Knock and run

They almost all went the distance... Guillard outpointed Stephens. Sherk also got the nod from the judges (Dunham was burgled). As did Lytle and Bader, both unanimously. But Filipovic ate a knee at the death to leave Mir crowing. I guess my personal djinn only grants three wishes.


Listening: "Doctor Who - The Last Voyage" (2010), written by Dan Abnett and narrated brilliantly by David Tennant.
Reading: "The Zeroes - My Misadventures In The Decade Wall Street Went Insane" (2010) by Randall Lane
Watching: 2008's "Let The Right One In" (ta, SR)

Shootfighting the breeze

Ideally, "UFC #119" will pan out thusly -

* Mirko Filipovic separates Frank Mir's head from his shoulders. Alas, "Cro Crop" hasn't looked anywhere near as devastating post-PRIDE and the man who describes his kicks as "right leg, hospital; left leg, cemetery" will require flawless takedown defence to avoid being tapped out by an opponent heavier and undeniably superior on the ground. Frank has been talking more smack than a Kings Cross dealer and deserves a bully beatdown. I just don't see it happening unless he's relapsed into indiscipline. Need further convincing? Mirko accepted the fight on four weeks' notice (as opposed to three months') and reportedly hurt his eye in training.

* Ryan Bader continues his unbeaten streak by defeating the brother of his "T/U/F/8" coach, maybe by decision. I have reservations about this, too. "Darth" hasn't faced a striker of the calibre of former boxer Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. It would be a mistake for him to try to stand and trade blows with "Little Nog" rather than utilising his wrestling to the fullest extent.

* Chris "Lights Out" Lytle scores the upset KO over Matt "The Terror" Serra, to the delight of his home-town Indianapolis crowd. (C'mon, I'm a Colts supporter.) Interestingly, Chris is considered the veteran, despite both gentlemen being 36 - must be his 51 MMA bouts compared to Matt's 17 :-)

* Sean Sherk gets inside the reach of the rangy Evan Dunham and messes him up in the way he did to his victims when he was the lightweight champ and yet to be busted for competing "on the juice". Putting a black mark on "3-D"'s spotless record would resuscitate "The Muscle Shark"'s career. Conversely, a loss here - on top of a string of cancellations due to injury - might relegate him to the lower leagues, eg. Strikeforce. Unfortunately for Sean, the obvious gaps in Evan's skillz set are: none.

* Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard versus Jeremy "Li'l Heathen" Stephens can go either way and it won't bother me. [Flips coin] I'll go with Jeremy.

"Highwayman" (1977) by Jimmy Webb

I was a highwayman. Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of '25
But I am still alive.

I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide.
I sailed a schooner 'round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still.

I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around...I'll always be around...
And around and around and around and around...

I fly a starship across the universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again and again and again and again and again...


Much as I love the cover of this ballad by The Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson), the tweaked lyrics and emphases of Webb's new version with Mark Knopfler also tickle my fancy. http://bit.ly/bVNjRn

Ethics none-oh-none

At the Theatre Royal for the first time since, unless I'm mistaken, 2002's "The Mystery Of Charles Dickens", I saw the Broadway/West End hit musical "Jersey Boys". The story of '60s popsters Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons, it commenced with a modern French interpretation that established the group's lasting and widespread influence, then went on to trace the quartet's rise from singing under a streetlight in New Jersey to consistent chart-toppery. It was a tale with plenty of crime, from the members' delinquent youths to their dealings with the Mob – some cordial, others cement-shoes heavy. There were loves that didn't last, friendships that persisted no matter what, individual tragedies and wistful reminiscences. But, as another Seppo band once sang, the music never stopped: "Sherry", "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like A Man", "Dawn (Go Away)", "Rag Doll", "Bye, Bye, Baby", "Working My Way Back To You", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)"... Female trio The Angels, who toured with The Seasons, also got a look-in, as did a few artists for whom the boys provided studio backing vocals while doing the hard yards. Disclosure: I had my doubts about the casting, but I did a 180 as soon as the group found its distinctively harmonic sound. All four of the main performers were absolutely perfect in their roles.

During the interval, over a glass of wine, I got chatting to an older party of five. They asked what I did for a living and - small bloody world - it turned out that one fella's debut lawyering gig, around 1980-81, was vetting proofs of our rag for defamation and obscenity. They invited me to join them for drinks in the high rollers' room at the casino afterwards. I graciously declined on account of it being a "school night". While I'd have liked to peek inside that privileged gambling den, the imbalance of power was clear and the expectations of me weren't. To be honest, I think they were just being sociable because they were in their cups (and one lady appeared partner-less). But I didn't feel like trying to live up* to the "wild porn-mag dude" stereotype. Speaking of pornography, a colleague who's been in the jazz pamphlet business for yonks recently informed the office that, for verisimilitude, fake semen is best concocted from icing sugar and water.

*Down.

68% free

Never again.

Experiment V

I watched zero TV from Monday to Sunday, instead recording all of the programs I like to my Foxtel iQ box. The lesser model of their PVRs, it holds 100 hours of SD broadcasts. It was a tabula rasa when I began this experiment and is now displaying "3% free" (despite, I note, somehow forgetting my "series link"-ing of "X-Play"). That figure is misleading - partly because I habitually add 20 mins to the end of each show lest it run long, but also 'cos past experience has indicated it's only a rough estimate. Suffice it to say, though, that I now have a televisual archive comparable to the collection of magickal tomes hidden beneath Vatican City ;-) My goal is to view as much of it as I can in a single day. Why? Probably the laziest way I can answer that is in point form:

* Because Mt Everest is there
* To force myself to confront the amount of telly I consume - as when Gillian McKeith shames obese folks by placing their entire weekly diet on a table in front of them on "You Are What You Eat"
* So as to allude to a genius Kate Bush song, AND
* For the sheer, mad challenge of it! (Which included the formidable task of keeping my ears corked to news about the football codes.)

I'll check in at 9pm with my results. Don't fret, I won't be staring slack-jawed at the boob tube for 12 hours straight. Besides reheating tucker, scoffing and washing dishes, I'll be playing "Castle Ravenloft". I was so impressed with this modular, "D&D"-light boardgame when TC acquainted me with it yesterday morn that I bought a copy on my way home. As it's a co-operative game - that sees adventurers taking on the vampire Count Strahd and his minions - for the scenarios designed for 2-5 players, I can control every character without conflicts of interest. (Its attractive dungeon tiles, miniatures and various cards and counters already litter my coffee table, thanks to a midnight conquering of the introductory solo quest, "Escape The Tomb", using the ranger Allisa.)

Higher education is a glorified fetch quest

I'm told by the babe on the Kino reference desk that they'll have 50 shiny copies of "Our Kind Of Traitor" on their bookshelves within the next fortnight. Meanwhile, here's what Le Carre declares is his final recorded conversation with a television journalist (perhaps any journo, it's ambiguous) - http://bit.ly/c9X2KA. It's a useful prelude to the themes of "O/K/O/T", as well as a deeper insight into an articulate, worldly, private, unwavering, shrewd, justifiably morally outraged man.


Reading: "Biomega #1-3" (2007, translation 2010) by Tsutomu Nihei, "A Week In December" (2009) by Sebastian Faulks
Watching: Graffiti doco "Jisoe" (2004)

Autodidactbots

Stephen McGinty's 2007 work of leftfield non-fiction, "Churchill's Cigar", contains a character sketch I have to share:

"Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, who wrote his guide to the game [of lawn tennis] in 1874, was an inveterate inventor who pioneered the less successful sport of bicycle gymkhana (formation cycling to classical music) as well as a popular pipe mixture."


Listening: Radio Rexley! (Follow the link from the "Dog Judo" dojo.)
Reading: "Doctor Who - Judgement Of The Judoon" (2009) by Colin Brake. An unabashedly derivative romp with a Veronica Mars-esque girl detective named Nikki Jupiter and "Matrix Reloaded"-style henchtwins known as The Walinski Brothers. That's Walinski, not Wachowski.

Treading holy water

My review of "Tokyo Vice" (posted by the ed 'cos I didn't get a login for our WordPress until later) - http://bit.ly/9ktRIA. And my interview with its author, Jake Adelstein - http://bit.ly/d2IYvo. Please enjoy.


Playing: "Duel Decks: Elspeth Vs Tezzeret"
Reading: "Cuba: My Revolution" (2010), written by Inverna Lockpez and illustrated by Dean Haspiel.
Watching: "Glorious 39" (2009), which was in a batch of screeners sent to me at work. The kind of sumptuous English wartime mystery of which I seldom tire.

Sayonara

As I intimated in a tweet on Wednesday, the Bathurst St branch of Sushi Train has suddenly closed after a decade of tossing raw fish down the gullets of human seals clapping their metaphorical flippers with joy.

I'd been dining there since the beginning and was transformed from someone who relied on his fingers and stuck with "safe" toppings to a Miyagi of the chopsticks au fait with the darkest corners of the menu.

Unlike the nearby eruptions of Hungry Jack's and Pizza Hut, this Sushi Train never gave me food poisoning. Nor did it leave me with the meat sweats or arteries so clogged I felt I was gonna chuck a heartie.

I'll miss walking in to the traditional welcoming chorus of "Irasshaimase!" from smiling waitresses who recognised me as "that anal-retentive guy who insists on artfully arranging his empty plates and rubbish".

I'll miss walking out with a belly full of karaage don, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, ebi fry nigiri and oshinko rolls; culturally enriched to the point where I'm fluent is as many as, er, nine Japanese words.

The building is already being refitted behind papered windows, and my dream is that it will reopen under the same team of chefs, seceding from the national ST chain to start their own rebel sushi restaurant.

Like my first par, it'd be a controversial move. The funny thing is, since I typed that line 10 minutes ago, several people have stopped me in the street and said, "We agree with you, Addster - humans are like seals."

Pop-yew-ler

For CM, AM and I, Animania 2010, was all about the spectating. In the "Chibi Room", we saw crystal-clear, HD(?) footage of the performances from August's World Cosplay Summit championships in Nagoya. The Strine lasses gave a good account of themselves, but the Italian chaps channelling Link and Ganondorf were deserved winners. Their costumes, make-up and props were of a Hollywood standard.

Moving to the main-stage area, we witnessed an unofficial passing of the torch from the WCS gals, skits by a selection of local contenders for 2011 and Singaporean guests, plus the regular Animania solo and group cosplay contests. The overall quality was super high - and that extends to details such as slideshows and background music (which included an inspired co-opting of a catchy "Wicked" number).

We didn't stay for the judging, but a personal favourite of mine was the willowy blonde dressed in valkyrie fashion. I now know what sort of divine guardians I want for my tomb.

Morbid insanity aside, I also had a substantial squiz at the dealer tables and came away with cute fan art of Harley Quinn, "Zombie Apocalypse" warning stickers, and a surprise manga spin-off novel - "Genshiken: Return Of The Otaku" by Iida Kazutoshi. My lone tchotchke was a "Whack-A-Mole" keyring that emits a snatch of the "Bubble Bobble" theme and then, disappointingly, goes dead.

Where are those shield maidens when you need 'em?

Seaweed Ambassador

I like "Alpha", and I'm thankful for the pic of spunky Brooke McNamara in a Knights jersey, footy socks and skimpies. But I'm afraid it's inaccurate to say my home city "produces large bits of steel", as BHP padlocked its gates back in 1999. Allow me to rewrite the offending sentence: "Newcastle seems to pump out attractive ladies faster than it fills large boats with coal." Nobody mention the odd queue outside the heads.


Reading: zines!

Dig that Sphinx's riddle, man

A "University Challenge" bonus round on critics introduced me to this quote from Christopher Hampton: "Asking a working writer what he thinks about critics is like asking a lamp post how it feels about dogs."


Listening: "Doctor Who - The Gathering" (BF#87) by Joseph Lidster
Watching: 2003's miniseries thriller nonpareil "State Of Play" (ta, SR)

The alarming spread of the fish snakehead

According to "Cruise Ship Diaries" on Nat Geo Adventure, passenger liners aren't permitted to carry weapons but, if necessary, can train their fire hoses on attackers. This alleged ban contradicts what I've heard from friends and internauts and causes the "Rally-X" player in me to cry, "Smokescreen!" Just Googling "cruise ship weapons" returns reports of pirates repulsed with a non-lethal sonic cannon and even by pistols issued to the crew. The conclusion is that lines prefer not to discuss such matters, but if you're cruising through potentially hostile waters, you can be confident your ship will be equipped to defend herself.


Watching: 2009 flicks "The Damned United" and "New Moon" (ta, Ks). Didn't expect Michael Sheen to pop up again in the latter.

THE NEXT ONE

As anticipated, my blind jottings from Joss Whedon's "From Buffy To Dr Horrible, Infinity & Beyond" are as spidery as a Drow shopping list and largely illegible. Rather than print SFA, here's the gist of his spiel. He was small and bullied as a child, which left him with an enduring feeling of helplessness and motivated his escape into writing. From his stepsister to his missus, he has looked to capable women to "save" him, hence his fixation with super-powered female leads. Tidbits - he geeks out over Sondheim, has ignored the "Twilight" phenomenon (deflecting blame onto Anne Rice) and nominates Sandra Bullock as the "everywoman".

"2011 Core Set" decks best-of-seven round robin

How about those Wallabies, breaking a 47-year high-veldt drought? I'm glad Kurtley Beale finished as hero and not villain. But switching codes... 1st: "Power Of Prophecy" (U/w) - 4 matches, 19 games. 2nd: "Breath Of Fire" (R/u) - 2 matches, 15 games. 3rd: "Stampede Of Beasts" (G/r) - 2 matches, 14 games. 4th: "Blades Of Victory" (W/b) - 2 matches, 13 games. 5th: "Reign Of Vampirism" (B/g) - 0 matches, 9 games. So, in summary, "P/O/P" is top dawg, "R/O/V" is the runt and the rest of the pack are evenly matched. At approximately 20 minutes per duel, this exercise took me in excess of 23 hours. That's a lot of televised sport!


Reading: "Marching With The Devil - Legends, Glory And Lies In The French Foreign Legion" (2010) by David Mason

Don't forget: It's Father's Day in Oz. Time to ring Dadster.

Not a bit of it

Woke with a flamin' sore throat - possibly a repercussion of my midweek carousing - and had to scratch myself from today's "D&D" sesh at TC's. Halfling rogue Montague Cosh must abide a while longer for his chance to stab backs, lighten purses and bemoan the squandering of his noble house's fortune. As for the bags of mini-Toblerones, etc. I'd bought to share with the lads... I'm sure I'll find some way to dispose of them :-)


Reading: "I Am A Genius Of Unspeakable Evil And I Want To Be Your Class President" (2009) by Josh Lieb