No Sympathy

Sympathy for the English Cricket team? NO WAY!!!

They considered themselves the best team in the world after one Ashes series win over an underperforming Australian team. Talk about coming back down to earth with a thud. They got what the deserved after thinking they were 'all that'. They didn't look realistically at the previous Ashes win. They came here with big expectations without the skill, game plan or state of mind to even come close to beating Australia. For some reason they underestimated Australia. They didn’t bring their 'A game' and not one player could say that they came to play for the entire series. There have been a few one off stand outs but they quickly disappeared into hibernation once their moment in the sunshine had finished.

I am hoping for a 5 – 0 whitewash as it is what England deserve this summer. Next time, they better come to play.

HSC Results

I have two things to say about the recent release of the HSC results.

1. Premier Iemma has been celebrating the fact that Govt schools topped the list of best performing schools in NSW. What he neglects to mention is that all these Govt schools are selective. They select from the thousands wanting to attend these schools. Many intelligent people have to miss out (eg Me) because there are limited places available. It’s easy to perform well when you get to choose who can attend.
2. I am very proud this year. There was a core group of young people at the G.U.C youth group (called BOB). I helped and sometimes led this group of youngsters for many years. This group has now graduated from Yr 12. Most, in fact, have featured on the honour roll that was in the paper this week.

Why Blog?

Firstly, what is a Blog for those new to all this, as quoted from sydneyanglicans.net:

Blog is short for ‘web log’ and is an online journal or diary that encourages interaction. There are blogs on cricket, crochet and Christianity. Mums have ‘blogged’ their experience of pregnancy and parenting. Some companies use blogs to connect with employees. Blogs can be short or long. They have three characteristics: They are very regular (e.g. weekly), ordered chronologically and exploit the internet’s ability to link to other sources.

In the latest Briefing from Matthias Media there was a story on blogging and how it can be a useful ministry tool.

I was interested in expressing what I regard to be some “rules” to check off before beginning a blog. They are:

1. Have a purpose
   
2. Commit to content
3. Don't follow the crowd into the blogosphere
   

Purpose
Knowing your purpose will determine how you answer every other rule. It shapes what will be the focus of your blog. It can be very specific or broad as you like, as long as it is clear. Take into account that if it is a specific purpose then what you can write about will be limited. You probably should work out a purpose before starting.

Content
Doesn’t have to be a lot, but has to be regular. A blog everyday I think is way too much, but a few times a year is nowhere near enough. It really depends on your purpose. It’s probably a good idea to write some content before starting a blog to see if you have the interest in writing down thought and ideas that fulfil the purpose. I like to draft everything in Word while others like to write straight off the top of their heads. Whatever works for you. You shouldn’t feel obliged or forced to add to a blog. If you feel like this then dare I say, perhaps a blog is not for you.

Blog for the sake of it
I argue that if you aren’t committed to producing content to fulfil the purpose then you are blogging for the sake of blogging. It does seem that lots of people have a blog these days. Still, just because there is a multitude of good blogs out there doesn’t make it a good idea to make it your main reason to start a blog. As someone once said to me, “If I got a blog it will take up my precious Battrick time.”

Time For Change

Last week I made a very big and tough decision that perhaps I should have made ages ago:

1. I withdrew my application for permanent employment to teach with DET, and as a flow on effect,
2. I told the Teachers Federation that I would no longer require their services (never did really)
3. I also told NSW Institute of Teachers that I don’t want to pay $20 admin fee during what they call a “leave of absence” when I won’t be teaching

All that felt quite liberating.

Of course this all means that I have become a statistic. Every new teacher has probably heard the spiel about 1 in 3 new teachers not making it past their first year. Well I’m that 1. In fact I almost didn’t make it to the end of my first year, I’m not sure if they have a statistic for that.

I had to really think about: Was it just this school or govt schools in general? If I just got a job at a better school would it make a difference? But then it’s hard to impress at an interview with that as your mindset.

I’m usually about options and having as many options available as possible, so being rid of the teaching option might seem like a strange move to make. But teaching was increasingly looking like being a bad option. It is a bit disappointing as I spent 5 years at Uni specifically to get into the profession of teaching only to have it send me to a particularly low point in my life. A low that I wish not to replicate ever again.

This action is a result of a recent contemplation regarding my teaching future. My former Deputy Principal from Greystanes High School got the Principal’s job at Westfield Sports High. This sparked my interest as I am well known to him and I thought he might be able to get me a job at there. As usual though mum gives me the harsh reality of what would be required as far as preparation, lesson planning, reports etc, and I’m brought down to earth with a thud. A much needed thud.

The New Tolerance

The “New Tolerance” is a book by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler. The “New Tolerance” is a concept that has been in existence for a long time but is so subtle that it might not have been noticed. In a nutshell the book explains that: Christianity believes in the absolute truth, this is perceived as intolerant (by the “new tolerance”) which results in intolerance towards Christianity.

Evidence of this:

• Continual acceptance of alternative lifestyles eg homosexual ministers
• Increased political correctness i.e. not showing nativity scenes at Christmas as it may offend non Christians
• Discrimination laws favouring ethnic and religious minorities, in effect discriminating against the majority
• You may remember the Green private members bill to stop Christian schools from selecting their teachers based on their Christianity, and therefore discriminate against non-Christian teachers.

Contrasting definitions of tolerance

Traditional tolerance

• A fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, practices, race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry (dictionary.com)
• The disposition to be patient and fair towards those whose opinions or practices differ from one’s own (Macquarie Dictionary)
• Willingness and ability to tolerate (Oxford Dictionary)

New Tolerance

• All opinions are equal. Each one has its point, and all should be respected or praised…there is no rational way to discern between them. (Savater from McDowell & Hostetler)
• Every individual’s beliefs, values, lifestyle, and perception of truth claims are equal…There is no hierarchy of truth. Your beliefs and my beliefs are equal, and truth is relative. (Helmbock from McDowell & Hostetler)

The book gives a lot of examples in various scenarios that have actually happened, such as young children being told they can’t say grace before eating their lunch at school as it “may offend.” As I read these examples I kept thinking, “Yeh, only in America.” It couldn’t happen in Australia, but it is and will continue to unless people recognise it. I know personally that some of the new PDHPE curriculum spat out by the Dept of Education is full of “new tolerance” nonsense.

The “new tolerance” fails to recognise the difference between the person and the behaviour. Christians, I think, would be kind to the person but not necessarily agree with their lifestyle choices. The “new tolerance” says that if you don’t accept my moral judgement then you are attacking me personally.

We must be aware of the “new tolerance”. It might be happening right under our nose without us really knowing. In the schools, government and in general society. It’s scary to think about what could happen if this ideology takes over and becomes the norm.

McDowell gives some hope though, with practical methods to each problem to counter the attack of “the new tolerance.”

A very good and eye opening read. Available from Koorong or other Christian bookshops.

The Lord of the Pool

Pool Footy is barbaric, brutal, savage, vicious, ruthless and merciless, and I love it for some reason. That is, until an accidental clash of heads results in my nose bleeding.

It has become a tradition, Tim Campbell explains how:

Pool footy can be traced all the way back to Christmas 2000 where a motley group of rowdy uni students couldn't sleep on Christmas eve (due to Santa Claus coming) and a swim at the Adams family pool quickly became a full-blooded contact sport (and I do mean full-blooded). Since then, most combatants spend the year secretly honing their fending skills and developing an immunity to many pool chemicals.

Innovation out of necessity I call it. Tim is actually flying up from Melbourne especially for this, plus the minor allure of family and all that.

Pool Footy does not discriminate. Our tackling knows no race, gender or creed. We are equal opportunity hitting machines. Some girls are game enough to play, this is fine, as long as they realise that there is no softness in the field of battle.

As for rules, I call on Mr Campbell once again:

The ball can be passed in any direction (including misdirection... that's right - you can hide the ball in your shorts if you're prepared to having people grabbing at it), anyone can be tackled, and a try is scored by touching the ball at the opposing end of the pool. If you're thinking to yourself "these rules don't actually limit anything - meaning there are no rules", you are absolute correct! THERE ARE NO RULES! All compressed into the cauldron like atmosphere of a backyard swimming pool.

So all TAC SNC people are officially invited. Any others that we know of (no blow ins please) that need their 2006 Pool Footy fix just let me know and you’ll receive your entry pass to the “Hammerdome” as Tim C puts it.

Memoirs of a Generalist

I have this problem when it comes to what I am going to do with myself as far as an occupation is concerned. I have already been involved in two occupations post Uni. I have also been involved and/ or interested in other occupations during school.

Journalism – I did a journalism subject in Primary School as part of the Holroyd Achievers program (with a young K Corless – unbeknownst to me at the time). I enjoy writing, this blog is proof of that and I think I could be good at it. Especially if this writing involves AFL. But jobs in this field are very competitive and you have to be very driven.

Physiotherapy – I did work experience with a physiotherapist. I thought it was what I wanted to do. Then I was told I would have to do two science subjects in Year 11/12, and then get 90+ UAI, which just wasn’t going to happen. On top of that the course is very theory oriented before you get to do any practical application. I can use my current Undergrad degree to get into a M Physio but I’m kind of glad to see the back of my Uni days, especially the studying aspect.

TV Production / Camera Operator– My introduction into movie making via iMovie sparked this interest in a possible career. But it’s not really a passion, otherwise I think I would have a camera in my hand 24/7.

Sports Administration – I was almost going to get into something relating to this at Uni. I had received an early acceptance from UWS to do a B Business Admin, with the hope of using this to get into Sports Admin. Then I realised I wouldn’t enjoy being behind a desk all day.

PE Teaching – I was certain this was what I wanted to do for the long term. I liked sport, I enjoy and know a lot about the theory side and apparently I was good at dealing with teens. One year later I wondered whether I was good at all. Five years at Uni for this? Granted I was at a “not so good” school, but there were no other jobs on offer. I had a total of two interviews from private schools from about 20 – 30 to which I had applied. One job on offer had 80+ applicants. How can a newby compete with that?

Sports Coaching – This was done in primary schools on a casual basis. If I was offered a salary then I would probably still be doing this. Instead it was hourly rates. I enjoyed only having a class for 30 – 60 mins and then bringing in new batch for the same lesson. By the 5th lesson you’ve pretty much got it down.

Patient Transport – enjoy being on the road and seeing behind the scenes of hospitals. It also offers one of my favourite traits, the ability to leave the work behind once you have finished. Nothing extra to do, nothing to take home to prepare for the next day or week. You show up, do your work and go home. There is also little stress as we are able to do the jobs in our time, no need for rushing. That being said I don’t think I can do this long term. I am a creature of routine but eventually I get sick of one routine and need something new.

Ambulance Officer – In many ways I can’t see myself taking the obvious next step from being a PTO. I have already said I don’t like being in a rush. Being an Ambulance officer involves a lot of rushing around (in a controlled manner) and thinking on your feet. This possibly brings with it a bit of stress. Also I don’t think I could stomach the emergency scenes I may attend to and administering the IV drugs I will have to give.

So it appears that I’m good at a lot of things, but excel in nothing.

Amongst all this though Philippians 4:6 keeps ringing in my head.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God

No Dad’s Army

If Australia is Dad’s Army (i.e. too old) then England must be The Dunce Army. That should include the selectors as well. They have a supposed strike bowler coming into the attack at first change. That is when he’s not bowling to 2nd slip. Also, their spinner (Giles) and wicket keeper (Jones) were selected for their apparent superior batting than their teammates vying for the position. So far they haven’t scored anything of note with the bat and the spinner Giles has only got wickets rarely from miscued slogs.

Only one team believed they could win the second ashes test, the other went completely defensive in the hope of salvaging a draw and ended up getting rolled. England got what they deserved, and know they are copping it from their own country’s media and rightfully so.

England seem to think that it will all just happen for them as it did in the last series, that just doesn’t happen, no matter how good you are. You need to work hard to win the ashes, and even harder to retain them, England are quickly figuring that out. But it might be all too late.

The Real Job of Teaching

I received the following in an email. Initially I thought it was going to be another junky jokey email. However, this will ring true for anyone who has stepped in front of a class.

After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager teaching prospect said:

"Let me see if I've got this right. You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their every waking moment with a love for learning, and I'm supposed to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even censor their T-shirt messages and dress habits.

You want me to wage a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook, and how to apply for a job.

I am to check their heads for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of anti-social behavior, make sure all students pass the state exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete any of their assignments.

Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or physical handicap. I am to communicate regularly with the parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card.

All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps! You want me to do all of this and then you tell me...

I CAN'T PRAY?"

Cricket In Full Swing

The Footy season is well and truly over. So too is that annoying limbo period where we get nothing but horse racing. That only means one thing, that Cricket season is back and better than ever with the promotion of what will surely be a slightly more competitive Ashes series. So why not blog about it. There are a few things that have been getting up my goat lately.

The Barmy Army
So many people are saying how good it is to have the Barmy Army at the cricket. Kochie on Sunrise even started a campaign to let the trumpet player into the ground because it’s “good for cricket.” In the end the people in charge of the Adelaide Oval sensibly refused to let him in, as it would set a precedent for following events. The Barmy Army are continually dancing and chanting. How can a distraction from watching the cricket be good for cricket? They only good thing about them is that they are helping Australian venues sell-out for all 5 days of a test. A bit of clever and witty sledging from the crowd is good, I rate that. The occasional song or chant is good as well. But carrying on all day is ridiculous. People should go to the cricket primarily to watch the cricket, secondarily to enjoy the atmosphere. For me the Barmy Army would create too much atmosphere and hence hinder the primary purpose.

Bill Lawry’s Commentary
I have disliked Bill Lawry’s commentary for a long time now. It’s like he has no idea of how the game is played anymore. What he says doesn’t seem to relate to what we see on the screen. His favourite line, “It’s all happening here!” comes more often than not when absolutely nothing is happening. I am enjoying the commentary team as a whole and the new additions to the commentary team, such as Michael Slater, are fantastic and are contributing more to the commentary than Lawry ever has. Richie Benaud is the only original member of the commentary team that should dictate on his terms when he will finish. As for Lawry, it’s time to trim the fat.

Ashes Just For Cricket

Ever noticed how sports other than Cricket are trying to reap rewards from Australia and England’s long history of Cricket rivalry. With any contest involving Australia and England, if it is not coming from the organising parties, then it is usually from the media or just keen punters in the outer. They call their contest "The Ashes", just because Australia and England are playing, and they think that refers to their sport. I don't think the Rugby League did it in their most recent contest but I know they have in the past.

The ashes are very historical and relate to a specific event in Cricket’s history. Here is the story in brief:

"In affectionate remembrance of English cricket which died at The Oval, 29th August, 1882. Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances, RIP. NB The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia."

Australia’s first victory on English soil over the full strength of England, on August 29, 1882, inspired a young London journalist, Reginald Shirley Brooks, to write this mock “obituary’’. It appeared in the Sporting Times.

Before England’s defeat at The Oval, by seven runs, arrangements had already been made for the Hon. Ivo Bligh, afterwards Lord Darnley, to lead a team to Australia. Three weeks later they set out, now with the popular objective of recovering the Ashes. In the event, Australia won the first Test by nine wickets, but with England winning the next two it became generally accepted that they brought back the Ashes.

It was long believed that the real Ashes – a small urn thought to contain the ashes of a bail used in the third match – were presented to Bligh by a group of Melbourne women. In 1998, Lord Darnley’s 82-year-old daughter-in-law said they were the remains of her mother-in-law’s veil, not a bail. Other evidence suggests a ball. The certain origin of the Ashes, therefore, is the subject of some dispute.

After Lord Darnley’s death in 1927, the urn was given to MCC by Lord Darnley’s Australian born widow, Florence. It can be seen in the cricket museum at Lord’s, together with a red and gold velvet bag, made specially for it, and the scorecard of the 1882 match.

So I think other sports should be a bit more creative and leave Cricket’s rivalry to Cricket. Let’s face it, an Ashes contest in a sport other than cricket just doesn’t feel right anyway.

Reading the Bible

In Bible Study a while ago we completed the book “Postcard From Palestine.” It is a hands on guide to reading and using the bible. Upon commencement of this study I was a bit taken aback. I was reminded of HSC English and how I was supposed to read all those books that didn’t appeal to me at all. Extracting every ounce of meaning out of a piece of text was something I found difficult. I wasn’t inspired then to read the books and didn’t end up reading any of them. How I ended up passing the subject is beyond me (and Mum). York notes and Cliff’s notes were very sufficient.

All the books I had to read for Yr 11 and Yr 12 are:

• Fringe of Leaves – Patrick White
• One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest – Ken Kesey
• Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austin
• Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

Luckily for me, 3 out of the 4 books have been made into very good movies.

I have never been a big reader. I have 2 bookshelf units but the books that have been read fully would fill only one shelf. I must have a chronic condition. I might be reading a book but when I reach the end of the page I realise that I have been daydreaming the whole time. I would end up reading the same page 2 or 3 times before sometimes just giving up through obvious lack of interest.

So how does one get inspired to read the thickest book with the smallest writing and then understand it? Especially now that Postcards from Palestine recommends the use of other really thick books to help you (i.e. commentary, bible dictionary and multiple versions of the bible). It’s very intimidating.

Swans New Recruits

Footy season may be over but there is still plenty going on for those of us interested in the off field occurrences, and I’m not talking about the stories in the gossip pages of footballers late night escapades. On Saturday 25th November all clubs met at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne for NAB National AFL Draft. It is where all the young players in Australia hope to be recruited by AFL clubs. Positions in the draft are generally determined by where you finish that season, although the order might change after teams decide to trade draft picks for current players during the trade week. Sydney obviously finished second so they have later picks in each round.

The player they ended up choosing are:
15 – DANIEL O'KEEFE, Geelong Falcons Vic (pictured)
Good sized midfielder
49 – DANIEL CURRIE, Northern Knights Vic
Developing ruckman
65 – PETER FAULKS, Calder Cannons Vic
Key defender
79 – JESSE WHITE, Southport Qld
Future key position player

Look out for these young men, as they are the future of your club.

Public Vs Private

In my current job I am increasingly seeing the advantages of having top private health insurance. I have visited a lot of hospitals, both public and private along with a lot of Nursing Homes and Hostels. It is not very hard to tell anymore which places are public and which are private

You pick up a vibe from the people around, the patients, the nurses and their environment.

Firstly the patients, they almost expect to have to wait all day in a public hospital, they are resigned to the fact. If they are in for elective surgery they have more than likely had to wait for years. Whereas Private patients go straight into surgery when they are ready and then most are taken to a Rehab clinic afterwards. Don’t expect that sort of care and efficiency in the public system.

I have experienced this sort of efficiency personally, which is why I’m such a big Private health advocate. I needed elective surgery on my right ring finger as the joint was infected when I was a baby and grew bent. When the doctor said it was time to operate mum jokingly said, “How about tomorrow?” To which the doctor replied that it could be done if the paperwork could be put through that fast. Instead I went in the next week at The Hills.

Secondly the nurses, some appear very cynical and downtrodden in both systems but generally I found that the nurses at Private Hospitals are much happier with their work. Some of this I think can be attributed to my third point, the environment. Private hospitals have a warmer feel to them, which lends itself to a more comfortable and friendly atmosphere. Little things like wide corridors which are uncluttered, lighting, carpet on the floors, private rooms and most importantly bigger TV’s (some private hospitals even have Foxtel).

I know of some naïve young adults say, “But I’m healthy, when will I need to go to hospital?” But isn’t that the point of all insurance, that you don’t know when something will happen. We don’t know when we will get sick. We don’t know when something we own will be stolen. We don’t know when that car will drive up your rear end. We don’t know so we need to prepare for anything.

Those that expect to rely on the public system for everything I say,
What do you expect for nothing?!

Mollycoddle

Mol-ly-cod-dle [mol-ee-kod-l]

Noun
A person, especially a man or boy, who is being pampered or over protected

Verb
To be overprotective and indulgent towards

Dictionary.com

I used to think this was a word made up by mum when I was a child. Surprised was I to find that it actually had a dictionary definition. Excited was I to find that it could actually be applied to something very relevant.

You see, the Teachers Federation is promoting a no comment approach and no grading philosophy to teaching. Both of which I believe will mollycoddle our next generation and turn them into social misfits, or milksops (another interesting word I found when looking up mollycoddle).

No Grades
This is referring to A – E grades. The Teachers Fed believes that this sort of labelling of a student diminishes their self-esteem. But so does telling them that they’re doing ok then they finally realise they don’t cut it in the big bad world.

No Comments
As far as I know the Teacher’s Fed only wants its primary teachers to comment on numeracy and literacy, and not all the other subjects that they have to teach. It’s part of the job to fill in paperwork and parents expect it to be done well. This is not a dictatorship, the consumer of this product is the parents. If they want comments, give them comments, simple as that.

If they go on thinking that they will be eased through all of life then they will be severely mistaken. The Teacher’s Federation is sacrificing real academic achievement in an effort not to harm the students self esteem. But when they leave school and realise they know nothing because they weren’t taught anything, I don’t think their self-esteem will be too high then.

As a wise man once said
Life’s Tough
Get a Helmet

iTunes Music Store – 100th Purchase

I waited anxiously for the opening of iTunes Music store in Australia and soon after it’s first birthday I complete a transaction of my 100th song.

I mainly enjoyed using the music store for classic 80’s stuff that I could only find on an album. I was able to pick only my favourite songs from musical acts such as ABC, Madness, Suzanne Vega, Elvis Presley, Roxette, 10cc and The Beach Boys.

As well I was able to get particular singles of modern day artists that I just don’t like enough to buy their album. These artists include Eskimo Joe, The Whitlams, No Doubt, The Dave Matthews Band, The Killers, The Fray, Yellowcard and Bernard Fanning.

There are also some music videos that I have purchased, only the good ones of course.

Let’s not forget all the great Podcasts now available. I would probably download a lot more if it weren’t for the lack of hard drive space. Over the year I have downloaded podcast from Triple M, Sydney Anglicans, 103.2, ABC, Triple J, Network 10 and of course the Bible Talks at TAC.

Fashion Beefs

Under the footy crazed veneer is a fashion critic. I’m not too sure what made me think I could comment on fashion. I think it was Trinny & Susannah’s “What Not To Wear” which is made in the UK by the BBC and then syndicated to cable stations such as the Lifestyle channel in Australia. They have formed quite a following about telling (mainly) women bluntly why their clothes make them look bad. In each episode they get their victim to handover their entire wardrobe and they then critique everything and point out where they have been going wrong. It shouldn’t be surprising that there are some tears, you know how emotional women can get. In the end they have an entire new wardrobe of funky clothes that make them look classy and sophisticated and at the same time have boosted their self-esteem.

Watching this program you learn some very simple rules that will no doubt make shopping for clothes with a female more comfortable and I won’t have to be so conscious of saying the right thing, instead I can say what I think, using just a little discretion.

Some Simple Rules

• Don’t mix patterns – instead go for plains and patterns with similar colours
• Bright colours with black cheapens the colour and makes you look tacky
• Dress your age – this is the best way to look younger
• Know your body shape and dress accordingly
• Only one statement piece at a time

I also like to rave on massive fashion mistakes that I see perpetrated by females across this great country, hence the title “fashion beefs.” I think I have developed a fashion catchcry of, “fashionable and practical.” Meaning that clothing that is fashionable should have a practical purpose and be comfortable. For example, I have noticed a lot of girls wearing shorts instead of skirts, fashionable and practical. There can’t be anything more comfortable than shorts in the summer months.

My Top 5 of fashion mistakes include:

1. The ‘Muffin Top’
2. Ugg boots with mini skirts or scarves with tank tops
3. Ugg boots worn among the general public
4. Visible underwear
5. Skimpy clothes in the middle of winter

Interesting Rates

Another interest rate rise and another bunch of moaners come out of the woodwork.

Yes, it’s true, I don’t have a mortgage. In fact, I don’t have any debt to speak of.

This said I believe that if everyone had a basic knowledge of economics then the aforementioned moaners would know why interest rates had to go up, therefore making the moaning unnecessary.

Try and digest these details:

1. Interest rates go up and down
2. The economy works in cycles (booms/recessions, up-phases/down-phases)
3. Bigger the boom = Bigger the recession
4. We want the economy to grow but an economy with high inflation will inevitably lead to recession
5. We want to slow down inflation to avoid a harsh recession
6. Raising interest rates decreases inflationary pressures by limiting the amount of new money coming into the economy.
7. If interest rates are not raised now, they will have to be raised by even more in the future.

It’s a Big Place

While performing my job I am discovering a few things.

There is a lot of this city we call Sydney that I have never seen or even thought of going to visit. My driving partner mentioned a famous walk from Coogee to Bondi and I had never heard of it. Put in context he did live in Bondi for a period of time and I have lived nowhere near it for my entire life. But it still might be worth doing at some stage.


This led me to a crazy idea that maybe people should choose a random suburb to check out every now and then. Just walk around, check out the architecture, do some shopping, have a picnic in a local park and soak in a different kind of fresh air. This sort of activity is probably more suited to the spontaneous type, which is probably not me. Some early suggestions might include Bondi, Coogee, Leichhardt, Ryde, Eastwood and Epping. Just chosen randomly of course. Some research may be required to ensure no dodgy suburb is chosen at random.

The Race When I Slept

I don’t know why but this year I have taken a complete disinterest in the Melbourne Cup. Other years I have at least shown enough interest to want to spend some of my hard earned on a horse or in a sweep. I was actually trying to avoid it as much as possible. This is very hard when all forms of media are dominated by the horsy news, and everyone you bump into wants to ask you if you have a fave in the Cup. Even a lot of the Nursing Homes and Hospitals I went to during the day were having mini festivals with posters all over the place and all the ladies wearing hats. It was unavoidable.

At least I had control in whether I watched the race or not. I spent those few minutes laying down on the back seat of our van waiting to get a job dropped down. Unaware was I that the people at the board may have been slightly more interested than me and were watching the race instead of allocating jobs. It didn’t worry me, I just stayed in the back of the van until they were ready.

Swearing is Swearing

There seems to be a swear word of choice among some Christians. The word is of course C-R-A-P.

Look it up in the dictionary and, depending on which one you’re using, it will probably say “offensive” or “colloquialism” which places it with all the other swear words that we don’t need to use. So if we are condoning the use of c**p then what’s wrong with s**t or f**k? It’s all swearing.


To me, swearing is unnecessary and we don’t need to delve into the gutter to make a point. There are plenty of other lovely words in the English language to describe all kinds of emotions.

I’ve heard my fair share of foul language from being part of a footy club. If some of the players eradicated one little F-word from their conversation lexicon, they would make much more sense and would make their point much more concisely.

I know some people who, being aware of someone holding this opinion, avoid saying the word around that person. Or they say the word and then apologise. I would suggest that if it is worthy of an apology to some people then it is not necessary to say to anyone.

If you don’t agree with me then I invite your comments to tell me my opinion is s**t, because swearing is swearing.

The Break Up – Movie

Some people will find it very ironic that I even watched this movie recently. It stars Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston as the couple going through the break up. Although it is pretty much another clichéd RomCom (romantic comedy), I still think it was able to point out some truths about relationship do’s and don’ts.

Generally

• Must be willing to give if you are wanting to receive – rarely is this referring to gifts
• Don’t play games in an effort to show the other what they are missing out on.
• Don’t force friends into choosing sides
• Some time apart may be necessary – to get over the shock and other things
• Don’t pick on little things and make them into big things

For The Boys

• Don’t inflame situation by arguing. Just apologise and sort it out later
• Sometimes the best mate can give dodgy advice so proceed with caution

For The Girls

• Say what you mean – anything implied is not going to be received

Of course the whole situation of this break could have been averted if the couple didn’t buy an apartment in joint names without the slightest regard for getting married first. But then, if they did get married we wouldn't have a movie.

Wake Up Sheik

So the Sheik claims to have been taken out of context, again. You know there was a time when I felt I was continually taken out of context. You what I did? I became more conscious of what I was saying. I thought a bit more before I spoke. Hopefully now it has become habitual. So if the Sheik has a brain I recommend that he use it before he speaks to anyone. Woops, it may be too late as he's already been interviewed by A Current Affair where he managed to dig himself a deeper hole in the eyes of the public.

Apologies to Soccer Fans

2005 was by far my worst year of playing footy. It was not very enjoyable indeed. Words cannot really express how bad it was. The only thing that got me through to the end of the year was my strong sense of commitment to the team.

Soon after the end of the season a rather enterprising young man offered a well-timed invitation to play Soccer for Wenty Uniting in the Churches competition. He got me when I was at my most vulnerable, depressed after the end of an ordinary season. He managed to get a few other friends to play, which made it somewhat enjoyable to be starting pre season in October for a completely new sport.

I played the full year of Soccer but never really felt like I was getting into the game. Sure I was playing ok in a pretty good team, and winning games is always more fun than losing. But I could never really get into Soccer even during the Soccer mad period, otherwise known as the FIFA World Cup.

In a way the year was very fruitful. As it made me realise how much I miss playing footy (Aussie Rules). I drove to the ground on Thursday night (26/10) and felt so excited to be starting pre-season in October. I hadn’t felt that way in a long time. Probably since I was a junior. It was also quickly evident that the club was able to turn around the misfortunes of 2005. Everyone is smiling and pleased to be there which is the way it should be.

So sorry to Soccer that I couldn’t stay, but thankyou for making me realise how much I love playing the game of Australian Rules Football.

I’m Confused (What’s New?)

In order of who/what causes most of my confusion, number 1 would have to be females. However following closely in second is Unions.

Since mid last year they have been whinging about how much wages are going to decrease under the new Work Choices Industrial Relations legislation.

Now that wages are going to increase, the Unions are whinging that it will be bad for businesses to pay for these wage increases, amongst many other grievances of course.

They can’t have it both ways!

Jenson Makes the Waves

On the morning of 24 October, I was listening to ABC 702 on the radio, not a station I usually listen to. During the news I heard that Archbishop Peter Jenson has proclaimed his stance on homosexuality ordaining homosexual ministers. It even included a little snippet of his speech at Synod. I couldn’t help but think that he made the ABC news because they felt it necessary to spark some debate from the gay rights lobby. I’m sure that Archbishop Jenson made many other pertinent comments but they weren’t news worthy. Is there a transcript somewhere?

P – Plate Nonsense

When a tragedy happens involving young people I always find it interesting when the parents of these young people come out pleading for the govt to make changes to legislation so that another tragedy may be averted. They bleat like their little darling was at no fault at all. The most recent is the car accident that left all passengers dead but the driver survived.

The parents are calling for rules like curfews and restrictions to the number of passengers allowed in a P plated vehicle. These solutions have a few major flaws. Firstly they are very difficult to police. Secondly, they discriminate against some P platers that work at nights. Most importantly, I believe, that they all cover up the core problem. The fact that it is too easy to get a driver’s license in the first place. Being able to drive on the road should be considered a privilege, not a constitutional right.

I believe that the best way to improve our driving is to have certain number of compulsory driving lessons from a professional driving school such as Trent, on a manual car. Some organizations also run 3 day courses for defensive driving skills where they test how well they break in adverse conditions.

I’m sure there will be many bleeding hearts who will proclaim how not everyone can afford to pay for that. To this I would just re-iterate that driving on the roads is a privilege. Sometimes you have to pay for a privilege. If it’s that important to you then you will make sure to do it right. At the same time you will most probably have your eyes opened to the real dangers with driving and how your skills weren’t as good as your ego told you.

If you’re not willing to pay for this privilege then the State Govt is trying so hard to make every major road (it seems) have a transit lane only for buses, and ads on TV continually tell us how much work Cityrail is doing to improve it’s services.

Might As Well Read

Now that footy season is well and truly over I don’t have much to do with my weekends. I have decided to dust off the “to read” shelf. Currently on my hit list are, in no particular order:

• The New Tolerance – Josh McDowell & Bob Holstetler
• Relationships That Work (and those that don’t) – H Norman Wright
• Women Are Always Right & Men Are Never Wrong – Joey O’Connor
• Aussie Yarns – Kel Richards
• Lost in Rooville – Ray Blackston
• Promoting the Gospel – John Dickson
• Simply Christianity – John Dickson
• Know & Tell The Gospel – John Chapman
• Pure Sex – Tony Payne & Phillip Jenson

If I get 2 done I will be most pleased.

Coaches Exodus

The Sydney Swans under Head Coach Paul Roos had three Assistant Coaches: Ross Lyon, John Longmire and Peter Jonas. Two of whom have now left. It seems that we have become a victim of our own success as all our assistants are highly sought after by other clubs.

Ross Lyon has been appointed head coach of St Kilda after previous coach, Grant Thomas, was sacked at season’s end. John Longmire was also in the race for this job but he will now stay at Sydney as it appears Paul Roos is trying to implement a bit of succession planning. Peter Jonas left to go back to his home state and become an assistant at the Adelaide Crows.

Amongst all the exodus though we have managed to pick up John Blakey who has played 330+ games and has been an Assistant coach under Leigh Matthews at the Brisbane Lions for the past 4 years.

Trade Farce

Good news folks, in a game full of bluffing that you would expect to see on the World Poker Tour, Peter Everitt was successfully traded from Hawthorn to Sydney. On Tuesday Paul Roos had offered his 2nd round draft pick, which was an advancement on his first offer. Hawthorn rejected saying that they now want our 1st and 2nd round picks. Roos wasn’t going to stand for this and decided to fly back to Sydney. I’m guessing he left some Sydney representatives down in Melbourne because with 4 minutes to go before the deadline the Hawthorn recruiting manager, Chris Pelchan, they approach the Swans ready to accept the offer made to them on Tuesday, a 2nd round draft pick.

This infuriated Roos, as he said to the Herald Sun:

"It could've been done two and a half days ago," Roos said. "It's ridiculous at four minutes to two o'clock they came in and said we'll take it.

"It (the whole trade week) is a farce."

When a club has a star player who wants out they want to get something for him so when Hawthorn had no-one else chasing Everitt’s services then they realised that the deal with the Swans was all they had.

In the end there were only 9 trades done all week, 7 of those were done on Friday. What i find funny is how fast they get their new recruits into the club's shirt for the cameras (see examples above). Trading period hasn't even been over for a day yet.

Austrian Schnitzelhaus

For my birthday I wanted to try out a new restaurant to continue my cultural crusade of food. When coming back from work one day (when I was with Sportspro) I noticed this place on Victoria Road at Gladesville and I thought I might be a good as it was something I’d never tried before. I had to bide my time thought because I spotted it many months before my birthday.

It is quite a small place but it does have a separate room for functions. The atmosphere is good and the waitresses spoke with a German accent, which ads to the authenticity. I assume they are from a German/Austrian decent but they could be putting it on for all I know.

Most of us had a schnitzel of some sort. There are many to choose from, but they are all huge, and they all tasted great. Me and Dad washed ours down with a German beer and capped it off with a slice of homemade Apple Strudel. It was almost too much apple.

So if you want to try something different then I recommend the Austrian Schnitzelhaus.

Dixie Chicks

I have previously been embarrassed to talk about this (due to an unprecedented amount of ribbing), but not anymore. I am now proud to admit that I am a Dixie Chicks fan.

What is there not to like about them. To start with they are all beautiful, but there’s more. Each of them can play an array of instruments (that’s right, not just one) as well as being able to sing fantastically and harmonise with each other.

So what if they do have a multitude of serious “Chick Anthems.” Some examples are:

• Goodbye Earl
• Ready to Run
• Cowboy Take Me Away
• Wide Open Spaces – possibly their most popular and their first major hit worldwide
• The Long Way Around – from their new album

I’d say all girls could relate to some aspect of all these songs and many others in their now quite vast catalogue.

You have to admire their song writing. They put their heart on their sleeve, as is shown with their new album, “Taking the Long Way.” My favourite song from this album is called, “Not Ready to Make Nice.” It is a provocative stab at all the controversy that happened after some remarks by lead singer, Natalie Maines. People were boycotting their music and even sending death threats. There are some real uptight Americans, must be all that junk food. They are now releasing a Documentary Movie call “Shut Up and Sing.” To be released early 2007

Our family went to see them in concert for the second time and they don’t disappoint. We sat front on to the stage on the second tier. I found myself watching the big screen sometimes even though I could easily see everyone on stage. Simply put, it was worth the money (that dad spent).

The newly renamed ACER Arena is a top venue and the music sounded great. I thought with a bigger venue wreak havoc with the sound but the technicians worked some sort of magic as only they know how.

It felt kind of awkward going with mum and dad. It’s hard to really get into anything with them there. But then again, Dad payed for the tickets, so I appreciate that.

Hawks Humbug

I know no one really cares about this but I will write anyway.

AFL Trade Week is in action this week. As the proper season finished last week this is all I have to keep me excited for the summer. There is reason to be excited, as Sydney could potentially be involved in one of the bigger trades of the week. Hawthorn’s Peter Everitt has stated that he wants to come to Sydney because the Hawks won’t offer him more than a one-year contract. Yet they want Sydney’s 2nd round draft pick and a star young player for him. This sounds very contradictory as they obviously don’t rate Everitt that highly if they wouldn’t give him a decent contract yet they want to split up the 2nd best team in the competition and take a high draft pick. What side of the planet is Hawthorn living on? They are being completely unreasonable, not only to the Swans but also to the player they supposedly rate so highly, Peter Everitt. Hawthorn should take the 3rd round pick that they were offered then go home and have a good hard look at themselves. If I had a Tool of the Week award I would give it to the whole club.

Letters to Jim Main #2

This one made it into the special souvenir premiership edition.

A Few Tips For The Vics (4/10/06)
Dear Jim,
I have enjoyed reading your fired up comments about Victorian teams having a whinge about their lack of recent success. They have no-one to blame but themselves for not looking into the future instead of on a year to year basis. It's as if they believe they have a God given right to be at the top without the effort. I therefore have a couple of suggestions for these archaic club. If they want a Victorian team to win the flag again, then they can demote themselves to the VFL, with no chance of an interstate win. But, as you said, who really cares except Victorians? If it's money they want, then maybe they could move to the Gold Coast, Western Sydney or Canberra. It will take a club with guts to make that call - just like the people who moved South Melbourne to Sydney. Such foresight! Do the Victorian administrators have what it takes?

Jim Main says: I am enormously proud of what the Swans have achieved after biting the bullet and moving to Sydney. The Kangaroos should certainly be looking elsewhere, but do they have the guts to do it? Anyway, if Victorian clubs demoted themselves to the VFL, what chances the Tassie Devils taking the flag?

Interesting Theory

I hear that Federal ALP backbencher, Craig Emerson, is suggesting that school be made compulsory for all students up until Yr 12. Might sound good in theory but obviously Mr Emerson hasn't stepped into a typical Govt school under his party's jurisdiction at a State level. There are a lot of students that just want to get out of school as soon as possible and go to work. Most go into trades of some sort, or a family business. I applaud students who make this choice as they know what they want to do and will more than likely be successful despite not being the best in the classroom. I know of one example of a student who was written off by his teachers from a young age. He left after Yr 10, got a trade and has spent the last couple of years touring the world and applying his trade. That's success to me.

I don't look as fondly on students who stay on to Yr 12 because there is nothing else to do. These same students have no aspirations of going to Uni, which I believe is the main purpose of going on to Yr 12. So why do they stay on? To a large extent, laziness. School is the easy option compared to getting a job. Another reason is that the Govt Schools will be glad to take them back. You see the number of students enrolled in a school determines the amount of funding received from the State Govt. Even though a fair chunk has no interest in achieving in school in Yrs 11 & 12. Some probably wouldn’t bother showing up to class, as was the case for the previous 4 years. But as long as the school gets the money eh?

Some Yr 10 School leavers without a trade would be better off getting a job at McDonald’s, for example, at least there they are getting a bit of money and are experiencing what it’s like to work under someone (even though that someone is probably not much older than them). They will learn that in the workplace they won’t put up with what they may have gotten away with at school. In the workplace you put a step wrong you’re out on you’re ear, Govt schools don’t have that luxury.

I suggest that Hon. Mr Craig Emerson rethink his proposal. Or perhaps go back to school.

Ah Well….

There's always next year

It was a good day despite the one point loss to West Coast in the “big dance.” Some people answered the call and came over to watch it, which was very nice. Everyone cheered at exactly the right times which is impressive.

Later on in the evening I felt like it was one of those moments that was “meant to happen.” I was downstairs sorting out some clothes while mum ironed and she had put on a Willie Nelson album, which were downtrodden heartbroken type songs. I thought there’s nothing like the power of song to lift someone’s spirits.

An Attitude Problem

I caught myself eavesdropping today while waiting in line for a haircut. I overheard a bloke in a rather one-way conversation with the barber talking about how dull and boring AFL was, in particular the Swans v Dockers game the previous night. He also decided to be original and comment on the tight shorts (that haven’t been tight since the eighties by the way).

“They just kick the ball,” he said. “Then a pack of 5 blokes jump up and try to catch it,” he continued. Others would argue that all games are based on simple objectives and that is what makes them great, for example:

• Rugby League – placing the ball across a line
• Soccer – kicking a ball through a rectangle
• Basketball – bouncing a ball and trying to get it into a little hoop

As for being dull and boring, well we can apply that cynical and negative comment to all sports as well if we so felt like it. But that’s just plain immature. I know, because I did just that when I was young and immature.

It really gets to me sometimes hearing people bag another person’s sport. Not just when it is my own sport in the firing line. Perhaps I take it too personally because I’m an AFL nut. But on the flipside I’m not going to bag out a League fan for example. I wouldn’t even bag out Soccer, although I have gone close. Maybe this gentleman is paying AFL the ultimate compliment because he feels the need to bring it down to make himself feel good.

So Many Options

One good thing I have found early on from working as a Patient Transport Officer is that I get an insiders view to the best Nursing Homes in the area. So when mum and dad get old and frail they will be well looked after. Our Lady of Consolation at Rooty Hill is by far the best I have seen so far.

Boys & Their Toys

Boys play with Tonka trucks, girls with Barbie Dolls. As trainee Ambo’s we get to play with oxygen tanks, resus manikins, stretchers and bandages amongst other things. We have been given free license to play with these things, as it is the best way to learn. Some people thrive on the theory side of things but that will only get you so far when it comes time to actually treat someone in an emergency situation. Even though we are officially just Patient Transport Officers (PTO's) we have to be ready to respond to emergency calls, anything is possible.

Most of the first week consisted of all that stuff that we had to hear, as opposed to the stuff we have to know. For example we met a representative from the Health Services Union (HSU), the SGE Credit Union, First State Super and the Australian College of Ambulance Professionals (ACAP).

The HSU rep unsurprisingly went on to tell us how much they are doing for us. But I still struggle to see how much I will actually get out of my $400 + membership fee. I think I will get more out of my ACAP membership and that is only about $150.

Highlights thus far have been seeing inside a PTO van for the first time, meeting current PTO’s and playing around with the oxi-resus unit.

Next week sees a ride-along with a couple of real PTO’s for a day, a tag team drive in a PTO van down to the south coast, and let’s not forget my first pay cheque.

Open Daze

I attended the Sydney Uni Open Day today (Sat 26th) and made a couple of interesting observations while checking out details for a Physiotherapy course that they offer:

1. I am always on time if not early. So when I saw that there was a lecture on Physiotherapy course at 10 am I aimed to get there early. I got there at 9.50am mainly because it was cold and I forgot a jacket, also because I had nothing else there that I needed to see. Prospective students were still walking in at 10.20 and the lecturer was done at 10.30. Are these school leavers really serious about going to Uni because this is one hard course.
2. Most people reading this knows what the term "full time" means. But when it refers to Uni, full time usually means a small part of nearly every day of the week. Full time in a Physio course means 8am - 5pm pretty much every weekday. To that the reaction from the majority of the room was a jaw dropping "Woh!!" Whereas I was thinking it was about time there was an actual "full time" course, welcome to the real world school leavers. I think Uni graduates would be all alot more prductive if more courses were really full time.
   
3. Lastly, I knew I could always rely on the student union to be the only people coming up to me to give me information about themselves (and give a few chupachups).

The World Will End

That’s right folks, bad news:

“Foxtel will close its AFL-only Fox Footy Channel at the end of the season because of the uncertainty over pay-TV rights to televise AFL football from next year through until 2011.” (afl.com.au)

It will all happen on September 30th, which is Grand Final Day, and coincidentally, the day after my birthday.

Footy Show Audience

Last night (17the August) I was part of the studio audience to watch the NRL Footy Show featuring Fatty, Sterlo and the gang. Although I’m not very regular in watching The Footy Show, very irregular actually, I found this experience very enjoyable.

I find the behind the scenes stuff very interesting, the stuff that goes on when everyone else is watching ads. Of note was the fact that the song by Deni Hines to feature at the end of the show was pre-recorded before the show had actually started.

From the TV I always imagined that the studio was much bigger but it is pretty small and intimate, which I’m guessing is because they like to get the crowd involved. They have a big funny bloke telling us when to clap and cheer madly, and encouraging us not to look disinterested despite the length of the show and the uncomfortableness of the seats. So there is a good chance to get your head on the TV. As I went home I received an SMS from a couple of people who had seen me and the others I was with, and only one of those people knew I was going to be there.

You even go home with a little gift bag full of little goodies.

Mac Vs PC

I had it mentioned that I start a lot of computer debates yet never follow it through. I thought this was a bit unfair as I usually just say comments in jest such as, “That’ll never happen on a Mac.”

So to set the record straight, here is my position on things based on my experiences, and if you care to expand on my lack of knowledge, then by all means.

• I have always had a Mac, originally because all the schools had them
• I have never had any problems with a Mac
• The iLife package integrates so well together
• Everyday at work there would be a problem with one of our PC’s – I acknowledge that mostly it was network problems
• Fair to say I have been influenced at least slightly by my brother Danny

There are debates coming from PC users that I don’t understand. One from my school days was that “Macs are too easy to use.” Is that supposed to be a put down for Macs? The latest, that I may have interpreted incorrectly referred to the lack of skills gained with using Macs. I think he was referring to skills fixing up the computers as he mentioned how if you have a problem with a Mac you have to send it away to a Mac specialist. This brings me back to a previous point, I have never had a problem with a Mac. Never had a virus shut down our Mac. Shall I go on? OK I will:

• Straight out of the box – plug and play
• Now with the latest Intel chips
• They also have a funky design
• For more go here.

I have all the skills I need and they all came from a Mac. If I need to advance my skills you know where I’ll be getting them……a Mac

The Real Ultimate Football Weekend

I have fulfilled a dream. The dream to see a game in every single timeslot in a round of AFL in Melbourne. That is: Friday night, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Throw into the mix going to watch a friend’s game on Saturday morning and that equals 5 games in 3 days. Life couldn’t be better.

Here’s a rundown of all the games:

Friday night - MCG
Essendon 10.14 (74) def. Collingwood 9.7 (61)

Essendon are fighting to lose the wooden spoon and Collingwood are supposed to be fighting for a top 4 spot to secure their premiership chances. But fight they didn’t. From the start the Bombers beat them for intensity at every contest. The skill displayed from both sides was scrappy on occasions but the tightness of the game and the fact that a bottom side was beating Collingwood was enough to keep me shouting till the end. That and the fact that Collingwood’s supposed star forwards produced absolutely nothing. Feels even better that one of them wanted to leave the Swans to play for them.

Saturday morning - Central Reserve, Glen Waverly
The Collegians 10.6 (66) def. Fitzroy Reds 10.5 (65)

Some might say that suburban footy is better to watch than the professional stuff. For true lovers of the game I believe there is some truth to this statement. I like the fact that you can get close to the action and actually hear everything that is being said on the field. Ahhhh, the serenity.

This game was the 1st semi final between the 3rd and 4th teams in the competition. For the losing team it is season over. It was evident all day that both teams were keen to continue their season another week. In the end I think the difference was the greater sense of urgency from The Collegians when attacking the ball. Too many Fitzroy players waited for the ball to come to them, which resulted in costly turnovers.

Saturday afternoon - MCG
Sydney 14.11 (95) def. Melbourne 10.3 (63)

I arrived a bit late due to the morning game so I missed a quarter and a bit. But I saw enough to make me cautiously excited about September Finals.

Melbourne was without some of their stars, and Sydney exposed that fact. Adam Goodes was at his Brownlow best and some fringe players found some good form at the right time, namely Ted Richards. We also welcomed back Stephen Doyle for his first game back in 16 months. He has been injury ravaged for the last 2 years so we hope he can get some consistent footy under his belt.

The game was close in the first half. Sydney extended their margin at the beginning of the 3rd quarter kicking 3 goals but allowed Melbourne to get 2 back. The 4th quarter started in similar fashion with Sydney dominating and further extending their margin.

Saturday night - Telstra Dome
Richmond 21.16 (142) def. Brisbane 8.12 (60)

Both teams had nothing to play for as their finals aspirations have been over for a few weeks now. Brisbane has one of the longest injury lists in the competition. Most of their team are in their 1st or 2nd seasons with most of their leaders off the field with injury or other reasons.

So it’s hard to say if Richmond was as good as the scoreline suggests or if they just came up against Brisbane at a “good time.” All I have to say is that when you are leading by 80 points at half time, good teams go on with the job and win by 100+ points. Richmond sat back and did enough to maintain their lead, which diminished the spectacle.

At least we had fantastic seats that we didn’t have to pay for, so we made the most of the night by cheering loud. Especially when “RICHO!!!” got the ball.

Sunday afternoon - Telstra Dome
St Kilda 15.13 (103) def. Geelong 11.14 (80)

Geelong, the team with the most to play for put in a performance that you would expect from a team with no finals aspirations at all. They were close up until late in the first half when St Kilda put on consecutive goals to skip ahead. From then on Geelong put up no fight to St Kilda who went on to kick the first few goals of the 2nd half to extend their lead. Geelong never really had a chance.

Highlights

• Sydney defeating Melbourne
• The actions a group ladies had choreographed to the Swans team song
• Essendon defeating Collingwood
• The seats we had at the Richmond game
• The Mars Bar cake at the Retro Café
• The Melbourne Museum

Lowlights

• The heartbreaking one point loss by the Fitzroy Reds
• Geelong’s insipid performance, especially when they had so much to play for

Tips for attending neutral games:

• Pick a player you haven’t heard of and cheer for them
• Don’t inhibit yourself with what you say, let it flow
• Get out of your seat to cheer occasionally – doubles as an opportunity to improve blood flow.
• Be aware of who the people around you support – especially if you plan on hurling insults at their star player
• Have a pie (beer optional) – this goes for all games you attend, it is just part of going to the footy

Other places visited:

• Melbourne Museum – great exhibits for a cheap price
• The Retro Café – try the Mars Bar Cake

C’mon Blokes

I have started doing (again) what I think all blokes should learn to do at some stage, social dancing. I went for the first time to Nuroc about 2 years ago. Nuroc is like a modern jive style of dance. More details on what they do can be found on their website. They even have a large range of merchandise.

I have to admit that when I went for the first time I had to be dragged along. I was very apprehensive about dancing, pretty self-conscious. Dancing just wasn’t something blokes did was my general thought.

Well I’ve got a message for blokes that think like that. There are plenty of blokes that attend and all of them are straight blokes too, as far as I can tell. Most blokes actually come with their partners.

You do get to be masculine when doing this dance, as the blokes have to be the leaders. Look out for girls that want to lead as they will lead you astray. I believe that most of the girls that attend enjoy having a strong lead.

If you want you can stay with the one person to learn the routine, otherwise it is usually the ladies that move along the lines and swap dancing partners.

So break down your own gender stereotype and give it a go. I think you will be pleasantly surprised, I was.

Letters to Jim Main

My favourite column in the Inside Football Magazine is crudely titled "Up Yours!" It's the space where people write their thoughts on footy issues to the editor of the column, Jim Main. I regularly write to this column and have had many letters published. Here are my most recent efforts.

Eagles' 23rd Man (26/7/06)
Dear Jim,
I do not believe that the Swans are that ill-disciplined that they should have been paid fewer than half the free kicks awarded to West Coast. Some frees against Sydney were obvious, but many were pedantic at best. Scott McLaren affected the result of the match, but good on the Eagles for a second-half belter. However, if McLaren umpires another Swans game I may be sent over the edge.

Jim Main says: The Swans lost, end of subject.

Eagles' Form Baffling (2/8/06)
Dear Jim,
The West Coast situation has me baffled. Until the big win over Adelaide, the Eagles had not played a full game for the entire season. Instead they have relied on their ability to run over the top of teams. Fox Footy's Clinton Grybas revealed an interesting statistic on White Line Fever when he said that over five recent matches they had led for only 60 minutes collectively.

Jim Main Says: Well, they jumped out of the blocks against the Crows didn't they? It would be foolish to write them off, especially after the thrashing of the Crows, but the Grand Final is at the MCG, not at Subiaco

Mr Write Off

I'm always interested when religion neutral editorialists write something that in some way backs up what Christian leaders have been professing for years. Amanda Platell writes for the Daily Telegraph and today (2/8/06) she published "Beware Mr Write-Off, Destroyer of Dreams." In it she refers to the failure of the feminist movement by allowing women to believe that cohabiting is the better way to rather than marriage. But what Platell has found is that most men in these relationships opt out by the 10 year mark, leaving her high and dry and in "no-mans land." By that time the woman may be desprate for children which is a major turn off for blokes. So while the bloke has found someone else the woman is finding things difficult indeed.

Check out the link and pass on your thoughts.

Canada or Bust

I don’t think many people know that this year could have turned out very differently for me. I was seriously considering doing a 6 month stint in Canada: working, playing footy and travelling. For various reasons I felt I had to pull out, the main one at the time being my application with the Ambulance Service, which has only just come to fruition.

I would still consider it for the future. There was one main drawback, the “Footy Culture.” I have been part of this culture from playing Footy for so long. I got used to being in it without really participating in it. This culture involves (amongst other things) going to the closest pub after games (usually a club sponsor) and getting drunk, just for the heck of it. I was never into that so most of the time I didn’t go, but when I did go I wasn’t very comfortable on most occasions, even though these blokes were somewhat friends.

In Canada I thought this would be amplified as I would have to live, work, socialise and play footy with the same people. It would be harder to get away. I doubted whether I had the strength to cope with all the pressures. Maybe if I starred on the footy field they would let me be. Apparently it would not be hard for me to be a star of Canadian Footy.

So if I give it another year or two will I be better equipped to cope with going to Canada? It seemed like a double edged sword, I originally wanted to go because I could play footy over there in a developing competition, but I find it hard to cope with the footy culture sometimes. Any practical solutions?

Introducing Netball

My Soccer games have been washed out a few times recently. What is sports nut to do with his free Saturday? How about go to the Netball? However, it helps if you have a particular someone to watch otherwise it may be considered a bit dodgy (for the blokes).

I was initially intimidated when first approaching the Netball courts as from a fair distance away you can easily hear the constant shrill of umpire’s whistle. This is something completely different to me. Most of my sports playing days there have been only one Footy field or one Cricket field. Here at the Netball there are at least 30 courts going at the same time. That equals a lot of females, hence my continued intimidation. Needless to say that I stayed relatively close to the one I was there to watch in the first place.

I can now watch Netball and appreciate the skill involved. People who downgrade this sport, mainly blokes, forget to take this into account. Even at this level (I don’t really know what level I was watching) it still takes a lot of skill to win.

I would, however, need a lot of convincing to ever get me on the court to play. I have vowed never to play Netball again after giving it a go in a Knockout Comp in Yr 12. The constant “obstruction” and “contact” calls killed any enjoyment I may have had. That and the fact that no-one on our team could shoot straight.