I have to share something

I am 22. Well 22 point something.
For Christmas. I got a few books and a few CDs.
One of those CDs was a box set. 3 CDs of Peter Combe goodness. I have no shame admitting that. I want to know why Peter Combe is not playing at Big Day Out. The man is selling out venues across Australia. Could you imagine him at BDO? 50,000 plus people, many slightly inubriated singing along to Newspaper Mama, that would be magical. If I was booking a festival, he would be one of the first acts on my list.

This morning it is raining. What did I do after waking up? Why play Rain of course.
and the rain keeps tumbling down, listen it’s a wonderful sound. If you want to have a listen press the play button below.
[audio:Peter Combe-Rain.mp3]

The other CDs were from The Mountain Goats and Brindle that evens it out a bit.

Books.
Well one of them was instructing me on how to be an American Serviceman in Australia in 1942. I now know everything I need to know about Australia from the point of view of the Special Service Division, Services of Supply, USAF. It is 54 pages of pure gold. Put out as part of a series by the Bodleian Library, others in the series include Instructions for Instructions for British Servicemen in France and American Servicemen in Britain. Gold!

I particularly like this section.

Australia’s Democratic Traditions.
In many ways Australia is the most democratic government in the world. Certainly in the short space of 150 years, it has made many notable contributions to social legislation in which it has pioneered. it set up one of the first central banks in the world. Also the nation pioneered in social security and workmen’s compensation laws and developed a unique and workable system of industrial arbitration courts which have helped reduce strikes and disputes to a minimum. p.39

or

Australian Songs and Singing.
Australians, like Russians, are natural group singers. It’s one of the great differences you’ll notice between American camps and Australian – the singing. p.21

One thing I have noted is that throughout the book they continually point out that Australia is one of the greatest democracies of the world. 😀 well yeah.

At the back there is a section on Australian Slang. “Australians can give us a head start and still win”.
I will now use the listed slang to illustrate the bog standard New Years Eve party.
I might go to a shivoo (party) where the plonk (cheap wine) will abound, some people will get shikkered (drunk). It will be ding dong (swell) though. It won’t be a beano (gala affair) but I might be a bit crook (sick) in the morning.

It is a cracker of a book.

One of the other books I got is a cracker read. Titled A Teacup in a Storm: an explorer’s guide to life, it is set out like an instruction manual giving me advice on how to go about organising a grand expedition as well as how not to go about organising such an expedition. The sections include Getting There, Getting Along, Getting Started etc. The book was La Dolce Vita by Isabel Coe.

It is still raining. but now the Old 97’s are playing instead.