Scrap Metal

I watched a fascinating program last night on an Australian station SBS. It was about an Australian man living in Laos, training local bomb squads to disarm munitions that have been left scattered about the country since the Vietnam War ended 35 years ago. I had always known that there were problems in the region with ordinance but I never knew to what extent.

I felt is deserves coverage.

Did you know?

Between 1964 and 1973 there were 580,000 B-52 missions flown over Laos and Cambodia, but mostly over Laos targeting the Ho-Chi-Minh trail?

The B-52 D and G models used for area carpet bombing missions could carry 108, 500 lbs bombs internally and externally, dropping them from an altitude of 35,000 feet?

According to my calculations that was 62,640,000 bombs dropped over Laos during a nine year period. This excludes other type aircraft sorties.

Of this, roughly 5 - 10 % of all bombs dropped were "duds" and left peppered over a country roughly the size of Florida. That means that they are littered with between 3 and 6 million 500 pound bombs, not to mention the deadliest threat to children, cluster munitions.

Cluster munitions are large bombs packed with hundreds of small, grenade sized bomblets, packed with ball bearings. They were used in large numbers indiscriminately through the jungle to take out large areas of living things. These are literally everywhere, lying around in a state of decay and instability. The worse part is that they look like a toy or a small ball to little kids who pick them up and get themselves blown to bits.

Laos is a poor country, most of the people live well below the poverty line and see any kind of scrap metal as a commodity, villagers find bombs and try to recover the scrap metal and end up killing themselves or maiming themselves in the process. It is a huge problem.

Laos has an amputation rate 600% higher than any other country in the world.


I am glad this Australian man is helping the people of Laos, I just wish I was watching a program about Americans cleaning up our own bombs instead.


Next Post will be bout something more positive, I promise.

Actually Good Aussi Television!

Stop the presses!!!

I actually saw something worth watching last night on Australian television. The Librarians on ABC is a situational comedy that takes place in a public library in Australia. It revolves around the main female character the head librarian. She is a staunch Catholic and mother of four that desperately trying to suppress her unconventional sexual urges and to keep her library under her strict control. Everything is thrown into a tail spin when her busty best friend from school days shows up and pushes her way in to her life. Hilarity ensues.
It is done in a mocumentary, improvisational style similar to The Office but i find this show is much more funny.
Australian TV is allowed to show more racier content than in the states and although mature in nature never goes too far. I would say rated PG 17. you can stream the show on the above link and if you have a broadband connection and thirty minutes to spare, I highly recommend checking it out. I have not laughed like that in a very long time.

Honest Abe...

It did not surprise me that they have televangelists here too. Although the Australian versions tend to be not as "polished" as say TBN, 700 Club or any other American "god" channels. I noticed they don't have the phone number at the bottom of the screen constantly scrolling, urging the flock to call in and drop a twenty for a prayer. This makes me wonder if theirs are actually in it for saving souls and helping others. Probably not but I think this one was...

Now, I only have four channels right now and being hung over from the debauchery of the company Christmas party I had little energy for anything else. I hope you can understand my actually watching these programs but I find I don't have to excuse this particular show. I was fascinated by it.

If it wasn't so plain I would not get it. They all dress like they just woke up on the set of Little House and they sing (rather badly) to the droning of a cheap organ grinder. They will sing their hymn, in this case "Little Donkey" then the camera will cut and they will occupy new positions in the church pews while one of the fellows gets behind a plywood podium and gives a modest sermon. His sermons were simple and direct and thankfully short.

That completed, they ran back to the choir and "hit play"" on the VHS camera and burst into "O' Come All Ye Faithful" in an unstable D minor. There will be no Australian Idols out of this group for sure.
The whole thing is done on what I am guessing are two 1980's era VHS recorders and no operators. When they switch positions, you can see the residual motion of the camera as it moves slightly from the pressure of being turned on. After the camera is switched on, one of the performers jumps back into frame to join the others. On one camera cut the older woman on the left just about took out one of her plants.


At least they are honest and humble and I will raise my glass to that.

Architecture

Period Australian architecture impresses me. This house is near my apartment and it is one of my favorites. It reminds me of a classic, Victorian in San Francisco with an Australian flair, corrugated roofs, large overhangs (for hot summers) and large decks for cooling off in the evening and screen doors to keep out the creepy crawlies. Notice the very bright blue sky that contrasts with the yellow paint and green palms.
The sun is very harsh here.

Flower Power: For Real

I thought this piece was interesting. I took the photo a couple of weeks back on the South Bank while on a walk. It is a solar powered, rotating wind mill in the form of a flower.

There is a lot of public art in Brisbane...

Funky Facade

This building I pass on my way to work every day is currently under renovation. I love the facade and iron work. It looks to me like it also boasts a glass ceiling for natural lighting. I can't wait to see it when it's finished.

Bad America

I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that Britney Spears (stankienuss ho-esnus) is insanely popular in Australia. The morning show actually has a five minute spot set aside just for the B-News of the day. I noticed that the moo-moo's she always seems to wear (with cowboy boots?) are in vogue here as well. Mostly she is popular as in the States, not for her music but for her drug fueled antics, promiscuity, clothing (or lack thereof) faux pas, and general white trashiness.

There are just certain things I wish would not leave the borders of The United States.

Other notable items that make us look bad: George W. Bush, Fox News, Mc Donald's, War on everything (i.e. drugs, poverty, x-mas, the use of the word war in general) Wal Mart...

Sold!!!

I just got word that the R00-Mobile has been sold, no thanks to you slackers that had a chance to buy it but didn't... You snooze, you loose!


That was a relief and it makes us feel much better and gives a renewed sense of hope. You don't know (some do) how hard it is to sell a used car in Orange County. From now on I am only leasing roo-mobiles.

Actually, it has been really nice not having a car. Sure we will get one. We will need something for the weekend explorations and the stores and all that although, they don't seem to be the status symbol here nor carry the same importance as they do in LA. You are not what you drive! I am hoping the next roo-rocket will be way under $10,000 and get better than 30 mpg as gas is pretty expensive and the Roo's want to be environmentally friendly.

I do want to give a shout out to my Mazda 3, I loved that car and will miss it, especially my Sirius Radio.


Sincere gratitude to used car sales ladies extraordinare'; Lana Neufeld and my Mexican mafiosa; Mariana, good job girls.



One car down , one to go. I am going to celebrate tonight!

The Fast and The Furious; Romania

Street Racing Scene in Romania.



Rock on...




http://www.prostreetromania.ro/prostreet.htm

Everything Wild 4... (officially freaked out)

I got to work yesterday and was telling one of my co-workers about the really big spiders I saw on the way to work. He is from Canada and although somewhat new to Australia, he has seen more than I have.

"Have you seen the bats"? He asked me.

"What Bats"? I croaked.

He started to explain to me that the park I walk through every night on my way home has a huge tree that is crawling with Spectacled Flying Fox Bats.

"So, those crows I see flying around at night are not crows, but bats?!?!?" I stammered...

"Nope, they're bats"...

So, last night I am out on the deck and as these things fly by I notice the silhouette and sure enough, they are huge bats. I am thinking they are about the size of a moderately proportioned house cat but with wings and claws and fangs, all of it. The creepy thing is that if they detect you, they will make a pass at you.

NowI got the hee-bee-jee-bee's from big really big, carnivorous spiders, then I have to worry about flying house cats...

It's just getting better all the time...


Actually if you see them close up, they are kind of cute little guys... I tried to get a picture of one last night but with a digital camera and in the dark it is proving to be tricky. One of the guys here has a blog with video of the tree in the park at dusk, you can check it out here...

http://thedickinsons.blogspot.com/2007/04/australian-bats.html

Everything Wild 3...

I am walking to work this morning and I happened to look in the yard of a house I was passing.

Take a look at what I saw.

There were some bushes out in front with the biggest spider web I have ever seen. Then I noticed what was on the web, about ten of the BIGGEST SPIDERS I have ever seen. The thing was teeming with them. I have never seen anything like it and i don't want to see anything else like it. I hate bugs!

I pulled out the camera for a picture or two, from a safe distance. I thought about how I don't think I would ever want to be a gardener here.



I have possibly identified it as a White Tail Spider or Lampona cylindrata. It is not supposed to be deadly but it does have a toxic bite.

http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/white_tailed_spider.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tailed_spider


Man, that's messed up...

Work

Where the magic happens...

BBQ at the Roo Cave

I was the guest of honer at a "post Snapper Rocks Surf" celebration the other night... Few beers, few laughs, and some music. I was the only one there but I had a great time and I controlled the IPod...

Snapper Rocks, Kirra; Paradise Lost

Coolangatta: Snapper Rocks, Kirra and Rainbow Bay.

The Super Bank

Now this place has been a full on dream of mine since I can remember. Scenes of days past, Kirra's long, roping, blue barrels. Firing down the bank, spitting reforming, hucking, spitting reforming, for hundreds of yards. On it's perfect days it has been known for 10-15 second barrel rides as being the norm.

Modern times has not been so nice to Kirra. The constant dredging of the Tweed River and the sand pump at the top of the point has robbed it of it's past glory, but it is supposed to still have it's day on occasion.

Then there is the Superbank. Starting with Snapper Rocks at the top of Rainbow Bay has become one of the most filmed and photographed spots in Australia. A long, perfect, sand bottomed point break is a magical looking place when it is on.

The surf looked epic as I was pulling my board out of my car. As I walked up the point it was amazing to watch the machine like cadence of barrel after barrel, roping it's way down the sand bank.

The wave will run down the line and start to flatten out, then it will hit the next bank and bend to a new angle, creating a very hollow, thick double up that explodes on the sand bar and accelerates down the line to the next bank and repeat. It is amazing to watch when it's on. I think i saw it at about 50% of it's potential but it looked amazing.

As I paddled out the wind shifted and kind of messed it up. It was still good but kind of lumpy and warbly and with the side wind it was hard to make sections not to mention see ahead of you through the spray.

California is not crowded:

It is also unfathomably packed with people. It makes lowers on a summer time south look virtually empty. There were probably three hundred people stretched along the three hundred yard stretch, every skill level represented, on every variety of craft and of questionable sanity. I don't know why or how they do it. Burleigh Heads looked better than Upper Trestles on a good day and there were four guys out. Snapper was marginally better but there were hundreds.

Most people were of the category "can't surf" and were more a hazard than anything else. One girl in front of me panicked as a wave broke in front of her and just froze and got pummeled. I duck dove right under her and she got washed over my back. I came up and shouted at her, "are you f#$%ing crazy"? She was wide eyed with terror and totally out of her element, she was not even the worst offender I saw. There were allot of people wearing Gath helmets and at first I thought it was because it is a powerful break, which it is not but, I soon figured out it was because of all the bodies and boards flying in all directions and the extreme danger you face when paddling out at the circus that is The Super Bank.

I was out for three hours and got three waves. The best being a fluke. I was desperate for a wave and took of on a head high gem with two people behind me. I was going to get one turn in then pull out but as I looked back to turn I heard one of the guys yelp as the other guy cut back into him and they took each other out. Success! I was the last man standing. I almost couldn't believe it. I pumped like hell and beat the first section and got in a couple of decent turns. I was surprised at how fast the wave is. You fly down the line and hit the elbow section and have to hit the gas to get around it. I can imagine when it is hollow it would be a back - door - shack-o-rama. The whole time you are dodging people, fending off shoulder hoppers and trying to see with the wind spray and evening sun in your face.

It is a difficult wave to surf although I think the shifting winds had allot to do with that. As well, you get quite a bit of leg burn after the first fifty yards or so. I think i might start climbing stairs in my spare time to get some endurance into my lower extremities.

It was an extremely beautiful surf spot. The point is lush with restaurants and bars lining the shore. The water was neon blue and clear when the sun was out. It started to rain while I was there and never got cold. There were bait fish swimming about and even though the water was at least six to eight feet deep, you could clearly see the bottom. The water does not smell and there is no trash at all.

Other notable events: finding parking is impossible, paddling til' the arms are numb, interesting birds, clothing is optional on the beach. Highly organized life guards with funny hats.

I can now say I have surfed the Super Bank, will I surf it again we will have to see about that.


The town of Coolangatta is great. Set back in the trees by the point it is a city on the ocean. Small but with lots of hotels, shops and cafe's lining the beach road. This would be a perfect place for me and the wife to go on weekends as I can surf for a couple of hours and she would have plenty to do and see, then a nice lunch after and a pint on the point...

Neener - neener - neener! I surfed the Super Bank and You Didn't!!!

ha

Burliegh Heads; Paradise Found

Wow...


First stop off the M1, Burliegh Heads. (cue the god music and parting clouds)

Who Can Forget the the Cyclone Season of 77' captured at Burliegh Heads in 35 mm splendor in Fluid Drive? Tom Curren winning the 1978 Jr's Championship in perfect 8 foot, grinding green barrels against Mark Occiluppo, setting the stage for one of surfings greatest rivalries? Notable local legends; modern retro man Dave Rastovich PT and Rabbit.

Burliegh Heads for me was somewhat of a mecca. A place I always dreamed of seeing but never actually thinking I would get to, never the less surf. It is a sub tropical, lush point on the Gold Coast with lava formed rocks on the point, a popular vacation destination for the mature unlike the craziness that is Surfer's Paradise. Green and beautiful with just enough city to make it sheik. There are restaurants and bars lining the white, talcum powder sand beach.

This would be a perfect place to set up Nick and Mariana's Bed and Breakfast and Kitty Corral Boarding house.

The waves looked pretty good but the wind was howling off shore with a bit too much South in it. I decided to head farther down the line to Snapper Rocks...


I will be back very soon to surf this spot.

Free Your Mind...

I actually started to work on Saturday. The weather was nice but I didn't think the surf was going to be that great. When I got in the office I made a Latte, checked my e-mails, then opened Coastal Watch to see how it looked. Snapper was head high and reeling rights down the point.

I got on line and went to Abel Rent a Car and reserved a unit to be ready in thirty minutes. I ran down there a sweaty mess and got my ride, twenty minutes later I had board in car, wax in hand, surf on the mind, and was speeding down the M1 to Coolangatta.


Coolangatta is about an hour South of Brisbane.


If I could live anywhere in the world it would have to be The Gold Coast of Australia...


So how was it???

Australian Clouds

Sorry for the lack of posts but not every day is an adventure... Check back soon for updates...

PG13 Surf Wax???

Australian Wax Job...

It's the Other Red Meat...

I'm at the market and in a victorious mood after my day's finds and near fatal mountain adventure and am pondering dinner. I am usually healthy and not too into beef. Chicken seems so tame, especially after my heroic stand on the mountain, in the name of photo journalism.

What's that?

I was not sure at the butcher counter and there was a decent looking lad next who looked "local". I explained to him I was a yank and if I should try it...

"Have you ever tried it before?" I asked.

"Aw' Muate, it's me favorite! It tastes just like fillet of beef! You'll love it for sure!"

Sold!!! I took a few Satay and Spicy Thai chicken skewers just to be safe so if the meal was not as advertised I would have a plan B.

I stopped at the corner pub for a warm up then back to the barie to prepare.

Like the man promised, it was tender, tasty and I am ready for more. I highly recommend this bounding, hippity - hoppity dish...

Don't Get Off the Boat Man!!!

On my way back to the city I saw the most amazing mountain formations I have ever seen. I had not noticed them on the way up as they were to my back. I was trying to snap pictures in the car but could never seem to get a good shot.

As luck would have it, I saw a turn off for a "lookout point" for these mountains. I had the time so I pulled off for a quick gander. I followed a lonely road for about a kilometer and just as I thought I was lost I came into a clearing with a gravel parking lot. I was the only one with exception of the highway, for miles. It was hot as it gets and kind of spooky to boot. A cement trail wound up a hill into some trees and out of site so I put on my back pack and headed up the trail.

The initial going was a bit rough but manageable in the 90 degree, oven like heat. I noticed some really fast ants running about but kept on going. A sign told me "lookout point 700m ahead".

Then came the flies. At first they were annoying and small but as I got farther they became bigger, faster and started to kamikaze my face and body. They would hit you with a force and it started to hurt. Their buzz sounded like a chain saw.

Walking faster now...

Now a big dragon fly like creature barley misses my head at about 30 mph.

Now I am almost running while flailing up the hill. I notice the ants are getting bigger and faster than before. Note: I was on a surf mission and I am in flip-flops, shorts and a t-shirt.

I have now had enough and I can see just enough of the view to get a picture, if I can just get around this tree... I stepped off the trail to get the shot and I looked down and saw the ground just teeming with big, fat, red, fast-as-hell-and-looking-agitated, ants that I am guessing were about 1/4 to 1/2 inches in length! Right then a wasp or something started hovering about my face, I'm out of here!

Now I am running down the trail the way I came and at a dead sprint. Wait, the Picture! I did not come all this way for nothing. Dammit, I must get the shot! I need TOTAL COVERAGE!!! I stopped, ran back up and leaned out over the ants nest and snapped a quick shot, the next one was at a run and the third was at a full gallop but I got the goods.

Just remember what yours truly goes through to get the you the 411.

The Sunshine Coast: Caloundra

The next stop on my quick tour of The Sunshine Coast was Caloundra. It kind of reminded me of a cross between a really small Laguna Beach and Pas-de-Calais but with 85 degree weather and perfect surf.

I love this place. It sits in a small bay with a pristine beach. On the southern end there is a rocky point with very nice apartments and houses on the top. In the center is a small downtown with cafe's, shops and art galleries. There are wineries on the outskirts of town.

The beaches are crowded and with the summer heat they are a cool alternative. In California the beaches tend to be strewn with garbage and it is sad and makes me angry. Here the beaches are warm, the water does not smell and is clear, salty and clean. I have never seen one speck of trash and I think the people here would kill anyone that did not pick it up and take it with them. They are an environmentally conciouse lot. I took a nice swim here and sat in the sun for a while.

Then there is the surf, the southern end has what appears to be a long right hand point break. In the center of the bay there looks to be a reef with a right and a left although it would be quite a paddle. On the north end is a lava rock head land with a really heavy looking left breaking into a channel in the bay. The one person I talked to about it says it gets good but is quite sharky.

The day I was there a good south swell was running but the NE winds are an issue right now. I looked for alternatives but to no luck. I hear next week there is to be a reversal so I might be back.

I would live here in a heartbeat.

The Sunshine Coast: Maroocheeydore

In my rented car I headed out of Brisbane on the M1 to The Sunshine Coast to look for surf, explore, and just get used to this whole driving thing. I can tell you this much, I can die now and say I have been to the promised land.
The Sunshine Coast is about an hour north of Brissie and stretches from Caloundra in the south to Noosa in the north. I can tell you that it is littered with some of the best surf spots on the planet. It is very lush, hot, sub tropical and sparsely populated and very rugged country. I can imagine now what it must have been like for the original "convicts" that were plopped down here in the 1700's it must have been grueling to say the least.
First stop was Maroocheydore (Mah-Roo-Chee-Dore), a small coastal town with a nicely developed city center. It seems to be a popular weekend spot and had a healthy crowd but not hectic or touristy, walking about. The beach of Marroocheydore has a what I have heard a world class left breaking over a shallow shelf, it was wind torn this day and there were jet skis in out the back jumping waves but I will be back again. I was too busy driving to take pictures of the down town and I forgot the camera in the car when I was checking out the surf, sorry. I do have pictures from Kings Beach with Maroocheydore in the distance.

One interesting note: When the M1 Motorway crosses into The Sunshine Coast it becomes The Steve Irwin Motorway which passes by the Zoo he created. You hear his name allot here and I believe Australia considers him a first son. I always liked his shows and loved his conservation efforts.

Steve Irwin R.I.P.

Rollin In My Six Fo'...

I got the courage up and rented a car on Sunday and I can finally say I have mastered the roads and the whole driving on the left thing.
I have to preface that the Australians are great people, friendly, outgoing, generous. All that disappears when they get behind the wheel. They are the most aggressive and crazy drivers I have seen outside of Italy. Road Rage seems to be a problem here to I tread lightly. On the Gold Coast Saturday my buddy Kirk got flipped off twice just trying to change lanes. Incredible. Australians are super hard core at everything they do. My guess is that when you live in a country with this many extremes you take everything else at the same level. Full speed all the way.

My experience was a good one however. I chose Sunday which is a good day to drive here, everyone parties til' dawn (literally) on Saturday night so Sundays tend to be quiet. After the first twenty minutes of terror and constantly chanting "stay to the left, stay to the left" I got that hang of it and suddenly it just makes sense. I drove a stick shift which i think helped remind me not to drift to the right. The only problem I really had was the turn signal. Almost every lane change or turn I would hit the lever and the windshield wipers would go on. The signal is on the opposite side of the car. It was always worth a laugh. Other problems included: always getting in on the wrong side of the car, round abouts to the left, kilometers are 2.2 miles or is it the reverse?...

Off to Caloundra and Maroochydoore.

First Surf and New Board for Vona!!!

First surf is under my belt...

I went with some guys from the office to Snapper Rocks this morning. Unfortunatley we got skunked. The wind was blowing hard from the North and chewed the points to bits.

Where I didn't get skunked was in The Board Room in Coolangatta. Generally boards in Australia tend to be a might bit expensive. I was planning on spending about $700.00 or so for a new DHD, Simon Anderson, Burton or other shaper. I found this 6'6" thumb tail in the used rack. From the looks of it, I think it might have been surfed once. Pure white, no preassure dings on the deck, not a blemish, practically a brand new board. I picked it up and with some haggleing I got the board, sock, leash, and two bars of wax, all for $400.00! Savings Galore!

After that we headed to Surfer's Paradise and some good ol' fashioned beach breaks to try it out. It was ok, 4-5 ft, but the wind was up and it was wonky. I could totally see the potential of Australian beach breaks though and the water was around 70 and clear and blue as I have ever seen.

Tomorrow I am renting a car for the first time and if I make it alive, will be hitting Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. See you there.