Another plate for Steve

Most doctors drive BMWs, Mercs or Porches and GPs doctors drive SAABs and Volvos. Never seen a doctor in a Hiace van? Does the Rod bit refer to his name or his specialisation?

You may be thinking he is some kind of welder and is a guru with the welding rod, but there are no real indications that is the case. I passed the van a little further on and it had no signwriting to provide a clue.

Finally for those that missed it on twitter:

Roger the Dodger and Tour de Frog

Well Roger finally came through with the good and I have my suit back. I must have been a big lad when I brought it, because even after alteration it still doesn't sit quite right.

The jacket has been brought in at the waist as much as it can, but it still looks to me like it needs some material out of the front of it as well. Although the front in profile looks ok. The pants now fit around the waist, but my legs and arse are still swimming in material. I don't think the cut of this suit suited me right from the start and I guess all the alterations in the world aren't going to fix that.

I will probably give myself a week to think and then take one of my new, better fitting suits to Roger to be altered. Photos will follow when I have time to get the camera out.

In other news, the start of the Tour de France is fast approaching and it could be one of the most interesting years ever. There are so many questions:

• Can Carlos Sastre go back to back?
• Does Armstrong still have what it takes?
• The Astana team will be strong, but will having Levi, Lance and Contador all in the same team hurt them?
• Will Cadel benefit from having less attention focused on him?
• Menchov won the Giro, will that hurt him in the Tour?
• What will the Schleck bros get up to?
• Which team will be dominant on the tough climbs?
• Michael Rodgers has a good team and has become a very good tour rider, can he figure highly in the final standings and maybe even win?

The make-up of the teams is making this a really tough tour for me to predict. Astana looks really strong and Armstrong has that rare ability to get the team to go above and beyond for him, but what if he doesn't end up as team leader?

No sleep in July for me.

See, I can type more than 140 characters

Just a quick post to prove that I can still type things longer than 140 characters.

Uni is over for Semster 1 and I think I did enough in the exam to get at least the credit I need if not a distinction. Subject for next semester is I.T. Management and so should be a bit airy fairy and almost impossible to fail (watch me now fail it).

Football is going appallingly, we are in a new competition this season and it is a massive step up. We have also been decimated by injuries, no shows and people going overseas. We are going that bad that I have played in the seniors and I am far to old for that!

We have decided we probably won't sell the house. Dad has been drawing plans for us to put in a second toilet and move the laundry, but I am not sure I can bring myself to spend the money on that.

We have been flat out, so we have done next to no socialising and I actually fell asleep in front of the TV on Sunday arvo. I haven't done that for ages.

That's about it for the moment, except that I am picking up my old charcol pin-stripe suit from Roger the Tailor this arvo. If he has done well I will give him one of my new suits to adjust. I am going to look like a million bucks, even if I am worth about $1.36.

Roy for King of the World (Warnie is already God)

The decision to send Andrew Symonds home from England resulted in a storm of discussion over at twitter. Discussion, spirited discussion. Not argument, but a good old fashion enjoyable discussion. It was a pleasure Moko, Dr Yobbo and Lobes.

The point of contention seems to be around what is a reasonable expectation of behaviour from our sporting hero's. There are a few keywords that get thrown around during these discussions and here are my views on some of them:

Role model: This is a doozy. Apparently everyone that plays professional sport has to be a role model to the kiddies. In my day, my parents were my role models and they would give me the moral framework to be able to select role models from other areas of society. Sports people could be role models, but all that was demanded of them was to perform in their chosen sport and if they provided a good off-field example then that was celebrated.

Professionalism: Being a professional sportsman means that you make your lively hood from your sport. So by extension, professionalism would refer to the standards maintained by that player to perform at a level that warrants payment. So in my view, you are acting in a professional manner if you turn up each game/training session in a condition to perform at the standards required.

Sponsorship: The big problem is that to pay sportspeople lots of money, that money has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is sponsors that want to be associated with the sport or individual. They want to be associated with winners first and foremost, but then also demand that their stable also project an appropriate image outside of the sport. You may think that is a fair request, here is a stack of cash now go out and win and also behave like this corporate robot. I don't think that's is really fair. My life is my own and I will live it how I choose. Judge my character before you sponsor me and if you don't like it or it doesn't fit your marketing plan, then keep the cash.

Media: The new catchphrase for the media is "it's in the public's interest". Just because you say something doesn't make it true. Why is it in my interest to know how many schooners Roy has put away or what Ben Cousins is doing hours before a game? The phrase is "in the public's interest" not "what the public is interested in".

So in conclusion to me sport is sport and what matters is how you perform on the field. Your life is your life and you deserve to be treated in the same manner as the rest of society. Some sportspeople respond to a life of discipline and dedication (Tom Hafey, Michael Shumacher) while others perform best when their personal life is chaotic and provides a distraction (Warnie, Keith Miller).

Sport people are people not corporate cardboard cutouts.

Now someone ask me why I don't think sportspeople should be tested for illicit substances.

Super Naut

I quite liked this film as a small kid.



I may even use this to make myself a super t-shirt.

Ps. The bird is and always will be the word.

Have you heard?

About the bird?

Apparently the bird is the word!

Sorry, watched the "bird is the word" Family Guy episode for the second time on the weekend. The Good Lady Naut has had the song stuck in her head and I am taking great pleasure in singing, huming or texting her to make sure it stays firmly implanted. Her last SMS, in reply to mine asking if she had heard about the bird, suggested that my life my be forfeit once I get home.

In other news, I managed over the weekend to buy a couple of suits and half a dozen shirts. The suits are Anthony Squires off the rack items, which based on David Jones's current catalogue normally go for about $1000 each and I got them for $400 each. I have been looking at suits for a few weeks now, in consultation with a suit expert that sure knows his way around a lapel. I am not sure if I should be thanking him, as I will never be able to buy a cheap polyester suit again! That said he has been very generous with his advice and I thank him for it. Now does anyone know a good tailor in Melbourne?

While I am on the topic of thanking people, a big thankyou to the real estate agent that offered me some advice when the GLN and I starting talking about selling our house. We still don't know if we will, but I feel in a better position to make the decission when the time comes, thanks to the advice of this kind gentleman.

It may seem a bit strange my thanking people without naming them, but I don't want to be responsible for them being inundated with people after free advice. I need them to be available for when I need free advice! But if they happen to read this, they will know who they are and know that I appreciate their assistance.

Well now eveybody knows that the bird is the word, I'm outta here!