FireAndRain profile picture

FireAndRain

Where's the panic button?

About Me

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Hmm...where do you start?
I go from long, hard drives with progressive trance at 11 on my car stereo to quiet nights in making fun of reality TV.
I'm the guy you see who knows the words to almost every song they play on the radio, and isn't afraid of singing out loud.
I can out-last you on the dance floor, but only if I'm wearing sensible footwear.
I'm spontaneous enough to fly to another city on a week's notice.
I practice the lost art of chivalry.
I know that sometimes silence and a long walk is the only solution.
My parents may have named me after a acid-tinged folk rock singer of the 70's who's been on 'The Simpsons'.
I'm not afraid of technology (except espresso machines).
I like Nik Kershaw and I'm not afraid to admit it.
I'll refuse to ever let you turn into something you don't want to be. If it takes harsh words, copious amounts of alcohol, or endless nagging e-mails, so be it!
I auditioned for Australian Idol, and they didn't kick me out at the first opportunity! Suckers!
I do not, and will not, live a life of quiet desperation (to misquote Thoreau) - if I'm ever desperate, I'll be very LOUD about it!
I can make a fool of myself at the drop of a hat (or even quicker, if the need arises). One of my photos is me getting involved with the World's Greatest Shave for a Cure (go on, have a guess). I'm just a sucker for a good cause.
I'm a big-city guy working at a regional newspaper, and no one goes as hard as I do when we're out on the tiles.
I'm prepared to drive two and a half hours to see a cool band I've only discovered a week ago (anyone else heard of the Grand Silent System? They rock!)
I'm a work in progress, I guess.

My Interests

Movies, music, journalism, art, theatre, literature, clubbing, progressive trance, satire, long drives, skiing, having a good time in general.

I'd like to meet:

Someone who's willing to try anything once (& some things twice), with an off-the-wall sense of humour, a vast knowledge of quotable pop culture, and a willingness to make a fool of themselves on the dancefloors of the world (or anywhere else).
I'm looking for someone to talk with, not down to or up at. I'm looking for someone who appreciates the sometimes-necessary grimness of life, but also has optimism to spare.
Someone who, like me, runs at absolute maximum burn in most aspects of their life and doesn't care about the consequences very much.
Comments, suggestions, insults, recipies? Count to ten, and fling them at [email protected] on MSN Messenger.

Music:

Air, Beastie Boys, Carl Cox, Dave Ralph, Enya, the Flaming Lips, Goldfrapp, hardbop jazz, INXS, Jamiroquai, Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Moby, New Order, Orbital, Pet Shop Boys, Queen, Royksopp, Scissor Sisters, Tosca, Underworld, Paul Van Dyk, The Who, `X-Static' by the Foo Fighters, You Am I, ZZ Top and a whole lot more!
Pretty much anything except country and western, metal, or yodelling.

Movies:

Heat, LOTR, Star Wars trilogy, X-Men, The Truman Show, Sneakers, Amelie, Enigma, Run Lola Run, Field of Dreams, Die Hard, Yellow Submarine, the Blues Brothers, Big Trouble in Little China, Coming to America, Predator, and many many more.

Television:

Don't really watch TV much these days - I swore off it to get through Year 12, and never really went back. I was a huge Babylon 5 fan for a time, but not so much any more. Of what's on today, I've liked The Office, Lost, the Amazing Race, Big Brother, Coupling, Teachers, Black Books, Numb3rs, Third Watch, The Apprentice, Creature Comforts, Family Guy, American Dad, Chappelle Show, My Name Is Earl...

Books:

Lord of the Rings (though perhaps I should give Narnia another go, just for a sense of Balance), Harry Potter, anything by Chuck Palanuihk, early Tom Clancy, The Surgeon of Crowthorne, Sweet Liberty - Travels in Irish America, Holding the Key, Down and Out in Paris and London, Nickel and Dimed, Black Hawk Down, The Consolations of Philosophy, Fit To Print: Inside the Canberra Press Gallery, You Gotta Play Hurt, The Shipping News and anything else by E. Annie Proulx...

My Blog

Clash of the titans (also, XXVII)

So, I'm 27. w00t! Celebrated the occasion at a cocktail party organised by the Young Professionals Network. Great fun, but like the Advertiser's christmas party a couple of years ago, I was expecting ...
Posted by FireAndRain on Mon, 12 May 2008 03:43:00 PST

You know you’re from Geelong when...

You know you're from Geelong when&1. You were born at Baxter House.2. You still hang out with the same friends you had in high school. 3. You can't go out without seeing so...
Posted by FireAndRain on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:11:00 PST

That was Bendi-goin off!

Thus spake Bernard Fanning. And rightly so, too - Powderchair was seriously good entertainment. First time I've seen Powderfinger live, second time I've seen Silverchair, but both were highly impress...
Posted by FireAndRain on Mon, 17 Sep 2007 03:48:00 PST

Put your backs into it, lads! Work like youre being paid for it!

Thus begins my third week of annual leave. A couple of flat tires, and a lot of to-ing and fro-ing.Caught up with someone I hadn't seen in ages last night - many drinks and good times had by all - onl...
Posted by FireAndRain on Mon, 20 Aug 2007 05:39:00 PST

Wheels within wheels

No, this one won't be about cars, despite the subject line. What I'm talking about is the machinations that go on, the internal decisions we all make every day. Not the big, dramatic gestures to pick ...
Posted by FireAndRain on Thu, 17 May 2007 05:23:00 PST

XXVI

Happy birthday to: # 1838 - John Wilkes Booth, American actor and assassin of Abraham Lincoln (d. 1865) # 1899 - Fred Astaire, American dancer and actor (d. 1987) # 1915 - Denis Thatcher, British busi...
Posted by FireAndRain on Thu, 10 May 2007 04:06:00 PST

Space (I believe in)

Do you ever get the feeling that you've seen something truly remarkable? I had that feeling about 15 minutes ago, after walking out of small metal objects. A play by Back To Back Theatre, small metal ...
Posted by FireAndRain on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 02:47:00 PST

Seasoned greetings

Hope you're all getting into the Christmas spirit, if not the Christmas spirits.Off to a work Christmas cocktail party this evening, which should be interesting. Given the tightfisted nature of Rural ...
Posted by FireAndRain on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 02:47:00 PST

What a scoop

It's moments like this that make me wish I had a more active interest in spirituality / karma / the ether / etcetera. Was just at the supermarket, buying dinner, and the checkout kid gave me a free ic...
Posted by FireAndRain on Mon, 20 Nov 2006 12:24:00 PST

Ostentatious? Almost.

An unpublished interview, now lurking online for your reading pleasure.AUSTEN Tayshus is entirely without prejudice - he'll insult anyone.A performance by the acerbic Australian comedian on Aus...
Posted by FireAndRain on Wed, 18 Oct 2006 04:32:00 PST