Childhood Television Highlights (Entertainment Wednesday)

Before I begin, I just want to say how excited I am to announce that this is the 300th post on this blog! It is amazing how far we have all come since March 2013 and we can only hope for future to be just as wonderful. There have been some short or missing posts from time to time but we managed to get there in the end. I say we because without you, my readers, this blog would have stopped a long time ago. It is amazing to be able to log on to Blogger tonight to find my view count surpassing 11,500 views. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I would even make it past 10,000 in just my first year. For your support I thank you, it means more to me than you could imagine.

Today we continue on with another Entertainment Wednesday where anything Entertainment is open for discussion. Today I am going to write about those television shows we always watched as a child because they were just so good. They either made us laugh, cry, not want to go to the toilet or make us think. They are the television shows you think of when reminiscing about your childhood. Of course these are mine so feel free to comment down below some of yours!

The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius

Source: http://www.brandigg.de/brand/THE-ADVENTURES-OF-JIMMY-NEUTRON-BOY-GENIUS

Jimmy Neutron was the perfect mix of comedy and story line. It was not one of those shows that sacrificed a good story for the sake of a laugh. It also had the potential to teach us something from time to time with some of Jimmy's School "Projects". Whether it was laughing at Carl, Jimmy's best friend, and Jimmy's Dad's antics or wincing at another of Jimmy's inventions gone wrong; there was always something to remember. I was excited to find that Jimmy Neutron Seasons 1 and 2 and just been released and so I bought season one after school today. There are just so many memories.

Jeopardy

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeopardy_(TV_series)

As you can tell, I am not talking about the popular television game show. I am talking about the television series that aired back in 2002 to 2004. It was a great television show full of suspense and drama. It was also a little spooky which made it really interesting. It was basically about these students from Scotland who go to the Australian Bush in search of UFOs with their teacher. The show seems even more real as the students are given hand-held cameras to record their actions and so a lot of it is jerky footage which makes it even better. The first series even won a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for its first season.

Parallax

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_(TV_series)

Parallax was another of those great Australian television shows that left you wanting more at the end of each episode. It followed the story of a boy named Ben who finds a portal to other universes. Through this portal he discovers many secrets about his mother as well as a sister he never knew existed. He also gets caught up in a lot of issues that make the show great. Just when you think the show is going to get boring, something else happens. It was definitely a show I would hate to miss.

Feel free to share your favourite childhood shows below. For the 300th time; See you tomorrow!

Best Australian Christmas Carols

Over the past few non-scheduled posts I have written Australian versions of pre-existing well-known carols and poems. Well, today I have decided to go on a quest to find some good Australian Christmas Carols. See down below for all the carols I have chosen that truly represent an Australian Christmas or at least have some relation to Christmas Down Under. Before I continue with the carols I also want to point out that Saturday's scheduled post went missing (presumably accidentally deleted) and as I missed out on Doctor Who Sunday yesterday (though I still did post something) and to celebrate the Eleventh Doctor's final episode (commiserate may be a better word) in The Time of the Doctor and  Capaldi's new reign as the next Doctor (however he fits in the timeline of events is a mystery as of yet) I will be posting two Doctor Who Sunday posts. One on Wednesday (Christmas Day) and another on Thursday (Boxing Day). You will still be able to catch up next Sunday with another Doctor Who Sunday but this is just to make up for missing one and recognize such a momentous occasion as the death of one Doctor and the emergence of another. Anyway, on with the Carols!

6 White Boomers sung by Rolf Harris (in this version)

Personally, I prefer the Russel Coight version of this song (same words, just different singer) but Rolf Harris does do this song some justice. It does not get much more Australian than the 6 White Boomers. Here are the lyrics:

in australia, christmas comes in the middle of a very hot summer
so when santa claus delivers his presents
he's not taken around by reindeer because

they can't stand the terrible heat

he's taken around by six big, white, old man kangaroos
called the six white boomers

early on one christmas day
a joey kangaroo
was far from home and lost
in a great, big zoo

mommy....where's my mommy?
they've taken her away

we'll help you find your mommy, son
hop up on the sleigh

so up inside the bag of toys
little joey hopped
but they hadn't gone far when santa stopped
unharnessed all the reindeer
and joey wondered why
then he heard a far off booming in the sky

(boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom)

[chorus]
six white boomers
snow white boomers
racing santa claus through the blazing sun
six white boomers
snow white boomers
on his australian run

pretty soon old santa began to feel the heat
took his fur-lined boots off to cool his feet
into one popped joey
feelin' quite okay
while those old man kangaroos kept pullin' on the sleigh
hey!

[chorus]

then joey said to santa, "santa, what about the toys?
aren't you giving some to these girls and boys?"

"well, they've all had their presents, sonny
we were here last night
this trip is an extra trip
joey's special flight

[chorus]

soon the sleigh was flashing past
right over marble bah
"slow down there!" cried santa
"it can't be far
hop up on my lap here, son
and have a look around"
"there, there she is!
that's mommy! bounding up and down!"

[chorus]

well, that's the bestest christmas treat
that joey ever had
curled up in mother's pouch feeling snug and glad
the last they saw was santa heading northwards from the sun
the only year the boomers worked a double run

[chorus]

Aussie Jingle Bells by Bucko and Champs

This is a carol I actually did not know existed until I went through YouTube to get the last song. It is a very Australian version of the classic song Jingle Bells though and this music video is very entertaining. As you will see at the end of the video, they have a few other humorous and just as entertaining ones as well but I will not list them all here. Here are the very Australian lyrics:

Dashing through the bush

In a rusty Holden Ute

Kicking up the dust

Esky in the boot

Kelpie by my side

Singing Christmas songs

It's Summer time and I am in

My singlet, shorts and thongs

Oh! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Jingle all the way

Christmas in Australia

On a scorching summer's day

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Christmas time is beaut

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a rusty Holden Ute.

Engine's getting hot

We dodge the kangaroos

The swaggie climbs aboard

He is welcome too

All the family's there

Sitting by the pool

Christmas day, the Aussie way

By the barbecue!

Oh! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Jingle all the way

Christmas in Australia

On a scorching summer's day

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Christmas time is beaut

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a rusty Holden Ute.

Come the afternoon

Grandpa has a doze

The kids and uncle Bruce

Are swimming in their clothes

The time comes round to go

We take the family snap

Pack the car and all shoot through

Before the washing up

Oh! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Jingle all the way

Christmas in Australia

On a scorching summer's day

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

Christmas time is beaut

Oh what fun it is to ride

In a rusty Holden Ute.

I am going to end it here for now and say good night and wish everyone a merry Christmas as the following posts until Friday are all going to be segments (Weird News and Doctor Who) so if I do not say anything have a safe and merry Christmas as well as a happy New Year. See you tomorrow.

Australian Jingle Bells

As you all should know, Christmas is just around the corner! Usually we would all be very cheery and merry at this time but I have had enough of America's views of Christmas taking over the whole world's view. People are always going on about having a White Christmas but in Australia, any ice still left out has melted by the time Christmas comes around. As a result, I am taking some of the popular Christmas carols/poems/stories and making them more Australian. You can check out The Night Before Christmas in Australia by clicking here.

Source: http://travel.ninemsn.com.au/holidaytype/kidsfamily/654340/aussie-christmas-holiday-ideas

Australian Jingle Bells

Dashing through the heat

In a four-wheel open ute

O'er the pools we go

Sweating all the way

Bells on bob tails ring

Making spirits bright

What fun it is to laugh and sing

A sweating song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute

Jingle Bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute

A day or two ago

I thought I'd take a ride

And soon Miss Fanny Bright

Was seated by my side

The car was hot and dirty

Misfortune seemed his lot

We got into a drifted bank

And then we got upsot

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute

Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute yeah

A day or two ago,

The story I must tell,

I went out to the pool

And on my back I dove,

A gent was swimming by

In a one-piece swimming suit,

He laughed as I there painfully float,

But quickly swam away

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute

Jingle Bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute

Now the ground is parched

Go it while you're young

Take the girls tonight

And sing this driving song

Just get a bobtailed bay

Two forty is his speed

Hitch him to an open ute

And crack! You'll take the lead.

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute

Jingle Bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a four-wheel open ute

Merry Christmas everyone! Only 5 more sleeps to go. See you tomorrow!

The Night Before Christmas in Australia

I have had enough of the whole idea of a white Christmas. Forgive me America but we all do not live in a land where snow on Christmas day is normal (although in Melbourne, hail never goes amiss). So maybe, just once, could we present Christmas from a different perspective? Could we drop the snow and turn on the heat? We do not all live in America and so a little change from the quintessential Disney Christmas Movies like "Frozen" would be nice. No more, I say, no more. I believe it is time for Christmas in Australia so settle back and enjoy as we melt the snow, turn on the heat and add some random weather patterns in there to get into the Melbourne Christmas.

Source: http://www.abbeytravel.ie/abbey-travel-blogs/christmas-in-australia.aspx

The Night Before Christmas (in Australia)

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was sleeping, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the air-con with care;

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were sweating, all hot in their beds,

While visions of ice-cubes danced in their heads;

And mamma in her clogs, and I in my thongs,

Had just settled down for a sweaty sing-along,

When out by the pool there arose such a clatter,

I quickly stopped singing to see what was the matter,

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,

With a sweaty old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than Melbourne Weather his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Oi, Dasher! Oi, Dancer! Oi, Prancer and Vixen!,

On Comet! On Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As hot flames that before the bush-fires fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the air-vent St Nicholas came with a bound,

He was dressed for the beach, from his head to his foot,

But his boardies were still wet from sweat and mildew;

A bundle of fans he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a mechanic just opening his pack

His eyes -- how they twinkled! His brow so sweaty!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up something nice,

And the beard of his chin as white as the ice,

The stump of an ice cube held tight in his teeth,

And the water it pooled around his gums like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon have me to know I had nothing to dread

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a node, up the air vent he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

That was The Night Before Christmas as set in Australia. Over the coming days before Christmas where there are no scheduled posts I will do more of these to show to you that not all of us live in a "Winter Wonderland".

Only 6 more sleeps until Christmas! See you tomorrow.

Americanisation

It has come to that time of year again where people get dressed up in 'scary' costumes and go "Trick or Treating" for Halloween. It is at times like this that you realise how much Americanisation has affected countries that we live in (that is not, obviously, America). Halloween is a typically American holiday which is celebrated more over there than it really is down under. However, in previous years Halloween has gone up in popularity around Australia and everyone is getting involved. It is a sure sign of Americanisation in our modern world. Such an occurrence would normally be termed Globalisation but due to the sheer amount of American influences we see every day I think it is a safe thing for me to further categorise it. Americanisation is definitely a growing problem.

Source: http://blog.antonemdin.com/2012/02/americanisation-of-australian-politics/

We can see Americanisation in Australia in more places than just Halloween. For instance, you have the American companies who have come into Australia and already seem to be part of the fixture. These are companies like McDonalds  and KFC. Even Hungry Jacks, known in America as Burger King, is an American company along with Subway and many other things. In recent years we have also seen the introduction of giant bulk-buying stores like Costco which is yet another American company settling in Australia. However, for some companies the settlement is not so easy. Starbucks for instance. Though they are insanely popular in America they have struggled in Australia with the competition from Gloria Jeans. You do not see many Starbucks stores outside of the Melbourne CBD. Another such instance is with the American doughnut company, Krispy Kreme. Though originally very popular they since went out of style. Now there are only a few stores where there used to be many and it is only in recent years that they have started crawling back into the Australian market through chains such as 7-Eleven. Americanisation, however, is not always such a bad thing. There are many great things we have in Australia that have been influenced or is directly from America. For instance we have all the great (and not so great) movies that come out of Hollywood. We have our very own little Broadway in Collins Street as well as numerous American fashion chains and companies with stores all across the country. Americanisation, like most things, comes with its benefits and its deficits. Sometimes, we just have to weigh the good up against the bad.

Americanisation, is it such a bad thing? See you tomorrow.

No Politics Today

So today I decided I would give you all a break from the 'boring' world of politics as it is often referred to as being. Of course, as I may have demonstrated through some of the political parties Australia has to offer, this is not true for all of politics. Such an assumption would be absurd and tantamount to stereotyping. Actually, it is stereotyping. Not all Politics is boring obviously political parties like the Australian Sex Party and the Coke and Bubblers Party contradict this statement. Also, have you seen parliament? It is like a court-room drama with one side fighting against the other and constant bickering. You may have realised that today's post is only a short one and that is, of course, because Thursday nights are a bit of a busy time for me and sometimes I am able to pre-write long posts and times where I have tests and essays coming up I do not have time to do all this. You guys are actually pretty lucky I still manage to reach my daily post quota at times. So yeah, I thought I would give you all a break from Politics today (see that 'smooth' transition back on topic) and so the series will continue in two days and I am pretty sure we are already past half-way through the parties so there should really only be two or three more. Hope you guys enjoy the rest of your week, it's Friday tomorrow!

Can't wait for Friday, see you tomorrow!