Jagged Thoughts

That’s right it’s now 2010 if you didn’t realise. The thing I find with the beginning of a new year, is you tend to look back on the previous year. You start to notice all the things you accomplished, the things that went wrong, what you need to concentrate on this year. The things to concentrate on this year… ahhh yes new years resolutions. I hate using the term new years resolutions. Because most people that make ‘new years resolutions’ seem to just forget about them or lose motivation within a month or two.

So instead I’m going to refer to it as ‘refreshing my goals’. I always have goals I want to achieve, but sometimes I go a bit off track. The new year is a chance to re-assess where I’m at, are my goals still relevant, are they what I want, how close am I to achieving them, what do I need to do to achieve them.

I have two major goals at the moment. The first is to manage my money better, by doing a few different things, I’m not going to go into any detail right now. The second is to get back into a regular gym routine, and build some muscle, which I started last week and enjoying. So far it’s a pretty good start to the new year!

I was driving into work this morning, traffic was slow for no apparent reason, but on the positive side the weather was fantastic. Sitting in traffic with the windows down, sunroof open, ahhh even in stop start traffic on the freeway it was pretty nice. I’m sort of in my own little world, listening to tunes, and then I notice a ladybug has joined me on my quest to work. He’s just sitting there relaxing on the car dash, I decide to call him Fred, Big Red Fred.

I spent the entire trip watching Fred. First he crawls to the right of the dash, and then to the left side, and then flies on to the windscreen and walks up it, then back down on to the dash and just chills there for a while. A bit later he decides to come back over to my side and sit directly in front of me looking at me, and then goes for another windscreen walk before finding a place to sit on the dash again.

Once we get into the inner city, he decides to check out the view, just buzzes over to the passenger doortrim, and sits on the top gazing out the window – just like a dog hanging it’s head out the window. But a bit further down little lonsdale he spots his destination, melbourne central. He jumps from the window and happily buzzed inside. He didn’t mention what he was doing, but my guess is shopping at general pants and then grabbing some starbucks.

Really it’s just a great day… I feel great!

I for once went to bed at a reasonable time last night and had a good sleep, so this morning coffee was more just a want rather than a NEED. I actually feel awake instead of half asleep! And the weather today is just awesome, it’s a nice spring day, not hot, just a nice warmth. My muscles are slightly achy and tight from going to gym yesterday.. but it’s a good feeling. The warm weather also seems to make me eat better.. instead of craving something hot like a toasted sandwich, I feel more like eating things like sushi and juice. The weather also let me cruise into work with the sunroof open, windows down, and the new muse album blaring (which i’m going to have to review shortly). And the morning at work has been really productive, I wrote two seperate datafixes for a database I support. I don’t usually write sql datafixes, so it was pretty awarding to finish one which turned out to be reasonably complex.

Going back to juice… I tried a juice today made by ‘emma and tom’s juice’. It was this funky green colour, and made out of all natural ingredients. Thought I would give it a shot, tasting fairly good actually. But halfway through drinking it I read over the ingredients and read that it contains…. STINGING NETTLE ??? WTF emma and tom? why are you putting stinging nettle’s in your juice. Maybe my great feeling today is really just because the stinging nettle is numbing my brain. Thanks Emma and Tom!

So here’s an update on my Bronx fascination…

I ended up seeing these guys play in Melbourne on Sunday night.. and what can I say there were awesome!

The gig started off with Mariachi El Bronx.. which unfortunately I got to the gig late and only saw the last couple songs. What was most amazing is just how completely different Mariachi El Bronx are to The Bronx. From what I can tell from the two songs I saw it was just a pretty calm, fun sorta feeling to Mariachi El Bronx.

The second band to play were a Melbourne band called Ouch My Face. This band was .. well.. they were quite weird. They are fronted by a short, skinny, tiny, emo looking chick.. who sings/screams and plays lead guitar, a guy twice the size of her playing bass, and another crazy looking guy on the drums. I’m not too sure how to describe their music, experimental rock with screamo singing? I don’t know. Interesting band anyway!

After those guys played I went for a walk, it was reasonably warm for a melbourne night, so I bought a can of monster and wandered the slightly creepy city streets before heading back to Billboard (the venue).

Not long after I got back The Bronx were out.. and wholly crap! Like I said earlier the difference between Mariachi El Bronx and The Bronx is just crazy. It just felt like there was so much energy straight up, and man is this band full of energy. The singer was often crowd surfing, and at one stage singing standing from a small table in the middle of the crowd (short video I took on my phone below). He was also encouraging everyone to mosh, and jump off tables, etc. Also saw some kid getting dragged out by security, kicking and screaming halfway through the gig! haha. Anyway they put on a great performance, definitely up in one of the best gigs I’ve been too!

One thing which you will learn over time about me – if you continue to read my blog.  Is that I love anything to do with zombies!  There is just something unbelievably cool about zombies, I don’t even know what, there just is.  It can not be denied.

But my brother bought me these zombie chews lollies the other day.  While it was a nice thought, and they do look pretty cool.. they taste like absolute shit!  But to give Sweetmans some credit, they probably do taste bad enough that they’re something zombies would enjoy chewing on.

Take an unbearably sweet taste that makes your teeth feel like they’re rotting when you bite it, and blend it with an extremely sour taste that makes you feel like you’re biting into a chewy sour lemon, and you’ve got Zombie Chews!  Big thumbs down from me!

Zombie Chews

People always tell me that the internet is anti-social.  For example sitting in my room drinking a 6 pack of coronas while listening to el bronx is apparently anti-social.

But I completely disagree.. with the huge amount of different ways to communicate with people.. mainly i use windows live messenger, facebook, and good old mirc.  I’m actually much more social sitting at home on my computer than I probably am going out somewhere.  And not only that you can be much more comfortable, listen to the music you want to, you can choose how social you want to be, or who you want to be social with.

So ummm yes, the internet is social!

So, long time since I’ve posted on here, but I figure now is better than never!

I have just been listening to the newest album from the hardcore punk band The Bronx!  These guys have a very awesome sound, they’re not your typical hardcore band, they really are in a league of their own.  The come across with a very smooth sound, almost hardcore blended with rock and roll, but they’re a hard band to categorise.  You’re best bet is just to listen to them!

Now they’re newest album El Bronx is even more interesting.  The Bronx have ditched their hardcore punk sounds and decided to release an entire album in mariachi style, for those that don’t know, mariachi is a traditional mexican style of music.  If you had never heard of The Bronx before and listened to El Bronx, you would have no idea that they did play hardcore punk music.  It’s just that different to their previous albums.

But not to say that this is a bad thing, it ends up being a very nice and unique album to listen to and quite enjoyable.  Listening to the album makes me feel like drinking coronas or tequila!  And in fact I went and bought a 6 pack of coronas and relaxed drinking them to a night of listening to El Bronx!  I recommend checking out this album, mainly just to add something a bit different and fun to your collection!

Mariachi El Bronx

Well it’s been 8 years since the Sydney olympics… how time flies!  I really didn’t pay any attention to the 2004 olympics, I had to use google just to remember that it was held in Athens.  I have no idea why, but I just can’t remember anything about the Athens olympic games.

Now here we are in 2008.. Beijing are hosting the games, watching the opening ceremony as I type this.

Olympic rings (Courtesy of http://en.beijing2008.cn/)

Interestingly there has been quite a lot of controversy around the Beijing Olympics.  With issues around pollution, security and human rights… I know that quite a few people are boycotting the games.

But for some reason this year I’m really quite interested in watching…

Bring it on!!