He Thrilled

Much has been written and said in the last fews days about the life and death of Michael Jackson. Even I look upon his final years with a mocking attitude as I saw his physical appearance and "reported" behaviours slide into ridiculousness. But maybe there is something we are forgetting.

There are few people with any understanding of the arts who will deny that the only way to forge ahead and create magnificence in this field is experimentation and a healthy dose of eccentricity. Michael Jackson did just this from outlandish costumes, dance moves never seen before, a stage presence that captivated his audiences, and most importantly amazing music. Much modern day pop music owes a debt of gratitude to his creations. He chose to work in a field that has no roadmaps, no distinct plan or recipe for success. Like all great artists, he simply tried what he thought would work.... and it worked.

Was Jackson a terribly flawed person? You betcha, but he is part of an enourmous list of just such famous people.

Today's shout out goes to Michael Jackson. I still don't know how someone can be so right, yet so wrong at the same time.

Today's shout down goes to the monotonous media coverage we are getting on his death. One day after his death and I was already sick of their stupid, uncomfirmed allegations and frenzy.

(I've decided that my attempts at poetry published in previous emails will take a short hiatus. They may return).

Big Boys Toys

Previously, I made mention of my interest in matters aviation related. I shall make mention of it again.

I've recently returned from a brief driving holiday that mostly involved me freezing my butt off as I journeyed south in a small campervan. Staying in caravan parks along the way, I managed to avoid a dose of tinea from showers of dubious cleanliness and miraculously caught nothing from unsettlingly warm toilet seats.

A highlight of the journey was without doubt a visit to the Temora Aviation Museum located around an hours drive north of Wagga Wagga. A disneyland for anyone interested in aircraft or engineering, the museum houses one of the finest collections of airworthy vintage aircraft outside of the USA/UK. Superbly operated, the flying days are a magnificent spectacle of what can be achieved when enthusiastic hobbyists come into contact with large amounts of disposable cash. For a very reasonable entrance fee, the visitor is treated to beautifully restored and maintained aircraft worth many millions of dollars, all running better than the day they rolled off the production line.

If you have any interest in such things, I suggest google it and go.

Today's shout out obviously goes to the folks at the Temora Aviation Museum. Brilliant!

Today's shout down goes to caravan parks that charge heaps for unpowered campsites. Gimme a break, only $2 less than a powered site??

"Blue Steel", by Dan the VespaMan.

Powering up the V12
Give it a little throttle,
The Merlin sings its song
Those guys must have had some bottle.

The heritage of the skies
Should be something we keep forever,
We owe a lot to it
And to forget it we should never.

MyTube

Television is like plutonium. Vastly powerful, it has the capability of doing great things and genuinely helping the further development of the human race. However, when handled poorly or by people who disrespect it the results can be rather devastating. And it is always unstable.

I like television. The ability to switch on a portal to the world, to select whether I wish to be entertained or informed. Video has such advantages over other mediums mainly due to the fact that video encompasses them all. The arts of theatre, writing, music and photography are all covered and need to exist in unison to create a quality product. There's something that sends a shiver up the spine when this is done right.

But it isn't all beer and skittles. There is a disturbing amount of total crap on our televisions, dreadfully produced and mind numbing in its ability to transfix people on their couches with a seeming inability to say "no, no more of this!". The antidote however has been invented, and it is now up to the intelligent television viewer to take a stand. The white knight is the PVR, a box of electronic gadgetry that returns the power to the viewer. With practice, the viewer can decide what is good television, what is total shit and remove the latter forever. Advertisements, the bane of the television viewer can now be sent packing with a few mere clicks of a remote.

I can assure you, with sensible use of the PVR and practice the magnificent 5% of television that is worth watching is within your reach.

Todays shout out goes to the magnificent 5%. An island of pleasure in a sea of pain.

Todays shout down goes to advertisements played at annoyingly loud volumes. Be gone you annoying devils *Dan wields his remote like a sword*

"The Channel of Champions", by Dan the VespaMan.

I switch on the box
And assume the pose,
It's a night on the couch
and anything goes.

Thank goodness for choice
The magical box,
It removes all the crud
And just leaves what rocks.