flashman181

And as the financial year draws to an end it appears I have less finances than same time last year but have seen new places. Fair swap methinks. Of course also means we are in the middle of winter. Apparently. Of course the predicted rain for today in Maryhole did not eventuate but at least the cloud cover is keeping it warm for the cry babies who panic if it dares to hit single digits. I know where I would stick their single digit. Now you would have to be a Trump supporter not to know that a cold spell is on its way in every part of east coast but here this weekend and in keeping with same it brings up the fake news like the headline in Courier Mail yesterday that temperatures would “plummet to 13 degrees over night in Brisbane”! Seriously? In the good old days overnight temps of 13 meant it was September at last. Its similar on You Tube where every caption is something like “watch CNN DESTROY Trump supporter”

As hard as one may try and stay away it is almost impossible to ignore Trump at present. Sadly. Everytime you think it cant get weirder it does. Has there ever been anyone with less grasp of reality yet still supported by his enablers. He has achieved nothing except the lay down misère of a Supreme Court pick yet is already fund raising for 2020! He complains incessantly of “fake news” yet has fake Time Cover stories plastered on the walls of his private golf club. His tweets continue to be those of an unhinged mind and just when you though Spicer was the biggest goose on the planet they roll out Huckabee Sanders to “explain”. I hate biased reporting from any side but really can anyone match Hannity for rabid dog behaviour? And of course there are cameras everywhere now clown – despite your wishes it aint 1950 still

Knocked off several great shows since last we spoke. Wentworth is a great Aussie drama and ended yet another superb season with a beauty. Leftovers was hard to follow at times but well worth the effort and Fargo is reliable as ever if a little “more of the same”. Better Call Saul is a brilliant example of the perfect prequel but is moving rather slowly it seems. Veep is running out of legs and at its best when Selina isnt on as most of her lines are simply frat boy banter. A good final episode at least. Am enjoying the Netflix show Glow. Foxtel Fools are giving away 3 weeks of free drama pack that expires on July 16. The day before GOT 7 returns 🙂 Wentworth, Veep etc all finished . Its the dullest 3 weeks in the year!

As a weekend hacker – transplanted to Wednesday – it was especially pleasing to see Spieth struggle last week and still win. Seriously driving wise he couldnt land a paper plane in the Pacific Ocean and he was missing putts from 3 feet and not even hitting the hole. By the end he was deliberately aiming for bunkers so he wouldnt have to putt. Worked a treat 🙂 The only talking point though this week is SOO 3 and who comes into Maroon team although there is one bigger question – does anyone actually like DCE? For me, I would keep Morgan on bench as better value there. Bring in Munster to centre and DCE to number 6. Does anyone really care all that much about the cricket pay dispute. Nope. Until Ashes rolls around and Glen Maxwell is captain

In Golden Triangle talk the triangle is getting bigger and a tad out of shape. Its early days still of course but these are the best days. Las Vegas just doesnt seem to grab despite a couple of flirtations over the years. Continually drawn back to the other side with prospect of reliving the wonderful winter of 2015. So while San Diego still appeals the lure of NYC and Boston is strong. Preferred accommodation is a big issue for us old farts and is getting harder and harder to get an “apartment” in many cities. NYC is basically impossible these days and one accepts that you can find a suitable hotel to lay down your head for a few nights as all the action is on the streets. I dropped a quick email to my old Boston lodgings from 2016 to see if thought still open in 2019 and he rang me back in 5 mins! This is the sort of service that makes one comfortable when visiting the land of Trump. As fly in and out of LA coming back to San Diego is not a deal breaker although direct flights from Boston are problematical. First world problems

At least there is always Facebook and their helpful messages like – “do you want to know what happens when you unfriend someone? “. Nope, pretty sure I can follow the concept. The only real benefit of Facebook these days really are the regular pictures of the 6 pack that appear as they continue to grow and explore the world. Nothing better of course then when they congregate as a herd 🙂

Yeah its been a while. Been busy enjoying the Qld “winter” experience while it lasts. Cool nights and glorious blue sky days. Heaven on earth. The prospect of an approaching EVENT have the darts all stiffening over at Weather INC but does seem to be mainly northern NSW and creeping into Gold Coast

Speaking of the dawn of a new era and creeps from NSW, Kevvie has thrown both of “da boys” in the wheelbarrow and fronted up to the media with a new look team for SOO 2. Of course NSW media couldnt resist the dig about the “loyalty” chant which of course shows their combined IQ has them limited to the front row in any team put on the park. Qld were loyal in game 1 and it cost us big time. The irony of NSW naming same team is not lost on this LBD but it is all swings and roundabouts. QLD had a great run on continuity over last decade and it was never going to last. Scott and Inglis going down early were first signs. 7 changes are a lot but at least 4 were easy peasy – ONeill, Myles, Lillyman and Guerra had to go. Oates was a good call because although he “looked” good in game one and made no mistakes he also provided no real penetration. Wallace is the inspired call because with suspension likely we can all cry “foul” and ” rigged” when he gets a week tonight 🙂 Stirs up the supporters well. While I suspect NSW will still win in Sydney with Qld winning dead rubber to farewell JT, blooding some new blokes now will help in years to come. On the local front, no one likes to see a gifted player like Milf get injured but I for one think Broncs will do just fine with Benji there. Devoted followers know my view of Milf as one of the most overrated players pulling on the shorts and socks these days. In the meantime, here is hoping……

In TV land two media darlings – HOC and OITNB – have returned for season 5 and both show signs of maybe 4 was enough. Finished HOC and very predictable on one hand and unbelievable on the other but at least kept you engaged to a degree. If the Dark Knight tried to blackmail me so I could see season 5 of OINTB he would not get a brass razoo dear readers. Only 2 eps in and it is dull dull dull. Not sure will even finish this season but certainly wont be no binge watch. Not with shows like Fargo and BCS still going strong. For Caged Heat requirements always have Wentworth. Will save up the mind fark that Twin Peaks and American Gods will be for when suitably rested and heavily medicated

Online community is both a wonderful resource but also a place where assholes flourish in relative anonymity. I tend to peruse Trip Advisor for travel, Whirlpool for TV/Movies and LINE for in game chat. For every helpful tip on TA there is always an equally useless/sarcastic comment. Not sure what the criteria is for “TA destination expert” is but suggest it may involve ” must have left school at 15 and still living with parents at 30″ type scenario. Locked away in the attic busily spewing forth invective while baked beans are reheating. Interesting show a few years ago about how these so called “experts” had sent several businesses into bankruptcy with their reviews. Of course if you follow everything you read on TA then….

In the media world all opinions are subjective of course but the way some folk get so precious if you dare suggest that the latest season of “blockbuster” may have dipped a tad in the quality stakes is amazing. They seem to struggle with the concept that you can be critical of a show yet still watch it . If it was a new show that didnt engage in first few episodes then you would dump it but when a show like OITNB that was good at the start then you are going to keep watching it and hoping it picks up. Until that one whole bad season like with Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Didnt even come back for Season 3. The same will likely happen with OITNB Season 6. Then there are the in game forums which sadly are mostly an avenue for a sticker off contest to see who can post the cutest one combined with most inane comment. You come back after 24 hrs and the feed there are 120 messages with only one useful actual bit of info in there that you will never find. Usually have one game on the go until it gets to the point where will need a significant financial input to progress further. Rival Kingdoms was it so have walked away now. To Guardian Kingdoms 🙂 Great little game initially which became very popular. So developers opened it up worldwide and the rich Asians have now joined and the game will have a finite life as soon becomes unplayable due to the number of “big” players with even bigger online accounts. Mind you I once spent $2.99 in Candy Crush but in my defense Your Horror , it was a bitch of level. Here is hoping level 2 is easier. In general people have been pissing me off this week in case you hadnt noticed

In holiday land “Between a Rock and a Soft Red” is well bedded down with the occasional winery/foodie event added as time approaches. The Ireland Fling is at the stage where start looking at accommodation with only 2 real stipulations – must be open in February ( a bit of a deal breaker to be fair) and must provide complimentary umbrellas. That then leaves the fun part of planning USA 2019 – The Golden Triangle. This initial monica basically covers all USA trips in early stages as it involves drinking beer in 3 cities relatively close to each other 🙂 Early faves for Feb 2019 are Los Angeles/San Diego/Las Vegas but heart not quite sold yet. One problem is at least two of these are predominantly “hotel” cities which is not my ideal choice for week long stays. In trying to recreate the glorious winter holiday of 2015 flirted with Chicago again but they now have a 17% lodging tax and basically conventions 10 months of the year and for the other two are under the polar ice cap. So likely will change over time and as it is the planning that is fun not a big issue. To be honest could really go back to New York in February every year and have a great time but not particularly adventurous eh. Probably need to start thinking more seriously a year out by which stage will be in Ireland drinking Guinness.

What could go wrong….