And the man said...

Be careful of what you choose...that goes to you too Mr Soul!

2012-02-23T14:32:00.001+11:00

Meet Anthony

I was reading Anthony Kiedis book 'Scar tissue' a few weeks ago.

Towards the start (cant find the reference) of his book he stated that, when you are born, your soul chooses your parents, because they will be the best people to teach you what you need to know.

Interesting, most people would be scratching their heads, thinking, 'Why would i do that?'

Now, lets continue, from what i know about the Dali Lama, he choose his reincarnation, the previous Dali Lama left clues as to where he would be reincarnated and as to how he could be found.

The Dali Lama

The Dali Lama has decided he will not be reincarnated in accordance with tradition, due to the Chinese who would rather he would disappear altogether

By the Himalayan tradition, phowa (Tibetan) is the discipline that transfers the mind stream to the intended body. Upon the death of the Dalai Lama and consultation with the Nechung Oracle, a search for the Lama's reincarnation, or yangsi (yang srid), is conducted. Traditionally it has been the responsibility of the High Lamas of the Gelugpa Tradition and the Tibetan government to find his reincarnation. The process can take around two or three years to identify the Dalai Lama, and for the 14th, Tenzin Gyatso it was four years before he was found. The search for the Dalai Lama has usually been limited historically to Tibet, although the third tulku was born in Mongolia. Tenzin Gyatso, though, has stated that he will not be reborn in the People's Republic of China.^[28] In his autobiography, Freedom In Exile, he states that if Tibet is not free, he will reincarnate elsewhere.

And, that got me thinking, i wonder would this little bit of information help you re frame your entire life and put things in context? It certainly has me thinking.

What Anthony Keidis says sounds a bit far fetched, but the Dali Lama did this and can remember his past lives, so maybe this isn't as crazy as you'd think, there is something to it if the Dali Lama is saying this and he's way smarter than me!

Especially if you have had any experience with the spirit world, i have had a bit, i've seen enough to know, so i know enough to not laugh at this idea.

Soul, the other kind

So, the scenario for me would look like, Mr soul man, soon to be the person we know (and some love as Kieran) is floating around over Cork and says, the best people to teach me all the things i need to know in life are those 2 people, my mother and father, tea totaller's, never drank, smoke or partied, drugs? You get a perscription from the doctor for that, and not a Doctor called Dr Dre!

Dr Dre

Wouldn't have a clue who the 'Rolling stones' are.

I think i've done enough partying so far, for everyone in my family, to make up for this inconsistency?

Funnily enough, the black and white dragon (previous post), after getting the tattoo, i learnt that a black and white dragon symbolises that, 'Your parents are very wise', maybe the light is shining in after all Mr Leonard Cohen, it only took about 35 years? Better late than never i suppose?

Hey, Mr Perfect, let the light in!!!

2012-02-21T14:20:00.002+11:00

So, the other night I'm watching Leonard Cohen's DVD, live somewhere? I've been a bit of a fan ever since i was hanging out with my shaman Tulassi in Bolivia.

A fan, that doesn't know much, but i know enough to know he's important and if i payed attention, something would ring a bell with me

My Shaman, Tulassi had a book of Leonard Cohen's poems, now I'm not much of a fan of poems, i never have, they just don't mean that much to me, they don't talk to me, not like stories anyway, but Mr Cohen's poems did, this it why he interests me, how does he interest me when no one else does? That was the beginning anyways.

Now one of the songs is called Anthem

Forget your perfect, there is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in

Now, that day i was at one of many festivals in Melbourne, many cool tattoos were on display, attached to the bodies of the people that commissioned the tattoo's, some of the people waited months, i just walked in off the street in Lima and basically commenced a week of pain and hey presto, walked away with a whole sleeve.

My black and white Dragon (cut below his ear)

So, one of the things i like about my dragon tattoo on my forearm is, believe it or not the scar. I remember getting it, i was couch surfing in South Australia, my couch surfing hosts came and picked me up, they drove an hour to the train station and i stayed for a week, got drunk, went fishing, drank snake bite because my friend Janet's face book update said she was hung over from snake bite.

You have to slay a few dragons to get the princess, i scarred my Dragon on the corner of the bread board, believe it or not, and now it's part of the Dragon, i wouldn't want to change it, i remember clearly thinking 'Oh, fuck!'

After hearing Leonard Cohen's song i thought, the scar could represent the light coming in. The Dragon, if i got a big name artist in Melbourne (with attitude) could have been perfect, but things can always be more perfect, but i like the stories around my designs, perfection is not the point!

Good man Leonard Cohen, i will have to listen more more wisdom in your well thought out songs!

It don't matter if he's black or white

Dear food thief...

2012-02-20T12:34:00.002+11:00

An Asylum by another name wouldn't smell so sweet

People it's not what happens to you in life, it's how you deal with it, i saw this from Sean in a hostel called Asylum, in Cairns, and from what i could see when i stayed there, they knew a thing or 2 about dealing with things, in fact to them, anything goes and it does!

On the fridges in the hostel kitchen, there reads a sign....

"Dear Food Thief, Let's play a game.

Epsom Salt is an amazing laxative. In other words if you drink what we've put in the fridges, you will be pissing out of your arse. We have also put other foods in the fridges and sprayed them with insecticide. Maybe we're lying; Maybe we're not but if you're still game then try us out.

One more thing. We have a rough idea who you are

Roberto Bolaño, on writing.

2012-02-16T00:53:00.001+11:00

Roberto Bolaño

So, i'm in St Kilda, at the St Kilda festival, watching a band, standing next to a book shop in Acland st, and you know it's the kind of bookshop where everyone that works there is 'inspired' by the world and all the wonderful things and ideas, the kind of place you like to go and hang out and soak it up?
Books with love, where selecting is an art, it's an experience, the book finds you, you don't find it.

Yes, no? Well, outside this shop there was a chalk board, i could see that someone spent a long time writing something, about half of the following excerpt was on this board, which led me to believe the following and i stood closer to have a read

The person that wrote it thought it was worth their time to write it out for strangers
What ever was written was worth knowing and would do something for the world
That additional Karma would be appended to the world, in a hope that it would touch someone

That is what got my attention, so i went over to read what was written
After reading that chalkboard, i knew that this Roberto Bolaño guy is fantastic and i had to read more

This is what i read...

The truth is, I don’t believe all that much in writing. Starting with my own. Being a writer is pleasant—no, pleasant isn’t the word—it’s an activity that has its share of amusing moments, but I know of other things that are even more amusing, amusing in the same way that literature is for me. Holding up banks, for example. Or directing movies. Or being a gigolo. Or being a child again and playing on a more or less apocalyptic soccer team. Unfortunately, the child grows up, the bank robber is killed, the director runs out of money, the gigolo gets sick and then there’s no other choice but to write.

For me, the word writing is the exact opposite of the word waiting. Instead of waiting, there is writing. Well, I’m probably wrong—it’s possible that writing is another form of waiting, of delaying things. I’d like to think otherwise.

But, as I said, I’m probably wrong. As to my idea of a canon, I don’t know, it’s like everyone else’s—I’m almost embarrassed to tell you, it’s so obvious: Francisco de Aldana, Jorge Manrique, Cervantes, the chroniclers of the Indies, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Rubén Darío, Alfonso Reyes, Borges, just to name a few and without going beyond the realm of the Spanish language.

Of course, I’d love to claim a literary past, a tradition, a very brief one, made up of only two or three writers (and maybe one single book), a dazzling tradition prone to amnesia, but on the one hand, I’m much too modest about my work and on the other, I’ve read too much (and too many books have made me happy) to indulge in such a ridiculous notion.

From that chalk board, you get this post and now i have ordered one of his books and maybe that will be there start of something for both of us? Maybe not, but i cant wait to find out!

I dont mind if it rains or freezes, as long as i got my plastic Jesus...

2012-02-15T11:01:00.000+11:00

Kieran in a convent

Well, with the weather we have been having in Melbourne, i wouldn't be surprised if it did freeze, we have had just about every other kind of weather, and today it will be 30 something, hip hip hurrah, burn all the warm clothes!!!

So, the other day i was walking around the Abbotsford convent and i was thinking how a religion could be based on:

A guy with long hair?
He never had a job
He was an outcast
No girlfriend
Liked hanging out with his mates all the time
And was Jewish?

What comes to mind is John Safron, i watched his excellent series 'Race relations', in this series he did do a bit of a stint to try to see what life was like for the man they call Jesus

John, getting nailed!

I thought, if Jesus came back (no one's seen much from him in about 2000 years)

Would he go to Balaclava? (Balaclava, being a big Jewish area in Melbourne)
What would he look like? Maybe he's have a new hair style, dress sense, shoes and maybe man bag?
Would he laugh at the whole religion thing and say he was going through a bit of a 'phase' at the time?
What would he make of Scientology, Tom Cruise or Tom Cruise in his Mission Impossible movie?

If he did go to Balaclava, would all the Christians go there and worship some Jewish hippy, throwing themselves at his feet saying...

'We will do anything you say, save us!! We're sorry about the last time, we wont do it again'

I know what your thinking, me too in fact. Would Jesus like the band Slayer?

I'd ask John Safron! If anybody would know he would. In his series race relations he:

Got nailed to the cross

Married Bin Laden's cousin (in front of his strict Jewish relatives)

Donated sperm in a Palestinian sperm bank

Got his sound man to donate sperm for him in an Israel sperm bank (class!!)

Dressed up as an Asian chick in Thailand, went on a date with a guy and got drunk, while bitching about John Safran

In fact John lives in Balaclava, he has a flat up the road there!
What would Jesus say or do? I'm beginning to think, if there was a Jesus that was coming back, how do we know John is the man? Some people love him, some hate him? He seems to fit the bill?

'Oh fu$k off, not you lot again? Fu@k off!'

I think he would, after the way he was treated and he might want to have a begal, with cream cheese and he would be in the right area for it too!

First things first...

Would he even understand us, or Latin for that matter? All church mass used to be in Latin, it was the language of god, this is why no one understood it, least of all the people that were in church.

Which didn't really matter if they understood, if the priest was speaking Latin, obviously he was closer to god, and this meant that if God was on his break, having a bagel (or what ever the equivalent is?) he would know what was on, maybe like how you might sit down with your dinner and watch the Simpson's?

Or, maybe not? To anybody else that never had much schooling, to the common man it could have been bingo, in Latin, without the Bingo!

Bingo!!

People in Bible camps seem to think that they speak ancient languages, but what they dont realise is that they are being manipulated and worked up in a frenzy, since they cant even speak english too good, and since most haven't been outside their post code, been it might sound like another language?

Would Jesus understand this?

Some they think they are speaking some dialect Jesus spoke, why couldn't Jesus speak American?

Question is would Jesus understand, people who's brain is being starved of oxygen and were hyper ventilating? Of course, he would.

And then i thought of Steve Mc Queen, an actor i loved on screen, (apparently he was a real ass h*le off screen)

'I dont mind if it rains or freezes, as long as i got my plastic Jesus'

Maybe i need to connect with my inner Jesus? Before someone nails me to a cross and starts worshipping me?

And thats what i was thinking, walking around the gardens of the Abotsford convent, the other day

Perfect sense...

2012-02-14T18:47:00.002+11:00

My friend Dario is quite the poet, i like his stuff.

The other night he told me he was up all night watching a movie called 'Perfect sense' and then he wrote a poem about the movie, quite a good idea and awesome poem.

I introduce to you, Darrio's poem...

Overwhelmed With Grief...People are Hit with all that they Lost...
"Smell"...
Life Go's On...
The Food becomes Spicier... Saltier... More Sweet... More sour...
The Greater Loss is The Memories Not Being Triggered By Smell...
Smell & Memory Was Connected in the Brain...
Without Smell... An Ocean of Memories' Disappear...
Is This the Day...
First the Terror...
& Then a Moment of Chaotic Hunger...
This is How the Sense of Taste Disappears From Our World...
Smell & Taste Are Related...
There the 2 Chemical Sense's...
Slowly... Thing's Go Back to Normal... Life Go's On...
In a Short Time... Taste Becomes a Distant Memory... & Different Sensation's Take there Place...
Sight's... Sound's... Feeling... Sensation's...
Rage... Anger... Hatred... & Then the Loss of Another Sense...
"Hearing"...
There's No Sound...
Can you Hear Me...???...
There are 2 Movement's Now...
There are People Who Grab All they Can...
People who Don't Believe in Anything...
Then There's the Other Movement...
Those who Believe that Life Go's On...
A culture of Sight & Feel...
People Are Prepared for the Worst...
People Hope for the Best...
People Seek what's Important to Them...
A Blanket of Cold...
That's How the Darkness Descends on the World...
"Sight"
But First...
The Shinning Moment's...
A Knowing of What it Mean's To Be Alive... Joy...
But Most Of All...
An Urge to Reach out to one-Another...
To Offer Warmth... Understanding... Acceptance... Forgiveness... Love...
It's Dark Now...
But they Feel Each other's Breath...
& they know All there is to Know...
"Feeling's"...
They Kiss...
& they Feel Each other's Tear's on their Cheek's...
If God Could See them...
They would Look like Normal Love's...
Caressing Each other's Face's...
Body's Close Together...
Eye's Closed...
Oblivious To the World Around Them...
That's How Life Go's On...
People Oblivious to the World...

Perfect sense trailer

The thing i like about...skaters

2012-02-10T13:06:00.001+11:00

First, watch this

The thing i link about skaters/skate boarders, besides that i did a bit of long boarding, briefly last year in Queensland, or to be more accurate, my stint in the Gold coast is:

They don't seem troubled by the things the other people seem focused with
A career isn't important, if you have the time to skate and drink beer and get stoned, you have it all
They don't seem to perturbed by what's going to happen tomorrow, it's all about the now
They seem to be willing to give it a go and take the fall, if it happens
They just look cool and they don't give a sh*t what you think

Your a beginner?

The skater magazines don't have:

Agony aunt sections with questions like, 'I'm worries about my weight...'
They dont have tips on how to shed pounds for that 360 degree trick
They dont have skaters caught cheating on who, who fu*kin cares?
They dont seem too worried about the financial crisis and the invasion of China and India
Also the magazines dont have advice on how to repair tile damage from skating, my guess that would be someone else's problem?

Life in the fast lane?

When i started again, it was like the inner kid in me was doing something he always wanted to do, but my mother did everything to stop me doing and as soon as my ribs are normal from the crash (skater term is 'stack') i had last week, i will be skating.

It makes me so jealous, i have to do it!

Saxaphone, i love it, some hate it, what does that tell you?

2012-02-09T14:15:00.000+11:00

So i lying in the sun (argh, the sun!!) at the Abbotsford convent yesterday and there was a Jazz group playing, there's always a group of some sort playing in front of 'Lental as Anything' in the evening, the saxophone player was hitting all the right notes, i was beginning to like my ears more and more, ears are pretty cool, you know?

The music that soothes my soul

And then i thought of something i read last week of how some people hate Saxophone, they hate it so much they have a facebook group called 'I hate the sound of the saxaphone', i think there is a word for these people, besides any of the obvious words that might come to mind, but Google doesn't know it, so maybe there isn't a word, that or google doesn't know as much as i thought?

As much as i dont agree, the comments expressed are pretty entertaining, like...

THEY SOUND LIKE DYING CATS!
I just think it sounds like a whining child.... no matter who plays it.
Wow, I'm glad to find I'm not alone. I hate the sound of this instrument. I have also thought is sounds only a little better than the sound of raking your fingers across a chalkboard.

This woman has the same expression as my auntie had when i played the best of Beethoven one morning

I pointed out to my auntie after here 'little episode'

When we are amongst great music, we have a duty to act noble

She didn't agree and seemed to favour 'The morning show', and watch a bunch of women her own age talk about the same stuff they were talking about yesterday.

But i digress...
Seems to me, like this anti-Sax group are torturing themselves in their pet hate, like eating ham sandwiches, when you really hate ham sandwiches, make yourself another kind of sandwich, dammit!!!

Lisa knows it!

Maybe they think that one day that ham sandwiches will taste good, possibly listening to a bit of John Coltrane? Now, Coltrane is one of my Jazz heroes.

One mans trash...(god, i would kill of one now!)

One of my favourite books is On the road, by Jack Kerouac, it's a trip, it inspired people to travel back in teh 60's, to me it's the best book ever written, Jazz music was an evolving form of music at the time and here's part of a review of the book

What the Beats understood and identified with in jazz, was protest against the white middle-class world. As Sal Paradise observes in part one of the novel, "Every single one of us was blushing. This is the story of America. Everybody's doing what they think they're supposed to do." Kerouac intuitively understood that you can't have jazz without protest, and along with his Beat friends regarded jazz musicians like Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk as true American geniuses, heroes, and rebels. Just as Sal later thinks Dean "look(s) like God," while high on marijuana bumping along the back roads of Mexico, those jazz musicians who can really "blow" are the "prophets" and "shepherds" come to lead the straying but faithful back to "the golden world that Jesus came from." It is therefore not surprising that many of the freshest and most startling descriptive passages in On the Road are of roadhouse juke-joints and wild late-night jam sessions in urban jazz clubs filled with all the vagaries of nightlife one could imagine. In these scenes positioned throughout the novel to punctuate the emotional ups and downs of the road-weary heroes, one encounters Kerouac's most successful rendering of the simultaneity of antithetical images and meanings of both "down-and-out" and "beatific."

In some ways, i kinda of get it how some can hate a particular music or sound, when i was in South America i hated Reggathon music, everyone else seemed to think it constituted 'good music' for a night out, i would run away like someone set me on fire.

Reggathon

I met a German guy that told me how he hated 'Pan pipes', he told me if he heard Pan Pipes, he would jump off the balcony we were on, it was about 100 feet down too, he seemed to know what he was talking about

Hmm, I'm hungry, hand made ham sandwiches! What, you made them yourself? I hope you don't mind me having one? You don't, Do you have mustard? Yes, there is a god!

An artist impression of me eating a ham sandwitch

Tell you what buddy, "I'll do you a favour, I'll eat all your sandwiches for you'

How what are you going to do for me?

Going from someone that knew to someone that would do.

2012-02-08T12:48:00.001+11:00

Interesting title for today's blog post, well that's what i think anyways, let's freestyle this and see where we end up at the end, shall we?

I heard it in a documentary i watched last week called 'Fat sick and nearly dead', here's a review

Watch the trailer here

Among some of the amazing things that were presented in the movie, Joe pointed out how his transition was going...

"From someone that knew, to someone that would do"

How interesting that he would say it that way? So i wrote it down, only because it struck a chord with me, maybe a D minor chord?

D minor chord

One of the many other books i'm currently reading, '59 Seconds' by Richard Wiseman or 'Blink' by Malcom Gladwell, take your pick, but leave your nose alone!

I read the following...

Damage in the ventromedial area causes a disconnect between what you know and what you do

Bingo, it makes sense, it was like that for the overweight people in the documentary and it's the same for people with drug addictions, in fact it would seem

Junk food addict = Cocaine addict

At least in their head anyway's, as the Cranberries said 'Whats in your head'?

The Cranberries, a musical interlude

In an article entitled, Personal moral judgement i read the following

However, our results on patients with focal lesion in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex clearly reinforce the proposal, advanced by Greene et al. (2001), that this brain region is crucial to oppose personal moral violations. In line with this, several studies have linked criminal behavior to medial prefrontal dysfunction

Oh oh, does this mean that some criminals, being locked up have in fact a medical problem, that became a legal one?

It seems to me, the easiest answer to all of this, besides opening someone's head, scooping out the contents out (are you thinking of ice cream?) and giving them a good scrub with a wiry brush, putting it back in again.

One is too big, one is too small and the middle one is just perfect, now where's your brain again?

Still with me? The answer could be found in Vipassana meditation.

Insight meditation gradually purifies the mind, eliminating all forms of attachment. As attachment is cut away, desire and delusion are gradually diluted.

To me the key lies in people's attachment's and aversions and doing a Vipassana course would enable people to resolve the issues in themselves.

I did one in India and i can say i learn more about myself in 10 days than i would have in 10 years, i've probably forgotten most of it, maybe i need to be reminded why i'm here, what i was about, it's interesting in Anthony Kiedis book 'Scar tissue'

The man that should not be alive, in his own words

He said, he knew so many guys that got in to music, that knew what they were about, were really driven, starting out, then they forgot who they are, and got side tracked and ended up over dosing, game over.

Last year at a festival called Rainbow Serpent, one of the work shops, one woman was singing songs, we were singing songs, chanting in fact.

One of the chants was

'I remember who i am, i remember who i am...', over and over.

And just then, i remembered and it was a truly amazing experience and it's funny how you could forget something like that? But i did, i think everybody does?

You just need ways to remind yourself and keep yourself on course

It works for me!

This post was made possible by one of my favourite DJ's Derrick May, have a listen!

Febfast is off to a flying start, literally!!

2012-02-07T15:48:00.000+11:00

Where is the pause button again?

So, February is here, and as is my habit in the last few years, i'm off the alcohol or alcohol is off me and defiantly not in me!

I went off the beer for November, and then back on December, only in moderation of course swearing i learnt some valuable life lessons, but after some social drinks over Christmas and a little bit of partying on the weekends, it's time to do it again in February!

So, the day before February i went to a bit of a party, after midnight someone said it was February, time for Febfast, but i didn't want to believe it, you cant when your having fun!

January turned into February over night, it's almost as mad as that loaves into fishes story from the bible, i wasn't having any of it, call me a non believer if you want!

So i re-defined February to commence when i woke up, in February and had a few more beverages, including a beer at home.

After all, if your going to have one for the road, you'd better be sure you know the road, being at home is perfect, in summer, you can sleep next to the cat, and all is well in the world, except the cat trying to get vomit out of it's fur?

It's not a cats life folks, not anytime!

So, after opening my eyelids for business on the 1st of Feb, i didn't exactly feel like running, it was the day of change, i was doing a mini triathlon that day, running would have to wait until the evening, the planning was everything and the plan was nothing, so myself and Ryan AKA 'Pretty' went for a cycle.

We got as far as Clifton hill when a momentary lapse on my part, introduced me into another form of travel, a kind of space travel called 'Arse over tits', and planted me on the back of a barrier on the side of the foot path.

My flight path caught by a passing photographer

What's funny is, i'm fine, a few bruised ribs and i feel very luck not to do serious damage, to myself or the bike, i've been down that path before and i've wondered, about if someone fell of their bike there, Ryan was wondering it too, and i found out.

Before long, we went off again, and because of my space travel, i ended up meeting a cyclist that showed us a bike path that (Follow the A's)

Yarra trail, to the Anniversary trail, to Gardiner's creek, back to the Yarra trail

It was one of the best bike trails i have seen in Melbourne, albeit in much pain, but not too much pain, i am told by many that i have a high tolerance to pain.

Ryan told me a story how he broke his ribs and i have to say, i cheered me up a little, in fact i nearly took a lung full of water while swimming later

Ryan said:

Ryan: One time when i was out in the Gold coast, i met these guys in a bar and i went on a bit of a pub crawl with them and you know the everyone up there goes out to look for fights?
Me: No, no one's ever picked a fight with me

Ryan: Well all the bogans go out to do that and we were walking past some guys on the other side of the street and one of the guys shouts over 'Hey you have a small cock!' and they came over and started fighting, i'm lying on the ground, i wasn't even fighting and some guy is kicking me. Anyways i spent 9 hours in the ER

In that light, what was wrong with me? To be fair, it was a learning experience, Ryan did tell me if you cant breathe properly and you piss blood, get to a hospital, good to know. We continued another 50kms.

That was a week ago, and i'm still feeling it, pain that is and now i feel February could have came a bit sooner

Postcards are the new internet

2012-02-06T18:33:00.000+11:00

Dear post card people, listen up!!

Do you know when you give out the love to the universe? Sometimes, just sometimes, it comes back and it did, i want to tell you all about it.

So, when i was gallivanting about the country last year, i remember being in Perth train station, talking to someone about Chapel St, i said to myself

'I know someone that lives near Chapel st, I'll send her a post card'

Well, writing that post card was so much fun, i decided to write a few more, since i hadn't been blogging in quite, it became a bit of a release for me, i quite enjoyed it you see, each post card, took a bit of time in the selection process, each one was unique in its own way, no copy and pasting going on folks, i could not accuse myself of any plagiarism in any way!

Do you know of post secret dear reader?

And after all, when you enjoy doing something, it's not that hard!

Who sends post cards anymore? Dammit, post cards are the new Internet!!

When people get post cards now, it's pretty special and unique, people will come around to stare and wonder at your fridge, not because it has Internet capability's, makes ice, re orders everything automatically and does not forget the beer order, the reason some will always be single and the wondrous fridge has a post card like a badge of honor!

From postsecret

Every post card was 100% original in every way and then i sent them the old fashioned way, everyone that wanted one, got one, all they had to do was send me their home address and i would do the rest, and i did.

Now, was reading the paper on the weekend and i saw there is yet another reason to get a smart phone, there is a post card app, where you take the picture, submit the text and they mail it out.

My friend Jen sent me a message a few weeks ago, saying she was posting me a post card, so i wait and wait and wait some more.

From Postsecret

Last Monday i look up at the sky and said

'Fuckit Shockley, where's my card!'

Last Monday night i get home from a bit of a party, and it's there.

Hallelujah, hurray for everything!

Jen from Florida sent me a post card

Whats particularly interesting is she calls me 'K-Dawg'.
Jen, she's the only one and then again she's not the only one :)

Beethoven and me...

2012-02-03T14:42:00.000+11:00

So i after looking online yesterday to see what there is to do in this wonderful city, that city being Melbourne. I spotted that the Brunswick Beethoven festival is on, the first performance was to be Anthony Halliday

1, Variations on the Ruin of Athens Op. 76

What is interesting is he wrote this piece in the style of Turkish music, sort or exotic, you can imagine a parade of Elephants, giraffes on the street, carnival coming to town? Pretty out there stuff for the time he lived in

2, Sonata op. 31 no. 2 'Tempest'

Largo - allegro
Adagio
Allegretto

Shakespeare and Beethoven?

I'm not the jealous type, i swear i'm not, but Beethoven was a huge fan of Shakespeare, i'm a fan of Shakespeare in the park, with plenty of wine and snacks.

What is interesting about Beethoven's the Tempest, is you need to read Shakespeare and his Tempest to understand what it's about, well that's according to a student of Beethoven.

This student had had a record for telling little 'white lies', but Beethoven was a huge Shakespeare fan after they were translated into German of course, so the Tempest story could be true

Beethoven's favourite Shakespeare play was "The Merchant of Venice". Beethoven also read Hamlet, The Tempest, Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, All's Well That Ends Well and The Winter's Tale and he died before he had the chance to see Romeo and Juliet

Sonata op. 31 no. 2 'Tempest'

3, Sonatta op. 111
Maestoso - allegro con brio ed appassionato
Arietta, adagio molto smplice e cantabil

Last but not least, one of the most amazing things i have ever heard, now Anthony Halliday described how Beethoven wrote this piece while he was ENTIRELY deaf, he couldn't even hear the dinner bell or his iphone ringing off, how did he ever survive?

He must of drove his neighbour down stairs absolutely mad, his neighbour was constantly banging on his ceiling. He could drive me mad any time he liked, in fact sometimes i feel like i'm on Auto pilot, take me to crazy town Beethoven! And i would go too!

Part 1

Now, Anthony described a part of it where it felt like 'stars falling' i would have said explosions then glittery confetti and glitter falling and how he created new effects for this piece that had never been done before.

Once i heard the piece he was referring to i thought

Bang on the money, that's it!

And he should know, he was playing it after all and the piece reminded me of a scene from Emile Zolas book 'Doctor Pascal', the last book in the Rougon-Macquart series

The scene i'm thinking about is where the grandmother that has a type of locked in syndrome from a stroke and she watched her grandson go into convulsions and she then realises that he is dying and she dies herself watching it all happen, when the family in the next room come back, both grand mother and grandson are dead.

Part 2

A scene like that from a Emile Zola might not seem worth relating here, but for me it was one of the best things i have ever read, in fact, i read the book again just to get that scene in it's entirety, it was unbelievable.

One of the things Anthony said was

'If composers could say what they wanted to say with words, they wouldn't use music'

One wonders if Emile Zola aspired to play music? I think he should of.

Part 3

A few weeks ago i watched a movie called 'A room with a view'

Here are some Beethoven related excerpts:
Lucy Honeychurch: Mother doesn't like me playing Beethoven. She says I'm always peevish afterwards.
Revered Beebe: I can see how one might be... stirred up.

Whatever's the matter with dear Miss Lucy?
I put it down to too much Beethoven.
I heard her beautiful playing.

I have a pet theory about Miss Honeychurch.
Is it not odd that she should play Beethoven
with such passion and live so quietly?
I suspect that one day...
...music and life will mingle.

Mind you marry her next January.
Her music, the style of her...
how she kept to Schubert when,
like an idiot, I wanted Beethoven.
Schubert was right for this evening.

A scene from the movie 'A room with a view'

p.s.
Those that don't hear the music think the dance is crazy, god bless you Beethoven, where ever you are!

A note from my friend Olaf

2012-02-03T12:08:00.000+11:00

I sometimes get an email from my friend Olaf from Germany and the thing i love about them are how it's a bit lost in translation, sometime's you gain something and by reading them, it somehow tells a different story?

I'd hate to lose any of them, this is why it's here, this blog will be here for ever, most Germans i have met will not say something if they think the grammar will be incorrect, but Olaf speaks his mind, fantastic!

Just write your mind!

Olaf says:

hello friends,
here is the germanyguy olaf.
after long time a sign of my life.
yes i still life.
mabay no everbody can remember my,i met all the peopel here anywhere on the world,from last year antill the last 12 years.
and my english is still bad,sorry about this!!!!!!
how are you and what is happed the last time?
who is travel?
you have same news?
i hop everbody is okay and you enjoy life.
i wish you merry xrismas and happy new year!!
i am fine,since 3 months i travel agian.
this year i diceide to travel on afrika.
first madagascar and after this to the continet,johannesburg and direction nord.
i have time antill next year mai and i think antill to kenia is possibel.
a lot off grettings from far a way,good lucky and i hop i get same answer.
olaf or also franko

John McEnroe, he wasn't that mad!!

2012-01-27T14:29:00.000+11:00

So, this is the story i wanted to write the last time i posted a blog story, the previous blog story just kinda jumped out of me, so i went with it and that was that.

And now this...

Still on the tennis thing people, the Australian open is still going on, so it's still tennis, tennis, tennis in Melbourne, as you know i went to a few games one night, 2 weeks ago, people wanted to know what i thought? So, I'll try and explain.

Lleyton

One of the games i saw featured Lleyton Hewitt, i had Gold class tickets, a prime view, pretty good, or so it would seem?

One of the advances tennis has made over the years is that they now include camera technology, it would appear tennis has 'embraced' this technology, much like how they do in cricket to view the line calls, and from what i could gather, each player can request the new technology to check if the ball was in or out.

A game of In and Out, this one in!

And they do check the line calls, all the time! White lines clear your mind, John nearly list his, where was this technology when he needed it?

What was interesting throughout the game was even though most calls that seemed out, most of them were actually in, and i started to think about John Mac Enroe, how could you forget that fellow?

Could you forget this?

I was thinking maybe John had a very keen eye, maybe he was right all along, maybe the tantrums were justified? Maybe everyone else was wrong, like the man said?

A quick glance of my program informed he had quite a history here in Melbourne? It would appear the Melbourne open was the first tournament to introduce a 3 strikes rule, no one told John of this rule, his third strike being when he told the umpire to

'Go home and fuck your mother'

And maybe, just like baseball, he was out, game over for John that year and he was sent marching for an early shower.

I bailed out of the place myself after 3 hours and 15min, how anybody could stay longer, or be interested is hard for me to fathom? I'm glad i went, why anybody would go a second time, it completely beyond me? I would rather go insane, thank you very much!

Serena Williams was on after Lleyton Hewitt's game, but as the time was ticking on, my interest was dwindling further and further, dammit I felt like i was getting old!

I would rather...

I got out while the going was good, i would rather watch cricket, and that saying something, coming from me!

I gave my ticket to some guy that was watching the game outside, later i realised the ticket was my tram ticket, if i got a fine, it would have been from the same people that i got the ticket in the first place, Yarra trams!

It is only funny, because i didn't get asked for a ticket, oh the laughs, i can allow myself, now, who knew fare evasion could be so much fun?

How, someone could be interest in a ball flying back and forwards, that's not your own, was a bit beyond me too? I wasn't going voice my disapproval any further other than vote with my feet, and now that i think of it, that's the only kind of voting i ever do, i could have voted on the Triple J, hottest 100, dammit!!

I could have made a difference!!

Maybe, playing tennis is more fun than watching it? In the same way playing Ska music would be better than listening to Ska music?

News just in, God hates ska too!!

Ska and Tennis, if there is a hell, would it would he a combination of both those two?

Tennis fever has hit Melbourne like the plague!

2012-01-19T11:22:00.000+11:00

The Australian tennis open is on and everyone has gone tennis....mad!

Yesterday while on a bike ride through Kew, one of the many well-to-do suburbs in Melbourne, i saw a top of the line BMW being driven, nothing unusual there, not in Kew anyways, mummy is wearing her tennis outfit, the daughter is wearing the same matching tennis outfit, smaller size of course. Interesting...

Now, i'm no Doctor, but it was then i realized that a fever hit the town.

All the symptoms are of 'Tennis fever', but i think it will last for the next 2 weeks, then it will lie dormant, like a Taliban sleeper cell for another 52 weeks?

So, there is my first problem with the sport of tennis, it attracts a certain kind of person, the kind of person i dont come in close contact with, not in their own surroundings, but lets be open minded people!

I was thinking, since i could, and the Tennis is on, i should at least experience it and see what the big deal was, after all, i might like it?
And if i didn't what the harm, i could leave at any time? At least if i went and experienced something new, i wasn't going to get something new sitting at home, not on TV anyways, just re-runs of old TV episodes.

My new house mate got a ticket from work, corporate reserved seats, gold class and he asked me

'I'm busy, would you like to go to the tennis instead of me?'

Boy, would i!! The chance to mingle with lots of rich people? Observe them in their own habitat, GOLD CLASS, and no ass, those people can afford surgery, personal trainers and food that doesn't kill you in the long term.

I would feel like David Attenborough, i had this chance to closely observe, document these elite talking monkeys, on a floating rock in the universe and bananas? This species have plenty of bananas, dont you worry about that one, they have more than enough!

David and some monkeys that dont say a single word, that's probably why some people put them in cages?

How could i say no? So i went, one of the striking things about tennis is how everyone is so happy there, what was the cause? Could tennis give that much happiness, if so, i had to have some happiness too, please i will do anything!

Now, I passed a house yesterday, one of many with a tennis court in Kew, flood lit of course, obviously it's a game you can play at night too, very versatile is tennis!

But you never see or hear anyone playing in those places, usually they are big empty places, with at max 2 people and a little dog and it occurred to me!

The real reason people play tennis?

Of course! If i was strolling around all day in my loafers, why would i want to bend down and tie up shoe laces? Shoe laces are a pain, ask anybody that goes out to work or has to go running to maintain their weight because they cant afford surgery?

I need a reason to tie shoe laces, i need a tennis court, then i have a reason, of course, it actually make sense!

It's a bit of work lacing these up, but it's worth it!

Tennis shoes have great support, not just any support, they have 'Lateral support' to...

Hold the foot steady, not a pair in which your feet feel insecure when you're moving. You'll not only move better, you'll also prevent tennis injuries.

Life before tennis and tennis injuries?

I get it, it make so much sense, hip hip hurray for tennis!!

David Sedaris, me and Tom Robbins

2012-01-14T19:22:00.000+11:00

It's not a dogs life, it's a monkeys, i tell yea!!

So, i went to see David Sedaris last night, with Cassie...Wassie.

David did his gig, it was pretty good, my 2nd ever book readings, the first was Kinky Friedman.

Kinky

After telling Cassie i would go and the tickets were bought by her, i read somewhere how stupid it was to go to a book reading to hear a book being read by an author, when you could do it yourself, alternatively we could have waited until the movie came out, anyways we went, here's my take...

After the gig, we left, i noticed some people queuing up outside the theatre for a book signing, i had my library book, so i stood in, I was 5th in the queue, until someone pointed out, 'the queue is that side' , so i switched and 5th place became 2nd place, hip hip hurrah!!

David came out and the book signing was on, so when it came my time i wiped my sweaty hand said hello and shook his hand, it just seemed like the right thing to do and i handed over the book i brought along, that was stamped 'Property of the city of Yarra', a book of the people, a library book!

Now, David wasn't as interested in meeting me, as i was of him, ok, that's ok, that's no biggie, any Brain-iack can tell you this was to be expected, he meet that many people, i'm just another guy!

Anyone that knows, that hangs out with famous people will tell you, what a disappointment it is, it's not worth it.

Phil Lynnott, being Irish felt like a pint of Guinness to this man

One of my friends was telling me how his mate met Phil Lynnot many years ago on Patricks st, Cork, the fan in question had every album, he didn't have a record player, that didn't matter, he was die hard, Phil was walking along the street with a chick, with ear phones on, which he took off, briefly, only to utter 'Fu*k off'. The guy was gutted, and Phil kept on walking, so you can see, the delima facing fans, is summed up nicely in that little antidote.

I told David Sedaris, if i saw him on the street i was going to say

'Hi, your my favorite author....Tom Robbins'

Tom Robbins

I got a puzzled look from him, obviously he was the star of the show, he was probably thinking how the hell was Tom Robbins stealing my lime light? Tom was probably asleep in Seattle at the time too!

David Sedaris didn't get it, maybe the funny guy pestle i put him on was a little bit too high, after all, David used to spend a lot of time being high, maybe the air in the room was a bit thin, it couldn't have been altitude?

I asked him if he could write what i wanted, i didn't expect it, maybe be he saw himself as the writer and it was 'Take it or leave it' writing?

What i wanted him to write...i wrote it out myself first, just to prove that the pen wouldn't explode!

My minder, don't leave home without one

He then asked me
David S: Who did you come with?
Me: My friend Cassie?
Translation:
Are you allowed out at this hour by yourself?

Spider pants?

Then he said
David S: Are those spider web's in your pants?
Me: Huh?
David S: Where did you get them?
Translation
Did you dress yourself, or did your mummy dress you?

Maybe i wasn't on his level, it was looking more like the jeans were the hot topic and i hadn't worn them in 2 years

I was trying to think, yeah, yeah i got them in Malaysia?

The man reason i wore them was because i fixed the button, now they don't fall down and seem to have lost a bit of weight in the last few years, the new button has moved quite some distance, it was the last thing in the world i wanted to talk about

And then it was goodbye, the book signing production line, would have made Henry Ford proud.
So much for David Sedaris i though? Maybe i could have made the opener a bit more relative to the things in his life?

Like, one of his last stories in the reading was about how his computer got stolen in Hawaii, he lost a years work because he thought the usb flashing light was somehow backing up his files.

They made a show about tracking down crack heads in Hawaii

I could have pointed out, Hawaii s the crack head capital of the US of A, ask Dog the bounty hunter, some crack head got $50 for his laptop and a years worth of his writing and so far he hasn't made a cent off of me, with my library book's, am i worse than a crack head?

I really was ripping him off, what else was he to do, but show his distaste? I have read 'A brave new world' too recently, i should be all about consume, consume.

Buy, buy, then bye, bye, bye!

Being pratical has no place in this consumer day and age!

It left me thinking, David Sedaris is a funny guy on paper and when he has about 6 months to edit and re-edit his stuff, nice going, but not exactly the kinda freestyle living, writing and talking i seem to favor. He might not have been too impressed with me not purchasing a book like all the other consumers, but does he know there's a recession on?

Maybe he's read it somewhere? It's not like he could hear whispers from the villa he resides in? Oh, dont make me laugh?

A man of the people?

Obviously i should have started off by telling him he was the greatest? But i didn't. But yesterday i was looking through some books and i saw one by Edward De Bono called 'Teach yourself to think' and then maybe i did?

I had a bit of a caprice, and then something happened, i saw the encounter in a different light.

Caprice = A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior.

Obviously, he was on stage, he is the star of the show and as soon as he gets off, i tell him he might be 2nd rate, compared to Tom Robbins, but i thought everyone knows this? This should be normal for anyone!

But what he did was very good, now that i think about it? On stage and off stage, i got up-staged and now i'm laughing.

Some people believe when you meet someone it's because they are supposed to teach you something, when the student is ready, the teacher appears, i don't know if the chicken or the egg appeared on the scene first, but i certainly learned a lot form this brief encounter.

Dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit

He, obviously amused himself by confusing me with stupid questions, enough to be polite and move on to the next person in the queue, it was a master stroke. It took me a while to get it, but now i'm laughing and laughter is the beginning of wisdom.

As Tom Robbins would say,

'If you cant get any enlightenment out of a situation, you might as well get some laughs'

I got the laughs, but only the next day

Now the question is, if i ever do meet Mr Tom Robbins, should i take it, or should i just say, or go watch some ducks in the park? Maybe the answere will be obvious to me?

Maybe i'd say...

'Tom, i bought the book, just sign it and let me go about my business for Fu$ck sake!'

Foxes, owls, rabbits and mathematics in a forest...WTF?

2012-01-09T23:03:00.001+11:00

Do you like to think about things?

So, I've started reading a book called 'The mathematics of life', it's been on the floor of my room for about 2 weeks, and I've been getting around to picking it up, and in the last few days i have been getting into it, more and more, it's good stuff!

Now, here's the part in the show where, i would normally google the book, just to see what other people think, maybe I'm going mad, but I've been having quite a few 'Eureka!!' moments, minus the bath tub.

It's been connecting a few of the dots in my brain, just when you think you're not all that bright, the switch's go off in your head, and all of a sudden the lights are on and people are home, it's a whole god damn party, tell you!!

There is a basic principle...

'Unrestricted growth will always outstrip resources'

It's nothing new, it came from Thomas Malthus, in 1826, in his essay on the Princlple of populations.

Where has that happened recently? Well, the economic crisis that has been happening all over the place for one, where little or no restrictions were placed on financial institutions in the good old USA, it would appear (to me) what happened is a natural fact, since not many people now a-days are in tune with nature, it took a lot of people by surprise, you should have occupied your brain sooner folks!

I remember reading once any thing you find in nature is realistic thing to base your happiness on. i.e Sunrises and sunsets, if you like the odd sunset, well that is a nature, if it makes you happy, there is a good chance you will be happy every day, sounds simple?

A realistic expectation, that can be found in nature

Now, sterile cities, where people work on the 34th floor, well not many animals go to work in places as dense like a city (bees maybe?), at that altitude (condors?)

I'm thinking of condor bee's right now, maybe that's just me?

It's just not natural, it makes no sense, but some people would define working on the 34th floor in their career of choice as success, or at least part of a success, but it's not natural and i should know, i was one of them!

Phrase or phase?

Anyways, the idea of having a career is only about 500 years old, according to Tom Robbins, before that we were hunters and gathers and always on the move, only recently have people settled and stayed in the same place. Maybe having a career is just a phase mankind is going through.

Back to unrestricted growth, where have i heard that recently?
In America, the energy companies are the ones that set the limitations on themselves, and because of this the government is involved in warfare which is essentially a resources grab, due to their own unrestricted growth.

It makes sense!
Populations of living creatures, if their growth is not restrained by lack of food or predators, grow geometrically, the modern word is 'exponentially, it was all written in 1826 folks!

When the growth is based on available food and resources, population grows slowly, linearly.

Now, a scenario in the 'Mathematics of life' was presented of Foxes, owls and rabbits in a forest

Peek a boo, i see you!!

Question: What would you think the biggest threat to rabbits would be?
Answer: Other rabbits, competing for the same resources.

To me, this explains fashion and all it entails, how people behave in cities, their vanity and so on, that doesn't bother thinking about, until now, are they are rabbits?

Maybe they would go well in a stew?

Fashion, it's not just about looking like a whore!

The rabbits that win the competition survive to breed and their abilities may be passed on to future generations

Fashion is not about looking good for the opposite sex, it's about looking better than your peers, the competition!!

Competition between foxes and rabbits may happen where rabbits learn to run faster, but then foxes may learn to run faster too (not such an exciting point?)

Indirect competition between foxes and owls may happen, where there maybe not enough to eat, they may not even be aware of each others presence, but they know they are hungry.

Might leave these two out of the stew?

Natural selection is not putting one species against another. It happens in the context of thee surrounding environment, the entire ecosystem.

I love this point...
The Eco system determines the context in which they compete.

To me this is why i live where i live, and not anywhere else.

Motion of water is random, it has a tendency to go down with gravity, but what the water does in bulk is not just determined by gravity, but also by the landscape in which it flows.

And, i was wondering, why a book on Mathematics would be so interesting to me? This is a question posed by others when 'What are you reading?' was asked.

Everybody's asking the question!

The answer came from a very unlikely source, it would appear

Now, i've been following Jon Mercer and he says some interesting things

A simple right-brain/ left brain technique to diffuse anxiety, panic and other negative emotions.

So, it would appear i have been using a different part of my brain while reading this book on Mathematics, and it's relaxing.

More quotes from Jon...

"The golden rule of personal development...“Do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t.”

Additional i realize how my phone stresses me out, so i will be leaving it at home from now on. It just doesn't work for me, swimming, reading and bike ride do, so i'll do that.

Jon says...

Whatever you pay attention to will expand in your life. You invite it to become a bigger part of your experience. So make sure you focus on really awesome things!

Cool, thats all i need to know, reading you loud and clear, i now know what to do :)

What are you going to do Mr Wrabbit?

Listen to the inner voices...some call it... Intuition

2012-01-04T12:33:00.000+11:00

So, as always i start to write, i dont know where i'm going to go, but i know i'm going somewhere and thats all that matters, we need to go and that is that.

So, i begin and i get an idea, that's all it takes, as long as i get ideas, i know i'm alive, if i have the ideas and i'm broke that's ok, cashed up and no idea, that spells trouble!

So, i had a look at my stats, for this blog and they gave totally different pictures, totally.

So, when i look on google i get this

8 people in the last month checked my blog out? Are they kidding?

I haven't published much recently, it's no biggie for me, but whats interesting is when i look through blogger, i get a totally different story.

Through blogger i get this...

Today: 187
Yesterday 166:

The funny thing is, since i am a software tester, i probably could find out what the problem is and report it to them? Maybe the world need's me, in a professional capacity, but i digress...

What occurred to me, was how sometimes there are the voices in your head and there are the voices in other people's head and there are conflicting views of the same stories, completely, depending on peoples experiences in life and what's been going on in their lives, up until now.

What are you on about, you say?

Well, it has occurred to me that, since i haven't been working much in the past year, i have completly changed my ways, in some ways i've changed, i dont spend so much $$, i do things that dont cost much $$, i have time and i make time for the important things, i do tons of reading, i dont drink so much.

Getting a few $$ from the government has been great too, after all i'm playing by their rules, looking for work, work hasn't happened, but the sun is shining and i enjoy every day.

It occurred to me how people who make the most $$ are the most resentful when they people with little money enjoying themselves, especially in the summer, it drives them crazy, which will give you an indication of how shallow they are.

If your not happy in your own life making lots of $$, why complain about people less fortunate that yourself, after all, they do have less $$?

Unless, unless of course, deep down you know it's not about $$, and the empty void in yourself is getting deeper and deeper? Which would make you laugh?

One of the happiest guys i know of, is a guy that lives in a squat, he dumpster dives for food, he busks for money for tobacco and wine, he doesnt have a worry in the world and the world is full of wonder to him,only because he's not full of answers.

The past year has been a bit of a wake up call, for me.

I have come more in touch with my intuition, i can see others that haven't had the same exposure and i can say i've come a long way, from where i was anyways. Cutting back on the beer has helped too, in a big way, why did it take me this long to listen to my intuition?

Introducing Emma (not just a pretty face)

Yesterday, i was telling Emma, how before i always felt like i had too much money and i wanted to be in the situation where i couldn't do what i wanted to do, why?

'Because i dont get paid until Wednesday!!'

Folks, that day has come, and to rectify it, i sold some investments, $$ problem fixed, for now.

My attitude to money has been resolved too, it only took a year of not working and nearly 35 years of my life, in all to do it.

I'm not so $$ carefree, but making $$ is not important, when your not spending lots of $$, i feel i have a lot more in common with the people i hang out with, as a result, and that's what i was after.

I've gone from polar opposites and now i'm where i want to be, where i need to me, mentally and physically, 2 different ways of thinking and what's changed, not much, except me and that's all that needed to change, for things to change and for me to progress, just the way i wanted and the running and swimming has been great too.

Above all, the whole experience has made me a more compassionate person to those less fortunate than myself, i know better to behave in a better way, to people, some of whom have not been as luck as myself to have had the experiences i've had, good and bad, to lead me to where i am today.

It shocked me over Christmas as to how out of touch and un-compassionate some people i met were, but i knew the difference!

Animals are doing it

In the Brisbane flooding last year, i read a story of a snake that was normally a predator to frogs, truly amazing stuff!

Now more than ever and for that, i am really grateful to be me and not them, or who i was or might have been had i not have had all the experiences, over the last year.

There's something about cards?

2011-12-24T12:10:00.000+11:00

Happy Christmas cards

So, i thought i'd free style this, for the purposes of remembering it, one fine day, maybe a summers day?

So, about 2 months ago i found a douvet, blanket and christmas cards about 50 cards to be more or less specific.

Traditional

So, yesterday we were going out to a wharehouse party, so i though i'd take about half and give them to people, i wrote something differnt in each one, it kept me busy like a beaver for a while.

Then i did my

'Choose a card, any card'

people were grabbing them, it was a sight to see!!

Now what really struck me about the whole deal, that wasn't quite too obvious to me before, is people love getting cards, Christmas, post cards, birthday cards, business cards?

Tradition out the window, or a window with a really good view?

For me it was a bit of fun, nothing serious, but it has a serious change in peoples attitude.

I remember getting birthday cards growing up and all i did was chuck them, after checking them to see if there was any $$$ in them.

Last night i even gave one to a Jewish chick, i think it made her Christmas, since i haven't been writing for a while, i have been busy, i found it no preoblem doing it and i remember Tom Robbins saying

'Creative people never get writers block'

And as the night was getting on, i was running out of cards.

It was surreal, maybe i'll get more? It's definatly the small things that make the biggest difference and that was one that suprised me!!

Jogging anybody?

2011-12-15T14:44:00.000+11:00

Why i do it?

Wierd weekends, let me write my mind, take 1

2011-12-14T17:19:00.000+11:00

So, the weekend started off like any other, I'm doing my thing, being a responsible citizen, everything is in moderation, life is chugging along nicely, Linda from the Royal Derby says

'Would you like to go on a masquerade harbour cruise?

Would i ever, it's what i was born to do!!

Raining men, it wasn't

The troops were rallied and off we went, but first we de-toured to Collingwood, (...famous for it's football team that has gone corporate along with the rest of them and now they dont train there anymore, they are in Arizona training, so much for a community team?) when the bigger group and off we went again, this time to get a tram, walking?

Usually I'm in groups that will get a taxi and not trams, but whatever....until it bucketed down from the heavens, the time to repent, and no sight of Noah or his Ark.

Finally we got a taxi and got to where we were going, no boat, no people, are the border protection people that good as to stop boat cruises? It was beginning to look like it.

Would someone call the coast guard on us?

We were looking for pier 5, in actual fact the boat we were looking for was in pier 2, if 5 was 2, maybe Jimi Hendrix could have made sense of it all.

Finally when we got away, maybe 25 people on board, I'm scanning the scene and it struck me as the weirdest boat cruise EVER, until a woman named Elizabeth started summoned the water god Iris, i think, now things were beginning to rock.

So it turned out, the boat was full of Witches, clairvoyants, i did meet one Shaman. It was a full moon Current moon phase 2011

In the end it was like i was supposed to be there to hear it all, it was very strange, very strange indeed, it was turning out to be one of the weirdest nights on record, and that's something coming from me.

I met one guy that could see animals around people, so he would paint them, another guy would see numbers, he could tell things through numbers.

I met one woman that was a Shaman, she told me she had the worst dreams all the time and living with them was difficult

So it came time to leave, i got the details of a woman from spellbox, a shop for witches, who would have thought?

Feeling hungry?

So, yesterday i bit the bullet and visited the clairvoyant, just to finish off the experience, you buy the ticket, you take the ride and i did and i'll tell you all about that experience in part Deux!

1 month of no alcohol, but B-is for beer!

2011-12-08T11:39:00.000+11:00

So, after reading my friends Janet facebook update status that she wanted to have one month no beer, everyone should do it, yes, this is true, but these are thoughts you get and ideas you implement, after you hit you 30's folks, not before.

I would have never thought this was a good idea, when i was (not to get too mathamatical) < 30 years old.

Since the idea was launched into the the universe (thanks Janet), some how i reciever it (it was through facebook) and my cranium was jumping up and down like a Mexican bean and i uttered the words..

' I'm going to do it too!'

And i have, Janet hasen't though (boo!), she stopped after 2 weeks, it was too much for for, or maybe she is too Irish to say no. Which is fair enough, she has a once a week on Saturday policy

Brave words of doing something from me, or maybe not?

So, my decision came with good timing, the following week i ran the city to surf, i ran 14kms in 76min, not bad for me.I was off to a good start

So since not drinking for a month, i would like to capture a few thinks, before i ever kill any any more brain cells, this could be my 'Saint is a sinner too'

Saint is a sinner too

Something i learnt years ago...
The cheaper the alcohol, the more you will pay.

I did have a beer with my mate Dario after the month was up and it was...it was..well, it tasted just like the first beer i ever had. Which was great

The lesson i've learnt is you kill the things you love, less is more. The less (<) you have, appreciation = more (>)

It's not smoking that kills, it's the habbit...
Osho was saying in one of his books, you can jump out of bad habbits, so i did and it worked.

It seems like i'm on a quest for a balanced life, between running, swimming, reading, hanging out in the park and Melbourne, life is good, very very good and it's summer time and the living is easy and a lot cheaper.

I'm reading Tom Robbins 'B- is for Beer', it's a childres book for grown ups and grown up book for children.

Oh, happy daze!

Fitzroy Village festival, it's real good to be back...

2011-11-26T15:14:00.001+11:00

So, as your probably aware, I'm back in Melbourne. I haven't been blogging as much as i normally do, I've been a bit occupied by Melbourne, mentally and physically, no riot police were called, the Mayor of Melbourne doesn't even know who i am, i haven't made the news, lets just say I've been busy?

So, i get back and occupy Fitzroy and life is nice, i go on bike rides, running and swimming, staying on Brunswick st, just a few weeks ago the Fitzroy Village was on and it was one of the best weekends i can remember.

People say: (the ones that were home watching TV), what was it like
I say: It was like the movie Big Fish

It was my 3rd time going to this and the first time i paid $$ for any of the side shows, after the first one, it was a bit like when i went to Broadway and saw a show, i wanted to see them all! And why not, it's my life and that's just how i do things.

The best show i saw was, and still is called Porcelain and Punch

Check it out...

I was swimming the next day after seeing 'Everything must go' and it clicked in my head what the show was about, i was about half way down the Fitzroy pool too and i was like 'Oh yeah'...

'Everything must go'

The other play worth mentioning was called 'June'

'June'

For this play, we had to pay for a ticket, then walk out of the fenced area in the park, to another place, where no ticket was required to sit down and watch a play, while not making too much commotion or attracting other people that might be walking their dog or strolling in the park, plus the fact that they weren't covered probably by insurance to show a play there, rules, rules.

'Dey are destroying the worl'!!!

Now the interesting thing about this play was 2 cars drove up to the play, on both sides and the people that got out of the cars, weren't real people, but actors, as part of the play, lights on, lots of shouting, another night in the park, it was not.

The last scene, everybody had to get up and walk through a door and there was a guy cooking 30 sausages on a BBQ, and he's talking for about 10 minutes and all the actors walk away.

Now,i 'm watching the crowd, and i could see the faces of the froth row, and all they had eyes for were sausages, i'd doubt they could hear English, maybe a lions roar, but English was gone on these folks, as soon as the guy cooking the 'snags' walked off, people rushed the BBQ, pulling sausages off the hot plate, it was every man for himself, with every body thinking the same thing. the ones that didn't have a sausage were thinking about it and the ones that were had past thinking, it was a Zen like moment of just being there, doing it.

And i did it too, just not to be the odd one out.

Happy days, best ending Ever!!!

It was Melbourne cup and that can only mean one thing...

2011-11-17T16:38:00.001+11:00

And that is Bill cart racing in Northcote!! Hip, hip hurrah!!!

My money was on this guy!!!

So, i saw on the mesasge boards of couch surfing.org that there was Billy cart racing on and i remember going to 'The races' 5 years ago, just when it was starting out, so what choice did i have only to comply with my brain and get there any way i could?

So i did...

The amazing thing about Northcote is not many people actually cared about the Melbourne cup, i put some money on the race, lost it all, but that's not the point, i thought it was a very Australian thing to do, but not in Northcote, i think in Northcote the Melbourne cup is seen as a something 'For them', maybe people on the other side of the river?

All i know is it never even came up in conversation, such was the interest, it was all i could do to NOT think about the coup, maybe i was in the right place?

Later it felt like i floated back to my hostel, on the way back i saw guys sword fighting in Princess park, so i stopped off to spectate, some guy was shooting arrows at his mate, the mate had a sword and was deflecting the arrows, and i thought it was a pretty random thing to be looking at, all things considered, a very alternative and random day.

It was a day of new hope for Melbourne, not all of Melbourne has forgotton what it's about, the cops didn't invade and shut the place down, after all, it was a street party, people drinking on the back street and having lots of fun, i'd doubt people at the races had as much fun and it only cost what ever you gave the guy in the bottle shop, i might have given him a dirty look and $15 for a incorrectly priced (in my favour) 6 pack of Guinness?

Happiness in a can!!!

This was one of my favourite moments and i can say i was there, where were you?
A Billy Cart tradition

Look of antipication?

Drinking water like a drowning man...

2011-11-08T12:42:00.002+11:00

The holy water?

So, what's up?
Hows it hangin?
Me? Good, good, i cant complain? As you can see i've been drinking water like a drowning man, and as much as i drink, it doesn't seem enough?

I fell a bout of healthy living coming on?

I entered the city to surf run the other day, i thought it was on at the end of the month, turns out it's on Suanday, Swanday... i mean Sunday, and sun is predicted, so at least that much is true...maybe?

Princess park

So i have been doing some running around Princess Park 3.2kms , it's 'The tan' about 5kms (botanic gardens, South side) of the north side of the city.

The Tan

I had a bit of a revelation while swimming yesterday, my knees have been hurting in the last week, they didn't hurt so much before, i realised that while i was in Brisbane i was doing lots of cycling on hills and circuit training, that included squats.

And, the reason my knees hurt is that they are getting no support from up above, maybe i should involve a union and take a look at the labour laws?

Or maybe, i should get back to doing my circuit training of
Squats, press ups, pull ups, crunches, in a set of 10, 15, 20, 15, 10.

The funny thing is, i used to laugh at people that would go running, but now, unfortunately i'm one of them, WORSE than that, i need to do more circuit training TO BE ABLE to go running, so maybe someone else sitting on the grass having a beer can laugh at me, just the same way i did!!

It make's me laugh when i think about it, but it is a step in the right direction, for me at least.

END

p.s.
I had another revelation in the pool, i figured out what the ending of the Play 'Everything must go', doing laps in the Fitzroy pool, the play was the last thing on my mind at the time :)

Life is beautiful!!