As Triple J recently did their Top 100 of all time, I've decided that the time is right for me to list my own favorite songs. Only I really can't be buggered with 100, so I'm going to round it down to 10. There are in no particular order.
Freak - Silverchair
Silverchair are my favorite band and as such I could fill half this list with their songs. I am however going to restrain myself and pick only one, and I've gone with Freak because every single time I hear it I feel like smashing stuff, just like I did when I first heard it. There is just so much energy in this song.
Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
Best Pumpkins song, hands down. The drums, lyrics, even the video are all classic.
New Slang - The Shins
Like Silverchair, I could fill the other half of this list with songs by this band. I've gone with New Slang (narrowly kicking out Australia and Turn On Me) because it was the first song I heard by this band. Like most people I heard it for the first time watching Garden State, which incidentally is my favorite movie.
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
One of, if not, Led Zeppelins most well known songs, the guitar work in this mingled with the Middle Eastern style musical influences make it one of the coolest songs ever written.
Stay Together For The Kids - Blink 182
This song marked the move into more mature music for Blink, and in my opinion is the best track they ever recorded. The lyrics are much deeper than you'd expect from a band that previously wrote a song about fucking a dog in the ass.
Heart-Shaped Box - Nirvana
This song always seemed the embodiment of Kirt Cobains depression and frustration, and I remember being a teenager and really relating to this song.
Back In Black - Ac/DC
Best Australian song ever. 'Nuff said.
Every You Every Me- Placebo
I remember the first time I heard this song and thinking it sounded like nothing I'd ever heard before. Pure Morning was the first song I heard by this band, but this song was the one that got me hooked.
Right Where It Belongs - Nine Inch Nails
One of the few NIN songs that isn't aggressive or angry, this song has such a quiet quality to it that it's shocking to hear the first time. Many nights staying up in my VCE years were spent listening to this song.
Zombie - The Cranberries
This song has such an original sound to it, and the first time I heard it (as a young child) I was intrigued. Every time I hear it I think of my late Aunt, because she was the one who explained the lyrics to me.
Honorable mentions:
Friday I'm In Love - The Cure
Ziggy Stardust - David Bowie
No Rain - Blind Melon
Paranoid - Black Sabbath
Resurrection - PPK
Hurt- Johnny Cash
Hero of the Day - Metallica (with the symphony orchestra)
All I Want - The Offspring
Imaginary - Evanesence
Can't Stop - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Late night rambling on insurance
Having been in four accidents, I'm the first person to call you a dick for not seeing the benefit of car insurance. In some countries it's illegal to drive without insurance, but I don't think it is in Australia and I can't be buggered looking it up. Personally I don't think it should be a legal matter in much the same way I don't believe it should be compulsory to vote, despite the fact that being forced to vote (or at the very least show up and have our named checked off) is probably one of the things that makes us one of the better countries on this planet.
So while I don't think anyone should be forced into having car insurance, I'm also of the belief that if you don't have insurance you deserve whatever you get if you find yourself in an accident, and a foot up the arse to boot. I've heard people say, in defense of not having insurance, that they don't need it because they're good drivers, but everyone knows that 80% of the others drivers you're sharing the road with aren't so talented behind the wheel. Also, you're probably not as good as you think you are.
The other thing that gets people in a huff, people I know anyway, is the cost. I agree that car insurance is a bit of a rip-off. You pay for something every year that you're probably confident won't even be an issue. That's the thing about buying insurance, hospital cover or any other incorporeal purchase; people find it difficult to justify spending a large amount of money on something that they not only can't see or hold, but are actively hoping they won't need. I hope the thought that you saved a few hundred dollars over the years consoles you when you hit that shiny BMW and you feel your life crumbling around you, much like the ruins of your car.
Personally, I have full comprehensive insurance. I'd be a fool not to, some might say, having been in so many accidents. On the other hand, the odds that I'll be in another accident after already having been in four are pretty slim. So why do I continue to pay out hundreds of dollars every year? I'm not a gambler, I hate spending money unless it's on something I can physically hold, I'm a much more careful driver now than I have been in the past, and at the very least less likely to cause an accident.
So is the $600 a year worth it? You better fucking believe it, pal. And for anyone who doesn't want to spend the big bucks on their own car, have some respect for your fellow drivers and get third party insurance at the very least.
So while I don't think anyone should be forced into having car insurance, I'm also of the belief that if you don't have insurance you deserve whatever you get if you find yourself in an accident, and a foot up the arse to boot. I've heard people say, in defense of not having insurance, that they don't need it because they're good drivers, but everyone knows that 80% of the others drivers you're sharing the road with aren't so talented behind the wheel. Also, you're probably not as good as you think you are.
The other thing that gets people in a huff, people I know anyway, is the cost. I agree that car insurance is a bit of a rip-off. You pay for something every year that you're probably confident won't even be an issue. That's the thing about buying insurance, hospital cover or any other incorporeal purchase; people find it difficult to justify spending a large amount of money on something that they not only can't see or hold, but are actively hoping they won't need. I hope the thought that you saved a few hundred dollars over the years consoles you when you hit that shiny BMW and you feel your life crumbling around you, much like the ruins of your car.
Personally, I have full comprehensive insurance. I'd be a fool not to, some might say, having been in so many accidents. On the other hand, the odds that I'll be in another accident after already having been in four are pretty slim. So why do I continue to pay out hundreds of dollars every year? I'm not a gambler, I hate spending money unless it's on something I can physically hold, I'm a much more careful driver now than I have been in the past, and at the very least less likely to cause an accident.
So is the $600 a year worth it? You better fucking believe it, pal. And for anyone who doesn't want to spend the big bucks on their own car, have some respect for your fellow drivers and get third party insurance at the very least.
Monday, July 6, 2009
A few more words on dead Michael Jackson
He was an exceptional dancer, and a fantastic singer. I hear he was quite good at molesting children, too.
A few words on Michael Jackson
He might have been a scary looking guy, but damn, he was a good dancer.
See, I told you it was only a few words.
See, I told you it was only a few words.
Friday, July 3, 2009
A Guide to Surviving Professional Salespeople
Human beings are very susceptible to suggestion. At least they are when they cease being human beings and become their far less intelligent and slightly less attractive counterparts; customers. Having worked in sales in some form or other for the past five years, though not a veteran by any means, I’ve still seen some pretty sad stuff that makes me wonder about the state of our astuteness as a race. With that in mind, I’m going to give you a quick run though of sales people and their twisted games designed to get you to give them your money.
The greeting
A salesperson will greet each person differently based on age, ethnicity, and marital status. Younger people will most likely hear ‘What’s up?’ whereas older folk might hear something more like ‘How may I help you?’ If you’re Australian you’ll most likely be referred to as ‘mate’, otherwise you’ll be called ‘sir’. If you tell a salesperson your name, he or she will overuse it in an attempt to subconsciously get you to view them as a friend. Which leads me to;
We’re not your friend
The best salespeople will have you convinced that he or she is your best friend. The conversation, jokes, anecdotes; all scripted responses. Not scripted in terms of an actual script, but all salespeople have a routine, and while they ad lib quite often, the basic story behind everything you hear is part of the sales pitch. If a cute girl working in sales smiles at you, she probably isn’t flirting.
We’re liars
Don’t believe a word a salesperson says. How many times have you heard a salesperson say “Oh yeah, I have that model at home myself.” They don’t, 90% of the time. Don’t bother trying to catch them out though, they are committed to the lie and will most likely have an entire back story to go with it.
Pricing
A retail store always has room to move on their prices. Always. This is especially true for more expensive items, televisions, stereos, etc. If a salesperson tells you that the price on the tag is the best he or she can do, they’re two-faced liars. The best way to get a good price is to show interest, so they know you’re serious, but also make it obvious that if they don’t budge on the price you’ll walk out the door. You can save some serious moolah and impress your friends with your hardcore shopping skills.
Asking for the sale
After you’ve spent a while with a salesperson, the conversation will inevitably lead to them wanting your money in exchange for whatever goods or services they’re offering. This is the part where they have given up hope that you’re the kind of person who’ll just say ‘You’ve convinced me, sold!’ They’re relying on your kind nature to buy from them, because people feel guilty after spending so much time with a salesperson and not buying anything from them.
So remember, when shopping, always be on your guard. Unless you’re buying something from me. I’ll take care of you, mate.
The greeting
A salesperson will greet each person differently based on age, ethnicity, and marital status. Younger people will most likely hear ‘What’s up?’ whereas older folk might hear something more like ‘How may I help you?’ If you’re Australian you’ll most likely be referred to as ‘mate’, otherwise you’ll be called ‘sir’. If you tell a salesperson your name, he or she will overuse it in an attempt to subconsciously get you to view them as a friend. Which leads me to;
We’re not your friend
The best salespeople will have you convinced that he or she is your best friend. The conversation, jokes, anecdotes; all scripted responses. Not scripted in terms of an actual script, but all salespeople have a routine, and while they ad lib quite often, the basic story behind everything you hear is part of the sales pitch. If a cute girl working in sales smiles at you, she probably isn’t flirting.
We’re liars
Don’t believe a word a salesperson says. How many times have you heard a salesperson say “Oh yeah, I have that model at home myself.” They don’t, 90% of the time. Don’t bother trying to catch them out though, they are committed to the lie and will most likely have an entire back story to go with it.
Pricing
A retail store always has room to move on their prices. Always. This is especially true for more expensive items, televisions, stereos, etc. If a salesperson tells you that the price on the tag is the best he or she can do, they’re two-faced liars. The best way to get a good price is to show interest, so they know you’re serious, but also make it obvious that if they don’t budge on the price you’ll walk out the door. You can save some serious moolah and impress your friends with your hardcore shopping skills.
Asking for the sale
After you’ve spent a while with a salesperson, the conversation will inevitably lead to them wanting your money in exchange for whatever goods or services they’re offering. This is the part where they have given up hope that you’re the kind of person who’ll just say ‘You’ve convinced me, sold!’ They’re relying on your kind nature to buy from them, because people feel guilty after spending so much time with a salesperson and not buying anything from them.
So remember, when shopping, always be on your guard. Unless you’re buying something from me. I’ll take care of you, mate.
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