Vanishing Point

Fare Thee Well

2011-12-19T12:32:00.005+11:00

Well, that's me. Thanks for reading this year, folks, it's been a good year. Thanks particularly to all you regular commenters, and also to those who have written book reviews and stuff like that.

I will take a few weeks off to recharge, and then be back towards the end of January. I hope you all have a great Christmas and new year, and I'll look forward to catching up with you again in 2012!

Bye for now, friends.

The Epic End of Year Super Quiz 2011

2011-12-19T09:14:00.003+11:00

Thanks everyone for participating in the quiz for another year. It's been fun, and I've learned a lot about you all (which is being compiled and assessed by my team of labcoats). I hope you'll give it one last hurrah with the super quiz, and after that you can go and rest up for a few weeks.

By the way, if you're interested in what you answered for these same questions last year and the year before, here's 2010 and 2009.

1. Favourite album, this year (NOTE- doesn't have to have been made this year, just what your fav. was. Same goes with books, movies etc.)
2. Favourite song, this year
3. Favourite movie, this year
4. Favourite TV show, this year
5. Favourite book, this year

6. A global phenomenon you'd like to see not carried into the next decade
7. Most annoying word/saying of the year
8. Biggest eye-roll inducer of the year
9. Over-exposed celeb of the year
10. Interesting world event

11. Highlight of your year
12. Lowlight of your year
13. Something you're proud of achieving this year
14. A disappointment
15. Something you'd change if you had the chance again

16. Describe your year in a sentence or two, bare bones.
17. A way that you are different now than you were in January
18. A way you'd like to be different by next December
19. A hope for next year
20. A resolution

Tank: Empty

2011-12-16T08:44:00.002+11:00

Hey friends, sorry things have kind of fizzled here. The well ran dry. I think I even lost my bucket.

Anyways, I'll post the end of year super quiz on Monday, and then that'll be me for 2011. I'll have a few weeks off and be back all fresh and spritely for 2012.

Hope you are all going good, and getting festive.

Plans

2011-12-09T08:51:00.004+11:00

One of my (many!) planned projects for the holidays is to make a second vege patch, about 3m x 2m. At the moment it's just grass along there. I got 50 old pavers that a neighbour was throwing out to make the edges.

It'll have a row of herbs separated along the front there. I can't wait to get stuck into it. I want to get a barrel to put at the back there. Not sure what I'll grow in it.. maybe climbing beans or something.

At the top right you can see the strawberry patch we made a few months back (yes, that's a garden gnome in the middle there), and the passionfruit vine we planted to grow on the fence above it.

I'll post a photo of the finished thing.

The Quiz (by Quizmaster Kim!)

2011-12-05T12:28:00.004+11:00

1. If you were a mythical creature, which creature would you be?
2. Has the Great Australian Novel been written yet or not? If so, what is it?
3. Feelings on peanut butter ...
4. The best way to rid the kitchen of a cockroach is ...
5. You know I'm (insert your nationality here) by my ...

Good on you Kim!

Guest Quizmaster?

2011-12-05T11:25:00.002+11:00

Busy as heck. Anyone want to be a guest Quizmaster? First person to email me 5 quiz questions gets the ahem.. amazing honour.

bmclaughlin AT sstar DOT com DOT au

It's Here!

2011-12-01T10:15:00.007+11:00

Happy first day of Summer!

Anyone else as psyched as me?

Painting: Setting Sun, Beaumaris by Clarice Beckett

Yawn To Be Wild

2011-12-01T08:41:00.003+11:00

Sitting on the train the other day, I glanced over at a lady who was yawning, which, in keeping with that Strange Law of The Universe, triggered a yawn of my very own. The lady then happened to glance at me, in turn sending her straight back in to a follow-up yawn.

At this point I had the wisdom to break eye contact, thus preventing any further repercussions. But it got me thinking. What if we had have maintained eye contact indefinitely? Would this have set in to motion some kind of debilitating, infinite yawn chain that would stretch on to the day we died? Chilling.

Another yawning incident happened recently while I was reading a children's' book to one of my daughters. I don't remember what the book was, but there was an illustration on one of the pages of someone yawning. Seeing this made me yawn.

This led me later to ponder existentially the fact that it had not been a real person, or even a photo of a real person that demanded my yawn, but just a simple, line drawing, just a big O for a mouth and two little arcs for eyes. How strange that just a few simple pen strokes could have such power over me.

And then finally, this morning as I was walking up the hill to work, merely thinking about what I'd write in this post set me off yawning all the way to the office.

Friends, beware this silent predator, this controlling puppet-master that threatens a stranglehold on your life. You may snicker now, but just wait till you are frozen paralysed in an Infinite Yawn Chain, a husk of your former self, just a great big O with two little arcs above it. It could happen.

Anschlag!

2011-11-30T08:23:00.006+11:00

Sometimes I feel the overwhelming urge to get authoritarian on the train, to be a vigilante who will right the wrongs I see on public transport. For they are many.

This morning I was watching a lady work on a book of find-a-words. They were difficult ones, full pages of tiny letters, with words hiding somewhere within. On top of that, at the top of the page it said "Wort Detectiv" or something or other, so I guess it was all in German to make it even harder.

But she'd not been on a page for more than a minute before she was flipping to the back, looking at the answers, then going back to her page and circling the words. Come on, lady. Cheats never prosper.

It was all I could do to restrain myself from leaning across the aisle, slapping her wrists and saying sternly, "Stoppen sie das im augenblick und tun sie es richtig!"

Or something.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1

2011-11-29T08:33:00.009+11:00

So we saw Twilight:Breaking Dawn Part 1 the other night. It was pretty bad in numerous ways, but I also apologetically loved it. Despite and because of it's badness.

Edward and Bella finally tied the knot, and went off for some early marital bliss on a deserted island where all manner of fun ensued, including several heated rounds of chess. Then, falling pregnant with vampire spawn, the honeymoon was over, and the difficulties of marriage began..

It's difficult to describe the joy and silliness of this movie adequately, so allow me to just run through some highs and lows in point form. There are SPOILERS ahead, so feel free to abandon ship now (it might be for the best).

* Hilariously in the very first scene of the movie, Jacob found an opportunity to whip his shirt off. It must be in his contract. On receiving an invite to Edward and Bella's wedding, he is furious, and yanks off his top, and to let off some steam, goes for a run. To Canada.

*The wedding and all the sugary romantic ickiness involved was actually kind of nice. I liked it, and was inwardly saying "Awww", while outwardly I sniggered and rolled my eyes. Even though it apparently took Bella about seven hours to actually make her way down the aisle while she gave furtive glances and bit her lip a lot. But still, 'awww'.

* The wedding night, I thought, was actually done surprisingly well. It showed the apprehensiveness and awkwardness well, and got across the momentous.. um..ness of the occasion. That Edward then proceeded to break the bed and most of the room was beside the point. It was tender, just in a vampire kind of way, you know?

* Excuse my soapboxing, but it was actually a refreshing change to see marriage treated in such a reverential way, and the fact they waited until this night, was frankly quite unusual for a romantic story in this day and age, vampire or not.

* As luck would have it, Bella fell pregz on the first night. What amazed me was how aghast they were at this occurrence. What? pregnancy? What is this crazy thing? They were so baffled. For a vampire who has lived for a very, very long time, Edward seemed to have a pretty ropey grasp on the ~~ins and outs~~ workings of the birds and bees.

* The next hour or so was kind of annoying. It became less about the two of them and just about Bella getting all skinny and bruised as the baby vamp grew at a rapid rate inside her, with Edward standing over in the corner all grumpy, mumbling and grumbling how he didn't sign on for this. Too late, buckaroo, time to man up and borrow some birth books from Faulks County Library.* Meanwhile Jacob is very angsty about the whole situation. How could Bella marry a vampire when she could have totally married a werewolf? Ludicrous. But I actually liked Jacob, and I liked how he put aside his angst and supported her anyway. He even broke away from his 'pack', who wanted to murder the lil' bubba. This however involved a very comical scene in which a pack of very dodgy CGI werewolves bark and growl angrily at each other while we hear human voice overs saying what the dogs are barking. "Grr, you're not the boss of me" "Woof, do what you're told, upstart" "Bow wow wow, nuh uh, I'm going!" Fantastic stuff.

* Bella is now skin and bones, as the demon child is apparently killing her from within as it grows. But the baby is unhappy, and they just don't don't how to satisfy it, no matter how they try. Then boom, a light bulb moment "I know, let's get Bella to drink a blood smoothie from a styrofoam cup!". These vampires are not super bright, despite their age and experience. Gosh, who would have thought that a vampire child might just want a lil' ol' bit of the red stuff? Poor old Bella- they couldn't have thought of this perhaps in the first trimester?

*Anyways, then the birth, which was epic as epic gets. Lots of blood and guts there. Also an audience of about twelve vampires plus a werewolf for good measure. Um, privacy anyone? One great thing here was how Rosalie got all freaked out at the sight of blood and had to be escorted from the room to save her from snacking, and yet then a little later it's her who is left to hold the blood-drenched baby a few minutes later. And then the great bit, the next time we see her come back in with the baby, all the blood is cleaned off, and little Renesmee (yes that's her actual name) is miraculously clean. Rosalie, you got the blood off with a dampened towel, right? Right? (Innocent whistling).

* Well then Jacob comes in, maybe to kill the baby, but whoops, he accidentally 'imprints' on her, which is basically werewolf for falling in love. Age difference issue here? Apparently not. Nice little twist, though, I thought.

* And then the nifty ending where Bella comes back from the brink of death, and is now.. A VAMPIRE!! Edward had done a Pulp Fiction on her, injecting her with some of his venom. So, all in all a relatively peaceful and run of the mill birthing experience for the happy young (sort of) couple.

Thus ends this wonderful movie. All in all, some A+ viewing.

And I can't wait for Part 2.

The Quiz

2011-11-28T09:10:00.002+11:00

1. Favourite shop?
2. A movie you'd like to get around to re-watching
3. Something you achieved on the weekend
4. Something you didn't
5. Would you like to do some more study at some point? What would it be?

Reading

2011-11-24T08:50:00.001+11:00

Date Night

2011-11-24T08:40:00.001+11:00

Tonight me and E are off to see the girl marry the vampire with sparkly eyes.

It's going to be EPIC.

Thursday Peanuts

2011-11-24T08:37:00.001+11:00

Keanu Roach

2011-11-23T08:48:00.006+11:00

We'd run out of coffee yesterday, so I had to use decaf in the plunger at breakfast time. The taste was okay, but it did nothing to lift my head-fog, and so I had a headache for most of the day. It made me feel very cross towards decaf. What's the point? It's like eating a Big Mac only to feel healthy and well-nourished. Purpose: defeated.

Anyways, it was with great excitement that this morning I poured newly purchased ACTUAL coffee into the plunger for me and E. So I pour the water in, and put the plunger lid thing on, and push it down a bit, leaving it to sit a mo while I make my Vegemite toast, and then I hear this skitter skitter kind of noise. I look around, but can't find the source. Skitter skitter, there it is again. It has a very six-legged vibe to it. But I can't locate it, so I get on with the toast.

Then, licking my chops, I go to complete the plunger-pushing-down action, and there, as the steel plunger flat bit slowly decends towards the hot black coffee, I locate the skitter skitter source.

There, standing in a thrill-seeking manner, is a cockroach on the plunger platform. I think he thought he was Keanu Reeves in that movie Speed, fooling about in elevator shafts, climbing up on to the roofs of lifts and whatnot.

Pop quiz, hotshot- who's going to be burned alive in the sink by boiling hot kettle water, and eventually pushed through the drain with the end of a teaspoon?

NOTE: E, don't worry, I washed the plunger bit thoroughly before continuing with making your coffee. I thought it best not to bring up this escapade with you until after you'd finished drinking. I hope you understand.

One Of These Days

2011-11-22T09:59:00.004+11:00

Have you ever noticed that over at the side there, to your right, it says "Vanishing Point" twice? Once above the picture, and then another one beneath? How annoying is that?

It happened accidentally, um, nearly four years ago, and I haven't gotten around to trying to fix it. But still, how annoying is that?

Just so you know, the one above the picture is the impostor.

Joy

2011-11-22T09:05:00.005+11:00

So the other day I got my Best. Present. Ever.

I can't tell you how excited I am about it. I've been making a list of all the cool bits and pieces I'm going to be able to get.

Junk to build a chicken coop, a stack of plants for the yard, and plants to become bonsai, garden gnomes, paint to paint some of the rooms, tools, mulch and so much other good stuff it hurts, to be honest.

Not The Right Man For The Job

2011-11-22T08:48:00.004+11:00

If I wasn't nervous enough about flying as it was, when I went down to Tassie, they put me right next to the emergency exit. Thanks.

Hey guy with fear of flying, can you please be responsible for saving the lives of all your fellow passengers when the plane goes down? It's not a big deal, just pull this lever, break off this whole panel of the aeroplane, throw it out the window, and help everybody get out. You'll be right mate.

And then the same on the return flight as well! The other people in my row who were responsible had obviously heard it all before and zoned out during the stewardesses' (yikes, is that term un PC now?) tutorial, whereas I was memorising every word, and poring over the instruction sheet whilst trying not to have a panic attack.

Good times.

The Quiz

2011-11-21T08:50:00.004+11:00

1.Last time you watched an episode of The Simpsons
2.What's worrying you at the moment?
3.What's calming you at the moment?
4.Have you ever sold anything on ebay?
5.What's for lunch today?

Tatts Ahoy!

2011-11-18T09:11:00.006+11:00

I like looking at people's tattoos. It's a way of vicariously living out my wild streak, because let's face it, were I a slightly different person, leading a slightly different life, I'd be inked, baby. Prolly some great wizard, or a barbarian with a sword, fighting a dragon. Something really good like that.

Anyways, occasionally I am impressed by people's tatts, but mostly I'm just baffled. People make strange choices about what they would like to have permanently branded on their bodies.

The other day I saw a girl in her early 20's with a dolly tattooed on her arm, a really big one. All well and good, except that it was a zombie dolly with green decaying skin and red eye balls. Fabbo for your edgy early 20's, but what if she has kids down the track? They are going to be traumatised daily by Mummy's terrifying death dolly. they'll be more scarred for life than she is. Another girl I saw was more thoughtful. She had a big Snow White scene on her arm, all Disney and lovely, with cute lil' watery eyed dwarfs fawning about the place. Her future daughters say thank you.

The train was crowded this morning, and I stood right behind this other lady, about three inches from her back. At the top of her neck was some name tattooed in running writing. It was lovely and all, I'm sure, but even from three inches the writing was completely indecipherable. It looked like it had been done with a Magnadoodle- basically just a black, bleedy blob of ink. Nice. But sadly her back lacked that great feature of the Magnadoodle which allows you to delete said black bleedy blob.

This same lady also had a little treble clef tattooed behind her ear. I've seen a fair few peeps with one of those bad boys. I guess it's a bit of a homage to music. "Hey, guess what world, I like music a real lot". Good for you. But this to me has always seemed a bit broad and overly general. No offence, but most people like music a lot. Could you not be a bit more specific about your fondness? It would be like a sailor, rather than having "Mum" tattooed in a love heart on his briny forearm, just getting "Mothers" instead. It doesn't really matter which Mum, I just quite like mothers in general, you know.

There is no other real point to this post. But please continue to get strange tattoos so that I can keep pondering your strange logic when I'm bored on the train.

Brave

2011-11-18T08:43:00.003+11:00

Looking forward to this one.

Book Review Wednesday by Belle

2011-11-16T09:41:00.003+11:00

How I Became a Famous Novelist
by Steve Hely

Reviewed by Belle

This book tells the story of Pete Tarslaw, a guy who hasn’t quite recovered from being dumped by his girlfriend back in college. When he hears she’s engaged, he decides to write a best-selling novel so that at her wedding she’ll see how cool he is and regret ever having let him go. He studies the best-seller list and the people who buy those books, decides on key, sell-able ingredients for his story and characters, and then sets out to become rich and famous. His goal: “Write a popular book. Do not waste energy making it a good book.”

‘How I Became a Famous Novelist’ is funny and clever. I loved Hely’s jabs at contemporary fiction – “lyrical” prose is one thing that often drives me NUTS in novels these days (Markus Zusak’s writing in The Book Thief is a prime example –blecch!) and Pete Tarslaw’s intentionally and ridiculously flowery language is hilarious. I also loved the completely unromantic way Pete approaches writing his book. Early on he decides (page 73):

“Writing a novel – actually picking the words and filling in paragraphs – is a tremendous pain in the ass. Now that TV’s so good and the Internet is an endless forest of distraction, it’s damn near impossible. That should be taken into account when ranking the all-time greats. Somebody like Charles Dickens, for example, who had nothing better to do except eat mutton and attend public hangings, should get very little credit.”

I found this book immensely enjoyable. It’s original and fun and I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for entertainment and/or distraction and/or an interesting look at what makes a book great.

Thanks Belle! Check out Belle's Elbows.

Tassie

2011-11-16T08:50:00.021+11:00

Well, I had a great time down in Tassie with my brother. It was quite an adventure. The highlight was our trip out to the remote South West wilderness. We camped down in the bush, then got up the next morning and did the Mt. Anne track, climbing Mt. Eliza (apt!).

It took about four hours to the top, and then another three back down. The last hour or so of the climb was really hard, I had to face a lot of fears! It was a big boulder fall, so we had to scale all these massive rocks, on a steep incline, feeling like you could blow off the edge to my death at any minute! I'd never done anything like it before, so it was pretty life changing, though completely and utterly exhausting.

Had a good time at my bro's place as well, up in the mountains on a big bush property. All in all, a great trip, but it was fantastic to get home to my girls as well. We'd never been apart that long so I missed them a lot.

Hope you've all been well, and it's good to be back in Sydders!

The Quiz

2011-11-14T08:15:00.002+11:00

1. A household name you resent knowing
2. How many novels have you read this year? (Don't worry, it'll be more than me)
3. How many non-fiction books?
4. What's worse- tea breath or coffee breath?
5. the last thing you ate

Adios

2011-11-09T11:55:00.003+11:00

So this will be my last post before heading off on my Tassie adventure at the crack of dawn tomoz. I hope you have a good few days, and I'll see you when I get back.

Not very fond of flying, so please pray that both wings remain attached to the plane and that I don't wind up on a beach chatting to a volley ball called Wilson.

By the way, I've even scheduled a quiz for Monday, that's how much I love you. See you a day or two after that.

Peace out.

Spider On The Silverbeet

2011-11-08T09:30:00.001+11:00

Princess Going To The Ball

2011-11-08T09:23:00.005+11:00

Little e did this painting at pre school. It's called "Princess Going To The Ball".

But all I can see when I look at it, is this guy-

Jacaranda

2011-11-07T14:23:00.002+11:00

The Quiz

2011-11-07T09:27:00.003+11:00

1. I can't believe I used to..
2. How many planes do you reckon you've been on?
3. A movie you want to see
4. I think people probably see me as..
5. But really I'm..

3 More Sleeps

2011-11-07T09:00:00.003+11:00

Very, very early this Thursday morning I head off on a solo trip down to Tassie to spend a few days with my brother, somewhere in the foothills of Mt Wellington. He said there's still snow at his place, so I better pack the thermals. I'll be back early next week.

The plan is apparently to wander off on An Adventure into the mountains and camp out. Never been to Tassie. Never seen snow. Never flown alone. Rare chance to catch up with my bro. I'm very excited. Ben vs. Wild, y'all!

Who Left The Tap Running?

2011-11-04T13:56:00.002+11:00

Our good mate Simon McGrath got into Sculpture by the Sea.

Check out the massive tap..

Book Review Wednesday by Belle

2011-11-02T08:14:00.004+11:00

Things the Grandchildren Should Know
by Mark Oliver Everett

Review by Belle

I really, really liked this book. Everett, aka E, is the genius behind Eels, a band responsible for two of my favourite songs of all time. Everett’s life has been crazily tragic, yet he tells his story in a way that celebrates life rather than begs pity (without making you gag with its positivity). It’s simply but powerfully written; in no way is it emotionally manipulative, but I laughed, cheered, cried, grumbled and, ultimately, celebrated along with him.

Understanding the inspiration behind Everett’s lyrics has made me adore his songs all the more (Hey Man (Now You’re Really Living) is one perfect example), and understanding how much work goes into arranging the song order on an album has made me repent of often picking out my favourites rather than listening through from start to finish. This book left me feeling happy. If you haven't yet met Eels, open up grooveshark and introduce yourself immediately. And then read this book.

Thanks for the tip, Belle. I'm only vaguely little familiar with Eels, maybe I'll track an album down. Check out Belle's Elbows.

Triumph

2011-11-01T09:36:00.001+11:00

Me and E finished a crossword last night.

The fact that we spent half the time standing by the computer typing stuff into Google, Wikipedia and online thesauruses is completely beside the point.

It's That Time Of Year Again..

2011-11-01T08:56:00.003+11:00

Silly high heels!

Semi-cooked canapes!

Dopey hats!

People throwing away their money!

Too-short dresses!

Stressed out horses!

Lot's of annoying drunk people!

I'm so pumped it hurts.

Wattamolla, Y'all

2011-11-01T08:35:00.016+11:00

Wattamolla

2011-10-31T10:10:00.002+11:00

We went to Wattamolla on Saturday, my new favourite place.

Not to be confused with this place, it's a beautiful lagoon/beach in the Royal National Park, about 20 mins drive from our place.

It's awesome. I'll post some pix tomoz.

Chappo

2011-10-31T10:03:00.003+11:00

Chappo has preached at church the past couple of weeks. It's been great. It feels like a real privilege to attend the same church, and to get to hear the occasional talk, by such a legend.

He's in his 80's now, but still has a wonderful way of saying a lot, in a simple, concise and easy to understand way. If the talks get put up online I'll post a link.

The Quiz

2011-10-31T08:54:00.003+11:00

1. I wish I was around when..
2. Something you've been thinking about
3. What keeps you up at night?
4. A song you like to dance to
5. Where do you picture yourself being in 20 years? What would you be doing?

Jargain

2011-10-28T08:35:00.002+11:00

This is a new word I just invented. It's when you get a massive overload of jargon in a very short, concentrated space of time. It's given away so cheaply that it's a jargon bargain.

Jargain.

PowerPoint Kills

2011-10-28T08:21:00.004+11:00

I have discovered that I actually have a medically proven allergy to PowerPoint presentations. As soon as I come within metres of one, my skin gets all hivey and blotchy, my heart palpitates, my gag reflex goes in to overdrive, and I just need to leave the room. Urgently.

I think it's the combination of all that clip art, bad stock photos, graphs, horrible jargon language, mission statements and schizophrenic font usage.

Shudder.

Thursday Peanuts

2011-10-27T09:10:00.000+11:00

Sob

2011-10-27T08:58:00.002+11:00

Inconsiderate two weeks ago me off-handedly said I'd attend some meeting with a financial consultant at work this morning. Drats.

I have had a hard think about it, and have concluded there is actually no other thing in the entire world that I would like to attend less.

I wish I had a Delorean so's I could go back in time and give that jerk, two weeks ago me, a good clip around the ear.

Wednesday Book Review by Belle

2011-10-26T08:53:00.002+11:00

Tuesdays with Morrie
by Mitch Albom

Reviewed by Belle

I enjoyed The Five People You Meet in Heaven by the same author, which is what made me search this book out. I like the length of Albom’s books; this one, like ‘Five People’, was nice and short. Unlike ‘Five People’, however, this one left me thinking, Whatever! And that’s never a good sign. The book is a mini-biography of Morrie, Albom’s old sociology professor, who is rapidly deteriorating after being diagnosed with ALS.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m Australian or I'm not dying or I was just in the wrong mood, but I very quickly tired of Morrie’s guru-ey, I’m-dying-therefore-everything-I-say-is-quotable-material aphorisms and Albom’s unabashed worship of his old professor. Yay for their relationship, yay for the fact that the book covered Morrie’s medical expenses, yay for Albom’s writing. But, overall? Meh. Read it if you like, it won't take up too much of your time. But keep a bucket handy.

Thanks Belle! Go check out Belle's Elbows.

There Is A Time To Prune, And A Time To Shower

2011-10-25T09:22:00.003+11:00

I am a bit of a chronic pruner. Show me any kind of plant or tree, put a sharp cutting device in my hands, and I can't help myself. I'm Edward Scissorhands.

Branches often look a bit wrong, or ugly, or too straight, or too tangled, or too crowded, so I lop them off so they'll grow better ones. By 2017. Our yard is quickly becoming a wasteland of stumps. E is fearful. But I do know what I'm doing. Honestly.

Anyway, on the weekend I was working on this particularly ugly (but nice smelling)lemon tea tree. It's a lot smaller now, but I've ironed out its major design flaws, and one day it will be a beautiful tree, when it grows back. My great, great, great grandchildren will enjoy it. If there isn't a block of flats built over it by then.

So, afterwards I'm all hot and itchy, and I decided to have a shower. Usually I'm a soap guy, but just for a laugh I thought I'd try this body wash thing that's been sitting there for ages untouched. I'm washing myself, and I realise it has a lemony kind of smell, and I look at the label: "Lemon Tea Tree".

Gosh, chuckles I, 'tis like rain on one's wedding day. I may as well have just turned the sprinkler on in the yard and scrubbed myself with the branches I just lopped off.

The Quiz

2011-10-24T09:39:00.003+11:00

1. Once I start... I never know when to stop
2. I wish I had a better understanding of...
3. A voice that makes you nostalgic when you hear it
4. Favourite black and white movie
5. Licorice: tasty treat, or foul-tasting black monstrosity that's like a cuttings from an old tyre?

Number Crunch

2011-10-24T08:58:00.003+11:00

This blog is 23 hits shy of 130,000.

I'm keeping track here, and for the 130,000th person to click, this day will be more special than you can possibly imagine. An embarrassment of riches will rain down upon you with a magnitude of prizes unseen ever before, a wealth of winnings that will make Oprah and Ellen's combined gift giving seem trivial, puny and miserly.

Brace yourself, Dear Reader, it could be YOU.

Thanks for reading though, folks.

*but probably won't be

He Led A Full And Happy Life

2011-10-21T13:47:00.004+11:00

My tuna sandwich just now tasted kinda like cat food, so I squeezed on a bit of mayo. Which, as it turns out, had a November 2010 use by. I lost track of the years for a moment there, but as it still smelt fairly mayoesque, I gave it a shot.

If there's no quiz on Monday, check the obituaries.

Wow.

2011-10-21T09:53:00.002+11:00

BIG news today.

ps- I chuckled at the typo on the caption underneath the photo with Condoleezza Rice.

Mary Blair

2011-10-21T09:05:00.014+11:00

I was pleased to see the Google logo thingy this morning is celebrating Mary Blair, a fantastic old illustrator from around the 50's. She did a lot of concept work for early Disney movies, and also a stack of children's books.

We photocopied and framed a couple of pages from her book, "I Can Fly" a couple of years back to put on the walls in Little e's room. She had a great, and very influential style- often imitated, seldom matched.

Thursday Peanuts

2011-10-20T10:10:00.002+11:00

The Apple Juice Twofer

2011-10-19T08:22:00.007+11:00

I have a handy household tip for you, that will most likely revolutionise your whole entire life, in a quiet, understated way. It's about apple juice.

When I pour apple juice straight from the bottle, it's good, but perhaps a little too hardcore. It's a bit too strong, a bit too sweet and a bit too appley. It's almost too refreshing, to the point where you need a chaser of water. Often I will water it down in my glass, if I can be bothered. But that doesn't work if I am surreptitiously having a swig straight from the bottle while hiding behind the open fridge door, which frankly is most of the time.

I also find that you go through a bottle too quickly. Here you are pouring full strength glasses of juice willy nilly, and before you know it, bottle's empty. Especially if you have visitors over, who may take half glasses, or watered down glasses as an insult, and who may like their glass continuously refreshed.

So you see the gaping void of need that I have highlighted. Well, fret a little less my friends, because the other week I struck idea pay dirt. It just hit me. This is what you do:

1. Keep one empty apple juice bottle on the top of your fridge.

2. Buy a new bottle of apple juice.

(are you sitting down? Here's where it gets amazing)

3. Pour half the contents of the full bottle into the empty one.

4. Top up both bottles with water. Screw on lids.

5. Open wide your mouth in amazement as you suddenly realise WHERE ONCE YOU HAD ONE OVERLY STRONG BOTTLE OF JUICE YOU NOW HAVE TWO PERFECTLY STRENGTHED JUICES FOR THE SAME PRICE!!

Follow these simple steps, and never be sad again. Not only will you save money, you will enjoy it more. And your thirsty visitors will know no different, except to inquire at the end of their stay, "by the way, where did you buy that amazingly refreshing, perfectly strengthed juice?".

At which time you will turn to the camera, give a wry grin, and wink.

"I have my ways, ol' buddy, I have my ways".

ps- Dear Spellcheck, 'appley' and 'strengthed' totally are real words, you just need to stop being so judgemental, and get out more.

Book Review Wednesday by Belle

2011-10-19T08:14:00.005+11:00

The Slap
by Christos Tsiolkas

Reviewed by Belle

This book is certainly thought-provoking, though I can think of few other positive adjectives to describe it. Most of the 8 stories in the book aren’t actually about the slap (if you haven’t already heard, at the beginning of the book a man at a BBQ hits a child who isn’t his).

According to the blurb and many rave reviews (and this is what scared me most about the book), The Slap is about things like parenting and commitment and everyday life. I really hope that’s not actually true; to quote Disey, who commented on a review of the first TV episode, “If this is an example of “today's Melbourne”, then all I can say is ‘yuk!’” It’s full of ugly language, ugly sex and ugly, angry and selfish characters who are utterly unlikeable. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. (The ABC series may be a different matter, as the language and sex in particular will have to be toned down drastically for its timeslot... You're allowed to watch that, if you want to.)

Thanks for the review! Belle blogs at Belle's Elbows.

Kim

2011-10-18T08:35:00.006+11:00

On Friday night we went to this sailing club place with my father in law. Not particularly because we are sailors, but just because it's one of those rare places where there's room for the kids to run about, without you feeling people's disapproval. Still, it's full of mainly people in their 50's and up, some discussing the ins and outs of sailing, and some off living the dream in front of the pokie machines.

Anyways, we realise they are setting up karaoke at the front, and so after a while I decided I'd put my name down. I chose 'Heart Of Gold' because it's a song me and Little e sing together, so I was going to try and convince her to sing a duet with me. So then I just nervously waited my turn.

One of the first people to get up was this woman in her 50's who I'd seen there before. Kind of smiley with buck teeth and half closed eyes, and always drunk. I learnt her name was Kim. So Kim gets up and has a crack at Abba's 'Money, Money, Money', with some pretty sterling results. She sung the chorus' with gusto, and then would just kind of slur and mumble her way through each verse. Good times.

Eventually my turn came, and I got up, but couldn't convince Little e to come with me. So once I got to the mic, I gestured for her to come. But who should be standing nearby to misread my beckoning gesture, but Kim herself. So, while Little e shakes her head, staying put in her chair, Kim stumbles up the front and stands right next to me, trying to share the mic, and apparently attempting the Lambada with me (it's not called the Forbidden Dance for nothing, Dear Reader).

As you would expect, this is all a barrel of laughs, but I hope Kim gets tired by the chorus and heads off back to her cave. But alas no, she stays for the entire song, singing, dancing and sidling, breathing hot hobo breath into my face.

Another point of interest was somewhere in the second verse, I think, where she gave my bottom a bit of a squeeze. Way to traumatise my children, Kim. That's the fantastic thing about drunk people, they really have a deep understanding and respect of what is appropriate and socially acceptable at any given time.

All in all, a good night. Happily, E got all of this on film for posterity's sake.

Listening

2011-10-17T08:36:00.003+11:00

I'm loving Melbourne band Oh Mercy, especially this little number.

I discovered them when I saw them cover ELO on tele the other week. Good stuff.

Needs

2011-10-17T08:22:00.002+11:00

A friend mentioned to me the other day, that he heard a pastor say of Steve Jobs to a congregation that 'he knew what we needed before we did'.

I don't know about you, but that kinda makes me squeamish, and it's that kind of rhetoric I'm getting a bit jack of hearing about.

Very clever guy, great inventor. But he's looking a bit shaky when you put him up on a pedestal.

2011-10-17T08:18:00.002+11:00

Nice to be back. Hope you are all going good. It's been a bit of a difficult time, but I feel like I'm coming out the end of it for the time being, and I'm feeling good about things. I speak very vaguely don't I? Some things you just don't really want to write about on a blog. At least I don't anyway.

Anyways, as I said, nice to be back.

The Quiz

2011-10-17T08:13:00.003+11:00

1. You know someone's a good friend when..
2. I'm kinda sick of hearing about..
3. Can you do that thing where you fold your tongue in half length-ways? Any other notable mouth tricks to speak of?
4. I wish I lived in a society where it was still acceptable to.. 5. I wince when I think back to..

Oh, Dear, Dear Readers..

2011-10-11T07:58:00.002+11:00

I know that I must be well and truly off your Christmas card list by now. I understand. I can feel your wrath from here.

I will be back. When you least expect it.

When the time's right.

Soon.

Quizless

2011-10-04T10:24:00.002+11:00

Sorry, I couldn't bring myself to turn a computer on, on a public holiday to do the quiz. But in the absence of a quiz, how was your day off, and what did you get up to?

I went out to a bonsai show at Merrylands in the morning (was great!) and then we hung out with some friends in the arvo. You?

Booo

2011-10-04T09:54:00.001+11:00

Dud Grand Final, or what? Who wants to see Manly win anything? Especially those brothers..

Oh well, I can get on with my life now.

Fruit

2011-09-27T09:33:00.005+10:00

We planted a lemon tree and a mulberry tree on the weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing them develop over the years to come.

My Current Obsession

2011-09-27T09:09:00.004+10:00

I got up at 5:30 this morning so I could spend 45 minutes out in the garden. I'm a bit bonsai-obsessed right now, so any chance to get out and fiddle about, repotting and pruning, I'm there.

At the moment my plants look more like stumps and twigs in pots, but I have a VISION! These babies are going to come up awesome, just you wait.

The Quiz

2011-09-26T09:02:00.003+10:00

1. Three words that describe your weekend

2. I don't really get the appeal of..

3. I like people who like..

4. What's on your mind at the moment?

5. You have one month to travel. Where would you go?

Forgiveness

2011-09-23T08:50:00.004+10:00

'Forgiveness cost God His Son on the cross, but what does it cost us to forgive one another? Forgiving costs us our sense of justice.

We all have this innate sense deep within our souls, but it has been perverted by our selfish sinful natures. We want to see "justice" done, but the justice we envision satisfies our own interests.

We must realise that justice has been done. God is the only rightful administrator of justice in all of creation, and His justice has been satisfied. In order to forgive our brother, we must be satisfied with God's justice and forego the satisfaction of our own.'

-Jerry Bridges, 'The Practice of Godliness'

Book Review Wednesday by Crazyjedidiah

2011-09-21T08:41:00.002+10:00

My Hands Came Away Red
By Lisa McKay

Review by Crazyjedidiah

Eighteen year old Cori decides to join a mission trip to a small island in Indonesia, to help a village build a church. The main reason she has gone is to avoid complications in her love life. After a few weeks of the team being there, the violence in nearby Ambon flares up and Cori and her team get caught up in the destruction and violence that ensues, encompassing both the surrounding Christian and Muslim villages. The church that the team has just built is a smoldering ruin within a few days and the pastor and most of the villagers are dead. The team is then forced to flee and their only guide is the pastors son. Hiking through the jungle Cori searches for spiritual answers and emotional stability which she finds as hard to cope with as the physical journey.

This is an amazing book which is a bit confronting, raising questions about our motives for doing things and how we cope when things don't turn out as planned. It also raises the question of what our faith is built on and whether it can with stand the pressures that life throws at us.

I really recommend this book to anyone who loves reading about adventure and Christian faith. It would also be interesting for anyone interested in the mission field.

Thanks for the review! Crazyjedidiah blogs at Gibberish.

Oh, You're Still Here?

2011-09-20T09:11:00.007+10:00

I've reached my ten year anniversary at work. This feels like quite a feat. I have mixed feelings about it- partly I am grateful for the job, and reasonably content. But there's also a bit of 'wow, I'm still here doing this?'

But you know what ten years brings.. long service leave, y'all! I'm not sure when I'll get to take it, but it's nice to know it's there. Also I get to choose some sort of 'commemorative' gift. After racking my brains (yes, I have several) I asked for a Bunnings voucher.

I know, I know, that probably seems silly, and very un-commemorative, but that's what I most want. I'm still trying to sell the company on the idea, and they seem dubious. I think they'd much rather get some dopey pen or something, one of those really expensive ones that you'd never use because it's too special, so it would sit in your top drawer for the next thirty years. No thanks.

But Bunnings, people. Think of the possibilities... A BBQ for summer. Chicken wire and posts to build my chicken coop. Lots of plants to make bonsai's out of. Mulch.

Mulch, people!!

Anyways, fingers crossed against the dopey pen.

Come With Me If You Want To Live

2011-09-20T08:37:00.004+10:00

With the Tigers out, I guess I'll go for the Broncos and their metal plate faced leader.

The Quiz

2011-09-19T09:24:00.004+10:00

1. How are you travelling?
2. Something you'd like to be known for
3. Something you don't want to be known for
4. Worst injury you've had
5. I'm continually surprised at..

Little e

2011-09-19T09:09:00.004+10:00

Our nights have been pretty shocking lately. Little e has really bad eczema, and wakes in the middle of the night in extreme discomfort, clawing at her skin. It's really been awful. She is totally distraught and uncontrollable,kicking and screaming, refusing any help, and we end up being awake with her for hours and hours (last night we were all awake from about midnight until about 3am I think).

It's taking it's toll on all of us, and we just wish we could find something that would help. Feels like we've pretty much tried everything.

Well, That's That

2011-09-19T09:06:00.005+10:00

Suffice to say, I went home Friday night a very sad boy.

Fail

2011-09-15T08:59:00.005+10:00

I saw a brochure thing for Orion cruises laying around at work, and I just wanted to share with you the picture on the cover, which I thought was hilarious.

I don't know how you would read that picture, or how the genius who came up with the concept would expect the picture to be read.

But for me, I can't see any other way to read it than 'hey come on our great cruise and be speared to death by angry natives'.

I love the feeling of optimism of the people in the lil' boat. Some have their cameras out, happily taking snaps of this exciting little expedition to Death Island.

I doubt those rolls of film will ever get developed, somehow.

Finals Week 2!

2011-09-15T08:42:00.005+10:00

I'm going to see the Tige's play the Warriors tomorrow night with a mate at the Sydney Football Stadium.

I'm pretty pumped, I gotta say. I've never been to a final before, and they are going so great, chasing their tenth consecutive win, I think. It's gonna be good!

Listening To..

2011-09-15T08:33:00.006+10:00

I bought the new(ish) Fleet Foxes album, 'Helplessness Blues' this week with a birthday voucher. I've been loving it. It's a great album to herald in the start of Spring.

My favourite at the moment is Lorelai.

Well.

2011-09-15T08:33:00.001+10:00

How about I try and get this show back on the road?

The Quiz

2011-09-12T09:20:00.003+10:00

1. The last time you cheered
2. If it were up to you, what would be built on the 9/11 Ground Zero spot?
3. The thing you most dislike chopping up
4. Is it strange for a grown man to tuck a serviette into his collar at a restaurant?
5. What's exciting you at the moment?

2011-09-09T08:00:00.001+10:00

I will be back soon, I promise.

Finals- Week 1

2011-09-09T07:58:00.000+10:00

Tonight's the big one.

C'mon Tige's!

A Convert!

2011-09-07T08:11:00.000+10:00

A happy Bone reader.

The Quiz

2011-09-05T09:32:00.002+10:00

1. Bush or beach?

2. I'd be lost without my..

3. I wish I had more time to..

4. Is it just me or..

5. I can laugh about it now, but it was terrible the time I..

Treasure Hunting

2011-09-02T08:15:00.000+10:00

I'm becoming a bit of a scavenger in my old age. I'm always on the lookout for ~~junk~~ treasure that people are throwing out that I can pilfer. Last week I found two beds sitting on the gutter outside my work. They were in good nick, with all the screws and junk in a plastic bag.

I grabbed them and now they are sitting up in the office in several pieces while I work out a way to get them from North Sydney to the Deep South.. Hmm. My boss was cool with it, but I don't want to push my luck by leaving them there too long.

But still, I'm chuffed with my score. Down the track when the girls are a bit older these will be great. Clean them up a bit and Bob's your uncle! Free beds, y'all.

2011-09-01T10:27:00.000+10:00

Spring!!!

Some Phone Pix

2011-09-01T09:53:00.016+10:00

A Couple Of Nuggets Short Of A Happy Meal

2011-09-01T08:40:00.004+10:00

I read that some woman in South Carolina was tricked into buying a wooden iPad in a McDonald's carpark. By a dude with a gold tooth. It was basically a plank of wood painted black, with a painted on screen, and an Apple logo. They'd even gone to the trouble of sticking some lil' ol' icons on to the 'screen'. Thoughtful.

Gosh, where to start.

Firstly, if an iPad gives you splinters, reject it. Secondly, if the icons on the screen can be peeled off, reject it. Thirdly, if you are purchasing an iPad in a Macca's carpark, then you kind of deserve to be swindled out of your hard earned coin. It's the justice of the universe, really.

And especially if the dude you bought it off looks like this-

Bon Iver, Bon Iver

2011-08-31T15:58:00.003+10:00

E got me Bon Iver's second album for my birthday. I've been listening to it all day, enjoying it a lot.

It's got me in a very content and peaceful state of mind- which is a bit of a feat considering how anxious and yuck I've been of late. Perth is my fav.

Old Boy

2011-08-31T10:46:00.004+10:00

I turn 34 today.

It's been a nice birthday so far, nice and relaxed. I hung back to have breakfast with the girls. E cooked up a great big brekky with the works which was delisho.

Now I'm setting about doing as little as I possibly can. It's a really beautiful day, and I feel thankful to God for His renewed mercy and love each morning. He is GOOD. Life gets hard, but He never changes.

I don't mind getting older. This year in particular has brought a few extra crows feet and also the greying of 11 of my chest hairs (at last count). I'm okay with that.

2011-08-30T09:15:00.000+10:00

Life's a bit of an uphill climb at the moment. If posts are a bit light on, that's why.

The Quiz

2011-08-29T08:35:00.001+10:00

1. Have you got hangy ear lobes or those joiny-up ones that are welded to the face?
2. An item of clothing that keeps on giving
3. Why would anybody want to be..
4. A movie you've been meaning to watch again
5. A movie you wish you'd never seen in the first place

AWOL

2011-08-22T08:58:00.000+10:00

I'm going to be away from my blog this week. See you guys soon.

Thursday Peanuts

2011-08-18T08:48:00.002+10:00

Stop Press!

2011-08-18T08:44:00.003+10:00

I just saw an Asian schoolgirl on the bus who looked exactly like a Stand By Me-era Corey Feldman.

Apart from her being Asian and a girl, it was uncanny.

Book Review Wednesday by Crazyjedidiah

2011-08-17T08:50:00.003+10:00

Blood Faerie
by India Drummond

Review by Crazyjedidiah

Eilidh, a Faerie, was exiled, for using forbidden magic, from her world a quarter of a century ago, since then she has been living in Perth, Scotland (Not W.A.). A horrific murder occurs right near where Eilidh is living and she can tell that the murder is carried out by magic. Eilidh tries to get the help of her old countrymen to help defeat whoever has performed this murder and the other ones that are found, while making friends with a policeman who is more than he seems. She also must decide whether she is going to learn more about and use the forbidden magic.

This is a fantastic urban fantasy which I really loved. I have not read much urban fantasy in the past, but I have read quite a bit of other fantasy books, especially Historical fantasy. However the other thing that I loved about this book was the element of crime fiction in it, which is another of my favourite Genres. I really loved how Crime fiction and fantasy were blended together in this book.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes either fantasy or crime fiction or who would love to see a blending of the two genres. I would also recommend it to anyone who loves Scotland.

Thanks for the review! Crazyjedidiah blogs at Gibberish.

Jane Eyre- A Review

2011-08-16T08:56:00.005+10:00

I enjoyed Jane Eyre a lot. When we came out, I said I loved it, whereas e said she was a bit disappointed. What happens with me is that I'll love something, but as time goes on it'll drop in my estimation a bit, as I ponder the flaws. But, as I say, my first impression was love.

I thought Mia Wasikowska was really great. I really loved her performance, and really empathised with her. I thought she got across a lot of deeper emotion with just a few lines of dialog. E thought she was a bit bland and unmemorable though, so it was a bit of a David and Margret situation going on..

It looked fantastic. Who doesn't love windy moors? It was just how a Bronte adaptation should look, I thought. And the music worked really well too.

My main complaint of the movie was the pace. It clipped along very quickly, and it felt like a chapter of the book got about twenty seconds of screen time. This disappointed me because I wanted to slow down and get more immersed in the world before the plot moved ahead too much.

It felt like the writer had written down all the key points in the book they wanted to hit, and then tried to string them together in the quickest way possible. Early life at the Reed's was summed up very quickly, with John Reed pretty much only getting one scene. And then the long dreary years at Lowood were over quickly too. An important character, the kindly teacher Miss Temple, was left out, and this meant it didn't make that much sense why at such a strict school Jane was allowed to stay with her dying friend. It also meant we didn't see how that nice teacher kind of inspired her on to eventually apply for the job at Thornfield.

Anyways, from this point on it worked better, although the relationship between Jane and Rotchy seemed to develop super fast as well. But I thought the actors had good chemistry (even though The Rotch was meant to be ugly and have a massive forehead- something I was particularly looking forward to).

Another thing that really stood out for me was the absence of Grace Poole. In the book she plays a massive part in building the drama for the revelation of ol' Bertha. For a while in the book Grace is a really frightening chilling character, and it was disappointing for that to be left out. This meant that there wasn't as much build up for Bertha, and consequently the attic wasn't as scary and she wasn't as ominous. I wanted to be SCARED like when I saw a miniseries as a kid, and she leapt up and bit someone on the face. Come on, how can you omit a face bite?

I liked the structure of the plot, how it was revealed in flashback. In other versions I get a bit bored when Jane goes and works at a school and the whole John Rivers bit. I feel like I want to get back to the main plot. So for me it worked well for that to be interspersed throughout the movie, rather than being an annoying boring bit 3/4 through.

Anyways, enough blabbing on. I liked it a lot, and would happily watch it again. Had it been an hour longer, to flesh it out more, I would have really loved it.

4/5

Day Off/Night Out

2011-08-15T10:05:00.002+10:00

Had a nice day off on Friday for E's birthday. Cooked up a big brekkie in the morning, and then after lunch my mother in law came round and minded the kids while E and I went out for the night. It was nice.

Had a drink and a game of pool in a pub, saw Jane Eyre (I'll post a review soon- I loved it), went out for dinner, and then stayed in a hotel for the night. On Saturday morning we had a nice slow brekkie at a cafe, and then got home around mid day.

It was good for us, I think. It was our first night alone together since Little e was born four years ago, and it was good to properly catch up, and have some good conversations.

The Quiz

2011-08-15T09:50:00.003+10:00

1. Don't you hate it when..

2. Do eggs go in the fridge?

3. What excites you?

4. What doesn't?

5. Something you'd like to do before the year's out

2011-08-11T12:27:00.004+10:00

Having the day off tomorrow for E's Birthday. I have secret plans! I'm excited.

See y'all Monday.

Train People

2011-08-11T09:21:00.002+10:00

Book Review Wednesday by Belle

2011-08-10T09:12:00.003+10:00

The Praying Life
By Paul Miller

Review by Belle

Earlier this year my mum bought A Praying Life by Paul Miller and passed it on to me to read first. That was months ago and it’s high time I returned it to her, particularly because I’ve been urging her to read it ever since I finished. It’s hard to let go of this book, though! It’s a book that needs to be studied rather than speedily read, and it’s also a book that could be read a hundred times over without it losing its freshness or ability to convict. I’m a little bit in love with it.

All aspects of prayer are covered in A Praying Life, including the reasons we don’t do it (cynicism is one, according to Miller), the reasons we should (including seeing God's story unfolding in our lives), and different ways to help with getting around to it (prayer cards and journaling are two of his tips). However the book is much deeper than this simplistic summary implies, so if nothing in there inspired you to read it, please ignore this whole paragraph (hopefully the next will be better). Miller is someone who has struggled with prayer, so his tone throughout the book is understanding rather than bossy and by the end you feel motivated to pray rather than lectured and hopeless.

A Praying Life should be compulsory reading for all Christians (along with The Contemplative Pastor by Eugene Peterson). God has used this book to completely transform my prayer life, and that is a very good thing.

Thanks for that, Belle! Go check out Belle's Elbows.

Kindred Spirits

2011-08-09T08:25:00.008+10:00

Two movies come out in the next week or two that I'm pretty pumped about. The first is Jane Eyre.

Another remake, sure, but it's a good story that I'm happy to watch again and again. As I've said before, the Brontes are my kind of period dramas, because they have good things like ghosts coming through windows and mad women in attics. These are the important ingredients that are sorely missing in your Jane Austens.

This interpretation of Jane Eyre looks really good, and got a positive review in the Herald on the weekend. Mia Kawa...sowk..swki..something or other looks to be good in the role too. So, as I say, pumped. I'm a bit sad that I'm still only about half way through the book. It's sitting on my dresser tut-tutting me. Remember I got all in to it and drew all those characters? I gotta get back on to that. Anyway, here's a trailer.

And then secondly is a remake of Conan The Barbarian! Oh yeah. I'm not sure if you know, but I have a deep love for Conan. Mainly from comics, but I like the old movies too. This remake could very well be a pile of bog, and I'm prepared for that. But so long as there is a long haired guy swinging a sword, and some sort of evil guy doing sorcery, I'll be happy enough. Here's the trailer.

You know, really Jane Eyre and Conan aren't so different, though you may nod earnestly at the former and roll your eyes at the second. Just two lil' orphans trying to find their way and eek out an existence in this big bad world. One chose to teach a little French girl her lessons, and the other chose to deal out some other kinds of lessons. In pain! They're kindred spirits in many ways.

In fact, I'd be surprised if they'd ever been seen in the same room together, come to think of it..

2011-08-08T09:51:00.000+10:00

Seriously, how good are my Tigers going? It's ridiculous.

The Quiz

2011-08-08T09:20:00.003+10:00

1. If you have a blog, what is it called? If you don't, what would you call one if you did? (see how inclusive and thoughtful I am?)
2. What's the meaning behind that name?
3. An instrument you wish you learned
4. Something you're a bit obsessed with at the moment
5. Your favourite dessert