Notable mentions

Been a fairly busy week thus far so haven't had so many opportunities to post.
Here are a few highlights....
- My nephew started year two yesterday and he spent a bit of time telling me that last year he had five detentions.
- I heard that One Tree Hill is getting a seventh and final season.
- I've been getting right into The Big Bang Theory after some guys at work were raving about it. Very funny show.
- I'm off on my short trip away tomorrow, can't wait.

Shouting at the TV

Don't you find it amazing, and a little strange, how watching sport can make you feel like you are there and what you say can have an impact on the game?
So I was watching the tennis tonight, fourth round of the Australian Open, and I found myself shouting at the TV supporting the Aussie, Jelena Dokic. Things like willing the opponent to double fault, complementing great shots, and saying `c'mon' a large number of times.
It's the feelgood story of the last few years how Dokic has climbed out of the wilderness and returned to Australia, making it through the qualifying to make the semi finals. And you only had to see the response she's been getting to know that all is forgiven and she has been embraced. So she won 7-5, 5-7, 8-6 and she found all the way, showing courage and endurance and she thoroughly deserves it. The top seed was knocked out from her side of the draw today so maybe she might get a crack at the title.
I think it is a good thing to shout at the TV from time to time, but it can be frustrating.

Late resolution

I'm not one for making new year's resolutions and this isn't one of them but a resolution is a good word to describe this decision. A vow, promise to myself are other good ways.
A hobby of mine from a long way back has been to have a bet on the horses, only natural when you look at my job.
Several years back a friend challenged me to go a month without betting and I did and got through it fine, so much so that I kept up that one month off each year for a few years.
I've decided I'm going to not bet for the month of February. Not only is it good to stop I think that I need to as I've been pushing my limits a bit from time to time and while that's okay if you keep winning the reality is that you also go through periods of losing.
That's where people can get stuck and drawn into addiction. Also, February is an expensive month for me with car registration due. So it makes sense to me to kill two birds with one stone. Funnel the bulk of my funds, where necessary, into the car and save the rest. Another good thing about February is that while there are a few major races it is not until March and April when the best comes along again so I won't feel like I am missing anything.
I don't have any concern about not being able to keep it up but I would like to ask for others to check up on me, ask me about it during next month.

Pushing the comfort zone

I live in a world that is predictable, to an extent, manageable and largely comfortable (relatively speaking) and I am preparing to, in a small way, step out of that comfort zone.
Next weekend I have a short trip away planned. It's really only 36 hours but it is to a place that is largely foreign to me (I've been there once, about 9 years ago).
That's the whole point though. To go somewhere that will stretch me a bit. As much as I, in some way, enjoy my world I have long craved to snap out of the patterns of the last couple of years.
There's a longish story behind it so if you want to know then ask and I will tell you.
But I have been working up to doing this for a while, and I've been keen to go south for a while as well (a longer while) and after Christmas I decided I should do it.
After a day or so of changing my mind, or trying to talk myself out of it a bit, I locked in the trip, booked accommodation and flights and now we're set.
I really can't wait for this flying visit, it's exciting and there are a few places I plan to go that I have always wanted to see.
I'll explain fully when I get back but I couldn't hold it in any longer.
Look at me, I'm growing!

Role Models

Sometimes a comedy that relies heavily on crudeness works and sometimes I think they cross a line.
Role Models is a film that would have been better served, in my opinion, by toning down the crudity just a bit. That said, I still had a laugh but I couldn't help but think it should have been better.
Paul Rudd, who I do have a bit of time for, is Danny and Sean William Scott is Wheeler, and they are two very different men who work together promoting an energy drink.
Danny is feeling particularly like life is stamping its feet on top of him while Wheeler is basically Stifler from the American Pie films grown up a little.
Danny's attitude causes them to be charged with a number of minor offences and they are forced onto community service after Danny's girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks), a lawyer, saves them from jail (she also broke up with Danny causing his bender).
They are forced to work with children in need of mentoring. As the poster suggests, pretty bad idea. One of the kids though didn't need any encouragement to be a pest.
I was expecting a bit more but there are the usual Stifler-style scenarios from Wheeler while Danny gets a kid whose parents need a lesson in accepting their son.
Look, it's a comedy, it's fun most of the time and I had a laugh. I wanted a few more laughs but they sold them out for the lowbrow angle. One for the guys, though strangely there were more women in the audience. Go figure. A 6.5 out of 10.

Underappreciated

Do you ever feel like you're falling over yourself to help someone or make their life easier and they don't notice?
Perhaps that description is a slight exaggeration but it doesn't seem too far from the truth. To me anyway. I guess I'm feeling a little taken for granted at the moment.
There's a lot deeper basis for the situation that is hard to explain.
I always had an issue with myself in that I take things too seriously and that clashes a bit with my predicament. Yep, those in question seem to be able to live with less commitment and thus things don't hit as hard.

OK, cut the crap. One of my better mates lives life very much on the easy side, they rarely tie themselves down and just cruise at their own pace. I envy that quite a lot. There seems to be less stress involved there, from an outsider's point of view.
The trouble is they don't realise there are other people who don't share their desert island way of life. Again I say I envy that outlook but it gets hard to deal with.

I can get a bit on the self involved side at times but I do try very hard to put my friends first. This, hence this post, at times either goes un-noticed or unappreciated. I know my own expectations can get in the way. You know what, they aren't even expectations. More idealisms. My idea of how things should be seems to vastly differ and that causes friction sometimes.
But how can it be a bad thing to consider others first and openly care for others? I just can't work that out.

Edge of the seat stuff

Back when I was a teenager the cricket used to be exciting.
The main reason was that Australia was not the dominant team at the time, that title went to the West Indies, and any game we won had to be truly earned.
Over the past decade or so we have taken it for granted that the Aussies would win and they did most of the time. But in the last 12 months things have swung away from us.
I, for one, think this is actually a good thing.
Over the last few days we've had two matches against South Africa and the result was unpredictable and hung in the balance both times. Today we prevailed by six runs but it was a nail biter, real edge of the seat stuff. It was exciting and I think it is great for cricket.
I have to admit I lost a lot of interest in cricket because I don't get a kick out of easy wins where the other team just isn't competitive. So my interest turned to rugby league a few years back as it was becoming much more interesting to watch.
Footy season doesn't start for another six weeks or so and I will be watching the cricket, when I can, with some interest to see if it can maintain its new found holding power.

Seven Pounds

This is a hard movie to review because I don't want to give too much away.
Let me start by saying that Seven Pounds is heavy going but there is a point to it. I don't know that it is an uplifting film but there are certainly plenty of positives to be drawn from it.
Will Smith plays a man who seeks out seven people who deserve to have their lives change for the better. He's in a position to help them but only if their situation warrants it.
He's not a guardian angel, he has no supernatural powers. He's driven by guilt, it becomes clear very quickly but exactly why takes time.
Rather than go into the plot I'd like to say that the ending raises plenty of questions about his motivation. Was he helping people to seek redemption? And would what he did earn him redemption?
Seven Pounds is a film that requires your attention. There is no use drifting in and out because here is so much information to be taken in and observation is a big part of it.
To be frank it is a fair bit depressing but I did come out feeling like it was a worthwhile experience. There was one scene where `living an abundant life' was mentioned and I wonder whether that is the take home message from the film. It's not about wealth, in case you thought that, it is about living life and not living in fear.
There is a bit of a question mark over where the title comes from. I had a theory based on what I saw and there is another theory I have read about that seems true as well, and it comes from the Merchant Of Venice. But that's all I will say on that topic.
I reckon I could write pages trying to deconstruct this. I'll leave it as a very thought provoking, gripping, emotional and dramatic film that, if you are into that type of thing, you will be riveted. I was. An 8 out of 10.

From the vault

It's amazing when you a hear a song how it brings back memories or takes you to a different time in your life. While I'm not going to go into detail, as I can only write so much, I've had that experience in the past week or so.
Just after Christmas I bought myself an iTunes card and started to download songs to my computer (I'm always playing music when I'm sitting here typing or surfing) and it is funny that most of them have been blasts from the past. Those old songs I don't have in the CD collection for whatever reason.

Here's a rundown of what I've added lately:
Take On Me-a ha
You Found Me-The Fray
The Prayer-Andrea Bocelli & Celine Dion
Emotion-Bee Gees
Alone-Heart
Drive-The Cars
No Myth-Michael Penn
No Good-Kate Voegele
When Tomorrow Comes-Eurythmics
I Can Dream About You-Dan Hartman
Lean On Me-Club Nouveau
Get Used To It-Roger Voudouris
Don't Hold Back Your Love-Daryl Braithwaite
Drop The Pilot-Joan Armatrading

It's quite an eclectic mix of old and new songs but that's my taste. I like all sorts of songs but, I have to admit, the ones that are emotion-driven seem to speak the loudest to me.
Who knows what I'll remember and add next....

A letter of disgust

I need to get this off my chest, I don't for a second think anyone related to commercial television networks will read it but I will feel better having said it.

Dear network TV,
I feel it is right for me to point out, as a consumer, that the treatment of viewers by all commercial networks in Australia is appalling. Any program that doesn't make a million viewers in its first two weeks seemingly gets dropped regardless of the following it may have. Nothing gets a chance to be built up. As a result I don't watch commercial programs other than the news and repeats of Friends and The Simpsons. My other viewing consists of the programs you hype, and some you ditched, by other means (i.e. imported DVDs, the internet). While this may not concern you I should point out that revenue for commercial television comes from advertising. I am not seeing the advertisements your clients are placing so their money is wasted, on me anyway. And I know I am not the only one who watches their favourite shows in this way. To channel nine, you guys wouldn't know a great show if it hit you in the face. Passing on Chuck was a bonehead idea, it's the most interesting, funny and entertaining show in years. Now Fox 8 gets a belated go. I'm just glad it was recommended to me, now I'm into season two and it is just getting better. So perhaps it might be an idea to treat your viewers with some respect and consideration. Instant success is very rare, real success must be built over time. So thanks to technology and globalisation I get to see what I want to see without being treated like someone who doesn't matter.
Sincerely,
Ray.

Now I do feel somewhat better. It's just good to have a rant now and then. In some way I envy the USA, as it is large enough to sustain the shows that we here get little access to. Great example is One Tree Hill, half way through season 6 in the States, didn't make it half way through season 1 here. Thank God for DVD.

Comic book guy stereotype

I was wandering down Pitt Street this afternoon and I decided to head into the Comic book store there for a browse.
I had been in there before and I was, at the time, slightly motivated to see if the latest Buffy collection was out. As I made my way around the store I started to notice the people behind the counter.
Now I must offer apologies to Brant here because I know he's right into the comics world but I was very amused that the staff was largely living up to the comic book nerd stereotype.
Without being able to recall exact conversation there was a lot of banter about the significance of certain characters, issues of comics and well you get what I mean. One of the staff would pass as `normal' in that you wouldn't have picked him for a fan. One particular member might as well have had stereotype printed on his shirt.
I'm not having a go at them, I was just amused that these people (and more particularly this situation) exist. In certain situations, like with movies or racing, I could well come across in the same manner if I worked say in a music store (I can picture myself a John Cusack-like character from High Fidelity - sweet).
Anyway, I picked up Buffy season 8 volume 3: Wolves At The Gate. The whole comic continuation of the (awesome) TV series is starting to wear thin but I will continue for now as when you are a fan of something it is hard to let go.

Sleepless in Sydney

When you get home at 9pm or thereabouts and it is still 30 degrees you know you're in for a hot night.
It was the same yesterday. I had to resort to using a relaxation tape to get me to doze off when I couldn't get comfortable. Everyone complains about the weather, probably more than anything else, yet it is one thing we have no control over.
At the moment it's a heatwave but a few days ago we were obsessing over the coldest December in a while or something to that effect.. Where had summer gone? Now it's too hot!
I haven't exactly had sleepless nights, it just takes a while to count enough sheep to get the job done. Feels a bit like it though when you wake up after just six hours when eight would be much better. The predictions are that we're getting a 10 or so degree drop in temperature tomorrow so things should be more pleasant.
It was a fairly standard day today. Watched the cricket after work for a while and it was very intriguing for the fifth day of a test match but also satisfying to see Australia scape home to beat South Africa for what will really only be a consolation win. I went out to the club for dinner with some mates then watched an episode of Chuck before getting ready for bed.
So I sit here in my shorts ready to hit the sack. Sounds like a good idea.

Yes Man

What a way to start the year!
I have to declare, for those who don't already know, that I am a huge Jim Carrey fan so I was always going to like Yes Man .
You've probably seen the trailer and know that this is about Carl, a man who chooses to live his life by making excuses and avoiding things - he's a no-man.
He's challenged by a friend to start saying `yes' and, really, he takes it to the extreme level (you'd expect that from Carrey though) to the point where he says yes to anything.
In essence I guess this is another version of Liar Liar but I think there is a point to it, at least I found one.
The lesson is to live life. Say yes once in a while and that is the lesson that Carl learns, eventually. We don't need to say yes to everything, because the consequences of that are plain to see on the screen. But by saying no too much we are cutting ourselves out of life. I should know.
So I see this as somewhat prophetic, a reminder that I need to start saying yes more often.
Look you really get what you see otherwise with Yes Man. There are a few queasy bits but basically it's just a sit back and laugh film and what's the harm in that.
Don't pay any attention to the reviews. Sometimes reviewers, and I know a few of them, expect every film to be Shakespearean to have any substance. Few take a film for what it is. This is a comedy, it is out there, surreal and largely implausible. But that doesn't make it a bad movie.
If you like Jim Carrey in films like Liar Liar, Dumb And Dumber, Ace Ventura etc then this is a worthy addition. If you don't then don't see this film. I had a great laugh, an excellent start to 2009 (with the new Harry Potter trailer thrown in). An 8 out of 10.

The 2008 Raymo awards

As predicted last December it was a patchy year at the movies but I still saw 33 films throughout the year, starting with the traditional light film P.S. I Love you and ending with Twilight. The difference between this and previous years is that I saw more crap movies or disappointing movies than ever before.
I don't know whether I chose wrongly or whether Hollywood's cheapening continued at a faster rate than usual - probably a bit of both. So here I present my top five films of 2008.

1. Lars And The Real Girl
A revelation. A film that dares to tackle a subject that could have been cheapened - man's longing for human contact. Ryan Gosling is outstanding as Lars, an average guy whose upbringing left him closed off emotionally and he turns to an internet ordered mannequin to find love. Yeah it sounds cheap but it is funny and touching and sad and utterly brilliant.
2. The Dark Knight
It's hard not to get caught up in the hype after Heath Ledger's death but this Batman sequel was his movie and he nailed it. I almost wish the film he was making when he passed doesn't come out because this is his supreme moment. He's taken an iconic character in the Joker and made Jack Nicholson look like a rank amateur. The best superhero movie made to date.
3. Horton Hears A Who
Jim Carrey's second attempt at a Dr Seuss classic is just that, an absolute classic. After a reasonable stab at The Grinch a few years back we head back to animation and Carrey steals the show, as he usually does, as the kind hearted elephant Horton who does his all to protect the world of the Who's which is located on a rogue speck of dust. Warm, very funny and with a message everyone can relate to. Loved it.
4. Gone Baby Gone
Casey Affleck stepped out of the shadow of his brother Ben (who directed the film very well) and produced one of the acting performances of the year, in one of the best films of the year and one where you didn't see the ending coming. Affleck plays a PI hired to find a little girl who has been abducted and he finds himself drawn into a web of lies, betrayal and mystery. A must see.
5. The Savages
If you like a film with flawless acting and a great story go no further. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney play siblings forced together to deal with their father who suffers from dementia. Both lead very different lives and learn valuable lessons from their estranged dad who actually sees much more than he is able to let on. Both actors are among my favourites and this is a tour de force for both. Not a flashy film but a worthy top fiver.

Honourable mentions: Prince Caspian (a worthy sequel), Twilight (but the book is heaps better), Never Back Down, Tropic Thunder (a classy comedy).
Surprise of the year: Newcastle. This Aussie surfie movie actually has a great coming of age story that you wouldn't have known existed from the trailer.
Flop of the year: Quantum Of Solace. A poor, poor cousin to Casino Royale which was actually able to hold your interest for two hours. This one couldn't make it past 90 minutes.

I had two films rated on 3 out of 10, the lowest I have ever given a film - they were The Happening (proving that the Sixth Sense was a fluke) and Harold And Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay (proving yet again sequels aren't always needed).

With 2009 kicking off with a Jim Carrey comedy and a Harry Potter film due along with the Twilight sequel New Moon hopefully we are in for a better 12 months.

Duh moment

Today would have been nothing particularly special had it not been for my stupidest act of 2008.
My sister is in town and I gave her my keys so she could get in and out of the house etc and took my spare car key with me.
As usual when I arrived at work I put a steering wheel lock on and went off for the day. When I arrived back at my car, and stepped in, I realised I didn't have the key to the wheel lock. D'Oh!
I called the road service and they told me they weren't allowed to break it in case the air bag went off as they are liable if it does. So I had to convince my sister to drive into the city with my keys so I could retrieve my car.
This wouldn't be a problem if she knew her way around Sydney. I had to direct most of the way and she still got lost twice.
Long story short she eventually made it and I got my car home, feeling a shade silly. Not sure if I'm repeating the dose tomorrow but I have found my spare wheel lock key and have attached it to my car key.
I did try to force the wheel lock off but it just kept causing the horn to go off time after time and I thought it was a bit suspicious if that kept happening. So there we have it, my clanger of 2008 with only two days remaining.

Christmas recap

It's been a few days and I largely stayed away from email and other computer technology for them. Now to get up to speed.
On Wednesday after a rather short day of work and several hours of doing not much I flew home for Christmas, the first time I'd been there for eight years as I've normally had to work Boxing Day which rules out any visits.
I had some trepidation about the flight and to some the reason would be obvious. I wasn't nervous about flying as such as I have done that a number of times before including once to the USA. Anyway the flight went without any hitches and was only a 40 minute trip in the air anyway.
The whole unwrapping presents ordeal takes on a different meaning when there is a child involved and with an eager seven-year-old distributing presents at record pace it was quite a blur. For the record I received Mad About You season 2 and It's A Wonderful Life on DVD, the book Eclipse (from the Twilight series), a bathrobe, a business shirt and some casual clothes.
We had Christmas lunch at my aunt's place as is the norm and after eating settled in for some serious Singstar sessions including the classics How To Save A Life by The Fray and Alone by Heart duly butchered by myself.
The other couple of days away were your standard and were taken up a lot by watching the horse racing, cricket and my nephew tormenting the cats.
The drive back to Sydney was uneventful except for the consistent and not as annoying as I thought it would be inquiries of essentially `are we there yet' from the back seat. The young guy is staying in town for a couple of weeks with his dad before going back home.
So there's an abridged version of the last few days. A good Christmas, a milestone achieved and a reasonably relaxing time. Hope yours was good too.

Happy Festivus

Just a quick one to everyone out there to say a big happy Festivus to all.
Instead of airing my grievances I'll just say that I haven't helped myself out as much as I should and that I will try harder in 2009.
Merry Christmas to all, I'll be off line for a few days.

Chuck

TV networks here really wouldn't know a good show if it hit them in the face.
And it seems they've missed the boat with my wonderful new obsession Chuck which is due to start on Pay TV in January.
A comedy-action series, this show was recommended to me by a neighbour and after about 10 minutes I was hooked.

It's apparently been voted in the top 10 shows of the year in the USA and it is easy to see why.

With pay picking it up here that mean some genius at the networks passed on it, probably the same bunch that passed on Dexter, Gossip Girl and Friday Night Lights, just to name a few.
For the uninitiated, Chuck centres on the unlikely life of an average computer geek Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, centre) who is implanted with government secrets by an old college friend-turned spy. Yeah it sounds odd but it works really well and the support cast is great.

Yet another series I'll be watching on the net and trying desperately to get my hands on the first season DVDs.

Security blanket

So I finished watching It's A Wonderful Life and, after wiping the eyes, immediately thought how we lose sight of the little things.
I don't know about anyone else, but the scene where people pour into George Bailey's house with money is a really emotional one. He was so busy putting everyone else first that he didn't think he was important at all. He didn't realise the impact he had on the people around him.
Hopefully this Christmas we can all take a step back and realise how fortunate we are.
Getting a gift is nice, and to me it is really the thought that matters. I don't really need anything, I'm far from rich but would be an average middle class person.
If I could have anything for Christmas, I'd love it be peace of mind. That security blanket that we all have but that some of us lose when traumatic things happen. When we're really shaken to the core and lose that aura of invincibility.
Living without that false sense of security is a battle at times and I'd really like it back. A line from the film Into The Wild hits me when I think about that, something like - `I don't think it is important to be strong but to feel strong'.
I'd like to feel strong again. That's my Christmas wish.

Meh

My new favourite word.

Of course it has been popularised by The Simpsons in the episode Hungry Hungry Homer where Homer tries to get Bart and Lisa to go to a theme park an they reply with `meh'.

When Homer tries again Lisa says, `we said Meh. M-E-H, meh.''

Since then it has been officially recognised as a word, meaning an expression of boredom or apathy.

It also popped up in one of my favourite shows at the moment, The I.T. Crowd, when Roy wears a t-shirt with the word on it.

Just as an aside, that Simpsons episode also contains another scene that I love, where Homer wakes up in a Peanuts pose on top of the dog kennel. Bart comes out and says he could hear him yelling at the swing. Homer replies, with a dejected look, `but I love the swing'. Yeah, I know what you're going to say. Meh.