So as I was driving to work yesterday at about 1450, I was passed by a speeding Range Rover. When leaving work at 0425 this morning (long shift....I had to wait for things to happen), I was passed by the same speeding Range Rover (I recognised the number plate from pass 1). What are the odds of that? Or is there a ghostly Range Rover haunting State Highway 2, terrorising unsuspecting late night workers?
I have had about one hour of real sleep and about four hours of fitful dozing in the last 24 due to my heroic efforts at work last night, and attending a work training session this morning. I am tired. I know I am tired because as I was returning to work this morning, I was playing Incubus' "wish you were here" in the car, and it was a beautiful morning and a complete kodak moment and I nearly cried and got shivers down my spine because it was such a perfect gelling of music and scenery. I don't normally get that emotional about driving to work. I have to stay up though, becuse if I sleep now and not later tonight I will be even more out of whack, and it will mess up my sleep patterns for the entire weekend.
Preparty nervousness is now setting in. Will people turn up? Will it go off? Will my music work? etc etc etc. In the back of my mind I know it will be alright on the night, but I am jittery nonetheless.
Off to finish the CD's now.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Things I like about me
In belated response to a Notkate post from umm, ages ago, here are maybe ten things I like about me. If I can think of ten.
1. I know when to talk, and when not to talk.
2. I know lots of stuff, but actively try not to bore people with it. I often answer questions, post comments etc in a way that answers the question simply without information dumping. I like to think I am not arrogant or show-offy with my knowledge of various things. I have refrained from correcting people because I didn't want to embarrass them.
3. I generally know when to walk away, and when to run.
4. I am good in a crisis. I remain calm when it really matters (sometimes it does not). This seems to run in my family, as my siblings have also demonstrated sang-froid at times.
5. I will generally try to do the right thing, or what needs to be done, even if it is something I find unpleasant or intimidating.
6. I am very good at my job. I have a strong work ethic when I am paid to. I believe in doing things right first time in my work.
7. I am loyal and trustworthy, and discrete. Tell me a secret and it will stay secret.
8. I am honest. I hate lying and being lied to.
9. I am usually thoughtful.
10. I will admit I am wrong when I am proved to be so.
Didn't think I'd make ten.
1. I know when to talk, and when not to talk.
2. I know lots of stuff, but actively try not to bore people with it. I often answer questions, post comments etc in a way that answers the question simply without information dumping. I like to think I am not arrogant or show-offy with my knowledge of various things. I have refrained from correcting people because I didn't want to embarrass them.
3. I generally know when to walk away, and when to run.
4. I am good in a crisis. I remain calm when it really matters (sometimes it does not). This seems to run in my family, as my siblings have also demonstrated sang-froid at times.
5. I will generally try to do the right thing, or what needs to be done, even if it is something I find unpleasant or intimidating.
6. I am very good at my job. I have a strong work ethic when I am paid to. I believe in doing things right first time in my work.
7. I am loyal and trustworthy, and discrete. Tell me a secret and it will stay secret.
8. I am honest. I hate lying and being lied to.
9. I am usually thoughtful.
10. I will admit I am wrong when I am proved to be so.
Didn't think I'd make ten.
T Shirt and other stuff
Ha! You all thought I'd forgotten to post a T didn't you! Better late than never.
I believe the above cartoon represents a true and accurate representation of my dancing ability. The random movement thing, not the score. I can do a fair Peter Garrett impersonation. I generally only dance to various forms of electronica, with fairly high BPM. I can't get the hang of slow stuff, although I enjoyed dancing at my wedding, and that was fairly slow.
I like the idea of "well, we don't know what it is, but it sure dances well".
Other stuff
I've been busy mixing CD's for my gathering on Friday. There are rules to making a mix CD. Keep a flow. Never artist block (group songs by artist). Have strong opening and ending tracks. Don't put too many slow songs together.
I am mixing in a fairly random way while still obeying the above constraints. I generally think of the next song to add while I am ripping the one before it. I have no set lists, but am thinking of additions while at work, and compiling from memory. I am trying to be representative of all my tastes. At the same time, I have thrown in a few songs specifically for people I know will be in attendance. I enjoy making comps. It reinforces the fact that I have no favourite song. I have about a dozen self made compilation CD's of favourite songs though. A trend I have noticed about my comps is that they tend to be quite upbeat. I like a slow mellow or sad song as much as the next man, but they don't seem to make it.
Incidentally, I am ripping from my CD collection, 99% of which I have paid for, so no malarkey about stealing alright? I hate collections that consist of burnt CD's. The packaging is a big part of the album's character in my opinion. I burn for compilations.
I am open to requests (subject to approval) if there is anything particularly desired by attending readers. You have about 36 hours to comply before the last CD is mixed.
Also it has come to my attention that some are assuming that all parties must be on Saturday and planning accordingly. My party is on FRIDAY. Not Saturday. You could turn up on Saturday but myself and the people who actually read the invitation won't be there. Remember, assume makes an ass out of u and me.
I was going to write something thoughtful about September 11th, but decided against it. Some may have noticed a lack of world events or political discussion on my blog. It is deliberate. Other people do that much better than I could.
I have a kind of blog envy at the moment. After reading a number of blogs today, they all seem more interesting than mine. Kind of like when everyone elses food looks better than yours at a restaurant. I guess I just don't have as much to say as other folk, and don't say it as wittily. I don't post punctuating links often, primarily because I don't actually spend a lot of time surfing. My online time is quite focused.
So I spend all evening at work looking forward to a cold beer when I get home, and what do I find? No beer in the fridge goddamnit. Warm beer in the laundry. Sigh.
A co worker had a minor car accident while picking up pizza last week. Apart from having aquired the nickname 'Crash', he can say he was hit by a pizza driver from Hell and have it be the literal truth.
Netball last night was fun. I have noticed that I get so focused on the game that I don't notice when regular players are entirely absent. Implications of this are as yet unclear.
My beard is now longer than my hair. I will probably shave it off before Friday though.
To further mark the occasion of turning 30, I have decided which new tattoo to get. I'll go see a tattooist on Friday to discuss. I got my first when I was 25, five years later plus three decades of existence seems a good excuse to get a Kiwi design planted on a shoulder. I like tattoos. I like seeing what people choose to imprint on their skin in order to express themselves. My first tat is a celtic design, which is my particular ethnic heritage (I love the traditional Maori and Pacific Island tats, that can have a symbology and language all of their own, and sometimes have to be earned rather than chosen). The second is about where I'm from. The third will be more for fun. Why? I don't really know. I think it is about establishing my identity by customising myself. There are a lot of celtic armbands out there, but I have seen none like mine.
In reaching 30 alive I have proved my first girlfriend wrong. Still, we were angsty teenagers at the time she said that, and get on much better now.
Friday, September 08, 2006
bummer
Bad week to be an Australian legend.
I wasn't really into the Crocodile hunters antics, but it was cool how he raised peoples awareness on conservation and wildlife issues.
Peter Brock was the definition of a legend. One Wellington street race his car broke down. By the time his pit crew fixed it, he was way way down the field, with no chance of victory. Instead of just putting in the laps and going through the motions like a lot of drivers would, he drove the hell out of his machine, with the result that the television coverage started focussing more on him than the leaders, as he ripped through the field to finish way higher than anyone expected him to. A lot of it was done with his elbow on the windowsill.
I wasn't really into the Crocodile hunters antics, but it was cool how he raised peoples awareness on conservation and wildlife issues.
Peter Brock was the definition of a legend. One Wellington street race his car broke down. By the time his pit crew fixed it, he was way way down the field, with no chance of victory. Instead of just putting in the laps and going through the motions like a lot of drivers would, he drove the hell out of his machine, with the result that the television coverage started focussing more on him than the leaders, as he ripped through the field to finish way higher than anyone expected him to. A lot of it was done with his elbow on the windowsill.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Bookfair a go go
Listening to 'Permanence'-Gramsci
I love bookfairs. Mainly because I love books, and the reading thereof. There is possibly a causal link between this and my skill at quizzes. A quick glance around my place reveals four books that I am reading concurrently, not counting magazines. I treat books like TV, changing channels/books depending what I feel like. I don't generally use bookmarks. I just flick through until I find where I was at.
Its very mild tonight. I have the dryer on, so the back door is open, and it isn't even cold. This and other portents, like my car being covered in pollen mean that spring is here. This also means that my annual purchase of antihistamines and preventers is due.
Anyway, I was talking about bookfairs. I love the not knowing quite what you'll find, and the thrill of the hunt as you chase down a book you have been looking for for years. Several books in my library have been sourced from bookfairs, after long quests. I don't like the crowds, or the fanatical hard core collectors who carry boxes around and get in everyones way.
The two biggest fairs in Wellington are the Downtown Community Mission fair in the Queens Wharf event center, and the Upper Hutt Rotary fair, usually held at CIT.
On Saturday in company with regular fairers Rich, Dennis and Fi, I hit up the DCM fair.
$34 later, this is what I came up with.
A selection of magazines, mostly related to model aircraft. I spend more time reading about building them than actually making them, which is a habit I need to reverse. Still, the magazines are a great source of hints and tips, and most importantly, inspiration. I get a cheap thrill from looking at the close up photos of the subject of an article and knowing 'I can do better than that'.
'Treasures of the National Air and Space Museum', $1
Pocket size companion to the US NASM, located in Washington DC. Basically if it is a historically important air or spacecraft, it is there. The Wright Flyer is there, along with the Spirit of St Louis and the Apollo 11 Command Module. Very impressive place which I hope to visit someday.
'Metamorphosis'-Mike Wilks, $2
Basically an enormous spot the difference book. Every page is doubled; the double has differences. As this includes pages of text, as well as detailed paintings, this one could take a while to peruse if I have the patience.
'I learned about flying from that'-From the editors of 'Flying' magazine, $1
A compilation of columns from an aviation magazine where pilots describe near-misses, incidents, accidents, and how they got into and out of them. Lessons about complacency, over confidence, lack of preparation abound. I find it interesting as I like flying and work with complex machinery, so some of it cross pollinates. Plus they are usually pretty good stories in their own right.
'Contact'-Carl Sagan, $1
Source novel for the movie. Read it ages ago, enjoyed it, so I picked it up.
'40 Squadron RNZAF, To the four winds', $1
Brief paperback history of the RNZAF's transport squadron (the ones that fly the Hercules and the Boeing 757's, which I have heard referred to as 'Helen's broomsticks' in certain circles). Interesting little publication from the early 80's.
'The riddle of the Titanic'-Robin Gardiner and Dan van der Vat, $1
Despite the naff title, this is a very interesting mid nineties analysis of the Titanic disaster, origins and aftermath. I have always been fascinated by the 'Titanic' and her story, from as early as I can remember. The well researched book examines the myths and legends versus qualifiable reality of the ship and her fate. It also considers the consiracy theory that it was not the Titanic that sank, but her sister ship the Olympic, the identities having been swapped after the Olympic was made uninsurable by a collision in 1911. The Olympic had a long and peaceful career, finally being scrapped in 1937. Third sister the 'Britannic' wasn't so lucky, being sunk by a mine while serving as a hospital ship in 1916. At least one of the crew to survive the Britannic sinking also survived the Titanic disaster.
'Swirly World'-Andrew Fagan, $4
Mocker's lead singer Fagan buys a tiny yacht and makes solo voyages all over the place, including setting the record for the smallest craft to complete a double crossing of the Tasman according to the blurb. If his musical and DJing style is anything to go by, this should be an interesting read. The blurb lists partner Karen Hay's occupation as 'novelist'. I didn't know that. I just thought she was a former TV music show host and killer of good radio stations.
Modern Fighting Aircraft, Bill Gunston $6
Not so modern as it turns out, being published in 1984. This is a large format reference book, with details and illustrations of military aircraft. I have the equivalent volume from 1977 also. I devoured these things when I was a kid. I find them interesting now, as they are reflective of the time they were written, at the height of the cold war. Planes that were still current then are now history. While western types are pretty well documented, anything from the Soviet Union, China or the Eastern Bloc is reduced to fuzzy blurry photos, speculation, ridiculously inaccurate in hindsight 'artists impressions', and in one case a satellite photo (a lot of Chinese stuff still falls into this category occasionally). They are fun in that things that are widely known about now were still very secret at the time. The Stealth fighter, which was operational in 1984, gets one paragraph of rumours, a completely inaccurate sketch, and an incorrect designation. It's also fun for me in seeing how the great projects of the time have panned out twenty years later. Some things that were ultimately never built are anticipated in great detail. Others show how complex and complicated defence projects can be. The French 'Rafale' fighter is an example. In 1984 it was known as the ACF, and is shown in model form, as it hadn't been built yet. Where is it in 2006? In the process of entering full scale service, after twenty years of development. Plus Gunston is one of my favourite aviation authors. He really knows his stuff, and often manages to get some humour into fairly dry topics.
'Above Wellington'-James Siers with Alex Veysey, $5
Probably the best buy, this 1985 book consists of aerial photos of Wellington and its surroundings. The photos are all from the early eighties, and are of a Wellington that I remember. Some parts are still familiar, others are very different. The picture of central Lower Hutt has no Queensgate mall or Huia pool. Where the mall is now there is a patch of waste ground that I remember as a good source of treat plants for our pet rabbits.
The thing that struck me the most, and which took me a while to figure out, is in a lot of the shots of the central city in particular, there are very few cars. I wondered where they all were, until it occured to me that in the early eighties, there was still no Sunday shopping, and Saturday shopping was only until noon generally. On the weekends the city was a ghost town, so I figure a lot of the pictures were taken on a weekend, hence no cars.
I love books like this, and am amassing a small collection of them. It helps connect you to the place you live when you see how it used to look, and you can remember the time when it looked like that.
I love bookfairs. Mainly because I love books, and the reading thereof. There is possibly a causal link between this and my skill at quizzes. A quick glance around my place reveals four books that I am reading concurrently, not counting magazines. I treat books like TV, changing channels/books depending what I feel like. I don't generally use bookmarks. I just flick through until I find where I was at.
Its very mild tonight. I have the dryer on, so the back door is open, and it isn't even cold. This and other portents, like my car being covered in pollen mean that spring is here. This also means that my annual purchase of antihistamines and preventers is due.
Anyway, I was talking about bookfairs. I love the not knowing quite what you'll find, and the thrill of the hunt as you chase down a book you have been looking for for years. Several books in my library have been sourced from bookfairs, after long quests. I don't like the crowds, or the fanatical hard core collectors who carry boxes around and get in everyones way.
The two biggest fairs in Wellington are the Downtown Community Mission fair in the Queens Wharf event center, and the Upper Hutt Rotary fair, usually held at CIT.
On Saturday in company with regular fairers Rich, Dennis and Fi, I hit up the DCM fair.
$34 later, this is what I came up with.
A selection of magazines, mostly related to model aircraft. I spend more time reading about building them than actually making them, which is a habit I need to reverse. Still, the magazines are a great source of hints and tips, and most importantly, inspiration. I get a cheap thrill from looking at the close up photos of the subject of an article and knowing 'I can do better than that'.
'Treasures of the National Air and Space Museum', $1
Pocket size companion to the US NASM, located in Washington DC. Basically if it is a historically important air or spacecraft, it is there. The Wright Flyer is there, along with the Spirit of St Louis and the Apollo 11 Command Module. Very impressive place which I hope to visit someday.
'Metamorphosis'-Mike Wilks, $2
Basically an enormous spot the difference book. Every page is doubled; the double has differences. As this includes pages of text, as well as detailed paintings, this one could take a while to peruse if I have the patience.
'I learned about flying from that'-From the editors of 'Flying' magazine, $1
A compilation of columns from an aviation magazine where pilots describe near-misses, incidents, accidents, and how they got into and out of them. Lessons about complacency, over confidence, lack of preparation abound. I find it interesting as I like flying and work with complex machinery, so some of it cross pollinates. Plus they are usually pretty good stories in their own right.
'Contact'-Carl Sagan, $1
Source novel for the movie. Read it ages ago, enjoyed it, so I picked it up.
'40 Squadron RNZAF, To the four winds', $1
Brief paperback history of the RNZAF's transport squadron (the ones that fly the Hercules and the Boeing 757's, which I have heard referred to as 'Helen's broomsticks' in certain circles). Interesting little publication from the early 80's.
'The riddle of the Titanic'-Robin Gardiner and Dan van der Vat, $1
Despite the naff title, this is a very interesting mid nineties analysis of the Titanic disaster, origins and aftermath. I have always been fascinated by the 'Titanic' and her story, from as early as I can remember. The well researched book examines the myths and legends versus qualifiable reality of the ship and her fate. It also considers the consiracy theory that it was not the Titanic that sank, but her sister ship the Olympic, the identities having been swapped after the Olympic was made uninsurable by a collision in 1911. The Olympic had a long and peaceful career, finally being scrapped in 1937. Third sister the 'Britannic' wasn't so lucky, being sunk by a mine while serving as a hospital ship in 1916. At least one of the crew to survive the Britannic sinking also survived the Titanic disaster.
'Swirly World'-Andrew Fagan, $4
Mocker's lead singer Fagan buys a tiny yacht and makes solo voyages all over the place, including setting the record for the smallest craft to complete a double crossing of the Tasman according to the blurb. If his musical and DJing style is anything to go by, this should be an interesting read. The blurb lists partner Karen Hay's occupation as 'novelist'. I didn't know that. I just thought she was a former TV music show host and killer of good radio stations.
Modern Fighting Aircraft, Bill Gunston $6
Not so modern as it turns out, being published in 1984. This is a large format reference book, with details and illustrations of military aircraft. I have the equivalent volume from 1977 also. I devoured these things when I was a kid. I find them interesting now, as they are reflective of the time they were written, at the height of the cold war. Planes that were still current then are now history. While western types are pretty well documented, anything from the Soviet Union, China or the Eastern Bloc is reduced to fuzzy blurry photos, speculation, ridiculously inaccurate in hindsight 'artists impressions', and in one case a satellite photo (a lot of Chinese stuff still falls into this category occasionally). They are fun in that things that are widely known about now were still very secret at the time. The Stealth fighter, which was operational in 1984, gets one paragraph of rumours, a completely inaccurate sketch, and an incorrect designation. It's also fun for me in seeing how the great projects of the time have panned out twenty years later. Some things that were ultimately never built are anticipated in great detail. Others show how complex and complicated defence projects can be. The French 'Rafale' fighter is an example. In 1984 it was known as the ACF, and is shown in model form, as it hadn't been built yet. Where is it in 2006? In the process of entering full scale service, after twenty years of development. Plus Gunston is one of my favourite aviation authors. He really knows his stuff, and often manages to get some humour into fairly dry topics.
'Above Wellington'-James Siers with Alex Veysey, $5
Probably the best buy, this 1985 book consists of aerial photos of Wellington and its surroundings. The photos are all from the early eighties, and are of a Wellington that I remember. Some parts are still familiar, others are very different. The picture of central Lower Hutt has no Queensgate mall or Huia pool. Where the mall is now there is a patch of waste ground that I remember as a good source of treat plants for our pet rabbits.
The thing that struck me the most, and which took me a while to figure out, is in a lot of the shots of the central city in particular, there are very few cars. I wondered where they all were, until it occured to me that in the early eighties, there was still no Sunday shopping, and Saturday shopping was only until noon generally. On the weekends the city was a ghost town, so I figure a lot of the pictures were taken on a weekend, hence no cars.
I love books like this, and am amassing a small collection of them. It helps connect you to the place you live when you see how it used to look, and you can remember the time when it looked like that.
Dinner Party
Tonight Fishy and I hosted her sister Carol, neice Megan, and the Rich/Kirsten Gestalt for dinner. I cooked. All day I was looking forward to getting home and cooking. Odd.
Menu
Entree
Chilli philly with rice crackers. The cook had scorched almonds, not liking chilli philly or rice crackers.
Main
Crumbed beef schnitzel. Crumbed with egg yolk, breadcrumbs and secret herbs and spices. Accompanied by 'perfect' boiled rice.
Sides
Mushrooms pan fried with butter and cajun seasoning.
Steamed broccoli and peas.
Omelette from leftover crumbing egg
Drinks
Steinlager, Chardonnay, pinot noir and apple juice (I wasn't hammered, but I could see it from where I was. Lucky I was sober enough to cook.)
Dessert
Saucy chocolate ice cream.
Yum
Good time was had by all
Menu
Entree
Chilli philly with rice crackers. The cook had scorched almonds, not liking chilli philly or rice crackers.
Main
Crumbed beef schnitzel. Crumbed with egg yolk, breadcrumbs and secret herbs and spices. Accompanied by 'perfect' boiled rice.
Sides
Mushrooms pan fried with butter and cajun seasoning.
Steamed broccoli and peas.
Omelette from leftover crumbing egg
Drinks
Steinlager, Chardonnay, pinot noir and apple juice (I wasn't hammered, but I could see it from where I was. Lucky I was sober enough to cook.)
Dessert
Saucy chocolate ice cream.
Yum
Good time was had by all
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Flying High
My favourite plane movies, largely based on accuracy as I understand it (as a plane nerd). This combines two loves, planes and movies. Inspired by a comment on my snakes on a plane post, this is where I get all nerdy on yo asses.
Flight of the Intruder (1991)
Based on a book by someone who was there about the latter phases of the air war over Vietnam, well, it works better as a book (the book is something of a benchmark in the 'telling it like it was' scheme of things). The movie isn't that great plot wise. The planes however, are exactly right, right kind of plane, correct colour scheme for the period, even correct weapons load under the wings for the mission being depicted (something usually ignored by film-makers). Also all of the in cockpit instruments look like the real thing.
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Great book, not quite as great movie, but still has my favourite movie shot of all time, the track-pan from behind Jim that keeps both him and the Mustang flying past him in shot. The airfield attack shown is pretty much how it was done for real.
The Battle of Britain (1969)
Again, the planes look right, and is in general as authentic as the film-makers could make it. Notable for a shot where a low flying aircraft is seen to climb in order to not collide with a fence. Also great for the soundtrack during some of the takeoffs. An unmuffled V-12 aero engine will always sound better than any V-8, turbo or rotary. Always (I'm not really into Ford v Holden because of this).
Terminator 2 (1991)
On the list solely because the helicopter chase down the freeway was filmed for real and not faked, including the bit where it flies under the overpass.
BlackHawk Down (2001)
If the book is anything to go by, what you see on screen is pretty much the way it went down.
The Dam Busters (1954)
Again, pretty much as it happened. The Peter Jackson produced remake will likely be more realistic, as some details of the 1943 mission were still secret in 1954.
Goldeneye (1995)
The bit where 007 skydives to catch the plane is technically possible.
Thunderball (1965)
Another Bond movie where things looked right. Bond movies generally suck in terms of things looking right.
Memphis Belle (1992)
This one is interesting, as it is inspired by the first US bomber (the 'Memphis Belle') and crew to survive a tour of 25 missions over europe. It is interesting because a documentary was made about it at the time (1943), and so there is ample scope for comparing fiction to reality. And it stands up OK.
King Kong (2005)
Clearly made by someone who is into aircraft (as Peter Jackson is) and cares about the details. If you look closely in the bits when Kong is on top of the Empire State being attacked by the planes, you can see the control surfaces (rudders and stuff) on the planes moving as they manouvre, which is only stuff which will be seen by the viewer that is looking for it. The effort put into the aircraft in King Kong gives me great faith for the remake of 'The Dambusters'.
Executive Decision (1998)
Cool in that some of the plane stuff was filmed for real and not faked. There is a great shot of the F-14's turning to intercept the 747, from behind the F-14's as the 747 shoots across the frame in front of them.
Airplane (Flying High) (1980)
Awesome in so many ways. Particularly when the plane (jet) is shown with the soundtrack being of a propellered aircraft, which is very different.
Tora Tora Tora (1969)
A US/Japanese co production about the Pearl Harbour attack. They actually built a fleet of replica Japanese aircraft for this one, many of which are still flying today. Lots of great unfaked flying in this one, including an unplanned crash landing that didn't happen historically but looked so good it made it into the final cut, and a scene where the extras are literally running for their lives in a not acting kind of way, due to a completely out of control replica aircraft.
Dr Strangelove (1965)
The US Air Force wouldn't let Stanley Kubrick anywhere near an actual B-52, so he reconstructed the interior from aviation publications, and did it pretty well. Also funny as hell. And my mum wagged a uni lecture so she could go see it when she was a student. How cool is that?
True Lies (1994)
Cool again in a mostly filmed for real and not CGI'd way. Also the Harrier vertical take-off and transition into forward flight shot is very cool (I have seen this in real life, it is very impressive. And noisy).
Apocalypse now (1979)
Hueys thundering over the surf. 'Ride of the Valkyries'. Apocalyptic. No CGI.
The Bridges at Toko Ri (195?)
About US navy pilots in the Korean War. Great flying sequences, unbelievably good effects for the time, and a hero killing downer ending. Great movie.
Plane movies that make me laugh
Too many really to list.
General points about planes in movies:
Soundtrack (engine noise) is often wrong for the plane shown, or for what the plane is doing.
CGI jets often have afterburners, regardless of whether or not the real plane has them (an afterburner injects fuel into the jet exhaust, doubling the thrust, but quadrupling fuel consumption. If you see a jet with pretty yellow or purple flames coming out the back, it either has afterburners on, or is actually on fire). Real aircraft do not fly around with afterburners on all the time, but use them only as required. This would be like driving your car around with the accelarator at full throttle all the time. The main reason planes don't do this is because they would run out of fuel too quickly. If you have to ask why this is a dumb idea in your car you shouldn't be driving.
CGI planes often do things that are aerodynamically impossible.
Being able to successfully loop a helicopter is determined by the way it is built, not by the incredible skill of the pilot (sorry 'Blue Thunder'. Cool movie though).
Top Gun (1986)
Probably the best aerial photograpy ever, in any movie. I love watching this for that reason. In terms of accuracy, it is not so good. The film-makers suffered from the limitation of having to keep everything in frame, so the distances between the duelling aircraft are somewhat closer than in real life, but swirling dots don't make good cinema. From what I understand of air combat tactics, Maverick's trademark pull up manouvre would probably get him killed in a real fight. Also most of the F-14s (Maverick's jet) are seen dogfighting with their wings swept forward, which is unlikely in a real fight. Wings forward means slow; in reality there is a saying 'speed is life' (speed can be traded for height, turning, or escaping. If you have energy you can use it to better your position, if you don't you run out of options), which means F-14's dogfighting properly would have the wings swept back for speed, maximising their aircraft's good abilities to neutralise their opponents good abilities (the Skyhawks (Jester, Viper) could easily out manouvre an F-14 at slower speeds, but could not compete with an F-14 in terms of outright speed or climbing ability).
According to the commentary on the DVD by the actual Top Gun pilots who did the flying, there is only one realistic combat manouvre on screen (a 'rolling scissors', which is kinda complicated to explain, but I know what it is). Also according to the commentary, the way Goose dies actually happened to someone. Yes I have the DVD. It's brilliant. I used to hate this film, but I have learned to love it again.
Iron Eagle (1985)
Terrible in many ways. Kind of the evil twin of 'Top Gun'. Not realistic. Interesting in that while it is an american movie, the F-16's used for filming are actually Israeli (the camouflage paint scheme is unique to Israel, and very different from US F-16s). I'm not sure if it was filmed in Israel, or in the states before the aircraft were delivered to Israel.
The sequels are worse.
Pearl Harbour (2001)
Dire. Just dire. Maybe ten seconds of good flying stuff in the whole movie. Mostly a cartoon really.
Executive Decision (1998)
Hmm. On both lists. The Stealth plane that delivers the commandos to the 747 as depicted has no room for engines. Still, Steven Seagal's character dies because of it, so maybe it is a good thing.
Stealth (2005)
Didn't actually see this one, but the trailer showed fictional 'stealth' aircraft zooming around at low altitude and in daylight, which isn't that stealthy if you think about it.
Airforce One (1997)
I've seen better CGI on a PSone. In 1997. Also exhibits the 'afterburners all the time' syndrome.
Flight of the Intruder (1991)
Based on a book by someone who was there about the latter phases of the air war over Vietnam, well, it works better as a book (the book is something of a benchmark in the 'telling it like it was' scheme of things). The movie isn't that great plot wise. The planes however, are exactly right, right kind of plane, correct colour scheme for the period, even correct weapons load under the wings for the mission being depicted (something usually ignored by film-makers). Also all of the in cockpit instruments look like the real thing.
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Great book, not quite as great movie, but still has my favourite movie shot of all time, the track-pan from behind Jim that keeps both him and the Mustang flying past him in shot. The airfield attack shown is pretty much how it was done for real.
The Battle of Britain (1969)
Again, the planes look right, and is in general as authentic as the film-makers could make it. Notable for a shot where a low flying aircraft is seen to climb in order to not collide with a fence. Also great for the soundtrack during some of the takeoffs. An unmuffled V-12 aero engine will always sound better than any V-8, turbo or rotary. Always (I'm not really into Ford v Holden because of this).
Terminator 2 (1991)
On the list solely because the helicopter chase down the freeway was filmed for real and not faked, including the bit where it flies under the overpass.
BlackHawk Down (2001)
If the book is anything to go by, what you see on screen is pretty much the way it went down.
The Dam Busters (1954)
Again, pretty much as it happened. The Peter Jackson produced remake will likely be more realistic, as some details of the 1943 mission were still secret in 1954.
Goldeneye (1995)
The bit where 007 skydives to catch the plane is technically possible.
Thunderball (1965)
Another Bond movie where things looked right. Bond movies generally suck in terms of things looking right.
Memphis Belle (1992)
This one is interesting, as it is inspired by the first US bomber (the 'Memphis Belle') and crew to survive a tour of 25 missions over europe. It is interesting because a documentary was made about it at the time (1943), and so there is ample scope for comparing fiction to reality. And it stands up OK.
King Kong (2005)
Clearly made by someone who is into aircraft (as Peter Jackson is) and cares about the details. If you look closely in the bits when Kong is on top of the Empire State being attacked by the planes, you can see the control surfaces (rudders and stuff) on the planes moving as they manouvre, which is only stuff which will be seen by the viewer that is looking for it. The effort put into the aircraft in King Kong gives me great faith for the remake of 'The Dambusters'.
Executive Decision (1998)
Cool in that some of the plane stuff was filmed for real and not faked. There is a great shot of the F-14's turning to intercept the 747, from behind the F-14's as the 747 shoots across the frame in front of them.
Airplane (Flying High) (1980)
Awesome in so many ways. Particularly when the plane (jet) is shown with the soundtrack being of a propellered aircraft, which is very different.
Tora Tora Tora (1969)
A US/Japanese co production about the Pearl Harbour attack. They actually built a fleet of replica Japanese aircraft for this one, many of which are still flying today. Lots of great unfaked flying in this one, including an unplanned crash landing that didn't happen historically but looked so good it made it into the final cut, and a scene where the extras are literally running for their lives in a not acting kind of way, due to a completely out of control replica aircraft.
Dr Strangelove (1965)
The US Air Force wouldn't let Stanley Kubrick anywhere near an actual B-52, so he reconstructed the interior from aviation publications, and did it pretty well. Also funny as hell. And my mum wagged a uni lecture so she could go see it when she was a student. How cool is that?
True Lies (1994)
Cool again in a mostly filmed for real and not CGI'd way. Also the Harrier vertical take-off and transition into forward flight shot is very cool (I have seen this in real life, it is very impressive. And noisy).
Apocalypse now (1979)
Hueys thundering over the surf. 'Ride of the Valkyries'. Apocalyptic. No CGI.
The Bridges at Toko Ri (195?)
About US navy pilots in the Korean War. Great flying sequences, unbelievably good effects for the time, and a hero killing downer ending. Great movie.
Plane movies that make me laugh
Too many really to list.
General points about planes in movies:
Soundtrack (engine noise) is often wrong for the plane shown, or for what the plane is doing.
CGI jets often have afterburners, regardless of whether or not the real plane has them (an afterburner injects fuel into the jet exhaust, doubling the thrust, but quadrupling fuel consumption. If you see a jet with pretty yellow or purple flames coming out the back, it either has afterburners on, or is actually on fire). Real aircraft do not fly around with afterburners on all the time, but use them only as required. This would be like driving your car around with the accelarator at full throttle all the time. The main reason planes don't do this is because they would run out of fuel too quickly. If you have to ask why this is a dumb idea in your car you shouldn't be driving.
CGI planes often do things that are aerodynamically impossible.
Being able to successfully loop a helicopter is determined by the way it is built, not by the incredible skill of the pilot (sorry 'Blue Thunder'. Cool movie though).
Top Gun (1986)
Probably the best aerial photograpy ever, in any movie. I love watching this for that reason. In terms of accuracy, it is not so good. The film-makers suffered from the limitation of having to keep everything in frame, so the distances between the duelling aircraft are somewhat closer than in real life, but swirling dots don't make good cinema. From what I understand of air combat tactics, Maverick's trademark pull up manouvre would probably get him killed in a real fight. Also most of the F-14s (Maverick's jet) are seen dogfighting with their wings swept forward, which is unlikely in a real fight. Wings forward means slow; in reality there is a saying 'speed is life' (speed can be traded for height, turning, or escaping. If you have energy you can use it to better your position, if you don't you run out of options), which means F-14's dogfighting properly would have the wings swept back for speed, maximising their aircraft's good abilities to neutralise their opponents good abilities (the Skyhawks (Jester, Viper) could easily out manouvre an F-14 at slower speeds, but could not compete with an F-14 in terms of outright speed or climbing ability).
According to the commentary on the DVD by the actual Top Gun pilots who did the flying, there is only one realistic combat manouvre on screen (a 'rolling scissors', which is kinda complicated to explain, but I know what it is). Also according to the commentary, the way Goose dies actually happened to someone. Yes I have the DVD. It's brilliant. I used to hate this film, but I have learned to love it again.
Iron Eagle (1985)
Terrible in many ways. Kind of the evil twin of 'Top Gun'. Not realistic. Interesting in that while it is an american movie, the F-16's used for filming are actually Israeli (the camouflage paint scheme is unique to Israel, and very different from US F-16s). I'm not sure if it was filmed in Israel, or in the states before the aircraft were delivered to Israel.
The sequels are worse.
Pearl Harbour (2001)
Dire. Just dire. Maybe ten seconds of good flying stuff in the whole movie. Mostly a cartoon really.
Executive Decision (1998)
Hmm. On both lists. The Stealth plane that delivers the commandos to the 747 as depicted has no room for engines. Still, Steven Seagal's character dies because of it, so maybe it is a good thing.
Stealth (2005)
Didn't actually see this one, but the trailer showed fictional 'stealth' aircraft zooming around at low altitude and in daylight, which isn't that stealthy if you think about it.
Airforce One (1997)
I've seen better CGI on a PSone. In 1997. Also exhibits the 'afterburners all the time' syndrome.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Freakin Nirvana
Nevermind is predictably number one album you should own according to C4 voters. At the risk of cynically incurring a controversy, Nirvana made great music, but I wonder if they would be on the pedestal they seem to occupy if Kurt Cobain wasn't dead.
I like the Uchoose top 40, even if the top 10's tend to be a little predictable.
It is gratifying to note that I own a healthy proportion of tonights top 40, although once your CD collection gets big enough this is probably inevitable.
Last time I counted I had over 350 CD's, but that was a few months ago, so I have no idea how many I am carrying at the moment.
I know a guy who had 1500 CD's, but that was ten years ago, who knows how many he has now.
I like the Uchoose top 40, even if the top 10's tend to be a little predictable.
It is gratifying to note that I own a healthy proportion of tonights top 40, although once your CD collection gets big enough this is probably inevitable.
Last time I counted I had over 350 CD's, but that was a few months ago, so I have no idea how many I am carrying at the moment.
I know a guy who had 1500 CD's, but that was ten years ago, who knows how many he has now.
Snakes on a plane
Listening to: You choose top 40 albums you must have. 'Rumours' by Fleetwood Mac is in at 20. They are playing a recent live version of 'Go your own way', which is my second favourite Mac song after 'Dreams'. 'Go' is one of the best driving songs ever. It's just such a good track. And yes, I have a copy of 'Rumours'.
So I wound up at the above on Friday night, despite having a publicly stated non desire to see it. And I enjoyed most of it, which is good. Having an audience willing to shout and clap helped immeasurably.
I don't generally like horror stuff, and found most of the various snake related dispatches disturbing no matter how wildly implausible. I enjoyed what I thought was a knowing effort on the part of the producers to include every disaster/action/horror movie cliche they could think of.
It reminded me of the time D3vo and I went to see 'Last Action Hero', and Rich and I went to see 'Starship Troopers', and how both times we were the only ones in the audience who got the joke.
Since a plane is important to the plot, and some readers will know my tendencies, here are some plane inconsistencies, in a not at all serious way. This probably contains spoilers.
-There is no avionics compartment below the cockpit in a 747 as shown in the movie, as the flight deck is directly above the forward main cabin and there is no room. So all the people getting bit down there couldn't happen.
-If the snakes were released in the cargo hold, which is below the passenger cabin, how do they get into the roofspace above the cabin? Ducting maybe, but for that matter, how do they get into the cabin at all, prior to the dropping from the ceiling stuff?
-How come the snakes use the roofspace to get into every part of the cabin except the forward section?
-The upstairs first class section appears to be too big, but its been a while since I've been in one of those, so I could be wrong.
-The decompression thing probably wouldn't work, but it does look cool.
-The flight simulator teaching you how to fly thing actually has some basis in reality. I know this from personal experience, having several hundred hours on various simulators, and one or two fying an actual aircraft. I have been told by instructors that time on a good PC flight sim does give you more of a clue when it comes to the real thing, and I found that to be true in practice.
The above in no way detracts from my enjoyment of the movie.
Useless 747 trivia
-It is an icon. The term 747 needs no explanation when used in conversation.
-It is aparently possible for a 747 to achieve supersonic speed (which it isn't designed for) in a dive. I'm not sure anyone has actually tried this and survived, but it has been done with its older the Boeing 707. The 747 has the fastest cruising speed of any airliner now that Concorde has been retired. A 747 brought down by a bomb in the 80's reputedly went supersonic as it dived into the ocean.
-A 747 has performed a loop-de-loop (not intentionally) and remained intact. One was caught in extreme turblence over the Indian Ocean. Later analysis of the flight recorder showed that the plane had technically completed a loop. It had a load of passengers aboard, which must have been a hell of a ride. It is theoretically possible to barrel roll a 747 (also done with a 707, also done in a Concorde), but again I'm not sure if anyone has tried it.
-The main cabin of a 747 is longer than the Wright Brothers first flight.
-A 747 briefly became the world's largest glider in 1982, when one flew through a cloud of volcanic ash, which caused all of the engines to stop one by one. Eventually once clear of the cloud the engines were able to be restarted.
-A 747 holds the record for the most passengers ever carried on one aircraft, after one evacuted 674 people from Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
-A 747 has recently been trialled as a water bombing aircraft, for the purposes of fighting forest fires. Air Force One is a 747 (actually there are two Air Force One's. They only officially become 'one' when the president is aboard). The 'Doomsday' planes are 747's as well.
-Boeing took possibly the largest commercial risk in manufacturing history when it started developing the 747. If it had been a failure in the marketplace the company would have failed with it. It essentially created its own market.
-It is one of the few aircraft that still makes me stop and stare when I see one in real life. It has spent 30 years as the largest airliner around. Only the new Airbus A380 is bigger.
-Contrary to popular belief, 747's can be flown in and out of Wellington airport safely, and Qantas did just that in the 70's and early 80's. They don't come here for economic reasons, as the length of Wellington's runway limits the maximum weight of the aircraft (heavier planes need longer runways), and thus reduces the amount of weight available for important stuff like fuel or money making passengers and cargo. The 747's that Qantas flew here were special models that weren't as affected by the weight issue. They were replaced by 767's in the 80's, which have since been replaced by smaller 737's, for money reasons rather than performance ones.
-When it comes to the 'Waynes World' thing of sitting on the end of the runway as a plane fills the sky above you, a 747 is pretty hard to beat. Never managed it myself, although I have sat under a few 767's, which are almost as big. Wellington is unique in it's opportunties to fill the sky directly above your head with fast moving metal, with roads close to both ends of the runway.
So I wound up at the above on Friday night, despite having a publicly stated non desire to see it. And I enjoyed most of it, which is good. Having an audience willing to shout and clap helped immeasurably.
I don't generally like horror stuff, and found most of the various snake related dispatches disturbing no matter how wildly implausible. I enjoyed what I thought was a knowing effort on the part of the producers to include every disaster/action/horror movie cliche they could think of.
It reminded me of the time D3vo and I went to see 'Last Action Hero', and Rich and I went to see 'Starship Troopers', and how both times we were the only ones in the audience who got the joke.
Since a plane is important to the plot, and some readers will know my tendencies, here are some plane inconsistencies, in a not at all serious way. This probably contains spoilers.
-There is no avionics compartment below the cockpit in a 747 as shown in the movie, as the flight deck is directly above the forward main cabin and there is no room. So all the people getting bit down there couldn't happen.
-If the snakes were released in the cargo hold, which is below the passenger cabin, how do they get into the roofspace above the cabin? Ducting maybe, but for that matter, how do they get into the cabin at all, prior to the dropping from the ceiling stuff?
-How come the snakes use the roofspace to get into every part of the cabin except the forward section?
-The upstairs first class section appears to be too big, but its been a while since I've been in one of those, so I could be wrong.
-The decompression thing probably wouldn't work, but it does look cool.
-The flight simulator teaching you how to fly thing actually has some basis in reality. I know this from personal experience, having several hundred hours on various simulators, and one or two fying an actual aircraft. I have been told by instructors that time on a good PC flight sim does give you more of a clue when it comes to the real thing, and I found that to be true in practice.
The above in no way detracts from my enjoyment of the movie.
Useless 747 trivia
-It is an icon. The term 747 needs no explanation when used in conversation.
-It is aparently possible for a 747 to achieve supersonic speed (which it isn't designed for) in a dive. I'm not sure anyone has actually tried this and survived, but it has been done with its older the Boeing 707. The 747 has the fastest cruising speed of any airliner now that Concorde has been retired. A 747 brought down by a bomb in the 80's reputedly went supersonic as it dived into the ocean.
-A 747 has performed a loop-de-loop (not intentionally) and remained intact. One was caught in extreme turblence over the Indian Ocean. Later analysis of the flight recorder showed that the plane had technically completed a loop. It had a load of passengers aboard, which must have been a hell of a ride. It is theoretically possible to barrel roll a 747 (also done with a 707, also done in a Concorde), but again I'm not sure if anyone has tried it.
-The main cabin of a 747 is longer than the Wright Brothers first flight.
-A 747 briefly became the world's largest glider in 1982, when one flew through a cloud of volcanic ash, which caused all of the engines to stop one by one. Eventually once clear of the cloud the engines were able to be restarted.
-A 747 holds the record for the most passengers ever carried on one aircraft, after one evacuted 674 people from Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974.
-A 747 has recently been trialled as a water bombing aircraft, for the purposes of fighting forest fires. Air Force One is a 747 (actually there are two Air Force One's. They only officially become 'one' when the president is aboard). The 'Doomsday' planes are 747's as well.
-Boeing took possibly the largest commercial risk in manufacturing history when it started developing the 747. If it had been a failure in the marketplace the company would have failed with it. It essentially created its own market.
-It is one of the few aircraft that still makes me stop and stare when I see one in real life. It has spent 30 years as the largest airliner around. Only the new Airbus A380 is bigger.
-Contrary to popular belief, 747's can be flown in and out of Wellington airport safely, and Qantas did just that in the 70's and early 80's. They don't come here for economic reasons, as the length of Wellington's runway limits the maximum weight of the aircraft (heavier planes need longer runways), and thus reduces the amount of weight available for important stuff like fuel or money making passengers and cargo. The 747's that Qantas flew here were special models that weren't as affected by the weight issue. They were replaced by 767's in the 80's, which have since been replaced by smaller 737's, for money reasons rather than performance ones.
-When it comes to the 'Waynes World' thing of sitting on the end of the runway as a plane fills the sky above you, a 747 is pretty hard to beat. Never managed it myself, although I have sat under a few 767's, which are almost as big. Wellington is unique in it's opportunties to fill the sky directly above your head with fast moving metal, with roads close to both ends of the runway.
I want you
Rolling out another oldie here...
From mid 1997, its Darth Vaders recruiting poster. Saw a guy wearing this at the cricket at the basin reserve (us vs Zimbabwe I think), and being an star wars fan, had to have one. I got it at Ground Zero as it was, in the James Smith's market. This was at the height of the hype surrounding the re release of the special editions of the original trilogy. At that time Ground zero had a fairly complete collection of all the original kenner Star Wars toys on display which was cool.
The text reminds me of Private Jokers interview in 'Full Metal Jacket' ("meet interesting people and kill them"). I don't have too many memories specific to this T. It was my netball T for a while. It has seen a lot of court time. For some reason I was ultra conservative in my 90's T shirt purchasing, so the thing is an XL, and doesn't get out much these days, unless I'm wearing something else under it.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
It's all a conspiracy
Listening to: 'Further down the Spiral'-Nine Inch Nails
Popular conspiracy theories I believe in:
UFO's.
I have seen enough to be convinced that there is definitely more governmental knowledge about this phenomenon than is in the public domain. This does not mean I think they are alien spacecraft. The automatic UFO=Alien association really hacks me off. Think about it. If an Unidentified Flying Object is an alien craft, well, its not unidentified is it? Lots of things could be UFO's. In the absence of decent evidence beyond observation, speculation is useless.
Area 51.
Very loosely tied to the above. There is likely to be lots of stuff going on there that we don't know about, and possibly never will. Top of my list of places to go if I had unrestricted access to anywhere. Do I think there is a secret alien base there? Possibly (in the sense that it probably isn't impossible), but I doubt it.
Oil as a pretext for invading Iraq.
No brainer.
Alternative technologies are being suppressed by Oil companies.
Again, a no brainer.
Popular Conspiracies I don't believe in.
To my mind, these make evidence fit hypotheses, and rely on too many assumptions. Good investigation is the other way around, making hypotheses and theory fit the evidence, with few or no assumptions. Scientific investigation was a big part of my tertiary training, and is a big part of my job also. The government and then DSIR reports into the 1978 Kaikoura UFO sightings are classic local examples of making evidence fit.
The moon landings were faked.
My stated opinion that I'll happily stand by and argue is that it would be easier to actually put astronauts on the moon than to fake it to the degree required to withstand intense scrutiny. EVERY piece of 'evidence' I have seen for this theory has explanations that don't require a conspiracy (think Occam's Razor. Simplest explanation with fewest assumptions is usually correct).
Various 9/11 theories like 'The missile', and 'The pod'.
Again, a lot of 'evidence' for these does not survive Occam's Razor. I'm not going to get into details but I have spent some time looking into these as they do intrigue me. There was a conspiracy that day, to hijack airliners and crash them into iconic structures. Two of them collapsed completely due to the damage caused by the collisions. I have seen no reason to doubt that this is what happened.
Before and after the event, however, I am open to skullduggery occuring.
The Masons/Illuminati/Knights Templar/Osmonds control the world.
Too many people required to keep too many secrets. Secret international treaties are much more likely, and infinitely more plausible.
Stealth and other high technology has been reverse engineered from alien spacecraft
We shouldn't sell ourselves short like this. Not plausible, and unnecessary (stealth for example isn't really that complicated at a theoretical level).
Conspiracies I am undecided upon.
JFK
Lone gunman is just as possible as Cubans/Mafia/Military industrial complex/whoever
The KGB orchestrated the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II
Both plausible and possible.
KAL 007 was allowed to be shot down.
This was the Korean airliner shot down by the Soviets in 1983. Murkiness and nefariousness in order to protect ongoing intelligence gathering operations is possible. Or that the Soviets were trying to make a point.
Aliens are among us
Too intriguing to dismiss entirely, how matter how unlikely
Pretty much all of human history will involve high level conspiracy in the form of secret plan making at some point. The problem is in the definition of 'conspiracy'. I am conspiring to go to Sydney for Labour weekend. Not-kate, Fi and I are conspiring to go to her 80's quiz on Friday. I am conspiring to leave work early in order to attend.
None of those things are secret but I'm sure you get the point by now. Are conspiracies such because they are secret? Lots of secret stuff exists that isn't necessarily conspiratorial. There are good reasons for some things to be secret. Conspiracies exist in the eye of the beholder I think, and people see what they want to see.
I am open minded, but demand proof, which a lot of 'conspiracies' either don't require (in the sense that they can neither be proved or disproved) or can't provide.
A lot of 'proof' I have seen is people encountering stuff out of context, saying 'WTF', and accepting it as unusual, when it often has completely prosaic explanations the observers were unaware of or simply hadn't encountered before.
I'll close with an observation. Every form of media is a conduit for what other people want you to see and hear. Newspapers, TV, the internet, all are identical in this respect.
Popular conspiracy theories I believe in:
UFO's.
I have seen enough to be convinced that there is definitely more governmental knowledge about this phenomenon than is in the public domain. This does not mean I think they are alien spacecraft. The automatic UFO=Alien association really hacks me off. Think about it. If an Unidentified Flying Object is an alien craft, well, its not unidentified is it? Lots of things could be UFO's. In the absence of decent evidence beyond observation, speculation is useless.
Area 51.
Very loosely tied to the above. There is likely to be lots of stuff going on there that we don't know about, and possibly never will. Top of my list of places to go if I had unrestricted access to anywhere. Do I think there is a secret alien base there? Possibly (in the sense that it probably isn't impossible), but I doubt it.
Oil as a pretext for invading Iraq.
No brainer.
Alternative technologies are being suppressed by Oil companies.
Again, a no brainer.
Popular Conspiracies I don't believe in.
To my mind, these make evidence fit hypotheses, and rely on too many assumptions. Good investigation is the other way around, making hypotheses and theory fit the evidence, with few or no assumptions. Scientific investigation was a big part of my tertiary training, and is a big part of my job also. The government and then DSIR reports into the 1978 Kaikoura UFO sightings are classic local examples of making evidence fit.
The moon landings were faked.
My stated opinion that I'll happily stand by and argue is that it would be easier to actually put astronauts on the moon than to fake it to the degree required to withstand intense scrutiny. EVERY piece of 'evidence' I have seen for this theory has explanations that don't require a conspiracy (think Occam's Razor. Simplest explanation with fewest assumptions is usually correct).
Various 9/11 theories like 'The missile', and 'The pod'.
Again, a lot of 'evidence' for these does not survive Occam's Razor. I'm not going to get into details but I have spent some time looking into these as they do intrigue me. There was a conspiracy that day, to hijack airliners and crash them into iconic structures. Two of them collapsed completely due to the damage caused by the collisions. I have seen no reason to doubt that this is what happened.
Before and after the event, however, I am open to skullduggery occuring.
The Masons/Illuminati/Knights Templar/Osmonds control the world.
Too many people required to keep too many secrets. Secret international treaties are much more likely, and infinitely more plausible.
Stealth and other high technology has been reverse engineered from alien spacecraft
We shouldn't sell ourselves short like this. Not plausible, and unnecessary (stealth for example isn't really that complicated at a theoretical level).
Conspiracies I am undecided upon.
JFK
Lone gunman is just as possible as Cubans/Mafia/Military industrial complex/whoever
The KGB orchestrated the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II
Both plausible and possible.
KAL 007 was allowed to be shot down.
This was the Korean airliner shot down by the Soviets in 1983. Murkiness and nefariousness in order to protect ongoing intelligence gathering operations is possible. Or that the Soviets were trying to make a point.
Aliens are among us
Too intriguing to dismiss entirely, how matter how unlikely
Pretty much all of human history will involve high level conspiracy in the form of secret plan making at some point. The problem is in the definition of 'conspiracy'. I am conspiring to go to Sydney for Labour weekend. Not-kate, Fi and I are conspiring to go to her 80's quiz on Friday. I am conspiring to leave work early in order to attend.
None of those things are secret but I'm sure you get the point by now. Are conspiracies such because they are secret? Lots of secret stuff exists that isn't necessarily conspiratorial. There are good reasons for some things to be secret. Conspiracies exist in the eye of the beholder I think, and people see what they want to see.
I am open minded, but demand proof, which a lot of 'conspiracies' either don't require (in the sense that they can neither be proved or disproved) or can't provide.
A lot of 'proof' I have seen is people encountering stuff out of context, saying 'WTF', and accepting it as unusual, when it often has completely prosaic explanations the observers were unaware of or simply hadn't encountered before.
I'll close with an observation. Every form of media is a conduit for what other people want you to see and hear. Newspapers, TV, the internet, all are identical in this respect.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
I look like...
Since I shaved my head on Friday I have been compared to:
Billy Corgan
Andre Agassi
Bruce Willis
Kojak
Some guy called Shawn
I'm getting used to it. It took a few days, and a few times walking past the mirror saying 'who is that and why does he have no hair?' The first couple of days were cold, now I have desensitised enough not to notice. I like how long it takes to dry in the mornings. I like not having to worry about bed hair. I have been as short as #2 comb before, but the enthusiastic fourth form girls shaving my head on the stage at UHC didn't even ask if I wanted a number before plowing in with the #0, and here we are. I like supporting my wife in this way.
In other news, I joined d3vo, Fish and Curtains for the becoming regular run in Petone. Ran about 3+ K and didn't die, or have to stop involuntarily. I am way fitter than I think it seems. I also made the crew think I was going to jump off the end of Petone wharf, which was fun. Half of the way I ran along the top of the seawall, jumping gaps and on and off the wall as required. A passing jogger called me a smartarse in a respectful way. I love moving around on top of walls, rocks and things. Fi called me 'Dances with mountain goats' while I was clambering over a rock pile at Castlepoint once. I seem to have a natural affinity for it.
I did the 'Daily' crossword in todays dom in about five minutes today. To be fair, the daily isn't that hard, but my wordsmithery impresses my workmates (I also do the back page much harder crossword, the target, and the codecracker). Most common questions: Do I read a lot? Yes. Do I use a dictionary? No.
I don't do Sudoku. My verbose mind can't handle all those numbers and shit. Actually I probably could do Sudoku, but don't apply myself.
Billy Corgan
Andre Agassi
Bruce Willis
Kojak
Some guy called Shawn
I'm getting used to it. It took a few days, and a few times walking past the mirror saying 'who is that and why does he have no hair?' The first couple of days were cold, now I have desensitised enough not to notice. I like how long it takes to dry in the mornings. I like not having to worry about bed hair. I have been as short as #2 comb before, but the enthusiastic fourth form girls shaving my head on the stage at UHC didn't even ask if I wanted a number before plowing in with the #0, and here we are. I like supporting my wife in this way.
In other news, I joined d3vo, Fish and Curtains for the becoming regular run in Petone. Ran about 3+ K and didn't die, or have to stop involuntarily. I am way fitter than I think it seems. I also made the crew think I was going to jump off the end of Petone wharf, which was fun. Half of the way I ran along the top of the seawall, jumping gaps and on and off the wall as required. A passing jogger called me a smartarse in a respectful way. I love moving around on top of walls, rocks and things. Fi called me 'Dances with mountain goats' while I was clambering over a rock pile at Castlepoint once. I seem to have a natural affinity for it.
I did the 'Daily' crossword in todays dom in about five minutes today. To be fair, the daily isn't that hard, but my wordsmithery impresses my workmates (I also do the back page much harder crossword, the target, and the codecracker). Most common questions: Do I read a lot? Yes. Do I use a dictionary? No.
I don't do Sudoku. My verbose mind can't handle all those numbers and shit. Actually I probably could do Sudoku, but don't apply myself.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Long video
The previous post was composed and published entirely within the length of the extended 'Thriller' video.
Reminds me of the time I got through a complete 15-balls sunk game of doubles pool within the length of the 'Macarena' a few years ago.
Reminds me of the time I got through a complete 15-balls sunk game of doubles pool within the length of the 'Macarena' a few years ago.
This week's T
Listening to: The U choose top 40 again. This week it is 'Most shocking videos'. But 'Thriller' is at no 14. 'Thriller'? Shocking? Please. It's too camp to be shocking. Good bass line though. I am old enough to remember a time when seeing the full video gave you kudos.
This week: "Fast Food"
Kind of self explanatory really. For the record, I actually quite like cats, despite their native bird eating ecological disasterousness, so any cats reading this shouldn't take it personally.
This week: "Fast Food"
Kind of self explanatory really. For the record, I actually quite like cats, despite their native bird eating ecological disasterousness, so any cats reading this shouldn't take it personally.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Short sentences
Listening to 'Seeds'-Brother Cane
Cutting off all my hair was very cathartic.
My birthday celebrations have so far been excellent. I have received great thoughtful gifts.
Cutting off all my hair was very cathartic.
My birthday celebrations have so far been excellent. I have received great thoughtful gifts.
Birthday dinner with my family last night was fun. Roast beef followed by chocolate cake and sweets.
And mum made me a plate of chocolate fudgecake to take home. Which is delicious.
I also bought myself a new pair of boots. I didn't find the camera equipment I was looking for.
Something monstrous is coming to life on my workbench
I am having an excellent weekend.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Happy birthday to me
Why is the blogger homepage logo a dog with a party hat on today?
Hmm. Maybe its because today is my birthday.
Today I turn 30. Well technically, according to family legend I don't turn 30 until about 1630 this afternoon, but a date is a date. Also Sean Connery's birthday. But I am cooler and suaver than he.
Anyway.
I was going to bombard you with some interesting statistics from my life in the past three decades, but that will wait for another post, as it is 0247 and too late to think of that kind of stuff. When you do three hours of overtime on an evening shift, this is when you get home.
So instead of the stats (which I know will crush you with disappointment. Later bloglings, later.), here is my plan for the day.
In about four freakin' hours I will get up and drive Fi to work (cue the V). This is a tradition after my week of evenings, it lets us catch up after five days of not really seeing each other.
After that I will head into the city for some breakfast at the small cafe around the corner from Felix, across the road from the Town Hall which I can't remember the name of but does a great mix grill. Anyone who reads this early enough is welcome to join me. I'll try to get a window seat so as to be visible to random wanderers. ETA at the Cafe is 8-830ish.
Once breakfast is done, I will do some shopping. For camera stuff, footwear stuff, magazine stuff, music stuff and model stuff. That should take most of the morning.
At lunchtime I will head back to Upper Hutt for Fi's head shaving. And hopefully get shaved myself. It's a solidarity thing primarily, but also very cathartic on such a momentous day.
After schools out I expect we'll go to the pub with all the other teachers.
After the pub we'll be heading to my folks place for roast dinner with the family, which should be noisy and entertaining with all the niblings in attendance.
After dinner an amble into town is kind of on, a workmate is having a leaving dinner, no doubt followed by drinkies.
By that time I'll probably be drunk or asleep or both, so home will no doubt be beckoning.
Hmm. Maybe its because today is my birthday.
Today I turn 30. Well technically, according to family legend I don't turn 30 until about 1630 this afternoon, but a date is a date. Also Sean Connery's birthday. But I am cooler and suaver than he.
Anyway.
I was going to bombard you with some interesting statistics from my life in the past three decades, but that will wait for another post, as it is 0247 and too late to think of that kind of stuff. When you do three hours of overtime on an evening shift, this is when you get home.
So instead of the stats (which I know will crush you with disappointment. Later bloglings, later.), here is my plan for the day.
In about four freakin' hours I will get up and drive Fi to work (cue the V). This is a tradition after my week of evenings, it lets us catch up after five days of not really seeing each other.
After that I will head into the city for some breakfast at the small cafe around the corner from Felix, across the road from the Town Hall which I can't remember the name of but does a great mix grill. Anyone who reads this early enough is welcome to join me. I'll try to get a window seat so as to be visible to random wanderers. ETA at the Cafe is 8-830ish.
Once breakfast is done, I will do some shopping. For camera stuff, footwear stuff, magazine stuff, music stuff and model stuff. That should take most of the morning.
At lunchtime I will head back to Upper Hutt for Fi's head shaving. And hopefully get shaved myself. It's a solidarity thing primarily, but also very cathartic on such a momentous day.
After schools out I expect we'll go to the pub with all the other teachers.
After the pub we'll be heading to my folks place for roast dinner with the family, which should be noisy and entertaining with all the niblings in attendance.
After dinner an amble into town is kind of on, a workmate is having a leaving dinner, no doubt followed by drinkies.
By that time I'll probably be drunk or asleep or both, so home will no doubt be beckoning.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
T-Shirt of the week
Listening to: Top 40 power ballads on C4 (though I'm not sure that Metallica's 'One' is technically a power ballad).
This week, to entertain you on a Monday, the Caution:Mosh Pit.
Worn at the Big Day Out in 2002. The image captures perfectly the heaving sweating ecstatic crazy mass of people that is the mosh pit. I have been the poor dude on the floor a couple of times. I have crowd surfed. I was never dumb enough to stage dive. I moshed through most of the nineties. I don't anymore generally. I feel I have earned the priviledge to stand back these days and focus on enjoying the show rather than trying to remain standing. I don't have anything left to prove. Being at the gig is the main thing. That said, I still pit occasionally.
I bought this one because I thought it was funny and understood it perfectly.
I like the Caution label, they've done lots of cool stuff.
Mosh pit survival tips:
Wear hard footwear. Your feet will be stood on. If laced, double knot them, and tuck the bows inside your shoes/boots. An untied shoelace can be dangerous. Just bending down to tie it up puts you in danger of being jumped on. Worse, if someone stands on it, and the crowd moves you away, you're going down, where you are in real danger of incurring injury. To most of the people around you you will be an extra squishy bit of floor.
Empty your pockets if you can. You don't want to be dropping stuff on the floor.
Wear stuff you are happy to get ripped.
Keep your fluid levels up. Lots of mosh casualties occur through dehydration. It gets very hot with all the jumping around and other shenanigans.
Remember to breathe. Seriously. It's really easy to start hyperventilating, given that you're basically in a supercharged aerobics session. Start hyperventilating and going into oxygen debt, and sooner or later you'll be on the floor, which we've already established is a bad place. Asthmatics like me can find this breathing thing difficult. It's very hot, and there isn't a lot of good air around. If you're going to mosh, take your ventolin, before, during and after.
Don't mosh drunk. Be hammered by all means, but seriously drunk no. You'll probably get into some bad karma which will involve physical violence, never mind the increased potential for faling down.
If the crowd moves, move with it. Be split from your friends if required. A moshing crowd is basically a fluid entity, with tides, currents and eddies. It doesn't care that you been standing in the best spot in the venue for the last four hours. If you don't move with the crowd, bad things happen.
If you're a petite, pretty girl, find a nice boy who will earnestly try to prove his manliness by giving you a shoulder ride. You'll get the best view in the house.
Avoid slam dancers. Mutants.
Ignore being groped, boys and girls. The groper probably doesn't even know they have groped you.
If you are being crushed at the front, get a bouncer to rescue you. That is basically their job, apart from stopping stage divers, and if they are doing it well your distress will quickly be spotted. You'll lose your spot, but you will survive. People have died from being crushed in this way. I was in the crowd at the 2000 Big Day Out during Blink 182's set when things got really out of control (they had to stop playing to calm things down), and it was damn scary.
Stupid people will call you weak and unspirited, and they are kind of naff and uncool but earplugs are worth it. You don't lose any sound quality, and your hearing is worth more than a night's entertainment. Your ears will respect you in the morning.
Crowd surfing is fun, and looks cool but can be very dangerous. I've done it, but would absolutely not do it again unless under quite specific circumstances. Getting up is easy, but getting down is the thing, and if you are unlucky you will land on your head from a height of six or seven feet. Prevalent throughout the nineties, it is somwhat less practiced now, as at a lot of gigs if the bouncers get their hands on you post surf you tend to be kicked out of the venue.
Scream, dance, yell, wave the metal salute, sweat through all your clothes, and lose yourself in an experience you'll remember forever.
Mosh etiquette:
There isn't much really. If someone falls, pick them up. Don't use others as launch pads for pogoing. If you care about pogoing that much, pogo on the off beat. That way everyone sees you and you get a momentarily spectacular view of the crowd below as they compress after landing from their own pogoing efforts. Don't slam dance unless everybody else is. It's an excellent way to start a fight after you accidentally punch someone in the face.
Waving a lit cigarette lighter is a really good way to burn your fingertips, and set someones hair on fire if you're really lucky.
Don't hang at the back of the pit waiting for your favourite song and then try to rush to the front. It will take you half the song to get there, and you'll annoy the hell out of everyone you blunder past.
After the gig has finished check out the floor as you leave. You'll find all kinds of interesting stuff, usually in the form of money that has fallen out of peoples pockets.
Favourite Mosh Pit memory:
Being very near the front for Supergroove's set at Mountain Rock in 1995. They opened with "You Freak Me", and the crowd went apeshit. The guy next to me shared his rum and coke. In my top ten favourite all time gigs. It was legendary. That gig also had to pause for safety reasons.
Worst mosh pit memory:
The aforementioned Blink 182 fracas. They were playing the stage by the entry stairs. People were flooding down the stairs to see Blink, preventing anyone going up them, while at the same time hundreds of people were pushing from the back. Lots of people wound up with nowhere to go (including me and Fish), and it got genuinely scary for a few minutes. People were getting squashed around us, 40 meters from the stage. I think people were injured closer to the front. We forgot about watching the gig and instead concentrated on not getting hurt, which was quite difficult. Being in a crowd like that is like being in a rip. You have to remain calm and move with it while looking for a way out. We managed to escape, and took a time out under the bleachers to recover. I think after that the organisers reduced the number of tickets sold for future events. There were way too many people in Ericsson Stadium that day.
Second worst memory is the mutant redneck with the broken arm at a Shihad gig in 2003, who was going to get to the front during his favourite song and wave his arms around, regardless of whose head(s) he bashed his cast on. Mutant.
This week, to entertain you on a Monday, the Caution:Mosh Pit.
Worn at the Big Day Out in 2002. The image captures perfectly the heaving sweating ecstatic crazy mass of people that is the mosh pit. I have been the poor dude on the floor a couple of times. I have crowd surfed. I was never dumb enough to stage dive. I moshed through most of the nineties. I don't anymore generally. I feel I have earned the priviledge to stand back these days and focus on enjoying the show rather than trying to remain standing. I don't have anything left to prove. Being at the gig is the main thing. That said, I still pit occasionally.
I bought this one because I thought it was funny and understood it perfectly.
I like the Caution label, they've done lots of cool stuff.
Mosh pit survival tips:
Wear hard footwear. Your feet will be stood on. If laced, double knot them, and tuck the bows inside your shoes/boots. An untied shoelace can be dangerous. Just bending down to tie it up puts you in danger of being jumped on. Worse, if someone stands on it, and the crowd moves you away, you're going down, where you are in real danger of incurring injury. To most of the people around you you will be an extra squishy bit of floor.
Empty your pockets if you can. You don't want to be dropping stuff on the floor.
Wear stuff you are happy to get ripped.
Keep your fluid levels up. Lots of mosh casualties occur through dehydration. It gets very hot with all the jumping around and other shenanigans.
Remember to breathe. Seriously. It's really easy to start hyperventilating, given that you're basically in a supercharged aerobics session. Start hyperventilating and going into oxygen debt, and sooner or later you'll be on the floor, which we've already established is a bad place. Asthmatics like me can find this breathing thing difficult. It's very hot, and there isn't a lot of good air around. If you're going to mosh, take your ventolin, before, during and after.
Don't mosh drunk. Be hammered by all means, but seriously drunk no. You'll probably get into some bad karma which will involve physical violence, never mind the increased potential for faling down.
If the crowd moves, move with it. Be split from your friends if required. A moshing crowd is basically a fluid entity, with tides, currents and eddies. It doesn't care that you been standing in the best spot in the venue for the last four hours. If you don't move with the crowd, bad things happen.
If you're a petite, pretty girl, find a nice boy who will earnestly try to prove his manliness by giving you a shoulder ride. You'll get the best view in the house.
Avoid slam dancers. Mutants.
Ignore being groped, boys and girls. The groper probably doesn't even know they have groped you.
If you are being crushed at the front, get a bouncer to rescue you. That is basically their job, apart from stopping stage divers, and if they are doing it well your distress will quickly be spotted. You'll lose your spot, but you will survive. People have died from being crushed in this way. I was in the crowd at the 2000 Big Day Out during Blink 182's set when things got really out of control (they had to stop playing to calm things down), and it was damn scary.
Stupid people will call you weak and unspirited, and they are kind of naff and uncool but earplugs are worth it. You don't lose any sound quality, and your hearing is worth more than a night's entertainment. Your ears will respect you in the morning.
Crowd surfing is fun, and looks cool but can be very dangerous. I've done it, but would absolutely not do it again unless under quite specific circumstances. Getting up is easy, but getting down is the thing, and if you are unlucky you will land on your head from a height of six or seven feet. Prevalent throughout the nineties, it is somwhat less practiced now, as at a lot of gigs if the bouncers get their hands on you post surf you tend to be kicked out of the venue.
Scream, dance, yell, wave the metal salute, sweat through all your clothes, and lose yourself in an experience you'll remember forever.
Mosh etiquette:
There isn't much really. If someone falls, pick them up. Don't use others as launch pads for pogoing. If you care about pogoing that much, pogo on the off beat. That way everyone sees you and you get a momentarily spectacular view of the crowd below as they compress after landing from their own pogoing efforts. Don't slam dance unless everybody else is. It's an excellent way to start a fight after you accidentally punch someone in the face.
Waving a lit cigarette lighter is a really good way to burn your fingertips, and set someones hair on fire if you're really lucky.
Don't hang at the back of the pit waiting for your favourite song and then try to rush to the front. It will take you half the song to get there, and you'll annoy the hell out of everyone you blunder past.
After the gig has finished check out the floor as you leave. You'll find all kinds of interesting stuff, usually in the form of money that has fallen out of peoples pockets.
Favourite Mosh Pit memory:
Being very near the front for Supergroove's set at Mountain Rock in 1995. They opened with "You Freak Me", and the crowd went apeshit. The guy next to me shared his rum and coke. In my top ten favourite all time gigs. It was legendary. That gig also had to pause for safety reasons.
Worst mosh pit memory:
The aforementioned Blink 182 fracas. They were playing the stage by the entry stairs. People were flooding down the stairs to see Blink, preventing anyone going up them, while at the same time hundreds of people were pushing from the back. Lots of people wound up with nowhere to go (including me and Fish), and it got genuinely scary for a few minutes. People were getting squashed around us, 40 meters from the stage. I think people were injured closer to the front. We forgot about watching the gig and instead concentrated on not getting hurt, which was quite difficult. Being in a crowd like that is like being in a rip. You have to remain calm and move with it while looking for a way out. We managed to escape, and took a time out under the bleachers to recover. I think after that the organisers reduced the number of tickets sold for future events. There were way too many people in Ericsson Stadium that day.
Second worst memory is the mutant redneck with the broken arm at a Shihad gig in 2003, who was going to get to the front during his favourite song and wave his arms around, regardless of whose head(s) he bashed his cast on. Mutant.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Love and Hate
Watched some Rock Star Supernova tonight. Difficult to find the words to describe how much I HATE it. Can't stand it. Shithouse covers of good songs. Performances that are more about swagger and looks than important things, like say, remembering the lyrics. Dude sang Peter Gabriel's 'Solsbury Hill', one of my favourite songs, and couldn't even get the first verse right. Chick sang 'Cat's in the cradle' and munted the lyrics on that too. I've got nothing against the people performing in it, I just hate the concept that brought them there. This and Idol have nothing to do with picking the best person. They are about picking the most popular person. Can you imagine say, Joe Strummer or Billy Bragg or P J Harvey winning one of these things? Neither can I.
Anyway, enough of the hate, on with the Love.
I love how at night, noisy busy places become quiet and peaceful.
I love how electric lights come on at dusk as the sunlight fades.
I love how at dusk things can take on the colour of their surroundings.
I love how mist holds light, and makes it surround things
Top left: The Terrace from the Benny Party
Top right: Paraparaumu and Kapiti Island from Paekakariki Hill Road lookout
Lower Left: My car at the Paekakariki lookout
Lower right: My street on a cold misty night
Anyway, enough of the hate, on with the Love.
I love how at night, noisy busy places become quiet and peaceful.
I love how electric lights come on at dusk as the sunlight fades.
I love how at dusk things can take on the colour of their surroundings.
I love how mist holds light, and makes it surround things
Top left: The Terrace from the Benny Party
Top right: Paraparaumu and Kapiti Island from Paekakariki Hill Road lookout
Lower Left: My car at the Paekakariki lookout
Lower right: My street on a cold misty night
Monday, August 14, 2006
Monday monday
Another weekend gone. I find I get kinda depressed on Sunday nights now, cos I know the weekend will soon be over. Still the sunday night spa's ease the pain somewhat.
Fishy's done a good weekend wrapup here.
Saturdays netball tournament was hard. 6 games, with 6 minute quarters. Given that most of the players were sourced from Wellington Indoors Superleague teams (including Fi and myself), the games were played at that level, which is kinda demanding physically. By the end of the last game I was ready to fall over. I fell over quite heavily in game four and my right leg wasn't quite working right, which made things more difficult (this was later fixed by a judiciously applied combination of nurofen and beer). Still I enjoyed it. Our team was competitive generally if not winning, and we didn't disgrace ourselves. It was good for my self confidence as a player with trials for the summer season fast approaching.
Still working on a positivity list after the positivity post was reposted after being yanked by its author.
Got to disappear for more netball now, but I'll leave you with this, which I found very funny:
I'm not gonna flinch
The commentary is priceless
Fishy's done a good weekend wrapup here.
Saturdays netball tournament was hard. 6 games, with 6 minute quarters. Given that most of the players were sourced from Wellington Indoors Superleague teams (including Fi and myself), the games were played at that level, which is kinda demanding physically. By the end of the last game I was ready to fall over. I fell over quite heavily in game four and my right leg wasn't quite working right, which made things more difficult (this was later fixed by a judiciously applied combination of nurofen and beer). Still I enjoyed it. Our team was competitive generally if not winning, and we didn't disgrace ourselves. It was good for my self confidence as a player with trials for the summer season fast approaching.
Still working on a positivity list after the positivity post was reposted after being yanked by its author.
Got to disappear for more netball now, but I'll leave you with this, which I found very funny:
I'm not gonna flinch
The commentary is priceless
Decisions decisions
If you book it they will come....
My 30th birthday party.
A certain function room in the central city.
Friday, September 15th, early-mid evening til late.
More details including the precise location (which has been booked as of fifteen minutes ago) will follow in a much classier email/paper invite. If you are wondering if you'll get an invite, you probably will.
There will be a theme, and it is T-shirt oriented.
My 30th birthday party.
A certain function room in the central city.
Friday, September 15th, early-mid evening til late.
More details including the precise location (which has been booked as of fifteen minutes ago) will follow in a much classier email/paper invite. If you are wondering if you'll get an invite, you probably will.
There will be a theme, and it is T-shirt oriented.
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