MY HOBBY #2 - WATCHING THE TUBE

So basically what my hobbies are revealing (or at least confirming) is that I am a total bum and an absolute couch potato - in fact most of the joy in my life comes from sitting or lying on a couch. One said joy is being mesmerised, disgusted and moved by "my stories" (as Nanna Mac calls them) on the television.

I guess I'll just list a few of my favourite shows throughout the years and maybe a couple of anecdotes that will in the end mean absolutely nothing to anyone but me, but then isn't that the point of 90% of blogs?

Favourite Show Ever - The West Wing - easily the greatest television show ever created by Man. I was hooked from the beginning despite Channel 9 in Australia showing it at God awful hours which changed from week to week - I think the earliest it ever started was at 10:30pm the latest not at all! I purchased a bunch of the DVDs but was also gifted with a complete box set of all 7 seasons by my little Bro' for my 30th which I immediately used to re-watch the entire series from start to finish for about a month or two earlier this year. With such intelligent and funny writing I still pick up extra bits and pieces every time I re-watch it. Amazingly well acted with such a feeling of hope that maybe all politics doesn't need to be dirty - of course they never actually achieved anything in the show, but that doesn't matter does it? Favourite episode would have to be the final of season 2 with the death of a much loved character and President Josiah Bartlett deciding on whether to run for a second term - the end scene is just so powerful and is a stunning achievement in television.

Honourable Mentions: E.R., NCIS, Ugly Betty, Battlestar Galactica (new), Metal Mickey, Astro Boy, Robotech, Family Ties, Coupling, House.


Most Memorable Moment - E.R. - Death of Dr. Greene - well actually the episode where we first learn that he died and not the next episode where we see him carking it. It was the scene where Noah Whyle's character is reading out a letter from Greene's wife Elizabeth in that central area in the E.R. and we get to see all the regular character's reactions. Great TV and I don't mind saying I cried like a baby. I haven't watched the last 3 or 4 seasons of E.R., I dunno its maybe lost its charm for me, but everything before that I saw religiously.

Honourable Mentions: Battlestar Galactica - Adama being shot - both times!, The West Wing - learning of Leo's death and Josh's reaction to it (another tear jerker that gets me every time), Family Ties - when Alex is high on speed, Coupling - whole Melty Man episode, Buffy - Hush episode.

You know what? I'll leave it at that for the moment. I could name dozens of shows that I like and watch, but maybe I'll just do mini-posts about them in the future, if I could even be bothered. I had high hopes for this post when I started it but now I'm bored and wanna go watch some more West Wing, ciao!

I'M A CHEATER

For some reason whilst watching the Hamish & Andy episode of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader last night, a memory flashed through my head from Primary School days.

I figure it was when the teacher got bored that they would decide that we'd play a game called "Heads Down Thumbs Up" - an absolutely genius game where you lay your head on your desk and scrunch your eyes shut, stick your thumbs up and then a group of 3 or so people would go around the room and squeeze someone's thumbs. Once done those squeezees would have to guess the squeezers and if they guessed correctly they became a squeezer... Like I said, genius!

Only I would always cheat... I'd lay my forehead on the edge of the desk, pretend to close my eyes, and then watch the shoes of the squeezers as they travelled around the room, if they squeezed my thumb it was easy to figure out who had performed said action based on their penchant for Mr Men socks or bright buckles. For some reason the teachers never said anything even though I was sure they could tell I wasn't putting my head on the table properly, maybe they thought it was 'cause of the huge coke bottle glasses I was sporting at that tender age.

The things we remember are so weird sometimes...

(yes I am aware that is a Cheetah, not a Cheater, I was being facetious or ironic or just plain dumb)