Previously unknown facts about ourselves

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VictorTheViking
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Re: Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by VictorTheViking »

Green_Hammock wrote:I love this thread, there's only one person on here that I actually know and I know (or knew) very little about the rest of you.

- My name's Jeff.
- I'm 19
- I like coffee and Italian food
- I have 3 older siblings, a sister living in Sydney, a brother in Canberra, and a brother in Darwin.
- I grew up on a farm near Tarago from age 7 onwards, travelling in and out of Canberra everyday for school. I moved back into society last year here in Goulburn, I don't like it here..
- I've been obsessed with the band Alter Bridge since I was 11 years old, went to see them 3 times in February and had the happiest moment of my life when I got to meet and talked to the band for a good 10 minutes or so. I now have photos of myself and the band and a signed shirt framed on my wall.
- While everyone is sharing their depression stories, I was in a bad way for a bit over a year which all started when I was in a car accident with my two best mates while I was still in school a year and a half ago. It might sound silly to other people but meeting my idols in February has helped me keep my chin up about life in general. I now make an effort to think positive and I'm doing my best to get a job that will let me move out (down to Melbourne) and start over.
- I don't think my personality is all that clear through my posts on here. I'd like to think I'm a nice person, I'm not always in the best of moods but I'd still rather joke around with people and act happy rather than bringing them down as well.
- Username: my favourite show is Scrubs, I started using the name B_Hammock (short for banana hammock) when I was 14 or 15, I just changed it to Green Hammock a while ago on here because it seemed appropriate.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Woodgers »

tragic wrote:Yeah, just get the gun haha
One of my best mates is a copper and when he was in the college I went to visit and wore the belt. There is a trick to it, it will only come out if you pull it directly up or something. I think Victor or someone went to a Police college, he might know the details for when you try it :D
We continue to **** about with blokes that are part of some fraternity. It's infuriating.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Guy Incognito »

theRads wrote: - And my claim to fame is my dad once worked on a construction site with Saddam Hussein
Is your dad George Bluth? :o
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Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by -GD- »

Guy Incognito wrote:
theRads wrote: - And my claim to fame is my dad once worked on a construction site with Saddam Hussein
Is your dad George Bluth? :o
:lol: :lol:
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Re: Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Green_Hammock »

VictorTheViking wrote:
Green_Hammock wrote:I love this thread, there's only one person on here that I actually know and I know (or knew) very little about the rest of you.

- My name's Jeff.
- I'm 19
- I like coffee and Italian food
- I have 3 older siblings, a sister living in Sydney, a brother in Canberra, and a brother in Darwin.
- I grew up on a farm near Tarago from age 7 onwards, travelling in and out of Canberra everyday for school. I moved back into society last year here in Goulburn, I don't like it here..
- I've been obsessed with the band Alter Bridge since I was 11 years old, went to see them 3 times in February and had the happiest moment of my life when I got to meet and talked to the band for a good 10 minutes or so. I now have photos of myself and the band and a signed shirt framed on my wall.
- While everyone is sharing their depression stories, I was in a bad way for a bit over a year which all started when I was in a car accident with my two best mates while I was still in school a year and a half ago. It might sound silly to other people but meeting my idols in February has helped me keep my chin up about life in general. I now make an effort to think positive and I'm doing my best to get a job that will let me move out (down to Melbourne) and start over.
- I don't think my personality is all that clear through my posts on here. I'd like to think I'm a nice person, I'm not always in the best of moods but I'd still rather joke around with people and act happy rather than bringing them down as well.
- Username: my favourite show is Scrubs, I started using the name B_Hammock (short for banana hammock) when I was 14 or 15, I just changed it to Green Hammock a while ago on here because it seemed appropriate.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by theRads »

-GD- wrote:
Guy Incognito wrote:
theRads wrote: - And my claim to fame is my dad once worked on a construction site with Saddam Hussein
Is your dad George Bluth? :o
:lol: :lol:

Haha na dad worked in Iraq for a while in his younger years. He actually said he wasn't a bad guy back then and gave my dad some vintage wine and paid very very well too!
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by david231280 »

Ok, there ain't much you guys don't know about me but lets start with some of the obvious things

- My name is David
- Date of Birth 23rd December 1980 (which makes me 32 this year)

Ok for some of the other things
- I worked for Coles from Dec 98 to Oct 2002 and March 03 to March 04, a building site from Oct 2002 to Dec 02 and Woolies from March 05 to April 11 (13 years of retail)
- Now work for Department of Education
- Attended the Ourimbah Campus of Newcastle Uni from 2004 to mid 08. Did a year 12 equivalent course to get into uni in 04, then started a Primary Education Course and hated that.
- Mid 08 to June 12 (3 weeks from now) I'll be finished a uni degree at ACPE in High School PE Teaching
- Broke my jaw in 3 places missing a bouncer playing cricket (no helmet on) in Dec 02
- Played first game of cricket in Oct 1989 and haven't missed a summer since (thats 22 years ... 6 years with Narara and 16 years at Gosford)
- I have never won a grand final (lost 1) but coached kids to a grand final win!!!
- I did volunteer work on community radio for 3 years and LOVED it until bureaucratic crap started happenin
- My idols are Dean Jones, Michael Slater, Laurie Daley and the entire 1989 Grand Final Canberra Raiders team
- When I die I wanna be buried with a copy of the 1989 Grand Final
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Stringer
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Stringer »

You guys make my life sound like a complete and utter bore...
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by dreaming09 »

I give blood, but don't believe in organ transplants.
I believe euthasia should be legalised,
for those terminally ill, early stages of dementia, etc.
I live by "What goes around comes around".
I see rainbows as a new beginning.
I thank the Lord for my day.
I'm greatful for Green_Hammock taking the time to create my sig.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Seiffert82 »

Nick wrote:Also probably my favourite weekend of the year is Eurovision weekend
which is next weekend!

Me and the fiancee write our own drinking rules (cherry picking the best of others and some of our own) and watch the entire thing unfold
:woot: Eurovision! Vote 1 Rambo Amadeus from Montenegro. :lol: :thumbsup My wife and I are achieving a life long ambition of being able to vote in the contest while we are over here. Love it!

My life is pretty bog standard compared to what people have shared. I'm married with one daughter. My wife and I are born and bred Canberrians who love the place and have never really considered leaving. Like most parents my life goal is now to make sure my daughter grows up with all the opportunities she needs to make the most of her life, without being spoiled.

In saying that, we are now living in the UK (temporarily) for the first time as I've taken 6 months off work to complete some of my economics degree over here. It's mostly an excuse to travel around the place and have another holiday in Europe though.

I've been a pube for 20 years but like Woodgers have managed to work in some fairly interesting areas. I spent about 5 or so years in IT with Defence but got jack of that once I realised I grew to dislike looking at computers whenever I had any spare time, unlike the people I worked with who lived and breathed the stuff. I've never owned a PlayStation, X-box, Wii, Game Boy or any other games console. So, I escaped and am now with Environment working on our river systems. If I had my life again I'd probably give architecture a go, but had no idea what I wanted to do at school (and I still don't really) so too old to start a career again from scratch.

I love traveling on holidays with my family but am not a huge fan of traveling for work as I miss them when I go away - even though I get the chance to do some pretty interesting field trips. Each year we try to visit a different place in Australia as it is such a wonderful country. We still need to get up to the NT and North Qld at some point...plenty of time to get there though. But, Canberra is home - lots of family, friends and the Raiders to keep me there.

I too have this stupid romantic idea of opening up a wine/jazz bar or sports pub with some mates - but have absolutely no experience in the area other than as a customer. :lol: If a new Canberra Stadium was built near the lake with a convention centre I think that would be a great place to start one up. Tough work though.

I love league (was a terrible player), basketball (was a slightly less terrible player), art, finding great bottles of wine for less than $25, photography (constant on the job training with my cheap DLSR) and reading biographies and quirky life stories. I was also a huge Stephen King fan, but haven't read one in years.
Last edited by Seiffert82 on May 21, 2012, 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Seiffert82 »

P.S. it has been interesting reading about people's battle with depression and other mental health issues. Depression is a big thing in my family and is definitely an issue that needs more funding and research.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by bonehead »

Seiffert82 wrote:P.S. it has been interesting reading about people's battle with depression and other mental health issues. Depression is a big thing in my family and is definitely an issue that needs more funding and research.
I never understood but now my eyes have been opened it is an incredibly varied illness and very treatable once you can accept you need treatment.

I was extremely lucky - 2 sessions with a psychologist and 5 months medication has me back on track - now 2 full weeks off the Zoloft and I'm just a bit light headed here and there.

Within my close circle of friends 5/6 of us have had depression in the last 12 months :(
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Captain Punish »

It is treatable in may cases, however like anything, it depends on the severity and circumstance not just accepting you need treatment or you suffer the illness.

When covering your illness up over a 10 year period by using (abusing) any prescription or no prescription medication makes it quite difficult to manage going forward. What would normally be treated by "take one - two of these when needed and visit a psyhcologist" is replaced by years of highs and lows as you 1) kick your dependence 2) accept that the reality you live is now what you experience on a daily basis and 3) the inability to medicate and create a false reality by altering levels chemically is now gone because the last thing you want to do is go back to depending rather than dealing.

It is not easy. It is a terrible disease that has had me lose my brother (suicide) and a friend (drank himself into an early grave).

Goodluck to all those dealing with it, either directly or indirectly.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by bonehead »

You are right Worm, I wasnt trying to devalue this illness.

My point by accepting you need treatment was that a lot of sufferers don't accept they need help until they are far more advanced than they could have been.

Not many tougher things than to stand at a funeral from a suicide. My opening batting partner over many seasons didnt get help and his life spiralled to the point of suicide without a lot of us knowing what was going on. Hearing the eulogy with his young kids thoughts being read out by his brother was a real turning point in my life - I vowed to never be in that situation again, to never ignore the warning signs and to have a more open relationship with my mates. A lot of the Gen X'ers are sons of the "you'll be right toughen up real men just buck up and soldier on" brigade.

I can't imagine how it would be to lose a sibling, I hope it is a very long time before I have to know.
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Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Captain Punish »

I never for a second thought you were mate. I am sorry if my post came across like that.

I am on the other end of the scale, many people I have spoken to in my situation have taken the easy road and relied on anti depressants, which is only going back to relying on a substance again.. Which is a no win.. After over a decade covering my illness up and not accepting it, relying on substance abuse to create a false reality, I took control. I've never looked back physically, but it's a hard slog mentally. One that could be easily fixed with a pill, but what's the point of going from one dependency to another. (controlled drug or not)

as mentioned above.. That black dog is a bitch!!
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by dreaming09 »

VictorTheViking wrote:Hmmm

I'm 28
Grew up in Canberra, but been living in Kenny nagas country (casino) for 10 years.

I'm two years into a primary school teaching degree, while also working full-time

I drive 2 hours each way every day to get to work.
Hey Victor, just remembering you were dealing with a difficult woman and a baby some time ago.
If it's not too sensitive, can you let me /us know the outcome.
You don't have to, just remembering, that's all.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by dubby »

Lime Warrior wrote:You are right Worm, I wasnt trying to devalue this illness.

My point by accepting you need treatment was that a lot of sufferers don't accept they need help until they are far more advanced than they could have been.

Not many tougher things than to stand at a funeral from a suicide. My opening batting partner over many seasons didnt get help and his life spiralled to the point of suicide without a lot of us knowing what was going on. Hearing the eulogy with his young kids thoughts being read out by his brother was a real turning point in my life - I vowed to never be in that situation again, to never ignore the warning signs and to have a more open relationship with my mates. A lot of the Gen X'ers are sons of the "you'll be right toughen up real men just buck up and soldier on" brigade.

I can't imagine how it would be to lose a sibling, I hope it is a very long time before I have to know.

Ain't that the truth. :(

But, so were the boomers, so were the greatest generation lads......and so on and so on. It's only recently its been ok for guys to actually be open about this stuff. So many men have drank themselves silly or taken who knows what (including their own lives) over the years needlessly because otherwise it was taken as a sign of weakness.

So many people hurt in the name of pride (or fear). The whole macho image is another discussion.
The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Albi »

I run well attended support groups for men now that would have been virtually empty 5 years ago... Honest non-judgemental conversation de-stigmatises mental health concerns making it more likely that men will engage in a meaningful way. They also serve to challenge the ridiculous notion that 'real men' don't suffer in this way.

I'm ambivalent about anti-depressants, and totally professionally unqualified to comment anyway, but I've seen people have great outcomes using them as well as seeing people report that they were next to useless... As Worm's honest story reminds us, the most common treatment for depression is alcohol and drug abuse. Thankfully because of a more educated and accepting society, people are able to feel safer exploring other treatments
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Dr Zaius »

Good evidence for SSRIs in moderate to severe depression. Poor evidence for SSRIs in mild depression. Best evidence is an SSRI and CBT in combination. Anecdotally sometimes people need to be on an SSRI for a little while to get them to a place where they can use CBT. Never thought I'd be typing this on this forum.

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Seiffert82
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Seiffert82 »

I really have no idea what I'm talking about other than through observation of those around me (and a bit of time as a Lifeline TC), but as you say, an appropriate combination of medication and CBT seems to be the real key to any long term success in people with depression and anxiety disorders. That and being self-aware of what is going on and having the confidence to talk to other people about it before you hit the downward spiral.

I just wonder if it is becoming more prevalent in our society or are we just recognising and diagnosing it more. Probably a bit of both. :hmmm
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by dubby »

I think its proportional, chachi.

Its still hard for a guy to open up though after years of conditioning otherwise
The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.

If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Manbush »

I can't fathom all the depression and suicides in this country, no matter how bad life gets in comparison to others we still have it great, next time feeling down think about those in 3rd world countries with a much lower suicide rate who have problems muh worse than ours. (not down playing it had 2 mates kill themselves just will never understand it)

Learn to enjoy life's little pleasures and don't dwell on the bad.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Seiffert82 »

dubby wrote:I think its proportional, chachi.

Its still hard for a guy to open up though after years of conditioning otherwise
Yeah, it's certainly good that mental health issues are becoming less of a taboo subject, along with suicide.
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Post by Albi »

manbush wrote:I can't fathom all the depression and suicides in this country, no matter how bad life gets in comparison to others we still have it great, next time feeling down think about those in 3rd world countries with a much lower suicide rate who have problems muh worse than ours. (not down playing it had 2 mates kill themselves just will never understand it)

Learn to enjoy life's little pleasures and don't dwell on the bad.
Third world countries have no apparatus for measuring suicide rates.

And saying - get over it, someone else has it worse is the definition of Catholic guilt ;)
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Michael »

manbush wrote:I can't fathom all the depression and suicides in this country, no matter how bad life gets in comparison to others we still have it great, next time feeling down think about those in 3rd world countries with a much lower suicide rate who have problems muh worse than ours. (not down playing it had 2 mates kill themselves just will never understand it)

Learn to enjoy life's little pleasures and don't dwell on the bad.
Yeah I think the problem is that depression is not necessarily a rational condition.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Seiffert82 »

Michael wrote:
manbush wrote:I can't fathom all the depression and suicides in this country, no matter how bad life gets in comparison to others we still have it great, next time feeling down think about those in 3rd world countries with a much lower suicide rate who have problems muh worse than ours. (not down playing it had 2 mates kill themselves just will never understand it)

Learn to enjoy life's little pleasures and don't dwell on the bad.
Yeah I think the problem is that depression is not necessarily a rational condition.
True, but there are certainly environmental factors that can trigger episodes and it is certainly proven that cognitive based treatments can often help people deal with the condition.

We are now constantly bombarded with negative messages in this country: "you need this", "you should look like that", "time to upgrade your blah de blah", "political party X has made us worse off now than we ever have been before". All of it complete bull**** and none of it helps. Anyway, a bit off topic, but interesting discussion nonetheless. :)
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Michael »

I'd agree with all of that - I know I fell into a deep depression when I saw the ad for Lara Bingle's upcoming TV show. Surely a sign the apocalypse is upon us.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Seiffert82 »

**** Don't get me started. :lol:
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Post by Stuat »

Depression is a pretty complex and varied disorder, as are most mental illnesses. Environmental effects definitely play a part as does genetics. Severe depression is quite strongly heritable for instance.

In any case, according to my psychologist (who was a practicing psychiatrist until a year or so ago), she's a very smart girl up to date with the literature who I trust, anti depressants are simultaneously both over and under prescribed in most western cultures (the stigma involved stops many with severe depression treating their illness, many people without severe depression get unthinkingly prescribed drugs that won't work). The science shows they have no effect on mild depression, but are very effective for severe depression. Talk therapies are very effective for mild depression but less effective for severe depression, although a combination of both often works best for many sufferers of severe depression. A distinction made in some of the literature between "mild" and "severe" depression is often mild depression is situational, whereas sometimes severe depression isn't (often described as situational and clinical depression). Prescribing drugs for situational depression is most likely negligent, they don't work better than placebos whereas talk therapies work very well. For clinical depression, drugs are often a very important part of treatment, even if it's just to get patients to a point where talk therapies can start to have some effect.

In my case with bipolar, drugs have been great. I'm on lithium (sub clinical dose atm). When I'm "crazy" there isn't much anyone can do except supervise me. Lithium stabilizes my moods, meaning I'm "sane" again and also accessible. As I said earlier, I don't like the drugs and I'm going off them. For that talk therapies have been very useful in developing a plan for when I am off them. I've identified some patterns and triggers, which if they happen I go straight back on lithium and straight to the doctor. My girlfriend, parents and six mates all have been given the permission to send me to check me into hospital without my consent if I'm acting funny and refuse to go to the doctor or hospital immediately etc etc. That plan is important in me getting what I want (my more mild highs and lows back) relatively safely.

In any case, with mental illnesses, given how varied and complex they are, there isn't a one size fits all model. It's why I think getting good doctors psychiatrists and psychologists is pretty important. It's also why I think the demonizing by some of drugs and ECT for example can be irresponsible. Im sure a the life of a cousin with more severe bipolar than myself was saved by ECT. It's really only for very extreme cases, but in those cases it can work "wonders". For both drugs and ECT wrongly prescribing them can also be dangerous, but they do have their place in the treatment plan of many patients IMO.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Seiffert82 »

Thanks Stuat (or should I say Stuart?). As you have pointed out, every case of mental illness is highly individual, with a specific combination of drug, surgical and/or psychological intervention appropriate in each particular case. What you have outlined here certainly mirrors the experience my family has had - whereby drugs have often been necessary to kick start treatment.
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Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Decorous Muse »

I'm not actually a published poet
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Post by tragic »

Any chance of a separate thread for depression?
Raiders member no# 2278.
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Decorous Muse
Ruben Wiki
Posts: 5444
Joined: June 20, 2005, 2:14 pm

Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by Decorous Muse »

there is already a whole section dedicated to it: viewforum.php?f=2
The Vindicated wrote:You would be hard pressed to find anyone who hasnt committed some kind of vandalism in their life, leaving your car to avoid getting breath tested is actually quite smart
Bay56 wrote:cant understand people who come in here and whinge
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yeh raiders
Laurie Daley
Posts: 17112
Joined: June 21, 2008, 3:04 pm
Favourite Player: Jack Wighton
Location: Sydney

Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by yeh raiders »

Decorous Muse wrote:there is already a whole section dedicated to it: viewforum.php?f=2
:lol:
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bonehead
Laurie Daley
Posts: 17436
Joined: March 1, 2005, 5:29 am
Location: Smelling The Shiraz

Re: Previously unknown facts about ourselves

Post by bonehead »

not bad DM :lol:

My father is a published poet, he won a signed Aust Cricket Bat from the last Ashes team ( :roll: ) from ABC radio.
Edrick The Entertainer
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