Who needs TV?

I have recently become very disillusioned with Television, I have often been skeptical of it's content but now I just straight believe most of commercially aired programs are out to manipulate their lazy minded viewers.... news programs especially! The way Channel 9 are sensationalising the Lebanon conflict between Israel and Hezbollah at the moment is a down right disgrace!

With my scepticism of television I have moved to the internet for all my news reports. The BBC being my main source. What they report would bore the socks of most people... why? Because it's truthful, not colorful.

Another place I go to source my knowledge is the ever expanding world of Wikipedia. I believe it's the best website out in Cyberspace, mainly because it's a news source run by the people of the internet, average Joe's like you and me. Yes some of the information may not be fully 'verified', but it definitely isn't sensationalised and here is a great example of how it can quench any curious thirst for answers and knowledge:

A few hours ago I read a story on the net that Australia is right now sending a further 200 troops to Afghanistan and it got me wondering how big the Australian Army actually is. Upon reading the information I discovered that Australian troops played a part in the The Boer War, a war I knew nothing about. So I followed the link through. In doing so I discovered that a name I had heard before Breaker Morant played a part in that war. So read up on his story and an incredible one it is, and it lead me to believe Lord Kitchener a famous British Field Marshall to be nothing but a villain, but upon following up his life story I found my judgment to be far from fair.

Could any of these answers been achieved with my TV remote..... yeah right!

Power to the people.... and power to the freedom of the net I say!

Artist's of a different talent

I was reading up the other day about this guy named Kyle MacDonald who just over year ago set out to use the internet to turn one Red Paper Clip into a house, and if you follow that link you'll see that he suceeded, within his 12 month guideline too.

Then just now, while surfing the net I found this guy called Karl Bushy. Karl has set himself very different challenge to Kyle, but in many ways it's no different at all.
As these are two people who share a vision. The vision being, a desire within to achieve something during their lifetime that is truly unique.

And as a friend of mine quoted Jacques Prevert the other day, that could well make them both artists....

"As the true artist is the one that doesn't give up on their vision"

The golden river?

Heres something a little scary for me.

I just discovered I write better after drinking......

4 beers down and now it's flowing like the Nile.

And now for the sequel

Not content with just knowing what James N. Frey had to say about writing back in 1987.
I have recently bought the sequel which he wrote in 1994. If you're wondering..... yeah the Butler did it, but don't let that ruin it for you.

Truthfully, I have learnt so much about fiction writing and writing in general from these two books, and it's really consense stuff that can be immediately applied. It's not always easy to apply it (as I'm finding out) but it is easy to see why it makes sense to try.

So as a writer friend did for me, I too can recommend them both to any of you that want to 'try your hand'.

What did you learn today?

Nearly everyday I sit down to write I learn something new.

Today I learnt that I need a bigger vocabulary.

There are over 500,000 words out there in the English language and it's time I take a bigger slice of that action.

So it's time to buy a dictionary, but do I go for Webster's or Oxford's?

I was a fan of Webster, that little kid always cracked me up, but Oxford does sound very intelligent.... oh fuck it, I'll just go down to the book store and buy the thicker one.

Take a look at yourself

Have you ever taken a look at yourself? No not in the mirror, I mean a serious look. I did it once last year and afterwards I was glad I did. It's not a hard exercise, but you have to be in somewhat of a reflective mood and without any distractions, then get yourself a pen and piece of paper.

You then ask yourself two simple questions:

What things do I dislike about myself
What things do I like about myself

After about 20 minutes I had quite a list written down. Afterwards I took a look over it and was quite intrigued at the results. As it was the first time ever I'd had an insight into how I see myself as a human being, warts and all. I didn't really go any further with it, but it doesn't mean you couldn't.

Anyway I can recommend you give it a go, as I found it a good self development excerise.

Cheers,

Tim B.