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The Horrible Noise on the Weekend

Thanks to Loadedog’s article on the event [1], I now know that the horrible disturbing loud noise wafting over Inner North Canberra on the weekend was Canberra’s Tropfest gathering.

Based on what I saw on the television news of the winning film, and assuming that it was the highest quality film on offer, they should all give up because there is no way in 12 types of dry cement that I am spending one single cent on their visual crud.

Samuel

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#1 Comment By mick On February 20, 2007 @ 2:22 pm

You didn’t go. You didn’t see the films that were shown. There were smart, clever and funny films, make on a budget by unknowns.

And speaking of drying cement, you listen to which radio stations?

#2 Comment By Samuel On February 20, 2007 @ 5:35 pm

Mainly 2CC and 2CA…quite clearly Canberra’s best radio stations.

#3 Comment By Samuel On February 20, 2007 @ 6:03 pm

Actually, let me address the rest of your comment Mick. That’s right…I didn’t go…that’s why I wrote:

Based on what I saw on the television news of the winning film, and assuming that it was the highest quality film on offer

Maybe they just picked a dud film as the winner, but I think it is fair to assume that the winning film was the best film, and based on that, the rest must have been downright lousy as the winner was quite atrocious.

Oh, and let me summarise Canberra’s horrid local ABC station between 10am and 10:45am this morning. News, bad song, droning on and on and on and on about a dead author with some local author, promo for Clean Up Australia day with really bad jingle set to the tune of Waltzing Matilda, presenter being smarmy about breaking the news of James Hardie chairwoman Meredith Hellicar resigning…a whole fifteen minutes after Lawsie broke the news (yes, I flicked back to 2CC during the bad song), another bad song, chatter between presenter and sport reporter who somehow managed to be at the Canberra Capitals breakfast whilst answering phone calls from the public about Basketball, and attending the Brumbies training session, whilst taking more phone calls from the public (does he give out his mobile number or something) and somehow making it back to the studio to take calls from ABC sycophants who claim that commercial radio don’t provide sport scores. Promo for a CD of the bad music they play on the air. Interview with a shareholders’ association representative telling us all how wonderful Meredith Hellicar is. Promo explaining that the ABC will play the emergency siren if there is an emergency. More bad music.

It was the worst 45 minutes of radio I have endured in a looooong time…and that Alex Sloan couldn’t keep a straight face if it was superglued…and she t–a–l–k–s…..s–o…..s–l–o–w–l–y and constantly says um and er. I don’t mind the occasional um and er, but when they become a vital part of every second sentence it is downright annoying.

All the while, Lawsie was focussing on real issues, such as basic services for schools which seem to be sadly lacking in so many places, and the crazy outsourcing system which NSW schools have to go through to get things repaired…adds about 30-40% to the cost of the repair and they end up with the local repair person anyway. (Yes, I had to flick back during the bad music to save my ears).

So why did I listen to ABC Local Radio for that amount of time? To try and work out why it seems to rate well in this town…clearly it has something to do with the sheer amount of people who are either Chief Turnip Stanhope admirers, require warning signs on clothing to remind them not to iron shirts while they are wearing them, or both. The other 666 listeners have me baffled as I can’t see how anybody else can put up with that crud for any length of time.

Now, what were you saying about cement?

#4 Comment By Samuel On February 20, 2007 @ 6:16 pm

Even better news, that review will be elaborated on just after 5am tomorrow morning, and it might just become part of a series of random reviews of Canberra’s radio stations.

#5 Comment By John B1_B5 On February 20, 2007 @ 6:57 pm

Somebody needs to go through 666 studios with a broom – like Christ cleansing the Temple.

#6 Comment By kaydo On February 20, 2007 @ 9:24 pm

dude. chill. they’re free, i don’t understand the reference to spending money on their films?

sorry if you explained it above, i didnt feel like reading an essay on the wrongs that is a pretty nice annual shindig. i’m surprised that you wouldn’t at least be interested in joining half of canberra in a free community event.

/no capitals, oops.

#7 Comment By mick On February 21, 2007 @ 12:14 pm

The radio comment was just a throw away line. I can’t really comments to be honest as I listen to Triple J exclusively.
All of Canberra’s commerical radio station are absolutely atrocious and I only listen to 666 when the cricket or footy is on.

Although I think that people who listen to 666, don’t listen to it for the music, they listen to it for the local content. I don’t like John Laws or the audience that he garners particularly so I avoid it.

I listen to radio for entertainment value first and foremost and that’s what JJJ gives me. Great new music. Lots of Aussie stuff and youthful focused and informative current affairs.

#8 Comment By Samuel On February 21, 2007 @ 5:32 pm

Kaydo,
I was thinking more about if I were to see one of those films on the shelf of a retail store.

As for weekends and events…well Saturday is out for work reasons, and Sunday, I’d like to have a least one day at home to get housework done and then relax.

Apart from which, I’m not really keen on films in public places…even theatres annoy me to some extent as there is almost always bound to be a distraction (whether it’s the theatre attendant aimlessly walking around with a torch, somebody else in the audience, or something else all together)…for me, a decent home theatre setup and a DVD is much more enjoyable.

I know I sound like an anti-social spoilsport, maybe I am, but in most (and I emphasise most, not all) instances I will avoid crowds where possible.

#9 Comment By Samuel On February 21, 2007 @ 5:39 pm

OK Mick, well I just felt compelled to let the cat out of the bag a few hours early with my comment about 666…I thoroughly intend on reviewing all the stations in the ratings race before the ratings period is over.

Personally I’d have to disagree about JJJ’s music as I have very different musical tastes to you, but I will be sure to take into account their spoken content when I review them. 666 do a pretty good job with the Cricket, but 2CC do better with the football.

In my view, the quality local programming on 2CC and the more nationally focussed programming they source from 2UE in Sydney is quite a good mix, but each to their own I suppose.