Recap

A lot has happened in the past week and a half, mostly positive, a few challenges and maybe a lesson or two.

Starting at the start, last week I was thrust into the position of acting editor.

I guess they don't call it a baptism of fire for nothing. With little experience in the everyday (and more crucially the deadline day) running everything fell onto me for a week while the boss was away. You see we have had cutbacks, as most workplaces have, and that has left us a lot shorter than we are used to - particularly when someone is on holidays.

One advantage I had was that I paid a bit of attention to what was going on over the past couple of years when it came to how the paper is operated. So at least I had some idea. But when the boss neglects to tell you a few things here and there it can leave you on the hop a bit.

Fortunately it all went pretty smoothly. I was busy, for sure, and it seemed that any time I tried to get something done the phone would ring and I'd have to deal with something.

What I learned was that I'm not ready for that responsibility just yet but that I can handle it. That was the only issue as I approached the week. I wasn't sure if I could pull it off.

By the end of the week I was a bit drained but otherwise fine. I took the attitude that I wasn't going to let anything stress me out too much, I wasn't going to panic if something went wrong. It was a good plan but one that ultimately went untested.

After a cruisy Friday night I went to a bucks party (that's most of the crew in the photo) at the Lowenbrau in the Rocks. For those who don't know it is a German theme restaurant and beer house and the scene for many a bucks party over the years I'm sure.

Whether the night actually counts as a bucks night is debatable being a second marriage but we thought we'd kidnap the guy and treat him to a night out.

Largely it was a good one. After several hours there we pressed on in search of something that was ultimately unattainable - a live band.

This meant wandering around the Rocks for a while then onto Surry Hills where we traipsed around the streets frustratingly and came up empty handed.

We then crammed six people into my car and drove to Botany to a 24-hour pub where we played a bit of pool and put old songs on the video jukebox until about 2am.

Then I drove most of them home with all sorts of antics going on. I was breath tested on the way home. I always find this amusing. One time when asked how long since my last drink I replied `about three years'. This time I was more restrained. While I was never in danger there were a good dozen cars pulled over whose drivers had obviously exceeded the limit.

It had to be the latest night I've had for a long time. I was able to sleep in until about 9 in the morning but it takes an effect.

On other topics, later that day my sister and nephew dropped around for a while. I had to postpone a catch-up with a new friend that I was looking forward to, hopefully that will happen this weekend. It's great when you meet someone new and kinda click.

I'm almost finished reading The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn (will review upon completion) and have bought A Midsummer Night's Dream for my next read.

Yeah, I'm going for a bit of culture in my reading at the moment.

Intermission

It has been a big last seven days and I really haven't got around to posting.
Will get to it shortly....

Raising the bar

While flicking channels during dinner I couldn't help but keep an eye on the Oz top 50 countdown that was happening on one of the music channels.
The impact of Michael Jackson is still being felt. At one stage there, in the low 20s, he had four out of five songs that were played while I was watching. The likes of Bad, You Are Not Alone, Heal The World and Beat It - all these songs ranging in age from 27 years to 14 years.
I wonder, actually I hope moreso, whether these songs regaining popularity will lead to the bar being raised for music these days.
We have far too many artists taking the easy way with cheekily vulgar songs or so called R&B, too many of the likes of Lily Allen, Lady Gaga, heck they all seem the same to me.
There used to be a time that I'd almost religiously watch the music video shows on the weekend and I'd like the large majority of songs. Now I look at the charts and can count the number of songs I like with my two hands - with the exception of the last couple of weeks with the Jackson influence.
I used to buy a CD a week almost. Now I might buy one a month, or maybe average 1.5 a month.
I hate it how some artists feel they need to copy the trashy, unappealing young girls, I fear that the new Mariah Carey CD will continue the trend of her having a few good songs and a heap of throwaway songs. I read that they were trying to create a greatest hits CD with new songs and while that is a high bar to set maybe they should first look at her hit list - great songs that didn't need sex to sell them. She should be paying more attention to singers like Pink and realising you don't need to undress to have attitude. Great songs speak for themselves.

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

It is getting to the stage where we need to start these films with 'previously on Harry Potter...' because it is hard to keep up for those who haven't read the books.

One thing I will say is that Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince is a lot better than its predecessor, the Order Of The Phoenix.
What strikes you as we get towards the end of the series is how much the three leads have grown up - they really looked like little kids in the first film and now they are well and truly young adults.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), in his sixth year at Hogwarts, takes a potions class run by the mysterious Professor Horace Slughorn at the encouragement of Dumbledore. Potions aren't really Harry's thing.

He acquires a potions text book that carries the writing 'property of the Half-Blood Prince' and seems to carry the secrets that the standard texts don't - Harry subsequently outdoes everyone else, including a frustrated Hermoine (Emma Watson).

Meanwhile, the deliciously ambiguous Professor Snape (again wonderfully played by Alan Rickman) takes an oath to oversee Draco Malfoy as he performs a task for the dark lord (Voldemort).

Elsewhere, love seems to be in the air as Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) is pursued by girls after starring in a Quidditch game much to Hermoine's disgust.

In what has been described as quite a dark film there is an awful lot of comedy going on and that really lifts this instalment. Particularly the scene where Harry drinks a liquid luck potion and seems to wander around in a state of inflated good feeling, and he wanders down to visit Hagrid who is mourning the death of his super-tarantula. Weird and very amusing.

I'm happy to say the Half-Blood Prince is a massive improvement on the last film but not quite up there with the high standard set by the first four. A 7.5 out of 10 and we head to the two-part finale interested in how they are going to do it.

Baptism of fire

They say the best way to learn something is the hard way.
As a general rule I'm not sure I agree but I found out at work today that being thrown in the deep end is actually beneficial. You find out whether you can handle a difficult task.
At this stage I think I handled a difficult task quite well, though I didn't have lunch until 2.30pm or so and thought I might explode (for different reasons) around lunch time. So much information to take in and so many different people coming to you for instruction.
So running the show today was unexpected, it wasn't supposed to happen until next week, but it seems a baptism of fire can tell you a lot about yourself.
And, in hindsight I think it was great to get the experience today for next week.
Like I said a while ago, careful what you wish for.

Cradlesong

A few years ago Rob Thomas released a cracking solo album called Something To Be that was so good many thought it spelled the end for Matchbox 20.
Great pop/rock songs like Lonely No More, This Is How A Heart Breaks, Ever The Same and the title track suggested Rob Thomas was about to become the next George Michael or Jimmy Barnes and break away from the group that made them famous.

With the release of Cradlesong it seems the future of Matchbox 20 is secure because Rob Thomas has produced a handy, passable follow up that will knock nobody off their feet. I'm a fairly decent fan of Matchbox 20 and Rob Thomas and I liked Cradlesong but I could quite easily put it away and go back to Something To Be.

One problem for me is that the lead single and first song Her Diamonds is pretty annoying. It is a bit catchy but I simply don't like it. Fortunately the third track Give Me The Meltdown is much more like it and leads to a few decent songs. Still Ain't Over You is in contention for best song on the album and the title track and finale Getting Late are excellent and wind up the record well.

If you're a fan you will like it but wonder why he didn't do better. It's almost like he tried to be too laid back and introspective (on some songs) whereas Something To Be had a bit more guts.

I hope it is an album that grows on me, as some do, but even if it does it is still a poor cousin to his debut solo record.

So Rob it's either back to Matchbox 20 or to the drawing board for the solo stuff mate. Cradlesong is nice and has its highlights but you can to a whole lot better than this.

How to win $1 million in style

If you haven't seen this clip it is worth a watch.
I don't know if I could be as composed, or as brazen I might add, as this guy but it makes great television.

The Listener

Every now and then you find a new TV show that's a cut above the drivel the networks serve us up.
Mostly, sadly for us Aussies, to watch the quality stuff you have to rely on the internet. So it is with the Canadian drama The Listener which although it is not a new concept caught my attention in one episode.
Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik) is a mid-20s paramedic who, through something he sees as a curse, can read minds. Only one person, his childhood counsellor, knows of his ability.
With his past somewhat cloudy, Toby starts to see his ability as a gift and seeks to help people (he really does pry quite a lot into things ambos probably don't ever go near).
It's not the concept that makes the show appealing but the characters and certainly the lead, who I have never heard of before.
So far 13 episodes have been produced and it has apparently been picked up by NBC in the States for the summer. It will be interesting to see how it goes, since I am only in the early stages at the moment.

`Head in the sand'

Yesterday I met a guy called Scott.
From what I can tell he'd be in his early 20s and he seems just like anyone else.
I met Scott at a seminar about IBD.
What struck me about him is, just as I said, he appears your average inner-wester, he seems happy.
He also has IBD, not the same as me but not entirely different.
He was there because, in his words, he has his `head in the sand' about it and thought it was a good idea to hear a few experts speak on the topic.
I was there for somewhat similar reasons although I can't get away with saying I've been ignorant because that is far from the truth. If anything I'm a little too informed.
We had a bit of a chat and during it I think something clicked for me.
Here's a young guy who, despite admitting to his ignorance about his condition, has been living life as best he can.
It occurred to me that I hadn't been and today I felt pretty good about myself. All the negative emotions are really not helpful and when they are around things seem to spiral out of control.
I'm not saying I am going to stick my head into the sand and ignore everything but at the same time there is merit in doing it occasionally, in a way.
Before I left I gave Scott a business card (I can't believe I actually had one on me because there have been many times when one would have come in handy and I was out of them) in case he wanted to get in contact. I don't expect him to though (and said that).
The good thing is I learned something by meeting Scott, and I wouldn't have if I didn't go along.

Chance meeting

I don't know whether it is significant or not but today I bumped into a guy I hadn't seen in maybe four years since he left church.
Funny thing was, initially I didn't remember his name. It was on the tip of my tongue but I just couldn't place it. Fortunately we had a bit of a chat and a coffee (well he had the coffee) and when ordering it they asked his name. Bingo, and it saved me a bit of embarrassment.
Ever seen the movie Sliding Doors? Well had I not caught the train I did this afternoon I would have arrived at the shopping centre 20 minutes later than I did and would not have bumped into him. I don't know if that is a significant thing or not. But it was odd after so long.