Happy Election Day!

Well, by Sunday we should know who the Prime Minister is for the next while.
Last time, I did an informal vote on purpose. I didn't know much about the different parties and didn't really have definite views anyway.
I was on team that year and we were asked to hand out flyers for the CDP at one of the local voting places for an hour or two. When I got there, I found the flyers called for a total stop to Muslim immigration- something that sounds rather discriminatory for a secular society like Australia. So, I didn't hand them out very enthusiastically.
This election, I've reviewed a lot of parties' policies (ALP, Lib, Greens, LDP, CDP, Family First, The Sex Party and The Secular Party -even Senator Online [which I find ridiculous as it would be totally dominated by trolls]) and controversially (among Christian circles, at least) I've decided to mostly go Green.
I don't agree with all their policies (notably the abortion and gay marriage issues), but i do agree with most of them and their general ethos. The "Christian" parties (CDP and FF) make me cringe and the "Anti-Christian" parties (Sex and Secular Parties) go too far in the other direction. The two major parties don't seem to make a hard stand on issues that actually matter to me (like climate change) and I don't want to throw my vote away again.
I encourage every one to go check out the different parties, make up your own mind, put together your preferences and vote like you mean it!

It's My Birthday!

Today marks my 26th birthday.
I feel the past couple of years have seen me grow a lot.
Getting married and having a child has made me really think about the kind of man I am and the kind I want to be. It's amazing how these kinds of life events change your perspective.
3 years ago I would have thought the idea of committing to a 4 year (at 3-quarter pace) degree was horrible, but now I've committed myself to a lifetime with Tab and Addie (and more soon) so 4 years to be able to better provide for us all doesn't seem too big a deal.
Previously, I had struggled to make a 5-year plan. Now 5-years seems rather short-term.

Today I read this article from NYTimes about "emerging adulthood". Seems rather appropriate.
Here's a quote:

During the period he calls emerging adulthood [roughly 18-30 years old -A. S], Arnett says that young men and women are more self-focused than at any other time of life, less certain about the future and yet also more optimistic, no matter what their economic background. (p4.)

Apparently this is revolutionary stuff for the field- to establish a new 'age group', just as it was when we first started talking about adolescence as a separate time of life to childhood and adulthood.

I found some of the quotes from young people echoed what I felt/thought just a few years ago:

 “It’s somewhat terrifying,” writes a 25-year-old named Jennifer, “to think about all the things I’m supposed to be doing in order to ‘get somewhere’ successful: ‘Follow your passions, live your dreams, take risks, network with the right people, find mentors, be financially responsible, volunteer, work, think about or go to grad school, fall in love and maintain personal well-being, mental health and nutrition.’ When is there time to just be and enjoy?” Adds a 24-year-old from Virginia: “There is pressure to make decisions that will form the foundation for the rest of your life in your 20s. It’s almost as if having a range of limited options would be easier.” (p.6)

Julie, a 23-year-old New Yorker and contributor to “20 Something Manifesto,” is apparently aware of this. She was coddled her whole life, treated to French horn lessons and summer camp, told she could do anything. “It is a double-edged sword,” she writes, “because on the one hand I am so blessed with my experiences and endless options, but on the other hand, I still feel like a child. (p. 7)

Today, on my 26th birthday, I really feel like I have grown out of this stage and further toward a man than an "emerging adult".

NYTimes (via AOM Trunk)

Create more, Consume less...

A blog I love to read is The Art of Manliness. They just launched The Trunk and The Library of Random Man-Knowledge and have a great repository of articles in the archive. In April, Brett (&Kate) McKay, who runs the site, posted an article titled "Creating and Consuming: How to be Mature". The main motto of the article is "create more, consume less".
What a great motto!

Give it a read sometime.

I do think that there needs to be a balance between our consumption and creation, but in today's western culture there is a great need to be careful what we consume. Often people go a long time without any thought as to what it is that they are consuming from other sources- TV, radio, music, movies, books, the internets....
Much of what is out there is not wholesome (to say the least) and is unhelpful for a healthy, godly or peaceful life.

Some pics of Addie

Here's some shots of Addie from the last week or so!
It's nearly her 1st birthday!
Exclamation mark!

Gimme the camera!

Under the table at a party

Banana!

Look at those teeth (between the banana).

I haven't forgotten to blog...

I haven't I swear. Ok, maybe I did.
A quick update:
- I went on a Desert Camp to Sturt Meadows and Mutawintgee National Park
- Tab had a scan and the new bub is good.
- We just got a Digital Set-top box.
- I'm back at uni for the spring semester.
- We've ordered cool new stuff for our computers: The Mac box set and Office 2008.
- Addie's in her own room (my study is now in our bedroom)

That's all for now. More soon.

Breakfast: The Most Important Meal

As we all know, a good breakfast can set you up for a great day. Even Adelaide (not yet 10 months old!) knows the importance of this meal and has been making her views abundantly clear to all those nearby in the mornings.

The offending bowl

Addie has been having 'wheat biscuits' for brekkie and every time she reaches the end of the bowl, she howls. The past couple of days we've even given her a bit more to eat, but the result is the same.
This morning there were really sad tears. You would have been forgiven for thinking I had pinched her and eaten her brekkie in front of her (I didn't!). I haven't seen her that sad for a while.

So make sure you have a good breakfast. But don't feel you have to cry when it's over.

Caught 2nd Handed

Broken Hill has a great second hand market. There are community markets often, garage sales every weekend, op-shops, 2nd hand furniture and bric-a-brac stores and the town tip even resells stuff tossed in (relatively) good condition. Tab and I love to find the treasures hidden in these places.
Over the past 3 days, I have made 4 trips to the tip shop (making a purchase every time!), plus 1 trip to the Lifeline yard (where they sell 2nd hand stuff other than clothes- which go to the Lifeline op-shop).
Tab accompanied me on 3 out of the 5 trips.
Here's our haul:

Bird Cage, mini sewing machine, drink cooler, toolbox, portable turntable, sewing machine, sprinkler, steriliser and typewriter

The best finds of the lot are definitely the typewriter (which Tab has already written several letters on) and the stereo. Tab's research makes us think the typewriter is from the 1920s! Although we're not expecting the stereo to work, we think it may be repairable (a practice that we are becoming increasingly proficient in). Even if we can't repair it, we think it's nice and would make a great show-piece in a shed/garage/workroom.

Here's the two in all their glory:

Typewriter: $2

Sanyo portable record player/radio: $5

Bonus round:
In the bag for the mini-sewing machine, Tab found an extra little prize!

Finding a needle in the bag: priceless

Tab theorises that some little old lady with diabetes left in there. I'm more suspicious- I think it was robot ninjas injecting themselves with space-age nanotech biotronic laser powers while they sewed new ninja masks to disguise their grotesque robot faces. Naturally, they needed to use a mini sewing machine to be more discrete about their plans to destroy mankind. 

Dad Songs

As a young father, I see it as my pleasure duty to occasionally act the fool. Please don't misunderstand, I definitely do not believe this to be the only role for the modern day Dad. But, showing/teaching kids 'fun' is also important. I find one of the best ways to do this with Addie, or to just entertain her, is with 'Dad songs'.
Dad songs are kid's songs or nursury rhymes with words changed to be a little bit rude/funny.
Here are some of my favorites:

To the tune of 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star':
Twinkle, twinkle little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Daddy says you're a ball of gas,
Mummy says that he's an ass.
Twinkle, twinkle Little star,
How I wonder what you are!

also,
Tinkle, tinkle in the bath,
Make your brothers and sisters laugh!
When the water turns to brown,
That's right when they'll all frown.
Tinkle tinkle in the bath,
Make your brothers and sisters laugh!


To the tune of 'Hey, diddle, diddle':
Hey diddle, diddle,
The cat did a piddle,
In the middle of the kitchen floor!
The little dog laughed to see such fun,
So the cat did a little bit more!


To no tune in particular:
(My Dad taught me this one when I was a kid)
Ask your Mother for sixpence,
To see the big Giraffe.
With freckles on whiskers,
And Pimples on his...
Ask you mother for sixpence,
To see the big Giraffe (continue repeating ad nauseam)

El Jacketeet-o

For a while I've been drooling over the custom odd-jackets/sport-coats at A Tailored Suit. Currently these are out of my price range, but op shops are just right. The other day we were at St James' op shop down in South Broken Hill, next door to Patton Park. While Tab looked at everything else, I looked at the small men's section in the corner and found some jackets.
Unfortunately, my eye for sizing is not very good, so when Tab was nearly done, I enlisted her to find the larger ones for me to try on. We picked this nice jacket from the back and I'm looking forward to the next opportunity to wear it.

I love the 'aged' look on photos

For more info on odd-jackets, sport-jackets and men's fashion, consult A Tailored Suit's Style Guide and Art of Manliness' Dress and Grooming section.

Dress sharp Gents.

Build her a cake or something...

Tab and Addie went away for about 10 days last week. While they were gone, I thought I should do something for them when they got back, so I got my bake on.
I picked out a cookbook that looked pretty simple and found the cakes section. I picked the "French Coffee Cake" recipie becasue I like coffee and it looked easy.
My first attempt was a flop. It didn't rise, was really crumbly and just didn't have that "cake" goodness.
My second attempt was awesome!
These were the first cakes I'd made since home-economics in junior high-school, hence the pride.
Here's some pics of the cakey-goodness:

It was pretty tasty too!