..am easily led by my friends who think it will be a good thing and within my capabilities. The event takes two days and the first day goes from Bright, over Mount Hotham to Omeo. The second day goes from Omeo over the back road to Falls Creek and thence over Tawonga Gap back to…
Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. .. smoke. I can’t see that having any long-term effect. I think kids generally see smoking as a measure of maturity and sophistication for one thing, and if parents and oldies are agin it, it must be especially worth doing for another. Maybe that’s the clue. Maybe it’s time for…
Dick’s Toolbox cont. .. savings purchasing attractive, over-priced land in nice locations and growing grapes. Sometimes even making wine. Many years ago I helped some dear friends in one of these quixotic adventures, and it was very hard work, though in the end they did make some more than credible wine. Their happy progress was…
.. it was firing there was nothing quite as awesome as Ariel live. But Ariel was as erratic as it was incandescent and it couldn’t last. I was so crushed by the whole experience I retired on the spot and toyed with the idea of never performing again. By way of taking a break I…
..think where I would insert a car chase into ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ or ‘War and Peace’ I am sure that roar of a seven litre V8 bouncing off the rev limiter would add wider audience appeal. Which brings me only slightly indirectly, much like a TomTom GPS car navigation system in the…
Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. ..It’s bad enough having stuff thrust upon me, but when I actively seek to bring more of it into the house, I begin to wonder at my sanity. Afterall, I’ve already got a whole lot more stuff than I can handle and only a tiny house – something’s gotta go!…
S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M M I K E R U D D B I L L P U T T . C O MM M I K E R U D D B I L…
..self-assigned speed ratings. I had put myself in the class that would be able to average between 20 and 25 kph for the distance . And so it felt like I waited 30 minutes before I cleared the start line and wobbled off along Eastern Beach. I had been inveigled into this sporting event, the…
S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M M I K E R U D D B I L L P U T T . C O MM M I K E R U D D B I L…
Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. ..laws by otherwise responsible citizens. Why do they need to be activated anyway? I’ll tell you why – because it’s technically possible. If I were king, I’d change this foolishness with a stroke of my regal pen. And, what is it generally with the proliferation of road signs? The recent…
Even more disconcerting was Dick’s and my reaction to our step-father’s wooing our mother – I’m told we charged into Even more disconcerting was Dick’s and my reaction to our step-father’s wooing our mother – I’m told we charged into the lounge-room where Mum and Sam were sitting on the sofa and delivered some mighty…
..have used many of his own words from the book that was also published at the time. The invention of the printing press not only enabled the democratisation of knowledge but also saw the end of the age of everyday reliance on memory and deep symbolic representation. In a world without printing literacy is rather…
Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. ..made any sense; nothing had a name. All I knew was fear. Not surprisingly, we were late for the appointment. Some people on other drugs, like ecstasy for instance, report that they feel that the universe is radiating love, and I suppose all this proves is that your view of…
..around in pods texting their friends and acquaintances about what a good time they were having. As they were on a floodlit hill in a gale wearing tee-shirts, shorts and fluorescent wrist bands, this seems somewhat unlikely. But the messages no doubt made their friends reply that they were having an even better time where…
HG Wells? But surely he was a 19th century writer? What on earth could be relevant to today in his prognostications? Well, he was incredibly prolific and popular in his day and his books continue to inspire film-makers today. The War of the Worlds was probably his most famous piece of fiction but The Time…
.. book and a glass of wine. Or immersed in some permutation of social media their noses glued to the screen of their choice oblivious to their fate. This may not be a good description of the state of the world, its politics and economy but if you are feeling a bit depressed it just…
..know I’m pro-procrastination as a lifestyle, but the practised procrastinator has to have a steady nerve to hold firm to his or her course of inaction. I did get badly stung in one respect, and that can be directly attributed to hanging on just that little bit too long. About a month before I was…
..it couldn’t win under the old coach and team it wasn’t going to let anyone win. Previous captains, victims of a diverse inflictions ranging from a herniated cerebellum to trench mouth, gave their unwanted and irrelevant opinions. Books written by previous chairman’s wives that were fulsome in the praise of their husband’s genius in winning…
.. (with zero response) that we would like a comprehensive soundcheck starting earlier than usual and to that end we were on the point of leaving for the venue in the van and FIFO hire car when I suddenly remembered that I’d left my custom-made ear plugs in the room. I darted out of the…