joshua wilsher

Final Words

2007-05-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

With only a few days left in North America I thought I would make some final comments using this entry, which will probably be my last. I never thought I would be a blogger (mainly for the fact that I didn't know such exsisted), but having spent close to 16 months making contributions to Smoov Goes to College, I consider myself a good citizen of the blogosphere bcos:

* I make regular entries
* I'm arrogant enough to think that what I have to share is worth doing so

And despite its lexical misgivings and frequent errors in syntax, it is complete, being;

206 posts(142 posted in the US, 64 in Canada)
41,996 words

295 images (197 personal, 98 pulled from the web)
31 videos (13 personal, 18 pulled from YouTube)

(A notably more comprehensive body of work than the product of my scholarly pursuits in 2006 - which may suggest the most relevant education is that of life)

Smoov Goes to College is really a tale of two stories - my time at Butler University and the US during 2006, and then in Banff National Park in the winter season of 2007.

It is difficut to pinpoint my time abroad somewhere along a spectrum of enjoyment but the last year has helped to fullfill an enduring desire I've had since a young age; to see what's over that hill.

And while the far side of that hill does not present too many talking Trans Ams or 8 foot 2 inch yellow birds hanging out on street corners, I do agree with one fellow South Australian blogger who recently posted, "(America) is a place where so much of the mythology of my youth is set and it's a real mind spinner. A living fiction."

Anyways, thanks for visiting and as always...

Keep Rockin' in the Free World!

Working Holiday

2007-05-09T17:16:00.000-04:00

I still have the statement of my bank account balance that I printed on a LAX ATM on the first day of this year. It was a little scary. However, I had already booked into, and paid for, two weeks accommodation at the HI Hostel in Banff in hope of securing work in that time. If not, my dream of skiing the Rockies would be shattered and I'd be forced to make a quick b-line for home.

Of course, my fears were unfounded.

I think I made good use of Banff considering the main reason for my stay being to ski. I guess I hit a mountain close to 30 times - the majority of which being SunshineVillage. While I would have loved to have gone more, it is difficult to do so when one works five days a week.

There are, of course, other things to do in and around Banff, chiefly connecting with nature by day and partying by night. I did not partake in the latter on too frequent a basis (heck! you can do that anywhere).

I look back at my time in Pincher Creek with fond memories - while it was only for 2 weeks it was an unusual experience and one that I was not expecting to have.

And while I constantly complain about Macca's, I consider myself fortunate to have acquired regular, relatively well paid (in Banff terms) employment, which was requisite to achieving my goals. Also, the fact that it came with a place to stay was most serendipitous.

While I appreciate the oppurtunites afforded by city living, home amongst dense coniferous forest and alpine landscapes has been a feast for the senses: it smells better, it sounds better, it looks better!

Ahhhh!

2007-05-09T16:33:00.000-04:00

It's not exactly a seller's market at the moment so my pair of 170cm ELAN skis, along with my boots and poles, will sit here until someone arrives in Banff next winter. I hope they enjoy them.

I slept until midday today knowing that the next time I will go to bed will be around midnight tomorrow night - some 36 hours from now. Tonight at 9 I will head over to the Greyhound station with a mate from work, Josh, who is also heading to the airport to make his way home to Ontario. We will spend the wee hours of the night in the airport until our respective flights leave early in the morning. Mine will be heading to Phoenix and to prevent more wasted time at an airport I am thinking of hiring a car and head out into the Valley of the Sun.

The weather is teasing me with a warm last two days - its paradise!!! While I have great things to look forward to, I really am sorry to say goodbye to my surroundings.

Bon Voyage!!

2007-05-05T21:32:00.000-04:00

Having a good time at my going away party:

Marie-Lou hits the ground

Helping Eric back on his chair

Bit of dancing

"Problem?"

Haha!

2007-05-05T02:54:00.000-04:00

How cool is this kid? Excerpts from the Herald Sun:

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy who lives with his gran has been exposed as one of Britain's biggest internet conmen.The boy earned more than £250,000 by posing as the boss of several multinational companies.
He used the cash to revel in a luxury lifestyle way beyond his years: he wore designer suits, drank vintage champagne and travelled by chauffeur-driven limousine.
He even employed a personal bodyguard, flew abroad on business trips and claimed he was going to buy a private jet.
Working from his bedroom at his grandmother's house in west London, he set up a website purporting to sell discounted plasma screen TVs.
Despite not supplying the goods, the money started to roll in.
He eventually set up a stationery and office supply firm, a dating website and a modelling agency.
He moved into a succession of offices, always moving out without paying the rent. He also employed dozens of people after placing ads in a job centre. Unsurprisingly, many weren't paid.
He made bulk purchases on credit from expensive stores and took "business trips" to Paris and Edinburgh.
He hired women from escort agencies and went drinking in exclusive clubs.
The court was told his latest project was a genuine online lingerie store.
Despite this, he was warned he could face a time in jail when he returns to court this month.
His victims are now likely to unite to sue the boy.
He conceded the idea of buying a private jet was "a bit silly - I was only 13 at the time".

Matt

2007-05-02T17:08:00.000-04:00

Here's Matt. Matt was pretty much the first person I met when arriving in Banff; down in the bar of the hostel up on Tunnel Mountain. Thus, he became my friend. It was January 2nd and he'd just arrived from his native Thunder Bay in the boondocks of Ontario. Since then Matt and I have found a combined interest in sharing self-depricating humour and an assortment of scallywag behaviour while sharing some Kokanne's (that's glacier beer) and listening to rock'n'roll on the old MP3 player. Matt always has a good story; be it one about some girl he has met, his housemates (a pair of 65 year old drunks) or perhaps something from his workplace at The Phone Store.

But probably the greatest thing about Matt is his mother because she was the high school sweetheart of Paul Schaffer (from the CBS orchestra (Yeah Dave!)). I have spoken to his mother in length about her relationship and she commented that she still has all the letters that he has written her over the years. I often comment to Matt that he could have been the son of Paul but he suggests that it doesn't really work that way.

Raising Hell in the Seventh Veil

2007-05-02T02:41:00.000-04:00

I have been having some weird dreams lately. You may have read of my Hitler one last week. Well this time Ive been lending a not-so-caring-ear to the concerns of Brad and Angelina on their breakup. I'm not sure why they were confiding in me as all I wanted to do in the time they were sharing their innermost feelings was to get a photo for the blog. As a result I can't tell you about their relationship problems but the dream has had me thinking how it's weird that a pair of desirable people, as such, can't find fulfillment. (This, by the way, is all based on the notion that the supermarket mags are correct in their predictions of a Brangelina split).

A more meaningful pair of dreams are two that were shared during back-to-back evenings - both strikingly similar. One set in Mount Gambier, the other Adelaide. In each I was pensively roaming around its respective town.... which was surrounded by snow-capped mountains. No point in me reading into it too much... altough I'm sure I could.

Some silly woman complained about her chicken nuggets this evening. The crew member who was dealing with her did the right thing and had some fresh nuggets cooked and exchanged them. However, she brought those back and complained to me that her nuggets were hard and crusty. I contemplated agreeing but decided that would be irrespnsible, so I told her to shove her nuggets! No not really, I just refunded her money as per company policy. But it did have me thinking about those KFC nuggets, as I often do. Man, I use to love their nuggets when I was a kid. I often wonder if I would still like them as much or if, like with Dave Evans' Turbo, they were just a thing of my youth. I guess I will never know as I don't eat KFC anymore - haven't since I saw that Pamela Anderson video. Not the one with Tommy Lee (although I did see that one too), but the one with the chickens, Kentucky Fried Cruelty. Of course I still eat Macca's because they really are the shining example of corporate responsibilty!

(NB: I may have actually had KFC in the past year (once) - on Sunset Boulevard with Rick and Daz - but after all our bacchanalian revelry upon the Strip, a little southern fried chicken didn't seem too evil).

Here we are picking up the horse at LAX. We were just about to head down Pacific Coast Highway. Throughout our time riding the city's freeways and byways we did so without the aid of maps. I had spent a considerable amount of time creating 'Mapquests' for our journeys but left them on the train, along with my CDs and DVDs, about an hour before this photo was taken. So we decided maps were for wimps and let our gut instincts lead the way. The only time we had any concern was when we made our trip from Vegas to our place in Venice Beach, but I successfuly guessed my way back into Los Angeles County and from there Daz and Rick were able to guide us into Venice. We celebrated with Jack Daniels and then headed over to a local neighbourhood party.

Hairy Marmot's and other creatures

2007-04-28T21:15:00.000-04:00

Banff truly is a place of two seasons. With resorts operating for around 6 months, it has one of the longest ski seasons in the world. It is timely that I soon leave as the winter season is coming to an end with Sunshine being the only mountain still operating. Many of the Australians whom I speak to are either leaving in the next week or have just arrived. Those that have just arrived will enjoy Banff's temperate summer which brings about an even busier tourist season. It is 7C today so I made my trip to the rec centre with just a light coat (it seems one acclimates quicker than I would have suspected), and on my walk I was thinking of the cool time-lapse videography that they do on those Discovery type programs to show the changing of the seasons.

I was heading to the rec centre for some ice skating, but upon entering the janitor paused from his duties to inform me 'no ice!'. This threw me as I didn't exactly know what he meant by 'no ice', but I got the point when I gazed over to the rinks to find their floor was bare cement. As I walked home along the train tracks I laughed to myself as a pair of unidentified rodents (they may have been Hoary Marmot's), were closely following my move - their heads would pop out of one of their holes in the ground, pause momentarily, and then scurry back through their network of underground tunnels before their heads would pop up in another location. I wish I could see more animals but unfortunately many have been in hibernation - although the local paper has written of one Black bear that has risen from its slumber. Black bears are considered to be a threatened species in the park with only 35-40 left. Suprisingly, their bigger, more feroscious cousin, the Grizzly, is somewhat more prevelant. I spotted a Bighorn Sheep on the way up to Sunshine the other day but am more intent on finding a Mountain Goat - I love the Mountain Goat so I thought I would pull a few pics from the web and post them above.

While Banff is getting busier, so too is McDonald's with over $15K in sales over Saturday and Sunday. Nice news for the owner who also owns a store down the road in the town of Canmore, where I'm sure sales were similar. A great reminder that while I will be sorry to say goodbye to Banff, the same can not be said for the workplace.

It was race day last Friday and unfortunately Team McDonald's did not place in the top 10 of the 32 teams involved in the Giant Slalom. This was not suprising as we were competing against a number of ex-Olympians and a group of youngsters (the eventual winners) who were decked out in their Team Canada race apparel. Ah, it was great fun all the same! My boss, Terry, thinks he will just make a mockery of it next year and call head office for the Grimace and Hamburglar outfits to wear on the day.

I had thought poor old Sunshine was slowly falling victim to the warmer weather (the top of the mountains are quite icy while the ski out is mushy) but a dumping of snow the other day has made some repairs. Hopefully we can get a little bit more to keep them in good shape for the final 4 or 5 times I will hit the slopes. It's been a blast - skiing is such a thrill.

Palandromes and stuff

2007-04-26T03:08:00.000-04:00

Here I am with Michelle. Michelle is Australian - her family home is around the corner from Liz' on North Road. Michelle is a great crew member because she goes beyond our 'Minimum 3 Flair Rule' (as you can see from all the badges on her shirt). Many crew members feel the bare minimum of three is enough, which is fine: but some, like Michelle, choose to wear more... and we encourage that. You see the thing is, people can get a cheeseburger anywhere, but they come to McDonald's for the atmosphere and the attitude. That's what the flair's about. It's about fun.

And my mo' is all about fun too. I think it really caps off my manager look. I'd also like to get my hair done in tight little curls to help cap off the look.

I have 7 days of work left and 7 days of work-free enjoyment. In exactly 2 weeks from now I will awaken, pack my bag and make the short walk to the Greyhound Station at 9pm, en route to New York.

While there is light at the end of the crappy-employment-tunnel, this could be shun by the fact that I may continue my relationship with Macca's.... at Glenelg!!! This is all dependent on how my mother goes in the interview process. You see, mamma bear is in talks with Greg at Glenelg and she is obviously doing a good job as Greg has not felt the need to respond to my emails. I'm not too worried - if I don't get work at Macca's I'm sure I can get into some sort of program out at Heritage.

If I am employed at Glenelg, I think my boss will get a suprise when he realizes that his newest employee is the same guy who came into his store a few summers ago to discuss what he proposes to do about all the red and yellow trash left on the foreshore. As my sister pointed out (who, by the way, is not involved in the interview process, but whom I may call upon for a reference), the reprecussions of my save-the-planet-attitude may have Glenelg mangement hand me a bag and gloves on my first shift.

Sirius

2007-04-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

When Daz, Rick and I were in NY, we acquired tickets for Letterman on an evening that shock-jock Howard Stern was guest (you may know Howard, he recently claimed he's the father of Anna-Nicole Smith's baby). Anyways, it was an unprecedented show with free Sirius Sattelite Radio car stereos being handed out to every member of the audience (along with a three month subscription). This is the kind of behaviour that is usually reserved for Oprah - infact when Stern told us we were all being given the stereo I really thought he was just joking. But, while it was a kind gesture it was of little benefit to any of us because Sirius isnt available in OZ and I dont have a car here.

So I've attempted to set up an account to sell mine on eBay, but this had its difficulties (mainly due to the fact that I'm an idiot). So Ive decided to start up an online bidding system of my own. Here is the first item:

1 x Sirius Plug and Play Satellite & Vehicle Kit (Starmate 4). (see image above) The kit is unopened and security tab is still in place. (Kit includes: RADIO, VEHICLE POWER ADAPTER, REMOTE, VEHICLE ANTENNA, VEHICLE DOCK, DASH & VENT MOUNTS

With

1 x unused Sirius Satellite Radio $50 Programming Gift Card

With a number of prospective readers being Australian I may have stuffed myself by informing that it wont work in Oz. But anyways, bitting starts at 50 cents and if Rick or Daz try and cut you a better deal, I'll sell mine for 10% under their offer.

I don't know how to use Paypal so cash is the only acceptable form of payment. Bidding will close in 15 years or until the item is sold.

Free Countdown Clocks at WishAFriend.com

In and Around Banff township

2007-04-24T13:26:00.000-04:00

What?

2007-04-21T00:02:00.000-04:00

Sorry, it seems I am on a run of late with crazy headlines from news.com.au

This has to be the most ridiculous to date.

A MELBOURNE man who fantasised about contracting HIV before being infected by the virus speaks of a gay subculture in which infection is seen as "desirable".

Hate to sound like a fascist, but could that Melbourne man and his good time friends eat a bullet so I dont have to spend my tax dollars on the ramifications of their f*?'d up sexual fantasies?

What an insult to the millions of kids in Africa orphaned because of AIDS. You sick twat!

Yuk!!!

2007-04-20T04:55:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'll take gun problems over flesh eating rodents any day of the week. Yuk, yuk, yuk!

(Another disconcerting headline from news.com.au)

Carving gnar!

2007-04-18T02:59:00.000-04:00

I love Banff. Last night when I cam home from work Bambi and her mum were waitng for me in the front yard. I am hoping the bears will come out of hibernation before I leave.

Winter activities are coming to an end; Banff's closest mountain, Norquay, closed last week. Lake Louise does the same next week. Sunshine Village stays open till the long weekend in late May. I was up there today "carving some gnar" while the snow continued to fall. I have been compiling music for my big race day next week - I find a little Zac DeLaRocha screaming in my ear helps me to go faster.

Hey, no offence intended for anyone in relation to the comments in my previous entry. My remarks may have carried slight contempt; I just find it mind boggling that a nation steeped so deeply in religious and moral belief can have so many social issues. I guess it's irony is what makes the US so damn intriguing.

So why is there so much violent domestic crime in the US? The conservatives will tell you it's because of the movies and music. Now I'm no Michael Moore (bless his heart),but maybe the following headline from news.com.au could be a more accurate indicator:

Bomb Iran, sings US candidate
US senator John McCain, a 2008 presidential candidate, has sung "bomb Iran" to the tune of a Beach Boys hit when asked about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Yeah those damn Beach Boys - they're a real problem! Huh, McCain the sonuvabitch, I never did like him. It seems there is little hope for the US going into a new presedential administration.

Death and Stuff

2007-04-16T03:11:00.000-04:00

I had a dream the other night that I was talking to Hitler on talk back radio, although I think it was just someone imitating him. I guess I'll never know.

I think the reason for my Hitler dream was because I'm going to visit Germany when I meet Mike the Mechanic in his college town of Maastricht (Netherlands) and then take the short drive to his native Cologne.

I have been continuing to hitch rides to Sunshine with a strew of different characters. The other day it was with a middle aged man who used the words, "gnarley", "sick" and "dude" too frequently for a man of his age. But if ever there was a place that such a person would exsist, it would be Banff.

This afternoon's ride was shared with a girl who grew up in Mount Gambier (a Rediy Park alumna) and recently bought a place that leads off Pleasant Avenue, Glandore.

I had 2 customers yesterday who are prison guards in a Texas state prison. I can't remember the name of the institution but upon research I learn there are 115 state prisons in Texas (and this doesn't include federal or county jails). I also read the United States holds the dubious distinction of having the largest incarcerated population in the world, with 2 million people behind bars. (With only 5% of the world's population, the U.S. holds a quarter of the world's prisoners). The conversation with the guards was going well until they started their anti-black man chants. God Bless America.

I was thinking about these alarming statistics today as I was listening to Neil Young's "(Four Dead in) Ohio" and then arrived home later in the day to read MSNs headline: "At least 33 dead in rampage on Virginia campus: worst mass shooting in U.S. history". Without having read the details, I bet any money you like this wasn't at the hands of a black man!

.
.
.
.

Ok so I started to read the MSN article:

"Witnesses described him as a man in his 20s, wearing a maroon cap and a black leather jacket...."

(Ok so from that we know it wasnt a black man or the press would have mentioned that - most likely in the story's heading)

"....A spokesman for the FBI in Washington said there was no immediate evidence to suggest that the incident was a terrorist attack, “but all avenues will be explored.”

(Of course it wasnt a terrorist attack you idiots!!! It was another kid who's parents didn't give him enough attention and thus has acted in the all-American way for those fighting for their voice to be heard).

Did I already mention, "God Bless America"?

The Midnight Sun

2007-04-13T16:12:00.000-04:00

An All-Canadian Meal (1 Cheeseburger, 1 medium fries, 1 medium pop) at McDonald's, Canada, will set you back $5.25 (inc. taxes). However, a Double Cheesburger Value Meal (1 Double Cheeseburger, medium fries, medium pop) runs a tab of only $4.23 (inc. taxes). It's an anomoly of the menu!

I have been working on the daunting task of organising the itinerary for my upcoming Eurasia Holiday. I refer to to it as daunting due to the number of connections I had to organise (as you can see if you click on the image above). During the 26 days, I will make a plane or train trip on 12 of them (and multiple trips on a few). While I dont care for the plane flights (for obvious reasons), I look forward to the Eurostar and TGV rides (which, coincidently, broke a new high speed rail record earlier this month clocking in at 357 miles per hour).

It is with prudent planning that I will be able to fullfill the childhood dream of exisiting in a time and place that has no night. Deaparting Oslo, I have found a flight to Tromsø, the world's most northern city, located approximately 400km into the Arctic Circle in Norway. Here I will experience the midnight sun and as this sun will not set, I will have plenty of time to see the sights. Tromsø is home to various different northernmost things on earth - like an 18 hole golf course, which must do great trade with all those hours of light.

A Film Review... kinda!

2007-04-11T13:44:00.000-04:00

grindhouse [noun]

(1): a theater that mainly showed 'grindhouse cinema', also referred to as 'exploitation films', usually consisting of a double feature where two films were shown back to back. These scungy, aound the clock theatres were prevalant along 42nd Street and Times Square, back in the '70s and 80s, before the district became a Disneyfied version of its former self

(2): a 2007 film presented as a double feature of two full-length segments, one being a zombie film, Planet Terror, written and directed by Robert Rodriquez, and the other being a slasher film, Death Proof, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, with faux trailers advertising fictional films preceding each segment

Back in August last year I made comment in a blog entry about the yet-to-be-released, Grindhouse. I'm not big into zombie films but the artificial film scratches, missing reels gags and assorted aesthetics kept me interested in Rodriquez' part and while Tarantino's homage to trash cinema was not quite as blantant, his contribution was more to my taste.

I love it; cinema about cinema.

Springtime

2007-04-08T01:40:00.000-04:00

Banff, which has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in Canada, has come alive due to a culmination of fine springtime weather and the Easter weekend. I have been 'celebrating' the festive season working at McDoanld's and despite the strong sales I am told they dont't hold a torch to summer business, when $18,000 days are possible. Yet the past couple of days are clear indication that my decision not to return was indeed a good one - while $18K days are good for the owner they just mean I chase my ass all day. No thanks!

I have spent my 15 minute breaks over the past 3 days taking a stroll down to the bridge that crosses Bow River. From there I see the frozen landbridge I once used to get to my old residence no longer exsists; it has thawed and the river now streams. Banff National Park continues to blow my mind; on my walk home this evening around 9 o'clock I was looking up at a mountain behind which the sun had set, creating an amazing gradient of blue sky, which began white at the rim of the mountian's silhouette and ended black in the night sky. I find boreal forest magical - this no doubt has something to do with its place in American cinema!

As you would probably assume, trying to cash in on a 'Transportation Voucher Exchange Coupon' is an exercise in futility - I have spoken to US Airways on several occassions and have been given different information each time regarding the use of my voucher for a free flight (which was given to me by one of the Aussies who came over to Butler last summer). The funny thing is, it doesn't really even bother me bcos I didnt expect anything different. I have considered just paying for my flight to NYC but am put off when I read the list of charges that are added to the fare, which include, among others; Plus Fuel Surcharge, US International Arrival Fee, Canada GST, US Immigration, US Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Fee, US Passenger Facility Charge, September 11 Security Fee, Canadian Airport Improvement Fee, Canadian Air Travelers Security Charge, One Eye-One Arm Fee, Fee for Breathing, Fee for Living.... ok so maybe I made up the last couple.

Mad Mad World!

Well it seems that I was able to get my flight in the end. So late in the evening on May 9th I will begin my journey from Banff to NYC, which will have me in a state of transit for over 24 hours. That's always fun!

Easter

2007-04-07T03:26:00.000-04:00

Today marks the one month point until I leave Banff, and coincidently, the time remaining represents exactly one quarter of the entire duration of my stay.

Of course these statistics are based on the assumption that my plans will go ahead. After the excitement of my winning bid for a Coachella ticket, I realised I had given little thought to how I might actually get to the music festival out in the Californian desert. After careful consideration, I calculated that such an exercise (when taking into account flights and loss of income from leaving Macca's earlier than anticipated) would cost around $1000 - a lot of money for a 45 min - 1 hour gig. In light of this, I am planning on other things.

Many of the towns people are getting around with goggle tans at the moment and I am no exception (although in my case, thanks to my pig Irish heritage, its more of a burn than a tan). This is the result of the fantastic spring weather we have been experiencing these past few days. Yet despite the sunny times, Sunshine is still in fantastic shape thanks to sub zero temperatures that continue overnight and the snowcats that plow its runs.

My trip to California would also mean that I miss out on my day at the races. You may recall comment that I've joined a race team - its actually a corporate day up at the mountain so I guess there will be as much attention on the luncheon as there is on the actual racing. Yet what's worth doing is worth doing well so I have been partaking in a little light training with a downhill race course, equipped with gates, paired poles and timing gear. I completed a run in 16 seconds yesterday. Is that good? I have absouloutley no idea.

In addition, I have been spending time in the terrain park where I have finally built up enough courage to tackle some of its jumps, the result being some "gnarley air time".

In other news, the Florida Gators won the men's college basketball championship this past week. The back to back title win has sports columnists posing the Best (men's college basketball) Team Ever question? Whatever the case, Butler can be proud that they were competative against such a team in their Sweet 16 loss.

I thought I would add this photo below. It was taken from an article on news.com.au about Luc Longley's house fire. Look at MJ there - he looks god like. Man he was something!

I Like Big Dumps!

2007-04-03T16:55:00.000-04:00

So the skiing is coming along well, uuummmmm....

My Sonny Bono/Michael Kennedy impersonation was performed at Sunshine where the snow continues to fall, suprisingly, and I guess the regular dumps over the past 5 months are reason why this is one of the world's premier skiing areas.

I tell ya, I hate smart alec kids! I was cruising down the mountain today and some youngster passes me as he heads towards a ledge and while I'm thinking the poor kid's out of control, he hits the ledge, gets massive air, does a 360, lands on one ski and continues on. Unfortunately for myself, one needs to start at a young age to truly master the sport.

But hey, kids like him may be able to do 360s but they can't buy themselves tickets for Coachella. But I can, so I skiied down to the trapper's lodge and made the winning bid for a ticket to the Saturday show on ebay. This plan had been in the pipeline as it will be my only chance to see the Stadium Arcadium tour.

Decisions!

2007-04-01T16:02:00.000-04:00

Flipping through the supermarket magazines while waiting in line today, I noted news of Carmen Elektra and Joan Jett's "gay love", and a 200kg car crushing mouse is living under the streets of NYC. Yikes!

Man, these "Late Nights" are messing with my sleeping patterns but thankfully I am now finished with them and my schedule will return to normal. Currently, its 4am which means its time for some, oh no, late night blogging!!! But wait, dont go, I'll try to keep it productive.

I have given my 5-odd-weeks-notice-of-resignation to the bosses which means I will not be returning to Canada. After careful consideration I have decided it is the best decision for me to return to Adelaide. This will be the first time that I make a return; apart from some short stints in The Gam, it seems that I have always ventured to new surroundings, so the fact that I choose territory that I am familiar with speaks positively for Colonel Light's vision for the city ... and perhaps a few of the folk that reside in and around it.

However, it's with slight trepidation that I arrive at this point. While travelling allows me to tick off a number of 'to do' things on my Vision 2020, it tends to seriously neglect entire sub-catergories that lie within the plan. With this in mind, and recognition that I find it hard to stay settled in any one place for an extended period of time, I am presented with some concern.

Yet, with this aside, I guess a key step in the application of any 2020 is to make sure fun is being had along the way, and with that said, I'll see ya in June!

Stuff it!

2007-03-30T14:37:00.000-04:00

I love when you drag yourself out of bed after a "Late Night" shift to make your way to the mountain only to realise, upon arrival, that it's Friday and you only have a "midweek" pass (Mon-Thurs). By the time you make your way back home its taken and hour and half out of your day.

I also love how I am suppose to recieve 2 tax returns this month but one is seized by the Australian government and the US edition lost within the postal system.

But probably the best thing of all is realisation that you have spent the last two years working towards a new career that seems extremely difficult to break in to. While I have only applied for two positions within Australia, the most recent was unsuccessful. Over 160 applicants are vying for a part-time position in Orange. The fact that a part-time, country position, is so hotly contested for, seems to indicate that employment prospects are minimal.

Now that the foregoing does not play a factor in my decision as to whether I return to Australia in June or December, I must consider want I want to do, despite any obligations I feel I have. By not making a decision, I guess decisions are being made for me (my boss asked me again the other day what city I fly into).

On a sunnier note, I had one of my best days of skiing yesterday; mainly for the fact that I went really fast, the weather was fantastic, and I went along with Matt who provided some laughs - most memorable being his plowing through a fence, the other a flirtatious text he accidently sent to his boss. Very amusing!

I've joined a racing team!!! Yeah, and you didn't think I was that good, hey? Well don't worry, I'm not. Nevertheless, I'm being "signed" to Terry Jensen Racing and we will be going into competition late April.

Lastly, as you can see I have four links to the right of this page, that navigate to other corners of the WWW. One of which is Fleamail. Fleamail is Flea's blog and I am happy to see he has resumed updating it with some sort of regularity. I find the happy disposition of the Melbourne-born bassist to be inspiring (tho it probaby is easier to be happy when you make millions of dollars doing what you love). I have included his latest entry below as it probably illustrates, in similar ways to mine (although for mine, fare less eloquently), that life is never without its complications. I like to hear that he is in Oz too:

03.30.07
Fleamail, March 30, 2007
From: Michael Balzary
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2007 5:55 am
To: members@redhotchilipeppers.com
Subject:

hi everyone

yesterday i received very disturbing news that someone has been
impersonating me on a myspace website
i do not want to give the name of this idiot's website and grant him
an iota of dignity that he/she does not deserve
but i understand that this person has been sending out notes that are
racist and insulting and disgusting
i fell terrible that someone would send out racist messages period
and even worse that it is done in my name
so if anyone has had contact with this asshole
please know that i am doing what it takes to get him to stop carrying
on in this way

on a brighter note
i am down in australia getting ready to begin our tour down here
i am a happy man
seeing family
and communing with nature

sorry we had to postpone our shows in japan
but it was our only option

i love everyone

2007-03-26T07:21:00.000-04:00

This is my life at the moment; getting home at 5am from work. 5am is a funny time of day - a good time to start a religon or plan a murder - but Ill probably just be lazy and go to bed.

Writing of scallywag behaviour the pic below is of me posing with promotional headwear given to me when I bought my beer. See how u can learn about cultural differences when abroad; in Australia you usually get the stubby holder, but here in the north u get beanies. I have a couple of promotional beer beanies.

It was shortly after this photo was taken that my pal from Thunder Bay, Matt, and I headed into town (minus the hat). The slow drinker that I can often be, I hadn't quite finished my can of Kokanee so took it to drink the last bit on our walk - knowing quite well that I only had a small bit left and would finish it before arriving. So as we're walking, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police happen to drive by, do a u turn, come back towards us, turn their lights on and get out of the car. (By the way, the mounted police dont have little lights on the tops of the horses heads - RCMP get around in cars. Ive never seen one on a horse and question if they even have any horses). So they ask Matt and I for our ID and then the female police officer asks for my address. I had to apologise as I don't know it (cos all mail in Banff is sent to general delivery at the PO so there is no real need to know your address). She said well I better start to remember it bcos Im about to get a ticket. I politely told her it wasnt a matter of remembering, I never actually knew it to begin with. I told her I could show it to her (as it was only about a 100 metres up the road). Anyway, $115 fine which I thought was a little unfair. So Im going to have to head down and see the JP cos I don't care to pay it. And the reason why is because I see people throw their cigarette butts on the ground and they don't get jack. And when Im walking around town, if I see McDonald's trash on the ground, I pick it up and dispose of it thoughtfully. And what thanks do I get? $115 fine. I dont care too much for the RCMP - Ive heard of the same thig happenning to other people but they've also been thrown in jail for the night and made to sleep in a cold cell with only their singlet and boxers. It happened to a female fellow workmate and Australian. It seems I missed out on the jail time which kinda sux but then I guess in some ways not.

Anyway, it seems, 5am blogging only gives way to writing utter rot so back to the planning of that murder.

Eurasia Tour

2007-03-25T18:28:00.000-04:00

I have started organizing Smoov's Eurasia Tour which will be taking place in less than 2 months. I will make my way back to New York City to hang with MC Casper in Crooklyn for a few evenings. This will be a funny time as I feel it will be somewhat of a closing to my relationship with The Big Apple... well at least for while. What a city!

Then its across the pond; "Yes, London. You know, fish, chips, cup of tea... bad food, worse weather, Mary-friggin-Poppins. London!" where I will see Ac and Daniel-son and baby. That will be a right laugh. I can't wait to see London again. Not much there that I didn't get done last time, tho u can reserve me a seat at The Prince Charles cinema (my favourite hang out). Also, I find West End shows to be a more affordable alternative to Broadway. Oh yeah and Courts!!!

From there, I will probably take the Eurostar under the English channel into France where I cant wait to meet with Caroline and Tito again and hopefuly stay with Amaury in his hometown Paris. (You may remember Amaury and our chance encounter with Jared from Subway). Yes it will be a feast for the ages with copious amounts of vin rouge and frogs legs in the Latin Quarter. Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!!

I'm thinking about grabbing a Eurail pass from there and heading into Germany (as I haven't been there) to see Mike the Mechanic. You may remember my video of Mike working on the Cobalt in Cleveland en route to Toronto. Yeah, yeah, yeah!!!!

From there I have to make my way back to London so I can fly to Norway. The chief reason for choosing my flight path to include Scandanavia is because I have always wanted to experience the phenomenon of the "Midnight Sun" that occurs in latitudes north of the Artic Cicle (and south of the Antarctic Circle) where the sun is visible at midnight (perfect for sitting back and listening to some Zeppelin; "We come from the land of the ice and snow where the midnight sun and the hot springs blow") . Nordkapp is genereally denoted as being the northern most point in Europe and has many days of midnight sun in the summer. Unfortunately, Nordkapp is not accessible by public transport and rental cars are an expensive aternative so this plan may or may not come to fruition. But I have a buddy I met in Hollywod Hostel, Arnulf, in January 06, who lives in Oslo so it will be cool to hang with him.

I then fly back to Heathrow to get out of Europe. I will spend a few days in Hong Kong which I can't wait to see!

Then its back in OZ. Yeah, yeah, yeah! This is where the difficult decision comes in. My boss here proposed that he give me 3 weeks off to go home but then he will fly me back to continue work at McDonald's until just before Christmas when he will fly me home. There are certainly benefits to this including:

* It would allow me to save enough money to support myself when I go back home in December

* I would have completed my management training at McDonald's and while I don't care to continue with a career in the corportaion, it would be further experince.

* I would be able to enjoy some warmer weather here in Canada, skip Adelaide's winter (which in reality is probably not much unlike a Banff summer) and then return to Oz for yet another summer. I like summer

* Be able to take my Eurasia tour with just a bacpack - and could leave all my stuff here and only have to deal with it during my direct return flight in December

Gaining a position at WIN Television would almost definetely have me return to Austraia for good. And while I look forward to returning to Adelaide and question my interest in spending such an extended period of time in the "Banff bubble" and McDoanald's, such a commitment could be worth it. Time will tell!

Bugger

2007-03-25T17:06:00.000-04:00

The last entry ended abruptly as did the Bulldogs quest to make the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. I guess this was expected and they can be proud of how well they did. So close.

I guess I was looking for the season to continue as it also meant my involvment (in a passive sense) with Butler University. Now that my international studies are finished, I've left Indy, recieved my grades (3.93/4.00 GPA... sweet!), and the basketball season is finished, my association with the school is pretty much over. This is ok, I ony want two things from it; employment and fond memories. I think I'm guaranteed the latter.

As for employment, I sent a resume off to WIN Television in Orange, NSW (that's Banjo Patterson country) for the position of Trainee Camera Operator/Editor. This is what I want to get into and feel that my resume was quite impressive for application to a trainee position. It is strange that I have not heard back as I was told I would - maybe its just taking some time. While I would be less than ecstatic living in Orange, I would jump at this oppurtnity to break into the industry, albeit part time.

I'm half way through my stints at "Late Night". It certainly is different serving the inebriated and in some ways more enjoyable, but I won't mind getting back to a semi-regular schedule at the end of the month before I go zombie . Looking back at my blog I see that it's a year since I was in Mississippi, so I thought it would be appropriate to re-post my pic of a Macca's I took while down there. I remember it being very early mornng, very muggy and quite disturbing.

My hosuemate Karine and I decided to take a walk from Alberta to British Columbia the other day. While that sounds like a great effort it really just means we drove to the province border and made the short wak from one welcome sign to another. While over that way we visited Lake Louise and gatecrashed a party of Macleod Dixon Law firm in the Chateau. Lovely people.

I feel ill

2007-03-22T20:52:00.000-04:00

I have found an internet cafe that is fast enough to play the cast without buffering every 2 secs. And while I am still subject to commercial breaks throughout the game, I though I may as well give updates throughout.

Butler 25: Florida 18. We're doing what we do; forcing turnovers and turning them into baskets. We're 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

7 minutres to go in the half. We're poised but we need to stay that way. Florida is one tough, and big, and talented team!!!

....

Oh no, we're getting a little frustrated - 0 from our last 7, and scoreless for the last 8 mins. Florida's backcourt is starting to find range. Florida up 6 at the half!

...

16 minutes left in the game. Butler back up by 1. C'mon!

...

7.30 to go. Butler still by 1.

...

3.33 remaining. Florida by 1. Butler to the line. I cant take this!

...

3.33. Butler by 1

...

Our man Crone is out. This can't go into OT. We have to do it now. 2.34 - Flordia by 3

...

1.29 - Florida by 4. Butler ball

...

How sweet it may be!

2007-03-22T19:27:00.000-04:00

Here's hoping that this is the scene tomorrow night in St Louis, Missourri after Butler take on the Gators. The bookmakers don't think it's going to happen; every Vegas and offshore line that I've taken a look at has Florida extremely strong favourite accross the board. (At this point int time, you'd have to plonk down around $800 to make a 100 bucks from a Florida win).

This is the second time in 5 years that the Dawgs have made the Sweet 16, but only the third in school history - the other years being 1962 and 2003. You know it's a big event when broadcast during primetime on a major network. I will be relegated to a local internet cafe to watch it at CBS online (the home pc doesn't have enough power for video).

The pic above does little to help promote Butler's diversity but is probably an accurate representation. The good thing about attending a school with a small enrollment is that one comes into contact with many of the players. Crone (the guy hugging AJ) and Betko (far right) came on the whitewater rafting trip - such encounters creates a greater personal desire for me to see them succeeed.

Oh yeah, national newspaper USA Today had this to say about the Dawgs. While the term, "The Butler Way", does not appaear, it certainly is alluded to:

When it comes to basketball IQ, Butler could start its own Mensa chapter.

The Bulldogs (29-6) are back in the Sweet 16 for the second time in five years despite having a lineup that — as one NCAA Tournament broadcaster noted — does not look very impressive in the airport.

"We're challenged a little bit physically," admits junior point guard Mike Green. "But as far as thinking, we might be one of the best-thinking teams in America."

Physical mismatches are nothing new for Butler. At 6-feet, Green is the squad's top rebounder. The tallest starter is 6-7 senior Brian Ligon and junior guard A.J. Graves, the leading scorer, is generously listed at 160 pounds.

They aren't very athletic, either. In the second-round win against Maryland, the Bulldogs had zero blocks and zero dunks and were out-rebounded by a 37-23 margin.

No worries. Their genius-level hoops intelligence more than levels the field and creates a knack for being in the right place at the right time, whether it's senior forward Brandon Crone drawing a charge from Terrapins star D.J. Strawberry with 40 seconds left, or Green corralling an offensive rebound with less than five ticks remaining.

"Our system is set up where you really have to know the game," says Crone. "You definitely have to be able to think at times. We've shown that when 12 players play together, anything can be done."

Go Dawgs!

Skiing, BB, Flicks, Macca's

2007-03-21T03:46:00.000-04:00

Looking at my posts I see that I've only been going on about:

Skiing
Butler basetball
Movies
McDonald's

Sorry about that - I really need to get myself some stories ("take back your tales you vagabond" ahh Seinfeld). I was telling JKOB (aka Jacqui Smith) that I dont do much else. So as you've become accustomed I will make a note on each of the above:

Skiing - the snow continues to fall and Sunshine is in pretty good shape. I'll be there for the next two days. Some local told me the other day that he thought it might be the best season in quarter of a century.

Butler Basketball - Yes, No. 1 seed and defending national champions, the Florida Gators won their bout so we will take them on Saturday to advance. Get your updates here!

Movies - so I did go see Zodiac and I wouldn't beg you do so. Had they cut an hour and half out of the middle it would have been ok. 6th of April marks the release of the Tarantino/Rodriquez double-header, Grindhouse.

McDonald's - what can I say? You wanna upsize that? Actually I'm moving to late night till the end of the month. I like saying "I'm moving to late night". It makes it sound like I've been a daytime tv personality and I'm moving to the 11.30 time slot to take on the big boys. But, no, it just means I will close the place at 4am and have to deal with the drunks during my shift.

I felt like I was in Edward Hopper's Nighthawks wiping the upper lobby tables last night, as my sole patrons, two members of Banff's most transient population, sat silently staring into their cups of coffee, as they do each and every night.

Ahh, kids, they say the darndest things. I was presenting one young customer with his Happy Meal toy yesterday. He inspected it for a few moments and then handed it back telling me he didn't need it. I asked him if he was sure - this was Roboriffic, possibly the most exciting toy we've had during my time at Macca's. He informed me that it was made in China and that he was against child labour. Fair enough! So I sheepishly placed Roboriffic back under the counter and while doing so got the bright idea to reward this socially conscious tyke with some McDoanld's cookies. "No thanks" he replied, "I'm allergic to peanuts!"

You just can't help some people can ya?

Sweet 16

2007-03-17T20:46:00.000-04:00

More news about the men's basketball. I'm aware that 95% plus of the visitors to this blog don't give a rat's, but I like to document for future reference. An hey, if you can share in the excitment all the better!!!

So the Dawgs arrive back on campus tonight after their 3 point vicory in the second round of the tournament - next week they'll be competing in the Sweet 16!!! Who they face next will be determined by the result of tomorrow's match between the Purdue Boilermakers and Florida Gators. The latter being last year's champions and the No. 1 seed this year. I am obviously hoping for a Purdue win but whatever the matchup, I hope to be able to catch the game if televised here in Canada.

This is the first time since 2003 that Butler has made the Sweet 16. Reasearch as to whether they have ever ventrued beyond has proven difficult but it seems they haven't. There are three Indiana teams represented in the tournament this year which is no suprise being Indiana; Butler; the aforementioned Purdue Boilermakers; and dynasty team, the Indiana Hoosiers who, at the time of writing this blog are in a first half battle with the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). UCLA is the winingest team in tournament history with 11 penants, and coincidently, my first choice when applying for international exchange.

The Bulldogs basketball program's system has been dubbed "The Butler Way", an unselfish team style that has been called "the way the game should be played". So will a basketball team consisting of no known future NBA draft choices, representing a school of less than 4,000 enrollments, become the cinderella story of the tournament? Time will tell. I do bet tho, that if we win the next game it will be front page of USA Today.

Below are some pics I took on the old camera that never got uploaded... until now. Last November, I took a trip with Butler schoolmate, and sports freak, Troj, to catch a home game of his blessed Hoosiers. Troj's love for that team is equalled to that of his love for Notre Dame football as evident by his sweater and the banner hanging behind him. (However, I recall this love affair for Indiana and Notre Dame playing second fiddle to that of his hometown Chicago Whitesox. Yes he is one sports freak!)

You can see that I have donned the Indiana t-shrt for the event (which was given to me for my birthday by Indiana law student, and former Butler school mate, John).

While I wanted to see a Big Ten schol in action, I have always been intrigued by their home arena, Assembly Hall - note its simplicity and the lack of advertising.

March Madness

2007-03-16T03:20:00.000-04:00

College basketball fever has arrived with the 64 best teams in the country going to the NCAA tournament in what is dubbed as "March Madness". Number 5 seed in the midwest, the Butler Bulldogs, have had an early win in the first round to advance to the final 32. A win on Saturday will take us to the "Sweet 16" and only four games away from a national championship. (I write 4 games tongue in cheek - those games would invariably be against teams such as Florida (last years champions) and perennial favourites such as Duke and North Carolina). But hey, keep on believin'.

If Butler got to the "Final Four" I would debate flying back to Indy - not that I would see the games live (they will be played in another city and besides, tickets to the NCAA tournament are some of the most expensive and hardest to acquire in all of American sports). But it would be great to be a part of the action on campus.

Skates

2007-03-12T18:46:00.000-04:00

Along with my skiing, I'm trying to improve my skating skills. Unfortunately, the town's outdoor rink was ruined early in the season and the indoor has limited public skating times. Thus, my ability level hangs somewhere around crappy.

Tunnel Montain Trail

2007-03-10T13:27:00.000-05:00

This was not easy. Due to the warmer weather, the compacted snow along the trail has turned to ice. Reaching the top was a slow process, the descent proved more difficult. But it was worth it.

There are many trails around Banff and adjoining national parks.

In the photo below you can see part of Banff township. While the trains can often be heard running through the woods, you'll never hear or see planes fly overhead - law prohibits them from using the air space. Pretty cool hey? Also, Banff is easy to get around on foot as building codes assure it does not sprawl.

Below, the best view; untouched wilderness!

Note the elk traveling across frozen Bow River

Zodiac

2007-03-09T23:11:00.000-05:00

I have been inundated with emails this week and I guess you were about to send one too. I know, there has been no movie review this week!!!! I missed TA Tuesday as I am now doing quite a few 4pm-Close shifts. But had I hit the Lux Cinema, I would now be writng about Zodiac. (God, you wouldnt have thought my reviews could get any worst and now I'm just informing of movies I would see, given the oppurtunity). The flick tells the story of a serial killer, known only as "Zodiac" who haunted the San Francisco Bay Area in the late '60s. Given my interest in prolific American killers I was suprised not to know about this one and I guess will remian the case. But most interestinly (or maybe not), Zodiac was the first feature length movie to be created without film or video tape. And to boot, it was edited with the same software I use, Final Cut Pro. So anyways, while I can't give a review on this one, if you like searial killers on your silver screen, 1974s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was inspired by Wisconsinite fruitcake, Ed Gain (Gets my vote for scariest movie ever made). For those with a less macabre palate, David Berkowitz' (a.k.a. The Son of Sam) reign of terror in the summer of '79 is the backdrop for Spike Lee's Summer of Sam (S.O.S.) A film which primarily addresses the oppressive effects of the atmosphere of fear and paranoia on a group of young Brooklynites as a result of the Son of Sam killings. And if that's not enough fun and excitement for ya, one can't beat the leader of the pack, Charlie Manson for whom numerous a script (and book and song) has been written. And lastly, while on the subject of real life killers in the movies, David Berkowitz' fellow inmate at Attica State Prison, Mark Chapman, is the subject of a film to be released later this year, entitled Chapter 27. While Mark Chapman's character is played by Jared Leto, John Lennon is portrayed by little known actor.... Mark Chapman. It's a crazy world isn't it?

Spring is in the air

2007-03-08T18:09:00.000-05:00

The weather was not good yesterday. I walked to work without my jacket and without my gloves. And on my way home I noted a small amount of precipitation - in the form of raindrops. This is a first in the 65 days I have been in Banff. It is not good - I want snowstorms, not sunshowers! Yet my fears were unfounded when I went skiing today at Sunshine where the higher altitude gave way to falling snow. This was a relief.

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

2007-03-05T14:09:00.000-05:00

Chateau Lake Louise - Spring

Ditto - Winter

In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.

I wish I had some video editing software so as to create a tongue-in-cheek montage (in much the same vain as these opening comments) of my rise within the McDonald's corporation. It would invariably have a soundtrack by Journey and would include all the stereotypical images of corporate success; soaking in a hot tub as I chomp on a big fat Cuban (cigar, that is); having my hair cut, pants tailored; and perhaps ending with me climbing atop the peak of a snowy mountain as the music reaches its crescendo (that last one may actually be a little more Rocky - but that's okay, its my montage and I can montage any images I care too). But, alas, I don't have the editing software and, anyway, such montages generally aren't an accurate protrayal of reality.

Infact, I find my role as manger to be much the same as when I was dogsbody. Its just now I do it with a tie on. But I guess there are some perks; slightly better pay, a very small cut of possible pofit, and having to taste test the fries. (I'm not kidding on that one, its part of my responsibilities. But, it's not so much that I care to eat the fries as it is just an amazing sense of power to be able to stand by that fry bay and pull out a chip for personal consumption, all in the name of quality control). But the most amazing perk, according to some young kids who were quizzing me about it the other day, is that as manager its all the food you can eat. Of course this could be a deadly trap, thus I keep my indulgences to the odd salad and parfait. And while said are a healthier option to traditional Maaca's fare, not much can be done about the monotony.

I have continued to ski up at Sunshine and at times the resort has lived up to its name with some partially clouded blue skys. Still cold tho! I hitch my rides and have been lucky to not have long wait times. Infact, yesterday, a fellow Adelaidean pulled up before my buddy, Matt, and I even got to our hitching spot. The same occurred upon my return - this time the ride was shared with some retirees from Canmore. I was going to include a photo of me at the start of "The Top of the World" run at Lake Louise, but cant as the person who took it lost their camera. Anyways, many of you will be familiar with the images above - its Chateau Lake Louise on the eastern shore of the emerald coloured lake of the same name. From where I was standing, the Lake is merely the size of a penny and was missed until someone pointed it out to me.

Below is a reverse shot of Lake Louise - it shows all the ski runs (minus the snow) in the background. From this image, you could pretty much work out where my photo was taken. And check out those glaciers -they were there when JC was getting around!!!

Oh and one more for good measure - I love this, Lake Louise at dawn.

Stadium Arcadium

2007-03-05T13:52:00.000-05:00

Having lost my copy of Stadium Arcadium in LA, I was happy to get an opportunity to hear it again last night. God I love RHCP - Frusciante's genius - they all are. What a perfect outfit! I'm dissapointed I will miss them when they play Adelaide next month. Even tho I can probably catch a gig somewhere else, it is greatest to share these events with friends.

Dreamgirls

2007-03-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

I was only joking when I mentioned I was going to give a review of the movies I see at the cinema - despite holding two-thirds of a degree in film appreciation any review I give usually just consists of a plot or ending spoiler. I was, however, going to keep record of each film I see at the cinema. This week it was Dreamgirls. It was a fine looking and sounding flick (despite some uncomfortable breakouts into song that would have even Colonel Tom Parker cringe). Eddie Murphy is a cool man!

Mmmm, yeah good review! Tho I will add; I often wonder at the marvel of films and how one can have, for mere pocket change, full ownership of something that cost millions of dollars to produce (obvious exception to copyright, etc). Crazy hey? $100 million dollars are invested to produce the film and then they give it to me for six bucks. I dont believe there are too many things (with he exception of other forms of media) that are sold for a minute percentage of the cost of production.

Official tour shirt

2007-02-25T23:50:00.000-05:00

The images above are the front and reverse of the offical tour shirt from my time in the US. It was designed and manufactured by the folk in Adelaide and sent to me for my 30th birthday. I dont wear it much (actually at all) as I want to keep it forever. Sweet aint it?

As I sit here alone in the house (the girls have gone to catch some DJ from Chicago at one of the clubs in town), the phone keeps ringing. As it is usually some Frenchy ringing for one of the girls, I usually just let it go to message bank. The phone is ringing hot this evening so every couple of minutes I hear our answering machine click on and a French male voice says somethng that no doubt translates to 'please leave a message'.

The Oscars are on but I'm not watching them because the tv that sits in front of me has no aerial. Instead I get updates by Googling for it, which isn't really the same as Oscars are all about the glitz. Mind you, you do get to find out the winners without having to sit through all the crap. Its funny to think that the ceremonies are taking place around the corner from where Rick, Daz and I stayed in Hollywood and along the same boulevard that we would take the 'Stang for a trot (or in Daz' case, a lock line!) .

So while I sit here reading the Oscars and listening to the Frenchman, Im sipping on my Canada Dry. I love this stuff - it really is the Champagne of Ginger Ales. And no, not everyone drinks it here - in actual fact its about as Canadian as Arnott's is Australian. Actually thats a crappy analogy because Arnott's is very Australian despite American ownership. What I am trying to express is that Canada Dry seems no more common here than anywhere else.

Tommorrow I be startin my first shift as manager. And then some more skiing the day after.

And there goees the phone again. 'Bonjour.......'

Oh yeah, before I go, I just happen to come across Michael Richards (a.k.a. Kramer) little fiasco from last year. I didn't realise there was actual footage of it but stumbled upon it on YouTube. It's below if you want to take a look, but be warned, if you're a Seinfeld fan it may leave a bad taste:

Mr Manager

2007-02-20T18:55:00.000-05:00

The boss has decided to have me climb the ranks - so next week i will be taking off this silly hat and will be manager at McDonald's. There are benefits to this; least of which being fiscal (altho the slightly better pay rate wont go astray). Of great comfort is the fact that I wont be doing these stupid 6 and 7am starts that I have since my arrival. And as I mentioned, I will be abe to get out of the costume and don some more respectable garb.

But the greatest part is I have organised my timetable so that I shold see four days of skiing each week (in comparrison I have only skiied a total of 4 days since being here). Last night I purchased my season pass to Sunshine. This comes as great relief as I had been getting down in the dumps thinking about how little I will actually get to ski while here. So in a few minutes I am out of here to go catch the bus. Yeah!

Now for my weekly movie review. Hannibal Rising, if you didnt know, is the prequal to Silence of the Lambs. It tells the story of how a tragic childhood event gave rise to his cannibalistic tendencies. The movie was crappy. Sorry Margaret, just two stars from me on this one.

The Great Obscura

2007-02-20T01:26:00.000-05:00

I went to the local video store, Avalanche, here in Banff the other day and realised another job I would be happier in. In the past 12 months I have not frequented many video libraries, so I was excited to see all the new and fantastic titles that I will be able to rent in the future. But before then, I have decided I will make weekly use of tight-ass-Tuesday here at the Lux cinema. And in doing so, I thought I would dedicate a small part of the blog to a weekly review. So, yet another reason to think Smoov Goes to College when surfing the information superhighway.

Last week it was Queen. The flick focuses on the Windsor household(s) in the week of Dianas death and how a newly appointed Blair works to save the royal family from public scrutiny. Now to inject a little subjectivity: it was good - I love biopics. Ummmmmmmm, two thumbs up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow it will be Hannibal Rising. I know, its alll very exiting isnt it!!!

The photo above is totally unrelated to the aforementioned but I will let u know it was taken by me standing in the middle of the river, Bow, that runs through Banff. It was snowing at the time - hence the dark and gloom. Bloody beautful tho!

Classy

2007-02-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

We have some really cutting edging furniture in the apartment that Im sure even Andy Warhol would be proud of. The centre piece of the living area
is the coffe table from Mac Fries. Heading into the dining area we have a Mac Fries-Target Manchester-Trident Tyre Centre table. And in my bedroom the Farmers Union Tall Boy.

Poor humour aside, Im glad I moved into this place!

Friday Night Lights - Canada style

2007-02-16T18:44:00.000-05:00

If I had read the message posted by anonymous on The Dilemna before now, my recent actions may have differed. I I told The Phone Store that I would not continue with the interviewing process. Thus I remain at McDonalds in the same capacity. This may or may not be the wisest decision.

My house has a pool and spa. Its actually in the hotel next door but for some reason, tenants of this complex are free to use its ameneties.

I completed my kit with the purchase of second hand skis and took them out for their maiden run to Friday Night Skiing at Norquay. Norquay is the closest mountain to town. You can just make it out over my left shoulder in the photo below where I am incognito with some McDonalds workmates.

I think my credit card is going to get a good walloping next week when I purchase a season pass to either Sunshine or Lake Louise!

The Dilemna

2007-02-14T20:47:00.000-05:00

About an hour before the end of my shift today, the owner calls me in to his office and says he wants me to be a manager. The problem is though he would only want to do so if I was staying till at least September. I tell him Ill look into it and give him an answer by Friday

So I leave work and race across to my interview at The Phone Store. The interview goes well and Im told if my references check out (which I still have to gather and deliver to him by Friday) then the job is mine. However, he was adamant that I remain in the job for a good amount of time - like till at least September.

So you can see my problem! I am leaving in May as my plane ticket expires. So this sucks, I may have to give up the oppurtunity to be in a slightly better paid, slightly more respectable position. Mmmm!

My mate at The Phone Store tells me not to worry about time frames and my housemate says the same thing about McDonalds (in other words, just bail early). But I dont want to do that!!!

Another Mans Poison

2007-02-14T19:16:00.001-05:00

I have been advised that my blog has been commented on at Another Mans Poison. If you care, click on the link and make your vote.

This image is the flag for the blogosphere

Rewind!

2007-02-14T02:50:00.000-05:00

I cant sleep. Its 1am and I have to be up at 6 for Maccas. Yuk! I just heard the night train traveling through. I guess the tracks are less than 500 metres from here. I like hearing trains late at night.

Now that I have a new camera I am able to retrieve the few photos I had on my memory card. The photos are of, funnily enough, Canada! But east side when Mike the Mechanic and I drove the Cobalt from Indy to Toronto. It was on this road trip that I got a proper look at Niagara. I had tried a few years earlier but my efforts were thwarted when I tried to cross the border with a felon from NY, MC Casper.

I hear that the falls are now frozen, but back in November, about 5 million cubic feet of water were falling over the crestline every minute. (This of course is a useless comment cos what the hell does 5 million cubic feet of water every minute mean the hell to us. It does, however, sound impressive).

Niagara Falls comprises three water falls and here I am beside the most notable, Horseshoe. It may look like Im tempting fate with where I am sitting but there was a big landing just behind me - didnt want to end up like that kid in Superman, did I.

And here is a bird!

It was shortly after this point that my camera ceased to work.

But before we got to Canada, traveling along I-70 through Ohio I noticed that the town of Xenia (pronounced Zeen-yuh) was only a couple of miles off the beaten track and for this very reason it would generally be missed by tourists like Mike and myself. Yet being the freak that I am for films depicting the people of small American wasteland towns such as Xenia, I was aware of its existence because of a flick by the name of Gummo which was set in this very town of 25,000 inhabitants. For this reason, Mike and I decided to make a visit.

See the problem is, poor old Xenia supposedly never recovered from a tornado that cut a path directly through the middle of it, back in 74. To help explain Xenia a little further, I have taken these excerpts from IMDB about Gummo:

The film's chief protagonists are a couple of teenagers who kill cats and sell them to a butcher so they can buy glue to sniff.... This unflinching examination of "poor white trash" has garnered both glowing reviews and thunderous condemnations for its disturbing content and strange style, which is simultaneously hyperrealistic and surrealistic. In addition to drug abuse, the film profiles a broad range of issues including suicide, grief, homophobia, prostitution, sexual harassment, euthanasia and racism - all in a day in the life of small town USA.

Yes, I really do need to find some new interests! And also some sleep as it seems that late night blogging really only serves to jibber on about useless, somewhat irrelevant rubbish!

My new house!

2007-02-13T18:03:00.000-05:00

I guess the photos of my new house are fairly self explanatory; above is me out the front and below is my silly set up shot beside faux fire. One flick of a switch and that baby is burning.

Catch Ya Later Pincher!

2007-02-13T17:35:00.000-05:00

After 13 straight shifts, Team Josh (I refer to us as Team because another Josh from McDonalds Banff made the trip with me) has returned to Banff. And after 13 days we were happy to leave. While away from teaching, I thought I was taking a break from urging kids to complete tasks but it all came back to haunt me in Pincher as a large proportion of the staff are somewhere around the age of 14. It was like taking a field trip at school but getting paid a lot less to do so!

Despite this, I have returned to Banff with high praise from the heads in Pincher and in turn comment has been made that I may be in line for a managerial position. (Well I heard of a possibility of Josh being promoted so I hope its me (Ill show Neil whos Neil (Ahhh, Seinfeld)). Yet, possible promotions throw a spanner in the works as I have myself a meeting with the sales manager at The Phone Store tommorrow which I am extremely confident will transpire into a job offer.

It was dry when Team Josh first arrived in Pincher but in the last week it snowed heaps. The photos are of the Stardust Motel and out the front of the central shopping hub - Walmart. If the weather had been any clearer you would be able to see the Rockies in the background. (They were taken by moi with the new camera - expect more).

Northern Lights

2007-02-09T13:59:00.000-05:00

Pincher Creek's population is made up of many Natives. Blood Indian Reserve is not far from here.

I was bragging to someone here the other day that I may be the only Australian who has stayed in Pincher for more than 1 week. But then I see there is a guy on the computer beside me who is from Belair. Another Adelaidean who came into McDonald's was telling me that there are about 30 Aussies and Kiwis who reside in and around Pincher. She was telling me that I need to join the cricket team - but I told her I couldn't as I am out of here on Monday! Which I am.

I have been enjoying my new found "corporate lifestyle", eating and drinking in the hotel bar, and charging it all to the room. Despite this, I am looking forward to returning to Banff where I will move into my new place which is located near a bunch of hotels - so I will not have to lug my ski gear very far to get rides onto the mountains. This is a bonus, as I can barely walk after a day of skiing.

So moving into the new house should improve the quality of my sleep. I have also been thinking of other ways to improve things upon my return (not that it has been bad - quite the contrary - its just Macca's sux and I want to ski.... more). I had a job interview at The Phone Store the day I left Banff and hope that a call to head office upon my return will award me a sales position. It would be a cool job as I have a friend that works there. Should this not come to fruition (and I have about a 50/50 chance), I think I will reduce my hours at Macca's to make time for employment at one of the resorts where I will be given a ski pass.

Yay! I got myslef a camera, but can't post any pics yet because I need to take some first!

The Bulldogs continue their winning ways last night - here is an excerpt from Associated Press:

"It was one of the best displays of shooting I've ever seen," said first-year Cleveland State coach Gary Waters. "I've seen one guy get in the zone, but the whole team in a zone? I want to say it was embarrassing"

Go Doggies!

The Blue & the White

2007-02-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

It should be documented that the Colts are champions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And of more importance, the Butler Bulldogs have cracked the "Top 10" of national polls for the first time in the school's 151 year history. No 9!

1 week down, 1 to go!

2007-02-03T14:39:00.000-05:00

Hopefully I will be able to say that I was in Indy the same year the Colts won Superbowl. Tommorrow, Superbowl XLI will be a mid-west battle with the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Chicago Bears. The favourited Colts have have only visited Superbowl once, in 1969, when they were based in Balitmore.

One of the anticipated new commercials to be shown during the Superbowl broadcast may never actually be shown; a Nationwide Insurance ad features Britney Spears ex, Kevin Federline, working as a fry cook at a fast food joint while daydreaming about being a rap superstar. Annika Stensson, a spokeswoman for the National Restaurant Association said, "It's an insult to the 12.8 million restaurant workers in America. It's a negative, unfair and inaccurate reflection". I happen to think in my case, it's fairly accurate!

The Butler Bulldogs continue their winning ways, positioned at the #11 spot in the nation. Crazy I tell you. The can't really advance any higher onthe ladder due to the calibre of teams they will be facing in February, but as March Madness nears, I hope they can continue on to the Sweet 16 and beyond.

I'm still in Pincher where the landscape is interesting; to the west are the Rockies which extend in a latitudinal direction as far as the eye can see. To the east are prairies which continue on for a couple of thousand kilometres.

As I have exhausted my choice of images of Pincher Creek, I thought I may as well stick up a pic of my sister who has been hitting the red carpet, and the headlines, of late. Ha!

Pincher Creek

2007-01-31T14:05:00.000-05:00

I was just looking at some photos that Jac sent me of Australia Day. How healthy and happy everyone looks!

Every place is known for something, and for Pincher Creek it may be that it's in a particularly windy part of Alberta. Due to the strong Cinook winds that blow off the mountains, it is said to have the highest average wind speed of any town in North America. The strong winds have given rise to a significant amount of wind farm development in the area as you can see from my photo in the previous post.

I made the walk from the hotel down into town to use the computer here at the library. Wandering through the tiny bit of suburbia that exists, I feel like I'm in a Gust Van Sant flick; looking around at the houses, my guess is median houshold earnings may be below the national average. The blanket of snow that fell overnight and the struggle of the sun to break through the dark clouds makes it kinda surreal. The lack of human existence also contributes.

Yet, the heads over at Bentonville, Arkansas, obviously feel it is thriving enough to put up a Walmart. And within it is McDonald's where I will start my first shift at 2pm today. Now working at McDonald's in Banff is excusable; I'm there to finance my skiing trip. But working at a Walmart McDonald's in but-hole Alberta is just not what I had in mind.

It would be enough to make you drink. But that is something I'm not participating in for the next 2 weeks as I see beer prices are as high here as they are in Banfff. Having said that, I think this town would lend itself nicely to a bit of petrol sniffing.

Live & Let Die!

2007-01-30T15:11:00.000-05:00

Rick and Daz will probably find this of most interest: the copy of the email below came after a month of phone calls trying to get hold of someone at the LA Metro Lost & Found:

"Hi Joshua.

We checked the articles left on the Red Line in December, and while there were a couple of CD cases, they only held either Latino music or Rap…no Red Hot Chili Peppers, unfortunately. Some passenger probably took it home with him and is enjoying your choice of music.

April"

What is most dissapointing about this is, as you aware, the CD contained not only replacable CDs but the entire catologue of home movies I made in the two years I was in Adelaide. 100s of hours of work that were to serve as a reminder of the times. The copies were of course the only that exsist.

Live and Learn!

Business Trip!

2007-01-28T17:45:00.000-05:00

I thought I would start this entry with a Fun Fact: the Antarctic, Artic and Alberta are the only places in the world that rats do not inhabit. For the poles it's by chance. In Alberta it's by design. They've had a plan since early white settlement which has helped to keep them out.

So, I'm leaving Banff...today! I'm going on a 2 week "business trip" with McDonalds. (I'm probably going to get myself a brief case for it). Yes, as a hard working employee I've been asked to go down to Pincher Creek. Picher Creek is a town of 3,500 inhabitants located in ranching country on the Albera/Montana (USA) border. (see above photo). I'm not that excited about going but I will work a lot for 2 weeks and hopefully raise some funds. I also hope to get good comments to help speed my way to a managerial position with the McDonald's corporation.

I had mentioned in the previous post that I was going skiing at Lake Louise and Norquay, and I did. And Lake Louise is probably one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen. At the top of the mountain is a 360 degree view of the Rocky Mountains. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face skiing that day. I travelled there on the bus just before dawn - sitting with my jaw wide open. It's an amazing place! The next day I skiied Norquay. I did a 10 hour day as I stayed there for the night skiing which was good fun. That's it for my familiarisation days and now Im going to have to buy a pass or get a job on one of the mountains.

Of course, Australia Day was big here - probably bigger on the 25th than the 26th. The Aussies were out in full force with their flags and blow up kangaroos. I saw one get pepper sprayed (an Aussie, not a kangaroo) by the Royal Candian Mounted Police as he tried to resist arrest. Another lot got kicked out of a bar when they pulled the plug out of the jukebox after someone tried to play a track - interrupting Triple Js Hottest 100 which had been playing. Yes, they're a weird mob!

It's time for me to wack on the old 10 gallon hat and head south. Heehaa!

Lake Louise and Norquay

2007-01-24T17:07:00.000-05:00

Warn here today - it's risen about freezing to +5.

I had a sausage roll the other day. Was really quite good. Don't know why they have sausage rolls here. Could be the Australian influence or maybe Canada is a sausage roll country. Im not quite sure.

My decision to move out of the Ronald McDonald House is timely as I have a new person in my room. The boss/owner needs a 2 week notice so I will have to wait it out till then. I think my new room mate was a bit shocked about the 24 hour goings ons within the house. Being full of shift workers the house is active at all times. And that activity tends to be blaring music around 3-6am. Nah, it's goooooood!

Despite these concerns I must focus on the reason why I am here: to ski. And I have the next 2 days off work to do just that: Lake Louise and then Norquay on Australia Day. By the end of the week I will have experienced the three nearby resorts using the 'famiarisation' offer. From then on, I will then have to consider how I am going to pay for my skiing days.

Livin' the Dream!

2007-01-21T17:25:00.000-05:00

I thought, if only for my own sake, I would add a few pics Rick sent me from the USA.

This one, with the exception of my head, turned out well: Dusk atop Rockefeller Plaza in midotwn. Great view of the park (which Im facing) and the Empire State Building behind me.

Here we have Rick and I up on the Hollywood hills. Behind us is the San Fernando Valley. We are looking out towards Los Angeles.

And in The Flamingo in Vegas

Lastly, with Rockin MC downtown

Ahhhhh!

2007-01-18T19:37:00.000-05:00

I am moving out of the Ronald McDonald house. Not that I find it that bad, despite the array of beer cans strewn around the place, and the 4am wake up calls when it's that time of day in Yves nocturnal existance to start drinking. But there's an empty bed in my room that will invariably be filled when McDonald's decides to employ another spotty person - so Im getting out before that happens! I wasn't looking to move, but three French girls asked if I wanted to fill the spare room in their place and I think all up, its a good deal. Not having a camera of my own, I have been rellying on the web for pics. For this entry I searched 'Three French Girls' but the images Google found were a tad too blue for this blog. So instead of three French girls, I decided to go with this picture. It's a good one - it's me dressed up as Ronald. This is how I feel about working at the Golden Arches. Now granted, my intelligence may not suggest that I'm about to split the atom anytime soon, but these 8 hours shift of repetitive mind-numbing tasks are just too much, or too little. I generally don't mind customer service but there is no social component to the interaction. They bark the orders and I fill them. Somethimg needs to be done about this!!!

More Banff

2007-01-14T18:44:00.000-05:00

Before I forget, here is the link to A Traveller's Guide to Mt Gambier. Look for the links to Volumes 1-4. There are a few of you who may enjoy Volume 3 as it is about Caffe Belgiorno.

And hello from yet another country where Australian wine may be less expensive than at the cellar door. The case in point (actually it was just one bottle) is a Wynn’s 2003 Cab Sav I lashed out on the other day for AU$20. I wish I could write the same for beer as life here seems conducive to consumption (another reason why I need to try and get work during the late shift). Despite the expense, I have enjoyed the novelty of leaving my bottles to chill on the doorstep (as opposed to the fridge). Problem was the other night they almost froze over before I could get through them.

Based on comments I had received form people back home, I calculated that Adelaide was 59C warmer than Banff earlier this week. Rainfall, I’m sure, is quite similar.

I’m penning this blog entry on paper in my bedroom as I only get half an hour on the computers at the library. Looking out my window, which is almost completely frozen over but does have a few peep holes, is my small backyard. Yet from this angle, its expanse seems limitless as there is a forest of spruce that backs onto it. Today, I have time off from my monkey work at Macca's so I plan to go down to the train tracks to look for wolves. Apparently they hang out around there. I presume the tracks are somewhere near here as I often here the trains chugging through the woods.

I also had yesterday off so decided to make use of the cheap ‘familiarization days’ offered by the mountains. When I arrived at the ski hub early yesterday morning I was surprised to hear that my name was not on the list. Despite this, they added me to it. I later realized why it was not on there – I had my dates confused and this bus was heading back to Sunshine Village (I was supposed to be going to Lake Louise). But that was ok as it meant extra ‘familiarization’ at Sunshine. Next week I will go to Lake Louise. Last time I was on the mountain there was a lot of powder – yesterday it was a bit icy as it has not snowed for a few days. I think the best conditions for myself are somewhere in between.

It is ridiculous how few people were on the slopes. It may be a relatively big resort and sure there are a number of them around for people to choose from. But there is no waiting time for lifts or the gondola. You come down the mountain and instantly you are able to hop on a lift. It seems strange that one of the premier skiing areas in the world could be so quiet. I guess the reality is that Christmas is over and most people in the world have to work for a living. I hear that visitor numbers in the resorts greatly increase over the weekends.

The picture above is of the gondola at Sunshine Village. You ride it to get up the mountain and from there take different chair lifts to different runs.

Sunshine Village

2007-01-11T14:42:00.000-05:00

It is cold today: -20C.

I had my first day on the mountain yesterday. There are three big skiing mountains around here ("Big3"); Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Norquay. (Sunshine Village is where Kate and CJ worked). I was able to go as I had learned about a special deal they have for people who deal in customer relations here in town. Each of the three mountains are offering a deal for $20 which includes transport, breakfast, ski pass, rentals, tour of the mountain, and beer at the end of the day. What a deal! So yesterday I did Sunshine and soon I will do Lake Louise and Norquay. You can just do it once at each mountain. The mountains do it in hope that you will go tell your customers how great it is. And it was great! It was -20C yesterday but I was well prepared and did not feel too cold. I stuck with my guide the whole day. Infact, I was the only one who did. So I had my own private tour of the mountain for about 5 hours with a guy who's been skiing it since the mid 1950s.

You can see on the map above where Banff is located. I didn't realise how close we are to British Columbia until I was skiing yesterday. I was riding up a chair lift where on one of the poles read a sign "Welcome to beautiful British Columbia", and then the next pole read a sign, "Welcome back to sunny Alberta". My host told me that we were heading alonf the continental divide. So on the way down we were criss-crossing going from one province to another. My host was so excited about skiing yesterday. There has been so much snow and thus a lot ofpowder is on the hills. I fell a lot as I have never skiied powder. The fresh snow softened the falls.

I have the 3-11pm shift at Macca's today and then a few days straight.

Banff Springs

2007-01-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

Banff is notoriously expensive. I am emailing at the public library where there is a charge for using the web.

So I have donned the Macca's kit and feel like a right twat. I have worked two days thus far. It seems I must being doing an ok job with customer service as they have kept me up front on the tills. I have also moved into the Ronald McDonald House on Cave Road. In the house are 8 young employees, and being young and possibly away from home for the fist time, the place is a bit messy to say the least. However, I am happy that I have a place to lay my head and it is in a room of my own that I get to do that. Well it will be a room to my own when the guy who was in there comes back and gets his stuff.... and before McDonald's recruits a new staff member, who will invariably be placed in my room. The house is about a 10 minute walk from work. Bow River, which sits across the road from home has frozen and now acts as a land bridge. It looks fantastic – what is usually a body of water about the width of the Yarra or the Torrens is now a blanket of white.

I am not at work today. I would like to think the next day off will be my first day on the mountain - I am itching to get up there. Before then I must go and buy some ski equipment which I think I have found at a fairly reasonable price. I will do this when I leave the library. I am also going to apply for a part time position on the mountain. Not so much for the money (altho that will help) but for the fact that all employees are given a free season ski pass and free transport.... quite a few thousand $s worth.

Im off to McDonald's now for my daily half price deli sandwich - Im sure that will grow tiring very soon.

Oh, i failed to mention the photo above is of the Banff Springs Hotel I went for a walk to this morning

Banff Life

2007-01-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

Thought I might as well post again as I have some free time left on the computer here at the hostel, and nay as well use it before I move to the Ronald McDonald house tomorrow. I started my fist shift at the Golden Arches today. I started off on fries but moved on to cashier for most of my shift ("soon, I'll be on lettuce...").

Wildlife is abundant here in the park. Well, I haven't seen too much yet except a little deer and some big black crow-like things. However, from research I find that Banff is home to creatures such as elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep, wolf, coyote, mountain lion, cougar, bald eagle, black bear, grizzly bear and my personal favourite, the mountain goat. They have special garbage bins here (actually they arent that special, they just have lids on them) to keep the grizzlies out. The bins have stickers saying "Keep the Bears Wild").

As well as a mix of wildlife, many nationalities make up the population of Banff. Most common would either be Canadian or Australian. It's probably safe to say Canadian, but Aussies would certainly represent a large slice of the population pie. They're everywhere! Infact there's three standing beside me right now.

Mmmm, that's about it. Oh yeah, its cold: -5C now with a wind chill of -11C. Wont get any warmer than that for the next 5 days. One of my room mates is here on holidays from the Northwest Territories. He's come for the balmy weather

"My quiet Mountain Town"

2007-01-04T16:32:00.001-05:00

It is Banff's "slow season" at the moment. While the place is now packed with tourists, it is apparently even busier in the summer. While I was getting my hair cut today I was told that the town thrives on tourism pretty much 11 months of the year. (The slow month being November when the summer folk have gone home and the skiiers are yet to arrive). It was a long overdue haircut but one that was necessary to help aid gaining employment.

It was important that the first thing I do was look for work. I was told that finding work would not be a problem. Instead, the concern should be acquiring accommodation. I went down to the job centre and drew up my resume. There are a lot of things to consider when looking for employment which I wont go in to as it will only bore you. Short of the story is, it's not the greatest of ideas to get work on the mountain - its poorly paid. Anyways, I took my resume to Macca's. It's known as the best paid hospitality gig in town and also comes with cheap accommodation. I decided to go back and bug them today (as I hadnt heard from them for 24 hours and it was with them I was resting my hopes). So today I got my interview, my orientation and tomorrow I start at the same place that gave me my first employment experince - some 14 years ago. Im garunteed 40 hours a week, and I get 2 days a week off work, and I can choose my hours. Soon I will move out of the hostel and into the McDonald's house!

The haircut is crap!

Banff, AB

2007-01-04T16:31:00.000-05:00

Banff (51°10′N 115°33′W Elevation: 1463 m/4800 ft) is the largest town in Banff National Park, located in southwestern Alberta within the Canadian Rockies, making it the town with the highest elevation in Canada. With a population of around 8,000 (of course that fluctutaes), Banff is located about 135 kilometres west of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway.

It was snowing when I pulled in on the bus, and thus Banff is enjoying one of the best starts to its snow season which officially started on Jan 1. Man, what a place! No matter what way I gaze I'm surrounded by mountains. The town has a main drag and I am staying in the hostel which is about a 25 minute walk up a hill. Or a pricey $2 bus ride. I like to save my coin and take the walk.

Walking back to the hostel last night I was presented with what I have always felt to be the visual representation of utopia - a full moon beaming slightly above alpine trees along a winding road. Yeah, you know the one!

Canada...Again

2007-01-04T16:30:00.000-05:00

So I made my early flight to Calgary. The only way to get to LAX at that time of the morning was by way of an expensive taxi ride. It proved cheaper to go to the airport earlier in the day (using public transport), hire a car for the day and then drive myself there. The cost of the rental was $11.91 inc taxes for 24 hours. But I took a bit of insurance out which bumped it up to about $20. Certainly still cheaper than the taxi.

My greatest concern of late has been my luggage. Everytime I go to get on a flight I have to juggle the weight of my two bags and then hope that I dont get stopped for my oversized carry on. Both stow aways weighed in at 50 pounds exactly. Of course its customary to take the shoes off when going through security at the airport but I was told that I was selected by United for a "special security screening".

So I get to Calgary and my luck improves as I get through customs and awarded my visa in less than 15 minutes. I opted to take more public transport to get to the hostel which was not easy with all my luggage. However, I was lucky enough to find an abandoned shopping trolley so I loaded my bags in it and took them for the ride.

I made good use of my hockey skates as I was using them within an hour of being in the city. I've found that both Toronto and Calgary have free public skating areas. Besides this, Calgary did not seem too appealing.

The next day my luck continued with Canadian government officials. I walked form my hostel to get my social security number and walked back to the hostel - it took a total of 30 minutes. Then I left for the two hour bus ride to Banff.

This is LA

2006-12-30T15:56:00.000-05:00

I have been doing a good job of spending little money this week. As a result, there has been little excitement in my life so I've been living vicariously through the going-ons of fellow patrons at the hostel.

I spend half my time at the Cotel (I just shower, sleep, work and eat there). Never one to enjoy spending too much time around my owns digs, I've been hanging out at the Venice Beach Hostel (not to be confused with my place - The Cotel). I was introduced to a few people there by Daz and Rick - they had stayed at this hostel when they first arrived in LA.

As I mentioned, I have enjoyed hearing stories from fellow travellers.

The first night at the Cotel I ran into a guy who I thought was crazy. It turns out that he just has Alzehimers - poor guy. Word around the campfire is that he was once a champion bodybuilder and was Arnie's mentor when he first arrived here from Austria. The story had some credibility - while old and a little shaky, he was obviously a bodybuilder. As for the Arnie association, he's always decked out in Schwarzengger apparel. I need to find out his last name so I can Google it.

One of my room mates at the Cotel is Daniel from Sweden. He has been traveling on money he won. He became quite a celebrity in his homeland when he went on, and won, a reality tv program called 'The Bar'. His winning of $130,000 was taxed at 57% by the Swedish government. His net winnings then had to be split with his twin borther (who was also in the show) as they had made a pact that if either won, they would share their winnings.

My British mate, Kevin (or so I learned last night, K Deliscious), almost had to leave the hostel last night as his funds were exhausted. He was going to buy a lottery ticket with his last couple of dollars but then thought he'd have better chances walking across the road to the managaement company he's been in talks with for the last couple of weeks. He was lucky enough to finally find someone in the office. Anyway, they gave Kev some money and next week he goes into a studio to record some tracks so he can take the tapes up to Interscope Records on the 12th for his meeting with the bosses.

But what is most entertaining is a little gem I've come across for all my Mount Gambier peeps. There is an Aussie from the Mornington Penninsuala at the Cotel who was telling me he has a mate who's moved to Mount Gambier for work. His mate is so interested in Mount Gambier culture that he's created a myspace page for the town. You're gonna love it. Oh but not now. It seems I can'tfind the adress. Friggin myspace - its always difficult to find things on there. Anyway, sorry, next time!

Flying to Calgary soon. Happy New Years!

California

2006-12-29T19:04:00.000-05:00

California has fantastic weather. It's winter, yet sunny and 19.

The photo in my previous post is a mural I see everyday when I sweep the sidewalk out the front of the Cotel. Jimbo lived on the rooftop and wrote many of the songs for the Doors' debut album.

My days in Venice are coming to an end. I make a point of writing Venice as I have not left the area in close to a week. The furtherest I have been was on my walk to Santa Monica this morning. I wish I had made better use of the city this week but I think it was more important to save my money.

About four hours into the new year I will make my way to the airport for a reasonably priced flight to Calgary. This will conclude my time in the US.

I may have mentioned to some of you that I was interested in taking the train ride from LA to Vancouver and then the bus to Banff. I decided against this as it would be 38 straight hours in a train seat and then another 15 on a bus - something I had always questioned. It is also a financial decision to take the short flight and then the two hour bus ride from Calgary. So I will spend the night of January 1, 2007 in Calgary where I will get my visa at customs and my social security number in the city. I have two weeks booked at the hostel in the small town of Banff and in this time I hope to gain employment.

You may note a lack of comment about my time with Rick and Daz. I do not have any photos and feel that those who are interested will no doubt hear it straight from the horse's mouth (mmmm, horse!). But I will say it was unbelievable. A fantastic time! Great memories for many years to come. My fondest memories, and god there's a few of them, are (in no partiulcar order - and of course these could change at any moment but will do for now):

* Hitting the strip in the Mustang
* Barney's Beanery
* The 7th Veil
* That cool as hell deli in midotwn for breakfast
* Top of Rockefeller Center
* Thinking we were going to get good tickets for Letterman
* Waiting for the ferry at Staten Island
* That 3 pointer to take the Lakers into OT
* Drinks atop Muholland Drive
* In the Flamingo before we headed out

That's right... I have a blog!

2006-12-28T17:08:00.000-05:00

Jim Morrison came here in 1965 with little money.
He left a rock god.

Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived in 1968 with little english.
He now governs the state.

I pulled in about 2 weeks ago.
I do the 4-7pm cleaning shift at the Cotel.

I will enter this script into my blog at the local library this aftrenoon, but now I scribe it sitting on Venice Beach, CA. The weather has been fatastic and will continue. It is windy now but I am protected from the flying sand as I sit shielded by a lifeguards' tower.

To the north I see mountains and dotted along them Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades and Malibu. To the south is the OC about 15 miles away. Behind me is the boardwalk. At a glance I see a grubby man playing a piano for tips, a black man rolling on skates with an amp strapped to his back and a guitar on his front. There are punk kids skating and a young guy talking to himself. A lady with lips as red as her high heels is wheeling herself in a chair. There's two officers sitting in their black and white - one of which is gazing through a pair of binoculars.

Soon I will head back to the Cotel for my shift. And I will probably once again ponder that time in Mrs Wilson's grade 3 class when we were to write down what we would be doing in the future. I'm not sure if I will smile or shake my head!

Last Days

2006-12-04T11:32:00.000-05:00

My posts are looking a bit sad these days without a camera - I almost thought I had it fixed today but not quite. Then I ended up shocking myself with its internal power source - damn near threw me off my chair so I put the kibosh on that little project.

I was hoping to have 150 posts before I left Butler but I have fallen a little short with about 140. As it seems this will be the last post from Butler, I thought I would express my thoughts regarding the past 11 months.

Education and the possibility of adventure were the chief reasons for coming here. While at times I feel a lack of tangiable outcomes from my studies, I am confident that I have made substatial contributions to my skill set, acquired meaningful professional experience and gained much needed direction for future career endeavours. (That reads like a resume. YUK!) It's somewhat harder to evaluate the hedonic outcomes from my time abroad, but I certainly had a lot of enjoyable experiences. I am always pleased when faculty and fellow students note that I'm always involved in something.

Sometimes I feel that I should make a greater effort to forge more meaningful relationships with people. There's no doubt that I know a lot of people here and in return many know me, but I question how much these relationships will contribute to my future wellbeing.

Then there's America. That place I have always found so so so so so so so so intriguing. While its culture is inarguably the most potent of all, I think my fascination has derived from fabrication rather than reality. From now on, I wish to be able to make a clear distinction between the two.

Despite this, there's a piece of granite rock that sits out there on the eastern seaboard that gives me a lot of pleasure. And somehow I think never before more than now. I'm outta here!

Drawing to an End!

2006-12-04T11:11:00.000-05:00

It's cold here today: 17F (-8C). Although it didn't snow last night, there's quite a bit of frost lying around this morning.

But while it's cold outside, things are hotting up inside at Hinkle Fieldhouse (sorry about that corny lead but what else could I do?) Yes, we are number 15 in the entire country! Its fantastic and I'll be sorry to say goodbye to it. Wednesday will be my last game and I think I will not work on the video crew but sit in the Dog Pound and watch as spectator (for the first time). While it is my last game, I am comforted in the fact that I will be able to watch the games on webcast.

I traveled to Bloomington recently to see the Hoosiers play on their homegrounds at Assembly Hall. IU basketball is an institution in Indiana and it was great to see a home game.

I spotted a famous IU alumnus, Larry Bird, when I was at a Pacers game recently. My internship gave me some tickets so I walked around to Conseco once knocking off work. Bird is a big deal in Indiana - I think they preserved the basketball ring from his childhood home. I'm not sure if it still sits at the property in French Lick. Maybe it's in the Smithsonian in Washington.

I'm sitting here during the last day of my internship. I've just finished editing an interview with Nelly Furtado that was shot at Santa Slam over the weekend (I didnt shoot the inerview tho!). If u care for her you can see it at http://www.radionow931.com/santaslam/video/nelly_interview.aspx

Rick and Daz are in LA!

Northern Exposure

2006-11-26T12:04:00.000-05:00

There are about 25 million Aussies and Kiwis on the globe and I swear a good number of them are in Canada. Mike the German and I drove our rental Chevy through Ohio, Pennsylvannia and New York state, to Ontario where we stayed in the Canadiana Backpackers Inn - voted Best Hostel in North America in 2003 and possibly one of my choicest. The inn attracted a motley crew. Mike and I spent the majority of our time with our roomate Matt, the No. 1 ranked Rock-Paper-Scissors player in New Zealand who was in town for the world championships. What a top bloke!

I met a young Finnish girl who rode her bicycle up from Detroit. On the Wednesday, I said goodbye as she headed off for Argentina.... also on her bike!!! I didn't want to make a big deal of it but did ask of her thoughts regarding her safety while peddling through Columbia. She explained to me that she was sure she was going to die! That's a little bit sad. I know her blog address so I will watch out for her.

We stayed a night with Rick and Nicole Hill who live in the little town of Elora, about an hours drive from Toronto. Rick is quite the expat with Coopers and Barbeque Shapes awaiting our arrival. Yet despite all the Australiana around their newly-owned home, one could say he has immersed himself in Canadian culture with his competing in curling each Friday night!

The weather was beautiful in Toronto, daily averages of about 10 degrees and clear skies. We made good use of the weather by taking a ride to the top of CN Tower - the tallest free standing structure in the world. The pic at the top is of me hanging out the front of the backpackers inn with the tower in the background.

Unfortunately, the photo above is one of few from the trip as I was without my camera due to a mishap at Niagara Falls.

Karaoke is not something I've ever lent my hand too, until now. A few hours at a Tequila Bar saw me belting out a number of tunes. I paired with a Canadian lass, Sarah, to perform Summer Nights. And I can tell you, I was bloody fantastic. However, the same can't be said for all my numbers; Sarah thought that our duet for Summer Nights meant she was free to join me at the mic for all of my performances. She was sadly mistaken when I was forced to ask the DJ to remove her from the stage. Half the patrons in the bar left during my Pearl Jam number, but think I regained some sort of credibility finishing the evening with Easy.

The greatest thing about Canada may be the no smoking law in all public buildings. How much more enjoyable it is to walk out of a bar without smelling like an ash tray. America is not far from adopting these new laws as is Australia. Yeah! (Our Commonwealth friends must also be commended for their recycling. Even street trash is divided).

In less than one month I will be crosiing their border again!

Here's a funny little story about Michael which I videod at our Hotel in Cleveland.

NIT Champions

2006-11-26T11:29:00.000-05:00

Mike the German and I raced back to US soil Friday night in hope of catching the broadcast of Butler competing in the NIT Championship game at Madison Square Garden. (The reason we needed to be in the US is becasue Canada does not have ESPN2). We had planned to make it to our hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan in time for the 7 o'clock tip-off, but our plans were thwarted due to slow traffic coming out of Toronto, as well as a back up of cars at border control. So we had no choice but to head downtown Detroit in hope of finding a bar. We did find a really cool place where I think we were lucky to get one of the screens to show the game as there were NBA and Hockey games being played in Detroit that same evening.

We caught the last 10 minutes of the game in which Butler won. We couldn't believe it. The following day the team travelled home (as did Mike and I) for yet another tough match. And what a diference a few wins make with Hinkle Fieldhouse being a lot busier than usual. And the Dawgs win yet again... in a double-overtime thriller.

Would you believe? Little Butler University is now ranked within the top 25 college teams in the entire country. Wow!

The Dawgs

2006-11-23T01:45:00.000-05:00

You could say the Butler Bulldogs have had some luck of late. They were invited to play a pre-season tournament where they started beating important teams (like Notre Dame). Then they went up against one of the most celebrated collegiate teams in the country, the Indiana Hoosiers, and beat them! So then they head off to Madison Square Garden to compete and, cut a long story short, Friday they play one of the best teams in the country for the championship. They must be going crazy in NY and back at Butler. Michael and I will be back in the US by Friday to watch the championship game from MSG on ESPN. This is quite bizzare.

I made comment in my last post about the band Hinder whom I met at work but didn't know anything about. Having listened to a lot of North American radio over the last couple of days while travelling around, I hear that their single, Lips of an Angel is getting some serious airtime. Infact, I think we have heard it several dozen times. Funny that I should also refer to Axl in the last post as we have tickets for GnR in LA. Rock on!

November Rain

2006-11-16T19:22:00.000-05:00

As a native to Indiana, Axl Rose got it right with the words NOVEMBER Rain. Its been drizzling here for friggin' 48 hours straight. Coupled with the fact that I travel by foot and bike, I am about to go nuts!!!

Inspired by GnR and the like, rock band, Hinder, had an in-studio interview at Emmis this week. (No, I hadn't heard of them either). While flipping through Rolling Stone later that same day, I found a feature article on them - so they must be doing something right. One of our DJs wanted to video it, so I helped her tape and cut it together. You can see it at http://www.radionow931.com/kisha/hinder.aspx but it probably only sits on there for week or so.

For those of you who love the good old days of rock, you may be interested to know that Axl Rose's 13-year-in-the-making, Chinese Democracy has been promised release by Christmas.

Doing the Math! This is kinda weird!

2006-11-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

Ooooh, a new look at Smoov Goes to College... but not for much longer! Yes, I wanted something else so I could include the swell pic of Central Park which you can see above. Of course, when we are there in exactly four weeks this Friday past, it will not look like this as all those leaves will have shed. But that doesn't matter because the 850 acres of park sitting smack-bang in the centre of Manhattan island looks amazing any season of the year.

It seems studying media arts allows one a substantial amount of free time so I have been researching the park and its particular parts I want to visit. (Usually I only venture around its perimeter as I'm either too cold, too hot, or it's night and I'm too wise).

Along with my internet-based reaearch, I read The Catcher in the Rye again this week (I read it once upon a time when my uncle gave it to me for Xmas). In the second half of the novel Caulfield spends a lot of time in Central Park and while an exact date is not mentioned, apparently, actual history, geography and current science allude to it being December '49. While we will also be there in December, it is of even greater coincidence that we land in NYC the evening of December 8th - the date of Lennon's assissination. And these numerical correlations continue as it is the same date 26 years apart! It is also timely that I read the 26 chapters that make up Catcher cos in a few months Chapter 27 will be released. (I'm writing of Chapter 27 the film, not of some metaphor for our time in NY - only a psycho would do that!) Anyways, I think a pilgrimage to the Dakota Building on CPW at 10.50pm the night of our arrival would be appropriate.

And yes, how sad it is that it takes popular culture for me to have an active interest in famous literary works of the 20th century.

Mid Terms

2006-11-08T19:59:00.000-05:00

I was sick the other day. So sick that when I mentioned to a friend that I wanted to go to hospital, her reply was something along the lines of:

"Hey everyone. Check out this guy. He thinks he should go to hospital. Ha! Who do you think you are, wants-to-go-to-hospital?"

I explained that I have insurance but was told that just means 'you have insurance but you don't use the insurance'.

Yes, it makes little sense!

What makes more sense is that in the last 24 hours Democrats have swept Republicans from power in the House of Representatives, made huge gains in the Congress and moved to within one seat of victory in the Senate. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned while Bush's approval is at an all-time low.

I took time out to make a video about the elections. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving

2006-11-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is around the corner. We get the whole week off school, but the actual day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of each November. It may be quite likely that I will not be observing the holiday as I think I may go to Canada for the week.

Emmis

2006-11-04T12:27:00.000-05:00

My internship at Emmis is going well. I go there on Mondays and Fridays to shoot or edit video, or both, for web content. The last couple of weeks we have been producing packages about dining and shopping in Indianapolis. The dining one was cool because we went on a field trip to about five retauraunts around town and at each one would sample their food. The host of the show does not drink so he would take a dummy swig from the glass for the camera and then I would do the hard work off camera and finish his beers and wine.

Franti for President!

2006-10-31T10:31:00.000-05:00

"Hey, isn't that your friend dancing up onstage with Franti?"

"Oh yeah, hey Josh,......Josh!"

Hahaha!

I was thinking of my peeps in SA when I went to see Franti last night.

The hijacking of JC

2006-10-25T20:44:00.000-04:00

While on the set of Red Harvest, I learned of a Hell House. Also commonly known as a judgment house or Doom House, it's a haunted house-style attraction typically run by fundamentalist Christian churches. These attractions are meant to depict the divine judgments that await unrepentant sinners and the torments of the damned in Hell.

Similarly disturbing was a film I saw at the cinema last week. Jesus Camp is a documentary about one faction of the evangelical Christian community who hold summer camps where children are trained to "take back America for Christ". With about one third of all Americans identifying themselves as evangelical, they make for a large voting block.

NBA

2006-10-24T22:12:00.000-04:00

I went to a Pacers game the other night for class where we spent a quarter in the control room. While sitting there, a momentary lapse in my usual preoccupations had me thinking, man if I was here doing this when I was 14 years old I would be absoloutley besotted with happiness! Don't get me wrong, watching a live NBA game is fantastic. But unfortunately, the days of Magic (and Jordan) are over. And the NBA knows it and they are hurting.

BTV News

2006-10-24T21:29:00.000-04:00

My favourite class at Butler is directing the news. We produce a 30 minute newscast on Tuesdays and Thursdays which follows the same format as those on tv. We have some pretty good resources and we try to keep mistakes to a minimum. I made a video which you can watch below. I have edited the 30 minute program down to 8 minutes but even with that youprobably wont fnd it too exhiliraing. Anyways, you will see us in the control room with bits and pieces of the on air footage.

Don't drink the Cool Aid

2006-10-23T16:31:00.000-04:00

It's always good to learn of students who go on to big things after graduating. With Butler's 150 year history, I was sure to find such. And from research, I learned that James Warren "Jim" Jones is an alumnus - you know the founder of the People's Temple who led his disciples as they drank the cyanide-laced Cool Aid down in Jonestown, Guyana, resulting in history's largest mass murder/suicide with 914 corpses. Yes, it's quite a precedent.

That's a wrap!

2006-10-23T16:29:00.000-04:00

I stood holding a hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide light at 11.30pm on the night of my birthday. Affected by delirium and a sensation of coldness, I laughed to myself - its funny where life takes you. And then I peered up at the light's beam and noted snowflakes falling. Short of the story is the shoot has wrapped and I will have my name credited in what I think will be a good little movie. Although I wont know till early next year when the editing process is complete.

Jay Leno

2006-10-21T16:39:00.000-04:00

To celebrate my birthday I spent the Evening with Jay Leno.

Homecoming

2006-10-21T16:29:00.000-04:00

The Bulldogs won their homecoming game. 3 wins for the season thus far which is more than they have won in the last 3 years combined. I voted for Poojan to be Homecoming King as it would have been a kick to see the crowning of a teetotalling Muslim from Kenya. Unfortunately, the honour went to a frat member. Here are some pics I snapped with a friends's long lens.

2006-10-16T20:49:00.000-04:00

Connersville, Indiana, USA

11.14 am

I was going for that "A Day in the Life of America" type shot. This kid lives with his parents and brothers at their farm which has a great number of animals and.... a corn maze. Yes, its a maze cut into corn fields. We were there shooting for Red Harvest.

Vandalay Industries

2006-10-16T20:43:00.000-04:00

The perils of rafting New River Gorge. No, not really. This is courtesy of the make-up crew, and latex, on the set of Red Harvest.

And here I am patting a bit of road kill. Up until this point it had lived its life as a child's soft toy.

Red Harvest

2006-10-16T20:37:00.000-04:00

Upon returning from West Virginia, I spent Friday to Sunday on the set of a friends movie. The production will be shot over six days and will culminate in a 15 minute horror flick entitled Red Harvest. Once completed it will be sent out to film festivals around the world and may even make its way to Sundance. It will be great to have my name credited in such a project. One of our locations was a farm as before I was compelled to take some photos of the landscape!

Squeal Like a Pig!

2006-10-16T20:05:00.000-04:00

I was a bit concerned taking the bus ride into the mountains of West Virginia for a day of rafting in New River Gorge. Yet, while many speak in jest of "The Mountain State", leaving the plains of Indiana for more cragged terrain was a welcome change.

I had always wanted to do some white water rafting and the experience didn't dissapoint. The good thing about attending a private university is that they tend to subsidize student events such as this. And I must say that the times I have travelled with Butler students, I have found them to be great company. They're always full of joy and energy.

Here is a photo of a few of us. We are about to take a ride with the crazy bus driver into the gorge which was probably the most disconcerting element of the trip!

And here I am being an idiot doing my Nike-poster shot.

J5

2006-10-16T19:56:00.000-04:00

While looking for some spare space on one of my tapes, I found this 2 minutes of footage from their DJ set.

NBA-thuggery

2006-10-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

Indiana Pacers management has gone into damage control today as they hit national headlines with 4 of the team's players involved in your typical NBA-scallywag behaviour. The incident occurred early this morning out the front of a seedy strip club on the even-seedier eastside. 3 of the 4 players were found with handguns while one was hit by an "automobile with large rims" (suprise, suprise).

Coincidently, one of the girls at my work experience place spent a day with Stephen Jackson (one of the players involved) last week. We were editing the video today and there was a clip of Jackson saying "Ive been an angel off-court and it's going to stay that way". I think I heard that the company was in talks with ESPN to sell the clip. The only problem is, Emmis wants to keep their relationship with the Pacers.

It seems the ball club can not get over their dirty repuation. They did trade some of their cancer but it seems they didn't get it all. Last season they were involved in the nastiest of on-court (and in the stands) brawls in Detroit, in which Jackson played a big part. It was so bad they cancelled the game. For those of you who are interested I found the video of that fight and you can watch it below - you have to stick with it because it stops and starts but is definetely worth the watch. Unbelievabe!

I too am in damage control after getting a haircut today. I had held off the inevitable for quite sometime but it needed to be done. Actually, its not too bad. Certainly was a scary experience.

Sororities

2006-10-01T15:10:00.000-04:00

I am quite interested in Sororities - those female social, academic and philanthropic organisations found on many US campuses. Butler has nine houses with a variation of weird names ranging from The Almighty Aplha Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho to The Gamma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. From time to time I learn a little more about these places and feel that is only fair that I share the information with you. As I wrote in one of my very first blog entries, these stately-looking houses that align the main drag of campus (Hampton Drive) have long and honoured traditions. Infact, these traditions are considered so important that prospective members have to undertake a semester of studies about their chosen sorority and pass a test before being accepted as a sister.

There are a couple of things about sororities that interest me the most. While their male counterparts have wild parties in their fraternity houses, soriorities have 'no drinking' and 'no partying' rules, which has prompted me to nickname them sobrieties (yes, I know what you are thinking; how clever and witty of me). Now, while I generally object to the prohibition of alcohol, I think in this case it works well for the young lasses becasue it keeps their places looking really nice (as oppossed to the fraternities which often smell and look like the keg basement of a pub).

But what I learned the other day was of the sleeping arrangements at many of the campus' sororities. While fraternities gernerally have 2 or 3 guys crammed into a bedroom, the girls have only three bedrooms in total. These bedrooms are referred to as cold, neutral or hot, which describes the girls who sleep in them. Haha! No, just joking - the names refer to the rooms' temperature setting. Cold is exactly that, with windows kept open at all hours (or closed in the summer - but with the air-conditioning up). Hot is kept like a furnace and Neutral is, well, nuetral. So when you move in to the house, you have to declare what room you would like to reside in.

What's also cool about these bedrooms is that noise levels are kept under as tight control as their temperature. Girls are not permitted to bring anything into the room - not a clock, not a drink, not a towel - just themselves. One might ask how they wake up without a clock. Well let me tell you! There is a roster for each sister to take it in turns to be the person who gets up before everybody else in the morning and sit there with a list which details the time each girl would like to be awoken.

These bedroom rules are strictly enforced 24/7 which means that one can take a peaceful sleep in a darkened room, at a temperature of their choosing, anytime of the day. However, I think the watchman only does morning hours.

These large bedrooms are on the third floor. On the second floor are office-cum-dressing rooms which the girls share between 2 or 3. Second and third floors are off limits to males.

Canada

2006-09-29T13:17:00.000-04:00

I am pleasantly suprised to see my We're Going to be Friends video, which I posted on YouTube back in April, has had 2,222 hits and been 'favorited' 22 times. Okay, so Spike Jonze may not be knocking on my door anytime soon but it is a lot of 2s. There must be a lot of White Stripes fans out there.

From time to time, people ask me in emails when I am returning to Australia. Well after my phone call with some cow at British Airways, my flight has been scheduled to arrive in Adelaide at noon on June 5th 2007 - just in time for lunch. That is the very latest I could book it for (its an 18 month ticket) but, of course, dates could always be brought forward depending on circumstances. I like to think it will remain as is.

I have started to make plans for Canada. Based on the advise I was given by Kate Mackenzie, I think I will definetely head for Banff (or Banfford as I like to call it). Banff is a resort town in the Rocky Mountains in south-west Alberta, on the British Columbian border. It has a population of around 8,000 people and is the highest town elevation in Canada. I am thinking I may take the 38 hour train ride from LA which will have me arrive in Vancouver about a half hour into Christmas day.
After a day or two I would take the 14 hours bus drive to Banff. Such a lengthy travel time is a bit daunting but it would be great to see all that beautiful scenery. I may, however, opt for the plane ride to Calgary. My decision to go to Canada will be dependent on what I hear about job oppurtunities in January.

Hello

2006-09-26T21:02:00.000-04:00

Thought I would put up a post even though I dont have much to write.

I was at a friends house the other night and saw a talking dog on Letterman. My friend missed it because he was out-back, taking a refill from his birthday keg. When he re-enterd the room I was telling him how he had just missed the talking dog and what a shame it was that he had. Now, I dont even have a tv at my house so you can imagine my suprise when he picked up the remote and rewound the television. He can pause, rewind, fast forward any channel he likes. Its kind of weird. But that's what makes America great: rewindable television, and talking dogs. Did anyone else see that talking dog?

Talking of late night tv, Jay Leno is coming to Butler during homecoming, but I think they are making it part of some black tie event for alumni, which is expensive and by invitation only. I know my department is not allowed to record him but maybe we will do the video for the big screens in-house. Of course, homecoming includes the big homecoming football game where the King and Queen are crowned. Hooray!

I have 10.5 weeks left at school. In that time we have Fall break and Thanksgiving. I have heard of a rafting trip in Virginia so I hope to get along to that.

I was asking some locals what they considered to be the number one things that a visitor to Indiana should see. The most common answer seems to be a trip to Bloomington to see an Indiana Hoosiers basketball game. So I will plan a trip when their schedule comes out
The Pacers season is starting soon. We are going to a game and I believe we get an oppurtunity to shoot a free throw at half time. Ive been in training for it - I may only ever get to take one shot on an NBA court in front of a huge crowd, so I want to make it.

Arrrgh!

2006-09-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

Ahoy Me Hearty! and happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

I fullfilled my goal of riding the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. The ride accelerates from 0 to 193 mph in just 3.8 seconds before rising to over 400 feet and then returning at a drop of 90 degrees. All that fun takes 25 seconds. It was quite the rush. Here I am at the park with the European contingent (all from Germany with the exception of the middle man, who is Dutch). And that's not "Frank" Habets waving, although he oftens remindeds me of him.

The roofs of many houses in Indianapolis have been undergoing maintenance since the hail storm caused much damage back at the start of the summer. I woke up at 4 the other morning to the sound of pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat. Opening my wardrobe door I was presented with a nice waterfall from the roof. Nah, it's goood!

I read that stingrays have been turning up dead and am wondering if we're now going to suffer from deforestation as a result of Brock's death. It seems there really is no limit to the depth of human stupidity.

9/11

2006-09-12T13:32:00.000-04:00

Are we any safer? is the question many columnists were asking today. I would think the bombing of Iraq will spawn breeds of retaliators in the years to come. I guess that's the problem of fighting fire with fire!

Here's a pic of me on the circle in the US city labelled by the local Fox station as the most likely to be a victim of international terrorism (the truth is Indianapolis applied for more funding to secure against terrorism than any other US city). You gotta get you headlines somehow I guess. Behind me is the glass facade of the place I am interning. Ive just had a slice of pizza for breakfast and am about to go into the building.

Cornfield Football

2006-09-12T12:18:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I took a trip out of town using the blue highways. Blue highways are the back-roads (often two-lane) which were once the main routes before the Interstate Highway System began being built post-World War 2. (Route 66 was a blue highway - I write 'was' as it is now decommisssioned).

While the Interstate Highway System affords quicker travel times and more conveniences (like pretty much uninterrupted mobile phone coverage), travelling on blue highways gives you the pleasure of seeing America of yesteryear; farmhouses set upon acres of corn fields and an assortment of 'mom-and-pop' businesses. Our destination was Delta High School where we took part in the production of another high school football game.

Friday Night Lights

2006-09-06T15:19:00.000-04:00

Smoov Goes to College has a new feature (thanks for the idea El) - an interactive map where you can see who's visiting. Click on the world map to the right and look at the dots. I wanna get more of those red dots so please, if you go anywhere for any reason; holidays, business trips, kidnappings, please make sure you visit me on the information superhighway.

So, the Indy Indians went down on the road last night - ending their season and squashing our hopes of drinking from the Governer's Cup. My attention will now shift from AAA baseball to Friday Night Lights, where I will continue to work some games for Comcast.

This weekend marks Butler's first home game for the year. They haven't won a game since 2004 and on the evening of that win half of the team was charged with underage-drinking.

Man, what a bugger about Steve Irwin! Often when Americans (or any other nationality for that matter) learn that you are Australian, their faces light up and they tell you how much they love Australia and how they have always wanted to visit there - I'm sure he had a lot to do with that.

"For those who appreciate those with skills..."

2006-09-02T22:21:00.000-04:00

I thought of my friends in SA when I bumped into this chap at the local music store in Broad Ripple. Infact, I didnt really bump into him because I went there knowing that J5 were doing a DJ set. It was funny, when Fritz, Parker and I got out of the car, Akil approached us to ask for directions so we took him there. And oh man it was so cool standing in the store and turning around to see Charli approaching us with this big grin. Those guys are very nice!

Later that night we saw them at the Vogue which was a great venue as it was easy to walk between the bar and the front of the stage. But what's the deal with this? You could use your 10 fingers to tally the number of African Americans that were at the DJ set and then the gig. I find that really strange. Haha - it was like a Theby crowd!

Sports!

2006-08-27T12:06:00.000-04:00

I thought I would begin this entry by relaying an interesting fact: many cite that basketballs are orange in colour because former Butler basketball coach, Paul Hinkle, wanted a ball that could be better seen by players and fans. He worked with The Spaulding Company to develop one.

Here's a picture of me beside the control room for the Comcast production of a high school football game I participated in Friday night. One wonders how profit can be made when this truck travels from Missourri (along with about 20 people in it) to webcast a varsity football game in which there is a crowd of less than 500 people on hand. Im sure it doesn't turn profit, but does help to fulfill local content charter obligations. So talk about being thrown in at the deep end: I was to run a camera for a game I hardly know anything about and do it from a crane 100 feet in the air. I should have got a photo from the crane. It was a good experience and at the same time keeps a little extra change in my pocket.

In a state that is basketball crazy, football seems to get its fair share of attention with most games from high school to the NFL being broadcast some way or another. Even the 2006 Little League World Series is being televised on ESPN this month. While I initialy scoffed at the term "World Series", I found that teams from many parts of the world do actually compete.

Butler hasn't had its first home game yet. Poor bastards - I dont think they won a game last season (this is primarily due to the fact that Butler doesnt give football scholarships. So how can one expect to have good players?)

Below is a 3 minute clip from the 1986 Hoosiers movie shot in Hinkle Fieldhouse. I remember viewing this movie for my 11th birthday party - haven't seen it since (apart from this clip). Writing of movies, if Little Miss Sunshine comes to a theatre near you, you may want to check it out!

Grindhouse

2006-08-23T12:41:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to hear of a pseudo-exploitation double feature by Tarantino and Rodriquez. Each film will run for about 60 mins seperated by fake trailers for other movies. Cool! The success of "Trash cinema" often relies not on the quality of its content, but on the ability of audiences to be drawn in by the advertising of the film. And these guys certainly do it for me with these posters:

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