How hellish was 'EC' from the kids TV show Liftoff?

Nikki uncovered some blog that was listing the most terrifying kids TV show characters. EC would have to take the cake, don't you think?

Movies I want to see again to see if they're actually good

• Jurassic Park
• Ghostbusters
• Gremlins

How to get the most out of Beethoven's 1st and 3rd Symphonies?

I'm going to hear the TSO perform Beethoven's 1st and 3rd Symphonies in a few weeks. I don't know a whole heap about classical music. But as Montgomery Burns once said 'I don't know a lot about art, but I know what I hate... and I don't hate this'.

Actually I know I really like Beethoven's stuff. But I would to think this is a chance to do more than just 'like' Beethoven in a fashion mildly more intelligent than a Facebook 'like' button.

I'd like to learn to appreciate it. So, music buffs: any advice?

I've already borrowed a recording of these symphonies so I can get familiar with them in advance. Watch out workmates.

TV show recommends

Here are some shows Nikki and I are into at the moment:

• Modern Family - you see the adverts and think it's like 'Family Guy' with real people and so you ignore it. But you must watch it. Genius. Very talented comedians.
• Parks and Recreation - another tip off from Dan who went to the USA with me. 'The Office' style mockumentary of a small town council parks office. Very clever and great cameo from Rob Lowe.
• Crownies - quality Aussie legal drama. Good characters and interesting plots.
• Rush - but the first two seasons were noticeably better.
  

Gossip, AIDS and Africa

A fascinating report from This American Life about how gossip about sex functions in AIDS education and prevention in Malawi.

Very sad and wise observations at the end about how hard it is to change the understanding and actions of government and big NGOs.

The Avengers film trailer

Can it be May next year tomorrow?



Thanks to Jason for the link.

Girl with Dragon Tattoo USA remake

I'd be very "meh" about this remake... not that I'm in theory against remakes. I mostly disagree with people who say 'the original foreign version was better'. They're generally purists. And they're generally wrong. Americans often remake foreign movies well - they're much more patchy at remaking American movies.

(I thought the first Girl With... movie was good. I also thought the book was alright ( I also don't agree with people who say 'the book was better than the movie' - see Silence of the Lambs). I liked the icy setting. I liked the digging into history thing.

Both main characters were pretty unbelievable. Big doses of male wish-fulfillment which seems pretty ridiculous. I also found it inconsistent that the books claim to be opposing violence against women while containing explicit and revolting sexual violence well beyond what is needed, in my opinion, to make the point.

I started reading the second Girl With... book. But it was so dumb I had to point it down for fear it would give me brain damage.)

I would be very "meh" about this remake. Except it stars James Bond (Daniel Craig) as Blomkvist and it is direct by David Fincher (Seven and Fightclub). So it's probably worth a look.

Lawnmower Wars

I'd like to think most of my posts are pretty young inner-city kinds of posts. About coffee and trendy bands and websites.
Well here's a suburban post for all my readers in the burbs.

Nikki observed a few months ago, that whenever I get around to doing the lawnmowing, about 30 minutes later, the next door neighbour does. Should I feel bad about this? There are at least 4 possible explanations:

1. Nag-prompt: his wife hears and points out that that Woman's Husband Does the Lawnmowing...
2. Inspiration: I lift my neighbour's heart and mind to greater heights - Yes We Can Do Lawnmowing....
3. Synchronicity: me and my neighbour are long-lost twins or otherwise bound together by fate. Perhaps he is from the future also. Maybe just if males live in close proximity long enough their chores begin to synchronise?
   
4. Time-piece: kind of like the guy in your street who manages to keep track of which week is recycling week or green waste week...

What do you think?

Stone Temple Pilots has a higher play rate on Seattle radio

I don't remember hearing Stone Temple Pilots much anymore on
Australian commercial radio.

But while I was driving in Seattle for a couple of days, I listened to
the radio quite a bit. And I think I heard Stone Temple Pilots 3 times
in 2 days.

I suppose they are radio-friendly grunge?

I wonder what 90s songs remain on high rotation on Australian radio
that are long-gone elsewhere in the world?

Break-up songs

Break-up songs made me feel better. And by better, I mean worse. There's something so satisfying about listening to sad songs. Like how you would actually be spending your day if you could just break down and sob and grab hold of everyone you met. They make you feel less alone with their crazy thoughts. They don't judge you. In fact, they understand you. A break-up song won't ever suggest you start online dating, that you're better off without him. They tell you that you're worse without him  - which is exactly what you wanna hear because it's how you feel. I didn't want to be cheered up, I didn't want to bounce back, I didn't want to meet someone new. I wanted to wallow. Big time, deeply and with the least amount of perspective possible. And the only way to do that was by turning off my phone and turning up the sad, sad music.

 From here.

What break-up songs have featured in your life? 'Apart' by The Cure was one of mine from high school.

Banh Mi pump up in DC

We stumbled across this place at lunch today. It was killer modern Vietnamese: Ba Bay

The bread was really nice, light, crusty, bubbly baguette. The mayonnaise and lovely pork terrine sausage was made in-house. Real kick with the green chillis.

It was the cat's meow.

Tourist tips for Jersey, DC and Atlanta?

I'm going on a work trip with an organisation I founded The Geneva Push to the USA. The trip includes Manhattan, New Jersey, Washington DC, Atlanta and Seattle.

I feel pretty confident with New York and Seattle. I've been to both places before and I know what I'd like to return to (Museum of Natural History in NYC for example, Thai Tom in Seattle) and I know what I missed out on (Rockerfeller Centre, Brooklyn in NYC and key coffee and microbrew pilgrimmages in Seattle).

But not so sure about Jersey, DC and Atlanta. Of course the key monuments in DC - and jogging along the water while making a backdoor deal like in West Wing or a Grisham novel.

But places to eat? Cultural icons to be photographed in front of? Places to drink? Suggestions?