Vale Roland S Howard

Roland S Howard, the Australian guitarist behind the Birthday Party, Crime and the City Solution, and These Immortal Souls — died early this morning (December 30) in a Melbourne hospital after losing a battle with liver cancer. He was 50.

According to reports, Howard had been ill for quite some time and had been awaiting a much-needed liver transplant. He had been forced to cancel several shows recently due to his illness, including one yesterday in Melbourne supporting the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Howard began his career in the late ’70s with the band Young Charlatans and later the Aussie punk outfit Boys Next Door, a group that would eventually morph into the Birthday Party. With Nick Cave serving as the band’s front-man, the Birthday Party sparked an infamous career in the 1980s, filled with violence — both on and off the stage — as well as Howard’s unique combo of feedback-laden blues riffs and dissonant punk noise.

When the Birthday Party broke up in 1983, Howard went on to play in such groups as Crime and the City Solution and These Immortal Souls. He also collaborated with the likes of Lydia Lunch, Nikki Sudden, Einstürzende Neubauten and Henry Rollins, as well as lent his talents to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Along with music, Howard appeared in several feature-length films, such as Wim Wenders’ 1987 movie Wings of Desire, 1990’s In Too Deep and the 2002 vampire film The Queen of the Damned.

Howard’s most recent recording was the solo album Pop Crimes, which was released in October.

Rest In Peace Roland. You've left a musical legacy you can be proud of. Shivers will always be one of my favorite songs that you wrote.

Moving and Shaking

We moved over the Christmas break. We're in and we are official suburbanites now.
I never want to move again. Unless it's to this place. I would LOVE to live here. Or here...

I'm dreaming of martini's whilst sitting by the pool in a 50's bathing suit and white cat sunglasses.
Mmmm that's the life for me....

Girl,Interupted

I just feel like saying a few words on the passing of Brittany Murphy. Not that I was a huge fan or anything but she wasn't a bad little actress. Her role as Daisy Randone in the film Girl,Interupted was well played as the very disturbed girl with the eating /self harm disorder who is sexually abused by her father. The scene where she eventually ends it all is quite powerful. I also didn't mind her in the film 'Little Black Book' as the girl who comforts herself by singing Carly Simon songs.

Vale Brittany. I guess it was just your time.

An Early Christmas Present and Other Things

Was woken up by a text message from my friend,Gayle yesterday morning advising me that our friend,Cathryn had gone into early labor. Cathryn's wish last week of 'just wanting to get it out now' came true.

At 2.21pm yesterday afternoon, Ned William Shelley was born. I will see them today.

MM is an aunty again.

Congrats Cathryn and Steve. Another welcome addition to our group.

Friday night was a HUGE night for MM... started off at Stacey's with a classic Martini before heading to the work Christmas do to soak up the bar tab and scoff some mini food down. Once I did that, I high tailed it over to the Bella Bar at Trades Hall for the annual Merry Twistmas shindig which was big fun. I missed the Greasy Hawaiians but the DJed music was fantastic anyway. After that ended, we went to a party at my old place in Collingwood for more beer and boogie-ing. I was pretty smashed at the point and sat down for a wee kip on the sofa. At around 3.30am, my friend Andreas dropped me off in the city where I got on the night rider bus back to Newport. I got the driver to drop me off at the station to get my bike only to find it gone! Thanks to the fucktard that has stolen my means of transport at a time when I cannot afford to buy another one. I only hope my contents insurance covers this once I get a police report. I hope the little c*nt who took my bike chokes on his own vomit and dies a horrible death. Or was hit by a truck whilst cycling off on my stolen cycle.

Saturday was a write off. I got to bed at around 5am (the birds were tweeting as I crawled under the covers).
I think I surfaced at around midday and relocated to the couch where I didn't move for an hour. My hunger got the better of me so I made a humongous pot of spaghetti putanesca and chowed down on that for the afternoon whilst watching Larry Clark's Wassup Rockers. Slow story but great punk music soundtrack.
Saturday night I glued myself together to go to Northcote Social Club to see the Lime Spiders who were actually pretty bloody good. I had only a coke and water- there was no way I was imbibing that night!

Yesterday after sitting around in my jim jams most of the day watching Gidget movies on channel Go, I got dressed and met up with Stacey and Holly for some vietnamese food and a girly catch up. I was home by about 8.45. Sarah sat on her laptop chatting to guys on Oasis Active and I watched a couple of episodes of Weeds followed by Sex and the City.

Here we are again. This week is going to be one of madness with Christmas and us packing and moving. I guess we just have to roll with it. I'll just channel my inner Joan and coast through it with peace and cocktails.

That'll do it.

Over Indulgence And Under Preparedness

This time of year is mucho loco... we feel we need to go into hyper drive about everything. We run around like headless chickens spending money we don't have only to pay for it interest wise for the next year or five.

We also give ourselves permission to eat things we normally don't have. We also think it's okay to have it in mass amounts because hey, it's Christmas. We need to be reminded to be careful as our sensibilities go out the window as we have too many Martinis and see if we can empty enough beer cans to build a house.

This week, with the many morning teas we've had, I've eaten cheesecake,mince pies,gingerbread men and cheeseballs for breakfast. My snobby, foody self would normally baulk at this. However, after a few glasses of vino tinto last night, I'm feeling slightly seedy and therefore can ignore such things.

I am desperatly in need of another coffee and a bowl of noodles.
Then I can start drinking again.

More Tales From Flinders Street

You all must be beginning to think I spend a lot of my time at the toilets at Flinders Street Station. It's just that 2 nights running, I've had to pass through there on my way home and due to the amount of water I drink, I needed to pee.

Whilst I was sitting there spending a penny, I as usual was reading the walls and took a few pics of the amusing ones. Yes, I always have my camera with me.

Clearly, she is a devotee of Facebook and/or Twitter

One female sees the positives in a bit of back door lovin'

Words fail me

The Writing's On The Wall

If the graffiti on the wall of a cubicle of the women's toilets at Flinders St station is anything to go by, this is the latest prophecy:

Careful goths and home boys, you might be next...

A Blog For Sarah

It Needs To Be Said....

I hate Tony Abbott.

Someone should chop him up and feed him to the pigs.

A blog of note..
http://blogotariat.com/node/185114


And please don't show him in his budgie smugglers anymore. Some of us want to have sex again.

Stray Dogs And Insomnia

Last night I got home from seeing Royal Crown Revue and was met at the gate by a dog that is not ours. She was a friendly thing, wanting to shake hands and have her belly patted. After doing this for a few minutes, I had to retreat due to exhaustion plus my high heels were killing me so I told her to go home. I went inside,told the housemate about the dog and she said that she'd been out there for a few hours. Realising she probably got scared during the storm and did a runner, we decided to hold her overnight and call the council to try and find the owner in the morning.

This doggy rewarded this lovely gesture by keeping me awake most of the night wanting to play and pacing back and forth to the water dish (loud drinker). By daylight, I figured she may need to get out and do her business,so I opened the front door and out she trotted. I went out to get her and she was gone. Oops.

Sarah went out the front to look for her and the lolly pop lady who stands out the front of our house (we live across from a primary school) said that a lady jogger came back and called the dog by name and she happily ran after her. At least we reunited them. Job done, I necked a couple of coffees and dragged my old bones into the office. I am craving a long kip and a bowl of soup.

Oh and looking forward to a dog free night... woof...

El Miercoles

Today provided me with;

• Winning the office trivia of a $50 Myer Voucher
• Being nominated by my manager for being 'customer focused' and winning another voucher worth $20
• Getting the house we applied for on Monday
• A box of Haigh's berry chocs from the luvverly Bob
• Two divine coffees from Brother Baba Budan
• My iPod which 'died' yesterday miraculously started working again.

When I get out of here tonight, I'm off to tango to hopefully get some good dancing in and catch up with my tango gals. Tomorrow, I have a day off to piss fart around before glamming up and heading to The Forum to see the amazing Royal Crown Revue- woo hoooooo!
Watch this space for gig revue and quite possibly photos-depending on how they turn out. I can at least put up one's of Miss Stacey and I looking muy guapa. (copy,paste,put into spanish translation tool).

After wanting to do draino shots, I'm glad the sunshine's coming through. I'm a lucky lady.

Thanks life...

An Easy Life And A Peaceful Death

Not gonna live here anymore

Holy fuckamole I've been stressed lately.  My head feels like it's been in a vice lock. I've taken to practicing meditations that I haven't used in years such as the white light/black smoke one that I used when I was investigating Tibetan buddhism in the nineties. Not dissimilar to 'in with love/out with anger' except you visualise inhaling white light,the sun,anything bright and beautiful and when you exhale, you imagine streams of black smoke representing bad energy,negativity and anything that isn't working in your life that you're carrying around. Might sound very woo woo but it's effective if you really centre yourself.

I went home and told the dog my worries and she let me know in her own way that she understands and cares. Okay, maybe I'm deluding myself but it was comforting and she giving my nose little Ni Ni licks which is her way of giving your kisses- little sweetie.

Niña the dog and psychotherapist

I think this Thursday is looking good for a day off for rest. We have another house we want to check out and that night I'm going to see Royal Crown Revue with Stacey at the Forum- woo hoo! Can't wait for that!

The Fabulous Ms Stacey

So if you're wondering what the Milonguita has on her Christmas list, here it is;

• Good times with chilled out friends
• A house to move into soon with minimal fuss
• A new job that pays more money
• Peace and good will towards eligible men

Don't worry about me, I'm fine but I'm tired. Some time out on my own with fix it all. If Tuesday is my good news day, then Thursday will be a perfect day (queue Lou Reed).

"oh it's such a perfect day but I won't share it with you...."

Vuelvo Al Sur

I was listening to this beautiful song on my iPod this morning. Written by Astor Piazzolla, it is a love song to Buenos Aires. It is covered by Gotan Project on their first album and they do indeed do justice to it.

Vuelvo al Sur,

como se vuelve siempre al amor,
vuelvo a vos,
con mi deseo, con mi temor.

Llevo el Sur,
como un destino del corazon,
soy del Sur,
como los aires del bandoneon.
Sueño el Sur,
inmensa luna, cielo al reves,
busco el Sur,
el tiempo abierto, y su despues.
Quiero al Sur,
su buena gente, su dignidad,
siento el Sur,
como tu cuerpo en la intimidad.
Te quiero Sur,
Sur, te quiero.
Vuelvo al Sur,
como se vuelve siempre al amor,
vuelvo a vos,
con mi deseo, con mi temor.
Quiero al Sur,
su buena gente, su dignidad,
siento el Sur,
como tu cuerpo en la intimidad.
Vuelvo al Sur,
llevo el Sur,
te quiero Sur,
te quiero Sur...
ENGLISH TRANSLATION

I return to the South

like one always returns to the love,
I return to you ,
with my longing, with my anxiety.
I carry the South
like a destiny of my heart,
I am from the South
like the melodies of the bandoneon.
I dream of the South,
a huge moon, the sky reversed,
I am looking for the South
the open time, and its thereafter.
I love the South,
its good people, its dignity,
I feel the South,
like I feel your body in intimacy.
I love you South,
South, I love you.
I return to the South
like one always returns to the love,
I return to you
with my longing, my anxiety.
I love the South,
its good people, its dignity,
I feel the South
Like I feel your body in intimacy.
I return to the South,
I carry the South,
I love you South,
I love you South...

MM needs a house

Send your positive vibes my way so I can find one...

Thanks bloggers!

Merry Twistmas!

Just got the email with the invitation attached for this year's 'Merry Twistmas' party that is thrown annually by Minister Anna - founder and dance instructor extrodinaire of Anna's Go Go Academy. Such a fun,well organised events and always well attended. We also have our work Christmas party on the same night so my plan is to first go to said work do, scull as many free drinks as I can slam down my gullet (along with a bunch of finger food) and then hot foot it over to Trades Hall at around 8.30. The Bella Bar is usually open till around 3am if memory serves so hopefully we will still be strolling,razzle dazzling and ponying till then!


As Anna herself says "good times!!!"

World AIDS Day

Today is World Aids Day. It began on December 1, 1990.  Don't think it's under control and going away. Every year, 2 million people die of AIDS related illness. It is not just the gay cancer anymore. People are still being as stupid as ever and thinking that they are bullet proof. I have a dear friend who can attest to that fact and has found out the hard way that you indeed are not.

Do your bit. Buy a red ribbon and practice safe sex. Buenos Aires raised awareness in 2005 by placing a ginormous pink condom over their phallac symbol, the Obelisk;

What will you do?

Hey I've just noticed that the intials for World AIDS Day is WAD... (I know,tiny things please tiny minds).