“Women have soap operas; men have wrestling.”
– Ringside wrestling fan quoted in the documentary, ‘Beyond the Mat.’ Continue reading
How about these rugby players?
There’s a difference between being a fighter and being an athlete. I’ve been in situations in a fight were I can feel my brain is swelling inside my head. You ask yourself a question in situations like that. Continue reading
1.
Ben Edwards is always good for a chat. Since last we spoke, he has added Australian Heavyweight Boxing Champion to his string of achievements. He was kind enough to do a lap of the Theme Park in order to fill us in on the details.
What happened with Glory? Continue reading
9.
Running was getting easier. To start with, it had been nothing but pain; acid in his muscles, aching in his shins and the abrasion of wind in a breathless throat. Continue reading
8.
“And I kept drinking. Probably for about another month or so. Until one day…” Pat stopped briefly and took a breath. He was giddy with exhilaration. “And I have no memory of this, I was told about it at the hospital – they found me. Outside. Behind the dumpster.” Continue reading
6.
Pat needed a few things, but shopping would have to come later; he didn’t want to rock up to his first meeting with anything other than his hands in his pockets. He closed his coat against the late-morning cold and hunkered down against the wind.
Melbourne was like London, but less so, in every way. Busy, but fewer people. Rainy, but not as wet. Windy, but not as sharp. Continue reading
3.
Melbourne congealed on the horizon; a vast grey monolith slumped beneath an iron-grey sky. Continue reading
“…And now for an old soul song.”
– Anthony Keidis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers introducing his band’s cover of ‘Gimme Gimme’ by Black Flag during their Melbourne tour, 1992.
As I understand, singers like Aretha Franklin, in her time, were labeled screamers. Their tone tended towards a shout and, in comparison with the rich, creamy sound of a classical voice, were considered coarse and unsophisticated. Continue reading
“In a thousand years, there will be no men and women, just wankers.”
-Mark Renton,
Trainspotting.
My internet home page is set to The Age Newspaper Online. I like to skim over it before reading my emails; it helps orient me for the day. Of late, however, reading The Age has begun to get me down. Apparently, I live in the quintessential Australian city, and the best, most polite word I can use to describe it is aspirational.