Blue Dogs

I first met Blue Dog when I was working in New Orleans in the 1990s. He is a creation of the artist George Rodrigues and has a very similar personality to our dog.








Spotty is mostly black and white, except when we leave him at home alone and he is blue.






Our kids love Blue from Blues Clues, because he is always happy.







The last blue dog is just sad.

Warming up a dreich day in Adelaide

In the complex of buildings, owned by the University of Adelaide where I work are some interesting businesses and research groups, including the company that designed and made the flame that went all around Australia before the Commonwealth Games. Today they were experimenting with their latest toy. We also have a company making paper out of banana leaves. Based on the current price of Bananas in Australia ($12 a kilo), I hope it is cost effective.

Disconcerting

Football Fans

Hooligan





Soccerooligans

Australia versus Croatia Gods Verdict

Follow the Money Go Argentina!

I was glad that the Argentina Mexico game did not go to penalties and was settled by a wonder strike. I have Argentina in the office pool, so I have a passing interest in how they perform. Other than that, go Socceroos (and anyone that is not England).

The Jaberwocky

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought-
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jaberwock?
Come to my arms, by beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did grye and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.



Lewis Carroll

Ryan loves this nonsense poem. Of all Lewis Carroll's creative language, only chortled has made it into the current lexicon.

Hey Hey Here's the Monkees

The meaning of life.

Bored II

This is fun for young and old.

Bored?

When do three yellow cards equal a red card?

Goodbye and Good Luck Graham Poll

How to start smoking again.

Our creative children made up a song to celebrate the glories of cigarettes. They are very interested, because the school is doing drug free week and generally promotes a healthy lifestyle and anti drug messages. Last week they made roll up cigarettes, coloured with ash and paraded glamorously around the house. The kids turned around the Nicorette Advert "Nicorette Nicorette Way to Beat a Cigarette" to "Cigarette Cigarette Way to Beat a Nicorette" I can remember at that age being very interested in cigarettes and pipes. My parents and all their friends smoked. My dad had a pipe in his mouth from first thing in the morning until going to bed. We experimented with cinnamon stick. Many of the psychological addictions are set at that age. We are just enjoying the kids enthusiasm. It will pass. My partner and are a virulent anti smokers. I am certain that our kids will be too.

Foley plugs the budget gap

I can't understand why the South Australian State Government is going to sock it to public transportation with the rise in fuel costs being passed on to the poor users of the (rather decrepit) system. Seems to me that we should be encouraging public transportation. Why not give public transport users a tax break to encourage them to use the system. Interesting to note that all the other state government charges are going up, including speeding fines. New South Wales and Victoria are planning increases more in line with CPI. They must have been planning to use the Snowy Mountain sell off to keep costs in line (Sorry that didn't work out). Must be time to balance the budget.

Alternative Transportation

With the cost of fuel skyrocketing and public transportation costs set to rise, we are considering investing in a camel train. Environmentally friendly (other than the poops), relaxed, great bragging rights for the kids when I drop them off, low cost, great visibility. Down side, not too comfortable and a bit cold in winter.

John Howard Liar Liar Pants on Fire on Indonesian Influence

While Honest John flatly rejected claims that the proposed changes to immigration laws were a response to pressure from Indonesia, Senator Manystones repeated what she told the Senate on Tuesday: that the policy was a balanced response to three considerations.

These were Australia's international obligations, the need for strong border protection and "our foreign affairs obligation to keep good relations with our neighbours".

Pressed on ABC television last night, she conceded: "It is indisputable that we have taken into account the concerns of Indonesia."

Hello it is pretty obvious. On the day that Abu Bakir Bashir is released early, Indonesian politicians are paraded in front of the parliament moaning about Australia interfering in their internal affairs. How come it is ok for Indonesia to thumb their nose at Australia and not the other way. I agree with the labour spokesman. How come they are listening to them and not to Australian politicians, who reviewed the proposed laws and determined that they were flawed and should be dumped. Tell the Indonesians to get stuffed and don't change the law.

Despair to Elation in Seven Minutes

Watching the Socceroos (should that be the Footballroos) last night reminded of the many depressing 90 minutes watching the Scottish football team crash and burn, destroying a nations hopes in a series of increasingly unlikely disasters, leading to elimination in the World Cup Finals in the 70s and 80s. Only this time there was a most unlikely positive twist. My partner sat for the whole of the second half with her teeth pursing her lips, unable to come to terms with impending defeat. The hopes of the nation were lifted dramatically by the next 7 minutes of a fairy tale, that I doubt that Hollywood could have scripted better. There was an exultant scream all over Australia when Tim Cahill scored the first ever Australian goal in a World Cup Final game. An even bigger one a few minutes later and one of relief with the third and the impending final whistle. A nations hopes could live another day.

For Scotland it was always what coulda been. In 1974, in West Germany, the last time Australia were in the World Cup Finals, in a parallel with Australia's current group, Scotland were in a group with Brazil, Yugoslavia (Croatia was part of this Soviet era mega state) and Zaire. They managed to beat Zaire 2-0, drew with Brazil 0-0 and Yugoslavia 1-1. They still went out on goal difference to Brazil 3 scored 0 conceded) to Scotlands (3 scored to 1 conceded). Heartbreak for the nation.


It just got worse in 1978 with the trip to Argentina with Ally's Tartan Army and one of the worst football supporters theme tunes ever.

Ally's Tartan Army

We're on the march wi' Ally's Army,
We're going tae the Argentine,
And we'll really shake them up,
When we win the World Cup,
'Cos Scotland is the greatest football team,

We're representing Britain,
And we're gaunny do or die,
England cannae dae it,
'Cos they didnae qualify!

We're on the march wi' Ally's Army,
We're going tae the Argentine,
And we'll really shake them up,
When we win the World Cup,
'Cos Scotland is the greatest football team,

The hopes of the nation never really recovered from the confidence that they had in the team going to Argentina, enthusiastically talked up by Ally McLeod and the final result. Many Scots not only thought that the Scottish team would not only do well, but win the whole thing.
Eliminated on goal difference again. Not so close this time. The hopes of the nation crashed and burned.




The highlight was Archie Gemmill's wonder goal, one of the top ten World Cup Final Goals of all time. All in a losing cause as Scotland had to win by three clear goals to eliminate the Dutch, winning 3-2 in the end (and going home).











I read recently that this version of the Scotland strip was considered one of the top ten World Cup Strips of all times and a major fashion item in Germany. Out of bad things at least some rays of sunlight. The only good thing about Scotland not qualifying is that they would not be able to inflict the soul destroying loss of hope that would accompany another poor performance on the big stage.

Hopefully the current competition will not be so depressing for my adopted countrymen and women or "wogs sheilas and poofters" as Johnny Warren famously said. If you have to stay up overnight, winning makes it easier to go to work the next day.

Don't whiff a spliff (and drive)

Adelaide is home of the highest per capita concentration of hydroponic shops in the world. I innocently thought it was for all those monster tomato growers. I especially love the hydroponic shops set up with the home brew stores. Unfortunately there are moves to regulate the hydroponic shops, where you will have to show your drivers license (and a packet of tomato seeds, no doubt) to get equipment. The latest nail in the coffin of the weed growing industry, is the introduction of drug driving testing, along with the recently beefed up drunk driving testing next month. It wont be safe to go out at night. Apparently the tests will pick up recent marijuana use, but not residual concentration. So based upon guidance, two beers and a joint and wait an hour and you should be fine. Just don't take amphetamines. That takes longer to get out of the system. Apparently pseudo ephadrines are ok, so go right ahead and take those cold and flu pills.

Nothing like a Triple Gooberberry Sunrise in the Morning

There is a direct connection between the humour in Sponge Bob and mine. Must be why the kids always roll their eyes at my jokes. I wonder what it would taste like if you added vodka.

Fantastic Time Wasting Video

Great machines.

Breaking News Chinese concede St Andrews is home of golf

Although China insists it invented the ancient game, some of the countries leading golf executives have finally conceded Scotland has the better claim.

Jeffrey Kao, general manager of Lake Malaren, Shanghai's leading private members' club, said: "After seeing the country and playing the historic courses I would say that the home of golf is definitely Scotland and in particular St Andrews."

Another executive agreed: "The Chinese may have hit balls with sticks before they did in Scotland but they didn't have golf courses and they don't have the tradition and history of the game."

Scotland's main claim to being the home of golf lies in reports of play on the links at St Andrews for more than six centuries. The renowned Old Course is one of the world's oldest and is where the modern game was shaped.

A spokesman for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the sport's governing body, said Scotland was the first country to "rationalise" the game and apply a set of rules. "Stick and ball games have been around for many centuries in many countries," he said. "But we like to think that the game as we know it today with 18 holes, tees, fairways, greens and a specific target into which a ball is hit was invented in Scotland."

Callum Todd, one of Scotland's leading course designers, said: "The Chinese may have played a similar game but it didn't evolve into golf. The acid test is where the first proper golf course came into being and it certainly wasn't China."

Todd said golf in Scotland may have evolved from a game played by the Dutch on ice and transported across the North Sea by traders sometime around the 12th century. "The first recorded game at St Andrews was in the 15th century but the sport had probably been around in the St Andrews area for a couple of centuries before that."

Glad that is settled. Now the Scots can rake in Chinese golf dollars without a loss of face for the guests. Chinese guests now rank just behind the Americans in average pounds spent on their golf vacations.