Today's one of those beautiful grey days -- brooding and a little dim but with only sporadic sprinklings of rain. Even though it's the kind of weather that begs to be enjoyed from beneath a blanket on the couch (hot chocolate and a good book optional), it's welcome by me even on a work day like today. My day at work has been a pleasant one so far. This morning was an early start with a shorthand class -- second time and happily improving! Then I came here for a day of crafting stories, al...

I guess the title of this blog speaks for itself. As a follow-on from that though, I think I'm going to be the editor of delicious magazine when I grow up. Hopefully such a job will pay enough for me to afford a gym membership... or liposuction. On the house, Teegstar

I was just looking on a couple of real estate sites to see what property prices are. I'm shocked! Sure, I knew that real estate prices had been going up but I thought there would be one or two dodgy places around the hood that wouldn't be too exorbitant. WRONG! Everywhere around the areas I'd like to buy and live (which, granted, are inner city suburbs) is so pricey. And the expectations of buyers are so high, too: one place touted a property as "ideal for first homebuyers" and it was half a ...

I don't think I would ever get anything done if it weren't for deadlines. And if we're being honest, nor would anyone else. I started today with a pile of stories to write and phone calls to make, eight hours to do it in and a pretty low energy level. Seven hours later my workload has been more than dented, it's been well mangled and even has some serious looking holes in it. In fact you could say it looks as if it will collapse within the hour. My energy level has remained pretty stable (how...

I'm feeling a little uninspired this morning. This isn't such a great thing considering I have about 8 articles to write by the end of the day however I'm sure I'll be able to pull inspiration from somewhere. I don't know why I feel like this as I've actually had a really great couple of days. This morning I went to a cool corporate breakfast at one of the top 10 golf courses in Australia and met several interesting people... I'm beginning to feel a little less like a dressed-up child and a b...

Morning all! Just thought I'd check in before I zoomed off to uni this morning. I had a great weekend: completed an essay, planned next week's edition of my newspaper liftout (it's on pets: I get to play with puppies!), great church service, extremely pleasant lunch with friends, more great church last night followed by an impromptu social gathering with some of my most groovy buds. Hope everyone else out there in JU land is doing well too... Have a good day! I can get excited without w...

Now with three weeks of practical journalistic experience under my proverbial belt, I'm here to recommend the following courses to media training institutions worldwide on how they can better prepare their students for life in the "real world" of journalism. Or maybe I just have a very narrow view and should have gone to QUT. How To Eat At Your Desk : a modular course comprising: - A Mars a Day Helps You Work, Write and Stay (long after 5pm) - The Nutritional Benefits of Milo, C...

Now with three weeks of practical journalistic experience under my proverbial belt, I'm here to recommend the following courses to media training institutions worldwide on how they can better prepare their students for life in the "real world" of journalism. Or maybe I just have a very narrow view and should have gone to QUT. How To Eat At Your Desk : a modular course comprising: - A Mars a Day Helps You Work, Write and Stay (long after 5pm) - The Nutritional Benefits of Milo, C...

The window pane is my protection and vantage point. From here, I can see out onto the whole world... today it's a crisp blue sky, a freshly washed and ironed sheet (but who irons their sheets?) spreat taut across the heavens. Washing flicks on clothes lines and the trees do a slow dance to the same rhythm. I smile, see my breath condense on the window and disappear in the same instant and enjoy the still sweetness of this late winter's day. I step outside; the world changes. Without m...

Hi there I've just spent the past twenty minutes or so browsing through some of my past articles. It's so cool to be able to read stuff over again -- with some things it's like I'm transported back to the way I felt at the time of writing. I also like laughing at my own jokes... you know how cool it is when you find someone who has the same sense of humour as you? Annnyway.... I blog so irregularly nowadays, which doesn't bother me too much as long as I don't count the blog as some sor...

There's a food out there that either I haven't discovered yet or hasn't been invented yet. Unfortunately, it's what I feel like right now. I'm really hungry (and tired and a bit sick) but there's nothing that I want to eat. Isn't that stupid? What makes it even more stupid is that I'm pretty sure my tired and sick feelings would be alleviated at least somewhat if I nourished myself somehow but the fact I'm tired and sick is making me too [word like 'lazy' or 'ambivalent' which I can't thi...

I was sitting outside on the steps the other night thinking of how you can never expect the unexpected, because if you expected it then it wouldn't be unexpected anymore. And the things that happen that are unexpected -- those kick in the stomach type things -- are often so terrible or happen to the last people you would expect them to, that if you ever in your wildest imaginations thought of that scenario happening, you would berate yourself for ever thinking such a terrible thing about that...

Hey everyone I've got a press card! I feel so genuinely journalistic!! I joined the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance , functionally known as the journalism union, last week and my pack came in the mail today. Sure, there was the usual welcome letter and list of organisations which will give me discounted goods and services but the real prize was the card. Attractively hung from one of those trendy round-your-neck webbing straps, embellished with "alliance.org.au" is the blue and whi...

Guess what, lads 'n lassies!?!?! I HAVE A JOB!!!!! That's right, a job! And not just any job, but a real-deal, fair dinkum, 110% full-time job as a journalist !! *jumps around the room like a crazy person* After weeks of waiting and praying, the newspaper where I did my work experience has confirmed not only do they want me working for them but they want me to start on Tuesday! Yesterday my editor (MY editor!) took me to the office where I will be working and showed me around t...

Hi everyone Again, a while since I've blogged and for that I apologise profusely. I realise JoeUser is just not the same place without a regular instalment of Teganesque insight and wit. In light of this knowledge I have deigned to take this time out of my very busy schedule to give you all the electronic equivalent of a courteous wave. Now with that small chore done, I must move on to my other mammoth tasks: Showering, Dressing and Catching Up For Coffee With Friends. Mushroom-sme...