Friday

I've had big week. I run a competition here, and it was mentioned on the ABC local radio, and I am due for an interview with them at 3:10. Get onto abc.net.au and check out Victorian Statewide drive - I'm a star!

Anyway, it was a big week. Yesterday was very tiring, especially after doing over 580 kms on Wednesday. Hard yards, man.

So tonight my partner and I, a good friend from my school days and his girlfriend are going on this.

I've been before, as I took my partner on it for her birthday - never let it be said that I don't know how to show a lady a good time.

My mate and his girlfriend are off to India for a couple of weeks, so it is time for them to enjoy some Melbourne sights before they go. And the drinks are free on the tram, so I might roll off it!

I've put some more photos on the Flickr site too. My sister had a birthday and there are some shots there from that night. Including shots of my brother playing in his band. Check it out here.

Here's a photo of the road from Raywood back to Eaglehawk. I have relatives up there and dropped into see them yesterday. It was most pleasant. As you will notice, much of Victoria looks like everywhere else.

More to come...

Phil - Star

As some would know, I have a friend in Korea. Phil is his name. There are a few photos (very few, only three) of him and I enjoying my trip to Seoul in November 2004 located here. And there is only one of us together. At least we aren't the same person.

We have had a number of adventures. Mostly alcohol fueled. I even have some photos of mayhem we caused while we were at University in rural Victoria, but these are only on paper and not electronic. Phil would well remember 'Jim the Shitter', and his brother the aptly named 'Shitter's Brother'. Ahh, good times.

Anyways, Phil is now an internet star. There is a photo of him on this website. He was out with them when they were on the tear, you can find a photo of Phil under 'Friday Night Out'. He is up the top of the photo stream too.

Apparently, he said the main lady on the site, Shelly, was going to give me a shout out. Looks like that didn't happen, and I am disapointed in that.

I will send a comment to her to tell her that I have put this post up mentioning her site. They look like they have a lot of fun over there.

I never took a camera with me when out on the carpet. Too much chance of having photographic evidence left behind to use against me in a court of law, or worse still in the court of public opinion.

Midnight shenanigans are best left a hazy, sometimes easily forgotten memory.

More later, man.

James Reyne

I like James Reyne.

For those not in the know, James was the front man, and song writer for iconic Australian band from the 80s 'Australian Crawl'. They broke up in the 80s, 1986 to be precise. That's early.

I never got to see them, as I was a bit young to do so. I have now enjoyed my own renaissance with their music. I have always liked them and every Australian of my era and before knows the songs and the terms, such as 'the boys light up', and reckless.

Anyhow, I was watching MusicMax one night after returning from the Bowls Club. I had indulged in a few beers, and my partner had gone to bed. On came a James Reyne song. I forget which one it was, but it was from his solo CDs, and there was a woman running, who was a dark skinned lass.

In my hazy state, I decided to write down why James Reyne is not only an Australian music legend but also a fine ambassador for Australia. I got to eight points. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Bitch Magnets – this was his first band. I heard this many moons ago and believe it to be true. He was in it with his brother David, who is now a host of some show on Channel 10 that I never get to watch. Although when I have seen it, it was rather funny, and he was dropping sarcastic comments to some goose of a chef who was taking himself far to seriously. Good name for a band, and as James and David are both handsome men, I think it is a deserved name.

2. Australian Crawl – Australian Crawl were a great band and although they only did four albums, their hits were great and they have a place in Australian music history. (Pompous story warning) When I was in Paris, I had to do some laundry. It was my job to go to the Laundromat, (while my partner did something else – sleep I believe), of which there was one around the corner a bit. I speak no French but I know how to use a washing machine. Once I had figured out the washing machines, I had some time on my hands, so I sat there in a Laundromat in a side street in St Germaine, Paris, and dialled up Australian Crawl's Greatest Hits on my iPod, and enjoyed a good hour of fine Australian music in Paris. A memory that although the circumstances were ordinary, to me it is lovely memory.

3. James is big in Brazil – I don't know where this comes from, but I have heard it before. Good to see that James is doing his bit for the Australian economy by selling records overseas. His music is well suited to a hot climate and well done. Perhaps the lady in the film clip I saw was Brazilian? Who knows?

4. Solo career – His solo career has also been excellent and they are songs I do not grow bored of. Although I must amidst that the duet of the Dingos song 'Way out west' has been left off my iPod, mainly because of that other singers actions during the republican debate we had here a few years ago – I do not forget. I only have the best of and the message on my mobile when I turn it on is: 'any day above ground is a good day' and this inspiring note is from the song of the same name. He also released an album called 'And the horse you rode in on', which is typical of his nefarious ways.

5. Private school boy – James went to a private school. It was one on the Mornington Peninsula, possibly Peninsula Grammar. I went to a private school too, mine was APS, but I can forgive James for that. At least he is part of the fold.

6. ABC 2 Dig – This is a show on the ABCs digital TV channel. I don't have digital, but when my upgrade to Fox comes through, James I will be watching it! I've heard some banter between him and Tracey, and it sounds honest and decent.

7. Looks good in a singlet – As mentioned before, in the film clip I saw he was wearing a singlet. James looks good in a singlet. I wear a singlet, mine are blue, he has a penchant for white. Each to their own. I have a body well suited to a blue singlet. I doubt James would look as good in a Jackie Howe as I do, or, more importantly, think I look as good as. . Even though in this film clip he wore a pair of pants that I would say were verging on Harry high pants, the addition of the singlet allowed him to pull it off.

8. Haircut – James has had a number of strange haircuts. In the 80s it was short, in the 90s almost a mullet with gel, and now he has become more gentrified and refined in the naughties. He obviously takes some pride in his appearance, and good on him. As an Australian legend he should, a fine ambassador for Australian men to aspire to be like.

That's it for this, I hope you found the above points to be of some interest. Feel free to comment if you have any other points to add to this list.

Thank you for getting this far into it. I am about to listen to some tunes of his. If you ever want to have a beer James, drop me a note, and I'd be happy to buy you one. Rock on James.