In 1975 I was born in Gosford, NSW, Australia. My father moved to follow the work. He was a surveyor. My earliest memories are of Darwin, in the Northern Territory. I was in preschool at the time. Grade 1 was in The Blue Mountains near Sydney. Central Queensland saw me doing Correspondence School in Grade 5. Outback Queensland in Grade 7 to the mining town of Blackwater. Started high school in Tropical Cairns and finished high school in the port city of Gladstone back in Central Queensland.
Since school I've worked as a computer technician, cotton chipper in Emerald, karaoke host, Harvey Norman salesman, stringer (news cameraman), voice-overs, air-conditioner installer, tradesman's assistant working on QR coal-hauling locomotives, graphic artist, and pizza delivery driver. I've been a singer/guitarist/songwriter in at least four different bands that never went anywhere. I have probably enough material I've written myself to fill an album, but at this rate I'll probably never get around to recording it. I spent a few years making wedding videos in my own business which I closed down when I got bored of making wedding videos. I worked at a printshop making all kinds of things from business cards to shopfront signage for a long time. Now I’m doing social media posts for an IT business.
I love computer games and all things tech. My first computer was a Sinclair ZX80 that I got in 1981. Second was a Commodore64 followed by a Macintosh II (I say “my” computers, but they were really my fathers, particularly the Mac which he used for CAD work.) After that I got into Windows PC's (or DOS PC's as they were back then) and all the games they offered. Windows 3.11, Windows95, 98, 2000, XP... Then Vista burned me and I now use a Mac.
I've been married since 2000 and have a little block of land with a humble little house on it. We have a cat and no kids.
I didn’t have any interest in politics most of my life. Beyond being able to name the Prime Minister and the Premier of my state, I didn't really care.
When Tony Abbott and the LNP got in, I joined a political party. 90% of my social media became political. I was talking politics with strangers online. I dove headfirst into everything politics and learned everything about how our government is supposed to work and why it didn’t seem to be working as I would have expected. After eight or nine years, I burned myself out on it.
All that time I could have been learning about robotics or playing computer games or recording music.
If politicians did their job and acted in the interests of the people they represent instead of representing the interests of lobby groups that fund their political campaigns, then a huge portion of the world could go back to doing what we do best. Creating, inventing and innovating a diverse multicultural society.
So that’s me!
Now, to become the artist that made it big on Mastodon. 😁
@dgar Hi Jon. I'm Courtney, born in 1977. And I am tired, too. I don't want all this conflict and activism in my head, but I suppose it's gotta live there until we've made the world better. 🫤
@dgar I'm burnt out from activism too. I've believe that the only antidote to the wretched state of affairs in the world requires far deeper engagement by far more people of every social group. Essentially, we cannot delegate politics to politicians as you and I would prefer. We must all be politicians. It's exhausting.
The suggestion that the plutocracy likes to keep the common people at each others' throats, keep them in debt, consuming their mental energy, is more than plausible.
I really liked your life story. My first computer was a ZX Spectrum+, in 1984.
Anyway, it is so good to be back on Mastodon and to connect with you!
The last few months have been an unreal odyssey. My travails are still not over.
I’m homeless in California, having been wrongfully terminated from my job. I fought a legal battle, with the other side fighting very, very dirty. I recently won the lawsuit.
@dgar Hi Jon. If politicians really cared about people, we wouldn't have this wretched inequality in the world. I am from QLD too. I never forget just a few years ago, some TV presenters were praising the virtue of Australia being a nation of renters instead of home owners. Where are they now that homelessness is spreading like a malignant tumor? Private rent is astronomical and there is not enough social housing & what is available first goes to criminals newly released from prison.
@dgar You've been around. I was born in the Hawkesbury Valley. I lived in Darwin in my late childhood-early teens. I can add starting primary school in Melbourne to the mix. This was because my father was first in the Navy and then the Airforce.
@dgar@skribe I used to do wedding videos too. The ones I hated most were the "can you stay and video the dance too" ones. Dancing is tediously boring to do. It's far, far, far worse to watch on video. Or TV. To this day, I'm out of the room the second "Strictly" starts on TV.
@NormanDunbar@dgar we covered the entire day. At groom's house, then bride's house, ceremony, photos and reception. 12-18 hours with little to no breaks. I didn't mind the dancing. At least it was visually interesting. Hated all the rushing around, and being paid a pittance for it.
@NormanDunbar@skribe I would do the same coverage, but I had a second camera - one for the bride, and one for the groom. Having a simultaneous second angle made it easier to edit something watchable too.
@skribe@dgar I played in a wedding band for a while in the 80s.. it's good regular work. Some weddings were great fun, others were frightening, still others were really quite sad. The whole gamut. However it went I got free booze and $60 for a couple of hours work playing Under the Boardwalk to pissed girls in taffeta frocks .. our singer had a wicked faux-mexican version of La Bamba we'd drag out when everyone was too far gone to notice he was just making shit up as he went along. Fun times!
"If politicians did their job and acted in the interests of the people they represent instead of representing the interests of lobby groups that fund their political campaigns, then a huge portion of the world could go back to doing what we do best. "
@dgar Your post is eerily familiar. There was a period where I talked about political issues a lot. But it's very easy to get burned out and as I've gotten older (36 now), time seems to go by so fast. There have been periods where I spent a lot of time being political on social media and the next thing you know five years are gone, wasted. I didn't change anybody's mind, all I did was stress myself out and get distracted from the things that actually matter. Lessons learned I guess.
@dgar What an Amazing,and full life Ye’ve so far led. It’s not over yet.
Bought this guitar for my Beloved Husband Allen.Gave 1 Son my bank card to buy it,as Allen spied it in Music shop -loved it. This day he went to have closer look,&buy it. It was Sold! (Mícheál was away to get cash) Lady said, young guy in played it was Fantastic! (he’s in a band-didn’t tell lady that)
Allen immediately thought of Mícheál. Said does he have blonde hair? ‘No dark’- In walks Son with€£!
@dgar Isn’t it cool?
It was SO Funny, it was like,”How do we get past Mammy? She’ll Know Somethings up!” So Allen gave Mícheál & guitar lift home. Mícheál came in with guitar,I was all excited but said,”Did I hear your Dads car?”NO! I got the train🤔Something up,as I hadn’t asked that.Put guitar on top of our bed,he’d see it/padded case with Bob Marley on it,when he changed into his comfies.
In walks My Honey,hugged me& into room, He’d to tell story,as he Wasn’tReally Excited.
I was💔
@dgar Kinda…🤣Everyone has Stories. My Dad was a Master storyteller.
Did he have the “gift of the gab”!
He Could’ve Sold Snow To Inuits!(probably Did) He worked In The Artic late50’s,on American/USSR oil pipeline! He was An AMAZIN man…
@dgar Brilliant post dgar. Thank you for sharing. And i hope you focus on your musicality from now on.
I agree about the problem with politicians: they are mostly, selfishly, about EGO and never really want the best for the people. They will do whatever they need to do or say to get re-elected.
There are exceptions. Some are good moral ppl. But voters generally don't want steady moral leaders: they want politicians to entertain them and get them better tax breaks than everyone else.
Humans don't like good or moral or kind. Generally humans are pretty horrible imho.
@dgar Enjoyed reading your resume or bio as it is generally know! Good luck with the artist side on Mastodon! Much more fun than politics I would say! 😊 😂
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