Tree

I Started watching this crazy show called Parks and Recreation this year. At first I didn’t know what to think about it. Was it really funny, or did I just want to feel that way because its lead star is a former SNL cast member. By the end of the second season, which I might not of brought at all if the first one wasn’t so short, I knew for sure it was funny. So I began to quickly burn through the episodes to catch up to where the show currently is at. By binge watching the show, I very much fell into the world of the characters.

Earlier this year when Robin Williams died, I had a friend, who like many enjoyed Williams talent as an entertainer, say that he was saddened by the actors death, and how he didn’t realise how you could feel that way for someone you had never met. But this holds true for fictional characters as well, though to a lesser degree. I mean who wouldn’t be emotional when Andy and April got married after three weeks of dating.

What I want to say is yes real life stuff is important, but the life of the people on screen, and the people behind the characters, can be just as important for some of us.

take your head out of the mud baby

Currently listening to Viva La Vida Or Death And All Of His Friends by Coldplay. Formally known as Viva La Vida, but to sound as pretentious as possible I use the full title most of the time. I’m about half way through track four, “42”. I say half way, but it is hard to tell without looking on iTunes, as this is a crazy song with no chorus. Instead the song has three distinctive parts. It would of made a much better single that “Strawberry Swing”.

Today I was constantly stopping and starting music, trying to find a new album to listen to. I was in need of something new, but I ended up here, with something much familiar. I stuck with it because it was upbeat. December has always been an upbeat time, I think knowing that school would be over for a little while was a major reason. The warm weather is also a factor.

The albums now up to track seven. I kind of went back to twitter in between that paragraph. “Viva La Vida” (the song not the album) is such a sucky song for me because it was overplayed a lot on radio, in a time when I listened to radio a lot more than I do today.

What have I even written? I spent the last 200 words talking about Coldplay. Why? I’m not sure. I felt like I had done nothing with my day, so I thought if I wrote something, it might be better than nothing. I’ve been doing a lot of nothing lately. I think soon I will be doing more.

Unforgettable

If I had to think about the possible hardest moment of my short life so far, it would have to be around this time last year, waking up to the text of my final school results.

I knew that my ATAR wasn’t going to be pretty, and I told myself that I didn’t care, and that I was going to be fine, but seeing the number was painful. I think it was something like a 37.55.

Look it only took a day or so to get over it, and move on (and I have most definitely moved on), but it was a full day of people asking, me not wanting anyone to know, and figuring out what my next move is.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, seeing the score. There is nothing you can do to change it, but a lot of people are left to wonder how they will now go about the following year. And everyone’s situation is different, which makes it even worse when you didn’t go as well as you thought, and everyone else is celebrating.

Boy

“Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth.”

Does it make anyone uncomfortable seeing a sixty year old interviewing 5 Seconds Of Summer and trying to act young and hip to fit it. Just No!

I understand you are “experienced” in what you do, but there comes a time when you just aren’t suited anymore.

And there is more than one that is holding on. Holding on while they can, while someone with more of grasp on the year 2014 is waiting in the shadows.

Australian’s are the biggest downloaders in the world, and our media outlets are partially to blame

Pirate Bay was taken down during raids in Sweden this week, but the site has already resurfaced. If new laws are imposed in Australia, it may be taken away from us again, this time for good. Although today Communications Minster Malcolm Turnbull warned journalist’s to not report the reforms as an “internet filter”, that is exactly what it is. Turnbull’s plan is for internet providers to block any site that illegal downloads can be obtained, and that downloaders would be formally warned about any online copyright breaches.

Before I go any further, I want you to know that I understand why P2P (Peer-to-peer) is such a bad thing. In fact I used to be totally against it, for ethical reasons and what not. But over the years I will admit to having used websites like The Pirate Bay, as many other Australian’s have. Lately I have been wondering why so many of us do this, and I realised a major reason why. Australia is getting such a raw deal so often, that many are being driven to download due to no better options. There are many examples of this happening.

This year Australia played a major part in Game of Thrones becoming the most illegally-downloaded show in history. It’s no surprise, due to the fact that the popular drama is only available on a paid Foxtel subscription. After the shows penultimate episode of season three in 2013, all anyone was talking about was the “Red Wedding”, leading to a lot of people who hadn’t seen the show, want to be in on the conversations that were happening every week the day after the show had aired. At that time they were able to watch the first three seasons on dvd. Come to April this year, and the show had a massive increase in a fan base, but anyone who didn’t have Foxtel, had only one other way to see the show, and that was online. People couldn’t even pay to watch the show on iTunes, like they had done during the first three seasons, due to Foxtel wanting the show exclusively with them. The move to make more money, only pushed people, who were happy to pay for episodes on iTunes, to illegally download the show.

Foxtel isn’t the only place where viewers are being treated with contempt. Free to air stations love to tell you how many shows they are fast tracking this year. But only some shows isn’t enough. A major part of the problem is that America, where a lot of the television content that Australian’s consume, runs their TV shows from September/October to May of the year after. In Australia, the networks prefer to have a majority of their best content stacked when we start of our TV season, which is in February. Back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, they could get away with keeping a show to play until Febuary, when it had been playing from September the year before, because nobody knew any better. In this social media age, things have changed, but the practices of TV stations haven’t.

Revenge is a prime example of this. This show is now in its fourth season, and has a decent fan base. But year after year Seven holds onto to it until “after the tennis”. And what do you think has happened. Slowly ratings for the show in Australia has dropped off. Not because people don’t like it anymore, but because they can’t wait five months without potentially seeing a spoiler posted on social media.

Not only do they take forever to show some of my favourite shows, but when they do get around to it, they put it on late at night and are forever changing the time slot, pulling shows whenever they feel like it for something else. Viewers are constantly trying to keep up with networks changing their minds at the last second on the nights line up of shows. Not even EPG’s know whats going on.

So we get it right, television in Australia is a mess, and there is no doubt that it’s a major factor in the large number of downloads. The movie industry is no better. First of all the cost of going to the movies is beyond crazy. Even if you wanted to wait to watch it at home and grab it in the stores, you won’t be doing it cheap. I like to experience movies the best way possible, at the moment that means on Blu-Ray. Even though it’s been reported it cost the same for manufactures to make DVD’s and Blu-Ray’s, every Blu-Ray is around $5 more expensive that DVD’s. If you’re looking to experience the film in 3D in your living room, you will be looking at $50 a film.

Another major problem, just like with TV shows, is movies are still coming to Australian screens months latter. I would really love to know why? When a film in released in the states, it should be shown the next possible Thursday here. Birdman staring Michael Keaton, which already has been getting a lot of Oscar buzz, was released in America mid-October. Australian viewers can pay for an overpriced ticket to see the film on the 15th of January next year. That’s one long wait, if you’re interested in seeing the film. In the mean time you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be a torrent online long before January 15th rolls around. That’s not the only film on delay. Disney’s musical-fantasy with an ensemble cast featuring Meryl Streep and Anna Kendrick will be shown in cinemas Christmas Day in America, which made me think it would be a perfect film to see on Boxing Day, but nope, we don’t get to see it until Jan 8th. Yes, that is a shorter break that Birdman, but why not just release it on Boxing Day, a day where many families are going to the movies.

So while downloading instead of paying for things is bad for the industry, the industry needs to take a look at its self first, before they start pointing the finger.

Top Survivor Tribals

This year The Survivor Hall of Fame is taking votes on the top tribal councils. I realise we are meant to pick from the choices, but her are my three.

Shortlist: Borneo F10, Borneo FTC, Australia F8, Marquesas F9, Marquesas F4, All Stars FTC, Vanuatu F7, Palau F10, Cook Islands F9, China F7, Micronesia F9, Micronesia F5, Gabon F10, Heroes Vs Villains F10, Philippines F10, Blood Vs Water F6, Cagayan F11.

Borneo FTC: Still to this day the best final tribal council speech – Corinne and Penner come nowhere close. It must of been pretty brutal for Kelly to here, because after the vote is read and everyone is congratulating Rich, Sue goes over to Kelly, but Kelly wants none of it. They say that Hatch invented the strategy part of Survivor, well then Sue Hawk definitely started the trend of memorable final tribal moments.

Marquesas Final 9: The fall of the Rotu 4 is one of the most satisfying things to happen on this show. They thought they had it in the bag on day 21. If anything it was a lesson to future Survivor players. If your at the bottom of an alliance and there is a way to get further with somebody else, GO WITH THEM! The whole tribal council was made even better as cocky John Carroll was the first to go out of the group.

Philippines Final 10: First everyone wants Penner gone. Then when he wins immunity it’s Skupin, the other returning player. But lisa doesn’t want him gone so she targets Malcolm to get rid of his idol. When Malcolm finds out the vote changes to Jeff Kent. Minutes before tribal Malcolm is trying to gather numbers to vote out Pete. By the time they get to tribal that night, there are two clear sides. The Tandang 5 vs the rest. At the tribal both Malcolm and Abi pull out there idol, Malcolm for strategic reasons, Abi cause she needed some attention. The confusion is not only too much for the viewers to keep up with, but Penner also loses track ,and doesn’t vote with his group. Jeff is sent to the jury, but Abi’s treatment of Lisa cause her to flip down the line.

Achtung!

there was a time I was down, down, I didn’t know what to do / I was just stumbling around, around, thinking things could not improve / I couldn’t look on the bright side, of anything at all / that’s when you gave me the call / Now I feel better, better, better than before – Gotye 2011

this will be the true re-start. I know I’ve said and thought that a million times, but I’m ready.

i’m ready / i’m ready for the laughing gas / I’m ready / i’m ready for what’s next – U2 1991

and even though I won’t know how things in 2015 will roll until the end of it’s first month, I down for everything that can happen.