Earl Hood

Good one bjDee by the way have you managed to ride your bike to the Wild Timor Coffee House in coburg yet? And you are right I am no longer feeling the cold even though there is no heater here! It must be the wine.

I am just a mere Justinian to my wife's Theodora perhaps. If you know the story. Not that I want to be accused of being a lawyer or something. Far from it Justinian was about more than his revamping of the code.

Oh I see. I am a big Visigoth fan myself but Belerserius stitched them up big time. Pity! I don't remember the Vandals adding much to history except trouble. But I am impressed that you are a student of history, BBO never told me about that.

Well yes but it took 1100 years to do it. But I don't think you have a feel for history some how Biff. You are referring to something else perhaps?

What can I say here I am in the cold back room at home tuning into my old television to look at not the ashes but the SBS series on Byzantium while SWMBO and several other female relatives have commandeered the main TV to watch that abomination, The Voice! Barbarians! Anyway it is a bit cold but I have a bottle of red to keep me company.

BBO not sure if I saw Biffen last night. Is he an artist at all, does he wear an eyepatch, wear leather and use a walking stick? I was doing my usual Friday early evening tour of the numerous art galleries of Fitzroy and Collingwood looking for the exhibition opening nights, plenty free booze and all you have to do is look at some second rate mixed media artwork or some collage of found objects stuck on canvas and pretend you understand the deeper meaning of it all, especially if there are a few good lookers about that I can impress with my vast knowledge of the arts. Anyway after that it was off to the Robbie Burns Hotel for the best Spanish food in town and a few more wines. Does Biffen speak Spanish perhaps? The guy with the eye patch showed up later on with an entourage of women!

As for women's tennis, I watched the final and really that match was amazing. Serena is the greatest player of all time. She just belts every ball that comes near her at 100% speed down the lines, it is incredible. Big serve, big forehand, big backhand, amazing athletism and big presence! You watched the game and it was all about Serena from about the third game, her aggression, what she was doing. The poor Spanish girl was valiant but really just a support act in the drama. And what hope did she have because you don't get into rallies with Serena where you can start to work her out and probe her weaknesses. No she just belts balls at the lines in the belief that she can get at least 60% of balls in and that is enough to win. I believe she would have dealt with all the past champions in the same way, Steph, Martina, Margaret Court.

DC you look pretty good as well it is just those dark rings around your eyes that are an issue. I guess they are from one too many nights spent at the Burvale and the odd punch up at closing time?

Really? I always thought I had a resemblance to a young, dashing Yul Brenner, you know the exotic Mongolian/Asian look of the King and I.

Hey how did I get dragged into this toxic or detoxic exchange? Is it something about my area of expertise?

Where is Deefrog when you need him. We are talking bananas and that is his area of expertise!

Common issue Biff. I failed structural engineering and surveying at least once, well twice actually but I am in the engineering industry 25 years on and still functioning. Funny thing that, but how many people are working outside their area of expertise? Where I work I would say at least 50 per cent of people are operating outside their area of expertise.

Biff thanks for the insider tip off. I will divest ASAP before the others know what hit them, then buy back in at the bottom. There is nothing better than profitting off other's misery. By the way at which University did you complete your economics/finance degree as you obviously have such a command of finance theory?

Nothing and anything Is my guess.

I am not one to exaggerate as you know DC but yes I had an 8" floppy in earlier days but these days I am working with a 5.25"more often than not!

Still using MS DOS myself DC with a 6" floppy as well!

Have not been to a Macca's or a while. What is that? It looks like some sort of by-product of coal seam gas production DC. I am sure they have added enough sugar to overpower the sulphuric tastes.

Gee it's quiet on here the last few days. Where is BBO, school holidays, I suppose he has headed north for winter perhaps. Jazza busy with dairy industry issues, Deefrog could be banana picking up in Carnarvon or he could be surfing down at Margaret River, they were predicting 12m waves on Friday and I see there is still a 5 metre swell running today. Amazing we have not seen any coverage of this in the East. DC are you bunkered down in Borewood with all this talk of IS coming to get us?

I have to say Deefrog that I do not have a limp nor do I have a hipster bicycle. I do have a mountain bike, a GTV Avalanche model that was stolen by darstardly criminals earlier this year. The CCTV showed a hipster taking my bike who could be serving you coffee as we speak. They do all look similar. But the good news is our boys in blue came through. I got my bike back although it was very altered to the point I had trouble identifying it.

Great day Jazza once I found out we had won I knew you would be wrapped as you said you were going. For me I was driving home this arvo from the Surf Coast but had banned all radio communications in the car as I expected carnage. My wife kept checking the scores and telling me I would be pleased with the score but I forebode all comment on scores. I refused to countermand my orders on the grounds that if we tuned in that would lead to an avalanche of Cat goals. Anyway got home knowing we must have won because the missus couldn't keep the smirk off her face (she was checking AFL.com on her phone). Anyway I believe my tactics worked a treat because if I had have listened in at half time we would have lost for sure. By the way I have been trying to get onto BBO but he left a voice message that he was going outside with his whip and would be away for a while! Any idea what he means?

Gee quiet on here tonight! Just got back from a get together with some old footy club mates at the Great Northern in Carlton. Great night but gee we are not the men we once were. Several guys called it quits by 10 claiming they were a bit tired! Would not have happened in our halcyon days. Half the table were Hawks fans, one involved with the Dawks was adamant they had Dangerfield lined up, been working on him for two years. At which point I said if you bastards get Dangermouse, that is it I am giving up AFL to follow the local footy.

OD have you ever tried bananas instead? They can do wonders. Just ask Deefrog.

Jazza I understand that there is this new Jurassic World on this island full of recreated dinosaurs acting for people's entertainment. Apparently the company has created a hybrid dinosaur more energetic than your run of the mill T Rex. But all the controls are in place. So what could possibly go wrong? Can't see how they kept the story going really to produce yet another movie. Next thing you will tell me is that somehow, something got loose. Hard to believe.

Thank you for your thoughts BBO. I have heard very little from those who I once counted as so called friends. Of course one does not seek higher honours nor does one necessarily expect that one's exhausting works on behalf of the less privileged would be recognised at least in the form of a so called Gong! Oh no there is no recognition for my tireless promotion on behalf of local, grass roots communities of the benefits of brown coal, coal seam gas and the dangers of wind turbine syndrome and don't start me on fluoridation and its affects on our precious bodily fluids for that matter. I know one ought not complain about one's station in life but when you have for example a Professor Abbott OAM (any relation I wonder) recognised by HRM for his works for dentistry well I rest my case. Where I ask is the justice?

No Dobbie Brothers?