Protest

I could so easily get behind this kind of protest movement.

(HERE)

A Burden

One thing I have never liked doing at Christmas is Christmas Cards. I dislike writing them, I dislike receiving them. Especially in the corporate world, I intensely dislike having to write a card to clients ('Dear Dude, thank you for spending money with us. Have a safe holiday break so you can continue to spend money. Like I care, Bubba.')

But some people get really a-retentive about it. They have to get the cards out in time etc. Cards which typically contain some personailsed image of family or pets in Christmas Drag. You know what I'm talking about, the Santa Beanies with or without flashing lights.

Now I am all for Christmas decorations, I love them. I will be your personal shopper for decorations. But the cards don't do anything for me. It surprises me when I come across people who actually care that I have not sent them a card. To whit my response can only be, you obviously don't know me that well (ergo why would I want to send you a card?) .

So if you wish to know for sure if I care about during our festival of Jesus, ring me or I will call you. And I can tell you as a spoiler, I do care I just don't like Christmas cards.

This time of year

When I was a wee lad (almost 30 years ago) I used to hate this time of year. School was dragging on and on and on and on... It seemed like the holidays would never get here and that Christmas was miles away.
I recall walking to school one morning thinking 'This is just such a waste of time for everybody. We should scrap the pretense and have Christmas next week. This intervening time is just filler.'

I was a very philosophical child. Perhaps I'm thinking about it as a portent of my own child. This will be her first Christmas and I wonder what she will make of it. Probably not that much on the day, but I know she will love seeing her cousins up in Sydney.

Sea of Sounds

There is a new store that may just be constructed entirely out of awesome called the 555 Music Company (check it, HERE).
The specialise in unusual and wonderful guitars and accessories. A buddy of mine from band practice put me onto them. But the other reason why they are awesome is their Saturday in store concerts. Put on for free (bring your own beer), one sits around on comfy couches and chilaxes!

Well yesterday we took CJ to her first gig, the family all went and checked out the amazing Mr Kutcha Edwards. He was fantastic an absolutely wonderful artist. He had the kind of voice and projection that infects you with a sense of humility and awe. A truely moving concert and free!!

If you ever find yourself in Melbourne on a Saturday arvo, checl out the 555 Music Company.

Smells of Summer

I'm working from home this week. Its been super hot in the house the past couple of days and we don't have air conditioning (yet). One of the few advantages of having to go into an office each day.

Well its a bit cooler today, thankfully. Outside a breeze is blowing and its carrying the smell of smoke and bush fires. Sadly this smell always reminds me of Summer.

Time and Music

for a moment on the 'Internets' there was a rehashing of an old question (What would you do if an alien landed and invited you into their flying saucer for a faster than light ride?) this one involving time travel back to the 11th century in Europe.

Most of the answers that I saw were from nerds in America (ps link to an article as to why Wikipedia is terrible HERE) who claimed their superior knowledge of chemistry/biology/math/economics/engineering would ensure they lived a rich and prosperous life.
My problem with such claims of genius are;
1) You could get burnt at the stake for just about anything in those days
2) Nobody likes a smart arse (see 1.)

But would you want to go back a 1,000 years anyway? Life was awful, brutish and short. I'm reading Xenophons account of the 10,000 crossing Persia, guys who a 30 years old are regarded as almost cripples because of their age. I doubt things had improved by the year 1000.

If it were up to me and I could take a trip for one evening back in time, I think I'd like to sit in on the recording of Miles Davis 'Kind of Blue'. As opposed to sitting in a hovel, planning my Gatsby like rise to money and influence. All the while praying someone invents toilet paper soon.