one before unlucky

2006-08-28T21:38:00.001+09:30

Five years to the day, seven hundred & seventy six posts & around thirty thousand visitors later, "one before unlucky" is being replaced.I came to the conclusion a few days ago & after considering a host of potential name changes, it became far easier to start again from scratch.The reasons to cease production of "one before unlucky" are many, as are the reasons to keep it going. More than once

2006-08-24T19:42:00.000+09:30

It's time to meet Ed!Edward the Compressor has made its welcome addition to my little family of guitarist paraphenalia. Why did Marshall, the big amplifier company, decide to call a pedal "Edward"? I don't know, but I think it's good it has a real name rather than just ED-1 which is the product code.I'd been checking Ed out for a while & last week the price dropped by $30, so I had to have

2006-08-18T17:22:00.000+09:30

Yet more crap received through the mail at work. This time, a catalogue of all the Occupation Health & Safety stuff, which has given me a few ideas.The catalogue includes all sorts of signage, first aid, labels, security items, motivational posters & even toilet paper (because you have some really nasty accidents in there!).Anyway, the various forms of signage caught my eye & I'm thinking about

2006-08-16T16:56:00.000+09:30

I'm notorious for waking once or twice during the night. I don't know why, maybe they are the moments of being returned yet again by aliens from yet another abduction, or perhaps it's just a sleep pattern I'm trapped in.Normally, I'm only awake for a minute or so before I start to drift again & if I'm lucky, I can get straight back into the dream I just left. It's the way it's always been & when

2006-08-14T13:24:00.000+09:30

So I had someone talking to me about their weekend. I asked the question "Have a good weekend?" & got an answer which rambled for significantly longer than I had time for. A "Yes" would have both satisfied my curiosity & all the required elements of pleasantry.Instead, I ended up hearing about their local fruit & veg market where they need to go early to get the decent looking goods & how they

2006-08-12T23:18:00.000+09:30

Flights to & from Melbourne in November are locked & loaded.It's going to be a major music overload with Billy Joel on the 10th, U2 on the 16th & Pearl Jam on the 22nd!The cost of the flight over was $61 & back was $83, which makes the flights cheaper than the BJ concert!One little lesson for the masses though. Webjet does a fair bit of publicity for it's website on television & in print, but use

2006-08-09T16:46:00.000+09:30

I had a call on my mobile at a smidge after 8am this morning. Since I was driving, I let message bank do the work for me & answer the call. Usually, it's a builder calling for someone else with my first name due to a phone number mix up when mobile phones changed from analog to digital all those years ago. It's a long story in its own right!So anyway, when I eventually pulled up at a set of

2006-08-04T22:00:00.000+09:30

Time for a hard & fast blog entry to keep everything up to date.....I've had a cold which I've managed to get over in record time. I was talking to someone last Thursday morning about how amazing it was that I'd missed getting sick while everyone around me was dropping. However, I'd spoken too soon & by the afternoon my eyes were bleeding & my nose was a tap, so I took Friday off work to try &

2006-07-26T17:21:00.000+09:30

It's been a rather heavy few weeks work wise. The hotel is undergoing a change of branding, which has meant a lot of closed door conversations for the last few months & confidentiality agreements galore. Everything had to be kept quiet to avoid backlash from the group we are leaving & now it's all out in the open, the relief is evident amongst a few of us who were trying to maintain the

2006-07-21T17:19:00.000+09:30

"Has anyone ever done a body count for Jack Bauer?". That was a question which passed through my mind after the last episode & then I googled it. Seems, quite a few people have a rough tally, somewhere around 112 direct kills over five seasons & a virtually countless indirect slaughter total.At what point does a US Government agent cross the line from patriot to mass murderer??

2006-07-19T21:39:00.000+09:30

I can't believe a week has passed by since Something for Kate played live at Jive in the heart of the Kingdom. It was a gig for those who pre-ordered or bought on the day of release, the new album "Desert Lights" , so it was quite an exclusive little affair.The set went for an hour & included a stack of material old & new, with a couple of acoustic numbers from Paul to end it. The band signed

2006-07-10T17:24:00.000+09:30

After a couple of minutes, the guy cutting my hair asked "what number did you say again?" in reference to the clippers which replaced the scissors & comb in his hands. I replied "I hadn't actually said anything!"The hairdressers I go to have had quite a number of trainees over the years. Normally, the trainee will start cutting someone's hair but not really do anything major & let one of the

2006-07-05T17:23:00.000+09:30

Another Shuttle has been launched into the nothingness of space & if anyone remembers, I was completely obsessed with the last time Discovery went up.It wasn't the risk of another catastrophe which roused my interest, but the fascination of people venturing beyond the confines of air, gravity & all those things which we generally depend upon. These are astronauts venturing into a void which is

2006-07-02T17:09:00.000+09:30

Someone finally got around to slapping Camilla from Big Brother! It wasn't quite what everyone was expecting & as a result, John & Ash have been removed from the house.Apparently, it's known as turkey slapping. Ash used his appendage to beat Camilla around the head while John held her down. Turkey slapping has happened in the house during previous series but no formal punishment of the housemates

2006-07-01T20:51:00.000+09:30

It was the night before when I picked up the folks from the airport that the yellow powder was found on baggage from an international flight. I'm thankful that I didn't have to wait around for six hours getting decontaminated like the poor souls who got caught up in it all. I'm pretty sure my folks wouldn't have been too thrilled about wearing those blue hospitalesque gowns.I mentioned the

2006-06-26T16:50:00.000+09:30

It beats the hell out of me why a phone manufacturer would release a mobile phone into the market place which was soiled by the software of another company.I refer to SonyEricsson & the release of the W810i (I'd be confident it occurs to other models as well).The phone itself is brilliant, but only after some extensive work through forums & programs, have I been able to get to this point.I

2006-06-20T12:06:00.000+09:30

I'm going backwards to go forwards here, which is probably appropriate because I'm writing about Split Enz!Split Enz entered the music scene way back in 1972, three years before I came into being. There was little chance I would have been a fan back then, but due to Neil Finn joining the band in the early 80's & the success of his solo & Crowded House efforts, I've been exposed one way or another

2006-06-19T17:20:00.000+09:30

Adelaide Airport is a desolate place just before 5am on a Saturday morning.My folks caught the red eye to Sydney for the week & I dropped them off & had a look around the new terminal. Before too long there was a flurry of activity & Hudson's Coffee right in the middle had it's work cut out trying to wake people with it's hot caffeinated goodness.While we were there, all the other outlets began

2006-06-14T18:20:00.000+09:30

This is a cool toy to mess with heads of those around you.psychic.swfPick a number between 1 & 99, add the two digits in the number together & subtract it from the number you chose. Find the result in the table & it's corresponding symbol & be amazed when you click on the crystal ball!It works every time!

2006-06-13T16:47:00.000+09:30

Last week was a three movie week for me, seeing one which was okay, one which was great & one which was crap of the highest order!Firstly, due to the Hotel wanting to find a movie for a promotion night, I managed to see Confetti, which will be released in Australia in a couple of months. The venue was the Wallis Theatrette on Richmond Road, attached conveniently to their head office. I would

2006-06-03T22:22:00.000+09:30

Firstly, a big thank you to the people who flashed their headlights at me on Happy Valley Drive. It made me spot the koala walking in my path & you'll be happy to know I missed him & he made it across the road safely! If I hadn't had someone attract my attention, I most probably would have hit him in the dark.Okay, Something For Kate played at Fowlers Live last night with one of the most

2006-05-29T15:08:00.000+09:30

I just spend $1.80 to watch a packet of chips get caught by a packet of lollies, hence, never making it to the tray at the bottom of the vending machine.I'm still nibblish & the entertainment value was definitely not worth it!

2006-05-25T16:01:00.000+09:30

In reference to the last post, it looks like I'm going to get a second crack at a decent seat.When was the last time a band had to put on a second show due to popular demand... in Adelaide!?!

2006-05-24T12:43:00.000+09:30

I missed out on Pearl Jam tickets last Friday. I had an early meeting & completely forgot, so by the afternoon, all the floor & balcony seating was taken.All that's left now is the area behind the stage, which wouldn't be too bad except they are still the same price as those for front-row-centre!The pricing seems a bit inappropriate considering the ticket site states that views are obscured.If

2006-05-23T11:03:00.000+09:30

Wow, I've just received yet another application for a credit card in the mail.I would normally get a couple of applications per month through my home address from banks I normally deal with, but the one I've just received is a bit different.I have an invitation, pre-approved, for a Platinum American Express Card! This is second only to the Centurion card or "Black" American Express card which is

2006-05-22T15:08:00.000+09:30

A very mixed up weekend is over.On Friday night I sat down & recoded the site & brought back the stripe in a new & improved form. Formatting in html is like having pulling teeth, but without the anesthetic.On Saturday morning I went with my sister to see "The Amazing Human Body" exhibition at the Adelaide Shores complex. The idea sounds gruesome but it is completely fascinating.To put it simply,

2006-05-19T11:08:00.000+09:30

Without reading the book (which has become a religion in it's own right), I caught the celluloid adaptation last night.The Da Vinci Code film, as it stands, is a good film. No novel has ever been put to the big screen in it's unaltered entirety, it's just not possible to squeeze a massive story line into two & a bit hours.So, that being said, everything in the film works well & from someone who

2006-05-14T00:56:00.000+09:30

Okay, here's one out of left field!Man flogs wife's box on eBayIt's well worth reading all the questions from potential buyers.

2006-05-13T23:02:00.000+09:30

There is a whole lot of good music around the place at the moment. My CD collection has expanded by a decent percentage over the last month & there is more to come!I'm slowly getting into Pearl Jam's self titled album. I heard a lot of whinging about political statements being made by the band in the record, but it's not really the case & the messages they do convey certainly don't interfere with

2006-05-06T15:25:00.000+09:30

Is it just me, or do we seem to know more about the two miners in Tasmania than we do about the housemates in Big Brother?One location has 15 loudmouth extroverts being watched by dozens of cameras & the other has two guys stuck 954 metres below ground in a confined space, in absolute darkness, with no cameras.It seems a bit ironic that will all the coverage of the house, we choose to tune in to

2006-05-05T15:08:00.000+09:30

All the spam emails for penis enlargements I receive get deleted as & when I spot them, but occasionally when I open my inbox, one will be at the top of the list & due to having a preview window, it's contents are exposed.(Firstly, let us just ignore the obvious errors of using a combination of numbers & words, then ignore the fact that the two sizes mentioned are effectively one & the same!)"

2006-04-24T14:40:00.000+09:30

There have been a number of updates to the Adelaide imagery on Google Earth which are worth checking out.A few local landmarks around the Happy Valley area less than two years old now & the Adelaide Airport has the land cleared for the new terminal, but Magic Mountain still exists at Glenelg, so there is a real mix of old & new(ish).Germany is now completely covered with high resolution imagery,

2006-04-17T18:49:00.000+09:30

Oh, by the way, Happy Easter everybody!From where I'm sitting, there is the aluminium foil face of a rabbit looking at me.It has no knowledge of how tasty its chocolate innards would go down right at this moment.Hmmm, chocolatey goodness!

2006-04-16T22:02:00.000+09:30

Here's a little online program I love, Kisekae Tele. Essentially, it's a guitar designer using a number of well known electric guitars which can be painted in any conceivable colour, with any type of hardware & bits & pieces which take your fancy!First, here is my actual Fender Stratocaster which I've been banging about on for the last ten years.& then here is the Kisekae version.Unfortunately,

2006-04-14T20:54:00.000+09:30

I checked out the Adelaide Motor Show last Saturday afternoon, which is a bit of a yearly tradition.Lots of shiny new cars, (the majority of which I can't afford) were, by the end of the show, covered in grotty finger marks from the teenagers who had just scoffed down some hot chips & a hotdog out in the food court.The weekend is probably the worst time to go to the motor show, because everyone

2006-04-01T18:27:00.000+10:30

Australia's version of The Biggest Loser has been a bit of a suprise packet of late. Watching really overweight people get taken to the very edge of exploding their left ventricle, is somewhat appealing, regardless of the cruelty factor.I usually get home from work as it starts, so it's not uncommon that it's wasting valuable electricity in the background while I do other things.On more than one

2006-03-31T17:28:00.000+10:30

I had my first Gold Class cinema experience last night with the viewing of "When a Stranger Calls".I'm sure anyone else who has seen this re-make will agree that it is complete crap. I would classify it is as mediocre schlock-horror, but it was more the heralded Gold Class experience which I was interested in.Greater Union Cinemas have had a Gold Class section for, I guess, around three years &

2006-03-19T18:51:00.000+10:30

I cast my pointless vote yesterday in the state election. Normally, I believe in things such as democracy, but with no one of any substance to vote for, the conclusion was, well, conclusive, regardless of how the politicians wanted us to believe how close it was supposed to be.However, it's not the election I was interested when I went to vote. Normally, I go to the local high school, where I

2006-03-11T21:07:00.000+10:30

Found the following photo in my camera from a few weeks ago. It's the morning feeding frenzy which occurs every day before 8am.The bird feeder has been hanging for a couple of years now, but it has really become the place to be seen, for the little spoggies to come & munch. About thirty or so fly in from a big tree over the neighbours back fence. When you go to fill the container with seed, they

2006-03-11T20:41:00.000+10:30

After way to much effort for the eventual results, I've finally managed to upload a template. I'm content with the ideas I had in mind, but I'm still not quite sure about the implementation.What I was trying to achieve was a format which doesn't make you squint when you view it on an LCD monitor. The old stripe template was causing me eye strain, but to be honest, I haven't seen a site which

2006-03-08T17:54:00.000+10:30

Australia has looked back on it's marketing history & following the very successful Paul Hogan campaign of "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you", a new slogan has been released in the same vain."So where the bloody hell are you?" is the new catch cry which is presenting the country to the world. It's based on extensive research which has all proven positive.After all the controversy

2006-03-03T22:47:00.000+10:30

Just an update to my birthday from last week, which is very unlike me to reminisce on such a horrible event!The tradition of taking a cake to work on your birthday is not something new, but I was planning to venture out during the day to pick one up rather than struggle lugging one into the office. However, during the day, the chefs discovered I was a year older & did the work for me!This was

2006-03-03T22:41:00.000+10:30

If anyone would like to come around & scratch me, that would be great, because I sure haven't had the time to do it myself!Work has been insane!The computer system we use was designed for one single purpose & no other, which is exactly why I am expected to make it do other things never intended in it's design. Archaic is a word that is thrown around rather liberally, but the alternate update to

2006-02-22T16:43:00.000+10:30

Welcome to the 10th Anniversary of my 21st Birthday!There shall be no celebrities or exotic dancers.(edit - actually, I do want exotic dancers!!)

2006-02-15T09:36:00.000+10:30

I now have the following website addresses to access this site:http://onebeforeunlucky.blogspot.comhttp://1b4unlucky.blogspot.comI thought it might make it a bit easier to use than the address which presently contains 45 characters.I don't know why I hadn't thought of this before!!

2006-02-15T09:04:00.000+10:30

Mental note to self...Do not wear a red tie on Valentines Day, it only causes trouble.On five seperate occasions I was asked - "Did you wear that red tie for Valentines Day??"Damn, it was the first one I pulled out of the wardrobe & I did not exercise a single brain cell in it's choosing!

2006-02-14T17:22:00.000+10:30

I caught up with a friend for lunch last week whom I hadn't seen since the day of my 28th birthday. I actually thought she was living in another state, but after a phone call (which was long overdue), we were both staggered to find we worked directly across the road from one another!In a separate, same-day incident, I sent a birthday message to another friend I hadn't been in contact with for

2006-02-13T13:30:00.000+10:30

Okay, so what's all this Maintenance crap that I've had going on here?Good question, I'm glad you asked!Well, to some extent, it is correct. I've been slaving away, trying to revamp the site & make it look half-decent again, which as I have found is not easy if you haven't messed with html for a couple of years. Yes, that bloody stripe has been lining the page for the best part of two whole years

2006-02-10T16:32:00.000+10:30

I had a meeting today with a guy who looked remarkably like Paul Dempsey from Something For Kate.It wasn't until he stood up that I realised he must have been the "Mini Me" version of Paul.Not unlike the performer, he was a nice guy who claimed he worked for a division of Telstra. Since I had already been dealing with someone from the company, I was confused why they didn't seem to know each

2006-02-07T17:08:00.000+10:30

I had a girl behind me this morning driving a small car with very little nose on it. This meant that when ever we stopped at traffic lights she could drive right up close & since I too drive a hatchback, the physical presence between her & myself was probably less than a couple of metres.Raising my head to look at the rear view mirror startled me the first time around because she was so close to

2006-02-04T18:45:00.000+10:30

You scored as Theater. You should be a Theater major!Dance83%Theater83%Journalism75%Philosophy67%Mathematics67%Psychology67%Engineering67%Linguistics58%Sociology58%Art58%Anthropology42%English25%Biology17%Chemistry8%What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3)created with QuizFarm.comI suppose that is as close to a musician as this quiz is capable of!! For this quiz I thank Claire who thanks

2006-02-04T18:26:00.000+10:30

I discovered during the week that it is indeed possible to bruise your tongue!After sucking on a oddfellow peppermint (obviously harder than realised!) & later on feeling something was a bit different, I've looked at my tongue in the mirror. A purple "V" was firmly inscribed into the depths of my tongue, somewhat like it had been tattooed on! It's taken a couple of days to fade completely, but

2006-01-25T22:50:00.000+10:30

The South Australian Tourism Commission has dropped the slogan "Discover the Secrets of South Australia" & have come up with "SA - A Brilliant Blend".I only took an interest in the slogan after it was being held aloft on page four of today's Advertiser by the lovely young Gabrielle whom I worked with a few years ago.I'm not sure this new slogan does the state any justice. It's just too obscure!

2006-01-25T22:09:00.000+10:30

Yep, still here! It's been a bit too hot to blog (that's my excuse anyway!)I bumped into a fellow blogger late last week at the bar in the Hotel. I recognised them, but since I don't have my mug plastered anywhere here, there was no chance of them knowing me. I first did a double take & nearly said hello, but thankfully realised the embarrasment it would have caused before I opened my

2006-01-14T22:22:00.000+10:30

Due to popular demand, I've increased the font size for those with LCD monitors which have an optimal resolution with really big numbers!I should have been the first to realise this sorry fact being a flat panel owner) but hey, I thought It was just my eyesight!Anyway, let me know if it's any easier to read.

2006-01-11T14:11:00.000+10:30

After all the Christmas wash up, I still have a few things lying around the office, such as a bottle of wine, some random decorations & the odd food item.I'm presently working my way through some chocolates which would have been perfect to give to a member of the opposite sex. It's a high-ball glass filled with heart shaped chocolates & nicely wrapped in cellophane. I don't have a clue where it

2006-01-02T21:58:00.000+10:30

The great ant crisis of 2006 is finally over!After running skirmishes with ants in various parts of the house, the source of their campaign happened to be a bunch sugared almonds from a wedding reception back in 2000! The almonds were attached to a couple of souvenir champagne glasses & had been stored in a wardrobe for the last five years! Why they have only just discovered them is unclear,

2005-12-31T16:01:00.000+10:30

Ahh, the obligatory final post for the year.It’s been an ordinary year, a couple of highlights, a few lows, but nothing which has completely shaken my world. However, declaring it an ordinary year still makes it a damn sight better than 04.I have big expectations for 2006. I’m starting to get life in order, which will mean buying a house, possibly a new car & working towards changing my career. I

2005-12-30T18:01:00.000+10:30

On a scale of 1 to 10, today was "Fucking Boiling".If it didn't hit 40 degrees in town, I'll be amazed. Darn windy as well.I made the mistake of walking a couple of city blocks to drop off some paperwork. On the way back I bought an Ice Coffee which wasn't very cold by the time I made it back to the office. However, I did manage to get it down before it started curdling!

2005-12-24T16:15:00.000+10:30

With what was supposed to be all night trading in the city, my sister joined me to hunt for some last minute gifts. All in all, there was quite a crowd but not a great deal of places open, especially the little stores who would have probably done well trading late into the night.As we entered Rundle Mall, we passed a guy on his mobile who said quite loudly "yeah, I'm here in the Mall". A couple

2005-12-22T11:25:00.000+10:30

For something I wasn't expecting to receive until mid January, I scored an early Christmas present (even though I paid for it!).Since I seem to have a tradition of posting a photo of each concert ticket, so, I'm keeping it going....With tickets being sold for truely stupid amounts on Ebay, I'm keeping this one safe, unless of course, someone wants to shower me with wads of cash!Everyone has their

2005-12-22T11:06:00.000+10:30

After four days without fish in the neighbour's pond, they all came back!!! It seems that something gave them an almighty fright & they dropped to the bottom of the pond & hid for the entire time. Not once did they pop up to the surface for food, as the fish food remained untouched & floating. Then on Friday, they were all back munching away, oblivious to the fact we were tearing our hair out

2005-12-15T22:01:00.000+10:30

Everybody listen up!I hate Christmas, so if you plan to buy me something, at least make it an item which will make me happy.Here are a couple of suggestions from the Fender Musical Instruments Company.It's not about the value, but the act of giving, so this guitar will do nicely. Just keep in mind, it's going to a good cause!Of course, Fender released a signature edition guitar for John Mayer,

2005-12-13T14:34:00.000+10:30

Our neighbour is a professional cave diver & as such, travels most of the state & occasionally other bits of the country looking for places to dive. From various stories, it sounds fascinating but as scary as hell. Since he is away for a week or so at a time, we feed his fish which are located in a pond beside the house. There are around 25 goldfish ranging upwards from three inches to a couple

2005-12-11T14:40:00.000+10:30

There are spiders & then there are spiders. I'd put this one in the second category.In the backyard, this little lady has been busy for the last few days, building a web & popping out some kids.I hate all spiders, no matter how big or small & after being bitten by a Redback spider back in 1987, my phobia has stood strong. With all the spikes, really tough web & vibrant colours, this spider looks

2005-12-07T16:42:00.000+10:30

I would love to know just how many times the refresh button, on web browsers all around Australia, was pressed as everyone tried to grab U2 tickets on Monday. My button press quantum would have been significant on its own, but it eventually paid dividends & I scored my ticket in what will hopefully be a great spot. It was only after I'd made the purchase that I discovered everybody else in

2005-12-06T12:07:00.000+10:30

Moral Dilemma time! A female coworker recently left for London with her boyfriend of approximately one year. During that time, said boyfriend worked in various areas around the state & spent a fair bit of time away from Adelaide & his girlfriend. Since Adelaide is so small, I'm friends with his ex-girlfriend who he was with for four & a bit years. He broke it off with her & it wasn't long

2005-11-30T16:44:00.000+10:30

I tried to blog this at around 5am when I got home last night, but my Palm handheld reset as I went to post, losing everything I had written, so I spat the dummy & went to sleep!After working all day yesterday, I did night audit at the Hotel & survived with coffee, red bull & a few hot chips, until about 4:30 when guests started to check out & there was nothing more for me to do.The city night

2005-11-29T12:18:00.000+10:30

I volunteered for to be stupid for a day & work some ridiculous hours to help fix up a department in the Hotel. The issues which need to be addressed are to do with the night audit function. The word of concern in that sentence is "night". I'm a ‘nine to fiver’ in everyday life, but to fix night audit, means I really need to be around during that period when the sun is facing the planet's

2005-11-28T17:24:00.000+10:30

Friday was White Ribbon Day which equates to the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. It's an important day which highlights the fact that behind many closed doors, women are being brutally attacked by those who are supposed to love & protect them. Many are even brain-washed into believing they deserve it! I had a friend who was beaten up on a few occasions by her

2005-11-26T23:00:00.000+10:30

I did a bit of advertising for Coopers Breweries on Friday afternoon when a plastic poster from The Flagstaff Hill Hotel blew across the road & got stuck on the front of my car.I had no choice but to keep driving to the top of the hill, otherwise I would have been swamped by traffic.Quite a few people were bemused coming the other way as the poster just happen to attach itself the correct way

2005-11-21T16:08:00.000+10:30

I had a bit of a run in with a staff member's husband a couple of weeks ago. They call one another numerous times every single day & it goes way beyond the "isn't that cute how much they're in love" scenario. Most of the time they're arranging which restaurant to eat at, which golf club to play at, what they've bought, etc. All the stuff which doesn't need to be discussed at a moments notice. My

2005-11-18T15:27:00.000+10:30

Due to Rummy being in the village, another event is being overshadowed. The Classic Adelaide Rally has become a bit of an institution over the years & has been running throughout the week. Rallies are a tough spectator event, because they simply don't follow the same path for a number of laps, they whiz by once & that's it, unless you chase them down on another stage. The great part for the

2005-11-18T09:38:00.000+10:30

I went to a farewell bash last Saturday night for a couple who are venturing beyond our shores & into the big bad world for the next couple of years. The night was going pretty well until around ten when some of us noticed a small melee in the beer garden of the pub. The male member of the celebrating couple had upchucked into his own beer! Obviously he was getting pretty drunk by this stage &

2005-11-16T21:22:00.000+10:30

The road blocks were being pushed into place when I left work tonight. Channel Seven had set up a satellite dish next to the outside dining tables of the Hotel around midday. The other TV stations weren’t far behind in staking claims on the footpaths of North Terrace.I stated in the last post I didn’t want Donald Rumsfeld to come to Adelaide, but I’m over it. Donald can come & meet with whomever

2005-11-13T17:38:00.000+10:30

So Ronald Dumsfeld (I like his name spelt this way!) is coming to Adelaide late this week. Therefore, I’ll be working just across the road as he somehow manages to bring city life to a standstill.As yet, I still can’t find out why he’s coming, other than for a couple of meetings at the Town Hall. The fact that he is the US Secretary of Defence & requires three floors of a hotel, a major city

2005-11-07T17:00:00.000+10:30

I love a good conspiracy theory, so I occasionally check out sites which feature discussions on wierd subjects like secret governments, aliens & of course the New World Order.Most is complete crap, but that does not mean that it can't be great reading. Some stuff is most certainly real, but not officially acknowledged. Area 51 is covered beautifully in pictures over at Dreamlandresort.com &

2005-11-06T20:43:00.000+10:30

I went to the most crapmongous quiz night on Friday. In fact, if it had gotten any worse, there probably would have been a riot! Since it was a fairytale themed night, a riot of individuals dressed as Snow White, Shrek, Peter Pan & Cinderella, amongst others, would have at least made it interesting.First was the complete breakdown of the computerised question system. Had it worked, it would have

2005-11-01T13:23:00.000+10:30

It's the race which stops a nation & gives me about six minutes to enjoy some peace & quiet without the phone ringing. Today, that will be a bonus, because I haven't the time to abuse the last staff member for their stupidity before the next one comes along! The Melbourne Cup is a mugs game though. Horses can run fast, but they still do whatever they want at the end of it all. If they chose to

2005-10-28T12:05:00.000+09:30

I drove a big 4 wheel drive vehicle a couple of days ago because it needed to be moved. Now I've written before about my hate of 4x4's, mainly because of their drivers' attitudes, so it was an experience to actually get behind the wheel of one. Being a small car driver (Diahatsu Charade), I, like so many others, have had to dodge massive vehicles who seem to think that sitting a metre higher

2005-10-25T09:01:00.000+09:30

A couple of oddities which have come my way & are worth a mention.1) I thought one was out of hand, but there are officially two Adelaide sports stores which have escalators at their entrance. Surely, those who are entering these stores have an ambition (or misled desire) to exercise! Why, therefore use mechanical means to reduce their fitness? Defeats the purpose, don't you think?2) I was

2005-10-24T16:04:00.000+09:30

5 pointy awards & a dry hump for the Hoff.I'd say that's a top night for the Higgster!

2005-10-22T22:02:00.000+09:30

There's definitely some strange stuff going on in the world at the moment. Wars, politics, weather, religion, it's all obscure & a touch out of control.However, even when things are totally messed up, some things are worth laughing at. I refer of course to Australia averting the bird flu crisis after euthanising pigeons from Canada found to be carrying bird flu antibodies. It's a looming disaster

2005-10-16T15:50:00.000+09:30

By the look of it, we should have had a storm this morning. These clouds ventured down from the hills looking all ominous with white billowing peaks & a sinister dark underbelly, but all for nothing!I’m very disappointed! You can’t tease someone with lightning & thunder & not deliver dammit!

2005-10-15T20:38:00.000+09:30

The Masters Games are being held in our fair town & pretty much anywhere you go an event is being held. They can be effectively described as the Olympics for those who have passed the age of being eligible for the Olympics. That's not to say the games are for "athletic old farts", because anyone over 30 can enter (does that by definition make me a master?!?).Anyway, I decided to have lunch on the

2005-10-13T21:15:00.000+09:30

A few weeks ago the following solar-light structures were installed on the surrounds of the Festival Theatre. They look rather funky & although obscure, don't look out of place. At night they light up with a purple glow but I'm yet to witness it. (I don't exactly walk around such places at night!)Anyway, I will be avoiding these lights in the future as up close they get a bit disturbing......

2005-10-08T23:28:00.000+09:30

I’ve had the cold which has been doing the rounds for the last week or so. Nothing major, just a slightly sore throat & a niggly cough. Thursday morning, I woke a touch seedy & went to work as normal. It happened to be the last day for a colleague, so we went to lunch & indulged in a couple of glasses of red wine. The alcohol worked a treat, curing all cold symptoms & giving me that nice

2005-10-05T16:11:00.003+09:30

I had a dream last night that McDonalds now not only sold burgers but also performed barber style haircuts. I was waiting my turn when I woke up!

2005-10-05T16:11:00.002+09:30

Eclipse mints in the little metal tin are the coolest new product. Good packaging, good taste & good value. The only problem I can find is they rattle persistently in your pocket.

2005-10-05T16:11:00.001+09:30

We had the CIA in the hotel the other day. (Yes, the real CIA!!). I shall blog separately about this.

2005-10-05T16:11:00.000+09:30

In an effort to bring the fuel companies down single-handedly, I've been driving as economically as possible. Since day one, my car has returned 6.7 litres per 100 kms. For the last couple of weeks, I've been driving smoothly, short-shifting & driving in a higher gear. I've now realised, all I've done was annoy other road users by not gunning it at traffic lights & generally driving like a Nanna.

2005-10-05T16:10:00.001+09:30

I've decided that the only way to stop terrorists is to ban people from carrying back-packs. If you can't carry it in your pockets or a purse, it ain't worth carrying. Think of all the extra space on the buses!!

2005-10-05T16:10:00.000+09:30

I had no idea the United State's President always had someone carrying a Nuclear Football until I watched 24. I'm happy television can still teach me stuff, but I'm not happy that a complete knob head has a playbook of world destruction only a few feet away!

2005-10-05T16:08:00.001+09:30

I was going to post a couple more of the "I work with Monkeys" series, but had a moment of clarity about being fired. I'll post them when I leave voluntarily or involuntarily... whichever comes first.

2005-10-05T16:08:00.000+09:30

I went to a pub on Sunday & ended up sitting in the sun for a couple of hours. I could feel my skin heating up & just knew I would be burnt to a crisp. To my complete surprise, it didn’t even generate a tan! I’m still as white as every other office dweller. Just once, I wouldn’t mind a touch of colour instead of being white or blistered red.

toobs

2005-10-01T19:51:00.000+09:30

Does anybody remember "Tasty Toobs" from Smith's Snackfood Company, the saucy snack of cheezels like size which were ridiculously addictive?!?I hadn't seen them for years & had lost all hope.Until now, that is!Burger Man from Real McCoy is the same product in a different form. Sample bags were given away in a supermarket shopping promotion a few weeks ago & had they not been included, I would

2005-09-30T14:51:00.000+09:30

Fires in California have raced through 16,000 acres & are being fought by 3,000 fire fighters.It's obviously not a good situation & is now being picked up by Australian newscasters. However, It's not so much the damage to houses & property which is causing concern for SBS in this article. Here's a quote...."The fire erupted near the San Fernando Valley suburb of Chatsworth, about 50km northwest

2005-09-27T21:37:00.000+09:30

Over the last few weeks I've done a bit of walking & it's resulted in a number of photo sets which I haven't found the time to upload. My problem is a 56k connection & only a smidge of web space (5meg). It's my own fault for the lack of space because I can't be bothered paying for hosting. As for my connection speed, no one cares about this little corner of the world, so broadband is out of the

2005-09-23T14:48:00.000+09:30

I was woken just after 5am yesterday to a horrible sound. At first I just thought it was a child crying, being dragged by their parents to somewhere they just didn't want to go. After a minute or so, I realised that the sound wasn't moving & I had the horrible thought of someone just dumping a baby in the middle of the road.Through some very blurry eyes I parted the blinds & peered through the

2005-09-22T23:28:00.000+09:30

Today was supposed to be a massive boycott of fuel stations around the country in the vain attempt to lower petrol prices. The idea was for the oil companies to suffer & in turn slash prices to compensate & therefore make everyone happy!Didn't quite work though, did it? Every petrol pump on my way to work had the normal number of cars, so either the drivers didn't get the email every five minutes