I am podcastable, hear me roar!

How groovy am I? Well, I'll tell you. I've set up a new blog:

www.nataliereviews.blogspot.com

I've wanted to get an actual website for my 4BC reviews for ages, but due to cost and time I've finally thrown my hands up and just set up a blog. I've stolen a sexy template from the net (thank you mysterious html master), and I have to say, I am shit-god-damned-hot-stuff impressed with myself (although I do have the net guy here at the station tweaking a few things for me).

Plus, and double huzzah for this, 4BC are FINALLY putting my reviews on their website as podcasts! How freaking sexy is that?!?! There's only one so far, but it's a relatively fun one. You can check it out here - and I've whacked that on the new blog as well.

I've got comments enabled on the new blog, and hopefully people will comment. I'd love to get involved in hard core arguments with people!

Cheers, Natalie.

Serenity in chaos

Today I was driving the big ol' news car into the city, listening to Richard Fidler's "Conversation Hour" on ABC 612. (Don't tell my station, ok?)

His guest was a woman who's written a guide book to reading the "classics" - War & Peace, Wuthering Heights, Shane Warne's autobiography (ok, maybe not).

They mentioned briefly Jack Kerouac's "On the Road", which I must confess to never having read. Richard Fidler mentioned his favourite quote from the book, which talks about the narrator's interest in "mad" people, who live outside society's rules.

At that moment, as I drove along the one-way Ann Street, I noticed there was a man walking barefoot in the middle of the four-lane road, moving with the traffic, with his unkempt grey-haired and grey-bearded head looking down. He struck me as possibly troubled, maybe even homeless. (Although this was just a cultural tag I applied). But nobody was beeping him, or yelling at him to get out of the way. I didn't catch much of him; I had to keep moving with the traffic flow.

It was one of those moments of synchronicity which was made even more vivid when I found a park - directly out front of a "Fine Books" antique store on Charlotte Street. I made a promise to myself to go in a buy a book - any book - when I got back from Campbell Newman's media conference. Of course, I got back to the big ol' news truck and called in to the newsroom to feed them my report. I was then promptly diverted to Coopers Plains, where there'd been a gas leak. I forgot about the promise to buy a book.

I'm currently reading "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote. I started it a few nights ago, fully intending to read just a few pages before turning in for the night. But I was struck by his prose and his exceptional attention to detail - detail that he had to research, and not just spend time creating (being as it's a non-fiction novel and all). I read for almost an hour instead.

All this has made me realise I need to get back to reading, and reading widely. I enjoy reading and often can't stop when I'm engrossed. But I need to get keen on the classics again. I love "North and South" and "Pride and Prejudice" but it's time to keep exploring.

The guest on Richard Fidler's program ( I can't remember her name) had an intriguing final point - that great literature can often be TOO deep for young people; that it creates doubt and fear where there should be hope and adventure. Being reasonably young and a fair bit prone to frowns, I'll have to watch myself that I am inspired by what I read to change things, and not get too introspective.

Maybe one day I'll be able to write, and write well, and write books people will want to read, or plays people will want to perform. But in order to that I need to read more of the books that people ARE reading, and the plays people are going to see!

Once again what was intended to be a short post turned out to be an epistle. :)

Cheers, Natalie.

Gah!

I'm beginning to understand why my fictional heroes are James Bond, Xena, Scarlett O'Hara, Mr Darcy. They're all strong, stoic, mysterious - and give very little away about themselves.

I, on the other hand, am as freely open as an Irish pub on St Patrick's Day.

Must. Learn. Self. Control.

Change is in the air(waves)

Greg, Natalie, Simon & Toby (January 2005)

Tomorrow my little brother Simon (above in the pink pimp vest) flies off to England to meet up with his best mate Toby (the one wearing the pool). It's a wonderful opportunity for him to see more of the world, and I'm very excited for him. But of course, I'm a bit sad to see him go.

You see, my brother's gone away before - he studied at the merchant naval college in Tasmania and went to sea for a year. But this time it's a bit different. Simon has grown from a persnickety teenager into a fine young man who I actually enjoy spending time with. ;) I'm going to miss his company. We spent a really great day together just walking around the city one last time - I spent a whole lot of dollars to get not-that-many pounds for him, picked him up a book, that sort of thing. It's those nice things that make you glad you're related to someone.

However, as there are travel plans afoot, it shouldn't be too long before I see my little bro again. But for now I will avoid the airport, as I will no doubt be a blubbering mess!

Other news from today is that my boss has resigned. Very sudden and very spooky! He got a job offer last week and decided to take it. Full on. I thought it was sweet that first Greg, then Simon, then Dad told me I should apply for the News Director job. They all have a lot more confidence in me than I do! ;) But considering I've only been there for a year-and-a-half, am second-bottom on the ladder, and am NOT a 40+ male - chances of me getting that job are less than chances of Peter Costello not looking smug in the media this week.

But it will have a flow-on effect to me in some ways - it's just way too early at this stage to know. Let's hope it's all good!

Cheers, Natalie.