Five Question Game II

Some may remember the Five Question Game - Previously I'd been asked by Silencer of the Silent Room to answer five questions. Now I've asked Suanie, Kimberlycun and a few others to interview me. (KY and ST's questions to come). Wondering how to play? The Official Interview Game Rules (copied to be passed on) 1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.” 2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person’s will be different. 3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

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Here are my answers:

Suanie's Five Questions to me:

1. If you could stay in anywhere else other than your current location, where and why?

Well, at present I am moving to the UK, but that's more for work reasons! (aka I need a job to feed myself!) Personally, I'd rather choose Japan, but mainly because of my obsession with all things Japanese. 2. What is the one thing you regretted not doing?

Short answer – Not following ART as a career choice earlier in life, (Art as in painting, music writing).

Long answer - I regret not telling my parents and teachers where to go, and doing an Arts Degree. When I was in school, my teachers were convinced that I should become a Doctor or a Lawyer. I wanted to be a writer, or musician, or artist. My parents forbade me doing an Arts Degree, and I was told I had to do something sciency or at least non-art. So I chose IT, and ignored all the subjects I liked the best. (ie the arts type subjects) ... when I started Uni, I began a Geology Degree ... then a Science Diploma ... then a Physics Degree ... never really being happy, as I wasn't doing what I wanted. Then ... I left, and started doing music as a career! Yes, I ended up in the right place for a short time ... but guess what, my finance at the time and her mother decided “music” wasn't a real career ... so I went into IT. I should never have stopped, but should have pursued music all the way (Or even writing or art!) Now, the wife has run off, and I am left in a career I never wanted that I am having trouble removing myself from! Talk about regret! Phew! :-)

(Yes, I realise that all along I was the one with the power to chose ... which is why “I regret not doing” what I wanted, and I don't ”blame others” for my bad choice. They are just mentioned as they were the catalyst for the way I made the poor decision.)

3. If you had the power to change your country's foreign affairs legislation, what would it be?

I would change many of the Governments Foreign policies. Mandatory detention would be the first though. Mainly as it's cruel and barbaric. Some people in this country have already been cleared to be let into Australian society, and yet they are still locked up in detention centres. Some people are still in detention and have been for over four years. The Government should move quicker and either decide they are free or decide they should be sent back from where they came. I could talk for ages on this, and I am sure you've heard most of the arguments already. At the end of the day though, I truly believe Mandatory detention is wrong, and if the people are not true refugees, or are criminals, then they should be sent back to their countries of origin, and NOT locked up. The rest should be allowed to enter the country freely.

4. How far do you think you would go in Fear Factor?

Only until they get to the food challenge. As a Vegetarian, eating brains, worms or any part of an animal is where I'd stop! I doubt they'd have some vegetable matter to eat. Of course, sometimes they have other events, like having scorpions piled on you, or snakes. That I could do! Running along in high places, skydiving, jumping from moving vehicles ... easy! But eating animal matter. Nope! Of course, the last event might be difficult to win! (provided I got that far). But I am a bit of a daredevil, so I'd give it my best shot if I got that far! Not being the fittest person on earth, I doubt I'd win. But, if there was no eating weird stuff, I'd make it to the final day!

5. Why do we need spoons?

Main reasons we need spoons, um, are we talking eating spoons, or the sexual position? Sexual position was one of my ex's favourites. That's why we need that, it's FUN FUN FUN! (Not as fun as the cowgirl position ... but don't try imagining me doing that!)

Of course, the normal eating spoon, is used in eating soups, ice cream and other substances of a runny nature that forks and chopsticks just can't handle! :-) If someone abolished spoons, then we'll have to eat those runny things straight out of the bowls. :-)

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Kimberlycuns Five Questions for me:

1. Which is a better way to curb smoking; banning of ciggies or counselling, and why?

Banning it would be better. Mainly as Nicotine is addictive. I used to do drug rehab in Kings Cross in Sydney, and I know that to get people off addictive substances the best thing to do was remove them from their supply. All the counselling in the world doesn't work while they still have the temptation to take the easy way out and return to their addictive substances. We used to have the statistics too on best methods for getting off addictive substances, and cold turkey was the best way to get them off and keep them off. (while other methods boast a higher percentage of getting people off substances, they often don't stay off them.) Of course, in the case of smoking, there are other methods, like the patch and stuff. I've never heard of anyone taking counselling for cigarettes though. We used to send the drug addicts to a farm (they could leave at any time), but it was free from substances, and we were able to apply counselling then to get to the root of why they began drug abuse, and help them though their issues. But for cigarettes, the patches, chewing gum and other methods of weening people off or getting them to go cold turkey would be the best. It's probably closer to a “choice to ban the substance for ones self”. At the risk of seeming unpopular though, I don't see why they don't ban cigarettes anyway (or at least make them non-cancerous and non-addictive).

2. What do you see yourself in 10 years?

To be perfectly honest, I am really not sure. Some things that I'd like to be with though.

a. A loving wife (or at least someone who can act good enough to fool the kids!) b. Some kids (who are biologically mine & my wifes [when I get a wife]) c. A house d. Hopefully have the Arts career (musician/writer/painter) going well enough that I can support the family. e. Have my stocks/shares portfolio working better for me than the one I have.

3. What is the one object that you absolutely can't live without?

Probably my guitar. Or a guitar at least. It was the instrument which got me through my unhappy childhood. I could always write songs to curb my depressions and express my anger, disappointment and other emotions which I was never allowed to express in any other form. (Not without taking a beating from someone anyway!) :-)

4. If there's only one kind of dessert in this world what would you rather it be; chocolate or ice cream?

For some people, this might be a difficult decision, but for me it's a no brainer. Even though I eat very little ice cream, it would be my dessert of choice. It comes in more flavours than chocolate. (I love mint choc chip!) I am also allergic to chocolate (even though it's so darn yummy!) I can't eat too much without vomiting blood. (Yes, it's an allergy that can kill me!) I often joke, saying if I was to commit suicide, I'd do it by eating a couple of bars of chocolate and drinking heaps of orange juice. (Both have same effect of making stomach bleed internally. Coffee does too, but I don't like the taste of it!) So ice cream wins easily. 5. Regardless of cost and ability, would you choose to do something for yourself or the world?

Something for the world. As my third ambition in life is to “save the world” it is right up there on the to do list. :-)

In fact, the main thing I'd like to do for the world, is get a colony on Mars. Main reason, it stops an extinction situation like the dinosaurs had. (ie we will be on two planets – chances of a meteor hitting both any time soon is remoter than it hitting one planet. Two planets for humans doubles our chance of survival) Hopefully it will remove some pressure on the earth's eco system too, help stem over population and hopefully give a bright future for humans to look forward to. I hope it will cause humans to be more forward looking and encourage them to reach for the stars, so we can explore new worlds and colonise them too (also helping improve humanities ability to survive and continue).

In a way, doing something for the world is actually doing something for me too! :-) So I achieve both. Don't you hate us over achievers? :-)

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So, if you feel like being interviewed, then just write a comment to me, and I'll interview you. :-)

Bumper Birthday Special!

The Birthday Boy! My Brother Jeff Brother Paul & his wife Nerali - Paul is pulling a face, as no one in my family likes posing for pictures. My mother always complains that she can never get a nice picture of any of us .. ever. lol Sister Angella Family Left to Right - Nerali, Paul, Jeff, Me, Kim (brother in-law) The Cake. Notice my mother dotted the "V" instead of the "I" in David. Made it look like it said Daird! Who the frig is Daird? Anyway, two of my Warhammer Knights are jousting on the cake, and the "40" looks like it's falling over! We'd already blown the candles out, but they hadn't got a shot. Here I am pretendig to blow the candles out again, with help from nephews Ethan (blue shirt) and Adam (green shirt). Before the candle blowing and cake cutting. Notice the large knife in my right hand ... and the "40" badge on my left breast. Yes, they didn't want me to forget I was "40" ... even if I did carry a big knife, they just weren't afraid! Imagine if the movie "Halloween" was like that - "Look, he's got a knife!" ... "Oh dont' worry, he's FORTY! Pttthhh!" Some of the nephews playing cars. From left to right - Adam, Ethan and Joshua. My Niece, Cayley. Old Fat Face himself ... I mean me! hee hee! The Merry Family. - Left to right - Me, Ethan, Adam, Angella, Elijah, Kim and Cayley. More of the Cake ... this time we relit the thing so Joshua could blow the candles out. Left to right - Me (and my "40" badge), My wonderful Mummy, Ethan and Joshua.

Hippo Birdie 2 Me!

Yes, today was my surprise birthday party. Yes, the one I bought the cake for, and helped to plan. Big surprise. :-) Got up ... well, I tought I had slept in, as I heard my mother and brother very early. I didn't know what time it was, as the electricity had gone off three times that morning. (Thanks Western Power! Pttthhhh!) Eventually, after lying in for what I thought was hours, I got up, and it was only 9 AM. By 10 AM everything was ready for my B'day party, and we still had two hours to wait before anyone came over. So I played "Master of Orion" on the computer till everyone arrived. What did I get?: From my Mother and Brother Jeff I got a $50 gift voucher so I could buy some luggage for going to the UK with. From my brother Paul, sister in-law Nerali and their kids (Adam and Cayley), I got $40. From my sister Angella, her hubby Kim, and their kids (Ethan, Joshua and Elijah), I got a RadioHead CD - Pablo Honey (which has their song Creep on it, though I already have that on another compilation album somewhere). We sat around, and ate, and talked for a few hours. At about 2 PM, my sister in law declared they needed to leave. We hadn't even had cake by that stage. My brother in law Kim wanted us all to go for a walk to get rid of some of the excess fat we'd had from eating pizza. I'd eaten an entire family pizza to myself, which isn't unusual, and got to recount my bucks night story. BUCK'S NIGHT STORY On my buck's night, we got to go to Pizza hut. Before entering, my group of twenty or so friends paddlocked a ball and chain to my leg. A real one! One problem, Pizza Hut doesn't allow buck's nights in the restaurant. I broke into the back of my friend Squids car, and chiselled the ball off. I still had the chain around my leg, so I hid that by rolling my jeans over the top of it. They told Pizza hut it was a party for my Birthday. I ordered a Family Pan Size Vegetarian Pizza. One of the guys at the party bet my $5 I couldn't eat it. He lost his $5. What I hadn't known, was that in order to make our "Birthday Party" story more believable, two of the guys had bought a cake. Apparently, when they ran down the road and bought some padlocks for the ball and chain, they'd seen the cake store open, and thought it was too great an opportunity to pass up. So, imagine my surprise, when the staff of Pizza Hut came out with a cake, with candles on it, all singing "Happy Birthday" to me. I gave a really good speach about how it was the "best Birthday I'd ever had". *wipes tear from eye* "What a great lot of friends I have!" hee hee We then went to see "Hunt for Red October" (this was 1990). After the movie, they placed chains around my ankles ... but I escaped ... but when one of my chasing friends fell over on the road, I stopped to help him up, because I thought he'd got really badly hurt. Bad move. They caught me. But soon after, I escaped again, and was off running down the road with chains around my ankles. I heard one of the guys go, "he won't get very far." Then another one said, "hey! He's getting away! He might make it." Then, they all gave chase again. They caught me. They were dragging me down the road, when the police drove past. I started screaming, "They're kidnapping me! They're Kidnapping ME! COME BACK!" The police just drove by waving! B@$tard$!!!! The guys took me down to Cronulla Mall and chained me to one of the seats there. They stuck a coke bottle just out of reach for me. One of the security guards came along and wanted to know what was happening. He thought something was up, and was going to ask us to move along. Once they said, "It's his bucks night" the security guard decided to stay and watch! After a while, we were due to meet up with the hens night at a flat in Woolooware. So they drove us back to the flat. While we were there, they were teasing me with the keys to the padlocks. Just as a joke, one of the guys decided to throw the keys off the balconey thinking I'd never find them in the dark before they could catch me. So off I went, running down the stairs. I could hear them laughing, "He'll never find them! No way!" I did the normal devious thing I woud do! I didn't go to the right of the flat to look for the keys, I went left. Straight out the door, under the fence and onto the soccer oval next door. I just kept running. Out the gate of the soccer oval. I could hear them back at the flat. "We'd he go? Is he hiding behind one of the cars?" While they were confused, I was out of the soccer oval and onto the street, across the road. It was just a matter of hiding behind trees or bushes everytime one of the cars drove past. I could clearly see them hangin gout of the windows, driving slowly really looking hard for me. Several cars from the party drove past me. I had a couple of kilometres to get to the Church where my car was parked ... all with chains on my ankles and wrists. I made it. I thought they'd be back at the church waiting for me! Nope! not one of them thought I'd make it. So, even though I was rather inhibited in my feet and wrist department, I still drove my car away. I drove to a place behind the local station where I figured they'd never look. I got into the boot of my car to get my tools, and was trying to remove the chains! A drunk came along and asked what I was doing. I explained, "It's my bucks night, and I escaped!" He said, you'd be better off driving to the hospital and asking the ambulance guys to cut them off. For a drunk, he was pretty smart! So, back into my car, and off to the local Emergency Ambulance. I was wandering aroudn trying to figure out ho you get into the place, when a guy in boxer shorts came out one of the door. He wanted to know who I was and what I was doing wandering around at night. Apparently, the ambulance guys sleep there, and only get up when they have an actual emergency to attend to. I explained my predicament. He agreed to cut the chains off. So, I now had a genuine Ball and chain ... in lot's of little pieces. I drove home. I got there, and was really paranoid someone would be there. So I did the old, commando sneaking around my own block of flats type thing, trying to ensure no one would see me. I went up to my flat. No one there, not even my flatmate Paul. Weird. I drove back to the party, just to see if they had returned. I arrived to see all the cars driving off. I figured they'd all gone home for the night. So, off home I went again. I waited. Waited. Waited. nothing. So I went to bed. About half an hour later, I heard voices. My flatmate had arrived home and he was talking to whoever had given him a lift home. They were worried, as no one knew what had happened to me! I went out and had a nice conversation with my flatmate explaining where I'd been and what I'd got up to. Apparently, Christine (my fiance at the time) was really worried about what had happened. No one knew where I'd got to. I was really glad I'd escaped, as I heard what happened after I'd gone. Apparently, with te buck missing, they decided that someone had to be substituted, and Squid obliged. They basically stripped him down, stuck him in a lycra suit and stuck his underpants on the outside! Imagine if it had been me! Ewwwww! Actually, imagine my friend Squid! Ewwwwww! Well, some otherweird things were done to Squid, which I can't remember, but as my flatmate Paul told me about them, I could only think, "Geee's good thing it wasn't me!" Next wedding, I'm not having a bucks night. Bring out the Cake Well, after recounting my story, my brother and brother in-law recounted theirs. Theirs had more to do with strip joints and stuff. Nothing exciting like "The Great Escape!" We then had the cake and took pictures of us all pulling weird faces (which is normal for our family! No good pictures ever, just pulling faces!) When I took my first bite of the cake, it went down the wrong tube. So I got to choke on my own birthday cake. They all started saying it was insulting to my mother (whom they believed had baked the cake!) My mother pointed out, I'd bought the cake. This made them laugh! Shortly after the cake, they all decided to leave. It was 3 PM by this stage. I thanked them all, and off they all went! I then went back to playing "Master of Orion II" on the computer and won! (Like I always do!) And that was the day! :-)

Tired! Tired! Tired!

Yes, very tired today. Almost missed the bus into the city this morning. Had a nice 100 metre dash to the bus stop, arms flailing wildly to make sure I got the bus drivers attention. When I hopped on the bus, he said, "Don't worry, I would have waited." Well, I am never sure. I've had bus drivers not see me, and drive off and stuff. Well, I was weezing pretty hard. You wouldn't think I run evey morning ... just not normally a mad sprint though. I sat up the back of the bus and had an asthma attack. I checked in my bag, and I didn't have a ventalin. Damn! I coughed all the way into the city. Had a nice day discussing Stockmarket Analysis. So many different ratios and stuff you can use to analyse the market with. Still, was very interesting and I am sure I learnt a lot. Got home, any my brother Jeff and I went down the road. He had to buy a chicken for the kids to eat tomorrow at my surprise b'day party. I bought some chips for dinner. My mother and brothe ate some of my chips, even though they'd already eaten dinner. I've had an aching head all day, and been feeling pretty sick this afternoon. I hope it isn't a migraine coming on. Last thing I need for my B'day! Oh well, guess I'll play a few games, take over the world (in the games) and have an early night. So tired! GGrrrrrrr! Darn old worn out man that I am!

More Volunteer Stuff

Had a great day at the Polie and Citizen's Youth Club today. I thought I was going to be setting up a LAN for them, but the Senior Constable had to go for the day. I started off ripping the memory from one computer and adding it to a better one. First computer had 128MB of RAM, but has a lesser CPU and lesser HD. I added the 128MB to the 64MB to get 192MB of RAM into a nice computer. I then decided to get their printer to work by loading the drivers off my old Win98 disk. When I did, the stupid disk loaded the MSMOUSE.VDX onto the system. This caused the mouse to cease functioning. I then spent an hour trying to figure out why the mouse wasn't working. This is what happens when you get a Network Engineer who is used to a real OS (Unix or Linux) to fix PC's running Windows. Still, I figured it out and removed MSMOUSE.VDX, to find the mouse started working again! Phew! Almost ruined a great start! :-) Next, they decided I could help them out by writting the addresses of one hundred and eleven businesses onto envelopes. Always a lazy bastard (like I am), I told them I'd type it out. [No writers cramp for this little black duck!] So, I set up a word document, typed all one hundred and eleven business addresses into the doco and printed them all onto envelopes with the printer I'd just set up to work. They were pretty impressed. (Imagine how flaming impressed they'll be when I set up the LAN next week, and they'll all have e-mail, internet access and be able to access each other's drives and printers!) Easily done with one four port hub, and four cables! Presto! [Hey Rocky! Watch me pull a LAN out of a hat!] I then folded letters and stuffed them into the envelopes. They decided there was enough time to add some more businesses to the list. So I added them to the word doco and printed out more envelopes. I started sticky taping the envelopes closed. One of the girls thought that was really cleaver as she was going to lick them all. Ai Carumba! [And yet I refrain from the obvious sexual inuendo I could add to the lick comment! How controlled of me!] :-) Even though all the envelopes were police ones, and had "Postage Paid WA Government" on them, apparently we still need to stick stamps on them. Luckily I got through all of them. The Senior Constable returned at the end of the day, and I discussed briefly what was needed for the LAN before I left. All in all a good day. On the way home I picked up the cake for mt surprise B'day party this Sunday! Hurrah! I'll never guess what type it was! :-) Or who it's for! :-) Tonight my brother and I had another "Red Dwarf" DVD marathon. [Thanks to my mother's Series VI DVD]. I remember when Red Dwarf first came out. I was the only person I knew who watched it. Then, after I stopped watching, suddenly it became popular with some of my friends. Why am I always out of step and ahead of my time?! Waaaaaaahhhh! Oh well, guess I am the trend setter in some groups I know.

Worlds Boringest Blog?

Hmmm, just wondering if my blog is really the world's most boringest blog? Someone just gave me some kudos on one of my old blogs which hasn't been updated in months (mainly as I started using this one intensively. That is, it hasn't been updated as I was using this one ... not the person giving me kudos for not updating. Though if that was the case, it might be very sad too) :-) It's a sad day when an inactive blog get's better feedback than an active one. Of course, I know this blog gets more people coming to it. Last moonth I averaged 9 people a day. As usual, I assume one of them is me. That means a whole eight people came here and didn't comment. Maybe my writing doesn't leave much for anyone to comment on. Does the silence mean they agree with my observations ... or does it mean the postings about my life are so mundane that there isn't really anything to say about them?. Or are people afraid to comment in case I chose to disagree? Actually, as per usual, a lot of my friends who come here send me e-mails instead of commenting. It really reduces the feedback when the comments arrive in my inbox and not here for all to see and read. I think some of the best blogs I go to are the ones where a discussion takes place. Often people have other insights into things I haven't thought about. Other slants is what makes the world rich. It's one of the things people are worried about at present. The absolute way the US inflicts it's culture on other nations will eventually reduce everyone to lacking creativity. It's not that the US isn't creative. After all, it's bought us Jazz, abstract expressionism, and other modern forms of art in architecture, dance, etc. It's just that, eventually, all creativity will be heading in the same direction and the inovation will all be along very similar lines. Make note, this is not the critisism of US culture. It is the problem with one culture dominating the world so much, that very little to nothing is left of the less dominant cultures. [And before any one from the US says I am American bashing, I haven't once laid the blame of this on the US, or Americans.] In many cases, psychologists have talked about artist couples who, after becoming a couple, find their works begin to merge. They start to affect each other, to a point where their works become almost indistinguishable from each other. This is something similar to what a lot of people are fearing will become of the world. Where the US culture becomes so dominant, that it will be the only culture and only way to think on the planet. Will the human race become so similar that eventually everyone will only see one way to go, and forsake all others? In the past many great civilisations have taken different paths and it has made the human race rich and diverse. Will we eventually become mundane and similar in everything? Will a trip to previously exotic locations become trips to "same old thing, differnt place"? Will it stop our urge to travel? Will it kill our curiousity? One hope (I believe) is that once we head into space, and have space stations, bases on the Moon and Mars, the diversity and cultures will again begin to disperse. Scientists and artists in the differnet locations, hopefully, will begin to develop different solutions to problems. Of course, the damage may have already been done. With most Universities teaching similar ways of thinking, will there only be the one way to do things by the time we get to the stars?

First Day at P & CYC

Started doing some voluntary work at the local Police and Citizens Youth Club. Spent the day checking out a room full of their old computers. Bascially, all very old, and none really worth keeping. Tomorrow I will be networking their four main computers together in order to allow them all to have internet access so they can send and receive e-mail. Came home. Been worn out ever since. Watched some Red Dwarf with my mother and now cooking Pizza. How boring am I! :-)

More Allergic Reactions! Fun fun fun.

With my 40th Birthday coming up on Tuesday, and my party on Sunday, it's been left to me to get the cake. Why? Well, I have the only working car int he family, and the only person who has time on Friday to actually get the cake. Well done me! Happy Surprise B'day party! :-) Sick as a dog today. Actually, I was sick as a dog yesterday evening, and did one of my patented vomits in my sleep last night. Caught it all in my mouth without getting any of it on the bed (which is the bit I have patented!). Unfortunately, I swollowed half of it on the way to the bathroom to spit the rest in the sink. (Yes, I vomit into sinks and NOT toilets. Vomitting into a toilet is enough to make me sick!) I was feeling better by the time I got up this morning. Drove my mother to my sisters house, then had to mow our lawn. A normal activity for most humans, but for one such as myself, highly allergic to grass, it is a nightmare. Not hard to do the actual mowing, just my reaction is so great that I then spend the next twenty four hours recovering. So first thing I did after I finished mowing, was to have two hours sleep. I was also as nausious as anything! Took a lot to keep it all down. Got up in time to go and get my mother from my sisters house. Yes, a day practically wasted just by mowing a lawn. Something I hadn't noticed, was a phone call from my brother's motor mechanic. His Camry has been repaired (again) and is ready to be picked up. If I had of seen the phone message earlier in the day, I could have phoned my brother so he could organise the amount he has to pay etc. Instead, by the time I informed my mother, it was too late to phone the mechanic back. That means my mother and brother are busy trying to organise a way to pick up the car (whcih can' be done tomorrow, as I'm working in an office), and might be able to be done Friday, except my mother is lookin after my sisters kids, so will be over my sisters house again. Having the only working car, it does mean that I then have to pick up my cake for my surprise b'day party. What a surprise that's going to be!!!! :-) Anyway, not much else I plan to do tonight due to the allergic reactions and stuff. So just watching TV and then sleeping. Before any of you ask as to why my mother or brother can't mow the lawn; my mother has trouble walking (let alone pushing a mower) and my brother has a bad back and asthma, so my mother won't let him mow the lawn. (It used to be he just suffered from asthma ... which is funny, as I also suffer from asthma, yet my asthma get's ignored by my family as ailments are so common to me, they just expect me to behave like a normal person and ignore them all, as though they don't exist.) So another day of my life wasted by being too exhausted from my allergies. Actually, in spite of my allergies, my Doctors will inform you that I am very healthy indeed. :-)

Previous Goldcoast Trip - Dreamworld - Warner Bros. Movie World.

I was just sleeping outside the bank and ... well, admittedly I was sleeping where a Ganster was having a shoot out with police ... on the Ganster's car ... but look, all the bullets missed. :-) One of the many prop car's on the Warner Bros. lot. I don't know why it looks so blurry. Evan can't have been that drunk when he took it!!!! Evan and I decided to take a photo of the town drunk outside the Salooooon! Yep! Mighty big saloon that. Another set on the Warner Bros. lot. This is a picture of me from the Penthouse Apartment where we stayed. You can actually see the hotel's name behind me. On the roof above was a swimming pool. Directly below our room was another swimming pool the hotel had. Evan and I swam in neither. It was pretty cold, as it was beginning of winter. Dingoes!!! Taken at Dreamworld's zoo/wildlife park. They were also filming 'Big Brother' while we were there, but we didn't enter the competition to go visit the 'Big Brother' house, as we really didn't care!!!! :-) Nice picture of one of the Dreamworld Tigers. Another nice picture of a Dreamworld tiger. Look at me, as helpless as a kitten up a tree!!! Well, not me, a tiger doing what the handlers said was a natural thing tigers did in the wild. Never knew tigers lived in trees and ate gum leaves. Must be related to the Koala! :-)

Michitaro's - Sydney

I finally got around to developing some disposable cameras that I had lying around. I am pretty sure that I had the Giraffe giving birth on one of these. If I did, I'd never know. Mainly as I got the film developed, and they were both 27 shot cameras. When I received them back, they'd only done 25 shots on each! Pisses me off, as where did the other two shots on each camera go! That's FOUR - count them - FOUR photo's I didn't receive that they failed to develop! There should also have been a shot of me patting the friggin' tiger at Dream World! I am p**sed off beyond belief (yes, PBB!!!) Two of the greatest shots of my f**kin' life, and the store didn't bother to develop them! Well, back to the Michitaro story. Here is a photo of my friends [back]Jun, Saori, Nao, and [front] Tatsuya doing the peace sign. I know, it's a pretty p**s poor shot. The original photo has them all on the right hand side of the screen, which says a lot about the disposable camera's ability. In fact, almost all the shots from this camera has everything to the right. So it wasn't me!
Anyway, Michitaro was where I used to eat every workday when I was in Sydney. I was pretty friendly with all the Japanese that worked there, and they came to my 36th Birthday party. I am upset the shot is so bad, but part of that was because it was shot in poor light, and part of it is because I left the film, and it had to be develped by July 2002! So only 3 years past it's develop by date!
If any of you are out there (Jun, Saori, Nao, Tatsuya) or any of the other staff (Momoko etc), then please, leave a message, leave your e-mail address, and we'll catch up. (Okay, chances are very slim that any of them will see this!) :-)
The other shots from the cameras were of Dreamworld, and Warner Brother's Movie world. I migh tposst the shots after I scan and edit them to get the subject of each shot more centralised (and not on the right of the friggin' screen!) I shouldn't complain though, both camera's cost me $1 each! Mainly as they were about 2 weeks off their development date when I bought them in 2002.

Branches on Fence from other day

Branch on Fence Part 2
Finally loaded the other two images I couldnt' load the other day fromt he branch which landed on our fence. My mother remembers a time when the storms were so bad, that our fences were actually blown over. I was in Sydney then, so not much of a problem. Watching the ice caps melt on TV and being told the sea level may go up by as much as 6 metres leaves me wondering if the leaders of the world are finally going to react. Our weather is really freaky now, the ice caps melt, our land turns to desert - it's like they are doing it deliberately in the hope that it will make Jesus come back sooner! They are bad stewards of the Earth. Didn't Jesus say something about being bad stewards with what he's given us. (Well he DID! Go look it up! Provided you can get to your bookcase before the sea level floods it!) Who elected these idiots?
I know it wasn't me! I never voted for any of the last few Governments! I put the blame squarely on YOU who did vote for them! [Well, I can't go wrong with that one! Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate - More enemies accumulating for me! Teaches me for being so vocal and so F**king correct all the time!] Doesn't seem fair! Some of us do the right thing, and yet in spite of everything we try to do, there is always someone trying to make a quick buck who ruins it for the rest of us. I'm sick of hearing Governments saying their hands are tied, and they can't do anything. It's really just a way for them to say, "We can't be bothered doing something, as we don't want to upset our RICH friends!" Stoopid f**king Government. Vote someone who isn't afraid to make the REAL hard decisions! Not the f**ker who pretends they're making the hard decisions! Not that there is an election for a LONG, LONG, LONG, LLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG TIME in this state and country! We're about twenty to thirty kilometers in land from the sea. Next year, Beach front property. Year after, Atlantis! Better get those gills working - of course, with the Great Whites off our shores, we'll really just be shark bait!

City Beach Twister

City Beach Twister - From The Sunday Times  I scanned this from this mornings paper. The storm last night had a few of these apparently, and this one was photographed off City Beach. I can't help but think that Perth is becoming a dangerous place to live. In my childhood we never had these water spouts or mini-tornadoes that have become frequent in the area now. They're saying in the newspaper that it's becoming a regular Tornadoes Corridore, similar to the US Midwest. Well, I think the Government here needs to react fast, before their electorettes get blown away. If it keeps going the way it is, we won't be able to build here, for fear of it all being blown into the desert or Indian ocean. Global warming - can't live with it, aren't allowed to blow away the f**kers who caused it! Doesn't seem fair, does it!

Saturday, 21st May 2005

Woke up early this morning to push my brother's car inot the front yard for the tow truck to take it back to the mechanic. My mother told me to park my car to the right of the drive way, and told my brother to park his car to the left. So I drove mine out of the garage and parked it to the right. For some unknown reason, as we pushed my brother's car down the driveway, he decided to turn it right. He almost hit the back of my car. I was friggin' angry. He hadn't bothered to listen to what we'd all discussed. As it was, we had to leave it out the front in the drive way, as it was too heavy to push back up (with my mother unable to push because of her high blood pressure, and my brother unable to push because of his bad back!) Which really means it was too heavy for me to push back up! The tow truck arrived ... and it was a tow car ... with a weird looking trailer which hooked onto the front wheels of the car and lifted them off the ground. We got the car to the mechanic, who promised to phone during the day. He never did. I returned home and did half an hour on the treadmill. I then had to drive my brother to the Chiropractor to get his back X-Rayed. I parked in my car and read a book while I waited. About an hour after I dropped him off, he phoned to ask to be picked up. I picked him up, and he wouldn't stop talking all the way home about what the Chiropractor had said. Yet, when we walked in, my mother asked him what the chiropractor had said, and he replied, 'nothing'. I then told him to tell her what he'd told me. The X-Ray had shown that his neck verterbray were dead straight (as opposed to a normal neck which has a curve). What this means, is that any hit he receives on his head will result in the neck breaking. Also, the bones are beginning to fuse together, so eventually he'd have no way to turn his neck. He was told, that if it hadn't of been caught, within twenty years, they'd have fused tight. Now he is going back to have his neck manipulated in order to stop them fusing together. Spent some more of the day just on the computer. Lost at several games. Wasn't really in the mood for them, but was wasting time. My mother and brother also were hassling me about being fat. This has been going on ever since I started to exercise to lose weight. It's p****ing me off, as I know why my mother does it. She tries to demoralise me into giving up. If I stop trying to lose weight, they'll stop harassing me about my weight. Well, I'm going to push on regardless. Yesterday they both started up at me, trying to tell me I can't lose weight, because they claim I am doing it wrong. Both started on their different plans as to what I should be doing. I just walked out the house and shut the door behind me until they finished. My mother also keeps starting arguements with me. I think this is her way of dealing with the fact that I am going to the UK. Tonight, we argued as she told me we'd cook Pizza for the FA cup final the other day. When I mentinoed it tonight, she told me I was lying. Then she tried saying she'd just said we'd all eat Pizza on the weekend (which wasn't true). Then she tried telling me I'd started the arguement. It's funny, as this is exactly how she used to behave before I was thrown out of home when I was nineteen. It makes me feel very sad. It all makes me feel so tired. I seem to be there for my family when they need me, yet all they are giving me is grief at the moment. My brother's hurt his back, so he needs me, my mothe ris without a car at present, so she needs me. So I don't mind helping out. Why, though, do they find it necessary to put me down and hassle me. I feel so worn out. On top of this, I have my other problems with finances and other hassles to deal with. Next door parked on our lawn again, and dropped a softdrink can and MacDonalds bag on our lawn! Tonight they're making a lot of noise (as per usual on the weekends!) The other night they were screaming and having an arguement in the middle of the street! Such a nice neighbourhood we live in! I'll be glad when I can move to a better place. I better find out the best neighbourhoods in the UK before I go.

Storm Damage!

I have finally got around to up loading the pictures of the storm damaged trees. First is the one in the park across the road from our house. It's been reduced in size by one third. (So bottom two thirds still standing).
Up the road, there are Norfolk Pines which have been completely uprooted. If I get time, I'll see if I can get photo's of those, but I can't promise anything. Numerous locations had uprooted trees, and several schools near us were closed after being completely blown apart.

Second is the one which landed on our fence. I actually took about seven pictures, but I could only upload these two for some reason. I don't think my Picasa is working correctly. I'll try uploading at least one other in the near future. Picture from other side of the fence gives a better idea of the size. Hopefully it will upload correctly soon.

Big Day at Home!

I've had a big day at home today. Pity, I wanted to work on one of my paintings, but just didn't have time. Sister's Kids Part I My Sister dropped one of her kids [Elijah] off early today as she was off to do other things with her husband. This left me looking after him while my mother had to do other things. Poor Elijah has bronchitis at present. I remember when I was young I had the same thing. I got to go to hospital and get placed in an oxygen tent to make me breathe. I think it is why I still get breathing problems to this day. My Brother Hurts his Back I was surprised when my mother started calling for me, saying it was urgent. I thought something was really urgently wrong. I was trying to answer a call from nature at the time, and quickly finished to race out and find out what the problem was. My younger brother had returned from work with a bad back. The poor guy couldn't turn his body or anything and was walking around almost completely stiff. I still don't know why I was required urgently, as there was nothing I could do to help. In fact, the reason I'd been called into the room was to confirm that I would drive him to the hospital tomorrow for X-rays of his back. As if they couldn't have waited till I had finished! I hate these constant "David, get here QUICK!" screams that my family love to do. It wasn't the last one I'd get today for a non-urgent reason. Sister's Kids part II My sister phoned back and asked if she could leave a second of her kids here [Joshua]. Apparently she'd tried to leave him at the day care centre with an obvious runny nose. The daycare centre has pretty strict rules, and wouldn't let her. So, she needed to drop him off here. So a second child for my mother to look after (and for me to look after every time she needs to answer a call of nature!) Phone to Work in Office Took a lot of phoning backwards and forth, but I was given some work to do by the Government which would have inflamed my allergies. A week ago they wanted me to help at a non-profit organisation sanding down and laquering pews. They promised I wouldn't have to do it. Instead I tried to get them to arrange to let me work in an office (which required Federal Police Clearance). So I phoned a few times trying to find out what had occurred. After a few phone conversations, they eventually called me back, and all has been arranged. Only, they will phone me on Monday to confirm when and where I am working in the office. Trip to Supermarket for Mother My mother then decided she needed a large bag of plain potatoe chips and a bag of mars bars. So off to the supermarket I went for just those things. This was after she, and my younger brother gave me big lectures on how I eat too much and don't exercise enough. I can out run both of them with speed and endurance, and they're lecturing me! Pttthhh! Tip Branch Over Fence With my brother home, I was able to borrow his digital camera to get some photo's of the tree across the road and the branch which landed on our fence. I pushed the branch over the fence so we could use it as firewood later in the year (when it's colder). House on Fire? My mother and I kept smelling smoke, so I dutifully went into the roof to make sure our roof wasn't on fire, as I couldn't smell the smoke outside. I also couldn't smell it in the roof. I think it's just soot being blown down the chimney, but my mother insists that it can't be. I remain convinced that I am right, as we often smell the 'smoke' smell, and can never find any other thing other than our own fireplace as an explanation of where the smell is coming from. My mother thinks we'd see the soot if we could smell it. I think she is wrong. I think small enough particles can be smelt and not seen. Sister's Kids Part III Was suddenly called by my mother, "David, quick! Quick! Quick!". I lept out of my chair and headed for the lounge room asking my mother to stop screaming at me. Apparently, Joshua had fallen asleep on the floor and she wanted me to put him on the lounge. Like, as if that was really urgent too! The way she screamed I thought the roof really had caught fire! Tired of having to drop everything. Who does she think I am, Seymour Skinner? [Simpsons Reference!] :-) I try to do the right thing all the time, but these urgent 'must be done NOW' crap that I get given is rediculous! Most of them are things which can wait. The other thing I hate is always having things repeated to me, even after I've done them. My mother usually appologises and says it's because my brother Jeff needs reminding ten times before he get's things done. Pttthhh! I'm not Jeff! I get asked once, I do them! What's the matter with this family that everything is a f**king emergency? I bet the day I don't respond immediately, it will be an emergency! That'd be my luck!

The Interview Game

Saw this and thought it would be fun. Original is on Silencer's blogsite, so asked to be interviewed. Here are my answers: 1. You're warrior marching to battle on a horse. What is your weapon of choice and why? Difficult to answer as I am uncertain which time period it is set in, who the enemy is, and what the terrain is like. Modern era, if they have me on a horse, I'd want teflon armour, helmet etc, and modern Styr gun (UN one). Basically it's the maximum in this day and age for someone on a horse I'd think. If it's set in previous periods, once again, it depends. For looking Cool while riding to battle, I think Native American brave with long hair and head band is pretty kewl. Weapon would be bow arrow and tomahawk. Or if in Europe, an armoured knight of the medieval period with broadsword, lance and nice sheild with a great design on it. In Asia, I'd prefer to be with Ghengis Khan, as he never lost a battle. They used compound bows and arrows. Wonder if I look kewl in the furry boots. :-) 2. If you were given a 2 storey shoplot and $500000, what business would you run and why? A Subway restaurant, so that I can get good food every day. They seem to do pretty good as a Franchise, so hopefully it will create a cash flow. With the extra cash, I'd invest in the stockmarket (like I already do). 3. What is the one thing you suck at, but wish you were really good at? Picking up women. Actually, as I always say, I only need one. When I have a GF, they're easy to keep as I'm a nice guy etc [and a good lover]. I only have two problems in relationships, beginning them, and ending them. But, if I could start them easier, then I would be happy. 4. You're left at home bored, with only a ball of string, a tin can and workshop full of tools to entertain yourself with. What would you make? A mobile. One of those things you see hanging from the roof that dangles around. With only one tin can, the other balances on the mobile would be some of the tools. Be nice to get an electric saw hanging from the mobile. :-) 5. What quality do you think others see in you? Intelligence. It's the one thing people seem to agree on when they know me. Others see a firey ball of creativity, and humour. Other's just think I'm an idiot! :-) But, like I say, they all seem to agree that I am intelligent (even those who think I am an idiot!) :-) The Official Interview Game Rules (copied to be passed on) 1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying "interview me." 2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person's will be different. 3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Lacking Motivation

Yeah, another day lacking motivation. Slept in till the dogs got me up. Darn barking mad dogs! Spent two hours on the running machine trying to lose as much weight as I can. Spent the rest of the day reading through e-mails and other peoples blogs. Now, what to do, what to do. I was telling my mate Corey (who is also UK bound) that I was thinking of postponing my trip till August. The reasons for this are: 1. Allergy Doctor's appointment is in August. I want to see him and get my Epipen (adrenaline in a nice convenient jab pack), before heading off overseas. I don't want to have an anaphalactic shock episode without one. I also don't want to go through the problem of finding a new GP, then getting recommended to another allergy specialist and wait three months to see them. 2. Gives me more time to get things ready. I have to store all my belongings and decide what I need to take. I want to get most of this PC's contents onto CD's and DVD's to take with me. 3. Will allow me to save more money. 4. More time to get my prescious CCNP (study study study) 5. More time to finish some unfinished paintings and things before I go. Hope that all makes sense. Might be even more reasons to delay a little. As per what I've said before, if I can get the money together, I'll head off to Malaysia and Japan on the way. I'm waiting for my Guarantor to finish writing his part on my Passport application and send it back to me. Then I'll arrange an interview for the passport and send to the UK High Commission in Canberra for my Right of Abode Visa again. I guess that's all for now! :-)

Latest Photo of Me!

Latest Photo of Your's Truely! My mother told me off for placing my head down. It made me look like I have extra chins! lol
Last thing I need is to make myself look fatter than I really am! lol
Not much to report. Still trying to get things organised for UK. Didn't get to take photo's of the tree across the road or the branch on our fence at the moment. I can't find the battery for my camera. Pttthhh!
Well, when i find the battery, I'll take the photo. Raining today, so not much I can do. We are expecting another big storm. 250km/hr winds or something. More damage expected to occur.
Been feeling sick because of the pasties I ate. Too much fat and oil in them I think! Pttthhh! Bloody allergies. Looks like I won't get my Epipen before I leave for the UK, so will need a more generic letter from my GP to take to UK with me.
In the meantime, I better start eating everything I have left in the house before I go travelling.

Big Storm

Was awoken this morning by the dogs barking at the storm ... then my mother and brother talking loudly about the storm (as the dogs barked more!). Then couldn't sleep because of the lightning being so bright. I timed the closest as being about 3 km away. Well, any hope of getting back to sleep was dashed by my mother walking to just outside my bedroom and asking, "David, can you get up and drive your brother to the bus stop?" Well, good thing I was awake, as I might not have heard her otherwise. My mother has a habit of doing that. She just walks up, says something, and walks off. If I am lucky, I wake up in time to actually get the jist of what she wants. Other times, I need to yell for her to repeat it (which isn't easy with a mouth splint in) or leap out of bed and run down the hall to get her to repeat it. Well, our fence now has a large branch resting on it, and one of the large trees across the road has lost it's top most branches (well, almost the entire top third or something). I'll try and get a photo before the council comes and cleans it up. Today, I posted my 'leaving the course' letter to my University. Very sad. Was almost completely through second year. Could have finished it if I had enough time. I think the worst part of Uni degrees, is you can finish half a degree, and still not get a Certificate / Diploma or something for it, yet if you just enrolled for a certificate or diploma, you'd only have to do as much work as what you'd finished anyway! Still, hopefully I can resume it later if I get time and money. Got my passport photo done today. Yes, it makes me look half asleep (or half on drugs ... but not completly!) I half blinked when the flash went off. Also, makes me look FAT! Yes, fatter than I really am! Pttthhhh! (Is that possible?) I might post a copy when I get time to scan it! Remember ho I complained about a certain person making my life a misery the other day. Well, she was crossing the road as I was driving along ... and YES, I did brake! See, I am a nice person! A lot of other people probably wouldn't have bothered! :-) I arrived home today, and helped my mother move the third shed bits (still unassembled) into piles and place bricks and stuff on them. We're expecting more storms. Mini tornadoes is what the news was reporting, and yes, they hit our neighbourhood, with some of the schools down the road blown apart. They'll be closed for days. I received an e-mail from my friend Corey today. He's going to be in the UK the same time as myself. Sounds good. At least I will know one person when I get there! :-)

UK Here I Come

Yes, finally I've been placed in a position where I must move to the UK. The details I won't go into. Needless to say, I am very unhappy, and once I get to the UK, I'll most likely be surrendering my Australian Citizenship. I don't see the point in keeping it, when the latest Government policies involve threats and pushing the poor to the wall. So, here is the latest thoughts. 1. Get Passport 2. Get Right of Abode Visa 3. See my friends in Sydney before I go. 4. Fly to Malaysia (see my friend Lillian in Kuching and maybe some other friends) 5. Fly to Japan and see my friends Mami and maybe Megumi (if she is in her Cookie Shop Outfit!) 6. Arrive UK and hopefully walk into a job there. (They are screaming for Network Engineers) Am p***ed off beyond belief with the state of things in this country. It goes from bad to worse. Am going to write an open letter to the Prime Minister and send a copy to the press and Opposition Leader. Not that anything will come from it at all, because let's face it, politicians just don't care! Especially the current one who only likes to give tax cuts to the rich! (AKA Themselves!) So, I'm about to sell everything I can (which will just be my investments etc) and leave! Will I return? It will depend upon what happens politically in this country. With the Government about to gain the Senate in July, it will just be an excuse to push more poor people to the wall with their policies. The rich get richer, the poor get the picture!!!!

Catching Two Mosquitoes, in the Dark Using Only Bare Hands!

In Karate Kid (The movie), they had some crap about a person who could catch a fly with chopsticks could do anything! Well, last night, I caught two mosquitoes, in the dark with my bare hands. Do they equate? Can I now accomplish anything? Probably not. In fact, the first mosquito was annoying me, and I just struck out where I thought it was in the dark! The second mosquito was pure fluke! I was rolling over in bed (as you do), and my hand was up near my ear, when I heard a "buzztttt!" and realised that as I'd rolled over, a mossie (whom was probably preparing to land and take a bite from me) suddenly got caught between two of my fingers and squished! Yes, I half fluked the first kill, and completely fluked the second! So, let's interpret these omens as signs of things to come! In the mean time, spent the day depressed! (What's new). Still having a lot fo thoughts about heading to the UK. I spoke to my brother about it, because I am worried for him and my mother. My mother wants me to stay. After all, isn't that one of the main reasons I returned to Perth? Well, she understands that I don't have much keeping me in Perth. There is something stupid about this city. I can get to the final interview with companies, but no one will hire me. They are always impressed with my range of experience and knowledge of my job, yet still end up hiring someone else. Why do they hate me here? Maybe I am too threatening, as I am always full of new ideas! They seem overly conservative here, and stuck in their ways. Time to move on I think. The UK is looking very friendly to me now. I have my Right of Abode in the UK, and I have been checking job sites. In the meantime it will also get Government Departments off my back, who'd like to see me working in a factory for the rest of my life ... whcih reminds me, there is supposedly a skilled labour shortage, yet my brother in law who is in that set of 'skilled labour' was let go for a few weeks as there isn't enough work for him or his work mates. I find it funny that Aussies who are skilled in these supposed 'short supply' areas are not getting work, yet imported foreign workers are! Yet another cluster f*** by the Government in being unable to manage the work force well enough. While they keep importing the foreigners who will work for nix, the Aussies will start getting less and less work, till all the skilled labour jobs are foreigners and the Aussies are jobless. Hoepfully, it won't get to that, but wouldn't surprise me with the usual Governmental ineptitude. Also, hits to my blog site have dropped from 5 per day, to 3 per day. I will assume that one of those hits each day is me coming and writing here ... so I've effectivly gone from four readers each day to two! Halved! Thanks to all those who do come and read this. I take it from the drop in readership that I am amongst the worlds boringest blogs. Still, for the sake of those two hits each day, I'll continue! Please, leave a comment or two if you can find something to make a comment about, or if you'd like to aska stupid question or something! :-)

Mother's Day

Well, today was Mother's day. Wasn't too good a day for me though. Let's start with Friday/Saturday though. My sister dropped her kids off for my mother to look after. That ment I had to lend a helping hand to keep them out of mischief too. I don't think my sister realises that when my mother is left to look after her children, it actually interfers and my and my brother Jeff's life too (as well as making my mother cranky, as she feels she's being used and abused all the time!) So I spent a lot of time playing catch and stuff with one of my nephews, and looking after another one (who can't catch yet .. he's too young!) It ment no time for doing my project or assignment. So, I feel I am going to fail my computer science subjects due to this, as I am the ONLY person in my family who actually cares about my Degree. The other members treat it like it's a waste of my time. As such, they have no problems constantly interupting or finding ways to disturb me when I am trying to get things done. Well, I might have caught something off one of the nephews, as I kept waking last night choking on my uvula. (Which is that dangly thing at the back of your throat.) When I got up this morning, the first thing I did was chuck up ... twice. My uvula was extremely swollen and was yellow and bleeding. It was also extremely painful. I showed my mother and explained I was going to go to the hospital. My mother angered me ot two counts. First, she tried telling me that the hospital isn't open on a Sunday. Like, how F***ing stupid does she think I am. Then she tried telling me that my throat problem was nothing and I was just a big baby. This second thing angered me, as my mother often complains that when she was a young, her parents used to treat her illnesses and injuries the same way. They'd make out it was nothing, and right her off as she were a wimp. On other occassions I've caught my mother doing this to me, and told her she' doing the same thing she complains her parents did to her. She usually then uses 'her parents treatment of her' as an excuse. [ie she's doing it to me, because her parents did it to her ... therefore she is somehow vindicated in her treatment of me!] Well, my mother became furious when I insisted I was going to see a Doctor. She claimed it was some personal afront to her because I was 'pretending' to be sick on mother's day. I was so p***ed off! I drove her and my brother over to my sisters house for "Mother's Day Champaign Breakfast". On the way, my mother was still furious at me, and I was still very angry at her attitude. We got to a corner where the local Medicl Centre is. It has a set fo traffic lights, and a giveway sign for turning left. I stopped at the giveway sign and looked right to ensure no vehicles were coming. I then showed my mother the sign for the local Medical Centre which is open 7 days a week. I was so busy pointing it out to my mother, that when I moved off, I hadn't realised the cars coming the other way now had a green light. I almost caused an accident! I couldn't believe it, as I am usually such a good driver, and was driving particularly careful today. Just, at that moment, I was so busy trying to be 'right' that I stuffed up pretty bad! Anyway, the car which almost hit us, turned into the Medical Centre. I kept going down the road and dropped my mother and brother off at my sisters. I then returned to the medical centre. Just as I was arriving, the car I'd almost had an accident with was driving out of the medical centre. I felt pretty bad, and embarrassed. Still, no one was hurt. (That's the main thing!) I'd feel pretty bad if there had been an accident. When I went into the Medical Centre, there were ten people in front of me. While I was filling in my form, another girl came in who'd been hit in the eye. She was rushed straight through to the nurse. I ended up waiting one and a half hours to see the Doctor. By the time I went to see the Doctor, there were so few people waiting it wasn't funny! I was p**sed off even more. Well, I got into see the Doctor. This wasn't my usual Doctor (Doctor Sakarapani), so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was called into the Doctor's room, and I explained to her about my throat, the vomiting etc. She had a look and said it was really badly infected. So she prescribed some penicilin for it. She mentioned that it must be really painful. I agreed, because it WAS! (Something my mother wouldn't beleive!!!!!!!) The Doctor also took my temperature to ensure I didn't have a fever. I didn't. She told me that a lot fo fevers were around at the moment. She didnt' check my glands, which is funny, as the ones under my chin are up pretty bad. Maybe she didn't need to check, maybe she could see them. I then went back to the Champaign Breakfast. I showed my mother the penicilin and explained what the Doctor had said. My mother wasn't very happy about it. My mother and all the males were in the lounge room watching the football. I went into the backroom and watched Chicago with my Sister and Sister-in-law. My brother Paul came in during a break to make fun of me and tell me I was 'gay' for watching it. I pointed out that he was watching a bunch of men running around in tight shorts, I was watching a lot of scantily clad women dancing around erotically. Which is more gay???? :-) After the football finished, I brought my mother and brother home. My mother was in a bad mood with me, and hasn't really spoken to me since we returned. I have basically sat here in front of the computer trying to get things done, but it isn't much fun with a bad throat. I'm off for an early night tonight. I feel too sick. Still, I am afraid to go to sleep because of the uvula. I spent a lot of last night choking on the thing. When I had my tonsils out, the Doctor was also supposed to remove my uvula as it was always getting infected and swollen. During the operation, he decided against it. I wish he hadn't, as I seem to spend a lot of time choking on it everytime I get a throat infection! Well, I am still very p***ed off that my mother is p***ed off at me! As if I had a choice about being sick! Well happy mother's day everyone who's a mother.

The Weight of Days

Camus said something about the Weight of Days for those without friends or God. Well, who cares! I just used it as a title today because I couldn't be bothered to think about what I was going to write ... and as such, I really couldn't think of a title, as I don't have a clue what it's going to be about. I wonder if that means today's rant will turn into some sort of Beatnik stream of consciousness crap poem cockeroach dolphin bankteller slide rule happy niknak elephant ... oh damn! It did! Well, anyway. Waited for Government to phone regarding the fact that I sent a complaint in. Oh well, they probably won't. After all, the Government isn't about representing people (though it's supposed to be a representative democracy), or about solving problems. The main aim of the Govenment is to allow itself to make money, and maintain the peace so that they won't lose all that money they so shamelessly scammed from the people of the world. Yes, we pay taxes to people we like to think of as morons ... but who's money are they geting? Yes, we are the morons! Still, better peace than a war between the smartarese Government and the Morons who elected them. (Actually, I didn't vote for this Government ... nor the previous ones. In fact, I think only once did I actually vote for the party that got into power ... and I sincerely regret that! Oh, boy!) Mado o akete kudasai. Totemo atsui n desu! Hey, this is funny: Dooshite kono shitsumon no imi ga wakaranai n desu ka? Of course,it's only funny if you don't actually speak Japanese. So if you do know what it's saying ... then imagine all the people reading it who have no idea what it means! Then, it's funny. (For all those who are reading this who can only speak English ... keep saying it louder and slower over and over again till you understand it!) :-) Today's ten second poem:

I reached out to touch the electricity, And now all my thoughts are gone, As the bullies snuck up behind me, And wedgied me with my thong!

Yeah! Let's relax to the soulful refrains of a wedgied man screaming! Onwards and upwards. Upwards and onwards! And all the time Spinning, spinning, spinning! End of Beatnik crap day dinosaur thesaurus sea cow biter empathic overload yeah! yeah! yeah!

Doctor's Visit & Psychopaths

Electric Shocks Today I visited a Specialist Doctor regarding my hands. As readers know, I got them a damaged working in a factory, which I beleive is especially designed for shredding hands. Well, my GP arranged it, as I had the hands swell up, and also had the right arm go numb. This Specialist stuck some electrodes to my hands and arm and basically gave me electric shocks. First of all though, I had to stick my hands in boiling hot water. I'm not sure if the specialist noticed, but my right hand actually swelled up a little. I noticed, as I was unable to make a proper first with it. Still, it might have escaped detection by the Doctor ifhe was busy running his little tests. Well, as I said, he gave my hand and arm some electric shocks. I was told, "This might tingle a little." I didn't want to tell them, but it wasn't a tingle at all. It was like a giangantic SHOCK. I felt it through my entire body. I better stop eating so much salt. I've turned into a lightning rod! One of the shocks I hardly felt at all though. Not sure if he turned the electricity down for that one, or if he hit a point where a nerve was being compressed or what. Well, after that, he took a needle and started inserting it into my arm in different locations. On a few times, it really hurt. I'm not sure if he was deliberatly trying to hurt me or not. Anyway, sometimes it hurt, other times i didn't feel it at all. Either way, he wasn't measuring how much I jumped. He has a little CRO which was showing wave patterns. I have no idea what the wave patterns showed. Obviously, they were to determine the flow of electrical current through my nervous system though. Ten minutes after it started, it was all over. Off I went home again. On Monday or Tuesday my GP will get the results of the test. Still, I can't help but wonder if it is meaningless. After all, the numbness and swelling was two weeks ago. Isn't this test a little like shuting the barn door after the horse has bolted? Birthday Coming Up My family have been asking what I want for my birthday. It's my big FORTIETH coming up! Yes,

FORTY

Makes you feel young, doesn't it! :-) Well, I gave them a huge list at Xmas, and told them to get me something off the list. My mother asked, "What do you REALLY want?" I replied, "A trip to Japan." If I was thinking right, I might have asked for a return trip! Stupid me! Oh well, I won't be getting that anyway. I think my family want to put on a big 'thing' as it's my 40th. Having a ZERO after the four means it is a BIG thing apparently. When I was asked, a small voice in my head said, "Actually, can't people just leave me alone!?" Looks like I'm going to have to put up with "doing" something for my birthday to pacify the party animals in the family. Actually, before I told tem I wanted a trip to Japan, a thought did run through my head of something else I really wanted. A trip to Sydney to see all my friends. (Both of them!) :-) Well, I doubt I'll be heading to Sydney any time soon. Though, if I need to vacate Australia, I'll try to get over there before I leave. UK Trip on the Agenda The posibility of leaving Aussie to seek better fortunes in the UK is still on the agenda at present. I'm getting pee'ed off by this right winged despotism economic rationalism which seems to mean that the Government has given authority to people to threaten me. Long story. My friends all received a nice long e-mail concerning it. Anyway, if I keep getting threatened, then I'll pack my bags and leave for the UK. Once i get to the UK, I might surrender my Aussie citizenship in protest over the treatment I've been getting. It was rather funny, as my mother and I were discussing the treatment I got at the last place I worked. Then tonight, the ABC (TV) seemed to have grabbed that theme and run with it on Four Corners. Tonight was about, "Psychopathes" in the office. I'd seen stuff written about it before, and can place several of my old managers quite easily into the 'Psychopath' category (but will not name them due to obvious legal implications!) The good thing is, they now have tests which can prove whether you are a psychopath or not. It basically measures your empathy. During the show, my mother and I also discussed two psychopaths who fitted the discription provided on the TV. My father and my ex-wife. Both seemed to have NO empathty with any other people what so ever. I always find it funny how I seemed to have married a women so similar to the father I fought hard to get away from. Anyway, the TV show did have some words of advice, if you find yourself in an office (or relationship) with an obvious psychopath, then the best thing is to leave. (Run away!) How does an axe welding maniac travel through a forest? He takes the Psychopath! :-) Well, I'm going to take my own advice, and ensure that I avoid working with all psychopaths in the future. (As much as possible). One thing I can say for certain though. I certainly don't fit the description given. During the last place I worked, I was forever being told off for being "altruistic". I was alwasy sticking up for my workmates, even sticking up for them against management whenever management was trying to run roughshot over them. I've still got an e-mail from one boss, telling me "Not to be altruistic". Funny. Show a bit of empathy for workmates, and someone tries to stop you. Well, I can't help but be empathic towards my workmates. After all, the Jungian personality tests I did showed I was one third Phlegmatic. Now a days they don't call it that though. They assigned colours. Phlegmatic is Green. Caring. The other two thirds of my personality are made up of Blue (Melancholic) and Yellow (Sanguine). My choloric was hardly present at all. I wonder what a psychopath would have come out as. Still, the main thing they discussed on Four Corners, was how these psychopaths were destroying Australian business. Yet, these are the very people who seem to make it to the top. They also rise very quickly. Mainly as they're ruthless, seem efficient, and are very confident (even when 100% wrong). They also get very upset when they don't win (At which point my mother and brother said it sounded like me!) Funny thing is, I am a very gracious loser. I'm not sure my mother or brother ever remember seeing me lose, and that, I think is the real problem. If they had, they'd know I am usualyl very good about it. The main thing about games, is having fun. (Actually, I've lost before at Cluedo. Obviously they don't remember, as I never made a big song and dance about it! I'll have to remind them, so they don't think I'm a psychopath!) :-) Thinking about the traits of the modern day Office Psychopath though, I can recall several people who easily fit into the category. A few of my old flatmates too (especially the BASEBALL BAT WEILDING one, who always felt she had the right to attack anyone, but they were evil if they defended themselves). Well, I've been thinking for a long time about writing a novel about the Psychopaths within the office that I have met and had to put up with. Now might be a good time to do it before it becomes the popular thing to do. :-) I have plenty of material in my old diaries.

You Can Make It Happen!

Okay, I'm stealing the title to Stedman's book (Oprah's Boy Friend for those unfamiliar with one of the most successful Sports Management, marketing & Consulting firms CEO's ever.) Actually, when I was younger, this might have been my moto. What happened? Anyway, what I want to write about today, was something my mother reminded me of. When I was younger I always used to amaze and confound people with my abilities. At school, I was the shortarse. The guy everyone else used to beat up and pick on and basically beat up if they were having a hard time at home or with their school work. Yet, amongst all that, I was forever pulling rabbits out of hats. One thing my mother reminded me of, was the fact that I got to play the "Bad Guy" in the school play. At the time, only a few people auditioined for the role, and I was considered the "best" out of a "bad bunch". Not that I was bad in the audition ... in fact, we didnt' even try doing acting in the audition, it really consisted of a chat with the drama teacher, who'd never seen me act. He had, however, seen a few of the other applicants act, and he knew I couldn't be worse than them. My mother was recalling how she came to see the play. It ran for three nights, and my mother came to see me on the second night. My father was reluctantly dragged along. They met with my drama teacher before the actual play. She was really proud of me, because the drama teacher was heaping accolades on me and my acting ability. He admitted, he thought I was going to be absolutely dismal in the role. Yet, somehow I took it, ran with it, and made it my own. He was totally amazed by my ability. Apparently, my fathers reaction was something along the lines of, "Ptthhh! David! That good for nothing! He can't do anything." Anyway, my mother and father saw the play. My father remained unconvinced that there was anything of value in me (which has always been his reaction to anything I've ever done. Be it A's on my report card, or making the state team for American football. Somehow it was never as good as my elder brother's hard earned C's or his ... well, lack of acheivement.) My mother on the other hand was totally amazed, as she had no idea I could at at all. Many people who knew me, commented on how they thought I was the best in the play, as I was rather natural. They said I was the most beleivable because ... well, when I was angry in the play, it was like I was really angry, when I was sad, it was like I was really sad. They felt the character had been brought to life by my performance. Alas, it was lost on my father. Well, his loss anyway. My mother brought this up, because lately I have forever been getting to the final interview, and always being looked over for the jobs I am applying for. Another reason for believing my future is in writing. As a writer, people can't judge me on my looks, or what they think I am capable of. I just write, and they judge me on the content of what I produce. It recalled in me another story. When I was in year six (primary school), they always took the year six classes on a camp. This was for a week. There were usually four dormitories. Two guys, and two girls. Every year, the girls always won the competition for the best dormitory. The first thing they did, before we left, was sort out which people were in each dorm. Then, they elected a dorm captain. My dorm elected ME! YES! ME! The Teachers didn't like the result. They thought I was too short to be a leader. So they tried to get the guys to elect someone else. I stuck to my guns and refused to give up the captaincy. The rest of the guys in the dorm stuck by their vote as well. The teachers had no choice, I was the only person the guys wanted, and they weren't changing their minds. So, I luckily got to be the Dorm Captain. That was the first year a Boy's Dorm actually won the Best Dorm competition. Yes, we beat the girls for being well behaved and CLEANLINESS! [Yes, grade six boys won on Cleanliness against GIRLS! WOW!] It totally amazed my teachers, who never knew I had leadership ability. I also had another person triumph. I won the Best Student award on that trip too. I think that was the first time a guy won it too. WOW! I was not only breaking barriers, I was kicking them down, and taking a few other barriers with it! Yeah, it makes me sound like a real goody two shoes. [Hmm, I did have two shoes! That might have been it!] Fortune wasn't with me completely. On that trip, my team came second in the quizzes. Probably because the loud arguing of Sean Turner and I gave away most of the answers to the other teams. I didn't have as much luck when I was voted vice captain of my school faction though. The teacher decided I was too short, and took the title off me. I find it funny, as that teacher was rather short himself. Still, I had all the responsibility of the Vice Captain and carried it out. Just I didn't have the title. The rest of the team treated me as the Vice Captain, so it wasn't too bad. Just, whenever someone asked who the Vice Captain was, the teacher would say, "We don't have one." Then he'd give me a dirty look, as though he was waiting for me to speak up. There is one thing I did learn for that teacher. Patience is a virtue. Soon, he would be gone from my life, and I would continue. I may not have had the title of Vice Captain that I was justly elected to, but I did the job, and carried out the responsibilty of the role. The teacher could never stop the other members of the team from treating me like the Vice Captain. I think the purpose of my mother bringing the subject up, is that I always seem to find ways around problems. Some people can't think outside the square. For me, there has never been a square, just another problem to be solved. She was just trying to keep me motivated and not allow myself to become depressed. After all, I am the problem solveer of the family. I am the one who has gone up against greater odds than anyone else in the family and survived. I survived being dumped on the streets of Sydney with no more than the clothes on my back. I just don't know when to say die. Just lately, I have tried so hard to get back into IT, in order to earn some badly needed cash. Yet, I keep hitting brick walls. On top of that, I've had others threatening me, and trying to force me into factory work. I didn't go to University to end up in a factory. As regular readers will also know, the factory work I have done has harmed my hands. My hands are one of my most important assets. I am a musician, writer, artist and computer user. Without my hands (or with badly damaged hands), I can't perform in any of my chosen fields. On top of that, if my hands get damaged, I wouldn't be able to work in their preciscious factories either. Some people have got really wrong priorities, especially when it comes to other people. After all, who wouldn't protect their hands. Yet, I a have been threatened if I don't work in these factories. Do they think I am going to blink? Do they think I will back down? No, not I. There has always been more than one way to the square, and if I can't get there one way, I'll damn well take another route. Can I make it happen? You bet I can!

Another Great Scrabble Victory

Today I had another great scrabble victory. I almost hit 400, but didn't quite make it. Of the three games I played, I won all three. My mother and brother thought I should go and play competition somewhere. I'm not sure if there are any competitions in Australia for it. Not much else happened today. Watched some TV. Browsed the internet a little, mainly reading blogs and stuff. It was rather warm today, after the cooler weather we've been having. Actually, I was awoken by the rat in the roof being back. My mother and brother threw some rat sack up there. It has also rained heavily tonight and I could hear drips on the ceiling. That means our roof is leaking again. We'll have to look and see where that's happening, and see if we can fix it again.