NRL REVIEW 2013 - ROUND 4

After 4 rounds of NRL, the Melbourne Storm lead the competition undefeated along with the South Sydney Rabbitohs with 4 wins from 4 games.

The Storm managed to hold out a fast finishing Bronco's outfit 32-26 and the Rabbitohs held off a strong defensive Bulldogs side 17-12.

I went out to that game on Good Friday to ANZ Stadium and was part of the record crowd of over 51000 fans. The atmosphere was great to be out there and the game was a contest that didn't disappoint, that's if, as a Bulldog fan, you disregarded the score line.

The Rabbitohs are big dudes and possession is key to beating this side, and the scoreline in the first half reflected that this game was going to be about defence. The Bulldogs maintained most of the possession and lead most of the half by 6-0.

An incident that lead to Captain Michael Ennis leaving the field before half time, never to return, resulted in the Rabbitohs levelling the scores at the break. However one must ask, why was time not called off whilst Ennis was down, particularly when the next two tackles or plays occurred around where he was down receiving attention. The third play ended with the try.

The second half was dominated by the Bunnies and in due course they pulled away to a 16-6 lead touched up with a field goal to go ahead 17-6. The scoreline became respectable with a try on the bell to the Bulldogs narrowing the margin to 5 points.

That try was scored by Ben Barba who made his return to the field after a much publicised absence to overcome personal issues. There were many people speculating as to whether he should come back and the Footy Show in their debatable wisdom thought an audience poll on the subject was a good idea. This poll was in favour of Barba to return 51-49. How on earth people think their opinion is relevant when you have no idea what this man is dealing with is beyond me. Without knowing the exact details of this man's life you are in no position to judge or comment and I think Barba's situation has been handled with as much sensitivity as sensibility and the result will speak for itself.

Personally  I found it very gratifying to see Ben play out there and he handled himself exactly as he should have. Expectations should be directed elsewhere and fans should just cheer the man on when he excites you with his play. But don't go expecting a try every time he picks up the ball at his own 5 metre line.  It was good to see him get his first try of the year and let's see if he can mow down Merritt who is 6 tries ahead of him so far. If he finds his stride soon that might just be possible. Also was good to see Frank Pritchard return to the Dogs and now its just James Graham and big Sam Kasiano that who should be back for the Roosters match in Round 6.

The game was also a very disciplined match with only a handful of penalties awarded overall. The Bulldogs went the first 65 minutes without conceding a penalty,which I have not seen happen in years for this side, and yet the first penalty conceded could prove to be more costly off the field. Yes I am talking about the Krisnan Inu spear tackle on Greg Inglis. I think there was no doubt it was a spear tackle with Inu at fault and I don't think you have to be an expert to guess he will do some time for it.
The question was and is what do you have to do to get sin binned or sent off these days? I think we are opening the door to the return of the 'take out player' who's job is to go out and take out the play maker as it will only go on report and you wont lose a player. Is this safe? Is this fair? I support all the players in the team I follow but I accept that if they do something wrong they must be held accountable.

But the argument that was being bandied around my family this Easter was about the Melbourne Storm and the implied "Protection" they seem to be getting from the NRL. There were many examples discussed as to when Melbourne have breached the rules this year yet have gone unpunished but mostly it was the incident when Billy Slater recklessly extended his leg to kick the opposition in the face. Slater did not have to face a charge on that because it wasn't deemed intentional, which some have debated going by the footage, but why wasn't he examined on negligence? If you kick a player in the face because your jumping style is dangerous you should be held accountable like all other players in the wrong. Negligence should not be ignored merely because intention does not seem apparent. Or is this the 'Protection' of the Melbourne Storm being apparent?

In other games this round, the big winners were Manly who kicked the round off on Thursday with a 26-0 thumping of the Tigers. I still maintain my view that the Tigers are weaker this year with the addition of Anasta who is extremely over rated and most of their plays continue to be based on luck with Benji Marshall's kicking. If you closely examine their games you will notice the games they win are mostly due to the lucky bounce of the ball, not cleverness or brilliance. On the other hand the Panthers are very similar to the Bulldogs this year, they play well and they match their opponents but they don't manage to get on top of them and win the game. Today was no different against the Titans who were tight in their defence and ensured the Panthers attack broke down, but the Titans really need to clean up their kicking game if they intend to be a top 8 side this year. The Dragons somehow managed to trounce the sharks 25-12 and rid the game of Todd Carney in what was a shock result and this evening the Knights held of a Raiders side who lead 12-10 at half time to win comfortably by 28-12.

There are still two games to complete this round that will be held tomorrow to cap off this Easter Weekend. Warriors host the Cowboys and the Roosters host the Eels. The Warriors are looking for their first win and if you go by history they are due to take the points against the Cowboys. Roosters are favourites to beat the Eels but the Eels always play better when they are not expected to win, mostly because that is when Jarrod Hayne manages to pull his head in.

This edition of the blog has been quite one sided regarding the Bulldogs, but this is my view, not a factual sports report and whilst I can be balanced on most things and highly opinionated on others, I do see the big picture but there is much more worth focusing in on than what most media outlets decide to do.

I believe the Bulldogs are travelling far better than the ladder implies and whilst the media will speculate what's wrong it will be completely over done. The team started without 4 top class players, and two have returned just this week and two remain to rejoin in the near future. Out of their 4 games this year they have lost three and all three were against top eight teams from 2012, two of which were with them in the Top 4, the other they will face this Friday. When you consider all that and see just how competitive they have been in these losses you can see why I am very pleased with their efforts so far. But yes, you don't need to be an expert to say you need to win games, but these will come and the way the season works you only have to win just over half your games to make the finals, so early days yet.

That's my view of NRL after Round 4 and feel free to comment or argue your own views herein.

Go Bulldogs!

J G S

TV TALK - MY FAMILY - SEASON 3

Season Three of My Family would have to be one of the strongest seasons over its 11 year history.

It was one of the longest seasons too with a total of 14 episodes including the first My Family Christmas Special which took the episode total up to 35.

With Janey's exit to University comes the introduction of a new character in the third episode of the season, Abi Harper (Siobhan Hayes)

Abi is the daughter of Ben's cousin and Susan invites her to stay there to fill the void left by Janey.
When Abi arrives she puts her fist through their window by knocking too hard and they end up in the emergency ward. They return there soon after as Abi whacks Ben on the head with a cricket bat, mistaking him for a prowler. She is another crazy edition to the household and becomes a permanent fixture for many seasons to come.

Another new character introduced in this season is the neighbouring dentist, Roger Bailey (Keiron Self)

who is the complete opposite to Ben as a dentist. There is a picture of a clown on the ceiling called Bobo when Ben visits Roger in the sixth episode of this season when he has a sore tooth. Ben discovers Roger has named all of his dental tools after Lord of the Rings characters and so he leaves when Roger exclaims that he has found an Ork whilst exploring his mouth with Gandalf.
Roger returns in all remaining seasons and soon becomes a permanent principal character.

Nick's Jobs this season are Shelf stacker, Magician, Female impersonator, Gorilla-gram, Taxi Driver, Exorcist, Bartender, Drive-Thru Santa's Grotto owner/operator.

Ben's Dental Assistants comprised of only two unnamed ones this season, an Indian girl who punches Ben for making her cry, and a frumpy woman who sprays mace at Ben thinking he was making sexual advances.

The Season kicks off with Janey packing up and heading off to University followed by the arrival of accident-prone Abi Harper who spurts blood all over Ben when they meet for the first time. Michael still explores girls and even feels up his brother Nick when he was wearing a bra whilst continuing his search for employment and get rich quick schemes. Janey still hangs around even though she is in Manchester and new characters and regular guestys come in and out of the episode series. The series wraps up with the first ever Christmas special when Janey arrives home pregnant.

Here's the list of episodes...

Episode 22 "Absent Vixen, Cheeky Monkey"
As Janey heads off to University Ben and Susan fight over how her room should be used. Nick gets a job stacking shelves and brings home Tuna cans to price as he ran out of time. When Ben tries to sneak them back to the supermarket so Nick wont be fired, he is betrayed by Nick when he reports him for shoplifting the Tuna.

Episode 23 "Shrink Rap"
Susan finds a letter on Michael's desk inviting her and Ben to a school auction - Michael hasn't shown it to them though because he doesn't want them to go as they are too embarrassing. At the auction Susan buys a therapy session for couples and Ben buys his own free dental treatment to outbid a former patent Mr Spufford who has chronic bad breath. The therapist turns out to be less than calm with Ben and Susan.

Episode 24 "Desperately Squeaking Susan"
Susan, still missing Janey, decides that she needs some female company and so invites Abi, the daughter Ben's cousin, to dinner. Abi turns out to be the most accident-prone, clumsy person you could meet and they instantly end up at the Emergency Ward with her. Ben is aghast as Susan invites Abi to come and live with them!

Episode 25 "Of Mice and Ben"
Abi has to make a video project about family life and she decides to film the Harpers. But Ben and Susan ruin the film by pretending and performing for the camera But when Ben investigates a rat in the ceiling, he is captured on film fleeing from the giant rodent in hysterics. 

Episode 26 "Imperfect Strangers"
After being ushered away from the university by Janey and her two male friends, Susan and Ben decide to book into a local hotel under fake names and pretend to meet each other again as strangers. Other strangers show interest in them however and when room keys get mixed up Ben ends up naked in another man's room.

Episode 27 "The Second Greatest Story Ever Told"
Nick gets cast Jesus in a local nativity play and Susan is jealous and angry she is cast as Shepherd #2. Meanwhile Ben is suffering from a severe toothache but is reluctant to put his trust in any other dentist. Susan persuades him to see his old dentist Roger Bailey but he is shocked to discovered he has since died and his son Roger Bailey Jnr has turned the surgery into a character fantasy land.

Episode 28 "Waiting to Inhale"
Susan finds what appears to be a 'joint' in Michael's drawer. She convinces Ben that it is only proper parenting to smoke it to know what their son is exposing himself too. After a hilarious night of stoned behaviour by Ben and Susan they are shocked to learn later that it was just herbs and cinnamon.

Episode 29 "Misery"
Susan visits Janey with the intention to feel young again by hanging out at the university. But things don't go to plan and after starting a food fight in the cafeteria Janey wants her out. Meanwhile Ben pushes through an ankle injury to beat his old friend at golf. But things don't go to plan and made worse by Nicks appearance in his new role as a female impersonator.

Episode 30 "Auto Erotica"
When Nick wins an old car in a poker game, he wants to use it for parts but Ben tries his best to restore it to it's former glory. Abi  finds Michael in her room and has some fun teasing him but saves her most disastrous action for Ben and Susan when she lights a candle on their anniversary cake in the garage with gasoline fumes. Kaboom!

Episode 31 "A Handful of Dust"
Ben is annoyed when he discovers that his family have forgotten his birthday but he has bought himself a patch of soil from Wembley Stadium. Janey arrives for his birthday with her 'lesbian girlfriend' Katie to taunt her parents. Nick gets a new job dressing up as a gorilla.

Episode 32 "Lost Weekend"
When the kids go away for the weekend, Ben and Susan finally have some time to themselves but it's been so long since they last had time to themselves they have absolutely no idea how to spend it! They eventually just end up annoying each other.

Episode 33 "Ghosts"
Susan gets back in touch with an old flame she wishes to get revenge on. Michael discovers the house is cursed and Abi is convinced that it is haunted. Nick embarks on a career being a Taxi Driver and then as an Exorcist.

Episode 34 "One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest"
Nick decides to get his own flat which is a dive and he keeps stealing items and food from his parents place. He also get a job at Ben's local pub but is fired for not ordering the beer. When Ben and Susan visit Nick scams them out of money with a fake landlord.

Episode 35 "Ding Dong Merrily"
Janey returns to the Harper household for Christmas, but with the shocking news that she's pregnant! Also Nick begins his new Christmas Tree business, but because the trees he's bought are all for next year Ben is overjoyed to find his living room turned into a forest.

For a sample of Season Three see below.

Episode 24 "Desperately Squeaking Susan"
http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/player/gorillavid.php?id=om5ue5dn9mcw

(if the font is multi-coloured it is an error that I could not mend - apologies)

J G S

BOOK UPDATE #3 - GARDEN PALACE (spoiler alert)

At the bottom of a very large pit lies a fairly sizable hole in the wall.

One of the construction workers has returned to the excavation site before sunrise.

He climbs down to the bottom of the pit and inspects the hole in the wall.

He had accidentally been the cause of the hole the day before and intended to plug it up before anyone would notice.

Only one other person was aware of the hole, his Foreman Terry, and he helped him cover it over temporarily with a large rock so no one would notice.

When he gets there he finds the rock has fallen inside of the hole in what appears to be a hollowed cave.

He reaches in for the rock to pull it out and use again but as he does he is attacked by something inside the cave.

He flings himself back in fright and the creature inside grabs the large rock then pushes it into the opening of the cave, sealing itself in.

The Foreman then arrives and sees the hole still plugged up. He tries to remove the rock but it wont budge.

He curses again and again as he hacks at the opening but it holds firm.

He then interrogates the worker and blames him for the cave being sealed.

The worker doesn't understand why he is so annoyed.

The Foreman doesn't explain to him that the cave was part of the original foundations of the old Garden Palace.

The worker defensively claims that there was a creature inside but the Foreman wont hear a bar of it.

But then it dawns on him, as he recalls the events of the previous evening, that it just might be so.

The creature could be the prey that slipped through his net in the neighbouring parkland only a few hours ago.

The creature could be...

... the boy.



STAY TUNED for "GARDEN PALACE" in 2013

J G S

GRIPE OF THE WEEK #3 - CITYRAIL COMMUTERS

If you have ever caught a train in peak hour in Sydney you will have a long list of people who manage to annoy you in some way in your travels.

Some of you are probably annoying other people as well.

Here is my list of annoying Cityrail commuters, feel free to add to it, but ask yourself if you fall into any of these pest groups.

BULLY BOARDERS
I know you will all say that it's something you have to do to get a seat, but when did commuters start clumping on the edge of a platform in the spots the doors supposedly open? Personally I find it dangerous and just a bit passive aggressive, and sometimes you can hold the passive.


DUMB ARSE BOARDERS
You know these people well. They are the dumb bunnies who step into the carriage before anyone has stepped off. The best way to handle these people is to shoulder charge them back onto the platform.


WHIFFY FOLK

The title says it all. People who have no consideration or even awareness that they smell so bad you have to hold your tie over your mouth just to breathe. This becomes worse when you are squashed into a three-seater, and when standing in the vestibule and as they reach up to hold on, your nose is level with their arm pit.


TRAGIC TEENS
The groups are mostly female and they tell every intimate detail of their usually uninteresting lives at the top of their voice without any care of how cheap and stupid it makes them look.
I have personally overheard one teen girl who was freaking out about telling her mother that she might be pregnant, and another explaining how uncomfortable she was about losing her virginity the previous night. Oh no, she was fine in a moral sense, she was explaining the physical discomfort... Yup.


BUSINESS BOOFHEADS
These high flying execs who love taking business calls in the train and talking loud so the whole train can hear how confident and successful they are. Buddy, you ride a train to work, you could do better.


SCHOOL BAGGERS

Those bloody kids who pile their school bags in the vestibule and then look at you in a way that suggests they are expecting you to run the steeplechase to get out of the train.


STEP WARMERS
Lazy bastards who can't stand next to the stairs without ignoring the urge to sit on them. You block the way people! Don't you get that? And if you sit next to the hand rail you make it dangerous for those who need assistance on the stairs. Stop being lazy lard farmers.


BACKWARD BUMS
Okay please tell me, what possesses otherwise ordinary decent looking folks to sit the wrong way on a train? By wrong way I mean, everyone is facing forwards yet you choose to face backwards? Have you any idea how much that stuffs up the efficiency of foot space? Follow the fold on this one.


TICKET TUMBLEWEEDS
Very irritating are those delightful pests who walk to the turnstile and only then they choose to look for their ticket, making everyone back up behind as they are blocking the way through. In Redfern we have only one entry turnstile in the peak hour morning and there's quite a few of you who choose to do this. Get your ticket out before you approach please people!


I could go on but I think you get the picture, Cityrail train commuters are a bunch of tools and you have to wonder how much impact the terrible handling of the passenger growth over the years has had on the mental state of Sydney commuters.

But let's not talk about Sydney motorists though... well this week at least :-)

Toot Toot!

J G S

HISTORY WEDNESDAY #3 - SYDNEY TRAMS

Believe it or not, but Sydney once had the largest tram system in Australia. 

In fact it was the second largest in the Commonwealth after London and was one of the largest in the world. 

It was extremely intensively worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any one time at its peak during the 1930s (cf. about 500 trams in Melbourne today).

Sydney's first tram was horse-drawn, 

running from the old Sydney Railway station to Circular Quay along Pitt Street. 

Built in 1861, the design was compromised by the desire to haul railway freight wagons along the line to supply city businesses, in addition to passenger traffic. This resulted in a track that protruded from the road surface and damaged the wheels of wagons trying to cross it. Hard campaigning by competing omnibus owners - as well as the fatal accident involving the leading Australian musician Isaac Nathan in 1864 - led to closure in 1866.

In 1879 a steam tramway was established and the network expanded rapidly through the city and inner suburbs. There were also two cable tram routes, to Ocean Street (Edgecliff) and in North Sydney, later extended to Crows Nest, because of the steep terrain involved.

Electrification started in 1898, and most of the system was converted by 1910. The privately owned Parramatta to Redbank Wharf (Duck River) steam tram remained until 1943.

By the 1920s, the system had reached its maximum extent. The overcrowded and heaving trams running at a high frequency, in competition with growing private motor car and bus use, created congestion. Competition from the private car, private bus operators and the perception of traffic congestion led to the gradual closure of lines from the 1940s.

Overseas transport experts were called upon to advise the city on its post-war transport issues and recommended closure of the system, but generally went against public opinion. Nevertheless, closure became Labor government policy and the system was wound down in stages, with withdrawal of the last service, to La Perouse, in 1961.

Today there has been a resurgence in the establishment of Tram services and the Sydney Light Rail was built from Central Station to Star City Casino in 1997 and extended to Lilyfield in 2000. Recent legislation has been passed to expand the light rail to Summer Hill and a direct service to Moore Park has been suggested to run completely underground.

Take a ride!

J G S

SYDNEY INSIGHTS #3 - HYDE PARK

The wonderful city Oasis of Sydney, Hyde Park is the oldest public parkland in Australia.

Many office workers today enjoy the sanctuary during lunch breaks and a nicer route to take when getting across town.

But Hyde Park was the scene of many uses in its expansive history since colonisation and the venue of many 'firsts' for the city of Sydney and Australia itself.

Hyde Park as we know it today, named after the original Hyde Park in London, was created on 3rd May 1878, but the area was given this name as early as 1810.

Before this the grounds were used constantly for many sporting events and recreation purposes and had a string of names such as 'The Common', 'The Cricket Ground', 'The Exercising Ground' and 'The Racecourse'.

Many different inhabitants of Sydney frequently used the grounds including the Military who practised drills and trained on it, sporting groups such as cricketers, boxers and footballers, quoits players (oh yes), and many stray dogs, cattle and sheep often wandered through as well.

In fact on 17th June 1865, the first known Rugby match to ever be played in Australia was held in Hyde Park between the members of the newly formed Sydney Football Club.

It was also the venue for Australia's first official Horse Race Meeting on October 15, 17 and 19, 1810 which was organised by the officers of the 73rd Regiment and most of the horses were owned by the officers as well.

Many features and monuments adorn Hyde Park but the centrepiece is the Archibald fountain donated in 1932 in recognition of Australia's contribution to World War I.

The Anzac War Memorial sits at the Darlinghurst end of the park behind the 'Pool of Remembrance' opened on 24th November 1934.

A large Obelisk decorated with Egyptian features lies roadside of Elizabeth St and Bathurst St unveiled in 1857. But this monument is actually a sewer vent in disguise and carried the nickname "Thornton's Scent Bottle" for many years after the Lord Mayor who unveiled the monument.

Today it is home to many possums, homeless, and annoying promotional people. It is a busy thoroughfare and still provides an idyllic leafy haven to escape the rush of the city.

Take a blanket, take your lunch and take your shoes off and enjoy.

J G S

TOPICAL SOAPBOX #3

Julia Gillard swears in new Labor ministry after revealing it at Parliament House

(My money is the word began with an F or a C)
You will never see a tougher woman in Australian Politics than Julia Gillard.

Nor will you see a more berated, bullied, harassed, hated and savagely criticised leader.

Many women will say they hate her and yet can't tell you why, except maybe because of her voice at the most. They just hate her.

Many say she fights for self-interest and not for the Australian People.

Ask yourself what is your own personal opinion of Julia Gillard and then ask yourself why do you feel this way. Be honest with yourself too.
When you form your opinion ask yourself how much of the reason you think this way is based on fact or things you know about her first hand. Now ask yourself how much you based it on what you have seen in the media.

In the six months ahead before the election, I challenge you all to ignore what the media tells you to believe and form your own opinion based on what you discover and learn and what you actually know about both leaders and both parties.

Think for yourself, it is YOUR vote and we are all in danger of being controlled by the media and the owners of media outlets who have extremely strong self-interests and they fight dirtier than any one.


Child Dies as Asylum Boat Hit By Waves

The sadness of the Asylum seeker issue never goes away.
So much is being done to address it, so much more needs to be done, interim measures are getting blocked because of the argument between right and wrong.
The only clear answer is that there is never going to be a solution that will please everybody.
The laws do need changing, but closing our country to asylum seekers is not the answer.
Will we ever get it right?


Warren Rodwell Freed by his Captors in Philippines

After 15 Months this Australian man was freed and is clearly altered by his ordeal.
How do you come back from being held captive and used for daily ransom demands and never knowing if you will ever have your life back again?
Governments cannot and should not ever pay ransoms, if they do then citizens world wide will be constantly kidnapped and ransomed.
It's an awful ordeal and you hope he recovers and regains a decent existence.



SHOCKING AND NO-SURPRISE STORIES

SHOCKING

SINK HOLES - SILENT KILLERS BENEATH US
This just freaks me out, it's sink hole season in America when the earth swallows up everything above it whenever it feels like it.

NORTH KOREA TRAINING THOUSANDS OF HACKERS
No surprise they are learning something naughty but shocked they are hacking chalk boards.

VAMPIRE ON THE LOOSE IN SERBIA
I am shocked, I could have sworn he was in Melbourne last Thursday night!

NO-SURPRISE

MACCA'S WORKER FORCED INTO SEX ACT
This comes as no surprise when you see who they hire. Come on!
Dirty old McManagers!

LEILA McKINNON'S BABY TRAUMA
Is there no end to Mrs Sam McKinnon's quest for a profile.

QUEEN VOLUNTEERED FOR OLYMPICS BOND SKIT
Come on, we know she's the ultimate cougar.

                          HRH "Follow me Mr Bond, I need to inspect the Crown Jewels"



That's the good, the bad, and the funny that is our world.

J G S

NRL 2013 REVIEW - ROUND 3

The Cronulla Sharks are the big high fliers of Round Three after a demolition of the woeful Warriors 28-4. Their only loss this year was to the co-competition leaders South Sydney Rabbitohs by two points in Round 2.

Round Three began on Thursday with a blockbuster Grand Final re-match of the Melbourne Storm and  the Canterbury Bulldogs in Melbourne. Both sides were lacking key players but the Bulldogs have clearly missed at least 4 of their best in Ben Barba, Sam Kasiano, Frank Pritchard and the infamous James Graham. Added to that the loss of Steve Turner so early in the season.

Whilst most fans of the Dogs are aware that their team can pull it together and have a chance to win, the mood amongst many were that an 18-20 point loss was most likely on paper.

But the Dogs hung in there in the first half and really controlled much of the Storm players. They constantly found holes and made good yards right down the middle of the Storm defence. The 10 nil half time scoreline was quite respectable but almost an inflated indication of the difference between the two teams on the field.

The Bulldogs broke their 2013 hoodoo when they scored first in the second half. Previously the Bulldogs had been scoreless in both second halves played so far in 2013. The Storm soon took control and converted their opportunities and the scoreline blew out to 22-6. There was still a quarter of the game to go and it could have become a whitewash, but the dogs dug deep and with some brilliant plays against some careless negligence from the Storm in defence, they got the score back within four points and had opportunities to actually win the game in the final stages. Whilst in the end they lost 22-18 much was won that night for the Bulldogs.

The round continued Friday night when the Eels handed the Tigers the two competition points in an interesting scoreline of 31-18. The Eels have already lost their way in 2013 and the Tigers may have two wins on the board, but they are far from being a force this year either.

In other games, the Roosters surprised all with an 8-nil win over the Broncos, Titans edged out the Sea Eagles 16-14 thanks to a Dale Cherry-Evans master-kick out of touch on the line drop out, Rabbitohs defence was less than impressive in their almost choking 44-32 win over the Panthers, and the Raiders had their first win of the year against the Dragons 30-17 in a game only the respective fans gave a damn about.

The round concludes tomorrow night when the Knights host the Cowboys, the way my tipping is going, I am not even going to speculate on who will win that one.

Easter has the football schedule all over the place. Thursday night is Manly vs Tigers, then I will be at the first Home Game at ANZ for the Bulldogs vs Rabbitohs where I hope the return of some brilliant Bulldogs will break the unbeaten Rabbitohs streak at 4pm on Good Friday, there is another game in Brisbane Friday night, only one game on Easter Saturday, three games on Easter Sunday and two games on Easter Monday.

Hope you enjoy the footy.

J G S

TV TALK - "MY FAMILY" - Season Two

The second series of My Family takes all the best bits of series one and multiplies it by a hundred. With 13 episodes,  (5 episodes more than the first season) it takes the series total to 21 episodes. All of the original central characters return and consolidate their absurdities and misadventures.

Ben Harper's Dental Nurse from series one "Bridget McKay"(Daisy Donovan)

has left the surgery and a cavalcade of Dental Nurses follow as Ben becomes instantly irritated by them and dismisses them all. We begin with the disgruntled man who failed dentistry who observes Ben sarcastically hoping for the "magic to rub off - the BIG secret" to passing dentistry. Ben's own son Nick has a try as he dresses up as Ramon, a lovesick female annoys Ben with her drippy personal calls to her boyfriend, a man dressed as Hitler claiming the surgery should be open at "Nein!", a paranoid divorced woman with a hatred driven mistrust of all dentists, and a weak minded girl who passes out at the sight of blood.

Janey gets a steady boyfriend Brian, known affectionately as "Stupid Brian" (Kevin Bishop)

He only appears in 3 episodes of the entire series but he certainly makes his mark. Janey dumps him before we meet him, but he forgets and so Ben seems to bond with Brian on the phone. After a series of boyfriends to help her with her education, Janey gets back with Brian once again.

Nick goes through several one day jobs including a tour guide with his mother Susan, Sleep deprivation Guinea pig, a naked chef, paint shop attendant, and a piano tuner where he tunes every key on the family piano to middle C.

Some great one liners come out of the series including..

BEN - That paint looks like a tarts boudoir
BRIAN - It looks like Janey's bedroom

VICAR - 'Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted' Matthew 5:6
NICK - Nick 6'2"

SUSAN - Have you had any children?
AMANDA - What, besides your son?

Here's the list of episodes...

Episode 9 "All Roads Lead To Ramon"
When Ben and Susan notice Janey has a different boyfriend to tutor her in every subject at school, Ben accidentally compares her to a prostitute. Her dumped ex-boyfriend Brian gets help from Ben to try and win her back, but he is "stupid". Nick can't get a job so Susan is forced to hire then fire him as a Tour Guide and so he dresses in disguise to unsuccessfully try out for Ben's dental nurse after yet another one irritates Ben on the first day.

Episode 10 "The Unkindest Cut"
Susan mistakenly thinks she is pregnant but before they realise its a false alarm Ben and Susan wrangle with the thought of another child. Ben is talked into getting a vasectomy but he runs out and pretends he has had it.

Episode 11 "Parisian Beauty"
A french exchange student comes to stay and the two boys do their best to win her affections. Ben mistakenly thinks she has a crush on him which leads to calamity and embarrassment. When Janey discovers it is actually Brian who has taken the french girls interest a girl fight erupts.

Episode 12 "Trust Never Sleeps"
In an attempt of trust Susan and Ben leave the house so the kids can hold a party. They soon turn back for fear of what could happen and hide out in their bedroom. Hilarious calamities ensue with Ben being caught out naked hanging from the bathroom window.

Episode 13 "Death and Ben take a Holiday"
Ben goes to Leeds to attend a funeral and Nick accompanies him. They are forced to share a room and Nick invites the chambermaid over and she mistakes him for Ben in the dark. Susan arrives and catches them all together.

Episode 14 "Driving Miss Crazy"
Ben helps Janey get her drivers licence whilst feuding with the neighbour Mr Casey over his dog. When Ben runs over the dog he agrees to every demand Mr Casey declares.

Episode 15 "I Second That Emulsion"
Brian comes over to help Susan redecorate but when Janey wants him to sleep over Susan and Ben have issues with it.

Episode 16 "The Age of Romance"
Nick gets a new girlfriend who is closer to his parents age than his. Susan has an issue with the age difference and becomes even more concerned when she discovers Amanda is actually married.

Episode 17 "Get Cartier"
Ben gets a new patient who is in the underworld and after insulting them by refusing stolen gifts they get spooked by a series of incidents.

Episode 18 "Tis a Pity She's A Whore"
When Susan's mother reports that she is dying again, Janey goes to visit and discovers her Great Grandmother was a prostitute who ran her own brothel.

Episode 19 "The Last Supper"
Susan's new American boss comes to visit and stay and they have a huge argument which upsets him to the point of having to retire to bed early. When Ben goes to wake him the next day he finds him dead on Susan's side of the bed.

Episode 20 "Ben Wants to be a Millionaire"
Ben and Susan play the stock market after a dinner with a former college friend of Ben's which ends in disaster. Nick tries new jobs out as a sperm donor and tries selling his organs on EBay.

Episode 21 "Breakable"
Nick has saved up money and buys a motorbike. After entering in a stunt performance group he ends up in hospital with multiple injuries. He is still his cheery, happy and horny self as he flirts with the nurse and gets her to help him find the spliff hidden in his teddy bear.

Have a sample of season two here with my favourite episode of the series ...

Episode 4 "Trust Never Sleeps"
http://www.free-tv-video-online.me/player/gorillavid.php?id=507npt956jgf

GARDEN PALACE FRIDAY UPDATE

If the original Garden Palace was still standing today this is how it would fit in with the current landscape over 100 years later. It barely fits in at all.

So with this image in mind you can get a bit of a sense of what a newly rebuilt Garden Palace might look like.

Remember this is the fictional venue for the new version of my first novel which has the new working title "Garden Palace".

I mentioned last week that there has been several changes to the story and the characters and yet most of the original characters and plot are relatively unchanged.

The original version of the story centred around a group of Tour Guides and Ushers that worked in a large prominent performing arts centre in Sydney. In "Garden Palace" the very same characters work in this fictionally rebuilt cultural centre called The Garden Palace.

The new Garden Palace is a smaller complex with three large venues inside it. There's an outdoor Amphitheatre that connects to the alfresco Garden Parlour restaurant for fine dining and outdoor dinner theatre. A three story, art deco movie theatre which is devoted to screening live recordings of opera, musicals, and ballet from all around the globe. Plus the showpiece of the Garden Palace being the Palace Theatre, a 3000 seat multi-levelled grand theatre with motorised orchestra pit and massive fly tower.

The history of the new Garden Palace is purely performance based and so many people worked in the building as ushers, but it isn't until 2010 when its historical interest intensifies and a Garden Palace Tour is created. A massive overhaul of the operations of the Garden Palace sees all the ushers let go and a new role is created to help service the patrons of the new Garden Palace. These people assume the title of Garden Palace Ambassadors and their role is interchanging between running the theatres to conducting this new Tour product.

It is during the training of the new Ambassadors that we meet our hero Max Paterson again and his soon to be friends Lana Barnes, Abigail Mansfield, Nanako Miyohari and Annabella Finestra. Young Wilkie has resurrected as young Bertie, and Goran has become Dimitri.

A new back history has been created for a couple of the characters including the new Goran who has a new working history with Terrence Knight, and a new manager has joined us, the light and airy Quarraalia who has more trouble deciding which chocolate bar to choose from the vending machine than who to pass through the training program.

The strange and nutty Frieda Hyman is still there and of course Wendy Mahoney continues to perplex them all and Con is still running the staff cafeteria.

There's still a long way to go before we can even hint at a return to Amazon but it will most definitely be later in 2013.

Hope you enjoyed our second Garden Palace update.

Have a great weekend!

J G S

JG's WAR ON EVERYTHING - #2 PEDESTRIANS

Whilst it's hard enough dodging illegal Cyclists on the footpath let's not forget those idiotic pedestrians with no regard or recognition of other people existing in the world.

Walking and Texting - Are you serious?
These arrogant and self indulgent people, expect others to just get out of their way.
You or your recipient are really not that interesting to make it necessary to risk walking into someone.
I admit i am guilty of this sometimes, but how dumb is it? Really.


Wonky walkers - Walk straight!
What is the difficulty in walking straight? So many people walk on an angle without any reason.
Keep left and everyone gets a go. I exclude people like my mum with medical reasons for this.
But the rest of you get an equilibrium and balance up.


Mothers with Prams 
Pushing that stroller or pram at people to make them get out of your way is self absorbed ignorance.
If you push your pram at me I will kick the baby


Wanderers
Those who walk right in front of you and stop with that 'where the hell am i?' factor are quite irritating.
If you really don't know where you are going, stay where you bloody are.


Sharing the path - who doesn't share it?
Groups in a line 3-4 abreast
Couples holding hands yet two metres apart
Two mums side by side with prams
Skateboard riding pests
Friends standing in the middle of a busy path having a chat
Parents with kids on a dog chain

Summary
Pedestrians really need to slow down and walk at a safe pace.
Don't assume no one is around that corner
If your gait is wobbly or hard to sustain, chances are you are walking like a freak.
Slow down.
We are not ants who walk so fast they bump into each other.
Or are we?

Be considerate Sydney folk!

J G S

WEDNESDAY HISTORY LESSON - VATICAN CITY

I originally intended for the History Blogs to contain local content only, but with recent events I thought it might be nice to examine the history of the Vatican City and how it became established in Rome.

The Vatican city is the smallest internationally recognised independent state in the world by both land mass and population. The area is approximately 110 hectares in size and the population is around 800 people. It is essentially a walled city within Rome and is a land locked sovereign city-state.

An important fact to remember about the Vatican City is that it is distinct from the "Holy See".
The Holy See is basically the central government of the Roman Catholic Church which is headed by the Pope and it has been in existence since the early Christian Times.

The Vatican City itself was only established in the 20th Century in 1929.

It was established with the signing of the Lateran Treaty which described the Vatican City as a new creation and not a vestige of the larger Papal States that had encompassed much of Italy. It was signed by Pietro Gasparri, Cardinal Secretary of State on behalf of Pope Pius XI and Benito Mussolini, Prime Minister on behalf of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy.

The Vatican City is dominated by St Peters Square but other features include the Apostolic Palace, otherwise known as The Pope's Bachelor Pad :-)

The Vatican City has its own governing system, with the Pope as head of state, and there are legislative and judicial functions administered by clergy and other officials but the Pope may at anytime overrule anything.

The Vatican has its own economy and experiences surpluses and deficits, and it has its own bank and currency as well, including its very own ATM in Latin. Its currency is on par with the Italian Lira and it has also adopted the Euro.

It even has its own Railway station, hardly used by the Pope for travel however it is mostly used for freight. There is no airport of course but there does exist a helipad.

It has its own postal service, pharmacy, and a modern telephone system.

In World War II, whilst Germany occupied Rome, they did not occupy the Vatican City which considered itself as a neutral territory.

There is tonne of information online about the Vatican City and the Holy See and soon we should be seeing the Vatican represented at the Olympic games in Rio in Greco Roman Wrestling. This is of course entirely untrue. :-)

The Vatican City remains an intriguing and historical part of the world regardless of your beliefs as this panoramic view illustrates.

J G S

SYDNEY INSIGHTS - FORT DENISON

FORT DENISON sits in the middle of Sydney Harbour on an island known today as PINCHGUT

The island was flattened and quarried for sandstone that was used to construct Circular Quay.

A gibbet was placed on the island in 1796 and murderer Francis Morgan is believed to be the first convict hanged out there.

When the threat of foreign attack became a real concern the island was fortified with construction  beginning in 1841. The construction had stalled not long after and only resumed again in 1855. The resumption was the result of fear of a Russian attack during the Crimean War.

Construction of the Fort was completed in 1857 and named after the then Governor of NSW Sir William Thomas Denison.

The Martello tower, famously used by the British Empire throughout the 19th Century, is the distinct feature of Fort Denison. This is the only Martello tower in Australia and the last to ever be built in the British Empire.

Three Cannons were installed in the Fort before it was complete but unfortunately they were obsolete as the time it took to load would mean the target would sail past beforehand, and the small room would not withstand the blast. In simple terms, it was useless as a Fort, although it could accommodate 24 soldiers and one officer.

In 1913 a lighthouse beacon was built and was later restored in 2004 and is still in use.

During WWII when three Japanese subs entered Sydney Harbour the USS Chicago fired on the subs and some of their shells hit Fort Denison, the damage is still visible today.

Fort Denison is now a Tourist attraction and Museum and also a Wedding and Events facility.

Ferry's to the island depart Circular Quay every 45 minutes Monday to Sunday and the fare also includes the landing fee.

Guided Tours including access to the Martello tower is an extra charge.

From 1906 a single cannon shot would fire at 1pm to enable the sailors to set their ship's chronometers correctly. This was stopped in WWII and recommenced in 1986.
It still occurs to this day but it is no longer a daily occurrence.

I have never set foot on this island and I think after nearly 40 years living here it's time I did.

What about you?

J G S

TOPICAL SOAPBOX MONDAY

THE EMPIRE'S STRIKE BACK 

It's pretty difficult getting a balanced account of the current proposed changes to the Media Laws at the moment.

It's been a cavalcade of unflattering pictures of the PM and Government minsters, and vox pops of the Liberal MP's using it as another tool to batter the government with the full force of the media behind them.

What this has done is amplified the hold the media has on the public and how it is using this power to influence public opinion. It's not new but it certainly is stronger.

It is quite easy to point the finger and say the government is just trying to silence the media because it doesn't like criticism, but maybe they just want a fair go.

You only have to look back on how negative and scathing the Media has been on the Government as the reforms and taxes probably have seen them having to pay more tax than they want to and the Liberal Government has been all too happy to ride on their tail coat.

But isn't the Government standing up for what is the true Australian way - a Fair go.

Let's move away from the current self-absorbed, 'what's-in-it-for-me' self-interest trend the Liberal Government and Media power brokers are encouraging and let's get back to a FAIR AUSTRALIA


CATHOLIC CHURCH

We have a new Pope. He is a human, a man, just like all that have followed.
He is a Pope for the people - unless you are a woman or a homosexual.


BADEN-CLAY

How often in history have we witnessed or followed murder cases that are not only gruesome but question our sense of safety and security. Many live in marriages or other relationships that may have their ups and downs but rarely do we consider our partners may be plotting to kill us. We have a basic trust that we expect confrontation at the very worst if times turn sour. But usually we expect to have an indication if our lives are under threat.

Gerard Baden-Clay is involved in a hearing that will determine if he will stand trial for the murder of his wife.

Already we are hearing testimony about the man having several mistresses and a struggling business, and evidence beginning to link him to her murder. It's a sad story and possibly not to far away from a plot on a mystery film or television show, but its not a story that is too hard to believe.


SHOCKING and NO SURPRISE


SHOCKING

DAWN FRENCH and MEL B join new version of AUSTRALIA'S GOT TALENT
(I'm shocked this is not a comedy series)

VAMPIRE KILLER PAID FOR AN ALIBI
(I'm shocked this is not the latest FOX drama series)

MY KITCHEN RULES FAN LOST INTEREST IN SHOW
(I'm shocked this is a TV show)


NO SURPRISE

FLOGGED AGAIN - AUSSIE CRICKETERS GO DOWN EASY
(Been good at this since Warnie)

EARTH HOUR MAY INCREASE EMISSIONS
(What else do you do in the dark?)

POPE GETS ROCK STAR WELCOME
(Yeah, like Michael Jackson)


Q&A TWITTER

The highlight of watching Q&A and tweeting on the points raised is reading the humorous tweets by Godwin Grech. Whilst many dislike his views and comments he still stands as the only man on Twitter that makes me laugh out loud.

Here are some of his tweets from tonight:

"Please note: Low hanging fruit is not a reference to Christopher Pyne"

"Pope Francis only has one lung. He cannot speak that loudly, but at least the choir boys can outrun him"

"Pope Francis was actually 33rd choice of the Vatican cardinal - the first 32 couldn't pass the working with children check"

"The Christians are against the gays because it's unnatural. Unlike walking on water which is very normal"

"Pope Benedict quit and you can't blame him, I'd have left my job too if my boss never showed up"

To Follow Godwin Grech on Twitter head to:

https://twitter.com/godwingrech

That's my soapbox for this week.

J G S

NRL 2013 REVIEW - ROUND TWO

Manly were the big winners this weekend totally blitzing the big winners of round one Newcastle this evening 32- Nil. The Knights lost by the same margin they won by last week, instantly killing any for and against advantage they gained.

The win still wasn't enough for Manly to take top spot as the Storm had another convincing win this weekend against the Cowboys 32-10, their second win by twenty points or more.

Out of the other teams with only one win on the board so far, the Titans have the highest spot after their demolition of the Raiders 36-nil, another team in crisis this season.

In other games, Tigers held off the Panthers 28-18 in what can only be described as a rubbish display of football. Roosters edged out a late finishing Warriors outfit 16-14 and the Broncos were pretty solid against a fairly flat Dragons side 22-6.

The round kicked off on Thursday night at ANZ Stadium with the local derby being the Eels vs Bulldogs.

I went out to this game, my first for the year and there was a pretty strong crowd of 25,000 and from my seat it definitely was bogan central, topped only by the Panthers/Tigers crowd today.

The Eels had the better form going into the game but the pairing of Hayne/Sandow was well contained by the Bulldogs defence. In what was a scoreless second half it was still an exciting affair which was only detracted by both teams clearly suffering from the pace it was played.

Another disappointment was the penalty count which people interpret differently but there were some one sided penalties taking place when both sides were guilty of the same offence. I have not checked the stats post-match but I am pretty certain the Eels did not concede a penalty in the second half.

In both of their games this season, the Bulldogs have failed to score a point in the second half. They were trounced in Round one in the second half by the Cowboys but they managed to hang on against the Eels.

Next Thursday sees the Bulldogs playing the Storm in Melbourne in what will be a Grand Final re-match but on paper and on form one can only expect another massacre by Melbourne who should win by 20 points or more. But football is a funny game.

A big game ends Round two tomorrow when the Bunnies take on the Cronulla Question Marks. Both won their first match so one team will join the Storm and Sea Eagles at the top of the table.

I have to say I have been pretty disappointed with the football I have watched on TV so far. The quality of the action to me seems down on that which we were seeing at the beginning of last season. It is a scrappier and dull style of play overall and very few games have been close encounters. To me it feels like most teams are still in trial mode and we might start to see some plays being more successful as April rolls around. Right now I see experimental plays and most are not hitting their mark and the error count is embarrassing.

Also a final comment about Thursday night Football - perhaps you enjoy another night of footy on the TV but let me explain its impact to a spectator who supports a club financially as a member and physically ventures out amongst the scary people who follow football, in particular my team, to view and cheer them on in support.

Thursday is a work night for me and I'm sure the majority of the supporters, and the game is scheduled to start at 805pm. Last year the Friday night Games started at 745pm at the latest and the Monday night games, another work night, start at 7pm.  The game last Thursday kicked off at 815pm and finished after 10pm. A crowd of 25000 had to then get home and I was going by Train back to Redfern and I didn't get home until 1130pm.

If its a weekend you don't care but when you have another day of work to get through, and its the end of the week so you're not at your freshest, it really is a terrible time to go to watch football. I think if they insist on Thursday night games, they should not be included in membership prices and you should be able to opt out of it.

But its not about the money, we want to go to the game and watch the football, we don't want to have to watch all the games at home and be subjected to Tom Waterhouse's head every 5 minutes.

Go To http://www.bulldogs.com.au and Vote NO to Thursday Night Games.

The blockbuster Grand Final re-match deserves a better time slot than Thursday Night.

That's my Round two wrap-up

J G S

TV TALK - MY FAMILY - Season One

Welcome to TV TALK #1 and for the next few months I will be discussing my favourite TV sitcom from the UK "My Family" starring Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker.

We begin with Season One and like all TV Sitcom's the first season quickly introduces the central characters and allows the audience to know how each of them fit into the scene and what their varying roles will be. In this series, we discover who the family members are, their status within the family unit and how they interact with each other, and what adventures we are likely to expect from them.

Ben Harper (Robert Lindsay)

 is the father in this family and he is caring and loving only its so deep down and hidden by his self-absorbed mind that it is portrayed as acute disinterest and obvious avoidance of their whole lives. On top of that he is a dentist with the worst possible patient tolerance and he is constantly annoyed with Bridget his hippy psychic Dental nurse. We soon learn that everything in Ben's life becomes a source of complete irritation.

Susan Harper (Zoe Wanamaker)

is the mother of the family and we are very clear on two aspects of Susan's personality. She is a complete an utter control freak and she is disastrous cook, experimenting with unpalatable mixes of ingredients and never follows a cook book because she knows better. The family usually go hungry or avoid dinner time altogether. Susan is also a Tour guide taking visitors of London around the various sites and landmarks which does sometimes amount to some awkward adventures for her.

Nick Harper (Kris Marshall)

is the eldest child and whilst he is more than old enough to leave home he is totally dependant on his parents and has no intention of growing up and getting out. He does however have a plethora of idea's to get rich quick and he does manage to spend at least one day in most of the jobs he manages to somehow obtain. He has great affection for his father which constantly puts Ben on edge as he tries to avoid Nick's ever-adoring gestures of love. Most of these gestures however are a deliberate way to obtain money from Ben in exchange for stopping his displays of affection.

Janey Harper (Daniela Denby-Ashe)

is the only daughter and the mere mention of money sparks her attention from miles away. She is still a teenager and quite the rebel, and everything her parents do is humiliating and embarrassing for her. She has a string of boyfriends and both Susan and Ben are not prepared to discover just how experienced in that department she really is. Janey knows how to manipulate them both and constantly extorts cash more successfully than Nick.

Michael Harper (Gabriel Thomson)

is the youngest and turns to books and study to escape them all. His intelligence surpasses them all put together and his sly ever-conspiring brain plans out several scenarios to out wit them all which strangely never seems too difficult. But Michael's geeky appearance does come with his own problems and sometimes being the youngest has it's advantages when dealing with bullies as much as when needing guinea pigs for his experiments.

The First Series consisted of Eight Episodes for our hapless Harpers living at 78 Lancaster Road Chiswick, London in the year 2000.

1. Serpent's Tooth
whilst Ben is a dentist he neglects his children's teeth so Janey goes to another dentist. Ben gets annoyed when he finds out and even more angry when after kissing Susan he notices she has also had work done. Their fighting makes Michael worry they might divorce and he buys a rabbit to rebel. Whilst stroking it at the table Ben compares Michael to a Bond Villain. Nick poses as a girl on the internet to meet a french model lesbian who slaps him when they meet.

2. A Pain in the Class
Michael is being bullied at school so Susan invites the bully's parents over to talk. Their attitude is to ignore it and not worry about their son's behaviour. Ben is annoyed by the father's insults and hits them both with a rolled up newspaper chasing them away. Michael's spirits plummet but Janey saves the day by beating up the bully.

3. Droigt de Siegneur Ben
Ben's dental nurse Bridget sets Janey up on a date with Lord Whitten's son. Whilst he ends up being very handsome he tries to bed Janey against her will. When Lord Whitten's son comes to Ben's dental surgery after he learns about this, Ben decides to torture the man with his dental tools. Sadly Ben discovers this is not the same son, he is the gay son of Lord Whitten.

4. The Last Resort
Ben and Susan go back to an old B&B to rekindle their romantic side and compare themselves to the other couples there. Ben mistakenly agrees to partying with an old couple who enjoy 'swinging'. They eventually find the true source of their own happiness.

5. Farewell to Alarms
When the crime rate bothers Susan she gets a top range state of the art laser beam alarm for the home. It keeps malfunctioning which drives Ben crazy. He gets trapped down stairs and attempts to get back up to the bedroom without setting the alarm off by channeling the spy craft of Mission Impossible. His acrobatic moves and clamouring over bookcases and banisters results in one of the funny physical comedy scenes in the series.

6. Death and Ben Take A Policy
Ben agrees to buy life insurance off Nick's latest love interest in the belief it could lead to Nick moving out. Her presentation poses the possibility of Ben dying unexpectedly as more Dentists die young than any other profession and it frightens them all.

7. The Awkward Phase
Susan describes Nick's latest antics as being an Awkward Phase but Ben disagrees that twenty years is not a phase, it's him. Michael is interested in learning about girls and Nick gives him his own take on what to do the first time with a girl. Ben is forced to explain the birds and bees to Michael which is harder for him to say than for Michael to hear.

8. Much Ado about Ben
Ben ends up in hospital after taking Viagra and Susan forces him to go on a diet. He reads a book by a guru that had a life and death experience and it changes his outlook. The family become quite concerned when Ben appears so happy that he is singing. The family wear him down pretty quickly and he flees to the pub. After suffering a major hangover, Ben agrees to join the Yoga class Susan is hosting at home and it pushes Ben back to his usual self.

In many episodes the resolution often ends with Ben and Susan recalibrating and finding the essence of their happiness which is when they head to the bedroom and get down to the basics. This is how the first series concludes as well.

So many classic features regarding Susan's cooking come out of this season that would become running gags for the whole series such as Ben's Favourite Food being Chinese Take Away, Susan defending her exotic meals "There are many countries in the world where crispy crunchy pea's are a delicacy", and Ben asking Michael to taste the dish first as he will react quicker being the smallest.

Nick's hapless job hunting really becomes a feature with him failing to possess relevant experience but has highly tuned Jedi Powers, and fails the job interviews in one line.

Interviewer "You said your birthday is June 15th, what year?"
Nick - "Every year"

The first season really contains some classic moments when you look back and it really sets the basis for what became a truly enjoyable and hilarious sitcom that ended up spanning 11 years and over 100 episodes.

Sample for yourself and enjoy.

Episode 1 - The Serpents Tooth

PART ONE http://youtu.be/fh1slWA5ai0

PART TWO http://youtu.be/uEPDvG8SYgU

J G S