Blog Is As Blog Does

We've Moved!

2008-01-28T09:51:00.000+10:00

Hi folks,

just letting you know that we've moved over to

www.blogisasblogdoes.wordpress.com

Please adjust your RSS feeds accordingly and join
me, for a better way of life.

Don't Pay The Ferryman

2007-12-15T12:31:00.000+10:00

So I was shopping in one of those ikea megastores a little while ago, and I knew what I wanted and that they were in stock, and still I spent over an hour wandering around the place, seemingly compelled to keep looking. At everything. Has anyone ever experienced that at ikea? It is very hard to NOT buy stuff out there. It's remarkable.

I watched a doco a while ago that was all about casinos and how they're architecturally engineered to keep people inside gambling. Seriously, there's actually many and varied things architects incorporate into a casinos design to keep people inside, right down the the most minute detail.

Call me crazy, but I think Ingvar may have commissioned some of that shit to keep people shopping. My hat's off to him.

NaBloPoMo Vs. Me

2007-11-30T21:35:00.000+10:00

So the final score was NaBloPoMo 22, Me 8.

A pretty comprehensive victory but to be fair I was probably punching above my weight.

But now that my life has returned to some degree of normalcy (man that's a cool word) I will
hopefully have a little more free time with which to post.

For now, though, I must away.

Dreams, Can Come True

2007-11-21T09:20:00.000+10:00

First and foremost, yes, I have drastically dropped the NaBloPoMo ball, but after this weekend I will be taking measures to make up for that. Plus, let's face it, none of, least of all me, really expected me to be able to do it right?

Anyway, last night I had a dream that Phil Collins called me and asked me to play guitar on a new recording he was doing (I think it was a soundtrack). I asked him if he was playing drums on it, and he said not to worry if he was or wasn't, and I hastily replied that the reason I asked was because if he wasn't, I could play drums, or bass for that matter. He (a little begrudgingly) told me he was going to play drums on it, and that he already had a bass player, so he needed me to play guitar.

The funny thing for me about this dream (aside from the obvious), is that in the conversation we had about who was playing drums, he didn't want me to say yes based solely on the fact that it would be because I could say I've played with Phil Collins, and when I asked him if he was playing on it I was desperate to let him know that the reason I asked wasn't so I could say I've played with Phil Collins, but because I didn't think I'd do that good a job playing guitar on it. But we both said all those things without actually mentioning them. That's the kind of dialogue you only get with people you know very well-all that unsaid, underlying stuff. Clearly, me and Phil have that.

Wouldn't you agree, we've got a groovy kind of love?

If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

2007-11-11T16:26:00.000+10:00

Sometimes someone else sums it up 100 times better than I can.

XKCD seem to be able to do that with me on a regular basis.

I Remember

2007-11-11T14:09:00.000+10:00

So, Remembrance Day today. I always like to take some time out of the day to pay my personal respects. Not entirely sure what instilled the sense of importance of days like these in me. My great grandfather was Lighthorseman, and I've had other relatives who've fought and died in WW I and WWII, but I don't think that's solely it. Maybe it was watching the Anzacs TV series go to air in 1986. It definitely had an effect on me. But I don't think it was wholly responsible. I can remember as a kid the Anzac legend being taught to us, and Anzac day was always a big deal and is a nationally celebrated event. I guess it's a combination of all those things.

Last year, on a drive from Sydney to Melbourne, I was engaged in a debate/argument with a good friend of mine on the importance of things like Anzac Day and Remembrance Day. He is of the hippy persuasion, and he argued that days like those should be forgotten and absolutely no attention be paid to soldiers and those who gave their life for Australia during and war. Their contribution should simply be erased. I tried to explain that the general consensus is that those (or any) wars were horrific and awful, but the sacrifices made by all those people should never ever be forgotten, and they answered the call when it was asked of them. Something which, in my mind, should garner the highest respect from all walks of life. I wasn't sanctioning war or saying it's a celebration of death, but he couldn't accept any of my points of view and maintained no veterans should be acknowledged or thanked.

Somebody wise once said 'Never argue with a fool or a drunk'. So I gave up and realised that sometimes, you just have to let people think what they want to think, regardless of how infinitely stupid their opinion is.

Why?!

2007-11-09T20:53:00.001+10:00

So, continuing on from yesterdays post (by the way, yes you were right sid).

The company I work for is housed in a big building, which in turn houses another company. We're both of a similar medium, but my company is distinctly commercial, whilst the other company is the antithesis of commercial. There's a common canteen area in which we all purchase and eat meals (hence the name, kitchen) but aside from that, there's various doors and locks which require swipe keys to access, etc, etc, you get what I mean.

Anyway, yesterday I was walking back from said canteen area, I had to walk through one of the aforementioned swipe key doors. There was a tradesman behind me (not affiliated with either company) so I thought I'd be nice and hold the door for him. At the same time one of colleagues (a little older than me and around the same age as the tradey) also made his way up to the door, and some sort of light hearted jocularity ensued, in which it was intimated that a guy like me would hold the door open for someone.

The trady then made some comment to my colleague about he thought I was from 'down there' (meaning the other company). As I kept walking and he was told I wasn't, he said to my colleague but with clear intent for me to hear, "he looked like he was down there". It was said with some degree of humour, and I said I'd take it as a compliment, but I couldn't help but think that this guy would probably dislike most of the content my company produces and would fit into the 'other' company's demographic a lot more.

So why give me shit because I don't look how he thinks I should look?

Forgive the teenage notion of my question, but I mean really, what's the fucking point of making statements like the one he made?

I dunno.

I just don't get it.

When The Going Gets Tough

2007-11-08T20:55:00.000+10:00

So, seems like posting something every day is more difficult than first anticipated.

I was involved in a little story today, but it's getting close to 9pm and I've been awake since 4am, so you'll have to look the other way on this post and wait for tomorrow's.

Pity that rain has stopped eh?

All Quiet On The Blog-stern Front

2007-11-06T21:24:00.000+10:00

Today I won one of the office sweeps for the 'race that stops the nation'.

Not enough to buy a ute, or even a dog to put in it, but it still felt kinda nice to win something.

Is It Any Wonder?

2007-11-05T16:39:00.000+10:00

I was watching some regional news on telelvision a couple of weeks ago, and the light hearted story at the end of the bulletin was how girls find guys who drive utes more attractive than guys who drive 'normal' cars. I can't remember exactly, but the number was staggeringly high, like in the 70% range. According the girls surveyed, if said male had a dog in the back of his ute, he was even more appealing.

There could quite literally be, no hope left.

NABLOPOMO

2007-11-04T11:49:00.000+10:00

So, thanks to my friend Julaberry, I stumbled across this NABLOPOMO, which, for the uninitiated, is National Blog Posting Month, the crux of which is to post something everything day for the month of November. To quote Ferris, "it's a little childish and stupid", but then again, so is blogging.

It's not like I haven't been indulging in the usual observations or making irreverent ruminations on things I see and do, I just haven't had the time to transfer neurosis to paper. So what better way to make it up than to lay the smack down every day for the next month.

Admittedly I am 4 days late, but hey, I only just found out about it, and you know, every day for the next month is quite an ask, given that November will be the busiest month I've had for many a year, so you'll have to cut me some slack on the first 4 posts. Maybe I'll post twice a day some days-I don't know how it's going to pan out.

In the meantime, here's a link to something that has been warming the cockles of my hardened heart and restoring my faith in the Australian music scene recently.

People Who Need People

2007-10-14T18:13:00.000+10:00

I’ve been doing a bit of thinking of late about the various peoples in my life and my relationship with them. There’s just seems to be so many facets to a lot of them. I’ve had a bit of contact with people from my past recently. People who played an integral role in my formative years but these days I hardly see them. After seeing them I’m generally left with the desire to see them more often, but more often than not years will pass before we come into contact again. It’s something I feel bad about sometimes, but I also wonder if it’s actually impossible to keep in regular contact with those sorts of people. By impossible I mean keeping in regular contact with them is kind of awkward and just the tiniest bit uncomfortable. It’s not like they (and certainly not I) has forgotten the history between us, but I dunno, it just seems a little….sad.

I guess that’s just the way it is (baby).

Too Soon?

2007-10-12T14:45:00.000+10:00

I've got this idea for a game show.

It's called "Are You Funnier Than Rove McManus?"

Only trouble is, I can't figure out how the contestants will actually lose.

I'm Honestly So F*cking Sorry

2007-10-06T22:49:00.000+10:00

I didn't realise that I posted no..um....post for the entire month of September.
It's not that I haven't written any, I just haven't been very good at transferring them from my mental notepad to the electronic notepad.

I'm sure all 3 of my loyal readers are in feeling great pangs of anguish, so to make up for my lack of activity, I've come up with a scheme that's so crazy, it just might work.

I'm on holidays for the next 2 weeks and propose to you, the loyal customer, that I'll post something every day during that period. If not every day, then at least every 3rd day. If not every 3rd day, then at least whenever I get the urge and have a net connection handy.

Jolly good luck chaps.

I Don't Mind

2007-08-26T11:59:00.000+10:00

I was eating breakfast at my new local (and possibly Brisbane's best) cafe this morning. As I sat reading a book about the life and times of Elvis Presley, Marc Cohn's "Walking In Memphis" came on the cafe stereo, and after a fortnight of what can only be described as shithouse-ness, I couldn't help but feel that everything's going to be alright.

It's Just That The Time Was Wrong

2007-08-19T12:39:00.000+10:00

I found out earlier today that a time frame of about 18 - 20 hours could have made all the difference to my life as I know it.

That's the kind of news that makes me want to kick myself in the nuts.

You really have to wonder about all that sort of stuff from time to time. Or at least, I do.

Elvis Is Dead

2007-08-16T21:58:00.000+10:00

So, a few days ago marked the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death.

I'm a proud Elvis devotee (and incidentally, there is only 1, count it, 1, degree of seperation between me and him) and I was pleased to see that the event received some local news coverage, but I can't help but think that his true genius goes unrecognised by a lot of folks.

If anyone hasn't truly given Elvis a go, head on over to itunes and type 'Elvis That's The Way It Is' into the search field (for a detailed description on what "That's The Way It Is' is, click here)*. There should be three albums come up, you want the box set option. Every track on there is a winner, but if you have to pick just one, scroll down and buy 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (live version). 'That's The Way It Is' changed my life and if anything will give you insight into his absolute magnificence, that track will.

If you're one of those ignorant pricks who makes fun of the fat Elvis and pay him no respect, well, you're no friend of mine.

Long live The King.

And Now For Something Completely Different

2007-08-12T14:58:00.000+10:00

So it's Sunday afternoon, and rather than scrape the mould from my mind's bathroom and serve it up for you to trudge through, I thought I'd let some music provide the portal into the funny little muddle that is my inner workings. And as luck would have it, there are 2 songs that currently sum 'me' up better than 'me' could. So head on over to the itunes store and download these numbers -

1. "Everybody's Talking" by Harry Nilsson
2. "Jesus Christ" by Brand New

Regardless of their uncanny insight, they are both ball-tearingly good songs.

This Time I Know It's For Real

2007-08-05T19:18:00.000+10:00

I've moved suburbs recently, and subsequently I now have a whole new range of shops to call my own. Today I fell in love with a girl who works at my local grocery store. She's the type that is so ridiculously beautiful you can't actually look directly at her for more than a few seconds, lest you lose your mind.

As she scanned me and my groceries, I couldn't help but wonder what grocery store cashiers think as they scan a customer's groceries through. Surely they would try and judge a persons character based on their food purchases? It would be almost inevitable.

It'd make a good documentary I think. Interview a heap of them and then compare findings.

No, really.

Are You Old Enough

2007-08-01T19:45:00.000+10:00

You'll have to forgive me for the over-share on this one, but it's a story I feel compelled to relate.

I went to the doctor this morning to get (what I thought was) a skin cancer checked out. It had been growing steadily and changing colour and the like, so you know, I thought better to be safe than sorry.

After examining said blemish, the good doctor informed me that it wasn't a skin cancer, but in fact some sort of skin anomaly who's name I have no hope of ever pronouncing. After he hit it with the liquid nitrogen gun (which stung like a bitch I might add), I asked him to explain what it exactly was, and after he repeated the convoluted medical explanation, he hit me with the knockout blow -

"It's you know, just an age spot."

An age spot.

Ravages of Age - 1
Me - 0

It's All Those Little Things

2007-07-29T14:57:00.000+10:00

I'd like to know when we decided that instead of writing 'diet' on diet type drinks, we changed it to 'light'. Last week I accidentally bought a bottle of diet cranberry juice instead of regular cranberry juice, because the word 'diet' was no where to be seen on the bottle. I must have missed the meeting where we decided to kowtower to people who feel that the word 'diet' written on their beverage of choice makes them feel inferior. Who the fuck enjoys the taste of phenylalanine anyway? Go on an actual diet if you're that committed to losing weight.

Sorry.

It's Sunday afternoon.

I fucking hate Sunday afternoon.

Come On Over

2007-07-23T09:10:00.000+10:00

I received a lot of raised eyebrows and looks of genuine disappointment when I announced at work that I was going to see Christina Aguilera live. One of the benefits of getting old is you care less and less what people think of you, so I was unphased.

I wont prattle on and on (for once) about the show. Suffice to say it was jaw-droppingly amazing, and out of all the shows I've seen in the past year, it would have to make it into the top 3.

Here's a few snaps (taken from my top notch vantage point, right near the front). Apologies for some of the less than in focus shots-my borrowed camera isn't what it used to be.

Show Opening

Xtina appears

Rug cutting

Circus set

The Spinning Wheel (she grabbed a random dude from the crowd and strapped him to it later in the show. With the treatment she gave him I dare say he's still in a state of high arousal).

Candyman

Bowing after 'Beautiful'

Favourite shot

Welcome To My Alice Cooper Review

2007-07-22T17:11:00.001+10:00

I'm not sure if it's my age, or the collective age, or just an incredible marketing coincidence, but there seems to be a surplus of artists touring that fit the 'I'd better go see them this time as they probably wont ever come back' bill. Alice Cooper fits into this category for me (although in all likelihood he'll be back), and even though I had kind of forgot I was going to see him, I was brimming with excitement as I took my seat before the show.

I think it's important to try and comprehend what a shocking figure Alice was perceived as back in the day. Parents the world over were completely terrified of him (to be fair, I'm sure he did his fair share of perpetuating this). It's also important to take into account that Alice did things like appearing (3 times) on The Muppet Show, so you know, he's really got quite a story to tell. For what it's worth, there was one point in the show in which I was genuinely shocked.

The show for me was a 10 out of 10. A band that was nothing less than smoking hot (featuring none other that Eric Singer, who still has chops to burn), a healthy dose of rock melodrama (which culminated in Alice's hanging) and more than 1 staggering, logic defying body switch between a dummy and a real person, all made for an excellent show.

I was inwardly tickled pink with the audience demographic. Aging metal heads dressed up in full Alice makeup, young kids dressed up in full Alice makeup, women of all ages not dressed in full Alice makeup but visibly excited to be at the show, and lots and lots of black t-shirts. I love that shit and I can't explain why.

He didn't sing 'You and Me', which would have to be my favourite Alice song, but he did sing 'Only Women Bleed', 'Poison' and 'Welcome To My Nightmare' just to name a few. 'Feed My Frankestein' was a particular highlight. I have to admit I was surprised that he didn't talk to the crowd at all, like not even to say good evening, but he referenced Brisbane in one of the songs and what he lacked in on stage chatter he made up for with a massive set list. It really was an onslaught of songs and his voice, whilst tired by the end of night, stayed in impressive shape for a 59 year old.

It was one of those shows that left you feeling completely entertained and knowing you were just in the presence of a true professional. We're not worthy.

ps. Apologies for the crap text layout. Blogger sux for that sort of thing.

Bad Habits

2007-07-21T22:06:00.000+10:00

So I've been erring on the slack side in terms of new posts, but if you just give me another chance I'll do better. No really coach, I'll do better.

Coming up next, reviews of Alice Cooper and Christina Aguilera (seperate shows of course).

Memories Twisted Around Somebody's Finger

2007-07-07T19:25:00.000+10:00

I've just been looking through a heap of old photographs (well, when I say old I'm talking about 5 years ago). Maybe it's the fact that I seem to be a little more emotional than usual lately, or maybe it's winter, or maybe it's just a slow night, but I could feel the tears welling up as I scrolled through the pics. The funny thing is, is that I don't particularly miss the people in the photos, but I dearly miss that period of my life.

I don't really know what that means, but if I had a time machine, I'd go back in a second and savour it much more than I did the first time 'round.

Across The Silverchair Show

2007-07-01T18:47:00.000+10:00

So in keeping with the concert review series, here's my take on Silverchair live @ The Tivoli (27/04/07).

By now we all know the Silverchair story, which for my money, is a great one. I would hazard a guess they used to (and probably still do) cop a fair bit of stick about being so young when they first hit the scene, but it was something I never had a problem with (and when they did hit the scene, I was of the age which has a problem with everything). In fact, I think their freshman album contains one of their best songs.

Obviously I can't speak from experience, but it would HAVE to be difficult to literally grow up in the public eye, much less doing so through your body of work. I think their album catalogue is one of the few that portrays genuine growth, and I've enjoyed each one more than the last (though to be fair, I haven't heard a lot of their latest offering). Commercial success aside, that's right up near the top of the goal list for any artist.

But hey, enough of my yakkin'. On to the show.

It was a sold out Tivoli and a captive audience. I arrived in time for the support act this time, and whilst they didn't do anything to offend me, they didn't do anything to capture my attention neither.

The 'Chair take to the stage and the place goes suitably nuts. It's easy to forget that these guys have been a band for the last 14 or so years, and they're a force to be reckoned with on stage. Much better commanders of their instruments these days, they really do have something special and totally kick the shit out the place with their sheer brute force. There were 2 keyboard players on board as well, which helped beef up the sound, but every now and then the extra guys would leave the stage and Silverchair really took off.

They played a lot of the new album and almost all of 'Diorama' (a personal fave) plus a couple of cuts from Freak Show ("The Door" nearly lifted the roof off the place*) and Neon Ballroom ("Emotion Sickness" still totally nails me). I think this was one of the first or second shows of the tour and the setlist had a few kinks in it, but I have no doubt they would have ironed those out pretty quickly.

Daniel seemed to be in good spirits (thanks in no small part to the gigantic bottle of Jack he swigged from all night**) and he was genuinely appreciative and humbled (well, I thought it was genuine) by the loving throng stretched out in front of him. As a punter, that's all I ask from my rockstars.

All in all, it was a cracking show and there's no way anyone could have walked out of there and not take away a new found respect for the 3 Novocastrians who won a contest on SBS and made it big.

*no pun intended here

**nor here

And Now Back To Our Regular Programming

2007-07-01T18:41:00.000+10:00

Over a month since a post.

There's all sorts of reasons why, some interesting and some not so interesting, but hey, that's the general vibe of this blog, no?

Anyway, strap yerselves in.

Or don't.

(but please do)

Hey now, hey now.

2007-05-27T09:01:00.000+10:00

I keep having dreams featuring a person that years ago, I used to be very close to.
They are always pleasent dreams and generally don't contain any of the usual bizarre traits of my 'regular' dreams. I'm thinking this could mean 1 of 2 things.

1. I should be making every effort to look this person up and perhaps make contact again.

2. I should get out more often.

Where It's At

2007-05-25T09:52:00.000+10:00

I got 2 fresh breadrolls and a cup of Joe.

Blood and Thunder

2007-05-06T17:41:00.000+10:00

So, Mastadon and Slayer live @ The Riverstage is the next show up for review. I was there in the most part to see Mastodon (who were supporting Slayer) but I was also keen to check Slayer out, as they're a seminal act, and who knows if they'll ever return.

I wont go in to too many specifics about the music. I mean, to me it was totally awesome, but I'm aware enough to ackowledge a lot people hate it (or dont understand it) so I'm not about to start trying to convert anyone. If you want to see some of the awesomeness that is Mastodon live, you can check out some video here (not from the show I saw but they did play this song).

For my money, the thing that is so totally awesome about a metal show is the punters. Parking the car and walking into the venue (the Riverstage is fast becoming one of my favourites) I spotted more and more black jeans and t-shirts the closer I got to the gates.

There's a real sense of, dare I say, brotherhood at shows like this, and the reason is simple - a metal crowd is a crowd who's sole purpose is the music. There's absolutely no scenesters there, and for my money, it's the scenesters who are runing the music industry, on ALL levels. No one is there to be seen, or see who else is there, or get laid, and whilst there is the unspoken black uniform (which I have to admit, I was looking forward to wearing almost as much as seeing the bands), no one there gives a genuine shit what everyone else is wearing. And I feel safer in a crowd full of metal fans than I do in any city pub or valley nightclub. There was a palpable sense of comradory in the air and I had a smile on my face from ear to ear.

Adding to my sense of well being was the fact that all the drinkers were fenced off in an area up the back of the hill. I actually thought it was the under 18 section when I first arrived. It was great having those who are so fucking stupidly moronic they can't go for 2 hours without ingesting alcohol (which is available to them 24 hours a day) fenced off and as far away from me as possible.

I had my camera at this one, and was in prime position to take many stellar pics, but my camera battery went flat almost as soon as I turned it on. Sometimes you just have to learn lessons the hard way.

So, in summation, the night was brilliant. You have to respect Slayer for their trailblazing metal, Dave Lombardo was beyond amazing and they played all the songs I wanted them to.

But it was Mastodon who truly shone on the night for me.

metal up your ass.

Up next - Silverchair live @ The Tivoli

I Am Trying To Review Wilco

2007-04-29T09:21:00.001+10:00

So, Wilco live at The Tivoli is the next show I attended. I only decided at the last minute to go to this one. It was overpriced ($80) so I resigned that if there were tickets available at the door I would make the effort to go. As is always the case, I didn't regret it (a tip for young players-you wont ever regret going to a concert, even if it sux; you'll only ever regret NOT going to a concert).

There was about 1000 punters inside the Tivoli, which is a nice, comfortable number for that venue. A schedluing conflict denied me seeing the support act, but there's something to be said for walking into a room with only 5 minutes to spare before the headliner comes on.

Wilco were exsquisite. One of the best F.O.H. mixes I've ever heard, and each member of the 6 man group played with absolute conviction and all their heart. Frontman Jeff Tweedy was in a positively jovial mood, and jokingly berated one audience member for shouting out that they were from the States, telling him they came to Australia to get away from people like him, and that it might be a good idea to keep the fact they he was American to himself. Somewhere during proceedings the night took on a pirate theme, which stayed right 'til the end, but I won't go into details on that one, you just had to be there.

They played 2 of the 4 songs that I desperately wanted to hear ("I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" and "I'm The Man Who Loves You"), and turned me on to a swag of new tunes that I'm currently hunting down. I bloody love it when that happens.

I don't have any pics from this show. It's not that I didn't have a camera with me, it was due to the simple fact that not one person there was taking pictures. You didn't even see any mobiles being held up in the crowd, so I didn't want to be the one asshole who spoils it for everyone. It was so nice to be part of a genuinely respectful, downright awestruck crowd-I've not seen anything like it for a long while.

So, in conclusion, Wilco live = Total Awesomeness.

Coming up next, Slayer + Mastodon @ The Riverstage.

Fishbone Is Red Hot

2007-04-21T21:58:00.000+10:00

So it's been a ridiculously stupendous and dense month of live music for me so far. I figured I'll try and post about each show seperately.

Fishbone live @ The Arena kicked it all off. I've tried but I can't think of what adjectives I would be able to use in order to do justice to how amazing this show was. I thought the show would have sold out, given their cult underground following, but as I walked through the doors with only an hour before Fishbone were due on stage, there was only about 70 people in the crowd.

Angelo Moore was hanging around (in a 3 piece suit and hat no less) organising the merch and I was genuinely embarrassed at the turn out. Numbers grew a little closer to show time and peaked around the 250 mark, but it was still less than acceptable.

The upside of this was myself and a friend were able to stake out a position in the front of the mosh pit, jammed against the punter barrier facing the centre of the stage. That's a position I haven't held for many, many moons and If I'm going to be honest, I was less than confident my atrophied body was up to it, but this was Fishbone, and there was no way I was going to settle for anything less than a spiritual experience.

As I said, I can't rightfuly go into specifics, but the show was astounding. Angelo spent the entire set dancing about, stage diving, carth-wheeling, crowd surfing-there was even a commando roll-all this from a guy who is 41 years old and has been in the same band for over half his life.

Someone told me once that the true nature of a rock and roll show is you should never know what is going to happen next. I'm not entirely sure I think rock and roll should be anything, but I had the very real sense that I had no idea what the crazy bastards on stage were going to do next.

After a 2+ hour set, half the band then came down to hang out with the die hard punters (yours truly included) and sign autographs. Even off stage these guys are inspiring.

It's not right that these pioneers, who are all masterful musicians and are sighted by the likes of Primus, Jane's Addiction, RHCP and No Doubt as large influences, only play to 250 people when they come over.

It's not right that they still have to scrounge out a living touring relentlessly and aren't lauded as the musical heroes that they truly are.

Even if you don't like their music, you have to respect the fact that they're still out there doing it, and for that, we should all give thanks.

Brain Stew

2007-04-12T05:27:00.000+10:00

It's 5:30 in the morning.

We don't have any news yet because everyone's still at home, asleep

in their comfy, comfy beds.

Bill Hicks, on Easter

2007-04-08T11:55:00.000+10:00

"I was over in Australia during easter, which was intersting. Interesting to note they celebrate Easter the same way we do; commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus by telling our children a giant bunny rabbit, left chocolate eggs in the night.

Now, I wonder why we’re fucked up as a race, anybody? Anybody got any clues out there?

Where do you get this shit from you know? Why those two things you know? Why not ‘Goldfish left Lincoln Logs in your sock drawer’ you know? As long as we’re making shit up, go hog wild you know. At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on it's back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous conotation to it.

'Mummy, I woke today and there was a Lincoln Log in me sock drawer!'.

'That's the story of Jesus'.

Who comes up with this shit?! I’ve read the Bible. I can’t find the words ‘bunny’ or ‘chocolate’ anywhere in that fucking book".

-Bill Hicks

Party At Ground Zero

2007-04-05T20:11:00.000+10:00

I'm about to walk out the door and go and see Fishbone play live.

Fishbone.

Live.

In my city.

Yikes.

I Send A Message

2007-03-31T06:57:00.000+10:00

I woulde hazard a guess I'm not the first person to wax lyrical on the pros and cons of the text message, but I can't help but marvel out loud at it's stunning rise to popularity and it's impossible to ignore impact on our daily lives.

I remember when they first came out and were free to send. They were more of a novelty than a legitimate (and I use the term loosely) form of communication.

I think it's funny how you can receive a text message from someone wishing you a happy birthday (for example), and you think 'wow that's really nice that they took the time to send me a message', and yet you receive a similar message from someone else and think 'I can't believe they only took the time to send me a text message'.

Whilst the text message is clearly a cowards best friend, it can also provide a safety barrier that enables you to say things to close friends that you wouldn't normally say out loud. Like when you receive a mesage from a close friend out of the blue that says they think you're awesome and hope you're having a great day. I received one of these just yesterday, and they really do make you feel awesome. I send them myself every now and then, but I have never, not once, actually called up a close friend and said 'I think you're awesome and hope you're having a great day". To some extent, that would be a little wierd, but sent in a text message and it's perfectly normal.

I'm not saying it's good or bad, I just think it's perculiar.

Scrubs

2007-03-30T19:30:00.000+10:00

Dr. Dorian : You know sir, Dr. Townsend here was telling me you have some great old stories about the hospital. I'd love to hear one some time

Dr. Kelso : Well, what the hell. Back in '68 I dont like you. The end

Dr. Townsend : He tells that on a lot

Dr. Dorian : I know.

I'll Meme YOU

2007-03-19T08:45:00.000+10:00

So my friend Julaberry tagged me with a meme of 'List 7 Songs You Are Into Right Now'. This is my first tag (that I know of anyway) and I couldn't think of a better one to break my seel with. Of course, I'm having trouble narrowing it down, so I'm changing the parameters to 'List 8 Songs You Are Into Right Now'. Here they are, in no particular order of preference

1. King Of The Rodeo by Kings Of Leon.
-it's rare these days to hear a good song that is totally devoted to the subject matter of having a good time. This is a work of pure joy for me.

2. Straight Lines by Silverchair.
-I've never had a problem with Silverchair, in fact, I think their freshman release contains what is one of their best songs to date. Straight Lines continues where "Diorama" left off.

3. Big As Life by Hamell On Trial
-if you're not already aware of this guy, source him out on the net. Seeing him play this song live last year brought tears to my eyes. Maybe I'm in a transitional period at the moment, but this song currently ties in with how I'm looking at life at the moment.

4. Soldier by Bowser
-a band from the Gold Coast. There's no one who's coming close to these guys on the local scene at the moment. Check our their myspace to hear some more.

5. Say Goodbye by Hunters & Collectors
- I saw the clip for "When The River Runs Dry" a few weeks ago and it rekindled my love for this incredible Australian Band.

6. Fighter by Christina Aguilera
- I've already posted my feelings on this girl. Whoever produced this track did an awesome job. Check out the outro.

7. Town Called Malice by The Jam
- What an intro. What great lyrics. What an awesome song. Makes me want to get up and dance every time. Listen to this song on the way to work, especially if you're on the early shift.

8. Pagliacci:Recitar! Vesti la guibba (sung) by Pavarotti
- he's an axe. Many a rant have I descended into on the topic of opera and it's singers, but there's always going to be exceptions. This is one of them.

Go See "Bobby"

2007-03-12T09:42:00.000+10:00

On the Mindless Menace of Violence

Delivered by Robert F. Kennedy, City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio
April 5, 1968

This is a time of shame and sorrow. It is not a day for politics. I have saved this one opportunity, my only event of today, to speak briefly to you about the mindless menace of violence in America which again stains our land and every one of our lives.
It is not the concern of any one race. The victims of the violence are black and white, rich and poor, young and old, famous and unknown. They are, most important of all, human beings whom other human beings loved and needed. No one - no matter where he lives or what he does - can be certain who will suffer from some senseless act of bloodshed. And yet it goes on and on and on in this country of ours.
Why? What has violence ever accomplished? What has it ever created? No martyr's cause has ever been stilled by an assassin's bullet.
No wrongs have ever been righted by riots and civil disorders. A sniper is only a coward, not a hero; and an uncontrolled, uncontrollable mob is only the voice of madness, not the voice of reason.
Whenever any American's life is taken by another American unnecessarily - whether it is done in the name of the law or in the defiance of the law, by one man or a gang, in cold blood or in passion, in an attack of violence or in response to violence - whenever we tear at the fabric of the life which another man has painfully and clumsily woven for himself and his children, the whole nation is degraded.
"Among free men," said Abraham Lincoln, "there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet; and those who take such appeal are sure to lost their cause and pay the costs."
Yet we seemingly tolerate a rising level of violence that ignores our common humanity and our claims to civilization alike. We calmly accept newspaper reports of civilian slaughter in far-off lands. We glorify killing on movie and television screens and call it entertainment. We make it easy for men of all shades of sanity to acquire whatever weapons and ammunition they desire.
Too often we honor swagger and bluster and wielders of force; too often we excuse those who are willing to build their own lives on the shattered dreams of others. Some Americans who preach non-violence abroad fail to practice it here at home. Some who accuse others of inciting riots have by their own conduct invited them.
Some look for scapegoats, others look for conspiracies, but this much is clear: violence breeds violence, repression brings retaliation, and only a cleansing of our whole society can remove this sickness from our soul.
For there is another kind of violence, slower but just as deadly destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions; indifference and inaction and slow decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. This is the slow destruction of a child by hunger, and schools without books and homes without heat in the winter.
This is the breaking of a man's spirit by denying him the chance to stand as a father and as a man among other men. And this too afflicts us all.
I have not come here to propose a set of specific remedies nor is there a single set. For a broad and adequate outline we know what must be done. When you teach a man to hate and fear his brother, when you teach that he is a lesser man because of his color or his beliefs or the policies he pursues, when you teach that those who differ from you threaten your freedom or your job or your family, then you also learn to confront others not as fellow citizens but as enemies, to be met not with cooperation but with conquest; to be subjugated and mastered.
We learn, at the last, to look at our brothers as aliens, men with whom we share a city, but not a community; men bound to us in common dwelling, but not in common effort. We learn to share only a common fear, only a common desire to retreat from each other, only a common impulse to meet disagreement with force. For all this, there are no final answers.
Yet we know what we must do. It is to achieve true justice among our fellow citizens. The question is not what programs we should seek to enact. The question is whether we can find in our own midst and in our own hearts that leadership of humane purpose that will recognize the terrible truths of our existence.
We must admit the vanity of our false distinctions among men and learn to find our own advancement in the search for the advancement of others. We must admit in ourselves that our own children's future cannot be built on the misfortunes of others. We must recognize that this short life can neither be ennobled or enriched by hatred or revenge.
Our lives on this planet are too short and the work to be done too great to let this spirit flourish any longer in our land. Of course we cannot vanquish it with a program, nor with a resolution.
But we can perhaps remember, if only for a time, that those who live with us are our brothers, that they share with us the same short moment of life; that they seek, as do we, nothing but the chance to live out their lives in purpose and in happiness, winning what satisfaction and fulfillment they can.
Surely, this bond of common faith, this bond of common goal, can begin to teach us something. Surely, we can learn, at least, to look at those around us as fellow men, and surely we can begin to work a little harder to bind up the wounds among us and to become in our own hearts brothers and countrymen once again.

Only Women Bleed

2007-03-10T20:07:00.000+10:00

I just got off the phone with my previously mentioned very good female friend. She told me I should start a list of all the lame things females do when it comes to relationships. It'll be a perpetual thing, and please feel free to make suggestions. In the spirit of bipartisanship, I will also (soon) happily start one listing male's relationship shortcomings.

But to get the ball rolling....

1. Showing glaring signs of interest in a male only to reveal, after it's too late for the male to recover his dignity, that you actually already have a boyfriend.

2. That thing where you say "I just can't be with you right now", but what you mean to say is "I don't want to be with you, but at the same time, you can't start seeing someone else, because I want you around as a back-up in case I end up not being able to find someone better than you".

Serpentine

2007-03-08T18:59:00.000+10:00

I got to pet a live snake at work today.

How cool is that?!

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

2007-03-05T20:48:00.000+10:00

I've been thinking about what it means to be an adult lately (and not just because I had a birthday recently). A few weeks ago I was embroiled in a situation that required me to make a very difficult decision in a relatively short amount of time. It was hands down the hardest thing I've had to decide in a long time, and right up until the end there was no clear path. Adding to my woes, once I made the decision there were instant repercussions, which I wasn't expecting.

It's an experience I don't care to repeat any time soon, but at the end of it, I couldn't help but feel that I climbed another rung on the ladder of adulthood, and that provided an almost bizarre feeling of contentment and accomplishment.

But it wasn't until last week whilst dressing for work that I truly felt like I had arrived as an adult.

As a younger man, I used to marvel at men who would wear long pants all day, even during the most brutal of summers. I could never for the life of me figure out why anyone would do that to themselves, and reasoned that that's what you have to do once you're a proper grown up, and decided that henceforth I wouldn't have to wear long pants during summer. Ever.

Then, last week, as I started getting dressed for work, and the mercury pushed past 30 degrees, I pulled on my favourite pair of jeans and thought "Wow. I've finally made it".

Stranger Than Fiction

2007-03-05T20:46:00.000+10:00

When next you have the chance, please watch this movie

It's brilliant.

I've Got Another Confession My Friend

2007-02-27T09:01:00.000+10:00

This is never as easy thing to bring up, but the time has come for me to admit it;I'm quickly becoming enamoured with Christina Aguilera. Forget the image makeovers. Look past the terrible songs and focus on the good ones. You'll find a genuine powerhouse vocalist and serious force to be reckoned with. In the words of Derryn-if you don't believe me, take a look at this

I Hear It's Your Birthday

2007-02-24T17:17:00.000+10:00

So it's my birthday very soon. I know I'm not the only one to become introspective (I mean, more so) on such a day-I don't think it's a bad thing. Someone said to me today that I was making too big a deal of the occasion, but for my money that's a load of bollocks. A birthday is the one day of the year that is totally and utterly yours, and unless someone else in your family happens to have the same birthday as you, it's free reign for 24 hours of self-indulgence, both mental and physical. You've got 364 other days to worry about all the shit that you worry about.

Nobody gets to fuck with you on your birthday.

Nobody.

....I was grocery shopping last week. As I stood in line at the checkout there was an elderly man in front of me who had struck up a conversation with the cashier, and they got to talking about birthdays. The cashier was saying how February was a big month for birthdays in her family, and my ears pricked up because it's the same in my family. She then went on to say when her birthday was, and it sounded like she had said it was on the same day as mine, but I couldn't hear properly.

My turn came and I said to her "I couldn't help but overhear-is your birthday on the **th?", and she told me that indeed it was. I told her mine was too and it felt like I'd met a long lost twin (although she was 8 years older than me, and I would have no conceivable idea what it would be like to have a twin, much less lose contact with one for an extended period of time). We got talking about star signs and personality types, and she asked me if I was the sort of person who did the things that she listed, and of course, I was. It really was a joyous, untainted experience and it put a spring in my step for the rest of the day. And to think I almost wasn't going to go shopping that morning.

Just goes to show, almost everything happens for a reason, even the most incidental of decisions.

We Aplogise For This Break In Transmission

2007-02-23T09:44:00.000+10:00

Sorry folks. I've been

a) trying to figure out a way around getting a google account (which I couldn't)

b) busier than an electrified busy machine

There will be posts of both style and substance very soon

Eagles Are Awesome

2007-02-10T17:31:00.000+10:00

We're Going. On A Holiday.

2007-01-28T22:04:00.000+10:00

I have 60 hours on prime beachfront,

40 DVD's,

3 books,

it's dark and we're wearing sunglasses.

Hit it.

Dogs Are The Best People

2007-01-20T22:52:00.000+10:00

I ended up going 'out' again tonight (in my defence, there was a specific occasion to which I was going). For all intents and purposes it was the same old script as it's always been at any given club; young things in their identical outfits, drinking too much. Young bucks decked out in the latest metrosexual gear (which seems to come with standard issue white leather shoes these days) also drinking too much. Both species fumbling about trying to get the attention of the other, in a vain but somehow strangely appealing attempt to make themselves feel better about who they are.

As I sat inside this club, trying to find something interesting to focus attention on, I noticed there was a dog on the footpath outside. He had a collar on so was clearly not a stray, but there was no sign of his owner anywhere. He seemed content enough just hanging out. I actually got the impression he was waiting for somone to return. A few people stopped to pet him. One idiot picked the poor thing up and held him aloft (in what was no doubt an attempt to impress a female, which, sadly, no doubt worked), then eventually the dog found a stick from the garden with which to play fetch.

To say this dog was infatuated with the stick would in no way do justice to how he clearly felt about playing fetch. He was absoutely beside himself whenever someone was willing to play. And he never grew tired of playing. A few different people obliged him in the game, but he really didn't seem to care who was playing with him, just so long as someone was.
There was one couple who refused to play with him. Everytime he dropped the stick at their feet they would shuffle awkwardly to the side and try to ignore him. He'd look up at them expantantly a few times, then pick up the stick and walk over to where they'd shuffled and drop it at their feet again, as if to say "I don't understand why you keep moving away from my stick-just pick it up and throw the freakin' thing".

If someone were to ask me what the definition of ecstacy is, I would use that dog as explanation. It was absolutely pure bliss in motion.

At some point in time I found myself wondering if he'd had anything to eat or drink and where he'd sleep tonight, but for the most part I had a smile beaming from ear to ear watching him play.

I looked at that dog, playing with reckless abandon and absolute euphoria, all the while not caring that anyone could see how much he wanted to play and how much he loved doing it.

I looked and thought "Yeah. Break me off some of that".

Love In The Time Of Binary

2007-01-14T08:57:00.000+10:00

I think I could well be in love with a girl, and it's based solely on her blog.

Every now and then I look through friends blogs and read the comments on their posts, and if there's any with an interesting username I'll click on their blog link and check it out. A couple of weeks ago whilst engaging in this exact activity, I stumbled across a blog so succinct, so intelligent, pithy, irreverent and down right amusing that I was instantly smitten.

There's only 3 degrees of seperation between her and me, thought I will never know what she looks like, much less meet her. I don't know why, but I think the fact that something as stupid as a blog is responsible for envoking such feelings is just so.... cool.

Does that make me a geek, an idiot or a hopeless romantic?

I guess it's nice to have options either way.

Don't Pat Yourself On The Back, You Might Break Your Spine.

2007-01-12T21:34:00.000+10:00

I've been having some nourishing conversations with a very good, highly regarded female friend of mine lately (she's one of the few who'll tell you the unabridged truth). Just recently I was quizzing her on the whole 'Chicks Dig Jerks' phenomenon, as it continues to fascinate and frustrate the absolute living shit out of me.

She hypothesises that the concept of women liking men who treat them poorly (and I've had 2 other female friends fully admit that the concept is true) is a relatively new concept, in that it's only developed over the last 20 years or so, and is therefore a generational problem.

She could well be right, though of course if you think about it rationally/realistically/cynically, you couldn't be so naive as to think that it's only been in the last 20 years that 'nice guys' have finished last.

Regardless, I want to believe that it is a generational thing, as that means that it will eventually pass, but the fact of the matter is if you're a 20-30 something genuine nice guy, you're fucked either way.

No Signal

2007-01-12T21:29:00.000+10:00

I'm not proud of how much I suck at reading signals and seeing signs. In fact, I'd do pretty much anything to get better at it (any suggestions let me know). Seriously. Did I miss a meeting? What the bloody hell is going on?? There's a vital ingredient missing, I'm sure of it.

What the fuck Chuck? What the what the fuck's up?

Everybody's Good At Something

2007-01-11T14:53:00.000+10:00

Don't ask me why this is so cool.

It's Arrested Development

2007-01-10T18:34:00.000+10:00

Michael (father) : What do you think of when you hear the words 'Sudden Valley'

George-Michael (son) : Salad dressing I think. But for some reason I don't want to eat it.

Michael : Right. But 'Paradise Gardens'?

George-Michael : Yeah OK. OK, I can see marinating a chicken in that.

R.N.D.

2007-01-07T18:52:00.000+10:00

I've got a bit of a case of the "I Just Don't Know Anymore"'s tonight.

I understand and acknowledge that is quite the cliche, and that it implies that at some prior stage I did know, something, at least (a claim I am far too self-deprecating to make). That said, it seems that 10 years ago I was much more self-assured, and even assured in general that it was all gonna be OK.

Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the reason you feel like you know what's going when you're young can generally be attributed to the fact that you and your life are so far removed from what is actually going on that your brain can't compute the true nature of it all, but I mean really, I'm not that old, and this current state is getting beyond a joke.

I had dinner with a dear friend last night, who as it turns out, stands at a similar crossroads to me, and just as stagnantly too. She theorises that there's quite a lot of us in the same boat, it's just no one likes to talk about it, if for no other reason than it's so fucking petrifying.

Call me an aging sentimental fool, but when you're standing at the crossroads and there's no traffic in sight, it's comforting to know that a little ways behind you someone else is looking in all directions, and they can't see shit either.

January 1st, 2007.

2007-01-01T21:33:00.000+10:00

There's always a lot of (generally banal) talk around this time of year about resolutions and the like. For the most part, I think it's a load of malarky.
This year I'm taking a leaf out of Daniel Kitson's book and rather than making resolutions, I'm drawing a few lines in the sand. In a nutshell, his idea was that there comes a time when you have to draw a line in the sand in terms of the things you'll accept, things you'll stand up for and things you think should be. And it doesn't matter if the line shifts, in fact, it's probably good that it does, just so long as you're drawing them.

The biggest line I'm drawing isn't so much a stance against anything, more of a limitation to things I used to do to myself. I'm being deliberately vague here for 2 reasons. 1) it's a highly personal thing and I'm not sure it should be shared in public domain and 2) I am not entirely sure how to define it. Regardless, I'm going to give it a go and hopefully it will work.

I find that the 31st of December always sees me remembering where I was at the exact same time the previous year. It's always staggering to look back at the things that have have happened, in any given year really, and think that this time last year I had no idea most of it would occur. I dunno. I think that's kind of cool.

Usually it gets me thinking about the lessons I've learnt. It's funny how it takes a specific date to conjure up that reflection, but at the time you don't sit back and think "I have just learnt an important lesson". I learnt a big one last year (one that now seems so stupifyingly obvious I cant help but feel a little more thick, as most intelligent people probably learnt it early on). I only hope that I can keep it in mind as this year unfolds. At this exact point in time, I am having my doubts.

I have to admit I like the clean slate feeling that the 1st of January brings. There's a real element of 'anything is possible' in the air, and it usually hangs around until about April. It's not that opportunity stops once April hits, it's just that up until then the year is largely undefined. What am I trying to say? I don't know what I'm trying to say.

It's January 1st 2007.

I'm doing my best to not fall into the patterns I set during 2006.

I am the King of Dirk this year.

Can't wait to see how this one pans out.

Red Pill/Blue Pill

2006-12-30T19:17:00.000+10:00

Got quite a few posts in the ah...well....post, but had to get this one off my chest post haste.

I finally saw Hamell On Trial play 2 nights ago at Woodford. Previous posts should make it clear how I feel about the man, but to say his performance was amazing could well be the understatement of the year.

OK, that may be the overstatement of the year, but seriously, there is no way to describe the way it was and the way it made me feel.

It was so good, all other performances I have either seen since or will see in the future now seem redundant. I fear I've seen too much and can never return to my life as I knew it.

He's on tomorrow (31st) at 18:00 on the Club stage. If you can get there then GET there. And keep an eye out for me - I'll be the one screaming in the front row.

Come on Neo.

Follow the white rabbit.

Comedy:Thy Name Is Letterman

2006-12-18T21:06:00.000+10:00

Girls Like That

2006-12-15T21:17:00.000+10:00

Julio Inglesias - He just ain't scientific.

Any Given Day

2006-12-08T19:15:00.000+10:00

Vox 1: "Hey check it out. I'm pretty awesome"

Vox 2: "Shut the fuck up you contemptable, ugly, tubby piece of shit"

Dr. Phil-Therapy For The Real World

2006-12-06T09:29:00.000+10:00

Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine

2006-12-05T08:27:00.000+10:00

Been having a funny kind of week, some if it funny funny and some of it just plain funny.

Started out with me visiting my local CD/DVD emporium. Clearly that's not all that funny, but as I gave the sales assistant my card to pay for my purchases, she noted out loud "Hey you've got a new card". She then followed up with a comment that, in noticing that I had a new card, either she worked there too often or I shopped there too much. I told her it was probably a bit of both, and walked out of the store feeling a little bit less cool than when I walked in (in case you are wondering, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the epitomy of uncool and 10 being cooler than cat shit, I walked in there feeling about a 3).

The office christmas party was a few days after that. I was hoping for some genuine scandal and out and out shenanigans but it was pretty tame. That's not to say a good time wasn't had by all - it absolutely was. Some people definitely gave new definition to the term 'going hard', and in all probability I made a bit of an ass of myself dancing to Sweet Child Of Mine. It was the second time in as many weeks that I went 'out', and that's probably enough for me for another 12 months.

2 nights ago I was making toasted sandwiches for dinner, and in honour of this momentus occasion, I decided to dust of my George Foreman grill (a fine appliance I must say, but it was literally covered in dust, having sat on the top shelf of my kitched bench for the better part of a year). Upon pulling it down from said top shelf, the power chord became stuck, but given that my hands were full just picking it up, I decided to reef to chord down, deducting that if I use enough force it will swing away from my body and not cause me any grief....The plan worked, with the chord swinging well away from my body, but on it's downward trajectory it landed smack bang in the middle of the sanwhich I had just perpared. Physics: 1 Me: 0.

Standing in my kitchen late last night I had the sudden realisation that I severely missed my grandmother, who passed away 21 years ago.

That was the week that was.

Surely More Is Happening Than This

2006-11-24T22:52:00.000+10:00

Because if that's all there is left, I am in trouble.

Scene's From An Billy Joel Concert

2006-11-22T20:37:00.000+10:00

I saw Billy Joel in concert the other night. And I don't care who knows it.

It was one of the better shows I've been to in a long time. It probably helps that I knew 97% of the songs he played. He's got his fair share of detractors, but it really is incredible to witness an artist playing songs that formed the foundations of my musical tapestry (for want of a better term). Songs that I remember listening to (and loving) even before I was a teenager. Even his crap songs had me smiling (which is no mean feat), and there was a moment during his final encore where I wanted to collectively hug the 12,000 audience members; even the troglodite behind me who insisted on telling everyone, out loud, "I love this song", EVERY time Billy started a new song.

Anyway, I just wanted to say - it was brilliant.

Add It Up

2006-11-22T20:36:00.000+10:00

I guess it's got something to do with luck.

Things I Don't Need

2006-11-18T09:25:00.000+10:00

I don't need, at the end of a long day, during one of the most physically and mentally draining months I've had in a long time, the bottle of milk I just purchased to leak all over my car as I'm driving home.

I don't need to watch one, let alone 3, of those up late quiz shows.

I don't need to listen to Alan Jones' morning comment. Ever.

But I do need Henry Rollins. We all do. With thanks to skinfluteshynmphony for locating this one.

Coming In At #2

2006-11-07T22:43:00.000+10:00

A Perfect Circle.

3 Libras.

Freedom Calling

2006-11-05T19:48:00.000+10:00

Best Sunset Ever in Brisbane this evening.

Hope you got to see it.

Do Yourself A Favour

2006-11-04T21:01:00.000+10:00

I haven't really used this blog for an extreme amount of blatant promotion, but there's an artist from America coming over in December/January and he needs to be seen by as many people as possible.

Hamell On Trial is one of the most amazing performers I've ever listened to, without doubt. If you go to his site take a listen to anything they offer from the "Choochtown" album or my personal favourite, "Hamell Comes Alive:Ed's Not Dead", in particular the songs 'Sugarfee', 'Big As Life', 'I'm Gonna Watch You Sleep' and 'Some Hearts' (you'll have to buy it to hear them all).

I thought he was never going to make it over here but turns out he's playing at the Woodford Folk Festival this year. Woodford itself is something that should be experienced by everyone at least once, but the fact that Hamell is going to be there means that everyone should do everything in their power to go this year and see him.
He's playing 5 shows up there, but I'd be surprised if he came all this way and didn't play in other states, so keep an eye for him.

Go see him. You wont regret it.

Songs In The Key Of My Life

2006-11-04T07:25:00.000+10:00

Further to previous discussions

I Don't Like Cricket. Oh No.

2006-11-02T08:43:00.000+10:00

As the temperature starts to (unfortunately) rise in my homeland, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to the summer cricket season this year. Whilst I'm far from being a 'sports guy', I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by televisions at my workplace, so soon there'll be something half way interesting to watch.

I'm still largely undecided as the where I stand in the scheme of patriotism. There are aspects of it that I abhor, and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get behind our national anthem (I mean I want to, but it's just such a lacklustre song). On the flipside of that I find myself from time to time actively getting behind some Aussie sporting teams. It's a dichotomy far too complex and unimportant to delve into here, but when I stumble across things like this site it's a little easier to understand my fondness for our national sporting endeavours. If you can't be bothered clicking on the link (and no one's blaming you) it's a site that lists examples of sledging amongst famous cricketers. There's quite a few good stories on that site, but when reading about moments such as the one I've pasted below, I realise that however base the level, professional sportsmen do serve to be entertaining once in a while.

Merv Hughes and Viv Richards: Merv Hughes usually never short of a word while on the field, rarely keeps quite. During a test match in the West Indies Hughes didn't say a word to Viv, but continued to stare at him after deliveries. "This is my island, my culture. Don't you be staring at me. In my culture we just bowl." Merv didn't reply, but after he dismissed him he announced to the batsman: "In my culture we just say f*ck off. "

You And No One Else

2006-10-31T06:32:00.000+10:00

I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about music, specifically (but not limited to) the question 'What Makes A Good Song?'. Whilst I am yet to crack a definitive answer, I can safely say that a large part of it resides in it's ability for personal identification. Some of my all time favourtie songs are the ones that I swear are written about me, regardless of whether I know the author or not.

Self-obsessed much?

Such is the power of this notion that there have been songs I've heard once, thought little to nothing of, then heard again and listened more intently to the lyrics and instantly adored.

That's some powerful shit if you ask me.

Anyway, with all that in mind, here's a piece of art that's as close to perfection as anyone could hope to get. If you're one of those types who passes Radiohead off as pathetic whinging prats then this will be lost on you, and you have my pity.

To Quote Mr. Bulsara

2006-10-28T06:51:00.000+10:00

It finally happened....

....I am currently working weekend shifts. I dont mind it so much-I'm never at a loose end on a Saturday and I'm always occupied during those most dreaded hours of a Sunday afternoon (between 4pm and 6pm). The downside is, I have to be at work at 8am. Now, I can already hear some of you, particularly those with offspring no doubt, saying something to the moronic effect of "Oh 8am? That's a SLEEP IN!!" If you are they type to say and think such things, then I direct you to my balls, for the sucking thereof. 8am is early for me (and hopefully always will be) and it's somewhat of a struggle to make it on time.

On top of this woe is my inability to obtain sufficient sleep. The cause(s) of this is no great mystery, but it always seems that little bit more difficult to nod off knowing that I have to be awake early the next day.

As a general rule, I usually set my alarm to go off an hour before I'm due to be at work. Doesn't leave me with much time but it leaves me with enough time. So last night I set my alarm for 06:30. Of course, I awoke at about 04:30, and my brain started grinding into action, and all the things that currently cause me concern started causing me concern, and next thing I knew it was almost 05:30, which meant I had to be up in about an hour, which I'm sure you can imagine, was starting to give me the irrates. But eventually I nodded off for a little while and woke again at 06:20. I got up and started my routine, calculating what time I would need to leave in order to go and do the things I needed to do before I made it to work, when through the haze I had a startling revelation, and whilst standing alone in the kitchen, I asked out loud;

"Did I just set my alarm to go off half an hour early?"

After trying to remember what time I started work last week, and doing the time calculations one more time, my brain responded with a resounding 'Yes. You set your alarm to go off half an hour earlier than you needed to'.

The spiral continues.

Meeting One's Idols

2006-10-25T16:00:00.000+10:00

Recently I met someone who is currently very famous (I wont divulge details. Not that I want to be one of those secretive idiots, it's just that who it was is largely unimportant). The person in question is not someone I admire or am a fan of, but there are a lot of people who would have given their proverbials to meet them, and it got me thinking about the personal heroes that I have met.

By and large, meeting your idols is something that should be avoided. I have been (I'm not sure it's the correct word) fortunate enough to meet a good deal of the people that I truly admire. I can't think of a single one that was ever rude, arrogant or disrespectful, but after I meet someone that I idolise I can't help but feel a bit stupid and a little bereft.

Don't get me wrong, it makes for good dinner party conversation, but when you stand back and think about it, there is really nothing you can say that is of any merit or importance. Most of the celebrities I've met have been musicians, and some of them have produced work that has and still does profoundly influence, enrich and effect my day to day life. When you meet someone who's responsible for something so influencial, you get this inate desire to let them know that you get what they were trying to say on such a higher level than their regular fans, and you try so hard to genuinely thank them for providing you with said nourishment.

But generally, it goes like this;

ME : "Hello"

FAMOUS PERSON : "Hi"

ME : "It's so great to meet you. I really love what you do and just wanted to say thanks"

FAMOUS PERSON : "Thankyou. You're welcome"

ME : "No seriously. Thanks so much"

FAMOUS PERSON : "That's ok"

ME : *adoring stare*

FAMOUS PERSON : *awkard silence*

SECURITY : "Ok buddy, it's time to go"

OK. So that was a dramatisation, but you get the idea. In case you don't get the general idea, the following is an excerpt from a real conversation that occured in March this year when I met Colin Hay. A man who's musical genius knows no bounds and someone I am in total awe of;

ME : "Hi"

COLIN HAY : "Hello"

ME : "I just wanted to let you know that your music is amazing"

COLIN HAY : "Thanks very much"

ME : "I really liked you in Scrubs. What was that like to work on?"

COLIN HAY : "It was fun"

ME : "Ok, well thanks again"

COLIN HAY : "You're welcome"

It's weird because you were expecting somethine more, though you don't know what that was, and when you said thanks you wonder if they know how much you really meant it. Then eventually you realise that at the end of it all they're just a person, and when they said you're welcome, they probably really meant it, and you go home and listen to the piece of themselves that they recorded and you listened to and drew nourishment from, and you understand that they've already given you enough.

Determination : I'm Speechless

2006-10-25T09:50:00.000+10:00

The Downward Spiral

2006-10-19T07:42:00.000+10:00

Yesterday I spent in excess of $300 on a set of saucepans.

It's not the amount nor the product that is causing me concern-as disturbing as they both are-it's the fact that I didn't feel anxious or unjusitifed in my purchase, and I'm actually quite looking forward to the first time I can use them.

If in the near future anyone hears me start a sentence with the phrase "On Better Homes and Gardens last night....", please, please, throw a black bag over my head and bundle me off for an intervention.

Questions We Feel Bound To Ask

2006-10-16T09:56:00.000+10:00

I've been giving some thought to common questions people ask each other. I don't the mean everyday 'hi, how are you' type, I'm talking about personal questions, you know, the ones that once asked are usually tagged with a 'you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I wont be offended', but everyone knows that you DO have to answer it and whomever asks WILL be offended if you don't.

For example;

I have recently signed a new contract at work. The question most people have felt bound to ask is "how much money is it worth". So now there's at least 10 people who know how much money I earn per annum, and yet I don't have a clue as to what any of their net worth is. It's one of those highly personal questions that somehow, somewhere, has become totally acceptable to ask, and what's even more baffling was my compulsion to answer.

What's the moral of this story? The next time you want to ask someone a personal question, start out by asking them when the last time they took a dump was, because as far as personal questions go, that one is right up there with the best of them. If, upon asking, you find it makes you or them uncomfortable, don't ask any more personal questions. If either of you has no problem asking or answering, then you've pretty much got free reign to ask anything you want.

Let Me Get Back

2006-10-16T09:45:00.000+10:00

It has been a while since I've had the opportunity to post. It's just like John said, I've been planning to but life has been happening. Consequently I've got a bit of a back log, so strap yourself in. Or just check back from time to time. I can't promise it'll be good, but it will be something.

In Answer To oj's Question

2006-10-04T08:23:00.000+10:00

Sorry I should have done this in the original post. Barbara is Barbara Lynn. Here's a brief blurb about her. As for the tantalising single note work, well, I guess that's Barbara for you. I must admit I was left hanging myself.

That's How You Do It

2006-09-24T10:12:00.000+10:00

If you think Kanye West or Robbie Williams are amazing performers, you're wrong.

And if you think the same of Pink or Missy Elliot, well, it's probably best if you stopped talking to me all together.

The Love Affair Continues

2006-09-22T19:02:00.000+10:00

YouTube

Enough Said.

Quandry

2006-09-17T13:16:00.000+10:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was channel surfing on a Saturday morning (I know. You'd think I'd learn not too by now) when I stumbled across Pink's latest video single, which I have since discovered is called 'U & Ur Hand'. In a nutshell, the song is about men hitting on her and her being sick of it, so she wants us to give her the money we would spend on buying a drink for her, and then go home and have a wank about it.

The predictability, nafness, and sheer mediocrity of this song and it's accompanying video is more than enough for it to offend, but to top it off, it contains a couple of profanities. I can't remember the line exactly, but it's something to the extent of 'you're out of luck, I don't give a fuck'.

Genius.

Anyway, somewhere along the line somebody has made an error and channel 9 put the unedited version to air, and said naughty words were clearly audible.

By and large, I can usually let Pink slide. I mean, I can't stand the way she talks about how she hates the 'commercial' sex symbols type pop stars but somehow manages to be wearing next to nothing and pouting into the camera in every one of her videos, and trying to pass herself off as a legitimate creative artist is just plain offensive, BUT, if I were forced to choose between her and Britney (and let's face it, I am) I'd take her.

The quandry I was left in was wether to register an official complaint or not.

On the comedy side of things, I think this sort of stuff is A grade. From a censorship angle, calling to complain would make me quite the hypocrite, as I feel, like anyone with even the smallest amount of intelligence would, that censorship in all it's forms is completely abhorrent.

These 2 things aside, I thought if by registering a complaint I could contribue to this stinking pile of shit song being erased from the airwaves, I will have done mankind a greart service.

I mulled it over for a while, then turned the TV off and went back to sleep.

That'll teach 'em.

What We Are Is What We Are

2006-09-17T13:10:00.000+10:00

Happy
Dissatisfied
Too intelligent
Too lazy
Too old
Switched on
Pleading for help
Egotistical
Aware of you and your scam
Deserving of all we desire
Sick of this rung
Baffled
Hopeful
Full of despair
Affluent
Lucky
Missing a crucial ingredient

and when you think about it

Pointless

Which One Are You

2006-09-12T08:10:00.000+10:00

Do you like me or are you ignoring me?

We Give Thanks For Mike Patton

2006-09-11T08:24:00.000+10:00

He understands.

It's Not My Fault Your Life Sux

2006-09-01T09:40:00.000+10:00

Two nights ago I went out in the city. Granted, that was my first mistake, but I went none the less, and let's face it, I have every right to go. I arrived at the predetermined meeting place, which in this case, was a bar of reasonable repute. I say that for want of a better phrase - bars, by definition, contain drinkers, which by my definition are largely a bunch of very stupid people, and you shouldn't expect anything other than primitive behaviour from them. All that aside, this was a relatively nice bar, and being a Wednesday evening, I figured it would be close to bereft of the usual mindless twats you would find at an inner city bar.

I had been there for a maximum of 5 minutes. I was sitting at a table, reading a text message, when a short man, who looked (and I'm going to be frank here) liked he had either a)just come from prison or b)would be arriving there shortly, leaned over to me and said "looks like you're overdue for a haircut there mate".

Many things ran through my mind once he'd said that, none the least of which was picking up the stool I was sitting on and smashing it across his head. As far as drunk morons giving me shit goes, his was a pretty tame attempt. Growing up in a rural-esque town, when I actually HAD long hair, getting abused by drunk idiots for no good reason was par for the course, and you come to expect it. Generally, that's why you leave said rural-esque town and move to the city. You know, where people are a bit more open minded.

But I couldn't help but wonder the thought process that lead to this guy seeing me, thinking my hair is too long (it isn't by the way) and then feeling compelled to tell me to do something about it. I mean, what was he hoping to achieve? I wanted to ask him if he preferred his partners with short hair, or make some scathingly witty comment like 'if you're trying to get into my pants you're going the completely wrong way about it'. But then I remembered that there was someone running around the city randomly stabbing people.

So I ignored him.

And he went away.

It's funny how those old sayings ring true.

Sometimes..

2006-08-30T18:10:00.000+10:00

..your house gets robbed, and you lose a bunch of your stuff because someone decided that they have the right to break in and take it.

Sometimes, you feel that you've taken so many kicks to the nuts over the last few years, that the next one could be the one that finally defeats you.

And then sometimes you decide, on a rainy Wednesday morning, that you'd better do your washing. And as you empty out the pockets of your shorts to make sure there's no tissues or note paper in there, you find $20, and everything feels like it might just be ok.

I bloody love those days.

Every Rose Has It's Thorn

2006-08-29T17:46:00.000+10:00

Yes it does, I say....

Been A While

2006-08-29T08:36:00.000+10:00

It has been a while since I last posted, and I can only apologise to my loyal readers. I don't like to disappoint either of them.
To make amends, here is a picture that I think is pretty funny. At least this early on a Tuesday morning it seems pretty funny.

It's Nice To Know

2006-08-12T10:08:00.000+10:00

It's nice to know that in a world of Australian Idol, Wolfmother and the Rogue Traders, someone is still thinking.

I Don't Know Much About Comedy....

2006-08-10T08:42:00.000+10:00

..but I knows what I likes.

Simple Pleasures

2006-08-05T18:37:00.000+10:00

The other day at work I hit the no man's land of 3:30pm. You know the time frame I'm talking about. Deciding I needed a bit of a boost, I headed to the trusty vending machine for a little pep talk from my best friend-potato chips. I put my money in, pushed the appropriate buttons and dutifully waited for my food to drop. For a split second I had vending machine anxiety. You know, when you flash back to that one time the thing you ordered didn't dispense? My chips came though, and then, a split second later, a second packet fell.

Put a spring in my step for the rest of the day.

And I don't care what anyone says, free food ALWAYS tastes better.

Change? Not bloody likely.

2006-07-30T09:47:00.000+10:00

So, it appears the result of the recycled water referendum in Toowoomba is a resounding 'no'. In hindsight, I guess I shouldn't be suprised, but it still saddens me. It also leads to the inevitable question; why make voting compulsory? I know it's hip to hate Americans, and it's not like their system of government is flawless by any means, but seriously, perhaps we should make voting voluntary and take some positive steps to keep morons out of the polling booth?

Don't Eat The Brown Acid

2006-07-22T09:29:00.000+10:00

As I was driving home last night, I noticed that to my right there appeared to be a horse trotting along the other side of the road. I immediately started thinking that I probably should call some sort of authority (though I couldn't decide which one) and alert them that said horse was loose, because, you know, that could be potentially dangerous for surrounding humans as well as the horse. I drove a little further up the road only to realise that it was not in fact a stray horse, but a curved white fence to the side of the road.

I know.

I thought it too.

Ice Age

2006-07-18T16:28:00.000+10:00

On the subject of riveting docos, 4 Corners aired one a couple of months ago on the subject of a disturbing new strain of amphetamine called ice. I only caught the very end of it when it aired and had been kicking myself ever since, however it's now available online. I can't take credit for finding the link or for the idea of posting it, but you can watch it here. It is disturbing, so be warned, but it's also incredible, . The doco aside, 4 Corners should be congratulated for their awesome video streaming. Favours mac users, but you know, why wouldn't they?

Cancer Cures Everything

2006-07-18T14:18:00.000+10:00

There was that thing on TV last night about Kylie and her battle with cancer. I don't want
to make light of anyone's battle with a potentially fatal disease, but I dunno, these exposes on stars who battle cancer kind of rub me the wrong way. I know they're stars, and the public want to know about said stars personal life, but I would beat my left nut and shake that Kylie was no more corageous in her battle than the 1000's and 1000's of other cancer sufferers out there. My friend James died of cancer when he was 21. Where's the special detailing his horrific journey and brave struggle?

I just don't think that a star surviving cancer should be made into a TV specials is all.

I'm Weighing In..

2006-07-15T10:14:00.000+10:00

..to the cyclist debate.

I am aware that there may well be some avid cyclists reading,

but I'm weighing in regardless.

Cyclists have the right to ride on roads. They also have a responsibility to obey all relelvant traffic laws. Motorists also should obey said laws and respect the cyclists right to ride on the same roads that they drive one.

HOWEVER..

..until you leg shaving, ridiculous amount of lycra wearing, look at how fit I'm getting, couldn't afford to buy a sports car for my mid life crisis so I took up cycling instead, wannabe athlete motherfuckers have to pay $400 a year to register your pushbike, STAY THE FUCK TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND STOP ENDANGERING ALL OUR LIVES.

Thankyou. That is all.

This Things I Believe

2006-07-14T14:59:00.000+10:00

I have a few bloggers to thank for providing the inspiration to 'go public' with my ranting and raving. In no particular order of preference, here are the blogs I swear by

Brlogsbane - guaranteed to make you smarter*

Julaberry - this blog genuinely has it all, and then some.

Skinflute Symphony - Skinflute taught me all I know about scrambled eggs. If that isn't enough, he is a bonified living legend.

Path Of Most Resistance - mskp is a one in a million. Seriously.

*not a guarantee, but it teaches me something almost every time I read it.

A Truer Word

2006-07-10T09:12:00.000+10:00

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
Hunter S. Thompson

You Know, We're Living In A Society.

2006-07-05T21:39:00.000+10:00

Just the other day I went to the movies for the 3rd time in 2 weeks. The first 2 times both movies were significantly interrupted by other humans (and I use the term loosely). You know the ones - they can't survive 100 minutes without stuffing their dullard mouths with snacks that are available 24 hours a day, or they feel compelled to say out loud what has just happened, or they're just too stupid to follow a movie plot, so they start fidgeting in their seat. The 2nd time I went it took all the willpower I had not to choke the idiot next to me with the shopping bag he would stuff his lumbering paw into every 20 minutes to fish himself out a little treat.

So. The 3rd movie I went to I thought I would try to escape said 'humans' a little by going Gold Class. Sure it's overpriced, but the seats are comfortable and I reasoned that the exclusionary nature of Gold Class would, you know, exclude at least some of the dickheads.

Unfortunately, I underestimated the dickheads.

The movie I saw was rated M. Imagine my dismay when, as I sat patiently in the kind of OK Gold Class waiting lounge, a woman bowls in with 4 kids in tow, the oldest looking about 12 and the youngest no more than 5. As I sat bubbling in a stew of contempt, I reasoned that there was more than 1 Gold Class cinema where I was, so surely there was a kids movie playing at the same time. My hope turned to dispair when it was announed that anyone watching my movie could take their seats, and the woman and her clan of hyped up, over-stimulated, just itching to annoy spawn followed me in.

I wont bore you with the details of how much the wretched little shits pissed me off (I would think it fairly obvious by now) or how many times I flashed the angry eyebrows in their general direction, plus at the end of the day it's not the kids fault. But I ask you, what sort of a parent thinks it's OK to bring children to ANY movie, much less one that I'M trying to watch, not to mention one that is rated M and costs $20 a seat?? That's right - a very bad, very stupid, far too wealthy for their own good parent.

Don't take kids to the movies. Even if you think they're a "good kid". They aren't special. They will not sit quietly. They do not belong in movie theatres. Stop doing it, you idiot parents.