Tix

It seems I just won a double pass to check out the Network Ten premiere screening of The Bourne Ultimatum at Southbank on Monday night...

BOOYAH!

Ekkascellent!

It is Winter in Bris Vegas, and that means one thing. EKKA TIME!

And FLU SEASON.

It means TWO things. Ekka time AND flu season.

If I could just think of a third thing, this would be a truly glorious post. But no.

So back to the point - the EKKA.

In the last week, I have had the enviable pleasure of talking to some of those zany Southern types - you know, "Victorians" and such. We've been chatting about this and that. Social highlights, work gossip and, at least from my end, the EKKA.

And I am outraged. It has become apparent that our lower states (yes, south = lower in my world) DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE EKKA IS.

"What does 'Ek-ka' stand for?" they ask, pronouncing 'Ekka' like it's a dirty little slug. "Is it like that expo thing you had?" they query. (And adding insult to injury, "Yeah, you know, that expo in '89?")

Well, firstly, for all the culture vultures out there, 'Ekka' stands for 'Exhibition'. Or 'Royal Queensland Show' - though, admittedly, that title is slightly less obvious. And secondly, although the Ekka is many things to many people, no, the Ekka is NOTHING like Expo '88.

For some, the Ekka is about the rural animals making a trip into the big smoke. For others, it's the fireworks and sideshow alley. Some just go for the showbags and rides. But most? Well, most go for the dagwood dogs. And the flu.

Personally, I haven't gone to the Ekka for quite a number of years now. But what would I know? I knit these days.

To all the diehard fans though, I say, keep on truckin' - don't fight it. After all, it's hard to keep a good man, or a dagwood dog, down.


PS. As for the pic, these wee tykes were huddled in a pen at Central Station - genius marketing I think.
PPS. The durgy blur at the bottom of the picture is a pig, yes.

Wraps-A-Million (Everything must go...)

Working within ASIC's Consumer Protection Directorate, it's no surprise that my colleagues are a bunch of die-hard do-gooders. But in the last few weeks, our little team (together with roped-in family and friends), has truly gone beyond the call of duty.

In a bout of extraordinary commitment, my fellow male and female work buddies have pulled together in the massive extra-curricular effort of producing not one, but TWO, full-blown, colour-coordinated, mammoth woolly wraps! (Agreed that 'woolly mammoth' wraps would be even more impressive, but you have to work with what you have.)

So why-oh-why have we been sitting around like little nigel nanas? For the great 'Wrap with Love' phenomenon, of course! This event calls for sturdy adventurers to join forces in a knitting frenzy to create woolen wraps for the cold and needy people of the world. Far and wide, where there are cool climates and just not enough resources to go around, our larey wraps will be there. Chile. Mongolia. Tasmania.

Sadly, the photos really don't do the wraps justice - they are truly something to behold in real life. And warm to boot. Choice bro.

I'd love to send out huge props AND kudos to our inspirational and fearless leader who, despite much adversity (generally personified as boys with needles), pulled us through. Unfortunately, however, due to her propensity for modesty and double life as a dentist, her identity will, I fear, have to remain a mystery. Too bad...

Aaanyway, needless to say that after the last month of intensive training, I am now in peak knitting condition. So what better way to come down from my high than by biting off more than I can chew, and launching into my very own mega-lap-rug? Uber-cool pastime, I know. At least it will keep me out of trouble (and, fingers crossed, chores) for the next 6 months or so. Will have to wait and see...

Will endeavour to keep the blog updated with developments, in a desperate attempt to maintain motivation. So let me say, there is already one square down, with another 30 or so to go.

Still, even if I don't end up meeting my personal challenge, at least the whole 'Wrap with Love' experience has brought cold humanity, and knitting, back into the public eye.

To the fellowship of the wrap...
Australia says WOOT!

Much Better Places To Be. Seriously.

No.

Hell no.

I want to know, RIGHT NOW, the name and place of residence of the sorry sorry person responsible for canning Torchwood.

I have been hanging, ALL WEEK, to watch Torchwood tonight. And it is not on. Not even a LITTLE BIT.

I simply do not understand. I refuse to believe that it did not rate well. It had all the elements of a cult classic - implausible stories, questionable acting, low budget sets. What's not to love? It was up there with the best of them... South Park, Iron Chef*, Antiques Roadshow.

Yes, it was a little unrealistic - a couple of examples eloquently summarised and quoted from the Aussie Cult Fiction website :


Episode 2 - Day One

An alien entity (personified as a sexy purple mist) wreaks havoc in Cardiff. It finds a human host-body and proceeds to feed itself by bringing other people to orgasm and incinerating them at this point. Deadly shagging ensues.


Episode 4 - Cyberwoman

A Torchwood employee, Lisa, was partially cybernised by the Cybermen in the Battle of Canary Wharf (events depicted in the last two episodes of the 2006 series of Doctor Who). She's been hanging out in the basement of Torchwood 3, and she decides to go apeshit.

NB: And that's not even mentioning that the cunning plan to rid Torchwood of 'Lisa' was to sick the pet pterodactyl on her. Genius.


But the Sydney Morning Herald's The Guide's review got it spot on, saying "The appeal of Torchwood is not so much that it's gloriously implausible sci-fi pulp, but that it knows it's gloriously implausible, sci-fi pulp."

And I ask you, truly, is that not the best type of sci-fi pulp?

Ok, there's no denying that the show's sci-fi budget was a little on the minimalist side, and was always, always, kept for the last 5 minutes. But this was all part of Torchwood's charm. I mean, it's a BBC production set in Cardiff. Yes, Cardiff, WALES, people! We're lucky they speak English.

And let us, just for a moment, consider what the substitute option is tonight - a documentary special on the alleged opening of Jesus Christ's tomb. I don't want to watch that! Why, EVER, would I want to watch that?? Channel 10, seriously. Have you forgotten your target audience? i.e. ME?? I love you Channel 10. I have no VCR, recordable DVD player, little recordy box thing, or Foxtel. I don't even change commercial tv channels!

As I like to say, "If it's not on Channel 10, it's not worth watching."

But this time, you've cut me deep Channel 10.

Torchwood at 12am Wednesdays?

That decision may well be 'separate from the government, outside the police and beyond the United Nations'... But it is also just WRONG.


*Speaking of Iron Chef, a 'please explain' goes out to you too SBS. No Iron Chef for the last two weeks now. Hmm....