The week that was.

Crazy dust storm has got us thinking that the end was nigh this week. Turned everything orange. Even in the middle of the day!






The Sydney Harbour Bridge Fun Run.

Oh my creaking body.

Ten years ago, I'd put on my sneakers, grab my racquet/ball and run or ride my bmx to the courts. Now, I have to pack the voltaren and depending what sport I'm playing, the ankle guard, knee guard, elbow guard, compression shorts and singlet and just for good measure, the number for the ambulance on speed dial.

Ten years ago, warm ups were a waste of time. We'd get to the courts and go all out instantly. Now, if I wanted to walk the next day, even warm downs are a must let alone warm ups.

Ten years ago, I'd come home after 4 hours of chasing a ball and go about the rest of the day with plenty of energy. Now, I have to ice the knees and elbows and stretch so that I can get out of bed without the help of a forklift the next day.

Ten years ago, rice had only one meaning and that is food. Now, rice is rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Gotta' love ageing.

Be careful what you wish for.

Two-oh-oh-nine is now more than 60% lighter and it feels like only a sneeze ago that I started my new job.

They say time flies when you're having fun...or when it's so busy that you don't have time to fix a wedgie. One which I've had since January. Now, imagine my discomfort.

When I left my old job, I was looking forward to the challenges that accompanied the perquisites of my new job. In fact, I was pumped! Bigger company, nicer offices and equipment, great training and more people to interact with, what's not to look forward to right?

Well, the title of this entry probably reflects my sentiment.

The politics (BS in real speak) I've had to deal with so far is incredible. People covering their asses when things go slightly off track, the two - no, multiple faced characters that can be your best friend one minute and stab you with anything that they can grab hold off the next. There are no loyalties, it's everyone for themselves! And people gossip here like their lives depended on it. Apparently, depending on who you talk to, everyone is sleeping with somebody in the office.

Heck, I've worked in organisations that are larger than this in previous postings and I didn't have to deal with so much BS there. Personally, I find that it shows a lot about a person's character if they admit to a fuckup and fix it rather than blaming someone or everyone other than themselves and nothing gets done.

Experiences in life can open one's eyes and if one is submersed in an environment long enough, I believe it will definitely affect them somewhat if left unchecked.

The question I have been asking myself is - do I stay true to myself or do I want to play the game and be bent and molded into somebody that has so many layers that you cannot tell who you're dealing with?

There are 3 options for me. 1) Rise up and take the high road, focusing on what is right 2) Be a Swiss cheese and stay neutral or 3) Go with the flow.

I've been struggling with this question more so in the past couple of months than ever before trying to figure this out to get things done but mainly to reevaluate myself and who I want to be.

I am proud to say I've thought it through and I'm going to do what blue eyes did - I'm doing it my way.

The year that was.

On the eve of a new year, it would be just plain ungrateful to let Lady 08 go without reflecting on some of the lessons learned and the fantastic moments that were experienced.

Two thousand and eight started off on an extreme high with the birth of our little girl. She has grown so much and given us so many happy and memorable moments with all her first experiences. Her first word, her first smile, her first tooth, all of which were very special to us and makes us appreciate both the simplicity of life and the fragility of it.

It was a year when the Pope rolled into town in the Pope mobile for World Youth Day, the year China wowed me with the first opening ceremony I did not fall asleep on and the year, THE man, Barack Obama, became the President of the US of A. All these events helped spice the year up and gave it the added 'oomph'.

Heading down the final stretch, things were a little disappointing for me but I think the lessons that I take away from it were more invaluable than the ill feelings that I felt.

It was of course the worst year in the history of the local stock market. A staggering 41% loss in value with more bad news ahead. It made a lot of people realise their greed and that good times always come to an end.

Career wise, my resignation brought out the true colours of some people I treated more than just my colleagues but my friends. I guess some people really do wear a mask when they go to work. Imagine asking a close colleague at work for the security pass to the wash room on your last day after you've handed in yours and his response was to ask you to use the reception's pass for fear that you might duplicate his. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then, there were the bosses that gave me the cold shoulder after receiving my resignation letter. Communicating to me only via email instead of face-to-face. It really left a bitter taste in the mouth but I suppose the few bad apples in the barrel tend to ruin the experience of the majority good. The farewell lunches and gifts did make me think twice about leaving but in the end, it was the right decision and I look forward to starting my new job in the new year.

So, while 2008 draws closer and closer to the end, I bid her sayonara and arigato for giving me the year that was.

Here's to having a fine oh nine. Cheers!

Have yourself a very merry Christmas!

Martin Place

Lebron James & Nicole Scherzinger

If only my girl shares the same enthusiasm for sneakers...

Fear

What a shocker of a week!

Got an email today about the craziness we're facing. I found it very amusing. I hope the meeting goes well in Washington.

OCTOBER 10th 2009 (Reuters) -- Police used tear gas and batons to break up a mob of angry unemployed stockbrokers in the heart of the financial district as the S&P/ASX 200 slumped through the 500 market to finish at 497.2.

The brokers were demonstrating outside of the Stock Exchange building in Bridge Street, demanding an audience with the recently elected chairman, Stan Wallis. When he failed to appear, the brokers began attacking the building and security staff with briefcases and what appeared to be rolled up social security forms.

With unemployment in the financial services industry hovering at nearly 90%, the Federal Government has ordered an inquiry into whether it is feasible to permanently retrain the growing army of brokers and other fallouts from the financial services industry.

"It is very difficult though," said a TAFE spokesman. "It does not appear that they have any useful skills - legal ones anyway - which may be redirected to more productive pursuits."

The government has already rejected a proposal that they be housed in the former Woomera detention centre on the grounds that they were worst behaved than the Afghan immigrants who caused so much strife around the turn of the century.

A retraining program at a farm near Cessnock in the Hunter Valley had to be abandoned after a group of jobless brokers went on a valley-wide chicken stealing spree after one broker started a market in chook feathers.

Brokers have become increasingly desperate as the equity market continues to slide and the war in Iraq enters its ninth year with little sign that US forces are making any progress. There was a brief 5-point rally in the market yesterday on news that George Bush had died, but it turned out to be George Bush Senior."

The oil price continues to hover at $US100 a barrel as Sydney motorists began to adjust to the second week of petrol rationing. Harbour commuters have also praised the introduction of oarsmen to the ferries, although some travellers on the Manly ferry are still grumbling about the 3-hour one way trip, especially during heavy swells.

Meanwhile, many online employment web sites were inundated yesterday on news that Merrill Morgan Suisse Warburg Barney, one of the three remaining brokerages, was planning to advertise for a receptionist's assistant. Bill Pettigrew at Seekjob.com said brokers swamped his site and forced it off line for an hour. MMSWB later denied the rumour, and said they intended to continue with their recently announced program of staff cuts.

Anthony Pope a former client adviser at ABNAmroMorgans said the news "perked him up even though I knew it couldn't be true."

"I've been sitting on the lounge for the last 3 months watching the telly," he said," so it was good to hear that a job might be available. It's never too late to start at the bottom."


Pope was one of thousands purged when the Dutch financial services group contracted its global operations from 3,400 branches in 60 countries to head office in Amsterdam and a single branch in Utrecht in just a week.

Yesterday's tentative market rally soon petered out and the market closed near its lows. An ASX spokesman said the reduced trading hours (10.00-10.30am) appeared to be working well. Market leader Woodside Petroleum was up $1 to $386 and the No 2 stock Metal Storm lost 1¢ to finish at a split-adjusted 45¢. Turnover was slightly higher at 15 million shares.

Macquarie Bank entitlements traded up 0.2¢ to 2.3¢ as administrators finalised plans for the refloat of the restructured bank. The new Macquarie wraps up the former bank and 26 other listed Macquarie products into a single entity. It is expected to be capitalised at $12 million upon refloat and include $2 million in cash. Administrators also confirmed that shareholders in the former Macquarie Airports vehicle would receive a one-off payment of 1¢ in 2022 and a $10 rebate on an airline ticket, as long as it was to a regional destination.

AMP was up 1¢ to 14¢ after announcing that it had insured a dinghy - the first premium received since the write-downs and restructuring which reduced its capital base by 99.9%. Coles Myer was unchanged at 6¢ after announcing its fourth successive management change this month. Solomon Lew issued his 1000th press release attacking the board and again calling for urgent action.

Rio BHP Billcrest said it would have one mine left - a small gold mine - after closing most of its global mining operations. Its iron ore mines were recently sold to China to repay debt. The stock closed 1.2¢ lower at 23¢.

In other news, accounting officials said the News Corp liquidation would take many years, and there was little hope of any meaningful return for creditors. An Interpol alert has been issued for former chairman Rupert Murdoch who he is believed to be running a local newspaper in a southern province in China.

The Nikkei descended below 100 for the second time in a fortnight, and the Bank of Japan was again the main buyer of stocks. It issued another 725 trillion yen of government bonds, with a coupon of 0.00003% per annum and maturing when the sun finally sets on the Japanese empire.

The ungrateful.

Do you remember the huge favours that your family have done for you? The silent sacrifices that they’ve made to improve your life but you’re either too blind to take notice, too proud to thank them or just plain ungrateful.

If somebody recommended you a job when you couldn’t get a break, points out your weaknesses when you’re too blind to see and called in favours from their friends just for you, would you remember these deeds?

Do you remember how you got to this point in your life? Take away what we’ve done for you then, step back and tell me that you could have done better.

Now that you’ve got your life back on track, it seems that everything is forgotten. It seems that we were supposed to look out for you. Yes, you did not ask us to do anything for you but shouldn’t people that care for each other do so without being asked? Am I suppose to stand by and watch you fail when I know I can help? Am I suppose to turn a blind eye when I see you’re not doing something right? Have you ever done the same for us?

The appreciation you show your girlfriend and the willingness to please her more than anyone else in your life sickens us. You anticipate what she needs but you’ve never done so for us. You assume that we’ll always be there for you.

I’m tired. We’re tired. If you don’t know who’s got your back when you fall, you better not fall.