A few months ago, I auditioned for a television show called "Top Gear Australia". I borrowed a camera and tripod and lights, I even got the material professionally edited. I sent it in to the producers and waited. . . and waited . . . and waited.

 I didn't get the job of presenter, which left me with the same sad, lack of joy that the first drive in a VW leaves you with. Tonight I saw the show for the first time. I am soooo glad I didn't get the job. The audition details they sent me specified that the producers weren't looking for people who were copies of the original english guys who invented the show; they wanted orignal, aussie blokes with their own personalities.

 What they got is three aussies who sound (apart from the accents) just like the three english blokes they're imitating. The show is a virtual carbon copy of the original, with three guys who's intonations and gestures are almost exactly the same as the three other guys in the UK.

 So glad I didn't get that show.