Antonio

I remember an interview from the doco where they were talking to one of the girls participating and they asked her if it was as hard as she anticipated. I remember she answered that she expected it to take ages flattening the corn although found with a few planks attached to rope it was quick and easy. I guess if you had enough people anything would be possible?

The angst over 2nd hand books surprises me....what could you possibly catch?? But then again, i'm one of those people who thinks nothing about getting comfortable in public toilets. When you gotta go....

Discovery channel actually used to have a crop circles making competition. University professors would judge the winner based on symmetry, design etc and the presence of unusual phenomena such as iron shavings (easy to do) etc etc etc. With a few people, the right tools and a good design it was amazing what they could come up with in such a short time.

I was once a very average bass player. Hate to think how average i'd be now....

I have more trouble trying to decide what should into the "cans" bin. Obviously coke cans etc. no brainer there. What about tins of bake beans etc? what about alumium foil used to wrap food? what about odd bits of scrap metal - where do they go?

Miteyak, congratulations, you did an Ocean11. You took a quote out of context and then misrepresented my point entirely. There is nothing in my post to suggest i consider big crashes cool or macho.

I'd like to see those stats Miteyak. I think you will find that fems/olds have many more accidents than young men....its just the total "value" in insurance terms of mens crashes is higher. Ie, when a man crashes, he does a good and proper job of it whereas women just tend to bend a bumper and inflict the odd scratch. PS - i have no intention of getting into a "who is a better driver" debate.

No redeeming qualities from my point of view. Then again, there aren't many sit-coms these days that can hold my attention for more than 5 minutes. Whatever happened to prgrammes of the quality of "The Good Life" and "Yes Minister". Champagne comedy!

Now i'm becoming nostalgic. Natsukashiiii! For the couple of years prior to becoming regulars at Lennox, Brunswick Heads was our spot. My family is from Mullumbimby/Lismore, also marked on the map (still there?). Great area, great memories...especially the New Year Eve parties of the late 80's/early 90's! I would thoroughly recommend a "stroll" up Mt Warning if you've got the time.

Where's Suffolk Park? Is that what they call the newly built area between Lennox and Ballina? When we first started going to Lennox 25 years ago there was nothing but bush between the two....hasn't it absolutely taken off! The olds looked at buying a house on the beach at Lennox all that time ago but decided to invest in shares at the time instead. The shares went bust and the house they were looking at is worth a fortune.....its a cruel world!!

Ah yes, but then you would miss out on all the interesting and diverse conversation that takes place between the turning of the meat. If only the leaders of Nth/Sth Korea, China and the US would all get together, cook a few snags, share around the tongs and have a bit of a chat there'd be no more nuclear crisis on the peninsula!

Like Bill, don't have much time for Hillary. Terrible thing to say considering what he put her through from a personal perspective, but i'm just looking at it from a political point of view. Bill, best US president ever in my books. Hillary, always struck me as the kind of person who was trying too hard to let you know how smart she was rather than just relaxing and letting it come out naturally.

With summer on the way and the beer taking up the entire space where salad and veggies used to be, its time to think about having the first BBQ for the season. I've got the Webber all ready to go and a reasonably good bunch of neighbours who don't call the cops when i fire up the kettle. Then again the wind has been reasonably kind to me so far. Living on the bottom floor i know i'm pushing the friendship, but....Australians need their BBQ! That said, i know people who've had the police called for BBQing in Tokyo and i've been reliably informed by others that it is actually illegal.

Good choice db. I've spent just about every summer since i knew what sunburn was at Lennox Head - i'm guessing you know where that is. Funnily enough that's where i plan to buy my retirement home. Although for that to happen i need Mr Greenspan to pull a very big rabbit out of the hat.....a very big one! I'll be here for summer....bring it on!

Considering how many books there are and the pace of my reading, i should reach the end sometime around Christams 2076. Juggling a dictionary and a 8 year's olds manga on the train is not a good look. Get quite a few amused looks from other commuters. Then again, at least i'm not 50 and reading some T&A manga showing girls getting raped and the like. How can these blokes read this stuff in public without feeling embarrased???????

Wet. Dry shavers give me a rash and leave me feeling itchy for the rest of the day. I actually quite like shaving in a very "manly, this is my quiet time of the day, good for thinking about life" kind of way. As it only takes a couple of minutes i obviously don't have a lot to think about....

Oh its not as if Japan has a mortgage on mngt foolishness. We've got plenty in Oz as well. What upsets me the most is micro mngt. Our MD gets involved in every last decision on every last point of detail for every issue all the time. Its a real motivation killer and people are leaving because of it. From my experience people just want to come to work each day, do good work and get some satisfaction out of it. Under this regime its impossible. I know procedures and checks have to be put in place to guard against the odd bad apple which is fine. But once those checks are in place, let

Dolphins. You forgot dolphins!

I take my little doraemon manga with me on the train every day to work. Fun way to practice reading while trying to learn informal speech - certainly beats the hell out of a textbook. Nobita....what's up with him? That boy has some serious issues!

what is the "basic curriculum" you speak of? how exactly would a child "learn homosexual behaviour"? what are the "educational materials of homosexuality"?

The resurrection of Sheffield Wednesday starts this year. We will be back! Gees, its dark down here in seconds.....could somebody turn the lights on....helllooo!

Smoking still legal most places inside....smoking banned outside. I am totally confused.....and not for the first time either.

No, the food is not that much better - not on Qantas anyway. I only fly the Narita/Sydney leg so it might be different on other routes. Mikazooki, i've experienced the last minute take-off at least a dozen times, all at domestic airports in Japan - mostly Toyama and Takamatsu. Its quite common during the Typhoon season. Once i was with a guy from Sydney and we came down through a storm to Toyama airport. We got hit by lightning at least 3 times (which in case its never happened to you rates as the scariest experience of my life on a plane - one bloody loud bang!) and we had two attempted

I hear you Jared, funny the way we judge an airline and also amusing that each person's experience can be so different. Personally, i rate Cathay. I've only flown the Narita/HK leg only a few times but every time found the planes to be quite new and the service friendly. Best all round would have to be Emirates. Anyone else had the pleasure?

I've had it both sashimi style and cooked. It wasn't too bad though not something i'd ask for myself. The whale tongue sashimi was better than the meat in my opinion. I was surprised how red the meat is - looks just like normal steak!