Bored and loud.

So it’s been an odd few weeks since I last updated this. Not last Thursday, but the Thursday before, my friends, my housemates and I were all devastated with the news that one of our friends had finally been defeated by cancer, after several years of fighting. We’d been told in December that he had 24-48 hours left, and as we spoke to him when he returned home we slowly regained confidence that once again he was defying the doctors’ predictions and fighting strong. He was looking forward to coming back out with us all, completing his education and getting a job. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, and he was told he had cancer again and his liver, kidneys and lungs were failing; there was no hope left. So after a quiet and hard weekend, it was back to work and a routine before his funeral last Wednesday. There were so many people, that with the chapel full, many more had to remain in the waiting area, watching it via a video link. The service was very appropriate, but no less devastating. The wake followed at his house, although us ‘Living End people’ didn’t stay so long – it was a long drive, and we wanted to leave it to the family.

On Wednesday evening, Trav and I went to Kim and Toni’s place, where Luke and Kristen were, and Jerri and Kylie who had come from Queensland. Hugo hadn’t been able to make the funeral, but he came to help us celebrate his life. Several drinks were had, memories shared and just trying to get through it with each other at our sides.

Love ya Jawny, always will.

Despite this hard time, Kat, Amber and me went to see Adam Rosenbach, and I saw Antti Hakala – the good and the bad. They went to a few more shows, but I was seeing the ugly, Flogging Molly and the Currency (ok, perhaps not so ugly!) The show was fantastic, The Currency were well received by the crowd, and it was an enjoyable night.

This weekend just past, I got a few things done. Friday evening I went out to take some photos with the borrowed tripod again, not so successfully. I then spent a relaxing night watching ‘The Fountain’, which wasn’t so impressive. Saturday dawned bright and early and I went to the city to take photos of the State Library of Victoria, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, and headed to QV where there was an afternoon of skateboarding, BMXing, trailbiking, breakdancing, parkour..a whole assortment of urban-based sports. A very small set up, it reminded me of the Sprite Urban Games, the annual event in London. On a very small scale though! And for only several hours rather than over 2-3 days. So I got my share of photos before heading home for another relaxing afternoon and evening. Sunday brought something to enjoy – Brunetti’s! Amber’s birthday being this week, we decided to do something different and headed to Brunetti’s for lunch, gelati and cake. Pricey, but delicious and rich, and was much enjoyed. Another relaxing afternoon and evening brought an end to what had been a lovely, slow-paced, healing weekend.

Well this book has taken me quite literally months to read. It was very hard to get into, and finally very hard to follow later on. The story followed 2 twins in WW1 Russia, just before the revolution, and their way of surviving through the revolution and after. Sounds simple, yes? Well not quite. The author insisted on describing events and items in excruciating detail, making the whole book much longer than it could have and ought to have been. The story would have moved much faster and probably have been more of a pleasure to read if this were the case.

The characters of the story were all blatantly different to help the reader differentiate, but it was done in a very simplistic and patronising way. The prologue was far too long and also had too much detail. The speech used in it was also far to simple and obvious that it was trying to tell the reader what had changed – it would have been more bearable as a narration I think. Lastly, the story was believable to a point, however certain aspects such as ‘magical powers’ and many so-called coincidences ruined this.

Stripped down, the basics had potential, but the author managed to maul the story and make it hard and boring to read.

I used to do a lot of sport. I was doing at least 5 sessions a week, plus time in the gym (usually cycling or rowing machines). I had a good level of fitness and muscular strength, and everything was fine. Then I started getting sore hips when I was walking home from school. Then my knees joined in. Then my ankles, not wanting to be left out, also started hurting. After several visits to the doctor, a probable pain-killer addiction and several blood tests for arthritis, I was finally referred to physio. After 2 sessions it was concluded I had weak ankles, weak hamstrings, and weak gluteus medius (the muscle connecting the quads to the gluteus maximus.) Finally with a diagnosis, I was able to start exercises to stop it all hurting. Unfortunately, I was also told that I should stop doing all sports. Really, everything? Yes. I needed rest while I built them up apparently.

I very quickly adjusted to having lots of free time, to lazing around, and started losing fitness and putting on weight. This was my downfall. Since then, I haven’t gone back to doing very much.

However, a couple of years after I did the physio, my aches and pains are back. I’m still doing the exercises, but I’m also trying to start running, very unsuccessfully. After a crippling run 2 nights ago, I’ve decided to go for the low impact, high cardio, high muscular workout of swimming. It seems like my only other option here, as I want a low impact but high cardio workout. Unfortunately, I also wanted a free one. Running covers that, but is high impact. Swimming is low impact, but will cost me money, and lots of it over a long period of time. There is also the problem of my eczema. Despite settling down a bit, I still have it, and no doubt copious amounts of time in a pool will dry my skin out and aggravate it even more. This is my dilemma.

I’m hoping to go for my first swim at the weekend. Fingers crossed eh?

I heard this morning that they’re making a movie of the book ‘My Sister’s Keeper’ by Jodi Picoult. For those that have not read it, it is the story of the second of 2 daughters, who’s been born to help her elder sister who suffers from leukemia. The second daughter sees a lawyer to try and gain legal rights to her own body, so she does not have to help her sister.

Now, as controversial and interesting as this book is, I hate it. It’s written in a similar style as Dan Brown’s ‘The Da Vinci Code’, as in, for a three-year-old. It is ridiculously simple and flows in a ‘and then’ motion. It is also similar to all of the ‘real life stories’ that are popular at the moment, being very depressing – but this one is purposefully, it’s not a true story! After attempting to read two more of her books (I can’t recall which titles, I’ve probably repressed them), I gave up on them and her as they were all so similar. Simply written, depressing and downright boring.

So, they’ve decided to make it into a movie. Young girl actress..who comes to mind? Dakota Fanning, uh oh! Another of my pet hates (apart from in Man on Fire for some reason). Thankfully though, she’s gone very prissy and refused the role because she doesn’t want to shave her head. So we’re saved (only slightly – the movie is still going ahead). I’m dreading this movie being released. I recall at my last job there were 2 women who were reading Picoult’s books like a fish drinks water. They talked about them non-stop: how complex and deep they were, how amazing it was that someone could write about such a controversial issue etc etc. It really made me want to cry. I honestly feel sorry for somebody who believes that such a simple book could be so amazing - they’re missing out on so many good books.

Needless to say, I will not be seeing this movie!!

After having seen the Longnecks so much in the past few weeks, I thought I’d bring up how strangely organised the shows were.

In the past, this name has been used as a secret name for very small shows to be played, only to fans who know or can work out who they were, in order to try out new songs for a new record. It’s worked well in the past, with shows staying mostly secret and the band managing to get feedback on the shows. However, this time around, it was all change. They had a myspace account, and the logo for them was a picture of the band (used in their promotional material), very badly disguised. The shows were posted on both the secret and proper myspace accounts, as well as the band’s forum. So already, we have a huge number of people knowing about them. But if you’re not on the Internet? Well, some stress press and newspapers were listing both names, and venues themselves were warning how quickly the shows would sell out. All up, a handful of shows sold out, but the others were all pretty full anyway. On top of this, they played 2 all-ages festivals, where the MCs kept almost slipping up.

Now, if the plan was to play a secret show, they did very poorly. I’ve spoken to people who only know the real name in passing but had heard they were playing other shows. The picture as logo was a dead giveaway and to be quite honest, I doubt they’ll be able to play many more secret shows in future now that everybody knows they’ve been doing it. The idea of playing secret shows in the first place is a brilliant one, and a good chance to see the band up close and personal, with their new stuff. However when you have a mass of fans pushing you forwards, all shouting for their old songs, it kind of defeats the point. They brought it on themselves though and have no right to give the crowds dirty looks. Having been advertised almost as a show of the real name, pictures and all, the crowd will expect that band to be playing – rather than just the new stuff.

Not that I’m complaining, at $15 for a ticket and free for the festival…

It isn’t too hard to work out who the band is, but I will not post it here out of principal.

With more and more stories coming out about certain breeds of dogs attacking young children - and even in one case, an Alsatian killing it’s adult male owner, it makes me think about how stupid people can be (and trust me, it happens a lot!!)

Just because an animal has been ‘domesticated’ and may be a family pet, it is not safe. Most of the owners of these dogs in ‘unprovoked attacks’, claim that their pet is very good-natured and usually docile so it shouldn’t have to be on it’s lead all the time. Now, I’ve lived with cats all my life, and they could be perfectly happy and purring one minute, and then suddenly I’d have claws in my hand. There would appear to be no explanation for it - I’d been patting it for minutes already, I hadn’t changed the motion or anything, but it’s an animal - and as such, I am aware that they have unpredictable, inexplicable behaviour at times. And this is what dog owners seem to be forgetting.

All domesticated dogs have evolved from what was once, a wild dog. Now, would people approach a wild dog that wasn’t on a leash, with a small child in tow? Probably not. What people need to be remembering, is that as an animal, there will always be potential for a ‘regression’ to this wild behaviour, whether provoked or not, whether the calmest and most docile of dogs.

I don’t honestly know who in their right mind would have a dog, of a certain breed known to be aggressive at times, off it’s leash and in the vicinity of a small child. It just does not make sense. You can’t watch a child 100% of the time anyway, and with an animal (not the child, the dog!) around, you never know what could be happening. It makes much more sense to have the dog restrained or separate from the child at all times, and if situation calls for them to be together for any reason (and there shouldn’t be), watch them like a hawk. Have the child within your reach so you can save them at a moment’s notice from the behaviour of what is, and always will be, an animal. No matter what stupid jackets, hats and boots you make them wear.