Rich Eggnog!

On Facebook, I asked my mom for an egg nog recipe. This is one that looks simple, yet sounds delicious. I'm gonna make it!

6 Large eggs
3/4 c Sugar
1 1/2 c Brandy
1/2 c Rum
4 c Milk
4 c Cream
1/2 c Icing sugar
Nutmeg to sprinkle

Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs. Beat the yolks slowly while simultaneously adding the sugar; do this until the mixture is pale and golden. Now slowly add in the brandy and rum, then beat in the milk and half the cream.

Set aside until just before serving, then whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the eggnog mixture. Whip the remaining cream and icing sugar until thick. Top each glass of eggnog with whipped cream and a shake of nutmeg. This yields eight servings.

I can't buy egg nog in the grocery store, so proven recipes would be really nice. If you have another recipe that you LOVE, please let me know.

Thank God, At Last

Thank God at Last

Thank God at Last

Thank God, Almighty

We're Free at Last

Please excuse the religious connotation of that statement. The emotion and the sentiment (and perhaps the historical tie) make it feel like the right thing to say.

I'm relieved. I know that there is a lot of work to do. I know that the issues are hard. I know that the solutions are complex. Yet I'm relieved.

He is a leader. At last.

No time like the present....

I just took some photos of the boys using my phone. Thought you might want to see them. Love, WLC.

SHAK is coming to Australia!

Just in time for Spring. Just in time for breakfast. Just in time for lunch. Just in time for shopping. Just in time for me!

I miss my mommy.

Can't wait for her to be here and spend time with me. Us. Everyone. But mostly me!

Note: The adventures of SHAK and DWLJR are on another blog you might want to look at. If you're a picture person, the pictures are absolutely amazing. They have been in some incredible parts of the Rocky Mountains! (Just click on any picture on the blog and you'll get to the picture gallery on flickr.)

http://lloydvacation2008.blogspot.com/

A Cold, Wintery Update

It might seem odd to my friends in Colorado that I'm cold today. The sun is out, the temperature is a crisp 59 degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind is blowing at 11 mph. My friends in Arizona and Texas will understand.

I'm busy with my candle business. This month my goal is to sell $11,500 worth of candles. In Olympic-speak, that'll be a PB for me. If I am successful, I will earn 23,000 points toward my trip to Hawaii next May. That means I've earned enough points for me to go for free. I can then focus on getting another 23,000 points in January, February, and March so that Alan can go for free, too. Oh la la. Wai Ki Ki... here we come!

Mogy and Copper keep me entertained throughout the day. Copper is really a good dog. He is friendly, silly, and a bit of a comedian. He takes discipline well and does what we want him to most of the time. He's too tall for our current television height and doesn't really understand why we tell him to move when he stops in front of the TV. His quizzical look is priceless as we both yell, "Go!"

We invested in a TiVo like contraption last year. It's nice because it pretty much stops us (me) from sitting in front of the TV watching crap. I record musical, funny, or interesting shows and watch them commercial free when I need a break. I'm much more calm about the TV because of that. Still hate to waste time in front of it. There's not enough time to do all the things I want to do in a day.

I donated to Barack Obama's campaign today. My first political contribution. As an ex-patriot I reckon I see things from a different perspective to most Americans. Without hesitation, I share with you that I believe Bush and Bush policies destroy peace, prosperity, cooperation, and joy across the globe. Political relationships are strained worldwide. Environmental problems are worse, not better. McCain will just keep us on that path. Don't let Republican versus Democrat be your guide in this election. Let change be your mantra. Because we need it. We all need it. It scares me that the race is as tight as it seems. It seems like it should be a slam dunk for Obama to win. Why don't I see any good arguments for McCain? I can usually see both sides.

My music playing has slowed down this year. I blame Keith. Keith Newman was the drummer for Little Big Horn, and he's moved to Perth (that's on the other side of this little island). He was the LBH agent and he got us most of the gigs that we did last year. Ben, on the other hand, is working more than I've seen him work in a long time. His gigs are coming in fast and furious. Lately, he's even been doing an occasional double gig (six sets in two different bands) at the infamous Scruffy Murphy's in downtown Sydney. He's got gigs in Woolongong, Balmain, Bathhurst, and Sydney this weekend. Moral of the story: practice enough and people pay you to play. Hmmmm. Perhaps I shouldn't be typing this blog entry right now.... :)

Anyhoo, as a result I've asked Angela to be our agent. She's awesome on the phone, understands the industry, and is arm's length (OK, maybe wrist length, but what do they know) away from the band. She can offer a duo, a trio, the LBH experience, or any combo really. We'll see. I hope to pay her a lot of money as our agent. Go Ange!

I think that's all I want to say right now. Going to pick up one of my guitars and have a bit of a play before I get ready for tonight's candle party. Have a great day yourself and I'll catch up with you individually whenever you want me to. What's up?

Wendy the Redhead!

Well, here 'tis. My first ever hair colour. I had put it off for thousands of reasons over the years. Today, my hairdresser said (for the first time), "it's probably time to colour those grays."

And so, she did. I'm dark. My eyes are greener than I thought they were before. I think I like it. It's only semi-permanent, so it'll wash out.

Think I might have started something.... Cheers!

The Onion on Bush

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

I thought you might like to see footage from the Onion News Network. I love The Onion. It's in my RSS blog feed everyday. The headlines make me smile.

Renovation Blues

Hi. Sorry about the last post. I thought about deleting it , but you know that I have ups and downs like everyone. So you got to see a down. A bottle of Farmer's Daughter Cabernet Merlot with my good friend Ange did the trick. I felt much better.

It's not completely over; I have the renovation blues.

I'm completely ready to have my kitchen back. The entire house is affected by this job. We are a week behind schedule because of a mistake the cabinet company made. We also have more work to do that I thought we would. I thought the installation would include putting the oven/stove, exhaust fan, dishwasher, and sink. But apparently it doesn't. So we need to bring in a plumber again to hook up what we can't. Alan is good, but he's not a plumber.

We took down a wall between our kitchen and our dining room. Now the house has a big L shaped room with the living room (call it what it really is, it's the TV room), the dining room, and the almost completed kitchen. The improvement is incredible. The effort matches.

Anyway, in the midst of it all, Alan is still working full time (though taking advantage of working from home as often as he can to help me). I am still working pretty hard myself. Candles are taking up about 20-30 hours a week for me. I'm also working freelance with Tex's company, in3corp; that takes about 10 hours a week on average.

Mogy and Copper got a bath and a brush yesterday. Not by me - it's way too cold for us to be wet in the backyard. Plus the backyard is pretty dusty with all of the building materials going in and out. The patio is pretty much a work area for concrete, plaster, and scrap materials. So dog baths came via our friend, Vicki, who runs her own dog grooming salon. She loves the boys and they love her.

A couple of weekends ago, Little Big Horn played for Clive. It was Clive's 50th. Ben and I met Clive a few years ago when we went to his design firm to discuss ideas for our wine rack. D3 Design has been a big part of our work ever since, and over the last few years Clive has been a great mentor to Ben and me. We were really happy to be asked to play at his party. Everyone had a blast. The second set really went off. We apparently had the bar staff dancing, too. Ben is the musical leader of Little Big Horn, and when people are dancing, he just moves from song to song and keeps lifting the energy. It's great to be a part of that. Sometimes I can't keep up with the guitar, but I certainly give it my all on the vocals. We have fun.

Have I mentioned that it's cold? Winter here is mild, don't get me wrong, but because it is mild, we don't have central heating or cooling. So when it drops in temp (or goes through a hot spell) the house follows suit. I'm sure I've told you about this issue before. I have a bit of a green philosophy about it and don't really want to change the situation - solely to keep our energy consumption down. But I regret that philosophy on days like today when my hands are really cold. You just can't type with gloves on.

I've joined Greenpeace, by the way. I'm completely over coal and oil being used to generate our electricity. I believe the whole planet should go solar and do it now. I need to keep educating myself about it all, and I will. I know there is a way to overcome the problems we have in the world; I believe that satiating our energy demand with renewable and clean solar energy will address most of those problems.

Thanks to everyone who wrote to me about the Presidential election. I have decided to vote for Obama. I'm not a Democrat or a Republican anymore. I'm just me. And I don't like the way things are going. Obama will bring a fresh perspective and attitude to the problems we are facing. We need that.

My dad has also endorsed Obama. He is strongly supportive of his platform. Last election, my parents (in particular, my mom) got involved more than they ever had before and it didn't change the outcome. This time they (in particular, my dad) have upped the ante even more. His blog about the election is interesting and open. Do feel free to give him your own perspective. If you're interested.... Here is the blog where he writes about it all.

Hmmm. Is there anything more to tell you right now? I reckon you're bored by now. Rather than bang away onthe keypad some more, I'm going to go get the little portable oil heater we have an put it into this little office and hope that it, along with my multiple layers of clothes, and perhaps a pair of ski mittens, thaws out my hands.

As Tex says, make it a great day! I'll try to, too! After all, I'm getting a new kitchen! Until next time. WLC.

Don't post this....

Every have one of those days? This one started out alright and just took a major u-turn. Writing for you might make it all a bit better.

Nope.

Just need to relax away from the computer, I think. I'll write more later.

HAY SOOS = Jesus!

Good morning (or afternoon, or evening).

I've been down with a cold for the last couple of days. I worked through it on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, and on Sunday I went to the Swans game where we absolutely demolished the Tigers. But on Monday and Tuesday this week, I let it take over and now I feel like I'm on the mend. Yesterday I told Tex that I was happy with the timing. It could have come when I have gigs or when I went to Thailand, so all in all, you couldn't ask for a better time to be under the weather.

Speaking of weather... HAY SOOS! The rain is pelting down right now. My iGoogle home page has the weather forecast for Boulder, Scottsdale, and Sydney. Scottsdale looks hot and dry. That's what I'm used to. I wonder if when I'm eighty years old if I'll be still bitching about rain? I bet so. Anyway, the dogs drive me absolutley crazy when I can't let them out to play in the mornings and afternoons. They're asleep right now, so I'll type quietly to keep them that way.

I just read Bob Lefsetz' blog. He is visiting Hong Kong. I couldn't help but cut out this quote for emphasis:

We keep on hearing how America is the greatest country in the world, but could that just be because nobody has ever been anywhere?

Ain't it the truth?!? Of course, in his next post he finds the third world parts of Hong Kong and begins to bitch about global warming, but the moral of the story has got to be that people should travel more.

Come to Sydney! :)

Then go to Thailand. :)

Well, that's all for now. Think I'll eat some breakfast, get dressed, and do something today. WLC.

PS - Before I go, I have a confession. I've been watching a lot of TV for the past few days. In fact, I've been watching TV lately. And you know what has suffered? Guitar and exercise. So (now that I'm feeling better) I'm renewing my commitment. No TV.

Just a Touch of Paradise

(This year, I earned a PartyLite sales incentive trip to Thailand. This is the blog posting I just published on another blog of mine. I thought you'd be interested, too.)

Sawatdi ka. Hello.

Looking back on the last six days of my life, it’s hard to write a concise account. I have a feeling that the best way to tell you about my trip to Thailand will be in a stream of conscious fashion. That’s the way I would likely tell you about it if we were together in person. On a blog that might work. Let’s see….

The Beach

I’m not really a water person. At least not in my regular life. But for the last four mornings, I’ve gotten up early, put on my swimming togs, sunnies, and a sarong, and walked the 100 metres or so from my Thailand resort room to the sandy beach. There, I laid down a towel, did my own version of yoga (I call it “woga” – Wendy Yoga) and then slipped into the waves for a 15 minute swim. The water was cool/warm and invigorating. It was beautiful. I miss it already.

The Pool

After that start, you still must believe me that I’m a person who doesn’t like the water that much (I seriously haven’t been in a pool for years). Yet, the infinity pools at Pimalai (that’s the name of the resort) were more than attractive. They literally pulled us in. While some people in our party of about 70 (PartyLite people and our guests) didn’t make it into the surf, I don’t think anyone could resist the pools. An added bonus was that no one came running to stop us from drinking beautiful cocktails in the pool while we basked in the sun and floated around. Occasionally I would crawl my way from one side of the pool to the other – just to work off the calories of my Mai Tai… so I could have another.

The Sea

An unexpected highlight of this trip was the “Island Excursion.” What I thought would be a short boat trip to an island where we could walk around and play and eat and drink for a few hours actually turned out to be a 2+ hour luxurious sea tour to a remote island. We tied up the four boats to some buoys and put on the snorkel gear.

I jumped into the ocean, prepared my goggles for a fog free viewing, and looked down. There was nothing. I said to myself that I shouldn’t be disappointed, I’ve already snorkelled in the greatest coral reef in the world (sample of one, and I still think I’m right… it’s the Great Barrier Reef), so I decided to just play in the ocean for awhile.

Then Alan told me to look down. I did and I didn’t come back up again for at least 10 minutes. Once again, I was swimming with fish. They were all around me. In the shallower water, I had hit a rocky, reefy area where the beautiful, tropical, colourful fish swam around me in the hundreds, probably thousands.

After an hour or so in the water, and a beautiful lunch on the boat, the rain decided to drop in on our party. But since we were wet already, we didn’t really mind all that much. We considered calling it a day, but (thanks so much Jason) we took a vote and decided that we would hit our next stop, the Emerald Cave. It was an experience I’ll cherish the rest of my life. I think I’ll sae a full description here; the Emerald Cave deserves a posting of its own.

The Scene

Pimalai is simply a spectacular looking resort. The layout of the buildings provides privacy and texture. The architecture is beautiful, functional, exotic, and lavish. The gardens are simply stunning (and the maintenance to keep them that way is never ending). The entire environment is tranquil, secluded, tropical, rich, and tantalizing.

Away from the resort, Thailand, specifically the island of Koh Lanta, was also beautiful. From the coast, islands dotted the horizon. On the roads, people smiled as they drove their scooters from place to place, sometimes with four people squeezed onto one scooter. Tropical green trees, palms, vines, and flowers of all colours carpeted the view. Hills and volcanic formations gave the island character.

The People

One thing I didn’t ask was what most people on the island do for a living. I assume they all work to make people like me happy. There didn’t seem to be a rush hour. No one looked like they were in a hurry to get anywhere. The element of stress didn’t seem to exist. Genuine smiles came from generous people. Not just at Pimalai, but at the markets, in the neighbouring resorts, at the local beauty salon, and at the airport. Though I will say that the care, attention, friendliness, and respect from the people at Pimalai itself touched me deeply. I’ve never before cried when I left a hotel. I shed a tear when we left as 60+ staff from the resort surprised us by waving good-bye. They will miss us. I will miss them.

The Animals

We rode elephants, worked hard not the hit monkeys as they tried to cross the road, took photos of scorpions that seemed to pose for the camera, and watched geckos defy gravity and crawl over the resort. We listened to the orchestra of birds and insects as they sang and buzzed and chirped their day away. We saw fireflies. We saw fish. We loved it.

The End

For now, I think I’ll stop. The story isn’t complete. I always say that I am proud to be a PartyLite Consultant. But I can honestly say that I am more proud now than when I left. I had no idea what to expect. It seemed like it was going to be fabulous. Instead it was so much more.

Sawatdi. Goodbye. WLC.

The US Presidential Election: Help Wanted

Deciding who will best take the reins as President of the United States is not easy. In 2004, I had no problem deciding who to vote for. Though I do consider myself more of a Republican than a Democrat, I can't stand George Bush. I think he is bad for peace, bad for prosperity, and bad in upholding the "American dream." He embarrasses me.

So voting for Kerry was a no-brainer. Want to know the others I've voted for? I'll tell you. I'm OK with the grief you might give me.... In order: Bush (88), Perot (92), Clinton (96), Gore (00), Kerry (04). Don't look like a Republican, do I? Maybe I'm not. But I do lean toward a laissez-faire economic stance.

Now, in 2008, I find myself in a different situation. I need help. I don't know who to vote for. I'd like your feedback. Really. And you don't have to make it public. You can write to me wendy @ wlcenterprises . com. Or you can call me. I sincerely want feedback and input to help me make up my mind.

I have decided that I'll put my cards on the table in this blog. Most certainly I'll say too much. Without doubt I'll be uninformed (about lots of issues). I'm sure I'll be too brief on points that really should be more robustly presented, but this post will likely be too long anyway. There's time to flesh it out....

Here are my cards:

Energy - I want solar energy to be an ambitious national priority (with no borders on where the technologies are sourced). I want whoever wins to raise the bar and commit to a 100% solar power grid in the US before the end of 2019. A proclamation like this, with investment and focus, will do for solar energy what JFK's commitment to go to the moon did for the space race. Achievement in this will facilitate every other category below. We can lead the world in this. We must lead the world in this.

Human Rights - Food, clothes, shelter, education and health care in a non-violent environment; these are what I consider to be basic human rights. Why? Well, those are the things I "expected" to get when I was born. My parents were able to give them to me. In the US and across the globe, these basic needs are not being met. I want a President to put them on a high priority and get them right.

Peace - I have a theory that happy humans are generally peaceful humans. I also believe that if human rights are being met that people will generally be happy. So I want the US to affect human rights (domestic and international) on an equal footing to the things we affect that impact our "national interest." Defending our national interest seems to get us into "justifiable" wars whereas defending human rights abuse seems to not be worth our effort. This is wrong. I want a President who involves us in both. (Note: "National interest" mostly equals oil/energy today. Make the switch to solar and that will change.)

Health - I want everyone to be able to see a doctor and to get the medicine, treatment, or surgery that they need, but (and this is important) I want a competitive supplier environment. I do not want a centralised, government run provider.

Religion - I want religion out of politics. It has no place there. Every person should live according to the principles and morals they hold dear, but principles and morals are (should be) mutually exclusive from religion. There is no reason to justify a principle or moral stance with a religious viewpoint. I want a President who will just be true to themselves and leave religion out of it.

Economy - Greed and growth have a lot to account for the current economic situation. We Americans (generally) live beyond our means. We (individuals and companies) borrow more than we can pay back. We buy more than we can afford. We need to stop. That said, I don't want a President to intervene, I want the market to discourage it naturally (this is that laissez-faire part coming out). I do want Congress to pass laws that protect people from cheats. I do want regulations that make wrongdoing wrong. But I don't want the government to enable greedy, growth-at-all-cost companies and greedy, debt-ridden individuals to be able to mitigate their risk by counting on government subsidies and government protection and government bail-outs (bankruptcy et al). Make them accountable. Make us all accountable.

Taxes - Presidents ask Congress to spend, so really it is Congress who I need to address here. However, I want a President who will propose that we spend money wisely. Who will advocate and champion zero-based budgeting in Congress. Who will approach Congress for money with thought and careful consideration. Who will outsource activities that should be outsourced (spurring the economy) and who will resource the internal affairs efficiently and responsibly. We (the tax payers) are "shareholders" in this "company." We will happily invest capital and operating costs to support our needs. We will even be charitable to those that need it (social programs and international investments). We just want efficiency. All that said, and I still bet we can simplify the tax and spend system and be more efficient (i.e. cut taxes).

OK - that's all. I want responses. I want your opinions. I want you to tell me about the topics that I haven't brought up. I want to know who you think I should vote for. Now you know what's important to me, maybe you have a recommendation?

Whassup!!??!!??

My iGoogle homepage has RSS links to other people's blogs. Every other day or so I give that page a quick scan to see if there is anything new. I was just about to complain about how these poor blogs haven't been updated for some time when I realised that I'd be calling the kettle black.

So here I am.

Hi

It's Wednesday morning. last night a storm came through and I do believe it broke the back of summer. This morning I felt a cool, crisp air that I haven't felt since I was last in my car with the A/C blowing in my face. It felt good.

I now am sitting in the dining room (I use the word room lightly - I'm actually at the dining room table in the living room) with a coffee (needs a warm up) and a phone (in case it rings) and a panting dog (that's Copper, he just came in from a quick survey of the yard) and a sleeping dog (that's Mogy, he's very happy by my side).

Alan and I ate my new specialty last night: Chicken Parmesean. I make it with eggplant, too. Never figured myself for an eggplant lover, but if you crumb them and deep fry, they taste pretty darn good. :) Anyway, last night we had Chicken Parm and fresh zucchini for dinner. Mmmmmm, mmmmmm, good.

We didn't have any wine last night; we're in recovery after a four day weekend of BBQs and lots of alcohol. For the record, I avoided being the designated driver every time and took complete advantage of it. I'm thinking that I actually deserved the break since I got up at 1:00 am on Friday to a phone call from Alan asking for a ride home from the KISS concert. You'd think I had a teenager in the house... nope, just a 40 year old who thinks he's a teenager.

So now you know that Alan saw KISS last week. I went to see Ozzy. Yes, Ozzy Osbourne. And it was fun. It wasn't the best musical experience I've every seen/heard, and it won't score a write up like the Dream Theatre concert I saw last month, but nonetheless, I had fun.

Viva la Mexico!

We had a beautiful Mexican feast for my 39th birthday last week. The food at Flying Fajita Sistas is hitting the spot. Between that restaurant and my standard Mexican cooking (quesadillas, burritos, tacos, tortilla soup, and breakfast burritos), I will be able to live for awhile longer without my Chipotle.

Duty Calls

Well, it's time for the boys and me to walk over to the Little's house. Ben and I meet every Wednesday to discuss and act on our Vertico business. It will be a long story with a sweet ending someday. I also have a guitar lesson each week. Today, Angela and I also have some planning to do for a PartyLite Unit Meeting at her house tonight.

Thanks for reading! If you are interested in updates when I do write them, please subscribe. Or you can RSS feed them into your own customised iGoogle homepage. Love yiz!

Nora and Miles

Since Ben's Big Birthday bash, on February 16th, his cousins Nora and Miles have been gallivanting around Sydney, Adelaide, and Woolongong. Last night, Alan and I had the opportunity to host Ben, Peter, Miles, Nora, Ange and Ben for dinner. We served steak of course. Nora really liked the char crust seasoning. Here's the website: http://www.charcrust.com/! Tell them we sent you.

We listened to music, ate, drank six bottles of beautiful Australian red wine, and stayed up until way after 2:00 - on a school night. Of course, the only poor sod who had to go to school was Alan. Bless him, he got up without waking anyone and choofed off to work in a tie. That meant he had a customer meeting today - I hope it went well.

Anyhoo, here's a little evidence of our festivities; I threw one view of the breakfast we had this afternoon (sorry, Alan). Nora, Miles, Ben, and Peter - welcome to the WALL OF FAME!

Art is Amazing

Hi. There is a website that I want you to have a look at. Just click on the title of this posting and check it out. This is art that makes you think (and might make you change).

A new word meaning by Wendy...

E-motion = an activity caused by things that you read about and see and hear on the internet

Now... go recycle your mobile phone, your plastic bags, and your SUV. I'm no better than you, I just hope we can make a difference. Make a change.

Not politics, just life.

Yes We Can

As an American, I am beginning to watch the US election with more vigor than before. Unable to vote in the primaries as an ex-pat, I have attempted to stay removed from the hype that has been active for over a year already. We still have nine months to go. You can make a human before the election. Go practice that. :)

I have not decided between Clinton, Obama, and McCain. There is a lot of research to do. And I will. It is very important to me.

Something that I do like to see in politicians is their passion. Their ability to set goals, create dreams, and inspire action. JFK had that ability, Ronald Reagan had that ability, Bill Clinton had that ability, and Barack Obama seems to be able to say the right things in that respect.

I do want the world to be a better place.

I hope that this video works better for you than it did for me. I think I found it when one million other people found it - and the buffering drove me crazy. But the message still came through....

The Stolen Generation

As a new Australian citizen, I now feel I have a small voice in the politics and issues that affect this country. One such issue is the "Stolen Generations" and whether or not the Australian government should be able to apologise for the policies that created these Stolen Generations. It seems silly to be this concerned about the mere act of saying, "Oops, I'm sorry," but concerned we have been about the possible repercussions of those empathetic words.

Here is some information I have been sent to help me argue the case, to dispel the myths, to make some sense of the issue. I thought you might be interested. (Source: www.getup.org.au.)

Who are the stolen generations?
The term ‘Stolen Generations’ refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities by policies of government, welfare and church authorities as children and placed into institutional care or with non-Indigenous foster families. The forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children began as early as the mid 1800s and continued until the 1970s.
(http://www.reconcile.org.au/getsmart/pages/sorry/sorry--faq.php#1)

The apology?
A central recommendation of the 1997 'Bringing Them Home' report was the need for a national apology to those individuals and their families and communities affected by past policies of removal. Members of the Stolen Generations have indicated that recognition by the Government that the policies were wrong would help in addressing the trauma and suffering that they have experienced. The need for a national apology is also regarded as an important component of the broader reconciliation process between Indidenous and non-Indigenous Australians. (http://www.antar.org.au/content/view/112/1/)

Myth 1 - I will not be made to feel guilt and shame for something I didn’t do
Individual Australians are not responsible and should not feel guilty. ‘Sorry’ does not have to be an expression of shame or guilt. It can be an expression of empathy, as in ‘I’m sorry to hear your friend died’ or ‘I’m sorry you got hurt in that car accident’. If people are still confused on this front, they might recall that several years ago, John Howard apologised on behalf on the nation to Vietnam Veterans for their poor treatment when they returned from the war.

In any case the apology will not be made on behalf of the Australian people but rather limited
to the Australian Parliament.

Myth 2 – The Stolen Generations are a thing of the past
Of all the Stolen Generations myths, this is one of the biggest. The facts are that the removal of Indigenous children continued well into the 1960s and early 1970s. These people are still alive today and the effect on individuals, families and communities lasts a lifetime (and beyond).

Myth 3 - Saying sorry won’t deliver better results in health, housing or education
Saying sorry is not of itself supposed to deliver health, housing and education. The fundamental flaw of this particular objection is that it implies Australia can’t deliver practical outcomes while simultaneously delivering symbolic gestures. In other words, it suggests we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. The government must also pursue practical measures to address Indigenous disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t begin the process with a symbolic act.

Myth 4 - It’ll cost us a fortune
Contrary to popular opinion, a national apology will have no legal impact on the capacity of members of the Stolen Generations to seek compensation. The ability of members of the Stolen Generations to pursue legal claims has existed since they were taken and nothing changes that. As a nation, an apology costs us nothing.

Myth 5 - The people who performed the removals thought they were doing the right thing
Good people do things that turn out to be wrong – but that doesn’t mean they’re excused from apologising. The majority of Indigenous children were removed from families not on the basis of the level of their care - but simply because of the colour of their skin. Many kids experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse in their foster families and institutions after they were removed. For those people who believe that forced removal actually benefited the children – it’s pretty difficult to find a member of the Stolen Generations who is happy about being denied the love of their parents and extended family.

Myth 6 - Saying sorry won’t change the past
Sadly, it won’t. But it will have a massive impact on the future – Stolen Generations members have already started healing since the promise to apologise was announced. An apology means an enormous amount to Indigenous people and the nation as a whole – and will cost us nothing.

Myth 7 - Saying sorry just leads people to think everything’s been fixed
Whether you’re for or against it, anyone who thinks that everything will be ‘fixed’ with the apology is kidding themselves. No-one is claiming that uttering the word ‘sorry’ is going to solve all the problems facing Indigenous Australians. Whatever your view on the apology, everyone agrees that practical actions still need to be taken. The apology is an important first step.

F#####g Rain!

(Photo Credit: Me)

How well do you know me? I am an Arizonan. I was brought up in the desert. I thrive on moisturizer, water, chapstick, and air conditioning. My fishy star sign is completely out of sync with my preferred atmospheric conditions - though I do love to swim in a 80 degree plus pool when it gets hot outside - any lower and I freeze up and get cramps.

I don't live in Arizona anymore. I gave up the oven for cooler places. Denver for one. Still dry, but cool and clean in the mile high air. And now, Sydney. Where the temperature is pretty nice almost all year round. There's only one problem.

Water.

Freaking heaps of it.

Dropping from the sky for days on end.

And if it's not dropping from the sky, it's hanging in the air thinking about dropping from the sky.

The grass grows as you watch it.

I'm going nuts and it's only been 2 days. It kills me. Makes me claustrophobic. Gives me small moments of depression.

The dogs go stir crazy, too. They play inside. And don't get me started if thunderstorms accompany the water. Mogy freaks out. He follows you (me) around with zero personal space and if you (I) sit down, he jumps into your (my) lap even when he KNOWS he isn't allowed onto the chair, couch, bed that you are (I am) sitting on. Copper is fine. In fact, he has so much hair that he doesn't know it's raining. He likes to try to catch the raindrops in his mouth. It's very cute. A source of entertainment.

Well, I just thought I'd share my state of mind with you. It'll go away. The rain. I'm sure I'll be begging for it to come cool the place down in a few days. But for today, I'm wearing Ugg boots in the summer and dreading the thought of getting wet when I go out to the post office. Wah!

My favourite Part of the Superbowl

And I don't even drink beer.... I just love Bud Light ads.

Dream Theatre Live in Sydney Review

(Moved here from one of my other sites.)

The black t-shirt brigade approached the Hordern Pavillion and lined up hours before the gates opened. On our approach we were worried. Really worried. Honestly, of the three of us, none of us had seen Dream Theater before, two of us would never have known they were coming or considered going to the gig without a nudge, and one of us had never heard of the band before.I must confess, I was in all three groups.A Bit of BackgroundMy friend, Michael, is the fan. Here is an excerpt from his email to entice us to go:

This band is without doubt one of the finest group of musicians in the world.
They are stylistically very diverse and are impossible to pigeon hole. The only
word I can really use is Progressive.They are all of the following rolled into
one but still an animal all of their own : Rush / Yes / Pink Floyd / Iron Maiden
/ Metallica / Deep Purple. I could describe them as Metal but that doesn't do
them justice. The are elements of Blues / Jazz / Gospel / Classical / Fusion and
a big scoop of Rock and Progressive Metal.Tour details are below, let me know
who's in and I'll buy the tickets. This music is complex , polished , extremely
detailed , technical , challenging. Please be aware it is not rock by numbers so
I've attached an instrumental to give you just a taste. ACDC this is not
(although I love them too).

OK, so you get the picture, Michael is a connoisseur of this type of music. I wish he were also a prolific writer, but he seems to only come out of his shell every three months or so and only after a fistful of bourbons. So you're stuck with me.

Me, I'm a tragic music lover. I don't remember names, I don't remember albums, I didn't go to a lot of tours, but I grew up in the US and I did get to see some great bands in my young years... still do. My taste is incredibly diverse. What surprises most people is that I like hard rock and heavy metal. So for Michael to think I'd like Dream Theater wasn't much of a stretch.

Back to the Review....

We were worried because we had heard (1) the gig had no opening act, (2) the main act (oxymoron, I know) was hitting the stage at 7:00 (which seemed a bit early for a show in this genre), and (3) the band was going to play for three and a half HOURS. We were worried about the sound quality (we're always worried about that, actually). We were worried about being able to sit through three and a half HOURS of progressive rock. Sorry, even Michael was apologizing in advance, just in case everything went horribly wrong.

Michael made his way to the merch desk and bought his 579th concert t-shirt. Interestingly not a black one. We downed a few bourbon and cokes just to be social and then made our way to our seats.

The band started on time, the capacity crowd was in good spirits. The seats we had a partially blocked view (we couldn't see the screen behind the band), so we moved to the side of stage to get a better look.

The lights went down and the black curtain was swept away. The first thing that happened was (surprise) music. Just music. The drums, the bass, the guitar and the keyboards erupted into an introduction that lasted a good five minutes. The crowd went wild. Hands in the air across the entire floor. You could see the phones in the air and you just know there are already clips of the moment on YouTube. (They're there, but the quality is horrible. No worthy links...yet.)It's nearly impossible to describe the concert in words. But I'll try. The description Michael gave above is good.

Let there be Drums!

Mike Portnoy's drumming was sensational. His involvement with the crowd and the rest of the band (including the onstage cameras) was absolutely entertaining. His technique was fantastic, but also the sound. We could hear tone from the kit and it was great. We weren't sitting near the sound desk (our preferred seats are always near the sound desk), we were on the side, and we STILL loved the sound of the kit (and overall). Very impressive.

Amazing Bass

John Myung, the bass player, didn't get enough credit for his talent. When I say he didn't get enough credit, what I mean is that the camera work provided on the back screen didn't cover his intricate work as much as it did the guitar and keys. The audience loved him. He played a six string bass with his two fingers moving as fast as the plectrum playing guitar at the other edge of the stage. He didn't play a typical bass line in any regard. Most of the time he was actually mirroring the guitar riffs, which was impressive to see and also added a fantastic bass structure to the riffs.

The Piano Man

The sound coming out of the keyboards was nothing short of phenomenal. Remember, I knew nothing coming into this gig, so I can't mention song names with any accuracy, but when Jordan Rudess played, the tone was great, the structure was fantastic, and the energy was contagious. In one song he interjected a ragtime lick and the audience shouted out for more... but he was already off to the next highlight. Jordan was afforded the opportunity of a solo - really the only solo of the night - and he took full advantage of his fixed keyboards and his guitar-style, mobile keyboard. Again, the sound and the tone were fantastic.

Six Strings

For a guitar player, Dream Theater is a wet dream... if you'll excuse the pun and the crass imagery. John Petrucci is, without question, one of the best guitar players in the world. Dream Theater is not like a G3 performance where the guitar players just pander to themselves all night long. It is truly a band experience. John respected that and played his parts in the songs. Honestly, though he played long and hard and with intense skill, not once did I feel he was being selfish. That was partly because a lot of the time I was enjoying watching the bass and keys mirror his dexterity and skill practically note-for-note. (Funny to note though... during one solo, we did catch Mike miming a wank to John behind his back - maybe he did go off a bit.)

The Voice

James LaBrie is the vocalist for Dream Theater. He had the crowd in the palm of his hand from the moment he walked on stage (notably at least 5 minutes after the band started playing). My opinion: the singing is not the most important part of Dream Theater. And, again my opinion, the James isn't a highlight of the band. He has good solid vocals and good stage presence, but I didn't get the same vibe from him as I did from the rest of the band. If I had to, I would rate each of the other four band members at 10/10, while I'd only give James 7-8. Maybe I'm being harsh (shoot, maybe I'm being generous), but it's my review. My opinion. Take it or argue with it.

Staging

Finally, I just want to acknowledge the amazing graphic display that went on behind the band throughout the concert. Whoever developed the concepts for that part of the show is as much of an artist as the band members - and I think contributed as much to the entertainment value of the show. The quality, timing, variety, and content of the imagery was fantastic. I've used that word a few times in this review. It's a good word.

All in all, I loved the night. We capped it off with another bourbon and coke outside at the Entertainment Quarter. As you do.

GET OUT THERE! Try something new. I did.

Dream Theatre: http://www.dreamtheater.net/.

Thanks, Michael.

Photo from http://www.dreamtheater.net/layout/bio_photo.jpg
Great photos available at http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/gallery/4976/Dream-Theater.htm

Nineteen

(Photo credit: Michael Rootes)

Hi. Today marks nineteen years since Alan and I walked up to each other at the park near Scottsdale Civic Centre to say our I do's. Incredible that nineteen years can go by so quickly.

We'll have some Champagne tonight. Cheers!

New Year's Resolutions

We all talk about them. I have actually been pretty good each year at setting my goals. I like goals. This week my goal is to created a forecast for my PartyLite business. I hit my forecast last year - very proud of that....

Anyway, my cousin Erica made a list of resolutions and has inspired me to make a few early statements.....

My list (no prior thought.......)

1. Shower and get dressed every morning
2. Get/keep office organised and get finance documentation in order
3. Exercise more. (Probably need a carrot. OK, when I hit my goal weight I will buy myself a car stereo!)
4. Sell 2 guitars (I only "need" 3) and sell the acoustic amp (sounds more like a "to do" and less like a resolution, but if you knew how beautiful these 2 guitars were you'd know it will pain me to part with them. I resolve to do it!)
5. Save money for retirement and Italy - $10,000 each this year. (Wow! Now that's a goal!)
6. Teach Copper how to stay, heel, come, and lie down on command. (Sit is done.)

That'll do for now.... Later this afternoon I might write a little bit about Mogy and Copper's New Year adventure. Will be a good one if I do it. The good news is that they are both OK. Love, WLC.

P.S. Happy New Year!