While I haven't seen it, I was amused to notice that there was a modernised Knight Rider tele-movie broadcast in the US back in February.
Glen A Larson helped write it, and David Hasselhoff had a guest appearance. However, the most interesting casting decision was Arrested Development star Will Arnett (Gob) as KITT's voice. I think Arnett would make a terrific voice actor, but it was not to be due to his previous voice overs in General Motors ads (the new incarnation of KITT is a Ford Mustang, so GM were not shy in pointing out the conflict of interest). The production staff were forced to swap in Val Kilmer's skillz at the last minute (two weeks before the movie was wrapped) to record over Arnett's dialogue.
Mind you, every time KITT would have kicked off saying "Michael.." I would have been thinking about Arrested Development (Gob's brother's name, and central character to the show).
Sunday, 30 March 2008
Monday, 24 March 2008
Pre Mid-Season Evaluations
A lot has changed in my rugby back line evaluations from the beginning of the year. Let's cut to the chase; my back line right now (based on a combination of merit and eligibility) would look like this:
9 Cordingley 10 Giteau 11 Tuqiri 12 Barnes 13 Cross 14 Schifcofske 15 Gerrard
If I'm picking a bench on this starting selection, I'd say the bench would be:
19 Sheehan 20 Quade Cooper 21 Staniforth 22 Turner
I pick this bench, because: Sheehan has been solid, and in my opinion the second best halfback in terms of consistency after Cordingley; Cooper has been tremendous in the limited game time he has had so far and should have no problem being a backup flyhalf or inside center (and combines well with the other QLD inside backs); Staniforth because he is so effective and versatile, able to cover both center positions as well as wings; Turner to cover the back three positions but I'd prefer to bring him on as a Wing and shift Schifcofske back to FB if necessary. If I'm reduced to a bench of 3 backs, I'd probably drop Sheehan if I felt Cooper could do an adequate job at halfback (or alternatively Giteau could move to halfback if Cordingley got injured, even though I've hated that experiment).
Back to the starters. Of that lot, Cordingley, Giteau and Tuqiri are set in stone. I would also select Gerrard (who has had a great year so far) as a definite starter, but I would prefer him on the Wing rather than FB. However, the only way that would happen is if I could pick Latham, who I am not counting as eligible due to his imminent departure overseas (but would otherwise be a "set in stone" choice). For the record, I would select Gerrard over Cameron Shepherd at FB, based on what I've seen so far.
I also think Cross should definitely be in the squad, who could start at either Center position, or be a utility player off the bench. Mortlock will trump Cross at Outside Center, assuming he is in form when he returns from injury, which then begs the question of who should be the guy at Inside Center -- Barnes or Cross. I like the options Barnes provides in terms of kicking and passing and also his combination with Cordingley, but I think based on merit I would have to choose Cross (who has been a huge game breaker for the Force this year). In this case, Barnes would have to replace Cooper on the bench, and really that's based on Barnes having really proved himself in Defense so far. But by the end of the year, it could be Cooper taking precedence over Barnes if Cooper can prove he is round enough player.
(Cooper, in two and a bit games is looking like the next best #10 after Giteau right now).
Also, if Ashley Cooper returns to form when he is back from injury, he could feasibly either claim Schifcofske's starting position or Turner's bench position, either way leaving Lachy in the cold. Ashley Cooper tends to be an attractive Test selection because he is a good physical and dependable tackler, and because he also has got good speed. Last year, I think he proved that he good be a solid Test level Winger or Outside Center.
So if you have read this far you might be wondering about some of my earlier selections and where they've gone. In summary, it's a bunch of youngsters who are demonstrating their inexperience in a pretty obvious way.
The most prominent of which is Kurtley Beale. I like Beale, but he is learning some bad habits at the moment. I am not referring to his defense (which would would pose a consideration at Test selection), but rather his core decision making at the flyhalf position of whether to kick, run or pass. Kurtley runs and passes instinctively, and tends to do a good job at this. However, he is now kicking way too often, and not in an intelligent way (both from a decision making and execution perspective). This would be influenced by Ewen's tendency around game planning around kicking away possession unless you are within 10m of opposition territory. Beale needs to have his head re-wired where if he is not sure what to do, that he will more-often-than-not favour running over kicking. If I was Ewen, I would be incredibly tempted to move him to inside center, simply because it would force him to focus on the other parts of his game a little bit more, and when he does get the opportunity as a first or second receiver, he could be a little more considered.
Lachy Turner, despite making the team above, has had his stock drop significantly. I think he has a lot to offer as a Winger at Test level, but from what I've seen this season he is not a good enough tactical kicker to be a Test level fullback. I would pretty much take any other provincial FB for the national side over Lachy right now.
As an aside, the combination of Beale and Turner's kicking is what is really killing the Waratahs right now. At least one of these players needs to change positions to allow Norton Knight to come into the side to bring an improvement in the kicking. (However, if you haven't blocked last year's awful start out of your head, you might remember that Norton Knight had a horrible start to the year in terms of his kicking -- I'm assuming/praying that was just a short term slump that won't be repeated!) The Waratahs are badly missing Peter Hewat right now.
Digby Ioane is toast. For all of his speed and electricity, he shows a lack of discipline and is not strong enough on defense. This is a real shame, because I really liked his enthusiasm, but his strengths are not enough to overcome his weaknesses. Basically, it comes down to maturity. Luke Burgess was also an early dark horse, but he's been way too inconsistent. Of the four games he's been a reserve on, he looked really good in one (the first), passable in another, and a liability in the other two. Similarly, Josh Holmes has also been inconsistent. Timana Tahu's issues with his hamstring have been well documented in the papers, and further it is not clear whether it would have been a great idea to move him into Center too early anyway.
On the positive side of things, I think Tom Carter is developing along quite nicely as an Inside Center, but is not ready for greater things yet. Similarly, I don't know what it is that they put in the water in Canberra, but their third string Outside Center - Leo Afeaki - is proving to be pretty good (and hits like a Mack Truck to boot). Their other youngsters at Inside Center (Tyronne Smith) and Flyhalf (Christian Lealiifano) have also impressed me. If the Brumbies keep performing so well with such young talent, Laurie Fisher may actually build a legitimate case for himself as a Wallabies coaching candidate. (I have not previously favoured him).
But enough on backs...
9 Cordingley 10 Giteau 11 Tuqiri 12 Barnes 13 Cross 14 Schifcofske 15 Gerrard
If I'm picking a bench on this starting selection, I'd say the bench would be:
19 Sheehan 20 Quade Cooper 21 Staniforth 22 Turner
I pick this bench, because: Sheehan has been solid, and in my opinion the second best halfback in terms of consistency after Cordingley; Cooper has been tremendous in the limited game time he has had so far and should have no problem being a backup flyhalf or inside center (and combines well with the other QLD inside backs); Staniforth because he is so effective and versatile, able to cover both center positions as well as wings; Turner to cover the back three positions but I'd prefer to bring him on as a Wing and shift Schifcofske back to FB if necessary. If I'm reduced to a bench of 3 backs, I'd probably drop Sheehan if I felt Cooper could do an adequate job at halfback (or alternatively Giteau could move to halfback if Cordingley got injured, even though I've hated that experiment).
Back to the starters. Of that lot, Cordingley, Giteau and Tuqiri are set in stone. I would also select Gerrard (who has had a great year so far) as a definite starter, but I would prefer him on the Wing rather than FB. However, the only way that would happen is if I could pick Latham, who I am not counting as eligible due to his imminent departure overseas (but would otherwise be a "set in stone" choice). For the record, I would select Gerrard over Cameron Shepherd at FB, based on what I've seen so far.
I also think Cross should definitely be in the squad, who could start at either Center position, or be a utility player off the bench. Mortlock will trump Cross at Outside Center, assuming he is in form when he returns from injury, which then begs the question of who should be the guy at Inside Center -- Barnes or Cross. I like the options Barnes provides in terms of kicking and passing and also his combination with Cordingley, but I think based on merit I would have to choose Cross (who has been a huge game breaker for the Force this year). In this case, Barnes would have to replace Cooper on the bench, and really that's based on Barnes having really proved himself in Defense so far. But by the end of the year, it could be Cooper taking precedence over Barnes if Cooper can prove he is round enough player.
(Cooper, in two and a bit games is looking like the next best #10 after Giteau right now).
Also, if Ashley Cooper returns to form when he is back from injury, he could feasibly either claim Schifcofske's starting position or Turner's bench position, either way leaving Lachy in the cold. Ashley Cooper tends to be an attractive Test selection because he is a good physical and dependable tackler, and because he also has got good speed. Last year, I think he proved that he good be a solid Test level Winger or Outside Center.
So if you have read this far you might be wondering about some of my earlier selections and where they've gone. In summary, it's a bunch of youngsters who are demonstrating their inexperience in a pretty obvious way.
The most prominent of which is Kurtley Beale. I like Beale, but he is learning some bad habits at the moment. I am not referring to his defense (which would would pose a consideration at Test selection), but rather his core decision making at the flyhalf position of whether to kick, run or pass. Kurtley runs and passes instinctively, and tends to do a good job at this. However, he is now kicking way too often, and not in an intelligent way (both from a decision making and execution perspective). This would be influenced by Ewen's tendency around game planning around kicking away possession unless you are within 10m of opposition territory. Beale needs to have his head re-wired where if he is not sure what to do, that he will more-often-than-not favour running over kicking. If I was Ewen, I would be incredibly tempted to move him to inside center, simply because it would force him to focus on the other parts of his game a little bit more, and when he does get the opportunity as a first or second receiver, he could be a little more considered.
Lachy Turner, despite making the team above, has had his stock drop significantly. I think he has a lot to offer as a Winger at Test level, but from what I've seen this season he is not a good enough tactical kicker to be a Test level fullback. I would pretty much take any other provincial FB for the national side over Lachy right now.
As an aside, the combination of Beale and Turner's kicking is what is really killing the Waratahs right now. At least one of these players needs to change positions to allow Norton Knight to come into the side to bring an improvement in the kicking. (However, if you haven't blocked last year's awful start out of your head, you might remember that Norton Knight had a horrible start to the year in terms of his kicking -- I'm assuming/praying that was just a short term slump that won't be repeated!) The Waratahs are badly missing Peter Hewat right now.
Digby Ioane is toast. For all of his speed and electricity, he shows a lack of discipline and is not strong enough on defense. This is a real shame, because I really liked his enthusiasm, but his strengths are not enough to overcome his weaknesses. Basically, it comes down to maturity. Luke Burgess was also an early dark horse, but he's been way too inconsistent. Of the four games he's been a reserve on, he looked really good in one (the first), passable in another, and a liability in the other two. Similarly, Josh Holmes has also been inconsistent. Timana Tahu's issues with his hamstring have been well documented in the papers, and further it is not clear whether it would have been a great idea to move him into Center too early anyway.
On the positive side of things, I think Tom Carter is developing along quite nicely as an Inside Center, but is not ready for greater things yet. Similarly, I don't know what it is that they put in the water in Canberra, but their third string Outside Center - Leo Afeaki - is proving to be pretty good (and hits like a Mack Truck to boot). Their other youngsters at Inside Center (Tyronne Smith) and Flyhalf (Christian Lealiifano) have also impressed me. If the Brumbies keep performing so well with such young talent, Laurie Fisher may actually build a legitimate case for himself as a Wallabies coaching candidate. (I have not previously favoured him).
But enough on backs...
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Pig Names
As I run out the door for lunch, a non-Rugby related thought:
Gordon Ramsey is my hero. Not because of his use of the f-bomb (which I have been known to do occasionally myself). Or the numerous kitchens he attempts to save (very amusing and entertaining viewing).
I caught a brief mention on a chance viewing of an "F-Word" episode last night that he named two pigs he was rearing to eat "Trinny" and "Suzannah".
For any other blokes who have been tortured by your girlfriend or wife wanting to watch "What Not To Wear" you will immediately understand.
I will attempt to eat some pig in the immediate future in honour of your work, Gordon!
Gordon Ramsey is my hero. Not because of his use of the f-bomb (which I have been known to do occasionally myself). Or the numerous kitchens he attempts to save (very amusing and entertaining viewing).
I caught a brief mention on a chance viewing of an "F-Word" episode last night that he named two pigs he was rearing to eat "Trinny" and "Suzannah".
For any other blokes who have been tortured by your girlfriend or wife wanting to watch "What Not To Wear" you will immediately understand.
I will attempt to eat some pig in the immediate future in honour of your work, Gordon!
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Some light...
It's been a good weekend for Australian rugby.
The Tahs have had a bye week (which I think they needed to get their house in order), the Brumbies had a loss (which I think was inevitable given the ludicrous number of injuries they've suffered), and both the Force and Reds have pulled off inspirational wins.
The Force had a forgettable first half against the Blues, but the amount of pressure they amounted in the second made for some impressive displays. Giteau is clearly the in form fly half at the moment.
The changes Phil Mooney has instilled into the Reds has shown instant progress. While I wouldn't say they looked so slick to be the second coming of the Crusaders, they at least showed a lot of discipline with their lines and breakdown. On the other hand, the Bulls were embarrassingly undisciplined, and frankly showed a lot of arrogance in their approach (especially at the breakdown -- I can't recall seeing a single Bulls player roll away at any given time). Quade Cooper looked like a perfect complement to Sam Cordingley, and when Berrick Barnes (who has played very hard in the last few weeks) gets back it will be very interesting to see how well those combinations work. But more importantly, the forwards put in quite a respectable game at the set piece.
Congrats, Phil -- your bets paid off!
The Tahs have had a bye week (which I think they needed to get their house in order), the Brumbies had a loss (which I think was inevitable given the ludicrous number of injuries they've suffered), and both the Force and Reds have pulled off inspirational wins.
The Force had a forgettable first half against the Blues, but the amount of pressure they amounted in the second made for some impressive displays. Giteau is clearly the in form fly half at the moment.
The changes Phil Mooney has instilled into the Reds has shown instant progress. While I wouldn't say they looked so slick to be the second coming of the Crusaders, they at least showed a lot of discipline with their lines and breakdown. On the other hand, the Bulls were embarrassingly undisciplined, and frankly showed a lot of arrogance in their approach (especially at the breakdown -- I can't recall seeing a single Bulls player roll away at any given time). Quade Cooper looked like a perfect complement to Sam Cordingley, and when Berrick Barnes (who has played very hard in the last few weeks) gets back it will be very interesting to see how well those combinations work. But more importantly, the forwards put in quite a respectable game at the set piece.
Congrats, Phil -- your bets paid off!
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
Reds
Looks like the Reds have taken my advice and rejigged the leadership.
Sam Cordingley has just taken over for John Roe as captain for QLD.
Sam Cordingley has just taken over for John Roe as captain for QLD.
Judas, Brutus...
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released Dig Lazarus Dig a couple of weeks ago now.
I've listened to the new album a few times now. Unfortunately the opinion of the fanboy detractors are right (as opposed to the praise from the mainstream press). My opinion started somewhere between average and below average the first time around, and has been going further south with each successive listen.
I see it more as a failed experiment rather than the insult of intelligence that Nocturama was, but I do find myself asking how Nick can go from his former greatness to this? The album does not work as a concept, none of the songs are individually strong, and the great poetic lyrics (a Nick hallmark) are completely absent.
There is not a single song on this album that would hold a candle to whatever would be considered the worst song on Your Funeral My Trial or Henry's Dream.
Nick needs a bad review to help him get some anger back...
I've listened to the new album a few times now. Unfortunately the opinion of the fanboy detractors are right (as opposed to the praise from the mainstream press). My opinion started somewhere between average and below average the first time around, and has been going further south with each successive listen.
I see it more as a failed experiment rather than the insult of intelligence that Nocturama was, but I do find myself asking how Nick can go from his former greatness to this? The album does not work as a concept, none of the songs are individually strong, and the great poetic lyrics (a Nick hallmark) are completely absent.
There is not a single song on this album that would hold a candle to whatever would be considered the worst song on Your Funeral My Trial or Henry's Dream.
Nick needs a bad review to help him get some anger back...
Recovered
Have just about fully recovered from marathon 4am karaoke effort on Friday, this time involving appropriate amounts of piss. That I have had subsequent farewells to attend since has prevented me returning to full strength up until now.
That is all.
That is all.
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