This story will go on all week!

Dockers filthy over draw with Saints
ABC Online, Australia -
Fremantle coach Chris Connolly says the Dockers will lobby the AFL to be awarded four competition points following Sunday's controversial draw with St Kilda in ...
Dockers appeal drawn game against Saints Ninemsn
Saints, Dockers in controversial tie The Age
Dockers on top of Saints ABC Online
ABC Regional Online - SportsAustralia.com - all 22 related ?

Saints, Dockers stage climatic draw
ABC Regional Online, Australia
St Kilda launched a fourth-quarter fight-back to share a thrilling draw with Fremantle in their round five AFL encounter in Launceston today. ...
Saints escape with draw against Dockers SportsAustralia.com
Dockers on top of Saints ABC Online
AFL, clubs donate to mine disaster fund Ninemsn
Ninemsn - The Age - all 17 related ?

7:49:57 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • My Interests

Crazy end to a game this afternoon - watch the last few minutes

• Saints trailing by a point.
• The ball in the Saints forward line.
• It appears that there is a second on the clock.
• Umpire blows a whistle for a ball up
• Freo players waving arms around
• Ball goes out to Steven Baker who kicks a point and ties the scores.
• Fremantle officialis come onto the ground
• Baker gets a free kick, but kicks another point
• Scores are level and it is a draw.
• Fremantle dudes claim they won by a point.
• Ugly end to an ugly game!

	Qtr Time	Half Time	3 Qtr Time	Final
St Kilda	2. 5 (17)	6. 7 (43)	9. 9 (63)	13.16.    94
Fremantle	5. 2 (32)	10. 5 (65)	12. 7 (79)	14.10.    94
St Kilda: Goals: - F.Gehrig 3, J.Blake 2, B.Voss 2, S.Milne 2, N.Dal Santo, N.Riewoldt, L.Montagna, A.Murray. Best: - N.Dal Santo, L.Hayes, J.Blake, L.Ball, B.Voss. Fremantle: Goals: - M.Pavlich 6, J.Farmer 3, L.McPharlin 2, D.Headland, M.Johnson, D.Gilmore. Best: - M.Pavlich, P.Bell, J.Carr, D.Headland, A.Sandilands, B.Schammer. Injuries - St Kilda: M.Hudghton (hand). Fremantle: nil. Reports - St Kilda: nil. Fremantle: nil. Umpires - M.Vozzo, H.Kennedy, M.Nicholls. @ Aurora Stadium, Launceston. Crowd: 15,282.

5:12:22 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • My Interests

We are really enjoying a program on SBS called Nerds FC.

The premise - take 14 nerds, teach them to play soccer and have them play a professional team. Yes, it's a reality tv show, but it is really really good.

We're up to episode 3 this week where they record a team song and film a video clip - very entertaining seeing them dancing with the brazillian samba dancers.

The show's website is also good - it has an rss feed and offers podcasts, as well as clips from the show.

Very progressive SBS! Where's the lyrics to the team song???

BTW - SBS is going to be repeating the program later in the year, if you have missed the first 3 episodes.

9:47:46 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • TV

For the first time this season, the Saints are playing on a weekend, during the day. It's been a weird start to the season

This is reflected on the poor replay options on Fox Footy this week

Tuesday 25/04/2006

• 1.30pm  Round 4 Port Adelaide v St Kilda

Friday 28/04/2006

• 8.00am  Last Time They Met 2005 Rnd 21 Fremantle v St Kilda

Sunday 30/04/2006

• 11.00pm  Round 5 St Kilda v Fremantle

The good news - I finally get a live game.

The bad news - it's on Channel 9 on Sunday at 1pm

9:11:15 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • My Interests

During our recent trip to Movie World, I got into an argument with my children.

I asked the question - Is Tweety a boy or a girl.

The kids said "Girl".

I say "Boy".

And wikipedia backs me up - "Despite widespread speculation that he was female, Tweety is and has always been a male character".

Well, that answers that!

Not only did I have to stay up to 11:30pm to watch the game, Saints lost as well.

I've been grumpy all day. It was a fast paced, high scoring game - but the Saints didnt look like winning. Defence was loose and the forwards missed some changes. Grrrr

PORT ADELAIDE 6.2 12.5 17.6 19.8 (122)
ST KILDA 4.2 8.5 14.9 18.10 (118)
Goals: Port Adelaide: J Mahoney 6 S Dew 4 P Burgoyne 3 W Tredrea 2 M Pettigrew B Ebert N Lonie D Motlop. St Kilda: A Hamill 4 N Riewoldt 3 T Schwarze 3 S Milne 2 L Ball 2 A McQualter S Baker B Voss X Clarke.
Best: Port Adelaide: B Lade C Cornes J Mahoney P Burgoyne P Walsh S Dew B Symes K Cornes. St Kilda: N Dal Santo N Riewoldt L Ball A Hamill S Fisher X Clarke.
Injuries: Port Adelaide: D Brogan (broken ribs, collapsed lung). St Kilda: J Koschitzke (corked leg).
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: S McLaren S Grun M Avon.
Crowd: 32,188 at AAMI Stadium.

Big win, big loss
Advertiser Adelaide - Adelaide,South Australia,Australia
PORT Adelaide once again found the on switch in its erratic post-premiership form with an enthralling four-point win against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium last night ...
See all stories on this topic

Mahoney's six of the best seal stunning Port victory
Australian - Sydney,Australia
PORT ADELAIDE maintained its recent dominance of St Kilda with a morale-boosting four-point win in front of its home fans last night. ...
See all stories on this topic

Port hold on for victory over Saints
ABC Online - Australia
Port Adelaide posted a narrow four-point win over St Kilda in their round four AFL match at Football Park on Monday night. Greater ...
See all stories on this topic

Port Adelaide defies Saints
Australian - Sydney,Australia
INSPIRED by the return of captain Warren Tredrea, Port Adelaide defied St Kilda and its own patchy recent form to stun the Saints with an entertaining four ...

Saints feel the heat with Power back on
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
... St Kilda: Hamill 4, Riewoldt 3, Schwarze 3, Milne 2, Ball 2, McQualter, Baker, Voss, X Clarke. ... St Kilda: Dal Santo, Riewoldt, Ball, Hamill, Fisher, X Clarke. ...

RealFooty

Power's delight punctured FOX SPORTS - 10 hours ago PORT Adelaide's ninth consecutive triumph over St Kilda came at a cost with premiership ruckman Dean Brogan in Wakefield Hospital last night with a suspected punctured lung and certainly cracked ribs. Angry Grant Thomas points the finger Melbourne Herald Sun Lade earns Choco's praise Advertiser Adelaide sportal.com.au - ABC Online - The Age - Sydney Morning Herald - all 48 related »

5:40:52 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • My Interests

I'm waiting for the tv coverage of the game between Port and the Saints. I still can't believe the game is on at 11:30pm on Fox Footy and 11:20pm on Channel 10. Oh well!

Port rated underdog against Saints
FOX SPORTS - Australia
... at AAMI Stadium this season against lowly-rated opponents the Kangaroos and Fremantle and is a $2.10 outsider with TAB Sportsbet to upset St Kilda ($1.65) in ...
See all stories on this topic

Tredrea in charge, Wanganeen in limbo
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
WARREN Tredrea will officially captain Port Adelaide for the first time tonight, against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium, but the Power's first captain, Gavin ...
See all stories on this topic

Saints trio tip top: Maguire
AFL - Australia
St Kilda defender Matt Maguire is confident key trio Luke Ball, Robert Harvey and Justin Koschitzke will take their places in the side against Port Adelaide on ...

Saints should fancy chances, says Walsh
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
Port Adelaide's lost aura of superiority at AAMI Stadium means the Power must make a significant statement of intent against St Kilda on Monday night ...
See all stories on this topic

Big week for us, says Power hard man
Advertiser Adelaide - Adelaide,South Australia,Australia
... The Power is bracing for a pivotal riposte to its critics against St Kilda at AAMI Stadium on Monday night after dropping home appointments with the Kangaroos ...
See all stories on this topic

Tredrea ready to go
AFL - Australia
... captain Warren Tredrea has breezed through another training session to confirm his much-anticipated return for Monday night's battle with St Kilda at AAMI ...
See all stories on this topic

I've just come back from a week on the Gold Coast with the family - we spent 3 days at the Hyatt Sanctuary Cove and then 3 days at Palazzo Versace.

While at Sanctuary Cove, we went to 2 theme parks - Movie World and Wet N' Wild, as well as had a lounge around at the resort. It was nice to sit by the pool, watching the kids play.

We saw most of the attractions at Movie World - Shrek 4D AdventureTM, Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster, Road Runner Rollercoaster, Wild West Falls Adventure Ride, Looney Tunes Village, Looney Tunes River Ride, Lethal Weapon - The Ride, Batman Adventure - The Ride 2. I chickened out and didn't go on the Superman Escape ride.

Wet N' Wild wasn't as much fun, mainly due to Emma's tantrum and she wouldn't go on any of the rides. While she sulked, Brice and I tackled Terror Canyon, Mammoth Falls, Calypso Beach and hung out at Buccaneer Bay. He loved it and would have stayed there all day.

Following the theme park adventures, we moved to our other hotel, the Palazzo. That afternoon, we ventured into Surfer's Paradise for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe and a visit the Ripley museum. We even spotted a meter maid or two!

The following day, we tackled another theme park - Sea World. I reckon this is the best of the bunch. A mix of rides, attractions, animal adventures, not to mention Sharks and Polar Bears. We spent a whole day there, and we only got to see half of the park.

After all the excitement of the theme parks, I took the kids back to Surfers to ride the Aqua Duck, an amphibious vehicle that trundels around the streets of Surfers and then glides along the broadwater. The kids even got to drive the Duck when it was on the water! We then did our own trundeling on the streets and went to the Gold Coast Wax Museum. There is only one word to describe this place - LAME! It's a bit of an anachronism amongst the other attractions on the Gold Coast. I should have gone to play mini golf at King Tutts Putt Putt

We wrapped up the trip with some rest time at Palazzo Versace. It was nice, but the overall place had a weird vibe - lots of "beautiful people" strutting in their expensive clothes and refurbished bodies. The word of the day for me was "Faux". Definitely not my scene. As nice as the place looked, I was glad to be leaving it and heading back home to my own little resort,

So, there you have it - a week on the Gold Coast. Photos are coming soon. I need to pull them off the camera.

It was nice to go away, but it's much nicer to be home. I have another week left of my holidays, no email, no meetings, but I've got a bunch of things I need to get sorted.

2:56:11 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

 A Tax Preparer called Frank Arrigo?.  lol

Advocate staff photo by Kerry Maloney

Frank Arrigo, left, a tax preparer at H&R Block on Coursey Boulevard, assists Dallon Bush of Prairieville with his federal tax return Friday afternoon.

11:58:28 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

I just got back from a week away on the Gold Coast with the family. Lucily I havent missed any footy, The Saints play this evening against Port Power.

I've looked at my Fox Footy TV listing and see that I have to wait until really late before I can watch the game. What Crap!!

Wednesday 19/04/2006

• 1.00pm  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions

Friday 21/04/2006

• 12.30am  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions
• 10.30am  Last Time They Met 2005 Rnd 11 St Kilda v Port Adelaide

Monday 24/04/2006

• 11.30pm  Round 4 Port Adelaide v St Kilda

11:22:33 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

Great result! The boys looked hungry.

It's a shame the lions got a few easy goals right at the end - I was looking forward to a 10 goal win!!

ST KILDA: 7.3, 10.6, 16.9, 19.10 (124)
BRISBANE LIONS: 4.2, 4.7, 8.11, 12.15 (87)
GOALS - ST KILDA: Riewoldt 5, Milne 3, Gehrig 2, Fiora, Goddard, Blake, Fisher, Montagna, Ackland, Schwarze, Maguire, Hamill BRISBANE LIONS: Brown 2, Brennan 2, Charman 2, Power 2, Stiller, Akermanis, Rischitelli, Leppitsch
BEST - St Kilda: Dal Santo, Hayes, Riewoldt, Montagna, Fisher, Baker, Thompson Brisbane Lions: Voss, Charman, Brennan, Leppitsch
INJURIES - St Kilda: Gehrig (hamstring), Harvey (hamstring)
Brisbane Lions: Leppitsch (ankle)
CHANGES ? St Kilda: -
Brisbane Lions: -
REPORTS - -
UMPIRES - Vozzo, Rosebury, Ellis
CROWD - 35,760 at Telstra Dome

Riewoldt stars as Saints down Lions
ABC Online, Australia
Nick Riewoldt buried the mental demons from his brutal treatment at the hands of the Brisbane Lions last year as his five goals helped St Kilda to a 37-point ...

Saints tame Lions
SportsAustralia.com, Australia 
St Kilda has shown some signs that their indestructible best is not far away with a commanding 37-point victory over a limp Brisbane outfit at Telstra Dome ...

Saints easily brush aside Lions
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
ALL week the Brisbane Lions spoke of revenge, but tonight a rampant St Kilda outfit looked the part and cruised to victory. The ...

10:46:15 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

After getting a huge shock in the first test against Banglasdesh, the Aussie team have won by 3 wickets! Talk about a great escape

Scorecard

Test no. 1797

Australia in Bangladesh Test Series - 1st Test Bangladesh v Australia

2005/06 season

Played at Narayanganj Osmani Stadium, Fatullah, on 9,10,11,12,13 April 2006 (5-day match)

Result Australia won by 3 wickets

Bangladesh 1st innings			R	B	4s	6s	SR
	Javed Omar	lbw b Gillespie	27	40	6	0	67.50
	Shahriar Nafees	b MacGill	138	189	19	0	73.01
	Habibul Bashar	c Lee b MacGill	76	113	11	0	67.25
	Rajin Saleh	c sub b MacGill	67	203	6	0	33.00
	Mohammad Ashraful	lbw b Gillespie	29	28	4	0	103.57
	Aftab Ahmed	c Hayden b MacGill	29	54	3	0	53.70
	Khaled Mashud	st Gilchrist b MacGill	17	63	0	0	26.98
	Mohammad Rafique	b MacGill	6	25	0	0	24.00
	Mashrafe Mortaza	lbw b MacGill	6	23	0	0	26.08
	Shahadat Hossain	not out	3	9	0	0	33.33
	Enamul Haque jnr	c Hayden b MacGill	0	5	0	0	0.00
	Extras	(lb 16, w 2, nb 11)	29
	Total	(all out; 123.3 overs)	427

Fall of wickets 1-51 (Javed Omar, 10.5 ov), 2-238 (Habibul Bashar, 50.4 ov), 3-265 (Shahriar Nafees, 60.2 ov), 4-295 (Mohammad Ashraful, 66.3 ov), 5-351 (Aftab Ahmed, 85.2 ov), 6-398 (Khaled Mashud, 107.5 ov), 7-416 (Mohammad Rafique, 117.2 ov), 8-417 (Rajin Saleh, 117.6 ov), 9-424 (Mashrafe Mortaza, 121.6 ov), 10-427 (Enamul Haque, 123.3 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	B Lee	19	5	68	0	3.57	(7nb)
	SR Clark	25	4	69	0	2.75	(3nb, 1w)
	JN Gillespie	23	7	47	2	2.04	(1nb)
	SK Warne	20	1	112	0	5.59
	SCG MacGill	33.3	2	108	8	3.22	(1w)
	MJ Clarke	3	0	7	0	2.33

Australia 1st innings			R	B	4s	6s	SR
	ML Hayden	lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza	6	12	0	0	50.00
	MEK Hussey	b Mohammad Rafique	23	65	2	0	35.38
	RT Ponting	lbw b Shahadat Hossain	21	32	3	0	65.62
	DR Martyn	b Mohammad Rafique	4	11	1	0	36.36
	MJ Clarke	b Enamul Haque	19	50	2	0	38.00
	AC Gilchrist	c Shahadat Hossain b Mohammad Rafique	144	212	14	6	67.92
	SK Warne	c Khaled Mashud b Enamul Haque	6	29	0	0	20.68
	B Lee	lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza	15	50	2	0	30.00
	JN Gillespie	b Mohammad Rafique	26	88	2	0	29.54
	SR Clark	lbw b Mohammad Rafique	0	20	0	0	0.00
	SCG MacGill	not out	0	5	0	0	0.00
	Extras	(lb 4, nb 1)	5
	Total	(all out; 95.2 overs)	269

Fall of wickets 1-6 (Hayden, 2.2 ov), 2-43 (Ponting, 11.3 ov), 3-50 (Martyn, 14.4 ov), 4-61 (Hussey, 24.2 ov), 5-79 (Clarke, 31.2 ov), 6-93 (Warne, 37.6 ov), 7-156 (Lee, 56.3 ov), 8-229 (Gillespie, 83.2 ov), 9-268 (Clark, 93.3 ov), 10-269 (Gilchrist, 95.2 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Mashrafe Mortaza	22	3	56	2	2.54
	Shahadat Hossain	14	2	48	1	3.42
	Mohammad Rafique	32.2	9	62	5	1.91
	Enamul Haque jnr	25	4	83	2	3.31	(1nb)
	Mohammad Ashraful	1	0	11	0	11.00
	Rajin Saleh	1	0	5	0	5.00

Bangladesh 2nd innings			R	B	4s	6s	SR
	Javed Omar	c Gilchrist b Gillespie	18	21	2	0	85.71
	Shahriar Nafees	b Lee	33	38	7	0	86.84
	Habibul Bashar	run out (Clarke)	7	17	1	0	41.17
	Rajin Saleh	c Hayden b Gillespie	33	118	2	0	27.96
	Mohammad Ashraful	lbw b Clark	4	14	0	0	28.57
	Aftab Ahmed	lbw b MacGill	17	56	2	0	30.35
	Khaled Mashud	b Gillespie	0	11	0	0	0.00
	Mohammad Rafique	lbw b Warne	14	18	3	0	77.77
	Enamul Haque jnr	lbw b Warne	0	3	0	0	0.00
	Mashrafe Mortaza	b Warne	0	1	0	0	0.00
	Shahadat Hossain	not out	1	8	0	0	12.50
	Extras	(b 10, lb 7, nb 4)	21
	Total	(all out; 50 overs)	148

Fall of wickets 1-48 (Shahriar Nafees, 8.6 ov), 2-58 (Javed Omar, 11.1 ov), 3-67 (Habibul Bashar, 14.2 ov), 4-77 (Mohammad Ashraful, 18.6 ov), 5-124 (Aftab Ahmed, 38.2 ov), 6-128 (Khaled Mashud, 42.1 ov), 7-147 (Mohammad Rafique, 47.2 ov), 8-147 (Mashrafe Mortaza, 47.3 ov), 9-147 (Rajin Saleh, 48.4 ov), 10-148 (Enamul Haque, 49.6 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	B Lee	8	0	48	1	6.00	(2nb)
	JN Gillespie	11	4	18	3	1.63	(1nb)
	SCG MacGill	13	4	29	1	2.23
	SR Clark	4	2	8	1	2.00	(1nb)
	SK Warne	13	4	28	3	2.15
	MJ Clarke	1	1	0	0	0.00

Australia 2nd innings (target: 307 runs)			R	B	4s	6s	SR
	ML Hayden	run out (Enamul Haque)	72	152	8	1	47.36
	MEK Hussey	b Enamul Haque	37	79	4	0	46.83
	RT Ponting	not out	118	253	13	0	46.64
	DR Martyn	b Mohammad Rafique	7	19	0	0	36.84
	MJ Clarke	c Khaled Mashud b Mohammad Rafique	9	17	2	0	52.94
	AC Gilchrist	b Mohammad Rafique	12	18	1	0	66.66
	SK Warne	lbw b Mohammad Rafique	5	14	0	0	35.71
	B Lee	c Khaled Mashud b Mashrafe Mortaza	29	74	3	1	39.18
	JN Gillespie	not out	4	18	0	0	22.22
	Extras	(b 4, lb 7, w 1, nb 2)	14
	Total	(7 wickets; 107 overs)	307

To bat SR Clark, SCG MacGill

Fall of wickets 1-64 (Hussey, 25.1 ov), 2-173 (Hayden, 58.5 ov), 3-183 (Martyn, 65.5 ov), 4-205 (Clarke, 71.4 ov), 5-225 (Gilchrist, 77.5 ov), 6-231 (Warne, 81.2 ov), 7-277 (Lee, 99.6 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Mashrafe Mortaza	22	7	51	1	2.31
	Shahadat Hossain	20	5	67	0	3.35	(1w)
	Mohammad Rafique	38	6	98	4	2.57
	Enamul Haque jnr	27	5	80	1	2.96	(2nb)

Main Scoreboard and Commentary


Toss Bangladesh, who chose to bat first

Player of the match tba

Umpires Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan)
TV umpire AFM Akhtaruddin
Match referee JJ Crowe (New Zealand)
Reserve umpire Nadir Shah

Close of play
day 1 - Bangladesh 1st innings 355/5 (Rajin Saleh 35*, Khaled Mashud 2*, 88 ov)
day 1 - Australia 1st innings 145/6 (AC Gilchrist 51*, B Lee 13*, 52 ov)
day 2 - Bangladesh 2nd innings 124/5 (Rajin Saleh 29*, Khaled Mashud 0*, 41 ov)
day 3 - Australia 2nd innings 212/4 (RT Ponting 72*, AC Gilchrist 6*, 74 ov)

[listening to: Wish You Well (live) - Bernard Fanning ]
5:12:21 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Interests

Big game tonight. I'm excited.

Saints slow to shake hangover
FOX SPORTS - Australia
IF there is a master plan at Moorabbin to ensure St Kilda's stars reach peak form and fitness once the AFL season nears its business end, it is news to Craig ...

On the sixth day, Saints must rise again and again
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
By Jake Niall. IT WAS soft tissues, not mental softness or any other frailty, that was largely responsible for the failure of St Kilda to win the 2005 flag. ...

[listening to: That's How You Got Killed Before - Elvis Costello ]
3:44:01 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

I had my surgery one year ago today. It's really hard to believe it was only a year ago, the scar on my belly is a constant reminder of the 64 staples.

Here's a recap - @ home again, facing the inevitable, Incredible Shrinking Frank, It's official - I have a date with my surgeon, Post From DIARIST on my XDA II, surgery over, Unexpected benefit of MSN Spaces, big news day

So, how am I doing these days?   Well, I'm feeling much better, that's for sure!

I have slacked off with my exercising for the last few months, which isn't good. I need to get back into that.I've put a bit of the weight back on, which also isn't good.

I'm taking some time off over the next few weeks. It's school holidays in NSW, so I need to help my wife wrangle the 4 kids. Well actually my 2 big boys will be playing with the XBOX 360 for the next little while, so I'll be wrangling the 2 little ones. The odds are in our favour - 2 adults to 2 kids. Or are they??

I will be posting photos to my flickr account of the holidays, so keep an eye open for them.

3:42:03 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Health

The build up to the round 3 game between the Saints and the Lions has been interesting. It's all about revenve

Intimidation lost from game: Lethal
sportal.com.au - Australia
... players led to him being dubbed "Lethal" during his playing days was speaking on Wednesday in Melbourne ahead of the Lions' clash against St Kilda at Telstra ...

Ball, Koschitzke to miss Lions clash
ABC Online - Australia
St Kilda will be without captain Luke Ball and tall utility Justin Koschitzke for Thursday night's round three AFL match against Brisbane at Docklands. ...

Stung Lions lie in wait
FOX SPORTS - Australia
BRISBANE Lions coach Leigh Matthews wants his players to use last year's final round by St Kilda as motivation for Thursday's match at Telstra Dome. ...
See all stories on this topic

Matthews hasn't forgotten
sportal.com.au - Australia
Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews has labelled St Kilda's start to the season as just 'okay' and is hoping his team uses last year's 139-point mauling by the ...
See all stories on this topic

Lions itching to square up with Saints
Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
... tried to keep his cards close to his chest, the Lions mentor could not hide his team's motivation for Thursday's AFL clash against 2005 tormentor St Kilda. ...
See all stories on this topic

[listening to: Clubland - Elvis Costello ]
9:49:39 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

I was driving to work this morning in my Audi and it felt really really rough.

The car made weird noises, it vibrated as I was driving, it had a horrible idle, it laboured as I accelerated. It just didn't feel right.

I called the good people at Scotts Audi and described the symptoms. The dude seemed like he had seen this problem before and told me to take the car into the Service Center asap.

I dropped the car off. The guy said that it was "misfiring". Hmmm, something to do with the spark plugs maybe?

The dude had also mentioned Coil Packs. Hmmm - what's that? I did a search and found the following

What are coil packs? A coil pack sits on top of each cylinder of the engine and serves as the ignition coil to fire the cylinder. Coil packs have been used for a number of years and by a number of different manufacturers.

Makes sense. Definitly related to the spark plugs.

Reading the info on that site was a bit of a worry. I spent the morning fretting about my little 4 wheeled friend..

The guys called me back a bit after midday with good news. It indeed was a failed Coil Pack and now it's fixed.

Cost to Frank = $0

w00t! Gotta love warranty work! 

[listening to: Gold Digger - Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx ]
9:33:29 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Interests

I played a game of chess at RedHotPawn following Cameron's call for players, and he whipped my ass in 13 moves.

Behold the carnage:

Portable Game Notation (PGN)

[Event "Challenge"]
[Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"]
[Date "2006.04.03"]
[Round "?"]
[White "frankarr"]
[Black "cameronreilly"]
[Result "0-1"]
[GameId "1948561"]

1. a4 e5 2. Ng1f3 Nb8c6 3. Nf3g5 Qd8xg5 4. Nb1a3 d5 5. g3 Bc8g4 6. Bf1g2 O-O-O
7. Na3b5 a6 8. Nb5c3 e4 9. Nc3xe4 dxe4 10. Bg2xe4 Rd8e8 11. Be4d3 Qg5d5
12. Ra1a3 Qd5xh1 0-1

Game Board
frankarr   vs cameronreilly 
Game Id 1948561

3:50:15 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek

I got my latest Fox Footy newsletter today. My disposition towards footy is more positive this week, due to the Saints winning over the Tigers.

Here's the upcoming schedule for the week

Wednesday 12/04/2006

• 1.00pm  Round 2 Richmond v St Kilda

Thursday 13/04/2006

• 3.30pm  Last Time They Met 2005 Rnd 22 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions
• 9.30pm  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions

Friday 14/04/2006

• 12.30am  Round 2 Richmond v St Kilda
• 5.30am  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions
• 10.30am  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions

Saturday 15/04/2006

• 12.30am  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions
• 6.30am  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions
• 9.30am  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions

Monday 17/04/2006

• 8.30am  Round 3 St Kilda v Brisbane Lions
  

[listening to: Almost Blue - Elvis Costello ]
5:53:10 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies • TV

A semi regular post showing my LinkedIn Network stats. Last time I did this was back in February

My Network of Trusted Professionals

You are at the center of your network. Your connections can introduce you to 1,205,500+ professionals - here’s how your network breaks down:
Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues	184
Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections	46,600+
Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend and one of their friends	1,158,700+
Total users you can contact through an Introduction	1,205,500+

18,959 new people in your network since April 4

[listening to: Girl - Beck ]
4:51:40 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • My Interests

It's movie weekend.

I took the little ones to see Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown this morning.

The best time to see a kids movie is 10am on a Sunday - the car park is empty, there's no one around, and the theatre is practically empty. bliss

The kids sat throught it all and left happy (maybe it was the toys that kept them happy).

We reckon this movie was just as good as the first. Even the SMH agrees.

There was even a message about Global Warming, which even Bricey understood.

[listening to: Greetings From A Dead Man - Eurythmics ]
4:44:47 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • My Interests

We got Series 3 of Scrubs on DVD recently.

All fhe family really like the show.

It makes me laugh. That's gotta be good.

[listening to: Holly Holy - Neil Diamond ]
8:55:05 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!  

I took the boys to see V for Vendetta today.  It's excellent and The SMH says "The most astonishing movie to come from a major studio in a long time"

This entry in wikipedia sums the movie up:

V for Vendetta is a 2006 film set in a futuristic London, and follows V, a freedom fighter, who uses terrorist tactics in pursuit of both a personal vendetta and sociopolitical change in a dystopian future Britain.

We're just suckers for a dystopian themed movie!

There's so much to the movie, but the thing that stuck in my mind is it's really clever. Check out this piece of dialog:

"Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V." -- V's introduction to Evey

Wow!

And Natalie Portman gets her head shaved

[listening to: Space Rocks Keep Falling on My Head - Away With The Fairys ]
8:34:00 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • My Interests

It wasn't a pretty game, but it was a good struggle and St Kilda prevailed against the Tigers.

RICHMOND: 3.2, 6.4, 10.7, 11.11 (77)
ST KILDA: 4.1, 9.4, 11.6, 13.10 (88)
GOALS - Richmond: P.Bowden 3, Pettifer 3, Jackson 2, Tivendale, Richardson, Simmonds St Kilda: Gehrig 3, Riewoldt 3, Dal Santo, Goddard, X.Clarke, Fiora, Montagna, Harvey, Hayes
BEST - Richmond: J.Bowden, Simmonds, P.Bowden, Hyde, Raines, Coughlan St Kilda: Riewoldt, Hayes, Hamill, Hudghton, Montagna, Harvey
INJURIES - Richmond: Thursfield (knee), Schulz (AC joint) St Kilda: Nil
CHANGES - Richmond: Stafford in selected side by Jackson St Kilda: Ball (abdominal strain) in selected side by Peckett
REPORTS - Nil
UMPIRES - Margetts, McLaren, McInerney
CROWD - 40,740 at Telstra Dome

St Kilda trip over the line
SportsAustralia.com - Maddington,Australia
St Kilda have fought off a valiant second-half challenge by Richmond to prevail by 11 points at the Telstra Dome this evening. The ...
See all stories on this topic

Ball falls victim to captaincy curse
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
NEW St Kilda captain Luke Ball withdrew from last night's side with what the club described as an abdominal injury, not a recurrence of osteitis pubis. ...
See all stories on this topic

11:37:05 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

The game between the Saints and the Tigers isn't on until later this evening and I'm trying hard to avoid the score

Time to read some news from the leadup to the game, thanks to my news aleter

Backs will lift: Voss
AFL - Australia
St Kilda defender Brett Voss believes the club's backline has the potential to be even more potent than last year's defence, despite the retirements of Austinn ...

St Kilda keen for contest: Thomas
Border Mail - Albury,New South Wales,Australia
AMID all the hype this week about whether contested play is disappearing from the AFL, St Kilda feels it must do much better in that area. ...
See all stories on this topic

Despite loss, Tigers stick to the plan
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
... the Western Bulldogs, Richmond assistant coach Brian Royal said the club would not be doing anything different in an attempt to perform against St Kilda tonight ...
See all stories on this topic

Bonded in loyalty
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
... "I think I got a bit burnt out with it." Now, he watches only as much AFL football as is necessary to prepare for games for St Kilda. ...
See all stories on this topic

Round 2 footy tipping
Ninemsn - Sydney,New South Wales,Australia
... Last week: St Kilda never got going and lost to West Coast by 18 points, while the Tigers were humiliated by the Bulldogs to the tune of 115 points. ...

Thomas wary of Tigers
AFL - Australia
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has said his team will need to be on its "tucker" in order to overcome Richmond when the sides meet on Friday night at Telstra Dome ...

Saints deny Tassie split
ABC Online - Australia
St Kilda Football Club chief executive Jim Watts has dismissed a Melbourne newspaper report suggesting the Saints are looking to break the contract which makes ...
See all stories on this topic

Saints' Tasmania deal in doubt
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
ST KILDA is on the verge of reversing its policy of selling home games interstate and could withdraw from its deal with Tasmania as early as this season. ...

Clearly, there's a definite lack of leadership in AFL this season
Australian - Sydney,Australia
... The first round also proved that St Kilda's philosophy that captaincy is over-rated and nothing more sophisticated than on-field housekeeping - tossing the ...

Changes after Tigers' Round 1 rout
Melbourne Herald Sun - Australia
... wary of being emotionally reactive after the 115-point loss, he indicated positions could be under threat for Friday night's clash against St Kilda at Telstra ...

Wallace: We're not going to panic
Melbourne Herald Sun - Australia
... by the Bulldogs, Richmond coach Terry Wallace forced players to relive the debacle on DVD in a bid to bolster their psyche before playing St Kilda on Friday. ...

8:30:21 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

I got my latest Fox Footy newsletter. And you know when they say "All information subject to change", they are right, as last week's programming changed, as i discovered on Saturday - or maybe that was just an April Fools Gag?

Wednesday 05/04/2006

• 1.00p  Round 1 West Coast Eagles v St Kilda

Thursday 06/04/2006

• 12.30a  Round 1 West Coast Eagles v St Kilda

Friday 07/04/2006

• 3.30p  Last Time They Met 2005 Rnd 16 Richmond v St Kilda
• 9.30p  Round 2 Richmond v St Kilda

Saturday 08/04/2006

• 12.30a  Round 2 Richmond v St Kilda
• 6.30a  Round 2 Richmond v St Kilda
• 9.30a Round 2 Richmond v St Kilda

Monday 10/04/2006

• 8.30a  Round 2 Richmond v St Kilda

[listening to: Space Rocks Keep Falling on My Head - Away With The Fairys ]
2:51:15 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

I got a new batch of goodies from Amazon this week

• Capote
• Chicken Little
• Crash
• Good Night, and Good Luck
• Howl's Moving Castle
• My Neighbor Totoro
• Zathura: A Space Adventure
• Blade Runner

The kids just love movies by Hayao Miyazaki.-- I've trained them well.

4:26:58 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

Got the latest Thinkgeek newsletter - some new items for APRIL

What's New @ ThinkGeek !!

The iZilla - Digital Media Monster

Tromping through the streets of downtown Tokyo, crunching tiny white audio players underfoot comes the iZilla. If you've been looking to step up to a hungry-man sized portable media player with incredible tech powers, this is it. The iZilla offers a whopping two terabytes of storage and has a built-in slot loading turntable for ripping audio direct from vinyl. Take the iZilla with you anywhere. It's like having an entire home entertainment system in a handy 30 pound white briefcase. http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/izilla.shtml

The USB Desktop Tanning Center

ThinkGeek has long pondered the fate of geeks who live their entire lives indoors with pale, blotchy skin. Just like you. We knew we could never motivate you to get off the computer in some half-witted attempt to go kayaking or to have a spring picnic. There simply is not enough time for World of Warcraft as it is, and we fully understand. So, we figured if we can't get you to interact with sunlight, we would do the next best thing and bring the sun to you. 400 watts of Ultraviolet bliss easily attaches on either side of your monitor and is USB powered! Now you can frag until the cows come home and still work on a deliciously amber tan all because ThinkGeek had the vision, power and ingenuity to make your world a brighter happy place. Get golden here: http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/usbtanner.shtml

Grow Your Own 1up Mushroom Kit

Mario's dream is finally here. His insurance was running out because of all his hand injuries - hitting bricks and blocks is tough, you know. But the pain and hospital visits were worth it every time he found an elusive 1up Mushroom. Now, Mario can rest easy and so can you. All you need to add is potting soil and water, and you'll have everything you need to grow your very own 1up Mushroom. And the best part is - it really works! Really. Grow in the included sewer-pipe-shaped flower pot, and you'll have the greatest conversation piece ever. Just keep it nearby; you never know when Bowser or Wario will attack, and you'll need an extra life. http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/1upmushroom.shtml

Wireless Extension Cords

Workplace safety is a key element to worker happiness. And a happy worker is a productive worker. Extension cords can be a real work hazard, snaking across the floor and tripping you. Not only are they dangerous, but the accidents can be quite embarrassing. Make your workplace safer - use Wireless Extension Cords (WECs). Using the latest in microwave energy transmission technology, the WECs "beam" power right where you need it. Broadcasting in the 7.2GHz range, the WECs will not interfere with wireless networks, phones, or Bluetooth components. Be sure to heed all the warnings in the instruction manual; the microwaves used are relatively safe, but you don't want to cook your computer (or coworkers) by mistake. http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/wec.shtml

The Screened Sphorb - The future, again.

Only once in a lifetime does a product come along that redefines the barriers and sets all the boundaries back to a starting place. A product that gives more than it takes and gives back even more. Just imagine what the world would be like without the Screened Sphorb and that world would not be unlike anything you can even think to imagine thinking about. Imagine that and you'll start to see why critics are calling the Screened Sphorb a product that not only offers more time profit than any product ever, but also features aspects that make it easier and easier to ascribe to the lay person without having to compromise a single screen. Now that's revolutionary. Winner of multiple awards including "mind numbingly best", we reveal the aesthetically stunning and paradigm shift enabling, amazing, Screened Sphorb. Exclusively available at ThinkGeek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/screenedsphorb.shtml

Buzzaire - Metered Dose Caffeine Inhaler

We like caffeine. It helps us wake up in the morning, stay alert during the day, and stay even more alert during the night. Caffeine keeps us rocking, coding, fragging, and partying well past normal human tolerance. Here at ThinkGeek, we sell caffeinated liquids (drinks, syrups) and solids (mints, gums). But something was missing; there was a state of matter not caffeinated: gas. Until now! Welcome to the first commercially available caffeinated inhaler. One puff and you'll have about two cups of coffee's worth of caffeine zooming through your blood stream. Because it's inhaled, it will start working a lot faster than caffeine delivery systems that need to be digested. Breathe in and perk up! And yes, we know about the fourth state of matter: plasma...just wait until we unveil the world's first caffeinated desktop star (later this year): http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/41/buzzaire.shtml

5:00:34 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek

Saints play down Ackland, Blake row
The Age - Melbourne,Victoria,Australia
CAIN Ackland was preparing only to play an angry and inspired final quarter when he clashed heatedly with teammate Jason Blake at St Kilda's three-quarter-time ...
See all stories on this topic

Saints too uneven for Thomas
AFL - Australia
St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has highlighted the lack of a consistent effort across four quarters as the key reason why the Saints went down to West Coast by 18 ...
See all stories on this topic

4:57:15 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies