Having been implemented years ago in California, Ireland and from what I'm told, Italy, all I can say it that it's about bloody time smoking was banned in pubs in Melbourne and Sydney. I don't know why it's taken so long.
As for the Sydney publican's comment that 18 year olds won't know what they're missing, my second response (after "Idiot!") is that I couldn't be happier that our youngsters won't know the joys of passive smoking/lung cancer/etc. That said, this fellow does later redeem himself by mentioning that he's started a Quitter's Club in his pub.
30 June 2007
25 June 2007
I'm a rockslut!
In a move somewhat (very) out of character, on Saturday night I attended a Guns n’ Roses concert. I do like the rock n’ roll music, but I’m not generally what you may consider a rockslut. I prefer pub gigs to stadium spectaculars, independent Aussie acts to worldwide superstars.
That said, I’m a fan of the nostalgia. The Gunners were big in the late 80s, and their music reminds me of my late-primary school years. Other big-haired rockers also take me back to this time – Poison, Bon Jovi, Warrant. Back then I had a friend who was keen on harder music – her black pencil case was covered with band names like AC/DC, Black Sabbath and the Gunners, of course. My pencil case was more likely to be scrawled with Bros, INXS and NKOTB.
So when I was given a ticket to the Gunners concert, I was a bit indifferent. I suppose I was a little excited, in an ironic kind of way. And really, it’s hardly the ‘Gunners’ anymore. Axl Rose is the last man standing. The original band has been replaced with a seven-piece outfit (creative differences, anyone?), although they’re still all long hair and guitar solos. Axl too, has changed. No longer the whippet-like frontman in white bike shorts, he now more closely resembles Meatloaf.
The Gunners haven’t released an album for years. Their as yet unreleased Chinese Democracy album gave the theme for this series of shows, with huge banners of Chinese characters framing the stage. Why Chinese Democracy? Since when have the Gunners been political? Is Axl doing a Bono? I doubt it.
The gig itself was littered with all their classics from the late 80s. The crowd loved these tracks, lapping it up. But unfortunately there was also a fair share of duds, tracks we’d never heard before (from the new album, perhaps?). There were also guitar and piano solos every three or four tracks, mostly to give the frontman a break. This added to the length of the show, which hadn’t started till after midnight as it was. Suffice to say I was a tired little rockslut on the way home.
That said, I’m a fan of the nostalgia. The Gunners were big in the late 80s, and their music reminds me of my late-primary school years. Other big-haired rockers also take me back to this time – Poison, Bon Jovi, Warrant. Back then I had a friend who was keen on harder music – her black pencil case was covered with band names like AC/DC, Black Sabbath and the Gunners, of course. My pencil case was more likely to be scrawled with Bros, INXS and NKOTB.
So when I was given a ticket to the Gunners concert, I was a bit indifferent. I suppose I was a little excited, in an ironic kind of way. And really, it’s hardly the ‘Gunners’ anymore. Axl Rose is the last man standing. The original band has been replaced with a seven-piece outfit (creative differences, anyone?), although they’re still all long hair and guitar solos. Axl too, has changed. No longer the whippet-like frontman in white bike shorts, he now more closely resembles Meatloaf.
The Gunners haven’t released an album for years. Their as yet unreleased Chinese Democracy album gave the theme for this series of shows, with huge banners of Chinese characters framing the stage. Why Chinese Democracy? Since when have the Gunners been political? Is Axl doing a Bono? I doubt it.
The gig itself was littered with all their classics from the late 80s. The crowd loved these tracks, lapping it up. But unfortunately there was also a fair share of duds, tracks we’d never heard before (from the new album, perhaps?). There were also guitar and piano solos every three or four tracks, mostly to give the frontman a break. This added to the length of the show, which hadn’t started till after midnight as it was. Suffice to say I was a tired little rockslut on the way home.
21 June 2007
There goes the weekend
I haven't watched The West Wing for over 12 mths. I have all episodes on dvd and I have only completed viewing the first three series. What is wrong with me?
I used to be a regular viewer. Every couple of weeks my flatmates and a few friends would get together, cook up a storm, and watch a few eps. It was great, a chance to catch up over some gourmet food and then sit in silence, and awe, to appreciate some of the finest scripting around. My West Winging friends, writers all of them, loved the show as much as I and we would argue at the end of each episode whether we could squeeze another in.
Back then, The West Wing was buried in increasingly bizarre and changable timeslots on late night tv here in Australia. It has now moved to our national broadcaster, where the program has a regular, primetime slot. This is great news for tv viewers. Me, I prefer dvd. No ads, and I can watch it at my leisure.
However my 'leisure' is ever diminishing. I have a lot of stuff on. It's one of those facts of life; growing up, working, spending time with friends and loved ones. For me these things naturally take precedence over tv. While living overseas for a while I could watch a couple of episodes each night. I could squeeze it in given the lack of programming in my native language - and my lack of much of a social life. But back home I get distracted. It doesn't help that the Significant Other has yet to be converted. She doesn't like tv much. But I know she'd like The West Wing if only she'd give it a chance. Just like The L Word, which she didn't want to watch either. She's funny like that.
To be honest, I'm a bit of a commitment-phobe. Twenty-two episodes, to me, is a big commitment and I have trouble making the time to regularly keep up. I certainly couldn't commit if I had to watch it in the old-school, broadcast way. No chance.
Anyway, today I took a day off work, a Mental Health Day. My emotional wellbeing has been strained by an unsupportive work environment over the past few days and I decided that a day off was just what I needed. So I have elected to use my time wisely and get back into The West Wing. I dusted of series 4 and upon viewing episode 1 it's all come back to me. What was I thinking, shelving it for so long? God I love this show. The writing is superb. The characters are intelligent and witty. I want to work with them. I want to BE them. I want these people to really be the leaders of the self proclaimed free world. If only it weren't fiction.
So now I'm trying to figure out a way that I can be professionally unemployed. I want to be able to stay home and finish watching the next 80-odd episodes of The West Wing and still get paid. There must be a way. I bet CJ could figure it out.
I used to be a regular viewer. Every couple of weeks my flatmates and a few friends would get together, cook up a storm, and watch a few eps. It was great, a chance to catch up over some gourmet food and then sit in silence, and awe, to appreciate some of the finest scripting around. My West Winging friends, writers all of them, loved the show as much as I and we would argue at the end of each episode whether we could squeeze another in.
Back then, The West Wing was buried in increasingly bizarre and changable timeslots on late night tv here in Australia. It has now moved to our national broadcaster, where the program has a regular, primetime slot. This is great news for tv viewers. Me, I prefer dvd. No ads, and I can watch it at my leisure.
However my 'leisure' is ever diminishing. I have a lot of stuff on. It's one of those facts of life; growing up, working, spending time with friends and loved ones. For me these things naturally take precedence over tv. While living overseas for a while I could watch a couple of episodes each night. I could squeeze it in given the lack of programming in my native language - and my lack of much of a social life. But back home I get distracted. It doesn't help that the Significant Other has yet to be converted. She doesn't like tv much. But I know she'd like The West Wing if only she'd give it a chance. Just like The L Word, which she didn't want to watch either. She's funny like that.
To be honest, I'm a bit of a commitment-phobe. Twenty-two episodes, to me, is a big commitment and I have trouble making the time to regularly keep up. I certainly couldn't commit if I had to watch it in the old-school, broadcast way. No chance.
Anyway, today I took a day off work, a Mental Health Day. My emotional wellbeing has been strained by an unsupportive work environment over the past few days and I decided that a day off was just what I needed. So I have elected to use my time wisely and get back into The West Wing. I dusted of series 4 and upon viewing episode 1 it's all come back to me. What was I thinking, shelving it for so long? God I love this show. The writing is superb. The characters are intelligent and witty. I want to work with them. I want to BE them. I want these people to really be the leaders of the self proclaimed free world. If only it weren't fiction.
So now I'm trying to figure out a way that I can be professionally unemployed. I want to be able to stay home and finish watching the next 80-odd episodes of The West Wing and still get paid. There must be a way. I bet CJ could figure it out.
09 June 2007
05 June 2007
04 June 2007
02 June 2007
Age Shall Not Weary Them
I arrived home last night, just after 6.30pm, to find my 80 year-old neighbour from upstairs loitering on the front stoop of our building with one of her friends. As I got nearer I could see that my neighbour was struggling with the lock as her friend, of a similar vintage, sat on the step with her head in her hands. They were giggling and stumbling and I quickly realised that they were pissed.
As farts.
As I helped them inside I was assaulted figuratively by the smell of liquor and literally by my elderly neighbour, a great grandmother, who took it upon herself to slap me around simply because I had the nerve to accuse her of being a boozehag. When I inquired as to what the lovely ladies had been up to I was told "We've been out to lunch!". Naturally I commented on the length of the lunch (it was after 6.30... in the evening!), to which my neighbour responded "It was a nice lunch." Must have been. I hope I'm having as much fun when I'm 80.
As farts.
As I helped them inside I was assaulted figuratively by the smell of liquor and literally by my elderly neighbour, a great grandmother, who took it upon herself to slap me around simply because I had the nerve to accuse her of being a boozehag. When I inquired as to what the lovely ladies had been up to I was told "We've been out to lunch!". Naturally I commented on the length of the lunch (it was after 6.30... in the evening!), to which my neighbour responded "It was a nice lunch." Must have been. I hope I'm having as much fun when I'm 80.
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