Harrangueman

Oh Fred ... just for research eh?

Harrangueman - September 3, 2010 - 8:33am

I have to admit to a certain expressive 'ha ha' when Fred Nile was revealed to have had his office computers used to surf p0rn sites.

The famously bushy eyebrowed one - has he not heard of a Brazilian? - has spent countless years thundering in denunciation of man and woman's joy and seeing the other naked and ready to get bizay.

I can see that. What happens between consenting adults with their bodies, or those who third party view such action in the privacy of their home, is completely Fred's business. Read more »

Too eager

Harrangueman - September 2, 2010 - 11:56pm

Tomorrow we have a Bacchanalian Spring Festival at work. Well, the food and drink part at least. Yes, the freshly decided Casual Friday with a floral motif will launch itself upon the work horseshoe and Mr Hawaiian shirt will make his appearance.

As I opened the cupboard this morning to get ready for work I saw Mr Hawaiian lurking there. To mind unbidden came this scenario.

Naturally I put this in an email and sent it to L, new boss and the new girl M, whose idea this festival was.

As I approached my wardrobe for my work shirt I noticed the door was slightly ajar. Curious, I opened it. At that point my Hawaiian shirt leaped from the hanger and tried to engulf my torso like the black alien gunk from Spiderman 3.

'Back,' I shouted to my shirt. 'No, it's is not your time! Friday, Friday my pet.' Read more »

Naval gaze and the clanger

Harrangueman - August 31, 2010 - 5:32pm

We recently had a naval gaze session. As noted recently the public service has a massive heart symbol for governance. It's at the core, or should be, of everything we do. Because at the end of the day we have to justify everything we do do. Which is how it should be.

However it can be, and is, an embuggerance. There’s multiple signatures required, project briefs needed to pitch projects, a lengthy approvals / clearance process and so forth. Again, it’s the price we pay for governance – and it’s one of the reasons that Australia is one of the least corrupt countries in the world.

The other thing we’re big on is metrics, which is part of governance. Metrics being standards by which we can measure ourselves and which provides useful information on our performance. Read more »

And now ... the farts are here ... I can feel them ... in my colon

Harrangueman - August 30, 2010 - 5:27pm

(Sung to the tune of My Way)

I had the first of my proper breath tests today. The first one was to determine Hydrogen Vs Methane as the metric, with Methane pulling out a surprise victory over Table of Elements No 1, against the odds.

Today was the lactose test.

I had to drink a solution - about 250 mls - that was loaded with lactose sugars. About equiv to the lactose in a litre of milk apparently. Given my propensity to become farty and bloated if I even look at a carton of milk I was somewhat worried about the impending pain response, especially as I couldn't take pain killers during the test. I told him that if he came out into the waiting room to find me that I may be in the hall farting into a pot plant. I figured it could use it. Read more »

Toastwatch - me

Harrangueman - August 29, 2010 - 4:13pm

Baker's Delight thin sliced fresh white bread is the shizzle. So tasty, so delish, and when toasted ... mmmm.

Except I am on fast two. Which means no diet coke. When means I have nothing but water to wash the toast down with.

And the toast is sitting like a fetid lump in my tummy.

Actually I wrote Timmy initially. Which implies I have some sort of basement dwelling food tasting gimp residing below my house that I test my food on. Timmy, not the house.

No ... no Timmy. My Tummy.

Anyway, it's a horrible feeling and a reminder than just because something is delicious and enticing, it's a neddy no a lot of the time.

Toast ... once again another one of my many dark mistresses. Read more »

Surreal reel life real life moment

Harrangueman - August 27, 2010 - 7:02pm

You know when you're watching a drama and a character has done something newsworthy and they're watching TV and see a story about themselves?

I always thought 'man, that would be surreal to happen in real life.'

Recently I wrote a report. Some of it got quoted in a news bulletin.

It was surreal!

Mikey needs some motivation

Harrangueman - August 26, 2010 - 3:26pm

I have a pain blast from eating a pasta bake. My suspicions of its cheesiness should have been aroused by the oil that settled in the bowl.

I have made myself a poster to look at when I feel the urge to chow into a cheesy dish.


Another Mik Hardbod adventure ...

Harrangueman - August 25, 2010 - 6:09pm

I am a creature of comfort and predictability. When I read The Hobbit for the first time, even with my love of fantasy and sci-fi, I couldn't but help feel Bilbo had received a bum steer from Gandalf. That Bilbo was being forced into a life of unwanted questing - and in the company of Dwarves no less. Indeed I was utterly entranced by the description of Bilbo’s burrow, with the many rooms, comfortable chambers, well stocked larder and the like.

I wantee’d!

So when it comes to trying new things, adventures, different ways of achieving outcomes, and all of that, I tend to be hesitant. Even a little OCD about it.

I no wantee. Read more »

Breathtaking gall

Harrangueman - August 24, 2010 - 6:01pm

Tony Abbott today declared that because Labor is undergoing a period of sometimes bitter introspection, that only he, Tony, Mr People Skills, can offer the people a stable collegial government.

Mr Abbott also ridiculed "the civil war" raging inside Labor. He argued there was widespread disunity in Prime Minister Julia Gillard's ranks - and this underscored the Coalition's claims of having the best case for stable government.

He said "only the Coalition" - which, like Labor, looks certain to need the support of the three independent MPs - could offer a reformed Parliament. Read more »

Comment of the (election) night

Harrangueman - August 23, 2010 - 7:42pm

Whilst I was watching the returns come in at our lovely friends' place, I was texting various interested parties.

Casso, Duckus, M my nerdy PBEM bud, and El who I used to work with, now lives in Sydney, but came down to the tally room for the night.

Quips were firing fast and thick. I called M a c___ for voting liberal, he knows it was wrong, and Duckus said it was my fault this went pear shaped because he suspected I voted for the greens. When Labor was stuck on 69 seats in the count El complained that the 69 had now been ruined for her.

When Wyatt Roy came on the ABC teev , the 20 year old maverick from QLD, all of us collectively groaned at his high voice and overly youthful appearance (I admit to a case of the tall poppies there - you have to hand it to him that if he gets the seat he fucking earned it).

At that point Casso texted the following. Read more »

Ah balance...

Harrangueman - August 22, 2010 - 10:53am

Well Maxine McKew lost Bennelong. It seems however it was mainly a result of social housing being an issue - with Alexander running around screaming about how nasty pensioners in blocks of flats were coming. Not quite muzzies on boats but I can see how a Zimmer frame wielding granny spending 20 minutes to cross perpendicular to your property would lower the values.

And I confess that in terms of skill set match ups ditching McKew with her 30+ years as a journalist for the ABC and The Bulletin, as well as being by all accounts a tremendous local member, for Alexander ... who ... played tennis once ... seems on the surface an odd choice. But, well there you go.

When they crossed to McKew last night I think the ABC were hoping for a Kernot style dummy spit. She didn't. She went into journalist mode and gave a brief but skilled assessment of the ALP fuckup for this election and the fact that abandoning the CPRS cost it on a matter of principle. I think her criticisms were perfectly valid and I'm glad she said it. Read more »

Civic duty accomplished

Harrangueman - August 21, 2010 - 6:11pm

I got dropped of the way home so I could go vote at the local school. Like last time there was a sausage sizzle and drinks being sold. But it was overcast and cold and most were shivering as they stood outside.

Despite being a paid up member of the ALP I prefer my own voting and eschew how to vote cards. So to avoid the spruikers I stomped across the garden bed - sorry school.

I lined up for about 10 minutes. In that time a silver tail Lib supporter in his L is for Liberal jacket kept coming into the voting booth area. I complained to one of the people suggesting it was inappropriate but they didn't believe me.

Then I left and walked home.

The thing that upset me the most was those plastic posters the Libs had in streams tied to fences screaming '100 Million a day'. Then 'More X!' and 'More Y!' along the footer. One of them was 'More Boats!' Read more »

Seriously, fcking wait you fcking nob ends

Harrangueman - August 20, 2010 - 3:53pm

Recently I entered my building ahead of two tech dickheads with their trolleys littered with IT bits.

I knew, I KNEW, that if I didn't get ahead of them and get a lift to myself they'd try and cram in with me.

I got to the lift, the doors opened, I entered and stabbed the door close button. Then ... the doors opened again. I stabbed door close again ... half way ... then back open.

Yep, there they were, standing gormlessly in front of the doors. It was a small outer lift too so guess what, no fucking room for everyone.

I snarled 'I'll go the stairs' then stomped off muttering loudly about 'IF YOU SEE THE FUCKING DOORS CLOSE WAIT FOR THE NEXT FUCKING LIFT'.

Un-fucking believable.

I was so steamed I stormed up the stairs and actually ended up above them by the time they were jostling their trolleys out. Read more »

You had a bad night? Try sleeping on one of these!

Harrangueman - August 20, 2010 - 12:07pm

TheNoo and I have a series of games, developed over the three years we've been together. There's ChaseMe!, Bed Rumble, Hide/Seek, various bath games featuring exploding bath toys and shoe fetish sharks and the like.

Another classic is the 'push sleeping daddy off the couch'. TheNoo sends me to sleep with a snore noise then, as I am sleeping, slips behind me and attempts to roll me off. Then he yells for me to wake up and I am startled to find myself on the floor. He laughs then tells me to go to sleep again.

All good narcoleptic themed fun.

As any parent knows, when you have a tot, your house becomes a sea in which scattered are islands of toys. Islands you have to either destroy by picking up or morph the landscape by sweeping them out of the way. Sometimes you just leave them there and have to step around them like they're caltrops. Read more »

Warped parables for modern times

Harrangueman - August 19, 2010 - 10:50am

One of the many successes of the bible had in gaining its hold on Western European derivied cultures was that it used the frame story technique - the story within a story. The bible was the story of God, then the New Testament was the story of Jesus. But within the New Testament were stories as told by Jesus, or parables. The Good Samaritan, the one with the talents, etc and so forth.

Parables work because within the construct of a story they can get their message across. You see the message in action, cause and effect, and the morality of the tale in its conclusion. Read more »

Mr Methane

Harrangueman - August 16, 2010 - 5:49pm

Well one breath test down, three to go.

It started okay. I had to drink a cup of solution that had a slight sweet taste to it. Then breathe into a meter like what the cops use to test drivers. Then repeat that every 30 minutes.

This first test was optional - to determine if Hydrogen was a good metric to use or whether Methane was better. Most people are fine with Hydrogen. Turns out I was one of the ones that was not so my future tests need to detect my methane levels. And, unlike the breathalizer, I have to breathe into a bag.

I asked if it was ... non-orally collected ... and the tech said, with a straight face, no.

The solution had a mild laxative effect and the tech said it would likely take two hours to manifest. He was wrong. It took two hours and a minute. Sharp diarrhea like cramping but with nothing to pass - however I was worried about an occurrence of the dreaded shart, especially as I was not packing spare underdaks. Read more »

They wish...

Harrangueman - August 15, 2010 - 10:35am

I was perusing the Wash Post forum tied to the story on Obama standing up for the Bill of Rights when I saw this little number posted from a half-wit calling himself Uncle Buck.

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday
to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to
head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream
Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special
meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it
clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello,
seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could Read more »

Policy free zone

Harrangueman - August 9, 2010 - 6:28pm

I'll admit that David Marr of Fairfax likely leans left. However unlike Bolt, Akerman, Albrechtsen, Sheehan et al, Marr still deserves the title of a journalist in that he reports, interviews people, and presents arguments or articles that are couched in the factual not the ideological. It's one of the differences in Australia between the reality based leans left and the often deranged just fruit batty right in the Australian media landscape.

However Marr can also be a marvellously acidic writer who can paint a picture of fucktards being fucktards better than most.

So to that end check out Marr's take on the Liberal campaign launch. Read more »

Costumed running

Harrangueman - August 9, 2010 - 5:46pm

Why is it that on the rare occasions I "run" I end up wearing odd garment choices?

As noted previously the other day I went for a run. A sort of ambling pathetic run that stretched the definition of the word 'run' almost to breaking point. My chosen attire? Jumper, scarf knotted like a bowtie, beanies and gloves.

It was not a good look for someone attempting to do a bit of deek work* around the local path systems.

Recently theWife's mobile phone died. Optus (shakes fist) had an insurance plan that theWife had signed up to for replacing a broken phone. She tried to activate the process. Was it that simple? No, it was not. She had to mail them the phone and allow two weeks for them to assess it for repair then another week for the repair.

We had no spare handsets. Read more »

Antivir Solution Pro you have been served

Harrangueman - August 7, 2010 - 12:27pm

Finally cleaned it off with an updated malware cleaner. Man, it is so good having a desktop and a laptop so you can support the other when these evil pricks get at your computer.

Fucking mongrels.

PS Big ups to Mike for the links

Antivir Solution Pro fckers

Harrangueman - August 6, 2010 - 7:09pm

I got home and found our desktop was infected by the above.

Fuck I hate the sort of people that do this. What a pack of mongrel chunts.

Luckily I still had a virus cleaning piece of software on a thumbie and it's scanning the DT now.

Grr. So pissed off!

Childish

Harrangueman - August 5, 2010 - 10:36pm

On the way into work today, as I reached the doors, out came Backy McStab - a former supervisor so named because she agreed to be a referee for my dream job then proceeded to tell the panel I was pond scum.

We passed each other. No flicker of recognition. It's been that way since I moved into the building and her increpid* team moved outside my area's door.

As the doors parted to let me in, I stuck up my hand and gave her the backwards finger.

Childish, yes. Satisfying also.

*I made up a word. Take that Sarah Palin!

Thank you for smoking

Harrangueman - August 4, 2010 - 10:14am

On my way into work I was listening to news radio on ABC. Unfortunately the incredibly long sports component came on so I flipped to 666, the local ABC station here in Canberra.

From 830 onward 666 has a talk radio component. I dislike talk radio for the most part because I find their callers synonymous with the sort of retired older Australian mindset that supports the ilk of Alan Jones and Neil Mitchell (right wing semi-shock jocks to those not in the know). But today I listened.

And on the radio was Sheryl Moon of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores. She was talking about plain packaging of cigs. That it was bad. That it was an impost on the little battler store because of the way they had to be stored, stocked, and most importantly how it slightly increased the transaction time.

Time is money people! Read more »

Mikey sends an org email

Harrangueman - August 2, 2010 - 7:35pm

I am the nominated OH&S rep for my area. Mostly it just involves reporting broken stuff as I notice it. However there may be stuff broken that I am unaware of being broken. So today I sent an email to my area reminding peeps to let me know.

And bless their socks they responded with notes on stuff that was broken. Well, one person did. It turns out the ladies' loo was dank and dark as well.

****

Dear Inhabitants of Sector 7G,

As many are probably unaware I am the go to person for OH&S. In that I hold the file and have knowledge of such things.

I am also skilled at dealing with the whole reporting of things that need fixing so if there's an OH&S issue in the building let me know the details and I will report it. This includes broken furniture*.
Read more »

Aka theNoo

Harrangueman - July 31, 2010 - 10:54pm

TheNoo is on a 'no, I'm not theNoo, I'm, NewName!' kick of late. He won't answer to his name and he gets frustrated if you call him by it.

Lately his pseudonyms have been...

Alex (the Alex) - from Madagascar

Woody - from Toy Story

Horton Hears a Who - from Horton Hears a Who

And

Mermaid - from his Megabloks Pirate Ship (from Casso + M)

As for me, when he's a Mermaid I'm the parrot.

One little monkey sitting in a tree ,Teasing Mr Crocodile you can't catc...

Harrangueman - July 30, 2010 - 6:18pm
One little monkey sitting in a tree ,

Teasing Mr Crocodile you can't catch me ,

Along came Mr Crocodile as quiet as can be,

and snap went he.

When I am on pick up for the noo I like to sneak in and watch him playing. Eventually he twigs I am there and usually gives a great shout of joy, runs over, and ... asks where mum is.

Today he was with the other kidlets gathered in front of the couch. The 20 nothing child care worker was leading them in singing with the above song. Read more »

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later

Harrangueman - July 29, 2010 - 5:53pm

I got a rap today. Not praise rap, doosh doosh. But bad Mikey.

It was a pre-six month performance agreement meeting. My leave got a mention in the bad way due to bouts of late starts and a deficit in my flex leave bank. I also copped a 'I had to re-do some of your work' comment cos I'd let some shoddy reports go through.

Well I felt like shit. Mainly cos it was new boss having to deliver it. It's fair enough too. I have had issues with attendence - actually I always have. I don't think I've ever had more than 10 days sick leave in the bank in the decade plus time I've been a public servant. I get sick, I have time off. I may even have to get a case officer to help manage my illness. Though I can't think of what they could do that I am not doing already. Read more »

Feeling a little better

Harrangueman - July 29, 2010 - 12:16am

I've had ups and downs these past two years, and am still on anti-depressants - mostly as part of pain management - but I've noticed I'm blogging more and reading people's blogs more. I think that's a sign I'm maybe feeling a bit better. Like taking an interest instead of simply feeling 'meh' and wanting to blob like a Dali clock.

And I've got my foot picking down to just nail removal and working on the skin where my big toe meets my foot. See, that's an improvement.

On the be more positive course I went on there was a lot of group / personal reveal moments. One of them was 'tell us a strength you have.'

I was struggling to come up with one. Finally I volunteered computer skills in that I am slightly more advanced than a typical white collar worker. Read more »

A solo visit to clogs and windmills cooking

Harrangueman - July 28, 2010 - 11:36pm

Recently we did a course where we learned to come from a positive viewpoint in how we related to business. It was kewl. One of the things to be positive was to ask 'and how are you feeling?' at the start of gatherings. The idea being you would share when you're up and down and basically feel like people are taking an interest.

So we did that today.

'And Mikey, how are you feeling?'

'Gassy'.

Apparently telling the truth when it has a fecal tinge is not viewed as positive sharing.

I don't see why ... they will share it whether they like it or not. Read more »

Welcome to the world T

Harrangueman - July 28, 2010 - 2:09pm

T was born to our good friends L & N & S the other day. Blessings upon his new life!

He certainly picked a pair of awesome parents to be raised by. For they areth the shizzle.

Some life advice from HM for you.

Don't use ear candles.

Don't go chasing waterfalls. They're slippery and dangerous.

Somedays will be bad. Others will downright suck. But the good days beat will beat them hands down.

No (insert repeated words)! Read Poppley!

Harrangueman - July 25, 2010 - 9:27am

At home one of my main wrangling jobs of theNoo is before bedtime reading. He gets the single sofa chair and I get the robust hand-me-down red kindy chair. He selects up to four books to be read then it's off to bed.

When he was a baby in a cot I'd read to him at night before he went to sleep. To make it interesting I'd do accents - French, Irish, South African, and celebrities - William Shatner, Patrick Stewart etc. He was a baby so he couldn't protest my choice of how I read him his tales.

He can now. He can and does.

I ask if I can read it in 'insert voice style here'. 'No!' he shrieks. 'No (insert voice style here)!' He then leans his melon against my face and says 'Read poppley'.

Sometimes I will go into voice style mid-way cos it's funny when he realises I voided the pact and he yells at me 'No! Read POPPLEY!' Read more »

At Home: a short history of Private Life by Bill Bryson

Harrangueman - July 23, 2010 - 6:36pm

The very best writers are those where when you read their books you don't realise you're reading.

It's a tough act to pull off and Bill Bryson is one of the few authors who can do it.

At Home: a short history of Private Life is Bryson's examination of how day-to-day life in the west came to be and how our homes became what they are. From the number of tines on a fork, to why the fork was used, to how houses were made, how the industrial revolution changed the way we lived, how bathing went from never to daily, and how a room's function morphed and changed over time to what they are today. Indeed the book's structure goes from room to room of Bryson's own home, explaining its specific history then goes into the broader history of that type of room itself, including the typical contents found there - with furniture and fittings also covered. Read more »

If HM was on twitter part 2

Harrangueman - July 23, 2010 - 6:08pm

While on the the toilet...

I really like to crap by dim light. Makes me feel like I am in a nightclub. Stall needs a mirror ball!

Don't you hate when you have a dag and have to jiggle it off? If cubicle's a rockin' don't come a knockin' !

Guys at a trough urinal. If is metal dry, do you skip side to side to make it all wet?

I am a Persian weaver ... not

Harrangueman - July 22, 2010 - 6:16pm

There's this myth or legend or what have you that Persian weavers, who in ancient times were the masters of the art of carpet weaving, would deliberately put a wrong stitch in their work. The idea was that they should not dare to challenge perfection by creating a perfect work because only God was perfect.

I wish my mistakes were deliberate. Then I wouldn't have made them.

I signed off on a report the other day some two months in the making. Thousands of copies were printed. Inevitably there will be an error. Sometimes humorous. Sometimes very minor. Sometimes quite big.

This was a big one. A provider had changed there was this entire section on the new provider. Only in the introduction some dated text referring to an old provider as providing a key service was present.

I found out when the old provider called me and asked why they were getting a bunch of calls on it. Read more »

Ultra Choc ruined by chance look in the lav

Harrangueman - July 20, 2010 - 10:08am

Y'day the place where Master Chefs apparently shop, Coles, had Sare-Lee ice-cream for $6 a tub.

On a whim I got a tub of Ultra-choc.

When I got home I had half a mug full - yes I prefer ice-cream in a mug.

I had to nuke it a bit first to make it gooey to use a spoon on - otherwise you're in danger of Uri Geller-ing your implement if you try and dig it out.

This made the remains of the Ultra-Choc freeze in a gooey appearing state.

Today I managed a motion.

It looked exactly like my Ultra-Choc of the night before.

Thanks for nothing Sare-Lee!

What a maroon

Harrangueman - July 19, 2010 - 8:43am

I was supposed to have my first breath test today.

However I forgot about it until 6am when I woke up with a start and consequently had fucked up on the fasting requirements of the day before. So now I have to travel across the length of the ACT to report in and be told 'no test for you' and re-book.

Oh but that is not all, oh no, that's is not all.

The tests could only be conducted four weeks after I became Mikey two-snakes. Hence the delay in getting to the breathy peeps. As I was reading the test preparation notes - and my fuck up of the day before fast - I noticed there was a dot point on the 'four weeks before cease and desist' that was relevant.

No taking dietary supplements of the stomach bacterial kind. The very kind I take faithfully every day. When I booked in they didn't tell me about it - but then they also said to check the site. But I didn't think to check the site until just now and saw it. Read more »

Well it's game on

Harrangueman - July 18, 2010 - 11:31am

So the Federal election is for 21 August.

For those that have moved since last time don't forget to make sure you're enrolled.

Go to www.aec.gov.au to check. IT CLOSES 8pm MONDAY 19 JULY

To be honest I'm a bit meh about it all. Last time, after 11 years of the H-Man, koo-koo ka choo, I was excited to see the back of him. But now ... well ... maybe it's just me feeling meh but I feel meh about it so far. Read more »

To much sharing

Harrangueman - July 17, 2010 - 9:19am

I share too much. Not stuff, though I like to think I will share stuff where it's appropriate to do so. No, I share too much of what I do in the embarrassment department.

The other day, freshly able to dry fart but still suffering unusual tinge of fecal reek, I dry farted.

At my desk.

The putrid stench wafted upward. Fortunately the corral was just populated by me when it happened - but they were coming back.

I rapidly decamped and went around to the other side of the workstation horseshoe unless the smell wafted away.

The lads on the other side are more ... well ... earthy. I like to think normal. They asked what I was doing lurking in their area.

So I told them.

They laughed. Now whenever I'm around their side they ask if I am escaping a noxious emission. Read more »

Bathtime fun - just add sharks

Harrangueman - July 14, 2010 - 7:44pm

A while back we went to an aquarium. During our visit we bought a pack of plastic sharks for the noodles man.

I remember walking back along the nearby boardwalk - a shark nestled in my top pocket as we'd opened the packet and given him a few to play with - and I just started singing.

'There's a shark on my nipple and it's giving it a squeeze, giving it a squeeze, giving it a squeeze. There's a shark on my nipple and it's giving it a squeeze ... in the most delightful way...'

Good times.

Recently a bunch of the sharks entered the Thunderdome that is the Noodles watery play pen.

The bath. Read more »

Adios Harv

Harrangueman - July 14, 2010 - 12:41am

Harvey Pekar died.

Check out his obit at the washpost here.

Harvey was a blogger. He was a blogger before there was a web. He just did it in comic form. Or essay form.

I think this bit of the obit sums it up best.

The largely autobiographical comic series portrayed Mr. Pekar -- inevitably dressed in a flannel shirt and corduroy pants -- as a rumpled, depressed filing clerk in a Veterans Administration hospital. He filled the stories with wry observations about his frustrations with work and human relationships and what Mr. Pekar called "the 99 percent of life that nobody ever writes about." Read more »

When Sh becomes F...

Harrangueman - July 12, 2010 - 11:48pm

At last my odyssey is over. I can proudly play the arse trumpet and only expect ringing loud noises from my brassy arse-bell instead of a squelch meets a warm brownish near-liquid.

There were, however, a couple of false starts.

I'd say the eye of this storm happened late Saturday morning when I crawled into the big-bed, assuring the other occupant the worst was over, and planning on catching up on sleep. Within 30 seconds of inhabitation the worst event of all occurred. So bad in fact theWife had to feed me a plastic bag through the crack of the toilet door so I could dispose of the affected clothing for good after ensuring safe removal ala level one decontamination procedures.

There was no way those boys were making it back on the rotation team.

But I've successfully vuvuzel'ed a few times tonight without the viscous "after-taste" and I can now declare this case-closed. Read more »

The Chiro, round two

Harrangueman - July 12, 2010 - 1:07pm

Chiropractors encounter a fair amount of whiffery in their work. Either passive such as bad breath from a punter - I always brush my teeth before I go if I have the opportunity - or body odor, or active because of their manipulation. When you're bending people back and forth it tends to have a bellows effect on the old innards.

So there's this manuever where they drop you on your side and push one of your legs up. They then knee down on your thigh.

Yeah.

Currently I'm still suffering the sharts.

So when that was done that caused movement at the station ... and I did a dot of a shart.

I had to pause the treatment to dash to the loo. By dash I mean the butt clench hold it in fast waddle.

Luckily I made it.

WHHHHOOOOSSSSSSHHHHH Read more »

Oh Tony - did your casio break?

Harrangueman - September 3, 2010 - 12:04am

Despite having an alleged degree in economics - seriously - Tony Abbott and his team apparently made some slight miscalcs in his costings. According to treasury the Lib's costings were about 10 billion out.

10 ... billion.

The Coalition refused to let Treasury cost its policies during the campaign and furnished independent advice claiming savings of $11.5 billion over four years. Last week the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, relented to demands by the independents to let Treasury cost the work.

Figures released after the talks with the independents show Treasury calculated the Coalition would save only $860 million over the four years. Under another scenario it says the saving would be $4.5 billion. Read more »

What goes in must come out

Harrangueman - September 1, 2010 - 12:12am

Ah ... but which way?

The Playahs...

Chicken Kiev

Weiss Berry Sorbet

Chocolate Freddo Frog

What do these all have in common, apart, of course, from being foodstuffs?

Well they're all foodstuffs I tried to stuff into my portly "O" gob tonight ... the latter two eaten following the Kiev which had not quite made it all the way to the stomach.

Yes ... the infamous stuckies happened again. Half way down elements of the Kiev - which sounds like an Eastern European resistance movement - got lodged on their journey into my digestive system. The cure for this is normally yakking it up or drinking coke to try and break it down. Both were employed. Both semi-worked. Eventually ... but it was painful and pretty gross for a while. Read more »

Ancillary benefit

Harrangueman - August 30, 2010 - 7:46pm

Due to pain from the tests I took some pain killers - pretty strong ones. I was a bit floaty.

I was rough housing with theNoo, playing some more 'oh no, it's a dragon!' and we were under the doonah. On his way to an extraction point he planted his large melon against the bridge of my nose.

Thanks to pain killers ... it didn't hurt as much!

I remember watching a doco on medical discoveries and they were looking at the story of anesthetic. One story had a doctor seeing a man at a fairground load up on nitrous, hurt himself, but not experience any pain. Read more »

Drive ... of DEATH! (?)

Harrangueman - August 30, 2010 - 5:19pm

The other night I was coming back from a friend's place. I was driving on the Parkway that connects the North and South sides of Canberra.

As I passed the Woden turnoff I noticed ahead, by the side of the road, a bunch of cars had pulled over. They had their hazard lights on. I assumed there was some sort of mass rear-ending.

So I pulled into the right lane, in case people were walking near the left lane, and slowed a bit.

Then, in the glare of my head lights I saw what appeared to be a giant roo's tail snaking across both lanes. Now this seeing, identifying (incorrectly - obviously - it was a first impression) and my reaction all joined forces to have me still running over the obstacle. I didn't slam the brakes or try and swerve. I was committed to hitting it and with people on one side and a line of concrete bollard lane dividers on the other I didn't really have any options anyway. Read more »

Oh no, a dragon!

Harrangueman - August 28, 2010 - 5:30pm

TheNoo's lately been seeing monsters. No, not dead people style like in The Sixth Sense, but imaginary monsters which typically end up chasing us. A regular appearance comes in the form of a bear that chases after our car like the liquid metal Terminator in Terminator Two.

Today he saw a dragon.

'Oh no, a dragon! Come on, let's run!'

So we run down to the lounge room and dive into his pop-up castle turret tent - which has dragon repelling powers.

The tent has windows. So we were looking out of the window and 'seeing' the dragon.

Me?

'Hey what's he doing? I think he's eating a sheep.'

TheNoo. Read more »

Bald has its benefits

Harrangueman - August 27, 2010 - 5:19pm

I am balding.

I once had a pony tail.

The pony tail left when the balding started.

It was sad.

Now? Now I keep my hair nice and short. Typically shave it back to a no 2, let it grow, then back to a 2.

When I started balding it was about a 20 cent piece in size - the baldness. Now? The underside rim of a bread and butter plate in diameter. It's around where my crown is. Which means I look like a middle ages monk.

In addition to balding I love showers. I love hot showers in the dark. I find it soothing. Due to ears prone to swimmer's ear I have to have plugs in my ears if my head goes under the water.

I don't like the plugs. They're not comfie. So I tend not to stick the plugs in and avoid the head dunking. Read more »

Why report news when you can make it - and achieve your partisan viewpoint at the same time!

Harrangueman - August 26, 2010 - 10:10am

Once upon a time, when Newspapers were first born into the world of mass consumption, balance and objectivity did not exist. All papers were published with an ideological bent that matched the whims and wishes of the owner, who more often than not was the printer who put it out. It was like a sea of individual Lyndon Larouches spouting their own highly individualized world views.

Over time, however, and more when the 20th century rolled around, slowly but surely Newspaper reporting did become more balanced. Apparently it was largely a result of the creation of wire services because they reported facts, often truncated due to the limitations of communications, that the newspapers would then feed into their content. Sure, opinion pages still existed, and editorials in favour or against a proposition, but the news part itself started to become actual news where the who, why, what, how, when was reported and there was no ideological slant about ‘damn gypos’ or what not.

Then Rupert Murdoch happened. Read more »

Mikey gets some officious news

Harrangueman - August 25, 2010 - 5:33pm

The public service is big on doing the right thing. Governance, whether fiscal, policy or personnel, is at the core of what we do.

Recently I was the subject of an audit. A leave audit. I had no idea it was happening. I just had an email pop into my in box stating that an audit had been performed on my leave.

With much trepidation I opened it and commenced reading. It noted the relevant policy document that covered audits, that an audit had been performed, and, owing to a conversion of a previous agreement my current annual leave balance was found to be in error.

'... the audit has determined that your leave balance is understated ...'

Oh, that's cool.

'... by 0.90 hours.'

Yes, a tremendously exciting audit had been inflicted on my records and they'd discovered I was out of pocket 0.9 of an hour. Read more »

Faceless is the new black

Harrangueman - August 23, 2010 - 11:51pm

You kids and your music are probably too young to remember the 2007 election. The Libs, as one of their then five dot points on why it shouldn't be the other guys, went with 'Union Bosses' as their big ooga-ooga. A theme taken up by their various conservative lick-spittles like Paul Sheehan and friends.

Basically, if you are a Liberal, it went like this. If asked a question, it could have been about anything, then their aim was to insert the phrase 'union bosses' in the answer. Like I said, it didn't have to have anything to do with the question.

For example. 'Nice today today?'. Answer - 'Yes, but not if those union bosses will get in.' Read more »

Why do I do it to myself?

Harrangueman - August 22, 2010 - 1:03pm

We're going to a friends' place for lunch so I went for my walk. As is my custom I had News Radio on. They were re-playing Insiders.

Andrew Bolt and Andrew Robb both featured.

Andrew Robb, still speaking in dot points from the Liberals 'no No NO!' manifesto was supremely irritating with his distortions and falsehoods, leading me to shriek loudly into the stilled Sunday air 'Fucking liar', and 'Bullshit', 'That's complete crap you fuckhole'. etc. Apologies to nearby residents that heard that.

Then they went back to the panel. Whereupon Nuts'N'Gum, aka Split Pelvis, his lord Master Andrew Bolt was lording forth on the election.

'The reason the ALP lost is they've been the worst government since the war' he pontifically announced over the sound of his creaking ligaments straining to keep his legs in his hips given their near 90 degree bend. Read more »

Hung but not drawn and quartered

Harrangueman - August 21, 2010 - 11:48pm

When we left our friends' place who we were watching the results come in - lefties like us - it looked like a hung parliament. The five independents will have the balance of power.

Two are left leaning, leaving just the others - Katter, Oakeshott, and Windsor as the core "wildcards".

Crikey were eerily prescient in the week leading up to the election and of the the above three that assessed their views and likelihood of which party they'd support if it went to a hung parliament. My assessment was they'd lean labor, even if they had a conservative history. All are fiercely local, all are big on infrastructure. And of the two main parties, the ALP were the only ones talking infrastructure and the broadband network is the biggest ticket item of that side of the debate.

Still, interesting times. We will see.

Three boats ... a year

Harrangueman - August 20, 2010 - 6:32pm

Dick Sticker has come out today on poll eve and declared, presumably thumping his manly hair impregnated chest as he did, that under a coalition government we'd get three or less illegal entry vessels a year.

Seriously.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has set a Coalition government the target of limiting unauthorised boat arrivals to three a year, saying he deserves to be "very harshly judged" if it fails.

Mr Abbott said on average three boats a year had arrived under previous Coalition governments between 2002 and 2007, and he was aiming for the same result. Read more »

Bieber pwned

Harrangueman - August 20, 2010 - 1:52pm

I saw in the SMH that the world's 20 sexiest men has been decided. Well, decided by Glamour magazine that is. Unsurprisingly topping the bill was Twilight's Robert Pattinson. Despite the fact that with his white flesh and half stubble he looks like a necrotic Shaving Ken.

Sparrow sized Justin Bieber came in seventh. Seriously. He still seems pre-pubescent. He's not even legally allowed to have sex yet the readers of Glamour made him number seven. Read more »

Road signage that made me giggle

Harrangueman - August 19, 2010 - 11:52am

Hanging from an overpass

Don't go a redneck
Go a redhead

And on one of those RTA electronic trailer signs

Hang up and drive

(FLASH TO NEXT SCREEN)

You're not that special.

Gold.

I is useful

Harrangueman - August 18, 2010 - 2:28am

A while back I finished a Masters in history n'stuff. Currently it's not needed in my day-to-day work but learnin' is learnin' and I for one am glad I did it. Even if it was a massive cross to bear and it took me six years to finish it. Hey, it was nearly free thanks to work covering the tuition so it was totally worth doing if only for that.

But, like I said, not needed day-to-day.

Lately however I've been able to use some of what I've learned helping a friend with her studies. It's a good feeling. A pleasing inner glow of goodness. I've got a bit of a Jerry "I am truly great" feeling happening here.

Yay! Read more »

Dance devil pale moonlight

Harrangueman - August 15, 2010 - 11:41pm

I don't know much about belly buttons. Only that mine is deep sunken on account both of being an innie and my having a large gut.

Today theNoo was using my body as a freeway. Basically running wheeled toys along my limbs and torso.

My shirt had ridden up a bit and my belly button was exposed.

Have you ever been jabbed with force in your belly button? No? Didn't think so.

I have. By him. Today. He was looking there then, without too much thought, he got his index finger and drove it on in, the rest of his little hand following the finger to press down on the whole Sarlacc esq area that rims my long since closed in utero feeding hole.

The whole experience was acutely painful. Read more »

Da Noo goes three

Harrangueman - August 9, 2010 - 6:47pm


It's almost hard to believe our little noodles man is now three.

But three he is and we had a party to prove it.

A bunch of mostly kids-enabled friends and family came around and crammed into our small yard to celebrate his temporal achievement of making it this far.

There was cake, heavily-fruit dominant snacks, and a swing set ... and me. That was pretty much it. Read more »

Memo to Mark - f__k off

Harrangueman - August 9, 2010 - 6:15pm

Mark Latham was the head of the Federal ALP parliamentary party - and thus the alternate Prime Minister - in the 2004 election. By early 2005 he was gone from parliament.

He then proceeded to unleash a diary on his time in the party that did a lot of damage to those still in it.

Now, five years on, he's back. Oh he's been back since his diary went out with a regular gig at the Australian Financial Review (subscription only access to the site) with a regular column with his views about the political landscape. Basically they involved drip feeding sneering negative commentary on those in the ALP team - including releasing years old email corro between him and the current PM from back when she was merely a shadow minister. Read more »

Oh for fcks sake

Harrangueman - August 7, 2010 - 1:29pm

The Libs are polling 51% on two party preferred.

(Shakes fist at heavens!)

WHY!?

These arse-hats would have put us in recession. They would have further entrenched "work choices" and they would have further brutalised refugees had they been in government.

And you know what? Howard likely would have still been PM.

Now ... now Australians are forgetting what they did and are ignoring what they wanted to do in government and are on the verge of giving them another go - Abbott as PM of all people!

Seriously, I am boggled. Utterly boggled. What an epic Ozzer fail.

Genial Joe - Hypocrite

Harrangueman - August 6, 2010 - 7:11pm

Joe Hockey was on JJJ's hack y'day and the subject of health funding came up. The presenter mentioned 'one billion ripped out of health funding'. Joe cut her off and proceeded to say that it was a 'Labor Line' and the one billion was simply the difference between a forward estimate projection and the actual money spent and was part of the negotiation process with the states etc.

Now I'm not sure on the specifics of that though I know that under Abbott the Federal share of health funding as a percentage dropped and I suspect it's related to that. But still Genial Joe was apparently aggrieved at the use of this 'Line'.

Okay, fair enough. Except Joe then went and gave off two of the Libs standard pot boilers in regards to the stimulus - which Joe said they would have supported if a bit less money had been thrown at it - but thundering his anger about "Pink Batts" and "School halls". Read more »

I feel like the subject of a time-lapse video...

Harrangueman - August 5, 2010 - 10:41pm

I amended my banner header above. I changed mid 30s to late 30s in recognition of passing that threshold and amended baby to toddler for theNoo. Because he's a little man.

He's a little man that has learned to say no. If I go him for a tickle or cuddle he holds up his hand in the 'stop traffic' position and says. 'Stop. I don't like it.'

I have to respect his wishes... damn it.

He's also learning to play hide and seek. He can count to 10 and understands the concept of looking. Although I hide a little too well and chances are he needs his mummy to give him hints. That and I cough theatrically so he knows roughly what area to look in. Read more »

It seemed like a good idea...

Harrangueman - August 4, 2010 - 8:02pm

The other night at Nerd Night C left the table. He had a beer mug of Pepsi Max at his spot. Without stopping to think I grabbed it and started gulping it down. The aim was to present him an empty glass when he returned so I could say 'hee hee'.

Only I got half way and I started laughing. I then spurted Pepsi Max all over P's floor and his tablecloth. I had to spray and wipe all the droplets away.

And, thanks to the caffeine infusion, I was up until 1 am.

Damn you C!

Geez that shts me

Harrangueman - August 2, 2010 - 7:53pm

I know with kids' books you're supposed to suspend disbelief.

But geez it shits me when they have a Tiger popping up in an African vista. How hard is that to know that a Tiger DOES NOT FUCKING LIVE IN AFRICA*?

Grr.

Also, as mentioned previously, lions do not live in jungles. Therefore, hardly likely to be king of it, eh?

(* zoos aside, obviously)

Snedging fail

Harrangueman - August 2, 2010 - 6:59pm

If you are heavyset, and like your food, chances are your olfactory senses (nose / taste) are better than the average punter's.The theory goes like this. Because food has a richer odour to you then you're more likely to want to eat it. I have often thought that an ideal weight loss treatment would be to remove someone's sense of taste and smell. Except of course that's a safety issue.

Today I purchased a mini pizza from the downstairs cafe. Their pizzas are delish. Expensive but well worth it. And not too large as to make me sad with excessive consumption. The right size, and tasty.

It was a bacon and cheese on a BBQ effort. It looked delish when I picked it from the bain maree. Then it went into a box. I smelled the box. Heavenly.

Then I got out my credit card to pay for it. As I held my wallet out while the card was being sorted I thought 'you know what ... I'm going to smell that again'. So I smelled it.

That's not pizza. Read more »

The usual (dairy) suspects

Harrangueman - July 30, 2010 - 8:02pm

I am likely lactose intolerant, with breath testing to confirm that's the case in a couple of weeks.

But I do like my dairy, even if I am trying to restrict it. Sometimes ... sometimes the yearning for creamy milky derived goodness is so strong it overwhelms me.

I failed on the reduced dairy last night. At one stage a thought flashed in my mind of wanting to take it straight from the teat or something.

My dairy consumption y'day was... Read more »

You report it, you own it

Harrangueman - July 29, 2010 - 6:01pm

When something breaks in our building if you report it you end up as the point of contact for that job. This also means you end up as the escort for the repair people and have to hang out with them while they work.

I sort of ended up as the OHS person for our area. It's a good fit because I am Mr Civic in that I report stuff when it breaks.

I reported two dead light bulbs in the lads' toilets. The electrician contacted me for the escort the other day. Turns out the sockets were broken and he needed to look at the them to get their part numbers.

Then he came back again and did the exact same job - getting the part deets. Bulbs still not fixed.

This has meant thus far 30 minutes in total of me escorting this dude around. Read more »

Calling the obese fatties

Harrangueman - July 29, 2010 - 9:22am

The UK health minister, Anne Milton, has come up with an interesting way to address the rise in obesity. Make people who are obese feel bad about themselves by calling them fat.

Here's a piccie of Anne Milton Read more »

Kewl finds

Harrangueman - July 29, 2010 - 12:05am

The Thick of It from the UK. By the guys who did In The Loop.

Awesome stuff.

Oopsie

Harrangueman - July 28, 2010 - 2:16pm

I was at a meeting the other day. We were talking about changes and the fact that we will have to win 'hearts and minds' to implement them.

At the meeting was old boss ... and three other (female) colleagues.

Without thinking I blurted out the famous Vietnam era line of 'Grab 'em by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow...'

... cough ... coughcough...

Pigman, baby, Pigman!

Harrangueman - July 26, 2010 - 11:57pm

With thanks as ever to Seinfeld.

Recently I was on a course. In the public service we get sent on these things, often against our will. 'I'm too busy!' etc. This was the case for me however I got a huge benefit out of it and I am so glad I did it.

On such courses on occasion a coordinator or facilitator will throw out a group exercise challenge. Sometimes it has a message. Sometimes it's just there to break up the day and re-energise people.

The challenge was to take a sheet of butcher's paper and pass it around the table. Each time you got it you had to rip a piece off the paper. The aim was, together, to create a recognisable animal shape from the multiple tearing.

What was the catch? You couldn't communicate with your team members. No talking, no drawing, no gestures etc. Read more »

Ware the proffered rugged cuddle

Harrangueman - July 25, 2010 - 8:59am

We have two lounge-rooms. Well, actually we don't. Lounge-room two is actually the master bedroom that we turned into the computer room / study / library / large couch that folds out / main teev (hash) 2.

In lounge-room one there are a number of ways to enjoy viewing of the over large fat teev (a gift from friends) - we have not succumbed to the flatscreen desire as yet. There's the single sofa chair near the light in the corner. There's the three person couch - which really only comfortably seats two as per the back seat of a compact sedan. There's the single person sofa chair against the wall that has a mock leather poof - it looks leathery, it's vinyl. Then there's the floor with the beanbag there to mould to one's bod and rug up with the doona.

The other night theWife was on the beanbag on the floor, rugged as is her custom in the doona. Read more »

I had a dream ... and not the good MLK kind

Harrangueman - July 23, 2010 - 6:13pm

I am an inveterate picker. Pick, pick, pick. Feet, the webbing between my big and index toe, scabs (wherever), boils, pimples, ear and nose hairs. You name it, if the body scabs it or grows a hair from there I will pick at it.

I'm pretty sure I have low grade OCD about picking. Part of the delightful cornucopia that is moi.

That's right ladies, I am a cornucopia. Sadly I am also taken so this pharmacy of fun that is me cannot be yours.

On with the show!

I had a dream the other night. A dream of the ultimate pick-off from the body. That of the teeth.

When I progressed from child to manchild, when I had a wiggly child tooth inevitably I'd pick it out. I'd wiggle the fucker back and forth until it was really to be yanked then pull it free with a smile laced with bloodied drool.

I probably then showed it to a girl. Cos girls dig that. Read more »

Party people won't you tear down your balloons?

Harrangueman - July 22, 2010 - 6:26pm

If I have my daily walk from home there's a number of different routes I will take. One take me up the street and through a cut through to the main road. This street does not have footpaths which is a tad annoying - esp if you have headphones on cos you have to scan for traffic.

The other day I was passing a house that had previously hosted a kid's party. I could tell because attached to a tree were some balloons.

Over the coming weeks these balloons remained - a long sausage balloon and three spherical ones.

As time passed the balloons shrank. The middle balloon almost disappeared and was largely hidden by the others.

Finally, it had to happen. The shrinkage made the balloons look like old man cock and balls.

So whenever I pass that house I get a Pavlovian reaction of a mental pic of age dessicated meat and two veg. Read more »

The adjustment

Harrangueman - July 22, 2010 - 9:08am

Well I didn't want to inflict my badness on colleagues while my bod adapted to the absence of pro-biotics so I stayed home.

Verdict? Pretty smelly. Some pain, but I was able to produce some Ultra-chocs so that was a blessing. It's pretty sad when in your life a key moment is being able to shit properly like a proper person. I guess it's similar to how a man with a swollen prostate feels when he manages to cut a decent slash.

Right now I'm about a two on the to ten pain scale. Bearable. I'm not being too rank and I have at least have some rumbling pre-shock indicators that I am about to thar he blows so I can get to a safe* spot to left fly.

I believe the route I shall take will be past the triumvirate of the fucked, the three dodgiest people I have worked with in the public service, so if I do let fly on the way to the toilet they shall suffer my stinky wake.

Take that into your back-face. Read more »

Abbott signs a pledge

Harrangueman - July 20, 2010 - 9:31am

Tony Abbott has attempted to take some of the heat out of will they / won't they on WorkChoices 2.0.

He dashed off an actual signed pledge to Neil Mitchell that WC was consigned to the WC.

As more than one commentator noted in the 2004 election Latham famously signed a giant novelty placard that he would try to keep interest rates low and was laughed at by both the press and the then government.

Abbott said WC was ''dead, buried and cremated''.

I thought for a second he was in danger of melding Robert DeNiro's Al Capone and a Roman Engineer. Read more »

Shearing

Harrangueman - July 18, 2010 - 6:28pm

I just took off my beard. I clippered it down to a 0. I do this every month or so.

I have to admit, when I have my post clippering shower, I enjoy scraping my nails along my shorn cheeks then squeezing my nails to see dead skin and hairs sprout out onto my finger tips.

If that makes me weird then I apologise...

When I was at school one of my more unpleasant "tricks" was to cultivate thick scabs under my hair, pick one off, then show a girl.

Turns out that on the whole getting girls to like you scheme of things ... showing a freshly plucked head scab isn't recommended.

So ... from then I just showed them to girls I didn't like. Read more »

I broke a nail

Harrangueman - July 17, 2010 - 10:01am

It's not astounding news. Especially from a man who routinely removes all his toenails from idle picking.

But it's left index finger nail. It tore off while I was trying to extract my left ring toenail.

It ripped out at the centre, well into the quick, and seeped blood.

The impact has been on my keyboarding. I am a two finger typer but fairly quick and I can type that way without looking at the keyboard.

The loss of left index nail meant however middle finger has been press ganged to take over while index heals. This has dropped my speed and accuracy a fair amount - and it's most annoying because I will forget, plunge down lefty index and yelp with a sharp pain from the missing nail hitting the key.

Far out I hope it heals soon. Read more »

Blogwatch - Until it Kills Me

Harrangueman - July 14, 2010 - 8:06pm

I was listening to JJJ while on my walk. I don't usually listen to JJJ - unless it's Hack (530-6pm), but today I was lucky to be listening 'cos I heard an awesome interview with a mortician who blogs. See below for the link to the ABC show for today. You can get to the podcast from there.

JJJ Drive time for 14 July 2010

Her blog is called Until it kills me.

It was a great interview, totally worth listening to. And, given my on again off again fear of mortality, I found it a comforting listen.I know if I pop my clogs I'd want her to make me look purty.

I will now peruse her bloggy goodness with much anticipation. Read more »

But ... I'm a lady

Harrangueman - July 14, 2010 - 1:03am

Yes, I just engaged in another gratuitous googling of Harrangueman mentions in the past month.

No, not many. I am like a regional cheese only enjoyed by the extra fingered locals.

However this is a particularly hilarious result courtesy of I assume a poorly constructed search engine slash blog robot.

Yes my wimping out on a formal dinner post was captured in the sweep across the intertubes for exciting news in the field of ladies formal wear. Read more »

New release goodness - In the Loop

Harrangueman - July 13, 2010 - 12:26am

TheWife and I mostly get our movie fare as new releases from the local DVD shop. Basically, once you have a kidlet then movie going out time - and we went to the movies practically weekly - is severely reduced. It really only happens if theWife's mum is in town or we take a mutual day off work and theNoo is in day care.

We share each other's likes for DVDs for the most part, but now and then if theWife is not around then I can branch out into Mikey-likes, like bang-bang serious action stuff or political themed dramas or dramedys.

Recently my Mikey like was this one - In the loop. Read more »

A little conversation with my lunch

Harrangueman - July 12, 2010 - 3:32pm

TheWife made some awesome sausage rolls. Despite my journey from full to empty on the weekend I managed to chow down three of them, taking an hour to do so. Hooray!

There were four left over. Today, feeling a little better, I had them for lunch. I decided to slice them up and place upon the slices slivers of cheese - yes, slivers given my dodgy guts - before heating.

As I was distributing slices of cheese I realised I'd run out of cheese. My sausage roll slivers to cheese ratio was too high.

'Oh no,' I said. 'I will take some from you.' - and I broke a bit of cheese off one of the larger slivers.

'Hey, that's mine,' I said, representing the interests of the slice that had lost partial sliver coverage. Read more »