THE HOOD # 90

This one was alongside this one


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COOKING LESSON

I know you've been wondering for some time now how to use your car for cooking. In this energy starved and recyclable world this may one day be the way you prepare your evening meal. Imagine packing a lamb roast in alongside the fuel pump with the potatoes wedged under the air filter. Pull into the driveway and bam you have dinner on the table in no time at all. But for now it's just sausage rolls for Tom.

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SCAPES

Just some of the different landscapes I get to pass through in a single day up here.







Not technically a landscape I know



Proof they haven't really put rovers on Mars, they simply photographed the Pilbara.

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TIESTO BABY ITS TIESTO

I am so very pumped that due to Steves hard efforts on the internet this morning I now have a ticket to Tiestos' Perth gig next February. Good good good times.

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BAR NEWS

Apparently this will soon be a new bar. There's been an explosion of bars in my neighbourhood of late all as a result of the new long over due state licensing laws. I can think of at least two others that are on their way. One next door to Soto's and another across the road from the Mt Lawley post office.

Which is great, however this one for me will always be built on the spot that someone was murdered. This one's behind the noodle cafe which used to be a kebab shop. The owner of the kebab shop went nuts one day a couple of years ago and killed his wife in the back area, the same area that is being transformed into the bar. Not sure I will ever be able to walk in there without thinking of that event.
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OVERHEARD

I was buying some DVD's at JB HiFi this afternoon and as I was paying I overheard this conversation between two, I'm guessing, 17-19 year old counter/sales girls.

G1: "I'm so not gonna have any money in my account by the end of the week"

G2: (chewing gum) "Huh? Why's that?"

G1: "Yeah cos I spent it all on my tattoos and stuff and now I gotta pay off my credit cards hey?"

made me smile
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SERIOUSLY??

I thought we'd moved on from things like this. Long gone are the concrete statues of Aboriginal people in white peoples front yards, so I was surprised this afternoon to see these for sale in a shop in Piccadilly Arcade in the city. So now we just sell them to tourists? You have to shake your head at times don't you?

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DISTRICT 9

A bunch of us went along and saw District 9 yesterday afternoon. Wow, such a great film. So clever and so many messages, the main one being as my buddy Adam said "Don't keep people in cages"

Even if you aren't into Sci-Fi flicks like Star Trek and Star Wars you should still see this as it's more than just a Sci-Fi movie. So much more

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some reviews, very suprised by Bret Easton Ellis, but I guess it's not for everyone.

Some critics have been ecstatic about the film. Sara Vilkomerson of The New York Observer writes, "District 9 is the most exciting science fiction movie to come along in ages; definitely the most thrilling film of the summer; and quite possibly the best film I've seen all year."^[11] Christy Lemire from the Associated Press was impressed by the plot and thematic content, claiming that "District 9 has the aesthetic trappings of science fiction but it's really more of a character drama, an examination of how a man responds when he's forced to confront his identity during extraordinary circumstances." Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum described it as "...madly original, cheekily political, [and] altogether exciting..."

Roger Ebert wrote a more tempered review on his website, praising the film for "giving us aliens to remind us not everyone who comes in a spaceship need be angelic, octopod or stainless steel," but complains that "...the third act is disappointing, involving standard shoot-out action. No attempt is made to resolve the situation, and if that's a happy ending, I've seen happier. Despite its creativity, the film remains space opera and avoids the higher realms of science-fiction."^[14]

The most negative reaction to the film has come from New York Press critic Armond White, who lambasts it for its outlandish premise and perceived racial insensitivity toward its apartheid allegories. He asserts that "Blomkamp and Jackson want it every which way: The actuality-video threat of The Blair Witch Project, unstoppable violence like ID4 plus Spielberg's otherworldly benevolence: factitiousness, killing and cosmic agape. This is how cinema gets turned into trash." The novelist Bret Easton Ellis reviewed the film summarily on his Twitter account, calling the film "fucking terrible".

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THE HOOD # 89

On a door near a restaurant on Beaufort St, one other piece with it that I'll post later


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DINE DIVINE

Visit number 7 to Jacksons on Friday night, Nic's birthday and as she had never been I had promised her months ago I would take her there. I gotta start promising cheaper places to people haha, nah it's worth every last cent. A true gastronomic experience. I couldn't tell you which was my favourite course from the 11 or 12 they eventually served us. But everyone of them was a wonderful treat.

You're very welcome

It was meant to be a seven course degustation dinner which increased to 11 or 12 with the ones they snuck in between. So full and surprisingly not as drunk as I had expected, close enough though.

Chose the Premium wine this time and it didn't disappoint, yum.





Gold leaf on chocolate as the final unlisted course.
Last nights spaghetti bolognaise was the anti climax of the year
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RANDOM IMAGES # 30

So do I

This one needs a vid


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STUFF I'M DIGGIN # 5

A Sirkorsky Helicopter photographed by Andreas Feininger who took some awesome photographs.






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POWERLINERFLYERS

When I first saw this I just sat here staring at it. So perfect, so amazing, so good

powerlinerflyers from wes johnson on Vimeo.

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more of wes johnson's vids here

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SIXTO RODRIGUEZ

Inner City Blues

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Going down a dirty inner city side road
I plotted

Madness passed me by, she smiled hi
I nodded

Looked up as the sky began to cry
She shot it.

Met a girl from Dearborn, early six o'clock this morn
A cold fact

Asked about her bag, suburbia's such a drag
Won't go back

'Cos Papa don't allow no new ideas here

And now he sees the news, but the picture's not too clear.

Mama, Papa, stop
Treasure what you got
Soon you may be caught
Without it

The curfew's set for eight
Will it ever all be straight
I doubt it.

7 jealous fools playing by her rules
Can't believe her

He feels so in between, can't break the scene
It would grieve her

And that's the reason why he must cry
He'll never leave her.

Crooked children, yellow chalk
writing on the concrete walk
Their King died

Drinking from a Judas cup,
looking down but seeing up
Sweet red wine

'Cos Papa don't allow no new ideas here

And now you hear the music, but the words don't sound too clear.

Mama, Papa, stop
Treasure what you got
Soon you may be caught
Without it

The curfew's set for eight
Will it ever all be straight
I doubt it.

Going down a dusty, Georgian side road
I wonder

The wind splashed in my face
can smell a trace
Of thunder

ITS JUST SAFER TO ASSUME I KNOW KARATE

I've had the best 7 days, caught up with most of my bestus friends, ate some great food (and some shocking - Macca that pizza), drunk some good wines and received a pile of goodies in the post. I'm stocking up for summer with some T's and there's still more T's to come. Even the girl totally soaking the neck of my shirt whilst washing my hair before I got it cut today can't put a dampener on my week. There's even more to come this weekend, P&A are back from Morocco so catch up drinks are required and there is a degustation awaiting me on Friday night at Jacksons, not to mention a screening of District 9 this Sunday if a certain 4 people can balance their yin and yangs and be in the same place as me at the required time.

Monday night was Italian food and a dose of Fellini's La Dolce Vita, I think Gaz and Waz were a bit stunned by it all. It's a very different kind of film.

I am nude no more

Good times
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THAT WAS A BIG WEEKEND

Friday night was dinner at Da Brunos for one of my besties (Nells) birthdays. I have to say that I'm done with da Brunos for a bit, great food but it just doesn't vary enough. Plus there were two over tarted 20 something girls on the next table (way too much glow mesh btw ladies) who were loud and friggen annoying. No you weren't looking as sexy as you thought you were and 55 year old men are not hip accessories. Yeah yeah I'm sure he's planning to leave his wife for you, I'm sure he'll call....one day.

Saturday night was an 8 hour football marathon with Dave and Dave. No not that football, the real football, the beautiful game, the English Premier League. A few Singha beers and some extremely ordinary pizzas. Pretty sure they poured about a litre of oil over mine and around a kilo of jalapenos and dried chilli flakes on Maccas. Dave wisely ate before we got to his place.

Sunday night at Gens to celebrate Karks and Marcos engagement. Gen has scored the most awesome of apartments on the river. How good is that view? A couple of the best tasting snappers I have ever eaten, some great champagne and wine (it helps having 2 wine makers amongst the guests - cheers lads) and a great discussion on the bullshitiness of clairvoyants finished the weekend of nicely (and why am I the only non believer in all of that airy fairy fortune telling scammery).

"Nom Nom"

I do believe it's an Italian feast with Waz and Gaz with La Dolce Vita on the BIG TV tonight. I am planning to rest up one night this week. Good times

RANDOM IMAGES # 30

Holiday Robot


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PSYCHO GIRLFRIEND

I've had a few, thankfully they've been the minority. Spotted this gem over at mooiness. Hilarious, you just know how this is gonna unfold and all you want to do is let her know but you can't haha.

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See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

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You can check out JD's blog here.
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OH SYDNEY YEAH UP IN CANADA HUH

I just finished reading this article and it reminded me of a conversation in Washington DC back in 2002.

SYDNEY (Reuters) – A Dutchman and his grandson boarded a flight to Sydney, looking forward to visiting sunny Australia, but ended up in a much chillier Sydney -- in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Joannes Rutten, 71, and his 15-year-old grandson Nick booked the trip through a Dutch travel agency with plans to visit family living in Wollongong and Tallong, south of Sydney, according to local newspaper the Illawarra Mercury.

They set out from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport with Air Canada on Saturday but instead of arriving to views of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House, they touched down at Sydney in Cape Breton Island, off Canada's north east coast -- more than 17,000 kms (10,000 miles) away from their intended destination.

Air Canada organized hotel rooms in the wrong Sydney, a former mining town with high unemployment and a population of about 26,000, until they could arrange flights on to the right Sydney, which boasts sun-kissed beaches and 4 million people.

They finally arrived in Australia on Wednesday.

"I think it was quite an adventure for the 15-year-old. They're not seasoned travelers. Joannes was absolutely exhausted when he arrived," Rutten's cousin, Yvonne Wallace, from Wollongong, told the newspaper.

Clare MacDougall, who works for Air Canada, was at Sydney Airport (Nova Scotia) to meet the aircraft.

"When the door opened, the flight attendant said: "You're not going to believe it but we have two people who thought they were en route to Sydney, Australia,"" she told the Cape Breton Post newspaper.

"They arrived with no Canadian money -- they had all Australian money."

No one from Air Canada was immediately available to comment.

It is not the first time travelers have mixed up the Sydneys.

In August 2002, British tourists Raeoul Sebastian and Emma Nunn from London spent their holiday in Nova Scotia after thinking they were flying to Australia.

Last year, Monique Rozanes Torres Aguero from Argentina flew into the wrong Sydney for her vacation but decided to stay after befriending a local woman at the airport, according to the Cape Breton Post

Jo (my ex) and I were on a trip across the states and found ourselves in line at a bank in DC. We noticed a plate of Oreos and a bottle of Pepsi on the sideboard near our line, they were obviously for the customers....

Jo: "Check THAT out, could you ever imagine them doing that back home"

Me: "Ha! No way"

Then a dude (D1) in front of us noticing our accents turns and says: "Hey where are you guys from?"

Jo: "Australia"

D1: "Oh okay, yeah over there in Europe?"

Me: "Er no you're probably thinking of Austria"

He looked at us all confused like. Then another dude (D2) who was standing behind us chips in....

D2 to D1: "Come on man, you know Australia"

D1 still looks confused

D2: "Man, Australia! Sydney Australia"

D1: "Oh oh yeah Sydney, up north, yeah I know Sydney, it's beautiful"

Now I had never heard of another Sydney and I had no idea what he was talking about, a Sydney up north? Canada? Do we sound Canadian? What the...

D2: "No man, come on Sydney Australia, the Olympics, Si...dah...nee"

D1: "Oh er yeah...the Olympics...okay yeah"

He still had no idea. Jo and I just stood there trying not to laugh too much. I wasn't that surprised that D1 didn't know Australia, I was more impressed that D2 did. I'd say 60-70% of the peeps we met in the US really knew hardly anything at all about Australia. So I can totally understand when the above stories happen. I never actually did get myself any of those free Oreos either, it's probably a good thing.

I think I prefer the Canadian version

Sydney - Cape Breton Island



Sydney Australia


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GOD NO NOT ANOTHER COURSE

In my job I have to do certificate after course after induction and then I have to refresh or update them annually, bi annually or tri annually etc etc etc . Today was one of those days, a 4WD refresher course. I usually dread doing these courses as I see a whole day wasted, but last night I decided I should stop whining and enjoy myself. I mean I get paid to do the course, I'm outside and I'm driving a 4WD vehicle along dirt tracks through the hills in Sawyers Valley. I could be sitting at a desk. So I should shut up and realise just how good I have it.

Especially when you get to stop there for lunch, there was even water running down and over those rocks. It was pretty good fun actually and far from boring and I got paid to do it...did I mention that?

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PHOTOGRAPHY

messin with my iPhone



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CANADA T'S

I did arrive home to something good though. A new T shirt from Canada by Broken Social Scene who are one of my most fav bands. It came with a few free goodies as well which was very cool, a couple of Kevin Drew stickers and a CD. Yet to listen to it, hopefully packed with cool Canadian Indie tunes.

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FLYING HOME TO THIS

It's always most awesome to fly home from up north. To be back in my own bed with my own stuff and a fridge full of....nothing. That part sucks, always having to replenish and then throw out before I head off again. Yeah I know my life sucks .... not.

I have to bitch about these god damn ugly flashing neon speed limit signs that they've strung the length of Beaufort st. It's some bureaucratic attempt to slow cars at the Walcott intersection. I'm all for saving lives and what ever but do we really need 12 of these strewn down the entire st? Lets hope the newly planted trees grow over them. Christ who designs this awful shit for councils, councils who spend hundreds of thousands of rate payers and tax payers dollars to beautify (and I use that term loosely) streetscapes like Beaufort st and then jam these hideous things into the mix. Sometimes I really really need to leave this city, ha! and I just got home too, that was quick.

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WEDDING BELLS IN THE AIR

Nah not mine, relax.

I was working out on top of a hill in the Chichester Range/Pilbara this morning where there is no phone cover....unless....unless a gust of strong wind carries a signal to you. It happens every now and then if you're on high ground and you get an email or an sms etc. It happened this morning.

"Hey Stu, marco popped the question" x karky

I'm so over the moon with this, my most bestus female friend and her super awesome guy. And how cool is it that their message was carried to me on a gust of wind....awwww womantic.

ITS A THUG LIFE

Spotted by my good buddy Chris on the side of the IGA store on Canning Hwy. I'm guessing it's a play on Ben Cousins and his Ned Kelly Such is life tattoo.

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PRETTY IN PINK

Sadly John Hughes died yesterday and he died way too young. Ahhhh the teen angst movies of the 80's that I loved so much. Including one of my all time fav movies Ferris Buellers Day Off. It got me thinking yet again about probably the greatest movie soundtrack ever made, the soundtrack to Pretty in Pink.

1. "If You Leave" - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, 4:25
2. "Left of Center" - Suzanne Vega / Joe Jackson, 3:33
3. "Get to Know Ya" - Jesse Johnson, 3:34
4. "Do Wot You Do" - INXS, 3:16
5. "Pretty in Pink" - The Psychedelic Furs, 4:40
6. "Shellshock" - New Order, 6:04
7. "Round, Round" - Belouis Some, 4:07
8. "Wouldn't It Be Good" - Danny Hutton Hitters, 3:44
9. "Bring On the Dancing Horses" - Echo & the Bunnymen, 3:59
10. "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" - The Smiths, 1:51

Tonight I'm streaming youtube clips from his movies and vids of songs from this soundtrack....

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Good times.
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FISH. IT CONTAINS FISH

This morning they did it again. I wont go on about it, the picture speaks for itself.


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PORK. IT MAY CONTAIN PORK

Up here at the mine site I'm kinda used to seeing some stupid and weird stuff, but lately it's reaching new levels. I seriously have to wonder at times. Now I can understand this sign being placed on certain not so obvious items, I can even understand that they placed it above the ham, you'd be surprised at how many people aren't aware that ham is from a pig. But I seriously had to look twice this morning when I saw this....

I'm also wondering why people have to be warned about pork, religious reasons sure, but I really hope this isn't a reaction to swine flu. Sadly part of me thinks it is.

Then there is this gem which has sat above the toasters in the dining mess for some time now. I'm at a complete loss as to what must have been placed in the toaster that it was decided this sign was needed. Porridge? Eggs? Cornflakes? I mean what the hell would anyone put in a toaster other than bread or muffins or crumpets.

Good times

Edit: They did it again
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A BIG WEEKEND PART 4 AND FINAL

The last part of the big weekend is here. Following a quick dip in the Marble Bar pool it was a short drive to Chinamans pool. Everyone asked why they call it Chinamans pool and I really don't know, mostly because I'm no expert on the naming of pools but I'm gonna guess. There's an old abandoned gold mine down the road and I'm pretty sure those places employed cheap Chinese labour back in the day, so maybe the Chinese bathed and washed their clothes and whatever in this pool. Now I'm just guessing but I think it's a good guess.

Then I had this standoff. One of us had to back down..........it was me.



The aforementioned abandoned Comet gold mine

Final stop was this also abandoned ammunition storage facility from WW2. You seriously can't see it when you drive up and from above it mostly looks like the hill it was cut into. There's an old WW2 military airstrip somewhere nearby and this is where they stored the munitions for the planes. Well hidden from the Japanese I guess.

From there on in it was a dirt track drive back to camp and back to work. Party time is over.
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