Socceroo-ted

Socceroo-ted

too old, too slow – too bad.

Did you watch the Australia vs Germany match Monday morning?

If you didn’t, good.

Don’t.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the game was embarrassing to say the least. More so for the players, and a very bad reflection on Verbeek. Because honestly, what was Verbeek doing? The alarm bells should have started ringing… no RINGING when within the first few minutes Oezul skinned the back line purely because of his speed. This might have been a different story back in 2006, but a lot can change in 4 years, and that includes getting much much older. Verbeek shoulda been on that like a fat kid and cake. He should have changed the defensive plan, and stopped playing such a high defensive line. That only works if you have a back-line fast enough. And that usually comes with youth! Moore and Chipperfield = 35; Neil = 32; and Wilkshire 29. That makes the average age of our back line 32. Blimey!

His tactics may have worked if Australia put one in the back of the net early in the game and held off for a one nil victory. He would have been hailed a tactical genius. But it didn’t work. In my opinion he shouldn’t have changed from the 4-2-3-1 formation used throughout the qualification round. This might have been contributed to the absence of Kennedy, Kewell, and Brus. I don’t know, but personally why not stick with things we are sure of rather than taking such a fatal risk.

Now, I’m not saying Australia are a shit team. They’ve progressed a lot since world cup before last 32 years ago, and we’re finally becoming a distinguished football team. But, considering the shocker loss by the Socceroos, Verbeek better stick to his guns (this is hoping that Kewell will step up), and show us why we deserve to be in the world cup.

And.. On a side note. What the hell was with that red card on Cahill? Bit over the top, even if official FIFA rules say that any tackle from behind that endangers the player is a straight card. Yellow atleast, but not the full deck. You could tell that he tried to pull out, firstly because the German player was up and ready quickly, and the video footage clarified so!

Good Luck Socceroos!

Talent.

I stumbled upon these guys through a link someone posted on facebook. They are fantastic and what they accomplish is just incredible! Makes me wish I could atleast sing! Enjoy.

Kaboom.

You know when you were a kid and you felt like the top of the world. And that nothing was unattainable? I was just thinking about those times, and even though they were only 1 or 2 short years away. They feel like aeons ago. What I missed most about those feelings was that you were ignorant of the real world and in light of that you had many opportunities to tailor the beginning of your life as you saw fit. And the BANG, it was over and you entered adulthood and the realisation of your pseudo childhood environment evaporate with only memories as tokens of the past. But some of those memories are more than that. They contruct your social and psychological being. And I suppose we unconsciously act on most of them. You know how we all say that we tend to learn from our mistakes. Well I did, and unfortunately for some I didn’t. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m ignorant and stubborn. Shit, that’s how I got to where I am now. I’m here at University, had an amazing high school experience and I’m pretty much living sweet and then some.

But if I do regret one thing it’s what’s happening now. Fuck, had no idea it could go this far. It coulda been. No it should have been the end. Well the happy ending. It’s just one of those times when ‘you don’t know what you have till it’s gone’ – as Joni Mitchell would say. And it’s true eh. Not until the final moments of existence when we feel like we have eveything to lose and everything to gain do we actually realise the extent of the situation. But then again, in the presence of strong emotions we are able to elucidate our feelings appropriately but to say how far they reach is another question. Though in that moment, as I have experienced, there are all true, and if we could – we’d make it truer.

Sorry about the cliche. But where one chapter ends, and another begins. But we only live until the end. And I hate to admit it, but I wanna be there after the end. Because I don’t think I’ll ever truly know about anything.

2012. We’ll see the truth soon.

Once again the ‘masterminds’ at Hollywood have attempted another – movie spurred on by yet another ancient prophecy: 2012. This time around they mention the Mayan prophecy that the indicates on the solstice (Dec 21st) in 2012 marks the end of the world. The Mayans did not explicitly mention the reason for this ‘destruction’, though the movie utilises the theory of an increase in neutrino activity that actually nuclear-tises them, which consequently heats up the Earths core. In the movie you see the repercussions of such a phenomenon ranging from tidal waves, massive movements in the Earth’s crust and a super volcano. What I think adds to the impact of the movie is the plausibility of the series of events. I am no scientists, but it does seem possible!

A little background: The Mayan prophecy does not present the time as one of destruction. Rather it illustrates a time of transformation and renewal. For more information check out 13 Moons Website.

During the movie I couldn’t help but a feel a bit reminscent of the Day After Tomorrow: The ever-looming inescapable end of the world, the attempts at salvation, and as with Hollywood the way in which every protagonist survies only suffering a few scratches and bruises along the way. The only significant difference is that the Day After Tomorrow revolves around a new ice-age, where 2012 is about the re-structuring of the outer tectonic plates. I also found that the CG was a bit below what I would have expected from such a big budget film. The scenes of destruction were made obviously fake and computer generated. Other than the scenes of utter destruction there was nothing mentionable in my books and somehow the performance of Danny Glover was far below par – maybe he’s just getting old. In the end the Movie left me wanting more.

 

In Cinemas 12.11.09

Rides a Dread Legion: A Book Review

Rides a Dread Legion is the latest installment written by Raymond E. Feist.  This book is the first in his new series The Demonwar Saga.  As with his previous novels, the story is set in Midkemia about ten years after the catalysmic events of Wrath of a Mad God. Pug, ‘the greater magician’, is once again in the midst of the action and turmoil brought upon by the return of a  lost elven race, the taredhel, and the mysterious vengeful brother of a Demon Hunter called Amirantha. Pug and the Conclave are not concerned with the return of the lost elven race rather the Demon Horde that pursues them. With help of the conclave, outcasts of the taredhel and old friends Pug struggles to piece together the puzzle as time runs out and the unstoppable horde approaches. And the ever looming prophecy that Pug ‘will be doomed to watch everyone he loves die before him’ begins to become real.

Rides a Dread Legion is the not the first, nor probably the last, book I have read by Raymond E. Feist. Once again he engages the reader with vivid explanations of Midkemia and all that is encompassed within. You get the sense that Feist is absorbed in his work that alot of thought has gone into the creation of his fictional world where Magicians, Dragons and Demons are part of everyday life. As I read I found myself sympathising with the Taredhel and their troubled histroy, but at the same time revulsed by their lack of understanding. Without giving to much away, this first installment of The Demonwar Saga does not end as anticipated and that Pug has taken his first step to fulfilling his prophecy. One thing I did not like was the presence of many grammatical errors. I may not be the most literate person, yet I found the continual errors somewhat distracting. Words mispelt, wrong punctuation and words missed out all together were the majority. All in all, a good read.

In Short.

The names Harry.  I’m studying at UQ – Bachelor of Journalism and Political Science. I love the true football (soccer for those confused), and I miss playing it. I’m into Indie, and I like to dabble into other kinds music – especially when I’m on the turps. And I’m legally responsible for my actions.

I’m an aspiring journalist and yet at the end of my degree I may find myself without a job considering the current state of pay-per-view media. And for the past year this has been turned over in my mind over and over again. Countless times. So I thought I’d give blogging a try as it’d be a good opportunity to test out my skills at writing on an almost daily basis. Now, I’m attempting to create a blog that is a reflection of my personal views yet does not become so much as a childrens diary of ‘I did this today and I didn’t like it.” I would like to compile a blog that gives my soon to be professional opinion on matters that are of personal interest. From music, to games and to topical issues of the day.

Enjoy.