The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 26 August - 8 September 2013
Eddie Rayner's Amazing Enzo - On Sale Now!
August 26thI drive to Monbulk today to renew my drivers license... and it's great, not a single person waiting, all over in 2 minutes and they even ask me if I like the photo... it will do! Funny I've been driving for awhile but only had a license for 10 years (cough). I mail off my sisters birthday card while I'm near the post office, her present is on the way. She really has it anyway, that wonderful niece of mine, what else could she want!August 27thI turn on my computer and 428 emails later, I start wondering 'what the hell has happened". Apparently i was on MEDIA WATCH (TV) last night..... I still haven't watched it.... but it seemed everyone else did! Not one nasty email, all very very positive.. so thank you.We were watching a movie and the line "spreading fear in the name of righteous" was spoken and Mark and myself both said at the same time "that sounds like Abbott"!!!. I make a small donation to Labor, all helps.... they are the under dogs..I just don't want my niece having to grow up in a Tony Abbott Australia, she deserves better, we ALL deserve better.... Great article on the new Rennie Ellis photo book in The Age..... I'd love to have this. August 28thI pick out the FINN album and play it a few times today...I pop up some blurb on Sheepbook and it seems to ignite some memories for people.I do the washing up..isn't that so thrilling.......!!!!!! The Rudd-Abbott 3rd debate is on tonight, I avoid it, too close to dinner and seeing Abbott ugly face would make me throw up. Apparently Rudd wins again....of course Murdochs crappy press would say something different. I spend some time folding backdrops this afternoon.... all nice and cleaned....and aired....I love our backdrops,so glad I saved these few. Meanwhile Mark is coughing a bit- some friends dropped in with their kids and one had a cold but I think it's the European flu..and I bet my life Marky has now got it. Urgh! August 29thHappy Birthday to the best sister in the world! Her feet are still swollen from being pregnant so I end up giving her a foot massage, pedi, hand and arm massage at Lamour Day Spa- thanks Allie for getting the voucher to her on time for her birthday, even if you managed to spell both our names incorrectly *GRIN*. How does one mess up the spelling of Peter & Jennifer! (wink).For those who love their cats, in fact ALL cats big and small-remember to visit National Geographic's CAUSE AN UPROAR. Mark put me onto their site. For a mere $5 donation you can put up a snap of your kitty cat on their Little Kitties Helping Big Cats page. They are trying to raise $50,000 to help lions, tigers etc.... and really everyone can afford $5. So please visit causeanuproar.org It's also a nice way to remember your cat friends who have passed away. We are putting Banshee & Hairball up. So c'mon everyone support this. I have a chat to Cathy Farrell from Labor on our seat of Casey, we know it's almost an impossible win, especially at the amount of money the Liberals are throwing at the seat-still we will fight the good fight. I am also hoping that horrid Liberal Sophie Mirabella loses her seat of INDI...we have begged all our friends to vote for Labor or the Independent- Cathy McGowan just to finally get rid of this horror from parliament. So fingers crossed on that one.... thankfully we know a lot of people in that electorate-and they have all promised to get rid of Mirabella. August 30thSad to hear that WA artist Matt Doust passed away, he was only 29 so way way too young- he was living in LA and the arts community liked him a lot. I only met him once on tour-really nice guy. A sad day for the australian arts community.Did a quick drop in at officeworks, the copying etc was so cheap today, and so many things in the store were half price- just excellent we have one so close on Canterbury Rd. I go to my favourite shop in search of this photo frame from Tuscany for Laura. We have one and I really like it, a huge drive but I track one down. Hope she likes it. I figure people will take photos at her party so now they have a frame for the best shot. I also bit the bullet and bought THE WALKING DEAD -season 3 while it was so cheap. It will take awhile to arrive in oz but something to look forward to. August 31stChatted to Laura and I will indeed do Karaoke. I will keep my promise for her birthday. We will duet Sonny & Chers I GOT YOU BABE! That's nice and easy.... but i think we have to make an effort so bad wigs and I need to borrow Marks very cool pimp pants! I practice half the day. She's having her 50th upstairs at Guruland studios. Mark has tried to get rid of the flu for a few days but he's still a bit iffy and I think he'll just give that to everyone in the room, so a neighbour is dropping in to stay with him and I'll fly solo. Sucks as he loves Laura and she'd be one of the few people he'd make an effort for.So I head to Oakleigh Sth...... Greg Skyhook called and said our names are on the door for Dave Warner if we want to attend but we cant- nice to be offered. I kept thinking I was hearing Warners gig (which was around the corner) but it may well be Laura's music at hers- Oakleigh is a hopping tonight. I'm just in the door and meet Kevin the owner of the recording studio, nice guy, decides I must have a tour of his studio- which I have to say is really good-full of warmth. See Stella and she keeps on getting taller, or we oldies are shrinking. I turn just as our mate Claire walks in, we both screech at each other... so so good to see her, been way too long. Chat to Laura's brother Kevin who introduces us to his kids etc... and Laura's mum, such a nice gathering. By 10.30 we decide it's time for Karaoke... Kevin goes first while we bolt to our change room... Laura has the Cher wig on, and we can't stop laughing. My moustache keeps falling off..life is hard! We suddenly hear an introduction- "All the way from sunny Las Vegas- Sonny & Cher".... so we grab each others hand and bolt through the studio- we hear cheers and people stare (possibly in shock at my bad moustache and Laura's massive crop of Cher hair!)......on with the show. The machine is already working and yes my microphone is NOT working..argh...... I try to lean in for a duet...... when it gets to the "some may say your hairs too long"... I de-wig and throw it off..by this stage my moustache has fallen off onto my shoe.... I look down -my shoe has a moustache I giggle and blow my line..I am so bad at this......Laura is so good-we do get it right about half way... even synchronize our finger pointing and backs together. It's just fun, even a small disaster adds to it , really i can't take Karaoke seriously- if you do-go and become a real singer if that's the case. Think Laura had a good time. Was home by midnight was just a bit concerned about leaving Mark. Fun night, thanks for inviting us Laura. September 1stA few mates turn up for lunch at the Kalorama General store, and on the way we spot the "Political Animals" protest. Wow the tourist traffic just loves them, cheering and blowing their car horns at the group. Very passionate and cute... anything to try and stop Tony Abbott from having total control. I did see the latest Liberal projections, they are after a 6% swing so they can also control the senate. Even if they win we will do all we can to spread the word and stop total control from happening. I'm keeping my eyes firmly focused on the seat of INDI...where Liberal Sophie Mirabella holds power. She's a truly horrid politician and I'd love for Robyn Walsh and Cathy McGowan to take her out. That would make my whole year. With the boundary changes up here, La Trobe will probably fall, it's already on a knife edge. So I'll be working at Sassy polling booth which is that area- so it will be interesting. I will be totally neutral.We watch "Searching for Sugarman" -the Rodriguez doco... and what happened to him. It won the BAFTA award in the UK and Best Documentary at the 85th Academy awards and for once they got it right-truly great. MY one moan, the creators make it sound like Sth Africa was the biggest territory for Rodriguez when in fact it was Australia. His "Cold Fact" album was huge in Australia-he's sold about 600,000 albums here. The soundtrack for the documentary enters the Australian chart at #17, and was #9 in NZ. Great songs , by a very cool guy-so humble. September 2ndHappy Birthday Spock...try calling and get one of those text converted messages... which always seem to mess up, it probably came out as Happy Burlesque Day!A few sales of "Ghost Cars On The Freeway" today, slowed down a bit which is good in many ways as the stock is now on one little shelf. www.rocketpocketbooks.com if you want the Crowdies Book. A few people have bought a second copy, I guess for swaps etc in the future when it is extinct, a good Ebay investment. September 3rdMarky surprises me with the truly very damn cool Rennie Ellis photo book. It's called DECADE-1970-1980 - the photos are beautiful and mind blowing. One of Australia's best photographers... sad that he is no longer with us.I fill in my AEC paperwork and watch the work dvd, so I have my act together at the polling booth. I'm making a huge effort. We work late so I head to Indian By Nature for some food. When I go to pick it up, Jodie from next door grabs me-she's at the table with some gals... 3 hours later I finally leave... what a hoot. I do remember to call Mark so he doesn't think I've flipped the car off the mountain and dead in some gully. A fun unexpected night. September 4thInterest rates are at a 60 year low. So much for Abbott's line "that only the Liberals can give Australians low interest rates"- what a dickhead he is... once more he lies.I head off to do my pre-vote, so I won't have to bother on the day. It was at St Patricks Hall at Lilydale-I must say it was really nice to tell the Liberal person handing out the forms that they should be ashamed of themselves closing down Lilydale TAFE! Went for a walk and grabbed a few more non-Abbott votes. The suns out... finally! Winter may well be over-yey. September 5thIn a few weeks we will be continuing THE EARLY YEARS so it's ready for the printers. Again, looks like this one will be 100% made in Australia. Just have to finish that final chapter and back cover art... proof read etc, it's coming together..... Rocket Pocket Books had a great month, so many copies of TRIP and Wings Off Flies sold- just did my head in. Spent 1/2 a day signing them. Mark pulling faces as he scribbles his signature on copies of "Wings.." -I love it!September 6thI make sure I pack a good pillow for my seat that I'll be living on at the polling station, food, toothbrush, Mark tells me it looks more like I'm heading off on holiday!I do hear that Eddie Rayner's Enzo looks like it is finally coming together- St Marys at Parnell-Auckland on November 2nd. Possibly a few shows-Ed's worked hard on this so fingers crossed it does well. The venue is the same one where Bic Runga played some gigs. Nice and intimate, holds about 500 people. It's great that some of those early Split Enz guys will be performing too- Mike Chunn, Geoff Chunn, Emlyn Crowther, Wally Wilkinson and of course Miss Eddie Rayner herself! If you have a chance don't miss out on this- the early Enz rarely ever play so this could be the last time. Tickets via www.ticketmaster.co.nz Good luck Ed! September 7thThe big day, no sleep for me. Election bullshit floating around in my head. All Polls point to an Abbott-Liberal win, and a 6% swing-which is total control (Urgh!). I still don't believe that the Australian people will support Abbott for such a huge swing. More Murdoch hype- it's truly appalling. I do believe the horror will win, but total control Nah. Lots of yap around how many seats Abbott will win, and they always get the numbers wrong. Probably why they are failed politicians. They don't have a clue.So I'm up at 6.00 and heading to Sassafras Primary School- voting area by 7.00. I'm a bit early as I can give my OEC Marjo a hand-we know her- adorable woman and I respect her a lot. My first job is putting up the huge voting banner... and then creating the wheelchair voting area. My other work mates turn up, all gals and we seem to hit it off straight away. By 8.00 the doors open and the rush is indeed on. All those years of databases have helped- I can find names and addresses VERY quickly. We seem to be the division for very good looking men, but (sadly) in my opinion, no really good looking woman. My one mistake (rolls eyes), each person is asked "Have you voted before in THIS election". Of course it had to happen when I was crossing off the best looking man on the mountain and I said "Have you voted before in this ERECTION"! No one else heard, he just laughed so loud. I went red.... and tried again...! 30 min later he returned with some baked items he'd bought at the school fundraiser-gave them to me-apparently he had the worst week ever and my freudian slip just made him smile... ! I have a fan! I still felt so stupid.. what a tool I am. I am being 100% neutral- as I should be, just doing my job. I'm happy all day. I like my work environment. I loved the voting lists and eventually moved to ballot box guard. Whatever it took.. only a small handful of angry people, and they need to rant around me-why. I stayed poker faced and just did my job. Eventually doors closed and the count begins, we finally finished at 10.00 that night! Phew-long day. I knew Abbott won, and he was so smug-made me vomit. However the swing ended up being 3.6, not 6% and nowhere near 26 seats-some still uncertain, and YES one being INDI...... McGowan giving Mirabella a run for her money with some help from Labor. I drive home, hating that Australians are dumb sheep and fall for the Murdoch spin. As Nick Champion said- "if the majority of people vote for bad policy, then they simply need to see that experiment fulfilled. I think the Liberal Party want to hang themselves, in that case we should give them as much rope as they need". Touche! I've only had a bit of food, and spot Pizza man on the way home, he's closing, but likes us, so manages some great lasagne for me to take home. Mark is saddened that the arsehole is in, I just said "the sun will come up-let Australians learn the lesson" and they will quickly I bet. I'm with Nick Champion on this! September 8thWe avoid watching the news.. Mark refuses to acknowledge Abbott as PM... so I agree-Australia doesn't have a PM- could it be that easy. I mention this on line and hundreds of people email they like this.. ! makes me laugh! Bring on the revolution.The only areas I check is the seat at Wollongong, and the Liberals fail to take it-yey, same for all those areas around Blacktown that they ranted were Liberal and ended up NOT being the case...and INDI..still undecided. God bless the people of INDI-they may well make me smile. I'm disgusted with the Murdoch press and their manipulation of this election. We were watching the brilliant "Newsroom" drama and this line jumped out at us- "If a news agency has no credibility, nothing else matters"... well that relates to newspapers like the Telegraph, Herald Sun , Courier Mail etc... not an ounce of credibility amongst them. When Murdoch dies- his legacy will be bird cage liners... As I'm writing this it now looks like Sophie Mirabella will indeed lose INDI- we are dancing with delight, 1003 McGowan votes were somehow misplaced...but thankfully our electoral system did find them, so she is ahead by about 1700 votes with 20% remaining. It's one of the better bits of news from this shonky election. Even small victory's are a good thing. It also means that Abbott's front bench will probably only have one woman on it-yes ONE and that's rust bucket Bronwyn Bishop-god help us all! I love this country so much, it saddens my heart to know that amazing infrastructure like the NBN will be ignored because our "invisible" PM is a fool and has zero vision, watch unemployment rise , watch schools and hospitals have their financial hearts cut out and watch Australia finally fall to recession. I am happy to stand with nearly all our friends and say we didn't vote for this heinous lot....! Maybe it's time for a 3 years holiday abroad! Goddess bless Australia as we sail in these uncertain times! PG |