Weekly GAL - Only in America

Sue the world! coz I'm an idiot

Is your drink just not meaty enough?

+ =

Bi-Weekly WTF - Smashing Pumpkins 'Landslide' Cover

I don't know what hit the WTF mark faster. 1. The fact they recorded this. 2. The fact they recorded this in a studio. 3. Billy's completely unsuitable voice and overall style for this track. 4. The mock-up video clip on YouTube. 5. The fact I wasted 3.07 listening to it. All combined its smashed the WTF barrier with ease.

Weekly WTF - Mermaid Single Flipper

Cos, ya know, it'd be great when you were learning to use it and, ya know, couldn't stand up easily and, ya know, drowned.

Run For Your Life!

Cam moves!

The little bloke has decided that 8.5 months is long enough to spend staying still and is crawling and spinning all over the show.

In the last few weeks you could see the frustration in his face that things were so close and yet completely impossible to get to. He now has his coordination under control and can move around faster than a redneck to KFC. (Yes that is a dig against rednecks AND people who like KFC!)

So lock up your valuables, shut all your doors and pray to whoever you reckons up there cos he's coming!

UPDATE: He's added a few more firsts in this week. He can sit himself up from lying down and pull himself up on furniture, usually to try and reach the bloody remote!

Nothings safe!
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Weekly WTF - Fake Animal Carcasses

To promote the new season of Man v Wild a life size replica camel carcass was put in an mall in Sydney so people could see what its like to crawl into it.

Bear Grylls - Yeah, Umm, WTF

Your show stinks about as much as this pile of camel ship..... get it?

"If you find yourself stuck in the desert...." seriously who the F finds themselves stuck in the desert without intending to be there all along!?!

Note: If a piss-take of your show has higher ratings then its time to hang up the utility belt you numpty.

Double Note: If you havent seen the piss-take, stop what your doing and watch right now.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh8V9MhfCws
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtM7Jiv856Y
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Weekly GAL - Donkey Kong High Score

The New York-based plastic surgeon has just recaptured the Donkey Kong record, nabbing 1,068,000 points, beating out recent records captured by Steve Wiebe (1,064,500) and Billy Mitchell (1,062,800), stars of the terrific 2007 documentary on the subject.

Can anyone guess what GAL stands for?

TAF11 - Just Around The Corner...

Hopefully the festive hangover has worn off enough to consider your options for TAF11. Yes its on so dig out the tent music lovers. Incase this is your first update on TAF11, I'll re-cover alot of points in the previous posting to ensure everyone has the 411.

There have been some huge changes/improvements/addons to the TAF11 setup and we hope they are all embraced by the attendees to create a bigger and better festival this time around. Everything that went well is of course remaining so those that are making it back-to-back TAF's you'll see some similarities.

So What's The Same?
- It will be over 2 days in our backyard with overnight camping strongly recommended. I can safely vouch for the TAF10 campers and say it was awesome!
- $25 entry fee which buys you one of the artist CDs (see next point), a Tent Plot, BBQ Gas, Toilet Paper, Lights, Shower etc.
- The lineup will be dictated by BDO. CD's will be purchased by me for the festival and distributed to ticket holders in a 'hat draw' after Sunday's headlining act closes TAF. CD purchase priority goes to artists with a 2010 release. eg: a lesser known artists new CD will be bought over Tool because Tool's last album was back in 2006.
- Tap beer available on-site. I'll leave the finer details to the Ah' Yeah brewing company but be assured your palette will remain satisfied.

What's Changed?
- TAF11 will NOT be on the same weekend as BDO. TAF11 will be on the 29th-30th January.
- New house means fresh layout! A new festival map has been created so there are no lost souls.
- We have been approached by 2nd brewery hoping to get in on TAF so your beverage choice could be even more widespread!

And What's New?
- Live performances. There will be an allocated timeslot for 'TAF Undiscovered' acts. Acoustic guitars and amplified vocals so get writing and rehearsing!
- Cook offs - BBQs, Webers, Marinades, Jerkys, "Show Us Ya Bratwurst", Best Apron Award - you get the idea!
- Merchandise and more!!!!

Line-up (Itinerary To Follow)
John Butler Trio, Birds Of Tokyo, Gyroscope, The Black Keys, Wolfmother, The Vines, Tool, Angus & Julia Stone, The Naked & Famous, Sia, Dead Letter Circus, Washington, Children Collide, Plan B, Little Red, Airbourne, Bliss N Eso, Deftones, Operator Please, Rammstein, Jim Jones Revue, Lupe Fiasco, Grinderman, Ratatat, Edward Sharpe, Primal Scream, Iggy and the Stooges.

In Summary
- TAF11 will begin at 11am Saturday 29th January and end on Sunday 30th @ 5.30pm. Music will be cut after Saturdays headliner circa 10pm and restart around 9-10am.
- Camping strongly encouraged but not compulsory.
- $25 entry fee, bring everything to eat/drink apart from beer if you're up for local TAF brew.

Testimonials
"BDO was shit and we spent $500+, should have stayed at TAF the whole time. Next year I'm @ TAF all the way." Michael Guhl 1/2/10
"TAF is the greatest festival I have ever been to, why haven't we been doing this every year!" Anon 31/1/10
"Who the hell are Muse?" Jenny Bartle 30/1/10 9.45pm
".........." Cameron Dawson 31/1/10

What do you want from me?
- Put a comment on this with your expressions of interest!

TAF10 was fabulous and this year is set to be bigger and better. Don't think about it, get on board!

being a good sport...

Australian cricket, for at least the test match brigade has fallen into a bit of a hole lately. To the casual observer this comes as no surprise, they were fairly dominant for a good 15 years and now its time to start the process again. There is only so long you can survive as the hunted.

Aussie sports fans however do not take this suggestion lying down, in the world of professional sports expectations turn into demands and you must suffer the consequences for any failures becoming. Have Australians become so accustomed to the terrific results that being anything less then number 1 is deemed a failure?

Many moons ago Australia dominated the world tennis scene and slowly it has dwindled away, our last spark of accomplishment was the unlikeable Lleyton Hewitt, not the greatest torch bearer for our nation. The sport has died down in popularity, its numbers in participation are not moving much, there is little inspiration for the masses.

Lets suggest that Aussie cricket continues its downward spiral, lets be honest it may not get much worse then this, its highly unlikely that smaller nations like NZ, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or WI would ever be consistantly better then Australia but its not unthinkable that India, SA and England could hold them off. Could cricket as a whole in Australia feel the weight of poor results.

In a world of ever increasing technology where more sport is played by kids on their xbox then in real life (Im not kidding either, having asked six classes of school kids who had played tennis and who had played wii tennis and the ratio was about 1:10), kids don't need an excuse to not go out and play actual sport

Almost every parent wants to put their kids into sport for the health and social benefits, not for the winning and losing aspects. The results of your kid's sporting event should have no effect on their self worth and neither should the results of the nation's sporting team effect the nation's self worth. If Australia sends out XI men to do battle as its best and they are thoroughly beaten then maybe they are just not as good as the other team. You have to appreciate the good times by going thru the bad.

I often root for the underdog, let ever man/woman/team have their day. I supported a team (Geelong FC) that didnt have grandfinal success for 40 years, it made it that much more sweeter when finally they did win. For nearly 3 years my team was almost unstoppable, but now they are on the decline, quite simply put its too hard to keep yourself at the top when everybody is thinking of ways to beat you. Living in a city where WC Eagles was a religion for my whole childhood, a team that never really saw the lowest of lows until this year when they finished last. I applaud the supporters who stick with their side, their captain, their coach thru the hard times, knowing that they were around when it was the good times, hopefully still around for the next wave of success.

Unfortunately everyone seems to forget that only one team can be on top, in AFL that means 15 teams don't win, so you can't say not winning is failure as your likely hood of being that one team is 6.25%. Maybe NFL / MLB style tables are a better way to do things, everything is in sections so your team may not win the whole damn league but they can be regional champ or sectional champ or whatever.

so trying not to plunder any sporting cliches, sport is meant to be fun, its meant to unite and not divide, its a hobbie, a pastime, a means of health and competition. You are not defined by it and neither is your team/country. Ride the wave, savour the victories and use the defeats as a learning tool to making yourself, your team or your country better for having competed.

Hottest 100 Voting for 2010

voting is now open at triplej.abc.net.au

over the year I have run a 'weekly' segment about new music and less then well known music and it should be no surprise that he bulk of my votes for this year have all been featured on this site. So if you want to check out the tracks then look on here or just punch it in on YT i guess

Bag Raiders - Way Back Home : i really like the build in this song, simple keyboards and vocal lines into a mid tempo beat and then into the sing a long chorus, nice work from this up and coming Aussie outfit 

Birds Of Tokyo - Plans : this song got a little bit killed by the flogomatic commercial stations. This album was possibly the best album i got this year and this is the best song off it 

Cee Lo Green - Fuck You! : this was the best song of 2010, a track which is so pop but so bitter and enjoyable. Its watered down version "forget you" is getting around on all commercial stations including Mix, i think if you can cover total alternative radio all the way to non-offensive adult contemporary then you have done something really good. Not my favourite song but the best one 

Chiddy Bang - Opposite Of Adults : This song has a great sample from MGMT's massive hits kids, but so well used you can't really tell what its from. Very different from a lot of songs that i like, number one its pretty much a rap song, number two it starts with the chorus, i tend to favour songs that build to a crescendo. Its pretty special. 

Gyroscope - What Do I Know About Pain? : I love these guys and they released an absolute cracker of an album this year, this song was a hidden gem. After releasing about three singles from the album which stole the limelight this track was a staple at concerts and it was only after multiple listens that I cottoned on. Was eventually realeased as a single late in the year which may bode well for hottest 100 

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Somebody To Love Me {Ft. Boy George &  Andrew Wyatt} : this track was just a bolt from the blue, Ronson released a great album this year and after two good singles he let this cat out of the bag and it blew me away. Just perfectly balanced in its layers 

Papa Vs Pretty - Heavy Harm : This is my favourite song of the year, its probably the biggest surprise package. Some really interesting guitar work opens the track and really got my attention. then the main riff just drives the track along. I hope they have a future as this song is really strong, unfortunately the other tracks I have heard havent been anywhere as interesting so fingers crossed for them, they really nailed this one 

Sparkadia - Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs : This artist had some nice tracks previously but has been quiet for a while, this song is really nice, it has a great hook in the chorus with the keys that is very familiar but I can't put my finger on it 

Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn : this song is really interesting in the fact that its a little bit dancey in it's studio version but i also heard it as an acoustic number and its just as good, slightly different and yet the song holds up. Thats always a sign of a really strong song. 

Dan Black - U + Me = : this almost escaped me and I am so glad that it didnt. i actually went back thru my Open Your Ears list before i submitted my votes and was reminded of this track. Once again its a track which isn't typically my scene but the sum of parts is awesome, layers of interesting features that come together to form one great track. Like Papa vs Pretty I hope this guy can back up such a strong release

this was probably one of the hardest years for voting in the last five years. Looking forward to 2011. What are your votes for best songs of 2010?