Pool At The Pub - Main Version

This is the main version of our blog video. We picked it because we believe it has elements of all the previous videos, hope you enjoy it.

Pool @ The Pub - Doug's Version

Pool @ Ubar - Abhishek's Version

Pool @ Macquarie - Luke's Version

Bridge To Bridge

What an interesting day. 05:00 am start so that could be on the water and "on station" by 08:00 am for race day.

What am I talking about? The Hawksbury River Bridge to Bridge. I was asked by a friend to help him be a marshal on the course (river) and he need another person to help out.

We had to help contestants if they broke down or had an accident and warn other vessels coming through as well as keep an eye out for debris in the river. We also recorded the number of every vessel and the time as they went passed. Boy some of them are fast. From our spot, we had to be there for two races, one for boats only and one with skiers. There were about 70 boats in the first race and close to 90 in the second.

What a great day!

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ANZAC Day Spirit

An Australian soldier on the day he was evacuated from Anzac.

Photo from www.anzacsite.gov.au:

Today is ANZAC Day. It is a day or remembrance.

My thoughts about today is that it is about remembering what our soldiers have done and are currently doing for us. It is not about the glorification of war. We must respect our soldiers. They put their lives on the line for us, so we can maintain the freedoms and lifestyles we have. Let us remember their deeds and hope that the current serving soldiers can come home alive and safe.

Sport is very Australian. We use it to show the respect and courage of our society. Today there are games of football in different codes showing their form of appreciation to our soldiers, both fallen and serving. Good luck to all involved and thanks.

"They shall not grow old, as we are that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them."

"Lest we forget."

“How was your golf game, dear?” asked Jack’s wife Tracy.

“Well, I was hitting pretty well, but my eyesight’s gotten so bad I couldn’t see where the ball went.”

“But you’re seventy-five years old, Jack!” admonished his wife, “Why don’t you take my brother Scott along?”

“But he’s eighty-five and doesn’t even play golf anymore,” protested Jack.

“But he’s got perfect eyesight. He could watch your ball,” Tracy pointed out.

The next day Jack teed off with Scott looking on. Jack swung, and the ball disappeared down the middle of the fairway. “Do you see it?” asked Jack.

“Yup,” Scott answered.

“Well, where is it?” yelled Jack, peering off into the distance.

“I forgot.”

NRL - Melbourne Storm's Shame !

The news from the NRL today was extremely surprising to most rugby league fans and sports reporters. The Melbourne team, the Melbourne Storm, have rorted the system for at least 5 years and paid their players amounts above the salary cap. It is no wonder that they were able to keep the majority of their team together and even attract new players. What they did was cheat.

The NRL have stripped the club of three minor premierships, two premierships and all the points gained this year as well as not being allow to accrue any points for the rest of 2010. They were also fined a large sum of money and told to return the prize money gained from the two premierships they were stripped of.

This might kill the team in Melbourne especially with a new rugby union team starting there soon.

Australian Tennis

Left: The last triumphant Davis Cup Team of Australia 2003.

What has happened to Australian tennis. In the past Australia produced some of the best players in the world. We were able to compete with countries which had much larger populations and win. We used to dominate Davis Cup and the four majors, now look at us. We struggle to have any male or female in the top 100, let alone the top 10.

It might seem like I am stuck in the past, but what I am actually trying to say is, what has caused the demise. Is it the lack of structure in the system? Is it the lack of early identification of talent? Is it that there are too many other sports and recreations to choose from? Has everyone else in the world just caught up and as their populations are bigger, are able to find more talent? Or is it a combination of some or all of these and possibly other things not mentioned?

Tennis needs help. We need to find money to keep our past players in Australia to coach our next generations. We need to find money to spot talent and pay new talent so they won't go to other sports. And we need to prasie people and not try and knock them down when they do well.

This is over simplifying the problem, but it is a start.

PS: We also need to go back to grass courts and get rid of the synthetic rubber. It was our advantage in the past and we should bring it back, just llike the Europeans play most of their tennis on clay.

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Made a comment on an art blog, to meet the requirement for our assignment:

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Posted a comment in blog, Aussie Golfer: Wie Mistake Costs Her $100,000

Doug_mq said...

I agree, Michelle Wie should know better and handled the situation with good grace and professionalism. She did not look off balanced to me. However, we are all human and we all make mistakes. I don't think that she will make this one again.

9 April 2010 7:31 PM

"http://aussiegolfer.blogspot.com/2010/03/wie-mistake-costs-her-100000.html#comments"

Danny Green Retains IBO Cruiserweight title

Danny's Elation after win: Photo Perth Now

Danny Green faught Manny Siaca (Puerto Rico) on Wednesday night for the IBO (International Boxing Organisation) at Challenge Stadium in Perth. Danny defeated Manny with a TKO (technical knockout) in the 3rd round.

Danny Green's reord to 29 wins from 32 fights with 26 knockouts. Manny Siaca's win-loss record is now 22 wins and 7 losses.

Danny Green commented after the fight:
"He took 20 or 30 uppercuts and he felt the power and was intimidated by it".
"I'm stoked, I'm rapt".
"I am frustrated I wanted to go 12 rounds to punish Many", "I would have loved to have given you guys a better show but unfortunately when you have the power like that you can't."

Danny is now hoping the win will bring Anthony Mundine back into contention for a re-match.

Augusta - 2010 US Masters Golf Tournament - Day 4

Phil Mickelson and his family with the US Masters trophey, 2010.

The 16th hole at Augusta Golf Course

Congratulations to the new wearer of the green jacket and US Masters winner, Phil Mickelson.
Tiger finished the US Masters in equal 4th place. Not a bad start to his comeback.

Rounds shown in order played Score shown once for players that are tied:
1. P.Mickelson -16 (67) (71) (67) (67)

2. L. Westwood -13 (67) (69) (68) (71)

3. A. Kim -12 (68) (70) (73) (65)

4. T. Woods -11 (68) (70) (70) (69)
K. Choi (67) (71) (70) (69)


The highest placed Aussie was Adam Scott in 18th at 1 under (-1).

Phil receiving the covetted Green Jacket.

Augusta - 2010 US Masters Golf Tournament - Day 3

Tiger is still has a chance to win the US Masters after day 3. He only 4 shots from the lead and anything can happen on the last day of the tournament.

Rounds shown in order played Score shown once for players that are tied:
1. L. Westwood (67) (69) (68)
2. P.Mickelson (67) (71) (67)

3. T. Woods -6 (68) (70) (70)
K. Choi (67) (71) (70)

5. F Couples (66) (75) (68)


The highest placed Aussie is Geoff Ogilvy, 16th at 1 under (-1).

Augusta - 2010 US Masters Golf Tournament - Day 2

Tiger is still near the top of the leaderboard on day 2. He finished his round and is still only 2 shots from the lead.

Rounds shown in order played Score shown once for players that are tied:
1. I. Poulter -8 (68) (68)
L. Westwood (67) (69)

3. T. Woods -6 (68) (70)
K. Choi (67) (71)
R.Barns (68) (70)
A. Kim (68) (70)
P.Mickelson (67) (71)


The highest placed Aussie is Adam Scott in 21st Even (on Par).

Virtual sports, virtual friends, virtual calories, virtual skills.

As the laughter finally died down, I raised my head up and looked at the TV screen. There it was in big bold letters “YOU LOSE” I then looked over to the other side of the TV screen, there were also big bold letters but these said “YOU WIN.” I couldn’t believe I had been beaten, beaten by a.... 5 year old. That’s right I had just been beaten by a 5 years old in Wii tennis and I was not happy. I demanded a rematch but he wasn’t an idiot he saw the fire in my eyes and told me he didn’t want to embarrass me again, another round of laughs fills the room. I now being the joke of the party took off my Wii controller and gave it to his next awaiting victim. Later on in the night (he had grown bored of beating everyone) I asked him how he was so good at Wii tennis. His answer was short “School” on more questioning it turned out to be after School care, but he said his school was planning to get it.

As he ran off, I wondered about this weird new concept of Wii in schools. I had heard of Wii being used in retirement houses and I thought that was a great idea, grandma vs. grandma in a boxing match. Great don’t you think? But Wii in school, maybe this is the way to future, the next level of sports training? Maybe the Wii is the key Roger Federer success? Or was it more likely just another waste of more tax payer money.

The education system in this country has already created a major shortage of skilled workers. The number of people getting into university to become doctors, mathematicians and scientists are so low we are actually lowering the requirements to get in, soon enough all you will need to become a doctor is a pencil. And it seems the same mistakes the department of education made with teaching our young kids to read and write they are making with running and playing.

Kids are being kept locked away, safe under lock and key. No longer can young kids play outside because “they might be bitten by a bee” or “they might eat some dirt”. Kids are no longer allowed to let their imagination run wild with Lego blocks because “they might eat a piece”. And now they’re worried parents have found a great “safe” way for kids to play outdoor games inside, Wii sport.

Of course this is not what the government and schools are saying they say it is a legitimate form of exercise. But as statics show playing Wii games even combined with the Wii balance board is no WHERE close to level of exercise obtained by outdoor activity. Statics also show that over 1/3 of Australia’s kids are overweight or on the board line. Staying indoors and swinging a 20cm stick is not an efficient way of combating this epidemic. Getting out doors and playing some actual sport is the best way to lose calories and have fun. Kids need to actually feel the ball come on to the racket, bat or club; they need to run after the ball instead of letting the game do it and they need to feel the grass under their feet.

Team sports such as cricket, soccer, NRL and AFL all have a way of bringing people together. From the highs of wining to the heart break of losing, being involved in a team sport means your friends will always be there. Sports are also a good way to build self esteem and social skills, skills which kids will need throughout their adult lives, and without them they will no doubt crash and burn.

With the immediate skilled worker shortage, the government has found “genius” solution instead of fixing the system that creates the shortages; they are just going to fly in people from overseas who can do it.

This is the same solution I see for what will one day be a sporting shortage. With the obesity rate on the rise, and virtual games in schools, the number of well trained sports stars will no doubt fall. And what might the government do about this; they will most likely get more realist simulators, maybe even in 3d. But as a quick fix they will probably fly in sporting stars from overseas, no doubt another “genius” solution.

So don’t be surprised in the not too distant future to see fat, uneducated, sports oblivious people walking around. And these same people will be the ones complaining about some Indian swimmer, who can’t speak much English, and has only been in the country for a couple of months, representing our country in the Olympics games.

Funny Sports Motivationals

Photos from:
http://www.icanhasmotivation.com/
http://www.funnypictures.net.au/

http://www.motivatedphotos.com/

Controversial actions of players in Cricket History

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) is taking its last breathes and the ICC Twenty20 World Cup less than a month away, we take a look back at some of the controversial actions of the players in cricket history.

1. Infamous Underarm bowling incident of 1981

On 1 February 1981, when a New Zealander batsman, Brian Mackenzie, needed to score a six from the last ball to win a One Day International match against Australia in Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Australian captain instructed his bowler, Trevor Chappell, to deliver the last ball underarm, along the ground. This action was technically legal, but seen as being unsporting. As a direct result of the incident, underarm bowling was banned in limited overs cricket by the International Cricket Council as "not within the spirit of the game”.

2. Ball Tampering by Shahid Afridi

On 31 January 2010, Pakistani All Rounder Shahid Afridi was caught on camera biting vigorously into the ball towards the end of the One Day International series in Australia, at the WACA Ground. He was immediately called by the match referee after the match was over. In his defence, he told a pakistani TV channel that he was trying to "Smell the ball", however later Afridi pleaded guilty to ball tampering and he was banned from two Twenty20 internationals. This incident was widely reported in media as the Bitegate incident.

3. Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds “Monkey” IncidentAndrew Symonds (left) and Harbhajan Singh shortly after exchanging word "blows" in 4th day of the Second Test of THREE TEST SERIES.

In January 2008, Indian spin bowler, Harbhajan Singh, received a three-match ban after a complaint that he had racially abused Symonds during the third day of the Second Test at the SCG. It was alleged that Harbhajan called Symonds a "monkey" after Symonds confronted him over touching fellow Australian player Brett Lee. The case was decided by the match referee, Mike Procter, in a hearing held after the match. The BCCI lodged an appeal against the decision. On January 29, 2008, after the hearing of the appeal, at Adelaide by ICC appeals commissioner John Hansen, the racism charge on Harbhajan Singh was not proved and the three Test ban was lifted.