Scraps

(Feed)

News

Back Home

About

What is roseability?

Interviews

Close as I'll get to stardom

Flick Her

Photostream

Entertainment

Music, and other not-so-important things

Community

Networking

Last.fm

Currently Hearing

Reset Factory Defaults

Today I changed my mobile phone (yeah, look at me and my gadgeted up self) to Chinese. Or Japanese. Or possibly Taiwanese, because of course, I can tell the difference. Could have been Egyptian. Anyway, it took me freakin’ ages to get it back.

Dear Australia, Shut Up

Dear Australia,

I have noticed lately that you have been quite eager to put your two cents in and knock your government for spending twenty million dollars on an advertising campaign for the new industrial relations changes. Maybe you did not notice your pathetic selves being taken for a ride, but may I point out that you have been bought to this view that the government is wasting taxpayer money by ‘the media’. This same media has also led you to believe that the aforementioned industrial relations changes are going to be the death of the Australian economy - something you love to whine about to anyone who will listen. With this in mind, is it any surprise that the government is forced to promote changes it makes?

If the government didn’t advertise itself, all that you would hear of it would be from Naomi Robson (may she die tomorrow) on Today Tonight. And have you ever considered her motives? She wants to make money, so she’ll say anything to get you to watch. The government on the other hand, have the best interests of Australia at heart. Yes, believe it or not, it’s true. Because they’re the government. So why is it that you’re so quick to dismiss politicians as lying bastards, yet lap up everything ‘the media’ says?

Now I’m not saying the government is right in this particular case. I don’t know. Chances are, you don’t know either. We’ll have to wait and see. But while we do wait, bear in mind that the government instituting these changes has experts (that is, people who know more about the situation than you) working on this, and they will do the best job they can.

So please, spend more time listening and thinking, and less time talking and kicking up a fuss.

Sincerely,
Tristan

The Special Five

So I was watching the ARIAs the other night. And by watching, I mean that I taped it and then played it through in fast-forward, to see if anyone interesting won anything, or if anyone interesting performed. Strangely enough, it wasn’t really worth it.

As I was watching it I realised that I am starting to turn into a full blooded indie-kid. Up until now I’ve kept an open mind. If something is good, I could listen to it, even if it was played to death on commercial radio, and loved by millions of teenagers who also have Eminem in their collections. But now I’m starting to lose my grip. Someone said that the gap between alternative music and mainstream music is closing. It is, and I don’t like it - a sure sign I’m becoming an elitist indie. Watching my beloved Eskimo Joe make an acceptance speech in front of all those gel-haired teens, with Stu announcing his engagement no less, almost made me cry.

I’ve asked myself some deep questions lately. Like, do I not like the latest Green Day album because it actually is really bad, or because everyone else does like it? Fortunately a quick listen to International Superhits! cleared that from my conscience.

And lately (for the last year and a half, you know) I havn’t been listening to Missy Higgins, for fear people think me a complete follower. I know it shouldn’t be like that. The Sound Of White was ninety five albums ago, according to my CD rack.

Shame on me that I would go without, just so that I can stay ‘cool’, er ‘uncool’? (in my own eyes at least).

I really don’t want to miss out on enjoying Evermore’s next album, just because they were once played on ‘The O.C.’, so I think the solution to this is to avoid mainstream music on television and radio at all cost - stay ignorant. Yeah.

Maybe I just think about it too much. Nah.

Futurehead

Our T.V, much like everyone else’s I suppose, is turned on for at least a few hours every day these days. My family always sits together at the dinner table to eat, you know, doing the family thing. Tonight my entire family - mum, dad, and all my siblings, just sat staring across my line of vision at the T.V. I could have pulled faces at them all, and none would have noticed. I picked up my plate and went to my room and listened to The Jays. I wasn’t missing much.

It got me to thinking, when I have a family of my own, I’d be willing to go without The Sketch Show, so long as that never happened. I’d even be willing to go without watching Spicks and Specks.

I’d go so far as to say that I’d forego being able to watch any cricket, in favour of my kids entertaining themselves in other ways. Entertainment that is positively healthy, not sex-saturated trash. Whatever happened to sport, music, or reading a book? Or (God forbid) conversation?

Ch-Ch-Ching It Out

Remember how I said I wasn’t going to buy any more CDs for the rest of the year? Today I found The Beastie Boys’ To The Five Boroughs for ten dollars, and didn’t buy it.

I feel quite ill.

Hey Now

I decided no more CDs for the rest of the year. I need to save. What are my chances eh?

Before I decided that though, I bought She Will Have Her Way, which is a collection of covers of the work of Neil and Tim Finn (Crowded House, Split Enz, Finn Brothers, and their solo work). Not sure if the guy who got this together likes the Finn brothers’ music, or just likes female Australian singer/songwriters, but either way, it’s turned out well for me.

The songs are pretty awesome, but that’s a given. The performances are great too, especially Sarah Blasko doing Don’t Dream It’s Over. There’s also a few artists who I’d never heard of that are quite impressive. Like Goldenhorse, who I still know nothing about.

It’s not some outstanding new album or concept obviously, but if you’re a fan of the Finn brothers in any way, or singer/songwriters, or just a big fan of Australian music, then you ought to check it out.

Lock And Load

I saw The Mess Hall live. I didn’t know any of their stuff very well, but they were really good. I admire when a duo doesn’t feel the need to add extra members to their lineup for live performances. This considered they made quite a racket. I found the drummer quite entertaining. All through the set he was smiling, looked like he was loving it - pounding away with his scrawny arms. You really havn’t lived until you’ve seen that guy drum.

Swimmer’s Shoulder

Today on the news I heard that some bright spark has discovered not only the cause of an ailment known as ’swimmer’s shoulder’, but also the cure.

In astounding developments, it’s been found that swimmers shoulder is caused by swimming too much.

You’d be extremely surprised to learn, no doubt, that swimmer’s shoulder can quite easily be cured by not swimming so much.

Wow, hey.

This piece of news got airtime on all five free-to-air television stations tonight. Uh, baby.