Entertainment – Page 5 – helenthura.com

July 12, 2009

JJJ Hottest 100 of all time 2009

Well a few hours ago #1 of the Triple J Hottest 100 Of All time 2009 was announced, and looking at the list of the following songs that I nominated and what ended up on the list I scored a big 0 out of 0
Simon & Garfunkel – The 58th Bridge Song
Split Enz – Six Months On A Leaky Boat
Mountain Goats, The – This Year
Breeders, The – Safari
Saints, The – (i’m) Stranded
Peter Combe – Mr. Clicketty Cane
Sarah McLachlan – Adia
Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl
Go-Betweens, The – Cattle And Cane
Leonard Cohen – Like A Bird (Bird On The Wire)

I had no hope for Simon & Garfunkel or Peter Combe and Leonard Cohen was a long shot but I would have thought at least Tori Amos with Cornflake Girl would have been in there. In terms of linking the 10 songs I voted for and didn’t appear in the hottest 100 with the 100 that actually did appear. Three songs have links.
3. Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah
I voted for Leonard Cohen – Like A Bird (Bird On The Wire). Hallelujah was of course written by Leonard Cohen
29. Pixies – Where Is My Mind?
I voted for The Breeders – Safari. Of course after The Pixies came something greater, The Breeders
50. Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over
But before Crowed House, there was Split Enz and I voted for Split Enz – Six Months On A Leaky Boat.

If I had entered the same list into the Hottest 100 Of All Time in 1998 I would have got 1 out of 9 (Can’t count The Mountain Goats as it was not yet released). Tori Amos – Cornflake Girl came in at 27. Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over came in at 76 in 1998.

If I had entered those songs for the Hottest 100 Of All Time in 1989, I would have had a much higher hit rate with the following two from my list appearing.
11 The Go-Betweens – Cattle & Cane
51 The Saints – (I’m) Stranded

When I was thinking about the songs to vote for I did pick songs that aren’t the most talked about. I picked songs that mean something to me, songs that I felt deserved a chance. If I had voted for the 10 songs that I love and would pick to be in the hottest 100 I would have voted for the following.

4. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart
12. Oasis – Wonderwall
23. Hunters & Collectors – Throw Your Arms Around Me
40. Nirvana – Come As You Are
54. The Cure – Close To Me
66. Elton John – Tiny Dancer
73. The Clash – London Calling
84. Bob Marley & The Wailers – No Woman, No Cry
86. The Beatles – Come Together
97. Midnight Oil – Beds Are Burning

It will be interesting in the coming days to see the list dissected and hopefully some more of the results after 100 will come out as well. Till 2018 when it happens all over again.

June 20, 2009

Simon and Garfunkel In Concert!

Simon and Garfunkel was amazing. It was just amazing to hear those voices live, to see them on stage in front of me (albeit a long way in front of me -> I was in the very back row of the entertainment centre. I was so tempted to throw caution to the wind and book a flight and some expensive tickets and go see them in Sydney or Melbourne later this week but the sensible Helen said that would be a lot of money.

I guess due to the size of the concert I didn’t find it nearly as thrilling as The Breeders last year (I was in the front row then) but I did spend the entire night with a grin on my face and my hands clasped in front of me. I bought an overpriced t-shirt along with a very pretty tour poster for which I will need to find a nice A3 frame.

*video montage*
Old Friends/Bookends
Hazy Shade Of Winter
I Am A Rock
America
Kathy’s Song – Art believes this is the greatest love song of “our” (his) generation
*chatter about Alice in Wonderland*
Hey Schoolgirl
Bebop-alula (The Everley Brothers)
Scarborough Fair
Homeward Bound
*video montage ending with a clip from The Graduate*
Mrs Robinson
Slip Slidin’ Away
El Condor Pasa (If I Could)

*Art Garfunkel*
Bright Eyes
A Heart in New York
The Perfect Moment/Now I Lay me Down

For Emily, Whenever I may find her

*Paul Simon*
Graceland
The Boy in the Bubble
Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes

Only Living Boy in New York
My Little Town
Bridge Over Troubled Water

Encore 1
Cecilia
The Boxer

Encore 2
Sounds of Silence
The Leaves That Are Green

Encore 3
Feelin’ Groovy

Here is my *fantastic* photo of the night from my camera phone, taken during the playing of Feelin’ Groovy

And here is a little video clip from my phone

Big props to them for playing for 2hrs 10mins, it was great to not have a support act and no intermission.

June 13, 2009

a saturday

At the moment I am watching Dr Rosemary Stanton on Ethical Eating. Over the past few years I have enjoyed reading editorials by Stanton and she is a very very good presenter. If I see a public lecture from her in Brisbane I will be going! I have to add again how much I love ABC Fora, I have listened to some very interesting presentations over the last year or so.

Today, I woke up at 6ish but dozed in bed till 8ish, so luxurious! I popped into work for a while to pick some stuff up/drop some stuff off and say hello to the reservists I don’t normally get to see during the week. I also visited the RSPCA opshop at New Farm and picked up a Le Parfait jar and some crochet doilies for the grand total of $3. Then it off to Flannerys to stock up on rolled oats. Then Ikea called.

I have had a clothes rail for my wardrobe for the last 7 mths or so which I have kept covered with a dark doona cover to keep my clothes dust free and stop fading. I said enough is enough today. I had been umming and ahhing between a few different ones the last few nights on the net. Looking at them today I decided on the Aneboda. I also picked myself up a bookcase, a Billy of course. Looking at them now in my room, I love how they melt into the white walls. I also bought my first Ikea fabric, this nice orange one, which I am going to use to make curtains for my book case. Tomorrow I will have to take some photos. I still have bits and pieces to put away but it looks a lot more roomier now. Also tomorrow I have an SES fund raiser to attend, washing to do and family to visit!

Two photos to share.
I took this photo back in April one rainy afternoon at The Farm. I love how the rain drops.

And sharing my Food Connect box from last week, I had fun this time arranging the fruit and vege for the photo.

On a sad note, I finished watching The West Wing the other night. It has taken me about 6 or so weeks to watch all 7 seasons and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have laughed my head off at times, wept at times, shaken my head at others and at others just absorbed the drama, the wit, the speeches. And this quote from In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part II

Margaret: Can I – can I just say something for the future?
Leo: Yeah.
Margaret: I can sign the President’s name. I have his signature down pretty good.
Leo: You can sign the President’s name?
Margaret: Yeah.
Leo: On a document removing him from power and handing it to someone else?
Margaret: Yeah. Or… do you think the White House Counsel would say that was a bad idea?
Leo: I think the White House Counsel would say it was a coup d’Ã©tat!
Margaret: Well. I’d probably end up doing some time for that.
Leo: I would think. And what the hell were you doing practising the President’s signature?
Margaret: It was just for fun.
Leo: We’ve got separation of powers, checks and balances, and Margaret, vetoing things and sending them back to the Hill.

April 20, 2009

Monday #5

1) I rode my new bike to and from work today. It felt great 🙂 I will have to take a photo of my bike to share – it is very very very pretty 😀

2) I saw a line of furry caterpillars crossing the road today. The line stretched for a good 3m! Each caterpillar was about 8cm long. Sadly, the lesson here is that little furry caterpillars shouldn’t cross the road at 0720 if they don’t have a death wish. I don’t think that many survived the trip across the road.

3) I was stuck in the lift at work today for 45mins. That is now something I can cross the list of things I didn’t really want to experience but now can say I have experienced it. I was bringing a candidate back up to Medical and the poor kid freaked out a little bit. He was not all impressed about been stuck. I guess I would have been too if it was my enlistment day and I was stuck in the lift with an ever increasing ETA as to when the tech would be there.

4) I took this photo walking home from the bike shop on Saturday arvo. It makes me laugh.

5) So I don’t forget before ANZAC Day on Saturday, I polished my SES boots tonight after training. I have one question, how on earth do you use black shoe polish and not get it over yourself?

(secret track)
#6 I first heard about /saw Rodrigo y Gabriela a few years ago. I thought yeah some pretty sweet as guitar playing. I got home tonight to find the guys watching the Live in Japan DVD and cripeamole. That is so impressive. I almost started dancing in the living room (in my SES gear…)

March 29, 2009

Sunday again

Yet again it is a Sunday morning and I am on the deck with the laptop. Thinking back to the week it has been and thinking ahead for the coming week. Another week at work, we have been trying some new processes, paring our working hours back to a more reasonable 37.5 (what we have been doing has been excessive). I’m trying to balance my life out again. I’ve been really slack in the cooking department. I need to start walking to work again or getting a bike so I can cycle.

Monday night at SES was spent doing knots. That is one thing that I am grateful for my years as Guide as I have no problem what so ever with them.

Wednesday night, I decided at the last minute to head out to the Troubie to catch Coby Grant, Rhiannon Hart and Georgia Potter. I’m glad I did. Coby Grant was a very nice discovery and of course it was great to finally catch a set from Rhiannon Hart as I have read a bit about her in the street press over the times. Georgia Potter, well really there is nothing to say there, a great set as one would expect and the perfect music to get you through the rest of the week.

Friday at work, we made hot dogs as one of the interviewers was shifting to a promotions job downstairs. Was really great to see everyone pitching in to help make the hot dogs and generally taking some time out of the day to have lunch. Friday night I had a great night. The Red Eyes, Dubmarine and The Cool Calm Collective were playing at the Step Inn. I took no camera, no handbag, just me. I missed the first half of the Cool Calm set which is life but I would have loved to have caught it. I spent the entire night dancing and feeling really free. More free than I have felt at concert in a long time. It was a great night out.

Yesterday I got up a *little* later than I normally do on a Saturday. A trip to the markets at Kelvin Grove picked me up some fruit and veg for the week along with a hot chocolate and a mini “pizza” for breakfast. I look forward to the KG markets each week as that is here I can get the best hot chocolate in Brisbane. I think the stall is run by the Blackstar Coffee people. They offer a white, milk and dark hot chocolate but each week they have different flavourings. This week they had white with lime, straight dairy milk and dark with peppermint. The previous week they had white with rosewater. I have had the white chocolate the last two weeks and oh my they are soo good. I’m hoping they have the dark with orange or the white with lavender next week.

I had a very leisurely read of the paper and then took some assorted photos. I tried to start read Far from the Madding Crowd
by Thomas Hardy but gave up. I love how he describes the scenes but I just couldn’t get into it.

This morning, I did some weeding in the garden, some more planning for my upcoming trip to Melbourne (I’m going from April 7 to April 12). Can’t wait. I had so much fun when I went to Melbourne in 2007. If you have any suggestions for must visit places, please leave a comment.

Now it is about time to start organising my self to head to my parents and then onwards to the Farm to see Granddad.

March 24, 2009

Suddenly Single

A couple of weeks ago whilst browsing the QPAC website to see what was upcoming, I stumbled across Suddenly Single on the events calendar. It was billed as a new musical from two Brisbane writers. Tickets were $15. Straight away it ticked three boxes in the reasons why to go column. Last Friday, I had a bite to eat and headed off to QPAC for a night of song and comedic drama about the single life.

What the QPAC website didn’t mention is that that the performance was actually a workshop performance. Whilst I loved the show and will go see it again when it is in full production. I was relatively disappointed when I started reading the program and was advised that it was a workshop performance. I still would have gone if it had been advertised as that but these expectations I had for the show had to be quickly taken down a few levels. Those expectations were most certainly exceeded. From how the program read, rehearsals had only begun the week prior to the performance and that there will be a final script rewrite before the “real” production is staged.

The cast of six (three ladies and three gentlemen) arrived on stage in their blacks with script books in hand and burst into the title song Workin’ Out Your Life and for the next X hours and Y minutes they developed as characters and became seemingly more “at home” in their roles. It was also interesting to see how their voices changed as well, in the first act the ladies sitting beside me had picked one of the men as the better singer of the men but then come the second half, one of the others seemed the better singer. That was interesting. The role of Mary was played by Judy Hainsworth and oh her voice was just gorgeous, it was sweet and deep at the same time. If in the semi-distant future a musical called Suddenly Single comes your way, go check it out!