Don't Park Here

A New Animal?

I have now added haggis to the slowly growing list of animals that I have eaten which now includes cow, pig, sheep, deer, ox, emu, ostrich, goose, pheasant, chicken, duck, quail, pigeon, buffalo, crocodile, kangaroo, grasshopper, snake, goat, fish (of many varieties including other animals that swim or scuttle along the bottom of the sea), boar, alligator, rabbit and some others but which still excludes the twin taboos of whale and man flesh.

What Kind of Pie?

Is it bluesberry or is it evil melon pie?

Some New Firsts

26 to 30 January - After a bit more consideration than was probably necessary I fulfilled my half of a bargain sealed in bleach.  What I'd originally budgeted two hours to resulted in a marathon five hour session where I emptied the Guide's batteries and was forced to subsist on Who magazine - made for a fine disguise that took me into a night that involved excellent non stomach cramp inducing eating and very entertaining circus acts (which also unfortunately led to passionately heated fighting which indirectly led on to even more enthusiastic reconciliation) - rode around a bit to work off the excessive caloric intake and checked out some impressive ocean views - enjoyed the freedom from work and then the freedom of work (without oppressive supervision) and some incredibly adequate film adaptations.  Finally, after an approximate 20 year absence I returned to the golf course - didn't break any records but certainly didn't lose every hole - rather enjoyable but not nearly enough adrenalin to guarantee too much repeating.  I think I will need to get too the driving range again though.

Pop Mahoganyu

21 to 23 (oh, Cthulu, 25) January - Confidential place can be a little stressful, especially when you're trying to get excited about flogging crap - also, their small enough to be entertaining but large enough to be wankers - His Dark Materials pretty awesome, last episode somewhat disappointing in ways but the most crap bit is also the most amazing part and reconciliation is so difficult - a bit of a pop mahoganyu - at first, somebody else's pop with an impromptu gathering at the Barracks to watch entertainment that reminds me of my age (although the presence of "More Toilets" made me welcome my early sobriety - which didn't last very long at all and while I didn't reach the heights or depths of some it was awful enough crawling up at the crack of noon (the other noon) for the joys of responsibilities.  I don't know which one it is - it's either the Mrs Fields muffins which can be so sugary and delicious but occasionally are undercooked (salmonella, anyone?) or the cheapest Thai lunch in town (chilli pork belly for four dullahs) - both of them generally reliable but both so easily prone to random probes of food poisoning.  Suffered myself out of there with a little chagrin (but not much) - and prepared myself for an evening in when my own pop mahoganyu erupted on me - how was I to know that it was Robert Byrne's Night?  Nobody put it in my diary - another cultural tradition experienced and, more importantly, a new animal ... PJ kindly caught a haggis on Ben Nevis ... it was running around clockwise, as fast as its imbalanced legs could carry it when it was shocked into tumbling down the mountain into our waiting oven and maws.  The mystery is over - pretty much a big, fat sausage.  But I do like sausages.  Hurrah.  I'm probably going to regret it though.

Get Your Ass To Mars

http://www.google.com/mars/

Easter Promises

Did you know that Easter will never come earlier than it does this year?

The Young Are Dropping Off Like Flies

It does not bode well to be a young movie star seeking immortalisation.

Joker and Crow

Spooky ...

This Engagement Is Over

17 to 20 January - So many days away from the distraction but, as per most of the time, it's the activities of the being away that are causing the distraction from the distraction that is the reason why the distraction is not getting the attention it so richly deserves.  Suffice to say that the confidential was causing a bit more stress than was really required and this had to be countered with an evening of dining and quaffing in the area of Potts Point - Jimmy Licks was all in all, not too bad, I have to say I like a place that presents Coopers beer with the same level of respect that is normally only afforded to overpriced wine.  The pork belly wasn't too bad too, not as mm' tasty as the delicate simplicity of Spice Siam's holy basil version but not bad nonetheless.  Presumably shouldn't have extended this evening with certain compatriots as much as I did but I did what I did and I paid the consequences and to hell with anything else.  Shook off the remnants of the hangover and took myself over to the north side (was taken) where I arrived with my belt, socks and shoes (and very little else) because somebody was going to get married this day.  After two and a half years of on again off again engagement (although it must be said, nothing approaching really splitting up) my good friends M&C finally did the Christian thing (and it was certainly a Christian ceremony) and got themselves married.  Long ceremony, long speeches, long periods of standing around in the drizzle as the costumed ones waited for the photographer to get his stuff together to take photos of us (and not mistake any of the other multitudes of marriage parties milling around for their photographs) but an excellent night nonetheless.  Sax likes to party but he also knows his responsibilities and they included preventing someone from driving (friends don't let friends drive) so an earlyish night was had but followed by finally tracking down what the Cloverfield monster really looks like (not bad, all things considering) and a couple of slight falls from the wagon but who's counting? 

Sex toy triggers bomb scare

Of course it's company policy never to, imply ownership in the event of a dildo... always use the indefinite article a dildo, never your dildo. http://www.smh.com.au/news/unusual-tales/sex-toy-triggers-bomb-scare/2008/01/17/1200419921146.html

Is It A Dinosaur? Is It A Whale?

A Saxy Time

14 and 15 and 16 January - With a definite absence of cat a mouse felt quite entitled to play - a movie night sufficed in rebelliousness and whilst not being overwhelmed by the definite Oscar nominated (and not because it was any good) Charlie Wilson's war it was still a very agreeable way to spend a few hours - cleared my head with a surprisingly long ride to Coogee where my head was soundly uncleared and I carried on my recent tradition of excessive consumption of flesh.  No time to really suffer as very shortly after I left the day I started again at a godforsaken hour to get beaten at squash.  Confidentiality seems to be a little tense at the moment but nothing I really want to think about too much and I found myself, once again, agreeably distracted by the latest Alien v Predator - I had low expectations and wasn't disappointed (not the greatest recommendation I've ever offered but I wasn't going to demand the 2 hours back).  Wednesday felt better.

Engagement Approaching Its Logical Conclusion

9 to 12 January - Keeping certain things up to date is proving to be suitably stressful at the moment.  Confidential world is alternately annoying and stressful will occasional enlightening moments but it seems to be a job at its basest levels and one is still wondering what one should be doing, far better to live the live of Wooster and have the most stressful things in life being extricating one's self from unfortunate marriages and trying to decide what kind of morning coat is most appropriate for luncheon.  Finally saw the television incarnation of the excellent Jeeves books and was pretty impressed with what was realised - can't imagine it really being done any better than it was.  Barbecue is getting decent use and my body is being pummelled with vast ingestions of meat - life of a carnivore at the moment and it's pretty intense.   It's also apparent that Mr Gray is definitely getting married before me, whether I caught the garter or not all those years ago - I definitely recall plucking out of his waiting hands but as to whether I punched him in the nose or not I really have to deny those charges most vehemently - that said, accusations said in the fuzz of the alcohol fuddled moment are typically not to be taken seriously.

Too Rich Sir, Too Rich

Puny Humans Not Like Hulk Movie ... Movie Not That Bad! Grrr!!!

http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/my_year_of_flops_case_file_100

Mr McKenzie ...

It's A Matter Of Timing

6 and 7 and 8 January - The stresses of keeping things up to date will be the end of me.  Am back at work doing things that need to be done but without the usual ingestions which make it possible.  Am tiding myself over in a way that seems to be working although my internal clock seems to be out of whack or maybe it's just the rest of the world.  10 minutes here, 20 minutes there - it probably shouldn't matter that much but apparently it does - Sydney Festival music made me feel old; I guess I'm just not as cool as I thought I was.  Barbecue seems to be doing its job rather well ... I Am Legend is pretty f**kin' scary when all is said and done.  Well, there you go.

WWRD?

Cricket ... from the man who knows all sports ...

"I have never liked the Australian team, I am sure you have known that. But in this test match they have sunk to new lows. Their attitude is to win at all costs..yet they claim somehow to play in the right spirit...

 

This test match was the last straw...they benefited from some simply outrageous umpiring decisions...which completely take away the credit of their win. But that is not the worst thing. It comes down to plain and simple cheating...claiming catches that they
know were not caught, and being so blatant about it...and then having the nerve to say they play hard but fair...

 

The racism thing is interesting..I have no doubt that this Harbhajan Singh called Andrew Symonds a monkey...now India claims that it is not a racially offensive term in India...well it damn well is in the Western world..and he must be punished for it I think, especially after the furore over the same thing last tour. But on the other hand...the aussies have said far worse to players over the years...having the reputation as the worst sledgers in world cricket bar none...and whenever anyone brings it up they claim that things like that..should be left on the field...In this test match alone...an indian player was referred to as a bastard...which apparently is an insult in their culture...and there have been numerous instances of things like calling them curry-munchers...put a Vindaloo on a good length..he'll come out of his crease for that, etc....

 

I'm not going to follow cricket anymore...simply had enough of it. It is a flawed sport with a team that dominates with a mixture of superior skills in all facets of the game, mixed in with intimidation of umpires, a lack of respect for the opposition and a desire to win at all costs...

 

Thats about it I suppose!"

Skid Ratio

Very useful ...

He's Got My Vote

If I could vote he'd have my vote ...
http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/if_elected_i_will_have_the

Has The Guide Died?

Two incarnations; a couple of screens; could my trusty companion of the last five (four?) years finally have kicked the bucket ...?  What am I going to do?

Australian Drivers The Worst: Evans

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/06/1199554485613.html

I can think of a lot of other lower profile cyclists who would agree ...

Valley Of The Damned

3 and 4 and 5 January - After suffering through another day at the grinding stone (with some moderate successes and opportunities) the parental units came over to take my cat away (all things considered it was a rather good arrangement with Lilith at 2025 and it’s very possible that we could see her there again some day - I seem to be eating a lot of steak these days.  The patches seem to be doing their job at the moment ... Leave a strange aftertaste in the back of the throat and mouth but one that is actually quite familiar and pleasant although the same can’t be said of the gum.  Not screaming at nights right now – although strange dreams that leave fleeting memories seem to be the norm (some of which include guilty partakings of forbidden substances but the less said of that the better).  Drove out to the Hunter Valley on the Friday AM and got there in time for a pleasantish ride over crappe roads for one of the lamest horse rides ever (would have complained afterwards but for the fact that the Victorian got there before me which resulted in him getting a verbal barrage from the owner who seemed quite content with the fact that she may have been responsible for spreading the equine flu to our southern neighbours).  The Postman didn’t seem as good on the second viewing, strange.  Still, it’s got a couple of great lines in it – the main flaw still being the fact that Abby either had the longest pregnancy in the history of the world, or, the temporal timelines were just not very well thought through.  Saturday was plagued with rains but that didn’t stop the hard core riders taking another vertical tour around the local area – luncheons were not the best to be had but you have to eat somewhere.  Sometimes I wonder.

Mmm ... lunchballz ...

http://lunchballz.com/

When Is A Law Not A Law?

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/01/03/1198949931556.html

The End Is Nigh

31 December 2007 (and the early days of the new year) - The end of another year (as far as the conventional Western method of splitting it up is concerned anyway - and not a bad way, woefully inefficient in its anachronisms but at least functional enough with our workarounds).  Dragged myself into work - puffing far too often and far too furiously in a strange fatalastic method, but for what reason) - broke up the slog of a day with coffee breaks (one too many I think - open cafes were few and far between of the immediate vicinity of the building but one at Darling Park had opened its doors for the day - a couple of cleaners (perhaps, it may have been the owner) had come in and opened up on a limited basis - discount rates applied for all who came - and despite the barista apparently not being a real barista it wasn't half bad.  On my third visit of the day (I was stressed!!!) it turned out that he'd gone home and the place was left with nobody to make it ... that is, unless you know how to make a coffee?  the minder asked.  So, I soon found myself behind the bar churning out a not too bad (but admittedly, not great) piccollo late and then even searched the depths of the kitchen looking for a light.  A pleasant distraction. Well, pleasant enough.  New years eve - celebrated with various peoples, ingested and inhaled things to excess which resulted in a slightly edgy version of Sax the next day ... perhaps he was missing something.  In any event, he's been in better form.  Survived the return to the office despite the fact that many others didn't.  Slight improvement in the evening but not much.