I am sorry. I am sorry for neglecting you these past few months. Truth be told, I’ve had more pressing (and interesting) things to do than updating you. That’s OK, you can hate me if you want. You see, between final-year uni, White Noise shenanigans, my new job as marketing assistant for QUT’s Creative Industries faculty, I just simply haven’t had the time. Not to mention the stupid tumblr I have to keep updating every week for my new media class (for anyone super-keen, you can check it out here).

Way back in the dark ages of 2008 when I first started you (despite numerous reincarnations, the name still stands- thanks Modest Mouse), I was full of hopes and dreams, and well- the belief that anyone would actually want to read what I have to say. Not that nobody does – thanks, 3 readers, you’ve been great – but you know what I mean. When I resurrected you last year amongst new-found career aspirations, I hoped I could make you into a little star of the local blogosphere- nothing amazing, but still something that was focused, and worth reading. While the latter may be questionable, I honestly did feel you helped me through my second-year uni blues.

Now blog, never fear- this is not the end. I just realise now that there are more important things than keeping you up-to-date. When I find something I actually want to write about- well, I’ll come crawling back. But until then, I don’t see much point in writing just for the sake of it. Until then, I feel I have ditched you for the ADHD-version of blogging: twitter. Since that has become all-consuming, I’ve found less and less reason to write here.

Anyway, dearest bloggy, I do hope you forgive me. Until next time!

Sincerely yours,

Will.

Traditionally I’ve done a bit of a spiel on my predictions for triple j’s Hottest 100 Countdown. I even had one ready to go for this year, to be held on Tuesday. And then some poor ABC Shop online employee went and leaked the winner of the annual music countdown. If you’ve somehow managed to miss the kerfuffle that ensued and don’t want to be spoiled, DO NOT READ ON! In fact, what are you even doing on the internet? Go back under that rock you’ve been hiding under, and don’t come out until Tuesday.

THE WINNER IS MUMFORD AND SONS.

And somebody really has fucked it up this time.

There, I’ve said it. It’s out of the way. If you don’t believe me, have a look at the picture above, or check out Crikey’s article. They’re the bastards that leaked it (if you were wondering, I’m still a little PO’d that it’s been spoilt).

It’s at this point in time where I could easily boast that my predictions were correct. I always thought Mumford and Sons would take the top gong. The thing is, you would never actually know if that’s the case. But really, does anyone care? It’s Friday afternoon, and I need something to get me through the last hour of work.

Marcus Mumford aside, I suppose I can still divulge my predictions for the remainder of the top 10. Here’s what I think will get in between 2-11, in no particular order:

Art vs. Science- Parlez Vous Francais?
Bluejuice- Broken Leg
Dizzee Rascal – Bonkers (unfortunately)
Hilltop Hoods – Chase that Feeling
Lily Allen – Not Fair
Muse- Uprising (my bet for number 2)
Phoenix- 1901
Phoenix- Lisztomania (despite the inevitable split of votes between these two, I think Phoenix are popular enough to crack two entries to the top 11)
Temper Trap – Fader
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Heads Will Roll

I also think La Roux will make it up there, but the possible split between her big songs could let her down. Other big scorers will likely include Bloody Beetroots, Bag Raiders, Passion Pit, and a lot of disappointed bogans at the fact that Sweet Disposition can’t qualify.

If any of the 3 readers of this blog cares about my musical tastes, here’s what I voted for:

Animal Collective- My Girls
Art vs Science – Parlez Vous Francais
Bertie Blackman- Heart
Florence and the Machine – Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)
Hungry Kids of Hungary – Scattered Diamonds
Kasabian – Fire
Mumford & Sons – Little Lion Man
Passion Pit – Little Secrets
Phoenix – Lisztomania
Silversun Pickups – Panic Switch

Triple j are yet to release a statement regarding the leaked image. It’ll be interesting how they do damage control over this one- the 100 has become somewhat of an institution on Australia Day. Or you know, this could all just be one big hoax. And the winner of 2009′s Hottest 100 is….this guy.

MUSIC

Vampire Weekend- Contra

The indie-prep kings from New York return with possibly the most anticipated album of 2010. But can it live up to their superb debut, or will it be another case of sophomore album syndrome?

Released: Now!

Spoon- Transference

Spoon often seem to go unnoticed in the increasingly mainstream indie world. Yet Metacritic named them the top artist of last decade. Maybe their seventh album will see all that change. Personally, I hope it doesn’t- either way, I’m still looking forward to this record.

Released: January 18th

Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring

Despite their first album being released in early 2008, I only discovered this young Welsh band a couple of months ago when a friend lent me their CD- and it’s risen quickly up the ranks of my iTunes most played list. I’ll be interested to see what their second full-length release brings.

Released: January 26th

Broken Bells – Broken Bells

It really is a match made in heaven; a band made up of super-producer Danger Mouse, and the lead singer of the Shins, James Mercer. They’ve only released one song so far, but it’s very good (and free!). This is set to be the collaboration of 2010.

Released: March 9th

TELEVISION

Lost – Season Six

After five long, arduous years of twists and turns and more surprises than you could poke a polar bear at, one of television’s greatest shows is drawing to a close. I’ve been a dedicated viewer for five seasons, often with much screaming at the television, and if the conclusion doesn’t answer everything, well, there’ll be hell to pay.

Airdate: February 2nd (US)

Caprica – Season One

I’m generally not much of a sci-fi fan. I was, however, an enormous follower of Battlestar Galactica. It wasn’t just a space opera; it was a finely tuned, gritty metaphor for the highs and lows of the human psyche. With BSG finished, I’m hoping that this spin-off can fill that gap.

Airdate: January 22nd (US)

Most of all, I’m looking forward to Australian Idol not being on the air this year. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Airdate: Never, hopefully.

FILM

Bran Nue Dae

I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a sucker for musicals, and this one should be no different. Not to mention it’s Aussie- hopefully it will begin to reverse the dire state the film industry has been in of late. I’m looking forward to seeing Magda Szubanski and Missy Higgins break out in song…almost as much as I’m looking forward to Jessica Mauboy fail at acting as much as she does at singing.

Released: January 14th

Alice in Wonderland

Tim Burton is back in 2010 with a re-imagined Alice in Wonderland. Undoubtedly it’ll be vastly different to any other Alice story we’ve been told, and with Johnny Depp and the superb Helena Bonham Carter starring, it’ll be just as popular.

Released: March 5th (US)

The Social Network

What the what? A movie about facebook? More accurately, it’s about the guys who created the 8th most populated nation in the world. I’m interested in seeing this just to see if they can pull it off; I would totes ‘Like’ that if they can.

Released: October 10 (US)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Pt 1)

And what would 2010 be without a Harry Potter film? It’s the beginning of the end for the cultural phenomenon (the beginning because of the ‘creative’ decision to split the last book into two films). What will become of Harry? And Hermione? And Ron? Will Voldemort prevail? Of course we all know the answer to that, but it’ll be a riot anyway.

Released: 19th November (US)

Yes, 2010 is shaping up to be one busy year. Come February I will be taking up the position as QUT Creative Industries’ marketing assistant, which means between my final year of university, work, and keeping this blog updated I’m going to struggle to even make it through half of these releases. On top of all that I will be undertaking a project with Musicadium over the coming months. I can’t tell you much for now, but it will be in March and it will involve the Edge at SLQ. So really, who needs sleep anyway? Happy 2010, peeps.

Today I decided to jump on the bandwagon and create a Tumblr account. For the uninitiated, a Tumblr blog (or a tumblelog) is more of a short-form way of blogging than blogs like say, this one. Kind of a cross between this and twitter, but without the 140 character limit. But never fear, 3 readers, for this blog will continue to be updated as much as humanly possible. While good news will stay focused on all things music/marketing/media, slightly bored and severely confused will be more miscellaneous ramblings from my life in general. Kind of like digital diarrhoea.

You can check it out here: www.boredandconfused.tumblr.com. And stay tuned for more regular updates here now the silly season is over.

It’s the end of the year, which means there has been a veritable smorgasbord of countdowns flooding the internets. And what a year it has been! 2009 has seen the likes of Michael Jackson’s untimely death, infamous outbursts from Kanye West, and Susan Boyle. And that’s just the highlights (I use the term loosely). Fortunately though, the last year of the noughties has produced some excellent albums. So here’s my two cents: my favourite 10 albums of 2009.

10. Regina Spektor – Far

Kicking off the list is the wonderful Regina Spektor, with her fifth album Far. As a big Spektor fan, I was waiting for this album with baited breath, and while it isn’t as strong as her previous releases I was not disappointed. Her ability to create intricate stories and lush images from the most mundane of situations continues to impress, particularly with the tracks ‘Wallet’ and ‘Folding Chair’. Despite the fact that Spektor may have ditched some of the quirkiness we’ve come to know and love in the hope to attract a bigger audience, this still is an excellent album.

9. Whitley – Go Forth, Find Mammoth

Number 9 sees (unfortunately) the only Australian entrant of the countdown. Whitley’s Go Forth Find Mammoth could almost make this list solely on the basis of its title and album art. Fortunately though, it doesn’t need to- because the Melbourne songwriter’s second LP rises above that pesky sophomore-album curse, and even improves on his excellent debut. What struck me the most about this album is it’s cohesiveness- every song flows brilliantly into the next, often without the listener even noticing.

8. Florence and the Machine – Lungs

When I first heard Florence Welsh sing ‘Dog Days are Over’ in the dark ages of 2008, I immediately fell in love with her incredible voice. To put it in the ever-eloquent words of Sir Mix-A-Lot: It’s just so…big! Her debut album Lungs then followed suit, with 13 tracks of glorious indie pop with soul. ‘Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)’ is definitely one of my top songs of the year. The Machine is heading down under in early 2010, and looks set to be one of the highlights of the Laneway festival circuit.

7. Pheonix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

What a year 2009 has been for Phoenix! After three albums and only a couple of big singles, the French indie rockers finally hit the big time with the wonderfully-titled Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Smooth, well-produced and infinitely catchy, the album has rocketed the band into stardom. WAP has taken the honours of triple j’s 2009 album poll, and now they’re playing venues like the Convention Centre, with tickets selling for a whopping $80. While I don’t see myself forking out that much to see them, WAP is still up there with my favourites of the year.

6. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More

Ah, Mumford and Sons. This time last year they were the relatively unknown backing band for Laura Marling. Now they have arguably the biggest single of the year (everybody now: “I really fucked it up this time!”). While ‘Little Lion Man’ is a standout track, the rest of the album should definitely not be overlooked. On one listen it can send you into a spiral of depression, but on the next the very same songs can be uplifting. It’s very impressive for a debut album from a band as young as this. As the British indie-folk scene continues to grow, this band is set to only get bigger and bigger. And that’s not a bad thing.

5. Passion Pit – Manners

I remember when I was first introduced to Passion Pit’s debut LP Manners- I was told that they were quote-unquote “2009′s MGMT”. While they both hail from eastern US and are often lumped into the same genre, thankfully the similarities end there. Because Passion Pit are actually good. The thing that strikes me most about Manners is that it’s just happy. Songs like ‘Little Secrets’ and ‘Sleepyhead’ will leave you bopping for hours after listening, while the more introverted ‘Moth’s Wings’ is also an album highlight.

4. Silversun Pickups – Swoon

Poor Silversun Pickups. They are so often criticised as carbon copies of the Smashing Pumpkins. And it’s easy to see why- with their moody lyrics, male/female vocals and distorted guitars. Regardless, their debut Carnavas is still one of my favourite albums. Unfortunately Swoon doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, but it’s still a great album in its own right. From the highs of lead single ‘Panic Switch’ to the calmer waters of ‘Catch and Release’, Swoon delivers with moody rock at it’s finest.

3. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion / Fall Be Kind EP

Animal Collective’s 9th studio album Merriweather Post Pavilion has by far been the critical darling of 2009. Rating a whopping 89 on Metacritic, it’s been heralded as an instant classic of our age. And they’re not wrong; for most of the year this was my favourite album. For a band known for their experimentation, this is their most accessible release yet- and it’s still completely different to anything released this year. A surprise release of the Fall Be Kind EP followed in October, which saw a darker turn for the band, but still just as excellent.

2. The xx – xx

The debut album of the year and 2nd best overall goes to The xx, a newly-formed band hailing from Britain. Their simply titled debut xx quietly popped up around August, but quickly became one of the year’s most hyped bands on the interwebs. The hype is not unfounded; this is a fantastic album. Like it’s cover, the true beauty in xx lies more in what isn’t there, rather than what is. While so many bands rely on heavy production and gimmicky instrumentation, The xx have delivered an album with an intimacy I haven’t seen in recent times. It’s something you would expect from a band that has been releasing music for years, not a debut made by four 20 year olds. My only worry is, with such an incredible album, where can the band go from here?

1. Noah and the Whale – The First Days of Spring

And so we arrive at number 1, and the album that gets the honours is one that took me completely by surprise. Noah and the Whale are another band to come out of the incredibly incestuous London indie-folk wheel. The First Days of Spring is their second album, and I only stumbled across it by accident. It’s a concept album, but not in the vein of Tommy or The Wall. Instead it focuses entirely on the breakdown of a relationship between lead singer Charlie Fink and none other than Laura Marling, who quit the band for a solo career after said break-up. The album tells of the break-up from the early stages of despair (‘The First Days of Spring’), to brief spurts of hope (‘Love of an Orchestra’), to guilt over post-break up sex (‘Stranger’), before finally coming to a bittersweet conclusion (‘My Door is Always Open’). Understandably, it’s not a happy album- far from it- but Fink’s lyrics and delicate instrumentation makes for one incredibly unique, cohesive, tragic and yet strangely heartening record. If you haven’t heard it, obtain it in whatever way possible. You’ll be far richer for it.

And there we have it folks. Honourable mentions should definitely go to Yeah Yeah Yeahs- It’s Blitz! (if only for showing us that disco is so 2009), Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest, Muse- The Resistance, Editors- In This Light and on this Evening and the wonderful Dark Was The Night compilation. Over the past decade how we obtain music has changed dramatically and despite claims of the ‘death of the music industry’, albums like these prove that there are still plenty of artists making really quality music. I can’t wait to see what 2010 and beyond brings.

]]> http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/the-albums-of-2009/feed/ 0 fireatwill90 CD's Far Go Forth Find Mammoth Lungs Wolfgang Amadeus Pheonix Sigh No More Manners Swoon Merriweather Post Pavilion Fall Be Kind xx First Days of Spring http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/on-haitus/ http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/on-haitus/#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:13:02 +0000 Will http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/on-haitus/ ]]> Well, as of today I am off on a jet plane to the land of the long white cloud (New Zealand) until the end of the year. Which means (hopefully) I will have much better things to do than update this blog. But never fear, 3 readers, as soon as the new year rolls around it will regain full function. Stay tuned for 2009 countdowns and the likes.

Merry Christmas!

Now this is some clever marketing. BooneOakley, a small US-based full service marketing/ad agency has utilised YouTube’s new interactive features by creating their entire website on the video hosting giant. Not only is it great to see an agency able to take the piss a little bit, but logistically the move is very smart. They don’t have to pay any web-hosting fees, and it’s pretty unique- it’s already getting worldwide attention. Pretty neat if you ask me.

You can check it out in the video above, but for the full experience it’s best to head to the YouTube site itself here.

You’d be forgiven at the moment for thinking we were nearing the end of a decade. The interwebs have been awash of late with more countdowns, best ofs, top tens and general reminiscences of the 2000′s then you could poke a digital stick at. Suddenly everybody is a critic, and while some of the countdowns have been insightful and thought-provoking, others have been….well, like this one. For the nostalgic, these countdowns are practically memory-heaven. But for those who don’t buy into that sort of stuff, it gets a little tiring. So, what better than to list some of the best (and worst) ‘best-of’ lists currently clogging up cyber-space?

Pitchfork: P2K

Over the past months American music site Pitchfork have taken an in-depth look at the decade in music. Way back in the dark ages of 2001 the site barely existed, but since then has grown to be one of the most formidable online music news and reviews sites on the net. Not only does P2K count down the best albums, songs and music videos, it also features a series of essays detailing some of the more interesting developments in music over the past ten years. Of particular note is the ‘Decade in Indie’ and the social history of the mp3.

Highlights
Best Album: Radiohead- Kid A
Best Song: Outkast- B.O.B.

Paste Magazine: The 25 best Album Covers

Slightly more obscure is Paste magazine’s countdown of the best album covers. It has been argued that as digital sales boom and physical CD sales decline, the quality of modern album art is going steadily downhill (as this cover would seem to prove). Regardless, Paste have put together an interesting countdown, which includes the likes of The Flaming Lips, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire and Lil Wayne. Whoever decided to award Neko Case’s Middle Cyclone cover as number 1 though needs to go back and re-take primary school art classes.

Highlights
Number 1: Neko Case- Middle Cyclone
Number 2: Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (and rightly so)

The A.V. Club: The 30 best TV Shows

The problem with critics is often that their views on what is ‘good’ differs from the majority of the viewing public. Which is a shame, but it’s also the reason why most of the shows on the A.V. Club’s list of best TV shows of the decade have either ended or been cancelled. Still, it’s a formidable list. The top 3 (The Wire, Arrested Development and the Sopranos) are undoubtedly some of the finest productions since television’s inception, let alone in this decade. Other notable shows include Mad Men, Lost and The West Wing, just scraping in at number 30. The best part of this countdown though is the shitfight in the comments as to what constitutes a ‘decade’. Hilarious.

Highlights
Number 1: The Wire
Number 15: Veronica Mars
Number 22: Six Feet Under

News.com.au: Moment of the Decade

Oh, News.com.au. Purveyor of fine, quality journalism. Not content with simply telling Middle Australia what the best bits of the noughties were, good old Rupert has gone and encouraged everyone to name their own favourites! For anyone that’s ever read the comments to any article on the site, that should be enough to click your way on over. In case you need any more incentive though, today’s category is ‘Killers, Haters, Tools: Choose the Villian of the decade’. Apparently Kyle Sandilands and John Mayer are in the same league as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Who would have thought? The fun doesn’t stop there. Oh no siree, it doesn’t. For you creative types, you can even have a go at naming what the next decade should be called! An issue of utmost importance, of course. Seriously, the sooner this site becomes paid-only, the better.

Lowlights
Pop Culture
Money
Sex & Life
…actually, just spend a good 15 minutes trawling through the site. It’ll make your day.

Times Online: The 100 Best Movies of the Noughties

Slightly more classy news outlet Times Online went all out and counted down the top 100 cinematic releases of the decade. With everything from political drama Milk to Roman-epic Gladiator to comedy Knocked Up, the list does well to cater for everyone…up until the odd choice of The Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum at number 2 (So really it should have been the best 101 movies). And Team America World Police in the top 5? You must be joking.

In Brief
Number 1: Hidden
Number 16: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Number 34: Finding Nemo
Number 64: Anchorman

Well that’s about it. Some of the best (and worst) countdowns of the best (and worst) things to happen in the noughties. Of course, a quick google search will reveal thousands more best-ofs then the ones here. But really, is there much point? When it comes down to it, who gets to decide that Franz Ferdinand is better than Hot Chip? Or that Monsters, Inc. deserves to place ahead of Pan’s Labyrinth?

Perhaps the best countdown of the decade should go to Hungry Beast. They look at the ten best years of the 2000′s. You can check that out here.

]]> http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/simply-the-best/feed/ 0 fireatwill90 20 to 1 P2K Picture 2 Picture 3 News.com.au Times Online http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/the-valley-dilemma/ http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/the-valley-dilemma/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:29:06 +0000 Will http://goodnewsau.wordpress.com/?p=194 ]]>

In shocking and devastating news to teenagers and drunkards all across Brisbane this week, The Queensland Police Union in conjunction with Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman want to impose a 2am shutdown of all clubs and pubs in Brisbane. Apparently violence levels in Fortitude Valley and the city are getting to unacceptable levels, and the lockdown aims to reduce this. Naturally, Brisbane teens are outraged, and plenty of facebook groups protesting the move have popped up and are quickly gaining members. But first, a disclaimer: I’m a teenager. I enjoy the valley on the weekends. Of course, I’m opposed to this plan. But before writing me off as just another binge-drinker who wants to stay out all night just to get ‘trashed’, hear me out. This plan is majorly flawed for a number of reasons, and will actually do the opposite to reducing what it aims to do.

Drunken violence in the city and valley on a Friday or Saturday night is certainly an issue, there is no denying that. Already there’s been restrictions placed on clubs, most notably the 3am lockout which prevents people from entering clubs after 3am. When that was imposed in 2005, there was outrage as well, but now most choose to (somewhat begrudgingly) adhere to it.

Without sounding dramatic, that’s a grain of sand compared to this most recent proposal.

Since Brisbane Times ran the story on their website, numerous facebook groups have popped up opposing the lockdown. At the time of writing, the largest one ‘Say NO to 2am lockdown of the valley‘ was sporting just over 10,200 members. For a page that was only created days ago, that’s a fairly sizeable number. However, there’s one small problem. Simply having 10,000+ members on a facebook page, most of which are undoubtedly teenagers, is not going to sway anybody- let alone the QPU. After all, teenagers are the ones perceived to be causing most of the problems. The fact that the display picture of the facebook group not-so-subtly tells the authorities to get fucked isn’t really going to help either.

Instead of complaining (with numerous expletives) about the plan and threats to move interstate immediately, people need to take an educated look at why shutting everything down at 2am will not work:

• It is a known fact that the majority of violence occurs on the street, not in the clubs. Newman even said that himself in 2005 when the 3am lockout was imposed. Instead of keeping people in clubs like the current legislation does, this shutdown will force everyone out of clubs and into the streets. With thousands of drunk people on the street at 2am still ready to party, there will be chaos.
• The current situation regarding taxis and public transport, in the valley especially, is less than desirable. Anyone who has ever been out on a Friday or Saturday night will readily testify to that. Often cab lines stretch down streets and around corners, and can take up to an hour to manoeuvre. If the shutdown goes ahead, it will stretch the current transport options to limits far beyond any of their capacities. Instead of a steady stream of people leaving throughout the night, suddenly almost the entire population of revellers will be trying to go home all at the same time. Pressure in lines for buses and cabs is only going to create more fights. The Queensland Taxi Council has already publicly opposed the plan.
• It has happened elsewhere, to no avail. In Aberdeen in the UK, a trial 2am lockout was put in place earlier this year. However, voilence has since risen by 41% month-on-month, according to this UK article. A local club owner said this: “It’s quite obvious that at the very best the curfew is achieving absolutely nothing. We have had staff assaulted as a direct result of the curfew.” Before imposing this lockdown, the QPU and Newman really need to do their research.
• People adapt. If it comes down to it and the lockdown is put in place, people will just find other ways to get around it. At the moment, on average people head to the valley between 10pm and midnight. If people are forced home at 2am, they will simply start going out earlier. Not only will this not solve the problem, but it will place these drunken teenagers in the same space as workers heading home and families out to dinner.

There are far better ways of reducing violence than locking down all the clubs at 2am. For starters, Liquor licenses need to be much more heavily enforced, and bar staff must be trained to actually refuse intoxicated people service, like the current legislation states. This, with an increased police presence, is a much better alternative to the lockdown.

Evidently, there are plethora of reasons that this proposal won’t work. Most disappointing though is the effect it will have on the local music industry. Brisbane continues to be one of the up-and-coming cities in the world when it comes to live music and entertainment. The QLD Government’s ‘Valley Entertainment Precinct’ plan is currently doing wonders for the suburb, and the recent Valley Fiesta proves that when live music is good, people will come to see it in droves. A ban like this will only send it back to the dark ages.

While these complaints may come from a teenager who has something to lose if the lockdown goes ahead, most are simply common sense…something the QPU seem to be lacking of late. For numerous reasons, this plan is fatally flawed, and will actually increase violence instead of getting rid of it. However, simply joining a facebook group and swearing at the local authorities will not stop this going ahead. Instead, taking action and legitimately offering comments and complaints will be much more helpful.

My life has no purpose,

no direction, no aim, no meaning,

and yet I’m happy.

I can’t figure it out.

What am I doing right?