OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 07:39 PM

Yeah, Sandra, that seems to describe our politics as well. Each side tries to impress the majority of the voters and seem to meet in the middle while voicing their own rhetoric.

Thanks Judy. I guess I have a couple of days at Port Douglas to see the town and recover from my early (AM) arrival.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: GUEST,JudyB
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 11:10 AM

Naemanson -

You asked a couple of days ago what we were doing on the 14th and I'm not sure Charley answered - we'll be in Sydney recovering from the 26 hour trip from Maine, before taking off on the 15th for the 3 or 4 hour trip to Cairns. We've got one of the vans meeting our flight, so we should be in residence in Port Douglas mid-afternoon on the 15th (though I'm making no promises as to what time zone our minds will be in!).

Judy

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Oct 03 - 06:32 AM

Brett - the Bums have a site - www.borisbooks.com.au - where you will find their mission statement & other useful stuff. The pic shows some of them (it's hard to get them all together!!) - Canberra Chris is the bloke with the salt & pepper beard!

Simple stuff about Oz politics - the ruling Liberal party are not Democrats (think of them as Repulicans, the Labour party (the opposition) are not very labour these days - the Greens seem to fit that bill.

20 years ago I added a cartoon to my collection - picture them standing looking at each other - TweedleDumb & TweedleJustAsDumb - which seems to still fit our pollies, there's not much difference between Liberal & Labour these days.

sandra

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 09:44 PM

I am sure there are some aspects of their songs that will be easy to understand even without knowing Australian politics. Bureaucracy, being what it is, has certin universal standards that define it as the quagmire of apathy that it is.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 09:14 PM

G'day Brett,

" ... better start reading up on Australian politics so I will be able to understand the humor in the Shiny Bums' songs ..."

You should get the day's copy of The Sydney Morning Herald (the local broadsheet) at: www.smh.com.au . (I suspect it might need more than a brief perusal of the daily blats to understand the humour of a bunch of Canberra public servants ... ).

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 09:08 PM

G'day Chris,

Did you switch to the "Month Saving Calendar" on Sunday ... it's still only October ... round here!

Regard(les)s,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Chris Maltby
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 09:04 PM

Ok, so the November Dog is past and gone with no sightings of Charleys, Bretts or Judys. What gives...

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 06:25 PM

I guess I'd better start reading up on Australian politics so I will be able to understand the humor in the Shiny Bums' songs.

Are there any Australian newspapers on line?

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: JennyO
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 08:54 AM

Yes, but not a parody of Northwest Passage, please. Wouldn't mind hearing it some other time tho, like the next day :-)

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 08:51 AM

The evening will be full of parodies, tho the Bums, being good Public Servants, have a projector for theirs so we can all join in the choruses.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 08:13 AM

Brett-

We plan to bring our lightest tropical gear for Port Douglas. For Sydney, my boating jacket should be more than adequate for evenings. Some kind of foul-weather gear might be called for if an early summer monsoon sweeps in. But do leave your snow shovel on Guam.

With regard to singing "Northwest Passage"? Sure, but we better practice. I've already got too many parody lines embedded in my mind. What's that version about trying to find the proper exit to the Maine Mall?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: JennyO
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 07:19 AM

Don't worry Brett, it was just a thunderstorm which dumped hail in some parts. The weather has been quite mild lately actually - warm to hot days and cool to balmy nights, with some late afternoon unsettled weather and thunderstorm activity in the last couple of weeks.

By the time you come, it will probably be even warmer. We do sometimes get the afternoon storms, so bring your umbrella, or buy a cheap one here.

Jenny

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 07:01 AM

Brett - late Nov is almost summer!

Bring a light jacket in case you need it at night, if you're worried about the weather check out the Bureau of Meteorology - www.bom.gov.au

Bring a brolly with you as we do get rain in summer even tho we currently have some water restictions because our dams are low due to drought over the past few years. Sydney also has some great beaches just down the road from me.

sandra

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 05:08 AM

Snow! Charley, are you dragging me out of my tropical paradise to go somewhere cold?

What clothing should I bring to Sydney? what kind of temperatures are you having?

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: alison
Date: 27 Oct 03 - 02:18 AM

I spoke to Giok on the phone at lunchtime on Saturday... he was intending to go to "the dog"..... I had a gig in the mountains... had to drive through the hail storm... when we got to the venue there was 2 inches of hail on the ground... looked like snow....... but the show went on anyway.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 09:52 PM

JennyO-

We're looking forward to the BBQ and song party, and meeting John again. I have several warped songs that I don't think I sang him last time around. I'll have to see what I can come up with for a mini-train song.

I believe Margaret is working on a small pre-song party for Friday, the 21st, so we can clear our voices before the Loaded Dog.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: JennyO
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 08:51 PM

Don't forget the BBQ and song party that John Warner and I are having at Earlwood on Sunday 23rd, the day after the Dog!

Only 4 weeks to go, and it's still a mess outside. We need to get ourselves moving on that. We'll be at a festival the weekend before, so time is running out! (panic panic)

We also have yet to work out whose place to go to for a session on the Friday before (21st).

Jenny

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 06:22 PM

OK Charley, I am into the Achipelago in Port Douglas. I'll be arriving at Cairns airport at 12:35 AM on the 14th but don't come knocking on my door too early. I won't get to bed until probably 2:30 AM.

What are your plans for the 14th?

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 12:27 PM

This is all looking great, even our top secret foray to the James Craig.

What a crew of helpful people. You know, you all have to come to Maine/Guam so we can properly reciprocate.

Now I still haven't heard back from Helen if there's any life in Newcastle with the folk music community, other than their website. Judy and I will be in that area from November 29th to December 2nd. We'll be visiting with our nephew's new Australian family, part of our secret plan to establish "transporter links" between Maine and Oz. We're not exactly sure what the "family plans" will be but there might be time to fit in a small music party.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 07:18 AM

hooray!!

Last night's Dog went well, despite severe weather & hail around Sydney - fortunately not at the Dog, but if did keep some folks away, I'm sure. Maybe it also kept Giok away as he didn't turn up!

see ya soon

sandra

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 26 Oct 03 - 01:26 AM

Well I have worked out an itinerary for my trip to Sydney. It's anyone's guess as to what I'll do after that. I am open to suggestions. I'd like to visit with Hrothgar in Brisbane on my way home. I think he's too wrapped up in the rugby tournament to be able to visit on my way south. I hope your broken bones are healing well enough to let you get to the games, Hrothgar.


Depart Guam               13-Nov-03        7:55 PM        Continental Flight 902
Arrive Cairns               14-Nov-03        12:25 AM        
Depart Cairns               18-Nov-03        8:35 AM        The Sunlander (Train)
Arrive Brisbane               19-Nov-03        3:55 PM        
Depart Brisbane               19-Nov-03        7:00 PM        Sunstate Charters Coach (Bus)
Arrive Murwillumbah        19-Nov-03        8:45 PM        
Depart Murwillumbah        19-Nov-03        9:50 PM        XPT (Train)
Arrive Sydney               20-Nov-03        11:38 AM        
******** 10 days to do whatever I want and go wherever the rails will take me ********
Depart Cairns        30-Nov        1:35 AM        Continental Flight 903
Arrve Guam        30-Nov        6:10 AM

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Oct 03 - 08:14 AM

Brett-

My apologies for suggesting that you were anything but the gentle soul you are. However, you should be studing carefully the Mudcat Aussie dictionary.

I'd suggest bringing the lighter one, since you'll be "riding the rods" for part of your travel. Then again, maybe you should bring the one with the studiest case, the one that will survive being run over by a berserk wombat. Then again...

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 11:15 PM

Why Charley, what DO you mean? I am the very soul of peaceful coexistence with my fellow travelers on this Earth.

I can't decide if I should bring the 6 or the 12 string. I can't finger pick the 12 (yet) but it certainly has the better sound. But then it's bigger and heavier and I will be carrying it around a lot. But then, if it gets broken or stolen I only paid $70 for it. But then, it's worth a lot more than that in value, both monetary and sentimentally.

Decisions, decisions. No wonder I never take vacations.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 08:09 AM

Brett-

We'll be joining you at Port Douglas on Saturday, November 15th, if there's anything left of the place after your arrival. We'll review local news stories after landing in Sydney November 13th before we fly out to Cairns.

Maybe you should avoid the stop at Crocodile Charley's.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 08:04 AM

goody (the first part)

booh, hiss to the no-goodnik who stole your computer. Now all you have to do is read the relevant bits on this thead to see the advice again in the hope that it reminds you ...

What a bummer

see ya soon

sandra

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 20 Oct 03 - 05:41 AM

OK Gang! It's for real. I bought my tickets today. I'm flying into Cairns on November 13. Apparently Contintental only flys to Australia on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Now I have to reconstruct the plans I set up and lost with my computer.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 16 Oct 03 - 11:37 PM

Well, Dahlin, for those who spend too much time in southern Maine, frigging is another version of the more popular word used in the south. F**k**g is the more vulgar and socially unacceptable word. *grin*

Hi to Jolene.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 02:23 PM

Yes, Sandra, udderly bizarre!

Remind me to sing my ballad about the cow that sinks the Japanese fishing trawler, entitled "Cowardly Act." It's a moooving song.

And, yes, Brett, it's the BFI for us real Mainers.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: JennyO
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 11:17 AM

Congratulations on the blue clicky, Sandra. Udderly amazing!

Jenny

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Dahlin
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:30 AM

Brett
    You forget that the Indian is known as the BFI Big F-------
Indian. It shares those initials with a trash disposal company that has BFI on all of their dumpsters. What's with this Friggin word?

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:27 AM

I made a blue clicky!!

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:25 AM

Well if you aren't going to see the Big Cane Toad (& who would blame you, they are ugly critters with no redeeming virtues, I'll save the pic for you & maybe even laminate it so you will be able to admire it for years. I also must find the postcard of a wonderful, totally unbelievable Big thing - anyway here is an article about it - enjoy!


udderly unbelievable!

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 08:50 AM

Why Charlie! Too shy to explain the proper name for the indian in Freeport? It's the FBI, Friggin' Big Indian.

Also, don't forget Paul Bunyon in Bangor.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Oct 03 - 08:45 AM

Here in Maine one of our coastal towns used to feature "The Big Lobster Trap" which always gave me this pleasing vision of summer tourists (we call them "summer complaints") scrambling in, getting confused, and then being hauled away for plundering.

We still have a 20-foot wooden statue of a Native American in front of a shopping plaza in South Freeport but I don't dare repeat what we used to call that, far too rude. Ask Brett.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: alison
Date: 12 Oct 03 - 07:54 PM

Heaps of big things on the main road between Sydney and Brisbane

Big prawn - Ballina
Big Banana - coff's Harbour
Big bull , avocado, & pineapple... off the road but well signposted
big oyster - Taree
and a petrol station diguised as "Ulhuru" just N of Newcastle

I live over beside the Olympic Stadium - so if anyone is out that direction give me a yell

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Oct 03 - 04:53 PM

No, my dear Sandra. We were raising cane elsewhere in Queensland. But thanks for the warning!

Hey, it's only a month before we fly out to Sydney! You've all been warned. Better make your plans now for fleeing to your weekenders!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Oct 03 - 11:08 AM

Charley - have you seen the Giant Cane Toad - it's at Mackay (Northern Qld)

sandra

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 09:48 PM

G'day Charlie,

I have been a bit loath to remain active with the James Craig sessions, although I'm still providing some technical assistance - and have been mentioning the possibility that you, Judy and Brett would love to come along.

I'll PM you with a bit more information.

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: GUEST,Judy B
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 05:22 PM

Hrothgar -

Thanks! That will be much quicker in traffic than digging through my belongings in search of a pen to see which hand I hold it in to write! :)

More seriously, that is one of the nicer reminder methods I've heard about, though I suppose it could be a problem for kids just learning left and right in that they might not be real consistent in the direction they make their letters.

Thanks again!
Judy

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 12:33 PM

Sandra-

Oh, good! If you've got a Victoria's Secrets shop than I won't have to bring any show-and-tell items to The Loaded Dog. I can just make a causal reference to its existence and sing the song. Neither Brett nor I look particularly good in fishnet pantyhose anyway.

Bob-

How are the musical gatherings doing on the tall-ship James Craig? Any possibility that we could gather a few of us aboard to sing some songs?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 10:01 AM

Charley - Victoria's Secrets is a lingerie shop in Chatswood!

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Hrothgar
Date: 08 Oct 03 - 03:59 AM

Judy,

Hold out your hands in front of you, palms away from you.

Keep the fingers together, and extend the thumbs at right angles.

The hand where the fingers are the vertical part of a capital "L", and the thumb sticks out to the right as the base of a capital "L", will be the Left hand.

Using this as a base for reference, you will be able to keep track.

Unless, of course, you people in the northern hemisphere have your hands on backwards.

Best of luck.

:-)

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 07:44 PM

Hi Bob,

Don't know why that didn't work. Weird. Thanks for the address. I'll drop her a line.

My Lonely Planet guide has a list of the "big things" in the index. I may be able to go see one after all. There are, or used to be, similar things back home in Maine. There were cheese shops shapeped like a wheel of cheese with a wedge cut out of it. The door was in the wedge. There are still one or two of them around. There are plenty of gift shops with reproductions of lighthouses in all sizes. There is one place along the coast called The Nut House which is a gift shop and museum of sorts. It has some odds and ends outside to denote it from the other tacky shops along the coast. There are giant ice cream cones and a giant Santa Claus that shows up from time to time. But nothing like what I have read about in Oz.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 07:03 PM

G'day again Brett,

For some reason asking for a PM to "Naemanson" doesn't work (Message is [`]: "Member not found") so I'll give you the e-mail here ... it is the address from which Kate sends her promotional notices, so it's fairly well distributed anyway: [e-mail].

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 06:53 PM

G'day Brett,

Back on 4 October you mentioned the "Big Lobster" and asked about other "Big" things scattered about Aus. I think someone may have mentioned elsewhere John Warner's cong about the "Big Merino Ram" down south at Goulburn ... but I just noted this in an e-mail from Kate, of the local group Touchwood (and who maintains the Loaded Dog's web site!):

MORE BIG THINGS
We're just back from a wonderful weekend at the Forbes Folk Gathering - congratulations to Rob and Olya Willis and their team for putting together such a wonderful event.
Apart from the fabulous music and dancing, we managed to get photos of a couple more "Big Things" for the cover of our forthcoming CD - this time the Big Gold Panner and the Big Fruit Bowl!.

I could list off a few of the well-known ones (like the first [?] - the "Big Banana" up at Coffs Harbour ... I hitch-hiked north to Queensland in 1964 - and slept one night in the bus shelter at the foot of the hill capped by this immense, lurid yellow, floodlit statue of a banana!) - but Kate may have a far more complete list ... and locations. I'll dig out her e-mail address and PM it to you.

BTW: Mudcat's Callie also sings in Touchwood.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 08:31 AM

Thanks, Sandra! A gentrified Pyrmont will work fine in the song, along with a passing reference to Woolloomooloo. Now what would be the OZ equivalent of our "Victoria Secrets"? Or do they have an outlet or two in Sydney? I suppose if we have "Outback Steakhouses" in the States, there could be a "Victoria Secrets" meat-packaging outlet in Sydney.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, fine-tuning a song or two

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 07 Oct 03 - 08:18 AM

Charley - there is no Hole in the Wall pub listed in the Yellow Pages, all there is a coffee shop of that name in the CBD. Pyrmont had been gentrified so much in the past few years that it might exist under a more trendy name.

sandra

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: GUEST,JudyB
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 10:24 PM

While it's true I have been known to confuse left and right on occasion, I'm not at all sure that right would be on the same side in Australia as it is in the US. After all, the Pacific Ocean is on the East, not on the West where it belongs - and the cars are on the other side of the road - who knows where right might be!

More seriously, because the cars are also opposite from here (in terms of which side the driver sits on), while there is a certain sense of having gone through the looking glass, once you get going, it all seems to make sense. There are quirks (we never did figure if the turn signal/wiper problem was because they weren't opposite while everything else was, or if they were opposite and we were expecting them to be on the same side as they were in our cars), but Charley didn't have much trouble getting the hang of it.

   Judy

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Naemanson
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 06:51 PM

I spent a happy couple of hours last night compiling a list of towns where the trains stop. Then I cross indexed them with my Lonely Planets guidebook to Australia. Then I remembered my kids have been trying to call me and I got off the line.

There are lots of little sites to see out there as well as big fancy ones. I am more at home in a small town environment anyway.

Subject: RE: OZ Foray from Maine & Guam-Late November
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Oct 03 - 05:27 PM

We had fun comparing notes with our nephew's Newcastle inlaws. They had rented a car in the States for the wedding, and they too turned on the windshield (windscreen) wipers as they tried to signal their first turn. What joy!

Oh, by the way, does the "Hole in the Wall" pub still exist on Kent Street in Pyrmont? It used to be the gathering place for sailors from ships laying at the wharves bordering Darling Harbour.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble