Wassup wit skills?

It's been a while since I blogged. Not that I have any astounding revelations after my period of absence or anything. I guess I am and will always be...random.

So launching in with a random statement... It's funny what people are good at.

At school, I was never the fastest, the strongest or the best at any sport. I was average to above average at most things...but never the best. Most of us remember the fastest runners at our schools or the brainiest dux types.

Napoleon Dynamite tells us that girls only like guys with skills...bow hunting, computer hacking etc. So with a little encouragement from his mate Pedro, Napoleon decides to draw the girl of his dreams a portrait (his best skill).




I especially like the shading. Apparently he spent 3 hours shading one of the eyes...skills!

So on a vaguely related topic, I was at Oceans Beach, Whangarei, a wee while back and was snapping away on my camera. Despite the cold the kids enjoyed playing in the water.





Then my Mum who is cultivating her artistic skills decided to paint them...





It's not finished yet but... mean skills ma! Bags putting on our wall when it's done :)

Whadaya do for a crust?

Jobs...there are so many! We live in such a specialised society. You name it, someone specialises in it...crazy!

Back in the day when life was far more simplified people just did basic jobs you know? And their names reflected it.

Hey Mr Baker.
Hi Mrs Taylor.

Wassup Mr Shoemaker.

You know what I mean. Actually there is a name(s) for this occurence funnily enough...(man we live in whacked out times)

Nominative determinism, aptonyms, jobonyms, perfect fit last names etc.

Here is a list of my top 5 favourite aptonyms. (these are real people by the way)

1. Dr. Richard (Dick) Chopp - a urologist specialising in vasectomies.


2. Anna Smashnova - the Israeli tennis player
   


3. Jonah Fisher - a BBC reporter assigned to the Greenpeace ship tracking the Japanese whaling fleet in January 2008.


4. J.W Splatt and D.Weedon - urologists who published several papers on incontinence together.


5. Cardinal Sin - former Archbishop of Manila

But seriously now...as a health professional I deal directly with the public, and sometimes they are in quite a vulnerable state.

So being the cheerful guy that I am, I attempt to strike up a conversation. This brings me to my next random point.

Phatic communion.

They are a couple of words I learned at school. Basically it means: a conversation opener using language to establish a mood of sociability rather than to communicate information or ideas.

My favourite example of phatic communion when on the job is:

So, what do you do for a crust?

This usually elicits all kinds of responses from which a nice relaxed conversation happens. Desired effect achieved.I'm not sure where the saying came from but it may have a biblical origin. Check this out...

If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. 2 Th 3:10b (NKJV)

Kinda puts a new spin on the saying, 'Whadaya do for a crust?'

As for me you say...Well, my wife would say I don't do much. My mate would say I yawn a lot. But I like to keep busy in my job. Sometimes I do this by taking funny pictures of myself while at work.




Soooo, whadaya do for a crust ? (leave a comment)

Wassup wit dat stick in your hand?!

When Moses was freaking out about going to the Egyptian Pharoah and demanding he let God's people (the Israelites) go...God said something simple yet profound:

Wassup wit dat stick in your hand?! - Exodus 4:2 (my wacked out version)

Basically God said if you're keen i will use whatever skills you have to totally blow away any opposition to the plans i have for you.

However it's only human nature to compare yourself to others and either seem superior or (much more likely) inferior.

In the immortal words of Napoleon Dynamite...

'Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills...you know, like nunchuku skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills'

I was talking to a mate the other night about future plans etc and he told me about doing up houses and all the work he had been doing. I am always amazed at the talent of people who you wouldn't guess and was blown away by his skills.

I started to think about my skills or lack thereof.

Wood working (carpentry, building, house reno's) are skills that are very satisfying, because you get to see the final product from the work of your hands.

I believe all my woodworking efforts ended up 'lost' by my mum and dad...kinda sad really. So anyway...now i have children of my own, anything they bring home i'll absolutely cherish and display / use until it breaks completely (probably not long if they take after me...heh)

I have been trying to hone my wood working skills up in my dads shed. My 4 and 2 year old think i'm the man! YEYAH!

Update on Motorbike: Children rarely allowed to play with it for fear of breakage!

Update on Duck: Stick has fallen out of neck and has subsequently been lost.

Update on Parking Garage: One of the white side rails has broken off after 1st days use...ha ha. Go hard kids!