squidring.com

2011-04-28T14:30:00.001+08:00

Weekly WTF - ???

2011-02-25T08:24:00.000+08:00

Remi Kart

2011-02-22T08:51:00.005+08:00

Real life mario kart through Paris - Select your player!

Some nut job has re-enacted Mario Kart with real life traffic and as you'd expect its frikkin hilarious!

Enjoy

Only In America

2011-02-16T08:45:00.003+08:00

-- from Gizmodo.com.au

Ashley Agerenza is a Floridian mum with a desperate need for a spray on tan.

So desperate in fact that she tried to take her seven-month-old baby into Extreme Tan and Smoothies (real place) with her, only to find that infants weren’t welcome.

So she did what any desperately pale mother would do:

1. locked that baby in the car by herself with the engine running
2. attacked the cop who tried to arrest her for negligence
3. took two Taser blasts for her trouble

Sadly the article doesn't confirm if her tan looked great while convulsing on the carpark pavement.

Where Are You Judy?

2011-02-15T08:11:00.003+08:00

I don't normally post about current articles in the papers but just can't help myself this time. Check out this 'story':

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/off-duty-cop-charged-with-assaulting-girl-17/story-e6frg13u-1226006195167

Granted its PerthNow so you need to allow for the added level of unnecessary horror and scare-mongering. I mean, who can forget the gripping article on the fact that its going to be hot this summer - save yourself!

Assuming you've now read the article, it begs a small WTF. I realise that no one may know exactly what happened but you've got the word of a 37 yo Pilbara cop vs a 17 yo who hit the ground hurting her THUMB! yes thumb.

The cop is facing charges of aggravated assault and has been temporarily stood down from duty. Holy hell, what do real assaults get? What if he had have I dunno - ACTUALLY HURT HER. So now we've lost a pilbara cop until the trial and, while his name isn't published, all the boys in khaki will know who it is and his reputation is shot forever.

Can we not enlist a 'Judge Judy' level of government that looks at these cases and stares blankly at the prosecuter before shouting "Get the f$%k outa my office!"
.

Birds Too Angry?

2011-02-10T14:45:00.003+08:00

If you have an iPhone, iPad, iTouch or Android, chances are you own the Angry Birds application.

They have released regular updates for it steadily for around a year but mid October they discovered a way to make a few extra $$. Release a new app!

Angry Birds Seasons graced the apple store and was snavvled faster than a donut in the Biggest Loser mansion. Now every Halloween, Christmas etc we can expect a themed update for that holiday but what now?

This week, the original AND seasons were updated in successive days so I'm torn. Which one do I focus my commuting time on? Original or Valentines (yes Valentines, sigh)

I'm not alone, the angry bird nerds around me have also played a bit of both so basically haven't gotten anywhere on either! No one has completed them, seen the golden egg levels or walked proudly around the office sporting a huge smile and proof that they can waste their time too. : )

So I'll put it out there? Completed it yet?

Weekly WTF - Streeflyer

2011-02-03T08:54:00.002+08:00

Ok, its kinda cool and a small part of me wants to have a go but seriously WTF.

Does the world really need a 1.5m wide suspension tricycle?

Is there a reason some of the creative minds of the world are focussed on this useless crap?

Weekly WTF - iPhone Phone

2011-01-28T11:54:00.001+08:00

TAF11 - 1 Day To Go!

2011-01-27T12:54:00.004+08:00

Dust off the tent, don your apron, dig out the dancing shoes and teach the cat to feed itself - TAF11 is just 1 day away!

True to form I'll try and cover everything but if you have any other questions, get on the blower.

Where: Access is via our left hand gate. There may be small children around the place so please ensure you close the gate behind you and their parents can relax too.

Transport: We're in a cul-de-sac so parking WILL be an issue. Please try not to block our neighbours driveways cos we want to keep them happy so they don't complain later in the day! Edgewater Train station is a really quick 5 min walk so that could be an option to or from TAF11, see attached for the map.

Times: Gate opens @ 10.30am Saturday and 'Play' will be pressed at 11. All encouraged and welcome for the official start through till 10pm when headlining act Tool will close Day 1. Operator Please kick off Day 2 @ 9am through to Mr Butlers 3, close the festival @ 5.30pm.

Line-Up: The line-up/itinerary is complete and attached for your reading. Have also included a festival map so you don't get lost.

Camping: Anyone camping overnight may erect themselves at any stage but expect plenty of abuse and back-seat driving if your erection occurs late. If you are too intoxicated to sustain your erection and help is required, expect the p!ss to be taken out of you until TAF12. The Crystal Lake / Candy Mountain campsites have both have been freshly mowed and weeded so your stay should be pleasant.

Weather: Where do I start! First it was going to be 40+, then it was going to rain all weekend, then hot and now they say its gunna rain again! Here's the current forecast:
Saturday - Afternoon shower - 38
Sunday - Afternoon shower - 36
Keep an eye out on the BOM website for updates but either way it looks like a scorcher so prepare yourselves with a decent hat and sunscreen.

Drinks: Beer will be provided at the 'Ah Yeah' Bar onsite: Bottomless cup for $20 or singles can be purchased on negotiation with the Master Brewer, both can be paid to him on the day. All other beverages are BYO. I will have a huge esky full of ice so if you just have a few softies then there'll be no need to bring an esky if you don't want to.

What to Bring: Remember its BYO everything apart from T.P. and gas so get your tent, meat and drinks ready. All oddball cooking styles and methods strongly encouraged so start marinating and looking for those random novelty aprons now. Might also be an idea to chuck in a pair of tongs too, don't want any burnt snags cos you had to wait! Our local IGA is open all weekend and just a 2 min drive away. Obviously there will be a huge breakfast cook up Sunday morning so bear that in mind if your camping or coming over early. Bring a towel if you plan on showering, deodorant and a clean pair of jocks - remember TAF is a stench free environment.

What NOT to bring: Chairs/Tables - We have heaps!.

In Emergency: If gate-crashing occurs, garden tools, bamboo flares and quick reference verbal abuse cards will be provided to ensure they don't stay very long. There is a strong possibility of police presence so tourists/freeloaders, make sure all your immigration paperwork is up to date.

Hopefully that covers everything but of course don't hesitate to email or call me if you have a question.

Weekly WTF - Flexitarians

2011-01-25T15:30:00.002+08:00

So there's Vegans, Vegetarians and the rest of us..... no no. There's a name for people who are vegos but secretly eat meat all the time!

W
T
F

So 'normal' to easy to remember then?

Meet The Flexitarians

Weekly GAL - Only in America

2011-01-21T11:16:00.002+08:00

Sue the world! coz I'm an idiot

Is your drink just not meaty enough?

2011-01-21T10:55:00.003+08:00

+ =

Bi-Weekly WTF - Smashing Pumpkins 'Landslide' Cover

2011-01-19T09:45:00.002+08:00

I don't know what hit the WTF mark faster.

1. The fact they recorded this.
2. The fact they recorded this in a studio.
3. Billy's completely unsuitable voice and overall style for this track.
4. The mock-up video clip on YouTube.
5. The fact I wasted 3.07 listening to it.

All combined its smashed the WTF barrier with ease.

Weekly WTF - Mermaid Single Flipper

2011-01-18T07:32:00.000+08:00

Cos, ya know, it'd be great when you were learning to use it and, ya know, couldn't stand up easily and, ya know, drowned.

Run For Your Life!

2011-01-13T15:14:00.003+08:00

Cam moves!

The little bloke has decided that 8.5 months is long enough to spend staying still and is crawling and spinning all over the show.

In the last few weeks you could see the frustration in his face that things were so close and yet completely impossible to get to. He now has his coordination under control and can move around faster than a redneck to KFC. (Yes that is a dig against rednecks AND people who like KFC!)

So lock up your valuables, shut all your doors and pray to whoever you reckons up there cos he's coming!

UPDATE: He's added a few more firsts in this week. He can sit himself up from lying down and pull himself up on furniture, usually to try and reach the bloody remote!

Nothings safe!
.

Weekly WTF - Fake Animal Carcasses

2011-01-13T14:20:00.003+08:00

To promote the new season of Man v Wild a life size replica camel carcass was put in an mall in Sydney so people could see what its like to crawl into it.

Bear Grylls - Yeah, Umm, WTF

Your show stinks about as much as this pile of camel ship..... get it?

"If you find yourself stuck in the desert...." seriously who the F finds themselves stuck in the desert without intending to be there all along!?!

Note: If a piss-take of your show has higher ratings then its time to hang up the utility belt you numpty.

Double Note: If you havent seen the piss-take, stop what your doing and watch right now.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh8V9MhfCws
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtM7Jiv856Y
.

Weekly GAL - Donkey Kong High Score

2011-01-12T07:33:00.001+08:00

The New York-based plastic surgeon has just recaptured the Donkey Kong record, nabbing 1,068,000 points, beating out recent records captured by Steve Wiebe (1,064,500) and Billy Mitchell (1,062,800), stars of the terrific 2007 documentary on the subject.

Can anyone guess what GAL stands for?

TAF11 - Just Around The Corner...

2011-01-04T16:03:00.003+08:00

Hopefully the festive hangover has worn off enough to consider your options for TAF11. Yes its on so dig out the tent music lovers. Incase this is your first update on TAF11, I'll re-cover alot of points in the previous posting to ensure everyone has the 411.

There have been some huge changes/improvements/addons to the TAF11 setup and we hope they are all embraced by the attendees to create a bigger and better festival this time around. Everything that went well is of course remaining so those that are making it back-to-back TAF's you'll see some similarities.

So What's The Same?
- It will be over 2 days in our backyard with overnight camping strongly recommended. I can safely vouch for the TAF10 campers and say it was awesome!
- $25 entry fee which buys you one of the artist CDs (see next point), a Tent Plot, BBQ Gas, Toilet Paper, Lights, Shower etc.
- The lineup will be dictated by BDO. CD's will be purchased by me for the festival and distributed to ticket holders in a 'hat draw' after Sunday's headlining act closes TAF. CD purchase priority goes to artists with a 2010 release. eg: a lesser known artists new CD will be bought over Tool because Tool's last album was back in 2006.
- Tap beer available on-site. I'll leave the finer details to the Ah' Yeah brewing company but be assured your palette will remain satisfied.

What's Changed?
- TAF11 will NOT be on the same weekend as BDO. TAF11 will be on the 29th-30th January.
- New house means fresh layout! A new festival map has been created so there are no lost souls.
- We have been approached by 2nd brewery hoping to get in on TAF so your beverage choice could be even more widespread!

And What's New?
- Live performances. There will be an allocated timeslot for 'TAF Undiscovered' acts. Acoustic guitars and amplified vocals so get writing and rehearsing!
- Cook offs - BBQs, Webers, Marinades, Jerkys, "Show Us Ya Bratwurst", Best Apron Award - you get the idea!
- Merchandise and more!!!!

Line-up (Itinerary To Follow)
John Butler Trio, Birds Of Tokyo, Gyroscope, The Black Keys, Wolfmother, The Vines, Tool, Angus & Julia Stone, The Naked & Famous, Sia, Dead Letter Circus, Washington, Children Collide, Plan B, Little Red, Airbourne, Bliss N Eso, Deftones, Operator Please, Rammstein, Jim Jones Revue, Lupe Fiasco, Grinderman, Ratatat, Edward Sharpe, Primal Scream, Iggy and the Stooges.

In Summary
- TAF11 will begin at 11am Saturday 29th January and end on Sunday 30th @ 5.30pm. Music will be cut after Saturdays headliner circa 10pm and restart around 9-10am.
- Camping strongly encouraged but not compulsory.
- $25 entry fee, bring everything to eat/drink apart from beer if you're up for local TAF brew.

Testimonials
"BDO was shit and we spent $500+, should have stayed at TAF the whole time. Next year I'm @ TAF all the way." Michael Guhl 1/2/10
"TAF is the greatest festival I have ever been to, why haven't we been doing this every year!" Anon 31/1/10
"Who the hell are Muse?" Jenny Bartle 30/1/10 9.45pm
".........." Cameron Dawson 31/1/10

What do you want from me?
- Put a comment on this with your expressions of interest!

TAF10 was fabulous and this year is set to be bigger and better. Don't think about it, get on board!

being a good sport...

2010-12-30T15:42:00.003+08:00

Australian cricket, for at least the test match brigade has fallen into a bit of a hole lately. To the casual observer this comes as no surprise, they were fairly dominant for a good 15 years and now its time to start the process again. There is only so long you can survive as the hunted.

Aussie sports fans however do not take this suggestion lying down, in the world of professional sports expectations turn into demands and you must suffer the consequences for any failures becoming. Have Australians become so accustomed to the terrific results that being anything less then number 1 is deemed a failure?

Many moons ago Australia dominated the world tennis scene and slowly it has dwindled away, our last spark of accomplishment was the unlikeable Lleyton Hewitt, not the greatest torch bearer for our nation. The sport has died down in popularity, its numbers in participation are not moving much, there is little inspiration for the masses.

Lets suggest that Aussie cricket continues its downward spiral, lets be honest it may not get much worse then this, its highly unlikely that smaller nations like NZ, Sri Lanka, Pakistan or WI would ever be consistantly better then Australia but its not unthinkable that India, SA and England could hold them off. Could cricket as a whole in Australia feel the weight of poor results.

In a world of ever increasing technology where more sport is played by kids on their xbox then in real life (Im not kidding either, having asked six classes of school kids who had played tennis and who had played wii tennis and the ratio was about 1:10), kids don't need an excuse to not go out and play actual sport

Almost every parent wants to put their kids into sport for the health and social benefits, not for the winning and losing aspects. The results of your kid's sporting event should have no effect on their self worth and neither should the results of the nation's sporting team effect the nation's self worth. If Australia sends out XI men to do battle as its best and they are thoroughly beaten then maybe they are just not as good as the other team. You have to appreciate the good times by going thru the bad.

I often root for the underdog, let ever man/woman/team have their day. I supported a team (Geelong FC) that didnt have grandfinal success for 40 years, it made it that much more sweeter when finally they did win. For nearly 3 years my team was almost unstoppable, but now they are on the decline, quite simply put its too hard to keep yourself at the top when everybody is thinking of ways to beat you. Living in a city where WC Eagles was a religion for my whole childhood, a team that never really saw the lowest of lows until this year when they finished last. I applaud the supporters who stick with their side, their captain, their coach thru the hard times, knowing that they were around when it was the good times, hopefully still around for the next wave of success.

Unfortunately everyone seems to forget that only one team can be on top, in AFL that means 15 teams don't win, so you can't say not winning is failure as your likely hood of being that one team is 6.25%. Maybe NFL / MLB style tables are a better way to do things, everything is in sections so your team may not win the whole damn league but they can be regional champ or sectional champ or whatever.

so trying not to plunder any sporting cliches, sport is meant to be fun, its meant to unite and not divide, its a hobbie, a pastime, a means of health and competition. You are not defined by it and neither is your team/country. Ride the wave, savour the victories and use the defeats as a learning tool to making yourself, your team or your country better for having competed.

Hottest 100 Voting for 2010

2010-12-30T08:19:00.004+08:00

voting is now open at triplej.abc.net.au

over the year I have run a 'weekly' segment about new music and less then well known music and it should be no surprise that he bulk of my votes for this year have all been featured on this site. So if you want to check out the tracks then look on here or just punch it in on YT i guess

Bag Raiders - Way Back Home : i really like the build in this song, simple keyboards and vocal lines into a mid tempo beat and then into the sing a long chorus, nice work from this up and coming Aussie outfit

Birds Of Tokyo - Plans : this song got a little bit killed by the flogomatic commercial stations. This album was possibly the best album i got this year and this is the best song off it

Cee Lo Green - Fuck You! : this was the best song of 2010, a track which is so pop but so bitter and enjoyable. Its watered down version "forget you" is getting around on all commercial stations including Mix, i think if you can cover total alternative radio all the way to non-offensive adult contemporary then you have done something really good. Not my favourite song but the best one

Chiddy Bang - Opposite Of Adults : This song has a great sample from MGMT's massive hits kids, but so well used you can't really tell what its from. Very different from a lot of songs that i like, number one its pretty much a rap song, number two it starts with the chorus, i tend to favour songs that build to a crescendo. Its pretty special.

Gyroscope - What Do I Know About Pain? : I love these guys and they released an absolute cracker of an album this year, this song was a hidden gem. After releasing about three singles from the album which stole the limelight this track was a staple at concerts and it was only after multiple listens that I cottoned on. Was eventually realeased as a single late in the year which may bode well for hottest 100

Mark Ronson & The Business Intl - Somebody To Love Me {Ft. Boy George &  Andrew Wyatt} : this track was just a bolt from the blue, Ronson released a great album this year and after two good singles he let this cat out of the bag and it blew me away. Just perfectly balanced in its layers

Papa Vs Pretty - Heavy Harm : This is my favourite song of the year, its probably the biggest surprise package. Some really interesting guitar work opens the track and really got my attention. then the main riff just drives the track along. I hope they have a future as this song is really strong, unfortunately the other tracks I have heard havent been anywhere as interesting so fingers crossed for them, they really nailed this one

Sparkadia - Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs : This artist had some nice tracks previously but has been quiet for a while, this song is really nice, it has a great hook in the chorus with the keys that is very familiar but I can't put my finger on it

Two Door Cinema Club - Undercover Martyn : this song is really interesting in the fact that its a little bit dancey in it's studio version but i also heard it as an acoustic number and its just as good, slightly different and yet the song holds up. Thats always a sign of a really strong song.

Dan Black - U + Me = : this almost escaped me and I am so glad that it didnt. i actually went back thru my Open Your Ears list before i submitted my votes and was reminded of this track. Once again its a track which isn't typically my scene but the sum of parts is awesome, layers of interesting features that come together to form one great track. Like Papa vs Pretty I hope this guy can back up such a strong release

this was probably one of the hardest years for voting in the last five years. Looking forward to 2011. What are your votes for best songs of 2010?

CLEAR!

2010-12-30T08:18:00.001+08:00

is it all over?...

2010-12-30T08:12:00.003+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 47

2010-12-06T17:56:00.003+08:00

motor ace - siamese

this now defunct band was one of my fave aussie acts and I always wanted to be in a band that drew from them as the main influence. They have the right amount of pop, rock, everything I like
this is a standout song off their debut album which most would argue is their best.

tubeit

most likely you would know
carry on - live from triple j studios
i think this one is Hink's favourite track
lorenzo

Quad Weekly WTF: V8 Skateboard

2010-12-06T07:55:00.002+08:00

Tri-Weekly WTF: CBD Banana Stockpile

2010-12-03T08:02:00.002+08:00

In Sydney CBD today commuters were faced with a 5m high pile of potassium to mark the official Australian launch day of Donkey Wii *ahem* Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Bi-Weekly WTF: Suggested Purchases

2010-12-03T07:58:00.002+08:00

Incase it comes out a little small in the picture, Amazon has 'helped' you out by suggesting that you buy Call Of Duty 4 with your next purchase of Adult Diapers!

Its time to turn off the PC dudes.

Weekly WTF: Unicorn Meat

2010-12-03T07:48:00.000+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 46

2010-11-29T17:52:00.002+08:00

Beautiful Machine - Shihad

Shihad are coolier then you and your band

Beautiful Machine

Sleepeater

you need more rock in your diet...

Happy Thanksgiving Yanks

2010-11-25T19:31:00.000+08:00

There isn't much that cant be said with a pelvic thrust

Open Your Ears Wk 45

2010-11-20T12:01:00.002+08:00

The Jezabels - Mace Spray

A fab new fourpiece being unearthed by Triple J

Mace Spray on YT

you are most likely to have heard

Hurt Me

aussie aussie aussie!

Defying Logic

2010-11-20T10:57:00.004+08:00

Parenting 101

Logic is king, the world is illogical

As my little man turns into a school kid he gets exponentially smarter, especially since going to kindy his learning ability gets compounded. The problem then comes in that the more he learns the more he wants to know and the more he talks and talks back etc.

so back on the logic track, firstly the english language is full of totally illogical methodology and practices. So you constantly are "correcting" your child as they learn so that they communicate "properly". Unfortunately the rules change in different circumstances so its terribly hard to follow for the person learning it
Forever and a day you will hear kids saying catched instead of caught, being the past tense, so if I throw you something you catch it, in the process you are catching and when complete you caught it. How do you explain that when a chick comes out of an egg its hatching but when its out its hatched? why isnt it haught?
there is a pretty famous verse about this..

The English Lesson (version one)

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes;
But the plural of ox should be oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.

You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
Why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?

If I spoke of my foot and showed you my feet,
When I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

If the singular is this, and the plural is these,
Why shouldn't the plural of kiss be kese?
Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet the plural of hat would never be hose.

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
So plurals in English, I think you'll agree,
Are indeed very tricky--singularly.

Phase II : Actions
so after the difficulty of the language comes the resulting actions
"Don't you dare smack your sister!" *Smack to culprit*
"Don't raise your voice at me!!!!!" *says the one yelling at the top of their lungs*

there is many cases of do as I say not as I do and especially the adults can do that but kids can't that never seem be 100% true. Often we get catched out by our kids and we change the rules so that we are no longer wrong, yet we get rather annoyed when our oldest child changes the rules for a game they are playing so that they win

Phase III : Tipping your hat

when they stitch you up good and proper you must admit defeat..

the other day Patrick was picking his nose and was promptly told :
"hey!, nobody wants to see that"
and his reply was
"fine then, I'll do it over here" and walked away where no-one could see him

I really couldnt argue with that logic

Open Your Ears Wk 44

2010-11-16T22:06:00.002+08:00

argh running late, this will be the first of two this week

Doves - caught by the river

straying negative 6 metres from my preferred genre of alternative music, here are a typical lesser known UK artiste. A three piece comprising two brothers, not super obscure but I don't own any of their records either

chillaxing goodness

one of their more well known songs is kingdom of rust

It's on like Donkey Kong

2010-11-11T07:52:00.002+08:00

Nintendo filed a trademark application for the phrase "it's on like Donkey Kong."

The company is filing the application ahead of the November 21st launch of the Wii title "Donkey Kong Country Returns". The difficulty, of course, will be to proving that the phrase hasn't already become open language through common usage.

Nintendo explains that it's "an old, popular Nintendo phrase that has a number of possible interpretations depending on how it's used. In addition to Nintendo's use, it has been used in popular music, television and film over the years, pointing to Donkey Kong's status as an enduring pop-culture icon and video game superstar."

At very least its a whole lotta publicity for the upcoming game which is the first of the DK genre to hit the Wii.

I reckon they should also patent "It's on like Donkey Kong BIATCH" from one of the greatest scenes in movie history. I am of course speaking of the dance-off between Stiffler and Bear in American Pie: The Wedding.
.

Open Your Ears Wk 43

2010-11-07T14:08:00.002+08:00

Somebody to Love Me - Mark Ronson & the Business Intl (featuring Boy George & Andrew Wyatt)

ok this goes against the core of the point of this weekly segment, where by it was to introduce 50 artists you may not know much about. This is the 2nd appearance from Mark Ronson, how was I meant to know that he would release a better track then Bang Bang Bang?

this song is complex but beautiful in its simple theme, the layers are so interesting yet its really just a pop song. Brilliant

Live on Jools Holland

Studio version for the full effect of all the levels of this song

Weekly WTF: Specific Crime

2010-11-03T08:34:00.000+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 42

2010-10-31T14:44:00.002+08:00

Boy and Bear - Rabbit Song

Revisiting the awesomeness of Triple j unearthed, these guys have shot to the forefront of new Aussie indie. Another song which you might know from advertising rather then radio play

Rabbit Song YT

they have been likened to Fleet Foxes and Mumford & Sons so if thats your cup of tea then check out other tracks like

Blood to Gold

Son of Daw Jnr

2010-10-27T11:22:00.005+08:00

Today is Cam's 6 month birthday and while I realise we're the only people that care, I couldn't help doing a posting on the #1 little dude!

In general these last 6 months have flown by (apart from the occasional minutes that seem like hours!) and we still cant believe we get to take him home everyday. He has his moments but he's such a super baby really. He's sleeping from 8ish to 7.30ish and on the odd time he wakes himself he has just started putting himself back to sleep...... with us hanging just on the other side of the door!

Stat Central
- In the last 10 days he has gone from not being interested in holding a bottle to grabbing it out of our hands as we walk past!
- He HAS rolled but we think he generally chooses not to as it still doesn't happen very often.
- He is eating Farex and other mushed snot stuff and growing taller and fatter by the day.
- He only really cries for a reason which is great. Hungry and tired are the duo - in that order!
- He loves baths and would happily lay there playing with ducks/books/himself for ages if we let him. Next stop - beach.
- His favourite toy at the moment is the plastic mobile phone that hangs off the car thing from Aunty Janet and Uncle John.

Its pretty obvious but the pic was taken in Bunnings which he LOVES going to (yay!). He just hangs off the Bjorn laughing and swinging his appendages all over the place whenever we go............ altho so do I : ). Never seen anyone so excited by hardware - maybe its cos he keeps going with someone elses wallet?

Anyway I've gone on enough for now. Happy 1/2 Birthday Cam you're a champ!

Bi-Weekly WTF: Thats-a-pricey-pizza!

2010-10-27T10:22:00.003+08:00

my local Pizza Hut folded and what do we get to replace it?

GEE'S PIZZA

why not try one of their specials....

Weekly WTF: Holy Body

2010-10-27T09:27:00.003+08:00

LCD on the front, camera in the back - no friends.

Birthday Wishes

2010-10-23T19:34:00.002+08:00

Happy Birthday to General Squidring himself, 31 golden years of comedy, geekdom and all round good mateyness. CHEERS BRO!

hope you get what you always wanted

Open Your Ears Wk 41

2010-10-23T19:26:00.002+08:00

Papa Vs Pretty - Heavy Harm

quite simply the best song i have heard in a while, will be in my top 10 of the year fo shizzle

produced by none other then Paul Dempsey

2:40 of awesome

myspazzy

Congrats Mila (.....Adele!)

2010-10-22T08:46:00.004+08:00

Back on 30/7 I posted a throw away comment about Mila's Daydreams.

If you didn't click the link, its was a site that twice a week, posted a photo of a real sleeping baby in a creative scene depicting what she might be dreaming about. Hard to describe but imagine a coloured cardboard mountain scene on the ground and a sleeping baby carefully placed on it named "The Sound Of Music" - or something much better!

It pulled my creative thread enough to add it to my favourites and check it every now and then for updates.

Today after visiting the site I'm both pleased and disappointed! The pictures were so good that they have all been removed and a publisher has picked them up for a book deal. Mila's mum has put a final posting up saying 'thanks for watching, but that's that'.

So congratulations Adele I've enjoyed seeing what Mila was up to over the last few months and I sure will miss your creative streak gracing my monitor every now and then. I'll keep an eye out for the book for sure.
.

Tri-Weekly WTF: Gramophone iPhone Case

2010-10-22T08:31:00.001+08:00

Thursday Wiki - Council House

2010-10-21T09:44:00.000+08:00

Built in a modernist style, the building has been the subject of vigorous public debate about its heritage value. Some consider the building to be an important example of modernist architecture, whilst others consider it ugly. These conflicting views led to animosity in the 1990s, when the State Government refused to heritage list the property and recommended its demolition. Despite this, the City of Perth opted to renovate and keep it as its headquarters. Following this, the building WAS admitted to the State's Heritage Register.

Some Stats:
Completed: 1963
Cost: £1.5million
13 Storeys

With the news that Perth would be hosting the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Perth City Council in 1959 launched an international competition to design its new building. The brief in the competition was to design a "creative building that marked where Perth was at the time" and have the building ready in time for the opening of the Commonwealth Games.

The building was not completely finished by the time Perth hosted the Commonwealth Games in November 1962, however the builders rushed to finish the ground, eighth and 10th floors in time so that foreign dignitaries could be entertained in the reception areas. Following the Games, the fit-out of the building was finished in March 1963, and on 25 March 1963 Queen Elizabeth II officially opened Council House, unveiling a 2.4-metre tall ceremonial plaque set in granite from the original 1817 Waterloo Bridge in London.

The building continued to serve as the headquarters for the Perth City Council from its completion until 1994, when it was vacated to allow for the removal of asbestos. Significant public debate ensued about whether the building should be kept. Despite the recommendation for demolition, in late 1995 the Councillors of the newly-formed City of Perth had a feasibility study carried out into whether Council House could be refurbished. The study indicated that the building could be economically refurbished, and in December 1996 the Council unanimously agreed to press ahead with refurbishment plans, removing its asbestos and building an underground car park at the rear of the site. The decision to refurbish was helped by the fact that interest rates at the time were so low that it was cheaper to service a loan than to pay rent.

The new 95-bay car park at the rear of the building required the removal of a New Zealand Kauri Pine estimated to be up to 150 years old, and was described as a "disgrace" which would undermine the heritage value of the precinct. The building was "stripped back to bare bones" and the tiny tiles coating the building's distinctive "T"-shaped fins were removed, repaired and re-glued to the surface. The refurbishment also involved the construction of a new "Lord Mayoral space and reception area" on the eleventh floor (formerly a plant level), the full enclosure of the ground floor (which had previously been partially open to the elements) and the replacement of gold Venetian blinds which had been a feature of the building in the past.

The building has divided the public over the years, with some branding the building an "eyesore" and a "hideous folly", whereas others considered it a "classic example of 1960s architecture and an important reminder of Perth's past" and a "unique building".

More recently, the outside of the building was fitted with over 22,000 LED lights which was officially turned on on 7 April 2010. The LEDs located on the roof, "T" window structures and bulkheads are able to be individually computer controlled and coloured. The lights were installed at a cost of $1.08 million.
.

Bi-Weekly WTF: Silent Music

2010-10-20T11:22:00.003+08:00

Courtesy of Smads and news.com.au

RADIOHEAD Singer Thom Yorke teamed up with British Prime Minister David Cameron, tennis ace Andy Murray and others to record a single that consists of two minutes of silence.

The single, titled 2 Minute Silence, goes on sale on November 7 to commemorate Remembrance Day on November 11 honouring fallen soldiers, Stereogum reported.

Music producer Mark Ronson and actor Bob Hoskins are also featured on the track - being completely silent.

"Rather than record a song, we felt the UK public would recognise the poignancy of silence and its clear association with remembrance," said Royal British Legion Director General Chris Simpkins in a statement.
.

Weekly WTF: OoOTie

2010-10-19T08:13:00.004+08:00

Seriously WTF is this!

A bow tie store in Boston with an iPhone app that you hold up to your neck to 'try before you buy' each tie.

A great idea for all bow tie store proprietors - both of them
.

Blog-o-rific

2010-10-16T21:29:00.002+08:00

this hilarious little blog appeared in my bookmarks courtesy of the mrs, i think courtesy of her sister so good word basically.

you wont get a new entry every day or week but whenever the next story is ready.

what makes this blog extra interesting is the MS paint pictures which go along with the stories, an added hilarious bonus

Hyperbole and a Half

Open Your Ears Wk 40

2010-10-16T21:07:00.003+08:00

U + Me = - Dan Black

i know zero about this guy and i'm not even going to wiki him for your benefit!

I dont even know another track by him for you to enjoy

so listen to this one a few times insted CLICK!

apparently its the theme music for "the cut" and I have equally no idea what that is

Faecesbook Strikes Again

2010-10-13T09:29:00.000+08:00

What seemed like a rite of passage with every hugely successful Internet phenomenon is just getting ridiculous. Yet another security breach has been revealed about Facebook and this time there's evidence even you can see.

Facebook engineers have come under fire regarding how pictures are stored or rather NOT stored in the not so pretty server level. Say a user, lets call them Sheepy, uploads all their latest holiday snaps to their new Facebook album, but oops, they accidentally included that one of you know, with the you know shoved up their you know.

Does anyone know what actually happens now? Sure Sheepy can 'delete' the pic but is it gone? Remember when you created the album you uploaded all your pics to their servers, yeah? That took a few seconds per pic didn't it? Deleting on the other hand seems VERY efficient, click - GONE. There's a simple explanation for that, you see, its NOT deleted.

When you click delete, all that happens is the link is severed between your account and the picture including tags etc but, if you know the full web address to it (eg: www.fb.com/sheepy/images/farmerfuck.jpg) then you and everyone else can still see it clear as day.

Sheepy isn't alone, users all over the world have sprung up saying they have noticed this and emailed Facebook over and over to have their pics actually deleted off their servers. 2.5 years later and the pics are still there. FAIL

Facebook are standing behind one big 'if': You will only know the URL if you opened the pic when it was linked to a user.

To that I say "thwpppt" if I accidentally upload something it is immediately posted to my wall - viewable to all my friends. EVERYone has at least one of those friends who will click stuff straight away. As soon as they see something a little odd, they may save that URL for later use. Now all they need is some sort of electronic mailing media for sending that address to everyone they know, then everyone THEY know - oh yeah EMAIL

Yes I do have a Facebook account and I don't think this will have me diving for the Close Account link but it does send alot of alarm bells up. In light of this I have however deleted all of my pics and will be staying with Picasa for Cam pics from now on.

Happy Facebooking
.

Weekly WTF: Penguin Club....by Disney

2010-10-13T08:31:00.000+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 39

2010-10-11T21:03:00.003+08:00

Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) - Deftones

In light of the lacklustre BDO lineup here is a decent heavy band you might not know much about

youtube vid

if you dig the nu-metal sounds then check out other cracka toons like

Minerva

Hole in the Earth

go forth and bang your head

Is Big Day Out Out?

2010-10-11T15:13:00.004+08:00

Tickets went on sale for the Perth BDO at the stroke of midnight and in a whirlwind of tumbleweeds and crickets - nothing happened.

Have just checked again and there are STILL tickets available. Why?

1. BDO hype fluff is wearing off? Maybe its not cool to go this year.... maybe the EMO kids and goths are boycotting for some reason. The 30 somethings are spending their $150 on something else.... no
2. The lineup isn't very good yet? TOOL are great but outdoors at a festival - Pass. Surely more acts will follow and it hasn't slowed sales in previous years so perhaps but no.
3. People forgot?
4. Everyones on the edge of their seats, checking squidring for the next TAF11 update? Clearly the only credible reason for it!

So help me out. Why the indifference surrounding BDO 2011?
.

Weekly WTF: Donkey Speakers

2010-10-07T08:53:00.001+08:00

Are You The Last Pic?

2010-10-05T08:32:00.003+08:00

During the morning scan of the tributary blogs that I cast my eye over, I've stumbled on yet another site I'm late to the party on.

http://www.lastpicstanding.com/

The concept is simple, the site contains 1 picture which anyone in the world can change to whatever they want.

Now a warning by use of propaganda ANYONE IN THE WORLD CAN CHANGE IT TO WHATEVER THEY WANT! So be warned, you have a pic of a puppy up there so you call over your work colleague "Hey check this site out!", hit refresh and its a closeup of a horses apendage inserted into an uncomfortable orrifice. The proprieters of this blog accept no responsibility for the content of the site and consequences of viewing it at your place of work. *phew*

Having said all that, I'm on it now and its only shown 1 titty pic in 50+ pics so its fairly safe. Click away if you wanna check it out, hit refresh every 30 secs to see what the world has chosen for you.

Ciao
.

Weekly WTF: Angry Birds Breakfast

2010-09-30T08:15:00.000+08:00

TAF11 Dates Confirmed

2010-09-29T09:49:00.001+08:00

The new BDO site is up along with dates and the first lineup!

Without further ado - TAF11 will be held on the - 29/30 Jan 2011

Heres the Lineup (in no particular order)
TOOL
RAMMSTEIN
IGGY AND THE STOOGES
M.I.A
JOHN BUTLER TRIO
GRINDERMAN
BLOODY BEETROOTS DEATH CREW 77
WOLFMOTHER
LUPE FIASCO
DEFTONES
THE BLACK KEYS
BIRDS OF TOKYO
PRIMAL SCREAM - SCREAMEDELICA LIVE
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS
DIE ANTWOORD
ANGUS & JULIA STONE
PLAN B
BOOKA SHADE DJS
BLISS N ESO
THE NAKED & FAMOUS
THE JIM JONES REVUE
AIRBOURNE
ANDREW W.K.
LITTLE RED
PNAU
GYROSCOPE
CSS
DEAD LETTER CIRCUS
KID KENOBI & MC SHURESHOCK
VITALIC
RATATAT
BLUE KING BROWN
KIDS OF 88
OPERATOR PLEASE
CHILDREN COLLIDE
WILL STYLES
GYPSY & THE CAT
LOWRIDER
SAMPOLOGY

Stay tuned as I scour the site and more artists are announced!
.

Wiki Wednesdays: Swan Bells

2010-09-29T08:11:00.000+08:00

Already I've decided to warp this segment into a Perth (re)education opportunity as it seems we are surrounded by landmarks and buildings of historical significance but have no idea why!

Last week was guff on Greenwood Station but let take it up a notch - what about The Swan Bells

What: The Swan Bells (aka: The Bell Tower, that thing, WTF, pointy waste of money)
Where: Barrack St Jetty, Barrack St, Perth CBD
Why: The Swan Bells were supposedly built to commemorate the new millennium.
Who cares: Alot of people! The entire project was surrounded in controversy starting with a supposed 'vote' for it. No one seemed to know anyone who was asked to vote but apparently we all decided the Swan Bells project should go ahead.

In reality the project only cost 5.5m and successfully started an image for the city shoreline. Visitors to the Swan Bells have extended beyond 1million so @ $11 entry its already paid for itself anyway. On top of that, they rent a little bit of it to BOCS ticketing so all the hoop-lar about costs were all for nothing.

Anything Else: The tower itself houses 18 bells, 12 of which were donated to WA in from England in 1988 to commemorate the bicentenary. The bells have a combined weight of around 9t and when playing cause considerable force on the stability of the structure. While it may look fragile, it has been carefully designed using spokes and columns around the spire axis set in re-enforced concrete cast in situ.

As there isn't a volume knob on a bell, the structure itself contains sound proof glass louvres which can direct the 'music' toward the city/river/nowhere when required.

If you want to know more, check out the real Wiki article link below. The history of the 12 english bells date back to the 14th century so if your interested its worth a read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Bells

Class dismissed

P.S. The 'Perth Wheel' which was alongside it was run by a private company, not run by the City of Perth (COP). Despite the common perception the COP didn't drop the ball causing it to be removed. The owners wanted another 5 year lease but as that would run into the upcoming foreshore development project the COP counter offered a maximum 3 year lease. This was declined for some reason and the wheel was removed.
.

Open Your Ears Wk 37

2010-09-24T08:22:00.002+08:00

Bag Raiders - Way Back Home

Keep on the lookout for this up n coming New South Welshan artist, heavily into the whole electronic/remix thing but with a pop sensibility
click to watch/listen

most probably if anything you would have heard their song Shooting Stars which finished at #18 in last years Hottest 100 on triple j

Wiki Wednesdays

2010-09-22T09:12:00.001+08:00

Ok, so here is a new idea I thought I'd trial. We all know Wikipedia has a vast partially factual array of pages on everyone and everything but does has anyone actually searched on Wikipedia for something?

I know from my experience that I chuck blahdiblah into Google and if the wikipedia entry shows up near the top I'll probably click it but I've never manually gone to Wikipedia.com and searched.

This weeks random Wiki page is the Greenwood Train Station.

Sounds like an odd one at first but have a quick read. While short, its packed with information you never thought you needed to know about it including proposed names, train line, zone, parking layout and even when buses run and where to!

So who the hell has bothered to add it or even cares about the info! On that bombshell - Congratulations Greenwood TS - You're awesome for mediocre normality causing fame.
.

Weekly WTF: Lego Dope

2010-09-22T08:13:00.000+08:00

TAF11 Is Coming, Are You Ready?

2010-09-21T08:12:00.002+08:00

With the overwhelming success of TAF10 we'd look stupider than a redneck in Faithless if we didn't continue it onward and upward.

There have been some huge changes/improvements/addons to the TAF11 setup and we hope they are all embraced by the attendees to create a bigger and better festival this time around. Everything that went well is of course remaining so those that are making it back-to-back TAF's you'll see some similarities.

So Whats The Same?
- It will be over 2 days with camping strongly recommended. I can safely vouch for the TAF10 campers and say it was awesome!
- The lineup will be dictated by BDO. CD's will again be purchased and redistributed to attendees after Sunday's headlining act closes the festival.
- 2 Beers on tap. I'll leave the finer details to the Ah' Yeah brewing company but be assured your palette will remain satisfied.

Whats Changed?
- TAF11 will NOT be on the same weekend as BDO. We're waiting on the official dates to be announced but at this stage it looks like TAF will be on the 22nd/23rd Jan 2011.
- New house means fresh layout! I'll be creating a new festival map over the next few months so you don't get lost.
- We have been approached by 2nd brewery hoping to get in on TAF so your beverage choice could be even more widespread!

And Whats New?
- Live performances. There will be an allocated timeslot on Saturday afternoon for 'TAF Undiscovered' acts. More info to come later on but we're thinking acoustic guitars and amplified vocals so get writing and rehearsing!
- Merchandise and more!!!!

I'll leave it at that for now but get it in your calender and stay tuned for the date to be cemented in later this month.

Cmon, get amongst it!
.

Not Charles Darwin

2010-09-20T13:46:00.002+08:00

We're back from Darwin! But oh if you didn't know, We're going to Darwin!

Kylie has always wanted to go, I hadn't been either and it was a easy intro to planes for Cam so we decided to take advantage of our relatives up there and soak up some sun for a week.

We'll I can now say there's sun and there's SUN. Holy sugarplums it was hot. No record breakers on the temperature front as it was 30-36 each day but the humidity was enough to make a cactus weep. Oh and a side note - you cant swim at the beach because of crocs!

Needless to say we spent alot of time in the spa or a/c over the time so it wasn't too bad. We saw all the museums on WWII and cyclone Tracy etc, soaked up the atmosphere at the Darwin Boat Show on fathers day (beautiful!) and ate way too much Barramundi.

Our live-in babysitter (otherwise known as Linda) volunteered to clean up after Cam for 2 days so we jumped in the car and headed to Katherine Gorge for a huge day trip. 3.5hrs each way and a 2hr boat cruise down the Katherine river in between - Lovely Lovely Lovely! Really happy we made the effort as its a truly spectacular part of Australia.

Our 2nd day 'off' was spent floating in croc infested waters in Corroboree Billabong fishing for Barra. No fish to speak of but plenty of crocs made our necks sorer than watching 6 tennis games back to back. After a few mins it was clear why so many people get eaten every year - #1: Stupidity, #2 Vision (or lack of). People are walking past signs saying Crocs and wading waist-deep into the water to launch their boats. We're talking water that is so murky you cant see anything 5cm below the surface so if you thought you could react in time - think again!

Took Cam to Lichfield National Park (pictured) which was great. Including a swim in one of the waterfall lagoons which apparently has freshwater crocs from time to time so that made mother a little nervous. Of course saying "She'll be right" didn't help much. Did a small rainforest style walk until we saw a few rather large wild forest spiders that looked unwelcoming. Lots of pics to prove it too!

Anyway it was a great trip both for the scenery and the company. Cam did REALLY well on the plane and even slept through the entire landing into Perth. Not that there was any doubt he's perfect :)

Good to be back and doing DIY on the house again though ............ yea right!
.

Imitation is the best form of flattery?¿?

2010-09-16T22:12:00.003+08:00

Ok so its no secret I am a huge Triple J fan, now I am also bright enough to know this does not go for the majority of the population and I'm happy with that. I don't think less of people because they prefer pop, r'n b, best of the 70's 80's and 90's or whatever, I just prefer not to listen to it myself.

Now I might be dragging my heals and refusing to believe I am not a teenager anymore and youth alternative radio is soooo my kinda scene. Its seems now however that I now have another option, NOVA...

It seems the newest kid on the block who has never really found a niche market and have seemingly tampered with their stylings since inception (anyone remember when they started and they played old school grunge like Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots ), are now becoming a "best of" Triple J station. It's almost like someone at Nova has a job to listen to Triple J and pick the best songs to transfer across.

This tears me apart a little as I don't know whether I like this or not, here lies my internal dilemma...some points about my fave station
A) Triple J has been the intial stepping stone for a crapload of artists in Australia, Silverchair, Grinspoon, Killing Heidi (now "The Verses")are some of the bands who were launched by Triple J find a band comps. Powderfinger's first songs were played only by the js, we could go on but the point has been made.
B) With an emphasis on new music you get a variety of results on Triple J, you kinda wade thru the crap to find the gold, also being a wide genre like "alternative" you get a huge variety of styles, hip hop, punk, metal, indie, folk/blues and apparently nearly 45% australian content which is way above the legal requirement which is around 20 i think.
C) NO ads ;)
D) Free range on swearing in songs

anyway so back on track here, Nova is now seemingly mimicing the high rotation tracks on the j's and launching it as "you heard it first on Nova". This is really good for the exposure of these artists who will become so much more economically viable by getting into the general population. This is good for the artists who make the music that I enjoy so it can't be a bad thing.

I stayed up watching Channel V top 10 last night and I couldn't believe the songs, let me list the ones I know are j-born

Plans - Birds of Tokyo
Sunday Best - Washington
Rock It - Little Red
My Eagle - Children Collide
F U - Cee Lo Greene
Big Jet Plane - Angus & Julia Stone
Revolution - John Butler Trio

I mean don't get me wrong, I was loving this mix and it was followed by some new Mark Ronson, kanye, arcade fire and more. A few of these songs were in my line up for Open Your Ears future episodes but if they are getting to public radio/tv first then my segment becomes a little nulified! argh

So is alternative "in"?
Are Nova trying to convert outside people to this music or triple j listeners to Nova?
does it even matter? more airtime for alternative music has to be a good thing

PS. this isnt a new thing, just felt like writing about it since i saw channel V last night, check out this blog page from last year

Open Your Ears Wk 36

2010-09-16T22:03:00.002+08:00

Arcade Fire - Ready To Start

Phil has previously shown much disdain for this artist but anyhoo, they are a unique artist indeed. If you don't know them then certainly worthy of a spot in my weekly segment

YouTube Video

if i ever had the time or the inclination to do my 100 best songs ever then they would feature these three fo shizzle

Wake Up

Neighbourhood #3 (Power out)

Keep the Car Running

"they don't call it the amazing race for nothing"

2010-09-09T16:14:00.001+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 35

2010-09-08T09:25:00.004+08:00

Talking like I'm falling down stairs - Sparkadia

Sparkadia was a four piece back in their early days but since have dispersed to just leave the brains trust Alex Burnett to run it as his own entity. Based out of New South Wales Alex has a penchant for writing beautiful indie/pop songs.

Jealousy came in at number 79 in Triple J's Hottest 100 in 2008 and along with the strong debut album allowed Sparkadia to tour the world as a support act for many big bands like Death Cab, Pet Shop Boys, Hot Hot heat, Vampire Weekend and Elbow. This has actually given them a bigger support base in Europe then here in Aus.

No youtube of the new single but it can be found on the myspace site along with their other three singles from the last album. I couldn't pick four better songs to show his talent so listen to them all

www.myspace.com/sparkadia

Alex also blogs and tweets a bit, if you're interested in music then he is frequently blogging about it here... sparkadia.wordpress.com

Weekly WTF: Phallic Sock Matching Robot

2010-08-31T08:51:00.003+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 34

2010-08-30T14:09:00.002+08:00

TOKYO (Vampires & Wolves) - The Wombats

Ca-chinga, ca-chinga! Recipe for success, one part vampire, one part wolf, mix frequently, count your monies.

Circa 2007/08 The Wombats released a couple of crackerjack tunes called Lets Dance to Joy Division and Moving to New York. The former being their break through single and the latter being an even better track as a followup. I was seriously interested in seeing what else this Liverpool gang would put out. IN 2008 they released a pretty average track called Lost in the Post and kinda fell off of Triple J rotation, therefore off of mine too

anyway back to 2010 and the era of Twilight they release a new track called Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves). Now here is the saviour, I heard the song before I knew the title. Its a little beauty, catchy poppy sing-a-long, a band really doing what they do best. Its a pity that the record company or whoever insisted on the brackets.

So don't be scared now, no actual references or links to Twilight to be found, just a snappy brit pop ditty for your listening pleasure

so lets dance to the wombats

Weekly WTF: Tarping

2010-08-23T16:56:00.002+08:00

Courtesy of Mike Maxted...@ http://mikemaxted.blogspot.com/

Show Us Ya Stats

2010-08-23T14:05:00.005+08:00

Despite it's incredible geekiness I couldn't help but post about my download performance on the weekend. When we moved house I was disappointed that we couldn't stick with Amnet as I was very happy with the reliability and customer service from them. If we wanted ADSL2+ we had no choice but iiNet.

I haven't been an iiNet customer since working for them in the late 90s mostly because they were slightly more expensive than everyone else and the value wasn't there. With the new house we ditched the phone and went Naked for everything, choosing a plan which matched my download behaviour. I really couldn't be happier with the performance of the link and entire home VOIP package. Since installing it the competition has increased and iiNet have upped the download limit twice on my plan without additional cost.

The more recent download increase was Saturday when it upped from 50/50 to 75/75. As the picture shows, I downloaded steadily in the start of the month but when I neared the limit everything was put on hold. As soon as it increased to 75/75 I opened the floodgates to get maximum down before my 'month' ended that night.

Pic 1 shows the month trending downward then "Hammer-Time" on the last day. Pic 2 shows the day itself - 17.2GB in 13 hours - Bang! New record for my home connection - 1717mb in 1 hour or a 286kps hour average.

I checked my email the next day and I received the notification that the limit had increased, warning that I was getting close to 75 and the warning I was getting VERY close to 75 all within a few hours.

Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerd

Open Your Ears Wk 33

2010-08-22T10:15:00.002+08:00

From Above - Ben Folds

Ben Folds is a really awesome artist in my opinion, a fantastic songwriter. Now I don't actually own a single cd of his but I do really enjoy his work. This latest project he has released is really interesting, he has collaborated with author Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy amongst others).

Basically the two of them dug each others work and Ben requested Nick to write lyrics and Ben then came up with the music and melodies to turn them into songs. This is total opposite to how Ben normally writes where he normally does the music then kind of hums melodies which then get turned into lyrics

The first single is From Above and is a really interesting premise, the idea that people live their lives (happily and content) yet the possibility of a better life is possibly close at hand and people arent even aware. "yes we all have soulmates but we walk past them everyday"
Now for some reason I cant find a youtube of this track so you have to go to www.myspace.com/benfolds to listen

while your there may as well listen to the song "Bitch Went Nuts" coz lets be honest thats a great song title

Open Your Ears Wk 32

2010-08-15T11:17:00.002+08:00

Bang Bang Bang - Mark Ronson

catchy as all hell Bang Bang Bang is the lead single off of Ronson's new album "Record Collection" he is most famous for his album called "Versions" where he did covers of well known artists and collaborated with a heap of current artists.

Valerie is the most renowned song he has done due to its association with the always infamous Amy Winehouse, Oh My God is his collaboration with the always funky Lily Allen, in a cover version of The Kaiser Chiefs original

Stop Me is the reason why I paid any attention to this guy, just a fabulous version of what is really a pretty damn good song in it's original form by The Smiths

Footloose Friday

2010-08-13T11:21:00.002+08:00

http://www.sheep.com/sheep_sounds.cfm

Enough Said

Weekly WTF: Mario Filing Cabinets

2010-08-12T09:25:00.001+08:00

All the world's your ashtray, I'm just your Marlboro

2010-08-11T09:40:00.002+08:00

I just got back from walking to school with my little man, on the way there is a small grass & bush area with a playground that sits next to the school. Scattered across the grass was a torn up catalogue for books, the one that every kid gets in their school bag once a month. My immediate thought is: "thats terrible, some people are so lazy, kids these days, yadda yadda" then my second thought is "whose responsibility is it to clean it up?" and my third thought.."I gotta get the boy to school on time but I guess that I can pick it up on the way back"

Going back two minutes as we had walked past a house a lady had come out with her dog to take it for a walk. She says hello and my daughter starts laughing and gushing over the dog and we both head off in different directions.

Leaving the school I actually took a different exit heading to the shops to grab some groceries (forgeting my dilligent thoughts of rubbish clean up) and on the way to the shops we walk past the lady walking her dog, but she isn't just doing that... she is picking up rubbish with her handy grabber and lugging a garbage bag of litter around as her dogs trots about. What an absolute champion this lady is, off her own bat she is cleaning up the suburb for no reward and no doubt no recognition. Such a simple idea, for those people who have a dog to walk to be actively making a difference whilst doing it, kudos to her.

As we left the shops she was still going, with a ramjampackful bag, sadly it had only been about 20 minutes of time since the school drop off and the shop exit, pretty sad that a full garbage bag full of litter can be picked up in one park area.

So in the end it comes down to WHY?? what gives people the arrogance, the audacity, the laziness to decide that they aren't required to use bins that are at the park, in their house, out the front of everyone's house? who do they think is going to pick it up? or don't they care?

Go stop at any traffic light and look at the median strip and it's bound to be covered with cigarette butts, this makes me fume like no tomorrow, every single car has an ashtray but smokers still don't use them! How is this a socially accepted norm? its the old "everybody else does it so what will it matter if I do it"

When I was a kid there was no mandatory doggy-doo pick up, so when we went down to the park to kick the footy etc we had to look out for bombs. Times have changed and its no longer acceptable and yes you see the occaisonal one around but in general the expectations and standards of dog owner ship have changed for the better and thats better for everyone.

As a kindy student my son has a "no wrapper" policy being instilled into him via his kindy class, he gets rewarded for having lunch with no wrappers. So he actively tells us what he wants and doesnt want in his lunchbox according to whether we take the wrapper off at home first. I am impressed and hopeful that this kind of "cleaner" behaviour is being instilled in all kids in all schools. They recycle all their scrap paper, they encourage the kids to bring in batteries for recylcing/reuse, they always ask for cardboard/egg cartons and I for one am all for it, get 'em while they are young.

I'm not exactly a tree hugging greenie but I don't want to live in garbage tip either

PS. there is also the story of the "Car Park Sex Bandits" who like to get it on in the car-park where I work and then dump the condom and clean up tissues on the ground where they parked, coz that exactly what I want to arrive to work and find, and clean up. Don't get me started....

Open Your Ears Wk 31

2010-08-09T20:54:00.003+08:00

Stopping All Stations - HillTop Hoods

Radelaide hip hoppers are basically Australia's premier white rappers, this track is really a great example of lyric writing, its certainly not the best song they have made but its worth the listen for the story telling which is what good rapping and songwriting can be about

Early morn, train station, aching from the arthritis, This war veteran knows what a hard time is, He needs his pension, dementia and half blind is, The reason he rides the train with no car license, So he boards with an expired ticket has a swipe, Gets a fine cos the change he got don’t add up right, We’re taking about a man who never lived a lavish life, Caught up in the age of computer chips and satellites,

A lovely lady boards looking tired and half awake, He smiles, she’s reminds him of his wife that past away, She says something as she walks right past his way, His old hearing aid don’t last quite half a day, Some young gentlemen alive with their laughter, Approach the old timer and put a knife to his heart to, Explain that money or blood the price of their barter, To a man whose friends probably died for their fathers.

Whatever it takes can justify, Whatever ends we make, whatever the price, To the end of a life, it’s just an observation, So take a ride we’re stopping all stations. It’s been a long night the suns lifting on a cold, Morning but she’s drugged and drunk tripping on her stroll, On the way home, she’s done with stripping on a pole, But she can’t pay for her son living on the dole, Jumps a train puts on her gloves she’s wearing black, Being watched by some old mug she’s glaring back, She’s on edge and got the bug from sharing smack, So she says, “Hey, what the fuck you staring at? He smiles, an unsteady hand rubs on his dome, She takes a seat, a messy band of ruffs board alone, To the digger with a machete at his lungs and he’s prone, He can barely stand but ready to stand up for his own, She tries to help him she doesn’t choose to flee the car, And catches a blow with enough bruise to leave a scar, She starts fainting, the rooms moving and seeing stars, Aint it amazing how courageous human beings are?

He knows nothing but toil, strife and hard yakka, Pissed at the world for playing wife in a slammer, This man was never given a life on a damn platter, So he jumps a train with knife and bandanna, Boys at his back, sleazy, hardened and far, From giving a fuck, an easy target his mark, He sees an old man and says “See we’ll part with your hard, Earned cash or rest in peace we can start with your heart. Some girl steps not afraid she’s gonna cop it sweet, And gets decked before she made it even on her feet, The old man leaped to her aid and to his horror he’d, Thrusted his chest into the blade of his robber s piece, He grabbed the wallet, dropped the knife as he fled the car, Concerned about the loss of life he’d never went this far, What’s done is done, he’d got the prize and he’d spent his half, Of two dollars in change and a pension card.

youtube linky

The hoods did a cool joint venture with the Adelaide Symphony, here is a stand out track called Recapturing the Vibe Restrung, it has a humerous video about "adult swinging"

Thats what I'm talkin abooooooouuuuuuuuut!

2010-08-04T13:31:00.002+08:00

i won a Geelong Football Club competition!

Weekly WTF: Suitcase Stickers

2010-08-03T09:21:00.000+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 30

2010-08-02T09:44:00.002+08:00

alrighty then, well inspired by the fact that I went out an bought BOT's new album and Gyroscope's new album last week, and I covered BOT last edition, its only fair...

Gyroscope - White Dove/Black Crow

Ok so they have released three singles off this reasonably new album and their radio play is pretty reasonable so you have probably heard
Some of the places I know
Baby Im Getting Better
Live Without You

so I figured I put out a different track that you probably havent heard. Gyroscope are a punk/indie/rock band out of Perth, who have a special place in my heart as we went to their gig as part of my buck's night, good times.

White Dove/Black Crow on good olde youtube, I guess I chose it because it shows a bit of transition from how they used to sound (chunky rock guitar) combined with some of their new aspects (more melodic, spacial sounds)

The first single off the new album is Some of the Places I Know which has some nice footage of WA and some of the place you'd like to be

and for anyone who remembers my bucks, here is a staple from those glory days Confidence in Confidentiality live in HD

The future is now...

2010-08-02T09:41:00.002+08:00

Footloose Friday

2010-07-30T09:22:00.005+08:00

This weeks Footloose Friday picture comes courtesy of deviantart.com.

Just incase you needed a depiction of Chewbacca riding a giant squirrel fighting Nazi's. I mean, why wouldn't you?

Also if you fancy a giggle today check out 'Mila's Daydreams'.

Its a fellow blogspot site invented by a new mum who needed a creative outlet @ home all day. I can't give anything away but your bound to see something you find interesting. Safe for work and very worth checking out.... maybe even right now!

http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

Happy clicking players

Creativity Vs Money

2010-07-28T09:06:00.005+08:00

I love creative and left field ideas but especially those that are simply things no one has thought of before.

Everyday we are faced with the latest gadget or device developed from continual advancements in technology but its great to see that, even now, the human brain can dazzle us with a great concept. The most obvious outlets are movies and advertising but they're just as important on a smaller scale - like this!

What am I on about? Well take the Transformers movies..... huge $$$ spent, spectacular special effects, blahdi blah. Yes, they're great movies but the idea was paved in the 80s when the show was created. Where did that idea come from? Comics. Some random nerd in the early 80s had the creativity to imagine the basic concept and plot line. He's the guy you wanna have a beer with!

And then we have a movie such as 'The Butterfly Effect'. A completely new idea conceived and written buy a couple of blokes. If you haven't seen it I wont give anything away but for me it was one of those films that I'll remember as a headf$%k! A complete brain twist in 90 mins. If you were to grab someone just as they finished watching it and asked what they thought - you'd probably get silence or a comprehensive "It was good" in return. The idea was so good that comparitively, the movie cost was low. No special effects, no big name actors and yet 6 years later its still tops in my view.

And with Advertising, I'm still left smiling when I read a terrific marketing line or catch phrase. Just the other night I said to the Mrs how much I liked the new KMart line, "Expect Change". I know - party time in the Dawson residence!!!! But seriously the people @ KMart must have been partying for a month solid with a line like that! 2 words that say it all. Just like when that last range of Sony Ads came out with the bouncy balls and paint can explosions - no special effects, just pure imaginative gold.

Go Humans!

Weekly WTF: Controller for 'Babysitting Mama' on Wii

2010-07-27T09:13:00.001+08:00

Yes, its real and yes you ram the Wiimote up the baby's ass to play. Was there any risk this would win WWTF?

Oh and a Happy 3 Month Birthday shout-out to my perfect little man - Cam!

Open Your Ears Wk 29

2010-07-25T17:40:00.002+08:00

Birds of Toyko - Plans

the timing is just right to talk about this band. Their third album is released this week, this song is the second single from the album, released a couple of weeks back. Phil and I went and saw Karnivool this week too so it just seemed like a good fit. If you listen to triple j or its copycat little brother nova then this is also the album of the week.

BOT are a Perth band, originally most well known for being Ian Kenny's OTHER band (Karnivool being the 1st). However due to their music being far more commercially viable and the fact they have released three albums in less time then Karnivool released two, they are not just their own entity but probably becoming more widely known.

Kenny's voice still shines as the beacon that draws you to this band and how he sustains it with his time spent amongst touring, writing, recording is beyond me.

The video for Plans is heavy into the high speed camera footage ala last week's secondary vid.

Another great video is that for the Broken Bones/Silhouettic singles which was interestingly done, the videos together make up a story but the songs were released in reverse order, so the Silhouettic video was interesting but you didn't quite get the story because you hadnt seen the Broken Bones vid. Pretty interesting marketing/artistry however you choose to view it

as a side note it wouldn't be right not to at least reference 'Vool, so here is a single from their Sound Awake album, great video and probably the more accessable track that wouldn't be that far removed from BOT. All I Know

Weekly WTF: MarioKart Boardgame

2010-07-19T15:11:00.002+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 28

2010-07-18T21:42:00.003+08:00

Dead Letter Circus - Big

Bris-Vegas quartet fall heavily into the Hard Alt Rock catagory, fitting in perfectly with current popular Aussie acts like Karnivool, The Butterfly Effect and Cog. The great thing about these types of acts is they can appeal to a variety of listeners. At face value you can jump around, bang your head and generally rock out but to the musically finicky there are subtle technical skills at hand. Crazy ass drumming which is only there if you pay attention to how good it is, otherwise it just fits the rhythm perfectly. They are a heavy sounding band but with the falsetto style vocals it takes the edge off of the music, no screeeeaaaaaaaaaaming and grunting going on here.

Big is the first single off their debut album

Their latest single is called One Step, very into the high speed camera work

get it on!

20 Things You Didnt Know About MJ

2010-07-15T10:29:00.001+08:00

1. Born August 29, 1959 in Gary, Indiana
2. Jackson described his voice on early Jackson 5 recordings as "like Minnie Mouse"
3. Billie Jean was the first video by a black artist to air on MTV
4. He first premiered the famous moonwalk during a performance of Billie Jean on the Motown 25 TV special, March 25, 1983
5. Overall he has sold more than 300 million albums
6. His 1982 album Thriller is the best selling album of all time with estimated sales of 110 million worldwide.
7. His 1995 album HIStory is the biggest selling double album of all time
8. His 1997 album Blood on the Dance Floor is the biggest selling remix album of all time
9. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. With the Jackson 5 and solo.
10. In 1994, Jackson wed Lisa-marie Presley in the Dominican Republic. It lasted 19 months.
11. In 1985 he outbid Paul McCartney and paid $47 million for the rights to the Beatles back catalog. He resold PART of it to Sony in 1995 for $95 million.
12. Jackson owned the rights to the South Carolina state anthem "South Carolina on My Mind"
13. Bubbles wasnt his only pet. He also had a Boa constrictor called Muscles, Louis and Lola the llamas, Mr Tibbs the ram and Crusher the python.
14. Those gravity defying dance moves in which Jackson would lean forward at extreme angles were not the result of camera tricks. He actually patented a shoe device that made the dance step possible.
15. Jackson shares the record for most Grammy Awards in one year with 8.
16. He only admitted to having 2 nose jobs but reports list the actual number at anywhere from 20-45
17. Billie Jean and Black & White were both #1 for 7 weeks
18. His 3 biggest albums Thriller, Bad and Dangerous each produced 7 top 40 hits
19. He has 7 letters in his first and last names, born in 1958 (19+58=77) died on the 25th (2+5=7), oh and he is the 7th child in the family!
20. Jackson signed his will on 7/7/02 - exactly 7 years later his funeral was 7/7/09
.

Open Your Ears Wk 27

2010-07-13T21:40:00.002+08:00

Tim & Jean - Come Around

yeah im running late again, neverending computer problems seem to follow me around!

so heading back to Triple J unearthed acts, these guys came runner up in the last unearthed comp, this song is killer, just awesome pop sensebilities from two guys still in school. Falsetto voices make it even more impressive, given that in the school yard these types of artists are likely frowned upon.

They are from Perth too, good on them I say, they seem to have been picked up by a label and have been doing a little bit of touring so it seems they are on their way.

Come Around on YT

http://www.myspace.com/wearetimandjean - make sure you watch their video of the cover of Fleetwood Mac

"Crash Into Me" (Dave Matthews Cover)

Weekly WTF: Lockable Bendy Bike

2010-07-13T09:10:00.002+08:00

50 Snabs On Paul

2010-07-08T12:42:00.003+08:00

You know your football team is in trouble when your own Octopus bets against you!

A german octopus named 'Paul' has correctly picked every outcome of every German match in the 2010 World Cup. Despite how ridiculous that sounds it ISN'T the latest 'News Of The World' headline its a full blown fact.

On the eve of a German match, Pauls handlers would paint Germanys flag and their opponents on 2 glass boxes in his tank. Inside is a mussel to coax him over and whichever one he goes to first is the predicted winner. Crazy? Yes - but 100% accuracy speaks for itself and of course the wallets of betters around the world who have taken his choice as gospel for the last few weeks.

Unfortunately, with great fame comes great consequence as, after their loss to Germany, Argentinian followers were calling for an octo-paella in Pauls future. Even to the extent of a published reward and suggested recipe for the poor guy! Geez!

Pauls fame as risen so high that his prediction for the Germany v Spain match last night was televised LIVE to Europe. According to the net it was the longest time taken for him to decide so far, hovering over both boxes but settling on Spain. This sealed the fate of one punter who placed the largest bet in World Cup history on Germany - €500,000 ($740,000AUD). Scheiße!

Bookmakers in London are now even allowing you to bet if Paul will be correct again this Sunday for the grand final, despite Germany's obvious absence. If correct perhaps this is a new future for Paul... parades... front cover of SeaLife magazine... maybe even the end of gambling worldwide! Just ask Paul.

So - are ya feelin' lucky... well... are ya Punk?
.

MakerBot : making your dreams come true?

2010-07-07T11:10:00.004+08:00

This 3d printer is desktop sized and allows you to print any 3d model you can create on your computer (within current size restrictions). By heating plastic it then "prints" in thin layers the shape the computer tells it to

news story

www.makerbot.com

so what do you want to build today?

You're So Dreamy

2010-07-06T14:18:00.004+08:00

Alot of the childbirth process is an absolutely amazing feat of nature and despite all that has changed in the world, its amazing to continually see glimpses of natural human instinct shine through against all theoretical odds.

When we were brand new parents we read alot about "Breast Crawling". No, its not the street speak for twenty-somethings moving from pub to pub chasing women, it's a newborn phenomenon whereby you place a fresh bub on the mothers stomach and watch it instinctively crawl up to breast feed.

The baby can barely move by itself, eyes mostly closed and even though its only minutes old, it just crawls up. Its really interesting so check out the net and YouTube as they are full of videos on it or I'll sic Kirri onto you as she is an avid practicer and preacher. :)

More recently however, and the reason for this posting, are my learning's on Dreamfeeding. There are a number of books and info on Dreamfeeding but I never REALLY knew what it was all about. So, what is it?

Well, kids go to bed anytime between 7 and 9pm and wake for feeds during the night. As they get older they wake less and less until they eventually sleep through till morning - no real shockers there. Dreamfeeding is an additional, non-demand feed @ around 10.30-11.30pm which helps them to sleep longer into the morning. The odd part is that it's given while the baby is asleep. Yes, asleep.

So, last night we tried it.

At 10.50 I walked boldly into his room, bottle in hand, picked him up confidently, sat down, pointed the bottle at his face and thought "ok, what now?". The bottle is dribbling all over his face and he isnt drinking cos - yep, he's asleep. After 2-3 mins of growing a confused look on my face, I flashed back to my readings - rest it on his bottom lip!....................... which did nothing. Hmm, perhaps this wasn't the best idea.

After a few minutes more I managed to move enough to bring him from deep to a more shallow sleep. This was the key. His mouth kinda opened and was immediately stuffed with a teet! "ok, what now?" Well, what nothing - to my shock he just started drinking away.

Now the next challenge. Cam normally burps 4 times in 1 feed and after reading up on Dreamfeeding I knew that he might only need 1 or 2 as they are far more relaxed. So, how do you burp a baby without waking it? Answer - No idea! I cut him off after 50mLs and tried slowly elevating his head, nothing. Side elevation, nothing. Up, down, left, upsidedown, rubbing, patting, nothing! Then, thinking maybe he doesn't need burping, I continued to feed him the rest of the bottle. At the end I KNEW he would need a burp so I repeated all the above with the same results. "ok, what now?". I stood up and gently put him over my shoulder, hoping for action but secretly expecting to get covered in vomit. Without moving him much at all, after a minute or so, he did a long quiet belch and stayed asleep. Result!

I gently got him back into his cot and I was done............ or so I thought. While adjusting the blankets it happened - the vomit eruption! Turns out it wasn't too much so it was ok. Phew. We went to bed and he woke at 3am like normal anyway! :P

Overall I'd say it went well and tonight ill just be throwing him over my shoulder 1/2 way through and at the end until he burps. If he wakes up then so be it but I reckon once I get the knack, it should be smoother sailing. Also might keep him vertical for 5 mins or so afterward to get the digestion flowing before plonking him horizontal.

Anyway, that's my life - whaddya think? - haha

Cya Bee Eaters
.

UPDATE 7/7: Last night was far smoother. He went to bed late and I heard him stirring around midnight so as I was already awake I thought I'd dive in and dreamfeed him instead of waiting for the scream. He burped twice, woke up for about 5 secs then went off again, literally snoring in my arms. Took me about 25-30 mins for the feed and he slept through till 5 so a little better than the night before. Will see how we go tonight!
.

Weekly WTF: Pet Pram

2010-07-06T09:38:00.000+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 26

2010-07-04T10:53:00.002+08:00

City and Colour - Hello, Im in Delaware

Dallas Green, canadian singer/songwriter became famous for being the lead singer of punk/hardcore band Alexisonfire, he decided to branch out in his spare time into acoustic/folk artistry and released it under the name City and Colour (referencing his own name Dallas(a city) and Green (a colour).

He writes really beautiful pop/folk songs, great for a sunday afternoon chillax so enjoy! You really get the feeling he writes these songs on tour buses and in the downtime of his tour with Alexisonfire, plenty of references to travel and missing home/people

Hello, Im in Delaware @ YT

his most famous song, Coming Home

and to hear him live is just as good; Confessions live

Weekly WTF: DVD Rewinder

2010-06-29T08:59:00.000+08:00

Open Your Ears Wk 25

2010-06-27T13:54:00.002+08:00

Tori Amos - Spark

*stolen from Wikipedia*

Amos was born in Newton, North Carolina. When she was two, her family moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she began to play the piano. By age five, she had begun composing instrumental pieces on piano and, while living in Rockville, Maryland, she won a full scholarship to the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Conservatory of Music.^[4] Her scholarship was discontinued at age 11 and she was asked to leave. Amos has asserted that she lost the scholarship because of her interest in rock and popular music, coupled with her dislike for reading from sheet music.^[4] At the age of 14, she began playing at piano bars, chaperoned by her father.^{[4]

this is a song about miscarriage of all things, but its hauntingly beautiful and heartfelt and truly a brilliant piece of songwriting

Live on Jools Holland

Mohammed My Friend ft Maynard James Keenan from Tool}

NearMap Progress

2010-06-22T15:00:00.003+08:00

Nearmap.com is my new Google maps and if you haven't seen it - get on it!

Its especially interesting if you happen to be doing alot of DIY outside and want to see what it looks like from a Qantas perspective. The best part of it (and the part that distinguishes it from Google) is the frequency of photos. Recently its been as as often as once a month so for all those weekend warriors who take a little while to complete a project, it gives you a great progress timeline!

As you can see from the pics, our patio went from awe-ful to awe-some and now we're just in awe that its finished! Next month we'll see the garden out the front done, flashings installed on the patio, lawn out the back planted, the Hyundai disappear and the black area next to the carport transformed to a new Moke home!

Possible downsides of the site are:
- The Mrs has proof of how long that last project REALLY took you.
- Your hidden junk pile behind the shed is hidden no more!
- You can see that the grass IS greener at your neighbour's place.
- People can see the milkman's car parked out the front all the time.

Happy Stalking!

Weekly WTF: Smelly Billboards

2010-06-22T08:02:00.003+08:00

This billboard emits a steak scent in rush hour to get your juices flowing on the way home from work earning it this weeks WTF!

....... and yes now I wanna have steak tonight!

Blah Billiards

2010-06-21T14:59:00.003+08:00

So yesterday we were doing the Perth pop-in to everyone we know and stumbled upon an old bar, pool table style........... thing(!) in Annes back shed. After a few Googles and confused looks on our faces, we discovered that its an old Bar Billiards table.

Apart from the resemblance to Pool, Bar Billiards is vastly different. It is played with short cues from 1 of the narrow ends of the table, not all around. The aim is to sink as many white/red balls as possible into a series of holes in the slate surface itself. Each hole has a set score which is tallied on the table backboard and the ideal shot is one that goes 'in-off' sinking both the ball struck with the cue AND the 2nd ball involved. Sitting on the table are 3 obstacles called 'Dollies' which, if struck, end your turn and either erase your score from that turn or 1 case your entire score!

The game is controlled by a 10 minute timer inside which holds the ball return gate open. Each player shoots, adding score when a ball (or 2) goes down. When sunk, the balls roll into the ball return over and over until the timer stops, causing the gate to close. Each player continues to shoot until they DON'T sink a ball or they hit a Dolly. Play alternates until the timer stops. As usual, highest score wins.

To me, that all sounded interesting enough to dig into what it would realistically take time/effort/money wise to get it working again, how rare it is and what it would be worth once restored (not that it would be for sale but its good to know). So far I've done some reading on wikipedia and a few other sites but the most un/interesting part so far was some youtube.com videos.

Bar Video - hear the timer?
70's Tournament Footage - 20secs -> 4min
Home Video with horrible overuse of camera effects

It appears like the reason these tables no longer exist is a reflection of the entertainment value they provide. If your still awake at the end of the game, you win! My realistic evaluation is therefore, yes, it would be an interesting project and not that costly but the result of a months work and a few hundred $$ is a game you might play once a year.

Having said that, if someone had the space to play it and was interested in getting it running, I think I would be too.... purely for the novelty of it. I'll be continuing my research over the next few weeks and will probably start crunching numbers so let me know if it jump-started any of your interested brain cells.
.

Open Your Ears Wk 24

2010-06-18T19:17:00.002+08:00

Scribble - Underworld

TGIF

thought I'd get the disco inferno raging with the latest from Underworld, super stuff here, could even get me on a dance floor and that's saying something!

Scribble youtube

Underworld have had some sort of career, starting out as a guitar/synth band with perennial favourite "Underneath the Radar" then they dropped that ideology when a new member joined and they headed into the dance/house/drum n bass etc artiste

they hit major commercial success with the cracking track "Born Slippy" in the mid 90's

have a good weekend y'all