Semi-Pro, 2008 - ★★★
It’s fun, but it’s not the best basketball movie.
The Jurassic Park Lego exhibition put on by Brickman is epic.
8 days of basketball, 15 games, 8 podcasts, 2 silly videos, many conversations with basketball people, countless Twitter updates. The NBL Blitz in Darwin has finished, and I had a blast engaging with it as an accredited member of the media. I live a fortunate life. 🏀
Making this parody video was hilarious.
I would consider this grammar a bug in iOS 16. Anybody else agree?
While at the NBL Blitz, Nick and I made a parody video of this South East Melbourne Phoenix inside look video. We had fun with it. 📹
Just a metre away from a crocodile. No big deal. 😬🐊
Today at the NBL Blitz I’m cross-promoting @hemisphericviews 🏀 🎙️
Suburban Darwin needs to lift its coffee game.
That Thing You Do!, 1996 - ★★
I’m watching this movie 30 years from when it was made, which is the same amount of time between when it was made and the time it was portraying.
NBL Blitz Day 1
I am in Darwin this week as the National Basketball League is holding its pre-season Blitz tournament. All 10 teams competing to win the Loggins-Bruton Cup. I am attending all the games as accredited media, representing the NBL Pocket Podcast.
These are my brief notes from Day 1.
A venue where the first NBL volunteer I meet is a friendly Darwin lawyer by day, basketball fan by night.
Plenty of NBL staff scurrying around 90 minutes before tip-off, getting score benches ready.
One of the cup namesakes, Cal Bruton, strolls into the stadium. Later in the night, I would speak to said man. This man who dazzled me I was 9 years old and he played for the Perth Wildcats.
Unlike the pre-season of two years ago in Tasmania, where beanies and hoodies were the go, here in Darwin is shorts all the way.
Players warm up on court, Craig Randall II draining many threes from NBA range, but shooting with less accuracy from NBL 3-point range. Having played G-League and with a dream of making the NBA, this shouldn’t be a surprise. That’s the range he’s been practising for years.
The crowd filled in and were genuinely excited to be here. They were getting into the cheers, and were 100% behind Kai Sotto. This support for Sotto remained evident after the game, when a scrum formed around him to take photos and be in his presence.
The broadcast had scoreboard issues. I became a defacto score updater for viewers via Twitter. At half-time I shared a printout of the half-time box score that I obtained from the score bench.
Our clothes dryer died today. Repair guy isn’t available to the end of the month. Of course, now it’s raining.
Hotham Valley Steam Train. 🚂
Professional Realism - I'm Not Who I Was
Tonight I have been noodling around on LinkedIn. It’s the curse of working in our current world, that I must maintain a LinkedIn account. The whole site feels incredibly superficial — a ‘social network’ devoid of true humanity, but full of humblebrag posts and small talk comments in something which amounts to little more than a business-suited circle jerk.
Yet there I must be. Truth be told, for the last few years I’ve mostly used it as an avenue for promoting Hemispheric Views because if there is a podcast that deserves more listeners, it is that.1
So as I was on LinkedIn tonight, removing connections to ancient Groups that I’d not interacted with for years, updating my profile with current URLs, etc. I took a look at my profile picture used on the site.
The photo was nice. It was taken by a professional photographer at a time when I was more intensely involved in “corporate” work. I was wearing a nice tailored suit. I was 20 kilograms lighter than I am now - and 10 years younger. It was the kind of photo that you keep on a site like LinkedIn in some odd attempt to demonstrate a youthful verve that never fades.
Looking at that photo tonight I realised that it was no longer me. That it was a photo of a different Andrew. It was an Andrew who was still trying to climb a ladder, impress those above him, and show capability.
I’m not that Andrew anymore. I’m at a point in my life where I’m interested in doing work that interests me. I don’t want to climb a ladder. I don’t feel a need to try to exude competence.
I am competent. More importantly though, now I’m confident. I know who I am. I’m relaxed and more aware of the need to build human connection ahead of corporate achievement. To that end, I knew that the Andrew in that LinkedIn photo was not the truth. It was the truth, but not anymore.
So I changed my photo. Now I’ve got a mug shot that shows me with a slight smile, my hair longer, stubble on my face, and a few more wrinkles and signs of ageing. This is who I am now. It’s the photo I’m already using on my personal sites, because it’s how I identify with myself.
As for LinkedIn, if you want to do business with me that is fantastic and I’m excited to explore opportunities. If you don’t, that’s fine. I’m walking my own path now.
-
Please, tell your friends. Let’s boost those listener numbers! ↩︎
This is the first day of my life in which Queen Elizabeth is not with us. As an Australian I’m a firm believer that our country should become a Republic in its own right; but that is not to dismiss the magnificent servant of the Monarchy that Elizabeth II was. Rest in Peace.
Is this the last night that Australia has Elizabeth II as its Monarch? She’s had an amazing run.
Things got a bit crazy for E066 of Hemispheric Views. We struggled to keep to the script, and it was mainly my fault. @HemisphericViews @Burk @martinfeld
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, 2005 - ★★½
Watched on Wednesday September 7, 2022.
Once again I’ve decommissioned the Logitech MX Master 3 mouse and Logi Options+ in favour of the Razer mouse supported by razer-macos drivers and button management by Steermouse.
Like You – A Mindfulness Podcast for Kids
If you have kids, you and they might enjoy the wonderful Like You – A Mindfulness Podcast for Kids. I’ve been a Patreon supporter for almost as long as Noah Glenn has been producing it. My kids fall asleep listening to Noah almost every night.
Like You is a mindfulness podcast for kids. We use breathing, affirmations, music, and imagination to explore feelings, relieve anxiety, encourage self-esteem, and grow empathy, all while having fun!
Noah is basically another member of our family at this point.