Not much to post about today. Well the girls got off OK on their early flight this morning. No tears you'll be pleased to hear. Two hours in Auckland and another 30 hours in Santiago waiting for their connection to Rio. Adam spent the day in bed (he pulled an all-nighter watching the Matrix and assorted DVD's before our early start this morning then crashed and burned at 8.00). My house is friggin' spotless thanks to cleaning therapy which includeded a total spring clean of ClareBear's appalling room and the linen press. (I know, most people go for retail therapy when they're stressed - I get out my crevice tool and clean like a whirling dirvish).
I recharged some batteries - two were not rechargable - don't go there, they explode! Apparently that crackling bangy noise they make is funny to 21 year old blokes. I almost gained kudos for the explosion after I recovered from the myocardial infarction but that was squashed by condemnation for being so stupid. Alright . . I didn't have my glasses on!
I changed Drummerboy's sheets . . not earth-shattering to you but a major coup for me and his room smells sweet.
Boidy got stung by a waps, we're not sure what kind of waps, it was a big waps but not a mud waps but it was in his shirt because he left it outside on the pool fence. See, I told him if he leaves clothes on the floor and hanging around, something stingy will get into them. Nyer!
I scored three towels, 4 ice tubs, a pair of 36cm waist board shorts and two boogie boards and half a caramel mud cake after the party . . .if they're yours, please come and get them or they'll go to St Vinnies nextweek. Except the cake, I have plans for that.
And . . we've just discovered 2 litres of Creaming Soda, 1 bottle of Pink, 1 Litre of Lemonade and a dozen Carona's left beside the bar fridge from the weekend - BONUS! Ha-ha, read it and weep if they're yours, they're in the fridge for the next half hour! Don't bother claiming them!
It's foikn hot and humid so excuse me, I'm off for a dangle in the crystal wateryness of our pool and a chotapeg with my little soldier boy while you-know-who is eating aeroplane food over Easter Island . . . (her bedroom is soooo clean and tidy right now!)
*sob* I tried for hours to find an MP3 of this song . . .it was my Art Garfunkel sad song when I had to leave an English lover and return to Australia after an incredible three months in Europe but now it has new resonance as we prepare to get up at 4.00am to drive Clare and Jem to the airport. I won't hear from her until next Monday or Tuesday when she's settled in Rio . . that will be the longest I have ever gone without talking to my girl whether at home or 12,000 miles away. It's transitioned from a lover's lament to a mother's sigh . . .
I watch the distant lights along the runway disappear into the evening sky. Oh you know I'm with you on your journey, never could say goodbye.
It's not the sun you're trying to find something else is on your mind. You need a little space and time to break away. It's not the place you're going to, it's just a phase you're going through. Though I won't stop you, I don't want you to
Break away, fly across your ocean. Break away, time has come for you. Break away, fly across your ocean. Break away, time has come...
For you to awaken in another country, greet the morning under foreign skies. Leaving me to face another Monday, it's not easy to get by...
It's not the sun you're trying find something else is on your mind. You need a little space and time to break away. It's not the place you're going to it's just a phase you're going through. Though I won't stop you, I don't want you to
Break away, fly across your ocean. Break away, time has come for you. Break away, fly across your ocean. break away, time has come for you Break away, fly across your ocean. Break away...
It's been a bit serious over at my place so here's a sweet distraction. Absolute Vanilla's best unfriend Atyllah is tagging memes. The rules are simple:
* link to the person who tagged you * post the rules on your blog * share six non-important things/ habits/ quirks about yourself * tag at least 3 people at the end of the post and link to their blogs * let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
mmm . . lets see, since most of what I post here is trivial drivel and singularly unimportant . . .
I failed my first driving test for riding the clutch around corners but it was so long ago, now I drive an automatic so it was a moot point and nobody gives a shit so I guess that's pretty unimportant
I can clean an entire house to hospital grade standards with little more than some Gumption and a duster and since ClareBear and DrummerBoy consider cleaning per se completely irrational and unnecessary, I guess that rates as being singularly unimportant.
I have my own 'place' on the couch being a creature of habit and get a bit tetchy if someone else sits on my side which is conveniently placed near a table where I can place my glass and once upon a time, my cigarettes for handy access. It's very 'unimportant' where I sit but to me, this is my little corner of safety, my little untouched part of the kingdom that is the family room and woe betide anyone who sits there uninvited.
I absolutely, have to make my bed every morning. No matter how late I am for work, it has to be done. Can't stand getting into an unmade bed (that's definitely unimportant and not cute enough to be quirky - perhaps just anal retentive)
With the exception of the last two weeks, I rarely cry through sadness. But I can blubber uncontrollably when I'm angry. So if you want to make sense of what I'm saying, don't piss me off please.
I think bras are the silliest invention EVER. Unless perhaps they are used to look enticing in the bedroom, what is their purpose? They are incredibly expensive torture contraptions. They don't stop your breasts drooping any more than breastfeeding does (that myth was fed to me years ago), they're incredibly uncomfortable. Difficult to put on and hard for men to take off without snapping something. It's embarrassing getting one 'fitted' and impossible to buy one that's comfy without. When you're nubile and pert, you don't need one and when you're middle aged and saggy they make you look 'matronly' and point your breasts in the wrong direction. I guess that's an unimportant quirk . .
OK. I quite like this meme because it's so unimportant and easy and for the creative, a chance to shine. (Note I am exceptionally dull) I'm going to tag Ropi and Ian because, the men seem to get away without being put on the spot and Nonny because she is a lazy blogger (um read has a life!) and this might get her going!
This one could work if it was made from something less nipple cripply! But still no good for wearing under a T shirt.
The emos preferred the shade (Look at the expression on my brotherinlaw's face!)
Later things started to sizzle . . .
The sports bar opened . . .
Cake was cut . . . something about my daughter and knives!
The boys hammed it up . . .
The bottlage accumulated . . .
And by this morning . . .some were feeling a little fuzzy . . .
Others soaped up . . .
Slid down . . .
And started all over again . . .
All in all 14 hours of very successful partying, 80 odd people, 100 sausages 50 kebabs, 100 bread rolls, four kilos of salads, four sulo bins full of bottles, only one breakage and not a skerrick of food left in the fridge except caramel mud cake!
I listen to a music channel here called Triple J. It's a younger demographic but their mandate is 'new music'. It's not always good but many an emerging band gets its first airplay on Triple J. Each year, they select 100 songs from their play list and invite listeners to vote for their fave and tomorrow, Australia Day, is the countdown for the top 35 or so songs which will then feature on the annual Triple J Top 100 CD realeased later in the year. OK it's a long list . . .some you might know, some you wont. . . my vote to win . . .John Butler "I Used to Get High" the ones I'd like to boycott - anything by that talentless duo Jack and Meg (I can't drum) White aka The White Stripes or "I steal all my material from really successful people" Kanye West. My personal favourites are in red but won't win . . .
!!! - Heart Of Hearts !!! - Must Be The Moon 120 Days - Sleepwalking 1990s - See You At The Lights 1990s - You Made Me Like It 1990s - You're Supposed To Be My Friend 4 Days In Geneva - Remember That Rhyme 67 Special - Shot At The Sun 67 Special - Killer Bees 78 Saab - Drive 78 Saab - One Of These Days Academy Is…, The - Neighbors Aesop Rock - Coffee Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass After The Fall - Cut Your Losses Against Me! - Stop! Against Me! - White People For Peace Agoria - Cecile Air - Once Upon A Time Akron/Family - I've Got Some Friends Alela Diane - The Pirate's Gospel A-Love - Cowboys A-Love - Love Is A-Love - The Main Ingredient A-Love (Feat. Yungun) - So Easy Amy Winehouse - Rehab Anberlin - Godspeed Andrew Bird - Heretics Angus & Julia Stone - Hollywood Angus & Julia Stone - I'm Yours Angus & Julia Stone - Just A Boy Angus & Julia Stone - The Beast Angus & Julia Stone - Wasted Animal Collective - Fireworks Animal Collective - Peacebone Annuals - The Bull & The Goat Arcade Fire - Black Mirror Arcade Fire - Intervention Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running Arcade Fire - No Cars Go Arcade Fire - The Well & The Lighthouse Archie Bronson Outfit - Kink Architecture In Helsinki - Debbie Architecture In Helsinki - Heart It Races Architecture In Helsinki - Hold Music Architecture In Helsinki - Lazy (Lazy) Arctic Monkeys - Balaclava Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm Arctic Monkeys - D Is For Dangerous Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent Arctic Monkeys - Old Yellow Bricks Arctic Monkeys - Teddy Picker Art Brut - Direct Hit Art Of Fighting - Free You Ash - I Started A Fire Ash - You Can't Have It All Aston Shuffle - For Everyone Astronomy Class - Done The Sums Astronomy Class - Heatseeker Astronomy Class - Rewind The Tape Babyshambles - Delivery Babyshambles - The Blinding Bad Day Down - Haditha: Democracy Assasinated The Family Here Bad Religion - Heroes & Martyrs Bag Raiders - Fun Punch Baggsmen - Bubblegum Bamboos (Feat. Ohmega Watts) - Get In The Scene Band Of Horses - Is There A Ghost Bank Holidays - Oh Daylight Bat For Lashes - Prescilla Bat For Lashes - Trophy Bat For Lashes - What's A Girl To Do? Battles - Atlas Battles - Leyendecker BC Camplight - Lord, I've Been On Fire Beastie Boys - Off The Grid Beasts Of Bourbon - I Don't Care About Nothing Anymore Beautiful Girls - I Thought About You Beautiful Girls - In Love Beautiful Girls - Royalty Beautiful Girls - Under The Southern Sky Beck - Timebomb Bees - Left Foot Stepdown Bees - Who Cares What The Question Is Behind Crimson Eyes - Shakedown Behind Crimson Eyes - You've Had Your Chance Beirut - A Sunday Smile Belles Will Ring - Mad Love Belles Will Ring - Park Benches Belles Will Ring - The Coldest Heart Ben Harper - Fight Outta You Ben Kweller - I Don't Know Why Ben Kweller - I Gotta Move Ben Kweller - Penny On The Train Track Ben Lee - Love Me Like The World Is Ending Ben Lee - Numb Benjy Ferree - In The Countryside Besnard Lakes - Devastation Bias-B - Been There Done That Biffy Clyro - Saturday Superhouse Bill Callahan - Diamond Dancer Billy Talent - Fallen Leaves Billy Talent - Red Flag Bird And The Bee - Fucking Boyfriend Birds Of Tokyo - Black Sheets Birds Of Tokyo - Wayside Bishop Allen - Click Click Click Click Bit By Bats - One Six One Bjork - Earth Intruders Bjork - Innocence Black Francis (Frank Black) - Threshold Apprehension Black Lips - I Saw A Ghost Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Weapon Of Choice Blaqk Audio - Stiff Kittens Bliss N Eso - Bullet And A Target Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation Bloc Party - Waiting For The 7.18 Bloc Party - Flux Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches Bloc Party - I Still Remember Bloc Party - Song For Clay Bloc Party - Uniform Bloc Party - Where Is Home? Blonde Redhead - 23 Blonde Redhead - Dr Strangelove Blow, The - Hey Boy Blue King Brown - Stand Up Bluejuice - The Reductionist Bluejuice - Vitriol Bonde Do Role - Marina Gasolina Bonde Do Role - Office Boy Bonde Do Role - Solta O Frango Booka Shade - Numbers Boys Noize - & Down Braintax - Anti-Grey Brand New - Jesus Christ Bravery, The - Time Won't Let Me Go Breeders - We're Gonna Rise Bridezilla - Brown Paper Bag Bright Eyes - Four Winds Bright Yellow - Nice And Agreeable British India - Black & White Radio British India - Run The Red Light British India - Russian Roulette British India - Tie Up My Hands Broken Keys - Razorblade Broken West, The - Down In The Valley Brothablack - Are You With Me Out There? Brother Ali - Uncle Sam Goddamn Brunettes - B.A.B.Y Buck 65 - Way Back When Bumblebeez - Dr Love Bumblebeez - Freak Ya Loneliness Bumblebeez - Rio Busdriver - Casting Agents & Cowgirls Butterfingers - Nothin' Much Happens Butterfly Effect - Reach By The Fireside - Moon Lake Cajun Dance Party - Amylase Calling All Cars - Hey You Calvin Harris - Acceptable In The 80s Calvin Harris - Merrymaking At My Place Camels, The - Romance Camera Obscura - If Looks Could Kill Cancer Bats - French Immersion Capital City - Let's Throw Our Love Away Caribou - Melody Day Cass McCombs - That's That Cat Empire - Fishies Cat Empire - No Longer There Cat Empire - So Many Nights Cat Power - Song To Bobby Cathy Petocz - Wake Up O Sleeper Checks, The - Take Me There Chemical Brothers - Do It Again Chemical Brothers - Saturate Chemical Brothers - The Salmon Dance Chemical Brothers (Feat. Klaxons) - All Rights Reversed Chemical Brothers (Feat. Midlake) - The Pills Won't Help You Now Chemical Brothers (Feat. Willy Mason) - Battlescars Children Collide - Cannibal Children Collide - We Are Amphibious Chromeo - Tenderoni Cicada - Things You Say Cirkus (Feat. Neneh Cherry) - You're Such An Asshole City Lights - Everyone Out Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan Said Dance Clare Bowditch & The Feeding Set - I Love The Way You Talk Clare Bowditch & The Feeding Set - Peccadilloes Clare Bowditch & The Feeding Set - When The Lights Went Down Clare Bowditch & The Feeding Set - You Looked So Good Claude Vonstroke - Chimps Claude Vonstroke - The Whistler Claude Vonstroke - Who's Afraid Of Detroit Cloud Control - Vintage Books Cocorosie - Rainbowarriors Coda - Miss Bliss Cog - What If Coheed And Cambria - The Running Free Cold War Kids - Hang Me Up To Dry Cold War Kids - Hospital Beds Cold War Kids - Robbers Cold War Kids - Saint John Common - The People Common (Feat. Lily Allen) - Drivin Me Wild Cops - Cop Pop Cops - The Message Correcto - Joni Cribs - Men's Needs Crystal Castles - Crimewave CSS - Let's Make Love & Listen To Death From Above Custom Kings - Up Late Cut Copy - Hearts On Fire Cut Copy - So Haunted Cut Off Your Hands - Oh Girl Cut Off Your Hands - Still Fond Cut Off Your Hands - You And I Cuthbert & The Nightwalkers - Red Frogs Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger (live) Dallas Crane - God Damn Pride Damien Rice - Rootless Tree Damn Arms - Home Wrecker Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip - Thou Shalt Always Kill Dappled Cities Fly - Holy Chord Dappled Cities Fly - Vision Bell Dappled Cities Fly - Work It Out Dardanelles - Footsteps Darren Hanlon - Fingertips & Mountaintops Datarock - See What I Care David McCormack - Spring Rain Daysend - Winter Daysend - No Regrets dDub - Give It Some Dead 60's - Riot Radio Dead Letter Circus - Disconnect And Apply Decemberists - O Valencia! Decemberists - The Crane Wife Decemberists - The Perfect Crime Decemberists - Yankee Bayonet Deerhoof - 81 Deerhoof - Believe Esp Deloris - Everything Ever Deloris - Loup Garou Detroit Cobras - Leave My Kitten Alone Devastations - Mistakes Devendra Banhart - Lover Diafrix - In Tha Place Diafrix - African Affair Digitalism - Digitalism In Cairo Digitalism - Idealistic Digitalism - Pogo Digitalism - Zdarlight Dillinger Escape Plan - Black Bubblegum Dinosaur Jr. - Been There All The Time Dirty Secrets - Five Feet Of Snow Dirty Secrets - My Heart Is On Fire Dizzee Rascal - Flex (Dave Spoon Remix) Dizzee Rascal - Pussyole (Old Skool) Dizzee Rascal - Sirens Dizzee Rascal (Feat. Lily Allen) - Wanna Be DJ Bonez (Feat. Funkoars) - Certified DJ Bonez (Feat. Omni) - The Hot DJ Eurok - This Is DC DJ Jazzy Jeff (Feat. Jean Grae) - Supa Jean DJ Vadim - Boom Sumting Drones - River Of Tears Dropkick Murphys - The State Of Massachussets E.L.F. - Cockroaches Eagles Of Death Metal - Cherry Cola Eagles Of Death Metal - I Got A Feelin Earl Gray - Beggin On Your Knees Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Demon's Demands Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Get Up Morning Editors - An End Has A Start Editors - Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors Elektrofant - Cocaine Elektrons - Dirty Basement Elektrons - Get Up Elf Tranzporter - I Awoke El-P (Feat. Mr Lif) - Up All Night Emilie Simon - Fleur De Saison Enemy, The - Had Enough Enter Shikari - Sorry You're Not A Winner Epicure - Cobra Kisses Eskimo Joe - Hey (Live) Eskimo Joe - New York Expatriate - Crazy Expatriate - Gotta Get Home Expatriate - Play A Part Exploders, The - I Can't Dance Eyerer & Chopstick - Make My Day (Haunting) Faker - Are You Magnetic? Faker - Lazybones Faker - This Heart Attack Faux Pas - Changes Feist - 1234 Feist - My Moon My Man Field Music - In Context Fiery Furnaces - Ex-Guru Foals - Hummer Fog - The Last I Knew Of You Foo Fighters - Cheer Up Boys (Your Make-up Is Running) Foo Fighters - Erase/Replace Foo Fighters - Let It Die Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin Foo Fighters - The Pretender Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger Fratellis - Creepin Up The Backstairs Fratellis - Flathead Freestylers - Electrified Frida Hyvonen - I Drive My Friend Funkola (Feat. Optamus) - The Pilgrams Future Of The Left - Small Bones Small Bodies Galactic (Feat. Mr. Lif) - And I'm Out Gallows - Abandon Ship Gallows (Feat. Lethal Bizzle) - Staring At The Rude Bois Getaway Plan - Streetlight Ghostface Killah - You Know I'm No Good Ghostwood - Red Version Go! Team - Doing It Right Go! Team - Grip Like A Vice Gogol Bordello - Wonderlust King Good Shoes - Never Meant To Hurt You Good The Bad & The Queen - 80's Life Good The Bad & The Queen - Green Fields Goose - Bring It On Goose - British Mode Gossip, The - Listen Up! {Remix} Grafton Primary - Relativity (MC Squared) Grand Fatal - Dots & Dashes Grand National - By The Time I Get Home… Grinderman - (I Don't Need You To) Set Me Free Grinderman - Love Bomb Grinderman - No Pussy Blues Grinspoon - Black Tattoo Grinspoon - Business=Pleasure Grinspoon - Carried Away Grinspoon - Choir Boy Grinspoon - What You Got Groove Armada - Get Down Groove Armada - Save My Soul Groove Armada - The Girls Say Groove Armada - What's Your Version? Guts - And The Living Is Easy Gyroscope - Snakeskin Hanne Hukkelberg - A Cheater's Armoury Hard-Fi - Suburban Knights Hard-Fi - Can't Get Along (Without You) Heavy, The - That Kind Of Man Help She Can't Swim - Hospital Drama Herd, The - Comrade Jesus Christ Hilltop Hoods - Recapturing The Vibe (Restrung) Hives, The - Tick Tick Boom Hives, The - Try It Again Hives, The - Well All Right! Hives, The - You Got It All...Wrong Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations Holidays, The - Holiday Holly Throsby - One Of You For Me Holy Fuck - Milkshake Horrors - Count In Fives Horrors - Gloves Horrors - Sheena Is A Parasite Horsell Common - Good From Afar Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor Hot Chip - Shake A Fist Hot Chip - My Piano Hot Hot Heat - 5 Times Out Of A 100 Hot Hot Heat - Let Me In Hot Hot Heat - Outta Heart Hot Lies, The - Emergency Emergency Howling Bells - Cities Burning Down I Heart Hiroshima - Punks Iain Archer - When It Kicks In Ian Ball - Failure Idlewild - No Emotion Illzilla - Live Enough In Fiction - Ghosts Institut Polaire - City Walls & Empires Institut Polaire - Kentucky Society Drought Intercooler - All Coming Back To Me Intercooler - Wasted My Day Interpol - Mammoth Interpol - No I In Threesome Interpol - The Heinrich Maneuver Interpol - Pioneer To The Falls Iron & Wine - Boy With A Coin Iron & Wine - Pagan Angel And A Borrowed Car Iron On - One Man Band Jack Penate - Torn On The Platform Jackson Jackson - Cats Rats & Pigeons Jackson Jackson - Eliza Jamie T - Back In The Game Jamie T - Calm Down Dearest Jamie T - Salvador Jamie T - Sheila Jarvis - Don't Let Him Waste Your Time Jay-Z - Roc Boys (& The Winner Is) Jenny Wilson - Summertime (The Roughest Time) Jens Lekman - The Opposite Of Hallelujah Jet - Holiday Jimmy Eat World - Big Casino Joakim - Lonely Hearts Joanna Newsom - Sawdust & Diamonds John Butler Trio - Better Than John Butler Trio - Daniella John Butler Trio - Devil Running John Butler Trio - Good Excuse John Butler Trio - Used To Get High John Steel Singers - Strawberry Wine Jose Gonzalez - Down The Line Jose Gonzalez - How Low Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature Jose Gonzalez - Killing For Love Josh Pyke - Fed And Watered Josh Pyke - Forever Song Josh Pyke - Lines On Palms Josh Pyke - Sew My Name Josh Pyke - Someone Else's Town Josh Pyke - Vibrations In Air Junior Boys - In The Morning Junior Senior - Can I Get Get Get Justice - D.A.N.C.E Justice - The Party K.I.M - Wet N Wild Kaiser Chiefs - Everything Is Average Nowadays Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby Kaiser Chiefs - The Angry Mob Kanye West - Can't Tell Me Nothin Kanye West - Champion Kanye West - Everything I Am Kanye West - Flashing Lights Kanye West - Good Morning Kanye West - Homecoming Kanye West - Stronger Karnivool - The Only Way Kasabian - Shoot The Runner Kat Frankie - The Tops Katalyst - All You've Got Katalyst - I Know A Place Katalyst (Feat. Matt McHugh) - Over And Over Katalyst (Feat. Stephanie McKay) - Say What You Feel Katalyst (Feat. Steve Spacek) - How Bout Us Kate Nash - Foundations Kelley Stoltz - Your Reverie Kenneth Bager (Feat. Julee Cruise) - Les Fleurs Kid Confucius - Last Straw Kid Confucius - Moment Killers, The - For Reasons Unknown Killers, The (Feat. Lou Reed) - Tranquilize Kills, The - U.R.A Fever King Creosote - You Are Could I? Kings Of Leon - Black Thumbnail Kings Of Leon - Charmer Kings Of Leon - Fans Kings Of Leon - On Call Kisschasy - Factory Kisschasy - Opinions Won't Keep You Warm At Night Kisschasy - Spray On Pants Kisschasy - Strings And Drums Klaxons - As Above, So Below Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone Klaxons - Golden Skans Klaxons - It's Not Over Yet Klaxons - Two Receivers Knife, The - Like A Pen K-Os - Sunday Morning Krafty Kuts Vs Freestylers - Dynamite Love Last Town Chorus - Modern Love Laura Imbruglia - Hurt My Feelings Laura Imbruglia - Looking For A Rabbit Lavender Diamond - Open Your Heart Lavender Diamond - You Broke My Heart LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends LCD Soundsystem - New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great LCD Soundsystem - Time To Get Away Leroy Lee - Drawing Smoke Les Savy Fav - The Equestrian Lethal Bizzle - Babylon's Burning The Ghetto Liam Finn - Second Chance Liars - Plaster Casts Of Everything Lightspeed Champion - Tell Me What It's Worth Lior - Heal Me Little Barrie - Green Eyed Fool Little Barrie - Love You Little Barrie - Pretty Pictures Little Red - Waiting Living End, The - Rising Sun Lo-Fi-FNK - Wake Up Long Blondes, The - Giddy Stratospheres Long Blondes, The - Once & Never Again Lordz Of The Fly (Feat. N'fa) - Make It Loud Los Campesinos - You! Me! Dancing! Lost Valentinos - 17 Deaths Lost Valentinos - Rain Lou Rhodes - The Rain Louis XIV - There's A Traitor In This Room Love Is All - Busy Doing Nothing Love Of Diagrams - Pace Or The Patience Love Of Diagrams - Form & Function Lupe Fiasco (Feat. Matthew Santos) - Superstar M.I.A - 20 Dollar M.I.A - Bird Flu M.I.A - Boyz M.I.A - Jimmy M.I.A - Paper Planes Machine Translations - You'll Change Machine Translations - Need A Miracle Magic Dirt - Dirty One Magic Dirt - Bring Me The Head Of… Magic Numbers - This Is A Song Malajube - Montreal -40 Degrees Celcius Malcolm Middleton - A Brighter Beat Malente - Killer Application Mammal - Slaves Maps - You Don't Know Her Name Mares, The - Biscuit Tin Marilyn Manson - Heart Shaped Glasses Mark Ronson - God Put A Smile Upon Your Face Mark Ronson (Feat. Amy Winehouse) - Valerie Mark Ronson (Feat. Daniel Merriweather) - Stop Me Mark Ronson (Feat. Lily Allen) - Oh My God Mars Volta - Wax Simulacra Martin Craft - You Are The Music Mastodon - Colony Of Birchmen Matt Costa - Mr. Pitiful Mattafix - In The Background Mattafix - Skate Your Limbs Mattafix - Stranger Forever Mattafix - Things Have Changed Maximo Park - Girls Who Play Guitars Maximo Park - Our Velocity Mayday! - Groundhog Day Menomena - Wet And Rusting Mercy Arms - Uptown Address Mercy Arms - Kept Low Mere Theory - Stabilise Mess Hall, The - Keep Walking Mexican Institute Of Sound - Escribeme Pronto Mia Dyson - People Will Turn On You Mickey Avalon - Jane Fonda Microsleep - Get My Name Right Midnight Juggernauts - Ending Of An Era Midnight Juggernauts - Into The Galaxy Midnight Juggernauts - Road To Recovery Midnight Juggernauts - Tombstone Midnight Juggernauts - Twenty Thousand Leagues Minus The Bear - Knights Missy Higgins - 100 Round The Bends Missy Higgins - Peachy Missy Higgins - Secret Missy Higgins - Steer Missy Higgins - The Wrong Girl Missy Higgins - Warm Whispers Mista Savona - Land Of The Brave Mista Savona - Turn Up The Music Mista Savona - World A Run So Modest Mouse - Dashboard Modest Mouse - Fire It Up Modest Mouse - Florida Modest Mouse - Missed The Boat Modest Mouse - We've Got Everything Money Mark - Pick Up The Pieces Motion City Soundtrack - This Is For Real M's, The - Mansion In The Valley Mum - Marmalade Fires Muph & Plutonic - The Day Off (Remix) Muscles - One Inch Badge Pin Muscles - Chocolate, Raspberry, Lemon & Lime Muscles - Sweaty Muscles - Ice Cream Muse - Invincible Muse - Knights Of Cydonia My Brightest Diamond - Golden Star My Chemical Romance - Teenagers Nation Blue, The - We Lost Everything National, The - Mistaken For Strangers Ned Collette - The Country With A Smile New Buffalo - Cheer Me Up Thank You New Buffalo - City & Sea New Buffalo - Emotional Champ New Buffalo - You've Gone My Friend New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour New Rules For Boats - Skips On My Record New Young Pony Club - Get Lucky New Young Pony Club - Ice Cream New Young Pony Club - The Bomb Nine Black Alps - Burn Faster Nine Inch Nails - Capital G Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism Number Station - Way We Live Of Montreal - Like A Promethean Curse Offcutts - Cold Morning Happiness Ohmega Watts - For What It's Worth Ok Go - Invincible Okkervil River - Unless It's Kicks Old Man River - Summer Operator Please - Crash Tragic Operator Please - Get What You Want Operator Please - Just A Song About Ping Pong Operator Please - Leave It Alone Operator Please - Yes Yes Operator Please - Zero Zero Panics, The - Creaks Panics, The - Cruel Guards Panics, The - Don't Fight It Panics, The - Get Us Home Paper Scissors - Yamanote Line Parov Stelar - On My Way Now Patience - Lee Remick Patrick Watson - Luscious Life Patrick Wolf - Accident & Emergency Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position Peabody - The Devil For Sympathy Peeping Tom - We're Not Alone Pegz - No Attachments Pendulum - Blood Sugar Pendulum - Granite Pepe Deluxe - Go For Blue Pharoah Monche - Welcome To The Terrordome Pharoah Monche - Push Phonique (Feat. Erlend Oye) - Casualities Phrase (Feat. Ian Kenny) - Face It Pigeon Detectives - I Found Out Pigeon Detectives - I'm Not Sorry Pinback - Good To Sea Pj Harvey - When Under Ether Plan B - Mama (Loves A Crackhead) Plan B - More Is Enough Plastic Palace Alice - Empire Falls Plug-In City - Broke On A Wheel Pnau - Baby Pnau - Shock To My System Pnau - Wild Strawberries Pnau - With You Forever Polyphonic Spree - Running Away Pop Levy - Pick -Me-Up Uppercut Powderfinger - Black Tears Powderfinger - Head Up In The Clouds Powderfinger - I Don't Remember Powderfinger - Lost And Running Powderfinger - Nobody Sees Powderfinger - Who Really Cares Poxymusic - She Bites Presets, The - My People Princess 1.5 - I'm Onto Something Good Punks Jump Up - Dance To Our Disco Puscifer - Queen B Queens Of The Stone Age - 3's & 7's Queens Of The Stone Age - I'm Designer Queens Of The Stone Age - Sick, Sick, Sick Queens Of The Stone Age - Suture Up Your Future Radiohead - 15 Step Radiohead - All I Need Radiohead - Bodysnatchers Radiohead - House Of Cards Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place Radiohead - Nude Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi Rakes, The - We Danced Together Rastawookie - Perfectly Ordinary Record Producer - The Way Red Jezebel - Kicking Deadly Sins Red Jezebel - More Than You'll Ever Know Red Riders - In My Sleep Red Riders - My Love Is Stronger Than Your Love Red Sun Band - Like An Arrow Regina Spektor - Better Regina Spektor - Real Love Regina Spektor - Samson Regina Spektor - That Time Regular John - The Devil's Melody Regular John - Who We Are Regurgitator - Blood And Spunk Rephrase - Chase Your Tail Resin Dogs - Coming With The Sound Resurrectors - Healing Reverend And The Makers - Heavyweight Champion Of The World Richard In Your Mind - The New Sun Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining Riot In Belgium - La Musique Rise Against - The Good Left Undone RJD2 - You Never Had It So Good Robyn - Cobrastyle Robyn - With Every Heartbeat Roisin Murphy - Overpowered Roots, The - Long Time Rufus Wainwright - Going To A Town Ryan Adams - Halloween Sage Francis (Feat. Jolie Holland) - Got Up This Morning Salmonella Dub - Love, Sunshine And Happiness Samim - Heater Saosin - Sleepers Sarah Blasko - Bye Bye Pride Sarah Blasko - Planet New Year Saturday Knights - Motorin' Scare, The - Bats! Bats! Bats! Scare, The - Eighty Eight Scenario Rock - Skitzo Dancer Scientists Of Modern Music - Easy Scott Matthews - Elusive Scout Niblett - Just Do It Scribe - Say It Again Serj Tankian - Empty Walls Shake Up, The - What Are You Worried About? Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Tell Me Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra - Kiss The Sky Shins, The - Australia Shins, The - Phantom Limb Shins, The - Sealegs Shins, The - Turn On Me Shout Out Louds - Impossible Shout Out Louds - Tonight I Have To Leave It Shy Child - Drop The Phone Sia - Pictures Sigur Ros - Hljomalind Silents, The - 23 Silverchair - All Across The World Silverchair - If You Keep Losing Sleep Silverchair - Low Silverchair - Reflections Of A Sound Silverchair - Straight Lines Silverchair - The Man That Knew Too Much Silverchair - Young Modern Station Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye Silversun Pickups - Well Thought Out Twinkles Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler Simian Mobile Disco - I Believe Simian Mobile Disco - It's The Beat Simian Mobile Disco - Love Skipping Girl Vinegar - One Chance Skybombers, The - It Goes Off Sloan - Who Taught You To Live Like That? Sly Hats, The - Vampire Sips Smallgoods, The - Driving Song Smallgoods, The - Traipse Through The Valley Smashing Pumpkins - Tarantula Snowman - Swimming With Sharks So Many Dynamos - Progess Soft Tigers - Karate Soft Tigers - M.A.R.I.A Soft Tigers - Mr Ice Cream Softightes - The Robots In My Room Were Playing Arena Rock Soko - I'll Kill Her Something For Kate - The Futurist Sons & Daughters - Darling Souls On Board - Where The Dance Is Soulsavers - Paper Money Sparkadia - Animals Sparkadia - Morning Light Special Patrol - Hey Good Try Specimens, The - I'm A Believer Speech Defect (Feat. Ugly Duckling) - Superfuture Spit Syndicate - Here Today Spoon - Don't Make Me A Target Spoon - My Little Japanese Cigarette Case Spoon - The Underdog Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb St Vincent - Now Now Stars - Take Me To The Riot Stateless - Prism #1 Stateless - Exit Stooges, The - My Idea Of Fun Strung Out - Calling Studio - Self Service Sugar Army - And Now You're Old Enough I Think That You Should Know Sunny Day Sets Fire - Wilderness Super Furry Animals - Show Your Hand Superengine - Intermittent Lies Switch - A Bit Patchy Taken By Trees - Lost & Found Talib Kweli - Listen!! Tapes 'N Tapes - Insistor Tecoma - Air To Me Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Bomb.Repeat.Bomb Teenager - Alone Again Teenager - Pony Teenagers In Tokyo - End It Tonight Tegan And Sara - Back In Your Head Tegan And Sara - Hop A Plane Tegan And Sara - The Con Telemetry Orchestra - Hazy Elevator Temper Trap, The - My Sun Tepr - Minuit Jacuzzi That 1 Guy - Buttmachine Dr. Dog - The Girl Theatre Of Disco - Go Fifi These New Puritans - Colours Thrills, The - Nothing Changes Around Here Thurston Moore - The Shape Is In A Trance Tilly & The Wall - Bad Education Tim Armstrong - Into Action Tim Rogers - When Yer Sad Ting Tings, The - That's Not My Name Tobias Cummings & The Long Way Home - Battleships Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment Tokyo Police Club - Cheer It On Tongue, The - Real Thing Tongue, The - The Punch Tori Amos - Big Wheel Treetops - Wisdom Beads Trentemoller - Moan (Remix) Trial Kennedy - The Great Escape True Live - Keep Myself Awake Tunng - Bullets Turbonegro - Do You Do You Dig Destruction Turin Brakes - Stalker U.N.K.L.E - Burn My Shadow U.N.K.L.E - Hold My Hand U.S.E - It Is On! Underworld - Crocodile Unwritten Law - Shoulda Known Better Urthboy - Nuthin I'd Rather Do Urthboy - We Get Around Urthboy - The Signal Urthboy (Feat. Mia Dyson) - Over Before It Began Used, The - Paralysed Used, The - The Bird & The Worm Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof Van She - Cat & The Eye Vasco Era - When It First Showed Up Vasco Era - When We Tried To Get You To Settle Down Vents - A Love Song VHS Or Beta - Can't Believe A Single Word Via Tania - Our Wild Flight View, The - Same Jeans View, The - Wasted Little DJ's Von Sudenfed - The Rhinohead Wahas, The - New Suit Waifs, The - Sun Dirt Water Waldeck - Midsummer Night Blues Walkmen, The - Lost In Boston Walkmen, The - Louisiana Walrus - Marilyn Monroe Walrus - War! Ween - Learnin To Love Whigs, The - Technology Whirlpool Productions - From Disco To Disco White Rose Movement - Alsatian White Rose Movement - Testcard Girl White Stripes - Conquest White Stripes - Icky Thump White Stripes - I'm Slowly Turning Into You White Stripes - Rag And Bone White Stripes - You Don't Know What Love Is Whitley - A Shot To The Stars Whitley - I Remember Whitley - Lost In Time Wilco - What Light Wind & Brackets - Nu Nu (Za Za) Wolfmother - Pleased To Meet You Wombats, The - Let's Dance To Joy Division Wombats, The - Moving To New York Wombats, The - Kill The Director Wons Phreely - Everything Fits Wu-Tang Clan - The Heart Gently Weeps Xavier Rudd - Better People X-Press 2 - Kill 100 Yacht - See A Penny (Pick It Up) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Down Boy Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sealings Yelle - A Cause Des Garcons Young And Restless - I Pointed At You And You Burst Into Flames Young And Restless - Kapow! Young And Restless - Police Police Youth Group - Start Today Tomorrow Yungun And Mr Thing - This Is Who We Be Zeph & Azeem - Play The Drum Z-Trip (Feat. Clutch) - Doin' It Like This ZZT - Lower State Of Consciousness
Well, congrats to whoever does get No.1 at best it's an excuse for a partay - and as Lupe Fiasco would say . . .You're a superstar!
It's only six short days now until ClareBear takes her first step on a 11 month journey into the wild. I'm not so much concerned about the journey but now the inevitable has taken hold. She is no longer a child, no longer living at home and no longer 'touchable' every day. We are very close. She knows more about her parent than any child really should and we share everything with each other so this particular wrench is difficult even though I've been preparing for it for months. It's a feeling of mourning . . I know . . . I've been there before.
This week the invitations are rife. She has been entertained at work with lunches and signs of appreciation, she is being entertained at night by girlfriends taking her for expensive secret dinners and appointments as a grande finale. She has Australia day celebrations today during her last day at work and has asked me to pick her up, guaranteed that she will have imbibed all afternoon and not be fit to drive. On the weekend, we are having a farewell to end farewells complete with the water slippery slide, pool both wet and involving hard balls, poker, dancing, guests including family and friends and guaranteed to be a bender from midday into the small hours. (I'm dreading the cleanup on Monday).
As she left last night with two life long friends for a surprise dinner, she was, tanned, gorgeous, silf-like, sexy and a little fragile in a pretty little black dress with a satin ribbon tie. Of course I teared up again . . . something that is completely alien to me. I am not a crier by any means. I find myself not speaking to her or looking at her too often because it sets me off. I began thinking whether I'd done everything right. Whether I've properly prepared both my children for the world at large.
With her and with DrummerBoy, I think I've done all I can. He could do with a little more shaping round the rough edges but other than that no regrets. I think parenting is my swansong, my magnum opus. It's something I've done well to date. I wish I could sing that Sinatra song, My Way "Regrets I've had a few but then again too few to mention . . ." Sadly I have a stable- full of regrets. There's a load of stuff I'd do differently if I could:
I'd hug my dad more. We had an 'unstated' affection for each other but all he wanted/needed was a bit more physical affection after my mum died. I was a 'there there' pat on the back 7 seconds should do it type. No. I should have embraced him more often, told him I understood and loved him more often.
I wish I'd never bought two horses
I should have made love to my husband the night before he died instead of bickering about bla bla issues that had no importance. I never had the chance to explain the following morning.
I wish I'd shown my vulnerability after he died. I should have told people how devastated and upset I was instead of being this bastion of self control so that those who wanted to help felt they no longer needed to offer assistance. Years later, I found my mother's diary and she stated that I was untouchable, frail and unaproachable and expressed how impotent she felt not being able to communicate with me.
I should have been more careful with my money. I had an insurance payout. I didn't squander it but I could have made better use of it.
I should have put well fitting fly screens on my house.
I should have been kinder to HippyBro even though he's an asshole I shouldn't have given him the ammunition to hate me.
I should never have gained so much weight at 35, now it's a bitch to whittle away
I should have put more thought into the design of my house or indeed whether I should have built it on my parent's property in the first place.
I should have embarked on a romantic relationship when I was younger instead of worrying so much about what my children might have thought.
I should be less of an iron maiden and a coper. Those who flounder or appear useless seem to get more support.
I should have been more proactive in maintaining my friendships. Fortunately, they are wonderful people and the important ones have forgiven my lack of contact.
So you see, I have regrets. And much as people tell me they don't regret anything, I can't believe that's true. Right now, I regret taking my daughter overseas when she was 12. I regret sending her to Japan on a school exchange . . . by the same token, I want her to have the wealth of experience that travel - not just touring - provides. So, while I consider putting her woollies in moth-proof plastic and cleaning off her hard drive and turning her bedroom into an office, I am trying very hard to balance my regrets with the gratitude that I feel for having had a very tumultuous but interesting life so far and two incredibly well-adjusted children for whom I hold a deep love and respect with absolutely no regrets.
Well adjusted DrummerBoy Even better adjusted, ClareBear . . .
Just quietly my ADSL and slug-slow computer are giving me the screen smashing shits today because they're so friggin' lethargic. I want to punch something squishy so that it splats against my French windows. Right. Sorry to those of you who I didn't get to visit today. My internet connection is entirely to blame! Fwoooaaaaar! *pours another wine and puts up with crap Thursday night TV and fantasises about Rattie Mattie*
It's all a bit sad and serious this week. Perhaps a reflection of my mood. It's only a week until ClareBear leaves our fair shores for the big adventure so serious things are praying on my mind at the moment. I received this link via email today and thought it another politically incorrect horror site where you do something awful to ethnic minorities, or another boorish right wing, supremacist nimby site . . . . tell me what you think . . . .
A young actor named Heath Ledger died today. He was 28 years young. Feeling a little peaky with pneumonia according to his publicist, having difficulty sleeping due to his recent role as the Joker in the next Batman installment and expecting a 10.00am massage to soothe the stress. His time of death was calculated at around 7am. Our office was abuzz with the sad news. This kid is an Australian heart-throb and most of the kids I work with consider him a peer, they were flabbergasted, sad, curious . . how could someone with so much to live for just die like that - he wasn't a Brittney or a Lindsay.
Did he accidentally take too many sleeping pills? Why book a massage if he intended to commit suicide? Was foul play involved? Or was he a troubled young man and his friends didn't see the signs?
It brought back memories of 1990 when I arrived at work to find out that the mechanic who owned the workshop below my office had blown his brains out. We were shattered. Only a couple of days ago, he'd cheerfuly serviced my car and it broke my heart to wonder how someone could get to such a low and desperate point that they would do this rather than face their family with news of bankruptcy. We found out the reason for his early demise as my mother nursed with his wife. She had no idea of their financial state of affairs. He left her and two teenage sons and a lifetime of questions and regrets.
I can't imagine the depths of depression, loneliness and hopelessness someone would have to reach to commit suicide. And while I've been close to it on occasion, my own father made a failed attempt many years ago (although he was under the influence and I suspect it was just 'dramatics) and don't think it hasn't crossed my mind during the dark times of loss and mourning or financial hardshipo, I'm worth a tidy sum ascending the ether but living worth little thanks to debt. But we didn't . . we didn't go that extra step any more than we would have progressed from that other differential step from smacking a small child to child abuse.
What amazes me is how people can keep their depression to themselves. How they can be absolutely blitzed on brain numbing drugs to get them through the day and nobody notices. How they can be outwardly jolly or even argumentative yet inside sombre and suffering. How they shoulder this seemingly alone. How others don't see the little tell tale signs and giveaways.
This isn't really a post worthy of comments, just thinking out loud. Whether young Heath pulled his own metaphorical trigger, was just ill or met with foul play, he was was a new father, a young man with a stella career behind and in front of him, no money worries, a strong family, good health with prospects and everything to live for . . . I sincerely hope he died of natural causes - tragic as that is, I would hate to think of such a future snuffed out by a moment of irrational thought or that he had perhaps made a plea so veiled that it had gone unnoticed.
On the way into work Triple J were giving away tickets to Rage Against the Machine if someone had a legitimate protest about a piece of machinery and submitted it to the station's blog.
One guy rang up about a squeaky garage door that his father refused to repair and which woke him up at 5.00am when he didn't need to be up until 7 . . well that doesn't rate too highly in my book. I have cockatoos that do the same. And I have a frustrating leaf blower where the choke is permanently out so DrummerBoy has arranged some ingenious silly putty remedy to make sure the mix doesn't get too rich. Plus the pump on my washing machine is tempermental and sometimes I have to stand with the hose lowered into a bucket in order to have it spin properly. Normally cantankerous machines don't bother me too much.
Today my rage was angled at a machine with whom I have a volatile relationshipo. MyPC which died last week is now hanging on by a thread until the newbie arrives in a week or so . . . it won't open the internet, crashes sporadically - I mean just restarts without so much as a 'may I', or closes Outlook if it doesn't like the sender of a particular email. So that combined with persistent web connection problems let to me talking to the very handsome (I've never met him but I'm sure he is) Rattie Mattie - by his own confession, "sweet, white and girly" . . . he made me laugh, he solved my problem and he calmed the savage breast . . .without him I may have sore knuckles and a broken screen.
It's been a while since a documentary really moved me, I mean made sense beyond the sensational, didn't smack of a silly conspiracy theory such as the World Towers being engineered to fall down or bankers of the world conspiring to subjugate the globe! I'm not a great fan of consipiracy theories, most are whacky, unsupported and not peer tested or reviewed. (Although I have been known to wonder why we've never cured the cold, AIDS or chronic illness such as diabetes and asthma . . the drug companies would go broke!)
Back to documentaries. I love everything David Attenborough being the part-time environmentalist I am. I liked Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' and whether you believe global warming is attributable to carbon spending or just a natural phenomenon, there is no dispute that it's happening. Incidentally, I also watched 'The Great Global Warming Swindle" and found neither conclusive. I've watched the Mike Moore tabloid docosburst into their headquarters technique and give them grief bullshit (although I did find some truth in Bowling for Columbine) and frankly, the man is biased and obnoxious even if he does present an expose worthy of discussion. I even sat through the rubbish that was "Supersize Me" as if anyone is going to eat Macdonalds food for three months exclusively, absolute trash! But this afternoon, hot, balmy and whilst home alone, I hired The War on Democracy by John Pilger, due in no small part to ClareBear's sojourn into South America and a desire to understand more about what the inhabitants of this huge continent are like.
I respect John Pilger. He's been around a long, long time. I've seen a lot of his work. He's a non-sensationalist protagonist of corrupt regimes from way back and entirely credible to my mind and this film is a piece of genius if you can stand watching man's inhumanity to man and the involvement of the American Empire in South American politics. He's the David Attinborough of the political world and well worth considering in my view. What continues to annoy me, living in the peaceful, arse end of the world that nobody gives a shit about, is man's inhumanity to man and how we allow fascism to not just rear its ugly head but to actually get a grip, albeit brief in some cases but long enough to exact it's sadistic punishment on innocents, to happen. It took Australia decades to support East Timor . . . and I have my own theories about that. I think the Bali Bombings changed our complacent attitude towards Indonesia . . so we went in to help. 30 years after the fact!
Back to the US and there propagation of empire. Yes, I said Empire . . . they call it National Security . . . if anything threatens national security in the US (and lets face it, getting on a plane with a T-shirt bearing the image of George Bush saying "I am a Terrorist" is considered a breach of national security - I rather believe it to be the truth!), they're prepared to invade countries based on fallacious accusations, finance coups, tolerate and promote torture, (Guantanamo bay for fuck's sake!) provide finance or generally commit any act of desperation to secure their position as the world's leading power in the interest of National Security . . . get over your paranoia America and let self-determination take place whether it's in your interest or not. I don't absolve Australia in this, we blindly follow but hopefully the new administration will have a less sycophantic view of the US and make its own decisions or at least informed decisions. Ironically, it will be economics and consumerism that will cause the impotence of the US. . .
Watch this doco, please . . . and I'm not being paid for this commercial. (Sorry about Sting but the lyrics are very appropriate . . . )
It' no joke but the so called Aussie foreplay, "Are you awake luv?" is often not too far from the truth. Some men are terrific at working women out, some are absolutely hopeless, some men just can't be bothered but I stole this from a friend's Facebook page and just quietly fellas . . . it has resonance (don't worry, I'm working on one for the girls - contributions welcome!):
When she walks away from you mad follow her When she stare's at your mouth kiss her When she pushes you or hit's you grab her and don't let go When she start's yelling at you kiss her and tell her you love her When she's quiet ask her what's wrong When she ignore's you give her your attention When she pull's away pull her back When you see her at her worst tell her she's beautiful When you see her start crying, hold her and don't say a word When you see her walking, sneak up and hug her waist from behind When she's scared protect her When she lay's her head on your shoulder tilt her head up and kiss her When she steal's your favorite hat, let her keep it When she tease's you, tease her back and make her laugh When she doesnt answer for a long time, reassure her that everything is okay When she look's at you with doubt, back yourself up When she say's that she like's you, she really does more than you could understand When she grab's at your hands, hold her's and play with her fingers When she bump's into you, bump into her back and make her laugh When she tell's you a secret, keep it safe and untold When she looks at you in your eyes, dont look away until she does When she says she misses you she's hurting inside When you break her heart the pain never really goes away Stay on the phone with her even if shes not saying anything. When she's mad hug her tight and don't let go When she says she's ok dont believe it, talk with her because 10 yrs later she'll remember you Call her at 12:00am on her birthday to tell her you love her Treat her like she's all that matters to you Tease her and let her tease you back Stay up all night with her when she's sick Watch her favorite movie with her or her favorite show even if you think its stupid Let her wear your clothes When she's bored and sad, hang out with her Let her know she's important Kiss her in the pouring rain When she runs up at you crying, the first thing you say is; "Who's backside am I kicking?"
OK as I write this, I'm at work, hanging on a phone listening to calming classical music, some Pastoral Symphony interrupted occasionally by a woman telling me that I've progressed in the queue but I can press 1 and leave a message if I like. I'm afraid that if I leave a message for Douggie who has kept me waiting 7 hours before I really got cranky and decided he wasn't going to return my call, it might be profane so I'll wait until the uncommunicative little helldesker can solve my friggin dilemma!
So last day of the first week back and it's all been spent with Helldesks and Client Service departments. The posts have been a little serious this week too, so time to lighten up before the weekend. So for your light entertainment and edification I include some words of wisdom for your entertainment, consideration and recycle bins:
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.
If you lined up all the cars in the world end to end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them, five or six at a time, on a hill, in the fog.
The things that come to those who wait will be the scraggly junk left by those who got there first.
The shin bone is a device for finding furniture in a dark room.
A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
When you go into court, you are putting yourself into the hands of 12 people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty
You only need two tools in life - WD40 and Duct Tape.
-If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40.
-If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.
Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
And Douggie finally did ring back. He told me about his travels around NZ with a polish girlf, sister and mother in law and that he hadn't had lunch but he's a decent dude. . . .still hasn't solved my problem . . .rest easy Douggie . . I'll be on your case on Monday. And thanks Kahlerisms for the tip on finding my PC ID even if you were pissed after a liquid lunch!
I am against whaling. There is nothing consumable about a whale. I don't see the point of executing harmless animals who are venturing into their Antarctic haven to feed after birthing in the warm northern waters, eating nothing during their 25,000km trip in the name of 'research' when we know fully well that the meat is going to end up on the plates of Japanese. To me it's tantamount to killing Elephant for their tusks or Rhino for aphrodesiacs. It's pure, nonsensical destruction.
I don't even want to go into the dietary habits of the Japanese who have been known to put live baby eels in a large bowl of water with a big block of tofu at the bottom. The bowl is heated, and as they become uncomfortably hot, the baby eels burrow down into the cooler tofu. There they are cooked alive, and served like an olive loaf. Even in Australia the RSPCA had to intervene because Japanese tourists like lobster, brought live to the table and butchered in front of them so that the tail 'moves' as they eat it. The reality is that there's such a 'glut' of whale meat on the Japanese market that it is also made into pet food. Any discussion of evil cuisine begins and ends with this.
OK I am hypocritical. I like fish, chicken, meat . . but in a conventional diet, farmed and humanely dispatched. I don't see people harpooning cows in the paddock . . and since I am quite capable of killing and gutting a fish or a chicken, I see that as reasonable. I would have no problem eating Kangaroo as they are culled anyway or Emu or rabbit or even horse as long as they were culled humanely from the brumby population.
There has been no authenticated published research on behalf of the Japanese that reveals more than we already know, it is obviously a furfy. There have been few peer reviews undertaken by the Japanese since their insistance on such a path of destruction. They found that just a single study dealt with the IWC's assessment needs and was published in an international peer-reviewed journal.
In 2003, Associate Professor Scott Baker of the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and Dr Phillip Clapham of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, trawled through more than 150 publications by Japan's scientific whaling program. They acknowledged that there has been a large amount of documentation produced by the Japanese and then submitted to the IWC's scientific committee. Most of these have been of general descriptive material and not directly related to management of whaling or whale populations which is the mandate and premise of their research. It's just an excuse for legal whaling.
At the moment there is an issue boiling whereby two activists from the monitoring and 'hassle' ship the "Steve Irwin" financed by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have been detained after boarding a Japanese whaler. The two boarded the Yushin Maru No. 2 after they made attempts to entangle the screw of the vessel using ropes and throwing bottles of acid onto the decks. Their intention, to deliver a letter requesting the cessation of whaling. Although their captain says it was not an illegal boarding but designed to deliver a letter of intent because the ship would not respond to their radio pleas - they are still on board. The two sides in the dispute have traded accusations of piracy and terrorism since the activists boarded the harpoon ship on Tuesday
Whilst this has caused a lot of controversy, they have managed to prevent the slaughter of whales for 8 days. Good on 'em! In a way, the Japanese have shot themselves in the foot by detaining the protesters. It is now an international incident, and has highlighted the barbarity of such a practice and the stupidity of the Japanese in causing an international incident - but it has given countless Minke whales the opportunity to advance their journey into the deep south.
Why are the Japanese holding onto these two men? Because they want to negotiate a hostage deal. They will release the men if the Sea Shepherd organisation stop persuing them on their trail of destruction. That changes the nature of the boarding to abduction and blackmail.
An Australian customs vessel will transfer two men held on a Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean as soon as possible if all parties cooperate. The Australian government has agreed to let the Oceanic Viking customs vessel assist in the transfer of Benjamin Potts, 28, of Sydney and Giles Lane, 35, from Britain from the Yushin Maru No. 2. The Oceanic Viking is 'stalking' the whalers to ensure no illegal whaling in Australian waters and until now has had a policy of non interference..
We have to stop thinking about the Japanese as performing a legitimate research operation. Whilst some of the lengths Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd engage in are often dangerous and sometimes dubious the Japanese should be regarded as poachers. They are illegally in Australian waters and harpooning whales for the consumption of Japanese diners. SHOW ME THE RESEARCH!
Environmental group Greenpeace, which has distanced itself from Sea Shepherd's more confrontational tactics, said on Monday it had chased the flagship of Japan's whaling fleet from hunting grounds near Antarctica and An Australian fisheries ship is searching for the fleet to gather photographic evidence for an international court case aimed at stopping Japan's annual "scientific" hunt.
In a purely symbolic act, but one that could inflame bilateral ties, an Australian court ruled on Tuesday that a Japanese whaling company broke environment laws by killing whales in Australia's Antarctic waters. But the Federal Court of Australia has no jurisdiction outside Australia.
According to the International Whaling Commission, what the Japanese whaling fleet is doing in the South Pacific and Antarctic region is legal. The international Whaling Commission of coarse is heavily loaded with Japanese representatives.
Japan plans to hunt almost 1,000 minke and fin whales for research over the Antarctic summer, but has abandoned the cull of 50 humpback whales after international condemnation and a formal diplomatic protest by 31 nations. Why? Are they prettier . . rarer? Or do they simply not taste as good?
It is illegal to fish in the southern ocean but OK to whale? How does that work. We arrest Uruguyan Patagonian Fish trawlers and let the whalers do their dirty business uninterrupted other than the hassling from Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd who insist they are not protesting, but intervening in an illegal fishing operation.
It may be in the interest of Sea Shepherd to keep this controversy running as long as possible, the more exposure, the more publicity, the more people rally to the cause. And, even if their boarding is illegal, and there are suggestions they did a little more than hand over a letter (possibly throwing acid and bottles at the shiop) it's highlighted the barbarity of whaling behaviour and the need for it to stop . . now!
I am fully supportive of non-violent intervention that may delay or prevent the slaughter of one of nature's finest!
