Baby on Board

We are now proud parents of a healthy white baby. Uta brought the little bundle of joy home last weekend. I'm still a bit confused, given that I don't recall Uta being pregnant, our daughter looks pretty big for a new-born, and she doesn't really resemble me very much. But Uta says I'm just being paranoid and/or I'm confused due to the shock of being a new dad. Could be, I mean is one ever fully prepared for parenthood? Still, can't help thinking something seems a bit weird. . .

Break on Through

Call me lazy, but I couldn't drag myself out of bed at 5:00am to watch the make-or-break match between Australia and Croatia. Fortunately, I was able to keep track of the score, simply by listening to the echoes of cheers and groans of our more committed neighbors. With a tie secured in the final minutes of the game, Australia advances to the round of 16. Australians are pumped!

Meanwhile, the poor American team (a nation with, let us a recall, a population 15 times that of Australia) is headed home...defeated...again.

Open for Business

The first Krispy Kreme franchise opened in Melbourne yesterday - moving the city another step closer to offering all the comforts of home, with the added benefit of being in a country still in contention for the World Cup.

4-2

Friday night we assembled a crew to watch the opening game of the World Cup, Germany vs. Costa Rica. We met up at the turf bar in the CBD for a few hours of pre-game socializing and to watch the opening ceremony. During those festivities (complete with heaps of lederhosen and, for some strange reason, a hip-hop act dressed in pink) technical difficulties arose at the Turf Bar, forcing us to retreat to our own apartment, with all our companions in tow. Much to the delight, I'm sure, of our neighbors, we ended up with about 12 people all together, and a bit giddy, for the 2:00 am kick-off. Costa Rica proved a bit precocious and managed to give the Germans a run for the money, but, let's face it, Germany's a football powerhouse. Ultimately, Costa Rica fell behind 4-2, after a couple of brilliant and authoritative goals by Germany. Then, we slept.

New Bloke

I forgot to mention one of the more amusing discoveries during our recent trip to the United States. The Coca Cola company is currently testing its latest creation: Coke Blak (aka "Black Coke", or as I like to call it, "Bloke"). It's still in the pilot stage, so is a bit hard to come by, although the Georgia Aquarium and buckets of the stuff.

Over Here, Over There. . .

. . .it's the same everywhere.

W continued to "spread freedom" on Monday reiterating his support for a constitutional amendment preventing gay marriage. Perhaps he's envious of the Howard Government, which already has such constitutional power, wielding it earlier this week to shoot down the Australian Capital Territory's Civil Unions Act , intended to grant same-sex couples equal rights under the law. It seems Canberra felt the ACT was usurping the federal government's constitutional power to discriminate.

Black Market Bananas

Ever since cyclone Larry destroyed Australia's banana crop, the price of the innocuous fruit has skyrocketed - apparently driving the market underground. . .

CSIRO Conspiracy

An inquest into the 2001 death of CSIRO microbiologist Van Nguyen began Monday - the unfortunate researcher perished in a faulty airlock at CSIRO's animal research facility in Geelong. What appears to have not surface at the inquest is any mention of the international conspiracy which some feel Van Nguyen's death is a part. It seems he was just one of a plethora of microbiologists to have died mysteriously during 2001. Although the alleged plot is a bit difficult to make out, it has something to do with, of course, the military, international corporations, and biological weapons (in some versions, it's a plot by terrorists to erode the capacity of the west to defend itself against biological warfare).

You're Not the One That I Want

Seems like Olivia Newton John's long-time hubby is alive and well in Mexico, despite disappearing after a fishing trip months ago.

World Cup, American Style

Although I generally try to steer clear of all things affiliated with the Fox empire (except perhaps The Simpsons), I've found the series of World Cup articles at Fox Sports.Com to be highly entertaining. In essence, (as is done every four years)they attempt to explain the phenomenon of the World Cup to Americans that are otherwise oblivious. The series includes articles entitled "The World Cup: Why it's a Big Deal" and "World Cup vs. U.S. Sporting Events."

Footy: Collingwood vs. Brisbane

It was back to the MCG Saturday night, where we joined Tony in watching the Magpies cruise to a second straight win. We got to see Brisbane's Jason Akermanis' cute neon yellow shoes, which were far more amusing than Collingwood's Blake Caracella's collision which left him a broken neck, from which it fortunately looks like he'll eventually recover. If you're under the delusion that footy is a sport for the weak at heart, check out the league's injury roster as of last week.

Fantasy Island

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Originally uploaded by BLP.

The honeymoon. . .

Our honeymoon started off, strangely, with a basketball theme - on our flight back to Melbourne, we sat next to Megan Moody, a graduating player from Tulsa's women's basketball team (who'd managed to develop an interesting Aussie/Oklahoma hybrid accent). Then, on our flight up to Queensland the following day, Uta was quite excited to find the 2005 first-round NBA draftee, Andrew Bogut, also on the same flight (or at least that's who she said he was, I find all 7-foot white boys look the same to me - but given that Bogut is Aussie and now quite well-paid, it seems plausible).

We arrived at the Hamilton Island airport in the Whitsundays (which immediately went down at the top of my list of tiny airports), and then we took a ferry over to our final destination of Club Med on neighboring Lindeman Island. Although clearly not Club Med's flagship resort, we found Lindeman Island quite enjoyable - small, plenty of activities, decent food, and we really liked the various trails that run throughout the island (allowing us to catch sight of bats, snakes, and other cool wildlife). That said, we did arrive at a slow time of the year, with staff clearly outnumbering guests, and the high winds made it difficult to get out onto the water. Our trip out to the Great Barrier Reef forced us to endure some pretty hairy boat rides, but the experience was well worth the effort.

We also found a number of people to socialise with, including Diane and Brian from Canberra, Danielle and co. from Melbourne, and Uta's tennis buddy, Hendrik showed up half-way through our stay with his mother and siblings. The resort staff we are generally young and friendly, and happy to gossip about the other guests and/or each other, which provided some entertainment as well.

Once again - quite a few pictures of this as well, which (depending on who you are) may or may not be heading your way.

Never Say Never Again or You Only Marry Twice

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Originally uploaded by BLP.

We are obviously once again back "home" in Australia, returning from a three week vacation, which featured an encore production of our wedding (this time with novel appointments such as guests and the presence of a family member or two) followed by a proper honeymoon in Queensland's Whitsunday Islands.

Despite being largely planned from the opposite side of the world, the wedding came off without a hitch - no cold feet, no violence, no family feuds. Everyone showed up, behaved well, and enjoyed themselves. Music, catering, etc. was great We did have one genuine wedding crasher (all of about 16 years of age) who managed to sneak past the highly attentive security guard - I managed to unmask the impostor, but only after he managed to score a couple of free drinks: kudos to him.

Unfortunately, due to the numerous demands on our time during the week, we didn't manage to enjoy too much of Atlanta. We did get to visit the new Georgia Aquarium - now the largest in the world - which was freakin' huge and impressive. We also made a run to the outlet mall to stock up on low-cost, tasteful clothing which is a commodity we find in short supply down here (not that I'm necessarily in a position to judge - but Uta assures me this is the case).

More photos of all the action that you could ever possibly care to see will be making the rounds - if for some reason you miss out, drop us a line and we'll send you a link (unless of course you're a total stranger, in which case we may or may not oblige).

Footy: Pies vs. Doggies

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Originally uploaded by BLP.

The raging consultants of Capgemini came together to catch Friday night's match-up between the Western Bulldogs and the Collingwood Magpies at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Despite an early show of strength by the Doggies, the Pies eventually took control, claiming victory by a comfortable 34 point margin.

This being our first live AFL experience, we quite enjoyed the atmosphere. The MCG is an impressive venue, and footy makes it toward the top of my list of gripping spectator sports - fast paced, lots of scoring, a bit of the rought stuff, and plenty of obscenties from the adoring fans.

Girls Dinner at Salt

On Tuesday I had dinner with Lisa, Di, Maeve and Ady at a new restaurant in the Docklands called Salt. We had several reasons to catch up:

*My return from vacation/"belated" wedding festivities
*Di's temporary farewell- She is going on a 7 week vacation (Who isn't jelaous?)
*Lisa's upcoming farewell/extended stay in Melbourne? (We are all hoping for the latter one!)
*To make friends with the restaurant owner of "Salt" as Maeve lives right below the place. BTW-The food was pretty good. Hopefully we will be getting free drinks there soon!
*...and Ady's and Maeve's succussful run last weekend (in Apollo Bay)!!!

Last, thanks girls for sharing some of your weekend stories.

Life or Death

The global warming buffoonery appears to be gaining new heights in the U.S., perhaps fueled by the extra money generated by a surging U.S. stock market. New television ads have hit the internet and airwaves, and depending on which one you see, global warming means either life or death.

The Competitive Enterprises Institute votes for LIFE:


While the Ad Council and Environmental Defense vote for DEATH:


Hopefully someone will save both of these for posterity and in 50 years we can decide which group history should praise, and which should be ridiculed.

SurvivaBalls

For more info, go here.

Hard Rock Hallelujah

Another year, another winner in the annual Eurovision song contest. The Finnish heavy metal act Lordi, managed to beat out its would-be competitors with the anthem "Hard Rock Hallelujah" (for a sound clip, go here). Those in Montenegro were so upset at their failure to win, they voted to secede from Serbia, hoping for greater success on their own.

It's the Thought That Counts

"House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Ill., center, gets out of a Hydrogen Alternative Fueled automobile, left, as he prepares to board his SUV, which uses gasoline, after holding a new conference at a local gas station in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2006 to discuss the recent rise in gas prices. Hastert and other members of Congress drove off in the Hydrogen-Fueled cars only to switch to their official cars to drive back the few block back to the U.S. Capitol." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

End of an Era

EJ passed along the sad news that Moe of Atlanta's famous Moe's and Joe's passed away on Tuesday. This is somehow fitting, given that Tuesdays are the days when a patron can obtain a cold pitcher of Pabst Blue Ribbon at Moe's and Joe's for only $3.25. I'll certainly be stopping by M&J's next Tuesday to pay my respects to the man, the bar, and the beer.

Fortunately, we still have Horace. . .