Oh My Darlin'

Sat 28 Nov ∞ Permalink

Sweet - Teenage Rampage

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

(Creative Grooming)

Sometimes, there are no words.

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

(Creative Grooming)

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

Maybe if I keep talking about it I won’t have to write it.

—

Stephen King (Daily Express | Showbiz :: King writing The Shining sequel)

This is what every. single. writer thinks, constantly. And what I think every time someone asks me to tell them about my book/screenplay.

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

Well, this is deeply hilarious.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

John Farnham - Touch Of Paradise

One of the greatest songs this country has ever produced. John Farnham has a back catalogue spotted by wonderful songs that are criminally underrated purely by virtue of being “Farnsey” tracks.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Keith Richards - Take It So Hard

Another song to be thankful for. Once, I was DJing after The Dwarves played, and Blag Dahlia and HeWhoCannotBeNamed ran over and thrust $5 notes into my hands for having played it while shouting “You’re the greatest DJ of all time!” That was a pretty great night.

[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine

I am thankful for this song, and have been nearly my entire life (serious; it, Freeway Of Love, Jump! and Everybody Wants To Rule The World are the four songs I remember since the age of about three).

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

As president, I believe that robotics can inspire young people to pursue science and engineering. And I also want to keep an eye on those robots in case they try anything.

—President Barack Obama, speaking to Washington DC schoolchildren (Breaking News: Barack Obama Worried About Robot Takeover (For Real) | BotJunkie)

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

Gee, Thanks

I ummed and ahhed about writing something Thanksgiving-related, but Jake’s use of the phrase “international communit[y]” was all I needed to tip me over the edge. In theory, 2009 hasn’t been a banner year in the Bastow household; long, grinding bouts of depression, perpetual brokeness (today my account is $15 in the red because my MEAA freelancers fee went out overnight; oh, the ironing is delicious), a broken engagement, and too long spent in the worst kind of domestic unbliss in the most depressing part of town.

BUT my amazing therapist/analyst helped me through the first point, brokeness is temporary (or so I’ve been telling myself through seven years of writing), I’M FREEEE, and I moved back to the land of the living. And, on the other hand, I finally travelled to my spiritual homeland (and will be back there soon), put on a successful Comedy Festival show with my friend and collaborator Brenna, produced two seasons of a real live TV show, and when I said “hey, come walk through the city dressed as zombies”, 2000 people showed up (instead of being called a weirdo). So, in the spirit of ensuring that 2010 is a corker, I’m sending 2009 out on a positive note.

I am thankful for, in no particular order: my friends and family, my dog Pickles, Corrindi blueberries, weed, World Of Warcraft, the fact that Metcards validated after 6pm last all night, being able to walk into the city from my flat, my amazing flat, working in community radio, being a music critic whether I like it or not, guys with waxed chests who try to pick me up by using the line “Hey, did you have a photo byline in the paper on Friday?”, international travel, Raspberry Drumsticks, my uppity local video shop, the fact that the lemon-scented eucalypt down the road makes the whole block smell like LA in the rain, swimming lazy laps wearing flippers at the pool across the block, working with great people, working with not-so-great people, and all the bullshit that continues to happen in my life so that I can laugh it off as “great material for the screenplay”, which I will write this summer.

But oddly enough, I am thankful that - in the face of being told “Thanks, but you’re too smart/too funny/not funny enough/not Melbourne enough/not pretty enough/not quite right for this role/job/column”, in the face of endless hate letters and bitchy discussion board threads, in the face of, well, facing the fact that my work in Australia is more or less done - I am who I am, and will always be. It may have taken me 27 or so years to get to that point, but as one of my favourite Facebook groups put it, “if u dont like me then… NIGGA FUCK YOU!!!!”

Thanks for listening.

x

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

If he doesn’t end up actually making this into a feature-length film, well, there will be little to be thankful for.

Fri 27 Nov ∞ Permalink

(via suicideblonde:mudwerks)

WHITE MEAT. DARK MEAT. ALL WILL BE CARVED.

You’ll come home for the holidays… in a body bag.

Thu 26 Nov ∞ Permalink

Now this has now become a question not simply of the environmental responsibility of the Liberal Party but of its integrity. We agreed with the Government on this deal. We must retain our credibility of taking action on climate change. We cannot be seen as a party of climate sceptics, of do nothings on climate change. That is absolutely fatal. And we also must be seen as men and women of our word. We entered into a bargain. There was offer - and there was acceptance….

Now I know, and I just repeat this, this is a difficult issue for many Liberals, many Australians. But I repeat most people who doubt the science also know that it makes sense to take out insurance, to manage the risk, to give the planet the benefit of the doubt. Now at the moment, as you know, some of my colleagues have found it necessary to resign from ministerial positions so they can cross the floor on the issue. That is their right and I respect it. But I believe we must maintain this course of action. It is the responsible thing to do. It is the honourable thing to do.

—

Malcolm Turnbull (via somethingchanged)

Go Malcolm! Keep those actual bastards honest!