Samuel's Blog

Samuel’s Musicians Of The Week

It’s December, and that means the Musician(s) Of The Week award goes into Christmas mode for a while, and to get the ball rolling, the award this week goes to The Barenaked Ladies (one does have to wonder how many web filtering systems have just blocked access to this site) for their song Elf’s Lament.

I came across this song on Thursday when 2CC’s Mike Welsh asked me if I could track it down, apparently Lawsie played it a few years ago but never gave the name (surely if he gave the name he would have had to name the band…many people around the nation would have spat out their coffee). I managed to track it, and the lyrics, down and Welshie subsequently played it on Friday afternoon just before 6pm.

One thing that did strike me as perculiar when listening to the song is that one of the singers sounds an awful lot like Loadedog, who has an (almost) unique voice for a singer. I wasn’t going to mention that, but I thought it would be worthwhile seeing as the song lyrics seem awfully appropriate for a singer who sounds like someone who covered the latest anti-industrial relations laws rally…the fact that I’m on the other side of the fence to Loadedog on that issue is completely irrelevant, but probably also worth a mention.

Anyway, without further ado, the feature song, Elf’s Lament

I’m a man of reason, and they say “‘Tis the season to be jolly”
But it’s folly when you volley for position

Never in existence has there been such a resistance
To ideas meant to free us
If you could see us, then you’d listen

Toiling through the ages, making toys on garnished wages
There’s no union
We’re only through when we outdo the competition

I make toys, but I’ve got aspirations
Make some noise
Use your imagination
Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for
There’s a list for who’s been
Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf

A full indentured servitude can reflect on one’s attitude
But that silly red hat just makes the fat man look outrageous

Absurd though it may seem, you know, I’ve heard there’s even been illegal doping
And though we’re coping, I just hope it’s not contagious

You try to start a movement, and you think you see improvement
But when thrown into the moment, we just don’t seem so courageous

I make toys, but I’ve got aspirations
Make some noise
Use your imagination
Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for
There’s a list for who’s been
Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf

You look at yourself
You’re an elf
And the shelf is just filled with disappointing memories
Trends come and go, and your friends wanna know why you aren’t just happy making
crappy little gizmos
Every kid knows they’ll just throw this stuff away

We’re used to repetition, so we drew up a petition
We, the undersigned, feel undermined
Let’s redefine “employment”

We know that we’ve got leverage, so we’ll hand the fat man a beverage
And sit back while we attack the utter lack of our enjoyment

It may be tough to swallow, but our threats are far from hollow
He may thunder, but if he blunders, he may wonder where the toys went

I make toys, but I’ve got aspirations
Make some noise
Use your imagination
Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for
There’s a list for who’s been
Naughty or nice, but consider the price
Naughty or nice, but consider the price
Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf.

Samuel

December 3rd, 2006 at 05:35pm

Scottish International Lawn Bowls Grand Final: Full Time

Ninth seed Australian Kelvin Kerkow has easily accounted for fourth seed fellow Australian David Gourlay to win the Scottish International Bowls Tournament in Perth, Scotland.

After winning the first set 11-5, Kerkow went on to win the second set 13-3

Kerkow was the more composed of the two, with Gourlay appearing consistently frustrated at Kerkow’s excellent bowling, and resorting to mostly unsuccessful drives. Whilst Gourlay had a small comeback late in the first set, it was one of the few times where he appeared to have any chance of winning.

In the second set, Kerkow kept Gourlay scoreless for five ends, getting out to an 8-0 lead, before Gourlay scored 2 points in the sixth end. It too little too late though, as Kerkow blitzed Gourlay from there on, getting out to a 13-2 lead at the end of the 8th end. Gourlay won the next end, but at 13-3 it was all over.

Kelvin Kerkow understandably told BBC Scotland that he is "over the moon".

Samuel Gordon-Stewart reporting for Samuel’s Blog and John Kerr

4 comments December 3rd, 2006 at 02:04am

Scottish International Lawn Bowls Grand Final: Half Time

Kelvin Kerkow has easily won the first set of the Scottish International Lawn Bowls grand final, 11-5, against fellow Australian David Gourlay.

Ninth seed Kelvin Kerkow started the set well, and seemed more composed than 4th seed david Gourlay whose only answer was driving the ball in the hope of hitting something, a tactic which failed more often than not. By the end of the 7th set (the equivalent of a game in tennis), Kerkow led 8-1.

Gourlay then staged a comeback, getting back within three points of Kerkow, who led 8-5 after 9 ends, but it was all Kerkow from there, as he scored another two points to win the set 11-5.

Today’s final is being run over two sets of 11 ends, in the event of a draw there will be a tiebreaker of three ends.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart reporting for Samuel’s Blog and John Kerr

December 3rd, 2006 at 01:17am

Happy 80th Birthday Bob Rogers!

Congratulations today go to Australian radio stalwart and legend Bob Rogers, who is 80 years old (young?) today. Bob can still be heard six days per week on Sydney’s Easy Listening station 2CH, weekdays from 9am-midday, and Saturdays from 6pm-midnight.

(Bob Rogers in August)

Bob is still in good health, although he did admit to “senior moments” in a recent interview with The Sydney Morning Hearald’s Sue Javes:

I have to work harder than I used to. I need to prepare more material because I have more senior moments, but I’m lucky to be still doing something I love.

Bob will most likely continue doing something he loves until at least the end of 2009 when his current contract with 2CH expires…but as radio historian Wayne Mac said to me in a conversation earlier this year, Bob Rogers and the others who have been in radio for decades upon decades will never quit, the only things that will stop them is poor health or worse…but with Bob being in the form he is, he could still be behind the microphone in 2020, and if that’s what he wants to do, then more power to him.

Congratulations Bob, have a great birthday, and don’t eat too much cake (or at the very least eat it in moderation…I bet you’ll receive enough to last weeks!).

Samuel

December 3rd, 2006 at 12:32am