Bear

If you know me...

2011-09-13T13:09:00.000+10:00

...then you'll know why I LOVE this website.

Here's a clue...

Enjoy

I love a good theorem...

2011-08-21T15:01:00.001+10:00

...especially Fermat's last one.

This is known as Fermat's Last Theorem...

... and this is Fermat.

He alluded to it in the margin of a book he was reading...

... and this, essentially, is what he wrote...

...which all boils down to this...

And if you'd like to read a more detailed account of all this, then go here.

So why the post...?

Well, as inspiring as all this is, and I did study this a little when in

high school, I just love the way we can make light of almost

anything...

A guy called Wiles finally proved the theorem in 1995

As a tribute to them both, Fermat and Wiles, they were put onto a stamp...

And here's a little theorem of my own...

...well almost my own, but at least it's a lot easier to

prove tham Fermat's effort.

Cheers.

Art...

2011-08-16T07:36:00.000+10:00

MÖBIUS from ENESS on Vimeo.

...don't you just love it?

I just love this man...

2011-06-16T10:40:00.000+10:00

Sammy Davis Jr... what an incredible entertainer this guy was... still is when you look at the number of views on YouTube.

I've got a lot of fond memories of watching the Sammy Davis Jr show on Aus TV when I was young... and he came to Aus quite a few times in the 70s and 80s, and was usually a special guest on one of our TV variety shows.

So why the post? I was feeling just a touch melancholy and when I feel that way, I start thinking in terms of song lyrics. I know, a bit weird, but I tend to hum or sing a song that reflects the particular hue of blue that I'm feeling. (I hasten to add here, especially for your benefit Butch, that I'm not revealing a recent spout of depression or anything... more like a sigh).

Anyway, I was looking through YouTube for a specific song, and once found, I played different artists versions of it. And that's how I came across Mr. Junior.

By the way, when someone calls themself 'Whats-a-name Jr' does that make them Mr Junior, or Mr. Whats-a-name Junior or just Mr. Whats-a-name? I wonder what the actual protocol is. But I'm on a tangent now, so let's get back to the point.

After finding Mr. Junior's version of the song, a whole flood of memories came rushing in... so I went off and spent some time watching this great performer.

Right from the start he seemed to own the stage...

He was not only a terrific singer, but quite the actor, tapper, and comedian too.

Here's an example that I really like...

And some more of his talent...

Something a little different...

There's so many great examples of his well known songs...

I love this one...

Here's one I hadn't seen before...

Anyway, I could go on embedding dozens of videos and barely scratch the surface, so I'll leave it here with the song that started me on this little sojourn...

Cheers.

Easter Island...

2011-06-13T02:16:00.000+10:00

Easter Island (Rapa Nui: Rapa Nui, Spanish: Isla de Pascua) is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle.

A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai ( /ˈmoʊ.aɪ/), created by the early Rapanui people. It is a World Heritage Site (as determined by UNESCO) with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park. In recent times the island has served as a warning of the cultural and environmental dangers of overexploitation. Ethnographers and archaeologists also blame diseases carried by European colonizers and slave raiding of the 1860s for devastating the local peoples.

Easter Island is claimed to be the most remote inhabited island in the world.

Easter Island

... BUT...

Well alright, if you insist...

2011-06-08T09:42:00.000+10:00

Due to the insistent prodding of all the
commenters on the previous post, here's
another little quiz for you.

On which one of the images in the previous
post is there a direct link to the Abbey Road
studios?

And I don't mean the ducks crossing
on the pedestrian crossing (zebra crossing).

The 'other' Beetles albums...

2011-06-04T12:13:00.000+10:00

See if you can guess the names of the
corresponding Beatles albums.

They're not very difficult to guess,
but it was a lot of fun coming up
them.

Oh, and they're in order of release for Aus.

The empty park...

2011-05-29T06:42:00.002+10:00

I recently found myself reminiscing over
the disappearance of Mute Monday and
The Theme Park. Two bloggs that
I enjoyed very much

So I thought I'd pay tribute with a
silent post.

I think the final image sums it up
nicely...

... by that I mean that I think it's crappy that
those activities are gone.

When An Angel Cries...

2010-10-07T23:10:00.010+11:00

A tear scores a line down her cheek,

As I look to my baby's eyes.

A havoc on my soul does wreak,

Whenever my Angel cries.

Her look is so open, as is her heart,

In her love I am never alone.

In distance we're doomed to be apart,

Much trouble endured on our own.

If I were a clown I would paint her face,

With colours of a happier hue.

Upon red lips, a smile I would place.

And of sadness there would be so few.

If I could conjure up some tricks,

I'd place happiness behind those eyes.

And in her heart I would place a mix,

Of love and wistful sighs.

I reach out for her soul to keep,

And as I do, I wonder why,

It was heard in Heaven's weep,

The sound of an Angel's cry.

In Hibernation...

2010-04-18T23:49:00.006+10:00

Well I'm afraid the time has come for this Tubby Bear

to crawl into his cave, with Butch of course, and take

a well earned rest from the rigors of the world around

him.

All I can say for now, dear reader, is that I don't intend

coming back to this or any other blog... as the author that

is... I'll still pop in to your blog from time to time to leave

a comment or two.

Now I don't want you worrying about me, it's not that a

catastrophe has befallen me and my life is now in ruins,

that happened quite some time ago and was, at the time,

one of the reasons I started blogging.

But now? Well if anything it's quite the opposite now...

and Butch is a big part of that turnaround for me.

So fair well my friends and lurkers... take care and

keep up the good fight.

Cheers, Bear.

Being a tourist...

2010-04-05T15:13:00.007+10:00

I did the touristy thing yesterday, but I doubt

I can do justice to it if I try describing

what I saw, so I'll let the images do the talking.

(click on images to see detail)

A two and a half hour drive through the Canadian

Rockies, and I found myself in Jasper, AB.

Jasper, the town, is virtually in the middle of Jasper,

the national park.

With ticket in hand... well sticky-taped to the

windscreen... I was good to go.

It really is a beautiful part of the world.

It's like driving through a wonderland.

And the locals seemed to like the place too.

Some of which had cute little houses...

(note the outside loo on the right... I'd say

with a loo like that, you'd really

need to go in mid winter)

Oh and this little house had quite a frontage...

As well as checking out lakes and mountains,

I went to a gorge.

This gorge isn't very wide, but it's 51 metres

at its deepest point.

See the foot bridge above? I was on that

when I took the pic below...

This is a mother Raven sitting on a nest

about halfway down the 5o metre wall of

the gorge, and apparently there are 4 eggs.

Its mate was with it just before I took

this shot, but unfortunately it flew off

just as I focussed.

There's plenty of things to look at in the

town of Jasper too, but it really is set up

for tourism.

But even so, it is a pretty place nestled

in amongst the snow capped mountains.

But being an Aussie, you know,

from that big dry sandpit in the

southern hemisphere, there was

one thing on this trip that really

impressed me. Watch the video

below...

It may not mean much to you, but I'd never

seen a frozen lake before.

I'm very lucky to see these things, in fact I'm

grateful.

Cheers.

Anniversary...

2010-04-02T03:54:00.000+11:00

Even though we're on opposite sides of the earth,

I feel you by my side at every moment.

I love you, Butch, with everything that I am.

Your Bear.

A long way from home...

2010-03-24T19:53:00.000+11:00

I'm currently in Canada... but I nearly wasn't.

I guess you're aware of one of the many TV shows that's

based on the theme of border protection. There's

been a recent spate of shows that show real footage

of travellers going through airport customs and not quite

making it through for one reason or another.

Usually the people who are called to one side for closer
scrutiny are found to have a dubious reason for wanting
to enter the country, or they're carrying drugs, or perhaps
they're travelling on false passports. Whatever the reason
that they've been caught for, they usually look like they
deserved to be caught.

I've watched these shows numerous times as it fascinates
me that these people get caught out. I travel a lot and have
been through customs in many countries, and I have never
been asked to step to the side for the purpose of closer
scrutiny.

Well until this trip, that is.

When you arrive at the customs counter,
it depends what country you're entering as
to what you have to do when you get there.

In Zambia, I slipped the guy US$50 and I went
through unchallenged. In Indonesia it's a few
hundred thousand Indonesian Rupiah and you're
good to go. No questions, it's just a matter of
paying.

In the Us, Canada, Australia and most other countries
of the same 'type', the border isn't for raising money,
it's for keeping the unwanted out. So, when you hand
your passport over for inspection, they actually look at
it and the entry form you filled out on the plane and they
might even ask you why you are seeking entry to their
country.

Up until this trip I had hardly ever been asked any
questions at the passport checkpoint. I mean really,
what threat does a rather cute looking bear pose?

Well this time, at a Canadian airport, the guy at the

checkpoint asked me why I was coming to Canada.

As I said, I’ve been asked before why I’m

wanting to enter a country, and I’ve usually said

something vague like “I’m attending a conference or

seminar...” The reason for asking is that they want to

know if I was going there to perform a function

that could be performed by locals... like acting as a

consultant, which by the way is the main reason why I

go anywhere. So if that’s the case then more questions

are asked and I would need formal documentation from

the client explaining why a local can't perform the

function that I’m there to perform and so on... it can get

very messy because special visas are required and in

some countries it's quite a job to organise. So being vague

and not looking like you’re there to steel jobs is usually

the best thing to do.

However I didn't quite answer to the customs guy's liking.

I really can't remember what I said or didn't say, but

instead of letting me through he asked me to go to the

Immigration office that was off to the side.

Uh-oh.

Well once in there I quickly new that precise answering

was required when being asked specific questions... lying is

just not an option. Fortunately, with the type of consulting

that I do, there’s probably less than a dozen people in the

world that do it... so therefore I’m not likely to be taking a

local’s job... well that’s the tack I was taking... but to

explain a job that’s taken me over 20 years to develop and

perfect, to someone who’s not even of the industry is very

difficult to do without it sounding like a no brainer and yes

even your sniffer dog could do it. With every answer I

offered I could feel the whole thing slipping from me.

I kept at it as best I could... explaining and answering her,

but she was really having difficulty understanding why the

Canadian client had sent for an Australian consultant to do

something that didn't sound too specialised and that surely

there were Canadians that were just as capable.

It wasn't looking good.

I was frantically trying to think of something that I could say that

meant I was the only one that could do what I was there to do.

I had already mentioned that training was one of the services

that I was providing but it still wasn’t unique enough. I have to

say, I was starting to feel very uncomfortable with the

prospect of being refused entry. when it dawned on me...

"Well the main reason why I'm here is because they bought my

company's software a while ago and I'm here to train them in its

use." Which is not entirely true because many clients use our

software without training, and the 3 day course I run is on the

theory and principles applied by the software’s function rather

than how to use the application. But it was enough for her to change

focus away from stealing jobs to finding out if there was a

requirement in Canada’s customs legislation that excluded me

from doing that without a visa... she said there was an exemption

for US citizens but she had to check if there was one for

Aussies as well. Fortunately it was eventually decided that I could

come in and do what I was there to do. After that, and as she

stamped everything in sight as they do, she said that I was very

very close to being put back on the plane and sent back to

where I came from.

That was a nerve wracking hour or so. And I shudder to

think what the client would’ve said if I was sent away... I mean

they’re paying my company US$38,000 to have me there for a

couple of weeks. I'd hate to have to reimburse them out of my

meagre pay.

I have learnt something from this though... no matter what

country I’m entering, and no matter why I'm entering it,

my stock answer if asked will be...

“I’m a chimney sweep.”

Oh well, all's well that ends well I guess.

Cheers.

I'm not anal...

2010-03-23T17:11:00.001+11:00

Here, you decide.

On the flight over I had just finished my

meal and happened to look over at the tray

of the lady sitting next to me...

Pretty untidy.

Then I looked beyond at her husband's tray...

Not much better.

So I then glanced down at my tray...

I promise, this wasn't a set-up.

So, what do you think? Am I anal or just a neat

little bear?

Cheers.

Bon voyage...

2010-03-20T01:32:00.002+11:00

Yes I'm off again...

I'm heading back to Canada until the

11th of April.

Here's where I'm going...

To a little mining town called Grande Cache, Alberta.

Here's a closer look...

...except at the moment the whole area is blanketed

in snow.

And here's where my office will be...

As usual, click any of the images to see them larger.

I'll be there over Easter, and as I'll have a

vehicle, it will also mean that I'll be able to

head off to one of the nearby national parks

and do the touristy thing.

So take care and I'll be back soon with some

pics to show you.

Please don't break anything whilst I'm gone.

Cheers.

Sleep deprived...?

2010-03-19T03:29:00.001+11:00

... not me.

Butch has been remarking of late, on how my

sleep and dream patterns work. She's amazed by
it, and concerned that I might actually have an issue
that needs professional consideration and perhaps
intervention. (She worries about her Tubby Bear).

Let me explain... and it's hard to know where to
start, but start we will.

When I sleep properly, and by that I mean that I'm
in bed all tuckered out and tucked in, I end up in a
deep sleep and I'm not easily roused from it. No
surprises there. When I'm in REM sleep I dream
rather vividly... and not only that, my dreams, in the
main, are rather off beat as well. And I would guess
that most of us have a similar experience, albeit
to varying degrees.

As you know there are various stages of sleep and we
usually get to the REM stage after about 90 minutes
and then we head off to our own nocturnal cinema
for a private showing of our latest dream epic.

By vivid I mean that there's no dreamlike quality to
my dreams... they're as real to me as you reading
this post is to you right now.

And another thing... whilst reading this post I bet you
still have other things ticking over in your mind... in
the background to what you're doing you would
usually have a narrative, or your 'inner voice', going
on at the same time and that you're only paying half
attention to. You sometimes listen to that background
noise, or you might engage with it, or indeed ignore it
whilst all the time carrying out what it is that you're
focussed on. As far as I know, and I'm prepared to
be corrected on this, we don't have that narrative
running in the background mind of our 'dream' us...
that is to say that whilst we are dreaming and acting
out what's going on in the dream, we don't usually
have our disengaged inner voice rabbiting on at
the same time in the background.

Well actually... I do.

I'm usually aware that I'm dreaming, and not only that,
my inner voice is sometimes assessing the credibility
of what's going on in the dream... to the point where
my inner voice says something like... "Come on, that'd
never happen..." and the conscious part of my mind
influences the subconscious dreaming part to change
what's going on, or failing that, my conscious mind
changes channel and I start an entirely new dream.
I've actually had my inner voice say, on more than one
occasion "This dream is getting ridiculous... " and I either
start a new dream or I wake up.

I guess it could be categorised as lucid dreaming.

That's all well and good, unusual maybe, but not the
whole story...

I also nod-off... I don't just nod-off, I nod-off at the
drop of a hat... and I very often have no warning that
I'm about to nod-off. In fact I can nod-off and be well
asleep in a matter of seconds. And the strange thing is
that I have no idea that I'm about to nod-off... don't
get me wrong... I do feel weary and sometimes quite
tired, but that condition doesn't necessarily result in
me nodding-off. No, it most often happens without
warning... and not only that, but I start dreaming
immediately when I nod-off. In fact I go seamlessly
from thought to dream... and I therefore I don't
notice that I'm asleep.

By that I'm not suggesting that I go directly to
REM sleep, but I do go directly to dreaming.

My nod-off dreams are different in that they aren't
as lucid as my REM dreams... I know I'm asleep
and dreaming when I'm in REM, but I have no idea
that I'm asleep and dreaming if I've just nodded off.

When do I nod-off? I could be at the computer and
have interrupted my typing to think about what I
would type next, and I nod-off. Or I could be reading,
or watching TV or even carrying on a conversation,
and without realising it my eyes will close and the
activity I was engaged in, whether it be thinking,
reading, watching TV or listening to someone speak
to me, just rolls on as a dream. At that point I
no longer aware of what I was doing
just seconds before and my mind cranks up the
movie projector, and in a seamless manner switches
to a manufactured continuation within my mind of
what I was doing just moments before. But it
doesn't end there because these dreams can be
quite bizarre. I mean really strange.

Quite some years ago I was sitting in the family
room with a couple of the kids and we were
watching some talking head type show on TV
when I nodded off. One of the kids nudged me a
few minutes later and I woke up and immediately
launched into a review of what I was dreaming.

The kids didn't believe me.

So we sat there for a few minutes and they noticed
that I had again nodded off... nudge... and another
explanation of what I was dreaming... and
further fascination. It was that exercise that showed
me that I not only started dreaming the moment sleep
took hold, but I realize now why it is that I don't have
a clue that I'm even lightly asleep.

When you're sitting there thinking, you don't mistake it
for being asleep and dreaming. And I guess when you
nod-off you just slip ever so lightly into sleep that you're
still aware of your surroundings to some degree. When
I nod-off I'm fully dreaming the next phase to what I
was thinking and I have no idea that I've nodded off.

When I wake under these conditions i have total recall
of what I had just been dreaming... when I wake after
a proper sleep in my bed, I still have a very high recall
rate.

I wonder if I do need looking into as Butch suggests...
maybe I should sleep on it.

Goodnight.

Life's not a musical...

2010-03-12T11:10:00.012+11:00

... it's a movie isn't it?

How are you with musicals? For me, whether stage or

cinema, I just couldn't get in to musicals. I can't relate

to them, they don't make sense and they're just one notch

away from opera and ballet in the 'take seriously' category.

However, there is one that I have always liked... have a

guess which one;

1. Sound of Music .
2. Grease .
3. West Side Story .
4. Blues Brothers .
5. Rocky Horror Show.

6. Or something else?.

West Side Story... why that has grabbed me I don't know,

but I do remember it playing at the cinema when I was about

11 or 12 years old, I'd have to look up its year of release to

say for sure, but I knew nothing about the movie. I didn't see

it at the time. My first exposure to it was when my mother played

the soundtrack on the gramophone sometime during that period.

"Pull back the shield between us, and I'll kiss
you, Drop your defenses and come, into
my arms. I'm all for believing, I'm
all for believing."

By the time I was 13 going 14, I had started buying record

albums and hiving off to my room to play them on the little
portable gramophone that I had been given. I had
discovered Cream, Hendrix, Velvet Underground and John
Mayall, among others, and they were all on high rotation on
my play list. I can't remember how it came about that the
West Side Story was in my room, but I put it on one day and
listened to it as closely as I listened to my other albums
and it struck a chord with me.

I played that album a lot for a while and I still have it in my

collection to this day. I've since seen the movie a few times and

thoroughly enjoyed it... no doubt because I already liked the
songs, but none the less, the movie was enjoyable. (I did go
to a few midnight screenings of The Rocky Horror Show
in my day, but that was more of an event than going to
a musical).

But the point is... when does someone break into song during the

normal course of the day as if it were the norm? That's what a
musical is isn't it? It's presented as if people just break into a
song without any preamble or second thought... and just as
amazing, the people around are not only accepting of the fact
that their colleague/neighbour/policeman or whatever is
singing instead of talking, they spontaneously break out into
a choreographed song and dance routine as well.

"I need to know just how you feel, to comfort you;
I need to find the key let me in, into your heart, to find
your soul."

Suspend reality...? Suspend my brain, you mean. I
like my movies to reflect life a bit more realistically
than a musical does.

Well that notion is under threat now.
My whole understanding and opinion of musicals has just been
challenged... perhaps musicals are more reflective of reality
than I ever gave them credit for.

So what am I on about? Well here's what happened a few days
ago...

As you might know, Butch and I like to occasionally switch the
universe off so that there's no background noise, and focus on
each other for a while. We both have very busy lives which
tends to occupy us in such a way that we almost lose sight of
each other through it all. So every now and then we set time
aside just for us. It could be as little as a few hours or as much
as a few days, but it's a time that we steal ourselves away and
close off all outside influences and concentrate on
reconnecting with each other.

"I'm all for believing, if you can reveal, the true colours
within, And say you will be there for me to hold,
When the faith grows old (I'm all for believing)
And life turns cold, (I'm all for believing)"

We've just spent three days doing exactly that... there's a
few things that come out of it that show's it to be a very good
thing for us to do.

We do as two people in love would do, so there's no need
to expand on that here, but we also talk, and just as
importantly, we spend time listening to each other too. It's
very satisfying and very healthy for our relationship. Well
this time we were sitting on the couch and there was a
particular CD playing in the background... one of Butch's
favourites... and one song has lyrics that reflects the
tenuous start to our relationship. I didn't know it until then,
but the song's narrative was as if I had written it, it spoke
as if I were saying the words.

"So if you're cold I will stay, maybe fate will guide the
way. I believe in what I see and baby we were meant
to be, Just believe. Just believe. Just believe.
Trust in me."

A beautiful song... made infinitely more beautiful by Butch
just breaking in over the top of it and singing it to me...
she held my gaze with her beautiful eyes and caressed my
soul with her beautiful voice whilst filling my heart with
beautiful words. I sat there with tears rolling down
my cheeks... it was such a beautiful moment.

Thank you Butch... you've made my life a musical and I
love it.

Love Bear.

Something old is new again...

2010-03-04T02:35:00.009+11:00

As you know I've moved to Brisbane, and since being here I have
discovered a few things that bring back some wonderful
childhood memories.

Play the player below and think about where you would hear the
sound on a day to day basis...

I know you'll say the sports field, but unless you're e ref or
player, then you're not really going to hear this regularly every
day.

It's a whistle alright, but if you're from Melbourne like I am, then

it was a part of the white noise that was the background to your

daily life... up until about 20 or 30 years ago that is.

In my youth we enjoyed a twice daily domestic postal delivery

service... and whenever the postie placed letters into your
letterbox, he blew a burst on his official GPO issued pea whistle.
GPO being the acronym for General Post Office... the name used
before it became known as Australia Post and started become
so much more than a letter delivery service.

But the postie wasn't the only whistle blower that I remember so
well. There was also the Train Guard. The guy in the back end
of the train who's main job, it seemed, was to hang out of the
door at stations and blow his whistle, as both a warning to the
people on the train and the station to stand clear, and to signal
to the driver that it was all clear and safe to pull away from
the station.

Oh and of course on the major intersections of Melbourne's CBD
when the police were on traffic duty... trying to keep trams,
people and motorists from getting tangled up in a big mess...
especially those motorists performing a traffic manoeuvre unique
to Melbourne (well in Australia it is) called a 'hook turn'.

A brilliant solution to ensure that drivers turning
right don't impede a tram's progress.

Anyway, I honestly can't remember the last time I heard a
whistle being blown in the normal course of my day... until I
arrived in Brisbane that is.

It's not a big deal of course, but when you hear something you
haven't heard for such a long time, it really doe evoke some
memories of a long gone era... well for me it does.

I ride the trains to and from work each day and I hear a
whistle being blown by staff on the busier stations. The first
few times I heard it, it sounded very strange, foreign in
fact, yet very familiar at the same time. It really did stir
up some very old memories.

The other thing that's stirred up memories was organising this;

A pile of packages ready to post.

I used to love, as a kid, getting a package in the mail from
my Grandmother or Great Aunt. Every birthday they would
send me a card in the post, and sometimes even a package.
It was always so exciting to get and even more exciting to open.

Well the other day I went and bought mailing boxes so that I
could send some little gifts I bought for my younger kids and my
two grandsons... but it wasn't until after I was back home and
wrapping the gifts, writing the cards, packing the boxes and
addressing them, that I realised for the first time what it must've
been like for my Grandmother to be doing the same thing for me
all those years ago. It really was a special thing to do... very
satisfying. I looked at each one after addressing it and I could
transport myself back to when I was about 5 or 8 or 11 years old
having just received a package in the post. Wow... it really felt
good to know that the same feelings could well be evoked in
some kids a long way off from where I am.

So there you go... a bit of a light post, excuse the pun, but I just
wanted to share it with you.

Cheers.

Bullets...

2010-02-23T21:34:00.006+11:00

I suppose I've stayed hidden away long enough

and it's about time I did more than just skulk

around the edges of the blogosphere.

Skulk...? Now there's a word you don't type very

often.

Here's a pic of a skulk to go along with what

you've just read.

So... bullets... well here they are;

Since last we spoke...

I have relocated to Brisbane from Melbourne.
I did it for my career. (too broke to retire, too old to get a different job).
My father died... step father actually... but he was in my life for nearly fifty years.
We had bad history, but managed to be civil to each other after I became a grown man.
His final act before his death was to use his Will as the ultimate slap in the face for three of his four step, and his two full blood children. He divided the estate, a portion of which was my mother's legacy, 50/50 between one of his step children and his ex but never married to, girlfriend... or partner if you prefer. A bitter unfeeling man to the end.
I did, however, admire his strength and sheer will (different will) to fight hard against the cancer that was taking quick control of his body.
I had declined a request by my sister to speak at his funeral... I felt hypocritical being there.
I drove up here (Brisbane)... and on the way my car 'did a wheel bearing' outside a town called Narrabri.
I got it fixed but had to postpone my furniture delivery along with power connection.
The day I arrived in Brisbane my car 'did the other wheel bearing'.
I moved in three days before I was due in the office, and five days later than planned.
Unpacking as one conducts a productive life is near impossible.
Learning to live, temporarily, without some of the basics of life isn't as difficult as I expected it to be.
There are many meals one can make, and eat, without the aid of modern appliances, cutlery, crockery or condiments.
If one is prepared to wrap just about anything in a lettuce leaf (Cos if available) then one can enjoy food made from at least five of the six food groups. (If you count mayonnaise as a food group)
Eating with your hands whilst leaning over the sink eliminates the need to buy dish washing liquid.
MB has completely lost recognition of who I am.
She loves her new life and is obviously happy and settled and most importantly, well cared for.
Butch is the rock that forms the secure base to my entire existence... I'd be hopelessly lost without her.
I have just returned from working in South Africa, Mozambique and Perth.
Brisbane is wetter than Melbourne... it all falls in a much shorter period too.
My house doesn't leak.

There you go... you're basically up to date

and so I will endeavour to resume posting

regularly.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers.

My new abode.

It's smallish, but it will serve me well.

A Silent Tribute...

2010-02-15T22:54:00.007+11:00

I should've said this a while ago...

2010-01-28T20:44:00.007+11:00

"Excuse me...!

Just what are they trying to say?"

I'm sorry for my absence... I should be

back soon.

Cheers.

Soundtrack to my youth... 3

2009-11-08T18:05:00.002+11:00

Daddy Cool.

This band was a big hit in the local club
scene in the early 70s. They really got the
place jumping and the crowd were always in
a good mood which made for a great night out.

Daddy Cool had a great repertoire of songs,
they were influenced by 50s, R&B and 'doo-wop'
at the start, and had a string of self-penned hits
through to the mid 70s, such as Eagle Rock, Come
Back Again, Hey Honey Hi and
others.

Here's a few favourites of mine...

Ross learnt to play the harmonica whilst
recovering in hospital after a car accident.

Daddy Cool were huge around the clubs,
then they released Eagle Rock and became
huge around the country.

By the mid 70s, after having broken up once
before, they were changing and eventually
called it a day in '76. I think you get a glimpse
of Wilson's future in this clip.

Ross Wilson, the singer, and Ross Hannaford, lead
guitar, both went on to many other bands, together
and separately, and have remained a strong force in
the Aussie music scene over the years.

Here's Wilson's Mondo Rock, formed as a part time
band to use when promoting songs he had written for
other projects... but eventually the band started to
become popular so he made it a permanent thing
and enjoyed a number of hits over the years.

Such as...

Mondo Rock... a highly respected band, but not one
I was 'in to'.

But here's some trivia for you... the clip below
is Ross Wilson' wife, Pat, singing a song that Ross
wrote for her... Bop Girl.

The trivia is the fact that this clip is Nicole Kidman's
first ever screen appearance... she went on to
do BMX Bandits not long after this performance.
(If I have my facts straight.)

But to finish off with Daddy Cool... below is a
song that still comes to my thoughts even today.

Cheers.

TRICKY AUSSIE MADE TV AD...

2009-11-08T17:32:00.011+11:00

I like this ad...

...and I wonder how many takes it took.

IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER...

2009-10-22T02:27:00.002+11:00

Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror?
Well of course you have, but I mean really
looked at yourself... and... does what you see
depend on the mirror that you use?

If you were to look in this mirror...
...does it make you feel plain?

Or does this mirror...
...take you back to a past era?

Do you feel Italian..

French...

Loved or lovely...

Salty...

Or rustic?

I would've said it's the reflection not
the mirror that's important. It's what
you see, not where you see it.

I would've said that... until very recently
that is.

A little while ago I found myself looking at
my reflection... and it was a very moving
experience. In this case it was where I
saw my reflection that was important,
not the reflection itself.

Butch and I have been very busy and
preoccupied of late... and it can seem like
we haven't seen each other for months.
So we took the opportunity to spend
the day together without the rest of the
universe needing and receiving our attention.

I don't know how you feel about it, but I
reckon that life very often gets in the way
of living. We tend to just 'get on with it' when
it comes to work, family and so many other
commitments, that we forget to take a little
time out and reconnect with those that are
closest to us... those that we love.

So Butch and I went to a park/lake area and
had a picnic... well it was more like a liquid
lunch than a picnic, we had a bottle or two
of Champagne to share, a blanket to sit on,
a beautiful day, and each other.

We needed to reconnect, we needed
to reassure each other that the fire that burns
inside each of us for the other is still there and
as hot and vibrant as it ever was. And so we spent
the best part of the day snogging and sipping the
wine.

It was a fantastic day.

We chatted, we laughed and we kissed... we
kissed a lot... and a lot... and we told each other
just how we really felt about each other... how much
we love each other. It was truly a wonderful day.

Butch has very lovely eyes and they really are
windows to her inner thoughts, her soul.
Whenever I look into her eyes I feel that I'm
looking into the deepest reaches of who she is and
how she feels... it very often takes my breath away.
Whenever Butch catches me with her gaze, I feel a
physical embrace, I sense her passion and her
love for me. Butch communicates in a very special
way through her majestic, gypsy like, eyes.

Being in her eyes is being in her heart, being a part
of her, and it really is the safest, most loving place
to be. I feel loved, I feel safe, I feel that there is an
eternity when I look into Butch's eyes... I feel that I
want to stay there until the end of time. To be in
Butch's eyes is to be in her heart.

As we sat and gazed silently into each other's eyes,
as we communicated without words, as we confirmed
our deep and abiding love for each other, I saw a
confirmation that Butch only had eyes for me... I saw
my reflection as clear as a photo, in her eyes.

I'm blessed.

I have a special place in Butch's heart, I play a big part
in her life, I am loved, truly loved by this beautiful
woman.

Butch, it's very comforting to know that you only have
eyes for me. I love you so much my darling... and I will
for ever more.

Bear.