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General chat Feb

By Bobi

Just a quick chat this week because I am still recouping after the school holidays.

I am exhausted. My sweet, sweet darlings are finally back at school after an excruciating, mind-blowing eight weeks. Let me just run that by you again. EIGHT WEEKS everybody. Who dreamed up that torture? And btw, they, too, were bored silly and couldn’t wait to get back to their friends and a solid routine.

So quickly :

It’s raining here. YAY!

Our fire is not quite out yet but as this rain is predicted to continue for another week so, hopefully, any day now. This photo was on Twitter taken by a student flying back in. When I find his name I will post it to give him credit because it’s pretty amazing.

I have very little on my radar, apart from Survivor and DWTS. (Juz’s note: Bobi wrote this before the Oscars. Parasite, Bobi!!!) I will watch the Oscars for the dresses. The movies this year were mostly crap. I reserve the right to retract that statement if Parasite wins Best Picture. Unlikely, but I can dream.

The dogs are happy, drugged and fed and all is right with their world.

And mine, too.

Here’s hoping the weather is being kind to you all.

General Chat Aust Day with Bobi

Over to Bobi, with thanks:

Gidday,

I was going to chat about good Australian movies/TV shows as a balance against all things Geordie Shore but my mind went to those hideous Ned Kelly movies. Why are we obsessed with an uninteresting thief-slash-murder, and who in their right mind thought it was a good idea to cast Mick Jagger in the lead role. Hindsight, I know.

I do remember Priscilla and Bran Nue Dae being fairly wonderful movies but, generally, I have gone blank. I am a fan of Australia (I am sure it was written tongue in cheek) but I am still perplexed as to why it was called Australia. It could have been set anywhere.

Instead, I thought I would move into new territory for a brief and fleeting moment.

Let’s chat about moving the date for Australia Day. Is that a collective sharp intake of breathe I hear? Wait, wait. Hear me out.

I have it on good authority that about 75% of people don’t want the date moved. However, they are becoming increasingly sympathetic to the views of First Nations People, and so I don’t think this topic should create controversy, just general chat-chat.

Truly, I’m not going replay the views of people who were here thousands of years before me and mine. And besides, there are a lot of excellent articles, and interviews, out there doing a much better job than I ever could or should.

I don’t have any skin in this game. My feelings on the actual day are almost non-existent which would explain why I am firmly in the move-the-date camp. Surprise! I bet you did not see that coming.

In the interests of being patronising as hell, here’s some history – which may or may not be absolutely accurate – so that I can develop my argument. Well, not so much develop as plonk on the table in front of you.

Technically, Captain Cook laid claim to the eastern seaboard of Australia in August. The 26th of November was the day he sailed into Sydney Harbour and raised a flag. Very Sydney-centric, don’t you think? Now surely that’s got all of Melbourne on board.

Australia Day was supposed to celebrate emancipated convicts. I think we can all agree that we have moved way beyond that, unless of course you work in a Greek restaurant.

And then Jubilee, Victoria, public holiday, blahdy-blah and then it became complicated.

Right. Now back to me because this is my point of view (just call me Charlotte). The significance of Australia Day to me has always been a day that marks the end of school holidays with a long weekend and a BBQ.

Here’s the controversy (you knew there would be some): I don’t think we should just move Australia Day, I think we should move the entire summer 6 week long school holiday.

Given climate change, don’t you think we should revisit the concept of sending our precious little bundles of joy into the tinder-dry, wilderness during the hottest months of the year? Let’s move it to Easter. There’s a long break there just waiting to be exploited.
And it seems crazy to send everyone outside to light fires for that bbq in the middle of summer and in the blazing midday sun.

A wonderful by-product of moving everything might be that we can recalibrate our view of Australia in a coherent, multicultural and nice way. Wishful thinking, I know.

And momentarily revisiting my low-care factor, there are a bunch of people out there who would really like the day moved … a lot. If they care and I don’t, why not?

I have kept my most convincing point for last. I went to an American school for a while. OMG. Talk about so much brainwashing and indoctrination. I was almost convinced that Americans were the greatest people living in the greatest country in the world. Please, let us not become like them and get hung up on a date.

I knew that one would win you over.

DD thinks that it doesn’t matter whether the day is moved or not because someone will always be unhappy. It’s a bit like, cancelling Mondays will merely transfer the angst to Tuesday.

I, on the other hand, think that where there’s a will, there‘s a way. We Australians are mostly kind, compassionate people. I do think that it’s inevitable that the date will be changed at sometime. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do it without conflict? You know, calmly, respectfully and with consultation?

And kind thoughts to you all on the day but that salad is not going to cut it without the bbq lamb. I am hoping that if I don’t think about it too much then I won’t miss it.

– Bobi

General chat Jan 12 – with Bobi

(Over to Bobi – thank you – Juz)

Hi guys.
I’m bored.

Seriously. I’m sitting here watching someone on 9Honey demonstrate how to set up a child’s bed in case of “accidents”. I’m a grandmother, ffs. My days of worrying about that sort of thing can be put off until at least next year.

I refuse to watch the news. It’s all fires, Trump and Megxit. I know people who have lost property in the fires so I don’t need to wallow in how terrible that is, and the rest are just entitled people who can do us all a favour by staying far, far away.

I need light relief and a good laugh. I need television to fill in those small gaps in my day. I watch telly when I have dinner, and when I have a cuppa. I watch in between vacuuming the floor and then washing it. I really need it while I recover after changing the doona cover: a marathon that requires calmIng thoughts, lots of wine and a fitness level that I haven’t seen since my teens.

Thank the lord for IMAC and Doctor Who (and Whovians). Yes, I’m aware that it’s just me but I forgive the new Doctor everything.

I am obviously watching renovation and cooking shows but it can be real hit and miss. I loathe that woman who used to be married to Tarek and speaks through her nose, Nigella makes me want to throw up every time she eats something and Gordon Ramsey is just a buffoon. It’s all a bit like a soap and I am becoming too invested and bitchy.

And then I start asking the unanswerable, like, how on earth did Martha create a mega million dollar empire?

Saturday Kitchen has been a pleasant surprise, a mixture of basic information I didn’t know but could use, and meals I would actually cook – plus entertainment.
But I can’t spend the rest of my life watching the Food Channel.

There are a lot of shows around on repeat. I’m told that watching repeats makes us feel in control and happier so, in theory, it should all be good.

I enjoy re-watching formulaic crime: NCIS, NCIS LA (you get the drift), Death in Paradise, Kojak, The Baron. Apart from knowing that the good guys always win, it’s fun watching the evolution of police procedures. The things they were allowed to do back then, take your breath away now.

I tried watching Friends. What a horrible bunch of people, and not a single laugh to be had anywhere – not even the smallest of smiles. Has this show dated or am I missing something?

So … nothing.

I feel like a five year old waiting for a grown-up to come along and entertain me but left to myself it’s all going very wrong. Fancy yearning for the days of MC and The Block and Survivor, all on the same night.

Save me.

Bobi

2020 General chat with Bobi

No, no. I jest. It’s just a New Year’s Day Chat.

I contemplated doing a retrospective but it’s been such a crap year for many of us that I thought I would just focus on the day itself.
I have simultaneous and conflicting thoughts about January 1st.

Firstly, I am well aware that it is just a number, an artificial construct, but for some of my friends it is the best excuse for a party that just goes on for hours … with fireworks. Who doesn’t love that, apart from people who have dogs and whose official bedtime is 9.30?

It is a day to put a line in the sand and look forward. I am not a great believer in New Year’s resolutions, and every year I say that this year I am not going to make any, but things can’t improve just on a wing and a prayer. There have to be goals: measurable, quantifiable, specific and achievable. Otherwise everything is the same old, same old.

So.

I’m going to watch less television. No, don’t panic. Don’t. PANIC!

I have the telly on for the dogs, from sun-up until I go to bed, and even then some. And I have been known to mindlessly watch it, just to keep them company you understand. I don’t think I’ll do that anymore. I think it should be an evening activity, once the day is done. Hopefully that will mean I will appreciate and enjoy it more.

And maybe I’ll be a little bit more selective: Cooking shows that actually focus on cooking. I love a good cooking show.

And I’m going to actually cook.
I’m going to plan the menu for the week, write it down, shop once a week … and cook. What’s the point of it all if I don’t take all those lessons and implement something. Maybe I’ll get healthy. Amazing by-product.

And I’m going to write down what I spend all my money on.

No, I’m not going to budget. I’m too old for that s**t but I am going to spend less on the grandchildren. They don’t need it and I waste a lot of money thinking that they do. Maybe I’m trying to buy their affection? Good job, well done. Now move on.

Okay. I suck at New Year’s resolutions.

Happy New Year.

Bobi

Note from Juz: many thanks to Bobi for all her posts in 2019 and thanks, everyone, for hanging around TTV. I hope you are all safe tonight and here’s cheers to 2020.

Christmas cheer chat with Bobi

Over to my elf, Bobi (with thanks), who has been hard at it in the workshop, crafting this post:

I am cheerful again. Well, technically, just more cheerful but good enough. My air conditioning has been fixed, I have decluttered a shelf, the girls are on holidays and we are going to the National Gallery for coffee and cake. Life’s simple pleasures.

It’s two weeks until Christmas. You’ve missed the countdown, haven’t you?

Yes, I promise. 🤞

The panic has been ingrained since childhood. Remember the days when things had to be stockpiled based on that the assumption that shops would never open again?

If you haven’t made your Christmas pudding, it’s too late now. That deadline passed three months ago. There was a woman on the radio yesterday talking about a Christmas pudding that she had kept for seven years before it was eaten. I’m guessing that it was 90% alcohol. Not that I am a Christmas pudding lover, or Christmas cake, or anything with dried fruit in it. I have a particular dislike for mince pies. Who dreamt up that monstrosity? Eew and Blah.

I’m not even a fan of the old pav, although I can tolerate it – much too sweet. You may as well inject sugar straight into your bloodstream.

And trifle is just soggy cake. My DD gets particularly bitter and twisted about this one. Her MiL insists on bringing a humongous extra large dish of this, her signature dish, to every single event and then gets offended because the children won’t eat it. She’s not good at reading the room.

I do have a favourite. I love a rhubarb crumble, that perfect blend of sweet and tart. Rhubarb is a highly underrated …. vegetable? …. herb? And proper custard, without rum or whatever alcohol is used by “some people” to destroy the lovely subtle flavour.

This year my contribution will be a spice cake (link here). I just like the sound of it, based on my predilection for a gingerbread house but without any ability to make one. I will pretend it is a bundt: note the sly reference to My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Writing this post has made me hungry. I have just raided the girl’s cupboard and eaten the box of Tiny Teddies. Maybe I’m not that picky but that doesn’t change the fact that dried fruit is disgusting – except for dates, and apricots, and maraschino cherries.

Bobi

Christmas movie chat with Bobi

Over to Bobi, with thanks, for some Christmas Movie Chat:

It’s Christmas movie time. You will need to take notes, make a plan, configure a spreadsheet and start immediately if you want to fit them all before the all important day.

I will try to keep the list short. Insert cackling-laugh track here.

Now that we have that obvious joke out of the way, let’s get on with the list. I have checked it twice. I take this very seriously.

Please note that my definition of a Christmas movie is very loose. It must take place at Christmas and it should be watched at Christmas, repeatedly and often. Sequels are included as a matter of course.

Let’s start with my favourite because, after all, this is all about me. I love Die Hard. I love watching Alan Rickman chew the scenery. I know there is a debate as to whether this really is a Christmas movie. Just quietly, I have been know to join in. Everyone who doesn’t agree with me is wrong. [Juz interjects here: It has Alan Rickman in it which is reason enough to watch.]

Some movies are joyful and I can’t imagine that there could be much disagreement about their inclusion on a list: Elf (who doesn’t love the OTT acting during every second of that movie), The Santa Clause (He kills the previous Santa Claus, guys. Don’t think about it too much.), The Muppet Christmas Carol (just muppets), and A Charlie Brown Christmas (I’m showing my age here. It has just enough sentimentality to keep me both happy and sad).

Out of left field, there are two foreign movies worth watching. The first is Tokyo Godfathers. It’s an anime comedy and a little bit fabulous.

And the second and by far the better of the two, is 8 Women. It’s French. It’s a musical. It’s a mystery. Seriously. Could life get any better? What more could you possibly want?

Speaking of old-age, I also love A Christmas Story. Let me be right up front when I say that this movie is problematic on so many levels but, at the same time, it is charming. He licks a pole. It was funny. Maybe you had to be there. I am not sure that it has stood the test of time and yet, secretly, I watch it in the dark while eating a whole packet of Tim Tams and drinking Green Ginger Wine.

I deliberated at length about including Gremlins in this list. The heroine’s father died in a chimney dressed as Santa Claus and the gremlins die in a movie theatre watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Okay, a lot – animals, aren’t they? – die in this movie, but it does have a Christmas background. I’m sure that makes it okay. Oh, dear. It is regularly played in our house at Christmas and we do enjoy watching it together. Maybe we will shift it off the list and replace it with Frozen.

And to end on a high note, White Christmas. Enough said.

You will, of course, notice the glaring omission – Love Actually – so to distract you (look over here) I will end with this link as a gift from me to you. Enjoy.

YouTube

– Bobi

Nearly Nov general chat

Over to Bobi, with thanks, for kicking off a new general chat thread:

It’s November. Like you didn’t know that. It’s a doomsday countdown. BOING but with dramatic music.

It’s more a reminder that, from here on, TV viewing is mostly abysmal, and it becomes progressively worse as Christmas approaches.

There are no new cooking shows, dreadful game shows – seriously, is there no one else available but Grant Denyer? – and endless repeats of NCIS. I am awed by the repeated attempts to bring back Karl Stefanovic. How tone deaf do you have to be to put him in with sharks?

I know, you say Amazing Race has started, right? But I counterpunch with The Block. This season has been going on FOREVA. I feel like I am in some eternal form of purgatory. Can we not make it stop?

I am trialling a couple of shows but it is early days. Thank goodness for ABC and SBS.

I am loving Total Control (ABC). It is clever and brutal and real at the same time. It doesn’t pretend that we are talking about some fictitious country with fictitious politicians and fictitious political parties. It’s about time we, the viewing public, were treated as intelligent human beings capable of discerning a good story line without getting it confused with reality.

I do love Australian Story (ABC). It is always fabulous. The last episode had me on the edge of my seat even though I knew the ending. Like Julia Zemiro’s Home Delivery, they really know how to get to the heart of the issue. It’s an art form. And who doesn’t love a sticky beak into someone else’s life?

SBS is letting me down a little. More like, a lot. Normally they are my go-to when I want something dark. I tried Wisting. Awful. I am a minute into The Plague (it’s Spanish). It could be okay. I have some hope.

Help.

I might have to resort to reading a book.

Bobi

General chat for Oct – with Bobi

Thanks to Bobi for a new general chat post. I read today there are only 12 Mondays until Christmas so a trying not to freak out – Juz

It’s October, one month closer to Christmas, and it feels like everything is winding down or coming to an end (Here’s looking at you, MasterChef).
I know they’re not. I know that we are waiting for Love Island, something to do with Dirty Dancing and Survivor US but it all feels a bit lightweight and second choice.

To cope with withdrawal symptoms, I have been immersing myself in real reality tv, but being proper real TV (PRTV), it is mostly on SBS and ABC, and is designed to reduce me to a sobbing, blubbery mess.
Just a side note, I am a pre-inclined that way. Remember the Telstra ad telling us to “Call home”? (Slight whimper).

The original and the best reality show is 7 Up (and is being repeated on SBS). There is something about growing up with these people, and eternally waiting to catch up every seven years. They are my age and all their experiences are mine. One of them has died (Spoiler Alert) and one of them is very sick. It’s like losing a friend. I am very sad. I am not sure that this is for everyone. It doesn’t lend itself to binge watching.

So, of course, I move straight to Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds to cheer myself up. I was warned that there would be happy tears. Correcto! They were mostly happy tears, but were mixed with a huge amount of indignation. Did you know that 40% of the elderly in nursing homes don’t get visitors? How can that be? I didn’t want to watch this one but so many people insisted I should give it a go, and I am really glad I did. If the Government had a humane bone in its body, it would put a bucket load of money into making sure that this experiment happens everywhere.

But my favourite was Storm in a Teacup. It’s about the partnership between Leon Pericles and his wife/business manager. She has dementia and he’s not coping. He’s from your neck of the woods, Daisy, and there is some vague similarity between your artwork and his.

The show started happily enough because she’s a happy soul, and I thought all would be good but, by the end, I ran out of tissues and the couch was wet. I was a drippy mess. It was a lovely show. I highly recommend it, if only to see the flying of the kite he designed. He is an amazing talent.

And out of left field, Season 2 of Disenchanted has returned to Netflix. It’s not as good as Season 1 but I needed an antidote to all the political news. Have I mentioned previously that the world is going to hell in a hand basket?

– Bobi

Technical issues TTV

Hi all, thanks for everyone who let me know the site was down.
We’ve had some problems with our web hosting but (fingers crossed) are back now.
Mr Juz has had to disable the “like” so you’ll just have to comment to show your appreciation instead.
If the site goes down again, there is a Talking TV page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkingTVAU/ and I will post updates on there until it gets going in. Cheers

Daisy in Koh Samui

Over to Daisy for a travel/life update: Now that we have met with Son’s lawyer and had good news, (well at least for us), I can write this post to update you on our travels. Just how you expect any lovely, gorgeous trip through Europe to end, we were diverted from our gorgeously divine beachfront apartment in Nice and our sunny beaching at Juan les Pins, where they had soft sand instead of galettes, to our first (and hopefully last ever), Bangkok Hilton adventure.
For those who have followed the trip so far, you will know that in Nice we had a call from the Australian Embassy, to inform us that our eldest son was in Koh Samui prison for theft. I couldn’t bear to continue on our merry way, so we diverted our trip to Koh Samui. In our usual fine form, Arthur booked 4 weeks at the Chaweng Regent. I don’t know how to describe the last two weeks. It’s been a nightmare. We visited the prison every weekday (weekends are closed) and what an ordeal! Pressure from Son, the horrible process of the prison, making a visit as difficult as possible for visitors, and the worry. Aaaah. Then dealing with Woolif and Son butting heads, so I had to be the speaker.
But today the lawyer visited Son and us, and the news was good. The charge was made by a lady Son knew. He was “drunk” (mmm) and took $4 worth of petrol from the front of her place.
Anyhow, the deadline for him to be go to court is the 5th Oct. That is the latest date. Then, according to the lawyer, having served several weeks by then he will be sent to Bangkom and deported. I saw the lawyer by myself (Woolif was taking a day off), and Son had seen him earlier. What a change there was in Son. Calm, polite, for the first time; apologetic. And a few smiles and tears when we talked about family, friends and especially his children.
He told me, “Mum, you can go and have a nice swim and enjoy yourself now”. And as a bonus, he told me, he would sign a letter authorizing us to be allowed to see the kids. That’s a bonus. Maybe 2019 might have a happy ending afterall.

PS. In Koh Samui it’s also pants on backwards, but the bums have all gone south.