Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Sharing The Love

You know what I really appreciate? Note, I am being sarcastic about this, it is when you organise yourself perfectly, you get a second set of photos from, say, a Christmas party, perhaps a work Christmas party - you get that second set of photos to take into work, you even organise it so that you have a photo album, admittedly, the oldest photo album you have, you have that photo album to show the photos, a second set mind you, to show the photos without endless fingerprints going on them so that even CSI wouldn't be able to find the murder suspect.

You take said photo album with said photos into work, and surprise surprise, you are being complimented on how well you take photos - not being sarcastic about that, it was quite a pleasant surprise to take those compliments. In fact, the photos are so good apparently, that before all your fellow team members have seen them, it is decided to whisk it, the album, upstairs to the powers that be to perhaps load them into a powerpoint file. This is what the staff get up to dot pps perhaps they will call it. Well chuffed.

But then, you are getting asked by fellow staff members, on your own floor, whether they can see the pictures, there is a reputation growing about them, and you say that no, you don't have them, they are up on another floor waiting to be scanned. You send an email up to said staff member who has your album, not meaning to rush things along or anything, because you are generally a nice guy, especially so at work, just querying when the scanning will be done.

Oh, guess what, they are too busy with other stuff at the moment, maybe will be able to do something in a couple of days. Well, if you were freaking busy, then don't sequester the pictures away in the ivory tower {insert not nice word here}. And of course, nice guy Pauly takes it on the chin, and says to the eager crowds forming at his desk - I will bring in the first set tomorrow.

So tonight I have pulled the photos out of my REAL photo album, to put in another say temporary album, unless I do want to go all CSI fingerprints on it all, and to become the second class set of prints. All because I am too nice a guy to demand that first temporary album back, when Ivory Tower Land doesn't need to have it on hand for at least two days.

Am too busy doing real work or trying to or stressing about it to go up a few floors at High Noon LOL. And I am so angry about it all, for some reason, it's just been one of those annoying frustrating days for the most part. Am not even in good or even neutral enough of a mood to stick around online much tonight...

Will have a good rest and will be a new day tomorrow.

Pauly

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Street Art

Woke up with only five hours sleep yesterday - I don't know what it is, but I can never have a full night's sleep after nights out socialising. Had a slight niggle of a headache, and strangely enough woke up before Rage started playing their Top 50 Aussie charts of the week. Very early.

Quietly watched TV, both Rage and the cricket, as well as pottered around online - has been good to see the Windies actually have a good test against Australia, Brian Lara getting the world record yesterday, Dwayne Bravo having a five for today. Third worst team in test cricket, and down two nil in the series, but showing a fightback of sorts.

Got the uniform pants washed - the cuffs were overlong, so they had dirtied up getting in the way of my shoes. But enough bleach and a hot hot wash got it out, apart from the normal wear and tear. And rather than spend Monday worrying about how I was going to go both to work and drop off the costume in the suburbs, I took it back yesterday.

Also went into town to drop off the camera film and have lunch. I was a bit worried about the camera because it hadn't been turned off overnight, hadn't been in the carry case, and I was thinking how much it had been bumped around, the film was showing as processed as soon as it came out of the camera. I had a fear that something had gone wrong with the camera overnight and a sinking feeling that all the film would show was white or black, the pictures had disappeared somewhere that we couldn't develop them from.

So dropped off the film, the girl insisted that I was getting reprints rather than the film developed even though I had said the film went in at status 1 and came out at 4 - APS film - and then proceeded to get a lesson in how APS film works. Umm, I have only been using it for almost nine years love, but she was earnest enough that I couldn't be annoyed at her. The actual person who developed the films said that there may be issues with framing but it should be fine.

Over to Hungry Jacks for a Whopper, and then headed up the mall, intent on buying a computer joystick - had seen them on sale in Electronics Boutique in that new David Jone's mall thing. But got distracted by a street artist, who was setting himself up to do something. Oh, and the cute redhead across the circle from me with an err too tight t-shirt LOL. With a 10 year old looking daughter in tow. Still, cute is cute, and it got me stuck on the spot, watching the artist...

And then it was amazing. He put together a picture with spraypaint, ripped card, newspaper, and a bowl. And his fingers, and imagination. It was utterly amazing how he put it together, and something that hadn't existed in the morning came to life. There was a sharp intake of breath when he did his first trick, about four layers of different paint on top of each other and then used newspaper to blotch the colours - and the urge to applaud, but no, not for an artist.

The redhead and her daughter bought a piece that was on display, a blue wave type thing, and wandered off happy with the purchase, but I was thinking I had to get the piece that he was creating in front of me. The blue wave thing was my taste as well, but yeah, I hadn't seen it being made - just something about creative stuff, hmm - it gets me right about there. Or maybe there. And yes, I write, but writing is something lots of people can do, whereas visual art, especially in its creation, is a freaking mazing.

So I bought it. $30, and if I get a nice frame, is on the Christmas list with my parents now, will all turn out to be good. Is a multicoloured sun overlooking waterfalls, with trees and foliage to the side. Amazing. I can always get a joystick next week.

Dropped the uniform off, the girl did the once over and it was OK enough, and then headed back into town. Picked up the photos, and they came out thankfully, although the last one, hmm, should be titled 'it's time to go home Pauly'. You know later at night, after a hard night socialising, you try to smile and your face moves but your mouth doesn't? Well, yeah, even if you don't that's me in that photo LOL - the camera could have broken down then and I would have been fine with that :)

Was thinking about going to the movies, but my headache had intensified, and I wouldn't have enjoyed it. Headed home, pottered around again and did the watching the gymnastics thing last night.

Woke up this morning to the news that Australia had lost the rugby league, watched the replay of Australia losing the rugby, and went online to find the All Blacks had gotten the Grand Slam. Is there any way we can clone the current New Zealand squad?

Off to movies today, not much on, Flightplan the best of a mediocre bunch. Also will window shop at the shopping centre, will start my Christmas shopping next weekend I think - pay day is Tuesday, so am watching my pennies until then.

Pauly

Friday Night 80s Theme Xmas Party

Well, I guess the evening can start when I got changed into Mr Top Gun or Officer and a Gentleman after my shift at work had finished. Came back into the office, TDE and LMA said I looked hot, which was quite nice - rather than walk by myself to the thing, I asked whether I could tag along with them, and they said that MGR was picking them up and taking them in the car, but I was welcome to ride with them.

NBO came over our side of the floor, also was to be chaffeured, and she had a light blue sparkly top on, very nice. MGR came and picked us up, wasn't going to the thing himself, not in the mood, apparently has a sick mother or something - or may not have wanted to turn up anyways, either or. He drove us back to his place, and then let TDE do the driving from there to the pub venue.

Driving around, the girls giggling away, I think I have finally got a nickname at work - if you get a nickname, that is kind of being allowed into the popular group lol - and the nickname will be Sailor. I was going more for a Pilot look, but I'm OK with Sailor LOL. They were considering going to another pub rather than doing their duty with the work lot - well the phrase they used was not as complimentary as 'work lot' but we needn't go into that.

Parked half a block away from the place, in an err loading zone, but after business hours, hopefully the parking inspectors weren't going to be over zealous, and then headed up. My uniform made a good first impression methinks. Got called over by MGO to one of the corners, the girls with him had noticed me, and wanted a Man In Uniform (tm) to grace their table.

One of PFO's favourite movies is Top Gun, so she got the reference straight away, and thus I didn't have to tell SPE and KMI as well. Good corner to just drop the backpack - umbrella, change of top, camera - I had to bring a pack along rather than go without - if it wasn't a white uniform top with the bars on the side, maybe I could have gotten away wearing it out in 'public', but I wasn't going to take the risk Friday night.

Did my first circulation of the room of the evening, bumped into JPH, who was duly impressed by the uniform, ADE and KDA, who are looking perfect coupleish as ever, even though she has got a new job hmm about 1000 kays away starting in the New Year, KSM and JLA, the first had the Desperately Seeking Susan era Madonna look, in a leopard skin top, and JLA a tie dye top that hurt the eyes, eighties sunglasses - you know, the big coverage almost halfway down the cheeks - and a teased up wig - JLA got nicknamed Troll for the night, you know those little plastic trolls that somehow got big, and had the big hair LOL.

Darted out onto one of the balconies, where it looked like most of the team had congregated - smokers, I guess. TDE, LMA and NBO had found hmm quite a few people, CCO, DLU, MWH, GKI, RWR, SLI - all from my floor, MWH being my team leader, wasn't drinking last night as she was doing the dedicated driver thing for a couple of the others. The team is going out on 16 Dec, so she will probably allow herself to not be the dedicated driver then.

Got back to base table (like base camp, just in a pub socialising sense LOL), and the DJ was bored shitless by the looks, not getting any response regards the 80s music - hmm, if I hear 'oh Mickey you're so fine' or Ghostbusters any time in the next six months it will be too soon - and looking at my uniform he said Love Boat or Captain and Tennile - hmm wasn't Captain '70s?

Eventually he put on Village People's In The Navy - which, I have to admit, was fourth on my list of what I could be recognised as - Top Gun, Officer Gentleman, Love Boat, err Village People with that particular song - but still, roll my eyes, and, just as I was getting into it - we want you, we want you, we want you as a new recruit and all - the DJ turned it off. For that damned Mickey song LOL.

KSM and JLA made an appearance at the table, as did some noodle boxes. Hmm, the quality of the food is always a bugbear at Christmas parties, in the hmm almost ten years of corporate Chrissies I have been to, is always a complaint. Well, you can't please all the people all the time, and even though the noodles weren't hmm French cuisine or anything, let's just admit it, we weren't there for the food. Had to agree with TDE though about the nuts, chips and popcorn bowls as finger food, how many hands go into that, because of course, everyone always washes their hands before getting chips. Had to agree, but still, not a nice thought.

GKI was bopping away on the balcony, little bundle of energy, when overworked staff get free time indeed LOL - in the vein of stupid TV shows like When Animals Attack blah blah. JLA was also getting into the music, he had his back to us, but we could still see him bootyliciousing away, KSM could see us cracking up.

Can't remember whether I got up dancing before or after the prize giving hmm. Must have been before I think, because always hate the huge lag time that prize giving entails. AMA took me up, and through the night she continued to be a good foil for me, in the hmm I don't want to get up to dance by myself or ask someone and get rejected, especially at a work function, in front of people I nine to five with - and yes, that song did make an appearance, rolling eyes.

I thought that they were playing the latest Madonna song sometime in the evening, but then realised that the Hung Up song she has, the video looking so 80s and all, appears that Mrs Ritchie is sampling Abba's Gimme Gimme Gimme. As if that song, Madonna's, wasn't tragic enough already, what with the leotards and the boom boxes and all LOL.

And yes, I did realise I was commenting on the video not the song itself, but nowadays the video is more important than the song most of the time. Gorillaz a made up band anybody? In the best possible way of course :)

Prizegiving - I didn't get best costume, not that I was expecting it anyways, despite what LMA and TDE said earlier in the evening. This girl got all glammed up Kiss style, the lead singer with the black star over the eye, not Gene Simmons, with the leather jacket and black jeans look - well deserved winner, even for the make up alone LOL. And then the second prize went to these three girls dressed up as cheerleaders, with Mickey T-shirts, the song not the mouse LOL. I personally think the prize went to the tightest t-shirts with that win, but what would I know LOL - the two dressed up as the Blues Brothers would have been worthier winners and all, in my opinion. The girls won because of six points, if you get what I mean LOL.

And then the door prizes. The time of the night where time slows down and with no background music, and half the people waiting expectantly for their number to come up and half the people ordering drinks, hmm conversation level goes down a bit. Boring. But again, one of those things that has to happen, and had some good prizes again - weekend at one of the hotels around town, DVD players, both mini and maxi LOL.

Got to talking to ADE and KDA again, and a ghost from the past turned up - the original MGO, who I will now call MGT, who was my eye candy at work about this time last year. She's back LOL, how time flies, I think it was about April or so when she left the country - did the whole Canada, States, Britain, Europe thing, and is back working for the company, as a temp, at one of the other buildings we have in town.

Blast from the past indeed - sad to say, but I recognised her from the back and all, and I said to KDA, is she back - well duh obviously. Had a quick word to her before she went off circulating again. She enjoyed herself overseas, but who doesn't - didn't feel I had the time to compare travel stories with her, but maybe will see her out and about again, was good just to have a word with her.

Then I recognised LNE, I am sure I had seen her a couple times beforehand in the night, but she had her hair up or permed or something so had taken me this long. Had a quick word with her and JPH, while the prizes droned on in the background.

One of the annoying things about the night was the fact that contract workers were not allowed in until after 8.30pm, SGR wouldn't come at all in protest and was going to have a night retiling one of her friend's bathrooms, something about employer liability or something. Maybe something to do with JCU's falling down the escalator and almost breaking her back last year when she was employed by the agency rather than the actual company, but still, very killjoyish attitude. If you want to do that sort of thing, get all the agency staff in one team somewhere in the country somewhere, and then have an individual Xmas party for them, after 8.30 if needs be, but to me, if they are in our team, then they are staff just the same as everyone else.

Anyways. What I was meaning to say was that it was nice to see PMA, CMC and MGT turn up. Injected a bit more life into the night. Had a quick chat to CCO as well.

And over the course of the next couple of hours, was a mix of being up dancing - it was a cool enough night thank goodness, so the uniform wasn't too hot, apart from when I was up dancing - and socialising. Also had good chats with CMC, PMA, AMA and LFL.

TDE wandered past as she was leaving, touched my arm and said see you Monday Pauly - although I think it was more I was on the way to the door than anything else. NBO hmm, she said she had a partner, of nine years, and did I hate her - umm, no, why would I, has it appeared I've been making a play for you or something? Would be news to me if she thought that. Just I think she gets a bit emotional on big nights out.

AMA I talked to about her family and whether she had a good weekend when I swapped my days off with her the other week - she was very grateful, and if there was anything she could do for me - well, acting as a foil for my enthusiam for dancing was a great start thank you LOL. PMA apparently used to smoke twenty a day, although she doesn't smoke now she hasn't turned into one of those anti-tobacco nazis that some ex-smokers turn into. CMC said the C word in a joke he was making and PMA said she hates that word.

Had a great talk to LFL, the woman that sits across from me behind the cubicle wall, about how the Mickey cheerleaders won a prize, and the whole V situation. Was clockwatching by this stage, and had changed out of the Richard Gere or Captain Stubbings get up - out of the number of people questioning where I had got the idea, about 40% were Love Boat, 40% was Officer and Gentleman, and 20% was Top Gun. That's how I felt anyways, rather than telling them straight out what I was, I asked them what they thought LOL.

I was clockwatching by this stage, and somehow got dragged up for one last dance, which meant that I would miss the midnight train, thinking I would need some time to get extra food as well. I bailed soon after that, and for once I wasn't one of the last men (or women) standing. True, there may have only been a dozen or so left, but I wasn't in the last group leaving, and yes, that is progress for me LOL.

Went down to New York Slice and was hungry enough for TWO slices - mmm Real Pepperoni and BBQ Chicken. Wolfed it down quickly, burning my mouth in the process as I headed to the train station. Saw NBO at the station, and had a quick word to her on the carriage itself, but she was obviously wanting a quiet one. And after what she had said earlier, I was fine with not talking - could have killed to have a book to read or something lol.

Just remembering back to an entry I wrote earlier in the week, about how I felt I was always on the fringes of groups and popularity rather than in the middle of things. I remember back to Friday night and I think how many people I chatted to - circulation at a function, always a key rather than camping out in one spot - and I wonder if I am indeed one of the popular people at work. Don't worry people, my self doubt will no doubt resurface in a couple of days time.

I sometimes think about sending out one of those 360 degree feedback thing, to both my bosses and colleagues, but wonder if I want to know what others think of me. Eh, the pictures came out well enough though, lots of laugh material there when I take them into work tomorrow. And boy, naval uniform Pauly does look good LOL.

Later taters
Pauly

Saturday, November 26, 2005

Something On TV At Last

As well as the catch up on last night with the party - yes, I have already gotten the photos back - I will need to give a quick run down of today as well, what with helping tourists not get lost on the bus and buying street art, but will do that tomorrow, when I'm feeling more awake alive than I am now...

But just thought I would give a quick thank you to Channel Seven for showing the World Gymnastics Championships over the past three nights and tomorrow. Strength, grace, poise, drama - better than anything else on the channel at the moment LOL. I watch these girls and guys and think OMG how are you able to do that? I have always had a soft spot for gymnastics, ever since at least the Auckland Commonwealth Games in 1990 - and is a sport that you actually have to watch, rather than check a website.

So freaking skillful. But hmm, whoever spelled the American competitor's first name, Chellsie (pronouced Chelsea), should be forced to do the pommel horse LOL. Oh, and her father is her coach? Onto that pommel, sir :)

Pauly

A Housing Bubble

Had the work Christmas party last night, but will write something about it either later today or tomorrow - get my thoughts in order or something like that. So doing my usual Saturday morning routine of lazily websurfing while hearing the Australian Top 50 on Rage in the background.

Interesting statistic of the morning - it is estimated that only 17% of Californians can afford to buy a new house. Apparently to buy a house you need a household income of $71,000 - whereas the average income is forty thousand dollars - annualised of course. And that is just averages, in the 'popular' housing markets, like California, Florida or New York, it is even worse. And this report is from August - the wonder of the internet, you can find interesting stories from a seeming epoch ago :)

This is a good obituary for George Best, who died in London yesterday, aged 59. As good as Pele apparently, although my generation knows him more as the 'recovering alcoholic and former football star'. Back in the Glory Days of English football, before it was expected that Manchester United would always get to Europe LOL.

Black Friday. You would think it would be a bad connotation or something, but that is what they call the Friday after Thanksgiving in the US, because that is apparently when retailers start making money for the year, out of the red into the black as it were. The retailers entice the crowds in by doing huge discounts and specials before midday or until they sell out.

'In Atlanta, Mesha Mullen, a 23-year-old librarian, recruited six family members to get in line extra early outside Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart. But the plan hit a snag: her sister-in-law did not arrive at her designated position until 4 a.m., leaving her No. 300 outside Wal-Mart and unlikely to find any $398 laptops left inside.

"We're all pretty mad about that," Ms. Mullen said.'

Yeah, I would be mad as well - imagine, having to pay retail price for something. Now if only you got mad about Hurricane Katrina or Iraq or something grrr LOL.

More later
Pauly

Thursday, November 24, 2005

Cute Piccie Of The Day


Four young cheetahs enjoy a bed of fall leaves at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park in Washington as they celebrate their first birthday. The litter of two males and two females was the first in the zoo's 115-year history.

Photo Smithsonian National Zoological Park/AP via The Globe and Mail Daily Pictures feature.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Not A Good Day

Some thoughts I jotted down while I was at work.

It must be good to be the sort of person who can pick and choose which Christmas parties to go to. To be so popular that to go to the work party would be the one function that you can ditch, either through exhaustion of parties or because you don't like work that much. Hey, news alert people, this is my Christmas socialising all in one bundle LOL.

I wonder what it would be like to be the centre of a social universe. How does one become popular anyways? I need to work on my socialising skills a bit more, be a lot less standoffish, get off the wall, in a wall flower sense. I know I can socialise well enough, but I have never been near the centre of such a universe, always been on the outskirts of any particular galaxy, or, when not in socialising mode, I put my head down and avoid interactions - either at work or on a personal level.

Accepting going to the movies by myself was one of the worst habits I could have fallen into. Well, that and making fun of myself before anyone else had a chance.

I stopped myself for a minute, and was worried that I was building this Friday party up as much as the school ball at high school. That really made me think for all of the thirty seconds personal time I was allowed that hour LOL - no, all kidding aside, as long as I can recognise that concern, I can avoid overblown expectations, as happened in high school. As if a good formal would have made me popular, especially after an initial nervous breakdown, pfft, what was I thinking?

Should I go back to a shrink? I think I have more of a handle on things than I did eighteen months ago, but still, any form of positive reinforcement, and the possibility of minimising if not slaying the personal demons, insecurity blah blah, any on top of what I am doing myself would be good I think. And, at the moment, I would be able to afford it myself...

Am I too caught up in the Big Picture when I should be worrying more about the local or personal level? I am sure all my blog readers are aware of how much I worry about what is going on in Washington DC, Baghdad, even Canberra, on a high level, geopolitical sense. Was thinking today do I go on about that too much and neglect Brisbane, the community, my friends? I really should get around to doing personalised letter type emails to mates rather than the here's a funny story group emails. And, on the 'community' kind of level, I don't know, maybe I could join clubs or something.

Yes, the joining club chestnut, slow news day, it comes up once every two or three months LOL.

There is a lolly jar at work. I supply most of the lollies that go into said jar. Is that my niche in the workplace I wonder, the 'lolly boy'? Not the centre of the social universe, not the talker, not the organiser, but the lolly boy. Not a very rewarding niche to find myself in. The rest of the time, I keep my head down, socialise little - in the office at least - and try to avoid attention.

How the heck did it come to this? My personality I mean. I doubt I will ever be an Alpha Male, but come on, this need to please, to be liked, but also to avoid attention, I mean, it's got me twisted up in knots enough anyways. And for those of you positive reinforcers who think I shouldn't doubt being Maverick instead of Goose, I originally wrote I will never be Alpha - going to doubt is still a positive upgrade lol.

Feeling the urge to void my stomach - I recognised that as a measure of self loathing today. Hadn't really analysed it before. I just feel I am a huge ball of insecurities, and an intense fear of being disliked or, maybe even worse, ignored. But I go around trying to avoid attention - is a vicious cycle.

The endless background hum of hundreds of customers calling in. Day after day, after day. Yeah, I have hit the enthusiasm wall early this week.

I allowed my mind to wander a bit today, no kidding I hear you say with the above rambling, but I started remembering the outlines of the devastation that was Belfast. Yeah, I had a lot of time on my hands today. Or maybe I just wasn't concentrating on work.

Two tickets to the A League soccer next week were the prize for a lottery at work - lottery in the sense of express an interest and five staff will get tickets. I thought of expressing interest, but then who would I take with me?

Yeah, it was a very downer day today. Hopefully tomorrow is more of an upper.

Oh, and Michelle Leslie should just go away, marry her millionaire boyfriend, and stay out of the public eye as much as possible. So she has been overseas and done drugs - who the heck hasn't? I don't see all the magazines, newspapers and TV shows beating down my door to offer an exclusive deal. I would rant more, but then I would be encouraging publicity seeking...

More tomorrow
Pauly

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Photos Photos Everywhere

As part of my occasional do some stuff around the house like maybe cleaning up, I have spent most of this evening trying to figure out what photos I need reprints of. Because of the time I threw what I felt were unnecessary pictures out (all the non-top 100 or so of each year) trying to lighten the load to move to Canada. And now I am going through one of my completist phases, meaning I have to get reprints of all the pics that I threw out.

And I discovered I have 116 camera films, from the past ten years. This doesn't include the Big Trip I did in Europe in 1995 (approx 600 photos), nor K's visit to New Zealand in 2001 (of which I kept the best 200). One day, far far into the future, I may ask K to get reprints again, but not for a while yet methinks. Will have to be in an Ultra Completist mood that particular day LOL.

Yes, you read right, 116 camera films. Even if they were all 25 shot films, that would be 3100 photos when I have the complete works, and I would hazard a guess that at least a third of them are 40s - APS films, which were going to be the next big thing before digital blew everyone out of the water, have 25 or 40 types.

And that is even if I have indeed kept all the films - I have a feeling I may have lost a few somewhere along the way. Just looking at where I have been these last ten years, hmm, it's been a bit of criss crossing the globe and all. And yes, I am too tired to put good sentences together :)

I need to write something in the next few days or weeks, whatever, about whether I still have a defensive wall up around me, whether I stay behind it as much as possible, or whether I am as open and receptive as I like to think. Just had a random thought the other day, thinking that at least sometimes I keep the drawbridge up and try to keep people out. Try being the operative word.

But am too tired tonight to even think of starting on such a brain draining topic :)

Pauly

Monday, November 21, 2005

Funny Stories From Around The World

Well, this one is funny only if you weren't on the same plane as her. Some French woman who had a fear of flying got drunk and drugged up (on sleeping tablets) on a Cathay Pacific Hong Kong to Brisbane flight, and then tried to open the door while in mid air to have a smoke outside. There's terrorism and then there's just plain stupidity LOL.

POTUS aka Leader of the Free World was storming away from a press conference in Beijing, after saying he had jet lag and that the journalists couldn't ask more questions when he came to a locked door, trying to open it. Was quite the giggle fest, I tell you :)

Just a quick two at the moment
Pauly

Hit A Blank With Titles Just Now

Went and saw Elizabethtown yesterday. It's not often I go into a theatre with the lowest of expectations, but yesterday was one of them. Well, it was either that or Flightplan or Doom - was so not in the mood for a 'worthy' movie such as Constant Gardener. Of course, it didn't help when the previews were mainly rom coms - a romantic movie with Kirsten Dunst in it with ads from a Reese Witherspoon ghost meets cute guy movie, hmm, my expectations went lower, if that is at all possible LOL.

Wasn't sure what to expect with the movie either, some reviewers said it was as good as Jerry Maguire, some others said it was as formulaic as Sweet Home Alabama, so wasn't quite sure. I think Elizabethtown could be described best as when it was good it was very very good, when it was bad it was schmaltzy.

Not sure what I thought of the voiceovers; and the music, yeah we get you child of the seventies LOL, you don't have to get obscure Elton John songs out every two minutes; Orlando Bloom still can't carry a movie by himself it seems; and the movie went on too long after the 'natural' ending, including a journey through Americana that was either too obvious - the hotel where Martin Luther King died - or too obscure - everything else lol - for an international audience.

Not that it set the box office alight in the States either.

On the positive side, it tagged the depression and the falling in love and the confusion over what to do with a partnered up friend really well.

When Orlando was organising a suicide attempt, I understood it - COMPLETELY. Trying to figure out the most efficient way to do the most harm, feeling distracted by real life when it tried to impinge on you, even the feeling of getting back to attempting harm just after this little foray into the real world. Trying to hide what is really going on from everybody else.

The excitement of having someone to talk to, that you can connect with on so many levels - although they did take it a bit too far I think in the movie. The nervous excitement in your stomach, waiting to see what will happen next. The shock that the person you dig digs you too.

Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon. Need I say more?

Can't wait for Elizabethtown 2 though, when Kirsten's character is shown to be psychotic LOL. The evidence for - hitting on random guys at work, giving your phone number out about fifteen times on the one piece of paper, bumping into each other on a daily basis, ditching your Hawaii plans to stalk your potential boyfriend in rural Kentucky. The ace in the hand for the prosecution of course being the 42 hours worth of travel notes and music she organises for this guy in a week. Elizabethtown 2 - Oh yes, there will be blood LOL.

Also did some window shopping at the mall yesterday - bought caramel popcorn from Kernel for Mum, and the usual Sunday paper thing for the parents. Got some white tee shirts from Lowes, the first time I have ever been in there by myself - of course, need a white tee for under my Friday costume. And picked up some socks as well.

Bought a crime fiction book from Dymocks, because, after the Economist gets read for the week, it is a sad lonely time with not much to do on the train rides to and from work. Was bouncing off the walls of the train carriage towards the end of last week, very boring counting the stations.

More soon
Pauly

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Insert Witty Title Here


The sad thing is, I can probably name half of these guys easy. From the APEC summit, and it is the host nation native attire photo op, this year it's the lucky lucky Koreans.

News Wrap

First off, biggest news is that the All Blacks beat England overnight, 23-18 in a tough, scrappy game - New Zealand had three sinbinnings in the second half. So yeah, no doubt we will hear about how dirty the ABs play is, and, not having seen the game and what the sinbinnings were for, I can't really comment, apart from one little question. Would we be worried if it were a World Cup final, and we won? I think not.

By the way, we got hosting rights to the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and Japan is kicking up saying that it's not what you can offer but who you know in the voting. A lot of the Australian columnists I have read as well are saying that Japan could have offered more to rugby, and the ARU supported the Japanese bid rather than the Kiwi, but what can you expect after the 2003 co-hosting debacle?

And here's a good piece about how good this current crop of All Blacks could be. Yeah, well we will see what happens in the crunch time come World Cup 2007, the jibes of playing our best rugby between tournaments, and what do you call fifteen guys watching the World Cup final still smart. And that's smart as in hurt, not smart as in funny...

And some people have too much time on their hands - really, who cares about scoring averages, it is all about wins and losses. I kind of have to admit it was interesting reading though - in a kinda sorta, I'm not trying to be sad, lame and pathetic way.

Oh, and the Wallabies snapped their seven game losing streak, pretty unconvincingly against Ireland. Yeah, yeah, rugby as top story, hey, what can I say, I'm a Kiwi LOL.

We are up to a Tropical Storm Gamma in the Atlantic season now, which is hitting Belize and Mexico at the moment with 45mph winds, and may head into the Straits of Florida sometime in the next four or five days. Twenty four named storms this season, a record - no sign of further storm activity in the Atlantic at the moment though.

And in case anyone is wondering, New Orleans is still very much a disaster zone. With eighty percent of the pre-Katrina population still out of town, power to forty percent of the city still not up and running, natural gas and connection to the plumbing mains is out for fifty percent of residents, it's going to be a long haul still.

This article is saying how the power company is coping - after the storm itself they reconnected a lot of the city, but no one was living there or paying the bills, and the company had to go into bankruptcy, and then had to lay off all the contract workers who were doing the overtime to put the network back together.

'"To be without 70 percent of your electricity and gas customers more than 80 days after a storm is an unprecedented occurrence in the utility industry," said Curt Hébert, an executive vice president with Entergy New Orleans's parent, the Entergy Corporation, the country's fifth-largest power company.'

Here is a first person account of a family in Saint Bernard parish, who had fled Vietnam after the Northern takeover, rebuilt a new life in Louisiana, and have now got to start all over again. A half million other stories like it on the Gulf Coast, I am sure. The guy who wrote it has a future in journalism methinks, is well written. Just thinking, some of my best writing is on the disappointments and bad things in my past, you write best on what you know I guess.

And you can just imagine the frustration of people actually on the Gulf Coast when stories like this break. About how $62 million of aid was distributed in Jackson, Mississippi, 160 miles from the coast, with at most fifty destroyed houses and four thousand damaged ones. With seven thousand cheques from the Red Cross or FEMA cashed. Hmm, something doesn't add up. And it wouldn't be the New York Times if it didn't say that the disaster area was much wider in a Republican state than a complaining, Democrat one, such as Louisiana LOL.

Or, even worse than the $62 million story alluded to in the above paragraph, is the Navy seeking $2 billion from FEMA to cover delays at the Northrop Grumman shipyards in Pasagoula, also in Mississippi. About as much as FEMA is going to pay out for rebuilding of housing throughout the Gulf Coast apparently. Not to mention the $1 billion that Northrop is going for in insurance coverage for the damaged buildings anyways.

'"The hurricane comes and it has significant impacts, outside of our control, in terms of our ability to complete contracts and our ability to earn a modicum of profit," he [Northrop President Philip Teel] said. "Our belief is that the cost of Katrina on the ships should be a cost the Navy pays for."

'Under "fixed price incentive" contracts between the Navy and Northrop, cost overruns on many of the 11 destroyers and amphibious ships under construction in Northrop yards would normally be split 50-50. Under the Navy proposal, FEMA would pick up Northrop's half...

'...The Northrop portion is part of a $6.6 billion request for the Pentagon; the rest will pay for National Guard reservists pressed into duty after Katrina and for repairs to military bases in the area. By comparison, the president asked for $2.2 billion for housing recovery and $2.4 billion for rebuilding roads and repairing airport damage.'

But of course that would be what would happen. What was that about the brunt of the hurricane being on big defence contractors, rather than poor black people? Where is Kanye West with the soundbite when you need him LOL.

Oh, now it all makes sense, Trent Lott's waterfront house, which the President wanted to rebuild to be able to sit on the balcony - the soundbite that doesn't get played as much as Brownie doing a heck of a job - Lott's house is just down the coast a bit from one of Northrop's shipyards. That's why it is such a priority, hmmph.

But seriously, I am just blown away by the scope of that particular money grab. You have got your insurance money to cover the unexpectedness of Katrina, surely that is what you were getting the insurance for, why put the hand out to the Navy now? Not that I am supporting the Navy doing the dodgy with FEMA either, although they wouldn't be the first...

[insert appropriate four letter word of choice here]

Next topic, please. Iraq I guess, both in country and in Washington DC, is very interesting, in a tragic and bloody kind of way. About a hundred Iraqis have been killed in car bombings the last two days, and the month is already looking bloody from an American perspective as well - 57 soldiers killed so far, and the month is only two thirds over.

And the political temperature was raised in Washington this week, what with Cheney saying that accusations of tampering with pre-war intelligence were some of the worst things ever to be said in Washington, and the President, even while touring Asia as part of the APEC go around, defending the war from across the Pacific, saying to a military crowd in South Korea that it would be stupid to pull out of Iraq now.

From the Democratic side, a pro military congressman, John P Murtha, Vietnam veteran, generally supports the Republicans on matters military for the past 31 years he has been in the House, came out on Thursday and said it was time to start planning to bring the troops home. Basically saying that keeping American troops in Iraq was making the insurgency worse, that the troops had done all they could do.

As one of the op-ed pieces said, I think it was in the Washington Post, this was like Bush saying he would increase taxes, or Schwarzenegger dumping on body building - it was a Big Deal. The White House countered, calling Murtha part of the 'Michael Moore wing of the Democratic Party', to which the congressman came back with basically the soundbite of the week -

'"I like guys who've never been there that criticize us who've been there. I like that. I like guys who got five deferments and never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done."'

Of course, Cheney was deferred five times to, I dunno, raise a family in Wyoming or something. Because, as we all know, kids are five times worse than any year in Vietnam LOL.

And then to top it all off, in the last hours of this session Congress, before they go on their two week Thanksgiving break - hmm, and here I was thinking Thanksgiving was only a day - the Republicans try and ambush the Dems by passing their own resolution to pull the troops out of Iraq today. All the emotions of the Iraq debate spilled out in the House in one three hour session it seems.

The Republicans were obviously trying to split the Dems between the Michael Moore anti-all war wing, the John Murtha our troops are hindering more than helping now wing and the Democratic Leadership with an eye on how voting against the troops as it were wing. And the Republicans trying to make it sound like they were supporting Murtha, the Democrats rightfully pointing out it wasn't their side of the House that put the issue of troop withdrawal to a vote, at least last night.

And then it got really heated - the most junior Republican representative, who only came to Washington as part of a byelection in August, said that she had received a phone call from 'one of the troops' who said that he wanted to stay the course, and anyone that doubted that was a coward. Or the exact wording -

'She [Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio] told colleagues that "a few minutes ago I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp," an Ohio legislator and Marine Corps Reserve officer. "He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha a message: that cowards cut and run, Marines never do."'

Not the best thing to say about a decorated Vietnam veteran. Pandemonium in the House for about eleven minutes at least, one of the Dems walking across to the other side of the aisles with a heated expression, finger wagging, before being led back to his side of the room before he went all 'South Korean parliament style' on the Republicans LOL. I am sure most of you have seen those near riots or all in brawls they seem to have in Asian parliaments :)

The bill to withdraw troops now was defeated 403 to 3, with six abstentions. The Dems avoided a nasty little trap that could have caught them out, at least for the next two weeks. We will see how the December 15 elections go in Iraq now I guess, before the next acrimonious debate.

Oh, and Patrick Fitzgerald of Plamegate fame, has asked to put a new grand jury together.

Am all worn out with this rugby, Katrina, Iraq post... will relax with a movie this afternoon I think. And windowshopping, Christmas only a few weeks away now.

Pauly

Saturday, November 19, 2005

I Feel The Need, The Need For Speed

Yay, I found my naval dress uniform a la Top Gun or Officer and a Gentleman at a costume shop today. Hence the above quote from the US Navy/Air Force Recruiting Movie 1986, aka Top Gun. So it looks like I will be making an appearance in costume at The Ball LOL.

Was well happy with finding the appropriate uniform - the 'Navy Officer' look from this website, apart from that the face may be a bit different, and I don't have a beard at the moment, no, not even a goatie - and hmm the charm of Richard Gere (out of Officer), the smile of Tom Cruise, the humanity of Anthony Edwards - okay, for the last one I may be relying more on ER than Top Gun LOL. Also have to brush up on my Righteous Brothers singing skills LOL.

Bought the Top Gun DVD to do further research on the role. I am kidding people, I am not going OTT (Over The Top) for this one night - well, not as over the top as perhaps last year, Doctor Livingstone is far less common on Brisbane streets than someone in naval uniform. I am just happy that I have got the look that I envisioned in my own head - and damn, I look good in a uniform LOL.

I am looking forward to Friday. In a responsible approach to alcohol and my workmates way of course, as well as the wearing a hot hot uniform sense as well :)

Getting out to this particular costume shop, it wasn't in the CBD, involved me going on the bus route out in the general direction to the old suburb where I used to live - back in 1987 to 1990 - so, after securing my costume, I caught the next bus and headed further up the line.

Have been meaning, since I have come back to Oz, to do the Reminiscing Tour back to the old stomping grounds, but just haven't gotten around to doing it. It's like inner suburbs as well, only a fifteen minute bus trip, but always have meant to go out there, but never gotten around to it - procrastination, I would be a world contender in it LOL.

So got to my old suburb. The shopping precinct as it were. Maybe more memories would have been sparked if I had walked from 'home' to the primary school, or taken the bus to the high school, rather than just where we shopped every Thursday. Or maybe even if I had prowled the aisles of the Coles where we used to do said shopping.

I mean, lots of memories come out, but not as many as I thought, or as positive as I actually had hoped. The first memory was sitting in the car, just looking up at the stars, figuring out the position of the Southern Cross.

Which mixes itself up in the memory of listening about the latest twists and turns in Canberra politics - yeah, I know, I know I was about twelve and still interested in that stuff. From what I remember it was always about Howard putting the knife into Peacock or whoever was Coalition flavour of the month - there was a time when they were in opposition LOL. For the younger Australian readers out there, there were other Prime Ministers before Howard, a long long time ago, galaxy far far away yadda yadda.

And then picking up either Mad magazine from Coles itself, or 2000AD from the newsagent. And reading it in the car, either Mad magazine explaining the Iran Contra affair, or giving me an idea of American culture or politics - maybe a twisted warped idea, but an idea nonetheless.

Or 2000AD, take your pick of the characters or storylines. Judges Dredd, Anderson et al, Chopper, Slaine and a cast of hundreds. Often getting the comic was the highlight of my week, yes, sad huh - those formative years before we discover how important the opposite sex is. Where stylised covers of Judge Cassandra Anderson were far more important than hmm whoever was the real life sexpots were in the late 80s.

Yes, I was a geek.

And am just thinking, I must sound like the narrator used to in The Wonder Years. Going on about the most trivial things as if they were literary gold. Because as we all know, our teenage years are the 'highlights of our lives' - hmmph.

So yes, maybe I do have more memories of shopping than I thought. All the above, and we haven't even got past the supermarket carpark even - well, the newsagents perhaps, but that is all. Went into the newsagents today, at the old suburb, next to the old Coles, and was going to buy 2000AD if they had it, but they didn't stock it. Hmmph.

Next time I see 2000AD I will buy it. Though I hardly see it anymore. I guess a comic gets to 28 years old and, what with the thousands of other distractions for young people on the planet now, circulation heads further down.

There's a comic shop opened up in the local shopping complex, that I kinda think maybe I should head into, have a look - but I get conflicted by the whole thought of being their only customer and then needing to pity buy LOL. The local shopping complex has a chemist, a dairy, and a Chinese takeaway - every other shop that tries to establish itself seems to close down.

And who would want to be a pity customer for a shop that's going to go bust anyways LOL - like that episode of Seinfeld where Jerry is the only customer in the Indian restaurant across the road and then makes too many suggestions for the place to get more business. All of which does little to help the store survive anyways, and gets the owner pissed off at Jerry for suggesting the changes.

Oh, but this is supposed to be an eighties reminisce, whereas Seinfeld was the ultimate show of the nineties, a show about nothing. Between the Cold War and 9/11.

I like that last sentence, do you think I should copyright it?

Enough reminiscing for now, more tomorrow :)

Pauly

Yesterday Evening

MCO had invited her old and new team members out for what I guess were pre-Xmas drinks at one of the bars not far from the office. First drama of the evening was a 'chemical spill' just a block away from work, so we had to take the long way around to the bar or the railway station or anywhere in a westward direction.

There were cops sealing off the street, ambulances at the ready, and fire crews in the street, as well as the long, lonely wooping of at least one building's fire alarm. Went out onto a balcony overlooking the scene, and two firefighters were hosing down the back of a courier van - seeing that, I wondered about a chemical bomb situation - if we were allowed as close as 50 metres, obviously it wasn't anything major, but I had my thought processes going.

Later in the evening I was told that apparently the courier van had a couple of LPG tanks that had cracked when shunted by another vehicle from behind. But yeah, another reason for jitters - although not as pronounced as Monday, because we had something physical to look at that was going wrong, rather than trying to imagine the worst of the worst if it is just threats and stuff. Oh, and maybe the consumption of alcohol had something to do with the lessening of worries. Maybe :)

Turned up, MCO, JCO and a new face, LWO, were there. MCO asked me how things were, both in a work and personal way - at the moment I can't see myself in the company in a year's time, but we will see. Maybe if I didn't have the Tassie Tangent, I could feel more settled in Queensland, but I do have *** so I'm not *** (Tassie and settled in appropriate slots). We will see what happens. And I know certain people hate that saying LOL.

Just was relaxing on beers last night, well for most of it - LBA turned up, as did GCA, CCO, LDU and DGI - the latter on the late shift, but out for a quick champers on her afternoon tea break. Found myself mainly talking between LBA, GCA and CCO for the next hour or two. LJA made an appearance, and the most depressing thing about last night is how much shop talk was discussed - it's a Friday afternoon people, we can relax and stop thinking about the office...

Oh GDI and it looked like his girlfriend turned up, didn't quite catch her name, started with L-something, I think. Lots of shop talk, ick. MCO left about quarter to seven, as did most of the others, LDU, CCO and myself left to welcome the 'late shift', RTO, MGO and DGI redux. Was just a quiet night, RTO left after a quick sparkling white.

And suddenly it was just LDU, CCO and myself again. The romance of the century is over with LDU's friendboy - LDU was dumped over the weekend, but she manipulated him into the break. He wasn't long term material so the report went. And now LDU is going to go gymming, a bit of an increase since giving up smoking - oh, as well as trying to check out hot guys apparently LOL.

Earlier in the day had talked to SGR, who is hating all men at the moment - with a few exceptions, myself included (phew). She is having words with her boyfriend's friend who is flatting with them currently. SGR apparently had an argument with the flatmate in a Thai restaurant, saying that she hadn't given permission at all for him to move in, it just seemed to have happened.

And the flatmate has a 'girlfriend' from Toronto coming over, one of those travel relationship things by the sounds, and has asked SGR to look after her for a weekend, because he needs some 'me time'. Hmm, obviously hasn't seen this girl for at least a month or two, why would he need me time? SGR is very frustrated. Time for anyone with a Y chromosome to keep their head down LOL.

LDU regaled us with a few stories from her time living with four guys on campus apparently. All very platonic of course - at least in regards to LDU. Some of the things guys do - rolling my eyes here LOL. LDU left, with a big hug to each of the remainder, and soon after CCO and myself bailed across to the railway station. 'Dropped her off' at Northgate, as much as dropping off is a term when you stay in the train and she leaves, and then got home at just after 9pm.

Wasn't in the mood for a big one - that may be next Friday. Maybe. After getting home I checked what other costume stores were around town - apart from 'Love Boat' closest to work one, mentioned a couple of entries ago...

Pauly

Another Juice Bottle Haiku

Sunlight lulls my soul
adrift in the sweet fragrance
a moment in time

Costume Shop

I don't know whether I have told my blog yet, but the work Xmas party theme is the 80s. Kind of toing and froing as to whether to to get all dressed up or not, but the best idea I have come up with, I think, is US Navy dress uniform, a la Officer and A Gentleman or Top Gun.

Anyways, I go into the nearest costume shop after work yesterday, before going to socialise with workmates - more on that later, am clock watching for the next wee while, want to catch the next bus or train into town - yeah, I know, wild isn't it, going out on a Saturday LOL - anyways, go into a costume shop, and they don't have the dress uniform, or much approximating it. Have the dark blue navy jacket, if I wanted to go as Hunt For Red October, but is much too tight anyways, or the normal sailor thing, if I want to go as a rating off Under Siege - oops, that was 90s - but no white Navy uniforms.

So I try the closest approximation I can see, and go try it on. As I was just looking, I didn't change completely, just put a jacket over my shirt and the hat. I explain to the girl at the desk that it is an 80s theme, and she says oh, Love Boat.

NOT the answer I was hoping for. So I won't be getting any sort of costume from there, at least for Navy whites LOL. Another idea that was suggested to me was CHiPs - but didn't Erik Estrada and sidekick have really really tight pants? Hmm, four more costume shops to look at in town, plus another few in the suburbs, will see what we shall see.

Of course, I could still go in civvies, normal Friday night going out clothes, but where would the fun be in that.

More later today
Pauly

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

Some Positives For The Day

SGR said she liked my tie.

With the 80s theme for the Christmas party next week, am thinking of what I could wear as a costume - navy whites a la Officer and A Gentleman or Top Gun keeps bouncing around my head, but white at a party where alcohol is likely to be spilled hmm. Or even walking through town with the costume on. Although TDE's eyes crinkled in amusement when I mentioned the thought to her - either navy whites or a Bon Jovi mullet perhaps. Or surely there are better ideas out there, surely.

Hmm, ever since the goal in the first half evened up the aggregate score one all in the World Cup playoff between Australia and Uruguay in Sydney this evening, you could just feel it was going to go to a penalty shootout. The second half of extra time has just started, so there is still another fifteen minutes for a goal to be scored, but the game just has that feeling. Would be very English if it happened like that - Kewell even looks a bit like Beckham with that silly hairstyle LOL.

Not that I am going for either side to win really, when people have asked me who I am going for, I have said the Dutch (they have always been my international team). But it would be good if Australia won to go through to Germany next year, at least more people than us footy tragics would be interested in a round robin game of Ecuador versus Togo for instance LOL.

Just a sarcastic view of err wogball from a website with a wicked sense of humour here.

'Apparently on the weekend our national Wogball team went to some pissant country in South America where the locals paused briefly from running their economy into the ground, bagging globalisation and complaining about the latest crop of military dictators to hand our lads a woopin’. Nevertheless, our meeja has taken a “not as bad as it could be” angle on things and declared that the Socceroos can hit back on the home leg (apparently in Wogball they make you play twice, rather than once, which seems rather unique in sport but not a bad way to maximise ticket sales). The only thing missing from the coverage, for my money, was the subtle suggestion that the Uruguayans are probably terrorists.

But come on chaps, haven't we been here before? Is this 2001? Didn’t we go through this four years ago? And four years before that? And then further back? Sorry, hang on, eight years ago it was Iran, who paused briefly from threatening Israel, savagely repressing its women and enjoying possibly the world’s highest smack usage to cane our Crusader-fascist arses. Seems we have our very own quadrennial ritual in which the meeja and the weird collection of misfits who run Wogball in this country tell everyone we’re going to qualify for the World Cup this time, before failing miserably.'

Thank you The Spin Starts Here - accreditation where it's due, of course. Though biting my fingernails to wonder if I have done enough to placate the copyright goddesses over on the site. Eh, I'll take the above paragraphs off if I've done something wrong.

By the way, it is a penalty shootout. How surprising was that - not.

Pauly

Why Do I Read The News

Awoke this morning at about 2 in the morning to an absolutely huge crack of thunder. It sounded like a bomb, and I quickly looked out my window, towards town to see if there was a mushroom cloud - yes, it was that loud - and thankfully it was only a rather loud thunderstorm. Strange that a thunderstorm just comes along at that time of night though.

Woke up this morning to the news that US troops had found an 'unlisted' prison in Baghdad, with 173 prisoners, showing signs of torture and abuse. The US soldiers were only looking for one missing teenager, and found the prison underneath offices of the Iraqi Interior Ministry. Most of the prisoners were Sunni, and the suspicion is that one of the Shia militia, the Badr Brigade, ran the place. Physical abuse, signs of massive beatings, some prisoners paralysed, and skin peeled off various body parts for some others. Eww.

And then depressed myself further by reading the newspaper today. A man was killed in Kingaroy, just a couple hours north of Brisbane, in 2003 - he was doused in kerosene and set on fire. His so called 'best friend' did it, in what appears to have been a drunken argument. And it could have taken the guy up to an hour to die, including 'full thickness' third degree burns on his stomach. Fuckwit - and the guy who did it is pleading not guilty to murder, but is copping to manslaughter and misconduct with a corpse - ie, hitting the body with a shovel afterwards.

And then a bit of a tragic story. Blinking proto-tears away - no, I am NOT crying - when I read this story. A 57 year old Victorian man (Australian state, not Canadian city) was heading out to his backyard to feed the leftovers to the family dog, tripped over and slashed his throat on the broken plate. Paramedics were called, but there wasn't anything they could do with the massive blood loss.

It's bad enough with terrorism and the deteriorating environment and all, Big Picture ideas and such, but heading out to feed the dog and dying because of it - that is too close to home, too easy to imagine. My parents are about that age, and we do have a dog...

And then, to end the true crime and tragedy thing of the day, police and domestic violence groups are up in arms over in Western Australia with a guy who murdered his wife getting six and a half years jail time, eligible for parole in four. The guy beat his wife for three days with a belt and copper pipe because he thought she was having an affair, and then after she falsely confessed to the apparent fake affair, he killed her.

What on earth possesses people to murder? What goes wrong in their mind that suddenly violence against so called loved ones can suddenly seem sensible? I'm just pretty steamed at the moment about it all - sorry for all the negatives above.

I better sign off here, and do the happy happy post next - after all the true life crap above, it would be incongruous (big word of the day) to put positive things after it.

Pauly

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

A Sigh Of Relief, Kinda

Of course, if it had been real, the whole bomb threat yesterday, the first we would have heard about it would have been an explosion at Central Station, or some other vital infrastructure spot. Al Qaeda don't give warnings, we all forgot that yesterday.

The payphone that the apparently hoax calls came in from has been dusted for prints, and it has been noted that the maximum penalty for prank calls is seven years. Last night a bus was evacuated because of a suspicious package, which turned out to be a packet of popsicles.

And today, another rumour swept the office of another bomb threat. Quick case of nervous jitters, but nothing further came of it. Still felt somewhat claustrophobic at the train station when heading home. Still a bit of a stress headache through some of the day. You can almost see the people in the office start to think the unthinkable.

Grr, documentary on Karl Rove on SBS at the moment - currently on the 'marriage made in heaven' of Rove and Bush during the Texan governorship campaigns. Dubya as a polished candidate? Hmm, the guy who said it is a Republican, I guess we can forgive that comment. Hope Rove gets indicted due to the CIA leak thing... he probably won't though.

It's hard to think a year ago the Republicans were basking in the afterglow of the Bush re-election victory. What with Iraq, Katrina, Libby Meiers - not to mention Tom DeLay and the other issues not directly related to the White House.

And I saw this story earlier in the week, just didn't think it needed to be mentioned yesterday, with Alert Level Red around town and all, but just on to more happy happy news - there is mass starvation in sea birds off the California coast, eighty times the usual number of dead cormorants washing up on the beaches - all due to the sea temperature in that part of the North Pacific being seven degrees (Celcius) warmer than usual, the plankton which is the starting point of the marine food chain migrating north to cooler waters. Taking a deep breath here, lack of full stops previously in the paragraph LOL.

Geez, I sound like a Ben Elton book, don't I, what with the 'what the heck is wrong with the world' kind of angle...

Bertuzzi
got a hat trick in the game against the Red Wings though - just trying to even out the good news bad news thing LOL.

Later taters
Pauly

Monday, November 14, 2005

At The Station

The railway station is crawling with police. Did they really shut down the entire system for half an hour? Looking at every backpack sideways, to try and judge whether it is suspicious or not. As the train draws in, the normal shriek of the metal takes on a more sinister tone - I think of the coverage of the Madrid bombing, the security coverage from the escalators as the explosions ripped the station apart. I feel trapped, thinking of ball bearings ricocheting between the train and the wall behind me.

I think of the London bombings, where the random choice of carriage was so vital to survival. But I am refusing to change my routine due to any sort of fear. The old British bulldog and blitz spirit, or is it just stupidity?

More worrying than any bombing, I wonder if something really bad happened in front of me, would I change my outlook and attitude on the whole terrorism and civil liberties debate? I hope not, but am not sure. And that is one of the worst feelings.

Confession time - on Friday night, at one of the bars, two Middle Eastern looking men came in - I did a double take, perhaps thinking of Bali, and am deeply ashamed at myself for doing so. Even the most liberal of us can be guilty of racial profiling I guess.

I also wonder if something bad happened, whether I would jump in to save or comfort people. I hope I would, knowing that you can't figure that out until the situation happened, but fear that I would be more cowardly.

I have a headache due to today's events - I doubt it is going to go away anytime soon.

Alert, Not Alarmed

It filters through slowly at first. In amongst the general background conversation at work is the phrase 'bomb threat' - like the dog whistle a type of politics has been named after, my ears prick up - not in a startled fashion, but only to gather further information.

The phrase 'they found four actual bombs, it wasn't just a threat' gets my attention. I check the ABC news website, but it isn't the top story, or even the top two. Off in the breaking news is an article about a bomb threat in Brisbane, around 1100 Brisbane time. The morning alert apparently snarled up the trains for about ninety minutes, or so the gossip spreads around the office.

Public transport will also be stopped between 1645 and 1715, as a precaution. Trains and buses are to be evacuated, and commuters will be led by transport staff a good distance away from the vehicles. The Mayor and Premier are saying they are being overcautious, surely it is a hoax?

With the four bombs 'apparently' found in the morning sweep, the gossip around me is that any attack may be London like. Would they target the ferries - no, the casualty rate within a rail tunnel explosion would mean the ferries would be a bad target. Or so warped terrorist logic may be telling us. News comes they are also stopping the ferries.

A faint edge of concern hangs over the office at this time, not panic so much, just deep concern. Calls go out to friends and family around me, either to touch base or to organise rides home - the calls end in 'I love you' a lot more than usual. A thought of the 9/11 calls home in the face of death comes to mind.

With public transport thrown into chaos, the normal traffic into and out of town is likely to be just as chaotic. People are bringing up maps on their computer, on the phone to loved ones, organising the best routes home.

We hear of public departments being evacuated, and wonder why our centre can't be closed and calls diverted to Sydney or Melbourne. Duty of care, or lack of it, is mentioned quite a bit. Emergency conditions perhaps - I sympathise a bit, but understand it isn't a direct threat on the company.

Surely it is a hoax. Some nutter ringing up just to get some kicks. The 000 emergency hotline has been ringing hot all day apparently. Maybe they got the cells in Sydney and Melbourne but not Brisbane. Were four bombs found or is it just one of those circular self reinforcing rumours.

People start leaving, is it paranoia to wonder whether you will see them tomorrow or not. The edge in the office is knife thin, no, razor thin.

1645 comes. A city in lock down, or at least that is the mental image created by all the gossip and second hand news. I can just imagine gridlock outside in the traffic. Thinking very negatively, who cares about the buses and trains, let's hit the motorways. Or snarled up city streets - I briefly wonder what a truck bomb akin to Beirut, Oklahoma City or Najaf would look like in the concrete canyons of Brisbane's CBD.

Or, with the biggest protests in the country's history expected tomorrow - thank you, ACTU propaganda machine - with the unions marching against the industrial reform changes, wouldn't that be a better target? No, it isn't good going down that track, trying to think like the nutters or terrorists. And everyone in the office is asking, why sleepy little Brisbane?

Most of our concentration and productivity has been out the window for at least two hours. With most of the rest of our nerves shot to bits, an email from one of the team leaders goes around, to be ready to take customer calls. Very frustrating.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Ballet And Stuff

Went to the ballet last night, with my parents and sister. I don't think we will get my father back to any sort of ballet, comedic or otherwise, for at least a decade and probably for the rest of his lifetime LOL. I enjoyed myself though, the Trocks are an all male troupe, and boy, are the make up and costumes good. Some very pretty boys out there LOL.

But yeah, I know my mother liked it, and I think my sister did, and I certainly did - mmm, high culture, and being a comedy kind of ballet, while you are looking for where the next scripted mistake is going to be, you kind of forget the jumping, and pirouettes, and being on the tips of your toes. And the whole classically trained thing. And then to top it all off, having to choreograph it while music is blasting out at the audience - I wonder if they do do the 'one two three' thing in their heads hmm.

And then I think of just two of my sides, the ballet appreciation side and the hot pie and cold beer at the footy side - thinking of being at the MCG watching the Aussie Rules earlier in the year. Just two sides, and my brain will hurt if I try to put all my favourite tastes and preferences together, let's just say I am a multifaceted boy, and the best description of that is that I am Paulylicious. Well, it was only going to be Pauly, but then the thought got infected with that Destiny Child's song...

We were going to have an early dinner out, but somehow, between that thought happening and me asking again, it morphed into an early dinner at home. I will get my parents out again, one day, in the far far future no doubt LOL. And then after the ballet, we walked through town from South Bank back to the train station, and I suggested stopping somewhere for dessert - I was told that McDonald's sundaes would be available at the station.

They really do need to get out more, and they missed the perfect opportunity last night hmm. Maybe if we had had something before the ballet and Dad got completely bored, that might have been the way to go in the first place - maybe.

And after the drinks out on Friday night, the ballet last night, I went for the trifecta today and went to the movies. Yes, yes, I know, the movies are a weekly occurrence for me, but let's play along with the idea that because of the other two things it was a Bigger Better Movie Experience LOL.

Went and saw Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the Robert Downey Jr/Val Kilmer mystery comedy buddy movie noir thing. Was one of those movies where it is OK to laugh at people getting shot, although a bit more cerebral than say, Pulp Fiction. Some of the narration was over the top, but some of it was good - sorry to you good Midwest people indeed. And Michelle Monaghan, where have you been all my life LOL? Was a good movie, don't know about some of the critics gushing over it, but a very good movie.

On the bus down to Chermside I did my good deed for the day - the bus braked heavily, an old lady had a basket of flowers in the seat next to her, and the flowers went everywhere. I helped pick them all up - well hmm, I guess I did almost all of it, rather than help out in a group effort which it may have sounded like, and I got a nice thank you in return, and smiles from the other bus people. It's silly what can give you warm fuzzies sometimes...

That reminds me of last night, as I was walking a bit behind the rest of my family at the train station, they were training for the Boston Marathon or something, but as I went up the ramp, I spotted some stranger or another (female, but of course), and just thought I would try out a smile to her, as I walked past. To my surprise, she smiled back, and it gave me a boost happiness wise.

More warm fuzzies - nothing dodgy in my mind at all when I did the smile, she wasn't a looker or a knockout or anything, just thought I would try out smiling, in the most altruistic of ways, and got a wonderful reward back. I paused on the word 'wonderful' in the previous sentence, could have been sickly sweet, but eh, sometimes you have to just be totally nice, without worrying about the impression it gives - and this need to explain my every thought will be the death of me, I swear LOL.

I still need to do a piece on the Somali family I was observing on the train a couple of months ago, or the elderly veteran with a chest of medals with his wife about a month or six weeks back - I like observing people on the train, or bus or whatever - maybe just observing in general, and like to try and figure out their stories. I have also thought about taking a group of forty people in a train carriage and trying to figure out everybody's life story - hmm, but then I would look like I was doing a blog knock off of Lost LOL.

And of course, writing about others and making up stuff about them would be far more entertaining than sticking with my self analysis, trying to figure out what makes me tick - or more to the point, what is wrong with my internal ticking. Far more entertaining.

Oh gods, the first article on Ten News tonight mentioned something about an exercise in Darwin next April to stop the shipping of weapons of mass destruction - I laughed out loud at the use of that phrase. But no, I better go before this post ends up as the usual political rant.

Later peeps
Pauly

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Funny Bits

Yeah, yeah, I know, fourth post of the day, but there are just some entertaining stories out there - will try to avoid the politics, war, kind of things, and just focus on fun stories. This entry will thus be very short LOL.

This one is interesting - a town in Michigan has just elected an eighteen year old mayor. The guy wasn't even eighteen when the election was called, needed to register to vote a week after the announcement, and run a write in nominee campaign. From chemistry homework to David Letterman LOL. Of course, it is a part time mayordom, but still, he has about twenty years to organise for the Presidency LOL.

And for the campaign finance guys, he only spent $700 on the campaign. Of course, extrapolate that from 8,200 to 300 million hmm. No, don't want to do it just yet, but surely it wouldn't be as extravagant as the election campaign costs last year? Oh, of course, that was for both parties.

Beijing has announced five mascots for the 2008 Olympics. Yay, now I know what to ask Santa for Christmas, little mascot dolls LOL - aren't mascots like the most useless things around the Olympics now? Just because they have cute panda faces, hmm we will ignore the lack of democracy all of a sudden or something?

Or, as the British Daily Telegraph puts it, they are Pokemon like. Isn't Pokemon Japanese? Haven't wars been started for less?

Okies, two nice fluff stories, now off to read what Dubya is saying on Remembrance Day... will not blog about it just yet, which I am sure you are all thankful for :)

Paul

Socialising, Part Infinity

KDA finished her university exams this week, hopefully forever, the results come out next month, and sent a blank carbon copy email out inviting whoever to come out on Friday. I swapped my rostered day off from next week so actually had yesterday, Friday, off, but eh, I don't get invited out that often, so was always going to come into town to make an appearance. Didn't quite get to see a movie as well, the timings for Flightplan or Kiss Kiss Bang Bang didn't quite align - plus I was playing latest shiney game NHL 05 LOL.

Still got into town early though - had the one piece of toast one sandwich thing for breakfast and lunch, so if I was going to be drinking, needed a bit more lining to my stomach or liver or wherever the lining ends up, so headed to Hungry Jacks (Australian name for Burger King, remember) and had a Whopper w/cheese combo. Yum.

Went to the bar, above the railway station, they keep changing it's name, but I think it is Chez at the moment, and no one was there. Went across the road to Anzac Square to just chill for a bit - also got some ideas for good photos to take there. Wandered back about ten minutes later and the gang was in residence.

KDA and ADE were there of course, as was CCO and the rest were from other sections of the company in town. KDA was studying law all this time, so with that revelation I said well your leaving party will be soon no doubt, to go from call centreing to law hmm, she's not going to be sticking around LOL.

Hung around the fringes for a bit, as I do, getting waved at by pretty girls who I can't remember meeting - no, I haven't had a blackout drinking session since hmm New Year's Eve 1999/2000, just that I remember the face of the waver, but not the name. And not where I had met her before - partner of a guy at work, so probably MGO's leaving thing, dredging the memory.

Got talking to CCO, who had gotten home safely enough the night of KWA's leaving, lol she was looking a little the worse for wear when I saw her last that night. Also talked work, she isn't liking it at the moment.

LNE, JPH and PMA came in. The beginnings of a smile on my face, always good to see those two, umm three I mean LOL. And apart from ADE, KDA and CCO was feeling a bit odd person out. With those extra three I can at least hold a conversation without needing to ask what their names were LOL.

SWA made an appearance. She came over and gave me a big hug almost as soon as she walked through the door, hmm, you do have my email address yanno LOL - and also if only I was sure that the mobile number I have for her was correct. But she is doing OK, talking shop from the opposition LOL. She was going out with one of her mates that night, so was only doing a quick visit, asked whether I wanted to go out - maybe next time, I felt I was there for KDA rather than flitting off to get pissed elsewhere LOL. Raincheck, send me an email next time you are planning something :)

It hasn't been the same since she left, without anyone else in the office I could just feel like saying let's go for drinks and starting from there. I need a new drinking buddy LOL - and that just sounded so alcoholic didn't it? Socialising buddy perhaps.

Got talking to one of the other guys that had been there about two hours more than the rest of us, he had had a few. Doing the nodding head thing, while trying to figure out how to move to talk to the next person or group LOL. Maybe I need another beer - actually, I think he went off to the bathroom, and I started talking to KDA.

She's already got an interview lined up with a law company 'back home' - in her case, Northern Queensland - and I asked if she got it whether ADE would move up. She said no. And I didn't question further whether it would be a long distance or be over - hmm, I have to admit they do look a good couple together.

LNE said that she should be going in to work today (Saturday), but wasn't sure whether she actually felt like it. She had worked 12 hour days all week, and was sure that on Monday she would also get hammered by her boss with extra things to do, and was wondering whether she could be bothered putting herself out over the weekend as well. Apparently some of her staff are doing overtime today.

JPH and PMA went to repark their car out of the parking building - and took forever to get back. KDA and LNE were ringing and texting and getting through to messagebank, so there was a bit of concern about them - oh, and taking my mobile out is only a good idea when the batteries are charged LOL - otherwise it's just a useless hunk of plastic and wires grr, stoopid Pauly, had plenty of time to recharge the batteries beforehand.

They finally turned up, I didn't hear what the delay was, but we headed further into town to grab a bite to eat. Ended up in the Queen's Plaza (new David Jones complex) food plaza, yum Oporto. Yes, I know with my 'diet' it was a second large meal for the day, but I was drinking. Will 'make it up' over the weekend somehow - of course, being less a diet than an appetite versus willpower battle. Who will win LOL?

I wonder if I could have asked for some chili on the chicken strips, they were a bit bland otherwise - or maybe it was the mouth numbed by alcohol thing. Although I was good, only two pints, a Corona, because it was the only bottled beer they had - should have chosen lime instead of lemon ick - not that Corona isn't ick anyways - and a coke over the course of hmm three hours. Was in full 'drink responsibly' mode :)

After the refueling food wise, we headed across the mall to O'Malleys. It was a decision between dancing or drinking, the latter won out. We sat down, by this stage there were just the six of us - KDA, ADE, LNE, JPH, PMA and I, and PMA, I know he is senior in sales or something (not quite sure), but really, addicted to his Blackberry - although now I can say I have seen one in person.

And then his suggestion as to whether I had my eye on anybody, and my response no, and then him saying you've got to have an idea of who to go for - umm, PMA, I'm not looking, the girls in the group are all partnered up, and I wouldn't be looking for a stranger in a bar. Even if the first rule of not looking didn't apply, the second and third are just as valid. Hmmph, oldest person in the group and he is the most hyperactive, teenage seeming of the lot.

Apart from Hyperactive Boy, had good discussions with everyone else, maybe apart from JPH, who was off on the other side of the group for most of the time. LNE wants Gwen Stefani's abs, and the butt of Fergie - off Black Eyed Peas, not the former Duchess of York LOL. Waxing was touched on, as ADE apparently had waxed off some chest hair, and apparently it only hurts the first time. Yeah, well, I'm not rushing out to experiment still thank you very much - Steve Carrell in Forty Year Old Virgin still screaming in my head is first thought association with chest waxing LOL. Let alone anything else :P

I feel I am getting near breaking point at my current section at work, I asked LNE how easy it was to get into her section - more sedate pace of complex projects kinda place. She said is it in my development plan to go to other places, talk to the team leader Monday we will see what we can do - they need to get another person with the skills of my section in theirs, apparently, in the next month or so.

I'm a bit unsure about all of that, what with the V situation, whether to head down to Tassie and such or to take on a new challenge at work in Brisbane, but seriously, I am getting burned out at work at a match like pace. My enthusiasm for my current section is a week by week, day by day uncertainty. Can I make it to the end of the year, let alone my birthday next year LOL. A change may be good, as the Sheryl Crow song puts it. Guess which song is rattling around my head now LOL...

Talked to KDA and ADE about the 80s theme for the Xmas party, when the videos on the screens around where Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer, Bryan Adams Summer of 69, and other such fashion crimes - maybe the theme should be mullets LOL. Also talked about work, quickly, and the rugby games in Europe at the moment - it would perhaps just be too cruel for the Wallabies to lose to England tonight, Australia loves winners in sports, and if they keep losing there may be even less coverage of 'my' national sport than there currently is already.

LNE, JPH and PMA headed off about 10.30ish I think, LNE's husband was picking them up - after the week LNE had, the head cold, the twelve hour days, she was suggesting that hubby would have to cheer her up big time over this weekend. I won't put it how she actually said it, cheer up is good enough for now :) KDA and ADE left about quarter past eleven, leaving me to party the night away lol - nah, I bailed about two seconds after they left. Caught the 11.30 train and got home about half twelve.

Just a teeny tiny twinge of a headache this morning, no massive hangover - had two extra Budweisers - yeah, I know with the Corona beforehand was a North American evening of CRAP beers LOL - had two Buds and a pint of XXXX Gold at O'Malleys. Was very behaved, drinking responsibly wise...

Off to the ballet with the family tonight - all male troupe, the Trocs. Comedy ballet, fingers crossed it will be good - ah well, night out number two for the year for the parents - a lunch at a restaurant doesn't count LOL.

Pauly

Thursday Morning

Hmm, first off, before I go into the socialising last night, I have to mention Thursday morning at work. I got in, there were about three or four people out the front of the building looking up the road - in the lift I was briefly distracted by what appeared to be three girls going to the training rooms, hmm is the recruitment freeze over, yes that was the only distracting thought LOL.

I got up to our floor, signed in as per normal, the managers and health and safety staff were all milling around, a few of them bleary eyed, I got to my seat and looked around, it was quiet, too quiet. I was thinking that there had been an accident outside work or something, someone had been hit by a car perhaps. But didn't feel like sticky beaking out the window or anything. It appeared that someone had been taken into one of the small meeting rooms, and I was thinking if there was an accident outside why move them in here? Was trying to deduce who it was by this stage, but basically had no idea - I heard KSM's name mentioned a couple times, and she wasn't at her seat hmm.

The ambulance turned up, and the paramedics came up to the floor. They turned on the light in the meeting room where whoever it was was laid out, and I could see legs through the glass from my seat. People rushing in and out of the room, it looked like they were resuscitating, the legs were umm jerking around for a minute or two - hopefully they were just asking for the legs to be moved, with the patient still lucid, but the thought that went through my head was resuscitation - and then a heart monitor started up.

Seeing legs jerking around and the beep beep of a heart monitor, it sounded erratic but as long as it wasn't the flatline sound it was okayish I guess, with that going in the background, not the most conducive to taking customer calls and I was glad I had kept an order over from Wednesday night rather than get on the phones straight away. Not that anyone in my team was worried about the phone calls at that stage.

Somehow I figured out it was JLA, and he had complained of chest pains before keeling over. He was lucid enough to get onto the ambulance stretcher himself, if slowly and disjointedly. By this time it seemed everyone in my team apart from myself was crowded into the corridor - it wasn't as if me gawking could have done anything, and I am a bit cowardly when it comes to crises, sad but true. And I would have only been another body in the way.

He was carted off to Princess Alexandra Hospital apparently, with RTO as support. KSM, who is the closest friend to JLA on the floor, was in a flood of tears when she came back to her desk, and the two up manager took her out for a coffee for half an hour or something. The team leaders on our side of the floor also went out, for a coffee or walk or something I guess, and a couple of others from my team went for extended walks.

One of the team leaders from the other side of the floor came over, and said to me did I need time away from the computer and all, what with what had happened - I said that apart from a lack of concentration (which to be honest, isn't that unusual a thing for me in the best of times at work anyways), apart from that I was okay. I didn't need to go out for fresh air or a walk or anything. Some others of the team took up the offer, and we were also offered time out of the phone queue for the morning if we needed it.

Apart from the aforementioned slightly extra lack of concentration taking calls, and wanting them to be over as soon as possible, I didn't take any time outs for the rest of the day - maybe a couple of times lingering an extra minute or so getting back in, but apart from that I was as good as I ever am. Whereas a couple of staff took it to mean a twenty minute discussion period LOL.

Was talking to SGR on the walk to the train station at the end of the day and she was a bit miffed that her team wasn't offered the same, to take time outs if they needed it, especially with what she saw as abuse of the system by others.

Reports from later in the day were that JLA had stabilised around lunchtime - hmm took them three hours to stabilise him, not a good sign, especially since they hadn't figured out what had happened, whether it was an actual heart attack or what - he is only early 30s as it is ick - and he was released from hospital late afternoon. Fingers crossed then.

It just kind of reminded me when I had a seizure at work in Wellington hmm about three years ago now. How embarrassed I was when I actually came to, and taking up a workmate's entire day, babysitting me in the emergency ward. Of course, I kind of get embarrassed when I do get seizures anyways, but to do it in public and to put others out, well, that's not the Pauly way, is it LOL.

Okay, think I can go onto the socialising entry now...

Paul

More Strange Dreams

The thing about having social nights, going out and all, and err drinking, is that I have the weirdest dreams out when I do get to sleep. This morning I could actually remember two or three fragments, which is better than my average 'what I can remember of vivid dreams' stats.

First off, I am in a hospital waiting room - a guy comes in, grey beard, buzzcut grey hair, largeish stomach, and asks for some drugs (prescription to be filled out I guess, but the dream wasn't that detailed). Hospital security have been checking this guy out, and he has been in again and again recently to get the same sort of drugs - CSI meets ER I guess LOL - and always makes sure he talks to a different nurse.

The 'hospital detective' trails this guy, and finds him talking to someone in a suit - I can't get an image in my head clearer than that, perhaps blonde hair as well, perhaps - and it seems that the grey beard guy wants out of the deal, doesn't want to keep getting the drugs for suit man. They are arguing, but then for some reason, suit guy walks out into the road. And gets flattened by a semi trailer truck or bus or something large like that.

The hospital investigator has been across the road, watching the argument, and for some reason I get the impression that he called or gestured suit guy over the other side of the road through heavy traffic. I ask the investigator whether it was necessary to get the guy killed rather than take it to the police and leave it up to the courts, and he gives a shrug, as if it isn't important. Not a nice person to be on the wrong side of.

The dream then morphs into a train trip up the Queensland coast. On a Melbourne train, with the three seats aisle two seats configuration - or maybe it is a Jetstar plane LOL. Strange the things you notice in dreams.

And then stopping by a beach, where there is some sort of party going on. There is a war memorial, where Japanese tourists are being solemn around - well most of them, a couple of the younger ones are laughing. I guess it is where one of the mini subs landed during the war or something.

I walk along the coast a bit further, until I find a set of cliffs, and I can either walk along the cliffs or go down them via a walkway. I choose the latter option, only to find that the staircase hasn't been completed, with about a two metre drop where the work has not yet been completed. I decide not to risk it, and look back up the cliff to see how fortified it is.

I think of the phrase Fortress Australia, and how fortifying the coast must be where all the defence budget must be going, but a voice goes off in my head saying does 'seven cannons in a bucket' up the top count as a fortress. That exact phrase, which may be why I remembered as much of this morning's dreaming as I did, seven cannons in a bucket is quite a strange phrase to come into one's head LOL.

Oh, and earlier in the week, I had a dream that I was back with H. And moving over to be with her - somehow I got my queen sized bed in the luggage on the plane, do not ask me how LOL. And then I got there and she had another boy with her, and I was relegated to a second room. Yes, that may be a basic one paragraph run down of what actually happened in real life, minus the queen bed, but why on earth did it come to the surface of my subconscious this week?

Strangeness.

Pauly :)