AdCents

After a convoluted process of trying to get my AdSense account properly hooked up with other online identities I've finally managed to work out the riches this blog has brought me.  The popularity of evilmelon is such that my click revenue has amounted over the past three years to a staggering $2.63.  I think it's time for a celebration.

Shut Up And Race!

And while you're at it ... Get Ready ... For Mach 3!!!

Last Man Standing (in Low Fi!!!)

Older or Younger

Time comes and time goes but some things stay the same - finally managed to catch up with my young Slovakian cousin who's having a bit of an international trip down this neck of the woods - the pre-organised Supper Club gig proved to be a somewhat suitable venue for checking out the music of times gone by, whilst the clientele may have proved to be a somewhat older demographic the music would have to be some of the better stuff I've been exposed to by my ladyfriend.  Mr Bridie may have been greying a little but his voice is still unmistakably Australian rock and what better way of exposing a Slovakian to the cultural benefits of God's country than that.  Annoying coked up homosexuals aside it was a fine night on the town and it was almost worth the next day's hangover to experience it.  Puck got his first real workout (sans me) although I was a little disappointed with the handlebar issue that continues to plague his perfection - there's got to be a way of sorting this out but whether it happens sooner or later I know that as long as I know his limitations he'll be fine.

Finishing School

A process that started some time in February has finally reached it's satisfactory conclusion.  Puck, the bicycle that potentially could send me to road racing glory, is now finished.  Gears, brakes and a bling colour scheme - what more do I need? 
Well, quitting smoking might help ...

Professional???

Who would have thought that all the hours I've clocked in honing my skills as a professional Wii bowler would not translate to the real world?  Despite bowling an almost perfect game in the digital world (well, a 259 or something) my first foray onto the wood since gaining my pro status resulted in nothing but broken nails and a score that Barack Obama would not have been proud of.  Perhaps I should take a run for the presidency ... 

Delusions

Yes, and she was attacked by the Loch Ness monster when she went swimming too ...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/she-whispered-bear-then-line-went-dead/2008/06/30/1214677888801.html

A likely story ...

Oh well, what do we have here? 
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/grizzly-bear-mauls-girl-riding-in-24hour-bike-race/2008/06/30/1214677888801.html
Some cryptozoologist is making bizarre claims that the mythical creature known as a 'bear' has attacked a girl riding in a 24 hour bike race ...  I'm all for the stranger than fiction 'Oddly Enough' stories that were once only privy to those who scoured the international press for the weird and wonderful but which are now available to the plebian masses through AP and Reuters (those bastards) but this is beyond the pale.  Bears are loveable trained creatures who do not live in the wild, do not steal pickernick baskets and do not maul human beings.  This is a claim that must be debunked.  The wild bear does not exist.

Ban The Cyclists?

Bless his idiotic and misguided soul ...  Where to start?  Yes, Sydney is a bit hillier than Amsterdam or Copenhagen (in fact, I've even heard the San Franciscan couriers compare it unfavourably to their own city in terms of the inclines) but come on, after a few weeks of riding, it becomes second nature to even the chunkiest commuter.  Sydney is not a bike friendly city but that's due to the nature of the relationship between cyclists and drivers - the testosterone inflamed rages that result in cyclists attacking cars and vice versa are only going to reduce if the infrastructure is built to accommodate the bikes that will get these two competing forces out of each others way.  Even if this happens there will be cyclists riding in traffic but they will hopefully be the ones who know how to do it.  Cycling to work is good for the cyclist's health, good for the environment and better for the roads.  There is a global movement to move towards a less impacting lifestyle - this is part of it.  Accept it.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/put-bike-riders-in-the-recycling-bin/2008/06/25/1214073338075.html

It Ends In Africa

Well, I find it hard to sympathise with Mugabe but it's interesting to read an alternative view ... I can't imagine that this article's got much to do with the truth though.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806240075.html

Evil Comes Of Age?

I would consider myself something of a filmophile - I don't see as many as some but I see more than others - I'm also a staunch believer in ensuring the films I do see cover the broader spectrum whether it be the winter blockbuster (got to cater for the flip in seasons) or the the latest indy doco to come out of one of the 'Stans - for this reason you often see a lot of crap but conversely a lot of stuff that's pretty good. However, sometimes you get lucky and you see something truly great.  The subject matter of 'Boy A' is difficult, to say the least, but it is a story of redemption and I love a story about redemption.  Watching it one can't help but be reminded of the real story (Bulger) that was played out more in the gutter press and although it did get it's fair share of more relative reporting it was very difficult to examine the story without being caught up in the public lynching mob.  Perhaps we needed a few decades to numb the rage in order for the fictionalised account to be written and eventually get made into a relatively major film.  The film is one of fiction but it was so beautiful and Eric/Jack's story was so tragic that I couldn't help but sympathise with the real world killers.  It's a powerful reminder that we live in a society with rules and some of those rules are that if we commit a mistake or a crime we are punished.  Jail is a punishment but it is also there to help to reform wayward citizens.  Living in a society means accepting that prison can reform - it doesn't always work but we have to trust that it can and when somebody has paid their debt to society in the form of completing their prison term then they have a right to return to society and we have a duty as citizens, whether we are happy with it or not, to accept their return. 

Hoo Hoo! Cat Fight!

Rowr!
Miranda (http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/harm-minimisation-just-say-no/2008/06/18/1213770730340.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1) vs Mia (http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/ostrich-approach-to-drugs/2008/06/19/1213770823162.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1)

I'm on Mia's side ...

CMWC TOKYO September 09

I'll be there, will you?

Multiple Consumers Wants Single Pages

http://willwont.blogspot.com/2008/03/view-as-single-page.html

Now, I don't read the New Yorker but it seems that far more news sites are splitting their stories across multiple pages - it doesn't matter that the length of the article might hardly be longer than the length of this blog entry - one can only assume it's to increase the amount of ad exposure.  I'm not exactly sure of how ad revenue is calculated but I'd be very surprised if that short article that's been split into three pages will attract triple the clicks or views which translate loosely into shekels.  Most sites, including my previously beloved, increasingly tabloid smh.com.au, give an option of viewing the story on a single page, but increasingly they don't (it's starting with it's business arm, business.smh.com.au is one which forces the user into splitting the page and don't get me started on the ridiculous new format of the mobile version). 

Ad revenue must be the reason for the driver but can't the webmasters (more likely marketing managers) see or comprehend the damage they're doing to their sites?  Newspapers and magazines have been splitting stories for years in order to force their readers to wade through the advertisements but the web is supposed to be different.  The ads are already there - sometimes to the side, sometimes in the middle, sometimes at the end, often all over.  Readers are quite used to rolling up and down to read the news - splitting the stories across multiple pages ruins the flow and ruins one of the best features of the web media.  And, like any practice that increases revenue at the cost of diminishing the end user experience once one provider does it it gives an incentive for the next one to do it and before you know it everyone is doing it and the community accepts it as the way things are. 

Now, most people are probably grudgingly accepting of this practice and the user whining is not going to change it.  However, there's more than one way to skin a cat.  One presumes that news sites are doing this annoying practice in order to increase views of ads which translates to higher revenue - the people who are paying for these ads are basically being ripped off by the news providers.  Ad views are being inflated by at least a factor of two when it becomes common practice to split stories across two events which means that splitting of stories is basically fraud.  Yes, you can justify it by saying that you want the story to fit on the screen but nobody will buy that when the content that is left on the page after the split NEVER fits on it anyway. 

I'd really like to hear a proper argument as to the benefits of splitting stories - perhaps there's something I'm missing but ...

< blog continued >

Page 1 (of 2) - NEXT - F**K OFF IF YOU WANT TO READ THIS AS A SINGLE PAGE

Evenish Stevenish

The lure of gambling is supposed to come from the thrill of winning big when there's a risk of losing big so how come I always seem to come up average whenever I play poker?  The latest game had the rather average result of nobody losing a huge amount and nobody really cleaning up either.  In fact, in this latest game, the only one who really lost was the one who seemed to have all the magic tricks with the cards.  Still, I'm not going to complain about the fact that I didn't lose my shirt.  Other entertainments included watching various installments in various blockbuster franchises ...  Prince Caspian was particularly disappointing although I was rather surprised at how accurate the film was to the book when I wiki'd the story afterwards - on the other hand, I felt it was difficult to divorce the merits of the infamous franchise 'reboot' of 'The Incredible Hulk' from the insults being laden upon its predecessor.  Every time I watch Ang Lee's heart breakingly beautiful flop I seem to like it more.  Whoever could call it an insult to the true fans is obviously missing the point.  Watching Superbikes is not the best way to spend a Sunday evening but it helps if you've got Australia's leading authority on hand to tell you what the f**k is going on.  Long fixie rides are a great way to ride off the booze as well.

Voters choosing president too risky: G-G - National - smh.com.au

Very surprising seeing this view coming from a Governor-General but for the most part completely agree - I've always thought that the voter elected president is absolutely not the model we should have for Australia.  American style presidential elections where the masses can be swayed by a singular personality is not the way to elect the leader of a country.  I was always relatively partial to the model put forward in the last referendum - the deceptive Monarchist campaign argued against the entire Republican idea by cannily implying that what all Republican supporters really wanted the a voter-elected President and they should support the Monarchist cause for the moment and wait until the "good" model appeared on the agenda.  The reason why the Monarchists won that debate is the very reason why we can't have the masses choose the President.  The campaign with the most money wins.  And every time the "Presidential election" comes along it will be another referendum where the richest guy with the most persuasive "sell" gets elected.   I'm hoping the plebiscites go back to the original proposal and they it's just sold better.  And next time we won't have to worry about the hard sell again.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/voters-choosing-president-too-risky-gg/2008/06/13/1213321620631.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Those Evil Salsa Dancing Men

A flat week of confidentialisms failed to be compensated by an evening of light hearded salsa.  A relatively downhill ride towards my darling harbour was probably not the best thing to do on a bike that was, more or less, brakeless - the scuffing of sidewalls is not what one wants to hear when hurtling towards the back of a taxi but no impact means no f**kin' worries.  Male:female ratios not nearly as horrendous as some might have suspected but am sure that was the reason for my companion's presence although if one was not only to count the male population who are in possession of a neck that separates their heads from their shoulders then it was lady city.  Still, quantities of beer and hilarious stories concerning the trials and tribulations of the men who live in a certain house in Redfern made for quite the pleasant evening.  And being the gentleman that I am I think I did all I could to put a Brazilian and an Englishman in good stead for romance.  And maybe that's what the night was all about.

I think I prefer my salsa with corn chips.

The Riddle of Steel

Fire and wind come from the sky, from the gods of the sky. But Crom is your god, Crom and he lives in the earth. Once, giants lived in the Earth, Rider. And in the darkness of chaos, they fooled Crom, and they took from him the enigma of steel. Crom was angered. And the Earth shook. Fire and wind struck down these giants, and they threw their bodies into the waters, but in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield. We who found it are just men. Not gods. Not giants. Just men. The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, RiderYou must learn its discipline. For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not carbon, not aluminium, not titanium.  Steel you can trust.

This information could prove very valuable ...

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgoose.html

Digital copyright: it's all wrong

Not the only one who thinks this way ...
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/06/09/1212863545123.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

The United States should no longer act as the world's police but instead as the world's stripper, dressed as the police.

Cool concept; nice looking quike too ...

http://www.steppebysteppe.com.au/

Blinded By The Sink

Despite wasting my first sick day since taking on my latest career development on a day when I was actually just in the preludes of the acute viral nasopharyngitis I took it upon myself to not exactly be completely productive in the absence - in the end felt a hell of a lot worse when I actually returned to say goodbye to my favourite marketing manager ...  did work on my valuable looking skills and tore through no less than six movies in two days (a couple of half decent Sydney Film Festival ones as well - nothing I'll be writing home about just as this point although I have to say I do like Sam Rockwell's work).  The housewarming for Chez 2021 was always going to be a bit of a struggle considering both of the key players were suffering from aforementioned viral infections but I've always been one for pushing through - fairly interesting mix of people - probably shouldn't have headed out to the "night club" afterwards where I was reminded of how old I am and how far I've come - the anthropologist in me kept on breaking down the other patrons into their various subgroups (guy looking to get laid; guy looking to get smashed; girl trying to make boyfriend jealous by dancing suggestively towards other man; etc etc) - upon escaping Kings Cross I found I'd left my voice behind and woke up to what could possibly be the worst hangover I've had to endure for eons.  Not just a vodka/vermouth/beer/tobacco headache but loaded with lack of sleep and phlegm filling up every spare space in my skull - to top it off I'd flushed a contact lens down the sink (but I did get it back).  Good thing I've got someone to take care of me when I get ill.  I think I'll have to do it more often.

Planet Of The Apes - Redeux

I don't remember this ending ...

Acute viral nasopharyngitis

Thank god for unprocessed speed.

F**k Me!

Wifi Woes

It's a pity that people have to go and spoil a good thing ...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/security/wifi-wronguns-on-rise/2008/06/02/1212258735795.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

And On The 7th Day He Rested

After a weekend that started with excessive consumption at a dinner party (kids and Elton John with a lot of serving platters - so the sands of the hourglass pass as by) followed by a not necessarily awful night seeing The Necks for the second time (am sure they have been mentioned some time previously on this blog so I should have been prepared) ... I'd been dragged to a Sydney Festival free jazz (not as in you don't have to pay for it, good God) event that in previous years by my ladyfriend (during our courting period) and had vowed never to allow her to choose another musical event again when what happens over a year later? As we walk in I'm told that it could be something similar to what I'd been subjected to in days past; as we sat down I thought to myself that the instruments were somewhat familiar and when the musicians walked out I realised I was seeing the same f**kin' band and they played the same f**kin' music although it wasn't as painful this time (with some alcohol to dull the pain) - but dulling the pain was not what I should have been doing that night because at the crack of 10am I was finding myself doing the Great Nosh again, four years after my last attempt. The 15k run was remembered as one of the most exhilirating fun runs I've ever had the pleasure to do - although then I was in my running hey day and 15 clicks when I was used to doing a hundred in a week (?) was nothing - for a boy who doesn't run anymore it was somewhat different. My ankles were rolling at every step, orthotic inserts were blistering my soles and I was stumbling and burning with every knee jarring step. The last five k's, were awful, the last 2 even worse - never have I found myself being overtaken so often near the end of a race - wheezed in over the finishing line and onto my knees and gagged out bile for five minutes. Well, at least I beat my cousin, who's getting into a fitness blitz, and I even, amazingly, beat my previous time (from a 4 years younger, seriously more dedicated runner) by a full 33 seconds. That's pretty awesome I think.

The Revolution Has Arrived

About a year after my return from Europe I have finally managed to reconstruct Termiten's perfect single speed brake handlebar configuration. Armed with an old pair of handlebars, a hacksaw and a couple of Deore brake levers I picked up in Berlin for a song I rebuilt and changed her from a somewhat ordinary looking ex road bike to a completely customed single speed the likes of which Sydney has never seen before. A few tweaks are still needed to get total functionality but they're on their way and she's a very pretty looking conversion. I think we could be seeing copycats springing up all over this city and if we don't, well, she'll be unique then.

BRAKES CAUSE GLOBAL WARMING

Well, when brakes wear down they definitely create small particle pollution. I'm doing my bit.

Horses and Courses

Historically, weekends are supposed to be times of rest (unless you're the founding director of Jewish Services Limited and you're busy pressing traffic light buttons on the Sabbath) but the last weekend I had was far busier than I planned - the Metro Screen Documentary Making (Intensive) course I found myself on was rather interesting.  The more I think about the "prize" awarded to the second place winners of Stinkwater 24! 2008 the less I feel they should be lauded for their dodgy marketing ploy.  A prize should be a prize and not a debt in disguise.  How can an institution "give" away a voucher for the use of their services when the majority of those services are far less than the value of the prize given?  Yes, $200 is $200 but when that prize can only be redeemed by spending an extra $200 it seems to me that there's something fishy going on.  And don't even get me started on Fitness First's slimy marketing schemes (if you are the winner of a draw in which 10,000 people entered do you really think you should be paying for anything when redeeming that prize?  A more substantive rant will be sure to follow on that ethically bankrupt organisation (which I would presume can be extended to the entire fitness industry - but hey, if you feel the need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars in order to get off your fat arse and do some exercise, please, go ahead).  In any event, the course had its good points - teacher was a bit of a wanker but no more than any of the other tutors I've had over the years - and we did get a pretty intensive crash course in the use of equipment and some pointers on interview techniques (very useful considering that all of my interviews were done nigh on two years ago).  Was a little uneasy at the fact that the treatment we studied, "Speed City", seemed to be very similar in scope and nature to "Shooting The Messenger" or "Bikeanomics' (name still undecided) - still, interesting enough.  And eight years is plenty of time in between documentaries on the same subject (got to get it out before that SBS guy finishes his ... doubtful, but labours of love often are).  A bunch of movies, a rugby game and a few sessions of other activities broke it all out.  Also, it's nice when your boss isn't in. 

Irrepressible Bad Boy Slays Seven

Classic ...
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28748

Too Right!

http://business.smh.com.au/pseudo-battlers-should-get-a-grip-20080520-2ghb.html

Last Man Standing (2003)

Last Man Standing from Sax Cucvara on Vimeo.

Cherry Crowns

Do you remember Cherry Crowns?  I remember Cherry Crowns ... was it the best biscuit the good bakers at Arnott's ever produced?  Can't be certain of that due to the haze of years between now and the dreaded date when they were taken off the market.  Biscuit base (did it have coconut in it?), a thin layer of cherry jam (or was it raspberry), pink marshmallow (nobody knows what flavour 'pink' is) immersed in a dark chocolate shell.  If a company takes a product off the market are they entitled to the intellectual property of that product?  I think not.  If Arnott's refuses to re-release this biscuit back into my belly then I will be forced to take drastic action and will have to recreate this piece of confectionery from scratch.

And don't forget ...

All Grown Up

As I started a weekend with the symbolic growing up of another ... the iconic Pretty Boy of London Sydney fame is shuffling off the immortal coil and moving into a more domesticated arrangement somewhere south of Sydney.  Whilst I wasn't too keen to participate in his send off race me and a few of the checkpoints had a very fast and occasionally sketchy ride back to the end where I proceeded to drink far more than is good for me - was escorted back to Woollahra for the Last Night of Freedom™ that had a few more visitors than was preferable for an early morning trucking and moving journey.  Took another withdrawal from the Moving Karma Pool™ and gathered up the troops, all who contributed in their inimitable way (spatial awareness and space time continuum bending from El Binna, brawn from the Small But Doughty Man, well timed belligerence from The Rider of Rowan and something from Dave) – after a particularly smoove moove relaxing beverages were spoiled by a road raging Subaru driver who wanted our James Bond parking space and was prepared to drive through our human shield to get it but all worked out in the end.  Unpacking not nearly as painful as it could have been and the oestrogen laden household is proving to be quite amenable to a boy growing up.

I'll give you a f**kin' liger!

Growing Up

A weekend of excessive consumption of meatses with alternating calorie burns preempts the crunch week of a symbolic week of growing up, a rather expensive all-you-can-eat-brazilian-meat in the wildfire have provided a very likely prospective location for a future caper and the usual stresses of moving have been slightly delayed and perhaps even displaced to another but am sure they will come by the end of the week.  Racing P-platers up Oxford Street offers a welcome respite from the grind of the confidential world and, surprisingly, corporate enforced bonding sessions proved to be far more entertaining than it might have been (the Scales of Justice provided adequate amusement).  More to come.

Separated At Birth???

Sam Neil(l) Diamond ... have you ever seen them in the same place at the same time?

The Cyclists

Free wifi just a dream ...

http://www.smh.com.au/news/wireless--broadband/free-city-broadband-quietly-shelved/2008/05/09/1210444215811.html

The Food Wars Commence

Well, nowt of any excitement for quite some time on my front although the procedures of growing up are continuing apace and the oft muttered platitude that freedom is never free has never quite seemed to real. The confidentials are still going with small victories and potentially valuable HR things but I'm really hesitant about the value of freebase sculptures between 9-5. Potentially the last of the famous BBQs at Chez 2021 was a relative success - I shall miss this place and I don't envy the replacement company if Herr Jacob is anything to go by - overeducated, over-achieving, probably exaggerating toffs are not my idea the ideal person to share a roof with but that is just me.
Puck's speed is proving to be quite enviable - if only he could get a friend to take him somewhere. Still, have burned off one night's worth of calories - let's hope it's enough for a second night of mass consumption of animal product.
Comments should be directed at relevant posts and should only be considered if they're as legible as the thing they're being posted about. The standard is not that high so I'm hardly asking a high price.

Evil Melon by OrangeGhost on MojiZu

Should I be suing for breach of copyright???
http://www.mojizu.com/artist/OrangeGhost/Evil%20Melon.aspx

The Worst Is Yet To Come

The Fritzl cellar case, relatively hot on the heels of the Kampusch cellar case, seems to be prompting many Austrians to ask themselves whether there is something fundamentally wrong with them as a nation (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7375382.stm). The world's media is lapping up the tabloid sensationalism of the latest house of horrors and op-ed pieces are springing up everywhere wondering what is so special about Austria that could enable or encourage these kinds of events.

But is this an Austrian problem? Is there something fundamentally wrong with the Austrian people in that they could "allow" this kind of thing to happen. Perhaps, but it's not limited to Austrians (or southern Austrians as the northern provinces would like to think as they distance themselves from this disturbing crime) and it's not limited to Europeans or even the western world. Japan has had it's share of long term child kidnappings involving terrible sexual assaults, Germany is apparently plagued by repeated high profile cases of infanticide; The Jamie Bulger case with its 10 year old killers shocked England to the core; the stories of American children committing mass murder upon their school mates seem to happen so regularly and we scrabble to find some thing American that could be the cause (is it either violent video games or other entertainment? Oppressive parents? A culture of bullying? Or maybe, just perhaps, it's that's impossible to escape the plague of guns that are in the hands of anyone and everyone in that enlightened country).

And before anyone comes to the dubious conclusion that it's a western phenomenon - just about every country from liberal Canada to the watched societies of Russia and China and even Iran has sociopathic serial killers living amongst its populace and sometimes they're caught.

Any country with a large population is going to have a mix of people - for the most part people are generally good but some are bad - for every saint there's a madman - and in more complex a society and the greater the imagination we have the more creatively good and more creatively bad we can become. The depravity to which the human being can descend is only limited by his imagination. Joseph Fritzl's crimes have already been mirrored in fiction - the Australian film 'Bad Boy Bubby' bore striking similarities to his case - it was apparently not based on any true story but we now know that people can lock up their children and commit the worst crimes upon them imaginable. The depravity of life is imitated in art constantly with the barrage of serial killer films and other tales of the worst of the human condition. And life follows right back with copy cat events - the enviable Hannibal Lecter didn't create any real killers but he sure may have given some real killers some good ideas.

For as long as people creatively imagine the good we can do others will be imagining the worst we can do. And without a shadow of a doubt - there are people who live amongst us who are imagining and committing to things that most of us could never conceive until it's shoved in our faces by a waiting media. It will happen again in future and it is happening now and it's happening in every country in the world regardless of whether it is a liberal democracy, a repressive theocracy or a militant dictatorship. Who knows what further horrors lie beneath the normal facade of human society? The one thing we can be sure of is that we haven't seen the worst of it.

Something that goes with salmon ...

Oh my, how lapse am I ...
Well, if there was anything worth reporting perhaps I wouldn't be ... or perhaps I'd have even less time to be reporting on it and actually doing it (and this makes as much sense to me as it would to anyone who actually reads this).  A very long absence from the world of pub trivia was ended with Hippo Campus' (aka the Bike Courier Mafia) taking out third (or was it second?) place with a grand prize of some probably unnecessary jugs of beer (which I the beer snob had to wrest away from the VB swilling proles in order to get something palatable).  Do I recall much from the ill advised day at the races?  Other than the fact that I didn't win anything and knocked myself out for any activity for the rest of the week's end - not much.  Did I get much out of the stand up comedienne who entertained us at the beginning of the long weekend?  A little - perhaps an inspiration for a caper?  I think there's definitely a calling for such activity.  Not long to go now ...

Nuns With Guns

Nuns with Guns - Grindhouse Trailer from LostSheep Productions on Vimeo.

Josef Fritz - Psycho de Jour?

One of the creepiest stories to set the global media going is a recent story where a deranged Austrian attempted a 'Bad Boy Bubby' revision of his daughter's life - the major news networks love this kind of event, it's a tale of the basest human activity imaginable and it allows them to play up to their readers tabloid urges with the sure and certain knowledge that it's real "news".  It can't be long before the rest of the world makes the tenuous connection to the not so old Australian film and we'll be saying that once again life imitates art (which also imitates life).

A Cavalcade of Stars???

I didn't know anyone actually downloaded Australian music anyway ...
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/top-aussie-acts-band-together-over-music-theft/2008/04/29/1209234824947.html

They Shall Never Grow Old Like Me

It's been far too long ... just when I thought I might not have been as grown up as I thought i was it turns out that I am and new living arrangements are back on the horizon and what a joy that will be - despite the eerie remnants of the cultish sectists who once inhabited the land I'm sure it will pass over quite nicely to its new inhabitants - but until that time I'm just glad I've got the last of the Greater Union Gold Class out of my system and I will vow never to accept the Trojan horse "complimentary tickets" that are ever placed near my greedy palm again.  Was reminded of the sacrifices of the various peoples who have done so much for the country by escorting a certain 9 year old over the Harbour Bridge on what was a decidedly marked experience and managed to recover well enough to mostly enjoy the comedic stylings of Laurence Leung who, while not being as cool as his brother, was at least a relatively entertaining way to spend a Friday night - far more enjoyable than spending the following afternoon getting baked by the prodigal sun who returns (Ill be damned if I'm going to kill my fatted calf for him) and losing money by the fistful at the horse races.  And I thought my brother was a bookie ...

Dateline

To The 20th ... Is this the way the dates are noted?  Due to latter frequencies it seems that this must be the new standard - well, the old one has been languishing since the insistence of its inception by a certain gentleman frustrated at the disconnect between finding hotspots and the descriptions of the activities that led up to them ... and if you understood that I'm impressed.  Good movies, bad movies, okay movies - all have taken up my attention and I've even managed to throw in some half decent television as well.  Puck is still in his unfinished state but certainly seems to be riding well enough to give a demonstration to some of the locals even if he didn't propel me to victory (there's plenty of time for that although it might have to be a year before he gets the opportunity in Global Gutz again).  And once again, I found myself on the accommodation hunt - perhaps a little too little time in between hulking my ever expanding collection of possessions between addresses but it might be the last time for a long time so who knows ...

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Sussex | Man hypnotises himself before op

This would have to be the best 'oddly enough' I've had the pleasure to see in a very long time ...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/7355523.stm

A Bike With Ten Gears?

To The 14th - Despite Puck's lack of finishing and I'm beginning to doubt whether this trusty steel steed will ever reach total completion (I've already angered one of the contributors by betraying his labours to an alternative) - in any event, he's ridable and he's f**king fast.  Got to learn how to use these new fangled bike 'gears' - they can be very useful as are those fancy stopping things ... I seem to recall them being called 'brakes' - they do add a bit of weight but very useful for stopping (although I don't really understand the benefits of that particular type of motion ... why not just keep on going?).  Had the latest in the ongoing series of dress up parties (with less and less notice being given at a time - at least it was themed around something with that something being of a more childlike wonderment nature) - unfortunately could not wear the Mad Hat for the tea party due to sensitivities of the scalp resulting from 5 hours in the chair (it's a good thing I bring my own books because my hair likes to hold onto it's melanin).  Alcohool influenced behaviours continue to push the to and fro but everything works out in the end - confidentialities also continue to continue.  Where's the passion?

Caperless

To the 8th ... if 29 was the age of dressing down maybe 30 is the age of dressing up - taking appropriate advantage of situations and past zombie film making ventures to make a half decent Joker if I don't say so myself - did result in a hangover and overall fatigue the next day but that's what Sundays are for (at least that's what they used to be for) - and despite having several henchmen on the night I didn't get that bitch Batgirl nor pull off any capers beyond drinking myself into merriment.  The end of the DST meant I got to the place of confidentiality ahead of the workaholics (I'm a workaholic, but, like, for booze) and cruised through the day before cruising on home (with a wet bottom) for what was hoped to be a bike finishing session but turned out to be more of a 'let's see what sexy bicycle parts Yogi has acquired' - slightly better position than when we started.  But not by much.  At least I'm a tennis pro now.

Video Killed The Record Company

In a world of legally wrong but ethically ambiguous file sharing the video clip is emerging as a confusing legal mechanism of sharing proprietary content.  Where as the sharing of music is challenged at every level by the record companies whether they be downloaded as a song or even clipped off as a ringtone or stripped down to the merest guitar chords they consist of a song can still be very easily shared in the form of a video clip.  Youtube is full of every song - old and new - all of them accompanied by the video of the band playing or a more professional directed clip - but take away this video and it's no longer a marketing tool but a piece of content that you have to pay for.  A strange situation.

Wait'll they get a load of me ...

What? No Stairway? Denied!

4 April - After escaping a confidential drinks do a quick, tyre repressurisation session turned into an expensive tyre replacement but such is life.  I'm hoping to have my eardrums grow back in the next few weeks.  Reed and Steve's going away 'community ride' was not one of the more pleasant ones I've done in a while - my city knowledge skills having eroded somewhat although despite coming in about as late as I could due to the rules of this particular ride I was very, very close to coming in quite high in the rankings but for a technicality that I believe should have been addressed far earlier and, once again, I have been denied the jersey (wouldn't have won but could have received a little clobber).  Next time?  Who knows.

Worst. Steak. Ever.

3 April - In celebration of Mr Small But Doughty's 30 years on this Earth (finally this festival is over as well) there was a half-arsed job of making the flat presentable for certain individuals followed by the scenic route to a new local - due to the machinations of those who were trying to thwart my good eatings and possibly pocket the $7 difference in price for themselves I found myself in the tried and true 'get the order wrong and hope to eat large' scam through no fault of my own - did the return of a perfectly normal looking steak which just happened to not be what I ordered and found it later replaced by the driest, overcooked meat, undercooked potatoes, over wilted spinach meal which was a horror to consume (did get my own back by tricksing someone into a mouthful of hot English but it was paltry compensation).  Confidentials continue as they are - Burger Fuel was a far more satisfactory meal on the outset and the bike is slowly coming along.

Prioritisation

To The Second Of The Fourth - Confidentials and confidentials continue to distract me from my primary purpose but must resolve to be more XX in my efforts - the manly pursuits of table building, espresso machine repair and bike assembly have occupied much of my dwindling temporal resources - unfortunately none of the fruits of these labours have ripened but they're on the way ... the table almost looks like a table, the espresso boiler is in more pieces than it's been in since it's inception and Puck is almost but not quite rideable.  What's a man to do?  I should probably clean up.

Alternatives?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/beijing2008/swimmer-stings-like-a-bee/2008/03/31/1206850812233.html
If he gets kicked out of the swim team why doesn't he join the boxing team?

Hulkification

Even Stevens

Coming out of a card game with the exact amount you put can work out to a cheap night out.

Beware Of The Bear

www.dothetest.co.uk

Speed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYrd5qwzPrA

Finally

http://www.vimeo.com/818871
Hoopy little film made by Monseigneur Collins - I can't publish this spiffy looking film without at least bringing a slight mention to the exasperated 'couple of weeks' statement mentioned twice in the film which does made one wonder about the historical timeline of the film.  In any event, you've got to love a short film with explosions.  As much as I like being involved with and watching the LostSheep short film suite I know they're leading up to something big.  2009 could be the year that the lost sheep is found.

My own hyprocrisy

http://business.smh.com.au/now-for-the-shower-without-glory/20080325-21hf.html

The Next Generation

To the 24th March - Hail To The Christian's God for Two Days Off!  What better way to spend a long weekend than taking a new generation to the shallow north of South Australia (an oxymoron but a decent description) - despite some  planning stresses we found ourselves on our Virgin flight in nasty side of the AM - arrived at the same time as most of the Sydney contingent of the Australian Cycle Messengers who were in town for their championship (ie weekend of drinking and getting up to no good) and was tempted but realised that the only riding I'd be doing on that weekend would be on a horse.  Despite leaving the velocipedes on ice for the weekend wasn't TOO environmentally destructive with our vehicle being a hybridised blend of lectric and petroleum fuel - and when there it's divided amongst four it's probably not such a bad thing.  Arrived in old Burra - braved the awful winds on horse back (it must be said that it wasn't the horses speed that contributed to the wind rushing past my delicate ears), tried to entertain the little folk and caught up with the relatives alive and dead.  Lovely little part of the world - a little dry but it must be visited.  Having relatives in various parts of the world has its advantages - on the one hand you've usually got someone to show you around and even accommodate you at times but it also has the flip side that means that when you are in that part of the world you're obliged to be there and it can take the attention away from its neighbouring provinces and it's often hard to leave.  Maybe next time. 

The First Rule

18 - 20 March - Bloggers blog ... Recovery from the festival proceeds at its own pace - I still can't see a proper sleep-in anywhere on the horizon but at least I know where I stand in some regards and so much for the Gaggia coffee machine drastically reducing my piccolo expenditure - one can't really complain when one has expended the pauperly sum of ten dullahs for such a fine machine (plus five for a power cord) - but it would be nice if it worked.
 

This Festival Is Over

To The 17th To The 17th To The 17th Bap Bappup Bup Buppup - Well, finally the festival of Sax is over and not too soon either - the surprisingly unpleasant work week that was consistently followed by celebrations in or in aid of the name of my 30th year was getting a bit severe - knowing what the week's end had in store I planned to stay on the low side for the Friday and as far as I can recall I did that - visited the old friend Matt who has done a Shifty and sliced off some sections of the metacarpals - I can only imagine the pain and unfortunately I think my imagination can capture that nauseating experience and I hope I never have to share the experience.  Tried to sleep in on the Saturday in order to prepare for the night's festivities but failed and started was the start of a very long day.  Collected my uniform for the night and chose something appropriate for James (a skimpy little cave man number that certainly showed off his knees (I think they're his best feature).  Eased into the celebration with a quick beverage with a non-comer and then steeled my will, shaved my legs, whitened my face and adorned myself in Restoration Period lace and nylon because I was going back to the future.  Slightly blurred night - some excellent robots, Romans and space age pilots from people who understood the instructions, some character driven masterpieces from those who didn't understand the instructions and a fairly excellent showing of people who were imaginative in their excuses and lame in their efforts (yes, I get it, 2006 is an era ... I bought some shoes in that year too).  However, considering that the plan was to kick some corporate ass in the early AM it was a coke fuelled frenzy for me and the caffeine and sugar rush went to my head a little.  Bit disappointed with the inevitable no-shows but that's always something to be expected and catered for. 

However, after a night of being silly and three and a half hours of sleep I was up and atom with a bleary eyed Google directed drive to Oatley for the NSW Corp Games triathlon - upon arrival with the team mates (Simon the swimmer and Paul the extremely difficult to find runner) I had to hide the fixie in the throng and hope for the best but minutes after the swimmers made their way down to the lake there was an announcement for the track racer to come to the registration desk - obviously some unhoopy triathlete with all the gear and no idea except for the chip on his shoulder had dobbed in the BIke With One Gear(TM) and I was told, mate, I can't let you race.  After laying on the charm and assuring the organisers that I'd obeyed the limited rules (take that, you non-proof reading fools) and I knew what I was doing.  Well, obviously we had some idea because after a fair start with Simon's impressive swim I took off and hammered the hills in a way that only a fixie rider can and did the fastest transition in the race (nobody can dismount and run like an ex-courier), giving Paul enough of a start to take third (which, in retrospect, is better than first).  Wrecked me for the rest of the next two days but I got something that was better than a kick in the teeth and a bit of glory to shake on the 30 year old ego and that's a nice thing.

Any similarities here?

This:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/guess-how-much-to-date-that-scarlett-woman-/2008/03/14/1205126161370.html
And this:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/spitzer-and-the-emperor-clubs-diamond-dates/2008/03/13/1205126082433.html

Keretoconus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keratoconus

Milestone

8 to 12 March - So many birthdays so little time - after eating far too much on a Friday evening (was forced to finish off someone else's meal like the garbage disposal unit that I've been nominated as (no longer a member of the immortals and the appetite is greatly diminished) did errands in the AM followed by a succession of birthdays.  Green Dog's in the park where beer was consumed followed by a dinner which was surprisingly in the honour of my birthday (and I'm still quite unaware as to why I failed to pick up on the signs - although it must be said that it's about f**king time that someone organised one of those for me) followed by the dual birthday of Oscar and Angel (who very kindly swapped birthdays with me this year in order for the 'place to be' next week that much more special). Far too much consumption on that day and the digestive stress was extended for days beyond - before I could fully absorb one meal I had another one forced on me with an actual birthday lunch at some over policed venue in the depths of north east suburbia which was followed by more flesh of the mammalian brethren on the Monday and another fambly birthday dinner on the Tuesday (with it's own mawkish milestones attached) followed by the boss's sugar enriched version of the celebration on the Wednesday.  Something has to give.  And I'm slipping.

Should I be surprised that the NSW Corporate Games are so f**king bureaucratic - at this stage disqualification is looking and more likely and it's all because they're a bunch of letter of the law process following wankers.  If I go to this thing @ 730am after my f**king birthday party and we don't compete I am going to f**king kill someone.  You read it here.

Bin There

3 -  7 March - I don't think I was doing anything out of the ordinary and it certainly wasn't the result of any showboating (since nobody was there) but as I tried to enter the latest little shortcut that takes me to the front door (and potentially through it if I time the traffic correctly) I found myself fighting gravity (and losing) and with a torn shirt (one of the nice ones) and a grazed elbow to show for it.  And to add insult to injury (literally) a few minutes after I pulled myself up I heard a nasty hissing followed by an ear shattering bang as 120 pounds per square inch of pressure pushed through the wall of the front tyre (followed by a repair job that resulted in a similar explosion half an hour later - and this was the not the most painful impact that I experienced during the week.  In fact, surprisingly, it wasn't that painful at all - I don't think I'm that hard core but even when the antiseptic was applied after the adrenalin faded away I barely felt a thing - I must have been densensitised around my elbow somewhere along the way.  Human crashes are another story and bone breaking therapeutic massage - now that's real pain.  And where the hell did this week go anyway?

Somebody failed his saving throw ...

http://mobile.theonion.com/content/node/75418

Two In One Day

I'm not his greatest fan but to hear that Patrick Swayze has terminal cancer is pretty depressing news - it's one thing to go out in a flash in your sleep or in an accident but to have rapid death drawn out over five weeks would have to be one of the worst ways to go.  To this day Ghost is one of my all time favourite roms - and Gary Gygax, I left your world a long time ago but you will be missed.

Strange Things Are Afoot On The Red Planet

http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/violent-rock-slides-snapped-on-red-planet/2008/03/04/1204402421182.html

One of those guys ...

1 to 2 March - Errands and tasks took up much of the evening - there may have been some recovery required at times but nothing too challenging - first Moonlight Cinema (okay venue, okay movie) and faced the challenges of managing the peeps in my life ... my spelling and thought processes seem a little scattered these days ... After 20 years of heading to the fambly visiting the grassy knolls of Apple Tree Bay (and no, I don't recall ever seeing any apples down there) I finally found myself being one of those guys - the stalwarts who ride up the big hill (ooh, I wouldn't want to be on of those guys ... Well, I did want to be one of those guys! And now I am ...) - all in all, not the nastiest hill in the world but certainly a challenge to anyone riding it brakeless and on a recently rained upon serfas.  Hey, I've done Wales so I can handle Bobbin Head.  The endurance continued with tolerance of family but I'm getting better at that although to be denied my lifelong dream of going to the cricket was not the best way to cap off the evening.  I did get some solace so I won't complain too loudly.  This time.

It Comes But Once An Olympiad

25 - 29 February - That's the last time I offer to make a cup of tea for a special guest - those Madura tea bags don't grow on trees - they have to be shipped especially by immortal messenger from two specialised kitchens from the east and occasionally from the north.  I could just see it sitting there in front of the ungrateful bastard as it's heat and magical improbability properties ebbed away.  But what is one to do about that?  All things considering it was probably the least stressful aspect of the confidential world but it's one of the few that's allowed to be shared.  Flitting back and forth between the two worlds - it all became a bit of a blur - at least I have a new phone to organise my life with (although it must be said I'm sure I'll spend far more time f**king around with it than it will save me time (??? does this make sense?  not really, does it matter?) - life toddles on - despite being taken out for a slap up dinner followed by Ultimate Sex whiskey (the only one from the Isle of Juno) I was bafflingly not proposed to, but perhaps that's more about me, maybe next Leap Day.   And we paid $200 for that tripe, what's all that about?

Back To The Future

Freeky

Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free

Very interesting ...

The Best Cure for Hiccups: Remind Your Brain You're Not a Fish | Wired Science from Wired.com
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/02/evolution-expla.html

Only In America

Only in America would a photo of a political candidate in traditional dress be considered a slur.  It can backfire both ways.

Aca-demi Awards

It's the one awards show that I watch - I'm entitled to have some weaknesses.  Which idiot at Channel 9 thought it would be wise to preview the late news with a snippet of Daniel Day Lewis accepting his Oscar an hour before they screened it.  I hope that f**ker got fired.

The Next Step

Up until 25 February - Skipping back and forth across town makes Sax an interesting boy but it also makes it harder for him to find the time and energy to devote to his blogging duties - surviving on the confidential side as is my wont and trying to focus on the alternatives - discovered some new beauties in the local drinking scene - I'll never have to even consider the CockNBull as a viable place for sustenance again - and, if I play my cards right, I may be able to avoid the dread of the Junction altogether.  As I'm still awaiting the crucial bits and pieces to put the new velocipede together (Puck?  a gentlemanly name as any) I'm still having to maintain the old girls - Bontrager's are no better than any of the alternative tyres I've experimented with and when they holed up at the last minute on the way home I felt drastic things were required.  After all, the two snazzy new Maxxis Detanators were just taking up space so I felt they could find a new home on the girl - unfortunately, with a brake in the way it just wasn't going to work so there was only one thing for it and off it went.  Not the tyre.  Have barely touched the lever for quite some time but there's still a feeling of nerves when you're cruising along with one level of protection removed.  It does feel kind of cool though - and it looks very slick. 
Did an early morning Saturday commuter recon by kayaking into Darling Harbour - another potentially hair brained scheme (but what a scheme!) with some very large boats with very bad steering and stopping power - an interesting alternative for transport but one that the lone ranger seemed determined to thwart with moans about the dangers and the legalities of actually being allowed to get anywhere near my work place via water.  I've heard some dissenting views on this so I won't be giving up on this one just yet.  Obnoxiousness and alcohol made for an interesting weekend - saw some good films and saw some very good films (I think) but got a little bored near the end.  Got to stay on top of things.

The Lloyd Spake

19 to 21 February - Confidential place is still going but I was saved from the insanity by the quick diversion of the real job - the logistics of my personal life is far more stressful than anything any corporation could throw my way.  Didn't see a lot of the fillums I potentially could have seen during the week (or alternatively, didn't see one of the films I could have seen on several occasions) but was surprisingly pleasantly surprised with the quality of a television show that managed to find its way into my consciousness - Underbelly is really good - I've always been quite fascinated with Carl Williams - how could such a pudgy harmless bloke be such a sinister crook?  But apparently he was, and I'm sure I'll find out more. 

Back To The Future

21 December was the first time I've done a real job since Berlin's semi professional stint.  Needed to do a cross town drop to the ASX so jumped on the fixie, smoked a few reds and split up George and right into the maw of Australia's premier stock trading institution.  I miss the class.

The eBook saga ...

http://blogs.smh.com.au/gadgetsonthego/archives/2008/02/ebook_fact_or_fiction.html

Lost, lost, lost ...

18 February and before - The dramas are still belittling me with a second slideout, possibly reported, which may or may not have contributed to the eventual shutting down of the hard drive, a calamity of data loss which has not been experienced for quite some time - spent far too much time on the phone and in and out of repair centres, seeking the advice of the supposedly technical people around me and all to little avail.  Eventually got a recovery solution which brought back everything from 2 February (has it really been that long?) - everything except the one little file that we've had almost constant continuity with for over four (???) years.  What to do?  What to do?
Had a decent bike race on the week's end - the end of a tournament so wasn't really eligible for taking out the big prize but had really thought that with the right level of preparation and my current balance of luck it was going to be mine.  But it wasn't.  Good barbecue, good invitation (with no venue) and a half decent move followed by a bunch of other f**king dramas have led me to wonder what it's all about.  Again.

The Hipster Doofus

11 - 14 February - After the glories of the week's end fate decided to catch up with me in the form of an Audi (or was it a Saab) who's blind spot I managed to find myself in.  How one can be in the blind spot when one hits the front bumper I'm not exactly sure but enough damage caused to cause reasonable upset; not a huge amount of damage to my own self although this was difficult to judge as I was still recovering from the strains of Sunday's ocean voyages.  A subsequent slide out once I got back on Chevette also didn't help and for the first time in a long time I found myself nursing a series of bruises and injuries.  The automobile savaging made me think it was probably not the best idea to participate in a late notice alley cat and I was very surprised to find almost half the field was taken up by a vast collection of hipsters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipster_%28contemporary_subculture%29), where the hell did they come from?  I've seen them around in various quantities and forms but man, that's a lot of pimped out fixies.  I don't know if I approve (and I really don't think Mr Small But Doughty approves either).  Found myself in a time warp or a space shift or some other dimensional travelling.  Am getting a vision of what the new bicycle may look like once constructed which is good but I'm hoping the Monday's outing will not prove to be an acceleration of the end of the trusty lady who has been my steed for so long.  On the subject of things breaking - the Macbook isn't faring too well with the rolling beach ball of death devolving to the even more sinister question mark folder of death.  What am I going to do?

Coogee's Night of Nights

http://picasaweb.google.com/saxifrage2020/Stinkwater242008

Sydney!!!

F**king Sydney!  The front of your car is not a blind spot!

Second Is Better Than First

8 February - 10 February - A rather epic weekend when all was said and done - there was far too much stress and drama involved in and on the periphery of the Stinkwater 24! competition - although it must be said, it was predicted.  Perhaps I just need a muse.  After a liquid fuelled and failed brainstorm on Friday we recovered with a caffeine and B&E fuelled substorm - the Evil Melon crew were none too confident of what we were going to film but we decided the important thing was to have a narrative and where better to find inspiration for a narrative than from Grimm's Fairy Tales, the Three Clever Brothers seemed an apt tale considering there were three young chaps in the crew - production expense of putting these fine stories to film is quite high (it almost broke Terry Gilliam but then again, most of his films tend to do that) - so we had to compromise in several areas - notably the clever part and also one of the brothers (considering that one of our crew had to run away at a crucial part of filming to look for a house).  Rubbish weather didn't help the shoot and the rain threatened to shut down our trusty camera but by 1pm we had enough footage to start the editing process - little luck with the attaining of a suitable narrative force so I was forced to lend my dulcet tones - mucked around with some special effects and after much stress managed to cobble together something resembling a film.  And, as luck would have it, by the time I'd finished the editing there was a textual solution to my sextual problem - this proved to be an opportune time as it allowed for an ocean stroll around the harbour in my recently acquired floating chariot which should prove to be an excellent alternative to the dangers of riding the Sydney streets (more on that later).  Suitably fortified myself with beer (and tried to cough out the evils of the previous day) in order to brace for the impact of seeing my (our!) creation on a big screen - once I got confirmation that we were through the first cull I was at least relaxed enough to enjoy the night - met a judge, offered a bribe, found ourselves placing musical chairs an age before the curtain was drawn and then sat through a serious sometimes painfully bad, sometimes even more painfully good shorts - a fair few of well prepared, well equipped projects, was initially a bit overwhelmed by the hearty cheers that erupted before some of the starts as it indicated crews of film students of a sizeable number but was heartened when "A Bike With One Gear" found itself up on screen - only a small huzzah but from the first visual gag we at least got a couple of laughs and that was all I could really hope for.  But I probably should have hoped for more because it was delivered with a smashing second place that beat all of the slick productions (I like to think we produced something more in line with the spirit of the festival???) and even pipped the in depth documentary about toast which would have won had the filmmaker been lucky enough to interview me (there are not many who appreciate the assorted niceties of toasted bread and not many who could share my appetite I'll bet you) but it was a time to celebrate.  And celebrate we did, although some of us could have potentially taken it slightly easier as future pictures may suggest.

Fwd: Girl rides into piano wire trap - National - smh.com.au

This is very bad.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/02/11/1202578644850.html

Second Place Is Better Than First

Silver is pure but gold is earthy ...

YouTube - A Bike With One Gear

YouTube - A Bike With One Gear

How to Create a Good Narrative Short Film - wikiHow

How to Create a Good Narrative Short Film - wikiHow
Is it this easy?

Perils of Creativity

4 - 8 February - It's good that there's a home away from home when you're investing in the sharing residence karma pool although it does make it difficult to keep the phone charged and the tyres pumped (but on that front, some alternative forms of transport are under way) - picked up one of these modes from the aunt and uncle's rather impressive squat on the north side - it's not everyone who's minding a house with it's own Seidler designed kitchen and personal jungle - found myself eating something which I'd managed to avoid for a surprising amount of time (and next time will be even longer I'm hoping) - closer to victory in squash than i've reached in many years - Stinkwater 24! is far more trouble than it's worth.

Control Of Anecdote Wrested From Boyfriend

http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/control_of_anecdote_wrested

Next Time It's Mine

31 January - 4 February - Ah, dear me, perhaps it's the rain but seem to be having trouble keeping up to date - had one of the most authentic Chinese restaurant at home meals I can remember (if not exactly altogether authentic Chinese meals) which devolved to silliness and far too fast drunken ridings home but no crashes to report (at least on the Friday night) - the Cat de Shiftoire held on Saturday afternoon in rather decent conditions proved to be too sketchy for some.  One again, I found myself coming in near the middle, made two major mistakes which were mostly due to my lack of recent experience on the streets (I totally blanked on Quay St and Chalmers St - both of which I spent a fair amount of my time on) - I've got to find the eye of the tiger and take one of these things out for a change.  That jersey is not going to fall into my lap.  In any event, Chevette handled herself beautifully in the race - combination of new chain ring and relatively recent wheels and saddle make her nothing less than a joy to ride.  And relatively clear lungs should be pushing me up a couple of positions at a minimum.  Lust Caution is a good film (http://www.avclub.com/content/cinema/lust_caution); Bruce Almighty is not such a good film - Steve Carrell's rubbery face is relatively amusing but not enough to warrant a sequel I'll wager and Jim Carrey should stop whoring himself out to the highest bidder - one just has to suppose that he wants to have some films that he can show his kids (does he even have any?). 
Had a Bite Me burger on Sunday's afternoon - all composed of high quality expensive ingredients but without the holistic burger vision that another burger joint possesses - council pickup day in Woollahra proved to be somewhat beneficial - old school portable fax machine and abba-dabba workout tool were notable scores.  And the household is slightly more energy efficient after the Polish plumber (see electrician) did his business.  Got to keep some things under better wraps when strangers call.

5-Year Old Techs?

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/03/5-year-olds-repair-olpc-laptops-at-nigerian-hospital/
I just love the last line of this article ... "and making everyone generally want to hug."