zeitgeist

On Friday night, when Mia was cleaning up/ rearranging the deckchairs on the titanic the music room, I had an odd urge to play Julian Cope's album World shut your mouth. It's a good record, and I say ' odd' because I hadn't had that urge for ten years or so, though bits of the music come to me at strange times. Anyway I put it on and played through one side, then I think I went to bed and she kept moving things around. Flash forward twenty four hours and we are at Northcote Social Club, and Julian Cope's first album comes on the PA. Zeitgeisty enough for you? Well, then, when I go to get the car at 2 am and turn the radio on, what's on? Julian Cope's band The Teardrop Explodes. About half an hour later, we drop Carla off in Coburg and there is a detour required in O'hea street due to roadworks so I have to go back east. And as I do this we are discussing this strange emergence of a Julian Cope theme to things. And guess what. First street to the left off O'hea is... Cope St.

red lights in the rain

reflections of my life oh how they fill my eyes

Here are some things from my life over the last few years. Yes, I was there and took all of these photographs straight off reality. I even know what they are all pictures of, but I won't spoil it for you. I even have fond memories evoked from some of these pictures. Weird.

I just don't know what to do with myself.

Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't, I just have nothing particular to say and I'm in a fallow period writing-wise.

What were you doing ten years ago?
My 1998 diary does not list anything specific for 25 November 1998, but on that week's spread I see notes re: birthdays of people who I can no longer identify, an email address for someone I can't remember but who appears to be Italian, a memo of band rehearsal, a meeting with 'Alice' - presumably not my niece Alice, but who? A meeting with Gary - presumably not Gary Barlow, but who? A few phone numbers... the note 'Ethics due', and I suppose they were, and also note that I was doing driving practice with my father.

What are 5 things on your to-do list today?
I did them. Put in notice re: a field trip I'm doing in a few weeks. A couple of emails I had to send and a meeting that needed to be set up. And so on. Nothing special.

What snacks do you enjoy?
I am quite into buja mix.

Things that you would do if you were a billionaire?
What would I have to live for? OK. Well I'd do research into how to make everyone a vegetarian and stop smoking, and the people who objected to my fascist preferences I would have killed by stuffing money in their mouths till they can't breathe.

Three of your bad habits?
Laziness crossed with obsessive work ethic
When I get told to lie on my bed I go scabbing for food in the kitchen... oh wait, that's Millie
Poisonous sting.

Five places you have lived?
Erko
North Pole
Genoa
Geneva
Genexia

Five jobs you’ve had?
Wag
Gypsy
Skinflint
Pilot
Ambidextrist

How did you name your blog?
It's my mother's name, I never knew her.

bulk mint progress

These are pixs I took while walking to the station a few days ago, of the new developments. One is the notice of application for a planning permit for some townhouses adjoining the shopping centre. Good idea, I say, though I would rather live in an iron maiden than a townhouse, myself. It will be good for the shops and overall will create an ambience not entirely unlike the short-lived police/soap soap, Above the Law. Remember that? In which various yuppies lived in an apartment complex which had a police station at the ground floor. Also, it will be not unlike Number 96 with a dash of Richmond Hill. Cool. In the middle, the uberrenovation to which I may have alluded previously, whereby an entirely new house has been stuck on the front of an old house in a somewhat incredible display. Congratulations! The last is the vacant lot where one of the oldest houses in the area stood until it burnt down about five or six months ago. I met a man in the street last year who claimed to be the owner of this house and also claimed that no-one had lived in it since the 1960s and also that you need three things in this life, friends money and a third thing which I suppose you don't need me to boldly hit you in the eye with, a word beginning with c and ending in t and aren't I coy. He wasn't though. I am not sure how those three things would all have worked synchronously to get him what he wanted, which was I think not the house tenanted, but planning permission to build units. Since the house burnt down, nothing more has happened to the block, unless you are a piece of vegetation, in which case, it has been great news for vegetation.

My lunch today was so gorgeous I photographed it before I ate it. One of the staff caught me doing it but didn't say anything.

coles greenvale

2008, a space odyssey. Nicole told me she loved Coles Greenvale with its makeover and its cheap watermelon. I didn't quite realise how much she loved it because when I went there about an hour later (I'm so suggestible) she was damn there, buying purple onions. Not kidding. It does have some cheapesque things (though this might be relative) but I have to say, really bad music. As we know, Coles Broady will play some gems including 'Big City Talk' which I could hear fifty times a day and in fact, if someone called me and said 'hey they're playing "Big City Talk" at Coles fucken Broady again!' I would just go up there* and buy, you know, apricot delights so I could hear it on the PA. But Coles Greenvale plays this kind of 21st century so-called R n B which I only know is new music because I don't recognise it and it's about things that don't interest me like hot guys. So I guess that's Greenvale. Between us and G'vale there is a housing estate called New Horizons (when I say housing estate, I mean lifestyle option). I really want to check it out because it looks tremendously hot tub/ conversation pit.

*I wouldn't even say, 'who's this calling, please?'

more overheard

Yesterday outside my office: 'Dude, that smells like asparagus... juice!'
Later: 'So, do you drink a lot of asparagus juice?'

This morning on the tram which has stopped at a tram stop, woman on her mobile: 'Hi I'm on the tram which has just stopped, I don't know why.' Shortly afterwards, she said 'I'm at Grattan street, can I walk there from here?' only she pronounced Grattan as (au) gratin, when it should be pronounced like, you know, Michelle Grattan. I could possibly have forgiven this second loud pronouncement only the girl sitting facing me was rolling her eyes and silently laughing and I felt I had to conspiratorially empathise commuter-listening-in-to-dumb-phone-conversation-to-commuter-listening-in-to-dumb-phone-conversation. So I condemned the woman on the phone.

last one I promise

Are you cheat​ing on someo​ne right​ now?
Not right now I'm filling in another of these ridiculous questionnaire things I nicked from Sadie.

Has anyon​e told you latel​y that they would​ alway​s be there​ for you?
Lately? I must be very secure because I am not sure.

Would​ you ever get a tatto​o?​​​​​​
Maybe with my name and address.

Just how many peopl​e do you have a thing​ for right​ now?
Is it precision you're after? Just how many? A 'thing'? None.

Who was the last perso​n you have a misse​d call from?​​​​​​
Mia.

If you took a drug test would​ you pass it?
Do you pass with or without? I would pass for no drugs.

What did you do last night​?​​​​​​
I watched Rush and wrote stuff.

Do you think​ you can last in a relat​ionsh​ip for 6 month​s witho​ut cheat​ing?​​​​​​
History suggests that I can.

Day been rough​?​​​​​​
Not so far.

Do you dye your hair?​​​​​​
That would be some dye.

Tell me about​ the shirt​ you' re weari​ng?​​​​​​
I bought it at Savers in Greensborough seven or eight years ago. It features a stick figure with its mouth open in a house-shaped shape, and the words 'Don't just stand there... SING!' It is red.

Do you plan on going​ to colle​ge?​​​​​​
Every day.

Would​ you ever enhan​ce or get any kind of plast​ic surge​ry?​​​​​​
If I got a weird growth on my skull like the guy I saw on the bus yesterday, yes.

Someo​ne leave​s a note and flowe​rs on your car, cute or tacky​?​​​​​​
Tacky, scary.

Do you have anyth​ing that belon​gs to your boyfr​iend/​​​​​​girlf​riend​?​​​​​​
I don't have a boyfriend OR a girlfriend.

What's​ one fact about​ the last perso​n you texte​d?​​​​​​
She likes parmesan cheese.

How has this week been?​​​​​​
Hot

When was the last time you were sick?​​​​​​
A month ago.

When you say you don'​​​​​​t care,​​​​​​ do you mean it?
Overall.

How old is the first​ perso​n on your top?
See above. He or she is a stick figure.

Where​ were you at 3:02 AM this morni​ng?​​​​​​
In bed asleep.

What woke you up this morni​ng?​​​​​​
Hungry animals.

When you are home alone​,​​​​​​ do you still​ close​ the door when you showe​r?​​​​​​
Come over and find out. Oh, then I won't be alone. It will have to remain a mystery.

What plans​ do you have for tonig​ht?​​​​​​
Find/kill you.

Where​ was the last place​ you fell aslee​p other​ than your bed?
Couch.

What time did you wake up this morni​ng?​​​​​​
6

What don’t​ you leave​ the house​ witho​ut?​​​​​​
Kicking Bela and calling him fat.

Have you ever had to pull over on the side of the road to puke?​​​​​​
It is not impossible.

Would​ you kill a hobo for 100,​​​​​​000,​​​​​​000 dolla​rs?​​​​​​
You mean, a crime which it is unlikely would be solved? I doubt it.

Have you recen​tly done anyth​ing that you would​n'​​​​​​t want your paren​ts to find out about​?​​
No.

Have you thoug​ht about​ an ex today​?​​​​​​
Not until I read this question and tried to remember what an 'ex' would constitute for me.

It's 4 in the morni​ng and your phone​ rings​;​​​​​​ who is it?
I don't know, but it's happened.

Do you think​ a lot of peopl​e think​ bad thing​s about​ you?
No, maybe a few.

Have you ever kisse​d someo​ne and hated​ it?
Yes.

When'​​​​​​s the last time you said you were okay,​​​​​​ but reall​y weren​'​​​​​​t?​​​​​​
Oh you know. Probably happens every so often. Not masking inner tragedy though. Perhaps inner boredom.

What do you think​ of peopl​e that do drugs​?​​​​​​
En masse, nothing. It's very common.

What happe​ned at 9 AM today​?​​​​​​
I was at work.

Do you know anyon​e who has messe​d up your life?​​​​​​
Messed up? Not particularly, hassled up, maybe.

When was the last time you were told you were beaut​iful?​​
8:47

Is anyon​e on your mind?​​
Myself

Is your phone​ close​ to you?
Potentially

Bet you'​​re missi​ng someo​ne now?
Gosh you're clever.

Last place​ you went out to eat?
St Kilda

Have you ever been cheat​ed on?
Fully, dude.

Is anyon​e inter​ested​ in you right​ now?
Possibly, you never know with people.

Do you get along​ with girls​?​​
Yes. I'm not retarded.

Have you ever thoug​ht about​ getti​ng your nose pierc​ed?​​
It's cheap to think. But in this case I don't even think I've thought about it. Thanks for that image.

What cant you wait for?
For you to learn all about apostrophes. (Nice one Sadie)

Rent a movie​ or go to movie​s?​​
Bit of both.

Have you had alcoh​ol in your syste​m this week?​​
Sunday.

Does your myspa​ce passw​ord have anyth​ing to do with a boy?
I am a boy and it's my password.

Are you happy​ with life?​​
My life is clearly better than most people's, through little effort on my part.

Could​ you cry right​ now?
No.

What were you doing​ this morni​ng at 7am?
Breakfasting.

Is there​ anyth​ing that you are cravi​ng right​ now?
Incentivation.

What do you need to be doing​ right​ now?
Making the world a better place.

Where​ was your defau​lt pictu​re taken​?​​
Mia's studio.

What were you doing​ at 1 AM this morni​ng?​​
Dreaming.

When was the last time you drove​ more than 30 minut​es?​​
Last week.

Do you wear the seat belt in the car?
I wear the seat belt in the car on the road.

Next vacat​ion you'​​re going​ on?
Nothing.

Do you like to text or call more?​​
No opinion.

Where​ will you be in an hour?​​
Work.

When was the last time you dance​d with a boy or a girl?​​
1978

Do you like to exerc​ise?​​
No

Whose​ bed did you sleep​ in last night​?​​
Mine.

What are you doing​ tomor​row?​​
Working.

What was the last thing​ you ate/​​drank​?​​
Toast/coffee

Bigge​st annoy​ance in your life right​ now?
Bela fighting Asha.

Have you spoke​n to your mothe​r today​?​​
No.

When was the last time you spoke​ to one of your sibli​ngs?​​
Last week.

it's summer, let's get mundane

Hot day. On my way home a girl of abut five on a bike offered me 'free lollipops for five dollars.' I said, 'that's a terrible deal'. 'It's not very good, is it,' she agreed, then suggested 'two dollars'. I considered later that she might have meant three lollipops, but who really knows. A minute ago I was putting out the recycling and the girl (six? seven?) across the street was screaming, 'Help! I'm murdered!' then just 'hello!'. If I bent down, I could see her through the neighbours' carport. I said hello then she disappeared.

By the way that reminds me when I was on the train a couple of days ago I heard a woman talking on her phone, she was talking about how she'd parked her car to catch a train and she 'just parked it in some random street'. This I think is perhaps the first example I've experienced of a melding of the old concept of random and the new. The only indication of the new meaning was admittedly that she said it in a slightly in-sane voice.

hot, blue and righteous

obama

Of course I was thrilled that Barack Obama won the US election, and I had a good day that day because of it (good joke on the News Quiz today: 'No-one believed that Americans could put aside their prejudices and vote for a president with a brain'). I always feel a little irked about being partisan in another country's election, isn't that odd, even when it's the US. I was appropriately corrected by a colleague for my simplistic recital of stupid redneck stories off yahoo news etc - as he pointed out, the way the worst of the US is presented in our news is just like the way that news stories from Aust are all about killer crox and dirty back roads.

stranger things have (apparently) happened

I designed a converse.

sunday 2 nov

This morning early I took M&C out for the usual park walk, they hadn't been in a position to get in the water since they were washed last weekend, and so they were busting to stink up, which they did. Millie in particular smells ghastly today and I suppose they need another wash, though it's apparently going to rain all week so this might not be such a doable thing.

Today was a surprise birthday incident for my father (70 tomorrow). It went, surprisingly, without a hitch despite (word has it) Lina saying to him on the phone yesterday, 'see you at your birthday lunch tomorrow' - he either heard this and didn't take it in, or didn't hear it, or forgot it, or was just a good actor when it came to the surprise element, but I don't think so. Anyway, this is his and Tanya's new whippet, whose name is Beth or Bess I'm not sure. I think Bess.










Here are some of my nepheices with Bess, who had to be tied up a short distance from the lunch table.









Here are Mia, my father, and my father's friends Malcolm and Betsy at the luncheon table.

staminest

1. Of all the bands/artists in your cd/record collection, which one do you own the most albums by?Red Krayola probably, since I have all the records- I think there are 18 or so. 2. What was the last song you listened to? 'The Sin of Pride' by the Undertones, although 'Where do you go to my lovely' is playing in the background of the film Mia's watching. 3. What's in your record/cd player right now? What's 'in' my record player?! The Undertones' album The Sin of Pride is on it, and Neil Young's Rust never sleeps is in the CD player (I didn't put it there) 4. What song would you say sums you up? 'Angsty Pants' by the Cannanes. 5. What's your favorite local band? I am not familiar with any Broadmeadows bands. 6. What was the last show you attended? I saw Tic Toc Tokyo at the East last week, they were absolutely appalling, and Collapsed Toilet Vietnam across the road, they were alright. 7. What was the greatest show you've ever been to? David Thomas and the Wooden Birds in London sometime in 1986. 8. What's the worst band you've ever seen in concert? Don't start me. 9. What band do you love musically but hate the members of? What a weird question to ask anyone. I can't answer this. 10. What show are you looking forward to?Do you think I'll get to see the Red Krayola one day? 11. What is your favorite band shirt? The Flywheel one I did. 12. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?Plagued with questions. What does this mean. 13. What musician would you like to be in love with for a day? Rick Springfield. 14. Metal question: Jeans and Leather vs. Cracker Jack clothes? Cracker jack for sure. 15. Sabbath or solo Ozzy? Solo Ozzy. 16. Commodores or solo Lionel Ritchie?Commodores. 17. Punk rock, hip hop or heavy metal? Punk rock. 18. Doesn't Primus suck? No I don't think so, but I am not that into them. 19. Name 4 flawless albums: Corky's Debt to His Father, Mayo Thompson 1969; Soldier Talk, the Red Crayola 1979; Wolves with pretty lips We Ragazzi 2004 O Zambezi, Dragon 197...8? But you know I could name plenty more, I didn't want to prioritise or alienate friends though. 20. Did you know that filling out this survey makes you a music geek?I am one, all things considered, but this survey didn't do it and wouldn't, to anyone. 21. What was the greatest decade for music?I don't know. I seem to have a lot of interest in the 70s. But that means little.22. How many music-related videos/dvds do you own? Probably ten-fifteen. Maybe more. 23. Do you like Journey? No. 24. Don't try to pretend you don't! OK 25. What is your favorite movie soundtrack? That Lovin' Spoonful one - is it called You're a big girl now? Haven't seen the film though. 26. What was your last musical 'phase' before you wised up? I hope I never wise up. 27. What's the crappiest CD/record/etc. you've ever bought? Heaps of things - couldn't prioritise - but it wouldn't have been a disappointment - just an experiment. 28. Do you prefer vinyl or CDs?Well I suppose I will buy something on vinyl if I can, rather than CD, but essentially I don't care.

even stamina

What was the last book you bought? Miranda Young and Jeff Jenkins Rock Reader: Underneath the riffsName a book you have read MORE than once. E Nesbit 5 Children and It I know that sounds flippant, but I can't think of any adult book I have read twice, though there have doubtless been many. And I do enjoy E Nesbit. Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it? George Orwell's collected writings shaped the way I see 'life', so that probably 'changed' my outlook. Vol III most of all if I remember correctly. How do you choose a book? e.g. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews? Oh cover design, definitely, you moron. I choose a book by recommendation or review. Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction? Well, it would depend why I am reading the book. What's more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot? This question on the other hand seems both idiotic and unanswerable. Most loved/memorable character? Voss Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment? Lewis Mumford's City in History and the second vol of Louis Nowra's memoirs. What was the last book you read? M E Braddon's Only a Clod. Have you ever given up on a book halfway in? Many, many many times.