basmathi

Get in quick with this one...

2009-12-13T13:04:55Z

...before the Fox lawyers get busy ;)

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

I never really liked musicals, but this is fantastic. And they followed it up with a Rolling Stones cover (from 3:00 onwards).

Quote of the day

2009-12-01T10:24:53Z

"Ability is what you're capable of doing, motivation determines what you do and attitude determines how well you do it."

--Brett Kirk

Long time, no post.

2009-11-26T11:18:26Z

[insert lame excuse here]

Came home from work just in time to catch the latest episode of 'Glee' and wow. This show gets better each time I watch it. Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele are phenomenally talented performers (I knew that from their respective pedigrees) but Cory Monteith stole the show for someone who at the start of the season was clearly (IMO) one of the less talented singers in the cast. And the Susie Pepper scenes were hilarious! Can't stand Terri but she had the best line of the episode: "Listen, you little psycho. This is Will's wife, and if I don't get enough sleep my anti-depressants won't work and I'll go crazy and I'll kill you. STOP CALLING! [hangs up]"

I know, I know, it's just a high school parody and I'm probably too old for this, but something about the show just set me off and makes me want to get back into music again. I always felt bad that I just stopped piano lessons about halfway through high school and never picked it up again -- I'm under no illusions, I never seriously thought I'd pursue it as a career path and am (mostly) comfortable with where I am today, at least for the time being, but it was something I enjoyed and I guess I stopped because I didn't enjoy it anymore. Sure, there were reasons, but watching the glee kids' characters blossom on the show it's an outlet I really could have used back then... I want that again.

Preferably soon, too. I nearly got caught by a partner from work singing along to Finn's cover of 'Can't Fight This Feeling' at the gym a couple of days ago. Maybe I am a little bit crazy...

What can you do with a BA in English?

2009-10-18T02:33:44Z

Mental note: must warm up properly before attempting to play soccer. Oh, the pain! :-P At least we picked up a few randoms during the game and they gave us a bloody good work-out. Remind me to never go for more than a week or two without getting some form of exercise. I think back to the hours spent in front of the computer during thesis-writing when I wasn't feeling all that productive and could have gone to the gym-- I guess I always needed some sort of external pressure to stay motivated.

Went and saw Avenue Q Friday before it moves to the nation's capital... I really really enjoyed it, was worried beforehand that it wouldn't live up to expectations as I'd heard a number of friends rave about it but they got it just right IMO.

I described it to my friends as Sesame Street with a 'grown-up' message but I didn't feel like I was being preached to (which I hate). Wasn't sure how the production would work with puppets instead of humans, but somehow, it worked for me and I thought it fit well with the general "growing up" theme. These were still trained performers singing behind the puppets and it didn't take anything away from the production at all. And when Kate finally got her solo in the second act, it didn't disappoint.

There was plenty of dark humour in there too but much like South Park it was a surprisingly sharp commentary about human nature despite the crudity (I guess that's what cardboard cut-outs/puppets/cartoons have in common, you can get away with a lot more on stage/on screen :D ), especially the schadenfreude and racism songs. The interracial couple cracked me up though-- perhaps from observing the white male/Asian female stereotype play out in supermarket aisles when I was living in Taiwan? :D

Ah well, enough procrastinatory rambling. If you are reading this far, hope you are enjoying your Sunday. Better get back to doing my tax return...

Shana Tova

2009-09-20T11:45:36Z

Wishing all my Jewish friends and family a happy and prosperous New Year!

I caught up with one of my friends at a gathering for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) organised by the local Jewish community, and while I enjoyed the service and felt a part of the celebrations, I didn't really identify with the religious aspect, reinforcing my identity as a secular Jew as I recognise that it's a part of my culture but that it is quite separate from my everyday life.

I was chatting to a few American exchange students who came along because they were looking for a place to spend the holiday away from home, and after talking to them I realised I'd missed the feeling of living in a foreign country away from home... the openness to new experiences, the willingness to try new things and meet new people, that comes from being transplanted to new surroundings. I miss that-- I am so insular in my home environment, caught up with work, coming home to watch my favourite TV shows, going online, watching and talking about the football on the weekend. Travelling makes us more open to the chance encounter, whether it's a conversation struck up with a fellow traveller on the train or a local.

You don't have to travel to increase your awareness-- even if it's just a matter of leaving a few minutes earlier for work so you have time to take in your surroundings on the walk from the train station, or going out of your way to greet the barista who takes your order each morning. For me, it was seeing Sydney through the eyes of the American kids and remembering what it was like to be in a foreign, non-English speaking part of the world (i.e. Taiwan) and how rewarding it was discovering my new surroundings.

Updates: I went with a couple of friends last Sunday to see Lior, an Israeli-born Australian singer-songwriter, as part of a series of concerts at the Sydney Theatre Company and he probably has the smoothest voice I've heard in a male singer, performing songs from his two studio albums including 'I'll Forget You' (a duet with the beautiful Jess Chalker). Very chilled/laid-back kind of gig, as my mate Daniel put it you don't want to get too pumped on a Sunday evening before work. But the show was musically great!

Lior - I'll Forget You (feat. Sia)

Jess Chalker - Said the Raindrop to the Seed

Kim Clijsters

2009-09-07T13:31:51Z

WTF?!

Kim Clijsters refuses to be simply an appetizer

One of the more incredible sports stories of the year I reckon. Just behind Jelena Dokic's run at Melbourne Park earlier in the year. To beat one of the world's top players on her home patch after being out of the game for two years and having a baby... phenomenal effort.

Ironic use of the Rocky metaphor for Lleyton's ex! Can we still call her Aussie Kim?? Still an absolute champion and one of the more likeable players (male or female) in the game.

"Tennis is a great sport but I have a great family and I am very happy that I am able to balance the two things."

Lists

2009-08-27T12:36:10Z

*EDITED 7/9/09*

If you don't write it down, it won't happen.

People are just so damn busy these days that the above sentence is starting to ring increasingly true... that if you don't write something down or make a note somewhere to remind yourself yeah, I've got to go and buy these things or I need to catch up with so-and-so next week, it's not gonna happen.

I wanted to write down a list of things that I actually want to do in the near future just as a kind of a record for myself to come back to later, so here goes. I purposely haven't put timeframes... I might add to this as I go along.

* Get better at playing a team sport
* Supporting my family a bit better than I do at the moment
* Get back into music and start playing the piano again, maybe even learn the guitar
* Following on from the last one, go to more gigs and check out good live music
* Start to do something about my single-status (don't expect it to change right away, but just take steps in that direction)
* Visit my relatives interstate and overseas
* Work on my fitness base, build up strength and flexibility
* Take up dancing again and improve my co-ordination, not be so unco!
* Visit Melbourne during the winter months and experience at least one AFL game per season in the flesh as a neutral
* Be a bit more adventurous with my taste in movies and watch classic films from the past few decades
* Come up with a more detailed financial plan and think about how to manage or invest my money in the years to come
* Read to expand my knowledge in areas I don't know all that well
* Learning how to cook a few more things
* Find ways to study harder given less time for when I start my CA, because I know the effort I put in will pay off
* Take on new roles/challenges in Toastmasters and try different speaking assignments in order to get more comfortable communicating in diverse settings so I can do my job better
* Make time to relax and 'switch off' from technology and other distractions

Words of wisdom from NNT

2009-08-26T12:03:40Z

NNT = Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of "The Black Swan", part essayist, empiricist, philosopher and trader.

The following quote is from the book and is too good not to share. In his book, Taleb talks about how we often have difficulty in seeing the true odds of the events that run our lives, and goes on to present evidence supporting this assertion in the various chapters of the book. (Because he's a trader, a lot of his examples do come from, but aren't limited to, the financial markets).

He is a bit of a special breed in that he admits that he does not worry a lot and almost infuriatingly, says that he is often taken aback by how people can have a miserable day or get angry because they feel cheated by a bad meal, cold coffee, a social rebuff or a rude reception, to name a few examples.

In his opinion, we are quick to forget that just being alive is an extraordinary piece of good luck, and while he's technically correct in the 'big picture' of things, we're only human, and if I was to tell someone who'd just had a crap day at work or the like that they were lucky to be alive, I'd quite rightly expect to be punched in the face.

But if life's getting you down I think this quote can serve as a reminder to us not to sweat the small stuff, even though it's bloody hard sometimes. ;)

"Imagine a speck of dust next to a planet a billion times the size of the earth. The speck of dust represents the odds in favour of you being born; the huge planet would be the odds against it. So stop sweating the small stuff. Don't be like the ingrate who got a castle as a present and worried about the mildew in the bathroom."

Life changing travel?

2009-07-29T13:49:28Z

I discovered i-to-i a few months ago while I was searching the net for travel ideas. Rated the concept -- an organisation set up specifically to cater for people who want a more meaningful travel experience and actually want to engage with other cultures, learning a heap of new skills and finding out a bit about themselves in the process.

I guess my renewed interest in 'meaningful travel' and doing volunteer or community work overseas stems from wanting to find out what I'm made of and wanting to experience something that's real... particularly for someone who literally took until his late teens to start to come out of his shell (and still tries to hide behind it when things get too tough -- it's an ongoing process.)

Anyway, I went along to their info session in the city tonight and was really impressed with what they have to offer. It's early days but I would feel pretty confident about booking for one of their programs in the knowledge that many of the headaches associated with planning a lengthy overseas trip are taken care of for you, even though you have to pay for your own airfares and incidental expenses.

It sounds really obvious but Mat, who took the session tonight (he was the volunteer at the Cape Town orphanage featured on Channel 9's "Things to Try Before You Die" TV special in 2007), mentioned that one of the things to bear in mind when considering volunteer work like this is firstly, is it for you? Sometimes it's hard with short programs like this to see the bigger picture, working with kids can be one of the most rewarding but also one of the hardest because you connect with them, forge bonds with them, but then have to leave after a month or so... which can be a tough thing to do when you say goodbye.

I still have much to investigate before deciding on this, but at least I know now it's an option. I cannot stress this enough that good things do not happen to those that sit on the fence. If you approach it with the right attitude, you'll come home from an experience like this with a fresh outlook on life. I'm off to bed! :-)

The Dish

2009-07-21T12:08:16Z

40 years ago today, man landed on the moon.

You know those 'where were you when...' moments in history, like Princess Diana's death or 9/11? I obviously don't have one for the moon landing and don't pretend to have any particular connection to it, but it still got me thinking today about the efforts of those that made it happen, in particular, the people manning the Parkes radio telescope in country New South Wales, or simply 'The Dish', who made sure that the world got to see live pictures from the moon as Neil Armstrong took that giant leap for mankind.

I know the movie really romanticised a fair chunk of the story surrounding 'The Dish' and Australia's role in bringing the pictures of the moon landing back to Earth but I remember sitting down to watch the movie, properly, for the first time a few years ago and it still managed to stir something in me. It told a story that was so Australian and despite the dramatic license taken, it did not exaggerate the significance of the task that the crew at the Dish faced, when you consider that nothing like it had ever been attempted before. I think it still ranks as one of my favourite Australian movies, despite not being 100% accurate factually, it captured the mood at that time with such sensitivity that when I sat down to watch the movie, at least for a couple of hours, I was in Parkes during the year 1969, and felt that sense of wonder and awe at what was taking place just as much as the townspeople did. The Working Dog team's finest work.

Firsts

2009-07-19T11:00:47Z

I just signed up for the City2Surf next month.

I reckon I'm fit enough to at least walk the 14kms from the city to Bondi (forget running!)... I figure that doing it with a group of people from work, at least if I don't make it past Heartbreak Hill my co-workers will carry me to the finish line. (Or leave me on hands and knees at the side of the road while they enjoy a drink in the company marquee at the finish line...heh)

Laugh

2009-07-02T12:45:00Z

Today I told one of my co-workers who sits near me that she had a diabolical laugh. I probably shouldn't have, but it was very impressive. There's nothing better than a good, hearty belly-laugh for releasing those endorphins.

The Ascent of Money

2009-06-27T11:58:36Z

(Nerd alert!)

Finally got around to watching this... nice summary of the evolution of our financial system and goes a long way to explaining the sub-prime crisis and subsequent credit crunch. The entire premise of money being used as a form of exchange was built on trust, and when that trust is abused--with credit being extended to just about anyone--it's not surprising that the system collapsed. The great paradox of money is that a lot of things would not be possible without it, but you wouldn't want your life to revolve around it.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/ascentofmoney/

Officially in love...

2009-06-16T12:36:09Z

She might not be (conventionally) beautiful in this video (but is in her own, quirky, way, and that's just fine with me) and has too much make-up on (IMO) but apart from that, this is just... perfect. Her voice has that rare timeless quality that you just don't hear much these days... *sigh* I listen to this song, and everything that's wrong in the world today, and all the problems that we face day-to-day, simply melt away...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ThRVUcmSa0

Austen Tayshus (aka Sandy Gutman)

2009-06-14T12:01:11Z

He's been described as racist, homophobic and depraved... one of those stand-up comics who can and does offend just about everyone... (though is it really racist if you make jokes about ALL ethnic groups indiscriminately?) I got dragged along to see his show at the unlikely location of the North Shore Temple Emanuel synagogue (he's Jewish) on the weekend. In an interesting scheduling combination he was the main act in what was billed as an "afternoon of music and comedy" featuring the Temple Emanuel choir who I thought sang brilliantly.

As for the show, well his confrontational in-your-face offensive style of humour is not really my cup of tea but the man IS bloody brilliant and as sharp as a tack as you'd expect for someone who's been around the circuit for so long and I did laugh out loud at some of his impressions... ranging from Hungarian/Polish Jews to South Africans to Chinese to Iraqis to Aboriginals. I can understand why he is not exactly loved by the mainstream and it's almost a shame that our tastes have become so sanitized/homogenized these days. That said, he does have a tendency to repeat the same 3 jokes over again and like all comics some his jokes do miss the mark.

To get a feel for the man, I googled his interview on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton back in 2005, and to understand where he is coming from, you don't really need to go past his views on Mel Gibson:

"I had a problem with Mel Gibson. I've known Mel since NIDA days. I was at film school at the same time as him. I didn't realise that he was as much of a fundamentalist Catholic as he is, and I believe he is in Opus Dei. I know that his father is a Holocaust denier. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I found that disgraceful. I found it disgraceful that Mel didn't stand up and say something about his father. He didn't distance himself from his father, and I thought that was a terrible thing to do."

I could sense during the show on the weekend that a lot of the anger that comes through in his performance (and yes, he is an angry man, by his own admission) was a result of his Dad's experiences as a Holocaust survivor... he elaborates more on this in the Denton interview and I think it's important that we maintain an awareness of what happened in the concentration camps in order to prevent anything like it from ever occuring again.

Quote of the day (from Google)

2009-06-01T09:25:32Z

A gem...

"The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect." --Esther Dyson

Eurovision... and Eddie Perfect

2009-05-23T10:30:20Z

So that once-a-year celebration of everything kitsch and cheesy in the world of pop music was won by a kid from Norway who was in love with a fairytale and didn't look a day older than 13. (He was 24, apparently). I personally favoured the entrant from Ukraine's tribute to the GFC, "I'm gonna save your world, I'm your Anti-Crisis girl"... and the Brits' vote-grabbing exercise bringing in Andrew Lloyd Webber of all people on the piano to boost their ranking after recent poor showings. Apparently Eurovision still matters to someone or other.

Managed to catch Eddie Perfect (star of Shane Warne: The Musical) on ABC radio this morning and found it interesting listening to him talk about the process of writing/researching the musical...not having known much about Shane Warne or cricket apart from what he'd heard from the tabloid headlines gossip mags. I'm not sure what it is about writing or doing research, whether it's for a musical, novel or thesis, that conjures up images of long hours in the lab/office/study, bad eating habits, extended periods of no physical activity, a lack of social contact and being in desperate need of a shave and/or haircut -- you wonder why anyone does it!

But listening to Eddie talk about how he came alive when the time came to rehearse the musical on stage and see his creation come to life, leading up to the exhilaration he felt on opening night, performing in front of his peers (and Shane himself), I know why we do it. The challenge. To find out what one is made of. To satisfy a thirst for knowledge. The sense of achievement. The recognition, fame and/or fortune. Hell, you might just do it because it's what you love to do. Whatever it is, the challenge is finding out the thing that gives you that feeling.

(Geez, I'd better stop before I turn into another Alain de Botton or something...philosophizing about the meaning of work on a Saturday night. Sad!)

Charles Waterstreet

2009-05-10T09:25:03Z

Is a well known Sydney lawyer and author. Don't know a whole lot about him other than from reading his newspaper columns but so far I like what I've been reading. He uses his experiences practicing law to shine a light on aspects of society. A lawyer with morals - who would've thunk it? :P

"Madonna can introduce Mr Kambewa to his daughter and to the ancient religion of Kabbalah, the mystical strain of Judaism, that allows adherents to run around half-naked on stage, date men half their age and wear leotards in public."

Gold!

Link here:

Precious little extras

Beaten black and blue

(one of his previous columns)

Lost in a sea of... purple

2009-04-29T13:42:52Z

If they made novelty T-shirts for the supporters of visiting teams at Subiaco it would probably read something like "I went to watch the Dockers play and all I got was this lousy inflatable anchor".

Anyway, true to their song, Freo had little trouble sending the Swans to the bottom with an easy 21-point win...we looked dreadfully inept for two quarters before salvaging some pride with a few late goals. Needless to say when we got back home, the relatives gave Mum and I a good old-fashioned ribbing after the Dockers got up and we took it in good humour...as woeful as the performance was, it wasn't the reason why we came, and I strangely enjoyed the experience of watching a match away from home with 90% of the crowd supporting the opposition. Provides a different perspective on the game I suppose. The Swans better find something next week against the Tigers otherwise they might find themselves on a losing streak...nothing can be taken for granted in this game, and some of our younger "cygnets" found that out the hard way.

But on to more important matters. Yes, I did go to a wedding, and those that know me will probably get to hear more about it in due course (prefer to keep the intimate details of my life and family off-line)... the first I'd been involved in. I've said this heaps of times over the past few days but MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to the bride and groom! It was great to be a part of it all and I know you'll do just great together!

I enjoyed the occasion, to me weddings are an opportunity for the families and friends to celebrate the bride and groom's 'coming together', without making too big a deal of what is essentially a piece of paper, as in most cases the relationship is generally pretty well established already and the marriage simply gives it formal recognition. That said it's still an important cultural/religious ritual, but I think ultimately it's up to each couple how much effort they want to put into the celebrations. I reckon I'd just be satisfied to know that the guests went home happy. Eat, drink and be merry. By that measure the objective was achieved at the AQWA function centre on the weekend ;)

Unexpected highlight of my trip to Perth was learning to body-board! Yes he who lives 15 minutes from a beach but has never really surfed. Went to Trigg Beach on Saturday even though it wasn't quite beach weather...the water was freezing but we all made it into the water in the end, didn't venture too far from the shore but managed to catch a wave and felt quite accomplished :D

Writer's Block: Musical Affliction

2009-04-28T14:28:15Z

Have you had an earworm lately? Exorcise it by inflicting it on your friendslist. Post the lyrics or - even better - a video.

View 500 Answers

Too easy...it's been stuck in my head since the wedding! Actually it was the Shawn Mullins version that they played at the reception but I thought I'd post the original, it's still as catchy as ever, 30 years after it was released. One of those songs that makes you want to jump around the living room!

What is Life - George Harrison

What I feel, I can't say
But my love is there for you anytime of day
But if it's not love that you need
Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I know, I can do
If I give my love now to everyone like you
But if it's not love that you need
Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What I feel, I can't say
But my love is there for you any time of day
But if it's not love that you need
Then I'll try my best to make everything succeed

Tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side
Oh tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

What is my life without your love
Tell me, who am I without you, by my side

(fade)
Oh tell me, what is my life without your love
Tell me who am I without you by my side

Open Letter

2009-04-13T12:33:24Z

Dear Facebook,

No, I don't want to become a fan of fairy bread or Bubble O' Bill ice-creams. Thank you for finding new ways of irritating me with advertising on the internet. I guess I'll be spending less time on your website in future.

Regards,

S.

Signs of Taiwan in Australia, #21

2009-04-03T12:41:56Z

Went for lunch today with some friends from work and saw a poster for Jay Chou's (周杰倫) upcoming Sydney concert in July (Our offices are smack bang in the middle of Chinatown). Was vaguely tempted if only for the novelty factor (seeing a Chinese pop concert was one of the things I kind of wanted to do when I was in TW but never got the chance...for shame) but remembered I'll probably be in exciting Adelaide that weekend. Damn. *mock disappointment*

On another note, the Watershed is a great place to gather for a drink or three after work with a few mates to watch the sun setting over the Sydney skyline. I feel pretty damn privileged to be able to enjoy these moments, especially as we've been surrounded with a lot of negativity and what-not about the state of the economy from the media in recent times, and the effect of the economy on our jobs has definitely been a topic of conversation over the dining table at lunchtimes.

Yes, times are tough, but you cannot expect the boom to last forever, spending like there's no tomorrow. We were discussing this at uni one day while procrastinating on thesis work (hehe) and one of my friends made the comment a while back that (recessions) are part of the price you pay for having a free market/capitalist system.

That said, I just think it's important to be grateful for what we have and not take anything for granted -- there are so many people out there who have been a lot less fortunate with their jobs, and sometimes all the preparation in the world -- intelligent, well-educated, good uni marks, extra-curricular involvement and so on -- is no guarantee of success. You need a slice of luck as well. It sucks and I'm not denying the devastating effect that this crisis has had on the world economy, far from it, but people have always managed to get by when times have been hard. Historians such as David Potts have written books about the Great Depression and the ways it which it tested peoples' natural resilience, and if the current weaker economy leads to people re-discovering the values that money can't buy, such as honesty, integrity, respect and an atmosphere of mutual support, we might just end up with a better world.

Notes on culture

2009-04-01T12:06:02Z

First of all, I missed out on seeing the Socceroos' win (don't have Foxtel, but we beat Uzbekistan 2-0, Harry Kewell scored) but am suitably excited that we're now shoo-ins for the World Cup in South Africa... instead I got to see Luka Bloom, yes, an Irish folk singer, covering Kylie Minogue on Spicks and Specks. If you didn't see it, you missed out. Trust me. :D

I've been keeping my head down at work, learning the ropes and just generally observing a lot since I started, and I know the concept of corporate culture used to get thrown around a lot from reading management accounting textbooks etc but I think I never understood fully what it meant or really believed in it until now.

You can define culture in a number of ways, usually I think of it as being any or all of the following:

- learned over time
- shared beliefs/values
- common behaviours/norms
- ritualistic
- passed on

etc etc, am not going to go into that here.

It probably doesn't become obvious until you've worked in a fairly large company but each workplace or corporation does have its own distinct culture, or at least sub-culture - from its own language or jargon ("balanced scorecard", "upward feedback", "key performance indicators" and "career maps"); norms, such as whether/when it's appropriate to have conversations in the office, dress codes, etiquette in the kitchen/staffroom to formal policies and procedures; and values, like building/maintaining relationships, honesty and integrity, and professionalism. Each firm is different but that's just to paint a picture of where I'm going.

Anyway, when I first arrived in Taiwan I felt a little bit like a Martian (as opposed to, say, a Venusian or a Uranian) in that everything was new and different, and I didn't know what the norms were. These feelings of culture shock are nothing new, we've all experienced them at some point and the only real cure is time, though understanding what it is that you're going through does make it that little bit less confusing.

I think the same applies to starting a new job, in that the new culture won't accept you and take you in unless you let yourself in and engage with your new environment. This is something that I've (slowly) been learning (and still often need reminding, believe me), but success never comes to those who sit on the fence.

Now bookstore shelves and newpaper career liftouts are filled with advice/articles purporting to tell you how to build or kick-start your career but it's really quite simple. You can learn a lot just from talking to your colleagues in communal spaces like kitchens or staff rooms at lunch time, listening and observing. I'm still working it all out, and it's left me fairly tired by the end of the day -- I've already been accused of being a grandpa, but I stick by my grandfatherly ways just for the time being ;) Just trying to sort the various pieces of my life out at this stage.

pointing ray guns at bogans...

2009-03-29T10:39:40Z

No, this isn't a post about Collingwood supporters, though it could well be... :P

Went to see Darren (Dazza) Hanlon last Friday at the Petersham Town Hall as part of his "Pointing Ray Guns at Pagans" tour, the "bogans" came about because his manager mis-heard the name of the album and as a result every time he referred to the album during his gig, he called it "pointing ray guns at bogans". Ended up going it alone as I made the call to go fairly late on Friday afternoon after one of my co-workers had been to one of his gigs before and enjoyed it.

From songs about electric skeletons and legendary 90-year-old actors ("Eli Wallach" -- think 'the ugly' from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) to Lismore (the hilarious "Lismore 2480", I think it was a cover) and playing games of pinball, he had an appreciative (but sober -- Dazza apologized profusely for the lack of beer!) audience at the Petersham Town Hall enthralled by his stories in musical form, interspersed with typically self-deprecating Aussie humour. Highly recommended.

Inspiration's rare as gold
Hidden in an unmarked grave
You find a hero where you least expect it
Mine's been in over fifty films
I'd have thought by now
Somebody would have written a book about him

Life in the Cubicle

2009-03-21T09:32:52Z

This was stolen from a work colleague who e-mailed this to me the other day, but too good not to share:

Big 4 employees modern indentured servants

Now I'd just like to say it's all very well and good to poke fun, and a lot of the observations ARE spot-on, but I don't really believe everything that's in the article (and hope that no-one takes it too seriously!) as I do think that there's more to corporate culture than just "people working constantly" (Ha). To be truthful I'm incredibly fortunate to be in the position I'm currently in and grateful for that, but unfortunately a lot of people see the carrot dangling without really understanding what they're getting into when they sign up for it and/or just intend to use it as a stepping stone towards something else only to find that it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.