Bundles of Kittens Tied Up With String
(A few of my favourite pop culture things)

TV

Like half of Australia's viewing population, I became absolutely obsessed - OK a tad overstated admittedly but I can get obsessed very easily and stay that way - with "LOST", that amazing breakout hit that features 43 people marooned on a mysterious supernaturally-charged island after a plane crash. From strange monsters roaming the jungle to a cosmic conspiracy that seems to have drawn all these people through their entire lives to this one place in time, this made for compulsive viewing and my friends knew better than to interrupt me anytime between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. Thursdays.

I also got drawn into "Desperate Wives", a clever left-of-centre soap that is a brilliant mix of comedy/drama/melodramatic overkill. Over the top maybe but it works and I love it. Also ended up enjoying "The Closer", and being drawn into "Grey's Anatomy", a show populated by the surgical interns at Seattle Grace hospital. Sudsier than ER but well written with really appealing characters and fun dialogue, this one's a keeper.

And of course, lets not forget the old favourites - "ER", "Survivor (Guatemala)", "Cold Case", "Without a Trace" and "Frasier" which ended its run with Frasier finding love, which is as it should be. I did try to do a lot more reading, and a whole lot less TV viewing and sort of succeeded. Let's face it - I am a TV dork, and I will always have one eye fixed on the tube, come what may, and I figure that whatever stupidity I acquire by watching TV (apparently viewing slows down your brain waves) will be more than made up for all the learnin' I get by reading my massive stock of books...well that's the theory anyway.....

MUSIC

I am finding that as I get older, my tastes are not fossiling in place, but rather growin, developing and meandering into interesting less than mainstream avenues, populated by all sorts of less than predictable options. Music is no exception to this undying curiosity and thirst for the new and different, and this year I have inspiration in all sorts of unexpected places like the TV series, "Grey's Anatomy", which effectively utilises all sorts of funky, up and coming bands to create mood, and convey or underline particular storylines. Two bands I discovered through this show are 'Psapp' (slow moody, melodic electronica) and 'The Ditty Bops' (more keyboard driven and popish than Psapp but quirky all the same) which delight and surprise with every listen. I also went into dance heavily grabbing the new 'Rogue Traders' CD, and Madonna's new CD, 'Confessions on a Dancefloor', which has a continuous flow of great beats, and not so deep confessions. At the quieter end of the spectrum, there was the indie delights of 'Arcade Fire' and 'Feeder', the slower paced but intelligently voiced music of 'Tracy Bonham', and of course the newie from 'Coldplay', "X & Y", which was great to anticipate but not as good a listen as its more organic predeccesor, "A Rush of Blood to the Head".

Lots of new music - too much to detail it all above! - and pretty much all of it straight on to the iPod, with no stops at the cassette deck (it was the year cassettes died, for me anyway) or even the stereo (I play lots of my music at home via iTunes on the PC), for me to listen to. I am loving my iPod, which I have had for 18 months - I am not entirely sure how I ever exercised in the mornings without it, nor how I survived plane trips or train trips to the City - and love dearly. Thank you Apple!