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Monthly Archives: June 2006

Q – The Band

30 Jun

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I was introduced to this band only this morning. They are Q – The Band. A fairly new group out of London with a phenomenal fresh new sound. My first words were, “damn these guys rock”. As a wannabe aspiring musician, I especially took to the skills displayed on the guitar immediately. The quality on electric is just as amazing on acoustic. The vocals are out of this world with a mysterious feel. What is most incredible is that this sound is produced in a home studio. I can’t wait to hear them go pro. I’m by no means a great review writer for any new talent so you simply have to hear to them to appreciate what I’m saying. You can download, or listen for free, 3 brilliant tracks HERE which I can be sure will not dissapoint you! These are the guys that will make it big and you will look back on this post one day and tell all your friends, “I knew about these guys when they were just starting out!” Support them here!! Then buy their album when it releases. I will keep you informed.

In the meantime, check out this new cracking teaser video created by The Don. Download it here.

Check them out and please let me know what you think. Petterssen “the old school rocker” what do you reckon?

When they make it big I will be the #1 groupie! Back-stage passes.

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5 Comments

Posted by on June 30, 2006 in Party!

 

Mostly Sunny?

29 Jun

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Mostly Sunny?? That tickles me pink! Actually that would tickle me bloodshot red in the face, sunburn, heatstroke and blisters! Who writes the weather bits on news channel websites? The fact that we haven’t so much as had a cloud in the sky in the last 2 months should warrant a weather blurb like “Mostly very bloody hot, dry and uncomfortable”. I wonder what the blurb said for the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, “Mostly damp with a slight chance of showers”? Again however, I raise a glass and tip my hat to the genius who invented air-conditioning. Me and my Eskimo mates here are quite happy!

Footnote: Mostly sunny reminds me of “Mostly Harmless” which is 5th and last book in the fantastic series that everyone has heard about but very few have read. The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It is incredibly funny and infinitely better than the movie!

Dinner time! See you later!!!

 
3 Comments

Posted by on June 29, 2006 in Badgag, Rant 'n Rave

 

Little Crime Fighter

28 Jun

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The Punishing Princess ZuZu

Cape Town – June 26. Don’t let the tiara fool you! This little princess packs a dynamite punch. “Sy vat nie kak nie!” Just the other day, as she was taking a stroll along the beautiful streets of Cape Town, in the shadows lurked a menacing mugger with only one goal in mind… her handbag.

He planned his attack stalking from behind getting closer and closer to his intended victim and then when he was close enough he pounced! Like lightning he snatched her bag and ran expecting to make a clean and easy getaway. But that’s where his plan stopped and hers “kicked” in! A massive tug back on the bag got him off balance and one almighty Chuck Norris round house kick slap to the gut had the assailant drop like a sack of potatoes. In order to render the villain completely harmless one or two more strategically placed Jackie Chan / Bruce Lee hits were applied to the body. It’s rumoured that in an interview later she allegedly stated, “I may have got him in the balls”.

As much as I don’t encourage anyone squaring up head to head with to a criminal, its great to see in circumstances like this, when instinct takes over, that the little guy (or girl in this matter) gets to kick some royal butt! She opened up a jumbo size can of whip-ass on that sucker!!!

You go ZuZu P!!

 
6 Comments

Posted by on June 28, 2006 in Life

 

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End of an era

27 Jun

It’s the end of the world as we know it. Its the end of the world as we know it. I Feel Fine!   - REM

Although a small handful of us are going to be staying on here for a few months to close this place out, the Badgag camp (IRQ) family is effectively in its final hour. As tough as this contract has been and as crappy and unforgiving as any circumstances and environment can be, you build a relationship with the people that you live, eat, drink, party, stress, fight, work and play with that no one on the outside will ever truly understand. Families back home can be relieved and rejoice in the knowledge that their loved ones made it back to “the real world” safe and sound against some trying odds. We have already safely said goodbye to many great people whose laughter, kindness and dedication will forever be synonymous with the grand memories of this place. Tonight we say goodbye and God speed to another large piece of the family. To everyone who lived it, thank you all for the good times and for the understanding in the bad times! Thank you for being there when fear struck and nights seemed long. But most of all, thank you being friends no matter what! We had an incredible run. Luck, fate, prayers and good fortune were all on our side. Wherever your lives may take you, whichever next adventure you may find yourself in, good luck, stay safe, live hard! Fuck the controversy, look around, we did an outstanding job! It’s a big planet but a small world. See you all soon!

No more “ants on a dart board”. No jacket required!!!

Tree of Knowledge

The Tree of Knowledge – Empty at last

 
3 Comments

Posted by on June 27, 2006 in Badgag

 

Its the little things

26 Jun

I have absolutely no idea why I would get excited about this BUT, I must admit I am a bit tickled by this. Passport Thrasher, in its debut month, has made 1st place, the number one spot, pole position, on Google. I know I know, the reason is so excruciatingly obvious but I don't care! I have joined the search engine world with a bang.

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Oh hey, Jo'Blog, check it out, you guys get a feature as well! :-D I am fully aware that being there will have absolutely no effect on you what so ever but it's still kewl for me to say, "you owe me one"….

 

 
3 Comments

Posted by on June 26, 2006 in Uncategorized

 

~ Update ~

26 Jun

I have added a new page called Travel Dumps which I hope to fill with little tidbits of semi useless info I have picked up along the way in this trip called life. Sometimes we live and learn, other times we just live! Please feel free to send me tips and tricks from your own experiences.

You will find this new page on a tab up above…. LOOK UP!

 
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Posted by on June 26, 2006 in L & J, World in 80 ways

 

Sundaze

25 Jun

Sunday started with a big bang. Well I thought it did anyway. I asked around later and it turns out there was nothing. You can never be sure when you live a trailer in a camp in Badgag. Not quite suburbia. So anyways I guess it was my air-conditioner kicking in with a loud thud or some inconsiderate asshole slamming a door at 7:30….?? Shit I was late for work. Turns out my faulty air-con, or that inconsiderate asshole, was in fact my ally this morning. All I can say is thank God for the morning meeting that I decided long ago to boycott on grounds of “lack of interest”. It certainly helped my late arrival to go unnoticed for the most part. You will always get one or two of those non-team-playing folk who boycott the morning meeting on grounds of “lack of interest” and will spot a late arrival and make a big thing out of it. Damn we have too much time on our hands.

On the up side, coffee was better this morning. They actually used proper coffee at the correct quantities today so it didn’t taste like dirty brown water with a hint of cocoa bean. That was yesterday’s wakeup welcome!

Now I'm staring at my Inbox wondering how I can make these emails disappear without actually clicking on them. That’s at least 5 minutes of fun. Well it would be if I didn’t have all these people coming into my office and actually expecting me to do stuff. Im feeling a little dozy and borderline grumpy. Hmmm need another brew!

Because today started on the lower end of the scales it had a promising outlook of at least a 70% chance of getting better. That has now been reduced to about 55% and is still sliding. I'm just hoping now that Sunday doesn’t end with another big bang.

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2 Comments

Posted by on June 25, 2006 in Badgag

 

Another day, Another Dollar ($)

24 Jun

As difficult as it is to comprehend, that time has arrived again. That special time that shows up once a day around 18:00. It’s not always that obvious when it comes around so I set myself a reminder in my calendar and it pops up with these lovely words of encouragement: “Sign your bloody timesheet!!” Its timesheet time!!! That means that today is officially over after a grueling day in this heat. Isn’t that great? I'm now free to do with my time as I please as long as I adhere to the rules. :-)

So, what's install for tonight? Well, I could:

  • Go for dinner
  • Go to my room
  • Watch TV
  • Go to sleep

I even get to choose what order I do those in!!! And you think YOUR Saturday nights are kewl?

Great my boss is calling…. :-(

NICE!! Its now 20:30!

  • Missed dinner
  • Still in the office
  • Shit on TV
  • Going to sleep

Goodnight!

 
4 Comments

Posted by on June 24, 2006 in Badgag

 

“Customer Service?”

23 Jun

I hate “Customer Service” people in general. Ok hate is a strong word. I dislike them intensely. They really should call themselves, “Customer Irritation Department” or “I'm Completely Frikkin Useless, Still Get Paid, Wont Be Able To Help You, But Have The Power To Cut You Off If You Get Rude Department”. I don’t care where you are in the world it doesn’t get any better. Its just different flavours of the same bullshit.

Background: Bullshit Bulldog Communications, for those who don’t know, is an ADSL and telecoms service provider in the UK. Regretfully I happen to subscribe to their service.

I get a call from Mot, my flatmate in London: “The account is in arrears and they wont let me pay it as I'm not the contact person on the account.” So I call them and ask what the deal is. They don’t take payment from a particular card type anymore. So that’s MY problem now??? Turns out, yes it is my problem as they are about to suspend the account. So I pay it (got me by the balls the bastards). So I ask how they will take money in the future. They tell me they will send me direct debit forms and I explain that I'm in Badgag so cant receive these forms. “Well that really isn’t our concern”. After getting over the initial shock of that response I ask if I can put my flatmate on as a contact. “No, there can be only one!” hmmm am I talking to Conner MacLeod from the clan MacLeod? So I ask if we can swap and he take over as primary? “No that is not possible”. So I ask what the best solution is. “You will have to cancel your account and get him to subscribe.” So, in by best Queens English I respond “OK THEN! PUT ME THROUGH TO YOUR CANCELLATION DEPARTMENT – You can shove your service”.

Now I'm on hold… Dummm Deeee Dummm (2mins, 4mins, 10mins). Next thing I hear is the same “super helpful customer service” chap and he says, “I'm sorry but they are too busy to take your call right now”.

“I'm really not surprised. Don’t you think it looks appalling for a service driven company if the cancellation department is inundated with calls???”

He says “Yeah I guess so, you better call back later”

CLICK

The bastard got the last word in!!! :@

 
2 Comments

Posted by on June 23, 2006 in Rant 'n Rave

 

In Your Honor

22 Jun

Like I have said so many times before, “A lot of things about travel are glorious in hindsight”. Just this morning I was reading the latest posting on the one and only Jo’Blog which talks about the legendary Lagwagon (punk band) that played in Johannesburg a couple of nights ago. By the sounds of it a cracking time was had by all. But then I get a bit misty eyed when I think of all the great stuff I have missed out on because I'm in weird and wonderful places. I have missed weddings, piss-ups, festivals, Springbok games at Twickenham, St Patrick’s days in Dublin, Johnny Clegg on his birthday in London to mention just a few and now the latest and greatest entry into my little portfolio of missed acts… FOO FIGHTERS!
The tickets went on sale at the beginning of the year and I scrambled, leapt, jumped, and screamed for tickets (actually I called a mate and he got them for me). They were sold out in a matter of an hour or so and by nothing short of a miracle, we all got “Golden Circle” (hmmmmm ahhhhhh), front row action to arguably THE best rock band out now. So now, how kewl is this? Hyde Park, London, 17 June 2006, great weather, great friends, ice cold beer, fantastic tickets, top kick ass performance about to kick off and rattle the eardrums of 60,000 screaming fans…. and where was I??? F**KING BADGAG!!!! I was supposed to be done out here but my contract got extended.

“Can you hear me? Hear me screamin'. Breaking in the muted sky. This thunder heart. Like bombs beating. Echoing a thousand miles!!!!”

Foo1 Foo2 Foo3 Foo4

Thank goodness for BOSE. I had my own little concert!

 
3 Comments

Posted by on June 22, 2006 in Badgag, Party!

 
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