How man seamen does is take to change a lightbulb? And other interesting shipping facts.

4!

Signatures from the duty deck officer, chief mate, and captain, and an IR to to do the changing - now that's OH&S gone crazy!

I also found out today that shipping pilots wear suits to work, which is weird since everyone else on board dresses more like this.

Update: for all those people that wonder what the hell Brent does out there for 6-8 weeks at a time... got browsing and found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Mate...excellent description (well in my landlubber opinion anyway)

Celebrity sightings

Spotted Guy Sebastion in the Hunter connection on my way back from lunch looking very trendy in knee length cut-off skin tight jeans and a beret (?!)

Soon after, spotted Morris Iemma - heading in the right direction I presume, the right direction is south on Castlereagh apparently.

Who is that mustachioed man?

This is a photo of my brothers Under 8 soccer team. Would have been taken around 1994. Check out the coach at the back... Its Borat! I didnt know he coached under 8 soccer.

Secret modeling career or doppelganger?

In da house (of representatives)

A friend in the know tells me that the latest pet names for Johnny and Peter amongst cabinet office staff are JHo and PCo.

Seen on a toilet door in the Annandale Hotel

"if you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got"

good point

Soapbox Rant: Krispy Creme

Did you know that one Krispy Creme original donut (doughnut) represents 20% of your daily calorie intake needs for one day!!! You don't need a government taskforce to figure out why we are all becoming fatty boombatties with those kind of figures!

Not only that but they are sold by the dozen! I challenge anyone to just eat one donut when confronted with a dozen glistening, fat soaked, sugar drenched suckers.

It's got to be criminal!

here endeth the rant

Supervision

Supervision

I captured these council workers on sunday afternoon in an unamed NSW country town - click on the photo to find out what it is that takes 7 people to do on overtime rates.

Leprechauns

Went into town last night for a few pints and I would just like to say, Leprechauns smell like BO!

Observations of the Inner West

The retired Italian man is a territorial creature, most often seen pacing their immaculate front gardens (guarding their tomatoes perhaps...) and wearing white chesty bonds singlets (not the cool eastern suburbs type though) teamed with suit pants (so they are ready just in case they have to go out).

What's a lovesac?

Rubbish!

Sometimes the little things make me so angry. Like when cars push in from the right turning lane to go straight on Dacy ave; or when the supermarket discontinues my favourite brand of light chocolate icecreams; or that crappy Dancing with the Stars show runs late delaying All Saints.

This morning I very nearly lost it over garbage. I ventured down to the shared bins this morning to find not only had the bins been left on the street all week, but the recycling bins were crammed full of non-recyclable garbage - the lazy buggers couldnt even walk the 5 meters to put their garbage in the right bin! It's not that difficult - there are even pictures on the bins!!! And there are no magic bin fairies to put the bins out either - it would be nice if someone else did it once in a while!!! Grrrrr!!!!!!!

Rather than take the bags and dump them on the offenders doorstep (yes I know its you number 3!), I printed out 5 copies of the Randwick council waste management guidelines - highlighted the relevant bits - like the garbage day and which colour bin for which type of garbage - and posted one for each tenant. Now if that doesn't work I may just have to move.

Feels good to vent.

The next big thing in mens fashion?

Well I don't think so - no male friend of mine would ever wear this!

Everything is gonna be okay, I take a breath, slow down and say....

Prayer for Grace - Michael Franti

Why must I feel like this today
I'm a soldier but afraid sometimes
To face the things that may
Block the sun from shinin' rays
And fill my life with shades of grey
But still I long to find a way
So today I pray for grace

I take a moment to myself
So I can myself
To feel myself
And be real myself
Life's addictions and afflictions
Cause abrasions from their friction
Sometimes, it's easier to live in fiction
I can run, but I can't hide
From the pains that
Reside deep down inside
There is no pill
That can be swallowed
There is no guru
That can be followed
There's no escapin'
From my own history
Those that I hurt,
And those that hurt me
I was dead for a million years
'Fore I was born and
I'll be dead for a million more
After I'm gone
So I live, to give somethin'
That can live on
Like the way you hum a song when the music's gone
Like the warmth on the sand
When the sun goes down
And I'm sittin' with myself
Nobody else is around but,

(chorus)

Been a long, long time
Since I been away
Been a long, long time
Since I felt this way
Been a long, long time
I found the words to say
How much I'm grateful
For my life today
'Cause under every cup
You might find a nut
Behind every corner
You might get jacked up
At the end of every rainbow,
You might find gold
The last bite of your sandwich,
Hope you don't find mould
'Cause none of us
Can live the perfect life
The kind that we see on nick at night
And sometimes, we all
Just lose sight
Of the pain that will guide us
From dark into the light
We fall down yes, but we get up,
And sometimes we just need
A little bit of love
To help make it
Through another day
Into the night, into the light,
Into a Saturday
So in the morning when I'm waitin'
For the sun to raise
And my head's a little foggy
Like I'm in a haze
I remind myself that
Everything is gonna be okay
I take a breath, slow down and say....

(chorus)

Going down the Chambermaid

Packed with public servants in the cheap end of town, the busiest part of the day coinciding with core flex hours. We used to affectionally call it the Dingo or the Lindy but minus the worn carpet, green tiles and the butch lady bartenders, the Chamberlain is now known as the Chambermaid. The workplace local has gone the way of most of the city pubs, "mutton dressed as lamb" is the phrase that comes to mind.

Regardless, we keep going back. Back for one more bottle of chardy, and another bowl of wedges served up by Stavros with the usual wink and a "welcome back ladies!"

Ornithological

Ello Cocky

I have a newly formed fascination with birds. Does this mean I am getting old?

This big boy posed for me on my balcony as I was cooking my oats. I think he was the same bird who woke me up earlier that morning with his screaching.

WTF! A warning to Mirage owners

The headlights from my car were stolen on Sunday night. Nothing else was taken and the bonnet was undamaged. How strange and annoying!

The plot thickens though, my old flatmates Mirage and another Mirage parked on the street had the same thing happen last year. Apparently the police caught the guys too. But it seems the market for 2nd hand Mirage headlights is so lucrutive that they are back their old tricks.

grrrrr