The Life and Times of Mini-Vinnie-Me!

Melbourne 007

2006-11-27T01:12:00.000+11:00

Melbourne 007
Originally uploaded by museumofdirt.

Hey all.
just a pic top colour up the Blog-o-Sphere.

This is in Centre Place, just of Flinders Lane in Melbourne.

Catch

G-20

2006-11-21T22:32:00.000+11:00

Not seeing as many vidos of Saturday up at Parliament House as I thought I would.
Pity in a way.

I'll tell briefly what happened...

I arrived in the city at about 2 - 2:30 pm, so there was plenty I missed.

ok, so G20 protests were going on all day all over Melbourne.

Not sure of what time it was, but I guess around mid-afternoon, the police decided to round everyone up and move us out of the Flinders Ln, Collins St and Exhibition St area. This they did with the police horses and the New World Order Robo-Cop Riot Police.
Once the had pushed us back to a certain point they stopped. Why they did this, I don't know. There had been violent protests earlier in the day, but from wht I could see, there were only a few thousand people around, mostly peaceful and just enjoying the day.
Anyhow, once the people had been moved this time, the idea went through the crowd to go up to Treasury Gardens, and so, most people did. From here, people moved a couple hours later, to a fairly impromtu Street Party on the steps of Parliament House.
And this was awesome. 200 hippies laughing and enjoying themselves, passer by families coming and going and everyone dancing to a pink Gemini, rigged up with a solar panel, DJ decks and sound system, painted bright Pink and filled with indigenous endangered plants.
This was ace. There was such a cool cool vibe, and not one Cop in sight.

Till about 9 pm. A few cops came into sight. Then more...and more.
Pretty soon there was about 100 cops milling around.
Through a spokesperson, we were told to leave peacefully, or be removed. The crowd, obviously, as we were there to oppose g20, wasn't too keen on either idea.

Within what seemed seconds, all Hell had broken loose.
The Police charged; truncheons arms and legs swinging, through the otherwise peaceful crowd.
The force and the brutality of their atack was absolutely shocking!
Never in my life have I encountered violence of this scale or viciousness.
And who was it on? 200 dancing Hippies having a Street Party. Seriously, there is something wrong with a world that has to protect 200 of the most powerful people in the world from 200 dancing Hippies - 3 km away.

I don't condone the violence that had been directed at the Police at other times of the day by certain groups.
But the people at this protest/street party weren't harming anyone. Why did the Police 'need' to charge in the way they did?

Here he is...

2006-11-20T04:25:00.000+11:00

Little Hitler!

G20! Melbourne, 18th November.

2006-11-20T02:03:00.000+11:00

G20 Protest, Melbourne

The first of many videos and photos I'll be posting to do with the G20 "riots" that occurred here on Saturday, November 18th.

I was on the frontline during this incident, and when my pics are back I'll post a few, particularly the ones of this incident.
I'll let you see and hear it for yourselves before i give you the background story.

Ah! Missed it!

2006-11-18T01:50:00.000+11:00

I knew it was gonna happen. I knew it!

And where was I?

I was up in the CBD, the "Paris" end of Collins St, sitting on my arse, doing nothing, watching, and waiting (to take photos as well as voice my dissent) for the protests to begin. The G-20 protests that is.

That's right, Melbourne plays host, this very weekend, to the Group of 20's latest forum on how to make the rich richer, the poor poorer and how best to eat the remainder of the planets already dwindling resources.

It actually was a pretty unevenful event - the protests as far as today was concerned...at the 'front' anyhow.
Oh, one thing...I was questioned as to 'why I was taking pikshures' by one of Victoria's finest - then had to give my details/ID. (I thought this was Australia, not a fascist state - oops, silly me)

Anyhow, there was a fair bit going on around the rest of the City, a few sit-ins etc , but nothing at the g-20 site itself, where I was.

So, while I was sitting around, waiting, over at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl (a massive outdoor ampitheatre), the latest Make Poverty History concert was getting underway.
Lead of course by the wonderful and inspiring Rev Tim Costello of World Vision (brother also of the host and co-chair of the G20 forum, and Conservative Government /National Treasurer - Peter Costello), the concert was a free (as Make Poverty History concerts are) statement to those up the top end of town to, Make Poverty History.

The rest, I had to find, in OTHER countrys' papers before even my own (this is by how much I missed 'it' - even though I was only a couple of kilometres away) that, well, let me digrees a moment first. My how the World has changed over the years. I was 2 KM away from this, and read about it in the Washington Post before anywhere else.

But anyway,
Oh; I should also point out... that it just so happens, that during this G20 event, and the Make Poverty History counter-events going on all weekend, U2 are touring, and are in fact, in Melbourne.

But wait, there's MORE!
Pearl Jam, my beloved Pearl Jam are also in Melbourne this week.

So, everyone I guess kinda expected Bono to appear at the show. And, well, I kinda figured, I dunno if anyone else did, that maybe, just maybe, there'd be an outside chance that Eddie Vedder or Pearl Jam proper would probably turn up to - being the kind of band they are.

I did actually wonder down for a while, and sat outside in the park listening - no ticket. But anyway, I got hom tonight, googled g20, and sure enough all the usual supects popped up. But, I noticed there were a couple 'articled' that had popped up to.
Tha Washington Post was one.
I clicked on it and opened it up.

There, right before my very eyes, were Bono AND Eddie Vedder, opening the show, covering Neil Young's "Rockin' in a Free World".

ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!

And where was I? Sitting on a step on bloody Collins Street.

Better luck tomorrow?

Mini Copping out!

2006-11-15T18:20:00.000+11:00

Ah, Lets, face it, I'm only copping out here at the moment.

Blah!

2006-11-15T17:59:00.000+11:00

Meh!

G-20!!!

2006-11-13T20:18:00.000+11:00

C'mon Melbourne, lets' take to the streets this weekend and say NO to Neo-liberalism/Free market and tell our "leaders" to END GLOBAL POVERTY!

As good as it gets

2006-11-13T20:17:00.000+11:00

As good as it gets
Originally uploaded by museumofdirt.

ME.
And this is as good as it gets, cos I HATE being in front of the camera.

Edit, 14th Nov:

Ha, I deleted to shot from Flickr..so if you missed it, you missed it.

To Blog, or Not to Blog?!?

2006-11-11T00:36:00.000+11:00

Ok, so I'm thinking of posting some of my writing somewhere.
Not here but on a specific blog, just for my writing.

And not the crap I dribble here either, but my 'actual' writing.
Not that i'm particularly prolific, but just somewhere to post it - to 'put it out there'.

Hmm, food for Mini Vinnie's thought!

I read...

2006-11-11T00:07:00.000+11:00

I read somewhere during the week, that the most oft visited blogs are those which post more than once a day.

So, I am about to either dis-spell that new myth; or my visits are going to go through the roof!

Tip for the Day!

2006-11-11T00:03:00.000+11:00

Don't be singing John Lennon's "Cold Turkey", especially the last half or so, out in public!

AMERICA, F@CK YEAH!

2006-11-10T17:19:00.000+11:00

As we say in Australian; "Onya's".

Or, as one could say; I applaud thee!

I am SO happy that you collectively decided to stick it up George and the Republicans!

Yet another, Lazy Sunday...

2006-11-05T15:47:00.001+11:00

Except that this time, I'm procrastinating while I'm supposed to be writing something (hopefully) humorous for the magazine...
Which, by the way, we FINALLY got an issue of out on Friday.
Well, by 'out', I mean got back from the printers' and ready to go out.Tomorrow it will be distributed.

But for now, back to writing something "humorous"...

Aunty Copping out

2006-11-02T13:42:00.000+11:00

Yep. The Glasshouse was axed yesterday.
Why?

Damn ABC, the most respected, diverse and wholly INDEPENDENT media group in the land - in fact in the region, laying down to 'the man'. This isn't jst about one satire taking the piss at those in power being axed, this is about Howard's cronies taking their place at the top of the board and flexing their neo-liberal muscle.
In other words, this is blatant censorship.

ABC, you oughta be ashamed.

In fact, just to remind you, here is the mail i wrote you through your contact section...

"Shame Aunty Shame. You've gone soft and let the establishment win. As long
as I can remember watching the ABC, it has had comedies taking aim at those
in power. Now the ABC is letting those in power take aim at the ABC. What
next? Kerry O'Brein and Tony Jones coming out in 'full force' then bending
to the answers they ask of those in power? The ABC - following in the
footsteps of those Corporate Whores at 7 and 9. Shame Aunty, Shame!"

My newest project - The Voice Over People.

2006-11-01T19:55:00.000+11:00

HA!

Well, my very UNsuccessful attempt to draw Naomi Robson's attention to the fraud that is, "A Current Affair" failed dismally. "Today Tonight" unfortunately never sent those hard hitting reporters out to the 'evil ones'.
In fact, she never even got back to me.

Ok, for the people reading this from outside of Australia, A Current Affair and Today Tonight are the typically lame-arse, prime-time, 'hard hitting', network, 'current affairs' programs. Both are, allegedly (i think i should say that so I don't get a lawyer's letter - like they read my li'l blog anyway), frauds.

So anyway, I was on the train the other day, wondering to myself just what my next project was gonna be.
And it came to me with a voice, a voice telling me, so politely, that the next station was Mont Albert. Not thinking explicitly at that stage that this was it, my new project, it did occurred to me however, that the people on Commuter service voice-overs, are never known.
Ever.

They are the voices, who no matter what, good day or bad, without judging any of us, tell us all we need to know about the service we are using.
In Melbourne here, that is 2.5 million of us each week.
2.5 million people, whose days are bettered by the voice over people. The nameless, faceless voice over people we all know, love and trust.

So I decided.
My new Project, was to be to raise the profile of these individuals, to put names and faces to these people, and to let the public, the average citizen of Melbourne, show their appreciation for the Voice Over People.
To allow the Voice Over People their chance to bask in the glory their work deserves. To get the free Donuts when recognised. To get free Fish'nChips, or that extra Cheese Roll thrown in the bag at the Hot Bread shop

Now, Kylie. Everyone knows Kylie right? Do we appreciate her work? Does her work positively influence my everyday as much as the Voice Over People? How about Robbie Williams? Yet the Voice Over People sit in that recording studio too, and do take after take after take until the 'perfect' take is recorded. Until every nuance of their own voice and personality is ironed out, and that perfect, clear, unsentimental Voice Over is recorded, for posterity, and our convenience. Take after take after take until every inflection, on every syllable is perfect. Take after take after take until ever vowel is down pat. And do they tour the world with massive entourages like Kylie or Robbie? Do they throw temper tantrums and leave the studio, making front pages of the next days' 'papers ala the Gallagher brothers?

NO!

And from us; the appreciation, the recognition? Where is it?

I've decided, and even as I sit here and write this out my resolve is strengthening, that I am going to get the Voice Over People the recognition and praise they deserve.

One Man, One Pidgeon, One Seat!

2006-10-24T01:56:00.000+10:00

Hi people of the Blogosphere.

As you know, I have recently gotten cameras again, and after a lengthy self-debate, set up a Flick for me.

Here is my latest shot to have gone up.

(click for better view)
MV.

2006-10-16T18:19:00.000+10:00

Free Hugs Campaign. Inspiring Story! (music by sick puppies)

Beautiful.
Let's ALL do it people!

Fighting off the Black Dog!

2006-10-15T22:49:00.000+10:00

Well, after a run of about 4 good months, 4 months of running from the Black Dog, the little bugger seems to have caught up with me.
There's no denying the tenacity of that little mutherfucker.
He just keeps on coming, no matter what I do. Medication, Running like mad, whatever, he just keeps on coming.
And so now, he's grabbed well and trully back onto my leg, and is dragging me down.
Which is NOT what I needed right now - ever actually, but really not now.

Y'see, I've come to a point, where I've realised that in reality, me and study don't mix afterall. I thought we might, and I had a fair crack (2 years), but we're just not suited.
So what then? What comes next?
Work? Back in a factory? A warehouse?
A job with specific hours that I just can't meet? A job with the flexibilty of an engine block?

I think not. Why?
Well, as slack as it'll sound, I'll go fuckin MAD in 3 months. I really couldn't do it.
Living with a condition - depression (chronic anxiety also), and in a time and place so restrictive and rigid, I will last a matter of months before needing to frankly, quit, and bury myself far far away from any recognisable place in the world.
But is there a place for me, and other people with Depression, to go and work our bums off while we can, and then go away and hide ourselves back in our rooms when we need to? A little time where we can 'not work' too, and just do whatever it is we do when we're down?
Reallistically, I don't think so. We need to find a place we can work so flat out, at our own hours when we can, and then when things aren't so good, we won't be penalised or have other restrictions (financial etc from no income) placed on us when we're not well.

Ok, ideally, I'd be making enough money to pay rent, eat etc from writing and taking picures...not just because I'd have the 'freedom' then, but 'cos I love doing them...but again, this is the real world.
Over the last little period of time, I've had my sights on that. But things like that don't just happen overnight. It takes a lot of work, and TIME, to get oneself into a position one can make their 'hobbies' pay. And by a 'living'' btw, I don't mean the extravegant, "Rock Star" "Rich and Famous" lifestyle. I mean rent, food, ciggies and materials/gear, and yeah, a few beers now and again.

Which again goes back to the work dilemma.
When one is working, paying the bills, buying a big flatscreen, living "like normal people" (thats what my Dad says) , when does one find the time (and more impotantly, the energy) to do all these other things as well?
How, if one is feeling creative rather then mechancal, dronelike, does one get to excercise ones creative side, properly, and dedicate a good amount of time to, well, dedication to it, when one has a forklift and a bunch of pallets to move around a yard, killing ones creativity? And one thing I HAVE leant from my time 'studying', is that I actually am a fairly creative person.
I love my writing and my photography. I still a helluva lot to learn, especially if one is going to earn a 'living' from them, and I am willing to learn, but I need the time to take the opportunities. Not, "yeah, I can learn that, or spend some time on ... but later" or whatever, then go jump in the forklift. I've learnt while studying, that living that 'normal' life is good for many, but for some, 'normal' is just, beyond.
I'd always thought that, and thought it was just me and that I was weird. And now I know; and I know that even though I am still weird (calling a spade a spade here), I'm not alone in 'not fitting in'. Pretty depressing on it's own.

I was going to bring this up here soon anyway, following on from my last post, but the Black Dog is right onto me tonight...despite me trundling off to the A-league (Australia's Soccer). And yes, Melbourne Victory did lose, but i'm not going to go on about my curse - tonight.

I've kinda just blurted this on here tonigh too, so it probably doesn't say what I actually wanted it to say.

Thanks for visiting and letting me crap on awhile,
Vinnie Me.

Sleep!

2006-10-12T00:27:00.000+10:00

I love sleep.
Absolutely ADORE sleep.

However, there is a point where too much really IS, too much. And I've by far exceeded that point.

36 hours at a time.

Easily.

Apart from not sleeping for up to arond 20 hours ata time, regularly, I'll sleep from anywhere between 36 to 48 hours at a time. Ok, so technically, it's not solid; I'll wake for maybe half an hour or so from time to time, but I think that still counts really as the hours I mentioned.
I guess we all love a good ol' rainy Satur-all-day in bed too, in the dark depths of winter.
But once a week?
Yep. Probably once or so a week, i'll need to sleep my 36 hour stint. And it's not because I do stay up for 24 hour periods either. The rest of the time, I get about 7-8 or so 'normal' hours a day. The hours are different to most people's, I sleep mainly from about 4am to 11 or 12Am. Which is another thing on its own.
I cannot, for the life of me, sleep before about 4am. I have no idea why. When I do let myself sleep from that late, I generally don't even need an alarm to wake me. I just wake and get up when i've slept enough.
And this does make things tough for the "real" world - the working world. But even when I was working (remember I 'study' now), I could not sleep before about 3 or 4Am. It's just my hours. Yet I still somehow managed to (just) get up for work.

But then these uber silly hours crept in...no, I correct myself. When I was younger, working two jobs, including one in a club finishing as late as 6am, I slept ALL Saturday. Then worked gain. At least then though, i knew where my need, my need for sleep came from.

As I was saying... then these uber silly hours crept in, and nothing, and by nothing, I mean nothing would/could wake me. I ended up missing work. And I couldn't explain why. Was it depression manifesting itself in new ways since I had started medication? I don't know.
Was it the medication itself? Maybe. I'm still on and I still sleep like a ... whatever sleeps so long at a time!
I have no answers.

And this is worrying. Someday soon, I'm going to have to re-enter the worforce. How does one tell the boss that "I couldn't get in today cos I was asleep"; "Cos I was tired"?
ANd this doubles up now on another problem I am facing soon, on re-entering the workforce. My health in general.

But I can write about that concern another day. It'll be a pretty decent length post and I've already taken enough of your time for one day.

Until next time,
Vinnie Me, signing out.

2006-10-09T01:20:00.000+10:00

ghost

Full on guys.
I crapped m' pants.

How cool!

2006-10-04T00:57:00.000+10:00

hey people who're supposed to be working but aren't.
Guess what?

Well, you know all those kids, the ones born in like '86 running aroung the place with the whole '73 thing on their Tee shirts? Well, This is my post number 73.
Yay.
I'll say it agin, this is my post number 73.
once more, just for that number; 73.

73

The year I was born. Which actually makes me laugh at all those kidss, the ones born in '86, running around the place with '73 printed on their tees.
Cos '73 has just been that number all my life. Like for Dad it's '49.
But, how many tees have '49 printed on 'em? none.
How many of those kids born in '61 do you see running around with '49 printed on their tees? Again, none.

Ok, so, Rip Curl and Quicksilver were born, right here in Victoria in '73, and they ALL use that as their "logo" now. Why not use me? I'm logo-able aren't I?

The reason they haven't used me as their logo? none

The significance of this post? Right again, none.

hope you smiled.
NOW GET BACK TO WORK!
V

Sunday II

2006-10-01T15:04:00.000+10:00

I name so many posts Sunday.
And just to mix it up even more, it's another lazy Sunday. A lazy lazy sunny spring Sunday afternoon.

Tonight I meet up with Melbourne band Mach Pelican for some live shots and a chat.

Oops, some-one in my street just started up with the chainsaw, and I think, judging by the obscenities being yelled out, and the massive crunch, they took down more than they meant to.

My Flickr is doing ok - getting a few views.

The folks head off to NZ this week for a month or so.

My beautiful little niece, who hit 4 months last weekend is doing well.

I'm still broke.

Very soon too, I'll be blogging again properly.

Catch, M-Vinnie

Silver Beard

2006-09-28T01:47:00.000+10:00

Silver Beard
Originally uploaded by memaxmarz.

Look at this guys eyes.

Here is the photograper's own description of this shot...

"This man was rooting through the garbage cans on the street and he wasn't able to communicate well. He nodded to my request for a photo, and when I asked him his name, his voice was very rusty. I couldn't make out what he was saying. As soon as I snapped two photos he was off down the alley."

Photo by:

Janis Brass, Vancouver

My heart breaks.

Touching base.

2006-09-25T16:24:00.000+10:00

Hey all... al three of you that is.
Just dropping in to say HI. I been busy with the latest TR deadline.

Um, what else...?
Um, I spent most of Saturday with my brother and my li'l niece, she turned 4months on Friday.
I went out and drank too much on Friday night...had a couple revelations though - tell you 'bout them another time.
Still going woth "Museum of Dirt" on flickr - getting it all sorted and figuring it out.
Been sleeping stupid hours, as usual...5am to 1pm. I dunno, they're just the hours that work for me. I just can't sleep before then, and I wake without an alarm at the same, right time everyday.
Which is good and bad.
Good, cos I reckon my health is picking up; bad cos it doesn't really suit the "real" world. But it's still around the 'recommended' 8 hrs. Hmm, strange.
I met a really really fascinating young lady a couple weeks ago, I'll tell you all about that soon though.
Um, I think that's about it too.

I haven't been visiting many blogs of late either...that ones just due to slackness I think.

All I can think of for now,
speak soon, well, actually write and bore you to death soon,
mini Vinnie.

Don't ya Hate it ...

2006-09-13T23:51:00.000+10:00

Ok, two things today.

First, quickly, Don't ya hate it when...
Only a week ago one sets up a new email account, as I did this time last week in response to a suggestion by one of the Tabula writers, as a dedicated "Letters to the Editor" account. Up until now, we've never had one. Only the email address for submissions.
So I went into google, sent myself an invite and set up a new account, for Letters to the Editor.
I, being Editor, would of course be the one receiving the Letters, good and bad, so I set it up with a name that would be fairly simple to remember (for my own benefit as well as letter writers) and obvious and distictly for Letters to the Ed and not to submissions or any other area of the magazine that might get mixed up. And so, an obvious, simple, memorable and distinct name was chosen, a password was allocated and Bingo! I had my account for Letters to the Editor.
So anywayz, tonight I'm making up a little flyer to go in the next mag with all the direct Tabula email addresses, so that all the addresses are public, easy, there etc.

So I get to the Letters address.
WTF was it? I couldn't remember it - for the life of me.
I searched all my other accounts for the address, cos surely, even though I didn't actually WRITE the address down on a bit of paper, I'd have sent myself an email to assure myself it was all working fine, wouldn't I?
But nuh. No, Zero , Zilch, Nil, Nada, Nothing.
No address anywhere.

I had NO idea now what the address was, and no way of finding it out either, cos, I had no evidence of it actually existing in the first place. There were no records. (note to self - don't become dodgy businessman with illegal, dodgy dealings worldwide, cos for sure, I'm gonna lose track of my own intricate web of intrigue).

So, I figured I was gonna have to set up a(nother) new account.
So, I sent myself another invite, went through the whole process (this was after an hour and a half racking my brain and searching high and low) and got to the bit where I name the new account and the address. So, I thought to myself, what would be a good email address for Letter to the Editor?
Oh, I know.
So I keyed in the name I thought would be a great name for our Letters address. Guess what?
Some crazy bugger had got in before me, er, hang on.
I went back to th esign in page, used that name and one or two of a couple passwords that sounded right.

Guess what?

I found my email account, the username and address.

DUH!

Somehow I'd forgotten the address, but managed to think up the same name again when I went to re-name the account!!!!

Anyhoo, I have big news today!
No, I'm not pregnant.
Yes, as you're aware by now, I am a dick.

But this had nothing to do with either...
I have FINALLY got a FlickR account going.
After many months of debating it with myself, I've done it.

So, if you have spare time, the inclination/curiousity, you're dead bored or you just love my work (and who wouldn't - you're only human), HERE IS ME AT FLICKR!
Please come along and have a squiz.

Out for now...
MV

Sunday!

2006-09-10T15:32:00.000+10:00

just a damn lazy Sunday here. nothing much at all going on.
I'm supposed to be cutting the lawns, doing washing (part of which I have actually done) and a few other things.
But as I said, it a lazy Sunday...so I might go back to bed.

Meanwhile though, have a look at this.
It's called "the Bell Project". The people here taking a brass bell around America, tolling it at various places, and watching to see people's reactions. What an awesome idea.
And here's me calling it a lazy Sunday - see, I did do something productive. i found their blog.

Oh, that and I've set up my FlickR account, at last. Now I have to get to the drive with all my pics. (So, if I were you, which I am not, I wouldn't look for my photos at that link yet, cos there aren't any there.)

Yay Mini Vinnie.
Speak soon.

SHATTERED!

2006-09-08T19:22:00.000+10:00

I really don't know what to say folks.
The death this afternoon of Australin Motor Racing legend Peter Brock has really knocked me.
Like really knocked me.

yeah, i know, he was a racing car driver, a person whom I never met.
And yes, further, he was a racing driver who died in a crash during a racing event...but that doesn't diminish the place this man has in my world. If anything, it inspires... he, like Steve Irwin earlier this week, died doing what he loved doing, rather than waiting for old age or a random bus. And yes, there are inherent risks with Motor Sport - but for someone with his profile, this just isn't meant to be. Like Steve Irwin again, Brocky was indestructable.

I grew up on a diet of Motor Racing. As far back as I can remember, Dad used to take us all out to Sandown Racecourse for the Sandown 500, and to watch the Fords of Dick Johnson (we are a Ford family) take on Brocky in his Holdens. It was always a huge day for us, a long, exciting, day, full of car racing, the noise of the cars and the smell of racing fuel, and, I remember, junk food (Mum and Dad let us really get into the day).
Always, Brocky was our "nemessis", being "the guy that drove the other car".

Then, a few weeks later, the week after the VFL (i'm being nostalgic here) Grand Final, it would be up at 7, the TV tuned in to chanel 7 and a long long day spent in front of the Tele watching Bathurst - the 1000km race at Mt Panorama, where Brocky earned the title "King of The Mountain" for his uncanny ability to win such an enduring and difficult race. He won it a total of 9 times.
So for us, it was 9 years of cheering Dick Johnson and his Fords on, just to beat Peter Perfect - another title he earned himself. Although at times, one secrectly did wish Brocky on, for despite the rivallary, and it was never any more than that, he was Brocky, and yes, one did want ot see him win - just not against Johnson.

Peter Brock was as much of my life as the man I cheered on. And never once, did any of our family disrespect Brocky. In fact, it was through Brocky, and his ravallry with our hero, Johnson, - and his own competitiveness, professionalism and sportsmanship, that we, as young lads, learned the values of sportmanship and respect - and that a healthy dose of competetion can be a good and valuable thing in itself. (There were other things too, but I remember this as being one of the great lessons). My parents were careful to bring us up with the admiration and respect for the competition, in this case it was Brocky.
It was a lesson I carry with me today.

But back to Brocky...I will always remember the attitude he had on the track, as opposed to the one he had off the track - even through the TV. I guess it was another of the lessons Brocky, Mum and Dad taught us. On the track, or on the field, go for it - stay in the rules, but go for it. At the end of the day, when the competition is over, its back to being mates. And judging by the respect he had from his peers and the public alike, it was a lesson Brocky taught more than just me and my brothers.

For people more familiar with Motor Racing here in Australia, 3 things I'll never forget...
Dick Johnson going off into the trees at forest elbow.
Craig Lowndes at Calder.
And today.

Vale Brocky. You'll be sorely missed.

A tired new post

2006-09-06T20:40:00.000+10:00

Just finished a magazine meeting. And I'm tired.
And the grey stuff don't wanna work, so i'm not gonna even attempt to post properly...

So here is a picture from about a month or so ago. It is of Royal Arcade, amongst the maze of Laneways and Alleyways and Arcades right in the heart of Melbourne.

A beautiful part of a beautiful city.

I hope you enjoy it

Crikey!!!

2006-09-04T17:10:00.000+10:00

no more Steve Irwin, "Crocodile Hunter".
Caught by a StingRay Barb diving off the Far North Queensland coast at Port Douglas.

For some local (as in Melbourne) reports....go here, here and here. (All from TheAge).

RIP Steve, you're a bloody good Aussie!

Interview PTII

2006-08-28T18:19:00.000+10:00

The interview done...now the horrible bit.

Transcribing it.

ARGH!

My vioce on tape.

ARGH!

Other than that I think it went ok. We covered all the ground i wanted to cover, got all the questions in I wanted in.

She (Stephanie) was a joy, she'd really take the answering to the full extent and in quite a few cases, led me into other questions i had, and even inadvertantly answered a few without me needing to ask.

Back to transcribing...and my voice...EW!

EDIT:
I just listened to the whole thing back, the tape, and it actually wasn't too bad an interview.

Yeah, ok, so maybe i'm being a bit biased, but I think I managed to get some really good questions in. MV...a pat on the back for being semi-professional and not making (too much) of a dick of yourself.

Interviews.

2006-08-27T21:49:00.000+10:00

Hey, it's not everday one gets to interview one of one's all-time favourite bands. But tomorrow afternoon, after many emails and calls and all that sort of thing with the 'people' from their label, i will (touchwood) be speaking to Stephanie Ashworth, bass player of Something For Kate. (And here for Something For Kate's MySpace.)

This is actually kinda scary in a way. I've chosen always to steer away from 'less professional' bands, waiting for my chance (somehow knowing it would always one day come, even though I've never chased it up), to chat with the bands that are more media savvy and (in my mind) matter and are let's face, of a fairly high profile.
Now I have that chance, I know that with these guys, I can't screw up. These guys are pro, this is their life and to screw up is a lost, rare opportunity, that may not come again.
To do well though, to ask cool interesting questions and to write the interview up accuratley and to GAIN THEIR RESPECT, can open up doors later on, and well, as we all know, word of mouth is a double edged sword - it can be a great tool or it can destroy a career.

But yes, I am excited. I've followed these guys for about 7 or 8 years now, met them a few times (they are cool), seen heaps of shows. I kinda hope i don't come across as some kind of, like, 15 year old school girl glimpsing Paris H(o), all star-struck and stuff.

Please, Vinnie me, once in your life, be professional.

Better write some questions.

Time for Change!

2006-08-23T18:11:00.000+10:00

I found this little stencil on a wall down a back alley off a laneway in the City somewhere.
For ages I've had the idea of coming up with a slogan to the same effect, for a t-shirt, a stencil, an email signature or even to paint on a board and sit out on the street for a while just to see what kind of reaction I'd get. I have spent quite some time on the train throwing possibilities around my head and playing with the wording to get it as simple and direct as possible, in as few words as possible.
But, this dude here, beat me to it. So I'll post a picture of his (or her) work.

It's a pity I can't attribute it.

So Close...

2006-08-21T18:07:00.000+10:00

...to setting up a FlickR account.

In other news, not much. Happy to see the Smashing Pumpkins are reforming.
TR has hit a bit of a snag - we have no current Layout staff, our one and only layout person is on IBL (Industry Based Learning - kinda like Internship).
I'm so close to setting up a FlickR account (as I said), but I'm just not sure about it. I don't know why, I'm just not. Yes, I would dearly love to make a career of taking photographs, but is FlickR a help or a hinderance. Hmmm.

I think that is all the grey matter is capable of digging up today.

Speak soon,
Vinnie.

Tip Of the Day: 2

2006-08-18T18:36:00.000+10:00

Ok, a while ago I started a tradition on my blog here of "Tip of The Day". In my other tradition, that of not following my own traditions, I did not follow that "ToTD" tradition...
Until now that is...

Here we go! TODAY'S TIP!

Always keep an eye out the train window to see where exactly you are.
In my own case, I usually don't have to follow this tip/advice. I live at the end of the line, so I can't really go any further by accident than my destination. An announcement always comes on through the PA aboard the train, so that if one is dozey and/or not paying attention, one is more than likely to hear this announcement and start paying attention, pack up and leave the train.
The train I catch home is on a split line, that is, two lines run most of the way, until at one point they split into two different lines, so yes, as the train approaches this one particular station where the two lines go their seperate ways, one does pay a little more attention here, especially on evening services (as its a 50/50 service one each way), just to make sure one has the right train, or needs to change.

So anyways, today I'm all over the place; trains here, walking there, trains back etc. I got to Richmond Station (about the third or fourth time for the day), which is a fairly major station through which several lines run.
I did everything right. I promise. I checked the screen above the platform I wanted for the next train, and when it arrived, I jumped aboard - as you do. I then crouched myself near the door, as the carriage was fairly full, and I wasn't going far anyhow, and proceeded to lose myself in my 'paper - head up my arse, blissfully unaware of where I was moment to moment.

After a few stops, I checked out through the open (the train had pulled into a station) door, just to see exactly where I was. I thought it weould've been Hawthorn by the number of stops.
Looking out though, I noticed that Hawthorn Sation looked, well - different.
How so? I didn't know at this stage, but it was definately different.
I caught sight of a station sign ... Heyington. Even the sign of the station name looked different.

HEYINGTON ?
No Way.
I looked again. It seemed by now the station and the name of the station, not only looked different; they were different.

I had caught the wrong train. Not only wrong train - which would have been cool on it's own, as either of the (so I thought) three services that come through the platform I caught this train from go through my to destination - but (as I was saying) not only had I caught the wrong train, BUT I HAD CAUGHT THE WRONG LINE!

I jumped off the train and ran out onto the platform, looking around me for clues as to what was going on, hoping that other commuters were as confused and as indignant as I was at the stupidity of the driver for going the wrong way (unfortunately, every single other passenger was looking calm and well, normal; as though the train was going to the right place - damn them all), and at the same time trying to look as casual as I could, hoping no-one saw the indescretion I had by now realised was actually mine (ahem, damn that train driver for not telling me).
I got my bearings, got over onto the other platform and caught the next train back to where I had come from, still hoping no-one saw me. I don't think anyone had, or if they had seen me go back the way I had just come, they covered it up well, which does mean that right now, I am the laughing stock now...everyone they speak to this evening will hear of ME, the guy that obviously caught the WRONG TRAIN!

Luckily though, I had only veered from my intended destination, and more importantly, the line I needed to be on by one stop, so I only had to go back by one stop, to rejoin the world.

And so here I sit now, offering you all the empirical evedence you need to take heed of my "Tip of The Day" for today, Friday the 18th of August, 2006

PS. Long Tan day. 40 years since the Battle of Long Tan in VietNam. To all the diggers who served, and especially those who did not come home, you will not be forgotten.
Let Peace Reign.

MV

Confrontations over Public/Private space.

2006-08-17T16:51:00.000+10:00

Went shooting yesterday. 2 Rolls. B&W - 1 to be pull proccessed and one to be severly push processed. Can't wait to see all that.
I was shooting out on Swanston St in the CBD, just finishing up, and spotted a cool little scene - a whole bunch of empty tables and chairs out the front of one of the 'restaurants' along the strip. So I crouched down to get the angle I wanted, framed, metered the light and was just about to shoot when a huge hand reached across the front of the lens and a booming voice called out "No Photos".
"What?" I asked.
"No photos", standing in front of me reaching out for MY camera was this huge guy, obviously the proprieter. (Have I spelt that correctly?)
"Why".
"You can't take photos here."
"Why"
"This is my place"
This was out the front of his (empty) 'restaurant', on the footpath. "This is public space" I claimed, "I can take pictures here and you can't stop me"
"Yes I can. This is mine."
"No its not. This is the footpath, this is public space and you can't stop me. Inside is yours and you can stop me there, but I'm not inside."
"It's my place" he reiterated. "Piss off"
Confident of myself (I've studied this), I asked "Do you own this? Or do you pay a fee for a permit to the City Council to have your tables out here?"
"I have a permit"
"Then there you go. I'm perfectly entitled to take pictues here".
He was getting pretty angry by now, so I went back to my task... taking pictures. He moved in front of where I was framing and stood there, hands on hips.
"I'm actually pretty patient mate, so you might be there a while" I put him on notice, as I had plenty of time, I am patient when I'm waiting for a shot and I had reason to dig in. I had a purpose. I was gonna wait there and take that shot, all 30th of a second of it, if it took me all night and all day today ... I WAS GETTING THAT PICTURE, WHETHER HE LIKED IT OR NOT.
So a framed up and waited. I was waiting at the same time for him or one of his charges to call the cops or something too, as I knew, 100%, that I was right and that they would concur. And I had it from his own mouth too - He paid a fee to the City Council for a permit to set up there. The Council runs that bit of land. I was gonna have it my way.
A moment or two later, one of his employees, who was originally in the frame, came over to me. "What are ya takin a photo of?"
"Just the empty tables and chairs. The pattern of the style you have looks really cool."
"Oh. He thought you were taking pictures of us."
"Nahh, I'm not A current Affair. Just like taking photos."
"Oh OK then. You're OK".

So I thanked him, took the shot and glared down the shop owner as I walked away, almost dissapointed he didn't call the police. It would've made him look like the dick he was, and publicly too ... Very publicly. Anyone who knows Melbourne knows how busy Swanston St is at 6-7pm.

I'm pretty sure its gonna be a fairly average shot too, as I was experimenting with the films and the push proccessing more than anything else.
Ahh, anyhoo.

MV

Tuesday

2006-08-15T19:46:00.000+10:00

I couldn't think of a better title...Sorry.

Hey, does anyone out there know how, or if, I can scan slides and colour negs?
I tried with these (above) before, and had no idea, so, I messed around with Photoshop for a while and came up with what you see.
I kinda like 'em, but, I started out hoping I could just scan them up. I have heaps of slides I'd like to scan.

Anyhoo, tomorrow, I'm out shooting - I get paid and so therefore some film. Yay.

That's it for today...oh, actually, one more thing....
Keifer Sutherland. Ladies..hot or not?

Bye for now...Mini Vinnie.

An answer to one of life's GREAT mysteries.

2006-08-10T17:48:00.000+10:00

I'm often asked, by people of from walks of life, how I keep my skin so pastey and grey.
Seriously.
People are ALWAYS coming up to me - office girls, workers on buiding sites, Mothers and Fathers with young children, strangers on the train - an assortment of people you'd be astonished at, are always approaching me and saying "Minnie Vinnie, how do you do it? How do you keep that eternal Pastey Grey tone to your skin?"

I've never known.
It's actually embarrassing to tell people that. When they work up the courage to make their way to me and ask their burning question, all I can do is shrug my shoulders nonchalently and say "I Dunno. It just comes natural I guess.'
Even the lovely people from Pro-Active Solutions can't answer the question.

However...
I may just have found a reason.
And yes, I will tell.

I get to the Milkbar this morning, on the way to the station, where I decided that I was hungry and needed some breakfast. Some may suggest that waiting till I'm at the Milkbar to decide such a thing is a triffle childish and even 'unhealthy'.
Some may ask why I was at the Milkbar even? Well, that's a very good question. Y'see, every morning (actually, afterrnoon most days), when I'm on my way out for the day, I stop at my local Milkbar for a drink called IceBreak.
IceBreak is yummy. IceBreak is my daily, 'as I leave and get on the train', coffee milk drink.

As I mentioned earlier though, I had decided that I was also hungry and needed food, as well as coffee for breaklfast. What, I hear you ask, did one - CAN one get from a Milkbar for breakfast. Glad you asked.
KIT-KAT Bar! YAY! Chocolate AND Wafer!
Breakfast of champions. IceBreak and KIT-KAT!

PLUS...while I was there, I checked, and you guessed it, I needed cigarettes. So a pack of my delicios li'l Marlboro Lights was added to the list; which by this stage, which was the leaving the Milkbar and going to the station stage. The entire list :
1 IceBreak
1 KIT KAT
1 Packet Marlboro Lights.

And that's been it for the day - hance people, the Pastieness and the Greyness!

A post and a piktur

2006-08-09T18:28:00.000+10:00

I'd like to post something poignant and earth shattering ( not literally) today, but my grey matter just isn't in the mood - less in the mood than normal that is.

Today, all I've really done was run (not literally) around campus posting flyers on our magazine stands calling for submissions for the next issue to go into production, as the next issue that we'll be releasing is in production right now. I know what I mean.

Anyhoo, so as I was saying, I can't be bothered with an (not litterally) earth shattering post, so here is a picture I took a while back. It ws taken several years ago on a beautiful warm, sunny Autumn afternnon in a pine plantation in the Buckland Valley in the Victorian highlands. Across to the right, on the far side of the valley and out of sight, is the amazing Mt Buffallo - so called because the sheer face gives the appearence of buffallo hide. This really is a beautiful part of Victoria. Had plenty of adventures up around this area. Anyhow, its one of my way, WAY favourites.
It's kind of how I feel today.

Enjoy, and be peaceful.
V

HI

2006-08-07T20:01:00.000+10:00

more of a drop in and say Hi kind of a post today than anything else.
Doing magazine stuff, for this AND the next issue...I figure there's no point in leaving the next issue as late as this one was.
So I set a deadline and theme and made flyers to go up around the place.

Tomorrow I'll finish my little epic for THIS issue - epic only as its taken SO long to write. It's only gonna be around 18-1900 words when it is done, but, boy, getting those last few hundred right... I should mention its a fiction piece, so I'm extra anally retentive with it. But, on the other hand, when it IS done, I'll start on the next part of it, which is already floating around in my head, which is to take a so far not-so-successful longer (3,000 so far) piece and combine the two, which are fairly similar thematically anyway, to make one (hopefully) decent story.
But we'll see how that one goes as I get into it.

Other than that, just proofing here, still getting the last content together, hopefully I can send it all of to the printer in a week or so, then concentrate on Issue 5.
See, and this leads me in to why I've started geting on issue 5 going so early.
Most people have finished their part of the issue (4) that I'm now putting together, so instead of leaving them all hanging like loose threads for a fortnight or however long, I can get their focus on that next issue, number 5.
So there we go...It all makes sense to me, even if I made no sense here, but I didn't even mean to get this involved here tonight, cos, as I said originally, this was going to be a HI post, not Crime and Punishment, cos, apart from anything else, I'm starving and need food.

Grrrr....Pizza!

Guess who discovered YOU TUBE? Yes, of course, ME!

2006-08-03T16:27:00.000+10:00

Japan Silent library ( 無声図書館、非常におかしい!!)^^

There's a whole bunch of these Japanese "Silent Library". Safe for work... If you can remain silent enough.

Mentos and Diet Coke - Be warned, do not try this at home! (A mate's place is fine)

2006-08-03T15:39:00.000+10:00

Mentos and diet coke

Check this shit out.
This is awesome. Haven't tried it though (yet - ahh what can I say, boys WILL be boys).

Ow. I have a headache from laughing too hard!

Late night TV

2006-08-02T19:48:00.000+10:00

I am a HUGE fan of late night TV. So huge in fact, that I can sit and watch endless hours of crap without even beginning to think about, well, er... anything, let alone how crap the television that I'm watching actually is.
However, over the last week and a half, this has all changed.
And not because of a shift in my conciousness, oh no, my third eye is still well and truly in its dormant stage. I say dormant, because it isn't even in its infant stage.
This has all changed due to a new phenomena taking over my apathy box, a new revolution in late night TV content.

Live-to-air quiz shows.

You read correctly. They have these new 'shows' (and I use the term very, very loosely), where some presenter stands in a live-to-air studio, ranting on about who knows what, 'bantering' with the crew, with some crappy quiz on the screen, all the while urging us all to call in and WIN WIN WIN CASH CASH CASH!

Huge sums of cash they offer too. A whole $25 or $50 is on offer. Ok, so there are some decent sums too, up to about a grand or so.

Here's the deal. Presenter stands there amusing (and I use the term very, very loosely) us, while urging us to call in.
Callers get through to the studio.
Caller gives their answer - usually its not the correct answer.
More people call.
Presenter keeps crapping on (and I use the term very , very strongly).
More people call (at fairly high call rates mind you), and eventually we get a "winner" (who probably has a huge phone bill to pay with that CASH CASH CASH).
A new 'game' is set up.
And the whole thing goes on and on (and on) like this for a couple hours.

Now, it may sound a little like I'm just having a whinge over one little program I can easily ignore. And such was the case about a year or so ago, when the first of these 'shows' turned up, the "Up Late Game Show" on Network 10, which replaced "BigBrother Up Late", which has again just finshed here (YAY). But last week, channel 9 began the "Quizmaster", then channel 7 'gave' (and I use the term very, very loosely) us the same thing but called the "Zoo...." something-or-other as well as this week, the return of "Up Late Game Show" on 10.

WHY?
What the hell is wrong with crappy old sitcoms nobody actually laughs at, or, like in the old days, some reject soapie we could watch secretly and not talk about? Or even old movies?

Argh!

I'm angry and confused

2006-08-01T15:54:00.000+10:00

I'm neither for or against the existence of the Israeli State. Despite the obvious problems it has caused in the region, and the world. Maybe, for the sake of peace, another solution to the 'problem' can be found.
However, there are two major issues that make me angry right now...apart from the murdering of hundreds of innocent people in Lebanon and the fact that the 'precision' and 'surgical' targetting seems to be killing more civillians that Hizbollah.

First.
How can it be that Israel, the 'champion' of democracy in the region, can strike a soveriegn nation, a fledgelling democracy, to force that nation to close off its democracy to certain and specific groups? I am in NO way endorsing Hizbollah...if it is armed. Hizbollah have members in the Lebanese parliament. Although they are armed as a group, they act also within the democracy. Of course, a group that is armed (including western armies - the rogues) should be outlawed and disarmed.
But this is a long long political process as well as security issue - see IRA. It took Britain and Sinn Fein a long time to see eye to eye and agree to lay their arms down. A similar process (INMHO) must be undertaken between Lebanon and Hizbollah primarily, and with Israel.
But unfortunately, as we see on out TV screens daily at the moment, Hizbollah are only growing in strength and numbers as a result in the bombs being drooped on the Lebanese people.

Second.
How can a peace process even be contemplated while the US is arming Israel with one hand, and trying to 'negotiate' peace with the other? Where is the 'good faith' coming from that will get everyone to the table?
Why is the US exempt from the double standards of arming Israel, while they accuse Iran and Syria of arming Hizbollah? I know people would say, "Oh but Hizbollah are terrorists and Iran and Syria are guilty of arming them!" Ok, Hizbollah aren't angels, no doubt there, but ask yourself:
Are you sure about the link? Are you 100% sure of that? Remember WMD's? Remember the 'link' between Saddam and Osama? Remember the 'link' between Saddam and 9/11?
Ask yourself this: If all this precision bombing landed a bomb on a houseful of kids, then how sure are we to ever be of the 'link' between Hizbollah and Syria/Iran if that information comes from the same source as the instructions to bomb that buiding?

I'm not saying the link isn't there, it may well be for all I know. I'm definately not saying Hizbollah are the good guys here.

More to the point though, what I AM trying to say, rather ask, is, haven't we moved on and grown up from all this violence yet? Must we resort to Violence?
I sincerely believe there are other ways to handle these confrotations. We just have to convince our 'leaders' that there are!

Post number 50 and narrative

2006-07-26T19:43:00.000+10:00

Hey all. Post number 50. Yay me.
Ok, I'm over that.

I was thinking the other night, and for some reason, the idea of Narrative dawned on me, like a mini epiphany.
Narrative, as in, the bare bones of a story. The absolute bare essentials. The framework.

ie...
Boy leaves home.
Boy wanders.
Boy faces adversity.
Boy is outcast.
Boy overcomes adversity/becomes Man.
Man finds his place.
Man assumes kingdom.
(This very roughly from 'The Stone and the Flute', a fantasy novel I read ages ago. The authors name I don't remember.)

The rest of the story, the novel, is the flesh on the skeleton. And together, they make a great book.
A story with all detail and no real outcome, narrative, is just as hard to read and make sense of. All flesh and no skeleton therefore, and is as incomplete as a story that is all skeleton and no flesh.

The next night, I was reading some blogs, and found on Cloe's "Froth on the Daydream" Blog, this post titled "My Plot" , about narrative, rather, about her living her daily life and its little moments as narrative.

I realised, as I read her post, that I have no narrative.
Like a badly written story, my 'life' is noe more than mere and loosely dis-connected randomness - with the occasional bout of bad dialogue thrown in for good measure.
This 'story' has no narrative and no real body, or flesh, just a handful of tendons - pardon the pun.
Ok, there are the very rare mini-narratives scattered around the place, but generally not too fleshy or even daily...
Boy gets up.
Goes to office/class.
Comes home.
Goes back to bed.
And so on and so forth, generally on a loop.

And I think this is evidenced by this blog.
After 50 post, it really only meandered to, well, nowhere.

Maybe the next 50 will lead somewhere or to something.
Fingers crossed.

PS...I found this on the AGE online today. Scroll down - Look familiar?
It should, it is mine and you'll also find it here!

Foto Monday

2006-07-24T17:25:00.000+10:00

Hey Guys.
Busy this week with the magazine, so instead of writing for ya, I'll photo for ya.
This one from about 2 weeks ago, late evening.

I'll have some words real soon though.

Tip for the Day

2006-07-23T21:36:00.000+10:00

Today, in a new Tradition I'm setting, a tradition that has no precedent on this blog, and a tradition that I'll no doubt break by the end of the week, is:
TIP OF THE DAY!!!!

Today's tip...
Wait until AFTER the storm has passed before going to the local Safeway for the evening's snacks (which I might add are waiting for me right now).

Empirical/Anecdotal Evidence:
Well, early this afternoon, I decided to go to my local Safeway, to get my snack-foodage for tonights stage of the Tour de France. Yeah, it was actually a bit pre-meditated, as I also wanted a coffee and a read at one of my fave local coffee shops/hangouts. Unfortunately, this particular coffee shop was closed, so I went straight in for the snack food purchasing...

After making said purchase,nI came out of Safeway to the almighty roar of marble sized hail stones crashing to the ground and about 2inches of running water along the footpath.
So, I decided to wait it out.
So I waited. The tempest abated, then more hail fell - the tempest returned.
I awaited the tempest's next abatement.
Than I left for home ... On foot I should mention.

Anyhow, about three quarters of the way home, a third, and most prolific tempest surged upon me. By the time I arrived at my abode, I was soaked through and freezing.

Hence my Tip for The Day...
Wait antil AFTER the storm has passed before going to the local Safeway for the evening's snacks!

Frankly...

2006-07-19T19:35:00.000+10:00

I don't care who started it,

JUST STOP KILLING EACH OTHER!

Seriously, if we took all the money that has been spent on bombs and on killing each other over the last week, I'm certain...

I'm as sure as Hell...

that if we took all that money and all those resources,

all the bombs being used to kill,

and all the boats evacuating people..

and spent it all on, say,

FOOD,

or say,

MEDICINE,

for the World's Poorest and most desperate and most destitute and all the people living on LESS THAN A DOLLAR A DAY,

for ONE WEEK...

the World will be a happier, healthier, more harmonious and probably SAFER place than it is now.

Imagine...

if we could do it for ONE WEEK.

ONE WEEK of NOT killing each other and spending

MILLIONS

DOLLARS

doing it.

THEN,

Imagine what we could do if we stopped killing each other and spending millions of dollars in the proccess, and spent those $ on feeding the poor and looking after their HEALTH...

FOR

ONE WHOLE

YEAR!

What a beautiful World we

COULD

have.

Imagine that.

Do we want it badly enough?

Foto Friday

2006-07-14T14:10:00.000+10:00

Because I don't wanna spend too much time on a 'real' post, I'll post a Friday Foto instead.

2 Legged Curse

2006-07-12T15:30:00.000+10:00

I am a walking curse.

Everything I turn my (not so) blessed hand to, turns ultimately to shit.
I'm not a nihilist. Well, actually, I am, but not on this one...It's true.

Three examples...

1) Carlton Football Club
In Melbourne here, our major code of Football is of course, Aussie Rules or AFL.
The team I follow, and have followed all my life in Aussie Rules is Carlton.
This was great, for a while.
Carlton still actually hold the record as being the most successful club in the 100 plus year history of the AFL - Australian Football League, formerly known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) (as it was exclusively Victorian until the league went national) with like 16 Premierships. Until, that is, I bought a membership.
That's right, in the year 2002, I decided to show my love of my club by becoming a member and showing my support for the club financially.
BAD MOVE.

2002 was the year the club basically went broke, was found to be fraudulent and well frankly, died in the arse; oh and was severely punished by the League's administration for Salary Cap breaches - ie they got cought cheatin'.

I figure it was my fault as I was the one who jinxed the club - obviously.

Carlton Football Club haven't yet recovered. In fact since 2002, we have'nt made the finals and 2003 was our first EVER Wooden Spoon (dead last in the competition) and we are reallt close to gaining that honour again this season - we have only won 2 games this season, a season that is 14 (i think) games old. I'd say recovery is still at least a few years off.

Empirical evidence 2) of my being a walking curse...
The Socceroos.
Do I really need to go into this one?
Well, as much as I love my Aussie Rules Footy, I also love the beautiful game, the world game, I love Soccer. Yes, I must admit to having a deep appreciation of the game prior to the World Cup just gone, but this was the first time I really got into following Soccer - Football. As in really got into the game...looking for the structures, the details, who's who etc.
But then,
Italy beat Australia (controversely) in the World Cup round of 16.

So I figured, as I've explained before, that this too was my doing, and I still hold onto this, so Australia, I am still prepared to wear this one - lay the blame at my feet.

Empirical Evidence 3)...
Italy vs France.
Yep, I got behind France to take out the final of the World Cup, and guess what....
ITALY WON ... AGAIN.

Need I say more? I think not.

A funny thing happens

2006-07-07T01:23:00.000+10:00

Daily, I wander aroung the place, with my head up my arse, blissfully unaware of anything going on around me, and come up with all kinds of cool stuff to sprout on about when I next sit down to blog.
Then, once the next time I sit down to blog comes around, nothing - nada - nil - zilch.
I just have a head partially full of half baked random thoughts - and I use the term thoughts rather loosely, with no substance what-so-ever and subsequently of course, nothing to write.
Hance the half baked, loose random empty 'posts' i send into the Blog-ether.

Today, It's all gonna change.

Somehow.

Gimme a sec.

Seriously now.

See, this is what actually happens when I sit to blog...
I could 'tell' you about my day.

Today for example...I got up. I caught a train. I bought a CD. Shot some Black and Whites (photo's that is - not innocent passers by, one thing I'm NOT is a belltower kinda guy). Caught a train home. Had a coffee on the way from the station. Tried to write a little more of a short story I'm doing - but ran out of ink (yes I use a notebook and pen for ideas and first drafts). Came home. Checked emails. Now Blogging. (yes I know there was a serious and glaring change of tense used there/here).

But that seems pretty boring.

So maybe I could go into my mental state today, and tell you all what I'm thinking, what my major concerns were/are for the day. But that could well get me arrested.
It's also, I guess, not as simple as just 'telling'.
Maybe I could give a quick rundown...
Let me see.
OK...

I was thinking about how attracted to brunettes I am. I was thinking how much one could use (for want of a better word) the company of a lady - ok, how much I need the company of a woman. How would one go about meeting a woman one was actually attracted to - knowing that that type (again, for want of a better word) of woman just doesn't 'go for' blokes like me. I was also thinking about how could I change my life to become less unattractive; how I could 'market' myself better. But should I anyhow? I am who I am, as much as I wish I wasn't - I said these things just can't be told. - Etc.

Or I could relate an anecdote revealing some of who I am...
For example, how glad I am I bought a new camera and am shooting (photos remember - not the belltower type - yet) and quite surprised how it has all come back to me: my eye, the feeling of being creative with film and light, even though I have a long way to go to be taking the shots (photo's - not belltower) I would like to be taking; seeing the world through that little window. Some of the improvement I know will come with time and overcoming the over-eagerness to shoot - the triggerhappyness (PHOTOS), and gaining the 'feel' for how different things will look, different films, all those kinds of things - just the general familiarity and comfort that will come again with time.

Or I could go into my hope and dreams... pretty short list actually.
One is to undress a woman - properly (I know I know, starting to sound like a freak who's thinking about how cool belltowers are).
And to make a living from producing my writing and photographs.

I'd like to fit in too, just fit into the world. At least find a place I DID fit in.
That'd be cool.

See, I could say all these things here, but, well, that's pretty boring, and pretty downtrodden. I'd just bore and depress you all. And I don't wanna do that. So I won't 'tell' you these kinda stuff.
I'll just post the half baked, loose random, empty 'posts' I send into the Blog-ether.

Lazy Melbourne Winter

2006-07-05T19:53:00.000+10:00

I love Melbourne and I love Winter.

This shot from about last week or so.

Too MySpace or not to MySpace?

2006-07-03T19:00:00.000+10:00

That is the big question.

To FlickR, or not to FlickR?

2006-07-03T02:15:00.000+10:00

That is the question.

Is FlickR safe? As in, are your images ripped off?
Mainly, what if I post an image and it turns up wherever and breaches the Commons agreements?

Is there any way of 'tracking' any use of your image?

Hmmph.

How's this?

2006-07-02T21:53:00.000+10:00

Just stumbled upon another "Life and Times".
Argh, the cheek.

Viva le France, Viva le Tour and Viva SBS

2006-07-02T21:29:00.000+10:00

I think that about sums it up.

Viva le France:
Well done to France in defeating Brazil (everyone's second favourite football team - but for me).
I hope France does the job and grabs the cup. Hopefully I haven't put my jinx on them.

While on the topic of le France,

Viva le Tour:
Yay. The Tour de France is on again.
I don't know why, but I love watching the Tour.

Speaking of watching World Cup and le Tour,

Viva le SBS:
who broadcast all games and every single of the 3,000+ kilometres to us...Free to air and live.
Lots of late nights and inhumanely early mornings, but all well worth it.

While on the topic of congratulating independent/non-mainstream media makers,

Viva le Moi:
Voted in as Chief Editor of TR - our Uni student publication.

It's all my fault! Dammit!

2006-06-30T00:09:00.000+10:00

Our boys did a fantastic job on Tuesday morning against Italy in the round of 16 at the World Cup.
They held them to nil all until a dicey, dicey decision by a(n obviously blind, or well paid) Ref gave the Italians a penalty kick right on full time.
That of course, despite Mark Schwarzer's greatest effort, sealed the match.

Italy 1 - 0 Australia.

But just wait, in 4 years, we'll show those bastard Refs.

In all seriousness, I think it was actually MY fault we lost.
Why?
Here's why....(glad you asked)

Well, for all the other games Australia has played, minus the Japan game, I went along to my local cinema, which was screening all the games on the big screen, with plenty of other fans etc, to watch.
And while I was going along this path, Australia was going along the path to utter glory.
However, after my day celebrating at the Y&J, I decided that for the Italy game, I was going to go into the city, with 60,000 other football mad / FIFA Fevered Melburnians - Aussies and Italians (Melbourne has a huge Italian population), in the wee hours to watch the game on giant screens erected all over the city. I was looking forward to a big BIG game, lots of celebrations and heaps more pics. Two of the three, as you are no doubt well aware, didn't quite happen - I got heaps of pics, but more of angry Melburnians chanting "Bull-Shit Bull-shit" and lighting flares and threatening to riot.
Seriously, at one stage, it could have tipped that way and I reckon it was real close to.
However, I digress, because obviously, the weight I had moved from Belgrave to Fed Square, tilted the axis of the planet in a way that meant the Ref left his glasses at home and gave Italy THAT penalty.
So Australia, lay the blame at my feet, and I will bear the burden of the responsibility.
Guus and the boys did a marvellous job.

While I was there, a weird thing happened.
Here is the story.... (glad you asked)

For a start, a bit of a background, have a quick squize at this post on Paige's "Life Goes On" blog.
In it, she questions the "Older Men, Younger Women" phenomena.

I have to confess here, that yes, over the last few years, most of the women I've "met" (and I use the term loosely) are more of the early twenties persuasion.
I have NO idea why. It just turns out that way. Yes they're attractive. But so are women my age (33) and older. The oldest woman I've been out with was 42; I was 27.

Even by my own admission, I am immature. Seriously, I really am.
In many ways. And I admit to being stunted in my growth by the standards of women (and men) my age, by a long shot. I am actually (big admission here) quite intimidated by women my age. Not in that "She earns more, she's smarter" way or anything like that, quite the opposite. I'd love to meet a woman with money and brains and beauty. But I know, yeah I know, that they'd take one look my way and just go "Nuh". It's the way it is. Always. And I have the empirical evidence to back my claim.

So I was reading Paige's blog. And I got to thinking, that really, it's the connection that counts. Not age.
I replied to Paige. Said something about the connection - age doesn't matter etc.

So anyway, I'm standing there at Fed Square on Monday night, wandering around taking photo's of people as we were all getting fired up for the big game.
I glance across to my left as I'm getting ready to take a shot of these people over yonder.
"Whoa!" I think to myself. "She's gorgeous", noticing an attractive young lady over in that glance.
She was kinda looking my way.
One of us smiled, the other smiled.

Pretty soon, we got to chatting.

4Hrs, an entire football game, a dicey dicey decision (my fault) later, we parted ways, with her taking my number. (And no she hasn't called. Frankly, I'm not expecting her to - that's the way it is, but there is plenty more to be said about all that at another time.)
Her age? (Glad you asked)

22

Go figure.

So anyway, as I said at the beginning, It's All My Fault...
Yes, Australia were knocked out of the World Cup AND, like I said, I'm pretty sure this lovely young lady will not call.

Before anyone says "Mini-Vinnie, have some confidence/faith in yourself" -
I AM 100% confident she won't call.

Before anyone says "Mini-Vinnie, You're a (Insert generous adjective ranging from 'Hot', 'Gorgeous', 'Cool', 'Special & Unique', 'You Deserve', 'blah blah blah bullshit' I've heard heaps of times from people who are not ever gonna put their money where their mouth is) guy that plenty of women would love to call and go out with; she'll call", I'll ask this...
If this is so true, then why do I have to make this point?

World Cup Fever!!!

2006-06-26T14:33:00.000+10:00

I have the bug.

We ALL have the bug.

These pics fron the Young and Jacksons Hotel in Melbourne, last Friday, celebrating our entry into the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup.

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!
OI OI OI.

Come on Aussie come on
come one
Come on Aussie come on.

We play Italy tonight. This is the furthest Australaia have ever been in the World Cup.

And YAY!

GO AUSSIE!

3-1

2006-06-13T16:23:00.000+10:00

GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

Australia not only kicked its first ever World Cup Fainal Goal, but kicked THREE of them, all in the last 10 minutes to WIN 3-1 over Japan.

Smiles all 'round!

Australia hasn't even seen the World Cup Finals as a team since 1974, our only appearence prior to 2006.
In that tournament, we lost our first two games, 3-0, then 2-0, then drew with Chile at 0-0.

So, to get our first goal EVER was just awesome.

So, to all the boys, and Guus Hiddink - but particularly Tim Cahill (two goals) and John Aloisi (the other one)......
Congratulations....And THANK YOU!

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!!!

THIS is something to celebrate...

IS death something to Celebrate?

2006-06-10T13:06:00.000+10:00

I'm not gonna defend Al Zaqawi in any way shape or form.
The guy was an evil bastard.

But why were all the papers and TV news presenting his death as something to celebrate?

Parading the picture of him dead all over the place, the apparent rejoicing in his death, showing the footage of the impact of the bomb and the front page headlines; the way this whole thing has been done, is, in my Extremely Humble Opinion, fuckin sick.
That grainy monotone footage of the impact of a bomb that killed.
The way this has been carried out in the media shows me how sick we as a people are...at the least, we in the west, who claim to be oh so Holier than thou by 'liberating' the people of Iraq, by setting the moral code for the 'uncivilised' world to follow, are.

So why the big deal in the papers?
Is it really going to end Al Quiada*?

The 'leaders' of the Coalition and their (dis)respective Governments must have been wetting themselves with the excitement of having this news. For them, it was "Good News" for the folks back home. And a chance to prove to the critics that it is all good after all.
"See, look at the progress we are making...the world is so much safer now, and so is Iraq".

I sure as hell haven't seen people dancing in the streets over the news.

A man died and celebrations of his death follow.

A man died and his death becomes political fodder.

Either way, is death something to Celebrate?

*please forgive my spelling. I'm not too keen on googling on al quaeda to check it.

The World didn't end

2006-06-08T21:27:00.000+10:00

Satanists were rejoicing.
Christians were praying.
The rest of us just looked at the date and read the hyperbole and some of us even had a little chuckle to ourselves.
But, guess what....

THE WORLD DIDN'T END ON TUESDAY.

My point? Well, none really. Just that the world ends as we know it everyday; everymoment of everyday. With the tick of every second, and the tock of the next, the world is a different place. Nothing remains the same.
We are in a world of constant flux, no one moment being the same as the one before or the one after. No moment in time being replicable, or replacable.
Try to enjoy every moment as it happens and for what it is; that moment.
Try to enjoy the hard moments. A hard moment is proof that we are alive, and not merely existing - they are life.

Where the hell did that all come from? What was I just overcome with?
See? Blogs are cathartic.
I'm back to normal now....

Friggin Liberals!
Our troops were sent over to Dili to get themselves between the fighting factions of the East Timorese army and the gangs that have taken advantage of the dis-unity between the army, police and all the factions.
Not an easy task by any means....Definately NOT a holiday.
Well, not my idea of a holiday anyway.....3 months on a tropical island. I mean, they've nearly got the holiday bit down - 3 months on a tropical island, only mine doesn't involve being shot at or having machette wielding gangs chasing me around and putting myself between said machette wielding gangs and defencless, innocent third parties - women, children, the old, weak etc.
So anyway, these troops, apparently, aren't in any danger. Nor is the complete lawlessnes and anarchy of Dili a "warlike" state of affairs. I'd bet the 2600 Aussie troops won't neccesarily agree wqith all of that in its entirety.
So, the Australian Government has decided, that these 2600 troops "not" in any danger, don't qualify for service benefits. I.E. Danger money ($150 per day on top of regular pay), service benefits when they return (the bit where they've looked after us so we look after them forever) and more importantly (IMHO), these troops, who ARE serving, will not have their time, effort and potentially their limbs and lives recognised by our government as having served in conflict.
Given, the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to come under fire from rocket launchers, IED's, and guns, but these guys over in Dili, as I pointed out, aren't exactly on a holiday.
So why are the troops in Dili NOT being recognised as members of the ADF serving for the ADF?

Shame Nelson. Shame Howard.
Shame Liberals Shame!

I also just bought a new camera.
YAY!
I haven't done any photography for years; from when I used to sell prints at markets and stuff.
An awesome camera too.
However, being the luddite and traditionalist I am with photography, I use film, and have never ventured into digital.
SO, as much as I'd like to get stuff up into the Blog-ether, it'll be quite some time me thinx till I do.

That is all for today.

666

2006-06-06T02:22:00.000+10:00

Yay...Satan Day. June 6th, 2006. (6/6/6)

Today is that one day every century we get to openly sacrifice virgins and drink the blood of goats (although up here in Belgrave right now, I'd rather have something else going on with the goats) - I'M LONELY! And cold.

Yeah, ok, I'd even take a virgin. And a heater!

So, to ode his Dark-Lordedness, and because I have no morals left after already succoming to the global phenomenon that is posting song lyrics (re: selling my soul to blogging)... I offer to the world, a work from 1982 that is not mine: I didn't even have my pen license in 1982, let alone was I writing the great literature that was Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast", from the album of the same name.

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

[Steve Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea,

for the Devil sends the beast with wrath,

because he knows the time is short...

Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast

for it is a human number,

its number

is Six hundred and sixty six."

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe

that what I saw that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams

were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

'Cos in my dream it's always there

the evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

'Cos I just had to see was someone watching me

In the mist dark figures move and twist

Was this all for real or some kind of hell

666 the number of the beast

Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

As they start to cry hands held to the sky

In the night the fires burning bright

The ritual has begun Satan's work is done

666 the number of the beast

Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or just some crazy dream

But I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes

They seem to mesmerise me ... can't avoid their eyes

666 the number of the beast

666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn

I have the fire I have the force

I have the power to make my evil take it's course.

In 2106, I'll dig up the words to Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil".

PS...go to Toolband.com

Catch...

Just topping up the Pantry

2006-06-01T21:03:00.000+10:00

Just topping up the Pantry a little...
Yes, Filler not Killer.
But at least there is something here.

Oh, that and today's BIG question......

Have we REALLY Evolved?
Or do we just tell ourselves we have?

The number of the Beast

2006-05-31T01:15:00.000+10:00

"6-6-6, The number of the Beast..."
Bruce Dickinson screamed in the title track of the Iron Maiden album of 1982.

666 is also the date next Tuesday....06, June, 2006. (06/06/06)

666 is also around about the next viewer of this blog.

So get those virgin sacrifices ready y'all.

Ahh Naomi

2006-05-30T22:04:00.000+10:00

This is why we LOVE Naomi Robson.

Click here for Naomi's Temper - Tanty.

Song

2006-05-29T19:34:00.000+10:00

I hate people that post lyrics, so here I go.

This song from one of the greatest records ever made.

ScaryMother's first and only record, released in '94, TAI LAEO.

Here are the words to track 5, Looking Down. I don't really think they have any special resonance to me, just that ScaryMother were awesome.

Looking Down

by Scary Mother

She's staring daggers at me Somehow she believes that's alright

That's alright

Straight through the hole in my head Her words whistle by like the call of dead That's alright That's alright

Hey if it's world peace you want

Come again

Maybe if you beat me up then I could be your friend

I see a video fast food hell under a neon sunset

Well that's alright That's alright

I was first and you were second I'm flying business class to heaven

That's alright

Enjoy your flight

Hey if it's world peace you want

Get real

Maybe we can do lunch someday

Let's make a deal

Looking down on the scheme of things

It doesn't really seem to mean that much at all

Looking down on the scheme of things

It doesn't really seem to mean that much at all

Looking down I see her turning

Without a sound she takes it burning

In the silence of space

Amazing Grace

She is so beautiful

Looking down on the scheme of things

It doesn't really seem to mean that much at all That much at all

Looking down on the scheme of things It doesn't really seem to mean that much at all

That much at all

Hey if it's world peace you want

Take a ride

Baby if I had the gift then I guess you'd be fine

Looking down on the scheme of things

It doesn't really seem to mean that much at all

Looking down on the scheme of things

It doesn't really seem to mean that much at all

Looking down on the scheme of things

It doesn't really seem to mean that much at all

Looking down on the scheme of things

It doesn't really seem to mean that much

Ohh, and, if anyone is interested (which I somehow and honestly doubt - as good as Scarymother were, chart success was not their forte), go here for a 'where are they now' (and scroll down a touch)

Found...

2006-05-17T20:25:00.000+10:00

Found….

Hi Y’all.
The piece of writing you are about to read comes from a notebook I found on the train about a month ago.
I have NO idea who this belongs to, but would dearly love to hand it back to its rightful owner.
I have included the following because I feel it is a beautiful piece of uninhibited prose that deserves to be sent out into the ether.
In transcribing it to word-format, a few scribbled out bits were omitted. Further, I have tried to as faithfully as possible to keep spelling and punctuation as they were in the notebook; I’ve only changed the minimum necessary to make reading a little clearer.
Also, there were a number of individuals and places named by name. I’ve edited these by using symbols in their place.

Please now, sit back and let this piece of writing touch you as it touched me….

Mum.
What was it I did wrong?
I just wanted to finish the scarf in cooler weather 10:15 sat night
If u wanted me up earlier why not tell me, if u had something for me to do!!?
Otherwise what does it matter?
On the phone u cought (sic) 4 min and said u didn’t have breath to hardly move from chair to chair.
I came up here for the right reasons to maybe bond with U + help U
On the phone U said U loved me U haven’t touched me in 9 days No hugs no goodnight kiss, nothing
Everything I try + help you with means nothing to U

A holiday means going out Beach (sic) etc…
Have I asked U fro anything special.
I offered (sic) to take you to tea We had cake and fish + U didn’t even mention it – U never ask me what happening in my life, because U don’t care.
I remember at ####’s funeral people didn’t know who I was (…. )
@@@@’s daughter, “oh we didn’t know she had 1”.
+++ and === wear what they like, do you say anything to them?
Photo’s, don’t you think that hurts me?
+++ the chosen 1, me the bad blood U once said as I entertained U in B*****y.

My last night at home #### hitting + hitting + hitting me as I sat on the chair U watched.
I vowed to leave the next day + U said “U’ll be back, U see, U’ll be back”
Well I didn’t.
And just fore the record I was still a vergin (sic) till 16 with *&^$#.
I won’t be back this time either, maybe if I was invited. U never saw any goodness in me + you’re so wrong. I’m very gentle + loving + and caring with a special gift. U just don’t want to know.
It’s Ur loss.

I’ll still ring to check what doc says. Because Ur my mum + I do love you.

How can U love 1 child over the other?

I’ve lived with that for 40 years.

Know I’m free, did it, U can’t hurt me any more, It’s history. I’m going on my own way.
I’m a good person + U don’t even know.
MY MUM.

As I stated earlier, I’ve no idea who actually owns this.
I attribute it to the author and in no way claim it as my own. If you have any clue as to who may be the Author, please get them in touch with me.

'Ts been a while

2006-05-14T16:06:00.000+10:00

Hey fans. (he he)
Yeah its been ages again.

I haven't been well.
And I've been thinking of quitting the Union. Mainly cos there are quite a few of us, but only a vrey few of us actually attempting to get some work done.
People may not know this, readers here for example, but our student union is fighting on a daily basis for our mere existence, let alone student rights and voice.
And where are most of our elected students reps?
Wandering around with their heads blissfully up their arses.

So, as well as trying to function as a union, the few of us are anyway, AND trying to be the voice of students on campus and trying to give students the avenue for their voice, there are others doing sweet FA.
Which, I do find extremely disheartening.
Here I am, spending how ever too many hours of my life offering students a voice and wondering why apathy is so deep, yet the people I am trying to work with within our (dis)organisation seem just as, or even MORE apathetic.
That, plus the workload. I am SO far behind in my course-work its not funny.
And now, too, its looks like I'll be taking over as the Chief Editor of the Uni Magazine. More time, but at least that one will be fun and rewarding.

Argh.

But anyhow, let's get on with saving the world eh?

...A broad coalition of organizations has collected over 40,000 signatures on
a petition opposing a U.S. attack on Iran. See the list of participating
organizations, the petition, signatures, and comments at:http://www.dontattackiran.org
Sign on if you really care about peace in this world.

New Albums: Tool And Pearl Jam

2006-04-30T23:11:00.000+10:00

Wow!
What a weekend for music. It was kinda unfortunate in a way that both the Pearl Jam and the tool album were released simultaneously. Why? Cos I love both bands... I was listening to Pearl Jam as soon as Alive was released as a single, it was later that I learnt that that song I had loved from even earlier, and managed to get on tape without titles, and listen to on the way to (High) school, was "Reach Down" by Temple of the Dog; thus beginning my 'love affair', neigh deep relationship, with Eddie, Stone, Jeff, Mike and eventually Matt.
I began listening to tool early in the Undertow days, when at a mates' house I heard Undertow for the first time. We were chatting away, and a specific piece of music grabbed me over conversation. That woulda been in about '93, so not quite OGT.
Since then, tool have recorded the three full albums - Aenima, Lateralus and the newie, 10,000 Days. All three have blown me away, however, Aenima and Lateralus both took their time to really, and I mean REALLY do whatever it is that they have done.

10,000 Days was released here on Saturday and I was going a day late. It seemed from the outset, that I was going out to get it a day too late. I got myself to JB HiFi at Eastland mid afternoon, but they had sold out. I got the clerk there to call JB at Camberwell for me - they too had sold out. I went upstairs to Sanity - Sold out. Myers? Sold Out. I learned later this eve, that my brother called last night with a list of other places to not try too as they were all sold out.
I had but one option left, an option I was not proud to be even considering, let alone attempting - KMart. Even as I wondered around, looking for their CD section, I was regretting the fact I had stooped to searching a KMart for a tool recording.
But, lo and behold, despite my concerns over whether or nor they'd even be stocking it or not to the forementioned fact, KMart HAD IT. Well, two copies anyway.
Principles? Blah....Besides, it shows to them that they CAN have artists' (as in genuine actual artists stock on their shelves) and 'shift units' at once.
From the moment I picked it up, I knew this was going to be worthwhile.

The artwork was much different to what I had expected; much different to what I had seen (and linked to) on the Alex Grey website. Alex Grey's work is still there, just not what was supposed to be there.
I won't tell you what it is in detail, save this...Do not open up the cover till you get home, and not on the train. I'm sure my fellow commuters were wondering what the hell I was doing (the funny glasses etc).
So, just how does one "review" a tool album after one listen? I don't know.
It's tool.
What more can I say? It has all the elements a tool album should have. The best way to 'view' a tool album, at least in my experience is, as I've alluded to earlier, to just listen to it and let it seep in. And I'm sure this album, as the others have, will. In fact, I'm not afraid to say, that I'm sure, as much as its a great album on the surface, as it does seep into my mind, it will start to make more and more sense till when, in a couple of years, I'll actually get it and THEN its brilliance will shine.

And this is why its so unfortunate to have simultaneuos tool and Pearl Jam releases:
How does one look at, listen to, feel and 'review' both albums, by artists that one has done a lot of growing up with, but are so different, yet similar in the message they try to deliver?

Luckily for me, this album by Pearl Jam, simply titled Pearl Jam, is just a gem.
This album harks back in many ways, including the energy, to vintage PJ. So, so reminiscient of what to me was the 'Hey-Day' of Vitalogy, or Yeild. And I say this knowing the gravity of saying this. Areas of this album remind me of Ten even - Porch, Oceans.
From the very first strum, we get straight into it with a new sound - a new evolution to Pearl Jam, that is just so blatantly and unpretentiously rock - it sounds almost as though this was dug up from California from the 70's, but keeping a punk-rock attitude. One can pull many Neil Young influences out of this one.
Although not explicitly 'anti-war', thematically, War features heavily, as do Loss, Faith and the Fragility of Everything.
The famed Pearl Jam cynicism continues, but as always, it is a very human(e) album, and despite the concurrent themes, somehow quite confidently, a very very positive and uplifting album.

I don't do stars, so you won't see stars here, however, tool are back!
So too are Pearl Jam with an album already more powerful and plenty more engaging than at least their last two.

Enjoy, as have I, and as I will continue to do!

Yay - Number 500

2006-04-25T16:30:00.000+10:00

Hell0.

And thank you to whom-ever it was from wherever you are that was my 500th visitor. YAY.

I should tally up my posts one day, and see if I have any reason to celebrate there.

The debate presentation seemed to go a lot better than I thought it would. YAY.
I have no idea how the mark went, but at least we didn't look like complete dicks...that was my main worry by yesterday morning... and all that waiting? Well, it wasn't really needed, the girls I was working with had it all under control, so I didn't need to stress after all.

So what does a class that's just finished off an assessment piece do?
Why, Go and get drunk of course.

A few of us did anywayz.
And yes, it really is a weird weird sensation wondering out of some tiny little dark bar into the blazing mid-afternoon sunshine (something I try to avoid anyhow) and the midafternoon, workday hustle and bustle.
For some reason, I got really drunk...way drunker than I should have. Yeah, I know I know, but I mean I got really drunk really easily.

So I left the bar, some place on Chapel St, called BlueBar or something like that and staggered out onto busy Chapel St, barely even with a clue of my bearings. Found a Hungry Jacks, which happened to be on the corner of Malvern Rd. This was good, I didn't have to go far for a feed, and I was sure there would be a tram from Malvern Rd to Flinders St. Luckily for me, there was.
However, it was during this short tram journey that I started to feel rather seedy.
AS in, REALLY seedy. It really wasn't a terribly pleasant little trip...general seediness plus I got the flushes.
Oh well, there was nothing I could do...I still had my hour or so train ride to go. So, I hopped on the train, still feeling pretty green and fell asleep.
So proving, that I am that weird guy on the train that you generally try to discreetly ignore, except now I'm the DRUNK weird you try to discreetly ignore guy on the train. Yay. I have reached some heady heights in my time, this would have to be one of them.
I just hope I wasn't like, burping and farting and scratching myself all the way home in my alcohol induced slumber, cos that'd be really undignified and I guess kinda take the sheen off this new pinnacle.

Although, if ya think about it, burping and farting and scratching my drunken passed out self all the way home really does add to the whole "EW, I just hope he doesn't come to and start talking..." thing. So maybe I can, in fact, maybe I should call that the icing on the cake.
Hmmm

Eventually I woke back up at my station (the last on the line fortunately) and wandered home.

It's all good though....next time I go out all 'classy' and dressed up and 'proper' and on my 'best behaviour' and stuff, I can look back on yesterday and remind myself of how UNclassy, UNdignified, IMproper and how UNgracefull I really can be.
See? I knew there was method behind the maddness.

Catch

(I just checked up, and this is post number 25, so YAY to that too)

Uh-oh

2006-04-23T21:45:00.000+10:00

Dang.
Got a BIG assessment peice due in first thing in the morning, and haven't heard from either of the other two people in my group since Friday.
This, my freinds, could well be a problem....
We are doing a debate in Sociology, on whether "Marketing Defines Teenhood". There are only 3 of us, so right off the bat, it was going to be an interesting one to do.
So we decided to present our debate in a television style forum, ie, presenter (me), and one from each of the two camps; one advocating the view that marketing DOES define teenhood, that teenhood is a social construct; and the other person advocating the view that teenhood has been with us all along and that marketers, advertisers and generally anyone who has anything to sell taylor their goods and their marketing strategies to suit the market - the teen market in this case.
Which is all good. I have my view, but as the "presenter" of this topic, I should be keeping them to myself.
The problem is though, that I have written my introduction, and yes, I do have the 'loaded' questions for my "guests", but I have NO idea what the hell they're going to do, or who is who. I especially haven't had a chance to go over their points and counter points to help (as we are working on this together) clarify them and to even further taylor my questions.
So, I sit here, at 10pm, waiting for emails - and blogging.

And so, I sit, and wait...

Edit Note...
12:30 Monday Morning and STILL WAITING.
My conclusion....We're up shit creek.

New stuff

2006-04-21T17:31:00.000+10:00

Ok, so I'm 'working' hard right now.
Seriously!

In my last post, I mentioned that I think that we should be celebrating something other than Easter on the Solctice.
Well, I guess I really meant that I think we should celebrate something other than Easter on the EQUINOX.

The solctice is when the Sun reaches its Northern or Southern-most points on its journey, on around the 22nd of June and December.
The one I was talking about, is the EQUINOX, when the sun crosses the equator.
Duh!

Anywayz.....The now TOOL album is well on the way.
"10,000 Days" is what its be called.
For a peak at the cover, got to Alex Grey, who designed this cover also.
Great stuff.

While your there/alternatively, have a look at this page of stuff I haven't seen before. There's some awesome artwork 'goin on' here.
If only I had half this guy's talent.

Still 'working hard'.

SO, I better get back to that - or Ping Pong.
More soon. Catch

Deleting Numbers

2006-04-19T01:11:00.000+10:00

Ok, so it isnt every day I get a woman's phone number.
You've seen my pikture.

So last week I got a friend of a friends' number.
She is gorgeous, smart, etc.
I got her number after she suggested that we'd 'see each other around sometime' or 'catch up'.

But can I call???

NO. Not a fuckin chance.
Why? Cos the same old useless shit will happen.
I'll find out how "unique and special" I am (Quoting the MissV here), then wonder why if I reallly am so Unique and Special and all that shit, you just go and fuck off. Ok, so with MissV, as I found out much later, there was a legitimate reason. A reason NO person should ever have to confront. But that was only one. There're have been others.

Some beautiful women in there. All of them claiming the same old shit. And frankly, I'm over it. I'm sick of hearing it...put yer money where yer mouth is.

Besides, if it were so fuckin true, then why at 32 does one still struggle to find a match of any half reasonable kind.

So, the simple solution....
Delete the number. Can't call her now.
No call, no bullshit.

Simple, the way I want it.

Blah blah blah

2006-04-18T23:36:00.000+10:00

Hey all.

I forgot what I was saying.

Was I saying anything?

Was what I say anything?

Ok, so I've got that outta my system, I shall continue....

Hope y'all had a good Easter.

I kinda have to say though, that I really do think its more than silly for us in Australia to celebrate Easter with a Bunny delivering Chocolate Eggs.

Don't get me wrong, I have NO problem with Choclate Eggs; Choclate ANYTHING actually.

But A RABBIT delivering Chocolate Eggs?

Where is the sense in that?

Especially in the Southern Hemishere, in a country that the Rabbit has done untold damage to.

The Rabbit, as an introduced species (brought over from Europe by White Fella) has in some areas completely destroyed the natural environment; Land, Flora and Fauna. Rabbits are a pest, to the point our top environmentalists and science labs have poured truckloads of money into eradicating them.

But we celebrate a religious ritual with them.

Does that not say something about Australians?

How 'bout this then......

In Pre Christian times ( the Pagan 30,000 odd years), Easter, or something similar, was celebrated at around the Spring Solctice. This ritual was to celebrate the season of Fertility... new life. Kinda like the 'new life' of Christ I guess.

So, taking the Christ bit out of the equation, we in the south are now in Autumn, preparing for Winter, not preparing for the bounty of Spring and Summer.

So why don't we in the Southern Hemisphere, in Australia, celebrate Easter, or something similar, at OUR Spring Solctice, in honour of the coming warm weather and new life and survival of Winter and all those things?

EDIT NOTE

I actually was just wandering around the blogosphere, and happened to visit MissPolitics blog, and scrolled down to her post which very breifly mentions the Pagan ritual of Samhain.

This is the true festival we should be celbrating here now, not Easter/Baltain.

A piKture of ME!

2006-04-10T23:25:00.000+10:00

Pictures OF Vinnie!

(Its kinda more real than you'd probably actually reckon)

And now:

The "real' Mini-Vinnie-me.

(or is it?)

One more Look

2006-04-09T23:56:00.000+10:00

Just in case you missed it the first million or so times.....

Hello

2006-04-09T00:20:00.000+10:00

Hello.

It's been awhile.

But I think I'm back-ish.

It's been a bugger of a month, from just before March till now, but hopefully (touch wood) things are settling down a bit now.

Studies continue, Union contiues, and so does life.

So over the next few posts, starting from during the week most likely, I'll fill the world in on the last month of Mini-Vinni-Me-Ville.

Until then though, take care and I'll write soon.

Time for a rest

2006-03-01T22:30:00.000+11:00

As one or two people may know, there is a lot of stress in my life at the moment.
I really don't feel too much like going into details right now.
I would like to keep this part of my life away from my blog, at least for the time being, as although I see this as a place of rantings, it is also a personal space that I intend to not let become involved in other matters; besides there are aspects which are of a confidential, legal matter.

Add to this, a death in the family today, and quite frankly, I really don't have a great deal of energy to devote to efforts other than just getting by and facing each day as it comes.

So, Mini Vinnie Me is going to take a small break.

See you soon. :-)

No Title Suits

2006-02-26T14:40:00.000+11:00

It's actually taken a couple days to write about this one day, Friday just gone.
I'll be brief.

We had one of the hardest decisions to make on Council on Friday, in a stinking hot room, plus the fact it was like 40 or something degrees. 5 hours on one decision is pretty intense in anyone's language, in any meeting. In one way, because it was so long in coming to a decision, we won't see any action from it until tomorrow morning....that was a relief, but now our mental gearing has to go toward that.

One friend of mine, we found out on Friday afternoon, lost a family friend on Thursday - she was kicked and stabbed to death. She was 18.
Another Friend's mother was diagnosed with Breast Cancer on Friday Afternoon.
All in all, a pretty rotten lousy day. But we survived.

Needless to say, I spent most of yestersay in bed, away from the world. I'm not going to dwell here on the self-reflection one automatically tends towards on days like Friday and Saturday.
I have had a pretty hard week and a half till now, but, it is life, and it has to be lived with and it goes on.
As painful and as unfair as it can be, and sometimes is, One has to battle on, and so One does.

Certain proceedings will have been dealt with by the end of tomorrow though, which will be a huge load off....

An Email Reply.....

2006-02-22T00:42:00.000+11:00

Today's post, is an email I wrote in response to a suggestion our magazine, Tabula Rasa (TR), become more 'frivolous'.

The 'theme' of the next issue, is to be "Game On", as the Commonwealth Games are here in Melbourne in three weeks or so.

"Game On" is intended to be about games of all sorts; sports, computer, head games within relationships, whatever; or for people to write about issues around games or the Commonwealth Games.

I intend to write about the "StolenWealth Games" and Black GST movements and The Indigenous Convergence planned for Melbourne during the Games.

Apparently, this is not so popular.

Also,

part of the proceeding email (the one I reply to) was that people are reading the Herald Sun in 'boring' lectures.

*************************************

Isn't there enough frivolity in the Herald Sun anyway? Andrew Bolt for example.
But I wanna have my tirade *stamps foot demandingly*, so here goes...

A) Independant Student Media is the forum for discussing social/political/economic injustice. If not here, where?, back to good old Packer owned 'papers? It is our job to highlight the plight of the dispossesed and disempowered, to bring the issues out to where otherwise ignorant majorities (through mainstream media indoctrination) will be exposed to these issues. Student / Independant Media gives voice to people and issues seen by the owners of the Big Press' as "troublesome", "Radical", or generally not commercially attractive.

B) As journalists, writers and artists, it is our duty to journal, write and express - to highlight or inform - (to) the world the inequities and alternatives; as well as entertain, amuse and inspire. It is our duty to challenge the Status Quo and to challenge peoples beliefs, assertions and ideas.
Making people laugh with a good gag, adding to people lives with the infinite world of colour, visuals and graphics or bringing them to tears over a beautiful, touching piece of prose are also our duties. That (to me anyway, as a writer) should be the ultimate goal - of any artist.
If we anger or frustrate people, by writing about what they don't want to hear about - as opposed to the preferred option of frivolity - then our aim is achieved.
Further, think about this: people are living in ways we don't want to hear about against their will.

C) If TR is taken over by frivolity, then that is how people will see TR (or any publication that takes that route for that matter)....As frivolous. Simple as that.
There is no question what-so-ever about having fun stuff in the mag. None at all. But there has to be a balance - as there has to be in expressing views and issues. But, there has to be 'non' fun stuff too.
Speaking for myself here, fully aware of being seen as blowing my own narcisstic trumpet, I have attempted to contribute across a broad range - Political/Issue based content, Fun Content and Creative Content.

D) IF people want pure frivolity, GO BUY DOLLY! (Or the Herald Sun).

E) And finally (I think/You hope).....
To those people reading the Herald Sun in classes and lectures, well, I wish I was as smart as you and could devote so much of my time to reading in class. I for one usually go to class to learn - but that's just me. If they spent more of their time learning in class, and pulled their heads out of their arses, then maybe they would see just how bad the mainstream media is (and LEARN stuff), and turn to alternative media sources for wider and more in depth coverage of issues, or find something a little more interesting than the Da Vinci code; or DOLLYto read.
Alternatively, I could also get really stuck in to them, and suggest they take a place out in the workforce for a while, and leave space for people who are willing to come to University to LEARN, and stop taking up HECS spots from people who actually need them.

Sunday Arvo

2006-02-19T15:12:00.000+11:00

I'm not going to get cynical today. Its Sunday afternoon, I'm lazy and (apparently) studying.
Instead, I'll go over my week and bore you all to tears.

Wednesday was the day of coffee with the most wonderful woman on the planet, Miss "V".
I was so apprehensive about meeting back up with her, but as things usually turn out with her, we actually met about half an hour early, in the clothes shop we both shop at (my oldest, fave pair of jeans kinda died....holes where holes shouldn't be. I hope the jeans I did acquire though, for $24, and I, can share as many happy times as my and my ol' jeans did).
We had a really cool evening (Miss "V" and I that is). I was kinda expecting to have a coffee or two, then go our seperate ways. But the coffee or two turned into fish'n'chips, then a few drinks at the local.
A few disturbing, but enlightening topics came up, that I'm not going into here. Topics no doubt extremely difficult to tell a person about. Suffice to say, that a lot has been explained, and that I am infinitely grateful - on many levels, that she told me.
Apprehensions dispelled, I am happy we are talking again.

Union was quite-ish this week, at least as far as Disability stuff goes, but our next Council meeting is coming up this Friday, and it looks like being a BIG one. It seems a bit has been going on behind the scenes that will come to heads this week.
Farewell drinks were held on Friday night for the catering staff we had to put off. A sad night.

Issue one (for '06) of Tabula Rasa came out during the week. YAY.
It seems some of the content I was hoping to see in it wasn't there for some reason.
It looks good though.

Last night was Radio Birdman up here in Belgrave.
Who'd have thought, even five years ago, that we'd ever have a venue that would get bands of such high distinction playing in our little town, but, Oska, who runs Ruby's, has done it. And done it well. The place was packed, but one was able to breath, and well, Radio Birdman just rocked.
And to think, Ruby's used to be the 'junk' shop, back in the days when we had no venue, in fact no pubs at all, and now, we have Ruby's, the Bell Tavern (where all the bogans go) and the ultra cool little bar hidden out of the way called Scarab. Plus of course, over on the other side of Belgrave, is Aztec Bar.
But, that's beside the point, which is, Radio Birdman rocked. I've never seen them before, which is bad form on my part, Radio Birdman being one of the seminal punk-rock bands. But seeing them 30 years on, one can see why they are one of the founders of punk...one of the true founders of punk rock.
A cool reminder also, of what rock is actually all about....A bunch o' dudes, in jeans and a tee, who love the music they play, hopping up on stage and just rockin'. No Bulshit. No industry hype and pretensions. No stylists. No 'you strike this pose and you do that move', just get up there and play your fucking hearts out.
THAT IS ROCK!

How are those tears going? Flowing like rivers yet, or just the trickle of a summer creek?

The school-work is coming along, the bits I HAVE done that is.
This year looks a lot more like getting into the interesting stuff - the stuff I came along to learn. I have four subjects this semester....
History and Sociology of Human Relationships;
a year long Research Project;
Text and Culture;
and Tradition and Modernity.
Yay for fun stuff.

I'm staring to feel guilty for making you all cry from boredom, so I'll leave for today. Be rest assured though, that I'll be back to cynicism soon.
Till then though......

An EXTREMELY un-PC post.

2006-02-14T19:35:00.000+11:00

I have to say, that in my role as Disability Support Rep on my University Union Council, I feel I should reach a helping hand out to the Liberal Party. They need my help I think, cos they are obviously a bunch of tards.
Let me explain (a little)...

Three high ranking minsiters, including the Prime Minister and his Deputy, claim they had NO IDEA that there were bribes going to Saddam, that they had no idea that there was even something dodgy going on, (even if no-one knew exactly what), despite assurances to us via the Cole Inquiry from many quaters (not these 3 individuals of course) that they (the ministers) did know. The many quarters did however, include their senior department officials and intelligance agencies that told them. Even the American senior public officials knew and were telling people what was going on.
But still, Li'l Johnny and his crew had NO IDEA.

So then we have the Health Minister, Tony Abbot, telling us that we should have Ministers controlling/deciding what medical procedures and medications we should have available to us, therapies like RU486 for example, rather than the Therapeutic Goods Administration making the decisions.
Because, he claims, we need public accountable people (elected Ministers) making these decisions for us. That would inherently mean that the Ministers charged with making these decisions would be well informed. Informed enough to run our country and to make the right decisions (obviously they're not)...without their beliefs and moralizing getting in the way. And Tony Abbot, of course, is SO the man who can do this for us.
Oh, hang on, a catholic making decisions on abortion, rather than a secular panel of medical professionals. Hmmm.

So then we move onto other MP's, not Ministers (Thank [insert name of chosen omnipotent being here]), making claims that Australia is "aborting itself out of existence" and that this will lead to the Muslims taking over.
WTF?
I'll say it again....
WHAT THE FUCK?

Yep. According to the Liberals Danna Vale, we are at risk of 'the Muslims' taking over if we keep abortion up..especially at this rate.

"I've actually read in The Daily Telegraph where a certain imam from the Lakemba mosque actually said that Australia's going to be a Muslim nation in 50 years' time," she told reporters.

"I didn't believe him at the time, but you know
when you actually look at the birth rates and when you look at the fact that weare aborting ourselves almost out of existence by 100,000 abortions every year -
and that's on a guesstimate."

Seriously. Don't believe me? Here is the full article from Melbourne's the AGE.

So, as I said, I really think I should extend the hand of compassion and empathy to these people - the ones running our country - and offer them what help I can under the Disability portfolio. They obviously need it.
Oh, just remembered, these are the same people who passed the ASOL, cutting our funding, which means that try as I might, I won't be able to help them.

Oh well....Till next time.

This just proves it......

2006-02-09T20:41:00.000+11:00

Looking at "talent" in Australia, in the news, entertainment and business worlds proves you don't need any of it.
Nor apparently do you need brains, credibility etc.

Firstly, let's look at our "Idol" Sensations.

Guy Sebastion.
Shannon Noll.

Our Television / Acting.

Home and Away.
Neighbours.
And the plethora of other crap produced here, shown to the public and awarded with coverted "Logies".
Rove (McMannus), Pauline Hanson...... need I say more?
I guess Our Nic, Kidman, also gets the torch shone on her here. For her acting, AND for her "humanitarian" deeds, for which she was awarded with a something-or-rather on Oztraya Day. Oh, did anyone mention to the panel deciding who gets these awards, that Our Nic, as well as being some great humanitarian, gets her already well and truly fat enough pockets lined by all sorts of Neo-Cons?
She hosted the Forbes 500 conference last year in Sydney. The Forbes 500 conference basically is a big "piss in yer pockets" shindig held by Forbes magazine for the top 500 CEO's in the World. And she was on the list as a guest speaker. Oh, don't forget the free Commonwealth Games tickets from Telstra....in the Long Room.
Great humanitarian work that is. Anyhow, I digress....

Our music "industry" in general.
Um.....
Ok a little help here please.
I'll concede that there are actually a LOT of talented people in our music biz, but the record companies refuse to even look at them, prefering Idol Crap.
The same people generally ignored by the worshipped ARIA's.

Our Political leaders. (And I use the term leaders very loosely, as I never have followed them, ie they have never led me)
John Howard.
Alexander Downer.
Mark Vaille.
Kevin Andrews.
Brendan Nelson.
Oh, the list goes on, and on, and on......
(I'll congratulate the Senate for passing changes to laws taking the decision on whether RU486 should be available to women in our country away from a pro-life Health minister, and giving the right to decide back to individual women).

Um, what else.
Oh, our beloved journalists, particularly the mainstream ones (y'know, the real trustworthy, credible ones), the ones most people actually believe. The ones that are well, let's face it, owned by PBL - The Packers.

The greatest Australians seem to be our sportsmen. (Yes MEN. Our women, except for Cathy and Jana and the swimmers, don't really count).
Ricky Ponting, again, named Australian Cricketer of the Year.
(Another PBL pawn methinx).

Oh, speaking of PBL/Packer pawns...
Guess who got the top job at Nine?

Eddie fuckin McGuire.

From the AGE..... [insert long list of career achievements here]
"McGuire was also the Master of Ceremonies for the 1999 wedding of Jodhi Meares and James Packer - PBL's executive director, believed to be the driving force behind McGuire's elevation to chief executive.

"James' father, recently deceased media tycoon Kerry Packer, was also said to have shared a close friendship with McGuire."

So, even with the State Funeral he doesn't deserve, Ol' Man Kerry is still getting in the news (he used to own).

HA......This just proves it. You don't need Talent, Credibility OR Brains to climb that ladder in Australia.

Edit Note.

In the original of this post, I named Nelson as Kevin.

Duh.

Its actually Brendan Nelson.

Free Speech 101.

2006-02-07T01:18:00.000+11:00

in no way endose religion-bashing.

But,

FREE SPEECH MUST BE RETAINED!

Free speech challenges the Status Quo.

I intend to link here for one reason, and one reason only.

That reason?

FREE SPEECH!

NOT to offend or subjegate Islam or its followers.

(And yes, these are three sources of THE cartoons)

Edit Note 14 Feb 2006

The links have been deliberatley broken by me out of respect for the Muslim community and anyone who may happen to pass by here.

My say on free-speech has been said.

Lost Posts.

2006-02-06T23:51:00.000+11:00

Lost Posts

I’m sick of lost posts.
I’ve now lost two, one of which just absconded of its own accord off into the netherworld of the blogosphere, the other got swallowed up by this piece of shit computer.
So, I’m going to re-attempt to post. Hopefully, this one won’t disappear.

First things first, and most importantly……..
I was checking out TOOL’S website the other day, and YAY, there is a new album well and truly on the way.
So on the way in fact, that according to TOOLBAND.COM, it has been mastered. Three of the guys (plus, of course, the manager) are jumping aboard aeroplanes and undertaking a whirlwind ‘promo’ tour – Australia is on the list, while Adam is staying back to direct the new video.
A festival headline slot has been confirmed for April, and while there is no official date set for the release of the NEW ALBUM, May has been earmarked as the release “date” and according to toolband.com (and ME), hopefully sooner in May rather than later.
For anyone not so engaged in ‘album discourse’; that is like a baby being in the last tri-mester.
So, again I will say, YAYYYY!

Secondly………
The AWB scandal. And I’ll just be brief here.
If you read my post from last week on the AWB scandal, you’ll have a bit of a background on the situation. This is far from being an exhaustive post on it, if I were to be the one capable of writing this issue up on a blog, well, I could write it up in book form too, as I’m sure will be done at some time in the future (not necessarily by my self).

I’ll finish it off for now though by saying this…..
Australian Dollars potentially bought bullets for Iraqi insurgents to shoot at Australian and American soldiers.
I am unreservedly opposed to not just this war, but ALL war.
The fact that Australian dollars potentially bought bullets for the people shooting at Australians, let alone anyone, is just sickening.
And I cannot qualify my use of the word potentially enough here because we don’t know for certain that this actually happened. But let’s face it…..The kickbacks went illegally to Saddam and the Ba’athists. From there who knows? Bullets? Potentially. Quite possibly. We just don't know enough yet.

Thirdly…….
BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I can’t say YAYYYYYYYYYY enough.
Before I say anything else, a massive shoutout has to go to MissPoliticsAustralia for giving me strength to pull through the last couple weeks. Without her help and support, I would not be a very happy chappy at all. Still got a couple things to work out, but the main point is, that I am back, classes have started and that a MASSIVE weight has been lifted from my shoulders…..I can breath again. I am SO relieved.

Thank you MissPoliticsAustralia.

Onto class….It was so good to be back in the classroom. We started the year, and the week (at 8:30) today with a nice little introduction to “History and Sociology of Human Relationships”. Great stuff. THIS is the stuff I’m here for. Not some dumbarse course on how to choose a Uni course. Duh.

Fourthly……
No-one here knows of Miss V. Long one short…
We met. Got real close. Parted company. Re-met and started hanging out…got even closer. Re-parted company. - Here are a couple posts from my old blog from the time. (Scroll down just a little)
The first time we parted company was ‘my move’. Then when we ‘re-met’, things were just really natural and flowed real, neigh, in the end TOO smoothly, then SHE was the one responsible for our parting ways.
This was about 6months ago.
Thursday, completely out of the blue, she texts me, asking how I am. Flabbergasted wasn’t the word. Gob smacked doesn’t even come close. So I reply (even though she even said she didn’t expect me too), and she replies that she wants to see me sometime.
WTF?

She really is cool though. And I do have massive soft spot. Hmm.

Fifthly…..
Nuh, that’s about it.
OH, I guess Mini-Vinnie-Me isn’t on hiatus eh.

Some posting of substance soon……..

Beginner's Course in AWB kickbacks 101.

2006-02-02T23:21:00.000+11:00

Originally, I was going to post about the AWB scandal, and what I think it all means. As in, what I really think it all means.

But I'm tired as and will have difficulty making any sense.
So, in the stead of trying to make sense and to avoid making a complete dick out of myself by making a complete dick out of myself instead of writing what I think in a way that expresses what I would be trying to say, but in reality would sound like utter gibberish, I'll avoid talking about the AWB scandal until tomorrow.
No doubt there will be more damning evidence to come out and try to understand and comment on then.

Before I go onto something else, for anyone who has never heard of the AWB scandal and knows nothing of it (that'd be YOU Misters Howard, Vale and Downer, oh and the board of the AWB), the Australian Government, right to the top - the Prime Minister (amongst several other ministers), and Australia's sole wheat exporter, the Australian Wheat Board (AWB) were caught, well, basically, handing cash over to Saddam Hussein during the UN sanctions against Iraq and the Food-for Oil scheme.
In a nutshell, $300 MILLION, yes M-I-L-L-I-O-N, three hundred million Australian dollars was paid out to a phony Jordanian trucking company to truck the Australian wheat in Iraq.

Problematic in itself.

But add to that, that the 300 MILLION Australian dollars was not just Australian Dollars - the currency unit, but Australian dollars. Three hundred million of what I have in my pocket.
Dollars that were Australian that "migrated" to Iraq, to Saddam.

No, the AWB was not ripped off by some kind of dodgy Iraqi (as in Ba'athist) official, or group or whatever running a scam. This is where it gets real juicy. Because, as problematic as it all seems so far, it's nothing compared to the whole story.

Because... SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (including our Ambassador to the US) AND MINISTERS (including the Prime Minister) actuully KNEW that the AWB was paying 'kickbacks' to Saddam's regime.

The Bastards knew that the UN sanctions were being breached.
The bastards in fact didn't jut know, but were active in hoodwinking the UN, and when questioned by, the US Administration. Our Ambassador to the US, was instructed to give certain answers to certain lines of questioning, and to not answer in certain other ways.

The US admistration is now setting up inquiries into this whole episode to find out exactly who said what and who to etc...
Currently, there is a Royal Commission (known as the 'Cole enquiry') going on into the affair over here.
Tomorrow is expected to be a BIG day of questions, answers and statements.

What else is to come of this? Who knows?

So, now that I've set out some background, I'll get back to not talking about the AWB scandal. Tomorrow though, I'll set out what I think are some of the ideas going on here that haven't sort of really been spoken about, YET. Some of the implications for Australia and the US.

I'll also sort through some articles, here and hopefully in the US press about this and link you all up for you to have a good look for yourselves.

Till then though.....

Ahhh Johnny....

2006-01-31T22:06:00.000+11:00

This, from ABC news / politics......

PM gives TV a reality check on manners
Prime Minister John Howard says there has been a marked deterioration in good manners in Australia.
New South Wales Chief Justice Jim Spigelman last night raised concerns about the prevalence of offensive language in popular culture and rudeness on reality television shows.
Mr Howard says while parents are also responsible for manners, it is time television networks curbed the use of vulgarisms.
"If there's not some kind of self-discipline exercised in relation to that then I think standards will continue to deteriorate," he said.
"I don't think we are polite enough to each other and good manners is the basis of a more civilised society."
Seriously, I don't know how many times we gotta tell ya
Johnny,
"FUCK OFF you FUCKIN FUCKTARD"!

Seriously though, people are bashing each other on the streets, and his Highness is concerned with foul langauge. Ok, admittedly, there was the mob at the Cronulla riots chanting out "Fuck off Lebs", but is banning fuckin swear words going to make a differance in times like that? Is that going to make people chant, instead of "Fuck Off Lebs", something like "Please pleasently leave people, of Middle Eastern descent"?
So let's ignore this bullshit issues, and deal with the REAL issues our shit-for-brains, fuckwit PM refuses to acknowledge.

Not sure though, but I reckon I forgot my medicine today.
Hmmmm.

Pen Names and Mediocre Tales

2006-01-29T22:22:00.000+11:00

I've been here for about 8 or so hours now, sub-editing/proofreading and writing for the upcoming issue of Tabula.
Most of the content is in, but it never hurts to write up a couple extra pieces to 'cover' any that need to be bumped, at least to the next issue. Besides, it's the first issue for the year, people have been away and its damn near impossible to get content.

So, over the last couple weeks, I've done a bit, written a couple pieces etc, and now I get down to writing up this particular story (part fiction/part Non-fiction... I'm soooo out there), and I'm stuck.
Like a stick in the mud, S-T-U-C-K!

However, I do have a saving grace....
The story I've been writing up today, which I actually started about two weeks ago, is being submitted under a psuedonym, or pen name. This was the intention all along, and not a recent decision.
So, where is the saving grace? Well, let me say it again......
It is being submitted under a psuedonym.

There will be a total of maybe three people who will actually know who wrote this piece, including myself. As my name will not be on the published article, I will more or less be able to 'wipe my hands of it'. I will be invisible as the author.

Or will I?
So, let's say I race through the rest, just throw it together and get it out, publish it and its gone, out there, in the world.
And forever, no-one, apart from the three or so of us, know the real identity of the author.
Cool Cool Cool.

BUT.
But but but.
I will know that I have put work out there that I'm not completely happy with.

And when it comes to the printed word, to one's "art"; is there anything more important than being happy with it one's-self?

**Breaking News**

Well, not really. Just an edit/update........

I haven't done much on this piece I'm trying to write, maybe a paragraph or so. I have found some online Fu Manchu to feast my ears on though.

So anyways, it's like 2am, I have a meeting in, ok, 9 hrs, but I have to leave here in 6 or 7, I have buckleys of finishing off tonight's work, or sleeping, and I'm rockin' out. Hmmmm.

In case your wondering, I've gotten all anal about even this piece of writing that's going out under a pen name. I juat can't send writing out until I am ready to, anh 100% happy with it.

Something I've suspected all along, and yes, THE reason I haven't really sent much wotk out.

Any hoo, I should go now, for I am only waffling on about my own shyte and not really contributing to the general well-being of the planet or its people. Maybe I should put this ramblingness (a new word) to good use, and FINISH THIS DAMN STORY.

Claytons Post

2006-01-28T17:45:00.000+11:00

The post you post when you don't really want to post!

Well, a near record crappy week is pretty much at a close.
It started off with unnecessary and regrettable confronts with my brother. Then the folks got involved when they really didn't need to. But all is sorted now.

It was hot, and I mean HOT all week. Like 4 of the last 7 days gave us temperatures well over the old 100F - as high as 42.5 C (aprox mid 120's F).
Plus bushfires and smoke all over the place adding further to the general discomfort. However, that said, at least our area, where I live was not directly affected by fires, nor were any lives or properties lost here. The Grampians saw two lives lost, many homes and countless livestock and wildlife lost. One firefighter was lost fighting fires north of Melbourne. So, as I said, despite the discomfort and stress, we got away lucky.

Most lasting and worst for me personally from this week though, was the fact that I missed out on school for the semester. The reason, simply, MONEY. I could not afford my fees. So I missed out.
Worst of all though, is the fact that as I'm now not enrolled, I have to withdraw from my beloved Tabula Rasa and from my position on the Student Union Council; ie step aside from my role as Disability Support Rep and let all my ideas and plans for not only my own portfolio, but Union and combatting VSU in general go out into thin air. Not a pleasant thought.

I am trying to look at the positive side, but it really is difficult to see past the disappointment and, as I see it, the failure.
The failure - I was so amped to be in both of my roles outside of class, and I do feel people were reliant on me in both to really stand up this year and make a difference. I myself was reliant on me standing up and making a difference. But alas, it seems this won't happen, at least not from where I see thing from now.

I've also been considering putting "mini-vinnie-me" on hiatus. For anyone here for the first time, this may sound strange, putting a 2 week old blog on hiatus, but this is a new a (hopefully) improved version of a blog I've had going since mid-last year. So, in actual fact, this blog is fairly old in its own way. And so yes, over the last week, when I've come downstairs to log on and do my emails, blog, write etc, I just haven't been able to, hence the idea of a hiatus.
But, as I'm obviously posting right this minute, rather than not posting, it would appear that I'm not on hiatus. I also have to confess to thinking about that right now, and I am definately swaying towards the opinion of being on a "non" hiatus.

Hmmmmm.

Awww Shucks.

2006-01-26T00:03:00.000+11:00

Aww. This one here made me blush.

I quit

2006-01-24T02:51:00.000+11:00

Simple as that.

Post number 3

2006-01-18T19:37:00.000+11:00

Today i am slack. I'm going to post a quote that I use in my e-mail signature, from one of the greatest pacifists and revolutionaries of the 20th century.....

"In violence, Truth is the first and greatest sufferer;
In non-violence it is ever triumphant"
Ghandi 1945

Needless to say that i agree with this sentiment. I also feel that if more people lived by this, we would be living in a much better world.

It is interesting to see that a Geelong Photography Club member, who was innocently taking photographs of gas storge tanks at the local Shell refinery in the name of his passion, was 'visited' later at home by the local constabulary, and told not to take photographs of such places because of the risk of Terrorism.
He was also told to inform members of the club he belongs to to take heed of this visit and refrain from taking photos of such industrial facilities.
Liberty Vicoria has rightfully advised to the club to ignore the police directive and shoot away.

"The police have got no place making such warnings," president (of Liberty Vicoria) Brian Walters SC, said.
"Merely to threaten is exceeding police powers and is an abuse of power."
"We currently have thousands of cameras set up to watch citizens, but if citizens themselves take photos, the authorities take that as some sort of risk," he said.

Senior Vice-President of the Australian Photographic Society says he is not surprised this has happened, but is saddened. He was taking photo's at Eastland Shopping Centre (Ringwood) when he was carted off by security. This opens the debate centred around taking photographs in, and what is public or private space.
This also opens up the question of surveilence filming in public and more importantly private spaces such as Eastland.
Eastland is privately owned, therefore technically private space, even though you and I go out in public by being there.

My Uncle and Aunt were recently asked to leave Box Hill central, while taking pictures of their Granchilden, just before their daughter (my cousin) moved away to Rockhampton, in Queensland.
Box Hill Central is actually on crown land, as it sits over Box Hill railway station, therefore, they had every right to take photos there - it is public space. More importantly, as my Aunty argued, "No-one is going to tell me when or where I can take photo's of my Grandkids".
But in reality, they are telling us when and where we can take photo's of our Grandkids, or photo's for our own pleasure.

It is now also illegal to take photo's of or at Railway Stations.

All this because of the "heightened security threat". When 9/11 happened, I remember our 'leaders' vowing to carry on as before, business as usual etc, or "we have let the terrorists win."

Too late, methinx. Look at the laws that have been passed that restrict our freedoms, in the UK, the US and HERE.

As Ghandi said.....
"In violence, Truth is the first and greatest sufferer;
In non-violence it is ever triumphant"

"disturbing the peace of the dead"

2006-01-17T23:28:00.000+11:00

Nothing like a good ol' bit o' Cannibalism. And where else but Germany would you expect to find such an upstanding exponent of the art?

I'm not really a big fan of using blogs just to link to news articles (regurgitation I call that), but I can't help myself tonight and I'm gonna do it. So if you have a minute to spare, have a look HERE for the whole story (actually, only a part of it...I ate the rest. Ha ha ha ha) Sorry about that corny joke, but corn is so good, especially with Silverside or, um, err,

Anyway, moving right along.....'

This one here is just obscene.
There has been a spate of Crocdile attacks in PNG over the last fortnight. As usual, the people are screaming blue bloody murder and insisting the we should chase after the crocs in question in kill them.
Yeah. Good Idea people cos that'll show those reptilian bastards who's the boss won't it? Those lousy crocs will never desire food ever ever again after you hunt a few of them down.
Or do people actually expect to find a bunch of remorseful crocodiles sitting nervously out the front of the local Cop Shop like a bunch of teenagers forced by their parents to own up to knockin' off the town's bikes?
Duh.

Crocodiles are reptiles.
Crocodiles as a species are millions of years old.
The Crocodile is a direct link to the Dinosaurs.
Crocodiles are one of the most effective hunters on the planet Crocodiles don't understand that humans are not meant to be eaten. All they see is food.
Crocodiles have a brain the size of a hacky sack.

Then there's Bundaberg Croc hunter Mick Pitman, who has been authorized by PNG authoriries to hunt down "nuisance Crocodiles". Again, define 'nuisance' in this context.

Worse still is that the PNG officials area actually considering letting Mick take high paying 'trophy hunters' in with him.
To this I say no.

Big, fat, NO.

Why?
Well I'll tell you why - (as if you needed to ask).
Let's say (hypothetically of course), Mick takes his high paying 'trophy hunters' (re: James Packer) in. James (a rather wealthy toung man) pays a shitload to Mick. Mick pays a shitload to the local PNG guy and pockets 50%. The local PNG guy, who 'authorises' James being on the trip, pays a shrinking shitload to the authority he represents and pockets 50%.

Then next time James and a couple of his mates wanna get on the turps and get some shootin' in, rather than play the pokies, its only a matter of calling their local PNG mate...etc

It pries open the door corruption, and is a step back to the dark old days of 'trophy' hunting, an exercise that has killed off
many species so far, and set the wheels in motion for many others. And frankly, we gotta make a huge effort to look after what wildlife we have even now, cos it aint gonna be 'round much longer at the rate things are going.

Besides, who really takes pleasure in killing something. That is so wrong.

NEW BLOG, NEW BLOG; NEW BLOG, NEW BLOG!

2006-01-16T19:12:00.001+11:00

(Before I selfishly introduce my-self, please allow me the indulgence of introducing to you, for your benefit as much as mine, MY BABIES. My beautiful, beautiful babies.)

Ok, that done, I'll get on with it.

As the title of this post suggests, and the apparent lack of archived posts, this is the first EVER post on this blog.

YAY!

Why is that I hear you silently ask yourself?

Well, because my old blog got so damn boring after a whole 60 posts, that I thought I'd play around with it and make it good, but, well honestly, my HTML and my resuscitation skills both leave a lot to be desired.

Consequently, I decided that the best way to fix that problem and move on, was to just start all over again. So here I am, starting afresh.

For anyone who has followed the link across from my 'other' blog, thank you.For people whom I've never met before, let me introduce myself a little.

I am from the Dandenong Ranges, just east of Melbourne Australia.

I am just about to begin the second year of a Diploma in liberal arts, which is a humanities course focused on critical thinking and analysis, at Swinburne University of Technology. At this stage I plan to further my studies after I have completed this course, probably by working on a Bachelor of Arts - Media and Communications.

I am 32 years old, male, single, five foot four inches tall and weigh 60 - 65 kg. (Hence the name "Mini")

I write fiction and articles for my University magazine, which is called Tabula Rasa.

I am also Political Editor.

I am the Disability Support Representative on the Swinburne Student Union.

I have depression and Anxiety and am on medication and have been for a couple years now.

This year I would dearly love to come off my meds.

I do not currently work as I study full time and have my other committments, but in past lives, I have been.....

An automaton assembling Electric Motors

A Printer

A Bus-Boy in a club

A storeman

A forklift driver

A market attendant/manager

A driver - deliveries and pick ups

A site superviser

an Offsider - the guy running alongside the waste truck throwing rubbish in

A labourer

A truck Jockey

And probably other stuff too that I can't remember right now. I have had a fair few past lives in my 32 years.

I've been plenty of other things too - a-side from work.

I've been...

A Bass Player

A writer

A photographer

A Martial Artist / Teacher

Oh I dunno, I've been other stuff too, but this will do for now without getting overly analytical and philosphical.

I'm prolly rambling on too now, so I'll let you get back to doing whatever it was you were doing.