tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36301012012-02-17T02:21:53.415+11:00Stratu's blog. Also, why not go check out my new comics zine anthology, Blackguard? Go on! >>> blackguard23.livejournal.comStratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.comBlogger5661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-63439717700978669242010-09-22T23:20:00.003+10:002010-09-22T23:29:05.604+10:00

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-77552260158015109482009-11-27T22:12:00.002+11:002009-11-27T22:17:21.888+11:00

Here's my new favourite senator/politician: Nick Xenophon! He recently gave a parliamentary speech exposing the fucked-up evil dark side of the Scientology cult.Read it here.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-57969991399704034792009-09-23T07:34:00.006+10:002009-09-23T07:39:06.317+10:00

It sure has been nice knowin' ya.[More pics here ]

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-33749235269299979032009-09-18T23:25:00.005+10:002009-09-18T23:56:30.068+10:00

Sultry Sally found my blog post about her chips and offered to send me some of her new improved potato chips, so last week I got a box of them! Thanks Sally! I sent the packet of Salt & Vinegar chips to my friend Mr Beautiful to review (because he commented on that blog post). He lives in the US. Like me, he loves salt & vinegar chips too but I sent that packet to him because it was a small one,

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-51261630055745710952009-09-04T00:45:00.002+10:002009-09-04T00:51:01.187+10:00

Laugh and cry at same time? Yes it happens. The world is like that, and maybe it is true that you laugh when you might cry. Black humour is not for everybdy, but it's for me, and maybe you too. Thanks for your time!

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-24817546113529041942009-08-25T16:11:00.002+10:002009-08-25T16:16:00.210+10:00

CHIBA — Police have arrested a member of a hunters’ group on suspicion of professional negligence after he mistakenly shot to death a fellow hunter Sunday during a cull of monkeys.Suminori Maeda, a 51-year-old resident of Kimitsu, Chiba Prefecture, shot and fatally injured Masayoshi Murakoshi, 72, also from Kimitsu, around 9:30 a.m. Sunday in a mountain forest. Murakoshi was immediately taken to

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-1540506071733383852009-08-22T19:29:00.005+10:002009-08-22T22:56:18.792+10:00

Another big snackfood discovery for me happened last weekend when I was in the supermarket looking for Nong Shim Spicy Shrimp Sticks. There were none of those, just the regular flavour, but I spotted a packet of these salty South African snacks called Ghost Pops (Flavoured Maize Snack). With a name like that, well naturally I'm gonna buy them! The pleasant surprise was that when I sampled them

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-38290930082450143422009-08-11T21:27:00.003+10:002009-08-11T21:39:54.406+10:00

Police in Kasai City near Kobe have arrested a 29-year-old factory worker named Yoshifumi Takabe on suspicion of burning down his own home on Sunday. The suspect reportedly doused his room with kerosene and lit it with a lighter around 2:10 p.m. on Sunday. The resulting fire eventually burned down the two-story house, which was about 250 square meters (about 2,700 square feet) and made partially

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-81821373898685861342009-07-29T15:33:00.004+10:002009-07-29T15:44:59.178+10:00

Wednesday 29th July, 08:14 AM JSTKOCHI — The head teacher at a public elementary school in Kochi Prefecture had his salary cut by 10% for three months after putting chalk in a student’s mouth, it was learned Tuesday following an announcement from the Kochi Prefectural Board of Education.The male teacher in his 50s put chalk in a boy’s mouth on June 24, after warning the class that he would do so

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-45423264937814303422009-07-22T21:02:00.006+10:002009-08-21T16:00:01.610+10:00

................ I love potato chips. Who doesn't? The other day in my local deli I saw a big display of these new potato chips with the coolest potato chip packaging ever. I don't even care that the chips taste like crispy cardboard. I think there are two other flavours (besides Salt & Vinegar and Thai Sweet Chilli and Lime, the ones I got) so I gotta get those and put them up here soon. Well,

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-53890130185873261932009-07-07T15:12:00.003+10:002009-07-07T15:16:26.828+10:00

During my recent injury (severed toestring from Wile E. Coyote glass) I had forgotten to check the Japan Today Crime section, so did that today and found this great story:Two Women Attacked By Man With Umbrella In ShinjukuTuesday 07th July, 09:53 AM JSTTOKYO — Two women in their 20s were assaulted by a man wielding an umbrella on Monday in Shinjuku, and police believe the attacks were committed

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-28046513654135449042009-04-17T00:45:00.002+10:002009-04-17T00:54:23.446+10:00

Keep your eyes on the road! For the love of God don't stare at the lady's calves! I made the same mistake myself one day and ended up through the windshield covered in blood and gore. And God you help you women and your new hat obsessions!

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-47840476506174811952009-04-08T11:03:00.002+10:002009-04-08T13:22:14.272+10:00

STOCKHOLM — Police said Sunday that a Japanese pop singer dressed up as a pineapple was robbed while shooting a music video in southern Sweden on Saturday.Police spokesman Bo Paulsson said three young men beat up 41-year-old Hideki Kaji and robbed him of camera equipment worth around 20,000 kronor ($2,500) late Saturday.Paulsson said the pineapple-clad artist had been left alone with the

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-24682578108866218802009-04-04T01:46:00.003+11:002009-04-04T01:54:23.968+11:00

I'm a video game nerd, and sometimes an angry one (yes I have pulverised a PS2 controller out of sheer rabid frustration), but I don't care for crappy old videogames, and anyway I missed this NES/SNES/N64 generation. But I love watching the Angry Video Game Nerd. He's a very funny guy. You don't have to be a video game nerd to enjoy this, by the way.Angry Video Game Nerd : Star Trek

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-26346882043847826412009-03-30T21:01:00.002+11:002009-03-30T21:12:07.212+11:00

I've had this Reg Mombassa postcard hanging up next to my computer at work for years. It never fails to cheer me up, even on a Monday!

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-78754501860046200172009-03-09T18:13:00.003+11:002009-03-09T18:37:04.768+11:00

I found an excellent and helpful list of things a writer must avoid, assembled by Bioy, Borges and Silvina. Writing is not as easy as it seems, but armed with a list such as this one, the dilettante will have a sharp edge indeed!Things That A Writer Must Avoid- Psychological curiosities and paradoxes: murderers through kindness, suicides for happiness' sake.- Surprising interpretations of

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-11721172636311381392009-02-19T14:44:00.001+11:002009-02-19T14:47:11.027+11:00

UTSUNOMIYA — A 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of theft on Wednesday, accused of stealing four pairs of women’s underwear from an apartment veranda in Utsunomiya City on Feb 1. Police arrested Takao Sudo, a 43-year-old man who lives with his parents in Utsunomiya City, and who ran a website titled “Underwear Collector.”When police searched his home, they found approximately 1,600 items

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-64905152428680658252009-01-29T22:52:00.010+11:002009-01-29T23:11:45.382+11:00

Gee, I haven't posted here for a while have I.What do I have for you? Well, here is a videoclip of one of my favourite metal bands, Textures (from Netherlands!), and this is a very fine song from their 2008 album 'Silhouettes'. The video is pretty cool too. (Nice doggy!) You will like it, unless your music taste is at a low level.AwakeAnd while we're here, another really great song and video from

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-46587159471021877582008-09-18T11:12:00.003+10:002008-09-18T11:22:23.306+10:00

Thought he could get rid of me, did he? He'll have to do better than that! Ha!And he's welcome to the comix, just as long as he doesn't make a total mess of it all (which is definitely probable, heh heh). I guess he learnt enough about the biz when he was my Minister of Propaganda back in the day, or I hope he did for his sake, the rotten bastard. Anyway, the arrangement couldn't be better as far

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-25701391044456858352008-07-22T01:03:00.003+10:002008-07-29T21:54:47.246+10:00

This site will close down imminently! Please bookmark this site http://blackguard23.livejournal.com/ to follow the progress of new comix zine anthology Blackguard (successor to the legendary Sick Puppy Comix!), the death(?) of Stratu and ascendancy of twin brother Max Black!

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-84876744066636029552008-07-21T23:33:00.003+10:002008-07-21T23:45:55.492+10:00

An update on the Blackguard front: one of my old contributors has elected to come aboard! Since we last worked together he has changed his name to Hugo (but here's a hint: he did the Popeye cover for SP#12)! Check out more of his stuff here.Also, this morning I received a reply from Doug Iannucci (that creator of the wonderful and heartwarming Stan and Edna Nats) who proclaimed his great joy that

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-15324150313847132322008-07-17T19:32:00.004+10:002008-07-17T21:03:07.672+10:00

Our new comix zine anthology has a name! Blackguard. I've loved that word for a long time, you see, and it seems to fit perfectly, since the intent and format will be a progression on that of Sick Puppy and Atomiser. Plus I intend to track down many of my old contributors. That's one of the next steps. Also need to find out if the Newcastle zine festival is on again later this year, since I've

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-86468014043749678152008-07-16T23:00:00.004+10:002008-07-17T19:32:00.519+10:00

I've been thinking about this for months now, getting revved up more and more. And you know what? It's time to put together another comix zine anthology. After Sick Puppy (which went from shitness to greatness (not only my opinion, there) in six years, over thirteen issues) then Atomiser, which never really went anywhere, since I only put out one fucking issue, because I had my own big 'issue',

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-60050782523629716512008-07-06T14:16:00.003+10:002008-07-06T14:22:51.395+10:00

I was on the bus today and there was an idiot talking loudly on his phone so the whole damned bus could hear his idiotic conversation. At one point he said, "I don't really like to make plans. I like for plans to make themselves." That has to be the most idiotic, meaningless statement I have heard in a very long time. Then he was talking about some chick he was seeing, "I don't think it's gonna

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-91894854352396295852008-07-01T18:15:00.003+10:002008-07-01T18:24:29.117+10:00

My old pal Kapreles now has a Flickr page with a whole bunch of his drawings available for your inspection. Some of his stuff is funny, some not so funny, but maybe because you don't understand it (but maybe neither does he!) Why not go take a peep anyway?Kapreles Drawings

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-25812031337579485882008-06-28T23:48:00.003+10:002008-06-28T23:58:14.534+10:00

One of the funniest motherfuckers who ever lived.As Jon Stewart once said, "There are two things that comedians of all stripes have in common. One, the belief that someone not as funny as they are is doing better than they are; and two, a sincere love and respect for George Carlin."

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-86659465574839497442008-06-12T22:55:00.003+10:002008-06-12T23:03:10.158+10:00

I just heard the funniest thing on the radio. The BBC were interviewing Indian men (in Bombay, or Mombay, or whatever it's called) about facial hair. One dude said he wore a big handlebar moustache because he didn't want to look feminine, but masculine.Is that hilarious or what!

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-77906092244897020042008-05-23T18:43:00.004+10:002008-05-23T18:51:44.174+10:00

I only just found out that actor Brad Renfro died earlier this year. How fucked. I will always remember him from one of the coolest comic book movies ever made: Ghost World.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-14457951198658011722008-05-23T00:11:00.002+10:002008-06-28T23:59:25.741+10:00

Did I watch Origin? Good grief. You're still a big sports dag, I see. No I didn't watch the footie. One of my facebook friends wrote something like "Go the blues!" which I think is such a retarded statement. The whole thing is idiotic if you ask me. Going bananas over sporting teams. My friend The J Man wrote the best line on that when he said, "These people who spend all weekend watching sports.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-19989334246777023272008-05-02T23:56:00.003+10:002008-05-02T23:58:50.408+10:00

If you don't mind a bit of shouting, you might love this song and video as much as I do. Their new album Silhouettes is very good too.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-19735602369143653272008-05-02T01:00:00.002+10:002008-05-02T01:05:47.203+10:00

It's so wonderful to receive feedback when you have posted a list of various items you have bought in the past few weeks. It makes the effort to type it all out worthwhile, it really does.I'll post another list soon - I only hope it inspires my readers as much as the other one did.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-8740088882749635212008-04-13T23:24:00.004+10:002008-04-13T23:40:43.216+10:00

Awesome-est Metal website of the year:Metal SucksRejoice!

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-39473783110669537172008-04-08T22:37:00.004+10:002008-04-08T23:34:35.824+10:00

JuiceBaked BeansCigarettesCrackersMuffinsRoach BombBaked BeansCokePanasEaster EggsDeodorantMatchesBeerSugar SoapScrubbersTraveltenLemonCheesePickled JalapenosSour CreamCigarettesLemonMinced MeatTortillasSalsa SauceMuffinsPeanut ButterTissuesMuffinsCokeCheeseChips

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-2315691189470158442008-03-30T11:36:00.003+11:002008-04-08T22:43:26.740+10:00

'...Ganzer syndrome, in which the soldier will begin to make jokes, act silly, and otherwise try to ward off the horror with humor and the ridiculous.The degree of affliction in confusional states can range from the merely neurotic to the overtly psychotic. The sense of humor exhibited in the movie and television series M*A*S*H is an excellent example of individuals mildly afflicted with Ganzer

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-9436996122235194662008-03-24T23:28:00.006+11:002008-03-24T23:36:11.543+11:00

If I see one more person use the expression "rinse, repeat" and they're talking about something other than washing hair, I am going to fucking shit a fuck.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-75678955467672719122008-03-18T12:41:00.004+11:002008-03-18T12:46:14.278+11:00

I'm not a PC gamer, but this might be enough to tempt me...School Girl Skirt Lifting

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-34537810093389534542008-03-07T17:45:00.003+11:002008-03-07T17:53:26.232+11:00

'I knew already that Hollywood was not to be believed. They had only borrowed cowboys, not invented them, hijacked them from the guys who are now south of the Rio Grande. In an effort to cover their tracks, if not their guilt, they had turned them into bandits or snivelling peasants.It's time for the rewrite.The orginal men who rode the horses and herded the cattle across North America spoke

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-58820430981094916832008-02-27T14:10:00.001+11:002008-02-27T14:12:46.669+11:00

Hey, this sounds like a pretty cool idea. He probably should have shaved first though, and had his legs waxed.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-66219108161198417482008-02-03T21:05:00.000+11:002008-02-03T21:42:03.022+11:00

I just finished watching Brokeback Mountain. It took a while to get around to it, but since Heath Ledger died I've been asked a few times if I'd seen it, and because I figured there would be some idiot retards out there who would connect his death and him being in this movie playing a gay cowboy, it was time to finally watch the movie already. In short, the movie was excellent. The acting was

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-44969540974421435372008-02-01T18:08:00.000+11:002008-02-01T18:14:32.485+11:00

'No other group of living things has been so often discussed and so little understood, and disagreement about this is implacable. The taboo against pigs in the Middle East is just as vehemently opposed by the reverence in which pigs are held in most of the Pacific where they have become symbols of political and social power. Anyone there who refuses to eat pork is regarded as inhuman.'- from 'The

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-91153555033271470312008-01-31T23:01:00.000+11:002008-01-31T23:34:25.293+11:00

I've filled out my visa application, now I only need to get a passport photo done then buy a ticket to Tokyo, or Osaka. I'm going in September. Not having been overseas since 1994, it's rather exciting. Something to look forward to, aside from the weekend, or a new Dragon Quest game.One place I plan to visit is Mt Koya, which has an enormous cemetery on top of a mountain forest. There are paths

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-72830634684039732332008-01-17T21:01:00.000+11:002008-01-18T00:01:53.411+11:00

An ex-girlfriend called me at work the day before yesterday. It was right out of the blue. We made some small talk, whatever that is, then she asked me for my email address. That night when I checked my email I saw that she had composed an email right after she had hung up the phone. In it, she admitted that she "missed the old times", whatever that means. Maybe she has the 'seven-year-itch' you

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-41576449692333149702008-01-13T13:32:00.000+11:002008-01-13T13:41:14.593+11:00

French military surgeon Jules Cotard lived only 49 years (1840-1889), but he will be forever remembered for discovering one of nature's most sincerely fucked-up mental illnesses: Cotard's syndrome is a mental disorder where the victim concludes that he or she is dead. Sometimes the symptoms are more specific: Patients believe that they are missing certain internal organs, or that there is no

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-90516283011703894432008-01-12T21:30:00.000+11:002008-01-13T01:01:10.434+11:00

About a month ago I started feeding a Currawong. Before that story though, I have to go back a bit.There are big trees in the carpark between our unit blocks, and my balcony overlooks this. I like to sit out there when I smoke. Doing this, I got to noticing the different birds in my neighbourhood.There are pigeons, for one. I was surprised when I first saw a couple of them turning over leaves and

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-37420617971332676352008-01-10T11:19:00.000+11:002008-01-10T11:24:22.564+11:00

[I love this story. It's about time some whining anti-smoking crybabies were put in their place.]The owner of a small German computer company has fired three non-smoking workers because they were threatening to disturb the peace after they requested a smoke-free environment.The manager of the 10-person IT company in Buesum, named Thomas J, told the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper he had fired the

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-16910251421761524872008-01-08T23:59:00.000+11:002008-01-09T00:13:15.845+11:00

Natalie Portman fandom makes a lot of sense.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-46677946034946706512008-01-08T20:45:00.000+11:002008-01-08T21:04:44.050+11:00

I was riding home on the footpath because the road was too busy. Up ahead were some sleepy looking young women waiting to cross at the lights. I could tell they weren't gonna step aside a little to let me pass, so I screamed:"WAKE UP! GRAB A BRUSH AND PUT ON A LITTLE MAKEUP!"Well, it did the trick.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-65072286529264467982008-01-07T21:45:00.000+11:002008-01-07T23:11:28.955+11:00

I just got back from seeing the new Coen brothers movie No Country For Old Men.Josh Brolin plays a macho cowboy type dude who comes across these bodies while out hunting. He finds a suitcase full of money and takes off with it. A total psycho played by Javier Bardem (with an excellent hairstyle, I must say) spends most of the movie trying to track him down. Bardem's character has a rather unusual

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-26002396043813747912008-01-06T21:21:00.000+11:002008-01-07T22:38:37.806+11:00

Why is it getting harder to find mozzie coils? Anybody know? I use mozzie coils every summer because I don't have flyscreens, plus I like the smell. Recently I asked a checkout dude at my local minimarket why they didn't stock mozzie coils any more. He shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't know, but they didn't stock them any more. Today I rode my bike to a mini market further away, where I

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-85512631399406073962008-01-05T20:47:00.001+11:002008-01-13T01:00:15.608+11:00

Finished a very good book today called Holding On : Dreamers, Visionaries, Eccentrics and Other American Heroes by David Isay and Harvey Wang. Isay travelled around the US for three years (around 1991-93) interviewing these people, and Wang took their photographs.I only found out about this book because I saw the obituary of Robert Shields in the Sydney Morning Herald. He was a guy who took

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-68509004780998640332008-01-04T13:06:00.000+11:002008-01-04T13:09:56.266+11:00

Teen girl 1: "You know [points to teen girl 2] Marie's pregnant?"Teen boy 1: "Who to?"Teen girl 2: "Don't know."They all laugh.Overheard on train from Wollongong to Kiama (by Pauli)

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-37962553970227590202008-01-03T20:31:00.000+11:002008-01-04T00:24:41.405+11:00

Watching new Aussie TV shows can be a disappointing experience. It's even worse when you are Australian. Naturally we want our own productions to be good, not to suck.A new sitcom on the ABC debuted recently, it was called The Librarians. I didn't even make it to the end of the first episode it was so lame. I wanted to like it because my friend who works in the library at work told everybody to

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-43244039053719007882008-01-02T22:54:00.000+11:002008-01-02T23:02:26.225+11:00

Another of my NY resolutions was to finish reading the Kurt Wallander novels by the excellent Swedish writer Henning Mankell. Two days ago I finished the eighth book, and there's only one more to read: Pyramiden, which is a collection of five short stories that deal with Wallander and his early years as a cop/detective. To my dismay, I found out this afternoon that this book has not yet been

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-83562096728372272892008-01-02T14:23:00.000+11:002008-01-02T14:37:03.676+11:00

The daily quotation on my Collins desk calender today is from Don Shula:"Success is not forever and failure is not fatal."That's not a bad line, I suppose, though I doubt Mr Wilde has much to worry about, but who the heck is Don Shula?The name sounds Hawaiian.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-40807957123701110582008-01-01T22:02:00.000+11:002008-01-02T01:00:17.911+11:00

Happy New Year! to all my readers. One, two, three... Yep, you're all here. Good.Anybody got any New Year resolutions? I'll bet you have been asked that before already, maybe more than once, and maybe you're sick of it. Or maybe not. Maybe you've got some good ones this year and wanna tell everybody. Well tell ME, go on! That's what the Comments button is for, after all.As for me, quitting

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-35992501740102125922007-12-31T19:57:00.000+11:002008-01-13T01:27:04.769+11:00

This morning at 2:00am I finished Rogue Galaxy. It was a big relief to finish it. The final boss battle was a very long and sometimes frustrating multi-part affair. I died once about twenty minutes into it because I didn't use healing items fast enough. A dumb mistake on my part that very nearly caused me to hurl the controller at the wall. It was about 1:00am but I didn't feel like I could sleep

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-76580784414560164462007-12-22T13:07:00.000+11:002007-12-22T13:12:50.565+11:00

I like eating sushi, and this morning when I went out for a walk I noticed a new sushi joint had opened up near Taylor's Square. It had an unusual name for a sushi joint: 'Scientific Sushi'.While I would agree that sushi-making could be considered an artform, it seems a bit of a stretch to call it a science.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-19419215690074319022007-12-16T19:10:00.000+11:002007-12-16T23:48:33.543+11:00

It's that time of year, so here's my Top Ten Movies of 2007:Black Book - Paul Verhoeven rules, man.The Brave One - So does Jodie Foster.Control - How did they manage to reincarnate Ian Curtis for this?Die Hard 4.0 - Bruce Willis proves that the coolest action heroes are over 40.Eastern Promises - Team up David Cronenberg with Viggo Mortensen and you have a great movie. It's a scientific formula.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-84878900647021097262007-12-10T21:56:00.001+11:002007-12-16T19:33:02.782+11:00

It was a sunny day and I felt good. I got on the bus and instantly heard bellowing. It was coming from a bunch of teenage idiots who took up the rear half of the bus. Empty booze bottles clanked on the floor whenever the driver hit the brakes. One of the kids noisily hawked up a gob of snot and spat on the floor. A bottle bumped into my foot and I picked it up and threw it at the snotty kid. He

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-67951439110779254062007-12-10T20:56:00.000+11:002007-12-10T21:00:36.126+11:00

"Ordinary human beings," said Hansson in dismay. "Completely normal on the surface. Underneath, mentally ill beasts of prey. A man in France, the foreman of a coal depot, used to cut open the stomachs of his victims and stick his head inside to try to suffocate himself. That's one example."- Hansson depresses Wallander even more than he already was in Sidetracked by Henning Mankell [1995]

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-38702509899868407402007-12-04T23:33:00.000+11:002007-12-04T23:39:46.875+11:00

'The summer landscape seemed a surreal backdrop to his thoughts. Two men are axed to death and scalped, he thought. A young girl walks into a rape field and sets herself on fire. And all around me it's summertime. Skane couldn't be more beautiful than this. There's a paradise hidden in every corner of this countryside. To find it, all you have to do is keep your eyes open. But you also might

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-85150934086079259822007-12-02T00:28:00.000+11:002007-12-02T00:36:15.903+11:00

I was listening to my favourite radio show this morning (The Naked City on FBi) and Coffin Ed told this very funny joke:The Pope dies and goes to heaven.St Peter says, “So, is there anything you wanna see? Anything you missed out on in your life?”The Pope says, “Yes! I would like to see the original version of the Bible!”St Peter says, “OK. Come over here then, go in that little room. It’s in

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-53896036696189589042007-12-01T11:14:00.001+11:002007-12-02T00:51:38.419+11:00

This morning I heard somebody on the radio say something idiotic. It's a line that I've heard and seen written many times. These retards always use it when talking about a movie, a book, a video game, a performance of some kind, whatever it is, that they ended up disliking. They will say this:"That's four hours of my life I will never get back."What a shame. It's regrettable, isn't it? But let's

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-43949921539678709332007-11-30T07:37:00.000+11:002007-11-30T20:00:20.600+11:00

Have you heard about the latest outrage perpetrated against Islam? A primary school teacher in Khartoum (wherever that is) had the goddam nerve to name a teddy bear "Muhammad". Can you believe it? Luckily, a fellow teacher reported the atrocity and now this monstrous enemy of Islam faces swift and just punishment, possibly including forty lashes.[I'll find a link to the story later. I gotta go to

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-35337586296870053042007-11-29T19:56:00.000+11:002007-11-29T23:29:26.793+11:00

Something out of the ordinary happened this morning at work. You may know that I work in a mailroom. Well, after having emptied the mailbag onto the desk, I noticed a large white envelope that seemed to have scribbles all over it, and three stamps placed haphazardly in the top right-hand corner. There are two big colour posters on the mailroom wall that show an example of a suspicious parcel.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-6969320187130749552007-11-28T17:40:00.001+11:002007-11-28T17:47:18.093+11:00

How cool is this place? I wasn't even around in the '50s, but its pretty damn cool, if you ask me.Oh well, another one to add to the 'Places To Visit Before I Die' list.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-47548641712100705102007-11-24T19:41:00.000+11:002007-11-24T19:49:26.405+11:00

Perhaps you have noticed that some people like to use the word "meh" in their writing. They use that idiotic word in an attempt to convey how unimpressed they are about whatever it is.These people are douchebags.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-76958104484507701122007-11-19T15:08:00.000+11:002007-12-10T23:50:26.535+11:00

"Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes."- Henry David Thoreau(This was the quote from my desk calender for 17/18 November, and it's good advice! Also, Thoreau's Walden is one of my favourite books.)

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-53201322928908806332007-11-18T20:43:00.001+11:002007-11-18T21:52:11.199+11:00

I've been reading the obituaries in the newspaper for some years now, and once in a while it pays off big time. I found this one in 5 November's Sydney Morning Herald, but it's an edited version from 29 October's New York Times:Robert Shields, Wordy Diarist, Dies at 89Many of us have kept diaries in one form or another, but this man took it to a whole other level. 'He knocked out three million

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-65121748632654586112007-11-16T22:43:00.000+11:002007-11-16T22:44:16.378+11:00

Does anything eat wasps?

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-81297085933454244932007-11-05T13:58:00.000+11:002007-11-05T14:02:03.525+11:00

Wow, Blogger seems to be working again. I wonder if anybody else found it impossible to log on for the past seven days.Well, if it really is working again, time to party.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-66892278063635446282007-10-30T20:50:00.000+11:002007-10-30T21:49:22.810+11:00

There's an excellent documentary (Bloody Cartoons [Denmark, 2007]) on SBS right now about the insane overreaction to those BLASPHEMOUS and VERY FUNNY cartoons poking fun at Islam and Muslim terrorist bombers that were published in a Danish newspaper.What these idiots got so upset about was the depiction of Mohammad. According to them, Mohammad must not be depicted in an illustration or drawing,

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-80771666723933789972007-10-30T01:10:00.000+11:002007-10-30T01:11:19.083+11:00

The leaves are still nowA bright full moon shines through hazeA cat slinks below.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-5143101491028372842007-10-29T22:43:00.000+11:002007-10-29T22:52:23.262+11:00

This morning while delivering the mail I heard one of the Marketing girls say something to another Marketing girl. It struck me as one of the most idiotic observations I have ever heard. But why don't you be the judge? Here's what she said:"Oh, I keep getting confused about what day it is! I don't know if it's Friday or Monday. Maybe because they are so close together?"I could be wrong, but it

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-78722351462289807082007-10-27T01:15:00.000+10:002007-10-27T03:19:24.809+10:00

After six cans of beer, guess what! - it's time for a double bourbon and coke. And a smoke. I like to smoke cigarettes. Speaking of which, I hear that smoking is not only addictive (which is bullshit, by the way - they are simply so enjoyable they are impossible to resist!) but can kill you. My cigarette packs tell me that I am in real danger of getting lung cancer, having a stroke, a heart

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-52320505146179090412007-10-07T01:22:00.000+10:002007-10-07T13:59:23.572+10:00

Just so you know, it really doesn't bother me that I hardly ever get any comments here. It's because everybody else is busy with their MySpace page, where they have half a million 'friends' because they only had to press a button; or they have one of those useless and boring FaceBook pages (I know they are useless and boring because I investigated it - FaceBook is only good if you went to

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-34985948646473618362007-10-06T17:33:00.000+10:002007-10-07T11:23:40.768+10:00

Some readers may recall the time I mentioned reading Stephen Donaldson's 'Thomas Covenant' books, and how he loved to write stuff like:"Don't touch me!" he ejaculated."Leave me alone!" he ejaculated."Get your hands off of me!" he ejaculated.Well, right now I am reading an excellent and very funny book called Slow Death by Stewart Home. What I like about it is the way Home does sort of the same

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-69168480745426868272007-10-04T15:43:00.000+10:002007-10-04T15:51:10.230+10:00

Hey, Oktoberfest!This, the month to hit the suds.Drinking from big jugs.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-11679594313691340852007-10-03T14:48:00.000+10:002008-01-07T22:40:40.708+11:00

Life on MercuryWhat a day like this feels like.No hope for Snowman.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-64552739073888979092007-10-01T14:26:00.000+10:002008-01-07T22:42:20.380+11:00

I just read that Yukio Mishima once remarked that a fat belly was a sign of spiritual sloth. Why then do Buddha statues and figurines have such big, fat bellies? Hello.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-49183974861604989072007-10-01T13:25:00.000+10:002007-10-01T14:18:47.376+10:00

The Small Folk were in a lush green countryside. A man went to introduce himself to them. A girl accompanied him. They heard folk-ish, atmospheric music playing nearby. These Small Folk, their faces were never seen distinctly, only black, as in silhouette. They slowly arrived. They were strange, silent, seemed gentle although it struck the girl that they could be a danger in numbers. They had

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-10538906656997818472007-09-25T15:55:00.000+10:002007-09-25T16:06:32.079+10:00

Chopin on deathbedHears Eternal SonataWith monster battles.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-37527568898481604852007-09-22T20:01:00.000+10:002007-09-22T20:37:18.361+10:00

Afternoon is slowFlowers bloom in plastic tubeHorizontal life.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-12254083671621778462007-09-20T22:39:00.000+10:002007-09-20T22:42:49.679+10:00

Raindrops drip from leaves.Drinking beer on balconyAfter spring shower.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-59912052030335037452007-09-16T16:07:00.000+10:002007-09-16T23:47:53.220+10:00

Buzzing of house fly.Heard while lying down reading.First of the season.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-7372456987618597882007-09-15T12:49:00.000+10:002007-09-15T13:10:49.803+10:00

I was just listening to a program on Radio Netherlands' 'The State We're In' about the German group The Central Council of Ex-Muslims. This was an interesting program since I only recently learned that Muslims who renounce their faith risk execution. In fact, Islamic Sharia law states that a sane male apostate must be executed, while a female apostate may be executed or imprisoned (see also

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-56321194289343652082007-09-13T00:26:00.000+10:002007-09-13T00:52:41.663+10:00

A fundamentalist church pastor had sex with two of his teenage daughters for nearly ten years to educate them on how to be good wives, a South Australian court has heard. The 54-year-old man, who cannot be named, has been jailed for 8 1/2 years after pleading guilty to incest and unlawful sexual intercourse. - AAP- from Sydney Morning Herald 31 August 2007Opinion: These girls should consider

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-11074782085504252832007-09-11T22:17:00.000+10:002007-09-12T01:10:19.772+10:00

September 11, 2001. That was the day muslim retards hi-jacked and flew jets into two enormous New York City buildings. The good news was that they eliminated their worthless idiot retard selves from this world; the bad news was that in the process they caused the deaths of thousands of innocent people.Until recently I believed that it was only a minority of muslim retards that hated non-muslims

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-91593649533037313122007-09-10T15:03:00.000+10:002007-09-10T20:02:30.494+10:00

Hey, it's your birthday.Time to party with doll heads.Wear some Fashion Jeans.Birthdays are cRaZy.Classique steals my fairy bread.Doll heads misbehave.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-70675437998237590242007-09-09T20:01:00.000+10:002007-09-09T20:14:18.874+10:00

What Should the Free World Do While Facing Islamist Intimidation?A very good short essay by Robert Redeker, French writer and philosophy teacher who is currently in hiding, under police protection, as a result of death threats he received from an Islamist website.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-28996208178748094422007-09-09T11:44:00.001+10:002007-09-12T23:44:13.881+10:00

There's another excellent passage in Infidel (see 'Infidel' post below) I'd like to share because it deals with - in a perfectly amusing way - the idea of Muslim women having to cover up, to not expose any skin or hair, for if men see a woman in revealing clothing they will be driven into an uncontrollable sexual frenzy (which of course is the woman's fault), and if this happens on a large scale,

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-60185090415727029182007-09-09T10:55:00.001+10:002007-09-11T23:37:52.817+10:00

I just checked my email and guess what? I can expect a visit from the 'big dik fairy'.I'm going to bed early tonight!

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-43621050907064294892007-09-08T21:23:00.000+10:002007-09-08T22:55:20.086+10:00

Okay look, this is the absolute coolest blog I have seen in a v. long time. Mail art! I posted something at a red mailbox this afternoon and somebody had written DO MAIL ART! YES TERRY! WILL DO MAIL ART! or something like that, I didn't have my fone so I couldn't take a foto, but got home and Googled it and Wiki'd 'mail art' and found this and have been looking at it jaw on keyboard for the last

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-79406946748835804182007-09-08T20:55:00.001+10:002007-09-08T21:11:28.824+10:00

8:54pm Saturday night.Beer and beer nuts.Iron Chef returned tonight.Already seen it.Worst episode ever:Liver Battle.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-16778307713542201352007-09-08T15:06:00.000+10:002007-09-09T14:00:22.007+10:00

Right now I'm reading a book called Infidel, the memoir of Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I became aware of her when Theo van Gogh was shot and stabbed to death in 2004. Theo (great grandson of the brother of Vincent van Gogh) was a filmmaker and with Ayaan Hirsi Ali made a short film criticising the (inherently Islam-sanctioned) abuse of Muslim women.Muslims (and Islam) often get a bad rap these days, and

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-87955172529135518882007-09-08T11:40:00.000+10:002007-09-08T11:52:33.075+10:00

I was talking to my mother on the phone last night and the subject of those Chaser boys came up. They managed to get past two security checkpoints in the APEC red zone yesterday. They had a black limo, four dudes dressed as CIA dudes running alongside the car, and inside one of them was dressed up as Osama bin Laden. They were waved through two security checkpoints without being stopped to show

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-56585127824596181782007-09-07T23:39:00.000+10:002007-09-07T23:41:57.241+10:00

Tonight I was surprised to find how well beer went with licorice.

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-85518991830204106422007-09-06T17:14:00.001+10:002007-12-10T23:28:30.128+11:00

It's APEC week here in Sydney and many world leaders have arrived to discuss the pressing issues of the times. The skies over the city are almost constantly buzzing with the sound of helicopter rotors.This afternoon in the office we heard one of these helicopters get louder and louder until it sounded like it was going to land on the roof.I went outside to have a look. L and D were there looking

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-21915696164839411572007-09-06T13:27:00.000+10:002007-09-06T13:30:34.135+10:00

December 2006, Gold Coast, Queensland.(sent to me by Brother Mikel.)

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3630101.post-85630667250487699942007-09-05T15:57:00.000+10:002007-09-05T16:10:25.676+10:00

ES. James, was that you who said "Whee!" in my comments field the other day, or a different Simon? If it was you, did you get the Murakami book and the other stuff? I figured that you moved somewhere else and that my stuff was being gratefully received by a complete stranger (or more like thrown in the trash with a cranky "WTF?")Anyway, whatever, and all that jazz. But if you or anybody feels an

Stratuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16849069916400212565noreply@blogger.com2