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Crazy crazy storm that swept western Sydney tonight. We watched in speechless awe as the incredibly large hailstones fell. It was deafening out the back as the hail hit the carport roof; and out the front it was scary as we watched the massive hailstones hit our cars.

edit: You can see them in my Facebook if you like.

• The following phrase will ring proud in your heart forever: “And the winner is… SYDE-NEY!”
• If you live on the Northern Beaches, crossing the bridge is for special occasions only, and a mission at that.
• Comparatively, Shire-ites experience this feeling in crossing Tom Ugly’s.
• You’ve hugged the “free hugs” guy who spreads the love at Pitt St Mall
• You know the dude who stands at the corner or George and Market Streets outside Myer, pleading for money for his “Supreme Court Trial”.
• You’ve never done bridge climb, and you’re never planning on it.
• “At night, rave near the guard’s compartment, naked with a blue light” means something to you.
• You went on multiple school camps at Narrabeen
• In what could only be described as some form of punishment, you went on a school camp to Canberra, complete with visit to Parliament House and that damn lake with the big fountain. Thanks to this trip, however, we know never to bother going to Canberra AGAIN.
• The best trips were always the school camps to Jindabyne!
• Still on school: you had multiple visits from a giraffe who called himself “Harold”.
• “No hat no play” being drilled into your head made you the UV-aware person that you are today.
• You can understand just what the train guards are saying on the PA announcements (For the record, it’s usually: “Stand clear, doors closing”)
• You haven’t been to the zoo, except on a primary school excursion where you threw stuff at the animals. (or alternatively.. zoo? what zoo?)
• You know that the “Bra Boys” are anything BUT cross-dressers.
• You can pronounce and spell the following: Coogee, Woolloomooloo, Wollongong, Parramatta, Woronora, Warawee, Wahroonga, Waitara, Yagoona
• You know that Turramurra and Tamarama are two different places.
• The sight of drag queens does not phase you.
• If the train is expected in ten minutes or less you figure CityRail is having a good day!
• The beauty of the harbour does not surprise you
• Riding the ferry is not for leisure or pleasure, but a mode of transport.
• However…You don’t even use the ferry as a form of transport because its too slow.
• You know what tzatziki, baklava, hommous, yum-cha, pad thai, dolmades, tabbouleh and pide are and you’ve eaten all of them.
• You know how to say hello (and possibly some swear words) in at least one language other than English. Most likely Croat/Serb/Bosnian/Macedonian, Greek, Arabic and possibly Indonesian or Chinese.
• You see a guy wearing pink, and don’t automatically think he’s gay
• You know straight men can drink soy lattés, too.
• You’ve heard the following uttered from a dog statue: “Hello my name is Ivan, I was once the dog of the great Queen Victoria……..If you toss a coin in I will thank you. Thank you. Woof Woof!”
• You NEVER catch the monorail and think it’s a useless, expensive-to-catch piece of crap. Monorail = so 80s.
• You know it might be quicker to walk from Central to Circular Quay at any given time than catch a bus down George St or a train.
• You’re scared that when you walk past Town Hall steps at any given time, two dozen emo children are going commit mass suicide, declaring “It’s a cruel, cruel world, maaaan.”
• You think: what is it with P-Plated Subaru WRXs on George St Friday and Saturday nights. And Industrie shirts with the collars up.
• Fireworks just don’t get you excited anymore. Here’s a short list of the occasions for which the City of Sydney has/has had fireworks.-Australia Day-Anzac Day-NYE (x2)-The Sydney Harbour Bridge’s birthday-Queen’s Birthday-ANZAC Day-When the QE2 departed Sydney Harbour-The Easter Show… oh not just one night, but each and every night!-Chinese New Year-The Australian Idol Grand Finale (every year!)-Rugby League Games 
• The Easter Show is something that’s only okay to go to until you’re 16, and only after that if you’re taking your OWN kids.
• Following on from the Easter Show, you think Showbags at the Show are a waste of money, but still end up with almost more than you can carry.
• It’s not called the Underground, the metro, the tube or the subway, but it’s just called “the train”.
• You know it’s pronounced Circular “Key” not “Kway”.
• You hate the State Labor Government, but somehow they still keep getting elected. They promise change; it doesn’t come. Then they get re-elected.
• You wear a scarf/gloves/beanie/puffer jacket when the temperature hits below 18 degrees.
• You laugh when people say they’re from “The Shire”. 

Australia’s top five ways to accidentally damage mobile phones.

Whilst I don’t think these stats use the most reliable source (“…According to Telstra customer service consultants…”), it is still quite humourous to read an account of a guy who went back to get his mobile after back burning a sugar cane field – it was just a little burnt. But it still worked! Pic here.

“New mobile phones … are packed with the latest technology so you need to treat them with respect, as you would a computer or a fine bottle of wine.”

Not quite sure how a mobile phone compares to a bottle of wine… but ok. :)

edit: smh article.

Interesting.

Howie posted this today: Kevin 007 – The Man With The Golden Jaw.

He’s from Queensland and he’s here to help. Kevin Rudd meets his old enemy John Howard, star of “Never Say Never Again” and “Lazarus Lives Thrice”.

And I stumbled across this today as well… Have you ever wondered how different 24 would’ve been if it were made 10 years ago? Wonder no more – 24: The Unaired 1994 Pilot.

Steve and I went on a shopping date into Blacktown. I got distracted by Game and ended up buying me a new Xbox game :) I bought Sega Rally… Yep, that game that was so popular at Timezone is now been given a new lease of life on the PS3 and Xbox 360!

If you buy it expecting it to be a simulation rally game, then you’ll be extremely disappointed. But I bought it remembering that Sega Rally was never simulation game, and fully expecting an arcade game. And that it was. It has kept so much of what made Sega Rally fantastic more than 10 years ago… the simple, fast tracks, basic cars, and just straight out racing against other cars. The tracks are slightly different from what I remember, but everything else is basically the same. It’s awesome. Probably a slight pity that it was $100, but still, awesome.

Not only was I flooded with memories of playing Sega Rally in Timezone when I was about 10 or 11, but a few things about it were extremely characteristic of V-Rally… another quality arcade style rally game of the mid-late 90s.

Ahh, amnesia lane.

mine:

• Metella Rd Public School – my primary school
• Toongabbie Baptist Church
• Apostrophe Protection Society – ahhh… people who understand me and don’t think I’m obssessive
• Sydney is better than Melbourne
• Signs of life west of Parramatta
• I grew up in Australia in the 90s
• Official Sydney live music scene
• Anything your PC can do, my Mac can do better
• How to stay classy: things I learnt from Ron Burgundy
• Sydney Christians who know each other because they’re Sydney Christians
• Greystanes High School – Class of ‘02 – my high school year
• ccbaps – Campbelltown Baptist Church… I know so many of these guys I feel like I’m a part of their church
• People who don’t sleep enough because they stay up late for no reason – me all over
• The Boys’ Brigade Australia
• I miss Australia’s Wonderland
• Bring back Captain Planet to stop global warming
• I appreciate Christian pick-up lines
• If you can’t differentiate between “your” and “you’re”, you deserve to die
• Coke good, Pepsi bad
• There’s no one cooler than the oldest sibling
• Sydney
• Blackstump Christian Music and Arts Festival
• You can take the kid outta Blacktown… – “For those who live, have lived, loved or have a connection to this western suburban paradise they’d rather not mention…”