Oh and happy birthday Joey too hehehe

This afternoon I pick up my Honda Jazz VTi from Austral Honda. I can’t wait! This is the first time I’ve bought a car myself and the first brand new car I’ve ever owned!

I was anxious about spending so much money.. but I’ve had a mortgage before so this is only a fraction of the cost hehe (Always look on the bright side)

I will get some photos up on my Flickr account at some stage. Is it 4:30pm yet? No? Dammit! Oh well! heh.

I joined a couple of Honda forums and just found a new one last night. Redbank Shopping centre have a GLi model in there on display for a competition of sorts (spend lots of money to get points to win something) and I was in there anyway the other day so spent a bit of time drooling over that car heh.

Tonight Cath and I are going to Faith in the city (an 80s/goth/retro club) and meeting up with Mil and Josh so should be a great night out. We’ve been spending so much time together. Last Wednesday night (the one just gone) I met her parents and it seems they approve.. so that’s great

I hope everyone has gone outside to check out the lunar eclipse going on right now.

I went and had a look. A bit cloudy at the moment but you can see the red moon nonetheless

Okay, I joined another Social Networking place. Facebook actually looks more fun than the others due to all the fun applications you can add to your profile.

I might end up leaving some of the others alone and cut down since there’s so many damn social networking sites. Argh!

A quote from Dave Hughes in SMH:

DAVE Hughes has publicly apologised for calling shock jock Kyle Sandilands a “massive dickhead”.

Dave first made the remark during a comedy routine at this year’s Logies Awards and Kyle has since promised to punch the ha-ha man in the throat, even if it means going to jail.

The statement is so Dave, we have to print it word for word. It reads:

“Mr Dave Hughes has issued a public apology to Mr Kyle Sandilands, who has made comments in the past days in reference to remarks made by Mr Hughes at the 2007 TV Week Logie Awards.

“Mr Hughes said : ‘I am sincerely and deeply sorry that Kyle Sandilands is a massive dickhead.’

“Mr Hughes hopes that this sincere and unreserved apology will put this ugliness to rest and stop Mr Sandilands from going to jail.

“Mr Hughes further remarked: ‘No one deserves to go to jail just for being a massive dickhead. Massive dickheads have the same rights as normal people.’

Classic!

I just got this email today:

    A “heads up” for those of you who may be regular Bunnings customers.
Particularly now its almost holidays, and that means “projects” to  most men! (making stuff, or fixing stuff)

Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while shopping at Bunnings.

Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic.

Don’t be naive enough to think it couldn’t happen to you.

Here’s how the scam works:

Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the boot.

They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look.

When you thank them ask you for a ride to another Bunnings - or Coles.

You agree and they get in the back seat.

On the way, they start having sex with each other. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and performs oral sex on you, while the other one steals your wallet.

I had my wallet stolen November 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th, &24th. Also December 1st, 3rd, twice on the 7th, three times just yesterday and very likely again this upcoming weekend.
So be careful.

I just came across this funky tutorial on Google LatLong: YouTube-Style Embeddable maps.

I might use it for future trips around Brisbane and other places in the country.

I just hope it doesn’t break my blog, here like the IP thing I posted a week ago. It put images all over the place and stopped most links on my blog working.

Might try it out tomorrow night when I have time and upload a few photos I took when I took mum and dad north on the holiday we had last week.

These guys are frikken hilarious!

I just got introduced to them today.

Go check out Dick’s cover of NiN’s Closer and other songs on uChoob.

And I’m sure some of you will know where his name is from

Now try Max’s cover of Britney Spears’ Oops, I did it again!.

I picked up Sienna on Friday afternoon and she stayed overnight. Saturday we did some shopping and I kept her entertained until she went home about 4:30pm.

Cath came over that afternoon and I made pork steaks with a marinade, oven baked veges and other green veges in cheese sauce.

We watched some Tripping the Rift and Russell Peterson and headed into the city to go to a new goth club which had a Fascination Street Ball (a late The Cure afterparty).  We got there around 9;15pm and stayed until about 10:15pm and headed off again.

Cath has been an actress in many plays and the one she was in recently submitted an act to the local play festival along with about a dozen or so other plays.  Saturday night was an awards presentation night from the adjudicator whom had been viewing the one act plays for the festival.  We originally weren’t going to it (Cath has never been in a play at a festival before) but her director requested her so we thought we had better go along.  They called out the awards and the play “Doubt” which Catherine was in won the Best Play award.  It also won the Best Director award …. aaaannnndddd CATHERINE WON THE BEST ACTRESS AWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOO!!!! She was soooo stoked! She didn’t expect their play would win any awards, but they basically cleaned up!

She had a glass of champagne to celebrate and calm the nerves after the presentation and I drove us home, picking up a bottle of champagne (sparkley white Pinot Noir) on the way. We got home and drank it in celebration. What a great night out it turned out to be :) I was so proud!  She couldn’t wait to ring her mum the next day hehe.

WELL DONE CATHERINE!

The rest of the weekend it was drizzling rain so we stayed at Cath’s place snuggled on the couch under a doona watching DVDs of Billy Connolly, Red Dwarf, Blackadder and a very intersting movie called The Secretary.  We also caught half of Kath & Kim and all of Meet the Fockers.  It was a really nice weekend to just relax and enjoy each other’s company.

I wonder why this reminds me of The Simpsons

Yesterday we went for a trip up the coast.

We first stopped in at Aussie World and went on lots of rides. Sienna loves this ride like the Tilt a Whirl or something. Spins so damn fast! She has NO FEAR that one. Crazy girl. Like her dad *Grins*. Dad nearly brought his lunch back up. Erk!  After that it was the Ferris Wheel.. thank God! Much easier on the stomach. I just laid back and closed my eyes. Not due to fear of anything, but to try and settle my stomach.

Before that we went on the swing type chairs that go round and round and up.  She really loves that.  I think she’s addicted to adrenaline lol!  She also went on the more tamer merry go round and teacup rides.

We bought some things in a nearby shop. Mum and dad bought one of those waterfall pictures for the wall that you plug in and it animates water flowing down and plays music.  I bought Cath a teddy bear as a surprise. Shh! Don’t tell her! Lucky she doesn’t read my blogs hehe.

Next we went for a trip North and stopped at The Big Pineapple. (I updated the Wikipedia article a lot after our last visit).  Just as we got there the train left for a trip around the grounds. As it turned out it was the second last trip. We booked tickets for the next trip which meant they were discounted due to being the last one and there was no time left for feeding the animals. Still, the driver was hilarious and told us all about growing pineapples. He kept asking questions and Sienna kept putting her hand up. He’d ask her the answer and she’d get all shy and jump on my lap! LOL! He thought it was funny. So did she.

Before we did the trip we had some dessert. Sienna had a Junior Sundae with chocolate icecream with chocolate sauce. I had a fruit salad parfait. Parfait may be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet! Mum and dad shared a banana split.  While we waited for that Sienna played on the wooden train in the food court with the other kids.  We had a fantastic time all up and headed home around 5pm.

We grabbed a couple of Dominos pizzas on the way home. Dad got a supreme with classic crust and I got a triple ripple base with Double bacon cheeseburger topping (Sienna’s pick). I grabbed a nice bottle of Cab Sav while we waited for the pizzas to cook.

I ended going to bed around 8:30pm due to having many late nights and early mornings. So tired. So of course today I woke at 5am. Grr. Oh well.  Today we’ll take it easy and relax and watch some movies.

I saw half of Die Hard 4.0 and it looks bloody brilliant! I had to pick up Sienna halfway through so I might watch it now while everyone sleeps.

Today we went out to find me a new car. I tried a test drive of a Mazda 3 after reading reviews.. and can I just say “Yuck!!”??? I never want to drive one of these again. No legroom .. the central column is in the road of where my knee would normally be.. and I hated the dash. It drove okay I suppose but I just hated it. Lucky for me, the place I originally wanted to get it from had sold the only Mazda 3 the day before at lunch time. It was a 2005 model with 30,000kms on the clock.

We went a couple of places up the road from that to a Honda dealer. The people there were absolutely brilliant! Talking to Sienna and being really friendly. She came home with a half dozen balloons!! She was rapt. They were also really good to us. I took a Honda Jazz VTi out for a test drive and loved it! It was waaayyy better than the Mazda 3. I’d thought the M3 was supposed to be a nice luxury car, but it’s far from it in my books. When we brought it back, we got the info on a trade in for my old Honda Civic and found out what kind of deal we could get. I ended up adding on protective coating for the paintwork and tinted windows and I’m signing up for extended warranty and premium membership to RACQ. All up it’s around $22,000 or so and will be about $111pw financed.

Below are some photos from the web and other details, but let me say I’m way happy with the results.

Meet the ever-so-nice Jazz. It’s a bite-sized wonder with all the performance, safety and style that Honda vehicles are famous for. And with three exciting models to choose from, you’re sure to find one that fits you ever-so-perfectly.

Exterior - Driving a Jazz means you automatically set yourself apart. Every detail is a statement of your individual style.

• Jazz can slot into the tightest of parking spaces – thanks to its compact overhangs and short nose. It’s dynamic shape and smooth lines give it a distinctive charm, belying an utterly spacious and practical interior.
• Big, multi-reflector headlamps with chrome-plated rings flank a steeply raked, scalloped bonnet, accentuating the sleek lines. They produce a powerful beam, ensuring great night-time vision.
• Shopping will never be the same again - thanks to Jazz’s practical hatchback. It’s got a low height, so loading is a breeze. In fact, fitting in everything from hat boxes to surfboards is an absolute piece of cake.
• The Jazz’s combination rear lamps feature LED technology. LEDs are superior to regular globes because they’re brighter, longer lasting and are easier for other drivers to see. And let’s face it, they look pretty sweet
• The Jazz VTi and VTi-S models feature power retractable mirrors. At the flick of a switch, they automatically fold inward - handy for when you need to park in a tight spot or a narrow laneway.
• Also featured on the Jazz VTi and VTi-S models are mirror-mounted side turn indicators. Removing the indicators from their regular position on the side fender gives the Jazz a more streamlined appearance.
• Opt for the Jazz VTi-S model and gain instant street cred. You’ll find larger front & rear bumpers with integrated body skirts, fog lamps, rear spoiler, tinted rear lamp lenses and smart 15” alloy wheels.

Interior - The interior is a slick and inviting environment, with everything designed to be within arm’s reach.

• Those clever Honda designers have made use of every millimetre of space. The light and airy cabin lets five adults stretch out in comfort thanks to its innovative layout. Big car space – small car practicality.
• The Jazz GLi model features silver-faced gauges, whilst the VTi and VTi-S models are self-illuminating. They light up in stages – firstly when you unlock the door and then further when you turn on the ignition.
• It’s easy to keep your cool with Jazz’s air conditioning – a standard feature, of course! The retro rotary dials are perfectly positioned, allowing you to control your interior climate without taking your eyes off the road.
• Pump up the volume. Jazz features a funky 4-speaker audio system that incorporates a CD player and AM/FM tuner. It has toggle switches for tune and track changes and the whole system sounds as good as it looks.
• There is storage space and 3 cupholders in the centre console. You’ll find storage trays below the dash and a parcel space under the rear seats. There’s even a hook behind the passenger seat – perfect for take-away food.
• A flexible seating system that changes as often as you. In ‘tall mode’, flip up the rear seat base and you have over 4 feet of space from floor to ceiling in the rear. Switch to ‘utility mode’ by folding down the rear seats and you’ve got the cargo carrying space that would rival a minivan. And in ‘long mode’ you can stow items up to 2.4m long, perfect for a surfboard.

Engineering - Wherever you go in the Jazz, you’re assured of superb performance, handling and stability.

• The Jazz GLi model features a 1.3 litre i-DSI engine. Press the accelerator and the engine responds with a surge of power, generating 61kW of power and 119Nm of torque – great for city or highway driving.
• Jazz VTi and VTi-S models sport a 1.5 litre VTEC engine which offers zippy, powerful performance, along with excellent fuel economy. How does 81kW of power and 143Nm of torque grab you? Impressive, huh
• Driving shouldn’t be a chore. That’s why Jazz features an electric power steering system. Why electric? Because it’s smoother, has less kickback, weighs less and results in better fuel economy. Now that’s clever.
• Choose between a sporty 5-speed manual or CVT automatic. In addition, Jazz VTi and VTi-S automatic models feature an F1-inspired, 7-speed sequential shift with steering wheel mounted paddle shifts.
• The combined fuel consumption for the Jazz GLi is a miserly 5.7 (manual) and 5.8 (auto) litres per 100km. The Jazz VTi and VTi-S model’s larger engine uses only 6.0 (manual) and 6.1 (auto) litres per 100km.

I had a go. Got 255. You can do better:

http://bored.com/boomshine/index.htm

BOOMSHINE!

Thanks to Monty Python I decided to check out various cheeses.

I bought a Triple Cream with cracked pepper - not too bad I suppose. That one’s not in the sketch tho.

I bought some Jarlsberg - it was not bad either.

The winner, however was the Red Leicester.  Oh, my! Talk about YUM!  I’m gonna get more of that one in the future!  If you like cheese, check it out at your local supermarket.

I also found a thing called Cabernet Paste. It’s a paste made from Cabernet grapes used in wines. It’s actually not too bad.  I’ve never heard of it before.

Three hours to go. Yawn I’m going to be so tired tomorrow. Cath is out at a concert in the city and won’t be home until about midnight. I’m going over there when she calls me to say she’s leaving and meet her there

I just found out last night that my sister had another son last Friday.. called Aaron.  That’s three boys.  One day I’ll have to visit them all, but they are so damn far away!

Stupid mail2blog. I need a new plugin. Will paste what I emailed this morning…

Yesterday I dropped Sienna home and drove out to Caths place. We took her car into the city and net up with a bunch of people from the goth forum at Pancakes on Charlotte st.
It was nice catching up with everyone although I didnt know most of them and didnt have time to find out all names.
Cath got the crappy house wine which didnt taste good until the end and I got a kahlua coffee. She had the mexicana pancakes and I had crepe escape which was ham cheese and tomato. We put our orders in and everyone got theirs but I and another had to go hunt ours down. They brought mine out cold and said it came out but nobody claimed it. Sigh. Another guy got garlic bread which was cold. He took it back but I said they would just nuke it, which they did seem to do.
Cath ordered some drinks and got a menu so while we had a quick 30 second look at it the waitress ran off. Cath had to yell at her to get her back.
So yeah. The service was crap.
Still it was nice to see everyone.
One of the ladies said to Cath that she looked at my photo on the forum and could not see ‘us’ as a couple but when we sat together we looked like we had been together for years.
We paid for our food and left and headed home but there was a traffic jam so I turned back towards the city and looped around to another exit. I needed to find a toilet quickly and could not wait in traffic. It wasnt due to the food. That didnt hit me until about 11pm. Erk!
We watched the Simpsons movie, listened to some Bill Hicks and went to bed.

As soon as I saw her, I picked it. Sylar’s mother is Ellen Greene whom played Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors

I had no idea she was still acting, but is in many shows to this day!

What’s Pownce?

Pownce is a great way to send stuff to people you know. Add friends, then send them big files, invite them to upcoming events, share great links, and whip off a note to anyone, everyone, or just a few people. Learn more…

Invite only! Well, you can ask to be considered

I also joined Iyomu, but it’s not all that and a bag of potato chips, girlfriend.

Oh yeah. I forgot to mention. Last week I was in JB HiFi and found The Best of the Naked Vicar show on dvd! Sweet! Two DVDs of real Aussie humour, before everyone went PC and stupid.  It stars Ross Higgins(Ted Bullpitt from Kingswood Country), Julie McGregor (Betty from Hey Dad!) and Noelene Brown, as well as others you’ve probably not heard of hehe.

Yesterday I was at Crazy Clarks to find myself a nice coffee percolator. I had seen them in the city branch but they were always sold out. I checked Kenmore village shopping centre on the way back from picking up Sienna, but they didn’t have any either so we popped into the Indooroopilly shopping centre branch and there was one left. Why were they always sold out? They are $9.99 and work well! They make up to 8 cups of coffee! I bought one and two packets of coffee grinds (Hazelnut yum!) for $4.50 each. Sweet! Now I have real coffee and not just instant crap.  I also picked up some medicine to stop Sienna’s nose running and making her cough.

Didn’t do a lot last weekend because Sienna had the flu so we stayed home, mostly.  This Sunday she is invited to a kids party near where she lives.  Tomorrow I knock off early from work since I finished really late today, so I will pick her up early.

After I drop off Sienna on Sunday, Cath & I have a meetup with some people from our forum so we will head off there. Most of them don’t even know we are together, so it will be an interesting gathering to say the least hehe.

Last night, Cath and I went to The Globe theatre in Fortitude Valley and watched The Crow and Sleepy Hollow.  We had a really good night out.  We met up here at my place and I drove her car into the city. We were waiting in line and a car drove past with people yelling out “WOOO! Go the EMOS!!!!” hehe. We just laughed.  We didn’t arrive very early. Only a couple of minutes before 7pm but they hadn’t opened yet.  We waited around until they did open and started down the stairs before I asked the guy at the door if they take Credit Cards.  Nope! So we went to the train station ATM to pick up some cash and got back.  They were only letting people inside the Theatre but not into the Cinema part, so we grabbed drinks at the bar.  I bought a bottle of Pure Blonde beer.  Cath bought a glass of house wine. Since you can’t take fragile glasses into the cinema, they just had a plastic cup. However, they filled the cup right up to the top!!! Cath was amazed while watching it happen, but they still only charged for a standard drink size. It was only Banrock Station red, but still drinkable and at twice the wine for the normal price, who is complaining? Nobody! That’s who! I bought Banrocks once just because it looks close to the name of my domain, here.  We went back at the intermission and got another lot of alchy *Grins*

Other film doubles coming up are: Edward Scissorhands & Brazil, Labyrinth & Ziggy Stardust, The Holy Grail & Life of Brian.

Next Friday mum and dad arrive from NSW.  I’ve taken off Friday to Wednesday, inclusive so will be picking up Sienna on next Thursday night and keeping her here while we all have fun for a few days.  Should be good!

I don’t know if my taste in movies is getting too good, but I watched the Transformers movie and didn’t like it. I’d give it about 2/5 if it’s lucky.  I also watched Hot Fuzz on DVD after discovering my local DVD shop has $1 Tuesday movies!  Sweet!  Hot Fuzz I’d give 2.5/5.  Transformers got 57% at Rotten Tomatoes.  I can see why.

I spent quite a bit of time tonight searching around for a decent screensaver. Most seemed rather ‘blah’, but these appealed to me, not only to the uber-geekiness of my soul, but impressed me also.  My favourite is called “Skyrockets” and it’s magnificent.

I hope you have a really fast computer and a decent graphics card if you try them. See how far you can push your PC. Download all of them from the one place, free!

Really slick screen savers. A few screenshots. #2 is Skyrocket.

Siamese fighting fish

Some information on “Bubbles” — Sienna’s new pet fish.

The Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) is one of the most popular species of freshwater aquarium fish, native to the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia and called pla-kad in its native Thailand. It is a member of the gourami family (family Osphronemidae) of order Perciformes, but was formerly classified among the Anabantidae. Although there are nearly 50 other types of bettas, Betta splendes is the most popular species among aquarium hobbyists, particularly in the United States, and is commonly referred to with the imprecise name “betta.”

B. splendens grows to an overall length of approximately 6 cm (~ 2.3″ in). Bettas are notable for their colors and tail shapes. The natural coloration of B. splendens is a dull green and brown, and the fins of wild specimens are relatively short. However, brilliantly-colored and longer-finned varieties have been developed through selective breeding.

And now some photos. First, the little tank they sold us.. then the big Brita filter tank I put him in once I learned the small tanks are cruel.

Click thumbnails for slightly bigger images.

If you like Peter & Dudley, you might like this version of “The end of the world”. I just thought of it while watching an episode of The Simpsons where Homer has everyone gathered on top of a mountain, waiting for the end of the world.

Howdy y’all.

Long time no type.

I wonder how many times I’ve used that line on my blog.. hmm. About 5 so this makes about 6. I need more originality.

Okay, here goes.

What’s new? hmm

I mentioned seeing a friend being a nun in a play. Well, she’s somewhat more than just a friend We first met last Monday evening at an Italian restaurant.  I saw her play on Friday night. It’s called “Doubt” and is about a catholic school. Cat’s character thinks the priest is up to no good with one of the boys but has no proof.  The play is very well acted. You can tell she’s been acting for a long time now. They all have irish accents, being Irish Catholics in the play.   There’s moments of humour but it also gives you a lot to think about.  In one part, Cat yells to another nun “SIT DOWN!!!!” and.. if the audience weren’t already seated, they would have dropped their bums into their seats! Man, I certainly would have anyway hehe.  The sets are simple, but effective and they use shadow lighting to give the effect of a stained glass window and a tree. I thought it worked very well.  There’s also columns built behind the stage for the actors to walk behind as they begin/end their scenes.

I’d really love to be in plays, but I would not have time. They rehearse often during the week and the shows are on Wednesday to Saturday evenings. I’d never have time to see Sienna, so I will content myself with my LibriVox, which I still haven’t got back into as yet but honestly do plan to.. when I have some time.

Yesterday, Cat & I took Sienna to the Eagle Farm raceway. I got free tickets and they had a family carnival day. Sienna rode on a shetland pony and loved it. We sat and watched a clown being silly then Sienna ran off to a blowup Titanic which they climb up the middle of and stand on the deck and slide down at about 60 degree angle. The top where they come out is probably about 50-60 feet off the ground. Very high up, but Sienna loved it. Then she went on the jumping castle for a while and we went to find food.  Sienna had 1.5 chicken skewered kebabs and Cat & I had steak burgers.  We were going to have a drink each but I ran out of cash and nobody took Credit Cards there.  I grabbed a can of lemonade to share and we went back to the stage where the clown had been, to eat.  Humphrey B Bear was there. Cat & I thought he was long gone, but he was dancing around with a woman whom sang kids songs.

After this, we Sienna was dying for “coppon candy” (fairy floss.. she watches too much USA tv *grins*).  We got some and I managed to eat about half of it without her knowing too much and she scoffed the rest down.  We headed home after that and Sienna went to sleep while Cat & I watched Mr & Mrs Smith on TV.  They don’t look quite how I remember them from Sydney, but are apparently coming to visit at the end of next month.. woohoo! :)  When the Smiths finished, Cat went home to get in some lines practice for her show last night which was apparently sold out and had a huge audience.  I fell asleep for a few minutes on the couch at about 7pm so got Sienna ready and we hopped into bed.  I couldn’t sleep for about an hour but must have been snoring by 8pm.  I didn’t get out of bed until 8am but was woken about 4 times by Sienna going in and out of the room.

Today Sienna and I went out in the car and emptied my PO Box then Sienna wanted to go to a park so we went there for some fun.  Sienna made friends with another girl who came over to play while her family watched her brother playing soccer at a nearby field.  She didn’t stay long but Sienna and I must have been there half an hour or so. We then went to Indooroopilly shopping centre.  I took her to the Pets Paradise shop and she looked at all the animals.  I picked up a Fighter Fish and a small tank for him.  Sienna picked out a nice red one just like the one on the tank packet and named him “Bubbles”.  The petshop guy said it was an appropriate name since these fish start blowing bubbles when they are ready to mate.  Lucky that doesn’t happen with humans, hey? heheh

We stopped at the cafe for drinks. Sienna had some water and I had a mocha then we headed home.  Sienna went to bed and told me “I don’t need somebody to come to bed with me. I can sleep by myself”.  Daddy is very happy with this statement, as you can imagine *grins*.  While she hopped into bed to sleep I got the fish into his tank with the aged water.  It has a little plastic tree which won’t stick to the bottom but keeps floating, so I pulled it out and left it out of the tank.

At the moment, I’m just watching the Simpsons marathon on TV. They have a show on tonight called “Inside the actor’s studio”. The Simpsons voice actors are going to be live on TV doing their character voices.  I’ve got my Foxtel IQ box set up to tape it. Can’t wait.  I expect Sienna will sleep to about 5pm or so, then I will drop her off home.