Xmas Hols

Being on holiday is a lot like being in prison, if you can make it through the first 3 days - you have a fighting chance.
I hung in there baby, I tell you what. Yesterday I was so bored I almost watched day time television. It was my low point.
Today was much better, slept in, went fishing in the morning, had lunch, almost finished Ratchet and Clank, did Chrissy shopping (got a 2 for 1 deal on some Viz annuals and found a Great Uncle Bulgaria Womble doll for my 'any day now' nephew/niece (Ben and Rhonnie's first)

Never thought it would be so hard trying to actually relax?!?

A Bad Dog

So this morning at 5.30am I got up as usual and took our Wolfhound out for her morning walk. I take her out first as she needs a longer stroll than the other two (she's a big ole girl, clipping the scales at just under 50kg).
Well Bish and I headed out on our usual route, down the end of the street out over to the school field. We've being doing this for a couple of years now and have it down to a regular routine. Once we get to the school field, I let my girl off the lead for a couple of minutes so she can streach her legs.
But the proviso has been, she learns to come when I call her and we work on our command structure (ie I'm in charge and do what I say).

All had been going well until this morning. Bish was fooling around in a silly mood (not unusual) when her ears went up and I saw just on the ridge of the field 2 kangaroo's. Well I knew this meant trouble, I started to call her back and she took off like a rocket to chase the Roo's...

I ran like a bastard and got the top of the ridge in time to see Bish collapse in a heap after loosing her footing.
She got up and watched the roo's hopping away at a fast rate. She turned back and saw the mountain of fury that was holding her lead.
She lowered her head and put her tail down and trotted back like a true penitent to sit at my side.

We went home in disgrace with a kick to the bum.

We were very quiet on the short walk home.

I'd like to think she has learnt a lesson, but it'll be a while before I'll let her off the lead again.

Eucambene River, Wind, Trout and Platypus

Dude!!!!!
Had my fly fishing field trip this weekend and didn't catch a damm thing. But as you should know, thats not the point of getting out there amongst some beautiful scenery. Its all about having fun.
And have fun I did!

The Eucambene River is now dammed to form the Eucambene lake, but the 'Big Dry' (now in its 7th year of drought) has evapourated a good 76% of the dam's capacity. So the head of the river is pretty much back to its original state, although with about 3 foot less water than I would have liked.
But it was chock full of trout and thats a fact.

I got down there about 8.30am on Saturday (The Eucambene is about 30 mins west of Cooma - so about south 2 hours odd from Canberra). And the class headed off from there, about 12 all up. The thing about fly fishing is the weight of the line is what allows you to cast not the fly, unlike lure casting.
And the thing about trout fishing is you have to cast up stream from behind the trout (Trout face the direction of the current - its where the food is coming from). So when the wind is blowing down stream and your trying to cast up stream... it ain't gonna happen baby!!

So Saturday was a wash as far productivity was concerned. But I did learn a lot and I got some practical feild experience and covered a fair bit of the river. So from a recon perspective, very successful indeed.

On Sunday, I got up super early and headed off just as the sun was rising to beat the wind. It was while I was checking out a pool ahead of me that I saw the platypus!!! He (I guess) was have a swim with some trout just minding his own business. I stood up to get a better look and he he turned to look at me... just drifted by with the slow current and checked me out.

Amazingly cool stuff.

So no fish, by I do have the lay of the land and will return the fabulos Eucambene very soon and hopefully catch a fish on my fly rod!!

A candidate for SingStar

This song is brilliant! Its a fantastic little number, a duet between Marc Almond (yes THAT Marc Almond) and Gene Pitney (no, the other Gene Pitney).
The song is a ripper, a really great powerful belter.

But watch and listen for the 2 styles. Mr Almond has a lovelly velvet sound, really rich and smooth. He has a great range for this number, listen how he adds a bit of menace to his voice in the first verse!!
Now Mr Pitney (who sadly, passed away this year) is renowed for his pitch and vibrato and OWNS this song. But again, listen for how professionally he harmonises with Mr Almond in the third verse. Its effortless, they crank the power up to 11 - then release it suddenly!!

What a great duet, I'd love to see this number on a future SingStar... who knows?
[LINK]

BuffMan

Thought I'd give y'all an update on my gym goings on.
I've be hitting the weights for about 10 months now (usually 3 times a week at lunch time) and I have to say its been a great thing to do.
The whole going to the gym started from a back injury I gave myself last Christmas. I had been drinking like a fish and eating like a pig (which is not imply that pigs are no less renowned for their drinking than fish - but you get the point). According to the bathroom scales I was clipping 80kg and had a stomach, that was well fat.
Anyhow, I figured one morning I should do something about it all and began doing push ups and sit ups. Then I fucked my back up.
Added to all this my wife had begun her health kick and was looking fantastic!! I really needed to pick my game up.

With my back fucked up my posture was going to shit and I had less and less energy, but I was still eating the same crap. So I was gaining more weight because I was doing less, because I had less energy, because I was carrying so much surplus weight.
I made the decision to go to the gym and it has been a good decision.

But it hasn't just been about the gym, at the same time I radically changed my diet. Bread, potatoes and heavily fried food - OUT. Good quality vegetables, gluten free stuff and sensible sized serves - IN.
So in other words - regular exercise and a balanced diet = a fit and healthy BubbaJay.
I would make the point to differentiate between 'fitness' and 'healthy'. In so far as you don't get both from doing only one of them. Dropping potatoes and bread where a hard thing to do, but I tell you what, I was carrying a lot of bloat that cleared up after a couple of weeks.
Try it for yourself, if you don't believe me.

Anyway, this is not just the rambling of a fit and healthy man, science types also agree [LINK]

Sooo near to the Holidays

Dammit!!! Is it Christmas yet ?!?

Well I know it isn't but I have 2 weeks left on the farm before I can skip away for 3 weeks of holidays and Dude - I have totally checked out.
Which is not to say I don't have stuff to do... Its the, 'can I be fucked to start anything with only a few days left before the silly season truely kicks in' attitude.

I guess I'm just tired, this week is a rare week - one without travel. So I'm just trying to avoid starting any work that might hang over my holidays.

Boy this reminds me of school, the holidays are never going to get here!!

Firefox vs Explorer

I'm not a technologist.
For example I have a 10 year old tv, an even older stereo system and few other mod cons (except a second hand PS2 upon which much Singstar, KillZone and Rogue Trooper is played)(and only those games because I've seen other people play them).

But when I come across something good, I like to share it with others. This morning my Microsoft Internet Explorer automatically began to download version 7 of itself. I find IE to be frustrating and limiting and slow, but the thing that pisses me off the most is the bloody updates that change files and registry entries BUT NEVER explain just what the fuck they doing.
So anyway, v.7 downloads and I begin again to submit to the hassle of installing it (its been available for a couple of weeks but I just did not want to load the fucker (most everytime I do, I lose my settings or the bastards arses around with the rest of the computer, chews up clock time and generally fats around eating chippies and watching old episodes of Red Dwarf while hogging the brown couch of valuble ROM)

I was not surprised when the Microsoft installation screen began asking me to update and change a whole bunch of my settings, in other words devote time and energy to critical decisions with little or no explanation of the choices not shown or the nature of the consequences.
I decided fuck that and did something I should have done a long time ago.

I downloaded and installed Mozilla's Firefox browser.
I will never go back.

Things work faster and run far more economically than the old fat and bloated application. I had 3 screens to click through for installation and my favourites folder was automatically imported.

If you have not yet tried Firefox, I strongly urge you to. It is the Pepsi Taste Test of the internet, you can decide for yourself.
But in my opinion Firefox is a welcome guest who is courteous and well mannered on your computer.

[Link]

Day of the Tradies

Had to take today off, which meant I was 'working from home'.
The reason for this well needed break was the installation of our new air conditioning system (two wall mounted split cycle systems). And as long as we're doing that karin and I scheduled in a whole bunch more stuff to get delivered or fixed.
So I had a plumber come by and fix our toilets and a few taps, got a skip delivered so I could finally empty the crap out of the garage (something very stisfying about flinging rubbish HARD into the back of a skip and watching it SMASH TO PEICES (the exact same way as if the Hulk had done it).

But with out a doubt the best thing we got delivered today was our new mattress. I don't know much about mattress technology, I have slept on a lot of mattress's, so I do have experience in determining what is good, better or best. So let me tell you friend with confidence when I say this mattress is The SHIT!!
I just put my head down for 5 minutes, I slept for 1.5 hours... and I did not want to get up!
There are a lot of reasons to want to go to bed ( I can think of 2) but this mattres is a whole book of reasons by itself.

Keeping Busy

Well last Friday was my day on air at the radio station for the radiothon. Our goal was to raise $30k for a new transmitter over 10 days. By the time I got there it was day 8 and we had raised $17k (I'm glad to say by the end of Friday that had crept up to $20k).
I've been so busy with work and travel lately that I've not had the time to devote to Artsound FM, but I decided that I should take a day off and go in and help. Reporting for duty at 10am I was on air at 10.01am and co-hosted a 2 hour shift.
Then there was a 2 hour break manning the phones then back on for 2 more hours and rounded off my shift with more time manning the phones.
The good news is that by Sunday 6pm we had raised the $30k!!! So I feel happy that my small contribution helped.

Crazy Discount Weather!!!

ITS ALL GOT TO GO!!!!!!!!!!

You would not believe it partner, last Wednesday it snowed on Canberra. In fact it snowed on a great deal on the East Coast, from Hobart up to the Blue Mountains.
Please bear in mind this is November (or more accurately Movember!!) and therefore late Spring early Summer. Did I also mention this was Australia?!?

And today its 34C+ with bush fires raging from one end of the coast to the other. You would be hard pressed to believe me I know!
A lot of people may want to point to global warming in much the same way our ancestors may have pointed to witches in order to ascribe blame for all the ills of our weather. I'd suggest it was more a case of a very cold snap coming off the Antartic at an unusual time.

Or witchcraft....

There's a strong case for both, really.

Corny Arnie

Do you remember 'Last Action Hero'?
I do, but only because there was a great AC/DC single on the soundtrack - Big Gun. The version on the soundtrack (yes I bought it from the bargin basement bin) was a studio take, you can even hear the sound engineers at the end going 'that was awesome!'

It is definetly a classic AC/DC track and thanks to YouTube we can now watch the video including Arnie fooling around as Angus!!! (ho-ho now we larf!!)
Just classsic!
[LINK]

Now I Fly Fish

Got my fly rod yesterday and man it is sweet!!
For those who care its a Sage LE series 5 weight (even comes with its own case, which is handy). I'll spool on the line tonight and get some practice casting in for class next week.

I have to say that I've veiwed fly fishing as something of a goal from the moment I started this great hobby about 3 years ago. To be honest it is not as hard as it looks to cast, if you have ever held a tennis raquet and hit a ball - you can fly cast.
The great thing about the course I'm on is that at the end of it we go on a fishing trip!!!
Very good chance I'll catch a fish on one of those!!

A good use of your time

You have to wonder, who gets up in the morning and thinks to them selves - 'I reckon I'll teach some dolphins how to sing the Batman theme.'

And they still get paid, gotta love the science industry
[LINK]

Angry Monkey BMX Stunt

Haven't much of these guys, but this one is awesome [Link]

Notes from Adelaide cont'd

Now I'm back at my desk (for today at least, I'm off again tomorrow for a week) I thought I would finish off my previous post about Adelaide.
I'm not feeling too inspired to write elegant prose, so in no particular order;

ADELAIDE HIGHLIGHTS

1. 
   Had a cab driver who knew Damien Martin personally (showed me photos of the pair of them together) and claimed he had at one time or another transported most of the Aussie cricket squad around town. He was a cheerful enough chap but his B.O. was blinding.
2. 
   On the Saturday after climbing out of my hangover, I hired a bike by the River Torrens and had great fun going for a bike ride to the beach. Didn't get there in the end as my work colleague called me (he had just climbed out of his hangover) and I convinced him to join me on the bikes. What jolly good fun we had, up hill and down dale and going a bit off road here and there... An afternoon of total regressive fun!!
3. 
   Adelaide has one main drag whose opposite ends are as chalk and cheese. The northern end (Rundell St) has many cafes and restaurants, quite a classy district. While the southern (Hindley St) end is the red light district with quite a lot of seedy bars and strip joints.
4. 
   There is a LOT of heroin on the streets.
5. 
   On our last night in town I wanted to get away from the city (had enough of underage drunks, heroin addicts and seedy pubs - this is what happens when you travel with a Marine!). So we headed past the Gabba and the statue of the Don and found this neat little pub that had great music and atmosphere. Food was awesome, folks were friendly and on Mondays they host 'Pub Cinema' - on the bill for next week was 'Return of the Jedi' and Rocky'.

Overall impressions;
Adelaide has some great buildings and they've done a great job with public art. The food is wonderful, but I would expect nothing less from a city so close to the Barossa Valley. It was a fair bit cooler for me that week, but this is the changing of the seasons. Very easy to get around the city and the city is close to the airport.

Final conclusions - Could I live there... I would say yes I could, but I prefer where I am.

Honourable Mention

Another cartoon from Weebl and Bob, this time with a name drop of someone we should all know... [Link]

Sick Daze

I got back from Sydney on Tuesday night, just in time to make it to my Fly Fishing course I started this week.
But I woke up on Wednesday with a brand new passenger in my gut. It hit me about 10am at work and kept up a steady flow of house cleaning for 2 days, I lost 3 kilos. Today being Friday I managed my first solids, toast and marmite.
I know I'm feeling better when the first thing I want to do around the house is clean. But not having eaten anything for 2 days my energy level is low.
Now I actually have a legitmate excuse for my Playstation, but I feel guilty about 'wasting a day off'...
I don't think I'm quite right in the head yet.

Freakin Stenches Man!!

Everyone has a Zombie plan

Mine invloves hiding out at a mall (not original I know, but practical) then wait for winter to freeze those suckers and get out there with a hammer... SMACK DOWN time baby.

Then I decleare myself supreme ruler etc Institute a 'No John Denver' music policy with brutal consequences for those who disobey, print loads of 'Jez is Tops' t-shirts - that must be worn on my birthday and no bogans. Period.

First time in Adelaide

Hi y'all, I'm in the South of Australia today - listening to Johnny Cash sing Big River (the 1958 version from the Johnny Cash Show).

Something of an associated here in this town as the Murray River flows close by. Actually Adelaide is on about the same longatude as Sydney, so it ain't all that far south as you would think (Melbourne is further South by far)(Some say not far enough).

I haven't seen too much of the city yet, only flew in last night, but it looks pretty nice. Lots of colonial era buildings about with some medium sized hills off to the west.

Will go for a walk later today and report.

Songs you'll never hear from SingStar

I do enjoy SingStar, probably the best use of technology for those too lazy to muck about with UltraStar code. Having reviewed the track listings for the new Anthems game coming out, I was struck by the fact that the only Pet Shop Boys song they could find was an Elvis cover.

Which got me thinking, how do they cull their playlists? 2 Jimmy Barnes songs is pretty bad (especially since one of them isn't Khe Shan...) and why Black Sabbaths Paranoid (why not Iron Man or War Pigs...).

Songs I'd like to see on Jeremy's SingStarRocks;

1. I Wanna Rock - Twisted Sister
2. Jump - Van Halen
3. Legs - ZZ TOP
4. MOFO on a MotorCycle - Machine Gun Fellatio
5. Whip It - Devo
6. I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett
7. I Was Made for Loving you - KISS
8. Mama Said Knock you out - LL Cool J
9. God Save the Queen - Sex Pistols
10. Killed by Death - Motorhead
11. Back in Black - AC/DC
12. Wild Hearted Son - The Cult
13. Jane Said - Jane's Addicition
14. Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
15. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns 'n' Roses
16. Enter Sandman - Mettalica
17. Dude loked like a lady - Aerosmith
18. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zepplin
19. Highway to the DangerZone - Kenny Loggins
20. Rollercoaster - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
21. Burden in My Hand - Soundgarden
22. Greg the Stop Sign - TISM
23. Candy - Iggy Pop
24. Closer - Nine Inch Nails (but with this video)
25. Schools out - Alice Cooper
26. Binkini Girls - The Cramps
27. Louie Louie - The Kingsmen
28. Underdog - The DirtBombs
29. Peace Frog - The Doors
30. 911 is a Joke - Public Enemy
31. The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden

This years must have stocking filler!!

SingStar has a new game coming out for release in time for Christmas (Baby Jesus would approve!). They are calling it SingStar - Legends, and it looks a whole lot better than the disappointing Anthems.
Track list for Australia/NZ release below;

Aretha Franklin - Respect
Jimmy Barnes -No Second Prize
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Jimmy Barnes - Working Class Man
David Bowie - Life On Mars?
John Farnham - You're The Voice
Dusty Springfield - Son Of A Preacher Man
John Paul Young - Love Is In The Air
Elton John - Rocket Man
Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes
Jackie Wilson - Reet Petite (The Finest Girl You Ever Want To Meet)
John Lennon - Imagine
Johnny Cash - Ring Of Fire
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Madonna - Papa Don't Preach
Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
Silverchair - Tomorrow
Sam Cooke - What A Wonderful World
The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
The Monkees - Daydream Believer
The Police - Roxanne
The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
The Angels - No Secrets
The Easybeats - Friday On My Mind
Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It?
U2 - Vertigo
Whitney Houston - Greatest Love Of All

Notes from San Diego Airport

I very rarely have time to catch up with myself when I'm travelling - But this time I decided to make some notes.

San Diego is about 40 minutes odd south from Carlsbad (where I usually stay) and is a pretty easy drive along the freeway (so called because the speed limit posted serves as a 'suggested minimum' to most drivers). So I left early to beat the security rush and because I hate waiting in the security line, or any line for that matter.
Things I can tell you about San Diego airport;
- Its a lot like Perth, minus the international flights. It has the same small departure lounge with one or two concession stands selling overpriced water [There was a recent relaxing of the liquid no fly rules, provided you buy the liquid INSIDE the terminal - Fuckers].
- People covet the electrical outlets so as to charge phones or in my case watch dvd's. Actually I missed my spot and wound up reading a local newspaper cover to cover. Did you know Encinitas celebrated its 20th anniversary as an incorporated borough of San Diego last weekend?!? Really, you didn't - how sad for you. Then you probably also didn't know about the Viking Festival they held - kind of like a medieval fair, if Panterra organised it (I guess, I mean what do you do at a Viking festival "Hey man, Beowulf is the shit!!", "Oh yeah Bro, you totally got that right.", "So dude you wanna drink some larger and ravish some hot chicks?", "Yes I do my long haired Viking friend, Yes I do...").
- I discovered that it is now possible to get $1 coins in the States and that these $1 coins are rejected by every vending machine I could find.
- In San Diego, Mexican food is the equivalent of Chinese food in Australia, only with a higher level of sanitation - but a lot less flavour (oh yeah, I went there).

I was also touched by a young girl and her parents, she had to have been around 12yrs old for sure. She looked happy and quite unremarkable except for this wonderful pair of Gold Mickey Mouse ears. She wore that hat with all the pride of a Marine - you go girl!!

Besides all that, it was an airport terminal. My only glitch was with the ticketing machine, it was self serve. I hate technology, I hate it with a vengeance - and no wise arse remarks about this Blog. I'm talking about the kind of technology Geeky MacFreaky comes up with "To make your life easier" or in this case to fuck with your mind AGAIN as you try and comprehend how get your boarding pass. I despise with cold hatred those sorts of innovations - I want someone behind that counter, I never want to have to think for myself while I book in. That is not my job.
I'm looking at my hastily rearranged flight itinerary (so I can get out to Baltimore for 4 days of training). The gosh darn machine wants my booking number, what they hell does my booking number look like!?!?! I try another menu option, now it wants my frequent flyer card - but won't read the damm thing. Option 3 tells me to pick up the phone and it will connect me with an operator - FUCK YOU!!! I am not talking to chimp-stuffing-olive-munching-cheese-cracking-goat-loving-somabitch!!!!
Then the baggage handler guy with minimal English and a nice smile presses the buttons for me and I work out how to upgrade myself....
I feel small and ungrateful, I slink away toward the security check point - ashamed and dishonoured.

Latter as I relax in a seat with more legroom watching my dvd a buddy 'gave' me, I think to myself, "Maybe I don't hate technology, maybe I'm just getting old."

On the plus side, at my age I can buy all the cool stuff I want when I want (if my wife will let me!)

Far from the maddening crowd

I write this on sunny Monday morning in Baltimore a place I can almost find my way around in the dark. Which is what you need when you fly in from Chicago at 10.30pm local, having started at 10.30am in San Diego. Which is where I have been for the last week. But 10.30pm ET is only 7.30pm WT and about lunch time in Canberra, but only 8.30pm central...
Anyway, I'm awake and fully functioning sitting at a spare desk of my companies Baltimore office and I thought I'd post a note. All going well I'll be home this Saturday in time to play my regular morning soccer game!!

This month is just going to fly by, I have this Saturday to myself and every other waking hour is spoken for. But that is not to say it's not going to be fun October holds the following, an intensive radio presenters course, a week in Brisbane (for work), an all day fitness assesment, cleaning and polishing the deck, fishing and most importantly Halloween!! Which doesn't get much of run here in Australia - sadly.
Somewhere in the next month I hope to set up our first Halloween party, we'll have scary stories, bobbing for apples and budgies (have been watching Bottom series 3 on the planes)

Another silly Song - About CRABS

This is anothre silly but catchy toon!!
And its all about Crabs!!

[Link]

Ninja song!!

This is a very cute video and the song is dangerously addictive!!!
So get ready to Flip Out Like A Ninja

(here)

Super Barrio Man - Luchador Libre!!!

Horray!! At last I finally saw a movie that was as much fun as the trailer - Nacho Libre (Starring Jack Black and directed by the Napoleon Dynamite director, guy, dude... whatever) It was fun, Jack Black was fun and there was mucho Luchadores, great fun for young and old and pleasantly, not one swear word.
After watching a film about Mexican style wrestling, Ash and I were getting a bit carried away Luchador style in the parking lot after the film - But neither of us had been drinking!!! Holy cow!!! Just shows what is possible with good clean fun from time to time.

Actually it reminded me a bit of a Wes Anderson film.

But the I have to confess I am easily suckered in by a good movie trailer. I regularly visit the Apple.com/trailers site and pass a few minutes away. And yet how rarely does the feature do justice to the trailer (ie Star Wars Ep1!!). Some times you know its going to be crap, you just know (ie Miami Vice) but you watch it anyway. Well Nacho Libre delivered as much fun as it promised - and that my friends is a magic all to itself.

Its the last one!?!?!*&^*

Alas after 15 great years of fun and good times, this year is to be the last, the very last Metal For The Brain
Oh woe is me, Metal for the Brain is/was a great concert. A whole lot of fun for lovers of live and loud music. Me mate Ash and I used to enjoy wandering around, drinking a beer or two and getting down to some metal sounds.
The best thing about the concert is that the proceeds go toward victims of brain injury. Believe it or not his is actually a benefit gig (every year some of lovely ladies from the Brain Injury Foundation man a sasuage sizzle tent and are always pleased for any extra donations and a cup of tea). I myself can confidently assert the crowd is always pleasant and well mannered, its a great atmosphere for one and all.
I have cleared my schedule and come November 3rd, I'll be ready for some fun metal noise!!

Fully Fledged Radio Star!!!

I did my radio show and it was awesome!!
Its been a choldhood dream and there I was, actually fulfilling an ambition. Quite an honour I must say and not an everyday event.

Gotta say, people who do that for a living make it seem easy...
I was on for 2 hours but I spent about 5 hours preparing in the evening the week before. A lot of work goes into a radio show. Had my playlist worked out, timed it properly and had a little script to read off so I didn't sound like some mubling, bumbling fool.

In the end the 2 hours flew by, I finised up with more music than air time. Played my sponsorship promo's as per the running sheet and threw to the satelite news feed on time. Did my job well! Even got a call from a listener who congratulated me on doing a great job!!
And after the show, what a buzz! waht a buzz indeed!!

Good clean fun people, thats community radio I tell ya that for free buddy!!

I made the grade!!

All right, as you know I've been doing my radio DJ course with a local community radio station (ArtSound 92.7 FM). Well I was contacted a week ago to do a slot on Sunday, horrah! But I hadn't quite finished my final exam if you will (my On Air Check as they call it).
So some drama's ensue and last night I recorded 30 odd mins of me and got the pass with flying colours this afternoon!!!

I'm in baby!! I'll be hosting Patchwork 10am - 12am, which is a Folk Music show. Now don't say it, first off you are wrong - there is an incredible depth and variety to Folk Music. Its not all Judith Durham and Morris Dancing. And secondly - screw you, I'm a gonna be on air!!!

I totally rule!!!

Bloody Saturday Soccer!!

Well it wasn't too bad, I didn't get hurt for a change.
The important thing is we won 5-4 (1 goal from me!) and we were playing 5 a side, which is an absolute bitch because you are running like a bastard the whole time.
Playing in those conditions its easy to get carried away and try to REALLY give a 110%. My team mate Ross decided that with 5 minutes to go while we were 5 - 3, that Tyson must not score a goal that still would have meant we would have won (if you follow my meaning... it wasn't that big a deal if Tyson scored).
So in a last ditch attempt, Ross slides in to bloke the ball and collects himself on the goal post, and let the goal through anyway...

Poor old Ross, a very nasty cut and a trip to the hospital for stiches. The lesson here is that saturday soccer is all about fun, its about forgetting your troubles for a while and enjoying the company of your friends.
From time to time, its okay to let a goal through.

Ross should be back in action in a week or two.

Best value for $20 ever... this week

Had a heckuva good time on the weekend, Karin and I went up to the Blue Mountains to see my Ma and Da. Which is always nice.
On the Saturday went headed over to Katoomba to check things out. Aside from anything we needed to get a rug for our family room (since we've had the floorboards down the dogs have been skidding, slippin and sliding something fierce).
But that's not the best ever $20 ever spent.

The best ever $20 ever spent (that Saturday) was on an extra special bargain. There are plenty of second hand places in Katoomba and one of them was having a garage sale, amongst the usual crap of tea pots, busted snow boots and very wrong LP records was my find.... A portable gas BBQ, complete with 4 extra gas cyclnders!!!!!!!!!
Holy Crap!!!!
Needless to say, I tried to act cool and raced off to the nearest ATM pushing the old, weak and infirm from my path. Then returned to claim my precious (BBQ).

Now you may call me a dork (many have) but I remind you that I go fishing a lot and a portable BBQ is very handy to have. Not to cook fish, because I hate seafood, but to cook steaks and the like... if I can't be bothered to go to a restaurant... who knows...

But here then is a photo to make you mortals tremble with envy!!!
(actually mines black and comes with its own carry case and 4 extra gas canisters - Now thats VALUE right there friend)
(Korean BBQ places use these guys at the table)
(I think its cool)

Its just Magic!!!

You have to check this out Link
This guy is a freaking sorceror!!!!

Movember Time!!!!

Dudes, Movember is up and running again this year
Check out this Link!!!

So get your self ready, get a sponsor, get a team and get Mo'ing!!!

Not crazy, and I have an invisable friend to prove it.

Yes thats right, I'm not crazy. Well not in the diminished responsibility capacity.
I had my meeting with a Neurologist on Friday. As you may now in May I went to my local GP to get some handle on my dizzy spells. Some drama's in between. Concluding last Friday with a visit to the specialist.
He diagnosed me with Migrane Associated Vertigo.
So what? Well it accounts for the dizzyness, the nausea, the motion sickness etc
The great news is he feels it is curable. I take some pills for about 2 months and we see what happens.
The down side is, I'm off booze for those 2 months.
(actually I decided, fuck that on Saturday. Had myself half a beer and felt I was on a roller coaster, not good and lesson learned)

So lets git it on for kicking this MAV!!

Miami Vice - So Many Unanswered Questions

Over the weekend I had a busy time of it, Saturday was soccer (played for the Reds, we won 4-0), taking cat piss stained carpet to the tip, fishing - didn't catch anything but did see a guy land a carp on a fly rod!! and then off to my mate Ash's birthday party (sitting around drinking and singing SingStar Anthems - not as good as the others I feel, I'm sure they could have picked more than 20 songs, unless they had a tight deadline... who can say?)

On Monday night I helped Ando pick up a quater ton of wood that that the council had chopped down (bush fire prevention work). I then went off to see Miami Vice with Ash!

I already had low expectations since I found out it wasn't going to be a comedy a la Starsky and Hutch style (a pity). But thought what the hey!
First impressions - I do like Michael Mann's directing style and I did appreciate the 'realism' of bullet wounds and what a 16 wheeler will do to you at 90 mph. Did like the global nature of the crime organisation (hinted at but never revealed the connection with the Chinese, gun running and mercenaries etc)
Second impressions - these are the things that bug you after a day or two; did not like either lead, none of the principals sounded convincing sprinkling their 'cop talk' with phrases like CONOPS, TACOPS, Counter-Intel, Go-Fast Boats etc They said those words but I'm not sure they really understood what they meant.
Also the big shoot out at the end in which they kill everybody who could help them with prosecuting 'Mr Big' and then let go a principle witness... WTF!!!
CONOPS will be pissed

Yeah gotta say I wasn't too impressed overall. Did like the Phil Collins cover at the end of the movie - nice reference to original series.

Nice Choreography

Just how much time did these guys spend getting the moves worked out and how many times did they try before they got in one take!?!?!?!
Link

Something to smile about

I like this one, good and light hearted.

Crisistunitity!!

I got really drunk on Wednesday night (it was our 3rd anniversary and I had to take a dog back to the pound), I won't bore you with the gruesome details - but lets just say I was late into work the next day.
As I was lying on my deathbed, Thursday morning when I heard the sound of running water. Thought maybe Karin was doing something in the kitchen. Turns out the on-suite was flooding.
Some idiot left the tap running (not going to name names, y'all know who you are).
Thats the crisis part.
The oppourtunity part - Karin has been on me for a year to get floorboards. I, for my part, have been stonewalling her. Well wet fucking carpet that smells of cat piss is REAL hard to ignore Buddy. Let me assure you of that now.

So I relent and now we are getting the floorboards next week and I have a happy wife.
Everybody wins, Baby!!!

1 - 2 - 3 = HATRICK!!!!

What a game, had to swap teams for soccer today (as I arrived late). So I was playing for the Blue Team (The Lightnings) instead of my traditional Red Team (The Spitfires).
It was a bit daunghting going up against my old team mates, BUT we kicked their arse!!!
Final score 4 - 0, with 3 goals from me!!!

Did shag my bum ankle though after the 3 goal, so while I have super pumped - I also have my leg elevated.

Not exactly to plan

Well Ole Rocky did go up to Mum and Dad's, but he came back with me. He is just too big and too strong from them to handle. That and he really seems to like chasing cats - not good.
So Rocky is back at our place, he gets on well enough with our dogs, except for Calvin (who is a shit), He doesn't get on with our cats, of which we have four.
So its a segregation policy in force I'm afraid.
I'm booking him in for 'spud removal' this week and Bark Busters are coming round on Sunday to try and cure the cat thing.
Unfortunately we can't keep him at our place four dogs and four cats is just too many. But we also don't want to pass on a problem. Here's hoping Rocky can find a good home out there!



+++++++++++++++++++ UPDATE UPDATE +++++++++++++++++
Poor old Rocky, on Wednesday we call from our neighbour that Rocky had jumped our fence and was in his backyard. It was no problem for Ian (our neighbour) to put him back in our garage. The bad news for Rocky is we can not keep him.
That afternoon I had the sad task of taking him back to the pound and surrendering him to their care. Fingers crossed this good ole boy, I hope there is a family out there who need a great dog, have no cats and a tall fence.

My new friend

This here is Earl, or Rocko I haven't decided which yet.
Today is the day I get him out of the pound and tomorrow we go for a drive up to the Blue Mountains where Mum and Dad will look after him.

I found Earl/Rocko a week ago, he was a stray wandering around the business park where I work. It was a Thursday afternoon and I had just finished up at the gym. As I was walking back to the office I noticed this handsome young fella, walking this way and that and enjoying the mid-winter sun.
I stopped to have a chat and see if he had any collar (which he didn't). I figured he belonged to one of the builders nearby and kept on my way to the office.
Rocko had other ideas.
He followed me into the foyer and I realized he was lost. So I took up to work and begun ringing around to see if anyone had reported him missing.
The RSPCA said no. The Pound said no. The building site said no. No near by vet clinics had a dog fitting his description. All the while I was doing this Earl/Rocko was sitting under my desk quietly, with only the occasional sigh escaping.
My work colleague Pete (who is also a dog person) looked on-line at the lost dog websites, we couldn't find any sign Rocko was missed. We gave Rocko some water and a few biscuits, which he appreciated. I could tell from his temperament, he was a well socialised dog, who knew basic instructions. Someone had lost him.

Well that was effectively the end of my working day, I took Rocko home and walked him over to our local vet to check if he had a microchip. On the way to the vet I noticed some markings on his side, some mongrel bastard had branded the word 'Pill' on him!?! Go figure.
To my relief (at this stage) Rocko was not micro-chipped, I would have hated to have given him back to the kind of dickheads who brand dogs.

Rocko stayed with us over night and with great regret in my heart, I had to drop him off at the pound on Friday morning. By now, Karin and I had decided Rocko would be coming home to live with us (making the grand total 4x Dogs, 4x Cats).
At the pound I was advised Rocko would stay there for 7 days and if no one claimed him, he could come home with us. The photo above is from the ACT Domestic Animal Services website Link
Well a week has been and gone and this afternoon I can pick him up.
I told Mum about Rocko and she said I have too many dogs as it is, her and Dad will will take Rocko as a companion for their dog Polly.

He is off to a great home tomorrow, where he can look forward to a long life of being spoilt and well loved.
Turned out nice again!

Goal scoring machine!

Dude, played soccer again on Saturday and freaking won the match!!
Final score 2-1 Spitfires defeat Lightnings.
I plugged the second goal for the Spitfires!

Needless to say I received a hero's welcome - from my dogs, when I got home (Karin was out). I gave a blow by blow account of the game to TJ, who looked on with awe and wonder (Calvin got bored and fell asleep, while Bishy walked off somewhere.)

Well I was excited...

Late but Great!!

Look what I got!!!!!

An original Judge Dredd, inked and coloured for me, by an actual 2000AD Judge Dredd Artist!!!!!!!!!!!!

Robin Smith worked on 2000AD during the early days progs 200 - 600, smack bang encompasing my collection. This is freaking amazing!!!

It turns our Robin is the neighbour (in the UK) of my Brother in Law (Karin's older brother). His wife is over visiting and she gave us this picture as a belated wedding present. Their neighbour Robin was kind enough to whip this one up at their request, after they found out what a Judge Dredd maniac I am.

What a fantastic gift and I am one proud groom. I've been a Dredd fan for over 20 years and I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I would be given something like this...

Words - failing - urge - to - be - crazy - happy - and - thank - baby - Jesus - rising....

Music Hop-scotch

Hmmm Yeah!! Bubbajay is a happy boy!!
I've got an invite to help guest programme a Folk Music show.
Now I know what you are thinking, 'Dear Bubbajay, you do know don't you that Blood Duster, although they are local, aren't actually a local band..?'
Yes I know and neither is 'Killed by Death', 'Fuck I'm Dead' or 'Mayhem'. (ps Mayhem is still my number one all time best concert, Norwegian Death Metal is where IT IS AT for a live show!!!) (Swear to God).

But, dear reader, you forget I also love Bluegrass, amongst other things. So I have a mission to put together a 2 hour Bluegrass special. Bubbajay is a happy man!
I was figuring on starting with 'Big Rock Candy Mountain' and try to hop-scotch to 'Folsolm Prision'.
Shouldn't be too hard, its resisting the urge to drink moonshine on air while I smoke my corn cobb all 'at way down the hollar thar...
Git my car all souped up and that, so as I can slide over the hood an all.
Yeah.... that's be jes fine, Pogo, jes fine.

Soccer, On Air, Pirates!!

Well Saturday was fun packed and no mistake.
My buddy Ash invited me to a 'semi-serious' game of soccer in the morning. Twas the Spitfires (red) vs the Lightnings (Blue). I was on the Red team with Ash and we kicked arse 4-2. We played for about an hour with 3 rests in between. Just good fun to be running about a field in winter, kicking a ball about with your mates.
Did notice however that even I've going to gym a fair bit this year, I have no where near the energy reserves of the 12 year boy who used to play soccer in Lower Hutt. My legs are hurting this morning.

Still must say I'm looking forward to next week!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I got on the radio and had 30 minutes of air time as well!! What a blast, it was fantastic fun and a lot easier than it looked. My very first on air track was 'When I was a Lad' from HMS Pinafore, thought that would be a suitable start. My host DJ was very gracious, I had brought along some tracks thinking I'd just be in the interview chair. But we had a talk and John offered to put me on from 1pm, so I took it!! Did a 30 minute spell and had a fantastic time!!
I'm very lucky to have had such a supportive mentor!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Saw Pirates O.T.C Dead Mans Chest last night, a lot of money for what essentially was a whole lot of filler. Just got the feeling of the story being streched out to accomodated a third film. Not to say that it wasn't bad, but I think Peter Jackson has a lot to answer for. He made it look easy.
Good fun, but perhaps it will bear up better once the third film is out.

Other notes, in the trailers they showed "Beyond the Sea - The Bobby Darin Story", I have seen that one in the States and I thought it was great.

Some time to mingle ...

Had a lovely introduction to the people of Artsound FM this evening.
One of the long time presenters was retiring and me and the rest of my classmates were invited to attend the party.
It was great everyone was very friendly and really positive about me joining the team! What a wonderful introduction!!
First question everyone asked me, "So, what sort of music do you like?" Thats a great question and an even better ice breaker at a Radio station party!

I may even be on air for bit tomorrow lunch time.... How exciting!!

Get back to where you belong!

Check out this LINK!!!
Kick ass 80's vids, currently enjoying Bomb the Base.
Something for everyone!!!

All Comedy Should Be Like This

This is funny, very funny. Look if you dare...
It is my idea of funny, it is my idea of comedy gold, it is performed by my hero's,
I love it.

4th of July and Superman

Today is the FOURTH of JULY a big deal to my friends in the States.
On Local radio here in Canberra the fuckwit ABC was holding a phone poll to see who was the greatest American - people conspicuous by their abcense; Frederik Douglas, Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincon, Ben Franklin (was mentioned, but none of the other founding fathers), Woodrow Wilson, Rosa Parkes, I could go on...
The Fourth of July is a celebration of the public reading of the Declaration of Independance, an interesting document in itself. All the people who signed this document, for I have seen a copy at the courthouse in Annapolis, were also signing their death warrant if they lost the war or were ever captured. To write this document and commit to this process and to publicly declare who you were (a traitor to the Crown) took balls. "Give me liberty or give me death" said Patrick Henry and he wasn't kidding - those were the choices.

So, I've spoken a bit about this twee poll conducted by ABC 666am (seriously, that is the freq of the station) who would I nominate? After some consideration I would nominate George Washington. Not for his qualities as a tactitian, he was competent not brilliant, but his qualities as a gentleman and as a hero for the people. When the Treaty of Paris has concluded the Continental Congress met to discuss the 'what next' question. Although the Bill of Rights had been drafted, this was a tenuous foundation for the Republic. Power could have abused outright and a dictatorship cum monarchy installed. George Washington was in a position to seize power, sweep away the Continental Congress and install himself as 'President for Life'. He was the Head of the Army, he had the troops, he would have won.
Instead he did something remarkable, he resigned his commission. He then went onto become the first and second president of the Republic and worked hard to consolidate the Republic. He was the citizen first and the solider second, a high minded ideal indeed.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As it is the Fourth of July, I though I would also post my review of 'Superman Returns' . I liked it I have to say. I thought it worked very well, I enjoyed the nod to the previous films and I think the new guy did a good job as Superman/Clark Kent.
Couldn't help thinking of the speech from Kill Bill 2 though.

Ghosts, Wine, Tigermoths and the return of the Trophy

What Ho Chaps!! Chocks Away!! Tally Ho!!

Sorry got a bit carried away there... Last Sunday I went up-ditty-up in a flying machine (a scracth built Dehavilland Tigermoth) and did FREAKY CRAZY SHIT 800m off the deck.
This is a photo of me just before the flight.

I'm sitting in the forward compartment (the flight stick was deactivated). It was fantastic I have to tell you. My brother in law Pinot was in the other Tigermoth and together we went up in formation. If you get the chance to fly in one of these planes I recommend you take it!!
For starts we took off on a grass strip, by my calculation it only needed about 100m's and we were away. It was loud, it was cold, it was awesome!!!
We did s-turns, loop the loops, barrell rolls and stall turns. We would go first and then Pinot and his pilot would follow. Just fantastic, what a great birthday present!!

But don't let me forget the night before we drove up to Camden (just outside Sydney) and had dinner with my parents and Vicki and Pinot at an old vineyard called Gladesbrook. The idea was we could try some of their wine before dinner, have a dinner and then go on a GHOST TOUR. The wine was pretty good, I can recommend their Whites, the dinner was nice 3 courses of good honest anglo food ("I want the blandest thing on the menu...") but the highlight of dinner was the live music by a very nice guy and his guitar. He sang some John Denver (which Dad and Karin loved) but I won't hold that against him.

So let me tell you about the GHOST TOUR , first of all let me say it wasn't Old Man Stewart trying to keep those darn kids away ('cause I know thats what your thinking...) The vineyard was the first settled homestead south of the original Sydney colony. So its been there for about 200 years, proir to that there was a healthy population of Aboriginies. Today there are no local indigenous people - so you can work out how that relationship went. But the $10 question, did I see a ghost................................................... Well no, but I did see Bogans - they were every where, some of them didn't even know they were Bogans.

So I had a great weekend and to top it all off, I went fishing on Sunday arvo with Graham and won The Trophy!!!!!!
What a fantastic weekend!!

Don't call it a 'comeback'...

So yeah...the doc gave me the all clear with my brain cyst.
In summary if I can live with it and it ain't causing me day to day hassle - we'll leave where it is. The cyst is currently over the part of my brain that deals with balance, so that explains the vertigo.
Guess that means I have to cancel the high wire act I was going to start up.

But I am good to resume mischief and mayhem!!

Fish Magic, an allclear and X-Men

So an update on the Brain Thing; I had my MRI today which was not nearly as freaky as I had thought. I lay on a slab, got pushed part way into a tube and was bombarded my magnetic pings for a bout 15 minutes. I fell asleep halfway through.
Tomorrow I pick up my results and its back to the GP for a follow up. I figure if was really serious they would have wisked me a way there and then.
So looking good all in all!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Last Sunrday was one of those fishing days where the fish are using their magic to fuck you up... ('cause they do have magic, I seen it. Yup!) I swapped rods before heading off, usually a bad sign, this had a lighter line for better casting and sensitivity. The problem with a lighter line is it does not work too well with a strong crosswind. I lost 2 hooks and a foot or so of line before I even got to cast in! All the while the temperature is dropping, my beer force field is waning and the darn hands are freezing up!!
Didn't win the trophy and the fish I did hook was a really good un, but me reel was busted and the drag didn't kick in... the fish shook the hook out!!!
Boy, I tell you whut... if I didn't love it - I'd wanna know why I was doing it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My review of X-Men 3
Have you seen Men in Black? Do you recall those memory wiping devices? If they could do that, give me my money back and replace my memory with a good fishing trip... I'd call it even.

It was shite, shite in all its possible glory and variations. It was Highlander 2 bad. It was Daredevil quality. It was up there with the worst and still I wanted to see it. I should never watch movie trailers, or perhaps the people that make the movie trailers should swap with the people who make the movies. I don't know... but it did suck arse.
How the hell did they get financing?? How the hell did they convince so many people to come back for the third film??

Time for the healing to begin I think, at least we've got superman to look forward to....

Radio

Hurrah!! So I began my presenters course for 92.7 Artsound Fm (Link) yesterday. Its great fun and in the not too distant future I WILL BE ON THE AIR!!
More Death Metal interspersed with the Modern Jazz Quartet!!!

Actually it will be a lot of fun learning all about hosting, interviewing, producing, mixing, recording and other cool radio stuff. They seem like a real nice bunch of guys and the class I'm in is a good mix of people.
Looking forward to next week.

I'm a Bad Man

Boy oh boy, I tell you whut Mister...

I have a great job, I know this, but sometimes I just feel bad when I can spend a 2 hour lunch break surfing YouTube for '80's rap video's.
I'm mean that ain't right, I'm getting paid for this.

So what did I learn from this research?
1. Flea provides the base line for Young MC's 'Bust a move'
2. LL Cool J will knock anybody out, but his mum has to tell him to first (weird really)
3. Flava Flav is still a funky mo' fo'
4. Bobby Brown was REALLY good. (Kinda fell apart after the whole married-to-a-drug-ho thing)

It is Friday though... if that helps...

I'm also older...

Turned 33 yesterday.
Had a great party on Saturday - Karin organised a trivia night and Singstar (heres fun - try Singstar as your favoutire cartoon character eg Mr Magoo vs "The Power of Love").
It was a joint party for a whole bunch of May Babies, seems every second person we know has a birthday this time of year.
So I drank a lot more than usual (wine, beer, uzo) and yet woke up none the worse for wear - but had a weird craving for pineapple juice and chocolate. Go figure!

Karin also out did herslf on the present side of things, she got me a stunt plane flight on a tiger moth. Gotta tell you I was a little aprehensive at first, but I found out that my favourite brother in law Pino is going to doing it with me (his birthday is June 10).
Man I hope I get to go first... I'll tell that pilot to do all the freaky shit he can.
Then dare Pino to go one better.

I love an audience!!

"Igor, whose brain did you give me?"

"It was Abby someone...."

Talked with the Doc last night, good news is my hearing is within normal parameters. Thanks to Death Metal concerts I have a slight loss at some high freq's (ie I can hear you talk if we are in a quiet room, but I can't hear a thing if we are in a cafe or anywhere with background noise) which is perfectly normal for some one of my age.
The scary news is I have a lump (or mass) slightly pushing on my brain about 2.5cm in size. The Doc advises this is probably a cyst of some type, but to be on the safe side he wants me to follow up with a MRI. Doc advises this with a high level of confidence, however it still bugs me a 'mass' of any sort is there.
So the latest conclusion, my hearing and ear related balance is fine. This mass is probably whats causing the dizziness and mild vertigo.

Yay! I feel much better...


"You-mean-I-put-an-AbNormal-brain-into-the-body-of-a-6-foot-homocidal-maniac!?!"

My BRAIN SCAN

Returned a positive result, apparently I do have a brain.
(I know it surprised my wife too!!)

Off to the Doc next week to discuss the results and get a hearing test. That should prove a bit more difficult, my right ear just seems to be harder to hear out of.

Perhaps its all in my mind... Wonder if there's a test for that as well (hmmm, do I own a James Blunt CD? Was I compelled to read 'The Da Vinci Code' despite having read 'Foucaults Pendulum'?
Seeing as I can answer NO to both those questions perhaps I do have a mind after all.)

Of Style and dress

This is an interesting site, The Satorialist, this guy takes photos of well dressed people or people that catch his eye around the streets of New York.

His aim is to capture style and fashion without being bitchy. I like his approach!!

Star Wars Parody

VERY funny piss take from the guys at Adult Swim.
How do you tell your boss the Death Star blew up....?
Link

Weebl & Bob

Check out the adventures of Weebl and Bob, its weird, its crazy, its all about pie.
This is my favourite episode so far - Team Laser Explosion 4!!
Link
And equally as good Bob's House Cleaning tips
Link

My Brain Hurts!!!

Actually it doesn't (anymore than usual) but I do get to have a BRAIN SCAN on Thursday!!!

Sounds pretty cool, eh!?! The reason I have to get a BRAIN SCAN is the Doc told me so. And the reason the Doc told me so, is because of two things;
1; I think I'm losing my hearing in my right ear,
2; I'm having trouble with my day to day sense of balance (ie Vertigo)

They are probably related to the same thing, so the Doc wants to be extra sure its not Brain Mutants or too much Playstation. Myself I'd say this has a lot to do with the amount of time I spend in planes. Which is more than I would like, but not as much as my company would like.

So while the jury is out on the Brain Mutants theory, I guess the CT scan will shed some light on the matter. Perhaps I can get a note to stay off planes for a few months!!

So Much for Cheese

I love food, can't live without the stuff.
I have a fondness for cuisene and enjoy eating a lot.
For wine, beer, water or drink of any sort - I do in fact support.
BUT
My neices have not yet grown into their taste buds.

Last Saturday we had a small party for Karin's birthday (observed Saturday, celebreated Monday). As I love to cook I fired up the ole imagination for a selection of foods to celebrate the birthday girl.
Roast lamb with garlic and rosemary seasoning.
pan fried baby potatos and fresh beans in a tomato sauce
Roasted butternut pumpkin
A soup of bacon hock, parsnip and sweet potato

Well it looked good and tasted great, to everyone but my youngest neice (whose 5). She picked and played with her food but on the whole didn't eat much.
Kinda bugs me, especially when she asked an hour later if there was anything to eat, but not what I had cooked.
You have to larf!

What comes around

I wrote a few posts back about an awesome fishing outing (7 of the buggers). Well the wheel has turned and my last outing with Graham was quite different. In fact I lost the coveted Fishing Trophy and went down 1 to 5.
The fish we are targetting on these trips are Carp, a pest to some but good fun to others. In my experience Carp have the following qualities, they are relatively easy to catch, they are great fun to land and they have sometimes subtle bites at the bait.
I would suggest that the policy of strike early and often can be applied. But like most things with fishing it would seem to me that this is tempered with what ever conditions the fish feel like on the day.
3 days betwen fishing outings, very similar conditions, very different outcomes. Not strickly speaking true, we didn't make our usual prayers and offerings to the fish god on the last trip out... Hmmmmm....

This is funny

Just found a new website called "New Grounds", a huge ass collection of flash animation.
Check out this series, http://www.newgrounds.com/collection/youareafuckingmoron.html

Basic premise, pointing out why certain (eg Jessica Simpson) people are fucking morons.

It make me laugh, boy!!

My Dog TJ

Our dog TJ (she's the one on the left, Calvin is in the middle and Bish is on the right) is geting old.
We also have 4 cats, but unless they are hungry or cold, I never hear from them.
As rule TJ won't eat her breakfast unless she has had a walk. As an additional special condition she also won't eat her breakfast unless it has milk poured on it (breakfast for everybody is cat and dog biscuits respectively) and not just girl milk but milk with true flavour.

So this morning I had got TJ her special biscuits, taken her for a walk and poured on the full cream milk... she followed me around because I had distracted her while making my cup of tea.

I don't know who's crazier, me or her.

7 with one go

Last night a titanic struggle was renewed for fishing supremecy between myself and my good buddy Graham for the Fishing Trophy.
I won and also took out the most fish award with 7 to his 3.
Funny story this, our rules are simple you can only cast out when both parties are ready or if the second party gives permission to the first (fair play).
We got to our fishing site and were all set to go when Graham discovered a birds nest in his line. I waited for a minute or two and Graham said 'cast away'. In less than minute I had hooked my first one and landed it before he had even wet his line.
That has just got to suck, I thought to myself. To be honest though I did share this though for the rest of the evening. Especially as I continued to real in fish after fish.
I had a great time.

However, I do not disallusion myself to believe all fishing trips are like this. I got lucky and thanked the fish god properly for this bounty.
Still, you have to laugh...

Hurricanes loss to the Brumbies

My team didn't do so well over the weekend, but I will not abandon them just yet.
I noted with pride that the pre-finals game plan of "cripple as many key players as possible" was exectued with gusto.
Like most crowd activities, it does need a critical mass, some spark to be applied for frenetic combustion. Sitting in sub-zero temperatures, drinking beer and trying not to hurt the ears of the young people nearby - not necessairily the best environment.

Well... so the crowd didn't really fire, it was still good fun. Even though we lost. And it was cold.

Super Ninja's

We Gemini's are thought to be impulsive by nature, a customer profile perhaps most sought by telemarkerters;
"Hi Mr Rose Eater, I'm Chang, calling from the ..."
"Fuck off and Die, Shit face" #Click#...

Hows that for Impulsive!!! I could have said "eat shit and Die". Decided to mix it up a bit. I'm that kind of guy.

Anyhow, my buddy Ash gave me a call the other day to 1; welcome me back home and 2; see if I wanted to play vollyball as a ringer for his team (the Super Ninja's). My impulse got the better of me and I said yes, turns out it the game wasn't until 9pm. I'd been back in the country for 2 days.
But it did sound like crazy ass fun and beer was sure to be involved and possibly volleyball. I said yes, I will be a Super Ninja. I didn't tell him I haven't played Volleyball since the 80's, as that may have hurt the ambience of camerardiry.

I won't give you a thrilling blow by blow account of the game, it was indoor vollyball not beach vollyball - nothing thrilling on the uniform side there. But I will expose a personality type I'm sure you'll find in every social sport leauge - Sport Billy-

Sport Billy is the kind of dickhead who doesn't think any of us should be there for either fun, the atmosphere or the promise of beer and Singstar kareoke. Oh dear me no, he's the kind of guy who chases every point, he's a colied spring of action, who could've made it big (if only there weren't people out there with actual talent) but is instead playing in a d grade social comp.
My friends, I met such a guy on that night of Volleyball.
He was a tool.

Scenes from a Mall

So today, I had the chance to grab some lunch while at a local Mall. If your interested it was some sort of generic pan-asian cuisine.
It filled me up.

So anyway, I'm sitting there eating hurriedly, surrounded by children and 'young adults' when I spy the movie theatre with its list current features. I'm aware there has been a decline in movie going patronage, people claim the DVD has much to do with this. I propose that movies today are a steaming pile of shite.
Its currently some sort of Easter School Holidays for the wee 'uns and for their viewing pleasure we had on offer;
Shaggy Dog
She's the Boss
Ice Age2
March of the Penguins
Failure to Launch
Yours mine and Ours
Worlds fastest Indian

May I offer the following as way of critical assessment;
Shaggy Dog - It wasn't funny the first time. Tim Allen sure as hell won't make it any funnier.
She's the Boss - And yet I still don't care, unless... nope PG-13
Ice Age 2 - Note to Hollywood, Queen Latifah as comic relief - works better when the aim is to actually produce any unfunny character, not the consequence.
March of the Penguins - Not the next film in the Batman franchise, boy was I disappointed.
Failure to Launch - Succeeds to Suck.
Yours, Mine and Ours - Blah-Blah parents get married, Blah-Blah odd couple set up, blah-blah kids from each previous family, Blah-Blah for some reason they get 'revenge', blah-blah you could have brought 4 beers from your friends with the money you spend on this crap.
Worlds Fastest Indian - .... yeah, I still don't care.

Every minute I spend with bored kids in public spaces make want to put that microwave on high for 30 minutes and hold it to my crotch. The children of all ages in this mall food court were as you can imagine, acting like kids usually do. They were irrating the hell of the adults sentence to mind them.
I tell you what partner, I've had 2 days off in the past 6 weeks - the last thing I would want to do on a holiday is hang around some dribbling fuckwit with the table manners of a council worker, the vocabulary of a Sun Herald newspaper and the conversation of morning/drive time radio DJ.
I have no idea how teachers or parents manage it.

Farewell to arms

So this the last hours and minutes of San Diego.
A storm has rolled up from the south, carrying rain and fantastic vistas across the Eastern Pacific. I’ve been chased from one side of the country to the other by rain.
How pleasing to be free at last of work, to have an end to the week.

How great it will be to get home at last. There is just one pillow in the world I’m after and no 5 star hotel can do better than the pillow sitting on my bed.
I’m looking forward to my cats, my dogs, my wife. Its always hard coming home, it takes me a day or two to get use to Karin. She is not a very flexible character, but she has learnt to try and keep the house in a semblance of tidy. But I’m always in a bad mood once I step off the plane. One of my theories is the absence of personal space.
So many and such a small area, that and I hate airline food and have been screwed around a good few times while travelling for work.
It does make wonder when the ‘Jet Age’ died, because to tell you the truth – I missed it. These days there are no cocktails, people in sharp suits, looking suave and smug and exciting. And don’t hold a mirror up to me kids, ‘cause you are sure as hell not going to see me looking any better than the dishevelled zombies usually hanging limply in a chair throughout airports anywhere in the world.
But there is no faster way of travelling. My suggestion (thus legitimising my complaining) is for someone clever (that ain’t me by the way) to invent some kind of virtual world total immersion thingy. For example say your stuck on a flight for 8 hours, would you rather a; sit there eating shitty food, in a crappy seat with bad airconditioning that messes with your ears…..or……slip into the holodeck or whatever and go fishing or rockclimbing or whatever you think will take up 8 worthwhile hours of your life. It’s the least they could do I tells ya.
I just think that would be fun, I just hate wasting my life in pressurised tin cans, watching tiny movies and drinking heavily.

People and good art

I took the train to Washington DC yesterday.
Which I could tell was a lot eaiser than driving. Don't get me wrong, I can drive quite happily in both styles, but the roads around here are mostly beltways with a scary habit of keeping you always an equal distance from where you want to go.

So Washington by train. The hotel dropped me off and all was well at BWI Light Rail. The rain that had been holding off gave up and started in ernest. Lending a pleasant, get into a gallery or meseum asap air to the day.
Union Station was without a doubt a train station, I could tell that at once. The funny thing about arriving in a new city, even one as familiar to the eye as Washington, is without a map - you have no idea where to go. It turns out that from Union Station a five minute walk will take you to the Capitol Building and from there to all the more famous sites.

The Capitol Building is as impressive as it seems. I made my way down to the Grant memorial and from there looking back up the hill, could see where the presidents are inuagirated. Quite a sight. After consulting my map I chose the right hand side and dropped in on the National Gallery of Modern Art. To my surprise there was a DADA exhabition in progress. Complete with a Dada orchestra giving lunch time performances. I know little of Dada, but can report the following;
1) Dada was a generation movement
2) Mostly by people who were disgusted by the power structure that killed so many millions of young men in World War 1
3) They were really angry

For example the Dada orchestra was non-sensicle, 16 pianos, 4 drums, fire alams, alarm clocks and no structure or melody. Which struck me as a great way to piss people off. To just really get under the skin of the audience. Especially if that audience is being ernest and trying to find the deeper meaning to this cacophany. I lasted about 8 minutes.
Radio Dada is not on the air.

Just missing the Arctic

Have finally seen and touched the Atlantic ocean. I can now say with a straight face that I have seen the Indian, Pacific, Great Southern and lately the Atlantic. To the best of my knowledge that leaves only the Arctic and seriously, I'm okay with that.

in the footsteps of Cornwallis, Washington, McCellan, Lee, Grant and Sherman

Today I am in Norfolk, Virginia (Richmond is the capital, Norfolk was where Jefferson Davis was imprisoned after the Civil War).
The drive from Baltimore to Norfolk was along the various penisulas that so many soldiers have tramped in many a war. Not far from here is Yorktown scene of the British surrender to the continental army. Out around the corner from my hotel is the Hampton Roads and the location of the primary eastern seaboard naval yards. Also where the USS Merrimack was refitted as the CSS Virginia.
Toward the end of this peninsula is the stretch of water on which the USS Chesapeake and HMS Shannon slugged it out for the first major victory of the Royal Navy over the Continental Navy during the War of 1812.
We drove almost parallel to Sherman's march to the sea and crossed the Rappahannock not more than a few miles from the Wilderness and Manassas.
I confess its an odd feeling to be on such ground, a good deal of the drive was past farms and shabby looking houses. Almost as soon as you drive into Virginia from 'The North' there is a lack of wealth. though I'm told it won't be too long before the suburbs start their inevitable creep south.
Unlike Australia, we would not have driven more than half a mile without seeing a house or store of some description. In Australia you can drive for hours and hours.
As for Norfolk itself I reserve judgement until tomorrow, tonite I'm off in search of a beer and dinner. Tomorrow its off to the coast and my first look at the Atlantic...

You ever see GoodFellas?

Just had lunch in Bar that looks like the mob built and runs.

Very dark (for clandestine meetings), low ceilings (for short Mediterranean types), good wholesome food (Cheese Burgers and beer), there woods are nearby and several express ways (should you need to drop a friend off in the Woods for whatever reason, he can always hitch a lift back into town - assuming he still has his thumbs).

My friend who took me there talked it up as a great place to go for lunch. I've made a mental note to laugh at all his jokes and never say anything 'disrespectful' about his mother.

I wish I were in Dixie...

Hurrah! Hurrah!
This week I'm over in the East Coast for a change. Baltimore, Maryland to be precise. Which is as fine a place as anyone should be. Tomorrow its up stakes and over to Norfolk Virginia for a few days then back to Maryland before shipping out via Washington for San Diego.

Main things I have noticed - fewer Mexicans than in San Diego, as much congestion on the roads, food is better overall, Americans as a rule are still the politest people I know of, the weather is very similar to NZ (West Coast is more similar to Aus).

Yesterday I got the chance to visit Annapolis and the Naval acadamy. I confess a strong interest in Early American History right up to the Civil War, so it was a real treat to visit the state house of Annapolis. Famous for the following, was the Contenintal Capital for short time, was where congress ratified the Treaty of Paris (ending the revolution and giving British recognition to the new Nation) and interestingly where General Washington resigned his commission after the ceasation of hostilities.
Much has been written of the qualities of General Washington, but I never knew this of him. Quite a selfless act all things considered.

Tumut, Wine, Bogans, Whips

I was out at Tumut NSW this Saturday to help sell wine for a friend of Trev.
Trev runs a company called Wine by Choice, which simply put resells wine from boutique vineyards around Australia. Its not a subsrciption based service more of a shopping service over the phone. You ring up when you want wine.

So anyway I'm out at Tumut. Its a lovelly little Snowy Mountains village (pop. 6,000) that is surviving thanks to the presence of the VISY paper mill on the edge of town. Its a 2.5 hour drive from Canberra and we got to the show grounds around 8.30am. I had the feeling this was going to be a good if slow day.
There were already horses and stock being prepared for show and the smell of horse and fresh hay brought back some memories. After a bit of fuss we set up in the 'beer garden', the organisers had got us a tressel table and the local car salesman had lent us a pair of umberalls to keep the sun off. Very nice people, very friendly folk.
Even got to meet the mayor of Tumut!!

As the day wore on and sun climbed up, the bar opened and people dropped in for a beer. I don't think we had the best kind of advertising (or probably the best product - everyone was drinking beer!!). Soon enough a mould of bogans set up behind us around lunch time and proceeded to start drinking. I hate bogans, white trash scum who are sure to surface at events like these.
They had the necessary number of children in tow, all of whom were hopped up on sugar and were stuck with the parent in the beer garden.
This was the only cloud in otherwise great, fun day. Stay in school kids, no matter who your parents are.

We finished up around 5pm and drove home all tuckered out. Sunday I slept in until the princely hour of 7.30am. Would have been longer but the cats were getting shirty at being made to wait for their food!!