Baz Luhrmann made ‘big mistake’ picking Nicole Kidman for Australia
November 21, 2008
According to AAP (Australian Associated Press) and reported in the The Sydney Morning Herald and News.com.au, Baz Luhrmann’s (want to be) epic film “Australia” may suffer by the casting of Nicole Kidman.
The choice of actress has been savaged by British newspaper columnist Melanie Reid (The Times). She describes the casting of Kidman as a “big, big mistake.”
In the article, Reid goes on to say that Kidman is an immediate turn-off for female cinemagoers who feel she is “one of the most overrated actors” in the world and who has “been the kiss of death in practically every movie she has starred in”.
To quote Reid, “Kidman is exquisitely accomplished at being awful, she can’t act. Instead she drifts around films like a lost porcelain doll, looking frozen, brittle and vapid, staring at the camera with her oh-golly-look-how-I’m-looking-interesting blue eyes.”
Now, I love this article because I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I referred to Kidman as box office poison in the last podcast (episode 15 - Rumspringa). The woman hasn’t managed to really open a film in years and she is boring as batshit to watch. Now, I haven’t seen “Australia” yet, I will see it next week and I will review it on the next available podcast but my expectations are very low for this film.
Please Vote - America Needs You
November 4, 2008
The countdown has begun and polling booths are almost open. If you are a US citizen and you are a registered voter, please remember to vote.
This is probably the most important election the US has had since I have been alive (41 years), America really needs change. If it keeps going down the path it has been following since the Reagan years, America will probably collapse. It needs to find a new, better way of doing things and I think Obama is the man to do the job.
Remember, voting is not a right, it is a responsibility. Democracy is hard but it is the best form of government we have and to make it work, you, the people, need to stand up and be counted.
A vote for McCain is a vote for the conservative government, that is the government that has put America in the position it is in now: two wars, a collapsing economy and a great deal of negative feelings from the rest of the world. Do not let the negative rhetoric of the last couple of months stop you. Let’s just say that if McCain is right and Obama does want to socialise some service (like healthcare for example), is that really a bad thing? There is no evidence to say that some socialised services will lead to communism, in fact that is a pretty amazing leap on behalf of the McCain campaign. Consider Canada, Australia, New Zealand, England and … Oh you know, the rest of the free world! They all have socialised services (including healthcare) and NONE of them are, in any way, communist countries. They are all thriving democracies that love capitalism, go figure. England adopted a free government funded healthcare system after World War 2, it was expensive but the rationale was, if you can find money to kill people (are you listing Mr. McCain), you can find money to help people.
I love America and that is why I criticize it. I keep hearing the right wing argument against people like Michael Moore and Bill Maher that they hate America because they say bad things about it. Wrong. We (all of us free thinking liberals) all love America and want it back, because the America we love was highjacked some time ago by the right wing.
To quote Michael Moore, “Dude, Where’s My Country?”
And to quote John Kennedy, “And so, my fellow americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
What can you do for America? You can show you care and vote, she needs you right now.
I Wish I Had a Teacher Like This in School!
October 31, 2008
A teacher in Germany performed a strip tease for her students (15 year olds) because she was dared to do so in a game of Truth or Dare! Because we live in a modern world it was caught on camera, yay!
The parents demanded she be fired but she was let off with a warning. The real question is not why she did the striptease, but why the hell was she playing truth or dare with the students in the first place!?!?
Also, what the hell was the question she didn’t want to answer? It must have been a doozy if she chose the dare instead 
Here is the video:
Thanks go out to Jason Calacanis at Mahalo for bringing this to my attention.
Internet Censorship Hits A Wall
October 30, 2008
Just following on from this weeks netcast (episode 12), The Sydney Morning Herald published a story today that says the Senate is having some problems with Prime Minister Rudd’s proposal. This is very good news.
I have a real problem with this proposal because it would infringe on everyone’s basic freedoms. I am not a supporter of child pornography or any other illegal activity, but when a proposal like this can come out and say that it wants to filter out (read “ban”) offensive material as well, alarm bells go off in my head! Offensive to who?
In the article today, Senator Ludlam said server-level filtering imposed a kind of censorship that “runs counter to what the internet is all about”. The Government would be better investing the filtering money in law enforcement and education.
“I think it’s really quite misguided,” Senator Ludlam said.
I could not have agreed with him more. If people break the law, enforce the law but if people just want to satisfy a sexual curiosity (and it doesn’t break the law) they should be allowed to. If we had a more open minded approach to sex (and let’s face it, this is all about sex), we probably wouldn’t find the act of a man and a woman having intercourse offensive!
Anyway, read the article at the link above and listen to episode 12 of our netcast if you want a little back story.
Keith Olbermann Nails Sarah Palin To The Wall
October 30, 2008
This close to the US Federal Election I can’t help but get political. I am a left leaning liberal and I can’t stand what George W. Bush has done to my country. I love America and its people but I can’t live there at the moment because I am disgusted by the current administration.
At 41 years old, I think I can honestly say that this is the most important election of my lifetime. America will not survive another four years of a Bush style government and if McCain/Palin are elected to the White House that is what America will get. It is time to change! Change everything!
I have lived a lot of years in Australia and I have lived in England and I can tell you that having some socialised services (like basic health care, education, public transport, social walfare etc.) does not lead to communism. America would never call it’s closest allies (Australia and England) communist, yet both of these countries (and Canada, another one of the close allies) offer these services. These countries have thriving democracies and capitalist practices, you can still get rich! The biggest difference is that if you fall on hard times you are not shunned out into homelessness, you are supported and helped to get back to your feet … BY YOUR GOVERNMENT! That is real community spirit NOT communist spirit!
Anyway, The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com) ran this video of Keith Olberman talking about Sarah Palin (who is just plain evil, and I want her to crawl back under whatever rock she crawled out from) and her double standards, it is just wonderful.
Make Sure You Vote!!!
Presidential Comics, Really!?!?!?!
October 23, 2008
Can I just state for the record that I am a great lover of comic books. They are a way to escape the real world and enjoy a good fantasy. Also for the record, I am a Marvel boy. I enjoy Superman, Batman and the rest of the DC crowd but Marvel really rocks! My personal favourites are The Amazing Spider-Man, The Uncanny X-Men and The Avengers.
The reason I bring this up? Well, it would seem we have two new superheroes! McCain and Obama! Yes that’s right, both Senator McCain and Senator Obama feature in their own comic books. The comics are produced by IWD Publishing and tell the life stories of each candidate. You can download the comic on your iPhone or buy a printed version on Amazon. Watch the trailer below:
I don’t know about you but I just kinda feel that this is really dumbing down the presidential race. Let’s all try and read a real book from time to time, especially when it is something serious like an election. I think we should leave the comic books to the world of imagination and fantasy. Just my two cents worth.
New MacBooks - But Where’s the Firewire Steve?
October 16, 2008
New Macbooks announced and no Firewire port! So you have a copy of the fantastic iLife suite on your shiny new Mac but forget iMovie because you can’t get your video onto the machine in the first place.
Oh, I see. You have to use an inferior USB connection, to bad that all three of my video cameras have Firewire connectors! Lovely new Mac, fantastic body, great screen and trackpad! But unless Apple wants to buy me a new video camera, I will not be buying one. That reason and that I only buy the 17″ model, oh wait! They didn’t give the 17″ model a nice new shiny update. I feel a little screwed by Apple today.
Gripe over.
Listen to “Geek, Actually” (the netcast), Jacob and I discuss the new MacBooks.
What is a Geek?
September 26, 2008
In the fourth episode of the netcast I tried working out the definition of geek. Here is the written version of that definition. Listen to episode for for more detail.
Borrowing from various definitions around the web I have cobbled this definition together and this is me, The Geek of Geek, Actually. See if any of this sounds familiar.
A Geek is someone who is generally not athletic, and probably the uncool kid in high school, but secretly you thought was not so bad.
A Geek is usually on good terms with his or her inner child and enjoys playing on their computer (even if they don’t have anything in particular to do), watching movies (genre films like Star Wars, Blade Runner, Lord of the Rings etc. are particular favourites) and genre television (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica are good examples), playing computer games, reading comic books, and being on the internet. A Geek’s internet use isn’t limited to webpages and email though; ftp, bittorrent, IRC and usenet (amongst others) are all common terms to a geek. You don’t know some of these terms? Ask a geek, he or she will tell you all about it and much much more, put aside a couple of hours and grab a notepad
Geek is commonly used as a term for someone who is obsessed by their computer, and has achieved a high level of expertise in their chosen area. I’ll buy this with the exception of the last part. I think it would be fair to say that geeks acquire high levels of expertise in their chosen area and in whatever other various things that interest them.
Example: Let’s say a geek is a very good web designer, he or she will learn everything there is to learn about that job and then learn everything else around it even if they don’t really need to. They will learn about video encoding, audio production, advanced Photoshop, animation techniques and network engineering. When geeks hook on to a new TV show, they really hook on. They will not only learn everything about what is on screen, they will also learn everything off screen too. Geek fans are the most rabid fans in the world, they become their favourite show. Ever been to a Star Trek Convention? It is way cool and Klingon is such an interesting language to listen to!!!
Commonly, the term “Geek” is short for computer geek and is in reference to an individual with a passion for computers. I choose to expand this and feel we can say “Anything” Geek and is in reference to a an individual with a passion for whatever. And, used in the nice way, it is someone who seems to know everything there is to know about their interest.
Okay, that’s it. Let me know if this rings true with you or not. Got anything to add to this? I am thinking about making it a permanent page so input is welcome.
Apple Genius Bar - What an Experience!
September 8, 2008
I just wanted to share my experience with the Apple Store’s Genius Bar. I had a problem with my Apple Mighty Mouse and tried to get it looked at by my local Apple reseller (the place I bought my iMac), they basically said that it would take about 3 weeks to get it fixed or replaced as they don’t carry stock (they have a service centre on premises!!) in the meantime I could try an alcohol wipe to try and make the scroll wheel work again.
I tried the wipe and of course it didn’t work, I could have told them that! Anyway, I thought to myself, we have an Apple store in Sydney now and it has the highly talked about Genius Bar and the iMac carries an international warranty so I should be able to go anywhere to get it fixed.
I went to Apple.com to find out the procedure, you can book an appointment right on the site. Cool. When can I get an appointment? Wow, today! I live in Australia, nothing moves that fast. So I make my appointment for 3pm (it was 12pm at the time) and hop a bus for the city. When I arrive at the Apple Store, I am greeted by the concierge who directs me upstairs to the Genius Bar. Once upstairs, I am greeted by another concierge who checks off my name on a MacBook Air she is carrying around and sits me down. I notice that the large LCD screens above the Genius Bar show helpful tips on how to do everything Apple and a list of who’s next and low and behold there is my name!
Within minutes the concierge introduces me to my genius (who actually comes out to greet me!!) and we move to the bar. He looks at my mouse, tests it and agrees that it is cactus. He gets me a new mouse and that’s it … done! Wait, I think to myself, that can’t be it. That was too easy!
The Apple Store has renewed my faith in a good retail experience, it was probably the single most satisfying retail experience in my 41 years of existence! Friendly, helpful and satisfying.
One quick note though, I out geniused the genius! I asked him two questions that he couldn’t answer. First I told him about a mishap I’d had with iCal and during all my screwing around I had deleted the iCal widget and I wanted to know if there was a way to get it back. He said you can’t delete that widget. I told him I had and he just kept telling me that I can’t delete the iCal widget. It was almost like I had thrown him into some infinite loop and it just didn’t compute
My second question was about MobileMe, my sister is currently overseas and would like to start a blog of her adventures. She has one of my family pack accounts and I wondered if she could use the webspace that is part of her account to do this. My genius said she had to use iWeb. I explained that she was on a Windows laptop and could she use anything else? No, he replied, you have to use iWeb. I then told him that on the MobileMe website it says you can create a site using Homesite and could he give me any information about that. To this he said he had no knowledge of and would look into it.
I think the moral of this story is the geniuses are amazing at fixing Apple problems for the masses, do try to move outside of these parameters as it just confuses them
Sophie Monk Eating the Vegetarian Chicken!
August 28, 2008
Sorry….too busy….laughing….my ass….off….to….write!
Just watch the video:
and then look at these photos (go to deceiver.com for the full story and more photos):
No words are required but if you do want to read about it go here or here.
Let me just wipe away my tears and look again …. hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
