flashman181

The Week That Was – 14.6.16

Posted: June 13, 2016 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

Yeah Yeah, a bit late but in my defense , Your Honour, one day is pretty much the same as the next to moi

There were two significant events in USA in the last few days with one being a celebration of a life and the other involving tragic loss. There is a tenuous link and one is always wary with such sensitive matters to trivialise such things. This meme demonstrated one view and the central theme of “muslim” but more importantly highlights the major role that media plays these days in colouring our views. One only needs to watch this weeks Media Watch on ABC to start to comprehend the impact that Facebook for example is having on the news we see

Lets start with the celebration. So much has been written about Ali’s passing and legacy that there is no need to say any more but rather one should look at two eulogies given at his memorial service to wrap this significant period up. I will only share Billy Crystal as thought it was perfect but one should also chase down Bill Clintons as well

By all accounts it was indeed a memorable service of all faiths thus fitting the way Ali transcended the world. Nothing happens these days of course without Trumpy Von Trumpster blowing in. If there is anything worthwhile about twitter it is once it is out there it cant go away so when Trump tweeted after Ali’s passing

Muhammad Ali is dead at 74! A truly great champion and a wonderful guy. He will be missed by all!

it was only a matter of minutes before a previous tweet emerged showing Trump in his true colour – bright orange!

Obama said in his speech that Muslims are our sports heroes. What sport is he talking about, and who? Is Obama profiling?

One of course is reminded of Ali’s perfectly measured response to Trumps initial Muslim rhetoric. In part

“True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.

We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda. ”

This is relevant of course because Ali initially was aligned with the more militant side of Islam before moderating later in life and adopting the true beliefs of the religion.

And so to the tragic events of Orlando. It is far too complex for any quick solution to the issue of gun violence and homeland terrorism but one does shake one’s head that they dont have the collective will to at least address one complicating factor. Gun control. If Sandy Hook didnt do it then in the land where Trump can be the Republican nominee the deaths of 50 people from LGBT community aint going to do it. Australia, and Little Johnny in particular, always come up in these discussions with our own response to Port Arthur and its “apparent success” . Once again this is a simplified review as the two countries are vastly different in gun culture amongst many other things but at least we did something. One can think of telling your young child not to run with scissors. On the first occasion the accident occurs you sweep them up in your arms and simply care for them. By the fifth or sixth time you still sweep them up because that will always be your reaction as a parent but part of you is tempted to give them a clip around the ear and try to knock some sense into them. So nothing will change again and in the meantime social media will be flooded with signs of solidarity when maybe some tuff love is needed. No one suggests there is a simple solution, especially to the lone wolf scenario, but there has to come a time when simply turning the Empire State building or Eiffel Tower into a rainbow is not enough. Does this show of solidarity give any comfort to the families of the victims? I dont know and I hope I never find out. Trump of course made it all about him as usual. John Oliver though was pitch perfect in his opening to his show yesterday and summed up the sadness of the situation but also the knowledge that life – and all its stupidity – must go on

So before moving totally away from Ali, this week saw start of OJ: Made in America from the always excellent 30 for 30 Series. This has “definitive telling of his story” written all over it. The first 90 minutes showed his amazing rise as an NFL star and then his movement into the media world mostly because he was not defined as “being black” and never wanted to be. One could be generous and say he didnt want to be defined by colour which seems fair at the time. Knowing his story better now it seems more likely he was just looking after Numero Uno and doing whatever was needed at the time. It is relevant to Ali because at the time – late 60s – his anti war stance was prominent as was Black Power at Olympics etc and most powerful black athletes including NFL star later turned actor Jim Brown were prominent in the black movement. OJ was not, he was too busy running through airports as the face of Hertz Rent a Car. Comparing Brown and OJ is a worthwile exercise given how the former walked away from NFL to star in The Dirty Dozen but never lost his true identity and “blackness” for want of a better term. The next 4 episodes has one simply licking one’s lips. This is not necessarily a good thing with this wind around mind you

In other TV news The Americans finished on the expected cliffhanger but was generally a low key finale to a superb season. As usual I have no idea about the original source material but Preacher is all kinds of batshit crazy and engaging. GOT fans are crying in their cornflakes as “expert fan theories” are blown out of the water each week. It is the usual slow build until the cataclysmic final episode no doubt but there was a memorable scene this week indeed

Speaking of cataclysms we mostly dodged the ark building caper the other weekend here in Maryhole. The media of course were creaming their jeans at the prospect of a very wet Armageddon here with the pick of the headlines for me being “Tie down your Trampolines” . One can only assume that Maryhole must have the highest “trampoline per household” per capita rate in Australia? As with many weather events there can be sadness and real hardship involved as well as many good folk in NSW no doubt know. Its a strange time of year weather wise with warmish nights and coolish days. If nothing else this can lead to some stunning sunrises and sunsets as I discovered on a couple of early morning drives this past weekend

The Greatest – A Boy Remembers

Posted: June 4, 2016 in Sport

It all started for me in 1970. My best friend at Wavell High was Ian Anderson and he was a rabid Ali fan. Didnt follow boxing much but saw the hoopla about his return to the ring with Quarry and then Bonavena and by the time March 1971 rolled around for the Fight of The Century I was hooked. Because he was more than boxing. As said in other media commitments this was when Heavyweight Boxing ruled the world of sport and Ali ruled boxing in the early to mid 70s. Forget State of Origin there was no bigger event in the sporting world before that night. It was a Monday night in Brisvegas – a school night even – as it was beamed live into out lounge room . Sinatra was a ring side photographer, Lancaster a ring announcer etc NYC was a rough place then and Madison Square Garden was the epicentre that night. Frazier won fair and square but Ali was not diminished in any way and was yet another example that behind all the bluster was a courageous man as well. Devoted fans would know of my love of the USA and have been very lucky to visit several times and pay homage to this night both in NYC and Philadelphia. For me the two men are inextricably linked like no other sporting foes. They displayed the beauty, brutality and courage of boxing at its best and worst

Around the same time there was a better than average Aussie boxer going around called Mundine but not of the dickhead variety. Another friend at school (yeah yeah two friends is hard to believe!) had a very generous father who started taking us both to Festival Hall in Brisbane on the odd Friday night where we would see Mundine and Jeff White amongst others ply their trade. To see the crowd stand as one and sing “Stand up and Cheer” as the boxers walked to the ring was amazing. This was close and personal trust me and really filled a young 12 yr old boy with awe. Mr Hassum always joked “Dont shave this week David we are going to the fights on Friday” You had this world class boxer up close and personal to watch and then follow Ali from afar. Now my mother likely had early onset OCD bless her heart and amongst many early memories was Thursday morning washing day where the bottom sheet was pulled off the bed, the top one replaced it and then a new one on top. To this day I have never known anyone else to do that and yet it made perfect sense at the time. I relate this fascinating anecdote more to highlight what a wonderful mother she was, in difficult times, because despite a cleanliness requirement bordering on obsession she allowed me to plaster my bedroom wall with newspaper clippings of Ali. I cant recall the state of the paint when finally removed but imagine a redo was in order. I left town. Literally. She also sewed me a wonderful label to attach to the back of a dressing gown. These things are magic to a young boy. Not sure how I got the money (maybe packing at Woolies on a weekend) but as is my own little obsessive habit started to collect US boxing magazines, Newspaper clippings and even started to import Super 8mm films from the USA of Ali fights. The excitement in those days of receiving a package from the USA was significant. Later on my sweet CLP got me the same fights on DVD.

The next few years had its ups and downs until we got to September 1974. By now I was collecting friends like acne on a teenagers face and one – David Anstey – lived next door to school. It was Senior year and it was October 30th but only one thing mattered that lunch hour – the fight was on TV. This could well have been the start of the extended lunch hour that I manfully continued with through my working years. It was a masterful display by Ali and the world was indeed shocked. Then of course we came to maybe the greatest Heavyweight fight of all time – The Thrilla in Manila. Certainly a brutal one and the one Ali should have walked, or at least limped, away from. But that is not in his nature.

If you have even a passing interest in Ali or Boxing you should watch “When We Were Kings” for the Rumble in the Jungle and the HBO doco “Thrilla in Manila” for the latter. The latter is actually a more warts and all look at Ali as told from the perspective of Frazier and when reflecting on Ali it is important to understand he was no Saint. There were many more fights to come including the epic Norton battles but the peak had been reached and only more damage could be done. He achieved the rare feat of winning the championship a third time but by now not only his decline but also that of Heavyweight Boxing was evident

Ali’s greatest fight was still to come and one can only admire his courage in such a proud man showing his frailty so clearly in public time and time again. Without knowing anything about his real health one can only imagine it may have well been a blessing in the end. Despite his appearance though in later years most suggest he was still quite “well” . Mind you , one consistency throughout his career were the “hanger oners” . It is only with his passing that you truly understand the impact he had on your life especially in those early formative years. It also reinforces what a mediocre lot of “sporting superstars” , with some exceptions, we have these days. There will be many words written and said and sadly by a lot of “personalities” but I have my own memories so I dont need to read anyone else. I will however highlight something Obama said as he always strikes me as a thoughtful person (or at least his speechwriter is!)as it does highlight the flipside of this larger than life character that transcended the sport.

Muhammad Ali was The Greatest. Period. If you just asked him, he’d tell you. He’d tell you he was the double greatest; that he’d “handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder into jail.” But what made The Champ the greatest – what truly separated him from everyone else – is that everyone else would tell you pretty much the same thing.

He wasn’t perfect, of course. For all his magic in the ring, he could be careless with his words, and full of contradictions as his faith evolved. But his wonderful, infectious, even innocent spirit ultimately won him more fans than foes – maybe because in him, we hoped to see something of ourselves.

One could spend all day simply looking at his life in pictures. Here are a couple that I always liked

I have only kept one magazine in pristine condition from those days and it was actually a wonderful gift from CLP who chased it down many years later from USA. It is a classic piece of sports journalism that again you dont see much of today

If you want an example of Ali’s charm and wit simply watch his interactions with Howard Cosell over the years. “Whatever Truculent means if thats good I’m that” No script there.

I no longer have a bedroom wall covered in photos. I only need one

Rest in Peace

Boo Hoo if You’re a Blue – SOO 1

Posted: June 1, 2016 in Sport

In some final good news for Loz the Snoz this morning news comes through he has been signed up for a big part as a new hero in the next XMen movie. His secret weapon is his huge Deflection Shield. He must have spent a lot of time with the QT man of Rugby League to have taken on board the one thing you need to do when you lose is deflect any blame away for your over paid Superstars. You know the ones that drop balls at tap kicks, or bombs at Fullback or miss getable conversions. Nah, load up on the referees instead. Now I like Loz and he is a fair and decent man by all accounts but just think the sheer frustration has finally got to him. Did QLD get the rub of the green ? Yeah probably. Have they always got the rub of the green for the last 11 years? Nope. The two most contentious issues were the no try for the Morris and reversal of the knock on against O’Neill just out from our line. Both decisions were correct Loz. It was actually the NSW touch judge that got the Morris call wrong and indicated to ref it was a try. Only reason it went up to Bunker as an onfield try. And this same ref missed a pretty obvious strip from Reynolds against Thaiday close to their line too which resulted in NSW feed rather than penalty. Kevvie is a newbie at the press conference caper but he needs to shut up about “needing some assistance ” to win big games. Take it this time Son because in your coaching career you will be on the other end for sure and certain and no one will give a crap let alone the NSW coach

The issue developing with SOO that the administrators and Channel 9 dont want to admit is they are becoming largely boring games. “Dour” is the buzz word but is a pretty way of saying snoozefest. Yes it is tough no doubt and every debutante will say “it was a lot faster than I thought” but it is not good spectacle . Unlike last years Grandfinal. The hype simply continues to build each year but is more about some petty hatred between some media and a need to justify “the game that stops the nation” Speaking of which a couple of players could have been put down this morning or at least swabbed. Now, I get wrapped up in the hype each year too but really only because I get sick and tired of the heavily NSW Biased NRL media and the crap they go on with so simply want QLD to win to shut them up

Thought Boyd was outstanding and should have been MOM although Gillett was very good. Gagai impressed while Smith and JT did usual solid stuff behind the line. Cronk was quiet. Thaiday did his best work after the match which simply gives the NSW media something else to latch on to and run with. For NSW, Maloney impressed as did Fifita off the bench. Moylan will be better for the run now nerves are out of the and looks all class. You cant see NSW winning at Suncorp and then will have the dead rubber in Sydney and a night on the Stilnox so NSW have hope for 2017.

Great line on the QPS Facebook page this morning

And THAT is how you Hold the Door! #Origin #Queenslander #GoT

There will be many great memes around today but this one tickled my fancy for its simplicity. From TAB with the tagline

One win in 10 years, probably smart keeping the tag..

The Week That Was – 28.5.2016

Posted: May 27, 2016 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

Climate Change Splimate Mange. It was only 31 degrees yesterday. Coldest Autumn on record. If you took records on top of bloody Mt Etna that is. Trumpy Von Trumpster says it is all a hoax. The hopeful sign for the Democrats is the more confident he gets the more loose his tongue gets. Start winning a few more polls against the female variety Clinton and just sit back and enjoy the show. I expect a Whitlam like approach to his VP choice and just annoint himself that and Secretary of State. Its going to be HUUUUUUGE

My TV watching schedule does not necessarily follow any discernible pattern of actual viewing times as like to save up whole seasons for binge watch. Doctors refer to it as Netflixitis but I refer to it as a more recognisable disease known as early onset Alzheimers. I forget where I read about it , naturally, but I cant follow complex shows if have to wait 7 days between installments. Hell, ad breaks in nightly news throw me. As such I only finished Bates Motel Season 4 this week and it was that old conundrum one faces of it being so good you dont want it to end but you also want to see how it does . This is no spoiler really as everyone who knows anything about the source material knows that Norma is not looking too flash in that window overlooking the hotel while Norman runs the place but with only 5 seasons slated for show Season 4 was going to end predictably. Goodbye Norma Jean you non English Rose. The acting by the two leads is simply superb albeit a bit creepy. Mind you I reckon if that pair can run a motel though so can I eh.

The Americans of course is one show I have to watch each week as too good not too. As long as remember Russkies Bad Yanks Not so Bad I seem able to follow the yarn. The great unwashed of course continue to cream their jeans (sadly adding to said unwashedness) over every single move on GOT while superb shows await. For light relief we always have Mad as Hell and great to see Rake back for a 4th season . Throw in Wentworth close on heels of Janet King and you see that Aussie TV has most bases covered really. I still like watching clips of the US tonight shows like Kimmel but have to say he really lost me with his suckage up of Depp and the whole two dog saga. Its not funny, it is simply ignorant. I am slowly warming to Amber Heard

Speaking of cockheads that get way to much media attention what is the deal with Gorden Tallis ? Yes he was a very good player but that does not make him a good commentator ( did someone say King Wally?) let alone an expert on the game. He is bloody everywhere and now this week his feud with the QT man of Rugby League is headline news. The strangest thing he said, amongst many, was that QTB made Blair captain just to piss HIM off. Ego what ???? I like my podcasts and can only wonder what an actual knowledgeable and thoughtful person like Paul Kent thinks of this idiot stuck in a booth with him for 3 hrs every Sunday afternoon. One thing that is clear now is Broncos will not make the Grand Final this year. Yes you heard it here first fans. Cowboys will and maybe Cronulla or Storm. Broncos have the worst kicking game in the competition including the Jillaroos! They get out enthused every week and the too cool for school attitude will kill them at the business end. Hunt is not a match winner and Milford should be a poster boy for Valium the way he just drifts in and out of the game. Like that little girl when he is good he is very very good but when he is bad he is zzzzzzzzzz They dont use Roberts enough and Nikorima is confused with his role

Lovely end to the week with a celebration of Harry’s 4th birthday at Rainbow Beach yesterday. Now camping is not in my DNA or even RNA which strangely only seems interested in that exhibition thing around August each year. The Pipers were descending from all angles on Inskip Point and I made the rookie mistake of arriving before they had set up. After 30 minutes I was quite happy with my erection (and who wouldnt be after all that time!) and then GPipes tells me that is just the shade cover, the tent is in those 17 bags over there! Anyhoo it was a great spot and when was able to walk down to the secluded beach and swim in simply the bluest and calmest surf I recall it was all worth it. Not to mention a couple of hugs with a couple of cuties. Well, if nubile young women are going to approach me in the water……. oh thats right that was my dream last night.I am of course referring to Harry and Brody. Its a good road down to Rainbow so will have to keep in mind for future excursions remembering of course next time there will be seaweed, bluebottles and fat Pommies in the water no doubt. You can never go back. Great week bookended by great times at Kingaroy/Toowoomba and Rainbow. A reduntiree could get used to this.

CLP sadly is still sick as a dog but her coat is glossy. Could be the “autumn weather ” of course. I never succumbed despite her best efforts so life is strange eh. Sometimes you wash your hair at night and you wake up with Bubonic Plague. And a hairy pillow.

Weekend at Bernies

Posted: May 23, 2016 in Travel

Back in my productive era, and especially in the 80s, we regularly interacted with Company Reps as they traveled the state peddling their wares. These were good times with no FBT or Drink Driving laws. Ok, one of them is a sensible law true. No work was done after 5 pm but plenty of play and so originated the best morning after diet – TCTS and a quart of strawberry milk around 10 am the next day. Of course back then, like with most things sadly, could go again the next night …….. One such rep was Bernie Cooper and so when planning a weekend touring the South Burnett Wine region with CLP were pleasantly surprised to see he and wife Judy now run a Winery and B&B. If you are going to do justice to a winery visit then I think a bed on site is a must. And a short walk downhill to such lodgings

http://cranewines.com.au/

Of course first up was a visit to the Grandsprogs and there is a smattering of them in Toowoomba. It was Jessica’s birthday last week and Pat the Lad’s this week. Caught up with D2 as well and then started the trek with a sadly sick (and getting worse) CLP as my tour guide and navigator. She was so sick that she was my Girl Friday but didnt turn up until Saturday! So ensuring she only coughed to the left we headed off to first stop Bunnyconellen where there was not a rabbit in sight. Low energy place but lovely hosts and so hooked into first wine for the day. And an olive for the protein value. Then onto Kingaroy and the Taste South Burnett store in town. Sort of a multi cellar door for those that cant be half assed to drive down a dirt road to an actual cellar door. Our host Shannon could talk under wet cement if only to highlight the year and texture of the gravel but we had a very enjoyable ploughmans lunch. Bet he was pissed off when he came back to his table and saw his lunch gone but this is the country fella. Then onto our winery and our wonderful hosts. Unpack and hook into the cellar door as you do but had to take it easy as had a special dinner (with hosts) planned that night and given our location driving would be involved. However I am a gracious guest if nothing else so when Bernie suggested we have a drink before we head out I could hardly say no. Let alone speak. So our little group of 4 shared two bottles of the local bubbles and then headed off for dinner at the rather amazing Cassis at Booie. If you ever get the chance go there, it is simply excellent fare and great value

http://www.cassisrestaurant.com.au/

Next morning we woke up. Surprisingly. Today was a driving tour of wineries on da loop through Moffatdale but first a visit to the Lavender Farm. Prince would have been happy and we did see the only gay in the village. And we had lavender scones for some reason. Still picking it out of my teeth but my breath is to die for. Then onto our first winery – Clovelly Estate – which despite big signs on main road saying “OPEN” it was in fact closed once you drove down obligatory dirt road. Ok, early on. Next onto Bridgeman Downs with clear sign stating “Cellar Door Open”. Sounds promising. “Ah no sir we can only sell wine with food”. What is this?? Have I passed through a wormhole and entered the fucking cheese shop sketch from Monty Python? This crap could drive me to drink. If only I could find one! They say the third is the charm and for once they were right. We went onto Dusty Springfields Winery on a Hill and had a great time at cellar door and then onto lunch at Prendergast’s Irish Tavern on site. All that was left then was complete the loop back through Wondai et al and a last stop at the Peanut Van. I naturally assumed it would be in the shape of a cashew but was sadly disappointed. Time then for a relaxing few hours back home before we ate our hot breakfast pack from that morning for dinner as you do when you have a big one the night before. BBQ on site and even had some left over for breakfast next morning before hitting the road and heading home to Flashman Inc @ Sunshine Coast

Was a lovely weekend and would highly recommend visiting the region and both staying at winery and eating at Cassis. This will become a regular weekend retreat for us methinks when time, money and liver allow. Sadly CLP did not improve over the weekend so had her put down the next day

And by down I mean tucked up in bed with butter menthols and a box of tissues. All I needed was ear plugs.

The Week that Was 15.5.16

Posted: May 14, 2016 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

Winter is coming. Actually it has come and gone. Two cool nights were enough to suck this LBD into getting the flanno sheets and PJs out so now we have a sauna at night. Still it was glorious while it lasted especially early in the morning out on the golf course. Speaking of which I now have to relearn the SFM handshake having come into 9, if only momentarily

In other sporting news the field was cleared for Parra to come storming home . And then they tripped over the first hurdle. 12/15 suddenly became 12/14 but suggest they really start worrying when it becomes 9/7 because maths has never been their strong point. Apparently. Barnyard Nodick pulled out early from the Olympics and Australians rejoiced. If only his father had done the same 24 yrs ago. Mind you the Rio Olympics site at present looks like the municipal dump after a heavy downpour so cant expect our millionaire “amateur sportsmen” to risk it just for the glory. Then they have the chance of getting a little prick from something of the small and flying variety and one thing we dont need is any more pricks causing nuisance in our national sporting teams. Golf moves to TPC Sawgrass this weekend with the final 3 holes coming a close second behind Augusta Back 9 as the must see viewing event for the plaid pant clad brigade. Jason had a Day out in round one – yep I can do the corny one liners with the best of them

In TV land Good Wife ended with a slap more than a bang. General consensus was it was not a great series finale but not Dexter bad. A few loose ends left hanging but it was a great 7 season run with some of the best recurring guest characters going around. Locally Stan released their first original with a 6 parter Wolf Creek yarn. It was more a “tough girl” story than the original two movies but a worthy addition to the catalogue and will always applaud Stan and Netflix for original material, especially when a local flavour. Certainly 10 times better than all the reality crap that keeps getting served up as “new programming” I would suggest a crossover show that would be a massive hit. The loser each night on The Bachelor et al has to go on a date with Mick Taylor. To the Outback. One Way. The Americans is currently the best drama on TV and even had a dragon until Martha left 🙂 GOT continues its slooooooooow build for the season. With the third episode HBO indicated they were getting serious about the piracy issue. Luckily your average pirate is a lot smarter than Johnny Depp and certainly less arrogant.

Always looking for an excuse to tap into Ant’s cellar and this weekend we came up with Claude’s Birthday bash. The gang gathered and drank and ate and then drank some more. Started with the Penfolds Bin 389 circa 1997. It was so old that my LFTs were still normal when first bottled. In what was becoming a theme then moved on to the 2000 vintage and then 2006. After 3 bottles I thought I better leave the cellar and actually join the party upstairs or else people may notice. Always up for a laugh with Bruce so we decided to substitute the next offering with a Bowlers Run 2014 Shiraz. Yep I was surprised too as assumed they automatically imploded after 1 year in a bottle. The look on Ant’s face when he took the first mouthful was worth the price of admission. Which was free by the way so do the math – but dont ask the Parra board for help. When he spat the mouthful out over the railing and it landed on the roof of Bruce’s car thus stripping the paint off one could say justice was served I guess.

The rest of the day was a blur but was in bed by 7 pm after a bread roll for dinner. As the old adage goes ” Early to bed and early to rise makes one dull as batshit and not very wise” .May have lost something in the translation. Still, driving home this morning as the sun rose over the horizon was indeed glorious. Once you get past the fog at Gimpland of course. Old Whiskers should get a big vacuum cleaner and just suck up all the fog. Or for that matter all of Gimpland. Just leave the Maccas behind ok . So another weekend comes to and end , not that weekends mean a lot in my life. But something that does took place on Friday which of course was the 13th. Harry had his first disco at Kindy with a spooky theme. Seinfeld sent over some excess puffy shirts and he went as a ghost. Actually an excellent sewing job by Jas was involved #sewimpressed.

BOO

Well I did warn ya

Thank Me Its Friday

Posted: May 5, 2016 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

Speaking of a fake Deity worshipped by many, Trumpy Von Trumpster has defied all the critics and naysayers. Yes he kept that wig in place for 12 months. Which is surprising given the amount of hot air emanating a mere 3 inches below and every man with small hands knows that magic number. Like Big Mal will likely find out in a couple of months its not so much that the masses love you but rather they dislike the other guy more. This will of course be a contest between two candidates with the highest “unfavourables” in recent history. Most things are black and white for your average Yank so this is not that surprising. Two critical issues will impact on The Donalds run in my view. His choice of VP and voter turnout. Will the “never Trump” brigade vote for HillBilly or just not turn up? Trump’s unpopularity with women was of course confirmed by lack of endorsement from the Bushs or anything Bush related 🙂 Maybe he should stick to Mexican hairless for next wife ? Many folk, especially offshore, cant accept that DT could ever be elected to President. Did anyone really think Arnie would get the California gig? Now Arnie and DT are similar in a way except you can understand everything DT says – which of course is a big negative to him! That is naturally different to accepting everything he says as fact. In news involving an actual believable POTUS, BO again showed he is the coolest cat in town at the Special Correspondents dinner. Yes it is scripted but the man can deliver a line and gives the sense he could handle the odd heckler or two – that is if the 130 kg SS guy standing off to the side didnt first. My fave putdown of his involved Kendall Jenner given its subtlety and the look on her face.

In TV land finished the 4th season of Vikings and it was very good again although not as good as previous seasons with Ragamuffin wandering around half dazed for most of the season. Line of Duty Season 3 was excellent of course and as with any six pack can be knocked off in one session if dedicated and no life. Tick. Tick. Have held off starting The Americans season 4 as long as humanly possible but finally gave in and not disappointed. Have been catching up on some old Julie Rafter episodes of Halifax FP which certainly shows its age both in the acting and actors. Turning down a young Hughy J?? Come on girl. Does also confirm the long held view that Deborah Lee Furnace is also gay apparently. Movie wise caught the Netflix “production” of Special Correspondents. Gervais is a one trick pony for me and if u like that you wont be disappointed. Norma Bates almost saved it but not quite

Sport has been dominated of course by the slippery Eels. Most seem to think it is fair, I would suggest they got off lightly. The Todster didnt want to see anymore souls destroyed which is ok for fans and maybe even some players but some assholes do need to be destroyed. Watching Choc try and keep a straight face while saying he would fall on his sword for his team mates was fun. I mean the guy would have to be held up by said team mates before he could fall on anything. I was sent out to pasture early for a lot less money but at least could still walk. Well, 9 holes anyway….. The merry go round of which spoilt tennis brat to hate the most took a sharp turn this week when everyone thought Kyrgios was home and hosed but then Tomic flashed down the outside and won by a half head. Which is kinda appropriate. On the local front am approaching a unique and somewhat embarrassing possibility. Have been stroking it quite well lately – golf you naughty folk! – and so handicap is a very respectable 10. For a laugh also play 9 holes on Fridays which has an individual and specific “handicap” system based on whether you win a ball each week in sweepstakes. If u do, drop 2 strokes on handicap; if you dont blow out 1. This afternoon will stand on the first tee with a 9 hole handicap of 9 with a dicky back from hand raking bunkers this morning. Next week then has the real possibility of my 9 hole and 18 hole handicap being the same especially if second shot this afternoon is played from the 10th fairway!. It could be worse I guess, I could go off like a frog in a sock next Wednesday and my 18 hole handicap drop below my 9 hole !

On the home front today actually marks 14 yrs with CLP. Given its easy divisibility by 7 there could be a joke about dog years in there but I am above such trite nonsense. A lot has happened in that time and I can remember most of it. Facebook tried to suck me into Pastbook app last night where you can get a printed copy of a years memories for as little as $29.95. Ok , so when 2015 ran to 595 photos and a price of $70 US I knew I had plenty of memories to cherish but if I am going to get ripped off by US currency conversion I am going to be sitting on the beach in San Diego, not leafing through a photo album in Maryhole. More memories will no doubt be created when we head off in a couple of weeks for a weekend drive around Kingaroy Wine district. On second thought we could probably walk it 🙂 Been a great 14 years kiddo. May is a busy month indeed with many birthdays for kids and grandkids of the Ferguson persuasion and hope to catch up with them all. A simple visit from Grandad is enough in these hard economic times right ?

Life is good. At least until something better comes along.

Friday on My Mind

Posted: April 21, 2016 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

As yet another music legend passes seems only appropriate to remember an earlier loss with Aussie flavour. Not sufficiently endowed (!) with music knowledge to fully appreciate the impact of someone like Prince on the music world but can easily accept it was significant. One of a kind . If I was Paul McCartney I would look both ways before crossing the street now.

My Financial Advisor has asked to be introduced as an “old Polo mate” , and not my Financial Advisor, at any future social gatherings as infrequent as they may be. I think he was trying to subtly imply something so time to review my capacity in the wallet lightening caper. As expected I was very good at it. Surprising then to find out this is not a good thing. Almost as surprising as realising you cant be #internationalbarfly on $35 k a year and expect to maintain an adequate lifestyle for the other 11 months. As such future solo trips to USA are on hold for now or at least until I hit 60 or die of boredom before hand. I will still some travel in Australia as I have a loyal and devoted fan base who , at times, derive a single purpose for waking up the next day in hope there will be a new blog. It will also give me a chance to test a well worn excuse ” but dear its just as cheap to travel overseas as in Australia” . All joshing aside this is actually true once you factor in currency conversion and of course ignore cost of flights. Major cities in Aussie land are a rip off for accommodation et al . First trip will be in August this year down around Blue Mountains and Hunter Valley way. International may be removed but the barfly will get a workout trust me.

Looks like the Hillary Trump show coming up although still may be a twist in the tail. I just love watching Trumpy Von Trumpster try to act “all presidential” now for 95% of the time but doesnt take much to release the Kraken. Its not a convention you want to miss. Interesting , as Spacey pointed out, that once again House of Cards foresaw a real event (contested convention) in their recent fourth season. Fun times ahead and Jon Stewart must be kicking himself

In TV land the excellent Better Call Saul finished its second season with the looming question being how soon does Jimmy become Saul? It may not have the scope of Breaking Bad but it certainly has great story telling and superb cinematography. Girls was a good season while Broad City is an acquired taste maybe but well worth the effort. Brooklyn 99 continues to mostly amuse and Good Wife winds down to its inevitable end. Blacklist gets sillier every week but still strangely watchable but only because of Spader. Some great shows like Americans and Line of Duty percolating along and waiting for season end watches

Great to see the first hint of winter coming and no I dont mean GOT Season 6 next week! The first hint for me is shoulder pain usually starting early in morning followed by an increasing difficulty in getting out of bed. I think my “arthritic meter” would be way more accurate than any weather forecast. Maybe an app there ? Qld winters are of course glorious ,if brief, so enjoy it when it comes because it wont be hanging around for long. That reminds me of a great meme saw this morning and how some things hang around while the best are taken from us

Monday Musings

Posted: April 11, 2016 in Uncategorized

And so the greatest sporting theatre of the year has once more come and gone and did not disappoint even if most people had to google the winner. Those last 9 holes at Augusta eh. The critical 10 minutes of course was Spieth who , as returning champ gets to choose the Champions dinner menu, but instead chose to make a meal of the short 12th. It gladdens the heart of all hackers to see a pro stuff up like that while at the same time feeling some pity momentarily. Cant really take to Spieth though as he seems to be the good old boy off course but does whine a lot on the course and has the charisma of a limp flag. Not too many limp flags at Augusta mind you over those first few days. Day shot his load in the first round losing those 5 shots. Even though he hung around you dont get over that momentum stopper. Scott was always going to struggle on these greens. Oost’s hole in one was simply unbelievable given its ricochet off another ball at first pushing it away from the hole

In other sporting news the Broncs continue to dawdle along by making few mistakes. Interesting to hear King Wally saying they are still doing 90% defensive work at training so lets hope their attack kicks in soon. The QT man of Rugby League clearly has a plan and not a big sharer. Of course what do we do if we are the NSW media and the QLD teams are daylight ahead of everyone else ? – flog the death out of the “rat “story. zzzzzzzzz The cross team circle prayer at end of Tigers Knights game was an interesting sight. Very American in a way and beyond my realms of comprehension but can’t be a bad thing really . Maybe the Tigers were in no rush to get to the dressing room….

In other theatre news we have of course the US elections. I think Trumpy Von Trump’s bubble has burst and while he will win NYC he wont get the 1237 needed and so we have a “contested convention” where there is a strong move to allow guns to be carried. What could go wrong ? The GOP contest of course sounds like you went in for that vasectomy reversal but there was a cock up (literally!) and you came out with a circumcision reversal instead. You just know there is a lot of pain ahead. So anyone rejoicing the downfall of Trump , as we all should, just take a closer look at Cruz. In other media commitments have already highlighted he has to be Eddie Munster grown up doesnt he ?

Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a “Celebrate the 2nd Amendment Event,” Saturday, June 20, 2015, at the CrossRoads Shooting Sports in Johnston, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Kasich seems ok but then it is easy to be casual and free wheeling when no chance 🙂 On the other side Hil’s biggest problem could well be her last name while the one email she forgot to send was to Bernie telling him he’s dreamin! They let Slick Willy off the chain last week and it may bite them and her strong support amongst African Americans. Seems the strength behind Hillary, despite losing the last 7 primaries, are the famed Super Delegates. It would appear that like most men his age Bernie is only on Unleaded. You only have to listen to Obama speak though to know that whoever wins there will be an intellect void by comparison at 1600 Pennsylvania for next 4-8 years

Speaking of USA, CLP is nagging me to go back to USA one more time. She must have got two messages stuck together because it ended with “and dont come back “which of course does not make sense. So an idea is forming based on a famous Mamas and Papas song and no it does not involve the Mardi Gras in Sydney. But u r right , that is a great song to end on and does remind me time for some new clothes. But Im keeping the beanie ok…..

Easter 2016

Posted: March 27, 2016 in Midlife Crisis in Maryhole

There is a lot more to Easter than just eating chocolate. The pubs are also open. But first , a chance to catch up with the Fab Five in Toowoomba for Great Friday. Not too often get all 3 children and 5 grandkids together so was indeed a Festivus miracle come early . An early morning trip from Flashman Inc , Sunshine Coast had us sitting down to a very passable breakfast at Esk on a glorious clear morning. Luckily the traffic was all heading the other way or I had got stuck in reverse. Again. There must be something in the area where you can float a boat and pitch a tent on but am happy for it to remain unknown for this little black duck. Camping is right up there with Prostate exams and root canal work in the pleasure stakes for me . There was that one time I got both done and just hope like hell he washed his hands in between. Don’t need floss down there! Sent the grand kiddies well on the way to juvenile onset diabetes before tucking into a lovely lunch

Headed back to Brisvegas early afternoon where CLP is house sitting in Windsor for a couple of weeks. Just hope the owners don’t find out . Lovely location and perfect for some late afternoon drinkies and nibbles on verandah overlooking the poor people . Then a night of sport . On TV ok! Went to bed secure in knowledge both Broncos and Cricketers had lost so got pleasant surprise in morning . The bed was dry ! Then back to verandah for relaxing breakfast and planning of day . Wonder if any beer serving establishments open on Easter Saturday ? Of course they do but if you really want to enjoy that first drink wander around for an hour on a simply glorious, but hot , day and grab some culture at GOMA first. Hey it’s free, but still a rip off 😎

Then onto Tipplers Tap to arrive precisely at 11:59 , mouth open, for advertised midday opening. Hey here is a TIP ya clowns. If you want to close on Easter Saturday by all means but how about a heads up online! Shan’t be back . Ok back track to The Charming Squire (named after me apparently) and settle in for beer and fat food in equal portions. Great set up and very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours . The rest of the day was less productive but hey needed to rest up for the Della feast on Sunday . Apparently Grange was involved . Early to bed early to rise makes one….. well 58 I guess.

The Easter Bunny came and went rather quickly . Another noice home cooked breakfast on verandah while we waited for the guaranteed storms to arrive. Well at least it is a bit cooler . Morning tea with Mum and a catch up and then onto the Della residence at Burbank. Grange is red eh ? Apparently 😉 The usual MASSIVE amounts of food and wine from our gracious hosts ADJG while MEAGRE amounts of rain fell. Could well have settled in for my nana nap but more family alive still so off to Strathpine to see Anne and John for dinner and tres nice fried rice (with fresh prawn) before heading back to Sunshine Inc , the land of no showers . Maybe there is a clogged pipe somewhere and trust me after these last 3 days I know what that feels like …..

It had been a wonderful Easter enjoying the Holy Trinity on this religious occasion – Family, Chocolate and Alcohol. And still a day to go. Which could only mean one thing . Time for a sing along