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.

Winter blues

For a few weeks I've been feeling a little lower than normal. It's not depression but a lot of the time I'd describe myself as a bit negative.
And it is getting to me.
It is clear to me that the biggest issue I have is that I worry too much and that is a big part of this lower mood as I tend to allow what most people would deem minor things become potentially major. Mountains and molehills and all that.
This became apparent yet again today as I felt crummy for most of the day and spent too much time and energy over analysing what was going on.
I'm far too sensitive to what the body is up to and as a result the imagination starts running. I wish there was a button I could push that will stop the times of worry.
I know that it is a battle I have to fight harder, to condition myself not to get caught up in `what if' and everything else that goes with it.
Is it as easy as saying to yourself `I won't worry today' or something to that effect? Like everyone else I want an easy fix but I realise it ain't going to happen like that. They don't call it the hard way for nothing!

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

To the surprise of everyone, Transformers was a massive hit and rightly so because it absolutely rocked.
Sadly, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen comes in a disappointing second as someone forgot to hire an editor to keep the film flowing.
While the original film was fast paced, tongue in cheek and packed with action its sequel is high on the action but low on the editing and as a result we have an overly long movie that lags far too often.
It is also childish in its humour, largely, as opposed to laughing at itself.
Now that I've said that you'll think I hated the film. I didn't hate it, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I expected and it definitely didn't live up to the hype.
Like the first film, the best thing going for it is its lead Shia LeBeouf as Sam Witwicky. His presence is what holds it together and what helps it later in the movie when he finally becomes the human focus. Megan Fox provides the eye candy and, sadly for her, she is reduced to just that as she is stuffed into short shorts and tank tops and asked to do a lot of running. Yeah we were all drooling, and that's what they were going for, but geez.
I thought the sidekick Leo had potential but he turned into a wimpy, blubbering mess midway through and that wasn't funny. His focus on his groin was pretty amusing though.
Of course, being Transformers, the story revolves around the battle between the Autobots and Decepticons and the writers went ahead an confused us right from the start by introducing the character called The Fallen and not explaining him nearly enough. Some of the new robots are either annoying (the twins) or just plain weird.
We're taken from prehistoric times when he landed on earth to him holed up near death on some outer planet waiting for the energy source he needs to be found. Hello? We need continuity people.
When things did get going it was great action and even though it did wind up pretty quickly (as opposed to taking forever to get going) there was some redemption. But at 150 minutes they were pushing it.
Hopefully when Transformers 3 comes around they can produce something slick like the original and not rushed like this second outing. My advice, lower your expectations. It gets a 7 out of 10 - the original got an 8.5 from me.

My top 5 Michael Jackson songs

Like most people around the world I reacted to the news of Michael Jackson's passing with a fair amount of shock.
But, and I wonder if this is a different thought to others, it's because he was one of those personalities you thought would be around forever. Some people, above the rank of celebrity, seem immortal. Princess Diana was one of those.
So in honour of the King of Pop, these are my favourite Michael Jackson songs. They may not be his biggest sellers or signature tunes but I reckon they were supreme anthems.

5. Man In The Mirror
A haunting memory from my high school days, this song is actually quite inspiring. If you want to change things start with yourself, a great message.
4. Smooth Criminal
I'm not exactly sure to this day what the song is actually about but it is so infectious.
3. You Are Not Alone
This song is a perfect example of what he was capable of, a perfect ballad. It's heartfelt and moving and I never tire of hearing it.
2. Come Together
While the Beatles version is excellent I think this is one of the few covers that surpasses the original. What he did to this song was give it the guts it needed, the heavier sound. It's also the only song I have sung karaoke more than once.
1. Give In To Me
Dangerous was the first CD I ever owned and this song was always the standout. With Slash on the guitar, this song also has guts and a sound that makes me want to scream out the words. The video clip is awesomely cool as well.

Careful what you wish for

Tomorrow sees the beginning of what will be a fairly steep learning curve for me at work.
It's a great thing, because it is something I have wanted a crack at for a while, but the last week or so it has occurred to me that I might not be ready.
I have some experience at what I will be doing but, basically, within a month I have to know how to run the show on my own. Big step. A fair bit daunting. Totally achievable, though.
It is exciting, and does show to me that hard work is rewarded sometimes. The circumstances aren't the best, though, and that is making things a bit strange.
The important thing, I think, when I'm learning in the coming weeks is to not expect to know everything straight away. Take it a step or two at a time.
On other topics, I love rainy weekends occasionally. So this weekend was kinda nice. Although both days started with a big tease of a fine day before those hopes were dashed fairly quickly.
Aside from State Of Origin II this week the anticipation for the Transformers sequel is pretty high. It has been caned a bit in the reviews this weekend but I come to expect that from most of the critics I read.
I'm not really expecting a great storyline (hey, they are 80s ex-cartoon robots) and with 150 minutes to get through that is some concern. But if the action is as good as the trailer makes out then it should be a wild ride.
I've otherwise had a fairly good weekend. I finished reading the fourth instalment of Buffy season 8 and it is starting to lose its appeal. They should have stuck with the TV series, but then again it is a comic so I shouldn't be too harsh. I do enjoy finding out what happened next and you don't get that with a lot of TV shows.

The Hangover

Just a little contrary to a lot of reviews, I don't think The Hangover is one of the funniest movies you'll see - but it is a good laugh.

It's a pretty simple premise. Four guys head to Vegas for a bucks party and wake up the next morning with no memory of what happened, only a trail of destruction.

It's how they got to that point, to the point of losing the buck, that is the bulk of the story and the bulk of the fun.

Somehow there were chickens, a tiger, a hooker, Mike Tyson, a stolen police car and a somewhat strange Asian man. Most of it is explained, some of it is left up to the imagination.

Of the four main characters, Alan (Zack Galifianakis) steals the show. He's hard to sum up and you kind of have to see him to get it. Bradley Cooper (seen in Yes Man among others) is Phil, a school teacher who seems to hate his students and is up for a good time. Dentist Stu (Ed Helms) is about to propose to his girlfriend despite the fact she is mean to him and has already cheated once that he knows of. This trio spend most of the film working out what happened to them and where Doug (Justin Bartha) ended up.

Heather Graham makes a return to film as the hooker Jade and she actually adds a bit of class.

Overall, I had a pretty good laugh at this film and it was awesome when they did the big reveal of what actually happened. However, I Love You Man was much funnier, despite the wraps for The Hangover.

Having said that it is worth a watch and you can't ask for a lot more than a good laugh most of the time. I see they are considering a sequel. Bad idea.

A 7.5 out of 10.

New Moon trailer

The second film in the Twilight series, New Moon is a step closer to release with the first trailer now doing the rounds.
From the first look it appears faithful to the book again, which is important, and it gives us the first viewing of the new Jacob (same actor of course), something that was hinted at for those who were listening at the end of Twilight when Edward was escorting Bella into the ball.
Naturally, if you've read the books there are no surprises only anticipation as to how it will all look (the Italy stuff could be pretty cool). Personally, I'm looking forward to a few scenes that should be in Eclipse, the third film, coming out next year.
If you haven't read the books I'd advise it, while it will spoil what is going to happen in some ways it will open up the story more. When I watched Twilight I could easily fill in the gaps that the film had and I think that helped, rather than hindered which can happen with adaptations.

Infighting

I had a bit of an off day yesterday and after having a chat with a friend about it had a few thoughts on the matter. I spent the day feeling rather negative, largely to do with some little things going on that I managed to turn into big things.
To be clearer, even though I know better I let some minor aches and sensations bother me to the extent that I wondered if there was something seriously wrong. It's a common complaint of someone who has suffered anxiety, and it bothers me greatly that I let my mind run away with me.
It seems to me that when there should be unity between the body and the mind they just keep fighting each other. When I was chatting to my friend about it he said, and quite appropriately, that if you want to find something wrong with yourself then if you look hard enough you will find something, regardless of how minor it is.
Life can be hard enough without being your own worst enemy, I reckon.
I'm also having difficulties with another friend of mine who just doesn't let other people in when times are tough. I really want to be supportive, and not just lip-service supportive, but he's good at not letting me, making him harder to care for than it should be.
The big issue is that there is a major event in his life and I don't know how badly it is affecting him because he won't show it. Occasionally I might get a glimpse, even tonight I could tell.
I'm doing my utmost to let him know I care (and he knows that without any doubt, I'm sure of that) and I hope that is enough, for now.

I Love You, Man

I have to cut right to the chase, I Love You, Man
is the funniest and best comedy I have seen in quite a while. It's always tough when someone wraps a movie so much because you expect it to be great, so I'm sorry for that.
But it had to be said. I haven't had such a belly laugh in ages. And it's a fairly simple story, there's plenty of truth in it, and a lesson for men everywhere.
Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) is getting married and it quickly becomes apparent that he has no mates, he's only had girlfriends and all the guys have dropped away.
So he is set up by his brother to go on `man dates' to make new friends. The people he comes across are an eclectic bunch, from a gay man who thinks it is a real date to an 89-year-old internet savvy man whose picture is not a representation of himself.
Peter then meets Sydney (Jason Segal), a single man who prefers divorcees because he is not looking for anything serious. They strike up a friendship despite Peter's inability to talk `guy talk'.
In some ways this is a romantic comedy about two guys developing a friendship. It plays out in a fairly standard manner but at the same time is rollicking good fun.
As far as guys go, there is something to be taken from this movie about male friendship and its role in a man's life. It is something that, from experience, I think that a lot of married men I know should consider a bit. At the same time there are a few who seem to have it worked out.
There are no Oscars here, but it is engaging, well written (if a bit over-crude early on) and well performed. I can't ask for any more, and the teardrops of laughter say I enjoyed myself immensely. An 8.5 out of 10.

The weight

I had an incident involving the bathroom scales this evening that has prompted me to act on something that has been on my mind for a little while.
Yep, I need to lose a few kilos.
Now this isn't normally a big issue for anyone (male at least) except for my small issue with weight loss and what it can mean for someone in my situation. It's entirely a head thing I know and it is a problem I have to get over.
So what I am proposing to do is to simply get back into the habit of taking a daily, or at least five times a week, walk. Just to get moving more. Somehow I stopped doing it and I'm not sure exactly why. It's something I generally enjoy and, really, my discman doesn't get out as much as it should!
The main reason I want to lose a bit is I just feel a little uncomfortable and while `packing it on' in winter tends to be acceptable to me it doesn't sit as well in practice as it does in theory.
So no major diets, my food intake is quite healthy with a few little exceptions, but just more exercise. Let's see how we go....

Treading water

It's probably better to be treading water than to be struggling against the tide.
If I'm being really honest I'm doing better than treading water but I have to admit to an amount of frustration at the thought.
Are my expectations too high? Or am I putting too much pressure on myself to live a certain way, do certain things because I feel I should be?
I was told a fairly while back that if I enjoy doing something I should do it (of course we are talking within reason and the law) and not feel bad about it. Then I get the feeling I am missing out.
I look at some of my friends and the lives they lead and wonder whether I should strive to be more daring, a bit reckless or spontaneous instead of playing it safe. There's no such thing as safe though is there?
Should I be married, have children, a mortgage?
Life would certainly be a lot different, perhaps they would be great things to have in life and take my focus away from myself. That's probably the issue, where my focus is. Caution can be counter productive. Treading water can get exhausting.