#32. View From a Pub Booth

It has been quite a while since my last post, so apologies to regular followers of this blog.

I am currently sitting in a booth in a pub/brewery in Fremantle called "Little Creatures".  Without a doubt, this is my favourite place to go on a day off.  Take a book, a computer, have a pint, read - in general, just have a relaxing hour or two and watch the parade of life pass by.

It is an overcast day today with the promise of more of the rain we got overnight to come.  This keeps the people away a bit, but I don't necessarily mind that either - sometimes quiet is good for the soul.

I sometimes find myself wondering about the people I come across.  Where do they come from?  What is their story?  Where do they all go at the end of the day?  Will our paths cross again?  Have I seen them before?  The answers aren't that important I guess, we all have our back story, with a promise of a forward story to come.

I find this pub to be a microcosm of the society that Australia represents - mostly your average people, going about their lives as best they can.  Some working, some playing, but all going about their business without deliberately trying to be disrespectful of those around them.

Now this might be a stylised view of my society, particularly after the nastiness in Melbourne over the Easter weekend - a bigoted minority of the population making as much disruption as possible to others to shove their opinions in the face of others, whether they are interested or not.  I watched those scenes on the TV news and despaired at how far we have to go as a society.  Then I found myself thinking that if I thought what happened in Melbourne to be bad, how bad must it be in other parts of the world?Some might call this a "First World Problem", but if the first world can't live in acceptance of others, what hope has the rest of the world got?

The "First World Problem" I have at the minute is to decide what to have for lunch.  I might go the Felafel and Pita today.

Life is good.

Until next time,

CfB

#31. I Love This Time of Year

It has been a bit over a week since my last post, and what a week it has been!  Work has been absolutely flat out, but the weather here has been outstanding!  I love the change of season from summer to autumn probably the best of all the season changes.

The majority of the heat has gone out of the days and night temperatures are perfect for sleeping.  The sun is not streaming in through the window particularly early, so that luxury of the weekend sleep in is spot on at the moment.

The grass is not growing so fast, so the mowing duties have begun to slow.  The winter crops can be planted in the garden now while it is still warm enough to get them off to a great start.  This truly is an amazing time to be alive.

The diet begins to take on a different feel with the BBQ's slowing down a bit, to be replaced by casseroles, stews and soups.  The beer gets replaced a little with dark ales and red wines - all together just perfect!

And then there is AFL!  The cricket season is all but over and the AFL season is about a week away.  I am an unashamed and long suffering Fremantle Dockers fan who has eternal optimism at the beginning of every season that this one will be our year!

And I guess that is what the changing of the seasons signifies for me - change and optimism.  The change from summer to autumn brings the promise of relief from the hitherto unrelenting heat and dryness from the sun  A promise of much needed rain and a break from the heat with chilly winter days and nights.

Getting out of bed on cold winter mornings is hard admittedly, as is getting to work when it is still dark.  But at the end of the day, getting back into that warm bed is undoubtedly a highlight.  But this is still months away.

The rain thundering down on the roof on a Friday night is an absolute delight - especially knowing that you don't have to get out of bed and go to work on Saturday morning - you can just ay there and relax, listening to it tumble down and recharge the much depleted water supplies of Perth.  But this is still months away.

I love this time of year!  Just for right now, everything seems in balance (except for work/life maybe).  For me, this is how it should be.

What are your thoughts?  I would love to read your comments.

Until next time,

CfB

#30. St Patrick's Day Thoughts, and a Recipe

I love St Patrick's Day - it is right up there with Day One of the Boxing Day Test and AFL Grand Final Day.  In fact, it is almost exactly the same as the other two, just with Guinness.

The only drawback that I can see this year is that it falls on a Tuesday.  No all day celebration this year.  So, what to do?  After some considerable thought, I decided to combine two of my loves, Guinness and cooking and made a Beef and Guinness Stew on the weekend in preparation for the big day.  The recipe is at the end of this post if you are interested.

On St Patrick's Day, I think everyone is a little bit Irish.  It's a bit of a stretch, but without a word of a lie, my great grandparents were Mary and Joseph from County Cork.  They emigrated with a great many of their countrymen to Australia, and the rest is history.

So "Happy St Patrick's Day" to all of those suitably qualified, wherever you are in the world.  If you are at a loss as to what to cook for dinner, and you have the time, I thoroughly recommend this stew.  I have perfected it over time, and as such, it is a Chooka original.  Please consider it my gift to you all on this St Patrick's Day.

Enjoy.

Until next time,

CfB

Chooka's Beef and Guinness Stew

Ingredients:

6 Beef Cheeks (or other stewing beef if cheeks are hard to come by)
4 Tbsp Seasoned Plain Flour (seasoned with Salt and Pepper)
2 375mL stubbies Guinness (or your preferred Stout)
2 large brown onions
6 carrots
6 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Mixed Herbs
3 Cloves Garlic minced (more if preferred)
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Beef Stock Powder

1. Coat beef cheeks in seasoned flour and brown in a fry pan.  Place browned beef cheeks in large casserole dish in a single layer.
2.  Peel and slice onions and spread evenly over beef cheeks.
3.  Cut carrots in half lengthwise and then into chunks.  Spread evenly over beef cheeks and onions.
4.  Mix last four ingredients with the remaining seasoned flour and stir/whisk until combined. Pour into the casserole dish.
5. Evenly distribute the bay leaves and poke into the casserole dish.
6.  Cover the dish with either a lid or foil and place in the oven (preheated to 160 celsius)
7.  Coo for 3 - 3 1/2 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes and boiled/steamed/microwaved cabbage.

Serves 6

#29. Sleep is Great!

For regular followers of this blog, you will know that #2 plays cricket.  His season concludes this coming Saturday, which means that not only will Saturday mornings be reclaimed, but Tuesday and Thursday afternoons will be as well. WOO HOO!!!!

Coupled with this long season, I have been more seriously under the pump at work over the last week or so than normal.  I'm not complaining about this - I have no problem with hard work, but for the last week or so I have been coming home from work absolutely exhausted!  Exhausted, but knowing there is no choice but to get done what needs to get done in the time available.

I have discovered over time that when I can finally see light at the end of a tunnel, whatever it was that has been keeping my energy and motivation up to that point tends to abandon me and I fall into some kind of funk hole.  That's the hard part.  You know you have to keep going, but lack the energy to do so.  Some folk call that "whatever" adrenaline.

I call it sleep.  I love my bed.  The memory foam mattress has been the best investment I ever made I think.  When sleep washes over me, it is a beautiful relief from the world.  As for everyone else, that relief is all to brief.  I know that the alarm is going to go off at 5.38am, so for some as yet to be identified reason, I have tended to wake at about 4.00am forever, and not really get back to sleep after that.

Lying there in that twilight haze between sleep and awake is a blessing and a curse.  A blessing on Sunday mornings when I do not have to get up at a set time (soon to be Saturday's as well.  Did I mention WOO HOO?), a curse most weekdays when I really want that extra sleep.

I have found lately that the closer I am getting to 5.38 in the morning, the closer to getting back to sleep I am.  This is the best bit.  The cares of the world do not exist at that point - the world is in perfect balance.  Soon enough the reality of the day will kick in, but just for that now, time is distorted and life is perfect.  Soon it will be time for the shower and shaving, but for now - bliss!

Does this waking early phenomenon happen to you too?  I would be interested to hear your thoughts on it.  Feel free to comment.

Until next time,

CfB

#28. It's Just Not Cricket

I have sat on this post for a couple of weeks now to decide whether I really needed/wanted to post it, or am I just having a bit of a rant because it is natural to want to protect those nearest and dearest to you?  Whilst I have decided it may still come across as a bit of a rant, I still feel compelled to post it.  This would have to be version 5, I have rewritten it that many times.  So here goes ...

During this time of the ICC Cricket World Cup, a goodly portion of the world is focussed on the competition currently being played in Australia and New Zealand.  There are many other cricket competitions going on throughout the world at the moment too, and #2 plays in one of those.

#2 is in the local Under 12's cricket competition.  He trains twice a week formally, and plays on Saturday mornings.  His coach is fantastic and his team try their best, recently however, without much luck.

Not too long ago, there was a district competition and he was selected in one of the 'A' teams.  Without a doubt, this was the highlight of his life so far.  With this selection comes the opportunity to be selected for the district development squad, which has been his goal since picking up a cricket bat for the first time 18 months ago.

Undoubtedly, he was in a side with 11 other talented young cricketers, playing against other talented young cricketers from surrounding districts - competition was going to be tough.  So how did he go?  He played three games over the long weekend and was dismissed for 3, 7 and a duck (zero for the uninitiated).  Bowled two overs which resulted in a runout, kept wickets for 10 overs and affected a 'direct hit' runout from his fielding.  Not a bad first effort at district level.

Each of the three games consisted of 36 overs per side (a total of 108 in the weekend).  The coach saw fit to sit #2 on the sidelines for 22 of these overs, far more than any other player (some of which were not sat off at all) - you are only allowed 11 players on the field Katy any time, and this team had 12.  Every other player bowled at least 3 overs per game, and every other keeper had at least 18 overs behind the stumps to prove themselves.  His batting positions were 9, 7 and 10 respectively.

What explanation did the coach offer #2 for this seeming lack of opportunity?  None - hence this post.  All the coach could offer me was that he was a "polite young man".  Now, he paid his fees like everyone else, turned up to training more than some of the others, so I can only be left to draw my own conclusions as to this inequitable behaviour on the part of the coach.  It must be that #2 is simply not up to district standards.  either that, or the coach was all about the win.  Unfortunately for the coach, the "Coaches Code of Behaviour" for the Association states in black and white 3.6 - "Avoid overplaying talented players; all young players need and deserve equal time, attention and opportunities".  The coach was unable to provide an adequate explanation (indeed any) as to why he ignored this rule.  I have taken it up with the association, and am awaiting a response.

For the record, statistically, #2 is ranked 10th in the competition for all players (about 130) this season.  He averages 22.7 with the bat and 18.3 with the ball.  He has scored over 130 runs this so far this season.

Now I know I am a proud dad, but when your child is sat out for the fourth time in the weekend and says in tears, "What has this bloke got against me?",  you have to act.  If a 12 year old can see the inequity of the situation, then surely the adult coach must as well.

Well that's my rant, should I ever hear anything back from the association, I will update this post.

Until next time,

CfB

#27. OK Hannah, your turn ...

As I said in my last post, the next one will be focussed around Hannah.  I believe I am a man of my word, and another key tenet of leadership is to follow through on what you say you are going to do.

So for what it is with, here I go ...

Self perception a big issue for most people, if not all.  At some stage of our life, I feel we all succumb  to negative external and/or internal factors that create doubt for and about ourselves.  I know I certainly fall into that category.  Given that all of our circumstances are unique, it would be wrong of me to generalise here with what I about to write, so I will try not to.

Let's take Hannah for example.  In her late teens, tackling what I would consider to be a pretty tough uni degree, so clearly we have here a person of considerable intellect.

From what I have seen of her artwork, we have a seriously talented person here, considering she is self taught.

I had cause to ask her a question about my blog and she was straight onto it with help and advice.  For me, this says I am dealing with a person who has compassion, empathy and genuinely likes to help others.

I could keep going, but this will suffice for a snapshot.

So let me summarise what we have so far:

• intellect
• talent
• creativity
• compassion
• empathy
• selflessness

Not a bad list to begin with.

Finding time to make all of this happen, as well as being a daughter, friend, and probably a colleague would challenge most people.  So I think I will add excellent time manager to the list too.

In all of this, I see one thing missing - Hannah having time for Hannah.  I could be wrong, but here could be part of the self perception issue - not investing time in yourself.

Investing time in oneself is absolutely essential to keep you in balance.  Taking a bit of personal time to take stock of where you are going, and not neglecting where you have been is just so important!

If I can see these qualities, those people Hannah associates with certainly will too.  Some will be supportive, most ambivalent, and some jealous.  It is this last category that we all tend to focus on.  So much negative energy wasted when we could be doing something more productive.  The challenge as I see it is to rise above the negative self talk, and maybe that from others as well.

To do this, I look back at the list of qualities that I have made about myself and tell myself that I am a good person.  When the negative self talk kicks in, I try to use that as a way to improve myself.  All in all, the message here is to not be too hard on yourself, and treasure the things about you that make you you.  Others treasure those things about you - why shouldn't you?

Until next time,

CfB

Solidarity with Precious

One of the unexpected joys of joining the blogging world was meeting amazing people.  I naively thought that I would post my posts out there into the ether and folk would read them.  How much richer I have become because this is so not the case!

Two young bloggers in particular have caught my attention, one I shall call Hannah, and the other Precious.  There is nothing special about this in and about itself, except that within hours of each other (on opposite sides of the world) posted on their blogs about very similar themes.

Precious posted about bullies and Hannah posted about self perception.  I thought it would be appropriate to support them both publicly as I have privately.  In this post, I will focus on Precious, and in the next, Hannah.

First and foremost, they are both strong young women in their own right, making their way in the world as best they can, and the have my respect for that as everyone who makes the most of what they have does.  What connects them for me is the concept that they either have and/or are having feelings of inferiority (for want of a better word) because of other people.  And quite simply, that sucks!

I have never met either of these ladies personally, but what I read in their posts (and between the lines) is that they are strong women who will go far in their worlds, and all power to them.

The rest of this post is directed at Precious, but Hannah, it is for you too if you think it has merit for you.

I have had my share of self doubt which was encouraged by others (as no doubt we all have), but I got through it because I had a strong, but gentle person in my life who was my father.  It is from him primarily that I believe I developed my inner strength.  Now Dad was a member of the elite Australian SAS Regiment during the Borneo and Vietnam Wars and rose to be a very senior NCO.  As such he was a recognised special leader, and a tough one - except he did not lead as a tough guy, he led his troops by building them up.  He had no time for those who led by bullying others, he took them down instead.

Now Precious is a leader in the making, of that I have no doubt. Leadership is not something you are born with, I would quite happily tackle anyone on that issue.  Leaders either lead because they have to, or because they want to.  I think if you want to be a leader, you need to be damned sure of what and why you want to lead.  I feel that Precious has a pretty good idea about this, just feels she is too young to be effective.  You are never too young to start honing your skills.

For everybody out there reading this (as well as Precious) if leadership is what you aspire to (as I do, and have achieved), my advice (via my father) is to make your sole focus is to "Look after those smaller than you".  That advice can take on many forms, and it should.  I am still learning what it means.  Ultimately, you are there to lead people, not use them as a step ladder to the next promotion.  Give credit to your subordinates - that only ends up making you look good and them perform better.  The piece of advice I would give personally is "Make sure others can do your job as well as you can".  This means bringing on your subordinates and making yourself redundant in your job.  Others may call it "Succession Planning", I call it demonstrating trust and faith in others.

If you aspire to be a leader because of the "power" it gives you, you are not a leader, never will be, forget it - forever.

Precious, you are you, and you are the only you there ever will be.  Make sure that when you get up in the morning to face whatever challenges the day may present, you face them as the best version of you that you can be.  When times get tough, as they will, stay true to yourself and remember that "This too shall pass".

You are amazing and will make your way in the world, as you are doing now.  When walls are put up in front of you by others, either go over them, under them or around them.  If all else fails, blow them up and go through them.  Remember that you have friends and they will always be there to support and guide you.

Oh, and Rule #1 of being a leader?  Be a good follower.

Until next time,

CfB

The Joy of Online Shopping

Like most people on the planet it seems, I am a very time poor individual.  I am at work by 6.30am and don't get home until 4.00pm or after on most days.  Once at home, I need to wind up for the taxi service for the kids' sporting commitments, organise dinner and so on.  Then on the weekends, lots of time is committed to the kids' sporting commitments again, just in time to hit Sunday night to collapse into bed and start it all again the next week.

Sound familiar?

I don't begrudge doing any of what I have just relayed, and as such, I am always on the lookout for ways to save some precious time.  This is why I am so surprised that I had not discovered online shopping before!

Sure, I am familiar with eBay and the like, I have been using the Internet to make purchases for years.  I saw an ad on TV the other week for online supermarket shopping, and thought I would give it a go - what could it hurt?  If I didn't like it, I have lost nothing.

About 30 minutes later, the weekly shopping was done and my delivery window booked for the next day.  I was like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for the delivery to see if it met all the expectations the online supermarket had set.

On time the next day, the shopping was delivered.  Everything was there, the frozen goods were frozen, the bread packed separately, the fruit and veg were as I would have chosen in the supermarket and, oh, did I mention that they also delivered beer?

No standing in the checkout line, no dodgy shopping trolleys, no having to drive there and back so no car park hassles - this seemed too good to be true!  So I gave it another go - same results, but this time, the eggs arrived with all 12 in the carton intact.

I am now officially hooked and I would estimate that online shopping saves me at least two to three precious hours a week  Two hours a week to mow the lawns and do the multitude of other little jobs around the house which have been neglected - much to the other half's delight.

Thank you Woolworths Online, you are a time saver without doing someone out of a job - I cannot recommend you highly enough!

Until next time,

CfB

Getting fit - bit by (buy) phone

It is FINALLY here!  My Fitbit Surge has finally arrived and is on my wrist.  I have been waiting for this day for exactly a month, a month since I pre-ordered it online.

It has been about two months since my UP band gave up the ghost (pardon the pun), clearly highlighting a design flaw in the UP band that I had not considered when I bought it mid way through last year.  Having your product fully enclosed in rubber is a fantastic idea to protect the mechanisms from shock and keep it a bit waterproof, but rubber stretches, and over time, it stretched to a point that the button was difficult to use, and the vibration alerts (such as the daily alarms) were not being felt.  This was a bit of a bummer really as i was quite fond of my UP.

I thought about replacing it with another UP, but by then, word was out about the new Fitbit Surge - complete with heart rate monitor - exactly what I was looking for - as well as the ability to function as a watch.  My dream piece of monitoring equipment was on the way.  I could finally think about getting rid of my chest heart rate monitor and combine both concepts (activity tracker and heart rate monitor) into one.

So far, the Surge has fulfilled its intended role, even if the "dashboard" that collates all of your stats takes a bit of getting used to after the UP.  This works fine on my laptop, but here is the thing - the app for the Surge and my iPhone 4 are not compatible.

Because of this Bluetooth 4.0 thing that seems to be the rage these days, my iPhone does not have, I cannot use it to real time monitor my stats when working out.  Yes, I know - this is a "First World Problem", but is it all part of clever marketing by these big companies (i.e.- planned obsolescence)?  Or maybe I am being cynical and it is just that my phone is old and out of date.

No, I don't think I am being cynical, my phone works just fine.  In fact, I like my iPhone, it does what I want it to (all except for monitoring my Surge).  But I like my Surge too, and I bought it because it does what I want it to.  I am of the considered opinion that technology is moving just quickly enough to continue to part us from our hard earned cash in the pursuit of continued compatibility.

On the upside though, at least now I have a machine that can tell me I have had a bad nights sleep, just in case I was in any doubt to begin with.

Anyway, time to go now.  According to Fitbit's dashboard on my laptop, I have three more flights of stars to walk up before I go and buy a new phone.

Until next time,

CfB

Elvis to the Rescue

Time for a bit of a rant!  The serial arsonist that I made comment on in an earlier post has been at it again in the Bertram area with a massive bushfire yesterday started under suspicious circumstances.

It was forecast to be a 41 degree day yesterday with high winds - an arsonist's dream, and the public's worst nightmare.

Fortunately, DFES was onto the fire almost immediately, and it is only their intervention that prevented loss of life and property.  But what are the other costs associated with this act of arson?

The freeway (the major road in the Perth metropolitan area) was closed in both directions which created chaos on the roads for commuters trying to get home at the end of their day (as I write this post, the freeway is still closed).  That cost thousands of people hours each.

Running the aerial support for the ground fire crews is not an inexpensive exercise.  Yesterday's act of arson cost the taxpayer thousands of dollars.

The volunteer fire crews who were called away from their usual place of employment to fight this fire would have cost their employers thousands of dollars in lost productivity.

Then there is the cost to the environment.  This is the third deliberately lit fire in "The Spectacles" this summer.  The Spectacles is a nature reserve and home to countless wildlife.  It would be impossible to say how much native flora and fauna was lost yesterday and in the previous two instances.

I could keep going with regard to the indirect costs of arson.  But we haven't seen the biggest cost yet - fortunately!  Eventually, these acts of arson are going to cost someone their life.  Either a member of the public, or one of the firefighters defending the population.  Either way, it will be a dark day when that happens.  I say when, because the law of averages says that it will happen eventually.

I have inserted a photo of "Elvis" in action yesterday, one of the Sky Cranes that does such a magnificent job in fighting bushfires every year.

Until next time,

CfB

Weekends are Precious Things!

Once upon a time, I knew what a weekend was.  The last time I had one was in the BC era (before children).  The thing is, I cannot remember what I used to do with them!

Take this last weekend as a classic case in point.  We were the 'away' team for #2's cricket competition on Saturday, and the game was against the side furtherest away from us.  Essentially, this translated into a 6.00am get up, to be out of the door by 6.45 for an 8.00am start to the match.

So, the game ends about midday (and unfortunately we lost in a close one), so you then have to do the reverse trip and are home at around 1.00pm.  Time to throw down some lunch and get the BBQ (griller in other parts of the world) lit to put the roast on for dinner.  Once that is on, it is time to coach #1 through the process of making a red wine reduction to go with the roast.

Before I know it, it is time to get the roast off the BBQ to rest and eat dinner.  All of a sudden it is 7.30pm and I am ready for bed (I must be getting old)!

Fall out of bed on Sunday to get ready to take #2 to district cricket training.  Not as far as Saturday's journey, but still adds up to another hour or so in the car to get there and back.  BOOM! Sunday blown out of the water.  Get home in time to start cooking dinner (an excellent smoked cod and corn chowder if you were interested).  Throughout this, we are sitting down with #1 watching an adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew", to assist with his school work.  It gets to 8.30pm and I am off to bed again because of a 7.30am meeting at work on Monday morning.

Now please understand that I am not complaining about any of this because I got everything done that I needed to and managed to get a couple of beers in as well.  But having said that, I sometimes don't know where the weekend goes, and more importantly, what I ever used to do with them before.

But the best part of the weekend was that I was able to spend some quality time with both kids as a dad.   This is what weekends are all about as far as I am concerned - time for family and friends.

We have a long weekend coming up next weekend (Monday is a public holiday in WA).  Three days to go and watch #2 play cricket and spending some time with #1 in the kitchen - simply perfection!

Until next time,

CfB

Social Media is tough!

I am fairly new to this whole social media thing, and as I have said in an earlier post, I do not do Facebook - it's simply not my thing.

What I have set up is this blog and a Google+ page, as well as a Twitter account.

The reasons for this were also outlined in an earlier post.  What has intrigued me is just how tough it can be.

Let's take "followers" for example.  As I have discovered, it is relatively easy to gain followers on Google+.  Add a few circles and get yourself added to a few, and it quickly racks up the numbers.  I started my Twitter feed and blog on the same day, and it has been interesting to compare the three.

My Google+ "followers" are currently 309 (at the time of writing this post).  Most of these wonderful people have come on board in the last week or so.  My Twitter "followers" are at 19, and blog followers is zero.

Now, I am not delving into social media as some sort of warped way of feeling important.  I am quite secure within myself and my self esteem is just fine.  I have not ventured into social media because I feel that my voice or opinions are any more important than anybody else's.  That doesn't mean to say that I don't want to voice them occasionally.

I am quite surprised at how different the social media platforms all are.  I have to admit, I look at my Twitter feed quite frequently because the nature of my work does not allow for a radio to be on for most of the day, and I am a news junkie.  My Google+ would be second and this blog would be third, purely because I do not post every day.

So what makes Google+ so different from Twitter and Blogspot?  Why does it appear to be more difficult to gain a following on Twitter?  I am beginning to think that it has to do with the immediacy of Twitter as opposed to the longer term nature of a blog post.

For what it is worth, my Twitter feed is @real_chooka and I would be more than happy to follow you back, because that is one of the ways I learn more about the world.

Until next time,

CfB

Where there's life, there's hope!

I feel that I have to write this post to add my voice, however small, to the national outcry against the impending execution of two Australian citizens in Indonesia.

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were found guilty of drug smuggling in Indonesia nine years ago.  They have been on Death Row ever since, and the Indonesian authorities have cleared the way to carry out the executions soon - nobody knows exactly when.

Nobody denies the guilt of these two men (and their seven accomplices), and it is a well known fact that drug smuggling can attract the death penalty in Indonesia.  One can further argue that, as a sovereign nation, Indonesia is completely within its rights to structure their laws as they see fit.

That does not mean that we have to agree with them.

Australia is a country that does not have the death penalty.  We once did and the last execution was carried out in the late 1960's.  As a country we do not agree with the death penalty and actively promote alternatives throughout the world.    These two men made a huge mistake in trafficking drugs, and we all know that the drugs they were smuggling could very well have killed many users on the streets.  None of that is deniable, but the price the are about to pay for that mistake is way too high.

They were young men then, and all young men take stupid risks (be it speeding in a car or drink driving or whatever), and most of the time, we got away with them.  It does not appear that these two men will get way with theirs.

As far as I am concerned, these two men can spend the rest of their lives in jail for the crime they committed.  I despise drugs and those who peddle them.  I cannot help but think that a very lengthy sentence in an Indonesian prison would be no holiday and punishment enough.  State sanctioned murder is not the answer.

Last month, Indonesia executed six individuals convicted of various drug related crimes - five of them international citizens.  I can only hope and pray that our diplomatic efforts will be enough to spare their lives, but I doubt it.  Indonesia seems intent on sending a very clear message to the world that you will pay a very heavy price for smuggling drugs through their country.  It seems somewhat hypocritical to me that the Indonesian authorities are quite happy to turn a blind eye to their citizens who openly traffic people through their borders.

Where there is life, there is hope.  I will continue to hope and pray that Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran will be spared.

Until next time,

CfB

Australian Politics Soap Opera Style - Part 2

In my last post, I related a little of how our current federal politicians are faring, which, needless to say, is about as well as any other kid in a schoolyard.  The broad topic of this post is politics at a state level.

Australia is the most governed society in the developed world to the best of our collective knowledge.  Not only do we have a federal government, each state and territory (six states and two territories) has its own state government, and then under that, we have local government.  It is an ongoing spat between the Western Australian state government and its local governments that has caused much angst over the past year or so.  It finally came to a head last weekend, but the ongoings at the federal level relegated this post to second place (see Part 1 of this story below to refresh your memory).

The Perth metropolitan area has 30 local governments within it, and the state government decided that it only wanted 15 or so, so it passed legislation to 'force' local governments to either merge, or in some cases, change their boundaries.  There was no consultation with either the local government authorities or the population at large, so as Australians are want to do, we got a little bit annoyed and said "NO!" to the impending changes.

The state government eventually conceded to allowing those rate payers in areas proposed to be amalgamated a vote (in effect a referendum) on whether we wanted to amalgamate or not.  In order to overturn the governments decision, 50% of eligible voters had to vote, and 50% + 1 had to say "No" to the amalgamation.

Now, voting in federal and state elections is mandatory in Australia, but local government matters are optional, and as such, if we (being Australians) don't have to do something, then generally we don't.  The state government was banking on this historical perspective to get their legislation passed.

An overwhelming voter turn out resoundingly voted "No" on February 7, and as such, the amalgamations were defeated and the state government was forced to back down.  In true politician style, the Premier of WA (Colin Barnett) has had a massive sulk session this week, and is refusing to compensate the local government authorities for the millions of dollars they were forced to spend by the state government to attempt to meet their draconian legislative requirements.

Oh well, a phyrric victory of sorts - we get to keep our local government just the way it is.  The local ratepayer will have to foot the bill (as usual) but it is worth it to let our government know that proper consultation is a far better method of getting your way than attempting to bully your voters into submission.  We don't like that.

However, we are all eternally grateful that we live in a country where we can have our voice heard and respected by our governments should we choose to exercise it.

Until next time,

CfB

Australian Politics Soap Opera Style - Part 1

The casual outside observer could be forgiven for thinking that Australian federal politics is a soap opera, played out on national television every night for the nations enjoyment.  Now I know that Australian politics does not really rate as an exciting topic in Australia, let alone the rest of the world, but it really is fascinating if you get into it.

Australia is without a doubt, one of the (if not THE) most successful democracy on the planet.  We are pretty much the only democracy that was not born out of a revolution, and while its machinations are a bit clunky, it has worked exceedingly well since Federation (January 1, 1901).  It is within this context that the last couple of years of federal politics are simply baffling.

We have a Westminster System of government here in Oz, which means the people vote for a local candidate, and the party with the most candidates elected forms government.  Whichever party that is (currently the Liberal Party, a rough equivalent of the US Republicans) has a party leader, and this person becomes the Prime Minister (sort of like the US President).  This person is elected by the party - not directly by the population.  It staggers me that we very nearly had our fifth PM in twenty months earlier this week with the attempt to spill the Liberal Party leadership on Monday, which failed to get up, but it is only a matter of time for the PM, who is mortally wounded in a political sense.

Quite simply, our federal politicians have lost the plot over the last couple of years and seem to have forgotten that they were elected to govern the country, not look after themselves.  Case in point, the current PM (Tony Abbott) making a "Captain's Call" to confer an Australian Knighthood on Prince Phillip (yes, that's right - the Queen of England's husband).  Just think about that for a minute.  Prince Phillip cannot really refuse to accept the 'honour', but who gives it to him?  For those unaware, the Queen is still Australia's sovereign, so I really cannot see who the Prince is to bow down to, to receive his knighthood - sheer madness.

I don't often stray into the political debate - my views are my own and I think that is where they should stay.  I am writing this post to give the world at large the heads up that is they are looking for a good laugh on TV, seek out Australian federal politics and have a look.  It strikes me that our politicians have suffered from 'Relevance Deprivation Syndrome' over the summer recess, probably born out of the typical Australian attitude of not caring about politics.

This has been a very small snapshot of what has been going on at the federal level in Australia lately. In my next post, I will bring you up to speed on what has been going on at a state level.

Until next time,

CfB

Californication - Yes in Australia

I was sitting out the back the other night indulging one of my passions (when I should have been in bed), which is storm watching.  We had a ripper electrical storm going overhead, and courtesy of growing up in Papua New Guinea and Darwin, I have always had a love of storms.  I was tweeting out a running commentary of the storm from a Bertram perspective (@real_chooka) with a few others from around Perth, one of whom has the handle of "Ocean Breeze".

That got me to thinking of one of my favourite songs, "My California", by Beth Hart ("Ocean Breeze" is a musician you see) which has the line, "I wanna feel the ocean breeze", in the lyrics.  That further got me thinking that I miss Hank Moody and all of the quirky characters from that great TV series, "Californication".

Californication is one of my favourite TV shows, and I have been known to binge watch a season or two in a day.  Putting the gratuitous sex and sometimes extreme language to one side, I really enjoyed the complex and flawed characters that populated the show.  It was difficult to like Hank, but I found it really difficult to actively dislike him too.  I guess, he is the ultimate "man child", a modern day Peter Pan - the boy who never grew up.

Karen, Hank's 'on again, off again' partner is an equally flawed character whose back story is nicely developed as the seasons go on.  She is glued to Hank by Becca, their daughter.

Becca is the only adult in the series, which is really ironic because she is about 13 in Season 1.  Her character is developed nicely during the series, but it was disappointing to have her effectively written out of the last season.

Now I can't comment on the accuracy of the life portrayed in the series as I have never lived in that part of America, but I really did enjoy the way the script and the cinematography drew you intimately into the personal aspects of the characters "lives".

My darling bride has bought me the successive seasons on DVD over the years, and now that there will be no more, I am certain that 'God Hates Us All' (bad Californication pun!).  I resolved two things as the storm was passing: 1.  to go to bed, and 2.  begin Californication again from Season 1 this weekend.

I can thoroughly recommend Californication to you (provided you don't mind some extreme language and sex scenes).

The weekend is here, let Season 1 begin.  Hello Hank, Karen and Becca, I missed you!

Have you watched Californication?  If so, I would love to hear your views.

Until next time,

CfB 

When two worlds collide

I was down at the local supermarket the other day picking up a few things I needed to feed the 'screaming hordes of Babylon' back home for dinner.  This was just your typical Saturday morning, then fate intervened.

I just love moments in your life that are totally unexpected, yet fill your heart with joy.  One of those moments occurred to me that day.  It was the perfect fusion of two of my great loves - Guinness and chips!

I was so completely overwhelmed by the abject genius of this discovery that I just stood there and stare at them, - adoringly stared at them.  It was if the whole universe made sense at that very moment!

What was a Guinness loving bloke to do?  Almost forgetting what I was at the supermarket for, I hurriedly grabbed the items I needed, and delicately selected a packet of this heavenly fusion and put them in the trolley.  Deciding I might need a couple of packets to be sure I liked them, I grabbed some more and headed to the checkout.

Serendipitously, there is a bottle shop next to the supermarket.  Guinness flavoured chips need Guinness as surely as night follows day.  What was a Guinness loving bloke supposed to do?  Well, the carton was on special, so that makes it better value than just buying a few cans right?,  So into the trolley one went - nice and cold, straight out of the cool room.  I normally stop and have a chat with Matt the bottle shop manager, but not today!  I had to get my lucky find home and show it off right away.

So I get home and burst in through the door, looking for anyone to show off to.  I came across my darling bride first.  I proudly showed her my bags of chips, grinning from ear to ear. Do you know what she said?

"This is why men should not be allowed to go shopping by themselves!"

Another two worlds just collided.

I took a photo of one of the bags to make sure I wasn't dreaming.  Here it is ...




Until next time,

CfB

A scared little dog and fate intersect?

Wow - what a drive home from work today!  I knew there was a summer storm coming, but I wasn't expecting the gates of hell to open up above my car.  Lightning was smacking into the ground next to the road and the rain was so intense that I had to pull over to the side of the road until the worst of it seemed to have passed.  I assure you that was no easy decision to make with the lightning around!

So back on the road I go, and about five minutes later the rain had eased to a light drizzle (as summer storms are want to do in Perth).  There up in front of me on the road was a little, Maltese or Shitzu looking type dog.  Just standing there - clearly dazed by the storm.  The car in front of me swerved around the dog and I slowed to a crawl and sounded my horn.  The dog simply stood there.  Decision time again - stop and pick up the dog, or keep going.  Not a hard decision really, the dog would almost certainly have been run over if I had left it.

I got out of the car and picked up the dog.  It was shaking with fear, and probably just a little cold because it was soaking wet.  I put the dog in the passengers side of the car (on the floor because it was soaking) and got back in to the abuse of a number of other road users.

The dog was quick to jump up onto the seat and start drying itself on my seat covers.  Oh, did I mention the dog stunk?  Being unable to take it home, the only thing for it was to take it to the nearest vet.  Glad to accommodate, the Kwinana Veterinary Surgery took her in (they always have been good like that), and off home I went - ready to deodorise the car and wash the covers.

I don't post this for any other reason than I decided to leave work a little early today because of the storm.  This journey home simply served to remind me that the decisions we make have ramifications - good and potentially bad.  Maybe that scared little dog would have got run over if I didn't come across it, maybe it wouldn't have - I don't know and no-one can say.  What I can say is that a series of events and decisions conspired to put me at that place at that time, and hopefully picking that dog up was why I was there.  Either way, I have to admit it feels pretty good to have had a positive impact on the day.

Do you believe in fate, or are you a believer in coincidence?  I would love to hear your opinions on this.

Until next time,

CfB

Handing it down

Continuing with the BBQ theme of my last post ...

There comes a time when the baton does not need to be passed on to the next generation so much, as the preparation for the baton passing needs to begin.  So it is with the BBQ.  With the BBQ, it is not a baton that is passed, it is the tongs.

We are experiencing a hot summer as usual here in Perth, and one of the joys of that heat is cooking on the BBQ with beer in hand.  #1 is just about 15 years old, so it has come time to begin his initiation into manhood, and here, at Chooka's place, that begins with learning a few BBQ basics.

The most appropriate place to start this initiation most people think is with the humble sausage.  I have to disagree with this.  Starting with sausages makes sense from a financial point of view, because if the junior chef burns them, it doesn't cost you much.  What it does do however, is ingrain the 'fiddling with the food' habit early - always turning the sausages and pushing them around the hotplate.  I prefer to start with the humble BBQ Steak.  Relatively cheap, cooks quickly and only needs to be turned once.  It looks good on the plate or in a burger - very versatile, and the sense of achievement when you have BBQ'ed your first steak for the family is palpable.

It is a proud moment when you start inducting the next generation into manhood - it continues to nurture the bond between father and son as the relationship matures.  It is a bit of a sad moment too as you are beginning to 'let go' of the nurturing hold you have had on your offspring for so long as they take their first tentative steps into adulthood.

Long may there be years of continuing to share quality time in that most secret of male rituals - cooking the BBQ.

Oh, and the steak was pretty good too.

Until next time,

CfB

BBQ Etiquette

My work colleagues and I made the decision yesterday to do something a bit different and have a barbecue for lunch.  We have the required facilities at work, so we decided to take advantage of them.

To the uneducated observer, the act of BBQing looks just like a group of blokes standing around a hotplate looking at sausages and other assorted animal products cooking away.  This is far from the truth however.  You see, this is a social ritual, fraught with danger and traps for the uninitiated.  It is "Secret Men's Business"!

As with any ritual, there is a hierarchy that must be strictly observed.  The person who suggested that we have the barbie becomes the de facto leader.  This person is easily identified because they are the one who has the tongs.  The tongs are the symbol of power.  Every other bloke wants to wield them, and the whole group knows it.  Thus, the rest of the group arrange themselves and jockey for position to be the next in line to the tongs.

The complication is, that etiquette dictates that no-one else is allowed to touch the tongs without them being handed to you.  Simply picking up the tongs is tantamount to picking up his wife and having your wicked way with her.  Social isolation and exclusion from the group is sure to follow.  If the tongs are simply put down, there they must stay there until the leader picks them up again.

If you are handed the tongs my the leader, you can assume that the leader has decreed you worthy of higher honour and supreme trust - a cherished position indeed.  New respect is won from the group and the rewards must surely follow.  This is a rare phenomenon, and one almost never observed by those outside the group.

Once the barbie has been cooked, the whole social fabric relaxes,  The last part of the ritual is to complement the tong bearer on their expert handling of the tongs and the cooking of the sausages.

There is far more to BBQ Etiquette than this, but that will do for now.

My question is, "What other bits of etiquette should be observed at a BBQ?"

Until next time,

CfB

Relief at last!

I was woken at 1.06 this morning by a very strange and unusual noise.  It was difficult to identify immediately, particularly in that haze between sleep and awake.  "That's bloody rain!", I thought to myself.  No, it couldn't possibly be.  Yep, that's definitely rain!

It has been 62 days since the rain gauge has been bothered in Perth, and whilst we only got 1.6mm where I live, the change it has brought has been absolutely amazing.

Most noticeably is the lift in people's moods.  There is more of a smile on their faces, although those faces contain bleary eyes because the associated thunderstorms were terrifically loud and woke many households.

After such a long, hot dry spell, the relief the rain has brought is palpable.  All the plants seem to have lifted and the atmosphere seems clearer.  Maybe it is just a change in perception.  This rain is certainly the main topic of conversation around the place.

Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me with her ability to refresh and renew.  The whole place certainly seems clearer and cleaner.  People's spirits have been lifted, the bird life is chirping and rejoicing in the cooler, albeit humid conditions.

Thank you Mother Nature, you have made our little patch of paradise a little more so today.

Until next time,

CfB

Where is society at?

In the aftermath of Australia Day I, like many others returned to work on a 40 degree day.  Glad to be driving home at the end of the day, I noticed a whisp of smoke in the distance.  20 minutes after getting home, I was out the door again taking #2 to cricket training.  The whisp of smoke was now a plume and there was another fire starting a little distance away from the first.  By the time 5.00pm rolled around, homes and lives were potentially under threat from what could only have been deliberately lit fires.

Not 24 hours after celebrating what it means to be Australian, someone or ones, with total disregard for anybody's safety is trying to burn the place down.

For me, it begs the question "Where is society at?" if this sort of thing continues to happen.  Every summer there is an epidemic of arson in and around Perth, and without doubt other parts of the country as well.  The potential for disaster is real, and if it wasn't for the dedicated fire fighters, career and volunteer, countless homes and probably lives, would be lost every year to these acts of wanton vandalism, which border on domestic terrorism.

The answer to that question lies in the response to these fires.  The fire fighters risk their lives going in to protect those that they don't know, and the aerial responders never cease to amaze me with the precision they attack the fires with.  For me, this is where society is at.  A community that rallies around its' own to protect it from the few recalcitrants that live in our midst.  Recalcitrants that the authorities will continue to hunt and bring them to account.

As I write this, these two fires continue to burn and the fire fighter continue to defend against them.

Not withstanding Rosie Batty's undisputed acknowledgement as "Australian of the Year", the nameless masses of firefighters who risk so much every time they respond to an incident get my vote!

Until next time,

CfB

Australia Day is here, let us rejoice ...

Well, Australia Day is here again - January 26.  Let the BBQ's cricket, drinking and fireworks begin.  And here in Perth, a balmy 37 degrees Celsius awaits us.

Rosie Batty has been announced as "Australian of the Year".  Without doubt she is a popular choice, and anybody who is familiar with her story would agree.  Domestic violence is abhorrent and has no place in any society ANYWHERE!  For those unfamiliar with her tragic story, please take the time on this day to look her up.

Hopefully, we all take at least part of the day to reflect on what it means to be Australian - and clearly that is different for all of us.  I would like to think that as Australians, we are grateful to live in a country where we are free to live in peace and without fear; a country where we are free to express ourselves in a multitude of ways and not be persecuted for doing so.  But above all, I hope we all enjoy the day with family and friends.

For those who are not familiar with Australia Day, this is the day that the Australian nation celebrates the anniversary of the first permanent European colony established in 1788.  The primary purpose for this colonisation was that England needed another place to dump her criminals after the American Revolution closed that door to her some twelve years earlier.

In the 220+ years since that day, the Australian nation has well and truly punched above her weight on the international stage - wait for the ANZAC Day commemorations this year if you are in any doubt about this.  "Black Box" flight recorders, Hill's Hoists, Combine Harvesters and Dame Edna Everidge are a few other contributions to the world we can be thanked for.

This is not to say that our history does not have it's 'dark side'.  Recognition of our indigenous peoples in our constitution is chief amongst these.  Our indigenous were finally recognised as citizens in 1967, and the fight to have them recognised in the constitution as the first peoples continues.  Given that the 1967 Constitutional Referendum to recognise our indigenous peoples as citizens was an overwhelming success gives me hope that we can finally right this wrong, but as with many things in Australia, it takes time.

I'm off to fire up the barbie and have a beer now.  Might even watch the cricket, hopefully we can beat India (it's their national day today too).  So, "Australians all, let us rejoice ...", for we DO live in the best country on Earth.  I believe it is our obligation to use this gift to make our country even better.  Rosie Batty, we are with you!

"What do you think?"

Until next time,

CfB

Friends will be friends

We had a couple of friends over for dinner last night (not in the Hannibal Lecter kind of way), and all told, it was a very pleasant evening.  This is sort of an annual event which marks the end of the holiday period before we are all caught up in the maelstrom of work and the business of everyday life.

It struck me during the evening that we had been doing this for a number of years now, and whilst it is a farewell to the festive period, it is also a celebration of a friendship that has developed and endured over the years.

I am not the sort of person who feels the need to have a whole load of friends - for the most part, I am an introverted personality.  I prefer to have a smaller group of close friends to share my life with, and theirs if they choose.  I am also not into 'living in each other's pockets'.  I have my own life to lead, and if my friends know every detail of it, there is no conversation, and to that end, no privacy.  In this ever changing digital world,  I believe that privacy is something to be cherished and clung on to.  My friends respect that, and I respect that in them.

Yes, I have a Twitter account (@real_chooka), and this blog.  This is how I choose to interact with the online world.  I am a believer in us all living in one world, and these are my chosen methods for reaching out to places I could never hope to go.

I have no Facebook account.  If I ant my friends to know that I have just had a coffee, I will tell them myself, except, it is really not that important.  In no way am I implying criticism of Facebook or those who choose to use it, it's simply not my thing.

I have no idea what those friends are up to right now, and they have no idea that I am writing this.  In fact, in all probability, they do not know this blog exists.  For me, this is the way it should be - something to talk about later.

What are your views on friendship?  I would appreciate your input.

Until next time,

CfB

Second Hand Books

I indulged one of my passions yesterday - second hand book shopping.  For me, this is one of the truly simple pleasures in life.  To be able to take your time looking at a massive array of pre-owned books on every imaginable topic, from the esoteric to the popular.  A place where a 70 year old book can be sitting next to a two year old book on the shelf.  A place where a long out of print title might be found.

Oh, and did I mention that they are pretty cheap?  I like the concept of recycling in general, and a second hand book shop to me is like a recycling centre.  I am grateful to the people who sell their old and unwanted books to a second hand book shop rather than throw them out.  It breathes new life into the books when they find their way to another home.

I find something distasteful about throwing out a book.  Somebody originally bought the book, either for themselves or as a present for someone they considered important.  Whatever the reason, there was thought behind the purchase, and throwing out a book to me is like throwing away that thought.  I like to think that when I buy a second hand book, that that original thought is being honoured and is being complemented by a new one.

To me, a book is a thing of beauty, and the culmination of much effort on the part of the author.  It is a window into another world, real or imagined.  Maybe a window into another time.  Take for example "Air Power", by Stephen Budiansky.  This was a ripping read about the development of the aeroplane as a weapon of war that I never knew existed.  I found it a fantastic holiday read for $10. A 518 page first edition hard cover in pristine condition.  Not to everyones taste I wouldn't think, but a great example of a quality read on a topic I enjoy for next to nothing.

The question I would like to ask is, "Are books still important today, or are they a thing of the past, a relic from a pre-digitised world?"

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts.

Until next time,

CfB

A Resolution for the New Year ...

After being away from home for the best part of the last month, I have to say that it is great to be home.  It is great to sleep in my own bed and be surrounded by all the familiar things in my life.  I never cease to be amazed at how quickly the set and established routines of my home life retake centre stage after being away, and up until now, I have never questioned that that should be so.

Maybe it is just a stage of life, but I am finding that I am increasingly questioning many things that I have previously accepted as "just the way things are".  That is not to say that there is anything inherently wrong with how life is travelling along, but I am wondering if there is a better way.

Take "New Year's Resolutions" as an example.  They seem to be a pretty common thing that lots of people do, myself included, but after a couple of weeks, I find that they fade into the maelstrom of 'normal' life, and are barely considered again until the next new year.

So why do we wait until the new year to take stock of where we are 'at' and make some decisions about what we want to be different?  The second that marks the difference between December 31 and January 1 is no more or less significant than any other of the 31, 536, 000 seconds in a year.  To my mind, any resolutions that we make need to be made at the point in the year that they need to be made to be effective.

I am in the middle of doing the standard data review of performance during the previous year at work.  It is the same questions being asked, and I am suspecting with increasing certainty that the same answers will be arrived at, whereby achieving nothing.  Albert Einstein once famously said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  So I am wondering if work is asking the right questions to analyse previous performance in an attempt to improve future performance.  The bigger question for me is "Why do we wait until the end of the year to determine if we are doing a good job?"  Surely we should be constantly reviewing things to seek improvement?

I believe that this kind of thinking could be applied in all areas of my life.  That is what I resolve to have a crack at this year.  Does that make sense?

Until next time,

CfB

Thank you Peter Greste

I have been incensed for quite some time by the abjectly abhorrent treatment of Peter Greste and his Al Jazeera colleagues at the hand of Egyptian authorities for some time now, and in the time honoured conservative Australian manner, I have kept my views to myself.  I have been thinking about this over the last few days, and I have come to the conclusion that Peter Greste is perhaps the overarching factor in this blog coming to life.

I do not believe that what I have to say is of any more or less value than anything anyone else has to say, but I do believe in the right to say it (freedom of speech if you will).  I further believe that we all have the right to say it in safety, even if those around us do not agree with it.  Essentially, if you do not agree with what I have to say, feel free not to listen.

I further believe that I have a responsibility to be mindful regarding what I say.  Deliberate mistruths or distortion of fact can be damaging, and as such needs to be guarded against.

Nothing that Peter Greste or his colleagues said or did can in any way be construed as deliberate mistruth or distortion of the facts.  When the Egyptian regime reacted the way it did, and continues to do, to me says that Peter Greste was reporting inconvenient truths that, in time honoured dictatorial fashion, the Egyptian authorities attempted to gag in as thuggish a manner as possible.  All they have managed to do is highlight the manifestly unfair treatment of those who have a responsibility to report the truth, and they have inadvertently given many others a voice to proclaim loud and strong the mistreatment of innocent people.

I am one of those people.

Thank you Peter Greste!

Until next time,

CfB

A little good news please?

Let's face it - bad news sells.  Around the world recently we have had Air Asia losing a plane and all souls on board, a murderous rampage by terrorists in Paris, massacres in Nigeria and on the local front, savage fires on the northern Perth fringe in Bullsbrook.  It seems that the world is full of bad news, and not a very nice, if not downright dangerous place to be.

Good news may not sell, but it does make a refreshing change.  To my mind, it all comes down to the way we look at some of these stories.  Without a doubt, much of what is reported is tragic and this should never be underestimated or ignored, but I wonder what would happen n if we looked at some stories from the other side of the coin.

Take the Bullsbrook fires as case in point.  We could focus on the devastation of the fire, or one of the most striking examples of the Australian spirit of hundreds of volunteers, as well as career fire fighters coming together and risking a great deal to protect the lives and property of vulnerable community members that in many cases are complete strangers.

We could focus on how dedicated government agencies work seamlessly together to ensure as best they can the safety of our community at large.

This sort of thing goes on all around the world every day.  To me, it is a matter of perspective.  What is going on in your community that could be represented differently by the media?  I would love to know.  Feel free to let me know in the comments section.

Until next time,

CfB

An open question ...

I find that when you are sitting on a plane for five or so hours and the movies that they show just don't grab you, you have finished the book you took with you, and the person next to you is asleep, all you have left to do is think.

I have had a fair bit going on in my head recently, and one question that has popped up for reasons yet unanalysed is this ...

"Where do you draw the line between putting others' interests first and putting your own interests first, without being either a doormat or selfish?"

I have to admit that I simply do not know the answer to this question.  Putting other people first is a quality that both my wife and I consider important, and as such we reinforce this with our kids.  I guess I am a little worried that if I cannot always get the distinction right in my own life then I don't know if I am teaching the 'right' balance to my kids.

I would love your input to this question.  Please leave your thoughts in the comments section.  I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Until next time,

CfB

Going Home

We are sitting at the airport now, waiting to board our flight home.  We have had to call a premature end to our holiday due to a bereavement in the family.  Whilst getting home to be with family is the undisputed priority here, this holiday will have my wife's words echoing in my ears for eternity ...

"Do we need travel insurance?", she politely inquired about two weeks before we left.

"No, I think we will be fine.", was my reply.  When you put that out there into the universe, I guess you are just tempting fate.

So what started out as a fantastic way to end 2014 and see in 2015 with my family, will, in time I suspect continue to be viewed that way, just for the moment my feelings towards this trip are experiencing severe turbulence.  The "Fasten Seatbelt" sign has gone on and the pilot is sounding a little nervous on the intercom.

Like all turbulence, it will come to an end and the plane will land safely.

And then there is the funeral to get through.  I suspect there is more turbulence ahead ...

Until next time,

CfB

About Me

Having previously stated that this is not narcissistic, I think it only fair to put out there a little bit about me so those of you who take an interest in this blog might be better able to see the angle from which I view the world, and hence, am coming from.

I am married with two children - both boys.  I enjoy most things, some particular favourites are beer, food (and cooking), music and hanging out with friends.

As I write this, I am also enjoying watching the first day of the fourth cricket test between Australia and India from the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

I do feel the need to state upfront that should I mention, review, praise (or indeed the opposite) any product or service (such as a particular brand of beer, for example) I am in no way being paid by anyone, or otherwise offered inducements for a particular commentary.  Any and all views expressed in this blog are mine alone (unless otherwise clearly stated), and I alone take responsibility for said views.

Now that that is out of the way, I will let you go and post my first proper blog post shortly.

Cheers,

CfB

Welcome to the blog

Welcome one and all to the blog of Chooka from Bertram.

This is not a narcissistic attempt to immortalise myself, rather the simple musings  of a middle aged Aussie bloke and how he views and interacts with the world around him.

I certainly welcome your comments - good and bad.

I plan to blog on a wide variety of topics, and as I work out how to use this thing effectively, I plan to categorise my blog posts to make it easier for you to follow topics that are of particular interest to you.

Welcome once again, and may you find something of interest to you.

CfB