TODAY was all about eBay. I got a couple of fantastic bargains - a new pair of Randolph Engineering aviation sunglasses (US military issue) for $21.50 (RRP$185), and a new case for my Palm Centro smartphone for $15.50 (RRP$30). It's been ages since I used eBay, but it was fun...and money-saving!

I also bought a tiny Christmas tree and lights for the office. Total cost: $9.

THIS morning, I opened my email and found a message from Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club in Los Angeles, informing me that Ian Whitcomb And His Bungalow Boys would be playing at the club at 8pm. Furthermore, it said there would be a live, streaming video of the event on the club's web site. Intrigued, I consulted my world clock and found that 8pm in LA equaled 3pm in Sydney. I set a reminder in Outlook and duly forgot all about it.

at 2:55, the reminder popped up, so I followed the link in the email...and there he was - Ian Whitcomb strumming a banjo uke in an elegant Art Deco ballroom! The quality of the broadcast was fantastic, and they even had a live chat room. I entered and told them how cool I thought it all was. I've been a Whitcomb fan for years, and I've always wanted to go to the Cicada Club.

Then it happened.

I had one eye on the broadcast as I worked on a Word document when Mr DeMille himself stepped up to the mic and told the audience that 'someone' was watching the "electronic television" broadcast all the way over in Sydney, Australia! I couldn't believe my ears. I promptly posted a thankyou message in the chat room, and Mr DeMille replied with a cordial, "You're welcome."

People often say the Internet and the rise of an online culture has eroded our social skills and made us all more insular. While that's true to some extent, it's also provided us with amazing opportunities to connect with like-minded people all over the world. Today, I visited somewhere I had previously only imagined, saw one of my favourite performers, and talked to someone I admire, all without leaving my office chair. And it didn't cost me a cent.


Ian Whitcomb

I DIDN'T blog on Saturday because I didn't really do anything worth blogging about! After the working week, I often need a day to just sit back and relax. It kind of annoys me as there's always so much I could be doing. Oh, well. Guess I'll just have to retire :)

Today, I went with AM and AM2 to Eastern Creek International Raceway for the Tasman Revival vintage car meet. I'll post some pictures next week.

Until then, check out these snaps from the Perth leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series. I'll be posting a video of the event...soon.

Work/Footy/Moustaches

I'VE been a bit flat today. I think it's because I finished an issue yesterday - it's hard to get motivated after the pressure of a deadline. It's similar to what pilots call 'adrenaline letdown', which sets in following an aerobatic routine.

Tonight, I'm off to the Sydney Football Stadium to watch Sydney FC hopefully beat the Queensland Roar. After that, I plan to pop in to the Movember Party at Fox Studios.

The only trouble is it's kinda cold, and it looks like a big thunderstorm is on its way...

Barcelona/Trains

I liked "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". It's not the greatest film ever made, but it is quite charming. Again, I'll be posting my review at TLC (my movie blog, not the 90s R&B group) soon.

Here's something random that annoys me: people who get up to exit the train LONG before their stop. Why do you they think they need five whole minutes to make it the few steps from their seat to the doors? Are they expecting some kind of obstacle I should be looking out for? A rabid wolf, perhaps? Or maybe a coil of barbed wire left over from the war? I know it really shouldn't bother me, but it does.

What little things annoy you? Leave a comment...

Another Movie

"Zack And Miri Make A Porno" was pretty good. I'll be posting my review at theleglesscritic.com soon.

Tonight, I'm going to another preview - "Vicky Christina Barcelona". It's Woody Allen's latest and stars - surprise, surprise - Scarlett Johansson.

Until tomorrow...

Apologies

SORRY I've been a bit slack with the ol' blog - a lot's been happening.

Here's a super-quick rundown:

SATURDAY

Bought a new phone - a Palm Centro.

Attended a colleague's 30th birthday party at the Annandale Hotel.

SUNDAY

Set up afore-mentioned phone.

Caught up on "Heroes".

Watched a lot of sport (Premier League, A-League, A1GP).

TONIGHT, I'm off to a preview of the new Kevin Smith/Seth Rogen film, "Zack And Miri Make A Porno". Gotta go now or I won't make it!

Overrated

I JUST watched Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" for the first time. While the sets and camera angles are interesting - particularly in the first half - I found it overlong, boring and unnecessarily pornographic. If it hadn't been banned, it would not be considered a 'classic'.

New Music: The Sequel

SO, I listened to most of that new Dido record the other day...and it's not very good. I prefer her first two albums.

On a brighter note, I picked up the new Oasis album, "Dig Out Your Soul", on my way home from work:



I'm going to listen to it right now, so hopefully it proves a winner. I'm pretty confident I'll like it - Oasis is one of my favourtie bands.

Art

TONIGHT, I attended a nude-photography workshop at the Forbes Hotel. It wasn't actually 'nude', the model (a lovely French holidaymaker) only went topless. I wasn't there to brush up on my camera skills, though - I went along to meet the organiser, who I'll be profiling for a magazine article. Her husband was a famous French snapper, and she's had a lot of success in her own right.

But back to the workshop...

I'd never been upstairs at the Forbes, but I'd like to go back. The theme of the evening was 'Pigalle 1900', and the room was perfect - all red velvet and gold (OK, maybe brass) chandeliers. There was even an accordion player in period costume! Tres cool! My friend, who's a professional commercial photographer, really enjoyed it and got some great shots. It's almost inspired me to break out my old Praktica camera...

New Music

I SCORED the latest Dido album at work and brought it home today. It's called "Safe Trip Home". I just threw it into iTunes, but I haven't heard any of it yet. I have a rule: if I get a new CD, I listen to it on my CD player before I listen to the slightly inferior iPod version. Finicky, I know, but rules are rules!

What are you listening to at the moment? Leave a comment and let me know! Here's a cute photo of Dido to help you think...

Christmas Cracker

ANOTHER busy day at the office, but there was one bright spot. I got an email from my friend AP asking me to be part of a Christmas EP!

A while back, he and I - plus another mate - got together and performed a few songs at a birthday party. It was fun and we vowed to do it again. I'm thinking "Mele Kalikimaka" (Hawaiian for 'Merry Christmas') might be the song to do. Rehearsals start on Friday...

Sunday

I'VE been really busy this weekend, even though I haven't done everything I would've liked. Pretty tired now, so here's a quick recap in photographic form...

FRIDAY

Started the weekend early with a farewell party for a colleague:



SATURDAY

Went to watch my first W-League semi-pro women's soccer game. Sydney FC (my team) 1:1 Newcastle Jets (AW's team):



SUNDAY

Attended the Glebe Street Fair for the first time, even though it takes place right outside my door:

Saturday (and a little Friday)

JUST came back from dinner with AM and AW at the Baja Cantina - an excellent Tex-Mex place in Glebe. I had corn chips and salsa, followed by a fantastic enchilada. To wash it all down, I had a couple of Mexican beers (Tecate and Don Equis), as well as a Blue Moon Margarita and a shot of tequila, which only reminded me that I really don't like tequila.

Before dinner, the three of us went to watch a women's soccer game. More on that tomorrow.

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday - we had a farewell party at work and I only got home late.

Thursday

TODAY didn't start off too well. My train to work was delayed because of a 'track failure' and I developed a splitting headache just before lunch. However, a couple of pills and some food did the trick and I had a pretty good afternoon.

My dinner of steak and chips was followed by yet another cognac - this time Meukow. I know you probably won't believe me, but I don't usually drink the stuff every day! I'm just getting back into it after a bit of a hiatus. I also watched the latest episodes of "The Amazing Race" and "Bones".

As promised to LJT, here's a photo of the Sydney skyline (complete with moon), taken from my balcony:

Wednesday

NOT a whole lot to say, really. It was deadline day at the magazine, which always means a ridiculous amount of work. I only left the office at 7pm.

After some lasagna and a beer, I watched a new(ish) stand-up comedy show by British funny bugger Ross Noble on DVD. The show - entitled "Fizzy Logic" - was recorded in Canberra. I actually went to see it live in Sydney sometime last year. If you're unfamiliar with Noble, he basically makes up most of the show as he goes. The best bit I remember him doing involved a gnome hotel...which was just as weird as it sounds.

Think I might post a photo tomorrow...

Tuesday

IT'S Armistice Day, marking the 90th anniversary of the end of WWI. On my way to work, I bought a commemorative poppy pin from a soldier at Town Hall Station. I already had a silk poppy from a previous year protruding from a buttonhole in my checkered jacket which, in retrospect, probably made me look slightly like a clown. But a respectful clown.

At the office, a colleague asked how far I thought it was from Oxford Street to Cleveland Street, so I fired up Google and requested a walking map. But it didn't quite understand. The program promptly spat out a route originating from Oxford Street, Sydney, CANADA - a distance of 27,206km! Apparently, it would take someone exactly 224 days and five hours to do the walk. But hang on a minute...isn't there quite a lot of water between Canada and Oz? Indeed there is, but Google has a plan for that - kayaking! The step-by-step directions actually state: "Kayak across the Pacific Ocean - 6,243km." No, thanks.

When I got home, I had an excellent gin Martini (Bombay Sapphire, Noilly Prat, three olives) and followed dinner with a special edition strawberry doughnut from Krispy Kreme (almost too sweet).

Going to play some uke now, then it's off to bed. I haven't been getting enough sleep lately.

More tomorrow...

Monday

ALMOST forgot about the blog!

After work, I headed into the city to attend an iMovie and iDVD workshop at the world's second-largest Apple Store. I got a few good tips that should help me put together a little film about the recent Perth Air Race.

I listened to two 'new' albums today - "Wildflower" by Sheryl Crow and "Sawdust" by The Killers. I like most of both.

Just had another post-dinner cognac. Remy Martin XO Premier Cru this time. Yes, I like cognac :)

See ya tomorrow!

Sunday

THIS morning, I finally finished writing my third song! I'm slowly getting used to the process, but it takes me a LONG time.

In the afternoon, I wrote up my review of "How To Lose Friends And Alienate People", starring Simon Pegg, Kirsten Dunst and Megan Fox. You can check it out (the review, that is) at www.theleglesscritic.com.

I'm feeling a little bit guilty because I haven't left the house at all today. Hopefully, my dodgy back doesn't seize up as a result. To combat any possible ill effects of inactivity, I'm currently enjoying some Jenssen XO cognac. It's medicinal, ya know :)

See ya tomorrow!

NaBloPoMo

ACCORDING to my friend LJT, November is NaBloPoMo - National Blog Posting Month. I presume that 'national' bit refers to the US, but I reckon us Antipodeans should also give it a crack. So here I am.

Let's see... I'm currently growing a moustache for Movember. I've raised $60 so far for prostate cancer and male depression charities, and I kinda look like Snoopy's cousin Spike. I'll keep you posted.

Today, I went shopping in Sydney for new sunglasses. I like the Maui Jim range (not only because it sounds Hawaiian) but I couldn't find the perfect pair. The hunt continues. After that, I attended a free GarageBand workshop at the Apple Store. It wasn't great, but I did learn a few things. I really should start recording stuff before I forget it all!

Well, there it is - day one of NaBloPoMo. See ya tomorrow.

New Movie Blog!

Aloha!

I've just started a new movie blog at www.theleglesscritic.com. I'll be reviewing new theatre releases for the most part, as well as the occasional DVD and classic flick.

Please check it out and link it to your blog, if you have one. I'll buy you a beer/wine/fruity cocktail if you do...

CHEERS!

Wrestling George Formby

TO MAKE up for the poor frequency of my blog, here's a DOUBLE entry. That's right, DOUBLE. In capital letters.

WRESTLING

Last Sunday, DL, AW and I were lucky enough to score free tickets to a WWE event in Sydney. And not just any old tickets, either. Wrestling aficionado DL was up in a corporate box while AW and I were in "diamond" class, three rows from the ring. It was awesome, particularly the tag team matches. My favourite rasslers? Athletic Michelle McCool and alleged Irish midget Hornswoggle (that's him in the pic with tag team partner Finlay).

FORMBY

On Monday, it was up to me to teach a couple of George Formby ukulele strums at BUK. The theme of the evening was "The War Years" and I concentrated on "When I'm Cleaning Windows"...naturally. I think it went well.

My Top Seven

AS REQUESTED by AW on DGN, here are the top seven songs I'm listening to at the moment...in no particular order.

"Sentimental Heart" by She & Him
(album: "Volume One")

"Downfall" by Matt Costa
(album: "Unfamiliar Faces")

"Our Song" by Taylor Swift
(album: "Taylor Swift")

"I'm Busy And You Can't Come In" by Janet Klein And Her Parlor Boys
(album: "Oh!")

"Call My Name" by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
(album: "The OMD Singles")

"I Hope, I Think, I Know" by Oasis
(album: "Be Here Now")

"Forever Young" by Alphaville
(album: "Forever Young")

PHOTOS!

MAUI

ALOHA! Here it is, folks - my final holiday blog! I've been back in Sydney since late Friday night, but better late than never...

From the North Shore of Oahu, we drove to Honolulu Airport and boarded an early flight bound for Kahului, Maui. After an extremely long taxi, the pilot informed us "a light" had come on in the cockpit and he was forced to trundle back to the gate. An hour later, the problem was fixed and we finally jetted off to Maui.

Half an hour later, we were at Thrifty picking up a brand-spanking-new Jeep Commander 4x4. It only had SEVEN miles on it and the steering wheel was still partially wrapped in plastic! Our luggage successfully jammed in the back, we struck out for the coastal town of Kihei and the condo we rented over the Internet on account of its modern style. It seems most condos in Hawaii are owned by old American women who can't resist decorating them with disgusting floral wallpaper and kitschy furniture.

Maui is easily the most American island. You hardly see tourists from anywhere else in the world and native Hawaiians are even rarer. Although noisy, Kihei turned out to be a pretty cool place with a great little market and some of the best beaches in Maui. Here's a short breakdown of what we did:

DAY 1

Arrived in Kihei. After unpacking, AM and I strolled over the road and found a great skate park AND an oceanfront rollerskating rink! It was a bit weird. We then went to Foodland to stock up on groceries and ended up having dinner at a fantastic Italian restaurant none of us can remember the name of.

DAY 2

Took a road trip to the so-called "hippy town" of Paia. Apparently Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson live nearby, but I don't know why. There's not a lot there and it's not particularly scenic. Disappointed, we decided to brave the Sunday crowds in Lahaina - the island's historic capital. We had fish'n'chips for lunch and resolved to return.

DAY 3

Went to the local marketplace in Kihei and got a new suitcase. Yep, we'd bought that much stuff! I also picked up a new case for my concert ukulele as the handle on the old one conveniently snapped off in Waikiki. In the afternoon, AM and I tried a recommended snorkeling spot. There were a few fish about, but I was more interested in the vast amount of coral. It must've been about five-metres high. That night, we dined at Bubba Gump's in Lahaina. Life is like a box of shrimp...or something.

(CRAZY) DAY 4

This was a biggie! Before we left Oz, we promised ourselves we'd get up at 3am and drive 2.5 hours to the peak of Mount Haleakala (3,055m) to watch the sunrise. Although it was BLOODY FREEZING atop the extinct volcano, the view was spectacular and well worth the trouble. Since we were already on the right side of the island, we decided to press on to the town of Hana after breakfast. I'd seen T-shirts in the marketplace that read, "I survived the road to Hana!", but assumed it was just a beat-up, a way of making wussy Americans feel like they'd done something daring. It isn't. With 59 bridges (46 of which are only one way), 620 curves and sheer drop-offs at every twisting turn, it's by far the most dangerous road I've ever driven. Most tourists don't go past Hana (the road only gets worse!), but I really wanted to see the grave of pioneer aviator Charles Lindbergh, which lies near to where an earthquake closed the road in 2006. When we finally got back to Kihei, I'd been driving for 11+ hours. And yes, I got a T-shirt!

DAY 5

Our final day in Hawaii. Very sad. AM and I hit Polo Beach, which had the softest (and hottest) sand I've ever felt. After a few hours of swimming and lying about, it was time for some entertainment. First, we had a slack-key guitar concert to attend at a resort north of Lahaina. It was brilliant, but we had to leave early because I'd booked tickets to see Matt Costa (one of Jack Johnson's mates) at the Hard Rock Cafe in Lahaina. He only came on at midnight, but it was worth the wait. It was also nice to see local Mauiians (?) out on the town. A bit like the MTV show "Maui Fever" (AH knows what I'm talking about). It was 2am when we got back to Kihei and none us us had had dinner, so our final meal in Hawaii turned out to be a burger from Jack In The Box drive-thru.

Well, that's about it. I'll post a link to photos tomorrow. Mahalo for reading :)

As Tom Petty once said...

...WAITING is the hardest part. Our flight's delayed by about four hours. Sitting in the airport "holding area" in Honolulu. We had a hectic five days on Maui - will blog about it all tomorrow and set up a link to pics. Gotta go - calling the flight! 

Last day on the NS

ALOHA for the final time from the North Shore of Oahu. The weather's been highly unpredictable while we've been here, but the lack of sun hasn't really bothered us. Except when we're showering. Our "green" rental house uses solar power, so no sun = cold/lukewarm water. Luckily, there's an awesome jacuzzi in the garden that heats up to a balmy 100 degrees F.

Yesterday, we took a drive to Queen Emma's Summer Palace on the outskirts of Honolulu, ate at one of the numerous "shrimp shacks" by the side of the road and checked out famous surf spots such as Sunset Beach, Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay. It's spring here, so there weren't any waves to speak of - it only gets big in winter.

Tomorrow morning, we drive to the airport and jump on a flight to Maui. None of us have been there, so we're looking forward to exploring.

Before that, however, we've got Miss USA to watch on TV! I'm rooting for Kentucky...don't ask me why.

Oh, and here's a pic I took in front of the house a coupla hours ago...

Mahalo

North Shore

ALOHA from the Hula Hacienda! It's a three-bedroom ocean-front house a short drive from the historic town of Haleiwa. It's a bit rainy at the moment, so hopefully it'll clear up soon. The coolest thing I've seen today was a whale breaching a few hundred metres from our living room.

We got here late yesterday afternoon after a busy day that started with an excellent tour of the Kamaka Ukulele factory by 81-year-old Fred Kamaka himself. Then we went to visit our friends Alan and Paul Okami at KoAloha Ukulele. They're expanding all the time and fast becoming one of the most prestigious uke companies in the world.

I didn't plan to buy yet another uke on this trip...but I did! It's an awesome solid electric made by a Korean mob called Bugs Gear. I also got the MacBook I'm writing this on for $600 less than the RRP at the Aussie Apple store. I bloody love it so far!

More to come...

Mahalo

Aloha from Waikiki!

WE ARRIVED yesterday morning at about 10am - 20 minutes ahead of schedule even though our flight left late. We recognised the captain of Hawaiian Airlines 452 as the same cool dude who ferried us to the islands in November 2006.

We did some loud-shirt shopping, went for a swim at Waikiki beach (the good bit) and had a great dinner at the Pacific Beach Hotel, where my friend and ukulele jazz master Benny Chong was playing. Oh, and we also went to Chili's for one of the biggest lunches in the history of humankind...my stomach hurts just thinking about it.

Off to the Bishop Museum, Maritime Center and Iolani Palace in our Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo now.

Mahalo.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! In celebration, have a look at these snaps of Sky View - a travelling ferris wheel that popped up in Sydney's Darling Harbour just before Christmas. For $10, you get to go around three times. The view from the top (about 47m) is pretty good, but not amazing. More impressive are the actual capsules in which you travel. They're fully enclosed and feature aircon, music and padded benches. They kinda reminded me of the capsules on the London Eye, only much smaller.