MAYBE THERE'S HOPE



Thanks for the memories.....

ARTISTRY, NOT LAZINESS



Her voice soared.. The crowd was mesmerised by the beauty of the moment... If my thoughts were somehow amplified onto a set of speakers, you probably would've heard, "This is it.. This is the one.. SHE is the one.. This is the moment we've been looking for..."

Seeing Norah Jones live at the Opera House is something I will savour for the rest of my life... You just wanted the night to go on forever... Bar that one lighting mishap, it was the perfect performance in a perfect location...

And Norah is funny, yeh? I felt like if I ever met her (it could happen!), we would become good friends... She's cheeky, but composed... She was a little ditzy (not in the Sophie Monk kinda way.. more in a Renee Zellweger ditzy kinda way).. but hey.. you can't have everything now, can you?

Fragile as a leaf in autumn
Just falling to the ground
Without a sound

Adam Levy, the guitarist, could be seen making love to the audience during his solos.. While Kevin Breit, on his first ever night with Norah, just sat there playing the steel guitar with the calmness of a seasoned professional... Just one of the many nuances that I found delightful...

The band chemistry was exceptional... The core of the group have remained together for a couple of years now, including Lee Alexander on bass... You could see that they were feeding off each other.. and you could sense their genuine love for music...

And that voice... That soulful, lusty, majestic voice... It could really bring a grown man to tears... Thanks Norah... *sniff*

The summer days are gone too soon
You shoot the moon
And miss completely

WE NEVER CHANGE, DO WE?

Spent the long weekend in Adelaide and its surrounds.. Here are some of the highlights:

• The walk to Granite Island at Victor Harbour..
  
• Marvelling at how the city centre is surrounded by parklands..
  
• Glenelg's vibrant atmosphere.. the sunset was magic..
  
• Sampling some glorious wine all along the Barossa..
  
• Strawberry picking at Hahndorf..
  
• Picnic on the banks of the River Torrens..
  
• Japanese Slipper..
  
• Strolling through the Botanic Gardens..
  
• Learning how to drive manual..

But more importantly, I'll remember this trip for realising that some things are never lost... When you're on to something special, hold on to it.. as long and as hard as you can...

THERE GOES MY HERO, WATCH HIM AS HE GOES

The more I see Dave.. the more I wanna be just like him when I grow up... I want his guitar.. his voice.. his funniness.. his haircut... Not much to ask, is it?

Last night at the Hordern, I was just metres away from my hero (for the first half anyway), as he and the boyz pumped out a series of rock classics, in a night pike is not likely to forget in a hurry...

It started off fairly ordinarily.. with The Hard Ons (the support act... wtf?) doing their darndest to make everyone's ears bleed... The word "torture" comes to mind... Felt like the time I had to survive through Bomfunk MC's while waiting for Ben Harper at the Offshore Festival a couple of years back...

We had made the decision to try to get to the very front, which we did.. but it sorta backfired on us... The crowd went ballistic when the Foos came onto the stage and ripped into "All my life I've been searching for something, something never comes, never leads to nothing"... It was just waaay too rough for my friends.. and they promptly left soon after... Me, I ploughed on.. and moshed with the marthafockers...

Aahh.. it was like the good old days...

Amidst the sweat and groping hands, though, I learnt a valuable lesson... I'm getting much too old for this!!

While trying to get what little glimpse I had of Dave, Nate and Taylor (I didn't see jack of Chris.. he was on the other side).. I pushed, jumped, wrangled my way to the front (God, was it fun!)... However, this could only last for so long.. and when I felt like I was about to go into cardiac arrest, I wisely decided to get the phuck outta there... But shit, how good was it?! Generator, Learn To Fly, Stacked Actors.. wow...

By now, I was absolutely drenched.. and as I slowly made my way to the stands to join my friends.. I could sense people looking at me and going "eewww.."

It's not really my thang, sitting down.. but it was just as well coz I felt like I couldn't stand on my own two feet... There, I pondered whether I should do this ever again... I guess time will tell...

Monkeywrench, Everlong, This is a Call, Breakout... The songs just kept on coming... Dave continued murmuring some things that seemed to make people laugh... I was still trying to catch my breath...

Anyway, good night all round... If anything, I probably lost about 5 kgs...

They didn't let me take my camera in (damn.. I should actually use those pockets on my cargos..), but I did take a pic or two of Queens of the Stone Age, who played a short acoustic set at Channel [V] in the arvo...

CHINKU-CHIBEH

Bleh.. as soon as I write about how boring the tennis has been this year, Roddick beats El Aynaoui 21-19 in the 5th set... I tuned in late, when the score was at 12-all, and I was thinking that I wouldn't mind seeing who wins this... An hour an a half later, the bloody thing is still going... Truly an amazing match...

Anyways...

I wanted to write about a dear person that over the last few months have done so much for me.. in more ways than one... ;)

It's rare that you meet someone who's so in tune with the way you think.. has similar ideals, and possess the same outlooks on life... The connection, at times, feels so strong that it's like God put this person on Earth just for little old pike...

I can't thank you enough for showing me the way... for being my buddy.. my companion.. my partner in crime.. my saviour...

Lastly... Happy Birthday!! :)

OZ OPEN

So where's the interest? I have not watched a single match this year... and I'm not about to, now that the tournament is Aussie-less... (yeh.. I wonder who's gonna win now... and a Williams sistas final? I'd like to see that..... NOT!!)

Two years ago I was down in Melbourne.. and had the bestest time... Quite possibly the closest thing to an Olympics atmosphere.. the whole city was a buzz.. and the people were all in a festive mood...

In fact, I find Melbournites friendly in general... How many times have old ladies pointed out which trams to take, and exactly where to get off? Cab drivers go out of the way to make you feel comfortable...

Victorians are a totally different breed though... They live and breathe football (AFL).. every single one of them... They identify each other by the football club that they follow... It's a little extreme.. but you gotta hand it to them... Anything that involves so much passion and commitment makes me do a big rubbery one...

Anyways.. back to the tennis... I couldn't give a toss who wins.. It's just not fun to watch no more... Even Pistol Pete has more charisma than some of the guys out there on the tour these days...

Ok, there's Andy Roddick.. and I have to admit I have a bit of a soft spot for Roger Federer... and Lleyton is still Lleyton, kicking arse for Australia... but I can't see tennis getting back to the glory days of Edberg v Becker.. McEnroe v Connors.. Fernandez v Sabatini...

Having said that.. I cannot wait to be at Wimbledon for The Championships... Grass tennis is still the best tennis to watch... and my man Federer should go all the way... If all else fails.. I'll still get out the Wallabies jersey, and cheer Lleyton on from the stands...

NINE & A HALF WEEKS

I have found it extremely hard telling the boss that I'm leaving... Why.. I'm not quite sure yet...

Never had to quit a job in my life... I thought it would be much easier than this... Am I scared? What is there to be scared of?? What is she going to say? How will she react??

The truth is.. I have already stated that I'm pissing off outta here sometime in 2003 (albeit just in passing)... Has she conveniently forgotten this little conversation we had in Brisvegas?

Today was supposed to be the day... Q-Day... and did it happen?

No..

Ok.. so maybe she was away... That IS a valid reason... but what's all this shit about being too scared to even book a flight? I mean I'm going, right? right??? (Yes, the scheduled date of departure is less than 10 weeks away, and still I have no means to get over there)..

Just accept the fact that it's happening... Why can't I do this? Why must I proceed through this life like a lost child in a shopping mall? When will I ever grow up? When will I drop the leash?

Questions rise and answers fall.. insurmountable..

ASYMMETRIC DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE

Right.. we're on ADSL now... No more complaints about not being able to get through...

6 MILES OUTTA 8

Saw 8 Mile earlier tonight.. and I have to admit.. I liked it...

Only 2 weeks ago, I hated the guy with a passion.. now I regard him as someone with "talent"... It must've been all those articles I've read, and the Eminem overload on Channel [V] and MTV...

Eminem certainly has arrived.. and whether people like it or not, I dare say that the guy will last the distance... He's not going anywhere soon, folks...

As for the movie, the Curtis Hanson influence is vastly evident.. That gritty feel was there.. and he did a good job capturing all the emotions stirred up by the story... The performances weren't too bad.. but really isn't deserving of all the Oscar talk going around... and I find Brittany Murphy extremely annoying to watch...

As an actor, Eminem can do a whole lot better.. He was well within himself, I feel... and I'd like to see him in a role where he isn't so much.. himself...

Overall, I enjoyed it... so yeh.. I give it 6 miles outta 8... Definitely worth checking out...

Peace out dawg...

RAMBLE ON

• Problem - Norah Jones and XF series finale are on the same night (let's not forget Jimmy Eat World and The Vines either)...
  
  
• Trip update - Gonna fly out straight after Yang and Julie's wedding (March 22).. Crash at Van's in Paris for a week.. Meet up with Ed in London and go on a driving tour of Scotland, maybe Wales.. After that.. NFI (Did someone say Egypt??)... Meanwhile, I still haven't booked my flight...
  
  
• Been listening to a lot of Joni Mitchell, the Clash, and Ramones recently.. Cath, I get it now.. Judy is a punk!
  
  
• Let me know if ya wanna see Lord of the Ringed Planets this Saturday night at Sydney Observatory.. Always wanted to see the rings...

Jesus 'healed using cannabis' - The Guardian

"Jesus was almost certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug, according to a study of scriptural texts published this month. The study suggests that Jesus and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous healings." - more..

ON THE VERGE

Oh shite.. I think I'm dying..

When pikey went to Egypt-land.. let my pikey go...

On a brighter note.. I returned to work...

It's been 2 whole weeks... 2 whole weeks of getting up at whenever I bloody well like... 2 whole weeks of not having to drift off to sleep worrying about work... 2 whole weeks of freedom from the control-freak that is my boss!

Breathe now pike..

.. and oh yeh.. I'm a sick little puppy... and I'm still up at 2:30am...

I wonder when it was I stopped caring for my well-being?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!