Australia's very own rap group:
8/29/09
8/26/09
Fifty People, One Question
nice video, thought i'd share:
Fifty People, One Question: Brooklyn from Fifty People, One Question on Vimeo.
8/25/09
Ashes 2009
Don Bradman, Dame Edna Everage, Ned Kelly, Alf Stewart, Rolf Harris, Bush Tucker Man, Walkabout employees, Bouncer from Neighbours can you hear me?? Your boys took one hell of a beating!!
Well, England won the Ashes then. Not that I'm a big cricket fan or anything it just seems proper to gloat a little. England, in a sporting sense, are very rarely successful, so any chance to savour it is well justified.
To be fair the Aussies have taken it pretty well, the news reports, although brief, were balanced and they all acknowledged England's performance. I think the fact that they also lost the rugby (by a point) to the All Blacks the day before has left them feeling a bit hurt and vulnerable as a nation. To keep spirits up they keep mentioning the gold medals they're winning at the Athletics Championships and the fact they finished 4th in Miss Universe, which is kinda sad but whatever keeps them going ; )
anyway here's the moment that probably won it for England:
Well, England won the Ashes then. Not that I'm a big cricket fan or anything it just seems proper to gloat a little. England, in a sporting sense, are very rarely successful, so any chance to savour it is well justified.
To be fair the Aussies have taken it pretty well, the news reports, although brief, were balanced and they all acknowledged England's performance. I think the fact that they also lost the rugby (by a point) to the All Blacks the day before has left them feeling a bit hurt and vulnerable as a nation. To keep spirits up they keep mentioning the gold medals they're winning at the Athletics Championships and the fact they finished 4th in Miss Universe, which is kinda sad but whatever keeps them going ; )
anyway here's the moment that probably won it for England:
8/20/09
Australian stuff I just don't get: Vegemite
Vegemite is disgusting. It's basically smelly brown yeast in a jar but for some weird reason everyone in Australia loves it.
Vegemite is not sexy
Now they have a new spreadable version which contains cream cheese *vomits* This "amazing" new Vegemite not only tastes like shit but looks like it too (the wonders of modern science). In fact it's so gross looking they can't even be bothered to call it anything (probably because cheesy-stinky-shit-spread is too long) and have left it up to the Australian public.
The horror, the horror!
I know we have Marmite in the UK, but at least the Marmite company know it's disgusting and advertise it as such.
Anyhoo, I just don't get it, yeast extract should not be consumed or enjoyed as a stand-alone snack. end of.
Vegemite is not sexyNow they have a new spreadable version which contains cream cheese *vomits* This "amazing" new Vegemite not only tastes like shit but looks like it too (the wonders of modern science). In fact it's so gross looking they can't even be bothered to call it anything (probably because cheesy-stinky-shit-spread is too long) and have left it up to the Australian public.
The horror, the horror!I know we have Marmite in the UK, but at least the Marmite company know it's disgusting and advertise it as such.
Anyhoo, I just don't get it, yeast extract should not be consumed or enjoyed as a stand-alone snack. end of.
8/17/09
8/11/09
Australian Television: Underbelly
I've not really had a proper job for the last year, which means money has been somewhat on the limited side. Although this has stopped me from going out, buying things and generally enjoying myself; it has meant many nights absorbing local culture in front of the television.
Although Australian TV will always pale into comparison next to the might of British Telly with the good old BBC and it's fine costume dramas, Channel 4 with it's superb alternative comedy line-up and ITV with, erm, Celebrity Love Island. Their are some genuinely good programs on Oz Tv:
Underbelly is one such example. This program kicks ass. Basically telling the story of Melbourne's gang wars through the 90's until around 2004, it's brutal, well acted and compelling. Lots of gangsters, birds, people getting shot, punched etc. It's also got Vince Colosimo in (the greek guy who gets shot in Chopper), who is an awesome actor.
Here's a promo:
Season 2 came out this year, charting the drug wars of the 70's and 80's, but it wasn't as good and everyone wore terrible porn star mustaches.
Although Australian TV will always pale into comparison next to the might of British Telly with the good old BBC and it's fine costume dramas, Channel 4 with it's superb alternative comedy line-up and ITV with, erm, Celebrity Love Island. Their are some genuinely good programs on Oz Tv:
Underbelly is one such example. This program kicks ass. Basically telling the story of Melbourne's gang wars through the 90's until around 2004, it's brutal, well acted and compelling. Lots of gangsters, birds, people getting shot, punched etc. It's also got Vince Colosimo in (the greek guy who gets shot in Chopper), who is an awesome actor.
Here's a promo:
Season 2 came out this year, charting the drug wars of the 70's and 80's, but it wasn't as good and everyone wore terrible porn star mustaches.
8/8/09
They Know we're Coming Now!
AFl Update, Round 19:
My team, Carlton, smashed last years minor champs and finalists, Geelong, by 35 points which pretty much guarantees Carlton a place in the finals (the playoffs, if you're English). This is the equivalent of say Blackburn soundly beating Man United and claiming a champions league spot in the process, i.e. a bit of an upset.
T'was an awesome performance by the blues and makes the fact that we're hopefully gonna catch a live game in a few weeks time all the more exciting!
Check out the highlights of this momentous victory below:
My team, Carlton, smashed last years minor champs and finalists, Geelong, by 35 points which pretty much guarantees Carlton a place in the finals (the playoffs, if you're English). This is the equivalent of say Blackburn soundly beating Man United and claiming a champions league spot in the process, i.e. a bit of an upset.
T'was an awesome performance by the blues and makes the fact that we're hopefully gonna catch a live game in a few weeks time all the more exciting!
Check out the highlights of this momentous victory below:
8/7/09
8/6/09
A-League Kick-off!
Woo hoo! Tonight is the opening game of the 2009/10 Hyundai A-League; Australia & New Zealand's national Soccer/football league.
Finally actual Football to watch, not Rugby, not Footy, not Cricket but Football!
Melbourne Victory (reigning champs) take on The Central Coast Mariners in what promises to be an awesome spectacle.
Sadly i can't watch it because you have to have cable TV, so it's a bit similar to England then. great.
Seriously though, i'm really looking forward to this season, i completely missed the last one due to having just arrived in the country and no one likes soccer over here. Plus Melbourne might become the first team in the history of the league (all 5 years of it) to win back-to-back titles. exciting stuff!
So yeah football woo! I'm pretty keen to catch a live game was well (especially as their building a brand new stadium for Melbourne Victory this season) so if any of my aussie friends want to catch a game with me that would be awesome.
Here's a taster of what you can expect:
Finally actual Football to watch, not Rugby, not Footy, not Cricket but Football!
Melbourne Victory (reigning champs) take on The Central Coast Mariners in what promises to be an awesome spectacle.
Sadly i can't watch it because you have to have cable TV, so it's a bit similar to England then. great.
Seriously though, i'm really looking forward to this season, i completely missed the last one due to having just arrived in the country and no one likes soccer over here. Plus Melbourne might become the first team in the history of the league (all 5 years of it) to win back-to-back titles. exciting stuff!
So yeah football woo! I'm pretty keen to catch a live game was well (especially as their building a brand new stadium for Melbourne Victory this season) so if any of my aussie friends want to catch a game with me that would be awesome.
Here's a taster of what you can expect:
7/30/09
Mispronunciation Emancipation
Australians are on the whole lovely people with their hats lined with crocodile teeth and hilarious knife based confusions. The only thing that drives me crazy is the truly bizarre pronunciation of certain words.
#1. Debut: For some unknown reason is pronounced as 'da-boo'.
#2. Maroon: Is pronounced 'ma-rone'. Know one knows why.
#3. Yoghurt: The tasty milky treat is known as 'yo-gert'. The shame.
#4. Pasta: Even the humble spaghetti can't escape and is known as 'par-sta'.
#5. Data: Dar-ter, no! it's day-ter!
There are more but it it's too distressing to type them.
#1. Debut: For some unknown reason is pronounced as 'da-boo'.
#2. Maroon: Is pronounced 'ma-rone'. Know one knows why.
#3. Yoghurt: The tasty milky treat is known as 'yo-gert'. The shame.
#4. Pasta: Even the humble spaghetti can't escape and is known as 'par-sta'.
#5. Data: Dar-ter, no! it's day-ter!
There are more but it it's too distressing to type them.
7/20/09
Australian Song of the Day # 11
Although not technically a fully Aussie band (half the band is from America) it's an awesome song so i don't care:
7/16/09
Walk Hard
Australia is massive.
I know that seems obvious but it really wasn't that obvious to me until i decided to walk to the 'local' post office depot to collect a parcel.
I went on google maps to see where the depot was, it seemed to be in roughly the same area as where we live, just a few blocks south east. Althogh intriguingly Google said it was a 3 hour walk away, "doesn't look to that far to me" I quipped. "I have long legs i'll probably walk it in half the time."
Sadly Google was correct, it took bang on 3 hours. 3 Hours of walking in the midday sun through endless Melbourne suburbs, by the time I got to the depot I was drenched in sweat and my feet felt like they'd been sawn off at the ankle. I elected not to walk back and had to fork out for a cab instead.
Although i know i'm in the wrong in questioning the all-knowing might that is Google, I swear that the scale was all wrong and Google decieved me with some sort of trickery. I guess coming from London where nothing is more than an hours walk away i was fooled by an apparant 'couple of blocks'.
Note to self, next time catch a bus.
I know that seems obvious but it really wasn't that obvious to me until i decided to walk to the 'local' post office depot to collect a parcel.
I went on google maps to see where the depot was, it seemed to be in roughly the same area as where we live, just a few blocks south east. Althogh intriguingly Google said it was a 3 hour walk away, "doesn't look to that far to me" I quipped. "I have long legs i'll probably walk it in half the time."
Sadly Google was correct, it took bang on 3 hours. 3 Hours of walking in the midday sun through endless Melbourne suburbs, by the time I got to the depot I was drenched in sweat and my feet felt like they'd been sawn off at the ankle. I elected not to walk back and had to fork out for a cab instead.
Although i know i'm in the wrong in questioning the all-knowing might that is Google, I swear that the scale was all wrong and Google decieved me with some sort of trickery. I guess coming from London where nothing is more than an hours walk away i was fooled by an apparant 'couple of blocks'.
Note to self, next time catch a bus.
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