Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Big Coronas or Tiny Men: a tremendous party night ($10)

It has been a difficult year for this blog. The online social networking juggernaut has diverted attention from blogs, particularly blogs that do not have youtube links or information about new Apple products. The 56k dial-up friendly blog has become, not erroneous, but perhaps a touch boring? With the exception of the blogging elite (Sam Brett, Piers Akerman et. al.) a straight-up text blogger has about as much chance of relevance as one of those indie bands that plays at the Hopetoun and only the Hopetoun (Cuthbert And The Et Als, et. al.).

As of the 1st of January, 2008, Big Coronas or Tiny Men(?) will be changing formats. Rather than a (pretty much) weekly blog, BCorTM is becoming a weekly club/party night to be held at Oxford Arts Factory. I can't reveal too many details, but the first show is going to feature some pretty big names: bartender from Cricketers Arms Hotel who always wears tights, Surry Hills Skater #3 (the aloof one that wears the lovely big hat). Does anyone know who books these people?

I thank you all sincerely for being such loyal readers, and I look forward to getting seriously Crunk/Baltimore/Hyphy/Baile Funk with you all in the new year.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Pastoral care

"So shoot four times in the air, then open the cash register?"
"Yes, four times - then go for the cash."
"Where do the bullets go when you shoot a gun in the air, though?"
"Irrelevant. Next question."
"Don't you DARE use those annoying truncated sentences on me!"
"Why? They're amazing."
"Everything's always fucking 'amazing' with you. Why can't you just say that your eggs were 'perfectly acceptable.'"
"Because maybe I mean it every time. Don't judge, you haven't had my life."
"Whatever. But I don't see how shooting a gun in the air could ever be considered 'irrelevant'."
"Because you're just shooting them into the ceiling, they aren't going anywhere important."
"What if there are levels above us? Did you ever consider that I might kill someone?"
- FREEZE!

Workshop discussions about role-play in groups of two or three for 20 minutes before reconvening and discussing as a full group.

SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Peer pressure
2. Adjectives
3. Depression
4. Taking personal responsibility for Actions

Monday, October 15, 2007

Australian History Fan-fiction: Chapter 1

She was a small and mysterious girl. Her hair fell in the manner of an Irish-Catholic, instantly deceiving her Protestant vocal delivery, H's pronounced as hard as her skin appeared to touch.

Colonial children generally have a slightly darker complexion to their British equivalents. They appear at home in the harsher environment of New South-Wales, more athletic, lithe.

My foremost concern with Australian-born youth, is their obvious lack of innocence, discipline and religious virtue. Whilst wandering round the streets of Sydney, I was astonished at the number of young street-urchins frollicking barefoot, selling match-books and generally loitering.

The specific object of my attention, however, was named Hilda. She caught my attention as I walked through one of most notorious areas for Instances of Larrikinism, near The Rocks. I was alarmed to see a girl, aged no older than nine years wandering the streets on her own at dusk. She appeared to be bartering pipe-tobacco in exchange for rum with a group of disreputable members of The Push.

The confidence and appalling language this young Australian spoke to these men with both excited and concerned me.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Better late, hey.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Hey everybody! I promised myself I would be more regular with filling you all in, but it's been so crazy here in Sydney!

I'm living in a this kind of villagey place not far from the city called Glebe. It has lots of cafes that are full of people writing in Ernest Hemingway-style notebooks (Simmo you would love it over here!). I really love that I'm getting to know the way of the locals around here, there is a man who dresses like a lady and even a small tribe of Aboriginal people! I'm not sure what specific people they come from, but they seem to speak English pretty well. I asked one of the tribe's female elders at a local tavern if she had any inside knowledge on where I could find some Australian Opals and she replied: "not at the Women's shelter sweetheart." I think I may try the Queen Victoria Building, one of the cities oldest buildings in the heart of the Sydney CBD.

Last weekend we went to the ice bar in Darling Harbour! It's crazy, everything in the bar is made of ice, including the glass you sip your vodka cocktail out of. The cost of $30 included a 20 minute health and safety video, a cocktail and use of cold-resistant jacket and gloves. You're only allowed in the bar for half an hour, as after that the cold gets dangerous...

I don't know what I am doing this weekend, probably do paintball or something! Love to hear from you all.

Love,
James
xox

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Guest Post: "Don't ever days go bye!" with Frank Sartor

It's been a while between posts for me, so I'll start by saying hi. Hi!

James called me from his holiday in Newcastle and asked me to write another story because he was "so fucken over writing this shit. It's ALL FUCKED! (bottle breaking and James laughing alot). I don't know where he was but he sounded drunk and sad.

Anyway, things have been going very well for me. Full-time work was makng me a bit too tired, so now I am working permanent part-time. This means now that I work Monday to Friday, but only 10am until 4pm, with a 30 minute unpaid break and one 15 minute paid break or "smoko" (instead of smoking, I usually just skull a 600mL Coke).

Rugby is the main other activity I do, and that's been going fairly well to say the least! New from last time, I have been getting to play a game every week! After several injuries in the round against the Blue Mountains (Roydo: cork, Timmy: broken leg from trying to jump over a Festiva Trio Hatch) I have secured the position of left wing for Fourth grade. There is no number 11 jersey in the kit so I wear 22 because it is two times 11. I can tell you that I'm no David Campese, but I have been working on my goose-step in the backyard. Each afternoon I set up my brother's webcam on top of the outdoor furniture in our backyard at home. I angle it so the camera can see me practising my goose-stepping as I run past with a ball in my hand. I don't usually bother wearing my headgear and mouthguard for this training, but it's important to make it as close to game-day as possible. After dinner I go over the tapes with dad, and we analyse where my stepping can be improved.

I also made a movie of it on the computer using iMovie. I used all my backyard training for footage, and the Foo Fighters new album: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace as the soundtrack. The footage ran a bit longer than the album though so I used one extra song: Xecutioners, It's Going Down.

I think that James will tell me when he nexts wants me to write again hopefully. Now I have to go and watch The Chasers.