We Feel Fine

Ever wonder how people around the world are feeling right now?

www.wefeelfine.org

A program that scours the internet for the phrase 'I feel...' and collates them into a rainbow of dots for your viewing pleasure.

Testing.
I feel awesome because I am.

6th December- SC

Yesterday was Finnish Independence Day.

'Fall' season review - SC

The new TV season isn't actually all that new. In fact it's been going for a couple of months now. But those couple of months have been consumed by the lower points of life (ie. exams) and the belated TV reviews are finally here. The purpose will be to give an insight to some lesser known but nevertheless worthy shows, new and old, airing in the American 'Fall' season.

An amazing new show about a world just like the one we live in, only vampires really exist. But this isn't some Buffy or Blade copycat. The story is set in a small American town (which is a nice change from the California/NY focus of American fiction) two years after vampires have decided to 'come out of the coffin' and reveal their existence to the world. Vampiric fiction has always been sexually charged, and there are certainly some strong sexual themes in the show, channelled primarily through Aussie actor Ryan Kwanten whom you may recognize from Home and Away. But the real draw for this show I think, apart from the unique concept, is the old-fashioned style romance that is sure to have women of all ages gasping for air. Only downside: the otherwise pretty protagonist has gapped teeth.

Not the most original of ideas but Simon Baker, apart from having an awesome first name, really makes this show worth watching. He plays a kind of genius, working as a consultant for the California (again) Bureau of Investigations. So smart in fact, people think he's psychic. It's also a rare new show that have more or less stand-alone episodes. Good if you watch TV irregularly but not if you like mysteries and plots that are pursued throughout the course of an entire season. Like if you're a TV junkie like me. I don't mind though, because Simon Baker is not the only thing I have in common with the show. One of the agents' last name is also quite common within our shared heritage.

Who hit Angelina Jolie before Brad Pitt? Johnny Lee Miller. Who plays Eli Stone. A modern day prophet. And lawyer. Plenty of lawyer dramas around. But this is the only show that keeps me waiting week in week out for the next episode. It's in its second season now which means throughout this lengthy Summer break you should all go and find season 1 online. It'll bring out your inner idealist.

The War is Coming - SC

Epic and ever drawing nearer

http://www.thewariscoming.info/

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist (Muse) - SC

Go to heaven for the climate, hell for the company. (Mark Twain)

The Dove Effect - SC

In 2004 Dove launched the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty celebrating the 'real' woman's beauty.
As part of its campaign was the 'onslaught' ad.

Dove's parent company Unilever also owns Lynx, creating the greatest partnership since let's see...how about Batman and Robin?

Incorporating only Dove and Lynx ads,


But Dove does have a point.

In one study, American women were asked to choose what their ideal build was and what they thought the build most attractive to men was. Women chose slimmer than average figures for both choices, though when American men were independently asked to choose the female build most attractive to them, they (the men) chose figures of average build, indicating that women may be misled as to how thin men prefer women to be. (Wikipedia)
Only 1% of Australian women consider themselves beautiful. (The Gruen Transfer)

Not to fear. In reality,And it ain't just me.

A-list actresses and flawless supermodels also got the thumbs down from men aged between 18 and 35 (SMH).

Let's talk about some real TV shows - SC

The semifinalists for the the Emmys are out and there are 10 shows for each Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series categories.

I like to think of myself as a popular culture/contemporary television connoisseur (ie. couch potato), made possible by the lovely people at sidereel, Chinese youtubes and well, the whole bloody Internet. The restraints of time and Internet caps mean I cannot possibly have seen all 20 shows but I do know, there is a lot of quality out there. And Gossip Girl does not come close.

Here are just three of the best you can even find on free-to-air Australian television.

Channel 7's

To start with the obvious. Boston Legal is an amazing platform for raising an amazing array of issues, not always legal in nature but always socially important. David Spade has got to be one of the most underrated actors of his generation and sometimes I forget he's acting when he goes into one of his long monologues in the courtroom. All that and at its core, it's a comedy series.
To be fair it loses much of its consistency in the fourth season with an overhaul of characters but in recognition the fifth season has been announced to be the last. William Shatner's last stand if you will, after almost half a century of television fame.

Channel 9'sIf ever there was a milf...though she reminds me of an Ellen Pompey, in that she suits her role perfectly, but it doesn't require so much acting prowess.
Weeds isn't just great for its brilliant scriptwriting and plotlines, but its entire premise is completely different. A middle-upper class single mother plying her trades as the local pot dealer (though this makes serious developments as the show progresses). Probably what makes this show worth watching is the co-stars. Her kids, friends and co-workers are the ones with personalities and the source of the humour.

Channel 10's
Wikipedia classifies it as a 'dark comedy', 'police procedural' and 'psychological thriller'. I classify it as freakin' awesome. You only have to watch the opening sequence to realize that this is a show with class.
Channel 10's ads have been purposefully vague. Based on a book, Dexter Morgan is a forensic blood spatter analyst, and a serial killer. Sounds corny yes, but it has been consistently highly reviewed by critics, and me.
Given the nature of its content, the version to be shown on Channel 10 will be slightly edited. Which is a shame.

So. Watch some good tv shows shall we?

Joga Bonito - SC

Ajax vs RKC Waalwijk

For those less familiar with sporting culture, here the yellow team kicked the ball out because a player in red got injured. In the spirit of fair play the red team kicked the ball back to the yellow team but accidentally scored. The red team then kindly let the yellow team score to even things out.
Fair play can be a funny thing. Sometimes even laugh out loud hilarious.

But more than humour, good sportsmanship can display the best in humanity.

Western Oregon University vs Central Washington University

Sara Tucholsky was a college senior softball player. Earlier this year she hit her first ever home run. However, while running past first base she suffered a knee injury and fell on the pitch in agony. The rules indicate the batsman/runner is not allowed to be aided by their teammates and the umpire said if Sara was substituted her hit would not count as a full home run.
Mallory Holtman of the opposing team then asked the umpire if she could carry Sara past each base. With his permission Mallory and Liz Wallace carried Sara all the way to the home plate. Sara's team won the game.

Stories like these bring tears to my eyes and mucus to my nose.

Because our country is boring - SC

The biggest story around the world is that the Democratic nominee is BLACK, and not a woman.

So what distinguished the two?Both were always going to be a first in the US, though interestingly not the world.

The world's already had a prominent black national leader, and his claim to fame is far more impressive than I'm-only-half-black-and-that-half-isn't-even-descended-from-the-US-slaves Barack Obama (note: not that it matters at all if he was descended from the actual slaves, none of them are alive anymore anyway but it serves my point that his race isn't exactly all that repressed in relative terms in contemporary times. Compare them to Aboriginal Australians for God's sake).

Nelson Mandela

And plenty of female leaders

Margaret Thatcher

Helen Clarke

What does this show?
That America is more or less the least progressive nation in the world.
And that just perhaps racial tolerance has surpassed the development of women's rights. Sounds about right.

In any case this man should be throned emperor of the world.

Not because I'm a Republican, in either sense (I'm not American, but if I was I'd be a Democrat). Not because I'm racist (I'm not white but if I was I still wouldn't be racist). Not because I'm sexist (I...am a male but if I was a female I probably wouldn't vote for the woman who humiliatingly had her husband's affair broadcast to the world).
But probably because of all of the candicates, Republican or Democratic, that were running, he has the most in common with Nelson Mandela (yes, even more than colour-brother Barack Obama) as a POW and importantly because he is against pulling the US troops out of Iraq.

Talent - SC

Cristiano who?
Cesc what?
Bojan??

Let me introduce

Ellyse Perry currently plays for the New South Wales Breakers, nine-time champions (out of 11 seasons) in the Women's National Cricket League.

Born in November 1990, she made her One-Day International debut against New Zealand at the age of 16 years and 8 months - goes without saying she's the youngest cricketer ever to play for Australia. She has played in every ODI since then. She also plays in International Test Cricket and Twenty20 matches.

A natural sportswoman, Ellyse is an all-rounder, excelling in both batting and bowling.

All while attending Pymble Ladies' College as a high school student.

And that's not all.

Okay, so she's not in the photo. Doesn't mean Miss Perry isn't a fully-fledged Matilda.

That's right, she plays for Australia at an international level in both cricket and soccer. A dual international at the tender age of 17. Just today she provided the assist to the opening goal of the Matilda's 2-1 upset win over Canada.

That is talent.

The greatest injustice - SC

While some celebrate...

Some lament...Others stand proud despite everything...
We deserve better than them
We brought forgotten excitement
to the very top tier

We will be back

We belong with the world's greatest