From Brisbane to Birmingham

The 22nd Commonwealth Games, being held in Birmingham, England, commences early Friday morning for us viewers in Straya. Thanks largely to the inclusion of a women's T20 cricket tournament, I'm very much looking forward to it. I also like that Duran Duran are headlining the opening ceremony, and I dig the colourful bull mascot, Perry. Hey, we all have our reasons for liking stuff :-)

The first C/G I truly cared about was Brisbane in 1982. At the time, I was a budding philatelist. But what I grew to love even more than stamps were first-day covers. (I still have a box of the things, along with stamp packs, pre-stamped envelopes, aerogrammes and stamp booklets.) The Brissie Commonwealth Games releases in the following pic were among the first Mum and Dad bought me.

Flipping through my collection of first-day covers and such in 2022, I feel only a vague connection. It's like I inherited it from someone else. Where once there was adoration, now there is mild curiousity and amusement at the obscurity of certain "special" events commemorated (Completion Of The Victorian Arts Centre?). The Southern Stars' opener is against the always dangerous India. Let's go, ladies!

"I'm glad she won"

This happened when I was in Year 3 or 4. Our classwork was interrupted by another teacher coming in to speak with our teacher. Such intrustions usually betokened something major, so I tried to overhear what they were saying. I only managed to catch the last sentence: "I'm glad she won." Later, word got around the playground that a pair of siblings had been pulled out of school. A basic understanding of the concepts of divorce and custody led me to conclude that the "she" in question had been victorious in court and was taking her children away from their father. I was wrong. I don't know if the dad was in the picture or not, but it eventually came out that the lady had actually won first prize in Lotto. It had begun in NSW in 1979, and this was either '80 or '81. Why striking it rich led her to remove her kids from our school, I cannot say. It was a relatively safe school with a high standard of education - apart for the occasional interruption.

Leaving my hermit's cave

Heading to Sydney tomorrow for the first time since before the pandemic. Am overdue for a check-up with my heart specialist. Will be masking the entire way and not going anywhere except the clinic (much as I'd LOVE to visit a museum/gallery or several). I'll take sandwiches from home and eat them in a park. Hopefully I don't catch Covid on the city buses or the long train trips there and back. If I do, then I'll just have to rely on my four doses of vaccine (had a second booster recently) to lessen the effects. Need to hear from my specialist that I haven't developed any further problems.

Six+ of the best: modern country/bluegrass

Disclaimer: I'm no expert, and not even in touch with the scene. It's years since I'd tune in to CMC or go to country gigs. These are just songs from the genre(s) that I love and you might like or love, too.

1. "A Guy Walks Into A Bar" - Tyler Farr [USA]

Lyrical genius - no joke (despite the title).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hVqG44A6No

2. "If I Die Young" - The Band Perry [USA]

Winsome vocals contrasted with a kinda morbid old-timey vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NJqUN9TClM

3. "James River Blues" - Old Crow Medicine Show [USA]

Authentic, moving and just a great piece of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaRIkX1JfEY

4. "What I Did Last Night" - Catherine Britt [Australia]

The line about the astronaut tickles me every time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzSvgZBjPF8

5. "Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier" - Corb Lund [Canada]

I'm a sucker for bittersweet history, esp. when it's this cleverly, catchily told.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiMUOuYUy1w

6. "Sort Of Dunno Nothin'" - Pete Denahy [Australia]

Had to throw a comedy number in to lighten the mood :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_veIGGP1Uh4

Was harder than ever to limit myself to six, so I'm gonna cheat... 

7. "Highwomen" by The Highwomen + Yola [USA (+ England)]

Amazingly outdoes its inspiration, the legendary ballad "Highwayman". This song sends shivers down my spine. "My mother asked me if that ride was worth my life..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-YnfYK_Pk

Professional dreamer

On Wednesday night, I dreamt I was working as an undercover journalist, alongside a woman I knew years ago in real life. We were trying to expose corrupt landlords by posing as renters. We borrowed a fellow journo's pitbull to complete the picture of a young couple.

On Thursday night, I dreamt I was the manager of a female basketball player. A superstar, but with a wild, partying side that I struggled to keep in check. I regularly had to bail her out of trouble and try to spin things positively to the media. Is this even what a manager does?

Last night, I dreamt I was part of a privately financed team deciphering ancient languages using traditional methods combined with an artificial-intelligence program we'd created. And we cracked one! It was the language of the Mogwai creatures from the "Gremlins" flicks.

Why is my mind doing this? I have serious difficulty sleeping and rarely do so for longer than two hours at time, which is why the above scenarios aren't very developed. Still, it's a nice change from my usual surreal dreams and nightmares. I wonder what job I'll be in next.

Recent viewing

"A Man Called Ove" (Sweden, 2015) is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching. An unemployed widower sees no reason to go on living until his annoying new neighbours remind him of his worth and what it's like to be unconditionally loved. Be warned that it contains multiple depictions of suicide attempts* (which I'm opposed to in principle, but they get away with it somehow). Well cast and convincingly acted. I cried three times while watching, then a fourth time the next morning. That next-morning thing never happens, so it had quite an impact.

*I may as well warn you there's more than one in "#ALIVE" as well.

[Seen on: SBS On Demand, Netflix, Kanopy, Netflix, Netflix, Kanopy.]

Roll to flirt

Heard a podcaster mention the "infamous prostitution table" from the first-edition "AD&D - Dungeon Master's Guide". I'd pored over said tome as a baby DM, but could not recall such a saucy chart.

Dug out my current copy (the faux-leather, gilt-edged reprint from 2012) and it turned out the podder was kind of right. There's a teensy table on p.192 for the type of "harlot" adventurers might encounter in a city/town.

I'm not gonna analyse that terminology. Let's just accept this questionable reference was of its time - 1979 - and that Gary Gygax and co., with their wargamer mentality, liked to rules-ify EVERYTHING.

Lede and rede

You're probably familiar with the expression "burying the lede", meaning not focusing on the most important aspect of a story (as in a newspaper article). That's l-e-d-e, not lead.

You've likely also heard, "What's your rede on X?" In other words, a request for advice regarding X. That's r-e-d-e...but it's archaic, and I think using read is now as good or better.

If anyone with more linguistic knowledge wants to reply here, I will happily c-e-d-e the floor.

Recent viewing

Didn't realise what I was letting myself in for with "At The Heart Of Gold". More horrific than any horror film. Decades of abuse involving hundreds of young high-level gymnasts (and other athletes) perpetrated by the most psychologically devious sort of monster, who was assisted in his crimes by repeated institutional failure (re: duty of care) at every level. It should be compulsory viewing for any parents/guardians with sporty daughters. Just an unbelievable tragedy.

[Seen on: Foxtel, Netflix, Kanopy, Netflix, Disney+, Disney+.]

Crocodile gods, spirits and monsters

The ancient Egyptians worshipped the crocodile-headed god Sobek, who besides the obvious associations of mighty power and protection also symbolised fertility.

In Terry Pratchett's "Discworld" novels, there's a crocodile god named Offler. He has more to do with fried sausages, which his devoted followers offer up (then eat themselves).

I couldn't find an example of a crocodile spirit in Aboriginal Dreamtime lore. I'm sure there must be one. Instead, I found an origin myth. A great fisherman was murdered and wrapped in his net. His grieving wife was fatally entangled in a net as well. They didn't truly die, however. The pair transformed into the first crocodiles in a part of Australia, their net-wrapped skin becoming plated crocodile skin.

No dice - so to speak - on an original crocodile deity for "D&D", either. There is a monster called a behir that's a cross between a croc and a centipede. And breathes lightning. What a nightmare! Said critters were created by storm giants to fight their dragon enemies and are effectively gods as far as low-level parties are concerned.

"M:TG" has multiple mundane crocodiles, along with spirit, skeleton and zombie varieties, yet none of them are terribly impressive (unless I'm forgetting some obscure legend card). I feel like there's an opening there waiting to be filled. Possibly with fried sausages.