I've been a bad student of French lately.
I've missed my classes last week, so I'm a little behind (petite derierre ho-ho).
At the moment I'm trying to catch up with what I assume is the bits I've missed out on. Thankfully I don't seem to have forgotten too much.
It would seem though that the difference between the Saturday and Week classes are the difference between the slow and fast class. Saturday being for the nonstandard picnic allocation of sandwiches (cruel I know, but there you have it).
My plan is to be good enough with French to get about the Loire next year. Also the plan is to provide enough brain exercise to stop my mind from turning to porridge.
I'm committed to learning French.
Just means a wee bit of hard work catching up and I'm ready for that!
To Know Me Is To Love Me...
- BubbaJay
- Suave raconteur and dinner party favourite. Once held the Olympic torch, has delivered newspapers to prime ministers, shaken hands with Prince Charles, wrecked Jason Donovan's skateboard, climbed 300 metre granite cliff faces, surfed with dolphins, appears on community radio and is in demand for these and the accounts of other thrilling exploits!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Blogging versus Facebook
I think they can work in parallel.
But to be honest I don't really understand how to use Facebook. Still working my way through it.
I prefer blogging. Easier to jot down thoughts and post photos etc.
But to be honest I don't really understand how to use Facebook. Still working my way through it.
I prefer blogging. Easier to jot down thoughts and post photos etc.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
New Job first impressions
There is a business expression, used to describe a market space that is ready for growth but empty of competition; Blue Ocean.
What they don't tell you is the total absence of any structure.
Well it will be an experience to build it up I guess.
What they don't tell you is the total absence of any structure.
Well it will be an experience to build it up I guess.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Little Things
Its been something of week alright, lemme see now; started a new job, car broke down, got fixed, laptop crashed, friend passed away, went to a funeral yesterday and off to Melb on Monday to see a beautiful lady.
And right now I'm ready to do my 'Drive Show' on the radio. Currently I'm distracting myself with Motley Crue. I'm trying to get out of a reflective funk yesterday put me in.
I've also noticed that I'm a little out of condition exercise wise. I haven't been bike riding as much as usual. Did a 14km ride this morning legs were okay, but I could feel 14km is about as much as I could handle.
Still its good to be here and among such fine friends.
And right now I'm ready to do my 'Drive Show' on the radio. Currently I'm distracting myself with Motley Crue. I'm trying to get out of a reflective funk yesterday put me in.
I've also noticed that I'm a little out of condition exercise wise. I haven't been bike riding as much as usual. Did a 14km ride this morning legs were okay, but I could feel 14km is about as much as I could handle.
Still its good to be here and among such fine friends.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
TikiGod
Is the name of my new car.
He is a Blue '99 Honda CR-V, very handy for getting around in.
He gets the name TikiGod from an air freshener I bought for him last weekend. It is in the shape of an Hawaiian Fire God (or so it seems to me) and it gives off the smell of coconut.
Now I am not normally a fan of coconut, but this smell (like most synthetics) reminds me of the beach, of surf, sand, wet hair, sunblock and the icecream/gelato you have afterwards.
But most of all TikiGod does two things extra;
1: He offers sage advice while driving, "TikiGod says, this is nice day for drive" or "TikiGod says, you look ugly in those sunglasses - appease me!"
2: TikiGod's smell reminds of someone very special, and with that she is always in the car with me.
He is a Blue '99 Honda CR-V, very handy for getting around in.
He gets the name TikiGod from an air freshener I bought for him last weekend. It is in the shape of an Hawaiian Fire God (or so it seems to me) and it gives off the smell of coconut.
Now I am not normally a fan of coconut, but this smell (like most synthetics) reminds me of the beach, of surf, sand, wet hair, sunblock and the icecream/gelato you have afterwards.
But most of all TikiGod does two things extra;
1: He offers sage advice while driving, "TikiGod says, this is nice day for drive" or "TikiGod says, you look ugly in those sunglasses - appease me!"
2: TikiGod's smell reminds of someone very special, and with that she is always in the car with me.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Where have I been
Boy I tell you whut Bubba's, these last two weeks have been a blur. In fact its felt like a lifetime has past.
With good reason (and that is all ye know and ye need to know, my dears).
Last week I spent my week in the company of a trained health proffesional relaxing on the beaches of Jervis Bay. Lazing around on the whitest sands in NSW, eating fine food and drinking fancy wine. This week just gone I have been in Melbourne, again under the close personnel care of a highly trained medic - ensuring my sanity and health and relaxation.
I feel great, fighting fit anf twice and dangerous.
Which is handy because I start my new job on Monday!!!
And I finally sold my car, I now have a '99 Honda CRV.
Its Blue.
With good reason (and that is all ye know and ye need to know, my dears).
Last week I spent my week in the company of a trained health proffesional relaxing on the beaches of Jervis Bay. Lazing around on the whitest sands in NSW, eating fine food and drinking fancy wine. This week just gone I have been in Melbourne, again under the close personnel care of a highly trained medic - ensuring my sanity and health and relaxation.
I feel great, fighting fit anf twice and dangerous.
Which is handy because I start my new job on Monday!!!
And I finally sold my car, I now have a '99 Honda CRV.
Its Blue.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Another Music Classic
One of my on going arguments/dialogues with Deano is the subject of covers.
In my humble opinion and cover should improve a song showing it in a new light. You can see these most clearly when a cover fails to do even basic respect to the original.
This video is a worthwhile reminder as to why The Beatles are probably the most innovative and influential bands of the last century. This is a complex peice with 2 time signatures, very moody harmonies and quite a high pitch and timbre on the vocals.
I mention it here because it has been successfully cover a number of times. New tones and colours have been found and enhanced.
So I hope you'll enjoy this very early recording of 'We can work it out'.
(its been something of an anthem for me this week).
In my humble opinion and cover should improve a song showing it in a new light. You can see these most clearly when a cover fails to do even basic respect to the original.
This video is a worthwhile reminder as to why The Beatles are probably the most innovative and influential bands of the last century. This is a complex peice with 2 time signatures, very moody harmonies and quite a high pitch and timbre on the vocals.
I mention it here because it has been successfully cover a number of times. New tones and colours have been found and enhanced.
So I hope you'll enjoy this very early recording of 'We can work it out'.
(its been something of an anthem for me this week).
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Healing
Well as I write this I'm going through one the longest and most drawn out resignations from a job I've ever had to do.
It looks like tomorrow will definitely be my last day. Its been a wasteful period of my life and very stressful. I am emotionally and physically exhausted and every minute just reminds me why I have to leave.
To resign I first have to announce my decision, then my direct report/boss and I have to agree on a last day, then I complete a handover, then leave.
I resigned formally last Wednesday and have not spoken to my boss since then. Despite numerous emails and phone messages, he has avoided me. So today I gave him an ultimatum announcing that tomorrow will be my last day, full stop. He responded with another turn of the screw and said as I am apparently obliged to provide 30 days notice, my annual leave will be used to fill the balance of the notice period.
This is the professional working relationship I have with my direct report. This is why my work life has been an utter misery for the last few months. This is why I'm leaving.
Years ago I used to work for someone who is almost a carbon copy of this guy. Had a vindictive power/control abusive streak. The only thing you can do is weather it out, assume a stoic zen like quality. This too will pass.
I don't want revenge or payback, I want to leave on good terms. This is testing my patience.
*****
But there is an upside and its a great upside. I have recently started going out with a wonderful lady friend. She is nurse, caring, beautiful, wise and sexy. She lives in Melbourne but is coming up to spend next week with me. Its the light at the end of the tunnel that will make all of this worthwhile.
It looks like tomorrow will definitely be my last day. Its been a wasteful period of my life and very stressful. I am emotionally and physically exhausted and every minute just reminds me why I have to leave.
To resign I first have to announce my decision, then my direct report/boss and I have to agree on a last day, then I complete a handover, then leave.
I resigned formally last Wednesday and have not spoken to my boss since then. Despite numerous emails and phone messages, he has avoided me. So today I gave him an ultimatum announcing that tomorrow will be my last day, full stop. He responded with another turn of the screw and said as I am apparently obliged to provide 30 days notice, my annual leave will be used to fill the balance of the notice period.
This is the professional working relationship I have with my direct report. This is why my work life has been an utter misery for the last few months. This is why I'm leaving.
Years ago I used to work for someone who is almost a carbon copy of this guy. Had a vindictive power/control abusive streak. The only thing you can do is weather it out, assume a stoic zen like quality. This too will pass.
I don't want revenge or payback, I want to leave on good terms. This is testing my patience.
*****
But there is an upside and its a great upside. I have recently started going out with a wonderful lady friend. She is nurse, caring, beautiful, wise and sexy. She lives in Melbourne but is coming up to spend next week with me. Its the light at the end of the tunnel that will make all of this worthwhile.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
There is Jazz and then there is...
Last week (boy that seems like a lifetime ago) I got invited to see an experimental jazz trio called 'The Necks' (probably seemed like a good enough name at the time).
I say experimental and use the word Jazz here in a very lose, flippy floppy sense of the word. Before I go into a well researched and attentive review let me share with you my perspective of Jazz and Blues for that matter. Jazz is not a style, it is a discipline. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Count Bassie, Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis; these are all great names, great artists.
They worked hard on their craft, they honed it. Music was changed forever because of their spirit and ambition to create a new sound. A sound based on improvisation but also of structure. Coltrane would practice scales for hours every day, not just to improve his speed but to tune his ear.
So let me say that there is good Jazz and there is bad jazz. Bad jazz is what you'll usually hear out in the open at a bear garden or wedding or function. Its a couple of guys who do this gig in their spare time. They emulate. They copy. They repeat. They sometimes even hurt music. What they do not do is demonstrate true talent.
With Blues, in my opinion, it is the same. I see blues acts a lot that are just idiots who ape the musical style, either through theatrics or just blaise note for note copying. Or even worse through excessive use of the slide guitar. Let me explain this way, Eric Clapton plays the blues but Buddy Guy is MF The Blues.
Okay you still with me?
So this band called The Necks, they were weird. The theatre was packed, we were lucky to get tickets it seemed. The lights dim and 3 guys come out on stage (drums, double bass, piano). For a moment they fiddle around, tunning, adjusting a seat here, collecting drum sticks there.
Then, nothing. They pause eyes bowed and wait. Judging the moment someone starts a riff and slowly the others join in and the concert has begun. The music was of an atonal variety. Meaning there was no devotion to melody or harmony, but there was structure. The first hour was a freakish collection of sounds that evolved into a story. I found my self with eyes closed imagining a haunted house, with errie dripping taps and shutters banging on windows.
The piece or construction built and built, it was hard to tell where they were going with it. But it did end. Rapturous applause followed. It was a true sound scape indeed.
By the second half the gimmick had worn off some for me. I found the next hour to be tiresome, lots of disjointed bangs, squeaks and the occasional chord. You could get a half dozen drunken monkeys to do something similar, but it would take an awful lot of time to train them to be that annoying.
So the second half did not work for me at all.
But there is another review (HERE) please feel free to compare and contrast views.
So if I were to conclude and given my earlier statement on passion, discipline and commitment - where do I stand on The Necks? (sic).
Somewhere in between to be honest. To improvise the way they did requires an excellent knowledge of the other musicians as well as your instrument. But if it misses the mark, it does so widely in my book.
I say experimental and use the word Jazz here in a very lose, flippy floppy sense of the word. Before I go into a well researched and attentive review let me share with you my perspective of Jazz and Blues for that matter. Jazz is not a style, it is a discipline. Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, Milt Jackson, Count Bassie, Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis; these are all great names, great artists.
They worked hard on their craft, they honed it. Music was changed forever because of their spirit and ambition to create a new sound. A sound based on improvisation but also of structure. Coltrane would practice scales for hours every day, not just to improve his speed but to tune his ear.
So let me say that there is good Jazz and there is bad jazz. Bad jazz is what you'll usually hear out in the open at a bear garden or wedding or function. Its a couple of guys who do this gig in their spare time. They emulate. They copy. They repeat. They sometimes even hurt music. What they do not do is demonstrate true talent.
With Blues, in my opinion, it is the same. I see blues acts a lot that are just idiots who ape the musical style, either through theatrics or just blaise note for note copying. Or even worse through excessive use of the slide guitar. Let me explain this way, Eric Clapton plays the blues but Buddy Guy is MF The Blues.
Okay you still with me?
So this band called The Necks, they were weird. The theatre was packed, we were lucky to get tickets it seemed. The lights dim and 3 guys come out on stage (drums, double bass, piano). For a moment they fiddle around, tunning, adjusting a seat here, collecting drum sticks there.
Then, nothing. They pause eyes bowed and wait. Judging the moment someone starts a riff and slowly the others join in and the concert has begun. The music was of an atonal variety. Meaning there was no devotion to melody or harmony, but there was structure. The first hour was a freakish collection of sounds that evolved into a story. I found my self with eyes closed imagining a haunted house, with errie dripping taps and shutters banging on windows.
The piece or construction built and built, it was hard to tell where they were going with it. But it did end. Rapturous applause followed. It was a true sound scape indeed.
By the second half the gimmick had worn off some for me. I found the next hour to be tiresome, lots of disjointed bangs, squeaks and the occasional chord. You could get a half dozen drunken monkeys to do something similar, but it would take an awful lot of time to train them to be that annoying.
So the second half did not work for me at all.
But there is another review (HERE) please feel free to compare and contrast views.
So if I were to conclude and given my earlier statement on passion, discipline and commitment - where do I stand on The Necks? (sic).
Somewhere in between to be honest. To improvise the way they did requires an excellent knowledge of the other musicians as well as your instrument. But if it misses the mark, it does so widely in my book.
Friday, February 15, 2008
A good place to start.
I get people ask me all the time where I get my music for my World Music show. Well one of the best sources is the Putumayo record label.
They support a fantastic selection of musicians and in return we get a wonderful sampler of music we just wouldn't find otherwise.
This is my current favourite album from Putumayo
Lots of great funky tracks from North Africa. I hope one day to be able to follow the Paris to Dakar rally, and these tracks really put me in the mood!
Hope you try them out sometime.
They support a fantastic selection of musicians and in return we get a wonderful sampler of music we just wouldn't find otherwise.
This is my current favourite album from Putumayo
Lots of great funky tracks from North Africa. I hope one day to be able to follow the Paris to Dakar rally, and these tracks really put me in the mood!
Hope you try them out sometime.
Time management in French
Boy I tell you whut, I'm loving my French course. The people (there are about 8) are really cool and friendly, ages range from young un's to oldies.
But the class times are 6 - 8pm Tues, Thurs and its a pain in butt to try and get something to eat afterward that isn't crappy junk food...
Oh well something I'll need to work on.
But the class times are 6 - 8pm Tues, Thurs and its a pain in butt to try and get something to eat afterward that isn't crappy junk food...
Oh well something I'll need to work on.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Link to an on air blog
Okay Cats and Kittens, thanks to the power of the internets my on air partner in crime, Deano set up a blog site for our monthly Monday night radio duet.
Called Down in the Basement Laboratory, we've posted the track listings and will link more stuff over time.
But it is a chance to get a feel for the music we play.
In other radio news I've been offered a late, late night spot to do pretty much what ever the hell I want on Wednesday nights!!!
The only catch is that it is 10pm - 12pm. Still the opportunity for mischief is hard to turn down...
We took the name Down in the Basement Laboratory because we play a very funk heavy vibe in our set. DIB is traditionally a Jazz based show, so we invented the 'Funk Laboratory' (which happens to be next door to the Basement) to give us some latitude.
So I'm Prof JR and he's Dr Deano, and together in the Funk Laboratory we experiment with distilling the essence of Funk and or Groove!
Called Down in the Basement Laboratory, we've posted the track listings and will link more stuff over time.
But it is a chance to get a feel for the music we play.
In other radio news I've been offered a late, late night spot to do pretty much what ever the hell I want on Wednesday nights!!!
The only catch is that it is 10pm - 12pm. Still the opportunity for mischief is hard to turn down...
We took the name Down in the Basement Laboratory because we play a very funk heavy vibe in our set. DIB is traditionally a Jazz based show, so we invented the 'Funk Laboratory' (which happens to be next door to the Basement) to give us some latitude.
So I'm Prof JR and he's Dr Deano, and together in the Funk Laboratory we experiment with distilling the essence of Funk and or Groove!
Friday, February 08, 2008
A fun Space Blog
And no this is not a link to a nerdtastic sci-fi web site.
Its a link to the blog of the Sydney Observatory. I love astronomy and am very lucky that the night sky over Canberra suffers very little light pollution.
I've found this blog to be both fun and interesting with some great links to the local astronomy community. Well worth a look.
Its a link to the blog of the Sydney Observatory. I love astronomy and am very lucky that the night sky over Canberra suffers very little light pollution.
I've found this blog to be both fun and interesting with some great links to the local astronomy community. Well worth a look.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Kinda Superbowl
Today was Superbowl Monday (results here)
Patriots vs The Giants, I do enjoy Superbowl Monday, one of the pleasures of working for a US company was being able to take the day off to watch the game. This year I was able to sneak out to a club and catch half the match.
Superbowls are usually not cliff hangers historically, typically one team gets a lead by about the 2nd quarter and there is usually a wide spread.
This years game was a low scoring affair, both teams pretty evenly matched skill wise. But neither team was really firing either (just after half time the commentators announced banana's had been rushed to the players to boost their energy!!)(True story!).
Well that wraps up NFL season, soon Super 14 kicks off!!
Patriots vs The Giants, I do enjoy Superbowl Monday, one of the pleasures of working for a US company was being able to take the day off to watch the game. This year I was able to sneak out to a club and catch half the match.
Superbowls are usually not cliff hangers historically, typically one team gets a lead by about the 2nd quarter and there is usually a wide spread.
This years game was a low scoring affair, both teams pretty evenly matched skill wise. But neither team was really firing either (just after half time the commentators announced banana's had been rushed to the players to boost their energy!!)(True story!).
Well that wraps up NFL season, soon Super 14 kicks off!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Oh La La etc
Have seized the day and will begin to execute on one of New Years resolutions next week - Travel to Europe.
I've enrolled at the Alliance Francaise school so as to talk all Frenchy and stuff while I'm taking a cycling tour along the Loire river.
Have shit house French speaking skills, so the chance to improve quickly is one I'm looking forward to.
Alliance Francaise is a great organisation which promotes the language and culture of France. I'm really looking forward to being part of the experience. Here in Australia (pronounced Straya) we have a TV channel called SBS - the multi-cultural channel (as it is known). Blah blah exposition re SBS. At 6pm they have this top show called Global Village, its a series of imported documentaries about people from all over the world. One of their more popular series covers the rivers in France, taking a tour by barge, cycling about in the day. Eating great food and generally having an awesome time.
Its that show thats made me want to talk Frenchy, ride my bike, hang out on a barge and travel along the Loire.
And it all kicks off next week.
I've enrolled at the Alliance Francaise school so as to talk all Frenchy and stuff while I'm taking a cycling tour along the Loire river.
Have shit house French speaking skills, so the chance to improve quickly is one I'm looking forward to.
Alliance Francaise is a great organisation which promotes the language and culture of France. I'm really looking forward to being part of the experience. Here in Australia (pronounced Straya) we have a TV channel called SBS - the multi-cultural channel (as it is known). Blah blah exposition re SBS. At 6pm they have this top show called Global Village, its a series of imported documentaries about people from all over the world. One of their more popular series covers the rivers in France, taking a tour by barge, cycling about in the day. Eating great food and generally having an awesome time.
Its that show thats made me want to talk Frenchy, ride my bike, hang out on a barge and travel along the Loire.
And it all kicks off next week.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Pervert
At what point do you think to yourself, 'I've ridden my bike enough today'.
After 14kms, 24kms, 46kms?
I did 48kms yesterday and was almost going to do another 30 when I decided I might want to use my legs today.
Sometimes you have to have a self intervention.
After 14kms, 24kms, 46kms?
I did 48kms yesterday and was almost going to do another 30 when I decided I might want to use my legs today.
Sometimes you have to have a self intervention.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Magazine Reading
I've never been a magazine reader (with one exception), since my days in direct marketing it became dog bollocks obvious to me that the purpose of any magazine is to get you to buy the next months issue.
Usually at the cost of content, which meant more adds or self promotion about the particular 'x-factorness' of the current well hid corporate sponsors product.
Ahem... But there are a couple of magazines whose online issues I do read most every week
The Economist and The New Yorker.
I used to read The New York Review of Books, so I could A) Feel clever and B) enjoy well written articles by literate people (the letters page are usually an interesting read in themselves). Have stopped because A) I can never find a copy when I want one and B) while the quality is always excellent the topics of late have been sophomoric.
As I'm also a bloke I read the Fred Gassit comic in Australian Motorcycle News and get the occasional fishing mag as well. The fishing mags however have succumbed to the 'big fish' photo and occult like claims for how to catch fish (whenever I have followed their advice I've wasted a good trip to the water).
Anyway I told that story to tell you this one, have a read of this link on how to read The New Yorker (LINK) .
I suggest it works just as well for The Spectator et al.
Usually at the cost of content, which meant more adds or self promotion about the particular 'x-factorness' of the current well hid corporate sponsors product.
Ahem... But there are a couple of magazines whose online issues I do read most every week
The Economist and The New Yorker.
I used to read The New York Review of Books, so I could A) Feel clever and B) enjoy well written articles by literate people (the letters page are usually an interesting read in themselves). Have stopped because A) I can never find a copy when I want one and B) while the quality is always excellent the topics of late have been sophomoric.
As I'm also a bloke I read the Fred Gassit comic in Australian Motorcycle News and get the occasional fishing mag as well. The fishing mags however have succumbed to the 'big fish' photo and occult like claims for how to catch fish (whenever I have followed their advice I've wasted a good trip to the water).
Anyway I told that story to tell you this one, have a read of this link on how to read The New Yorker (LINK) .
I suggest it works just as well for The Spectator et al.
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