So the whole point of blogs is text, right?
Well I was talking to my old friend Jason last night on msn. MSN, do you still use that? Yes, yes I do.
Anyway, we got talking about the last 8 years or so of life, as we had only seen each other maybe twice in 2003 and once in 2005 since I left my original school.
And this is where I take a break to explain:
Whilst I finished my secondary education at Frankston High School, I did originally go to a school called Bayside Christian College. Essentially it was a small (400 kids from Prep-Year 12) Christian Independent School, originally started by the Dutch Reformed Church, and some local Presbyterians as an alternative to expensive Anglican church schools such as Peninsula and Toorak, with a more hands-on Christian ethos. It was what became fashionably known as a parent-controlled independent school.
It was the kind of school where they pushed things like Abstinence and Creationism, often in very unsubtle ways. Many of my class-mates ended up pregnant in shot-gun marriages, or got married early and suddenly had children (surprise, surprise). Many of the female members of the class took things like Home Economics and Health and Human Development, specifically (it seems) to become Mothers straight after High School (or during). That was not so much a criticism as a statement of fact, many of them are fine mothers. The boys were mostly interested in Sports, Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Pursuits with a small rebel clan of computer nerds. Again not so much a criticism as a fact - I wish I could have been like them, but I wasn't.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that my upbringing, through conservative churches, schools and to some extent through some people I knew at college who shared that upbringing, led to a very much pink-blue dichotomy, that could not be breached in real life (although I understood that homosexuality, and other different sexualities existed, I was unable to place them in a normative environment. I remember discovering that my very good friend (unnamed) was a homosexual. It was a shock - and yet everyone else knew long before me. I just couldn't conceive of a normal person being so different to the above - maybe Carnaby Street, but certainly not in suburban Melbourne.
I guess all of this rubbed off on me, though I don't know how. I thought I had followed my own path, quite self-consciously while I was at school. I was always off with the fairies, constructing some left-field fantasy world - always more interested in words and dreams than anything practical-minded as above. So I think I may have been alienated by myself, and while I tried to fit in, my interests where by comparison to the school a bit too foreign. However, one cannot escape the surroundings of one's youth.
Anyway, Jason remarked to me that he didn't have much of a school spirit when he was at school. I remembered that that was corrrect, and I had been under the impression that my own school spirit was lacking. And to some extent it was, at least for a time. However, ironically, before I left the school it had made me love it, in an almost Orwellian style. In fact, the longer I've been away, the more I've found it influencing me.
I'm not much of a creationist, and I fully support condoms and proper sex education, my politics are definitely on the outer in the Liberal Party - definitely more Malcolm Turnbull than Tony Abbott (just wait readers, just wait), my "manly" interests in outdoor pursuits are... limited, and my wife is happily unpregnant, my religion is largely private and I certainly don't overtly proselytise.
However the values of my school: 'running the race', competiveness, capitalism (whether physical, intellectual, or fiscal), a real faith in God, a strong handshake, and a sense of discipline leading to achievement (no matter how small or large) are still with me, and I can't seem to shake them (not that I really want to). At that school, there was real encouragement, and comradery, and the lessons about life that I learned there can't be shaken, nor do I want them to be.
And Jason and I are still friends, with strong shared memories and experiences,and it was good to catch up with him, and open up our shared past. He is now doing very well for himself, as a helicopter engineer, and generally having a good time - this is a job he has wanted since he was 16.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Fitness Blog 1: Sept 23, 2009
In this kind of post, I am talking about my new workout regime (self imposed).
I was going to get a personal trainer, but I didn't want to waste his time and effort by requiring him. Essentially I want to gain my own self-made workout regime and have him improve it.
After 2 days:
Day 1: I went for a long run/walk/job. Realised my general fitness is low. Have set myself achievable goals to reach 1 kilometre of jogging.
Day 2: It was raining: so I did some (and am doing) push-ups and sit ups, I have realised that while these were very easy for my 15 year old self, they are now very hard. Have set myself a goal of 6 hard ones, each. That is much more difficult than I thought.
The problem is, I have made it hard for myself with poor food and exercise choices in the past, so I need to both unlearn bad eating habits, and re-develop muscle that has converted to fat. This will take time, but I am ready for the challenge.
What I wish to achieve by writing this blog? To inspire others to do the same. My recommendation: small but achievable goals, whether that be walking, jogging, or other exercises. Start small and build.
Yesterday my exercise shorts were a bit tight, now they are not.
I was going to get a personal trainer, but I didn't want to waste his time and effort by requiring him. Essentially I want to gain my own self-made workout regime and have him improve it.
After 2 days:
Day 1: I went for a long run/walk/job. Realised my general fitness is low. Have set myself achievable goals to reach 1 kilometre of jogging.
Day 2: It was raining: so I did some (and am doing) push-ups and sit ups, I have realised that while these were very easy for my 15 year old self, they are now very hard. Have set myself a goal of 6 hard ones, each. That is much more difficult than I thought.
The problem is, I have made it hard for myself with poor food and exercise choices in the past, so I need to both unlearn bad eating habits, and re-develop muscle that has converted to fat. This will take time, but I am ready for the challenge.
What I wish to achieve by writing this blog? To inspire others to do the same. My recommendation: small but achievable goals, whether that be walking, jogging, or other exercises. Start small and build.
Yesterday my exercise shorts were a bit tight, now they are not.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Noams and Njerds
I am watching the big bang theory with Naomi. It seems pretty rad. I am enjoying it a bit much and am horrifyed to discover a robot chicken reference in a mainstream show. It's definitely a nerd fest, but I can handle.
-- Posted from my iPhone
-- Posted from my iPhone
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Me singing my song.
It's not great, maybe a bit silly, but hey... good times. BTW I am not a good singer, so if any of you smarmy doods with opera voices criticise my tone, you're doing more harm to you than me.
DC Cardwell covers Route 66 as done by The Rolling Stones
This is me, doing some bass. It's pretty good, if I do say myself. Tony goes off on guitar!
What the junk?
Ok, so, like, I want to write a blog.
It turns out my brother's middle name is "surrealist". I prefer to think of him as the same Samuel who I beat with a deadly weapon known as the two sock mace. I mean mace as in the medieval ball with spikes sticking out of it, not the can of smelly substance. Or do I? A sock off the feet, is as good as two in the hand, as no one has ever said.
Anyway, this blog, as it was originally devoted to rivalling and perhaps eventually shaming this charlatan known as my brother, had better get the near-abortive show on the road. Disappointing opening lines are always a killer to any blog.
My examples of this are:
1. I want to talk about my hobby: making fishbone toothpicks.
2. This is my blog: it is totally, like, focused on me, and stuff.
3. This is a blawg about the rigours of law school and about how you mere peons can't live up to my bounteous intellect.
4. Hi, my name is Jacxon. I am an alcoholic, and this is my blog.
5. Whilst the first line will be in English, the rest will be in a language known only to myself. Coqetzel Mandana Janccoki!
6. This blog will be about your business, and how to recession proof your bank account! First Post (of 999) free!
Fortunately, my blog didn't have any of these.
It turns out my brother's middle name is "surrealist". I prefer to think of him as the same Samuel who I beat with a deadly weapon known as the two sock mace. I mean mace as in the medieval ball with spikes sticking out of it, not the can of smelly substance. Or do I? A sock off the feet, is as good as two in the hand, as no one has ever said.
Anyway, this blog, as it was originally devoted to rivalling and perhaps eventually shaming this charlatan known as my brother, had better get the near-abortive show on the road. Disappointing opening lines are always a killer to any blog.
My examples of this are:
1. I want to talk about my hobby: making fishbone toothpicks.
2. This is my blog: it is totally, like, focused on me, and stuff.
3. This is a blawg about the rigours of law school and about how you mere peons can't live up to my bounteous intellect.
4. Hi, my name is Jacxon. I am an alcoholic, and this is my blog.
5. Whilst the first line will be in English, the rest will be in a language known only to myself. Coqetzel Mandana Janccoki!
6. This blog will be about your business, and how to recession proof your bank account! First Post (of 999) free!
Fortunately, my blog didn't have any of these.
Technology
Some cool things happening in my tech world:
1. Having an iPhone.
I needed a phone, I needed an MP3 player, I needed a reliable and small camera, and I found out soon after it that having a computer that fits into your pocket isn't so bad, either. I also have access to remote posting for blogger, facebook, gmail, and twitter. This means I get to update as I'm out and about. No more rushing from computer to computer to check my email.
2. FIFA 10 and PES 2010 making their best iterations yet.
I have played both the FIFA 10 and the PES 2010 Xbox 360 demos. While, I have been a long term fifa fan, over the last few years I have been getting both games, and despite grumblings from the PES fans, I think they are improving, though at a slower rate than fifa. PES looks spectacular this year, though it has as always a few niggly problems - the major one being the controls. FIFA bizarrely seems to get it right with the controls, yet lacks something that PES has. In short, one needs to buy both, because both are really fun. However, I will review them in depth later.
3. Getting a wireless network.
I have hooked up two laptops, an xbox, and two iphones to my wireless network. This means that all of my technology can speak to each other. It also means that each can access my harddrive and all my media files and documents for editing and saving.
4. Streaming from my computer to the Xbox.
This was my original impetus to do a 2 month tech upgrade of my hardware. Plugging in laptops to tvs, is a fiddly and potentially damaging (to the TV) episode. However with Windows Media Centre, you can open it up on your PC and on your Xbox, streaming anything from any nominated drive on your harddrive. This means for me that 95% of my CDs (copy protection) and all of my Itunes (converted to MP3 as I get them), and other media files are immediately playable through my primary media outlet. I have a 1TB harddrive, so as I get movies, and other files, I will be able to stream them directly.
5. Cheap games.
Go to Dungeon Crawl. Scary name, nerdy place. However, I recently upgraded my games collection with Fallout 3, Fable 2, and Unreal Tournament 3 for 170 dollars. This is about 100 dollars cheaper than what I could have done otherwise.
6. Integrated blogger, facebook, rss feeds, twitter, youtube.
Essentially I am attempting to use 4 sites instead of the world of internet options out there. If I can get RSS to feed me the news I need, it saves me hunting it down myself. I currently have most national and international news feeds that I need through RSS and integrated cross-feeds.
1. Having an iPhone.
I needed a phone, I needed an MP3 player, I needed a reliable and small camera, and I found out soon after it that having a computer that fits into your pocket isn't so bad, either. I also have access to remote posting for blogger, facebook, gmail, and twitter. This means I get to update as I'm out and about. No more rushing from computer to computer to check my email.
2. FIFA 10 and PES 2010 making their best iterations yet.
I have played both the FIFA 10 and the PES 2010 Xbox 360 demos. While, I have been a long term fifa fan, over the last few years I have been getting both games, and despite grumblings from the PES fans, I think they are improving, though at a slower rate than fifa. PES looks spectacular this year, though it has as always a few niggly problems - the major one being the controls. FIFA bizarrely seems to get it right with the controls, yet lacks something that PES has. In short, one needs to buy both, because both are really fun. However, I will review them in depth later.
3. Getting a wireless network.
I have hooked up two laptops, an xbox, and two iphones to my wireless network. This means that all of my technology can speak to each other. It also means that each can access my harddrive and all my media files and documents for editing and saving.
4. Streaming from my computer to the Xbox.
This was my original impetus to do a 2 month tech upgrade of my hardware. Plugging in laptops to tvs, is a fiddly and potentially damaging (to the TV) episode. However with Windows Media Centre, you can open it up on your PC and on your Xbox, streaming anything from any nominated drive on your harddrive. This means for me that 95% of my CDs (copy protection) and all of my Itunes (converted to MP3 as I get them), and other media files are immediately playable through my primary media outlet. I have a 1TB harddrive, so as I get movies, and other files, I will be able to stream them directly.
5. Cheap games.
Go to Dungeon Crawl. Scary name, nerdy place. However, I recently upgraded my games collection with Fallout 3, Fable 2, and Unreal Tournament 3 for 170 dollars. This is about 100 dollars cheaper than what I could have done otherwise.
6. Integrated blogger, facebook, rss feeds, twitter, youtube.
Essentially I am attempting to use 4 sites instead of the world of internet options out there. If I can get RSS to feed me the news I need, it saves me hunting it down myself. I currently have most national and international news feeds that I need through RSS and integrated cross-feeds.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
