Weekend of Terror Terra

Sorry I don't have time for anything more substantial. Aunty Alex is on the job.

Looking for a new TV show to watch?

I feel like I've probably watched enough telly for the year.

However—if you're a regular viewer of the old idiot-box, and you're looking for some fresh idiocy to—um—stick in your box? … hmmmm … Anyway, there's a show out that I've been hearing A LOT of good things about. I mean, people saying stuff like, "Forget Game Of Thrones and Breaking Bad, this is THE best show in decades."

I can't confirm or deny any of this, since I haven't watched it—of course—but I have been hearing this A LOT, and I thought I'd mention it, just in case you were looking around for something to watch.

The show's called Mr Robot, and if anyone here confirms it's that good, I might be tempted to check it out in the near future. I'll probably check it out eventually either way, but—y'know—probably not for a while.

I still haven't watched True Detective or Orphan Black yet.

Right In Th' Nose

I read a blog post the other day about how we train boys and girls to interact with each other.

The author talked about how, once—when she was little—a boy at school stole part of her lunch.

… and when she told the teacher …

And a few years later, when a boy kept sneaking up behind her and pushing her over …

… the teacher said …

She made the point that we condition girls from a very young age to view abuse as something that can't be helped and may even symbolise affection. Basically, we're laying the foundations for this:

I can't help but think about how this contrasts with the way I was brought up:

Marina and the Diamonds

Despite the name, it's actually just one girl.

From Wales, apparently.

I don't like her first album as much as the other two—a lot of it sounds a bit too much like generic indie-pop for my taste—but I'm including it for completeness,.

The second album's actually the one that caught my attention in the first place. It sounds a lot more like good old-fashioned synth-pop.

The third album's kind of like the second, but with a bit of a—uh, I dunno—almost like a Kate Bush vibe to it. I think I like this one the best. Especially towards the end. For some reason, they stuck the suckiest song right at the start. Hmmm—Best to get it out of the way early, I suppose.

And just for good measure, here's a song that only appeared on the special edition of the second album. The video wasn't what I expected, but I reckon I get it … except for maybe the severed head? Dunno what her other videos are like. Here's some background info I swiped off Wikipedia:

Diamandis revealed to The Sun that she was highly involved in the video: "I had 100 per cent creative control over this video. I was like 'OK, let's get six Calvin Klein models and put them in the shower and I'll stand in the middle in PVC'."

On 19 September 2012, Diamandis announced on her Twitter page that the music video for "How to Be a Heartbreaker" would premiere online on 24 September. However, problems occurred on the day of the supposed release, and Diamandis took to her Twitter to explain the situation: "So, someone at my record label won't let me release the video because I look ugly in it apparently and we need more money and time to paint out ugly parts. The video will be out end of the week. If not, I am happy to leak the 'minger' version for my fans." The video premiered on 28 September 2012 on youtube.

Hmmmmmmmm … Enjoy!

My Neighbour *

During the week she looks like this …

… and gets around like this …

But come the weekend, she looks like this …

… and gets around like this …

Books and covers, 'ay?

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* Because there's nothing like looking out the window for inspiration when it's Saturday morning and you don't know what to draw.

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What do you think about having blog posts done in cartoon format from now on?

In Case You Missed It, Melbs

John Oliver did a show on sex-ed in America. Bet you're glad you don't have to teach there, ay?

Also, farewell to the retiring Jon Stewart. The quality of his show has been down for the last couple of years, but I'm still sad to see him go.

All told, it's been quite an innings. As far as cultural impact goes, he's probably the most influential English-speaking comedian of my lifetime — and it's nice, for once, to be able to say something like that and mean it in a positive way. Satire of the news is probably as old as the news itself, but Stewart has taken it to a different level. For years, he's been providing a steady, persistent reminder of how full of shit the media is and why you shouldn't trust authority figures. Paradoxically, this has made him into an authority figure in his own right. I've often seen reports referring to him as one of the most trusted figures in journalism, accompanied by findings that people who use his show as their primary source of news tend to be as well informed as people who rely on a dedicated news channel. On several occasions, I've heard Stewart say that he finds this incredibly disappointing.

Hopefully, people like Oliver and Stewart's replacement can maintain the momentum, and this whole deal doesn't become an artifact of the early 21st century.

Whatever happens — Cheers Jon — I'm gonna miss ya, bloke.

SPEEDOODLES

Still too busy to manage anything more.