SouthOzBloke

2008-10-06T13:08:00.007+10:30

It's been a long time between drinks as far as posts go but Jeez what a month.
All the little things that have happened before have been overshadowed by the last couple of days.
W's brother died in a freak hiking accident in Slovenia. He just slipped off the side of the track and rolled down a steep hill and broke his neck. To make matters worse, A, his wife saw it all happen.
I feel like I'm on the outside looking in when all I can do is see W and her family in massive amounts of grief and support W in whatever way I can.
"I'm so sorry." or "Why?" or "It's not fair." just doesn't seem like enough.
Life sure takes wierd and unfair turns sometimes.

7/4/61 - 3/10/08

RIP Mate

The long way home

2008-09-05T06:44:00.004+09:30

I hate it when a song gets stuck in my head.
On my way home I walked past a car sound place in Gouger Street and heard "White Noise" playing. Unfortunately because I was in motion I only heard about six words of the chorus and that's what played in continuous loop in my head all the way home.
That might have been bearable if I was on the bus but in the interests of getting fitter for fire season (and to stave off dementia if the scientific studies are correct) I've started to walk home.
Imaging my state of mind when after 9 kilometres I get home.
I used to sneak up behind a mate at work and quietly sing a couple of lines to Peter Allan's "I go to Rio" first thing in the morning. It would stay in his head for the rest of the day and drive him crazy.
I wonder if they know how this type of thing could be used (or misused) at Guantanamo Bay.

On a separate note, a pub on Richmond Road is charging $6 for a pint of Pale in their front bar. It's a mighty simple way to stop a lot of people ever drinking there again.

Good morning

2008-09-04T20:14:00.002+09:30

Sex and coffee have to be my two favouritest food groups in the morning.

2008-08-26T21:35:00.001+09:30

It's over!

2008-08-25T21:04:00.007+09:30

At last the Olympics are over.
I didn't think China should've been given the Olympics in the first place. However it did make some interesting viewing sometimes and considering the size of our population I reckon we did OK.

The poor guy was doing so well until the crowd started chanting his name.

If there was a Darwin Award for sporting careers it would have to go to Cuban Tae Kwon Do competitor Angel Matos who kicked the referee for disqualifying him. Angel is now banned for life from competing in all World Tae Kwon Do Federation events and has his name permanently erased from all Beijing olympic records.

Dags

2008-08-24T22:57:00.001+09:30

Every second weekend I'll take some Exchange Students down the coast for a surf and (ok I confess) sometimes to scare the crap out of 'em with shark stories).
Now if I head down with another Aussie in the car, we'll usually both be wearing our "I don't give a shit clothes" which consist of ugg boots and anything warm within arms reach.
The Exchange Students however always dress in the latest surf fashions.
So next time you see a group of 4-5 people down the coast, you don't have to wait for an accent to find out who the "skips" are. Just check out who's wearing Vinnies and Goodwill and who's wearing Billabong and Quiksilver. It happened again this weekend.

Sleeplessness

2008-08-24T01:54:00.003+09:30

Sleeplessness shits me to tears (well almost).
I dunno what causes it for me.
I don't drink coffee before bed. I don't exercise before bed (apart from the usual). I don't even keep my brain active just before I hit the sack.
I think I'm going to have to exercise like crazy until I'm absolutely knackered as well as force myself to go to bed religiously until I (hopefully) end up with some sort of decent sleep pattern.
Oh well time for some warm milk and Milo and wake up W to see if she wants to play. I hope I'm not too stuffed for an early surf this morning.

MTB Fanatic

2008-08-23T19:22:00.002+09:30

Because I was watching the BMX yesterday

Believe it or not I actually know people like this.
(They don't keep their girlfriends for very long and why in the world does someone change their name by Deed Poll to Kamikaze?)

2008-08-18T21:33:00.002+09:30

I've been thinking that some of my posts should be entitled, "Who shall I put sh*t on today?" This is because I sometimes think that I use my blog to vent my spleen at things that annoy me (whether I do it too much or not I guess is subjective). I hope I don't whinge too much but in any case it's my blog so here goes:

What's with manners on public transport nowadays? I got on the tram and stood opposite a young guy who was sitting down. At the next stop an old couple got on board and had to stand next to me. The young kid just looked at them then got out his I-pod and started fiddling with it intently for the rest of the trip. To me it appeared a rather blatant ploy to pretend he hadn't seen the old couple and therefore didn't have to display any manners by offering his seat to one of them. I always offer my seat to people older than me but I know one day it's going to freak me out completely when a young person offers me their seat.

People can't count without a calculator nowadays. My coffee cost me $4.10 so I gave the girl $20.10. It's not rocket science to work out how much change I should get, is it?

I was at the bus stop waiting for my petri-dish watching car after car containing just one person drive past me on their way to work. These people have no right whatsoever to whinge about rising petrol prices.

Guys on the bus that stare on attractive women. Too many of them change from a quick look at someone over to something creepy. I'm pretty sure I'm not like that. Women have it tough sometimes.

I'm deciding whether to go back to the gym or back to martial arts. I don't have the motivation to use my weights at home so I need to be in an environment where I'm obliged to do some work.
Weights and walking home from work each day (9km) would be good and not as damaging. However I started my martial arts doing Wing Chun 25 years ago and even though I've changed and evolved to the present style I still really miss it sometimes. The down side is that I'd be starting anew with people with little or no self discipline/restraint and injuries nowadays take twice as long to heal.

Beijing

2008-08-17T21:03:00.000+09:30

Quite clever really (in a bad way).

If my intenet goes down then I guess their reach is a little longer than I expected.

Ageism

2008-08-16T21:40:00.001+09:30

I think one of the last least addressed prejudisms is ageism.
While having a few Pale Ales with some Uni mates someone mentioned almost walking in on his parents having sex.
All my younger drinking buddies started freaking out and came up with the collective vewpoint along the lines that people over 40 should be banned from having sex.
I mentioned that I was the same age as (if not older than) their parents.
There was a bit of a silence in the room until someone piped up, "Yeah but you're different" whereupon they all agreed.
"Why?" I asked.
More silence.
"You know" I said, "You're all young Uni students supposedly opposed to all forms of prejudice and discrimination and just now you all showed yourselves prejudiced towards older people having any sort of sexuality."
It did take a bit of the shine off our drinking for a while, but as is the way with true blue Aussie Uni students, we all kept on drinking and promptly forgot about it completely.

You be the judge

2008-08-15T21:51:00.001+09:30

Michelin Man denies Paternity Suit.

Claims child is not his.

Friends are like..........

2008-08-14T21:49:00.000+09:30

Friends are like butt cheeks.
Shit might separate them, but they always come back together.
(Jeez I'm deep)

Industrial Action

2008-08-13T21:05:00.000+09:30

I don't know enough about the teacher's strike to form an opinon one way or another except to say:
I wouldn't mind earning a graduate teacher's wage.
It seems all the rules and discipline apply to the educators and not the students nowadays.
Four things the government should be very very careful with are, education, health, police and social services.
I know a lot of friends from Uni that did teaching and after a year or two they changed jobs or moved interstate.
With my low crap-threshold I know I couldn't become a teacher but I sure do respect anyone that can.

The wage rise will give teachers a bigger salary than a police officer with the same length of tenure.
Tough call and I'm glad it's not mine to make.

2008-08-12T19:56:00.001+09:30

Jeez I must be getting old.
Not that I feel old, it's just that what makes me happy has changed.
Yesterday was my birthday (thanks in advance for anyone posting me a Happy Birthday wish). Many years ago this would have been an opportunity to gather up as many of my friends as possible and go see some bands and do massive amounts of damage to my brain and liver.
Yesterday I took the day off work and walked around an uncrowded Glenelg with W after she bought me lunch.
The sun was out. I didn't stuff myself just because I didn't pay. We scored some pastries and window shopped. We just walked around holding hands and talking and cracking jokes.
The bottom line is that in bed I realised what a great day I'd had just doing/sharing the simple things with W.
Of course we did the usual boyfriend/girlfriend/fiance things as well but modesty prevents me from elaborating (I had to mention it though - I am a bloke after all).

For the record

2008-08-08T21:39:00.000+09:30

Let me go on record;
WINTER SUCKS !

Domestic blindness

2008-08-04T22:48:00.003+09:30

I was getting ready for work but couldn't find my shoes.
W slept in and was listening to me walk into the lounge and back to the bedroom, back to the lounge and then back to the bedroom.
Me: "Honey, do you know where my shoes are?"
W doesn't even get out of bed. She just sits up and says, "Is that them under the chair?"
As I move towards the chair I'm thinking to myself, "Shit, not under the chair, not under the chair........."
Sure enough, they're under the chair.
This finally confirms a theory I've had for a while now.
There are X chromosomes and Y chromosome which determine gender and these chromosomes consist of DNA strands which determine the what type of person we are.
I think there is definitely a DNA strand unique to males that make us blind to things directly in front of us.
That's the only answer to us men just having a "blokes' look" then asking our girlfriends for help finding shoes, socks, keys, sunnies, wallets etc.

He said what?

2008-08-02T10:38:00.004+09:30

I was reading Audrey's post about (among other things) at radio personality who whan his wife had their baby by Caesarian Section posted the following in the paper:
"........... is now eagerly waiting for the results of the DNA tests to come through to guarantee he's actually the father."

DNA tests huh?
It always makes me cringe when a bloke makes such an awesomely offensive comment and is surprised when no one else finds it funny. Talk about not having a clue.
What also disappoints me is when I see a woman behave or say something badly in just the same way that us guys have been doing for ages.
It's the similar to young kids around town doing exactly the same f**ked up things we did when we were their age.
Too many people seem too keen on learning from their own mistakes when they could just as easily learn from other people who have been there and done that.
Learn from my mistakes don't copy them.

2008-07-30T21:41:00.000+09:30

Well I'm slowly getting over an infection in my right lung but now W is starting to cough and splutter.
This winter (as far as I'm concerned) sucks big time.
I don't care if summer brings crowded surf and bushfires, I'm just treading water through the cold weather until summer starts.
The only thing that could possibly save my dislike of winter would be standing around a fireplace with drinks and friends (lots of both).

Vet fees

2008-07-29T20:36:00.000+09:30

I get home last night and notice that my dog Retardo (not her real name but somehow rather appropriate at times) has a really puffed up eye and can hardly see.
F##k - for two reasons.
Bad luck for poor old Mutley and bad luck for my wallet.
So I get onto the phone to the vet and make an appointment for half an hour. I make sure they take EFTPOS then do a money transfer via the internet so I can give more people (in this case the vet) more of my money.The end result is $130 and some eyedrops for a 5 minute consult.
I know it's better to give rather than receive but I wouldn't mind a little bit of money travelling in the opposite direction every now and again.

Sickie

2008-07-25T13:21:00.004+09:30

You hear all these stories about people having to wait for ages to see a doctor but until you've actually experience it youcan't really appreciate what a pain in the a*** it is.
First World medical services should also include not having to wait five hours to see your GP.
I've been grounded by all the women in my life from going surfing or going out after the sunset when it gets chilly.

Ah I feel better now after having had my little rant.

Nasi-Goreng

2008-07-21T05:44:00.001+09:30

It's probably "Photoshopped" but it's the thought that counts.

WYD

2008-07-20T05:16:00.001+09:30

At last it's over.
Some observations.
Great to see so many young people full of faith and happiness rather than booze or drugs.
400000 Catholics attended a mass at Randwick Racecourse. That's gotta be the biggest gathering of well behaved young people Sydney has ever seen.
Great to see Bishop Anthony Fisher NOT publicly involved after his comments on sexual abuse victims and their families dwelling crankily on old wounds showed an astounding lack of compassion (although I wouldn't stop there).

SMS'ing

2008-07-16T12:56:00.001+09:30

A friend of mine rang to ask if I was angry with her because I replied to an earlier text message with a simple Yes.
I said of course not but it got me to thinking about how much people rely on text messages instead of phone or speaking face to face as a major form of interraction.
As such, texting leaves heaps to be desired but seems to be indicative of the way everything is headed nowadays.
After all, why relate to people on a personal level when you can simply have a four word conversation via sms and then switch off without ever having left the comfort of your bus seat, lounge or bedroom?
Maybe if Warney had verbally spoken to the woman instead of texting her the message, "I want to eat your puppy xxxx" things might have been different for him nowadays.

A pay rise for the poor

2008-07-09T08:48:00.001+09:30

At last our country's lowest paid workers have received a $21.66 pay rise. Good on 'em.
Employers claim that the rise is economically irresponsible and will have a negative impact on the economy and inflation. Of course they do, it's in their job specs to arc up about pay rises.
Think about this. A loaf of bread costs $2.50 for an office cleaner with a couple of kids earning the minimum wage of $29K per year AND it still costs $2.50 for a businessman earning $100K a year. The scales are way too skewed in favour of profits over compassion nowadays.