Famous for Sixteen Minutes: Archive

The Life and Times of Peter Green
Archive: 20 November - 2 December 2017

"We won the War - Same Sex Marriage Arrives in Australia - at long last!"

November 20th

Charles Manson dies- good he was an evil prick. I hope it was a painful ending.

I order the Tom of Finland bluray today and good timing, an hour after I pay for it the aussie dollar drops. Still takes a few weeks to arrive here from UK... nearly a month. Postage is so slow in 2017.

I run into Ruth at the Supermarket , she's a cool old bird that lives in the hills. I usually buy my blackberry jam jars from her but this year, with the Blackberries being late I'll be making some awesome home made Chutney. My Grandads secret recipe.

Enz man Nigel calls, love chatting to him, excited he has a new cat soon.

November 21st

We have breakfast at Mount Dandenong- which is really Olinda. So many people stop us on the street to congratulate us on the same Sex Marriage vote winning in the survey, takes 45 minutes to walk to our food place. What a really cool way to start the day , they were all so overjoyed and kind of proud. The Yes vote was huge in the hills.

Finally it looks like happening here and we can move out of the 1950's and have some decency around this.

I read that a woman was dragged out of the Stevie Nicks concert at Rod Laver Arena by three security guards, simply because she was dancing to the music. Surely there has to be more to this, if not it's rather pathetic. A shortish 57 year old - what a total security threat she must be-not! Dance on punters, Dance On!

I'm driving through the hills with Bronski Beats-"I FEEL LOVE" from "Holding the Man" soundtrack playing in the car -ok it's really loud, my little 4 wheel disco... I push the button that lowers the disco ball down from the roof and groove away.....how does he hit those high notes, I certainly can't, but I pretend I can.

I am pissed off Woolworths has sold out of its Sicilian Blood Orange Connoisseur ice creams. They have all the others but not our faves. So I head to Woolworths at Kilsyth and yes they are out of that one too. Looks like we are not the only ones who are addicted to that type.

November 22nd

Hot! Hot! Hot! You can tell that Summer is so very close. Ailsa Craig protects us with a cloak of cool but outside it's starting to cook. They say it could be the hottest November on record and I think they might be right. Mark talked about part of the office being moved to our large wine cellar if the heat breaks. I like having windows though so I think we will suffer some warmth-not that our office gets very hot.

I head off the mountain to drop some money into Rosemarees place as she has kindly grabbed my favourite Lasagne Pasta near her work. The world suddenly changes -Mugabe resigns, David Cassidy dies, Euthanasia bill passes in the Upper House (Hooray) and Famous for 16 Minutes clicks over with its 470,000th visitor.

On the way home I call into the organic fruit shop and but their one remaining bag of oranges. The last bag in the whole universe? Juice oranges are hard to find, it hasn't been a bumper crop this year and even the OJ you buy from supermarkets is part imported at the moment .

November 23rd

Waded through some polling numbers for the Queensland election and it still points to a Labor win- only just but still with a majority- so a small improvement on the current position. I think Hanson and One Nation are going to look foolish- she keeps mouthing off "eleven seats, eleven seats", it's like Pauline hasn't learned a thing since the One Nation failure in the WA election. I still think they might get 1 maybe 2 seats at the very most, love for The Greens to grab a seat too, but the rest is all bullshit on her part- but we'll soon know. QLD is meant to be the One Nation state but lets see if they die in the arse. I predict they will.

"This is Victoria at its best, leading our nation"- Daniel Andrews on the Euthanasia Bill and he's right. So many positive comments from people across Australia. Vision at last. Why anyone would want relatives to die such painful undignified death is beyond me.

Only the Herald Sun could have a full page article on the recently deceased Malcolm Young-and put a mention of it on the front page as "Ace of Bass". Considering he wasn't AC/DC's bass player (rolls eyes) -good grief appalling journalism and on the front page for fuck sake.

Our first fire of the year in the Bunyip State Forest at Gembrook- very close to where we live. We are remaining calm. Hoping for some rain.

November 24th

What do I want for Christmas.? Gawd that's a hard one.. a shit load of cash so I can annoy people. A Donald Chump voodoo doll with very long pins. A new garden spade as I keep breaking them (lets not even talk about how many rakes I have broken in half). Friends and family to get healthier as some are very sickly at the moment. Hell I don't know I'm fairly happy with my life. I smile far more then I frown. I feel loved and have the best partner in the universe. Life is good. I do count our blessings.

Not much sleep last night, a warm balmy night and the Possum army decided to run across our roof.

I do manage to mow the circular drive area, the grass grows so quickly this time of year and talk of rain on the way next week.

Wow 21 years today since the Crowdies Farewell at the Opera House - thinking of Hessie mostly-still remember that hug with tears in his eyes when he walked off stage. That will be with me forever.

November 25th

Rosemaree drops in the wonderful La Triestina pasta - my Lasagne tastes a million times better when we use it. It's crazy that it's so hard to find up here in the hills.

The Queensland election is on, and it's a fascinating one. The Liberals die in the arse, Pauline Hansons One Nation are all talk and little action- she mutters to the world that ON will get 13 seats, they are lucky to get even one. Looks like Labor might scrape past the post with a majority government , I guess the counting will go on for ages, it's so close in many areas. Excellent news that the horrid Malcolm Roberts fails- blaming everyone else but himself. For once the voters get it right.

November 26th

This Sunday and I'm really going through the archives, looking for fun doubles and interesting stuff for the end of year giant christmas stocking. Some of the band members have mailed in some items and I do get a few more cool things. I think the giant stocking will have seventy items in it- so one fan will have just the best Christmas ever. Drawn on December 10th, probably by Noel if he is here.

So our Skyhook buddy Red Symons will be finishing up on ABC radio. He's been on the airwaves for 15 years. Looks like comedian Sami Shah and Jacinta Parsons will take over the spot. Red Symons who still puts his age at 17 says he isn't retiring, maybe some fun to have a few reformation shows. Mark has volunteered Rosemaree to be the new singer for Skyhooks!

Classic Countdown tonight- 1985- the shows are getting worse- thankfully the novelty of slagging off the truly woeful keeps us returning.

The ABC rules tonight, Part 1 of the rather excellent Friday On My Mind- The Story of the Easybeats. It's great a million times better then the INXS one. Part 1 of Blood & Thunder-The Story of Alberts ..and finishing up with another Encore Performance of Crowdies at the Opera House. I watch the gorgeous Monks in stunning HD, a fun few days in Sydney with my boys. Those Crowdies sure are loved.

Death in our family and it casts a long shadow-sad days. I miss calling some mates for their birthdays but at least remembered to mail cards etc.

November 27th

Check out the Tom of Finland XXL book- it's huge, so is the book. Taschen are just excellent. I LOVE that book company. It's on my Christmas list, a gift for myself.

November 28th

Another hot day, my vegie patch is loving it. The house still remains nice and cool inside. I call a friend at Elwood as I worry about him in this brutal heat- he doesn't answer but hopefully all ok.

The SSM bill passes the Senate- we are now VERY close.

Lost interest in the ARIAS but happy for the talented Paul Kelly (and you too Billy) ...also for ol' Dazza Braithwaite getting a Life Time Achievement award. The rest is a bit of a big yawn.

November 29th

A long day in the office, mostly giving Neil & Liam's NZ shows an extra push. Up to 12 sold out now. It would be incredible if the complete tour was a sellout , I thought being smaller towns etc tickets would be gobbled up instantly, lets hope a few tickets are given out as Christmas presents. A summer rollickin' with the Finns.

November 30th

Head to the bakery for lunch, I score a free pie, and then a man next to me gives me three packs of dinner rolls -as he couldn't use them. What a nice way to start my day. The food gods are smiling.

Russell Tovey is awesome as The Ray on "Crisis on Earth X". I do tweet that "Mr Toveys ears do give me a bit of a stiffie"-it's true he has created an ear fetish with yours truly.. Russell will also do the voice over for The Ray in the upcoming animated series. It deserves to be a real show, I hope the Ray returns in one of the DC shows- those ears. Poor Mark I sneak into his bedroom every night with some string and stretch his cute ears side ways like Russells.

QLD Labor move closer to forming majority government, still a few more days to go but I think they will do it. (and they do!).

December 1st

As soon as it hits December I scream CHRISTMAS. All of my plans to get Christmas shopping done by December 1st crash and burn. I have a few things but not even half way-oh well plenty of time.

Coffee at the General Store today and we are all singing a silly christmas song- a crazy moment.-it just happened. Mary , John & nelly are in fine voice.

My mates the Berry Twins are helping me with some postage this year-god bless them, I've known them for so long now, as Paul would say "Top shelf girls".

December 2nd

I take a selfie (yeah still hate that word) at the General Store and for the first time ever- I LIKE IT.

Great to see Aussie Brenton Thwaites will be Batman's Robin, he looks rather cool.

My stats freak me out- GryphonMusic has sent 11,803 tweets, My You Tube channel has had 883,879 viewers, and Famous for 16 Minutes 472,310 all those numbers are people, I try not to think about it. But wow!

So I'll jump ahead in time till Dec 7th , it's 5.58 PM and I'm sitting with Mark on the couch. Parliament are having the SSM "vote". Suddenly the chamber stand up and walk to one side. Only 4 politicians vote NO. The vast majority cross the floor and vote YES. It has happened, finally Australia has Marriage Equality. The public gallery erupts in what has to be the loudest applause ever in parliament. They start singing " we are one, but we are many, we are Australian". Rainbow flags appear like magic, and it's so hard not to get emotional. Decades of fighting for this and we have won.

An exceptional day to be an Australian. I guess Skyhooks were right after all "ALL my friends are getting married" that very special emphasis on the word ALL!

Today is a good day.

XPeter