You can look like a parrot
If you put enough gel in your head...
February 26, 2007
December 20, 2006
Holiday Snaps from Up North Queensland
We took a driving holiday to northern Queensland in the second week of December. We went as far as Airlie beach (The Whitsundays). This was my first trip up north (from Brisbane) and to the Great Barrier Reef. Great fun, except for a speeding ticket while coming back home :(.
I had planned to blog on the trip, but we forgot to pack the camera cord for the computer, and the Internet was a bit patchy at most places, especially while we were driving.
We visited Bundaberg, the town of 1770, Rockhampton, myriad of small towns on the way, and of course, Airlie beach and the Whitsundays.
Here are some snaps.
At the town of 1770
At the Capricorn Caves
Not sure where, but it was a terrible motel and the rains were bad and we had a torrid night. We awoke to find these multicolored parrots just outside our door
The Airlie wharf as seen from the hotel window..
And I found a real good piece of block to build a dream home on! Look at the views! And the car looks great in the driveway :)
From Airlie, we went to Hayman Island, a resort right in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef.
On the way to Hayman..
The magnificent pool at Hayman. We were in a room that had direct access to the pool, which suited us just fine..
Considering that I can't swim, I found the salt water pool to be really good for practicing. For the first time, I was able to swim with my head above water. :)
The breakfast, was served right on the beach, and needless to say, I spent a lot of time at the breakfast. Here are some shots to prove that.
I tried my hand at paddling, but fell in straight away. Here is my tumble, and the rescue afterwards.
I fared much better at Catamaran sailing though..
All good things come to an end, and we started home the next day.. One last photograph, of the giant mango near Bowen...
December 04, 2006
Varekai is good but..
there is something missing in this show. We went to see this Cirque du Soleil presentation in Brisbane on Friday night. It was my first visit to this famed show, and my expectations were high. However, the overall feeling was of disappointment.
Sure, the Varekai show has its moments, everything that you would expect in a circus presentation, but that was the problem. I just couldn't help thinking that in the end, this was basically a very clever circus show with a great set and a great costume designer. I kept waiting for the 'Wow' moment, which never came. It had several good moments, several ohhh moments, but no moment that would have defined the show for me.
Maybe I am just complaining because having paid an arm and leg to go to the show, I expected magic.
November 28, 2006
A fun 'Ashes' day at the Gabba
On Sunday I went to see the 4th day of the first test match between Australia and England at the Gabba. England were on the rocks and were playing for pride on the 4th day itself. Of course, they eventually lost the match, but it was fun to see some good batting by Pietersen and Collingwood. A rush of blood prevented Collingwood from getting his century.
We had great seats as they were always under the shade, although the angle that we were at made eying the ball a bit difficult. Gabba is a great venue for watching cricket and I completely support the recent drive by the Gabba authorities to ban hooligans and trouble makers. The show of strength by the police was completely warranted and welcome. They are only banning and throwing out people who cause trouble, and therefore, if you are there to have fun, enjoy the cricket and not cause any trouble to other people, you have nothing to worry about. Make as much or as little noise as you want.
We were also seated next to the Barmy Army and they provided the most noise and fun during the whole day. I can't believe their stamina in singing. They would chant 'Barmy Army' 'Barmy Army' for ages without running out of breath. Compared to them, the Aussie support group seemed feeble in its attempts to sing back.
Some snaps from the day...
Warne bowling to Pietersen
A view from the stands
A look at the scoreboard
Barmy Army chanting
Real English Gentlemen at the game
November 06, 2006
Tripping Over is good
After a very long time, I have finally found an Australian made drama that is addictive and worth watching. Most Aussie drama is not worth your time, and before coming to Australia, I used to watch Water rats and thought that most Aussie drama was as good. No such luck when I came over here and had to stick with American shows.
But Tripping Over on Ten is an excellent effort. It is very well written, directed, acted and produced and it's a shame that there are only six episodes, making it kinda of a mini-series more than a drama series.
It's a joint Aussie and British series, so that may be some reason for it breaking Aussie stereotypes. There are different stories of 5-6 people who have switched continents (England - Australia) and how their lives evolve after they holiday in Thailand and there is an accident.
Incidentally, Ten also has the locally made comedy Thank God You are here, which is a pretty smash hit and has been sold worldwide. Looks like Ten is on a good thing, as far as home grown entertainment is concerned.
September 25, 2006
Pirated Indian movies at Indian festival
We went to the Indian festival at Mt. Gravatt. showgrounds on Saturday night. For me, the night is all about how much Indian food I can gobble in one sitting. There were dosa stalls, Jalebi and 'Chaat' cooked Indian style, and various assorted curries. I had 4 or 5 different styles of Samosas itself, much to the embarrassment of Shellie. The food was generally very good and the prices were reasonable.
However, what amazed me, was the number of pirated Indian movies on sale! I didn't realize that they were pirated till I got them home and looked at the covers closely. These were being sold brazenly in several stalls and that too at an occasion grazed by Campbell Newman (the Mayor of Brisbane). I should have realized that they were pirated when I only paid $2.99 for a single copy, when a legitimate copy would have been at least $10. I just thought that they were on sale or that this was a special festival pricing.
Oh and there was dances and other cultural shenanigans on stage as well. I can't remember seeing anything over the food. :)
September 24, 2006
Akmal Saleh at Sit down comedy club
What a night it turned out to be! Having seen Akmal Saleh on TV on 'Thank God You are Here' and 'Rove', we decided to catch his comedy routine live at the Paddo Tavern. We reached a little early, so had to cool heals in the bar, which wasn't too bad as the Broncos were thrashing the Bulldogs with an inspired play. The show finally started late by 45 minutes. Note to the Sit Down Comedy club: You need a better way of getting people in. The lines were too long!
The show started with the supporting act of Joel Ozborne. Funny guy indeed, but his act was interrupted several times by a lady sitting next to the stage who had a laugh like a hyena and kept laughing after everyone else had stopped. It was so embarrassingly obvious that I was convinced that she was art of the act. Joel kept up gamely, and even tried to use her for the laughs, which worked pretty well, thus reinforcing my view that she was part of the act. Nobody could have that kind of laugh and come to a comedy club!
Of course, she wasn't! When Akmal came one, and the lady kept her routine, Akmal tried to use her again for some more laughs. He even got her on the stage to umm.. show her tattoo. By this time, she was too drunk and couldn't contain herself. When she got down, she kept chatting to people around her, in spite of warnings from Akmal (comedic at first, serious later). Eventually, he had to get the owners of the club to get her to go out, which of course, she wasn't happy with (nor the people with her). The whole mood of the place got spoilt while they waited to get her out of the club, which she wasn't doing without kicking and screaming. To his credit, Akmal kept his composure as much as he could, but everyone could see that he had lost his rhythm. The woman's complaint was that the comedians (Joel first, and Akmal later) had used her when they wanted the laughs, but were now throwing her out when she got out of hand.
In spite of all that, the comedic routines were funny, and a good night was had by all (except of course the lady and her friends). Akmal and Joel are highly recommended!
September 05, 2006
Steve Irwin ('The Crocodile Hunter') will be missed
Steve Irwin died yesterday from a freak accident with a sting ray. He died doing what he did best, filming a documentary about the deadly creatures of the ocean.
I am sad at his death. He was the best known Aussie and had his own style. He made 'Crikey' a catchphrase and the khaki a fashinable item. He made fierce creatures seem nice and brought conservation into the living rooms of millions of people worldwide.
I am annoyed that I never got a chance to see him in real life. I live less than an hour away from his Australia Zoo, and never in my 5 years here did I make the effort to go see him. It was always on the to do list, but never got done. Should be a lesson in there somewhere... something about never taking things for granted.
August 29, 2006
Whale and Dolphin watching on Straddie
The weekend before we went to North Stradbroke Island. I have been in Brisbane for more than 5 years now, and had yet to make the trip. This time of the year is particularly good for whale and dolphin watching on the island.
We started off with the ferry from Cleveland, which was another first for me. I had never been on one of these ferries that take you and your car. Quite an experience!
We wandered around Shellie's old haunts, including Amity Point and Pt. Lookout and finished with lunch at what seemed like the only hotel (under massive development) on the island. I had the biggest lamb shanks I have ever seen.
The island is basic, untouched by modern development and peaceful. Here are some snaps.
Hand feeding dolphins at Amity Point ...
Looking for the whales Robert (Shellie's Dad) and me ...
Shellie's mum and dad at the place where they would like their house built..
Me and Shell
March 13, 2006
Not Lost but why Internet downloading makes sense
Put yourself in our shoes Channel 7. We are not interested in Commonwealth games. These games have as much excitement associated with them as the viewers have with the new Today show on Channel Nine. Who really wants to see a one sided contest in which Australia will thrash the rest of the world in almost all sports? The game organizers are even having trouble filling the opening ceremony tickets, so what will happen to the rest of the games is an easy guess.
So why would you take Lost off the TV screens this week? I have so far resisted the temptation to download it of the Internet (you know it's there, and available for free). Why would you want to break the rhythm of users who are used to a good thing?
This should give you a warning. If the locally produced drama can't bring out compelling entertainment, people are going to look overseas for it. You are the medium for this overseas product. But if you don't deliver it to us in timely fashion, you are going to lose out. One way or other, and it's only a matter of time, people are going to get their dose of entertainment, when it's released anywhere in the world, not when you decide to bring it here.
Don't try to copy what the networks in the US are doing, because there are several less compelling reasons for users over there to download episodes of the Internet. TV networks are smug there, because barring a few exceptions when advance copies of episodes are leaked, they don't need to worry about story lines coming out. It's different here (and the rest of the World I presume), Lost is already eons ahead, the new Survivor is half way, ditto for Apprentice and countless other shows.
So please, don't take Lost off the screens this week. I am resisting so far, but if this continues, I will snap, and will hit the download button and once that happens, you will lose one more viewer. I may be a Man of faith, but I am a Man of Science first (apologies to non-Lost fans).
March 03, 2006
Make Bert Newton the host of Millionaire
Event 1: Eddie McGuire, the current host of 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' has taken over the job of Channel Nine CEO. A replacement for him needs to be found.
Event 2: Bert Newton transfers to Channel Nine from Channel Ten at an astronomical cost to host a new 'old-revamped' show: Family Feud.
Event 3: Family Feud is a dud. Bert's launch vehicle at Nine is faltering.
Solution? Make Bert host 'Who wants to be a millionaire'. Dump Family Feud. Bring back 'The Price is Right'. Everybody is happy!! Eddie finds a good replacement. Bert finds a well established program. Viewers are spared from Family Feud.
February 09, 2006
Jessica Rowe and the Today show
Cheers were heard nationwide (from men of course) when it was announced that Jessica Rowe, the former Channel 10 newsreader was going to grace our morning TV, becoming the host of the flagging Today show on Channel 9. What better way to start the mornings than to see this gorgeous woman tell us about inane things that matter little. Who would be 'listening' anyways?
Sadly, just over a week into the show, I am already back to Channel 7's Sunrise. Why? Here are the reasons:
1. Superficial reason one: Her 'really' short cropped hair makes it look as if she is bulimic. She looks thin and haggard, hardly the stunning woman we all remember.
2. Superficial reason two: The mismatch between her and co-host Karl Stefanovic is very visible. Karl is baby faced and looks so much younger to her that it makes a mockery of the show.
3. Superficial reason three: They look uncomfortable together. Maybe it's the age difference, maybe it's the fact that Jessica looks uncomfortable being nice and funny and polite and having to say more than read of the teleprompter (when she was the newsreader).
4. Real reason one: Sunrise is fun.
5. Real reason two: Sunrise doesn't take itself too seriously. They are all relaxed, and really seem to be enjoying themselves.
6. Real reason three: There is no Alan Jones on Sunrise. Who wants to hear a radio show host pontificate like the Pope for a continued minute or so on an issue that affects him so deeply. Nobody, I repeat nobody, likes to be lectured to. We have our bosses and wife's for that. (Oh, besides, Alan Jones is a Sydney phenomenon, why must we all (living in other states) be subjected to his sermons, I don't know)
7. Real reason four: Sunrise seems to be Countrywide. Today is very Sydney centric.
8. Real reason five: Pete's gadgets.
9. Real reason six: Mel and Kochie.
February 02, 2006
Shame TPG!
After almost a year of sticking with TPG, I am forced to shop around for an alternate broadband ISP as they have sent a letter stating their intention to raise the prices by $20 per month. $20!!! I just can't understand the rationale and am adamant that I won't pay the raised prices. There are better deals around and if it means that I have to do the painstaking search to get that better deal, I will. I am not willing to pay extra for high speed broadband when the world over, competition is bringing prices way down, while TPG sticks its neck in the sand.
Shame TPG!
January 03, 2006
Michelle Leslie on Dancing with the Stars?
Sometimes, I wonder aloud about how lax some Australians are about the prevalant drug system in this country. Sometimes, I just blog. And the first entry for this year comes from a rumor that Michelle Leslie, you know, the pretty as a picture convicted drug felon, is being offered a role in the latest Dancing with the Stars phenomenon. Sigh! What is worse? That Dancing in the Stars continues to be a hit show, or that she is being referred to as a celebrity, all convictions forgotten. Shouldn't she be on the British show "I am a celebrity, get me out of here".
December 16, 2005
"I could talk to you for hours about Springfield Lakes"
.. so screams the giant billboard on Centenary highway. Yes, right. But don't talk to me about the daily traffic jams to get there and out of there.
It is quite ironic that the billboard sits right at the spot where I daily start waiting for the traffic to move. The Centenary highway intersects with the Ipswich Motorway about 2 Km from that spot, but it's not really this intersection, but a traffic light further on Centenary highway, that causes the problem.
Somehow, I think some of the planning for Springfield Lakes and beyond was done without thinking about this crucial piece of infrastructure, and somebody somwhere got it wrong.
I admit that they are doing something about it. An underpass is being built that will get rid of the traffic light. But this is a classic case of cause and effect, something being done after a whole year of traffic delays and frustation. Surely, when you get a whole township built, you would think that there would be some thought put into how people will actually get there and any bottlenecks removed prior to that.
The next bottleneck? The massive traffic that will come this way when the Orion shopping center goes up. The Centenary Highway will need to be double laned. I just hope that they plan for it before the traffic jams start.
December 13, 2005
Race riots in Sydney
The race riots in Sydney, that have made headlines across the world, are not on the scale of the recent French riots and are, so far, isolated to a few suburbs in South Sydney.
The spark for these riots was ignited when three Middle Eastern men bashed some white lifeguards on a Cronulla beach. This irked several white supremacist groups and they cajoled white Australians into a day of revenge last Sunday on that beach.
What is surprising is the number of people who turned up for this event (nearly 5000) and the rioting that followed fuelled by alcohol and blazing sun. Some men of middle eastern origin were rounded up and beaten viciously.
The next day, men of middle eastern origin wanted revenge and went on rampage around a mosque in Sydney.
So far, thankfully, no one has been killed and I commend the police and the politicians for taking a firm stand against the rioters. Rioters have no religion or ethnicity and have been correctly identified as hooligans and thugs. There is too much drinking and hot heads are getting carried away by innuendo and baseless propaganda.
I hope that calm returns soon to Sydney. Australians pride themselves on their multi-ethnic society and it would be a shame for that image to shatter because of this anomaly.
November 16, 2005
Australia off to World Cup!!!
With a prayer on the lips and a burning desire in the hearts, Australia played the game of a lifetime to reach the soccer world cup in Germany next year.
Australia scored once in the first half with a skilled goal and held on tight to enter the extra time. They were clearly the better side than Uruguay and came out hunting in the second half. Unfortunately, neither the second half nor the extra time gave them the goal that they were looking for. But more importantly, the fragile defence held on to deny the Uruguaians the crucial away goal.
Then came the penalty shootout and amazingly, Aussie goalie saved two shots, while Australian captain Viduka missed his own penalty, but it didn't matter in the end.
Watching world cup next year takes on a whole new meaning... Go Aussie Go.
November 15, 2005
Headland - Why Bother?
I was driving to work today and there was a promotion on radio by Channel 7 for the new series called Headland. The premise of the show seems to be on 'cheating partners, an isolated community, a person in a coma, and a night to forget'. And oh, it is brought to you by the same people who have also brought you All Saints, Home and Away and Blue Heelers. Right, more reason not to watch it.
There is so much consternation in the Australian media over why local dramas fail. The list of locally produced drama that have bitten the dust is a mile long and I don't understand why the networks don't learn any lessons from the failures. How much of interest is 'cheating partners in a community with a person in a coma and a mysterious night to forget' is to primetime viewers? These are all topics of interest to daytime soap watchers, even Home and Away timeslot. Not primetime.
We hardly ever watch any Australian made drama series. If you think that me being Indian has anything to do with it, think again. My true blue Aussie wife wouldn't touch it. I even try and cajole her into watching an odd episode, but as soon as she knows that it is an Aussie drama, she runs the other way. And it is not just her. All her friends can't be bothered.
I am sure that all the producers, writers, actors etc must work very hard to get these shows on air. A lot of money is being thrown at them to make the next hit Aussie show. But there is no creative spark in these shows, there is nothing that makes me connect with them. The last show I tried was with 'Last man standing' and after watching a couple of shows, I turned off. It was all so ... predictable and stereotyped that it made me yawn. Is that show on anymore? I am sure I will be saying the same thing for Headland in a couple of weeks. Sorry.
This is not to say that all Australian shows are bad. Australian comedy, reality and other genre fare much better in my books. Just the drama category is a throwaway. Wonder why.
November 13, 2005
Australia Vs. Uruguay World Cup Qualifier
I am watching the Australia Vs. Uruguay World Cup qualifier live from Montevideo and I must say that I am quite disappointed with the Australian performance. 4 years on from the infamous qualifier for the last world cup, and I was hoping for a much improved showing, even a winning one. The score now is 1-0 in favor of Uruguay and about 10 minutes are left and Australia look at sixes and sevens against the naturally gifted Uruguayans.
What has the Australian Football association done in the last 4 years? Haven't they learned anything? The team looks out of touch, their is no cohesiveness, there is rank bad passing and they never looked like scoring a goal. The only positive that I can see, is that they haven't conceded as many goals as last time, when by memory, they lost by 3-0.
4 years on and nothing has changed. If this performance is anything to go by, you won't be singing 'Waltzing Matilda' at the next years World Cup either. It's a pity as all soccer needs to succeed in Australia, is a good performance by the national team.
Update: Post match, the players, the experts in the studio and the interviewers are just happy that Australia conceded only one goal as opposed to more. Hmm... Australia won't get to the World Cup with that attitude. 4 years in the making and they are happy to come away with "just one goal"? Yes, it's better than 3-0 but hey, Australia didn't score. Conceding less goals doesn't win matches. Scoring goals does.
November 09, 2005
Another case for Daylight Saving in Queensland
even if it comes from an unexpected source.. Australian Idol contestant supporters cry foul because Daylight Saving robbed their fav Dan England of a spot in final three with a difference of just 27 votes. I say, whatever the reason, bring on Daylight Saving in Queensland!
November 01, 2005
Makybe Diva wins third Melbourne Cup
Wow. Never would have thought that the sentimental favorite would go on to actually win it. I had my bets (only theoretically and in the Office comp) on Vinnie Roe. But what do you know. More than half way, Makybe Diva was nowhere in the race but came back strongly at the finish to make it three in a row, with a good distance between itself and the second placed On a Jeune.
That is amazing. That is one amazing horse. Comparisons to Phar Lap are justified.
Technorati Tags: makybe diva Melbourne Cup Phar Lap
October 31, 2005
Bring on Daylight saving for Queensland
I just cannot understand the rationale for Queensland to be so behind the times when it comes to daylight saving. For those who are not in Australia, Queensland is the only state on the Eastern side which does not observe Daylight Saving. This puts it a whole hour behind the rest of the States, causing major headaches and inconveniences to not only businesses but to ordinary people as well. The thing is, there is no valid argument to support the move for not having Daylight Saving. The last referendum on this was held in 1992 and Peter Beattie doesn't see any rationale for bringing another one.
For one thing, the referendum was held in 1992. That is 13 years ago! With the changing demographics, including the population explosion that we have had, Queensland is slowing coming into its own and shedding the image of a backward state. Think about the Sunday shopping change. 2 or 3 years back, there was no Sunday shopping in Queensland. With overwhelming support, this was changed to reflect the growing needs of a growing state.
So cmon, support the move to get Daylight saving introduced in Queensland. It makes better sense and brings us in line with the rest of the States. Surely, this makes sense to all concerned.
PS: There is some talk on this issue here
October 28, 2005
A small trip diary and interesting taxi ride conversations
The last two days were spent travelling to Sydney and Melbourne for work.
Tuesday night we stayed at Shellie's parents house as it is closer to the airport and I didn't want to spend too much of the companies money on cab fare (Didn't stop me doing so while coming back from the airport though).
The most interesting parts of the trip were the taxi rides. This is something that I find fascinating in Australia. When you get in a cab (and you always get in the front seat with the driver if you are the only one travelling), you don't leave the cab without having a conversation with the driver. The diversity of the taxi drivers makes for some interesting combination as Australia still has a large proportion of non Indian sub continent drivers (this is changing fast though) especially in Melbourne.
So let me see:
Ride from Shellie's parents home to Brisbane Airport: Local Lady, nice to talk to and been driving for some time. Didn't talk much about anything except the curse that is the new shopping centre near the Airport that has caused innumerable people to miss their flights because of traffic snarls.
Ride from Sydney Airport to Randwick Race Course: Slightly old fella who didn't talk much and listened to John Laws program all the way.
Ride from Randwick to Airport: The most energetic driver I have ever met. Greek and full of energy. Talked passionately about Greek food and the way to cook and eat it, complained about the lack of good Greek restaurants. We also had some discussion on the difference in food flavors between country of origin and Australia in general.
Ride from Melbourne Airport to City: Didn't take a cab but rode the bus.
Ride from City to Airport: I got in a cab thinking the driver was Indian, as I wanted to go to an Indian sweet shop and was hoping that he would know where one was. He was instead Iraqi and couldn't say too much in English. I got a call almost as soon as I got in the cab which lasted the rest of the trip anyway.
Ride from Brisbane Airport to Home: The most interesting conversation of the trip. The driver was a Maori from New Zealand. The conversation started awkwardly, as when I entered the cab, I said that it was humid here in Brisbane. He replied that he didn't think so and thought it was quite pleasant instead after which we rode in silence for a little bit. He must have sensed the discomfort because he asked an ice breaker question from me about the state of the world. We then got into a decent conversation about the Bird Flu problem and how the Mad Cow disease affected mostly the Western nations and the farmers there got a good deal, while the Bird Flu was causing distress to the poor chicken farmers in the not so developed countries. We then moved to origins (me from India and him from New Zealand) and I told him that one of my earliest memories is reading about springs and Maoris in New Zealand from a school textbook. He said his earliest memories were of growing up in New Zealand in an area which had a big population of Indians and going with them to see old Indian movies that had a decent story. He of course didn't understand any of them but was fascinated by the characters.
Finally we moved to the caste system in India and why it was still prevalent and he really wanted to understand why a person from lower caste could not move up the ladder. He explained that they had a rudimentary form of Maori caste system where there is a 'Queen' of the tribe but according to him, ordinary people could move up to her status.
Needless to say, the longest ride seemed to take the smallest time because of the interesting conversation.
Besides the taxi rides, other interesting tidbits:
-- I had in front of my seat a minister in the Queensland Government travelling with me. I was travelling in Economy and so was he. Oh... What a great place this Country is.
-- I was absolutely gob smacked by the number of Indian students that are working the simple jobs in Melbourne. I am assuming that this must be the case in Sydney as well but man they were everywhere!
Security Guards, Cleaners, Cab callers, Cabbies, ALL 7-11's. Absolutely everywhere.
-- The Qantas in flight book had an advertisement from GD Goenka World School in Gurgaon, India. Strange place for them to advertise! I can't see people in Australia sending their kids to India to study but who knows?
October 11, 2005
The 'New' Poseidon Adventure - Belch!
For some unknown regrettable reason, we decided to watch the New Poseidon Adventure on Seven on Sunday night, instead of the usual Law and Order - Criminal Intent double. Possibly the worst decision for some time. This movie gave bad movies a bad name. Urrgghh.
The acting was tacky, the effects third grade and the story implausible. I don't know who commissioned this remake with such tasteless production values. Although I haven't seen the original 1972 movie, I am sure that it would have been far better to have had a cult following for so many years.
Its back to L&O for us next weekend.
October 09, 2005
Australia complete 3-0 whitewash
As expected Australia won the Super Series 3-0 against the World XI. I don't think that they will need 6 days to win the Test Match against the same team which starts next week.
October 07, 2005
Australia win one day Super Series
As I said in my earlier post World XI came a cropper against the Aussie juggernaut. I don't wanna say, I told you so, but I told you so. :)
Was Kallis out?
Michael Holding is spewing forth on the fact the Kallis was not out (he even got the official rules book out) because the bails hadn't been removed before Kallis got into the crease. I agree. With the technology on hand, the third umpire should have ruled likewise, instead, I think he went with the popular choice. Pity.
I am, of course, talking about the second game of the Super Series between Australia and the Rest of the World :)
Australia show why they are so good
Australia are at 328 for 4 at the end of their innings in the second super series game.
I cannot imagine the rest of the world team getting anywhere near that score.
Missed Glichrist's century today and am disappointed at that. When in form he is a delight to watch. Read about my encounter with him in an earlier post here.
October 05, 2005
World XI falters
Hmm.. Sehwag 6 (10), Kallis 8 (23), Lara 0 (2), Dravid 4 (14), Pietersen 2 (6), Afridi 2 (5). Coupled with insipid performances from the bowlers.
When you have nothing to play for, you play as if you have nothing to lose. Rest of the World is treating this as a holiday to Australia, while Australia is creaming them and will walk away with hope after the Ashes loss.
Still it's only the first game... hope the sponsors are not losing any money..
BTW, is Channel 9 kicking itself now for refusing to show the Ashes? The best series ever and they thought it was going to be a walkover.
Who picked the World XI team?
Watching Shoaib Akhtar come into bowl makes you wonder who picked him for this series and on what form? He looks tired, unfit and seems as if he just got off a flight (He arrived in Australia almost a week back AFAIK). Surely, there were better bowlers than him on form right now? I think the selectors went for big names rather than current form when picking the team.
Then again, Flintoff, whose current form against the Aussies would suggest that he is a sure pick has gone for even more runs than Akhtar and both are wicketless.
For Aussies, there is national pride to play for especially after loosing the Ashes, for the rest.. what?
Super Series On - Australia bats first
The Super Series between Australia and World XI is on and it looks great being played under the lights in an enclosed stadium. I am only now getting to see it after coming in from work. The score right now is 223/7 at the end of 46 hours. Doesn't look very good for Australia right now.
September 29, 2005
In praise of Library staff worldwide
Last night before going home, I had to make a stop to pick some books for Shellie from the local library (Indooroopilly branch for the people who are local). After several minutes of scratching my head and not being able to find what I wanted, even after looking up the right section in the immensely unhelpful and slow search system on the computers, I approached a library staff. She was nice, courteous, polite, soft spoken and went out of her way to help me. A thought stuck my head while she was in the back office looking for the books that I wanted in the recently returned segment. I have never had a bad customer service experience in a library. I thought and thought, and could not come up with a single example. Not here in Australia, not in the US and not in India. Never!
What is with these library staff. What will it take to ruffle their feathers? When will they become the equivalent of the St. George Bank staff? Surely, they must get at-least a customer a day who insists that he/she has returned the book with the overdue fines. Surely, they must have to deal with a lot of simpletons like me who could look in the next section and find the book that they want but choose not to and want personal service. Surely.
But no. They are always nice and friendly, without making you feel like an idiot. Does the fact that they are working in a library, where you are expected to keep your voices low, anything to do with it?
In the end, we couldn't find the book that I was after, and she very helpfully placed it on hold for me. She went a step further and didn't even charge me the holding fee. See what I mean! No wonder I like libraries so much. If only the commercial establishments had a no speaking sign.
September 22, 2005
RockStar INXS, Channel 9 and killing the surprise factor
For the last few months, we have been following RockStar INXS which is shown here in Australia on FOX8 on cable.
So with bated breath we were waiting for the last show to be telecast last night to find out who the winner was. All day I avoided looking at the Internet in case I saw the news of who actually won (the actual show was telecast in the States the night before), on the way home I switched off the radio in case they had it on air and when I got home, I studiously avoided the first twenty minutes of the days news on Channel 9 in case they revealed the winner.
So what does Channel 9 do? They reveal the winner in the last section of the days news! And yes, there were no warnings, no "turn off your TV now" moment. They just showed the winner being declared. I was so mad, I wanted to screeeammm! For months I have followed this program on cable and for months I have had my favourites and for it to end like this!!
It's just a travesty of the TV programming in Australia that Free-To-Air channels just don't follow any rules of engagement. They cut and chop programs, reveal what they want when they want, mess with their schedules and dump a load of crappy local programming without actually caring for their viewers.
For months RockStar INXS has been on the cable channel and never, never did free-to-air say anything about the show or care for it. And now, finally when the show is declaring their winner, they unceremoniously take the mickey out of the whole thing and pretend to care. ARRGGGHHHH.
I vented by ringing Channel 9 in Brisbane. The receptionist, bless her, was sympathetic and knew what I was ringing about without me saying a word. In the last 30 seconds, she had already fielded dozen of calls on the topic.
The sad thing is, they won't learn from the experience and nothing will ever change. I would solely blame Channel 9, but the other channels are no better, they all showed the footage to unsuspecting viewers. After all, if they hadn't cared about the show so far, you really didn't expect them to start caring all of a sudden did you.
I can't even just blame free-to-air TV for this behavior either. When Channel 7 was screening the newest season of The Amazing Race, Arena on cable was already showing footage of the winners repeatedly in some promotions.
I guess free-to-air and cable feed of each other, and nothing will ever change.
September 18, 2005
Charlie, the Choclate Factory and Subtitles
We saw Tim Burton's Charlie and the Choclate Factory on Friday. While the movie was good (in a predictable sense), I was really annoyed with the subtitles in the movie.
I am not sure if this is only in Australia, for this movie alone, or through out the world, or maybe just for our cinema hall (Brisbane City Myer Centre) but all through the movie, we had English subtitles for an English movie! It was almost like someone had put the closed captioning on and had forgotten to take it off.
To say it was annoying is stating the obvious. When the opening credits came, we were told that loud suspenseful music is playing; through the movie we knew what the characters were saying before they could say it themselves. It's very hard to try and not look at the subtitles.
I wanted to go out and complain and at least find out why this is the case. Is it going to be like this for every movie now? Unfortunately, I forgot about it as soon as I came out because I ran into someone we knew.
Anybody know why we were treated to subtitles?
September 14, 2005
Forming? Foaming?
Australian IT reports:
"Microsoft has lost its bid to stop a forming executive working for its rival, Google, in China"
What, pray, is a 'forming' executive?
September 13, 2005
Cringing with the stars
We have a show here in Australia called Dancing with the stars where B grade celebrities dance with professional dancers and are voted off each week. Apparently, the show has taken off in the US as well.
I have no problem with the show, and quite like the dances each week. But I am little worried about Dawn Fraser (former swim champ and a grandma) doing the Rumba. Uggh. It was, in all honestly, cringe worthy, with Dawn Fraser trying sexy moves. Too much for my liking.
England have 'urned' the Ashes
Ok. So England won. Clap-Clap.
As I had said earlier, don't write off the Aussies yet, and they gave a hell of a fight on the last day but could not get past KP.
Great great series, I can't wait for the English to come to Australia. I hope the teams remain as competitive, which is unlikely as I think several heads will roll in the Aussie team. The one that I would like to see go is Ponting's. At least, remove him from captaincy till he learns to be respectful on the field.
September 08, 2005
A Cricket eulogy too soon
I think all this talk of England winning the Ashes is a bit premature. All that I have read in the papers, followed on the Internet and seen on TV seems to suggest that Australia will not be retaining the Ashes this time around. Hang on there!
There is still one match to go. If Australia win this match, they WILL retain the Ashes. Even though England is 2-1 ahead, they could still lose.
People seem to forget that this Australian team is the same team that has dominated World cricket for so long and for good reason too. They outplayed the English in the first game. The core of the team hasn't changed. They are quite the fighters and professionals and I would be very very surprised if they went down without a fight. Infact, I would go so far as to say that the odds of Australia winning are higher than England drawing or winning the last game.
I think Ponting is a bit of a waste in the captaincy arena. He might be a fine batsman but he has shown a very sad side to himself by throwing a tantrum at being run out. If he can keep his wits on him, he may be able to command his troops better than Vaughan, who is riding the wave.
One other thing that is in favor of the Aussies is the return of Mcgrath for them and the absence of Jones for the English. That has gotta hurt the English. Oh, and the Aussies have Warnie too. He is playing like a man possessed (for non-cricketing reasons) and I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes the surprise hero of the final Test.
For the English, Flintoff is doing great. The openers are a bit suspect, especially with Mcgrath returning. The middle order is aslo not as stable. If only they would not open the bubblies before it really is time they might be able to hold on and go for a draw. Actually, going for a draw might not be the best way to play. I think the strategy must be to go for a win.
All in all, after a really long time, I am looking forward to a great game. Gotta get ready to bunker down for the late nights....
June 06, 2005
Extra! Extra!
Shellie and her mum filmed a segment for Brisbane Extra for the bottles of hope program that they jointly run. Bottles of Hope is a free program that sends small decorative bottles to cancer survivors and their families as a token of hope and a wish for future good health.
They were filmed in Princess Alexandria hospital today and will be on air sometime this week.
March 23, 2005
The Tony Abbott saga
The Tony Abbott saga is absolutely fascinating. This is real life drama with an anti-climatic ending that no one could have predicted. For those who don’t live in Australia, here are the facts of this fascinating â€