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People - Quizzical

Does Absence Make the Heart Grow Fonder?

October 21st 2008 07:57

It's been 2 months since my last post, did you miss me? Many things can happen within that time frame and for me, many things did! But firstly, many questions arise from my return. The main one is, do you care? Are you interested in my musings and lamentations on life, and what has happened to me personally? Is this an important outlet for a budding writer or should i just be putting all my energy into my next novel? I don't want to seem cynical, but am i wasting my time? As i am not sure of any of the answers of those questions, i will continue to post periodically until i get some sort of idea, one way or the other. Don't get me wrong, i enjoy writing to all degrees, but i am not quite sure if i should put my creativity into more fruitful endeavours. I have found myself a new job, one which requires much more of my time, and that is one reason why i am not sure about this. I fully enjoy the new job, but it is a job, not a career, and it has nothing to do with writing in any way, shape or form. I would like nothing more that to be able to afford to stay at home and fully utilise all the creative thoughts that swirl in my discontented mind. I'm not getting any younger and i want to fully delve into my psyche before it succumbs to Alzheimers or Dementia.





Something else that needs my time is the fact that i have recently become engaged. I thought after the act that things would remain the same, how naive was i? Asking my girlfriend to marry me, itself, was fraught with nerves and the struggle to make the moment memorable and romantic. But now i have opened a Pandora's Box of visits from her family who reside interstate. It's not too much of an issue, we all get along fine, it's just that they are very different to me! I have also excited my fiance to the point where her every waking moment is focused on the Wedding Day. That's all fine and dandy, but i guess i was just expecting a cooling off period. I am glad i have made her very happy and i hope it's because of the fact we are getting married and not just from the new 'rock' she has to show everyoneOf course, our lives are filled with change, some caused by our actions and others beyond our mortal control. I have made some decisions recently which will affect the rest of my life and i have no doubts they are the right ones.
Sure, it's a little scary yet exciting at the same time. To put it literarily, i have 'started a new chapter in my book of life.' It's a new direction, and i can only hope that it is up! Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, i hope it is worth the effort. Let's see where the new Chapter takes us.
Did you still miss me?
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NZ Biker Chicks

August 21st 2008 08:43


Now New Zealand definitely have the right idea! Why can't we have a Boobs on Bikes parade here in Melbourne? If the one in our sister country can bring its people together with one common goal, then that sounds like a pretty positive outcome to me. Even if that common goal is to look at topless women, who am i to judge


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Mac & Hayes...The End of Days.

August 11th 2008 12:42
The reporting of dead celebrities is always a sad affair. Whether it be from morbid curiosity or being a genuine fan, we think about celebrities as being immortal. The life of the rich and famous seems blessed, something that we would all like to aspire to, but unfortunately, it happens to few, and believe it or not, they are just like you and me. This weekend we lost 2 more who had provided millions with laughter and song, and while i was not fanatatical about either one, i did enjoy their entertainment.
Bernie Mac was not a huge star in Australia, but many people knew of him. His most famous work here was probably starring in the Oceans 11 trilogy, playing Bosley in Charlies Angels: Full Throttle and being the crazy car salesman in Transformers. If you're a night dweller you may have seen The Bernie Mac show, which won him heaps of awards in the States. I remember him making me laugh when i first saw him in House Party 3. Playing Uncle Vester, his style of comedy was unique, with his big round eyes creating as much laughter as his dialogue. His star was on the rise, allowing him to consider leaving his stand up comedy and concentrate on making movies. He was only 50 when he died and he had a lot of laughter still to give, he will be missed!
Isaac Hayes was a pioneer of soul music in the 70's and was an Academy Award and Grammy winner. It is said he was rapping before Flavour Flav was wearing nappies and his deep, sexy voice gave The Theme from Shaft the gravitas it needed to take home an Oscar. While a cultural icon in America (he was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 2002) his popularity soared in Australia with his voicing of 'Chef' on South Park. Chef was a cool dude, and his swinging laid back lifestyle was the envy of many young men. I can remember asking many if they'd 'seen my balls, they're big and salty n' round'. From the 1970's he took part in many Tv shows and movies, always adding something cool to every character he played, be it The Duke from one of my favourite movies, Escape from New York, to Asneeze in Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He too will be missed, 65 is still too young, although having 12 kids probably didn't help


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Road to Ruin

August 7th 2008 22:00
Surprise! Surprise! Since the first week of tolling the number of people using Eastlink has halved! Surely the State Government is aware that people are under a great deal of financial pressure at the moment, with the price of petrol forcing many people to use Public Transport instead. It naturally had a surge in use for it's first toll-free month, but that was surely just a lot of curious people who wanted to see the results from all the roadworks that had inconvenienced them over the past 3 years.
I must admit, having been one of those curious monkeys, the tunnel under the Mullum Mullum creek is truly a great feat of modern engineering. But are people going to fork out their hard earned dollars to go through it every day? I also had the joy of cruising down towards Frankston, perplexed at the many strange pieces of 'art' adorning bridges and also standing lonely on the side of the freeway. What is up with the mini hotel in the middle of nowhere? And those tall green, leaning 'things'! What the hell are they, and how much did they pay the 'artist' to create them? All in all it wasn't a really picturesque drive. And in terms of saving time, sure, it serves it's purpose, but only by creating bottlenecks where, before it was open, didn't exist. Is the idea to create the illusion that you're going somewhere quicker when really, once you're off it, you find yourself backed up in traffic anyway?
Maybe i'm cynical, maybe it will benefit many, but will it be taken up by those who can't afford the extra dollars to travel on it? I'm not sure if it was widely known, judging by the number of people who use it now, but you could purchase Breeze tags and can have up to $60 of your tag value put back onto it after 120 days. Now they have a different deal which may still be of interest to some. I think it's a $20 tag for free


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All Tied Up

August 6th 2008 21:39
Ok, so a woman is in court at the moment charged with manslaughter, after her husband died during a bondage session. It must be a tricky predicament for the jury when you have to decide the fate of someone who had no intention of harming their partner, but by all intensive purposes, caused his death by her own actions. Sure, he allegedly wanted her to do it and apparently they had done it a thousand times. So where do you draw the line? Did she really fail in her 'duty of care' when the deceased boasted to her that he could get out of any way she tied him up. What she thought she was up to was something that turned him on, so could she be jailed for doing something to him out of love for him?
It is obviously very hard to police actions that go on behind closed doors, and it's a good thing too! And if you are aware, there is some pretty extreme stuff going on in many homes around the world. Many play it safe, but with anything out of the ordinary there are usually risks involved. I have certainly seen some stuff online that you just couldn't imagine people would enjoy, but they do! Some women apparently like being tied up, naked, in an awkward position, hoisted up and used as a ceiling fan! Some guys enjoy having their genitals squashed by a vixen in high heels. But just to clarify things, i am not one of them.
We have all done some crazy stuff in our times, but bondage is not something that floats my boat. I can't understand why people are so willing to give themselves to another human being and allow themselves to become so vulnerable to that persons wants.Trust is obviously a very big issue when it comes to such an act, but when limitations are crossed, who is responsible


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Life 101

August 4th 2008 12:26
What is it about life? It has it's ups and its downs, it can be unpredictable and it can be surprising. We like to think that we are in control of our own destiny, yet we have no actual control of anything around us. People hope they'll win the lottery and never win, only to live a long and fruitful life. Others can win it first time they play and suffer sadness and misery and even a premature death because of it. Life itself is a unique blessing yet only a handful of people truly embrace it for what it is. Why can't we all?
While we are are most intelligent species on the planet, i believe it is that which will cause our downfall. Greed, jealousy and hate are emotions that bring to the fore, actions that create negativity amongst the entire population. Rich people want more and poor people want the basics yet both are prepared to go to great lenghts to get what they want or need. While the animal world surely suffers from the same problems, we as human beings seem to let our intelligence and emotions control our actions instead of pure instinct.
I am probably only preaching to the choir, everybody knows this, but yet it doesn't get acted on.
There is really no option but to live life one day at a time because, as we've all heard, the most unlikliest of people have died in the most unlikliest circumstances. Regardless of our social standing, wealth, living conditions or lifestyle, we are all at the mercy of life. A young, healthy footballer can have a heart attack, a princess can have a fatal car accident, a promising actor can accidentally overdose, i could have an aneurysm as i write this, anything is possible


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Un-PC or BS!

August 1st 2008 13:00
It seems not a week goes by that Sam Newman isn't making headlines. The AFL Footy Show star, after having been exiled from the show for a short period of time is back in top form. Apparently a guy who has been a part of football since the mid sixties, surrounded by hard-assed footballers and female admirers, has become a caricature in these days of Political Correctness. In the early days of football, people and ideologies were a lot different and i imagine it would be difficult in his later years to change the way he perceives women. I'm not saying that is an excuse, but i think things are getting pretty bad when someone who has contributed a great deal to football, and still lives the football lifestyle has to defend himself every time he opens his mouth, just because of a few 'misunderstood' comments. He has many admirers but he also has many dejectors who will jump on anything he says or does that is slightly un-PC. How is he expected to act in the media under that kind of constant scrutiny?
When you watch the Footy Show, you have to realise that, like it or not, you are experiencing the views of a male dominated sport. These guys live and breathe footy and believe it or not, when a bunch of blokes are in a locker room together, in fact when you get a group of blokes together for any reason, they often talk about women and sex. It doesn't make them mysogynists, it just makes them human. So when they try to take this acquired attitude and turn it into general entertainment, some of that 'brotherhood' mentality is sure to come with them. Hey, the network could always get people who have never played sport to compere the show, but i'm sure it wouldn't have lasted more than a few episodes. People who love footy, know and respect the players and can also respect their comments on the game. Personally, and it may be un-PC but i have a hard time listening to women comment on football, even though they seem quite knowledgeable. I'm not sexist, but i'm quite happy to leave childbirth to women, if they can leave football to us. I love the game and there's a reason why there is not a womens AFL league. That is, it's a tough game played by tough guys, sure they're not all brain surgeons, but it's not like they are rugby players either!
What the media fires up over is Sam's attitude to women, and my suggestion is, if you can't take it, don't watch. I don't like seeing people being cut open in medical shows, i find it offensive to show on tv, so guess what... i switch over. We all have the ability to censor for ourselves, so if you don't like what he says, get over it! Everyones getting so sensitive these days, in the future i can see that you won't be able to speak unless you're invited to. Us Aussies use to be pretty easy-going, and i don't know why it is changing to the point where everyone feels the need to whinge about everyone else. Everyone has an opinion, and i believe it's their right to express it. I can either take it on board to bolster or change my own view, or i can discard it and move on. What's the fuss


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The Weed War

July 31st 2008 11:45
I'm talking about these weeds

'Weeds are my worst enemy!' I remember some gardenening bloke make that statement on an ad when i was a kid. And every time i saw it i remember laughing thinking how ridiculous that was. How could something so harmless and small be someones worst enemy? Of course when you're young, gardening is the last thing on your mind, it was a mum and dad thing and you assumed that they enjoyed it since they were out there almost every weekend. How wrong was i


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This is your joke!

July 30th 2008 11:16
What is going on in the world of entertainment these days? Channel 9 were touting the latest 'This is your Life' to feature an Australian rock icon, someone who was revered and idolised across the nation. With that kind of fanfare i was expecting someone of the calibre of Jimmy Barnes or John Farnham. You can imagine my disappointment when the man of the hour turned out to be....Shannon Noll.
'What the?' Isn't this guy only in his mid thirties? And surely he hasn't been what you would call a true ambassador of Australian music. Sure he's had a few hits, including his debut which was simply a cover of Moving Pictures, 'What about Me'. The Biggest Loser TV show flogged 'Lift' which was an ok song until i had heard it a hundred times. I find it hard to believe that he is worthy of a 'This is your Life' treatment. It use to be for those who had provided the masses with a generation of entertainment or had really brought about a change in peoples thinking and way of life. If giving people the shits from his overhyped music since his career started with Australian Idol, then sure, he's qualified.
Who's next, Delta Goodrem, Daniel Johns, the girl from the Natural Confectionery ad (Don't chop the Dinosaur Daddy!) Why don't they wait until these people have had a life, done the hard yards, struggled with lifes ups and downs, loves and losts and have had a real affect on Australia and perhaps even the world. What happens if, in the future, Shannon Noll wins a Nobel Peace Prize, gets Knighted by the Queen and then saves thousands of orphans from a flood? Will we have to have a sequel? 'This is your Life' Part 2.. The Death Noll. Give me a break


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Holy Batman!.....Batman!

July 28th 2008 11:50
How could i go by without mentioning that i saw The Dark Knight last night? This sequel to Batman Begins is trampling the box office to the point where it is probably going to overtake Titanic as the highest grossing film ever. I was fortunate to have a couple of La Premiere tickets given to me as a Christmas present. I know it seems like a long time to hold on to them, but i was waiting for Indiana Jones. But on hearing the reviews for it, i decided to wait a little longer for something more anticipated and hopefully better publicised than Indy. Thank god i waited, for i was not disappointed.
Before i saw this i re-armed my memory with Batman Begins, which is a rollicking adventure in itself, but i don't think it was a requirement to enjoy the sequel. There was a new Katie Holmes and the Wayne Mansion was nowhere to be seen! As soon as the lights dimmed my level of excitement automatically increased. I'm not sure why, perhaps it was the expectations set upon Heath Ledger's well lauded performance. Then again it could just be the impending enjoyment of another Batman film, someone i had grown up with and always loved. I'm talking about first seeing Adam West and Burt Ward, Thwap! Boof! and Kerrang! their way through a plethora of highly camp villains. I was also a big fan of Michael Keaton playing Batman and even to a lesser extent Val Kilmer. I'm afraid though, George Clooney in Batman & Robin was quite disappointing, although i don't attribute that solely to George (I'm looking at you Arnie!)
When it came down to it, i must admit that the most impressive character was the Joker. I'm not sure if i would have had a different impression if Heath was still alive, but the movie really came alive with his presence. This was a much darker Batman and the Jokers lack of identification and morals suited the sinister nature of the movie to a 'T'. The fact that i couldn't see any of his real persona on screen told me that he was fully immersed in a character which became him, as opposed to, while a fine actor, Morgan Freeman who you can see in every character he has played. For Christian Bale, he was a competent Batman/Bruce Wayne he wasn't altogether likeable. But then he allegedly is like that in real life, just ask his mother and sister! Michael Caine was again in top form as Alfred the Butler and i'm sure an actor of his long standing and calibre, has had a butler to learn from for a long time. As for Maggie Gyllenhaal, the new Katie Holmes, she doesn't really spin my wheels and i'm not sure why she was in such demand by the men in her life. Different strokes for different folks, i guess


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Galactic Battle.

July 25th 2008 18:42
I have a habit of buying dvd's and not watching them for a while. As soon as something comes out i really want, i buy it, then before i get a chance to watch it, something else comes out, or for some reason i don't get the chance to watch it. It is a terrible and costly habit but ultimately, while i do have several yet unwatched movies and TV series', every now and then i will finally get my chance and find i am usually well rewarded.
Case in point, Battlestar Galactica, the new series. I have had the 1st season sitting on my shelf for over 2 years and have avoided the television broadcast for that particular reason. I am so bad that i even bought season 2.0 over a year ago and have had that sitting gathering dust also. But a couple of nights ago, after watching the mini-series a few weeks earlier, i decided to get stuck into it. I was a fan of the original series when i was a young lad and like many, i was a little sceptical on the re-imagining of a childhood favourite. Much damage has been done to other shows such as The Bionic Woman and The Untouchables so i was presently surprised when i found myself watching the first 3 episodes in one sitting.
There was a lot of familiarity within the show, names, places, Cylons, but the intelligent spin they put on it was welcome. Admittedly, i was a Trekkie in my younger days and while Star Trek had some intelligent storylines, they always seemed to play it safe, with tongue slightly in cheek. Now it seems realism is the way to go and the sex, violence and real human emotion that we all experience seems to allow me to become immersed in these character's lives, even though they are in totally ficticious surroundings. It's a great way to promote a tv show and it's rising popularity is proof that it is what the viewing public require. I almost wish i had gotten on to it as soon as i bought the bugger!

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Work around the Clock

July 24th 2008 15:20
Shift work! Those two words can invoke fear and dread in the hearts of even the most stoic individual. With the majority of the civilized world following the '9 to 5' way of living, more and more people are finding themselves working out of the traditional hours. For whatever reason, being financial, family or political, the relegation to afternoon or night shift can really throw a person outside the normal structure of our culture. There is also the hidden dramas associated with the body-clock being thrown completely out of whack.
I have recently been offered a night shift position (12am to 6am) at a company which relies on it's 24 hr production. Sure it's only 6 hrs a day, but i've found it difficult to try and arrange my time both for my body and for my partner. You see while she sleeps, i 'm at work, and vice-versa. Of course being told by her that she slept like a baby while i was at work didn't really help matters. Then on the other hand it's promising that she 'slept' and wasn't up to anything else, which seems to be quite popular for shift workers' partners.
Anyway, paranoia aside, i found myself wanting to go home straight to bed, where if i had a 9 to 5 job, i wouldn't be going to bed until 10-11 at night. That would have me going to bed around midday, with the obligatory couple of JD's before hand. That seems ridiculous to me so i will try to conform to the rest of the world by going to bed straight away and still allowing myself some of the afternoon to do stuff. It's just unfortunate that i can't over-exert myself as to wear myself out for work that evening/morning


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Creating Drugs!

July 23rd 2008 11:25
So some half-assed 'expert' on addiction, Dr. Drew Pinsky has come out and said that Heath Ledger was probably a drug addict. What was the guy thinking? Heath isn't even cold in the ground yet and we have this American freak come out with some sensasionalist comment probably only to make himself known. Wake up Pinsky, there is no point to condemn someone who is deceased and cannot argue your point. And what is your point? Are you trying to tell us that Heath was a freak and that it is highly unusual for Hollywood actors to indulge in drug use, regardless if it's legal or illegal? If so, wake the hell up, junior! Whatever the reason, it is a well known fact that many Hollywood stars take some kind of drug in an industry that often requires it. I don't want to condone drug use but i can understand how drug use has led to some of the most wonderful performances and creations in history.
One can't forget how LSD influenced the Beatles or how prescription drugs and donuts helped prolong Elvis's career. Would John Belushi have been as funny if it wasn't for his cannabis, heroin, cocaine and LSD? I don't think so! Then you must look at the unbelievable paintings of drug addicts such as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gough.
If you turn the corner drugs have helped Robert Louis Stevenson create Jeckyll & Hyde and Percy Shelley to write poems that are like dreams. The list can go on forever and it's true that peoples imaginations have been so awakened on drugs that many great inventions have come about from 'altered states


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America - Sex & Violence.

July 22nd 2008 12:55
It seems that someone has 'seen the light' in the US with the news that CBS will not be fined for the Janet Jackson 'wardrobe malfunction'. The controversial incident during halftime at the 2004 superbowl sent shockwaves around the country as not many Americans had ever seen a boob before! The quarter second flash seen by nearly 100 million people created widespread debate and condemnation as to whether firstly, they did it on purpose. And also, why they didn't have delays in place to prevent such a horrid abhorration going to air.
Well, from that moment on, they have put in place a time delay on all live sporting broadcasts and yes, obviously they did mean to do it. Considering that Justin Timberlake said 'gonna have you naked by the end of this song', and the gold trinket Janet had on her nipple, it was a dead giveaway. I know of women who wear trinkets through their nipples, but actually covering the whole tip is unusual.
There is also the strange hypocrisy surrounding America's view on Sex & Violence that perplexes most other people around the world. I'm sure if Justin bashed her on the skull a few times with his microphone then shoved it in her mouth and tried to choke her with it, then not much would've been said. Just look at the movies, they censor more sex (an act of love) than extreme, brutal violence (definitely an act of hate). I don't quite understand why they have such a bloodthirsty attitude for destruction and a total disgust of lovemaking. Why would they prefer to send thousands of soldiers to their deaths in a country they don't care about instead of just having countless orgies and minding their own business


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