The end of the Chaser

The Chaser's War On Everything aired for the final time on Wednesday. It included the most hilarous makeover I've ever seen - Chas decided that half of him should look like Daniel Craig. So.... hair bleached blonde, body hair waxed, lips plumped, botox, the whole works - but only on one side. Hilarious.

Plenty of Chaser stuff on youtube if you're interested.

Friday Fill-ins

1. It's time for lunch!

2. The Yarra Valley; it's not a bad place for a photographer.

3. I must be me.

4. How to read is the best thing I have ever known.

5. My time is simply wasted.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was watching the final Chasers War On Everything on Wednesday night.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cooking a lamb roast, tomorrow my plans include the Saints going for #18 in a row!!! and Sunday, I want to maybe get one of those little hard drive thingies to store all my photographs on!
FFI

The more things change, the more they stay the same...

2009


1979

Do you remember

trying to master the mouse?
As part of the course I'm doing I have to train someone in a workplace situation. I decided I'd teach Mum to open, read and reply to email - then she can get the stuff from her work that she misses out on by being part-time.
Well.......
"Click on Start...the green button in the bottom left corner."
........
........
up
........
down.....
left
.........
........
down
.........
up.
"Yes, now up to where it says "email" and click on that."
up
.......
up.......
left
.........
down......

Perhaps the difference was that no-one was really watching me while I fought to master that rodent.

She got there eventually.

Friday Fill-ins

1. A setback is not the end of the world.

2. Sitting here, listening to the sound of rain falling, I wonder when - if - the drought will ever break.

3. Home cooked food tastes so good!

4. Sometimes, putting others first is a good thing, sometimes it's not.

5. The view across the valley from the verandah is breathtaking, really.

6. Well, maybe there is hope.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to nothing exciting, tomorrow my plans include babysitting for my brother and watching the Saints go for 17 wins in a row and Sunday, I want to take it as it comes!
FFI

Random stuff

Dad's birthday last Saturday, his 80th. Huge family dinner to celebrate.

Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen - strong environmental message in a story populated by crazies from start to finish. Recommended.

Saints are 16 - 0 and 2 games clear at the top of the ladder. Unbelievable year. :)

Tash the Wonder Dog is starting to decline a bit. :(

The weather is starting to improve but still too cold for my liking.

I need a new 30 day photography challenge as I'm a bit bored with Flickr at the moment.

The Training and Assessment course I'm doing is barrelling along nicely. Sure hope it helps me get a job 'cos being out of work sucks big time. Soul destroying it is.

It's time for a glass of red..... cheers!

Friday Fill-ins

1. Pasta and a jar of pasta sauce make a quick and easy dinner.

2. Sick Puppy by Carl Hiiasen is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of leaving England for Australia, Dad's birthday too

4. The result was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams - do they? Who knew? .

6. Take the time to think it over. Or, just say "to hell with it" and do it anyway.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the calm before the storm, tomorrow my plans include Dad's 80th birthday - big family dinner and Sunday, I want to see the Saints win their 16th in a row!!
FFI

World Without End - Ken Follett

I finally finished this massive book of well over 1100 pages. Ha, it's only taken me a year. It's a huge, sweeping tale of medieval England before, during and after the Black Plague of the late 1340s.
The central theme is the struggle for progressive thinkers to have their new ideas and methods heard and accepted in the face of the intransigent conservatism of the ruling class and, in particular, the Church.
The two central characters are Merthin, the architect and builder, and Caris, the merchant's daughter turned nun. Merthin leaves Kingsbridge, where the story is set, for Italy when his new building methods are ridiculed and sabotaged by the traditionalists in the town guild. He returns, at the height of the Plague, and is determined to construct the tallest cathedral tower in England. At every turn he is thwarted by the guild and the cathedral's prior. Caris becomes a nun to escape charges of witchcraft which arose from her forward thinking approach to life. She leads the town's defences against the ravages of the Plague and is again harrassed and stymied for her medical practices which run counter to those practised (the same way for centuries) by the monks.
The book follows the fortunes of Merthin and Caris from childhood to later middle-age. It's also their love story.
The central themes are important ones but there is a tendency to repeat the same basic scenarios over and over again. New idea meets conservative guild/noble/church -> power struggle -> new idea gains some ground -> conservatives fight back -> new idea thwarted -> conservatives shown up as ineffective or incompetent or venal or evil (or all of the above in a number of cases) -> new idea is given a chance to prove itself -> gradual acceptance of new idea to the consternation and bad grace of the guild/ruling class/church.
The role of the Black Death in changing the basic nature of the Feudal system is also given a lot of coverage. But again, there was a lot of repetition of the same scenarios.
This could have been a great book if it had been two-thirds the length.

Friday Fill-ins - on Saturday

1. The last thing I ate was raisin toast and margarine.

2. Coffee is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it doesn't rain enough to end the drought.

4. My father was the first person I talked to today.

5. Hugs are free.

6. I just turned the heating up for extra comfort.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to last night I chatted with Georgia, tomorrow today my plans include keeping warm and Sunday, I want to see the Saints win their 15th straight game!
FFI

Wordless Wednesday

Peace, man., originally uploaded by jsarcadia.

Round 14

Saints V Geelong. Both teams undefeated this season. The only teams undefeated this season. Geelong won the Premiership in '07 and were runners-up last year - the best team of the last 3 years, the team that all others measure themselves against. They've only lost 3 or 4 games since mid-07.

And they lost today.

WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Saints by a solitary goal. Man, it was a tough game. Close and extremely hard fought all the way through - there'll be some very sore bodies tonight. 5 minutes to go and scores were level. But the Saints rallied to kick the last goal of the match with just over a minute to go. Thrilling stuff.
And they beat Geelong. Yeah!!!!!!!
And now they sit top of the ladder by themselves too.

I think I'll break out the scarf now - doesn't really matter what happens for the rest of the season, the Saints have now proved themselves to be genuine title contenders. They are good enough!

Friday Fill-ins

1. When I heard Whole Lotta Love I fell in love with the guitar.

2. Laughter is best medicine.

3. It's late, but that depends entirely on which side of the globe you're on.

4. Music always.

5. My eyes have seen better focus.

6. Make coffee strongly.

7. And as for the weekend (it's all about sport), tonight I'm looking forward to the men's semi-finals at Wimbledon, tomorrow my plans include the women's final at Wimbledon - I'm betting a Williams will win ;) and Sunday, I want to watch the Saints beat Geelong in the match of the season and then watch Roger win the men's final at Wimbledon!
FFI