Some Holiday Reading

Well, feeling a bit exposed after my last post so thought I better get back into it and deliver my final post for 2010 with Xmas and the new year fast approaching.

I thought I’d take the lazy way out and do up a list of some of the articles that have stuck with me this year. At least I thought it would be the lazy way out. Because in the end it’s taken me quite a while to track down some of them on the interweb so that I can bring them to you. And no doubt I’ve missed a few along the way, but hey, it’s been a long year and I’m sure the ones below will suffice in wrapping it all up and providing you with some ‘thinky’ holiday reading.

So firstly, it’s probably no secret that John Birmingham is one of my favourite writers and I’m regular visitor to his blog, Cheeseburger Gothic. Of the heaps of his posts I’ve got a kick out of in 2010, I’ve selected this one as it neatly summed up my feelings about the hysteria that went on during the debate about the super profits mining tax. A lot of things made me angry during the year, especially politically, but to see billionaire mining company executives trying to pass themselves off as being salt-of-the-earth working men whose only interest was for their workers really took the cake.

Sam De Brito’s blog is another that I’ve been visiting for many years now. I don’t always agree with what he has to say but thoroughly enjoy the fact he’s willing to put himself out there and ponder some very profound subject matter around society, gender and the nature of male-dom. This post in particular looked at war and some of things men as soldiers have been grappling with for centuries, and led me to reading Sebastian Junger’s latest book, War, which I also highly recommend.

One of the other things that made me angry this year was the media coverage of the Federal Election. It lacked any serious analysis of the policies being put forward by all the parties and merely concentrated on trivial matters and the politics of personality. However, reading this post from Annabel Crabb back in August shed some light on the difficulties that journalists experience during an election campaign and illustrated that not all the blame can rest entirely at the feet of our fourth estate.

As mentioned during my Top 7 Albums post, I’m a bit of a music nut and especially love delving into its history and seeing where it all began and where else it has travelled along the way. This blog article tapped into this curiosity as I’ve often wondered myself what’s to become of the music industry and what will people in 10, 20, 30 years time say when they look back at the current crop of artists. This may sound a little reverse ageist, but I just wonder who is going to be the Nirvana or Pink Floyd or The Rolling Stones to this generation. And shudder to think it might end up being The Black Eyed Peas or Lady Ga Ga or My Chemical Romance.

I discovered Grog’s Gamut after the controversy of his ‘outing’ was reported by JB. This led to me checking it out for myself and seeing what all the fuss was about, particularly as it was in the weeks leading up to the birth of Nah Seriously and I was interested and intrigued by all things blogging at the time. This post is Grog’s actual response to his outing by The Australian so thought it was an appropriate introduction despite its length, as it also raises some fascinating issues about the changing face of the media and the conflict between the old and the new.

My next entry is merely just one of many from Kathleen Noonan that I’ve enjoyed over the last 12 months. Her style of writing is always reflective and some of her subjects are often just what I need to hear after the week I’ve had over the five days before. I’ve chosen this one though as it actually lodged something in my brain and got me pulling on the runners again after a break from a calf injury. I could also relate to its ‘story’ as it reminded me how hard it is to get back into exercise after an extended break but that the rewards are great and it is always worthwhile in the end.

I first stumbled upon the blog, Dirty Laundry, 18 months ago as it had some light-hearted and amusing anecdotes about parenthood and the raising of kids, a subject matter close to my heart at the time after the birth of my son. While my occasional viewings since then have picked up the subject matter becoming a little darker and profound over the last year, I did not see this post coming at all and it has stuck with me ever since, probably because of my own childhood experiences. You certainly have to admire the courage to put it ‘out there’ and bare one's soul to all.

This was another article which nicely summed up my feelings on a particular issue. And yes, another issue that made me angry (I'm not always angry I swear!) over the course of the year. The debate in this country about refugees and asylum seekers has been confused and misunderstood for a number of years with untold falsehoods and myths being perpetuated. Articles such as this are therefore needed to state some of the facts and make clear what the reality is. Just a surprise it came from The Curious Snail. Not exactly a hotbed of objective journalism and non-sensational reporting.

My boss is a New Yorker. She’s been out here for years now but still likes to keep up-to-date on things ‘happenin’ back at home’. Consequently, this article from The New York Times came from her and again it’s one that has returned to me at times since I first read it back in July. Just as a reminder that there’s a personal story to every casualty statistic and that it’s amazing what the human spirit can come through and achieve in the face of such overwhelming odds.

And finally, this photographic essay which won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. While strictly not an article as such, nor a 2010 publication, it qualifies for this list as I was only made aware of it a few months ago. It is compelling viewing with a heartbreaking and poignant story. I defy anyone to not have a lump in their throat or a tear in their eye at the end. A more moving series of photos I have not seen.

Anyway, I’ll be incognito over the holiday period so won’t be posting again for a few weeks. Have a great Xmas then everyone and see you in 2011.

Til then Nahhers,

EDM.

Life

Life really is farked sometimes. Unfair and unjust. Remorseless and pitiless.

For surely there is no God. Or he/she is a just sadistic being with an eye for the brutal and cruel.

So what has bought this on? What has happened to prompt these tidings of ill will toward the universe and its illogical ways? Well, my wife and I suffered a miscarriage last weekend. The second one this year. But this one is hurting so much more than the first.

For we were so excited about this pregnancy and we felt ready for what it would bring. The pregnancy with the first one came to us as a shock and I think both of us were a little concerned about how soon it was to be after the birth of our first child, the much loved son. In a way, we were able to console ourselves at the time that perhaps it was for the best. Perhaps it would have been all too soon. And miscarriages do happen so there was certainly no shame in us having suffered one then.

But this time is different. As I said, we were ready and so overjoyed when we found out we were pregnant again. The quest for our little family was to continue and perhaps be complete. The gap between one and two would be perfect. The birthday would stand alone on the calendar. And my wife wouldn’t have to be heavily pregnant over the hot summer months.

So plans were made for the next nine months while other plans were reassessed and expectations altered. We could do this now but maybe wait for that until later. We should start preparing for this and perhaps think about changing that. But we hadn’t just looked toward the next nine months and all that it might bring. We’d looked toward the entire rest of our lives and couldn’t help but map it all out accordingly.

Alas, come last Saturday morning while Xmas shopping with the son, my wife rang in hysterical tears and eventually managed to say that we needed to get to the hospital urgently. I bundled the son back into the car and swearing profusely I did the five minute trip home in two before running inside to pick my wife up. She was still sobbing in tears and in pain as we rolled out of the driveway bound for the emergency ward.

The rest of the details seem so useless now. The emergency doctors couldn’t confirm anything but said the ‘evidence being presented isn’t good’. The pain for my wife got to fainting-type levels and I looked on helplessly, wishing I could stop it all and remove her from this tragedy. She’s been through so much already. Surely enough was enough. The miscarriage was eventually confirmed and the decision made to undertake the procedure. The procedure to remove the ‘foetal tissue’ as the doctor said. To take away our baby.

Fark! I’m having to do deep breathes as I type this and wipe away the odd bit of tear from my eyes. It’s still so bloody raw. Will it get better? Will we ‘move on’? Isn’t that what you’re meant to do? Go on with your life and put up the façade that everything will be all right?

Wow, what a crap few months it has been. Both friends and family of ours have suffered greatly at times and I‘m again wondering about the nature of man and the nature of the universe. I look down at the newspaper and see 50 asylum seekers feared dead in a ship wreck, including babies and children. The inquest into the abduction of Daniel Morcombe. Another suicide bombing in Baghdad. The world keeps on turning and getting crazier and crazier. More unfair and unjust. More brutal and cruel.

I’m not sure if posting this is appropriate or proper but I felt a need nonetheless. I may well come to regret it and wish I’d been more circumspect. You know, suffered in silence rather than put it down in print for the world to see.

But hey, this is my blog and I’ll write what I bloody well want. I guess as a way of honouring my wife and all she was forced to endure (for a second time). And to honour our little ‘Pip’, the child of ours that will never be.

EDM.

Scattered Ashes

All right. This has been brewing all day so prepare for some profanity and choice words. No, this is not about politics or economics or the medja. It's far more serious than all that. It’s the state of the Australian cricket team and the current Ashes Test series scoreline, which is just not cricket!

One-nil going into the third test of a five test series doesn’t sound that bad. But if you’ve been following the cricket on a day-to-day basis you would actually feel that we are three down at the moment given the shellacking we’ve received.

Not sure how that is mathematically possible but I’m sure you get the drift. Because we’ve been thoroughly outplayed and to use a quaint English phrase, ‘we’ve had our pants pulled down’. Past our knees. To our ankles. And now over our feet.

Personally, I hate when commentators rant and criticise but can’t provide any possible solutions or suggestions themselves. So I’m going to take on the role of Head Selector of Australian Cricket (that Hilditch bloke has run his race) and pick my team for the next Test. Bearing in mind it’s in Perth and must be won to give ourselves any chance of bringing the Urn back home.

I will say though that I’ve erred on the side of what is likely to occur rather than who I would like to be picked (new blood needed if you ask me) as it is for this Test only and I don’t see the selectors making any major changes.

The Nah Seriously First XI for the Third Test therefore looks like this:

Shane Watson

Shaun Marsh

Ricky Ponting ©

Michael Clarke

Michael Hussey

David Hussey

Brad Haddin

Mitchell Johnson

Ryan Harris

Peter Siddle

Doug Bollinger

Now this team does have some problems I admit. Its bowling attack contains those who have failed abysmally so far and delivered only 16 wickets in two tests. Which isn’t great when you consider they would have needed to take 40 to win them. And it takes some experience out of the side in giving debuts to Marsh and D. Hussey while Harris has still only played a handful of tests thus far.

Katich would have been picked if he wasn’t injured so a big loss there in experience, fight and grit (not many cricketers would have said no to a runner in his circumstance). Ultimately I’d like to see Watson bat down the order but with The Kat out we need him to open and hopefully build on his standard practice of at least getting to 50.

The selection of Marsh might be a bit out-of-the-box but he has an average of 85 in domestic cricket this year and is coming off a hundred just last week. Not too mention he is a Sandgroper himself and would find himself right at home in Perth. Quite literally actually.

Punter stays at first drop just because there’s no-one else vaguely capable but I’d also like to see him down the order eventually as he’s lost some of the reflexes required of a No. 3. Such a move prolonged the careers of the likes of Steve Waugh and Allan Border so no face would be lost if that actually comes to fruition in the end.

M. Hussey is a no-brainer given his form and brother D. Hussy gets his chance in place of Marcus North after piling on the runs for a number of years and currently sitting second on the ‘total runs scored’ list in the Shield comp. North’s average of 30-odd just isn’t good enough and he has failed to hold his wicket at crucial times when he’s been needed the most.

Clarke only hangs on by the skin of his teeth after his fightin’ 80 in the second innings at Adelaide although that skin is getting very thin indeed by getting himself out to a part-timer in the last over of the day. Hardly screamed ‘future skipper’ that.

Bowling-wise, as I said, the names above do not fill me with much confidence at all but like the Kamikaze during the last days of the Japanese Empire, they’re the best we’ve got at the moment.

Harris definitely remains after the Adelaide debacle as he was the only one who could hold his head even vaguely high. Just praying his dodgy knee holds up though and noted that Punter didn’t bowl him at all yesterday morning so perhaps there is reason for some concern there.

Siddle and Bollinger stay in as well as I’m hoping they can’t bowl any worse again and for a bouncy and fast Perth track. But then again, that would probably suit the English bowling lineup even more. Alas, Sid Vicious and The Champers get another chance as no-one else is really banging on the selection door except for maybe Peter George (SA) and Trent Copeland (NSW) but I think they are still a little too green.

Johnson to return as well because…because…because…well, I’m not sure why actually. Maybe I’m just hoping for a miracle recovery after going ‘back to school’ this last week with his bowling coach.

No spinner selected could be controversial I know but it is Perth and should therefore be more for the fast bowlers. It’s not like we have any match-winners in that department anyway.

So, that’s my team for the Third Test in Perth. As Australians, it’s not only our right but also our duty to debate these sorts of selections so feel free to discuss and disagree in the comments section.

It may also be worth mentioning that I think the Australian cricket team is going to look mighty different in 12 months time as a youth policy will surely occur after the probable loss of the Ashes and mass retirements of senior players. Names such as Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Tim Paine and Peter George should therefore be more prominent.

Perhaps not a bad thing in the end as a ‘rebuild’ could make for some interesting cricket over the next 2-3 years and hopefully mean normally programming is resumed (us as No. 1) by the time of the next Ashes series on these shores in 2014-15.

Oh my. Can’t believe I’m having to look that far forward.

Yours in drastically changing expectations,

EDM.

Front Vs Back

We’ve had the politics of shoe throwing and the Iraq War. We’ve had bank financing and the setting of interest rates. We’ve had the issue of a republic and an Australian head of state. And now for another one – front pocket wallet holders versus back pocket wallet holders.

Yes, all the big issues here at Nah Seriously. This one has come about following one of my more boring train trips into work on Friday where I did a quick census of how many men choose to store their wallets in their front pocket and how many their back pockets.

And to answer your question, yes, it did involve the studying of certain areas which I’ll call the front lap and the back lap of some of the men around me. A process which could have easily resulted in either a punch in the nose or an offer to have a drink sometime.

But this was in the name of sociology you see. A study of the nature of man and the particular peculiarities he brings to the storage of his ‘assets’. The monetary ones I mean. And the end result? 6-3 to the front pocketeers.

I must admit to some bias though as I’m a front pocketeer myself. Always have been. Always will I reckon. For I consider the ability to sit down wherever and whenever I choose a highly valued attribute. I’m standing up, but then decide that I want to sit down. Bang, I’m sat down.

So what happens to the back pocketeer in the same circumstance? Either he must stop and take out his wallet and hold it the entire time he sits. Or he just sits and suffers the pain and indignity of having a sharp 50c piece protruding threw his pants and getting a little too close to his most precious of orifices ( Wow, never thought I’d see that phrase in print).

Yeah, I don’t get back pocketeers. Why go through all that inconvenience and uncomfortableness? Why put your back out as your body struggles to realign itself and walk correctly in a straight line?

Maybe I’m just jealous though. All that flagrant disregard for society’s norms in saying “stuff you world, I don’t mind that my bum looks bigger in this. I don’t care for a world that is so decadent and self-indulgent that one can sit down without a second thought. It reeks of hedonism. Of entitlement. Of privilege.”

Yes, that must be what the back pocketeer is saying. His wallet position is a two fingered salute to an unkind society. A real 'fark you' to the establishment and all it values.

On retrospect, maybe we need more back pocketeers in this conformist and consensus-driven world. Maybe I need to defect and take on the back pocket as my own. In the name of social anarchy and disorder and all that.

Just not with any 50c pieces though. I’m not that bloody rebellious.

EDM.

Movember Reign - The End

Well, 1 December has arrived and so it’s now time for me to hang up my mo’. It’s been a momentus trip this last month. It’s been intriguing. It’s been emotional.

Alas, not a lot has happened since my last update except for some additional growth. As I posted last time, most of the ‘action’ occurs in the first two weeks as a design is chosen and sculptured and you then live through the shame and indignity of having not much to show for your efforts. Come the end of Week 2 though its really starting to take shape and then its just the occasional shave and trim to keep it in check.

There was a period of itchiness around the Day 18-22 mark as I expected, but it wasn’t that bad really in comparison to last time. So perhaps age or fatherhood does something to the hairs other than just going gray. Maybe it’s a sign of wisdom and enlightenment? Yeah, must be that.

On the home front, the wife hasn’t been totally against the mo’ but not exactly enthused either. There have been a few rolled eyes from time to time and questions as to when it’ll be over so I’m sure she’s looking forward to it coming off (the mo I mean). Little concerned though that my son won’t recognise me when it is removed so I’m preparing myself for a day or two of rejection there. “Hey buddy, remember me? Daddy?”

So yes, not a massive amount to report today as part of my final update. Except to say I’ve certainly had fun and I’m sure everyone whose witnessed my mo’ has had as much fun as well. I will unveil the following photos though after some technical issues last time. Because as the saying goes, a picture tells a thousand words.

Day 15:




Day 30:




Sponsorship-wise, it is still possible to make a donation via this website. And as of 6pm tonight, 1 December 2010, my tally stands at $320 so a big thank you to all those who have donated and given me the No. 1 spot amongst the Mark Spitz Appreciation Society. Your support for mens health issues in particular is greatly appreciated and hopefully it can contribute in some small way to the research and education of depression and prostate cancer amongst men.

Anyway, in a final Movember announcement, myself and a few mo bros will be taking part in the Mark Spitz Invitational swim meet on Saturday to bring the month to an appropriate end. As a result, the mo’ will remain until then so if you’re lucky, you may get one final glimpse of my mo’nificent mo before Saturday afternoon.

But you’d have to be pretty lucky I reckon. Like lotto-lucky.

EDM.

Top 5 Films

And to continue the "Top" posts as a way of further introducing myself, today we have films. Tough task again whittling it down but was eventually able to make it a Top 5.

Casablanca (1942)





Not particularly original given its picked as one of the greatest movies ever made on a lot of lists. But I genuinely love this film for a variety of reasons and it was definitely one of the first that I made my wife sit through as part of her classic film education (I deemed it an education. She probably just thought watching it would stop me hassling her).

The main reason for my attraction is the dialogue. Apparently the script was still being written as the movie was being produced so an enormous achievement to come up with that many one-liners in such a short time and under such pressure. One of the writers must have had a notebook that he/she compiled over a number of years and thought here’s a chance to throw them all in. Although I have heard it was an adaptation from a play so perhaps a lot of the dialogue had already been written.

Anyway, six lines from Casablanca appeared in the American Film Institute top 100 movie quotes, the most of any film:

“Here’s looking at you kid.” (5th)

"Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." (20th)

"Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By.'" (28th)

"Round up the usual suspects." (32nd)

"We'll always have Paris." (43rd)

"Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." (67th)

But my favourite piece of dialogue is this one. The ultimate insult, delivered with ultimate indifference:

Ugarte (Peter Lorre) to Rick (Humphrey Bogart) – “You despise me don’t you?”

Rick in response – “If I gave you any thought at all, yes I probably would.”


The Godfather – Part I (1972)




The whole story of the Corleone family crosses over three films and nearly 9 hours of running time. Parts I and II are ‘list’ favourites as well but deservedly so. Especially as Part II is one of the only occasions in film history where a sequel has come close to equalling the original. Alas, I’ve had to chose just one of them and I’ve given it to Part I as that was my introduction and made me forget I’d been watching it for over 3 hours. Beautifully scored and an unravelling plot that makes you sit on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next to him, and to her and to the ‘family’.

Brilliantly directed by Francis Ford Coppola and outstanding acting from an unknown Al Pacino at the time as the subplot to the film is Michael transforming from being the only innocent ‘civilian’ in the family with a college education and American girlfriend (Kay, Dianne Keaton), to a scheming and ruthless boss whose committed murder and ordered the murders of others.

Particularly the last scene, where he’s being confronted by Kay about being involved in organising the murder of his sister’s husband (for helping set up the murder of Sonny, Michael’s brother). She's then ushered out of the room and watches from the open door as other members of the mafia family bow down and kiss Michael’s hand as a gesture of respect and acknowledgement of him as the new Don. And then the door closes on Kay as a symbol of her estrangement from Michael as he’s been radically transformed from the man she first met.

Again, massive fan of the script and some notable pieces of dialogue (put in link):

“Leave the gun, take the cannoli”

“Mr Corleone never asks a second favour once he's been refused the first. Understand?”

“Hey, whaddya gonna do, nice college boy, eh? Didn't want to get mixed up in the Family business, huh? Now you wanna gun down a police captain. Why? Because he slapped ya in the face a little bit? Hah? What do you think this is the Army, where you shoot 'em a mile away? You've gotta get up close like this and - bada-BING! - you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit. C'mere...”

And this:
Michael – “My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.”
Kay – “Do you know how naive you sound, Michael? Presidents and senators don't have men killed.”
Michael – “Oh Kay, who's being naïve now?”


Apocalyse Now - 1979




Watched this for the first time as a 16 year-old after listening to my father wax lyrical about it for years. For a naïve and impressionable young mind, it was a total brain f#*k. War movies up until then had been old 1950s and 1960s British/American WWII stories where our gallant ‘everyman’ heroes triumphed over incredible odds and won the day for the Allies. But this. Wow. I walked away with my head spinning and it took a while for me to return to reality and truly reflect on the film as a story and piece of art.

Another Francis Ford Coppola film, it was based on the Joseph Conrad novel Heart of Darkness which is set in the Belgian Congo during the 19th century and includes a critique of European colonialism. Coppola adapted it to become Apocalypse Now and turned the story into a war one set in Vietnam and a critique of American interventionism instead.

The chaos and craziness of the plot itself was matched by the film’s production as told in the ‘making of’ documentary Hearts of Darkness. Filming started in the Philippines in March 1976 with a proposed five month shoot. Typhoon Olga then came in and wrecked a lot of the sets and production had to be closed down. Two months into the shoot, the film was already six weeks behind schedule and $2M over budget. As Coppola has said “We were in the jungle, there were too many of us, we had access to too much money, too much equipment, and little by little we went insane."

Filming resumed in June with Marlon Brando flying in and wanting to completely rewrite the script. Then Martin Sheen had a heart attack and was ordered to rest for six weeks. Principal photography eventually ended in May 1977 but then two years of production problems resulted in the film not being released into theatres until August 1979.

One of best scenes, and one of my favourites, is the first, with Captain Willard (Sheen) sitting around in his room in Saigon while waiting to be assigned to his mission. Its unbelievably hot and his drinking heavily as he attempts to take stock of his life and pass the time until he’s summoned. Unbeknownst to me when I first saw it, this scene was unscripted and Sheen was actually drunk on set as he was fighting his own demons after having the heart attack. As he stumbles around the room holding a bottle and sobbing, he unintentionally punched a (real) mirror and was bleeding profusely from his forearm. Some of the film crew got up to assist but Coppola told them to sit back down as this was exactly what he wanted.

Reckon that scene and how it was shot pretty much acts as a metaphor for both the movie and its making of. Anyway, here’s some memorable quotes:

“When I was home after my first tour, it was worse. I'd wake up and there'd be nothing. I hardly said a word to my wife, until I said 'yes' to a divorce.”

“Lieutenant, bomb that tree line about 100 yards back! Give me some room to breathe!”

“We train young men to drop fire on people, but their commanders won't allow them to write "fuck" on their airplanes because it's obscene!”

Kurtz – “I expected someone like you. Are you an assassin?”
Willard – “I'm a soldier.”
Kurtz – “You're neither. You're an errand boy, sent by grocery clerks, to collect a bill.”


The Blues Brothers (1980)





Now to lighten things up a little and completely change the mood. I love this movie for reasons that are completely different to the others on this list. While they take you in and confront you in many ways, this is about complete entertainment and a bit of a laugh.

It’s a tale of redemption for two brothers who are on a “mission from God” to save their old orphanage from the taxman and hatch a plan to reunite their old band in an attempt to raise enough money. A lot of the plot doesn’t quite make sense (Carrie Fisher character in particular) but that doesn’t matter as the soundtrack makes up for it and includes awesome cameo appearances by James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker and Chaka Khan.

The Blues Brothers concept was actually borne out of a Saturday Night Live skit performed by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. It become such a hit that an R&B band was formed to support them and an album released, Briefcase Full Of Blues, before becoming a movie in 1980.

My favourite scene has to be car chase at the end as Jake and Elwood rush to pay the tax assessor in the Bluesmobile after pulling off the gig at the Palace Hotel Ballroom. It held the record for being the biggest car chase in film history at the time (before being broken by Blues Brothers 2000) and apparently 60 old police cars were purchased and destroyed for the scene and more than 40 stunt drivers used. The frame where the Bluesmobile arrives outside the building and the car disintegrates as they jump out also took a mechanic several months to rig up.

Another sign of a great movie is how it permeates popular culture, particularly if people are still quoting it years down the track. Dialogue from the Blues Brothers movie has certainly become part of the banter amongst my friends with a beer now being an orange whip (“Who wants an orange whip? Orange whip? Orange whip?”) and “hey, you on the motorcycle” whenever you’re trying to get someone’s attention.

Other memorable quotes then:

“What kind of music do you usually have here? Oh, we got both kinds. We got country and western.”

“It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses. Hit it!”

Jake – “First you traded the Cadillac in for a microphone. Then you lied to me about the band. And now you're gonna put me right back in the joint!”
Elwood – “They're not gonna catch us. We're on a mission from God.”


Pulp Fiction (1994)





This is placed in my Top 5 because its the only film where I’ve returned to the cinema to see it again within a week of first seeing it. Granted I was at university at the time and had plenty of spare hours up my sleeve, but the first viewing blew me away with its intersecting charactors, mix of violence and humour, and again, eclectic dialogue and script. And as you’ve probably worked out from the other movies on this list, I love a good gangster story, which essentially is what Pulp Fiction is all about, involving covert schemes, outrageous luck and misfortune, and a little black comedy.

The film was also a bit of a cultural watershed, especially for Gen Xers like me, for the way it was developed, produced and marketed like no other film before. I know Reservior Dogs (which I love also) went about it in a similar fashion but it wasn’t accepted either critically or commercially to the same extent as Pulp Fiction and therefore didn’t have as much of an impact.

Fav scene? Has to be the “The Bonnie Situation” where Tarantino himself plays Jimmie, a friend of Jules (Samuel L Jackson) whose been called upon to help out with the bloodied car and body after Vincent accidently shoots Marvin in the face (“Chill out man. It was an accident. You hit a bump or something”).
The situation with Jimmie is delicate because his wife, Bonnie, is due home from work in an hour or so and “if she comes home from a hard day's work and finds a bunch of gangsters doin' a bunch of gangsta' shit in her kitchen, ain't no tellin' what she's apt to do.” Jules and Vincent then get their boss, Marsellus Wallace, on the case who engages The Wolf (Harvey Keitel) to ‘fix’ the situation.

The Wolf – “You must be Jules, which would make you Vincent. Let's get down to brass tacks, gentlemen. If I was informed correctly, the clock is ticking, is that right, Jimmie?”
Jimmie – “Uh, one hundred percent.”
The Wolf – “Your wife... Bonnie comes home at 9:30 in the AM, is that right?”
Jimmie – “Uh-huh.”
The Wolf – “I was led to believe that if she comes home and finds us here, she'd wouldn't appreciate it none too much?”
Jimmie – “She wouldn't at that.”
The Wolf – “That gives us exactly forty minutes to get the fuck out of Dodge. Which, if you do what I say when I say it, should be plenty. Now, you've got a corpse in a car, minus a head, in a garage. Take me to it.”

Again, some other great quotes and dialogue in this, including many that have made their way into folklore:

“Mmm-mmmm. That is one tasty burger.”

“Don't be tellin' me about foot massages. I'm the foot fuckin' master.”

“Nobody's gonna hurt anybody. We're gonna be like three little Fonzies here. And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda, what's Fonzie like?”

“The night of the fight, you may feel a slight sting. That's pride fucking with you. Fuck pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps.”

“That’s thirty minutes away. I’ll be there in ten.”

Just released most of those lines are delivered by Jules. Definitely one of the best characters in film history by my reckoning, with lines that a lot of actors would have killed for.

Anyway people, there’s my 5 favourite films (so far). Let me know what floats your cinematic boat as I’m always open to new recommendations. Not too mention a good list debate.

Til next time,

EDM.

Sick House Syndrome

One thing about having kids is when they’re sick and miserable, the whole house is sick and miserable.

The EDM household went through such an experience last week when the son went down with what the daycare centre diagnosed “hand, foot and mouth”. Apparently it’s quite common amongst toddlers, especially those attending daycare centres, with our centre even having a warning sign up recently so no prizes for guessing where he got it from.

I'd never heard of ‘hand, foot and mouth” myself, but I’m definitely aware of it now and quite attentive to its various symptoms and ailments. For the little man was not a happy camper at all, and with good reason. Aches and pains and sores on his hands, feet and torso were pretty bad. But it was the sores inside his mouth that really affected him and provided all sorts of misery for him and the wife and I.

You see, as adults, we get sick and we know it’s a just a case of having to ride it out and suffer the symptoms in the knowledge it’ll all be over soon. However, toddlers don’t get that and nearly every sickness they get is for the first time so it's all very new and disturbing. So last week we had the son hungry and pointing to his mouth to say “can I have something to eat?”, only to then erupt into tears when whatever food it was struck the sores in his mouth and reminded him again why he felt so lousy.

The result would be that he’d refuse to eat at all until such time as he was sooooo very hungry that he needed something in his ever-shrinking stomach. We’d find the softest food item in the pantry/fridge to give to him in hope it’d be OK, but again it would react with the little red spots in his mouth and we would be on the same old merry-go-round again of tears and confusion. The pure definition of heartbreaking I must say, seeing your child so perplexed and in pain.

Throw in the mix also the affect it has on sleep for the entire household. With good reason again, the son didn’t sleep well over the period with the pain and the hunger and the uncomfortableness. So for four or so nights it was a muddled-up sleep kaleidoscope with perhaps 20 mins there, maybe 3 hours here, another 50 minutes maybe, and then just loving any moment you get in which you have the opportunity to be horizontal and close your eyes.

Each morning I trundled off to work looking like the human undead; a zombie shuffling his feet as he walked, eyes dry and hanging low, looking ahead into the distance with a 1000 yard stare. People may have run away from me in fear, but I was too far gone to notice. Too far into the exhaustion abyss to care. Probably not the most productive week therefore in my vocational career. Quite the opposite in fact as excessive caffeine barely got me over the line and enabled me to do all the things I normally do as second nature.

Oh yes, what misery those days last week were. No fun at all and there appeared to be no end in sight. To quote Colonel Kurtz, “the horror, the horror”.

Alas, we’ve all come out the other end now. It was all about just getting through that day and hoping the next would be better. But then all of a sudden, come Sunday morning, the son had slept through the night before and woke up like his old self. Wanting to run over here, climb this and throw that. A good night’s sleep for mum and dad worked wonders also and there were plenty of exchanging looks and wry smiles in recognition of the ordeal finally being over.

And like the end of a happy fairytale, all three of us skipped along with beaming grins on our faces and joy in our hearts as a new day and era of happiness beckoned. To live happily ever after.

Or until the next time one of us gets sick anyway.

EDM.

The Republic we have to have

One of the few strong opinions that I possess and have possessed for quite a time is my belief in Australia becoming a republic and cutting constitutional ties to so-called Mother England. I’ve had this opinion since I learned to form one, and until it actually happens, I will argue long and hard to try and achieve a Republic of Australia and have an Australian Head of State.

I mean, the Brits and their royal family haven’t given a fig about us for a long, long time. Putting us on the wrong beach at Gallipoli. Bodyline. Leaving us stranded at Singapore and not allowing our troops home to defend their country (Winston, I’m looking at you my friend). Bodyline. Skyping off to cannodle with their former Euro enemies and forgetting their ‘Commonwealth’. Bodyline. Giving our Oppn leader only 15 minutes after he flew direct over the top of our troops in Afghanistan to get there (actually, that was pretty funny). Bodyline. Even Prince Phillip himself said we were mad when told the result of the failed 1999 referendum (never, ever forgive Johnny for that one!).

Yes, the world has changed an awful lot since the Mother Country had any sort of relevance to us. No-one’s fault. Just the way it is. They’ve moved further toward Europe, and we’ve moved toward Asia and the Pacific. We’re a bleep on their radar only when the Ashes are on and only then if they’re winning. Or if Jonny Wilkinson is kicking. Which certain members of OUR royal family are often seen happily cheering for.

So why the ‘ell in this day and age do we have the Queen of England as our Head of State with the power to appoint and dismiss OUR Government? Its like the landlord at your old rental place having the power to say yeh or nay to anything you want to do at your brand new purchased home. And while that old landlord might not actually have much to say in practice, its still the vibe of the thing in that he/she COULD if he/she really wanted to.

A nation that has its own identity and is looking to promote itself into the world needs its own Head of State. It gives that nation legitimacy. It gives it standing. It gives its people one of their own to look up to. Instead, we have a system that’s still hanging on to its status from 200 years ago and gives the rest of the world the impression we would love to come over and play, but we’ll just have to check with mummy Queen first and make sure its OK.

And Constitutional Monarchists. What’s the deal there? Not one of them is under 50 years of age and having a spokesman like David Flint (the Professor) who talks like he’s the love child of Queen Victoria and Field Marshall Haig just further illustrates that our constitutional monarchy is from a bygone era. A relic. To be respected and acknowledged yes. But whose time has come and gone. An anachronism.

So yes, I wholeheartedly agree with myself that its time we stood on our own two feet as the Republic of Australia with our own Head of State. So I for one am hoping that the republican debate is put back on the agenda quicksmart and our politicians have the foresight to do the right thing by us and our nation.

The Poms and the past have moved on. Shouldn’t we?

EDM.

Movember Reign - Day 15

Evening folks,

Yes, I’m back. Its been over a week since I last posted so apologies for the lack of comms. I won’t go into any details but will say that some very sad news meant it just didn’t feel right to be logging on and writing about things light-hearted and frivolous in nature. I’m here now though and given the date - 15th, half-way through the month – feel compelled to provide an appropriate update on how the mo is going.

I took a photo just a few moments ago but apparently the file size is too big to upload on this blog. I would normally try and resize it (or would I?) but on closer examination I don't think it does me justice anyway. Must be the light from the flash or something. Anyway, its going OK by my reckoning. Trust me, I work for the Government.

I did let it grow out a bit for the first 4-5 days to try and see where my facial hair grows as a means of ensuring I get the design right. Last time I did Movember I committed a schoolboy error and sculptured it from day one which meant the design didn’t quite fit my face as some of it was growing in the wrong places while other bits were patchy and desert-like.

Alas, the first sculpture this time did leave me a little concerned as I’d left the areas south of the lips on either side of my mouth growing as I wanted more of a Dennis Lillee look rather than an above-lip-only look. And for a few days after, that looked like a mistake as the little hair that existed at the time was a lighter, sandier colour which meant it didn’t look like there was any hair at all in that location.

But perseverance will always win through and I feel like I could be a strong example to all the kids out there. Because in the last few days the requisite growth has come through and the colour has got darker. So glad I didn’t listen to my wife back then and shave those bits off when she said about a week ago “it looks like some bits of cracked pepper have been left after your last meal”.

Coming into the tricky third week then, I feel I’ve got the design right for my face. None of the hairs are too long yet but expecting some messy drink and meal times soon as the hairs grow longer and perhaps start getting a bit too close to my mouth.

I know from last time the Day 20-22 period wasn’t great and I ended up trying to ‘tweak’ some of the hairs around my mouth and like a garden hedge, I kept on tweaking and tweaking until there was hardly anything left just above the lip. Determined to not let that happen again though so might have to invest in a grooming kit or something as my day-to-day razor does not provide enough precision and accuracy.

Socially, the mo has actually been quite the conversation-starter at work. People who normally give me the nod or a ‘how’s things’ in the lift now stop and have a chat and want to talk about the mo and movember in general. I haven’t had any kids running for the hills as yet either and my little one in fact has taken to running his finger over my top lip whenever I say “where’s Daddy’s whiskers?”

My wife hasn’t put any halt to kissing as well so it must be going OK and not be too prickly or grouse for her. Then again, she’s always enjoyed my ‘holiday beards’ so maybe I should start thinking about making the mo more of a permanent thing. Yes, I’m sure she’d love that!

Anyway, I can’t believe I’ve managed to write 700 words on a Movember update. Must be that it’s such a fascinating topic. Or maybe I’m just good at writing about the frivolous and inane.

But of course, I’ve got to put another call out there for sponsorship if you haven’t already done so. If not, get on to this website and lay some cash down on my m’tash. And remember you can always donate to the Mark Spitz Appreciation Society as a whole if you’re concerned about individual donations breaking your bank.

Cheers for that and happy contemplations,

EDM.

Top 7 Albums

As a bit more of an intro to myself, I’m going to compile some best of or favourites lists. As much as for me as anything as I love a good list debate.

Today we have Music in the form of the humble Album. Now, I was thinking of doing up some Top 5 lists but I’ve really struggled to do that for music so it’s a Top 7 instead. It was a Top 12 at one stage so its been a tough process as I love my music and its been a major part of my life. Not the playing of it (couldn’t even do Baa Baa Black Sheep on a recorder). No, more the listening of it. The appreciation of it. The thinking of it. And most importantly, the moving to it.

So here’s my list of Top 7 albums in chronological order rather than any other meaningful order. They’re not my favourite albums of all time though. Rather, these are the albums that have had the most impact on me at a certain stage or part of my life. So some of them I haven’t actually listened to in a long time but that doesn’t matter. Because at their time, they were there to guide me, entertain me, and in some cases, counsel me.

The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987)

My earliest memory of U2 is watching them belt out Sunday Bloody Sunday at the Wembley Live Aid. I was only 9 at the time but remember the passion being expressed and the chanting chorus to that song. Come 1987, I was a little older and had a bit more maturity (I think) that allowed me to really appreciate this album and the new direction they were going on. I certainly spent a lot of time lying on my bed listening to these songs and reading the inside sheet with all the lyrics.

U2 are a political band, so in a way this was probably the beginning of my understanding that not all was good and happy in the world and that angst and anger did exist. And since then, I’ve been drawn to any music with a message so I guess I have The Joshua Tree to thank for that. Anyway, the hits are there for sure, Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, but it was actually the likes of Bullet the Blue Sky, Trip Through Your Wires and Exit that had me.

Favourite track – Exit, but make sure you turn it up, particularly at the beginning

Blood Sugar Sex Magik – Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1991)

I was in Grade 10 when this came out and was increasingly staying up late watching Rage on the ABC every Saturday night. One night, I came across the video for Give It Away Now and thought “this looks a bit strange with all the makeup and weird dance moves but I like it”. Took no note of it though and that was it really. Some six months later and a friend from school is raving about this band and shows me the CD cover. Nothing clicks so I borrow it off him and head home for a listen.

Wow. The first song hits me like a brick and before too long I’m rushing to the stereo to turn it down so Mum doesn’t hear some of the lyrics that follow. As a 15 year old boy, the sexual innuendoes and references to drugs and death throughout the album certainly were an eye-opener. But to this day, the lyrics and rhythms of I Could Have Lied, My Lovely Man and Sir Psycho Sexy in particular still enter my head and I find myself singing along without even knowing it.

Favourite track – My Lovely Man

 

Vs – Pearl Jam (1993)

Being Gen X, I am a child of grunge. Loved it then and still love a bit of it now. Something to do with a reaction against a lot of the 80s music that was popular during my childhood which was all haircuts and keyboards. Now, I also did a lot of listening to the likes of Nirvana, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots, but its this album from Pearl Jam that probably has had the most playing of any album I’ve ever owned. I loved Ten (their first) as well, but Vs was rawer and certainly had a more aggressive bent to it. And perhaps that’s what I needed around that time after my high school girlfriend cheated on me at Schoolies and there was a fair bit of teenage angst and grief going on.

My favourite song on the album is Rearviewmirror and I’ve since heard Eddie Vedder quoted as saying it’s a song about “leaving a bad situation”. No wonder it had such an impact on me at the time. Other great songs on the album are Indifference which I listened to a lot while trying to figure out what the hell I should do with my life, and Animal which is heavy and angry but also seems to tap into something funky and wild which was obviously appealing to a young red blooded male of 18-19 years.

Favourite track - Rearviewmirror

OK Computer – Radiohead (1997)

Perhaps it’s a reflection of a maturing from teenage angsty grunge to more sophisticated alternative music, but this album probably had the most impact on me of any of the albums on this list. I’m sitting here typing this out and struggling to pinpoint why though.  It seemed to say something to me at the time but I now can’t quite work out what it was. What I do know though, is that I played this ad nauseam for months and even hassled a few of my friends by constantly wanting to put it on over at their place, at parties, or in the car. Probably because it was like nothing I’d ever heard before. While dominated by traditional instruments like guitar and drums, the sound comes across almost electronic and atmospheric in nature and the themes of consumerism and modern apathy really comes across through it.

No Surprises has become a bit of a chill out classic, but it’s the likes of Karma Police and Climbing Up The Walls that struck a cord with me as both have various paces that build and then drop and contain mysterious lyrics that engage your thinking in trying to make sense of it all. Anyway, definitely one of my favourite albums as well as one of my most influential. If you haven’t heard it, do yourself a favour (so Molly) and cordon off a room somewhere and 90 odd minutes to sit down and give it a good listen.

Favourite track – Karma Police

Surrender – The Chemical Brothers (1999)

I was living in London when this came out and while OK Computer above had introduced me to electronic sounds, it was this album from The Chemical Brothers that really gave me an appreciation of electronica and house music that has grown and grown since. While it was critically acclaimed in the UK at the time, it certainly wasn’t a massive hit (although Hey Boy Hey Girl was as a single) so it was more of a punt on my behalf in buying it at a little record store in Camden. But what a punt it was as I continue to go back to this album and give it a play whenever I’m looking for a trip down memory lane of my time overseas and in London in particular.

The album starts off pretty heavy with Under the Influence but by the time it gets to Let Forever Be (featuring Noel Gallagher) and Asleep From Day its almost psychedelic and dreamy in nature. But then its back up again with Hey Boy Hey Girl which was obviously the biggest hit and was a mainstay of every nightclub in the world for a year or two after. Nonetheless, Out of Control is my favourite with Bernard Sumner from New Order doing slow, almost talk-like singing over the top of a heavy and consistent beat that makes you want to dance and think at the same time.

Favourite track – Out Of Control

13 – Blur (1999)

Again, this is an album from my days in the UK and another one that broadened and excited my musical tastes that then led me down other paths that I might not have taken otherwise. I was certainly aware of Blur from their Britpop past but this was something that was more cerebral and evocative, even experimental at times, and certainly provides a window into what Damon Albarn was to conjure up in later years with Gorillaz. I’ve also read that the album was written by Albarn after his breakup with Elastica singer Justine Frischmann and many of the songs such as Tender and No Distance Left To Run reflect that and his struggle to move on.

My memories of the album are quite specific as well as I bought it in anticipation of heading to the Reading Festival that year of which Blur were headlining. The album took me in from the very first listen so by the time I saw their set at the festival I knew each song word for word and could air guitar every exact chord. And the set did not disappoint either as I remember standing amongst thousands in a field in southern England on a barmy summers evening and being thoroughly involved in the spectacular light show and live performance from the band. One for my Top 5 list of live gigs perhaps.

Favourite track – Caramel, its worth the trip through the nearly 8 minutes

Odyssey No. 5 – Powderfinger (2000)

I was actually twelve months behind everyone else on this one as I was in the UK when it was released and missed a lot of the hype back here in Australia. A good thing I reckon as I discovered this album for myself and wasn’t influenced by what others had to say or what was being hyped about at the time. Unfortunately some of the songs have now been taken on as FM radio classic rock staples but that shouldn’t diminish from how good those songs are and how good the album as a whole is. Particularly if you listen to it in its entirety from start to finish as it almost comes across as a concept album in a Pink Floyd or The Who manner. Which obviously isn’t the done thing these days in this iTunes, download-a-song-at-a-time era.

Anyway, I’ve seen Powderfinger live about 12 times now (and am off again in a couple of weeks) and have never seen a bad gig from them. They certainly know how to do a live performance of all their songs but it’s the ones from this album that I really enjoy as they take me back to those confusing days in the early 2000s. When I’d returned from nearly three years travelling overseas and was a bit of a lost soul trying to reacquaint myself with the happenings and trappenings of life back here at home in Australia.

Favourite track – Up Down and Back Again

So there you have it. Let us know your top albums as I'm always up for a recommendation or two.

Til then,

EDM.

What rhymes with banker?

No prizes for guessing what today’s topic is. Its been big news all over the country, even on Cup Day, and with good reason. And the burning question that’s been continually asked just keeps on going unanswered:

How do the BIG 4 - Commonwealth, Westpac, NAB and ANZ - justify putting up interest rates above and beyond those set by the Reserve when they’re announcing record billion dollar profits at the same time?

The Commonwealth have been at it over the last few days (don’t worry, the others will follow soon) and sent out a midlevel executive to explain so that the $16 million a year man, CEO Ralph Norris, could run and hide and avoid the tidal wave of scrutiny.

The excuse? Its costing us more each month to borrow money from overseas to give to punters as mortgages. It’s the excuse that’s been running for a while now and the one they trot out with every excessive interest rate rise. But the thing is, its complete hogwash, particularly this time.

Here’s what the Reserve had to say on bank funding costs after their 5 October 2010 meeting: "(Board) members noted staff estimates that bank funding costs had been relatively flat over recent months. While the spread between lending rates and funding costs is below its peak in 2009, it remained well above pre (global financial) crisis levels." 

So bank funding costs have not gone up over the last few months so the Commonwealth’s excuse for this most recent excessive rate rise does not hold up. Yes, it looks like bank funding costs are higher than pre-GFC days, but it certainly doesn’t seem like its affecting them and their margins too badly if they’re able to make record billion dollar profits. And don’t even start me on the hidden fees, the branch closures and the CEO bonuses.

So what to do? What to do?

Well, there’s not a lot the Government can do if Australia wants to remain a free capitalist democracy with an open and modern financial system. But the moves to make it easier to reduce mortgage exit fees and stop price signalling are some ways to go.

That’ll help in terms of increasing competition which is definitely needed given the Big 4 hold 80% of the lending market in this country. A hold that grew dramatically as a result of the GFC so once again it seems like it wasn’t such a bad thing for the banks and they need to stop using it as an excuse to gouge their customers and jack up profits.

Profits that at last count, after all 4 recently released their end of year financials, stand at a combined $22 billion (25% increase from last year).

That’s a lot of money in anybody’s book. But especially for an EveryDayMan.

EDM.

Movember Reign

Well, its that time of the year again. When the face of manhood changes for a month and wifes/girlfriends run for the hills in fear and disgust. Yes, it is Movember, and I will again be partaking in this wonderful tradition and doing my best to usher in some of the ‘coolness’ of the likes of Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck.

Nah seriously, there is a serious side to all this as well. Namely, raising awareness of men’s health and donations for the likes of the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and Beyond Blue. Because close to 3,300 men die of prostate cancer in Australia each year and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime.

Statistics also show that on average men die younger than women. While the reasons for this are numerous and complex, it’s fair to say a large chunk of it is due to our lack of awareness of health issues and a reluctance to talk about them or seek advice and assistance. Simply, we dudes can no longer be prudes when it comes to our health!

Anyway, having had the odd visit from the black dog myself over my adult life, this is a cause I feel very strongly about. I am therefore asking you to support my efforts by making a donation via this site.

So get on board in some way and help me help you (if you’re a bloke that is). Weekly updates to come over the month before the final unveiling at the Mark Spitz Invitational swimming event in the last weekend of Movember (LWIM).

Til next time Mo-fos,

EDM.

PS – like my subtle Guns N Roses tag in the title?

Man vs Toddler

Well, I’ve just come through my biggest test ever. A massive examination which required herculean physical strength, the cunning of a fox, and negotiation skills worthy of a UN diplomat. Yes, I just spent three days looking after the son on my own with my wife away on a girls weekend.

Nah seriously, it was all good and something that I was actually looking forward to. Not because I don’t get a chance to spend time with him. Far from it. No, more because I just love spending time with him and sometimes wonder whose having more fun with all the playing, and the wrestling and the chasing. It certainly wasn’t all beer and skittles mind you. There were a few terse moments involving some choice words and a lost TV remote, and they were just from my son. But I think those moments would happen no matter what as any extended time with an 18 month old would raise a few issues and perhaps your blood pressure a peg or two.

It certainly helped that he slept pretty well despite being prodded in the ear a few times a night as we attempt to clear up an ear infection. Early wakeups around 5am did occur but as I’ve found over the last year and a half, as long as I get a stint of at least 5 hours I can cope and be semi-human the next day (others may disagree with that though). He also ate well over the three days which was a real bonus as we’d entered a period of non-conformity of late in relation to meal times. This had come as a shock to us as his short life up to then could easily be told in a story entitled The Never-Ending Food Pit.

Yes, the three days went off without a hitch (not scar-inducing ones anyway) and was a good experience in knowing the two of us could cope pretty well. I know the wife has been hassled with lots of “So how’d he go?” type questions from friends and family and I’m certainly hoping she’s been replying in the affirmative or at least with a nodding smile. She also came home very relaxed after spending plenty of time by the pool and missing her ‘men’ so I reckon it’s been all good on all fronts.

Now, if only I could find that remote…

EDM.