OH WOE IS ME

Grrrr, nggrrahhh, ggrrrmmph or words to that effect. They sum up how I'm feeling right now, I'm doped to my eyeballs on pain killers you see. Got out of hospital yesterday, just an overnight stay. I had to go back in and repair a surgery I had 9 months ago for a hernia, a surgery my doc didn't quite get right. Ehhh that's life right? Shit happens. So I'm not sure how much I will be posting on her for the next few days, I have to time it for when I'm just coming down from the last batch of pills and need to take some more. Jump in then if I can, if I remember, if I can be arsed shuffling along like a lil old man and down the stairs to my computer.

You really do come out of hospital with the absolute bejeebus kicked out of you don't ya? I have a really tender spot on the right side of my jaw, which I am informed is from the breathing tube they had shoved down there. (I was gonna put a funny gag reflex comment here but I'm too drowsy, just saying gag reflex is funny enough yeah?) No? ah well! And I have track marks with associated bruising on my arm from the drip, even the nurse went "wow" when she saw the bruise....

wow

It's not really a stay in a hospital unless you get jelly and ice cream is it? Sorted!

my dessert dish four times a day for the next week wheeeeee!

THE POST OFFICE RAILWAY

Continuing with my love for abandoned things I found this just now. The old Royal Mail Rail Line under London. I envy these guys. More great pics and the full story after the jump

For as long as i can remember explorers have joked, discussed, cried themselves to sleep over possibilities the Post Office Railway could be explored. Those keen to attempt entry desperately clawing at every scrap of information like a starving hobo snacking on bread crumbs. Just the idea of access, let alone the task of traversing the line seemed fraught with impossible obstacles and doubt.

With all the abandoned postal depots now converted or with a foot thick dump of concrete covering what would have been access below, all potential avenue of access pointed solely to the infiltration of live postal depots. In other words, somehow getting into site and its central building, working your way down an unknown route through a series of passages, locked doors, workers and alarms until you somehow found your way into the basement and with it the depots Mail Rail station. In other words, impossible.

THE THINGS YOU FIND

I think I knew I was going to be an archaeologist even back when I was a little kid. I collected stuff, I used to head into the bush near our home and come back with all kinds of old stuff. Bits from cars, mostly the chrome lettering, old plates, cutlery, tins and bottles. Even Stamp collecting, mostly for the images of times past on the old stamps. Plus somebody told me if you found a rare one you could make millions haha yep. My mum sent me a pile of old books and odds and ends of mine that I had accumulated a few years back and I kind of threw them onto a bookshelf. I've been going through them lately and uncovering a couple of gems.

Like these old 1972 Munich Olympic Games stickers (yep the one that had the PLO kidnappings and killings) that I had stuck into the front and back covers of an old stamp album. Three are of Munich 72 competitors, Shane Gould (AUS), Mark Spitz (USA) and Vasiliy Alekseyev (USSR) - as well as two older athletes, Fanny Blankers Koen (NETH) and Arthur Wint (JAM)

Please excuse the fossilised cockroach above Blankers Koen. I left it in for effect

I seem to have saved a couple of icecream/chocolate bar stickers too....

I have no idea "wot" flavour that was either

maybe someone remembers what the Chunky Monkey was selling? Lollies or a chocolate bar?

BLOODY IMMIGRANTS

Coming here from the east coast and taking up all of our Volkswagon parking spots. Spotted these two Victorian ex pats around the corner from my place on Saturday. Some very nice restoration/preservation work right there....

HOT X BUNS DON'T NEED CHOCOLATE

Have a great Easter everybody, I hope it's full of chocolate, just not in your hot x buns. I picked up a pack by mistake yesterday thinking they were traditional ones and it's not a good mix. Why can't we just leave traditions alone eh.

I don't think that kid will ever smile again

A DRAMATIC READING

A Dramatic Reading of "My Father's Daughter" by Gwyneth Paltrow

KEEPING THE GAY AWAY

Recently whilst moving house I was packing up my shelves of books and I rediscovered an old book I'd found at a garage sale years ago. It's called On Becoming a Man....

Chapter 6 - All Gay men are both older and paedophiles, so look out Johnny

The first time I skimmed this chapter I laughed at the premise that gay relationships only occur between older men and young boys. Then on a second read I realised that it was more than that, what the author is saying is that all gay men are paedophiles who prey on young boys. This is the only possible explanation for being gay...although a second reason is offered a bit later in the piece, I'll get to that.

Not sure if using excerpts for this bit is enough, you really have to read all of it to understand the stupidity/hilarity of the reasoning involved. So it begins with a nice description of the gay relationship or "freakish manifestation of human friendship". Then it moves onto the fateful story of a fine young person who was both broad and strong and well proportioned...hang on author you're almost drowning yourself in the theme here, if you mention his lean buttocks I'm going to have to rethink the point of this chapter....

Luckily the evil gay man was arrested and everyone lived happily heterosexual after, but never drop your guard, they're still lurking. Reading on reveals yet another an interesting tit bit, remember when you thought girls were yuck and if you're a girl that boys were yuck. Well this apparently is the exact point in which you subconsciously decide once and for all whether or not to be a paedophile...sorry gay person. See, if you don't stop thinking of girls or boys as yuck then you're doomed, but your testicles and vag keep developing, so that's a relief. So stay alert at all times, keep your reproductive organs in check, dream of the opposite sex and stay away from older men or women who give you written notes....

If you succumb to the horrors of homosexuality then your life will become "fixed" and your personality wont fully develop, it's an unwholesome life for you without the benefits of "marriage", well that's actually true if you live in Australia right now isn't it? Know what I'm sayin?

Finally we come to the only other possible reason someone could become gay.....your mother dies whilst you're young....dun dun dun dunnnn!!! Scientific proof right there folks. Oh and just as a last observation, I reckon Jack gives his "special friend" Joanne a right good heterosexual seeing to on that patch of green grass every Saturday night after the movies. Thanks Jack, doing your bit to keep "the gay" away.

Click here for the other awesome chapters of On Becoming a Man, more to come, so check back later.

ARCADE FIRE LIVE @ COACHELLA

I'm watchin them stream in from Coachella right now, awesome set too, you can check it out here

some screencaps i've grabbed from the set

and they just did the last songs...with balloons

wish I was there...there is actual talk of next year which may translate into 2013 fingers crossed

THE STRANGER

Every now and then I rediscover a Leonard Cohen song and I pay close attention to the words. Try not to cry.

>

DO NOT LIKE

Faux Deco

Why can't they just get along? There is a constant battle of wills, wits and twits between my council (Town of - soon to be city - Vincent) and the neighbouring City of Stirling. The battleground is the Beaufort and Walcott st intersection. Speed limits, footpath designs and now street lights and pylons. One side of Walcott has a certain design whilst the other side has another. Now I see that the Mount Lawley end of Beaufort st has contracted a massive dose of ugly in the form of faux deco disease.....

Not that the Highgate end of Beaufort St is all that better, these lights rose from the underworld a few years back. These are kind of a Federation style, hence they're painted Federation green, goes well with the blue and white deco across the street don't you think? "Blue and green should never be seen except with something in between". White you really have your work cut out for you, good luck.

I guess what I and I'm sure many other locals are asking/hoping for, would simply be that the two councils formed a Beaufort/Walcott precinct committee, that could decide on one set of ugly for all. The clash is almost too much for any one person to handle.

I think this lil dude captures the mood perfectly....

AM I RIGHT

amiright?

THE PINTO CRUISER

I do so very much want the Pinto Cruising Wagon with optional graphics....drool

"oh! and hello ladies"

THE MOON ABOVE

Storms bring interesting night skies

THE HOOD # 121

Headed out this morning with the aim of photographing an entirely different piece; however access into the area it was painted was pretty difficult, so I'll need to come back when I'm able to ride my bike again. Heading home a bit annoyed and I spotted this fresh piece on the corner of Stuart and Fitzgerald St in Northbridge. A win and a better piece than the one I was actually hunting....

DOIN PORRIDGE

or doin time, doin stir, doin bird

Had to pop into the old Fremantle Prison yesterday. A portion of it at least, one wing, which has been turned into a business center. Lots of old cells that are now offices, including the old death row section. Fairly cool place to work methinks....

Right, got through that wall now to just climb the razor wire and freedom...

on the inside lookin out

a little exercise never killed anyone, a shiv to the ribs usually sorted that out

I'm pretty sure they never had any potted plants on the gangways back then

nor were the doors painted a nice lime green

THE STREETS - OMG

2.53 for a classic "Go Moses" moment

RANDOM IMAGES # 51

Animals and their pets

"Yeah so I'm like, ya date one starlet you've dated em all..."

CONVERSATIONS IN A CARPARK

I have a security car park area at the back of my place, on Friday as I drove in I noticed the security gate was wide open and some tape had been placed over the sensor to keep it so. Quickly worked out it was the builder doing renos on one of the units in the converted church. I understand that he needs access but....

As I walked from my car I see him coming out of the unit carrying a piece of four b two, he's a huge dude, well over 6 foot, bald, could snap me like a twig....

"Err excuse me mate"

"Yeah"

"I understand that you need to get in and out but there's a lot of stuff in here that's easy pickings like kayaks and bikes that we're gonna need you to keep an eye on..."

"Yah, no wowwies, if any bastard comes in here and tries it on'll get a whack from one of these (slams 4 b 2 into his palm) and I'll bury em over in that fuckin garden bed ova der, dey'll make good fuckin manure HA HA HA!"

"Okaaaay then, we're all good here, cheers...."

Hehehehe so good to know that the builder and I are on the same wave length when it comes to car park security. PS: If you're thinking of robbing my place mid week, please do, the plants need a boost!

MOOFACE

I bought this card at a flea market in the East Village, New York back in 2002, I keep it in a frame on one of my bookshelves and cleaning it today I realised I'd forgotten that it had some hand written words on the back....

"any show we wanted anytime, whee!

Another wedding invitation came today, Dot(?) Halstead's.

Have received about 6 more cards from mooface

The Pond(?) (?)"

I can't quite make out the last bit, I kind of sense maybe this is a postcard home from a young girl, maybe early 20's, from Virginia living in New York during WW2 and having a ball. Six wedding invites seems a lot, but I guess everyone was marrying their sweethearts before they left for war. Who knows.

Edit: The six cards are from Mooface not wedding invites, so I read that wrong, maybe she has a boyfriend of sorts she affectionately calls Mooface?

almost the same view today using google earth