ Halcyon Knights, Royal Exhibition Buildings NYE 1999/2000
This gets a nod for a single track. Luke Slater had the plum main stage post-midnight set, everyone had just gone through the obligatory NYE/Y2K craziness...the cheering died down and bang, he started with "Class Action". Probably my all time favourite techno track, certainly was back then. Just to hear that mad crunching sound, the booming bass drum. It was a spine-tingling moment.
6. Space DJz @ Chevron, sometime in the early 2000's (I think)
Two guys, four decks, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, beers between the turntables... a fantastic mix of attitude and party vibe. The great thing about this night was that it wasn't even a sell-out, there was heaps of room on the dance floor. It was a crazy mash-up set, great techno mixed with hip house, r'n'b and whatever the hell else. I danced like a stupid man, smiling the whole time. Still remember wandering down St Kilda Rd to my car in the early morning sun, finding it plastered in flyers and a layer of frost.
7. Nine Inch Nails @ Big Day Out and Rod Laver Arena, earlier in the 2000's and last year
Just because.
I missed their Alternative Nation gig in the early 90's, and was glad when they finally came back. And came back again. I got chills during practically every song. Both gigs were just fantastic, and each track was beautifully performed, true to the album versions, despite some of the studio wizardry on some tracks. I absolutely loved one track they played at their last gig, but had absolutely no idea what it was called, where it was from, anything... I spent months trying to figure it out. It was "Dead Souls", a Joy Division cover. I have a copy now. I just wish people would listen to their entire back catalogue, and learn more than just "Closer".
8. Soundgarden @ Big Day Out and Festival Hall, late 1990s
I was fortunate to catch Soundgarden twice in two days. I think it was their last ever tour... after finishing in Australia, I think they did some gigs in Hawaii and then split. When they first came on stage, nearing sunset, with smoke, fans and melodramatic orchestral music, it was definitely a memorable moment. Kim Thayil's hair streamed behind him as he looked like some sort of guitar god, and Chris Cornell stalked around the stage, belting out the songs with THAT voice. Nothing he has done since has quite sounded as awesome as on the best tracks of his Soundgarden days. Hearing "Black Hole Sun" as a solo performance was beautiful, but anything they played on those two nights just rocked the house down. Having that second night was a rare treat, a repeat performance of their greatest hits just before their downfall.
9. Any booty house gig @ Honkytonks
I have listened and danced to several mad, mad booty house sets over the years. Boogs and Spacey Space, DJ Godfather, DJ Assault, and more. Some of the cheesiest, stupidest tracks ever, and yet unbelievably hands-waving, ass-shakingly good. I particularly remember going to see Godfather just after I'd moved into an apartment in Fitzroy. ODB and I had a few people around... I hit the cans of V hard. I hit the vodka even harder... too much vodka, not enough not vodka. Apparently I was handful trying to shut me up and get us inside past the door biatches. I partied like a crazy man until about 3am, when I promptly decided it was time to fall asleep sitting next to the dancefloor... Godfather was still playing, girls were dancing around the pole, the bass must have been shaking the entire building... and I was trying to sleep.
That'll do for now. There's definitely more. If I can remember...
Looking back, I'm glad I did that... apart from the memories, it made me play a few old tracks I probably haven't heard for a while; rediscovering an old favourite is worth the price of admission.
What falls into the gig list? Basically, any day/night out where I have gone to a venue for the specific reason of seeing an artist, whether a DJ, band, solo artist, whatever.
Without further messing around, the list begins (numbered, but in no particular order)...
1. Patrick Lindsay versus Steve Douglas @ Revolution, The Palace, 2000 or 2001 (I think)
This was insane. It was a stinking hot summer night, and "Cliff" (I'll call him that for the moment, he'll love it) and I went to a this party. Can't remember much of who else was on the bill (Christian Smith maybe?, CJ Boland maybe?). It was about 5am in the morning, and we'd had a pretty great night already. My feet were aching, my sneakers were sticking to the floor, and I probably stank of sweat from all the dancing. We were definitely ready to leave. Before we walked out, we decided to check out the back room of The Palace one last time. I think we caught these guys at the start of their set, and already the crowd was jumping...the tunes were sounding decent, so we figured we'd listen for a few moments. I don't know what happened next, but suddenly I was going absolutely mad, crazy-dancing like I'd only just started my night... this was the single greatest set of party techno I had ever heard. Patrick Lindsay was out in front of the decks, beatboxing and dancing around himself, and then every track or so, he'd jump back behind the turntables, and mix a track or two while Steve Douglas took a breather. I've never seen so many people dancing that fast and happy, with that much energy, ever. Sure, some of them (most of them?) could have been under the influence (I was clean), but my god... no mosh pit or dance floor has ever felt like that again. Couldn't name a single track they played, but that doesn't matter.
2. Summersault @ Melbourne Showgrounds, Summer 1995/1996
This was my first festival experience, and my first ever gig with big name internationals; everything up until this show had been Australian bands in pubs. I remember how excited I was when I read the line-up... Pavement, Beck, Beastie Boys, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters, Rancid and more. No side stage distractions, just one main stage and one smaller stage right next to it. I spent the entire day in the sun, sitting on the grass just in front of one of the mixing desks. Didn't go with anyone, didn't know anyone. Just me and some of my favourite bands. I didn't mind if I got sunburnt, I didn't mind that I looked friendless... just to be there to watch Stephen Malkmus and Spiral Stairs lead a Pavement-powered afternoon of beautifully awkward slacker rock, to see a sickly Beck fumble around trying to start and re-start one of his acoustic tunes, to see Dave Grohl in front of a mic instead of a drum kit. It all just worked.
3. Beck @ The Forum, sometime in later 1990's
4. Pavement @ The Forum, again sometime in the later 1990's
The Forum is such a beautiful venue, I fell in love with it the first time I saw a show there; which I think was Pavement. Just walking out through the booths to the stage area, marvelling at the Roman columns and being freaked by the ceiling when, just for a moment, I thought I was outside under a twilight sky, stars gentling sparkling.
I saw both Beck and Pavement there at separate times in the 90s. They were, and still are, two of my favourite artists. Both gigs were perfect... getting a full, non-festival set from Pavement at the height of their powers, and seeing Beck channel James Brown as he shimmied across the stage, wailing, dancing and doing the splits like a man possessed. Loved every second I was there, they were both gigs where almost every song you could hope for was played. The Beck gig was based off Odelay, while Pavement were at least up to Wowee Zowee. Wish I could remember more...
5. Luke Slater @ Halcyon Knights, Royal Exhibition Buildings NYE 1999/2000
This gets a nod for a single track. Luke Slater had the plum main stage post-midnight set, everyone had just gone through the obligatory NYE/Y2K craziness...the cheering died down and bang, he started with "Class Action". Probably my all time favourite techno track, certainly was back then. Just to hear that mad crunching sound, the booming bass drum. It was a spine-tingling moment.
6. Space DJz @ Chevron, sometime in the early 2000's (I think)
Two guys, four decks, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, beers between the turntables... a fantastic mix of attitude and party vibe. The great thing about this night was that it wasn't even a sell-out, there was heaps of room on the dance floor. It was a crazy mash-up set, great techno mixed with hip house, r'n'b and whatever the hell else. I danced like a stupid man, smiling the whole time. Still remember wandering down St Kilda Rd to my car in the early morning sun, finding it plastered in flyers and a layer of frost.
7. Nine Inch Nails @ Big Day Out and Rod Laver Arena, earlier in the 2000's and last year
Just because.
I missed their Alternative Nation gig in the early 90's, and was glad when they finally came back. And came back again. I got chills during practically every song. Both gigs were just fantastic, and each track was beautifully performed, true to the album versions, despite some of the studio wizardry on some tracks. I absolutely loved one track they played at their last gig, but had absolutely no idea what it was called, where it was from, anything... I spent months trying to figure it out. It was "Dead Souls", a Joy Division cover. I have a copy now. I just wish people would listen to their entire back catalogue, and learn more than just "Closer".
8. Soundgarden @ Big Day Out and Festival Hall, late 1990s
I was fortunate to catch Soundgarden twice in two days. I think it was their last ever tour... after finishing in Australia, I think they did some gigs in Hawaii and then split. When they first came on stage, nearing sunset, with smoke, fans and melodramatic orchestral music, it was definitely a memorable moment. Kim Thayil's hair streamed behind him as he looked like some sort of guitar god, and Chris Cornell stalked around the stage, belting out the songs with THAT voice. Nothing he has done since has quite sounded as awesome as on the best tracks of his Soundgarden days. Hearing "Black Hole Sun" as a solo performance was beautiful, but anything they played on those two nights just rocked the house down. Having that second night was a rare treat, a repeat performance of their greatest hits just before their downfall.
9. Any booty house gig @ Honkytonks
I have listened and danced to several mad, mad booty house sets over the years. Boogs and Spacey Space, DJ Godfather, DJ Assault, and more. Some of the cheesiest, stupidest tracks ever, and yet unbelievably hands-waving, ass-shakingly good. I particularly remember going to see Godfather just after I'd moved into an apartment in Fitzroy. ODB and I had a few people around... I hit the cans of V hard. I hit the vodka even harder... too much vodka, not enough not vodka. Apparently I was handful trying to shut me up and get us inside past the door biatches. I partied like a crazy man until about 3am, when I promptly decided it was time to fall asleep sitting next to the dancefloor... Godfather was still playing, girls were dancing around the pole, the bass must have been shaking the entire building... and I was trying to sleep.
That'll do for now. There's definitely more. If I can remember...
Looking back, I'm glad I did that... apart from the memories, it made me play a few old tracks I probably haven't heard for a while; rediscovering an old favourite is worth the price of admission.
Lists
On the way home tonight, while staggering and hobbling to the train, I started thinking about lists. You know, like top five, top ten lists. Like John Cusack in 'High Fidelity'.
Does anyone ever actually have a "top ten" list of something that they actually remember? Or can decide on? Movies, songs, albums, books, pairs of sneakers, friends, ex-girl/boyfriends, desserts, restaurants, cocktails, paintings, types of cloud, computer games, scientific theorems, Derwent pencil colours...
I can never remember all of my favourite things. Or perhaps, it isn't that I can't remember, it is maybe more like I can't decide on those things that I do actually remember. And I probably forget about some of those favourite things that I really should remember... It's like when you walk into JB HiFi; you know that there is probably dozens of cds or dvds that you'd love to buy right there and then because you thought "it would be great to have that" yesterday/the day before that/last year/whenever, but when you walk into the shop, when you are put on the spot and have to remember and make a decision, you can't remember a single one of those cds or dvds. You are left standing in front of the new release section thinking "now what did I want again...?".
Maybe it's just me?
So I think that I am going to start using this blog to write down lists. I'll start with the cliches, to get them out of the way, and perhaps move on to some more creative lists. Maybe I'll need some rules.
1. The lists won't be number-limited.
i.e. I won't do a top 5 or top 10 every time; I probably won't ever do one of these. I'll do a "as many as I can remember" or "as many as I can be bothered with for the moment".
2. Positive thoughts only.
i.e. I'll keep the lists on a positive vibe. I think it is too easy to fall into a trap and just complain about things. And in some cases, I think developing lists of things that irritate, annoy and frustrate me would be like shooting fish in a barrel. with dynamite.
3. Descriptions necessary.
Even just a brief comment or two to remind me of the experience or thing, and perhaps inform/help/inspire someone else.
4. Repeats welcome.
If I come up with an entry rushing up a list with a bullet, I might just re-visit a previous list.
5. Author has the right to review and update the rules.
Makes my life easier.
I think the best outcome in doing something like this will be to provide a reminder of great experiences from my life that I might have forgotten... so that I can revisit them in memory or in person, even if only for a brief moment.
And if all this turns out to be a complete dud, and I look back and laugh at the thought... well, at least I know what number one with a bullet is on my "Stupid Blog Ideas" list would be.
Does anyone ever actually have a "top ten" list of something that they actually remember? Or can decide on? Movies, songs, albums, books, pairs of sneakers, friends, ex-girl/boyfriends, desserts, restaurants, cocktails, paintings, types of cloud, computer games, scientific theorems, Derwent pencil colours...
I can never remember all of my favourite things. Or perhaps, it isn't that I can't remember, it is maybe more like I can't decide on those things that I do actually remember. And I probably forget about some of those favourite things that I really should remember... It's like when you walk into JB HiFi; you know that there is probably dozens of cds or dvds that you'd love to buy right there and then because you thought "it would be great to have that" yesterday/the day before that/last year/whenever, but when you walk into the shop, when you are put on the spot and have to remember and make a decision, you can't remember a single one of those cds or dvds. You are left standing in front of the new release section thinking "now what did I want again...?".
Maybe it's just me?
So I think that I am going to start using this blog to write down lists. I'll start with the cliches, to get them out of the way, and perhaps move on to some more creative lists. Maybe I'll need some rules.
1. The lists won't be number-limited.
i.e. I won't do a top 5 or top 10 every time; I probably won't ever do one of these. I'll do a "as many as I can remember" or "as many as I can be bothered with for the moment".
2. Positive thoughts only.
i.e. I'll keep the lists on a positive vibe. I think it is too easy to fall into a trap and just complain about things. And in some cases, I think developing lists of things that irritate, annoy and frustrate me would be like shooting fish in a barrel. with dynamite.
3. Descriptions necessary.
Even just a brief comment or two to remind me of the experience or thing, and perhaps inform/help/inspire someone else.
4. Repeats welcome.
If I come up with an entry rushing up a list with a bullet, I might just re-visit a previous list.
5. Author has the right to review and update the rules.
Makes my life easier.
I think the best outcome in doing something like this will be to provide a reminder of great experiences from my life that I might have forgotten... so that I can revisit them in memory or in person, even if only for a brief moment.
And if all this turns out to be a complete dud, and I look back and laugh at the thought... well, at least I know what number one with a bullet is on my "Stupid Blog Ideas" list would be.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The Grand Gameshow Adventure
I have an extraordinary amount of useless information in my head... this does not make me a gun at Trivial Pursuit for some reason though (I have too many other friends who, I have learnt the hard way, are very talented in this department). But it does make me great at answering useless random questions (generally when they somehow reference the useless information in my head).
I am thoroughly convinced that my inability to remember even the basics of my university degree can be solely attributed to the osmosis of random pop culture trash into my brain.
I am hoping that I can translate that garbage in my brain into worthwhile cash and prizes though... it might seem cheesy or amusing, but I am currently waiting for a call-up to Temptation, a revamped version of the quiz show Sale of the Century. I passed the audition with flying colours (a 50 question general knowledge barrage) and threw in a few amusing anecdotes to get the producers to remember me. Now hurry up and call my name!
Am I nervous?
Not really.
Why not?
Well, mainly because of one of the anecdotes that I shared with the producers of Temptation... that I've already been on TV before. On another game show. I'm an experienced campaigner now. (Hah! Yeah, right).
That other game show was Deal Or No Deal. However, I probably didn't manage the most successful performance ever seen on that show. I like to think that I was smart and skillful enough to win out on the general knowledge aspect of the show, but unlucky enough to lose on the random chance portion. Unfortunately, you get the money in the random chance portion of the show.
I won't explain the rules of the show... if you haven't seen it, you probably won't quite understand it. Suffice to say, you can win anywhere between $200,000 and 50c. Care to hazard a guess at my performance?
$1.
Top work, tiger.
I even have the giant plastic novelty cheque, to the value of $1. I think the plastic itself is worth more than what I won. (They even sent me a real cheque... to the value of $1).
So... Temptation producers... please call. Invite me on.
So... Gods of game shows... please smile on me. Give me questions on the useless facts in my brain.
I need at least some sort of cash and/or prize (preferably much of both) to ensure my grand gameshow adventure doesn't end as a bogus journey.
I am thoroughly convinced that my inability to remember even the basics of my university degree can be solely attributed to the osmosis of random pop culture trash into my brain.
I am hoping that I can translate that garbage in my brain into worthwhile cash and prizes though... it might seem cheesy or amusing, but I am currently waiting for a call-up to Temptation, a revamped version of the quiz show Sale of the Century. I passed the audition with flying colours (a 50 question general knowledge barrage) and threw in a few amusing anecdotes to get the producers to remember me. Now hurry up and call my name!
Am I nervous?
Not really.
Why not?
Well, mainly because of one of the anecdotes that I shared with the producers of Temptation... that I've already been on TV before. On another game show. I'm an experienced campaigner now. (Hah! Yeah, right).
That other game show was Deal Or No Deal. However, I probably didn't manage the most successful performance ever seen on that show. I like to think that I was smart and skillful enough to win out on the general knowledge aspect of the show, but unlucky enough to lose on the random chance portion. Unfortunately, you get the money in the random chance portion of the show.
I won't explain the rules of the show... if you haven't seen it, you probably won't quite understand it. Suffice to say, you can win anywhere between $200,000 and 50c. Care to hazard a guess at my performance?
$1.
Top work, tiger.
I even have the giant plastic novelty cheque, to the value of $1. I think the plastic itself is worth more than what I won. (They even sent me a real cheque... to the value of $1).
So... Temptation producers... please call. Invite me on.
So... Gods of game shows... please smile on me. Give me questions on the useless facts in my brain.
I need at least some sort of cash and/or prize (preferably much of both) to ensure my grand gameshow adventure doesn't end as a bogus journey.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Browser Wars
Well, well, well.
So I've taken the next step in figuring out this blogging thing.
Mozilla Firefox GOOD.
Safari BAD.
So I now know how to format text and add links. Hah. Finally. It wasn't because I was an idiot. It was because my web browser didn't let me.
So I've taken the next step in figuring out this blogging thing.
Mozilla Firefox GOOD.
Safari BAD.
So I now know how to format text and add links. Hah. Finally. It wasn't because I was an idiot. It was because my web browser didn't let me.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Musing On Communication Styles
Something that irritates and frustrates me an extraordinary amount is trying to read articles, presentations and other documents written with language that reads like a thesaurus that has suffered a catastrophic explosion all over the page.
Now, I don't claim to be good with the words. 'Cause I ain't.
But I can tell the difference between an easy-to-read document... and one that isn't. And if you have to attempt to put Humpty the Thesaurus back together again just to understand a single sentence, you are probably reading the English language equivalent of the midlife crisis/doof-doof sports car... a method of showing off and trying to be special and important and display some sort of bizarre superiority over the rest of your species, all the while not quite realising that you just look like a twat.
In my opinion, someone who can communicate intelligently with the written word can explain a complicted theory, thought, concept, idea, or whatever, with simple, concise terms in a small amount of words. If you think you are smart, but still can't get your message across in a simple way, then take your hand off it and stop trying to show off.
I appreciate that when writing about certain topics or focusing on specialist areas, linguistic gymnastics is a requirement... you can't necessarily explain fluid mechanics or electromagnetic theory with four and five letter words only. But even in complicated fields, there are always ways to dumb things down, and yet still get your message across.
Unfortunately, the practice of buzzword bingo is prevalent everywhere. And unfortunately, I've worked in one of the worst industries of all for this habit... management consulting. If you put "synergy", "leverage", "collaborative", "strategic" and a handful of other random words in a hat, and pulled out three of them, you would probably have the name of methodology that you could sell to clients. What I love about this theory of mine is that you can also apply it to the titles of movies starring Jean Claude Van Damme... in this case, try the buzzwords of "hard", "blood","sudden", "death", "impact", "double", "target", and... well, you get the picture. Try it yourself.
Anyway, what was I saying? The use of ludicrously complicated language is everywhere. I've worked in a number of industries over my few years in the work force...transport and supply chain, automotive, telecommunications, agribusiness, manufacturing and IT. And I studied engineering, mathematics and physics. Hah. I can't escape it. But what I have learned to value over these years is being able to recognise the skills of people who can explain complicated topics easily. Those people are the ones who actually get things done. And help manage others to get things done too. Those people who are too busy playing buzzword bingo are the ones who might seem intelligent on the surface, but dig a bit deeper (not very deep), and you realise, no one actually understands what the hell they are talking about. They're all just too afraid to admit it. And none of them actually ever get around to doing anything productive or useful. And in the end, that's what irritates me more than anything else.
Bored now.
Now, I don't claim to be good with the words. 'Cause I ain't.
But I can tell the difference between an easy-to-read document... and one that isn't. And if you have to attempt to put Humpty the Thesaurus back together again just to understand a single sentence, you are probably reading the English language equivalent of the midlife crisis/doof-doof sports car... a method of showing off and trying to be special and important and display some sort of bizarre superiority over the rest of your species, all the while not quite realising that you just look like a twat.
In my opinion, someone who can communicate intelligently with the written word can explain a complicted theory, thought, concept, idea, or whatever, with simple, concise terms in a small amount of words. If you think you are smart, but still can't get your message across in a simple way, then take your hand off it and stop trying to show off.
I appreciate that when writing about certain topics or focusing on specialist areas, linguistic gymnastics is a requirement... you can't necessarily explain fluid mechanics or electromagnetic theory with four and five letter words only. But even in complicated fields, there are always ways to dumb things down, and yet still get your message across.
Unfortunately, the practice of buzzword bingo is prevalent everywhere. And unfortunately, I've worked in one of the worst industries of all for this habit... management consulting. If you put "synergy", "leverage", "collaborative", "strategic" and a handful of other random words in a hat, and pulled out three of them, you would probably have the name of methodology that you could sell to clients. What I love about this theory of mine is that you can also apply it to the titles of movies starring Jean Claude Van Damme... in this case, try the buzzwords of "hard", "blood","sudden", "death", "impact", "double", "target", and... well, you get the picture. Try it yourself.
Anyway, what was I saying? The use of ludicrously complicated language is everywhere. I've worked in a number of industries over my few years in the work force...transport and supply chain, automotive, telecommunications, agribusiness, manufacturing and IT. And I studied engineering, mathematics and physics. Hah. I can't escape it. But what I have learned to value over these years is being able to recognise the skills of people who can explain complicated topics easily. Those people are the ones who actually get things done. And help manage others to get things done too. Those people who are too busy playing buzzword bingo are the ones who might seem intelligent on the surface, but dig a bit deeper (not very deep), and you realise, no one actually understands what the hell they are talking about. They're all just too afraid to admit it. And none of them actually ever get around to doing anything productive or useful. And in the end, that's what irritates me more than anything else.
Bored now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
