Alice, The Rock and The Camels
Here is some fun trivia for you; Uluru (Ayer's Rock) is about a five hour drive from Alice Springs, Australia. I know this because the nice people at the Alice Springs Airport informed us of this when asking "So where is the rock?" With only one flight a day leaving Alice, an overpriced rental car was leased and a scenic desert drive was had. I saw a dingo roaming about, an eagle having a meal on a dead roadkill kittycat, a few kangaroo's and a unique view of the sky where the shadow of the earth can be seen just over the horizon during sunset.
Here's some more trivia for you; Camels can live three weeks without water, they can drink salt water - the only animal known to be able to do so. Camels often regurgitate their food and have it as a meal for later, they can eat almost anything in the desert. Camels don't spit as often thought, instead they regurgitate on their enemies in self defense, they live for about thirty five years. There are over 750,000 wild camels wandering around in the Australian outback as they were abandoned after the use of motor vehicles in the fifties. Only single humped camels are in Australia, the climate is too hot for the double humped ones.The United States is the largest importer of Australian camels; about 640 a year. Camels can run the same speed as race horses.
Camels smell a bit and one tried to make lunch of my elbow. His name was Musha and I got to ride him. Eventually we made up over the elbow thing.
Se7en of Nine is not that Kind of Girl
Jeri Ryan has filed suit against her husband Jack Ryan (whom appears to be a character created by Tom Clancy) for forcing her to engage in unwanted sex acts in various sex clubs worldwide. His political career is arguably in Clear and present danger. (bada bing zoom)
New Army Uniforms
Everytime I see the new military uniforms I keep changing my opinion of it. It's good that they are modernizing the battle dress uniforms and these seems to make a lot more sense over the old. Still, they look very odd. Not urban, not desert, not cammo, just.. grey.
Anyone want to buy about thirty pairs of authentic "classic" Battle Dress Uniforms? Now a collectors item. Maybe I could start my own militia.
Your Life Isn't That Bad.
I have a new hero.
A few weeks ago, on a usual weekend venture for morning breakfast in Manly, I saw a newspaper article about a local family who went through this horrible ordeal.
A car had crashed into a day care center and badly burned these little girls; Molly Wood and Sophie Delezio. Two year old Sophie was burned on over 80% of her body, Her feet and parts of her hands had to be amputated and she has gone through over 15 operations. This happened around Christmas, several times the parents had to make decisions that were critical to ending their daughter’s life. Sophie Didn't have enough skin to graph from so they used a new process to graft in artificial skin.
It was heartbreaking to read. The photo that was on the newspaper of the little girl with her head all in bandages next to her parents was somehow, a happy one. She was beating the odds, she was going to survive, and she was even smiling. She didn't know anything different than to just simply "keep trying, be happy when you can".
Today in the news there was a follow up on Sophie. She is still progressing but her life has a lot of hurdles in front of her. Hard ones that will last a lifetime.
Still, her parents faced the camera's, along with Sophie, and in the aftermath of such a horrible thing to happen, a life changing detriment that would be forever there, these people were showing faces of joy. They were truly grateful to have the hope that they have.
I am in awe of these people. I don't know how I would fare in the same situation. I hope for them all the best.
Father's Day
In the United States, it's Father's Day today. My kiddo sent me an iCard and a personal eMail which made me feel all warm and fuzzy. We had a nice long chat via video and I have a package on it's way to me.
I love being Nate's dad.
Shrek 2
Yea, the cat was pretty much 90% of the reason to go see Shrek 2; A lot of cute and funny. Not a bad flick but the first film had more of a story, this one was just a lot of fun with a lot of gag jokes. I liked it but with Shrek 3 already in the works, they are going to take yet another good thing and run it into the ground me thinks. (fisk, fisk)
The Lord of the Rings Symphony
Going again to the Sydney Opera House tonight to see the Lord of the Rings Symphony. The performance is sold out and Howard Shore will be there to conduct. Katie Noonan will be singing "Into the West" originally performed by Annie Lennox in the film.
"...The concert will be accompanied by the stunning imagery of John Howe and Alan Lee, the world’s foremost illustrative interpreters of Tolkien’s work and Conceptual Artists on the films. These beautiful and never-before-seen storyboards and sketches, which were the basis of the design of the films, will be projected onto a giant screen above the orchestra."
The Hunting of the President
Looks like Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 isn't the only big documentary movie to hit theatres soon. The Hunting of the President looks lke it's getting some good buzz as well.
Justin and the Angel.
Justin Timberlake was in Manly walking along the beach and acting like a normal tourist. Not that I was all that thrilled to hear about it but I wouldn't have minded seeing Cameron Diaz who is here with him.
While Shaving...
If you could take a pill that would make you grow two weeks of facial hair in five seconds, would it hurt?
GMail Invites
Some people were selling Google's GMail accounts on eBay at one time for suprising ammounts of money. I can't beleive people would pay for an invite but for the first three people that ask me for it, I have three invites to give out to join up for the 1GB of searchable email space.
Project X
The first private spacecraft launch is set for June 21st in competition for the Ansari X Prize; $10 million USD. More than 20 teams from 7 different countries are set to compete. To win, the spaceship must carry three people into sub-orbital space (62.5 miles above Earth) and return safely and repeat the launch within two weeks.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Not a bad flick if your into the Harry Potter saga. I just watched the first two movies a few months ago practically by force but found them not all that bad to sit through. This movie blurred some lines along other movies though; I think the ring wraiths that were chasing Frodo were now after Harry and Scooby.
I can relate to Harry Potter. Sometimes it feels like everywhere I go, people have a premonition about something of me and then they stare at me as if I am doomed to fate and concealing a foreboding secret about my past from me.
I dunno, Maybe it's just me.
Go see the movie if you liked the first two. If you haven't seen the first two, get a Harry Potter nerd to fill you in.
JLo is No Mo
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony got married. Good God woman, you really need to do something about your security issues.
Has anyone consulted with Ben? Poor guy must be all devistated and stuff.
Troy
Troy was a pretty good flick but not for the reasons I thought it would be. I was expecting a lot of visual goodness in special effects and all that a big epic movie would have, while it did do a good job in this area, I was impressed with the acting from Brad Pitt and Eric Banna and the rest of the cast.
Ronald Reagan 1911 - 2004
"My fellow Americans, I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes."
-- Ronald Reagan, about to go on the air for a radio broadcast, unaware that the microphone was already on
You have to love the sense of humor of that guy.
D-Day
"...The Rangers looked up and saw the enemy soldiers -- at the edge of the cliffs shooting down at them with machine-guns and throwing grenades. And the American Rangers began to climb. They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up. When one Ranger fell, another would take his place. When one rope was cut, a Ranger would grab another and begin his climb again. They climbed, shot back, and held their footing. Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top, and in seizing the firm land at the top of these cliffs, they began to seize back the continent of Europe. Two hundred and twenty-five came here. After two days of fighting only ninety could still bear arms."
- U.S. President Ronald Regan, Pointe de Hoc, Normandy, June 6, 1984
"...There is one great thing that you men will all be able to say after this war is over and you are home once again. You may be thankful that twenty years from now when you are sitting by the fireplace with your grandson on your knee and he asks you what you did in the great World War II, you WON'T have to cough, shift him to the other knee and say, 'Well, your Granddaddy shoveled shit in Louisiana.' No, Sir, you can look him straight in the eye and say, 'Son, your Granddaddy rode with the Great Third Army and a Son-of-a- Goddamned-Bitch named Georgie Patton!"
- General George S. Patton, Somewhere in England, June 5th, 1944
Red, Red Wine
So. Out last night, talking, meeting new people, socializing, drinking wine; Shiraz from Pemberton, WA and it was good. I had a few. At least five I think. I ate nothing all day so that didn't really help the situation either.
Once back at the apartment, I was very ill. You know the feeling; room kind of spinning, ceiling keeps rising and lowering. The room was against me. It usually is. Like a stupid college frat boy, I was getting sick in the bathroom.
Wine doesn't look that pretty when you get to review it a second time.
You could have gone without that last line but I love you guys so much, I wanted to share.
So, afterwards, I decide the best thing in the world to do would be to take a warm bath. I crawl in, start the water and immediately pass out.
I wake up again just as the water level is about two seconds away from flowing over the tub edge and about to cover my mouth. I shut off the water and stare at the ceiling for a while until I pass out again.
At about 3:30am, I wake up a human popsicle. The water was freezing and so was I.
In my defense, I was very sober when I chiseled myself out of the tub.
W Hotels
As if the W hotels (Prefered hotel by Absolutwade and it's affiliates) wern't cool enough, now they have a deal with Apple iTunes and Wired Magazine to offer a package aimed at people just like me.
Which just goes to show, Being a white average male in my thirties, everyone has to listen to my opinion. My demographic is second only to Fifteen year old girls who like music.
Woohoo.
Memorial Day
As a former Airman and Soldier, and as a citizen of my Country, I want to say thanks to those who serve today in the military with honor and duty to the Country and to the World.
I also want to say thanks to those who served in the past, during peace time or war, but especially those who died in conflict. Hopefully your lives brought us a better world. Hopefully, we can learn from the past.
