Top 40 Songs Of All Time - Update

Yikes.

So I decided to do another music post and thought I'd review the 20 songs that I have gone through so far. No problems with the "would never skip it" rating, nor the "good" or "don't know why I have it" ratings. It's the "Love it" rating that is the issue.

See when I decided to do this, I figured I would only go to the top ratings, as they would be numerous enough to fill a top 200 let alone a top 40. However looking at the next rating down today, there are a few songs in there that I absolutely love! What to do, what to do. It's really quite a conundrum.

Plus, I am going to, within the next 2-3 posts, have 40 5 Star songs already. So from the perspective of expedience, I think I will just look at new ones beyond that point from the perspective of whether or not they would displace one of those already in there. I think that's going to help me get there quicker. Anyway, just a thought. Mainly blogging about it so I don't forget!

Top 40 Songs Of All Time #3

Fark. I say again. Fark.

Ok, so I have been inspired to do the next iteration tonight. I haven't left this alone due to lack of interest, quite the contrary. But hey, one only has so many moments available to do things, and if I am going to make this definitive list, I am going to do it properly. Anyway, enough of my excuses, here comes the next iteration. As I said before, I'm only posting videos of my 5 Star rated songs, and will simply list the rest. But today I took a quick look through my list rather than hitting the random button, so most of them are fucking awesome...

1) Take A Long Line - The Angels 1987

2) I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyes Peas 2009

3) Echo Beach - Martha & The Muffins 1979

4) What's Up - 4 Non Blondes 1992

5) Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden 1997

6) Invaders Must Die - The Prodigy 2009

7) Oh What A Night - The Four Seasons 1975

Those that didn't make the 5 star cut; Ironic by Alanis Morissette, Jive Talkin' by Bee Gees, Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz, Hurts So Good by John Mellancamp, Stuck On You by Paul Norton.

Far out there are some classic songs in there. And some wonderful songs that didn't quite make it. This kind of thing is really subjective, and it vastly depends on your mood I reckon. Still, one's got to make a choice sooner or later. So, the top songs as they stand now, and not in any particular order are:

So I don't know where this is going to go from here. Some big guns are coming. Green Day, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, to name a few. It's going to get messy. But I'm loving it!

6 Months In

Sitting in the office waiting for the boss to come back for a meeting, and I've actually done everything I needed to today. It occurred to me recently that this month marks 6 months for us here in Kupang, so it's worth reflecting on that for a bit.

6 months in Kupang. 6 months with Gulf. It's been quite a ride so far, and in general, a good one. Work has been both rewarding and frustrating, much like life here in general. The company really had no idea about mining before I got here. Yes they had sought out some potential sites and partners, and signed MOU's with them. But it really seems like the MOU was somehow supposed to magically transform into ore on a stockpile somewhere. The reality is nothing like that. There has been no mining here for so long, and so many false starts from other smelting companies, that nobody wants to do it themselves, not without a lot of help anyway. Luckily we have progressed that, and have a few ready to start, with a lot more to follow hopefully. Plus we're starting our own mine next month - assuming I get the funds I need. I have been promised them. So the next few months is going to be interesting and challenging, but I am looking forward to it.

On the home front things have been pretty good too. My baby and I are getting along really well. She has new-found interest in discovering herself and the mysteries of life, and the journey is both rewarding for her and strengthening her. The kids are doing well too, although they do tend to get bored from time to time. They love toys so much but seem to struggle to play with them for any longer than 5 minutes sometimes. On days off when we want to have a quiet day that can be challenging. But it's not really a big deal. Soon we're off on a family holiday for a week, which is going to be wonderful. A chance to relax and enjoy, on a scale that we have not managed since we went to Penang last, way back in 2015 I think. We've had a couple of short breaks here and there in the interim, but not what you'd call a real holiday. Plus now that we're more stable financially (at least without the constant woes) it's easier to enjoy when you don't have to count every penny three times.

So all in all, after 6 months I'm happy. Work is hard and it does cause me angst from time to time, but I am enjoying it, and I think I am really contributing well to developing mining both in this company and NTT as a whole. Family time is always wonderful, even when kids rebel, fight and moan. I feel lucky, I feel blessed and I feel comfortable. Content is a goal, and I think it can be achieved here, but that one will take a little longer. But we're getting there. Kupang is a pretty cool place for a live-in mining job. Compared to Kal, Texas, West Wyalong, it's a frigging mile in front and then some. Good experience for us all. We initially said we'd do this for 5 years, and I am still keen on that goal. And if we need longer to set ourselves up to go live a simpler life in Barooga, then so be it. But who knows, I am always keeping an eye on Malaysia and am hoping that one day a return there might be on the cards too. I love Australia, and it's a wonderful place to raise the family, but it's not the be all and end all that I once thought it was. Anyway, we'll just stay open-minded and concentrate on the now, as that's where we're living.

Project Triglyceride

Right. So I have been feeling a bit odd for a while, so recently went to have some tests done. I have had my heart checked heaps of times, so this time went for some other categories; diabetes, cholesterol, liver function and thyroid function. The clinic I went to in Kupang was surprisingly professional and efficient, and I shall be using them again, should I need anything else done.

So interestingly, the results (which came back within 3 hours of my blood test) were much better than I expected. After years of my mum telling me that my weight problem could be a result of an underactive thyroid gland, I finally had it checked (oddly the clinic was all good with everything else, but needed prodding to do this test - I've had that reaction before, I wonder why). The result? Perfectly within normal ranges. Diabetes was another one that worried me as I was classified as pre-diabetes back in 2012. However that result was all good too. Not superb, but not in the problem range or pre-diabetes range either. Thanks to my lovely wife for helping me to have a much better diet than I used to!

So that leaves liver function and cholesterol. I was absolutely, 100% convinced that my liver was fucked. After all, I was diagnosed with a fatty liver when I was in my 20's, and what I have done since then? Drink booze, that's what. Plus that side of my body feels a bit more swollen than the other. Plus that same test back in 2012 told me it was fucked. So I was not expecting an improvement. The result? Not perfect, but not dangerous either. I don't know, I am really surprised by that! Maybe I should have the full liver series of tests done, but the 2 basic ones came back fine. That leaves cholesterol.

For this, they did 4 tests. My total cholesterol is ok. My bad cholesterol is ok. However, my good cholesterol is well below what it needs to be, and my triglycerides (fat in your blood) are well over what they should be. My reading was 336. Healthy is below 150. For a point of interest, the "you're in deep shit" category is over 500, so at least I'm not there, but I'm on the wrong side of the ledger by a long way, and it's this kind of shit that eventually will kill you. So I've got to do something about it.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/triglycerides/art-20048186

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6829404

The two links above gave me a good source of info about what I'm up against and what I need to do. Ok, ok, I know one is not supposed to become Dr. Google, and that it's dangerous to manage your health this way - I have had medical advice and am taking some tablets to help me reduce my lipids (fat cells in my blood). But their main advice was lifestyle changes and these sites helped me to understand what aspects I need to focus on. This is where I'm at with regards to areas that need to be addressed:

The % impact is something I have come up with myself. The smoking one came from research about the difference in lipids between smokers and non-smokers with the same lifestyle. The others based on how I feel, which basically says that I think smoking, as well as my weight and how much I drink are the main contributors. Others may think I have it wrong, but it feels right to me. I have put down calories from food as fairly low because I think my diet is pretty reasonable overall these days. The same with sugar and refined foods, as luckily there is not much access to those things here, at least not in the food / drink groups that I usually consume. So the table above tells me the areas I need to work on. The table below shows my trig count as it stands, and where it needs to go.

So I need to reduce my current levels by 55%. To make it a nice round number I'm going to aim for 50%. For the three key areas, I also need a bit more detail to figure out a goal. Here goes:

So I figure a reasonable goal to begin with is to lose 10kg. That gets me down to 100. It's only a 9% weight loss overall, but compared to my ideal weight, it's actually a 33% loss of the variance. Now for booze:

The days are arbitrary really, but I put them in there to help me calculate. I have also put a 10% allowance on top of my estimates, just in case I have a blow-out, or if my estimates are a bit off. So I'm basically saying I am having 40 drinks per week (not standard, I'm talking cans here), and my target is to reduce that to 26. That still means booze on 4 days is ok, but 3 of them need to be MAD, and one can be a bit more of a blow-out. If I can achieve that I am also reducing my alcohol consumption by 33%.

Smoking-wise, the answer is pretty simple. I can't do the "10 sticks a day" thing. It's either all or nothing. So I need to quit. Full. Stop.

If I can do that, the following table shows how those reductions impact the original categories, and what that might mean to a % reduction in my lipids:

Ok, so this wasn't a coincidence, I fiddled with the numbers a bit, but even so, they originally came damn close to my 50% target anyway! But there it is. If I can lose 10kgs, reduce my booze by a third and quit smoking, I should be able to reduce my lipids by 50% and be healthy. I know it's not likely a direct correlation, but it works for me. I think this is a good plan, and an achievable one. The only question is timeframe. It's probably a fairly long-term proposition, but I am thinking that if I go back for another test early in the new year, that gives me 3 months to get this happening. I want to have a non-smoking body for at least a month before the test, so I need to quit by the end of November.

The booze is fairly easy I think. But I'll have to be more disciplined and not cave whenever my wife wants a drink. She doesn't have to follow the same path as me as she's already healthy. I do know she'll support me though, god love her! The smoking is going to be harder, but I have done it before, and I have the motivation to do it again. I want to watch my kids grow up, and I want to enjoy retirement with my wife. I am not going to fucking drop dead in the meantime. No way. So that leaves exercise. 2-3x per week is a flowery statement, but I think it just means I have to get off my arse for an hour here and there, and actually do something.

Not sure what though. I guess an easy one is to walk home from work. That may be difficult during the wet season though. I could also walk for an hour before work, or early in the morning on the weekend. I can't see myself doing much more than walking at the moment, but I think that's a good start. Maybe buy a bike? I'll talk to my wife about that and see what she thinks.

Anyway, that's enough post for now. Time to get cracking on this....

KL 3 Day Trip - A Visualisation - Day 2

Ok so it's been a long time since Day 1! I guess I have not been blogging much since then, plus have just not had the same inkling to daydream about travel as I did at the time of the original posts. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes, as we all know.

Anyway, to get back to this thread, let's consider what I'd do on Day 2, considering that Day 1 was about my old haunts in the Ampang area, as well as Changkat for the evening's entertainment.

I reckon Day 3 will be about Damansara and Bangsar, and given that I'm no big fan of KLCC other than to visit the best bookshop in Malaysia - perhaps the world - in Kinokunia, maybe we'll consider spending Day 2 outside of KL.

It would be really interesting - and fun - to hire a car and cruise up the Karak freeway, through Bentong and Raub, and visit my old haunt of Kuala Lipis. There is literally nothing about Lipis itself that I miss - other than perhaps the banana leaf rice next to the train station - but the friends and colleagues from the old Penjom days are people I wouldn't mind seeing again. Particularly Harjeet, our old IT Manager, and a good friend and drinking buddy.

It's settled then. Day 2 is going to be a road trip.

Road trips back in those days contained a whole spectrum of emotions and experiences. Generally it would involve me leaving KL really early on a Monday morning, and driving the 2 hours up to Lipis. The Karak was something else - a windy, but very good divided road up through the hills, past Genting, and then exiting at Bentong. From there it was shitty country roads through to Lipis, complete with shitty country drivers, trucks with no headlights, people over-taking on blind corners, you name it. But the fun (and frankly stupid) roadtrips were often the ones home on a Friday.

Friday afternoon at Penjom, we would often have a TSF Meeting. TSF stood for Tailings Storage Facility (Tailings Dam for westerners), and was the only formal part of the phrase. What would generally happen would be that either Russ or myself would shoot down to the local Mobil, not far from the entrance to Penjom, and purchase a dozen or so cans of Tiger. We would then load up the car with beer and ice and head out to a remote part of site where we were unlikely to be disturbed. There we would shoot the shit, smash 4-5 cans each, and wind down for an hour or so before going our separate ways back to KL.

Occasionally that trip would be insane. I remember once, when I was still with the ex, having 11 cans both at the TSF and on the trip, and seriously struggling on the road on the way back. Very, very dumb I know, but hey, the things you do.

Anyway, enough of all that, it's time to consider this missive and what would entail.

Footnote: Sep 2018. Well, this has been sitting in drafts for some time, and I reckon I'm just going to leave it as it is. Reason being is that time heals all wounds, even those along the lines of missing my old lifestyle in KL. I do have amazingly fond memories about my old boozy roadtrips (and not boozy ones), especially with my wife. And I may go back there for a reminisce at some point, but not today. So thus endeth the KL trip posts I'm afraid....

The Boys

So have had this one in drafts for a while too. Just some personal notes really, about the people I have worked with over the years who have had the most impact in my life, be it personally or professionally.

Starting from my last major job, which was Penjom. It did finish in 2012, but since then I've mainly been working for ASN (not much to report from there), or with people I had worked with previously, so no need to mention again. I've certainly made some great new contacts since being in my new job, but that story will be for another time, once I've been here long enough to make an impact hopefully!

Penjom

Brian - the big fella as I call him. A great geo, great guy to chat to about anything, and a good friend. Last time I was in KL he was the only one I caught up with. Possibly because he's the only one left haha, but even so, he would be #1 on the list. Incredibly smart, and we made a bloody good team, him with the geology and me with the mining. Had Penjom not been taken over and had we got the backing we needed for the major cutback, well I think we could have made that place hum again. As it happens, it's now dwindling into nothingness.

JR - I worked with JR at Penjom, ASN, and SoG, so have known him since roughly 2000. He's a great guy, Mr. Social as we call him, and he's great for a drink. We didn't always see eye to eye when he was my boss, but that's ok. I did learn from him about the importance of being accountable to your KPI's, and I did enjoy his company and friendship. Over the years, I have learned that real friends make it a 2-way street. I'm not saying a lot of my other friends are not real friends, but JR more than anyone else will be the one to make contact with me and see how I'm going. I always remember and appreciate that. He has a great family too, and we enjoyed a number of catch-ups with all of us back in the days living in KL.

Dean - Interestingly enough, Dean replaced me at Tarmoola in 2002, but despite knowing of him, I never met him until he hired me to Penjom in 2008. He also gave me work in the Philippines and at Wetar, and offered me a role at SC&G, which I couldn't take because it's FIFO. Based on what's happened since, I'm damn glad I didn't! Dean is a very smart man, and a great manager. He was always happy to essentially leave me to my own devices, and I have never had a boss like him, in terms of support and representing me to the executive. I learned a great deal from him and will always be thankful for his influence and friendship.

Russ - another one of the stalwarts, and together, Dean, Russ and I made up the TSF Meeting management team. Ok so that was our secret catch-cry for going up to a quiet spot on the TSF, generally on a Friday arvo, and sinking a few cans while talking about what was going on. Fantastic memories, the likes of which are unlikely to ever be repeated sadly. Mainly because Dean is determined to be Oz-based now, and thus even if we all worked together again, it would be somewhere in Oz, and TSF Meetings would be way to risky to hold! But Russ was a consummate professional, and always encouraged me to take things up a notch. I valued his counsel greatly, both at work and as a friend too.

Stu - Stu was one of the younger members of the team. A great technical engineer, who strived for more, and did get his chance at management once he left Avocet. He was really my right-hand man at Penjom and was supremely capable to turn my ideas into workable solutions, and with a lot of his own input too. A great guy, always up for a beer or a game of squash, and someone I would gladly catch up with if I ever got the chance.

Bob - dear old Bob. He almost died prior to joining Penjom, lucky the medical picked up his heart issue. A very old school Kiwi maintenance boss, who never pulled his punches or minced his words. We had a bit of a tense beginning, but after a while we became the best of mates. He has a heart of gold and knows his shit. I do feel fondly of the old boy.

Subra - there is a whole post about Subra earlier in this blog, so I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that I really admire Subra for his professionalism and work ethic. He is a good friend, and someone I will always keep in touch with.

Graeme - Richo could figure in any one of these sections, as he is in a unique category. I first worked with him at KCGM, then Tarmoola, then Murrin, then Cement Australia, then Barrick, then JMS, then Penjom. Wow, we have maintained an amazing level of professional contact over the years. He is one of the good guys, and now has a huge, thriving training business back in Perth. He is the MD of that, and doesn't do much training himself anymore. But anytime I need him, he saddles up, comes and susses the place out, puts together a training program, and helps me improve things. The man is a winner and a true legend of the mining industry in my opinion. Plus he will always be a good mate.

Skip - Skip is a funny old bugger. An old blasting guy from way back when, but someone who always knew his shit too. He had retired from mining when we got him to help us improve our blasting at Penjom, but he was happy to help. And help he did, he knew the practicalities of cleaning up a bench, setting out a shot, drilling it, taking samples, and firing it more than pretty much anyone else I have worked with in blasting - and blast design was my forte back in the old days when I used to be at the pointy end of mining engineering. He's a very different person though - don't get him on Hash days - but I do enjoy catching up with him in Bali for a beer and a yarn whenever I can. - p

JMS / Cement Australia

Bob Barnard - poor old Bob passed away earlier this year. It was very sad. Bob was one of life's true gentlemen. Hard, but always courteous, ambitious but always compassionate, and he was a good friend and advisor of mine over the years. We first worked together at Cement Australia, where he advised me on expanding the project as I was trying to do. Then we ended up at JMS together, where he had much the same role. I fondly remember us doing a tender visit to Mildura together, and whiling away the evening playing pool, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes. May you rest in peace dear Bob, you are missed my friend. We also ended up at ASN together too, where he was a director.

Ib - Ib and I share a similar path to what Bob and I did, with the exception of JMS. Ib was in charge of procurement when I was at CA, and helped me to get my fleet replacement strategy in place, and did a grand job of it. Then he too ended up as a consultant to ASN, and we had numerous trips out to the bush together. Ib is also one of life's gentlemen, a really upstanding man, passionate about doing things properly, and someone who's company I enjoyed. We still email from time to time, but I haven't seen him in ages.

Jeff - That man Spann. 50+, bachelor, gym junkie, drove a sports car, couldn't hold down a steady relationship. He was my maintenance guy at CA. He was a bit emo, and struggled a bit with managing people (as I made him a supervisor), but he was trustworthy and he was my friend. We had many a night together at Bo Jangles in Gladstone, or the titty bar as he used to call it. We did a lot of good at CA, together with Keely, and Jon Kotlar, but I have lost touch with those two and haven't spoken to them in years.

Tarmoola / Murrin

Bruce - The McFadzean was my first ever mentor. There's not much this man doesn't know about mining, in fact probably nothing. He is a first-class guy, a great teacher, and an inspirational leader. I started on the same day with him at KCGM, and while he was a superintendent, he just described himself as a mining engineer like me, so I was immediately comfortable with him. He really taught me a lot. I followed him to Tarmoola and then to Murrin. After a couple of years there it was time for me to spread my wings and go elsewhere. I have caught up with him a few times in the ensuing years, but not for a while now. I wouldn't discount the potential of us working together again sometime to be honest!

Gully - I first met Gully when he was a shotfirer at Tarmoola. He then joined us at Murrin, and eventually started studying to be an engineer, a role he still fills now. A clever and hardworking guy, and a good friend. We had many beers over the years, but alas it has been a long, long time since I have seen him.

Adam - Similar story to Gully, Tarmoola and Murrin. Cereal Boy we used to call him, as there was nothing he couldn't eat. But he is a huge guy, and a great friend. He helped me enormously when I was struggling between jobs at some stage, and has always been there for me. I do miss the big fella. I caught up with him and his family in Perth a couple of years ago, and hope to see him again before too long. I might even email him today actually.

Chook - Monster was running the pit at Tarmoola when I got there, and was a huge help to me in getting established. I remember fondly going bush with him "on the froth" as he called it, out near Leonora one afternoon. I also caught up with him in KL one day back in 2012, which was awesome. He has spent a number of years in SEA too, since the Goldfields days, and is now running cattle somewhere in QLD I believe, inbetween contracts in Laos. Another fella I hope to catch up with one of these days.

Deefer - Damon was a geo at Tarmoola and also a good friend. He was a seriously capable guy, and has done well for himself. We swap emails from time to time, but I haven't seen him in years.

Simon - I went to uni with Simon, and we had some great experiences together, from strip poker nights, to field trips, to picking fruit together near my hometown over a summer. We worked together for a time for SoG, although he was Kal-based so didn't see a whole lot of him. Since then he has moved from strength to strength and has done very well in Brazil, where he has twice tried to get me to join him. I feel so bad about that, as it would be an awesome opportunity, but alas not for me as it can't be residential. Plus while I am happy to be away from home (Barooga), I don't want to be on the other side of the world. Never say never, but not now at least anyway.

KCGM

Skinny - Skinny Gazza was one of the stalwarts at KCGM when I got there, and taught me a whole lot about how the superpit worked. He was a great advisor, always a level head, and a good friend. We caught up a number of times while I was still working around WA (up to and including the JMS days) but I haven't seen him since then.

Coops - Coops is much in the same boat. A good old head on his shoulders and a great friend. I will never forget though, him outbidding me while I was drunk on that bloody Corporate James horse whip and making me pay $500 for it! But it went to a good cause, so all good there. We visited Vietnam together back in 1997, which was my first foray overseas as an adult, and still keep in touch, although not as often as I'd like.

Alex - Bone was a great colleague of mine at KCGM and taught me a lot about being a decent person as well as a decent engineer and professional. We almost got something happening in Malaysia recently, but it never eventuated unfortunately. Still keep in touch though.

Dave Lowe - Me old Pommy mate. I only knew him for a year - we worked together and shared a house together in Kal. As well as many a good night on the turps, or rolling our eyes at our crazy roommate Ed. After many years we got in touch again, he's now in paving in the UK and doing great. I really hope I can see him again one day.

Well that's the list. There are no doubt many other people I could have mentioned who have had an impact in one way or another (not always good in the long-run), but these guys are the core group. I have been lucky enough to work with and enjoy my time with many great people over the years. I could write a whole book about those experiences frankly, but this gives a decent sample of it.