It has been a massive year for my favourite podcast "The Little Dum Dum Club" and its hosts Tommy Dassalo and Karl Chandler. They continue to go from strength to strength and get some of the best guests around. But if you're too time poor to listen to more than a few episodes of dickheadery then let me pick the cream of the crop from their last 12 months. All these episodes are available on iTunes and from their website for free.
My criteria for these episodes is simple- did they make me laugh, and did they make me laugh during repeated listenings? There were very few episodes that failed to elicit any kind of chuckle from me but these ones stood the test of time.
10. Episode 107- Josh Thomas (9/10/12)
Perennial favourite Josh Thomas makes his long-awaited debut on the podcast with this cracker. KC completely fails as a host when trying to get Thomas to say whether he is more or less popular than other celebrities. Thomas takes the whole thing in his stride and rattles off some pretty awesome anecdotes, but it's Dassalo who steals the show with his amusing story of how he was mistaken for a gay guy once.....
9. Episode 102 - Tom Ballard and Harley Breen (4/9/2012)
If there is one thing I love about Karl Chandler it is his ability to tell a story. Almost every episode from day one includes at least one tale of Chandler being harassed on the street or Chandler doing, or observing, something stupid (or both). Yet this is the episode that possibly contains his greatest story ever. It starts innocently enough with a school friend of his catching up with him and rapidly descends into chaos. What makes this story epic is that it has more false endings than the Lord Of The Rings movies. Ballard and Breen also contribute with their usual comedic brilliance and Dassalo is also given some moments to shine- appropriate given it was his birthday when they recorded it. The coda of this episode- where Karl discovers a five year old list about Melbourne comics is a great way to cap off a stellar hour of stories.
8. Episode 88 - Mel Buttle (28/5/2012)
Co-host of "The Minutes" podcast, Mel Buttle, makes one of the funniest debuts in Dum Dum history in a long time. Full of sass and with a great deal of added spunk, she takes to the format like a duck to water. Her banter with KC is especially noteworthy as she tries to get him to drop his current girlfriend for....well....her. Her return to the podcast cannot come quick enough.
7. Episode 87 - Greg Fleet and Bart Freebairn (23/5/2012)
I suspect after the recording of this episode both Tommy and Karl needed a long nap. Bart Freebairn returns and is joined by Aussie comedy legend Greg Fleet. Anarchy ensues. Both comedians have a penchant for saying stuff that makes no logical sense yet somehow you find yourself laughing. At one point Tommy says "I feel like we're guests on someone else's podcast" and it's easy to understand why. You'll learn how to be creative in your jokes without swearing (both Bart and Greg are sin-binned for swearing early on) and this episode provides us with an insight into the domestic lives of our hosts who have to deal with, in one instance, a painter removing a window while the host is naked under a sheet and, in the other instance, with the consequences of playing your girlfriend Freebairn's own podcast "Something For The Drive Home".
6. Episode 114 - Live! Matt Besser, Dave Anthony, Armen Weitzman and Nick Cody (28/11/2012)
It's not everyday you get two of the most popular American podcasters on your show and Tommy and Karl pull it off when Matt Besser and Dave Anthony both appear in this live show recorded in LA (in front of about 15 people and a lot of crickets if you believe Chandler). The two are immensely funny and have a clear rapport with each other. The only sour point (and what stops this from going higher up the list) is the way the two guests treat third guest Armen Weitzman from the get go. The poor bloke is trying to tell a story about Denzel Washington and the other two practically bully him off the stage. Nick Cody, however, brings a little more humour to proceedings and saves this one from being a dropout...
5. Episode 95 - Josh Earl and Tegan Higginbotham (17/7/2012) and Episode 96 - Luke McGregor and Geraldine Hickey (24/7/2012)
I cannot separate these two editions because they are essentially volumes 1 and 2. In volume 1 the hosts announce that Luke McGregor has a "twitter policy" that means he doesn't respond to tweets, plug any shows or retweet anything. The hosts react as if McGregor has taken a dump on their front lawn and set it on fire. The next hour is an absolute riot and no matter what the discussion is, it somehow comes back to Luke McGregor. Also, Higginbotham innocently manages to coin the phrase "bat one off" early in the piece which is the cue for much juvenile sniggering- including my own.
Volume 2 sees the man himself enter into the Dum Dum clubhouse to answer for his twitter crimes. The normally brilliant Geraldine Hickey realises early on that she will have little to do with this episode and just sits back and lets McGregor dig a very large hole for himself. It's priceless comedy even after repeated listens.
4. Episode 104 - Tom Gleeson and Xavier Michelides (18/9/2012)
Two returning guests make an appearance in an absolutely brilliant episode that sees Gleeson, especially, in absolute top flight. That's not to diminish the contribution of Michelides either. Both have an outstanding run of gags- from Gleeson's introduction to the dump button to Michelides introducing us to "Xavier's corner". It's manic, it's insane and will leave you gasping for breath.
3. Episode 111 - Wil Anderson (5/11/2012)
If ever there was a title of "King Of Aussie Podcasts" then Anderson would be it (with Justin Hamilton coming in a princely second). Earlier in the year, Tommy and Karl recorded an episode with Anderson and somehow the episode got wiped (Dassalo did it apparently). This episode more than makes up for it. Anderson- sadly no longer recording TOFOP- revels in the chance to just sit back and cut loose in front of a microphone for an hour and Tommy and Karl are in absolute top form for it. Along the way we see the results of a prank that has massively backfired on Karl and one of the funniest messages you're likely to get on your mobile- although clearly none of them realised that "Sam and the Womp" is the name of a band and not the name of a radio show.... A great episode for repeated listenings.
2. Episode 100 - Live! Yumi Stynes, Dave Thornton, Nick Cody and Luke McGregor (21/8/2012)
Narrowly missing out on the top spot is the celebration of 100 episodes of Dum Dum. Nick Cody (the first ever guest on the show) is in absolutely blistering form (especially when he's responding to other guests), Yumi Stynes takes "too much information" to a whole new level and Dave Thornton adds some class to the proceedings near the end. Finally, Luke McGregor arrives late and makes an entrance that needs to be heard. It's an amazing hour and a perfect celebration for the podcast.
1. Episode 94 - Live! Andrew Denton, Larry Emdur, Scott Dooley, Wil Anderson, Luke McGregor. (9/7/2012)
In years to come, this will be the Dum Dum Club against which all other episodes will stand. Recorded live in Sydney, it showcases just why this podcast is brilliant. Never has anyone made silence so uproariously funny as Andrew Denton (and you can pretty much hear the hosts packing death as Denton sits there in silence). As funny as Denton is (and as star struck as Dassalo is), it is Larry Emdur who escalates this podcast to the stratosphere. Funny, engaging and a little potty-mouthed, this is Emdur "unplugged" proving he can be just as vulgar as Andrew O'Keeffe- and a whole lot funnier. Scott Dooley and the ubiquitous Luke McGregor also chime in for some hilarity but in the final 4 minutes, Wil Anderson makes a magical cameo that will knock your socks off. This is probably the closest to podcast perfection as it comes.
There are also some honorable mentions along the way:
Episode 72 - Josh Lawson (15/2/2012)
Actor Josh Lawson brings a dash of class to the Dum Dum clubhouse. His relaxed banter and gentle manner underpin a really funny nature. Happy to belittle himself and his past projects he makes for a very charming guest. His insights into the world of Hollywood (as well as Australian TV) are worth the listen for sure, but it's Karl Chandler who takes this episode to a whole different level with not one but TWO stories that make him sound like a bit of a weirdo- one involving asking a teenage girl in an alleyway whether she's a lesbian and another involving sitting on a balcony nude whilst overlooking a school....Tommy is in seventh heaven throughout...
Episode 66 - Michael Chamberlin and Harley Breen (5/1/2012)
The year kicked off in high style with the return of Harley Breen and with Michael Chamberlin making his first appearance on the show. The entire episode is spent taking pot shots at Tommy about everything from his girly voice, to his fake name through to his desire to lose some excess weight.
Episode 110 - Adam Hills (30/10/2012)
One of Australia's funniest men makes a long-awaited appearance on the show. Whilst Hills is his usual affable self and tells some wonderful stories about working with the Muppets and other things, it is Chandler who manages to get the biggest laughs for the show when he tells us a cracker yarn about a wannabe comedian who is trying to get a gig with him over the phone by telling him a joke. All three of them make funnier ones with the same material proving why you should leave the comedy to the professionals....
Episode 98 - Tommy Dassalo (7/8/2012)
I have always enjoyed the episodes where it is just Tommy and Karl. They do these a couple times a year and they are all great to listen to. This one is a little different in that Tommy is on the phone to Karl from London where he was shooting commercials for the Commonwealth Bank (He's the "C" in the "Can" that stalks James Magnussen if you didn't know). There's a lot of behind the scenes talk about the Olympics and a funny story about a woman breaking wind that appeals to my inner teenager. Well worth a listen.
Episode 118 - Tony Moclair (26/12/2012)
The man behind Guido Hatzis reflects on his career and has his say on the Royal Prank Call debacle. It's an engrossing hour of wonderful anecdotes from all three participants and a perfect to round off the year.
Here's to 2013- seeeeeeeee ya maaaaaaaaaaaates!
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Confusion
"Confusion," sang ELO,"it's such a terrible thing".
Do you ever have one of those moments when you are totally and utterly baffled by how someone reacts to you? Someone who thought of as a friend?
That's me at the moment. About ten years ago I met a person and we got on really well. We did a couple shows together, we did regular catch-ups and we seemed to get on fine.
Without going into too much detail, somewhere along the line things changed. I have no idea what happened though. Suddenly this person defriended me on Facebook and blocked me on Twitter for no explicable reason.
I don't know why I let it get to me but I have. It's easy to step back and say "oh well, move on" but in some ways I find this a hard one to walk away from for the simple reason that I have no clue as to what I have done to earn this kind of vitriol from them. It saddens me that a person I admired and respected as a friend and colleague has pretty much just abandoned me for no apparent reason- well, not apparent to ME anyway...
I don't want to harass the poor person with texts and messages so I've let it slide for now but I recently wanted to congratulate them on a wonderful video they posted of their cabaret show and I found I had no way of contacting them to do it.
I try not to go through life with a lot of regrets- as I have said in earlier blogs, I think those moments define who we are in life- but if I had a wish it would be that I could sit down and clear the air. If it served no other purpose then at least I could find out what it was that I had done. I'm not saying we will become best friends or anything like that (we weren't ever that close really) but at least I'll know.
========================================================================
On a much happier note, the year is almost at end. Like most years, it has had its ups and downs. I've been happy with my study this year and I enjoyed the success of "Hairspray" and the casting of "Phantom". My absolute highlight for me was going to Melbourne to see "South Pacific" and seeing a remarkable young lady deliver a knockout punch in a comedy show (see my previous entry). I've made some good friends, seen a couple great concerts, performed with Ennio Morricone and sang the first Lord Of The Rings film so I can't complain too much.
Despite the down moments, I try and reflect on how lucky I am to have a wonderful support network around me.
I have one more blog (which I've been working on since September) for the year and then it's onwards to 2013 (provided the Mayans weren't right, of course....)
Do you ever have one of those moments when you are totally and utterly baffled by how someone reacts to you? Someone who thought of as a friend?
That's me at the moment. About ten years ago I met a person and we got on really well. We did a couple shows together, we did regular catch-ups and we seemed to get on fine.
Without going into too much detail, somewhere along the line things changed. I have no idea what happened though. Suddenly this person defriended me on Facebook and blocked me on Twitter for no explicable reason.
I don't know why I let it get to me but I have. It's easy to step back and say "oh well, move on" but in some ways I find this a hard one to walk away from for the simple reason that I have no clue as to what I have done to earn this kind of vitriol from them. It saddens me that a person I admired and respected as a friend and colleague has pretty much just abandoned me for no apparent reason- well, not apparent to ME anyway...
I don't want to harass the poor person with texts and messages so I've let it slide for now but I recently wanted to congratulate them on a wonderful video they posted of their cabaret show and I found I had no way of contacting them to do it.
I try not to go through life with a lot of regrets- as I have said in earlier blogs, I think those moments define who we are in life- but if I had a wish it would be that I could sit down and clear the air. If it served no other purpose then at least I could find out what it was that I had done. I'm not saying we will become best friends or anything like that (we weren't ever that close really) but at least I'll know.
========================================================================
On a much happier note, the year is almost at end. Like most years, it has had its ups and downs. I've been happy with my study this year and I enjoyed the success of "Hairspray" and the casting of "Phantom". My absolute highlight for me was going to Melbourne to see "South Pacific" and seeing a remarkable young lady deliver a knockout punch in a comedy show (see my previous entry). I've made some good friends, seen a couple great concerts, performed with Ennio Morricone and sang the first Lord Of The Rings film so I can't complain too much.
Despite the down moments, I try and reflect on how lucky I am to have a wonderful support network around me.
I have one more blog (which I've been working on since September) for the year and then it's onwards to 2013 (provided the Mayans weren't right, of course....)
Monday, October 8, 2012
Million Dollar Tegan- North Melbourne Town Hall- Rehearsal Room
The future of Australian comedy is in incredibly safe hands with Tegan Higginbotham. There is no doubt this is a woman with a great comedic mind and a talent that will explode like a supernova sooner rather than later.
To present a show that has so many levels is an impressive feat for any comic and Higginbotham pulls it off without so much as breaking a sweat. It also helps that her support network includes Justin Hamilton (one of the finest comedians on the planet) and Declan Fay (another brilliant comic). As much as they have prepped and trained her it is, ultimately, Higginbotham's show.
The show centers around her quest to fight in a professional boxing match. Perhaps not an alltogether silly idea unless you have a body that is built more for shopping rather than boxing (by her own admission). Inspired by seeing the movie "Million Dollar baby", she sets out on her quest and along the way meets some amazing characters from her trainers to her fellow boxers. In vividly funny detail we meet them all. We also get to meet Higginbotham's parents who take on a life of their own.
The climax of the show is, of course, the boxing match to which the audience is given a blow by blow description. It serves as a brilliant finale to the show.
This show won't leave you gasping for air with convulsions of laughter, it will do better than that- it will sit in your memory for a long time.
Underneath the many well-timed laughs is a story of an incredibly talented woman trying to find her limits and not being afraid to "go there". It's actually a powerful message for anyone of us who are stuck in dead-end jobs or lacklustre careers.
In many ways, Higginbotham's story is a rallying cry to us all to never be scared to face up to what a challenge.
I cannot recommend this show highly enough. Higginbotham will surely be one of the comedic greats in years to come and seeing this show proves it beyond a doubt.
To present a show that has so many levels is an impressive feat for any comic and Higginbotham pulls it off without so much as breaking a sweat. It also helps that her support network includes Justin Hamilton (one of the finest comedians on the planet) and Declan Fay (another brilliant comic). As much as they have prepped and trained her it is, ultimately, Higginbotham's show.
The show centers around her quest to fight in a professional boxing match. Perhaps not an alltogether silly idea unless you have a body that is built more for shopping rather than boxing (by her own admission). Inspired by seeing the movie "Million Dollar baby", she sets out on her quest and along the way meets some amazing characters from her trainers to her fellow boxers. In vividly funny detail we meet them all. We also get to meet Higginbotham's parents who take on a life of their own.
The climax of the show is, of course, the boxing match to which the audience is given a blow by blow description. It serves as a brilliant finale to the show.
This show won't leave you gasping for air with convulsions of laughter, it will do better than that- it will sit in your memory for a long time.
Underneath the many well-timed laughs is a story of an incredibly talented woman trying to find her limits and not being afraid to "go there". It's actually a powerful message for anyone of us who are stuck in dead-end jobs or lacklustre careers.
In many ways, Higginbotham's story is a rallying cry to us all to never be scared to face up to what a challenge.
I cannot recommend this show highly enough. Higginbotham will surely be one of the comedic greats in years to come and seeing this show proves it beyond a doubt.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
On Twitter
Been a long time out of the blogsphere, and I've been kicking a couple ideas around but something happened last night that has made me so very angry. It seems some people don't like former model, TV host and social commentator Charlotte Dawson. It's because she pulls trolls out of the blackness and shines a light on them. She pursued one troll and got her suspended from her job as mentor (A MENTOR!!!) because of her spiteful comments. In recent times, she has re-tweeted a number of the more hurtful comments made at her and after a couple of appearances around the commercial traps it seemed the trolls decided to fight back.
How dare she pursue someone and make them accountable for their words!! "We'll show you, you....nasty...probably racist....person who is older than 25....." screamed the trolls.
I won't reprint what they said but suffice it to say, many of the comments involved requests for Ms. Dawson to kill herself and calling her all sorts of vile and horrible names. She's now in hospital.
I'm on twitter myself- I have a grand total of 64 followers. I follow 235 people on twitter. The 235 people consist of some friends, but mostly comedians, journalists, tv and film stars, politicians, musicians I like as well as netball players and teams. Charlotte Dawson isn't one of them.
You can call me crazy if you like, but I only follow people who I admire and want to know what is going on in their life. I don't dislike Ms. Dawson, but I have no great urge to follow her. It's as simple as that.
What gutless cowards hide behind a computer screen and send off hateful stuff to people they don't even know? Shrinks would have a field day. When I tweet one of the people I follow it's always in a positive manner. Occasionally I get a reply back. Most of the time I don't. That's fine. I follow Wil Anderson- a touch under 213,000 followers, I can only imagine how many tweets he gets a day, I never expect him to respond. Some of the more chatty Twitter folk I follow (with far less followers) do respond occasionally, and I'm fine with that.
If one of them said something or took part in something that I found offensive enough to get fired up about, then I would unfollow them on Twitter. Done. If I felt the urge to send them a parting shot it would be along the lines of "Hey there, really upset about this incident, I'm unfollowing you so I don't get even more fired up." and expect that they'll never respond.
Does that sound weird to you? I would do the same thing on Facebook. If you don't like the views of a person then walk away. Don't be a douche about it. Be the bigger person if that makes you feel better.
I hope if I ever have children I teach them the value of courtesy and manners in both the online and the real world. I also hope that those vile, creatures who spew hate on Twitter (whether at Charlotte, or anyone else) at the very least get outed. I would love to see them repeat that to her face. I dare them. I'm sure their mother can wait in the car while they do it....
We can talk about freedom of speech to the cows come home, and I'm all for it, but at some point, manners and common courtesy kick in. Cyber-bullying (and that's what it is) can be dealt with swiftly- block the user and report them. Lather, rinse, repeat.Or simply stop using Twitter. I suspect that Charlotte will opt for the latter and I can't say that I blame her.
Trolls bring the tone of online debate down and make people question everything- including their existence.
I wish Ms. Dawson a speedy recovery and I wish all those that put her in the hospital a much happier existence than what they clearly have now.
Be wonderful to each other, lovely people.
How dare she pursue someone and make them accountable for their words!! "We'll show you, you....nasty...probably racist....person who is older than 25....." screamed the trolls.
I won't reprint what they said but suffice it to say, many of the comments involved requests for Ms. Dawson to kill herself and calling her all sorts of vile and horrible names. She's now in hospital.
I'm on twitter myself- I have a grand total of 64 followers. I follow 235 people on twitter. The 235 people consist of some friends, but mostly comedians, journalists, tv and film stars, politicians, musicians I like as well as netball players and teams. Charlotte Dawson isn't one of them.
You can call me crazy if you like, but I only follow people who I admire and want to know what is going on in their life. I don't dislike Ms. Dawson, but I have no great urge to follow her. It's as simple as that.
What gutless cowards hide behind a computer screen and send off hateful stuff to people they don't even know? Shrinks would have a field day. When I tweet one of the people I follow it's always in a positive manner. Occasionally I get a reply back. Most of the time I don't. That's fine. I follow Wil Anderson- a touch under 213,000 followers, I can only imagine how many tweets he gets a day, I never expect him to respond. Some of the more chatty Twitter folk I follow (with far less followers) do respond occasionally, and I'm fine with that.
If one of them said something or took part in something that I found offensive enough to get fired up about, then I would unfollow them on Twitter. Done. If I felt the urge to send them a parting shot it would be along the lines of "Hey there, really upset about this incident, I'm unfollowing you so I don't get even more fired up." and expect that they'll never respond.
Does that sound weird to you? I would do the same thing on Facebook. If you don't like the views of a person then walk away. Don't be a douche about it. Be the bigger person if that makes you feel better.
I hope if I ever have children I teach them the value of courtesy and manners in both the online and the real world. I also hope that those vile, creatures who spew hate on Twitter (whether at Charlotte, or anyone else) at the very least get outed. I would love to see them repeat that to her face. I dare them. I'm sure their mother can wait in the car while they do it....
We can talk about freedom of speech to the cows come home, and I'm all for it, but at some point, manners and common courtesy kick in. Cyber-bullying (and that's what it is) can be dealt with swiftly- block the user and report them. Lather, rinse, repeat.Or simply stop using Twitter. I suspect that Charlotte will opt for the latter and I can't say that I blame her.
Trolls bring the tone of online debate down and make people question everything- including their existence.
I wish Ms. Dawson a speedy recovery and I wish all those that put her in the hospital a much happier existence than what they clearly have now.
Be wonderful to each other, lovely people.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
"Yes, Prime Minister"- Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide
The seminal 80's British political satire makes it to the stage in this vivid staging. A new script by the show's creators Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn brings the action into the 21st century with the PM Jim Hacker at his country estate "Checkers" hosting talks with foreign dignitaries. As usual, Sir Humphrey has a plan to bring 10 trillion dollars into the British coffers via an oil pipeline. Listening to the voices of his secretary, Bernard and his special policy advisor, Claire Sutton turns things on its head, especially when a preposterous situation arises that threatens to send the whole British government into a tailspin.
Performances across the board are exceptional. Mark Owen-Taylor as Hacker is a young, vibrant Blair-esque Hacker as opposed to the older, more refined version presented by the late Paul Eddington in the original series. Caroline Craig looks gorgeous in green as Claire and plays the role to perfection. Alex Menglet and Tony Llewellyn-Jones, as the Kumranistan ambassador and the Director-General of the BBC respectively, make the most of their relatively small roles.
John Lloyd Fillingham as Hacker's embattled secretary positively bounces off the walls with nervous energy and plays his role to the absolute fullest. But it is the performance of Phillip Quast as Sir Humphrey that makes the evening worthwhile. Every nuance of voice and physicality is important and Quast doesn't let any of them slide by proving to be the big crowd favourite on the night (as indeed, was Nigel Hawthorne's original performance).
Shaun Gurton's set is impressive (complete with rain and televisions used to great effect) and the lighting of Keith Tucker plus some solid use of sound effects add some icing to the cake.
What lets the show down is some rather odd directing in Act Two. Director Tom Gutteridge seems to believe that a British PM can be a total goofball who gets all flustered and jumps around like a lunatic. I think this spoils the character of Hacker incredibly. Whilst he is never meant to be the sharpest tool in the shed, he still had the brains to become PM. To see the PM yelling like a madman and cowering under a desk is a little ridiculous and takes the polish off some otherwise stellar work. Also, many people might feel a little uneasy at the dilemma placed upon the PM and his cohorts which propels the narrative.
Quibbles aside, this a wonderful night at the theatre and one that fans of the classic series will lap up in droves. Be courageous- see this show.
Performances across the board are exceptional. Mark Owen-Taylor as Hacker is a young, vibrant Blair-esque Hacker as opposed to the older, more refined version presented by the late Paul Eddington in the original series. Caroline Craig looks gorgeous in green as Claire and plays the role to perfection. Alex Menglet and Tony Llewellyn-Jones, as the Kumranistan ambassador and the Director-General of the BBC respectively, make the most of their relatively small roles.
John Lloyd Fillingham as Hacker's embattled secretary positively bounces off the walls with nervous energy and plays his role to the absolute fullest. But it is the performance of Phillip Quast as Sir Humphrey that makes the evening worthwhile. Every nuance of voice and physicality is important and Quast doesn't let any of them slide by proving to be the big crowd favourite on the night (as indeed, was Nigel Hawthorne's original performance).
Shaun Gurton's set is impressive (complete with rain and televisions used to great effect) and the lighting of Keith Tucker plus some solid use of sound effects add some icing to the cake.
What lets the show down is some rather odd directing in Act Two. Director Tom Gutteridge seems to believe that a British PM can be a total goofball who gets all flustered and jumps around like a lunatic. I think this spoils the character of Hacker incredibly. Whilst he is never meant to be the sharpest tool in the shed, he still had the brains to become PM. To see the PM yelling like a madman and cowering under a desk is a little ridiculous and takes the polish off some otherwise stellar work. Also, many people might feel a little uneasy at the dilemma placed upon the PM and his cohorts which propels the narrative.
Quibbles aside, this a wonderful night at the theatre and one that fans of the classic series will lap up in droves. Be courageous- see this show.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter, Cal Wilson and Rebirth
Oh wow, has it really been 4 months since I last blogged?? Clearly I haven't felt the need to say anything worthwhile- some might argue that it hasn't stopped me in the past....
Today, on Easter Sunday, I am inspired by the wonderfully funny Cal Wilson and her Easter column on rebirth.
It's a wonderful piece about the what you would do if you were reborn. Like a lot of people I get asked "Do you have any regrets?" and my answer draws upon- of all things- some comments made by Captain Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation". In the episode "Tapestry" he states that once he started unravelling the threads of his life the whole tapestry collapsed. It's very true. We are shaped by the good AND the bad incidents in our life. As such I would generally have no "real regrets". Neither does Cal. Here's some of the things I would do differently if reborn...
- I wouldn't have lent my Starlight Express cd to Bruce Alcorn- which he then lent to someone else who then lent it to someone else and now is heck knows where.
- I would have fessed up Morag that it wasn't Gus who started listening to the Starlight Express tape in music class.
-When I filled in my application form for "Wheel Of Fortune" I wouldn't have written "Date with Adriana" as my number one choice of prize. Reckon that's what kept me off the show.
- Would have told Suzanne Dyer that putting me between a piccolo and a trumpet in the pit for "How To Succeed" is a REALLY stupid idea which might cost me some of my hearing.
- Perhaps I wouldn't have crapped on about how great The Brady Bunch were when I was studying at Flinders Street in the mid-90's.
Of course, if it was rebirth today (as in my day of birth was 8/4/2012) I could grow up blissfully ignorant of Justin Bieber and when he's 40 and checking out of rehab for the 10th time I'll just see him as a washed up hasbeen. I can listen to all the music today and say in 20 years time- "Man, they just never made it as good as LMFAO did they?". I'll bawk in disbelief of a time when things weren't downloaded and the internet never existed. That'll be like ancient history!
On this day, I hope you have a wonderful Easter whatever your religion, race or creed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)