30-Day Song Challenge (Day 2)

It's time for the second post of my 30-Day Song Challenge! This category was a tough one, because if I had my way, I would actually put two songs up instead of one … but, rules are rules. So, here it is:

Song #2 – My least favourite song
Khe Sanh – Cold Chisel (from the album Cold Chisel, released by WEA Records, 1978)

For the record, the other candidate for this category is Kenny Rogers' The Gambler, but this one just edges it out for one reason – the pure boganity (if there is such a word) that is behind this song.

It's always played later on in the evening at every country pub I've been to – after the bogues and boguettes, all dressed in various hi-vis tradie gear, Blundstones, trackie dacks, moccasins and more recently, Ed Hardy shirts (can you tell I'm a fan of Things Bogans Like?) have smashed the last of the maxxtreme-sized Woodstock cans and finished their third pack of Winnie Blues, one of them will stagger over to the video jukebox, drop all their spare change into the slot and put this song on over and over again, singing loudly to this “unofficial Aussie anthem, you carnts!”

It's usually around about that time where I finish my drink and leave. I cannot STAND this song. As soon as that opening piano riff comes on, I'm out of there. If it starts playing on the radio, I instantly change the station. The problem is, my two favourite radio stations are Triple M and Gold 104.3 – and both play this song CONSTANTLY.

However, just as I was copying the embed code for this video, I read a particularly insightful YouTube commenter's thoughts on this song:

“The irony of Khe Sanh is lost on bogans of course,” says dirtygore. “Even the very pinnacle of boganhood, the Australian cricket team, celebrate a win with a rousing rendition of a song about a man who can no longer stand to be in Australia.”

A quick look at the Wikipedia page about this song reveals that the lyrics are about an Aussie Vietnam veteran who is drifting aimlessly after returning home: “womanising, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction to speed and Novocaine, getting work on oil rigs and flying helicopters” before heading “to Hong Kong for casual sex.”

And it also mentions that “during the Australian cricket team's tour of the Caribbean, the players accorded "Khe Sanh" the status of an unofficial team song and sang it frequently.”

I would have necked myself, personally. Oh well. Haters gonna hate, I suppose.

Lyrics

I left my heart to the sappers round Khe Sanh
And my soul was sold with my cigarettes to the blackmarket man
I've had the Vietnam cold turkey
From the ocean to the Silver City
And it's only other vets could understand

About the long forgotten dockside guarantees
How there were no V-day heroes in 1973
How we sailed into Sydney Harbour
Saw an old friend but couldn't kiss her
She was lined, and I was home to the lucky land

And she was like so many more from that time on
Their lives were all so empty, till they found their chosen one
And their legs were often open
But their minds were always closed
And their hearts were held in fast suburban chains
And the legal pads were yellow, hours long, paypacket lean
And the telex writers clattered where the gunships once had been
But the car parks made me jumpy
And I never stopped the dreams
Or the growing need for speed and novacaine

So I worked across the country end to end
Tried to find a place to settle down, where my mixed up life could mend
Held a job on an oil-rig
Flying choppers when I could
But the nightlife nearly drove me round the bend

And I've travelled round the world from year to year
And each one found me aimless, one more year the more for wear
And I've been back to South East Asia
But the answer sure ain't there
But I'm drifting north, to check things out again

You know the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Only seven flying hours, and I'll be landing in Hong Kong
There ain't nothing like the kisses
From a jaded Chinese princess
I'm gonna hit some Hong Kong mattress all night long

Well the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
Yeah the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone
And it's really got me worried
I'm goin' nowhere and I'm in a hurry
And the last plane out of Sydney's almost gone

LandoNation's Five Card Draw (Episode 5)

Well, it's that time of the week once again where I talk all things poker on my YouTube channel in the latest edition of Five Card Draw! Huzzah!


I apologise for not getting the captions up yet, but it's been a really busy week this week, so I'll try and get them up later on. As you will probably tell by this video, this was based off just a few notes and not the whole script (but it seemed to work a lot better, presentation wise).

Once things settle down, I'll be able to get back to doing more posts. In the meantime, if you want to check out the links to today's stories, just head over to my YouTube channel and get them there.

30-Day Song Challenge (Day 1)

I thought that since I haven't been doing all that much on the blog at the moment in terms of original written material, I'd try using somebody else's idea. I cannot say stealing because it has been making the rounds on teh interwebs, courtesy of the original blogger at Words and Beats, who created this idea.

I am, of course, talking about the 30-Day Music Challenge.

I love my music. I play drums, guitar, sing (constantly, and I insist on being the first to perform at every karaoke night) and I used to be in a band - well, we're technically still together, but on hiatus and have been for the past three years since our bass player disappeared to the UK.

But I digress. I have decided to take up this challenge! I figure it's only going to take me a couple of minutes a day to choose a song for each day (relating to each subject) and blog about it. So, without further ado, I present to you: LandoNation's 30-Day Song Challenge!

Song #1 - My favourite song
Resonate - Cog (from the album The New Normal, released by Dif'rnt Music, 2005)


I first came across Cog about four years ago when my bandmates and I were listening to their album, "The New Normal" before we went to see them live in concert at the Forum (from memory, they were co-headlining with the band formerly known as Shihad, then Pacifier and now Shihad again).

Admittedly, I only knew a couple of Shihad songs and nothing about Cog, but from what my mate Ray told me, they were basically an Aussie version of Tool with their big, bold, atmospheric sounds of progressive rock.

And let me tell you, upon seeing these guys live, I fell in love. In a totally hetero-bromance type way. If you've ever been to the Forum before for a live gig, you'll know that the AV setup is massive for such a small venue. In fact, in order to properly take in any gig there, you need to be sitting at the back, otherwise you'll be planted nose-first into the speakers, hearing nothing but amplified fart sounds (and your ears ringing loudly the next day).

I have to warn you, in advance, that despite my eclectic taste in music, you probably will see a lot of Cog during this 30-Day Challenge, and in particular, a lot of their music from "The New Normal". Then again, this is truly the most under-rated band in the country and I implore you to buy this album.

Oh, and just in case you thought that song sounded kind of familiar, you would be correct - they did use this song in some of those clips they showed at the end of Sports Tonight.

Lyrics

It's elevating us,
Bowing and shaping us.
It's elevating us,
It's resonating.

Caught in headlights I'm all right,
Coming over to your side.

It's elevating us,
Bowing and shaping us.
It's elevating us,
It's resonating.

No more blindfolds, open eyes.
(Shaking the frequency)
Stand by soldiers, run by night.
(Shaping the frequency)

It's elevating us,
Bowing and shaping us.
It's elevating us,
It's resonating.
It's resonating.

Caught in headlights, I won't do it.
Caught in headlights, I won't lose it.
I wont do it, I won't lose it.

Breath shaking the frequency,
Breath shaping the frequency.

It's elevating us,
Bowing and shaping us.
It's elevating us,
It's resonating.
Resonating!

LandoNation's Five Card Draw (Episode 4)

Okay, okay, okay. I know I'm late putting this up on the blog, but I'm still trying to catch up with everything after tonight's Auslan class. Still, you'll see that I'm starting to get the hang of it in today's video!

Links to today's stories:

Deaf Poker Australia event updates: http://tinyurl.com/69yzghh

ANZPT Perth schedule: http://tinyurl.com/4bwoagj

Joe Hachem Deep Stack Series 6 schedule: http://tinyurl.com/4e9bynm

Amanda De Cesare loses her locks for charity (Leukaemia Foundation website): http://www.leukaemia.org.au/web/index.php

Phil Hellmuth hints at becoming new WSOP commentator: http://tinyurl.com/46yrhfe

***BONUS LINK***

"The Micros" YouTube Channel (it is most awesome): http://www.youtube.com/user/TheMicrosPoker

With tomorrow night's 18th birthday party looming, as well as another afternoon of classes at uni, it's time for me to hit the sack. One of these days, I'll be able to finally get back up regularly updating this blog, but right now, things are all crazy up in here, so time for me to catch some Z's. I'm gettin' outta here - word to your mother.

He Works Hard for the Money ...

I know it's been a few days since my last update (on anything), but the workload is starting to pick up even further! I'm currently involved with pre-production for the upcoming issue of Shuffle Magazine, plus a couple of assessment pieces for my uni course and Auslan classes.

The work with Deaf Poker Australia has also been coming in thick and fast, as not only do we have the online games and the Australian Deaf Poker Championships to worry about, but we've also got the NSW and Victorian State Deaf Poker Championships coming up in the next couple of months.

Garfield was never this busy on a Monday.

On top of all that, the fiance and I have been busy helping her mum set up for Friday night's festivities, as my (future) sister-in-law's son is having his 18th birthday at our house! Should be fun - well, maybe not so much for the neighbours, as we've acquired a rather powerful speaker system for the night.

I will be back tomorrow though with Episode 4 of "Five Card Draw", so stay tuned for that, but for now, it's back to the grind!