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The Week That Was

Posted: August 1, 2015 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

And glad it is over!

Sporting wise it was a shocker. First up we have the flanneled fools brigade masquerading as highly paid TEST cricketers. No, did not leave the caps lock on accidentally. At least this time. As noted previously the first session of any test match these days largely determines the outcome of the match. Now Puppy ( yes he has been demoted) batted first as per Captaincy 101 unless the actual coin you tossed in the air was blown 30 feet away and landed in a lake at mid on. TEST batsmen know that you have to SURVIVE the first hour and maybe two because after lunch it is bread and jam with a good old game of hit and fetch Poms. Of course even the best batsmen will fall occasionally in these conditions and then we release the KRAKKEN aka Smith the Wunderkind. If he struggles then the laundry mistress knows she is going to need some extra stain remover that night for our creams. Then comes the middle order or as we in Aussie land have called it for several years now – The Bermuda Triangle. Seemingly proficient shield batsmen enter there and are never heard of again. Puppy has a million in loose change in each foot apparently as simply cannot move them. Much like Tiger Woods the media seems more interested at times in following his personal downfall rather than the rise of the next generation. The problems start at the top though especially now that Warner has taken over Watto’s role of reviewing plum decisions. Of course when he went up to ask Buck what he thought who really thinks Buck would have said “Of course it was out ya goose , piss off”. More likely ” Well Mr Warner you are the best best batsman in the world so of course you must try and review because we cant win without you” . As for our bowlers? I watched one good 4 over spell from Mitch but Lord knows what happened the rest of time especially when he started bowling from 24 yds! Starc is fragile both physically and mentally and Hazlewood needs a helpful pitch and we all know this one was a road – when we were bowling apparently!!

If you want a good laugh about cricket then you should follow this guy – his line about two teams who have both lost last test is classic

The Liebke Ratings: Third Ashes Test

NRL wise the Broncos had a wake up call against Manly or more importantly the fans who have been touting an all QLD final for weeks now did at least . Lazo is a prize clown in the political arena but does know his footy so was interested to listen last week when he said it would be a Souths Roosters final and when pushed said he didnt think the Broncos halves were up to speed yet. Prophetic words. Personally I think it will be Roosters/Cowboys but that is discussion for another day. Like cricket most sport swings with momentum and this match was much like SOO3 where one team is simply blown off the park through energy, skill and a bit of luck and never get back. The Broncos were flat and their much praised defense lay back in wait and was found wanting – a worrying template for future opponents. What would be alarming for Clunk though would be to lose the second half as well and in fact leak more points. This will test all of his legendary man management skills but feel he just may come up a couple of cattle short of a full herd.

Tiger made a cut and the media world breathed a sigh of relief as he even manouvered into a threatening second position. Then came moving day and Tiger did – backwards. Last seen hanging around in the locker room looking for the answer to life, the universe and everything. Yes he is currently in position 42 with household names like Huh , Reifers and Hahn. Not going to enter into the Goodes debate as their are some valid points on both sides and it is only AFL afterall and has already taken up enough newsprint and airwaves

TV wise Netflix continues to deliver with its “original” series of Wet Hot American Summer – which is actually a prequel to the 2001 movie of the same name. The movie was rather dull but was of interest for the number of future – and some current – stars making up the numbers. The first appeal of this 6 episode bingefest is that all the stars return – and a couple more. This is silly indeed but also fun with Banks being the best of the returning cast but the addition of Hamm was smart casting if for no other reason than to see Don and Roger together again, if never in same scene. Hamm is becoming synonymous with these goofy roles and one does wonder what his next serious effort will be but in the meantime simply sit back and enjoy. Wig was tragically underused while the insertion of Reagan worked well. Finished first season of The Knick during the week and it was a quality and interesting medical period drama.

One feels we are entering the last throes of winter here so must enjoy the next couple of weeks while they last. Cool nights and warm clear days are hard to beat. Perfect for that little nanna nap post lunch. Only one problem though with Old Whiskers

Can you stop with the yips off the coast of Hervey Bay at that time purleese! Movement in bed only confuses moi.

Sport, Sharks and Stupidity

Posted: July 19, 2015 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

Well it is Monday. Big weekend of sport with the only icing remaining is for an Aussie to triumph at St Andrews. So lets start with the golf

It was looming as a great couch potato night on Saturday with golf and cricket starting before my bedtime. So, just after the 6 pm news. Sadly the golf was not on and the cricket one sided. Now if Kerry Packer was running golf and we didnt worry so much about traditions they would have been out playing in the puddles and the gales. Because it would have been funny to watch. All hackers love seeing Pros struggle or having to hit a One wood into a 170 m Par 3. Instead the tournament stretches into tonight and while the Aussies are well placed you wont even see them tee off before 11 pm. There were some other highlights though including Tom Terrific’s final appearance. An emotional time leading to a disappointing bogey at the last rather easy hole – due to his nemesis of last 20 years, a streaky putter. And we also had the vision of Sir( English sportsperson who won more than a meat tray = knighthood) Nick Faldo walking up the last proudly wearing the same pullover he wore 30 years ago at Muirfield. Now Nick is a great commentator these days but a very vain man by all appearances which also accounts for the fact his hair is still the same colour as it was 30 years ago too! Tiger missed another cut. One can only wonder when that no longer is really news

The cricket was one sided from the get go. Golfers in tournaments can receive a big advantage simply based on draw as happened in first day at the Open when the early groups had a huge advantage and can even in fact be difference between making cut or not (Yes Tiger played early as well!). Same with the toss in cricket which is a bit unfortunate when you think about it. A match can be largely decided before a ball is bowled. Once we won toss and batted Poms were always going to struggle. And of course as always happens what appears to be a road to one team suddenly becomes a minefield to the other. Nevill and Marsh looked the goods so Watto may as well go home now. Johnson bowled well and it was a great team effort – almost the perfect match much like the Maroons in SOO 3. It will be the next test that tells us where we really are. We better win the toss!

On a weekend when we were at the spiritual home of golf and cricket it was only fitting that the Davis Cup was played at its spiritual home in Australia – Darwin! Now to be fair it was an easy mistake. Kyrgios was asked about his thoughts on Davis Cup at last press conference and said “I will likely crack a poo”. Cloth eared TA officials thought he said “I would like to see Kakadu” so quickly changed venue to Darwin to entice him to play. Sound plan that worked a treat. Not. Luckily Little Ley Ley did his usual trick and one can only hope that Nick the Greek spends some more time with LL because he started out as an insufferable twat too. I do think LL should not bar up after match point even if very excited though – not a good look

NRL is getting to the business end and while Broncs are travelling well would agree that Roosters are deserved favourites as long as they can avoid injuries and their AAA rating – Arrests, Assaults and AVOs. Cowboys are a definite chance as well of course. Talk of switching GF to Suncorp is nonsense but they have had some great events there of late and really if hearing “Never Walk Alone” in a full stadium doesnt give you goosebumps you just may be dead

It wouldnt be a Monday without a moan about Channel 9. Before heading out to golf course had the Today show on to get the 6 am bulletin . Yeah what was I thinking? The shark footage was rather amazing though I must say. They say a Great White and probably right although he did seem to not have his heart in it, let alone his teeth. Fair sized fin though and maybe the most amazing footage was seeing his Aussie mate paddling in to help out at great speed with no concern for own safety. They are a unique breed, your average surfer

Then we had the Bronnie Bishop nonsense. Most politicians that rise to a high position have a certain arrogance of course. With people like Keating or Howard for example it was well earnt but more importantly they had a sense of the office and some respect borne out of years in opposition. Much like a couple of the current Labour ministers in the Qld government some never understand that and it all happens a bit too quick for them. That cant be said for BB who has been around for ever and should be paying her own carbon tax on that hairdo. Remember when she was the great Liberal hope back in the early 90’s for about 3 weeks until, like with all ultra conservatives, they are soon found out to have a very limited knowledge across the spectrum and are one theme clowns. As PK so beautifully described her ” all tip, no iceberg”. I have never understood why The Speaker is such a high position and BB has only added to the confusion. She really shouldnt smile, it is a scary look and kids could be watching. Speaking of which…….

But wait there is more drivel to come for the Today show. They had an article on the latest $100 mill grant for a new plan “Kick and Play” to get school kids more active. That totally insipid stand in host Campbell suggested “the biggest problem I think is that parents spend too much time on Facebook and Twitter and dont play with their kids” But the best was yet to come “What do you think Australia? Jump on Facebook or twitter and let us know” Fuck me slowly. You cant write this stuff. Media Watch naturally is my must watch program each week and they did a great bit last week on the ridiculous reporting by 9 on the Lorna Jane non issue where she wanted to hire a small skinny woman to tell other small skinny women how good they look – oh and answer the phone and make the tea. Now much like their 60 minute fiasco they only told half the story but of more concern were the half hourly crosses to the store in Brisvegas waiting for it to open and hoping to find an angry mob outside threatening to boycott. Sadly the only women around at the time were drinking coffee and eating donuts so not really your LJ demographic.

Perfect for The Today Show though

The Night of 1000 Stars. And Klemmer

Posted: July 8, 2015 in Sport

Well what a night lay ahead – SOO decider and the first day of the Ashes. One big question remained. Which Aussie cricketer would Liz Hayes do a hatchet job on the day of the match ? As usual Channel 9 had the monopoly on broadcast which did lead to an interesting contrast. Which long drawn out pre match nonsense would bore you to tears first ? It was a draw really although the cross to Heals and Tubs with red and blue scarves on was hard to beat for cringe me now material. The cricket started fist by a bee’s dick so lets go there now

There is nothing better in Test Cricket then the first session on the first day of the first test of the Ashes series. Sadly we were in Cardiff and playing in the car park it appeared. The first 3 balls of Starc’s first over bounced three times before Haddin could even drop them. They were nowhere near the actual stumps so the batsman was safe. Mitch was getting some new ink so they opened with Hazelwood and he was more impressive. Sadly now, SOO was about to start so missed the first wicket live but saw the replay and then Cook’s wicket later on. Someone who looks a lot like Ian Bell but batted like Ian Thorpe ( Note: Interesting fact. Though Bigfoot is an accomplished cricketer he has never bowled a maiden over) came and went quickly and is no longer the threat he once was. Then Rooty comes out , scratches around knicks the ball and the rout is on. Then Haddin drops it. Some say it was a tough catch, I say he made it look harder than it was by going with one hand. To be fair, the ball was not carrying through well. The rout was off, boredom set in and the match is rather evenly poised although to be honest would prefer to be in England’s shoes. As stated in other media commitments ( not bloody 60 Minutes!) it was a dead flat trick but can we at least agree that the much vaunted Aussie pace attack (“Spoilt for Choice – Who do we leave out??”) are not The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse but rather a good pace attack than can be a handful when conditions suit. For God’s sake, Warnie get over there and start bagging Starc will ya

So speaking of overrated sportsmen put your hand up if ya got sick and tired of hearing in the last month how Klemmer was the love spawn of Artie Beetson and Steve Roach who just had a blood transfusion from Mark Geyer. The blues biased media just loved him including respected folk like Paul Kent. Seriously they and a lot of many other good judges thought a Blues Dynasty was just around the corner especially with Blake Carrington in as skipper. You know the guy who use to play for Cronulla but now only plays rep matches.
They even got Alexis back as the hooker – talk about type casting. The Farrah fun and games may have even backfired on them but by all means exploit the rules if you can – Qld have in the past. Being an avid Maroon supporter can be hard especially when they are capable of a performance like last night at times. NSW were simply blown of the field with enthusiastic and hard defense and strong running behind cool calm heads like Smith and Cronk and the sheer brilliance of JT. Who else agrees we dont need Billy ? Chambers looked much better at centres and Gagai impressed. GI was dangerous at the back as expected and Parker always a threat. Hodges had a great last game highlighted by a lot of nothing runs and a couple of touches of brilliance. Pretty well his stock game these days. You really need to sit down and watch the game again without the hype and tension to really appreciate what someone like Smith does. And the icing on the cake is JTs mecurial kicking. You could almost feel sorry for the Blues or at least Loz. For the previous 5 matches they could have won them all and this could have been a dead match. Instead some Blues Origin careers are over you would think and they have to climb the mountain again knowing that the bulk of the Qld side will be around for a couple more years and can still put on a stellar performance like last night when needed. It was Big Mal’s birthday but it did seem odd that he carried around a big cake under his shirt at training all week just in case. The boy has been in a good paddock. Which of course reminds us all once more what a brilliant stadium Lang Park is.

SOO is over for another year and the world has returned to normal. Better still, one less show that requires the dial set on 9.Yes my TV still has a dial and rabbit ears.

Strangely it still picks up HBO

Brats and Spats

Posted: July 7, 2015 in Sport

Two sporting stories have taken over most of the news in the last 24-36 hrs and of course the media added the icing as always

While most people of Greek Heritage were saying “No”, Nick Kyrgios preferred much more colorful language. It is one thing to swear at the umpire but then in some lame press conference mea culpa ,no doubt suggested by his “team” , he insisted the “dirty scum” comment was aimed at himself. Yeah sure. Still he is a Playa (not a Player like most) so no doubt some Aussie fans still swooned at his backhand or his drop shot. We love to chop down the tall poppies but he is hardly there yet so lets keep pumping him up. Aussies like their sporting heroes to have character afterall eh Warnie. But then he goes on to play the cheese-eating surrender monkey and does the one thing no true Aussie can accept – he tanked it. Little Ley Ley was an obnoxious brat with the best of them at first but he slowly matured and more importantly always showed ticker – and would never walk away from Davis Cup even to go to the toilet with his Sorbent. I tend to compare the behaviour of most sportspeople to golfers which may or may not be fair but it is interesting. There are many similarities, not the least being megarich at a young age and they are individual sports. Golf though is renowned for its honour, respect for tradition and sportsmanship and even your backyard hacker plays within these self imposed rules because that is the game you choose. It is afterall one of the easiest games in the world to cheat at and maybe there in lies the secret. The other interesting comparison is that in tennis it appears that most tournaments are won by one of the top 3-4 players in the event. Maybe seeding plays a part in this. In golf it is not unusual for the 50th ranked player in the world to win in a given event against the best in the world. In fact one day the 256th ranked player could win – if Tiger can improve his driving! So really, saying that Kyrgios is a top 30 ranked player doesnt mean that much to moi. Now as much as I loathe the actions of Kyrgios , Dawn Fraser should just shut up. What a stupid comment to make. Nick is not alone of course but I cant really call Tomic a top ranked player and keep a straight face. Only time will tell if these clowns can mature but sadly I doubt it will happen because there are simply to many yes men around them. And the money keeps rolling in

Then we get to 60 minutes and the Cam Smith story. Oh, you thought it was about Alex ? Come on, this is channel 9. Ok have not watched the show – simply refuse to watch anything on 9 that is not sport or the odd news report – but have seen some clips. No one would deny Alex the chance to make some money (a book is on the way) or to be an angry young man. So, have no real problem with him being pissed off at Cammy who it must be admitted does not look good arguing with the ref at the time. He has always had the squeaky clean image off the field but is less well regarded from other players for some on field niggle and cheap shots. The annoying aspects though are a)the timing 3 days before one of the more important SOOs in recent years and b) Channel 9 treating their own story as NEWS! Seriously, it was the 3rd story on the news at 6pm! The cynic in me, who to be fair has been getting a lot of time lately, would suggest the timing was deliberate even with the pending book release and it is my understanding that the Rise for Alex round is not until Round 19 later in the month. Showing it next Sunday would have been perfect lead in – but of course after SOO 3 when eyelash boy simply returns to being Storm skipper and occasional shaver. Media interest would have dropped by 50% and we all know the media is run by NSW 🙂 It would appear by all reports that Storm management/players (? Smith) regularly tried to contact Alex in the weeks after. For a complete story, Smith’s side of events should have been given air or at least acknowledged. But that is not how 60 minutes works of course. Their response? “This was Alex’s story so no need to contact Smith. The facts of the story are not in dispute” .Facts???? On Channel 9! Give me a break. It was a clear set up for maximum impact. Conspiracy theorists revel in these yarns but at the end of the day their underhanded dealing and presentation of the story has detracted from what is an amazing and inspirational tale. People should be caring about how Alex will fare in the future, not whether Smith did this or that after the event

Rarely does a week pass when the media doesnt not piss me off in some way so while on my fave subject why is that whenever a media “personality” takes a break it has to be described as a “well earnt break” ? Who gives a crap. Do we really think Ray Hadlee only works 3 hours a day? Nope. Do they ever report on the news that “the shark attack victim could not be saved because the Vascular Surgeon was having a well earnt break”. No, because another surgeon steps in and no one cares. Of course if the PM (of either persausion) is on a rare holiday when something important happens then they are very quick to suggest he should come back to work. Well, I will give you a leave pass Hadlee, Jones, Stefanovic et al. Stay on holidays. No one cares.

I hear Greece is very reasonable this time of year

Caged Heat – Am I seeing double ?

Posted: June 25, 2015 in TV

As luck would have it, and under strict medical supervision, the two preeminent shows about women in prison are being watched together – OITNB (as all Hipster dufi call it) and Wentworth. One is all orange , the other goes for a very fetching pale blue. One is Aussie and the other Yank. In fact there are not a lot of similarities at all except that at least they have both moved to the 21st century and not all gay women are depicted as butch dykes hit with the ugly stick – although still a smattering to be sure. And the stick did not miss, trust me. I should add that I understand gay women about as well as I understand your basic hetero version so its all a mystery to me still. The biggest difference though is in the grit factor and sense of danger if you like. OITNB has really mellowed to the point that it could be set in an LPGA locker room now while Wentworth depicts a more shiv happy world which is likely a more realistic depiction of life behind bars. But this is TV land after all, so which is the better show?

Both offer different viewing enjoyment. Wentworth is the winner for moi because it provides drama and suspense and characters you care about. All season built well to an excellent finale which answered some questions, left a few maybes swirling and of course set up the next battle for Bea. This is what a season finale should do – keep you hooked and not pissed off at delaying tactics as the season stretch continues. OITNB on the other hand was a bit like Summer Camp on steroids. There was no big baddie this season but there were some very funny lines, mostly throw away lines from the lesser characters. They ditched one of the better characters half way through – Nicky – and ditched one of the more annoying ones – Bennett – as well. The corporate take over worked well with Caputo a stand out as usual. There was no great character arc to follow and as such you were not hanging out for the next episode as you did with Wentworth. As such, it would be a better model to have Wentworth as a binge watch and OITNB a weekly sit down with slippers and a cuppa. OITNB of course comes from the creator of Weeds which faded after a strong start. I doubt the same will happen with OITNB but there has been a drop off since Season 1. Eventually we have to have seen all of the main characters back stories so one assumes more will have to actually happen in the present day each episode in ensuing seasons. This should be a good thing.

At the end of the day both are great viewing and you have to love the Netflix model – and support it! With Wentworth we are stuck with Fuxtel – especially now that our leaders have progressed down their desired path – back to 1950. Interesting times ahead.

Game of Groans

Posted: June 17, 2015 in Sport

Two big events this week and as always the end product pleases and pisses off in equal measure usually

First up was the Season 5 finale of Games of Thrones. Spoilers naturally. The recent trend of the best episodes of a season being the couple just before the finale continued and most of the finale was one big tease – and a sleepy dragon. Someone said Jon Snow died at the end but the way Harrington acts I thought he died in Season 3? I dont read the books but understand GRR has not written the next book (?) which is becoming less of an issue with the apparent deviations anyway. There were certainly some odd things though

1. Sansa and friend jump from an uncertain height to an uncertain conclusion
2. Did Blondie kill Stannis and if so why not show it – usually do
3. Apparently the best way to tell when the body double was in shot on walk of shame was because she has bigger boobs than Lena?
4. Drogon needed a kip after a long flight ?
5. Did Jon Snow die? Didnt the interwebby explode after that one.

So all in all it was an average finale to a pretty good, but not great, season. There were some memorable scenes in Episodes 8 and 9 and these are what bring the fans back. The story continues to progress but at a somewhat glacial speed.

Next up was SOO 2 at the MCG. For once , NSW got the rub of the green and it is all yesterday’s fish and chip wrapping now. But some things require discussion and the main issue , as highlighted previously by Kenty et al, is the on field decision by the ref before sending it up. (On a side note there was talk this week that KFC require a certain number of video referrals as part of their sponsorship. Likely untrue, but not incomprehensible is this day and age). So rather than whining about the Morris try awarded or the Inglis one not, the pertinent fact to remember is that the ref awarded both ergo there needs to be conclusive evidence to overturn. There wasnt on the first one, fair enough. Hardly on the second either ? Of course the bluebags say that the “forward” pass was not forward minutes before but most, including Channel 9, focus on the wrong pass in question – it was the one prior to the last! At the end of the day the better team won so move on but one thing is clear – DCE is an overpaid dud. Had to tackle too much Mal? Didn’t seem to affect JT’s input. JT was the standout for moi with Inglis a close second and finally getting involved. Smith and Slater had quieter games. Hodges couldnt handle Jennings and Chambers was tres ordinary. And can someone please get Cam the Eyelash Boy a tissue so he stops picking his nose at the press conference! NSW looked more dangerous with the ball as they invariably do year after year. While an avid Qld supporter one quickly moves on – after all who can hate Loz? However, the very biased media will be a pain now for a few weeks. NSW were very good losers – after all the practice – but not such good winners, especially their supporters.

Still, much like taking the game to Victoria so they could boo during a minutes silence for a true legend the clowns that run the game have what they always wanted. A guaranteed sell out for Game 3 and 3 more weeks of media hype while the actual NRL competition and associated fans suffer

But the money rolls in

If its February this must be USA

Posted: June 12, 2015 in Travel

Well the flights are booked and paid for so guess I must be going back. A three city swing this time with a couple of old faves but one advantage of getting old is you forget where you have been anyway. Given that we have already had our 3 days of winter this year will be good to return to some actual cold weather. First Uber of the rank

Dallas To coincide with the cheerleader tryouts of course. First trick is to catch an A380 from Sydney and one, though long, flight straight to destination. No more hassle of getting through LAX and then finding next connection in 2 hrs. Maybe not the best example of Texas life but at least a start and may even throw in a day trip to Fort Worth. Of course keen to check out that famous floor museum. Yes, the lesser known 5th Floor Museum in the Blocked Suppository building where Ellie May shot JR. A cut lunch on the grassy knoll and join the cattle ride through downtown should round out the visit. And maybe a beer .

Washington Yes have been there before and in a rare moment of sheer seat of your pants devilment am even staying in the same rental! Hey when you find something you like stick with it. Great area up around The Capitol. Have already seen the major attractions but this time plan to include an actual visit to The White House if possible. Last visit the Reflecting Pool was under construction, this time just emptied for winter. Oh well. Will try to include a day trip to Baltimore for some Babe Ruth memorabilia and John Waters nostalgia

Bawston Another revisit although first one was only a 3 dayer. Once again the time of year will impart a different feel to this visit. Still looking for day trip options although Salem is tempting if only to see the birthplace of a former boss – a clever vague comment which could relate to several people 🙂 Or maybe just get my rocks off at Plymouth. This will likely be the coldest city of the visit given its geographical location but an old seasoned campaigner like moi can cope. If I have anywhere near the glorious weather of last visit then it will definitely be a knob kiss.

The way the stock market is going along with the Aussie $ may not get back for a while – at least a year- so better enjoy this one. Now there is only one thing left to organise – a catchy title . “Nanook Returns” has no panache. My fans expect more.

Maybe “My Willie is Chilly”?

Bates on Fire

Posted: May 30, 2015 in TV

Another week another couple of season binge watches. Only way to fly

Bates Motel Was rather skeptical of this first up but have to admit they have fleshed out a very well know story and here we are at the end of the third season and Norman has only just started to become Norma but does look rather fetching in your basic house dress. There were some unnecessary side stories initially in season 1 but all part of the plan it seems. The strength of the show is the two leads and really some of the interaction between Norma/Norman is getting creepy to watch – keep expecting that first tonguey any moment. Norma’s brother story is a bit soapy but some hammy acting by Opie this season was great to see. The O2 girl adds a bit more soap maybe but she has screen presence and adds a sense of your more normal every day drama. There is a 5 season plan which sounds fine but ultimately the whole series may well be judged by how they nail the Season 5 finale. One suspects it wont be Norman meditating on a hill with hippies. Should involve a shower and a bedroom window at the very least.

Halt and Catch Fire Speaking of Dapper Don this has been referred to in certain circles as Mad Men for Computer Nerds and while I get the connection it is a bit early to be mentioning it in the same breath as MM. It does however show plenty of promise although maybe could do with a few lighter moments. It seems everytime some success comes their way disaster cant be far away – most self inflicted mind you. Central character of Joe is the main self imploder due to a troubled childhood no doubt bu he does display well that 80s ethos of conquer the world and pay for it next year. It may have been about an IBM clone but clearly before that they cloned Mary Stuart Masterson for the role of Cameron! Good character mix even if you want to slap a couple of them at times. The rather climatic final action of Joe before he went stargazing was handled rather oddly in that no great reaction was detected next day ? Season 2 is well set up to see their now divergent paths cross back over once more I imagine.

In other news was much excited for the arrival of Aquarius – especially in block format – until I started reading some reviews. Devoted readers would know of my penchant for all things US Presidential but coming a close second is anything set in the 6os especially if including involvement of the number one Slice and Dicer – good old Charlie Manson (yes oh anal ones I know he was not the actual killer but rather the maniacal leader!). It may be that having DD in the lead is the kiss of death but only time will tell. Watch this space.

Last week also saw the return of many of the Fast Forward etc alumnus in a new sketch show Open Slather. Many of the online critic fraternity gave it a big thumbs down while reviewing through their nostalgia stained bifocals. No, it is not as good as FF let alone the D Generation but my view is even if you only get a couple of good skits – and there were – then that is two more you can watch later you didnt have a fortnight ago. Do the Math. Australia has a rich history of great comedy/satire shows so any chance to add to this is welcome. Especially over another piece of reality crap TV! Just for your interest as I knew you were going to ask next here is my Top 5 Aussie Comedy Shows over the years. Note: IMT not included as really before my time (yes really!) but would not discount its influence on everything that followed or indeed that of Gra Gra himself

1. The Games
2. Frontline
3. D Generation/Late Show
4. Fast Forward/Full Frontal
5. The Big Gig – if for no other reason than DAAS and Sgt Smith

S.O.O. 1

Posted: May 27, 2015 in Sport

Like the latest box office CGI extravaganza no SOO can now live up to the ridiculous hype – and this one fell way short. They are never dull of course but this one bordered on boring and the ANZ surface never helps. QLD find a way to win but what is becoming more obvious is NSW still dont how to on a regular basis. QLD could not score despite having 73 chances in the second half and so we were left with the ridiculous sight of a 45m penalty goal attempt after NSW had just made 273 tackles on their line. Alfie actually physically threw up in the background as he was trying once again for another MOTM award simply for being on the field the most of any actual Queenslander. Meanwhile NSW had two good opportunities for field goal late and blew both .Part of the QLD problem was the left hand attack of Inglis/Boyd was way below par for whatever reason and lets face it GI has not been a factor at SOO for a couple of years really. And much like the Aussie cricket team it is sad to see that the Maroons have the biggest contingent of grubs these days(damn we miss Bird) with Slater and Hodges in a class of their own. As great as Billy may be he is simply a dirty player while Hodges is simply a niggling pest. Anyhoo time for the slide rule

Slater – 7. Tried hard all night and took his hits well. Loses a point for bad behaviour
Boyd – 4. not a factor, short of a run
Inglis – 5. not a factor maybe sick, maybe well marked, maybe on walkabout. Always hard to tell with him
Hodges – 6. Involved a lot but mostly short dummy half runs or niggling. Not a good look son.
Chambers – 8. Best of the back 5 and ran with purpose
Thurston – 7. Quiet in first half, ran more in second. Does heaps of defense
Cronk – 8. Big game, especially first half. Cool and precise when needed (watch him NSW!)
Thaiday – 7. Enthusiastic as always
Parker – 6. Not many offloads and dint run with any real venom
Myles – 6. Does a lot of tackling but lets make this his last year please
Scott – 7.5. Very solid effort if lacked a lot of penetration
Smith 8.5 – very involved all night, best game for years

As for rest both McQuire and Morgan showed they are Origin players with the limited opportunities provided

As for NSW, not going to help them out by pointing out the obvious but lets just say that Dugan and Morris are always dangerous while Tamou and Woods were superb in first half, then went missing. Pearce was ok but Hodgkinson was poor as were both wingers. Refs seemed fine on the night with no obvious howlers that impacted on the match

Hard to see NSW winning the next two but equally hard to get too excited about this current QLD team which is definitely approaching its use by date

Happy Mad Men

Posted: May 24, 2015 in TV, Uncategorized

Everywhere you look there are reviews of the Mad Men series finale. So, one more cant hurt eh.

Read an interesting comment the other day that the series finale episode does not have to be the best episode because it has a specific purpose. Often the penultimate episode is a cracker ( see Breaking Bad) , after which the finale can disappoint, if somewhat unfairly. We really dont want a great series like MM to end so we project some of that disappointment onto our reviews of the episode. Generally, the world wide webby mob seem happy with this finale – but then shows like Reno Rumble rate well too. It was not a bad episode by any means but for a drama series I was hoping for something a bit more definitive with a little gut wrench – this was not Friends after all . Weiner had been exposed to some of the negative vibe from the ambiguous Sopranos finale so was always going to be a bit wary to leave us all hanging. Perhaps best way to review is to look at the various outcomes of the characters. SPOILER ALERT – HAPPY TIMES AHEAD!

Don – the central character was basically a charming and talented asshole. This is why we like him, we associate with him. The general consensus, which I agree with , is that Donny Boy sung a few verses of kumbaya, shagged a few more hippies, and then went back to NYC and created the famous Coke ad we see at the end. Seems to me he got off rather lightly while the two main women in his life got the raw deal – Betty and Sally. Good message, MW. Maybe the most amazing aspect of Don’s last journey was just how many sets of clothes he could fit into his paper bag carryall -amazing!The opening montage of every episode showed Dons fall and even a woman at first appearing to break his fall – and then kicking him? It never was going to be a drop from the 19th floor sadly – but then one could say even though his life stocks fell at times he certainly ended on a high. Nice misdirection, MW. Ya goose

Peggy While it was Don’s story, the strength of the show lay more in Peggy’s rise in the male dominated world. In the second last episode we had that marvellous vision of her walking down the halls of McCann Ericson with sunglasses on, a fag dangling and hauling some porn. This was the perfect ending for her – instead we got the Mills and Boon version where she acted like a 16 yr old about to be kissed for the first time by the hairy one an episode later. Weak ending for a strong character

Roger Always had the best lines ,even in the finale “Well she is her Mother’s age”. Once again his perfect swansong was an episode earlier drinking and playing piano. A slight stutter, a grab of the chest and a collapse on the keys – perfect. Instead he ends up eating french tarts with a french tart – and an old one too. Boring ending for a never boring character

Joan A strong last couple of episodes and maybe she makes a success of her solo adventure but she really got screwed over so many times. Sexism at work and home which of course reflected the times sadly. She remained strong and defiant which would make her the one you want to be in that lifeboat with. Especially when she comes with two extra flotation devices (Note :sexist remark only used in keeping with theme of her character)

Betty/Sally Throw them in together as usually entwined especially in the end. Betty is going to die from lung cancer (yes there is family history)- while every male smoker survives. Sally then is drawn into spending some of her best months/years looking after her and the kids.Another odd choice for character story when everyone else was singing and dancing their way through the Seventies

Pete Last of the major characters and amazingly really did get it all. Went back to watch first episode again just before finale only to be reminded of what a weasel he always was. Yet, at the end he gets his wife back and a great new job. Got me beat

So, given my general distaste for the character end stories if is fair to say the finale disappointed me – and I appear to be in the vast minority here but that is not surprising of course. The show itself though remains a Top 5 of all time effort for me that also has rewatch value if time permits. At many times it was clearly the best thing on TV

Last Sunday Night (or Monday 1500 hrs for the pedantics) it was not.