12 Signs it’s Time to Switch to Adult Radio

There are a lot tough questions in life, some of which may never be answered… Which is the path to true happiness? Is there life after death? Should I cut a fringe? And perhaps the most pressing of all*: how do I know it’s time to make the switch to adult radio?

Recently I learnt that the target age of my favourite music radio station is people 18-24, yet the adult talk station I would progress to is broadly aimed at those aged 40+. This leaves me floating in some kind of radio-station-limbo-land… much like an unused tampon, lost in a handbag. Continue reading

10 Internet Things to Make You Smile

Recently a good friend of mine (let’s call her Catalina…) needed a bit of cheering up. Being on the other side of Earth my usual strategy (performing a liturgical dance to the music of Shania Twain) just wouldn’t do. Instead I used my refined skills in online procrastination to pull together a bunch of my favourite smile-inducing-interweb-things to send her. Then I thought maybe we could all use a few cheeky grins so I have put together a selection of them here. Also it is the Easter long weekend and I’ve got a lot of business* to get through so I wanted to get this post up quickly. And on that note…

1. Sloths… Let’s be honest, I could do ten awesome things just about sloths but I’ll try and contain myself… SQUEEEEEE-BABY SLOTHS BATHED IN TEA AND HUNG TO DRY ON CLOTHES HORSES!!! Um… also… baby sloths in onesies spooning. And yes Sloth…. you can fly! Continue reading

Leafy Suburbia Living vs. Grimy Inner City Dwelling

Can you feel the ocean breeze? Smell those freshly mowed lawns? Hear those birds (you know the ones, they go booooooooo-woop)? The sensations of leafy suburbia – where I’ve taken respite from my inner city life to house-sit for a couple of days – feel good. I came for a bit of peace and quiet and easy beach access, but got a whole lot more than that. And it’s hard not to compare it to my usual residence in the grimy inner city.

So how do they stack up?

In the morning…

Suburbs: Sunday morning sleep-ins may come to an abrupt halt due to the sounds of birds (seriously it’s like a fricken rainforest out here), small children and lawnmowers.

Inner city: You are gently lulled awake by conversations of friendly locals as they drift past your house on their daily trip to the rehab centre. I don’t know why, but they prefer to converse with each other by shouting from opposite sides of the street. Continue reading

Valentines Day is the WORST! And here’s why…

Warning: I wrote this sick with a cold and maybe should have edited it, but I really want to go to bed. So please read quietly and pass the cough syrup.

Valentine’s Day is the worst. It is the worst for everyone. I’m not just saying that because I’m single and alone and please someone won’t you love me? *cough*

My earliest memory of the day (besides when I just made cards for mum – SHOUTOUTZ MUM!) was a massive disappointment. I was about 11 and purchased a packet of Starbursts lollies and composed a love letter to deliver to my primary school crush. Keeping them hidden in my desk all day I awaited the perfect moment. Continue reading

Four Simple Steps to Win the triple j Hottest 100

So you’re a band/musician/producer and you’re bummed you didn’t win the triple j Hottest 100 yesterday? There, there, it’s ok. To help with your Sunday blues I’ve performed some critical analysis* and conducted some focus group discussions** to come up with the perfect formula to win this thing.

1. Get your song played across a number of commercial stations as well triple j

As much as many triple j listeners would pride themselves on the fact they don’t listen to commercial radio, others do. Continue reading

The Do’s and Don’ts of Backpacking Packing

It’s been a few years since I bought a one-way ticket to a new continent, strapped on my large backpack, and went exploring. *sigh* While this makes me sad, I thought I’d pass on some of the things I’d learned about how to pack your backpack.

Packing

Don’t take more than 15kgs: You’ll really feel those extra kilos when you’ve arrived in Lisbon with no accommodation and are schlepping to the third floor of ten different pensions looking for a room (definitely earned my Portuguese tart that day). Also some of the cheaper airlines have a 15kg limit on checked baggage with hefty fines if you inch over this weight ( and there are only so many pairs of pants you can wear at one time). Continue reading

A Christmas Letter to William

And so this is was Christmas… although, there was definitely something missing. Every Christmas we used to receive a letter in the mail with a yearly update of some family friends that I’d never met. My parents never once wrote them back and as far as I’m aware haven’t seen them in about 20 years, but still the letters came. That is until my parents moved and failed to update their (clearly close) friends with their new address.

The two kids were about my age and I followed them as they grew in their study, extra-curricular activities and skills in card making. Last I heard of them it was becoming pretty clear that the older sister was somewhat of an overachiever. Her lengthy paragraph was filled with complimentary commentary on her success as a lawyer and generally lots of positive adjectives. Next was the section on the younger brother, William. This was considerably shorter and padded out with details of recent purchases like a new push bike and a monthly train ticket. The shame. Continue reading