..playing sad songs down the phone, to no one in particular...

I've been listening to alot of 'The Mountain Goats' lately. Here is a list of 7 songs I recommend for people. I can't stop exercising the use of the repeat button when I hear them.

Old College Try - I want to say I'm sorry for stuff I haven't done yet
Things will shortly get completely out of hand

Love Love Love - some things you do for money
and some you do for love love love

Pale Green Things - My sister called at 3 AM
Just last December
She told you how you'd died at last, at last

There Will Be No Divorce - and you punched out all the windows
and the wind began to wail
and you gathered your hair behind your head
like god was gonna catch you by the pony tail.

Your Belgian Things - I wish you had a number where you are
It's hard with no one here to help me through it

The Mess Inside - but i wanted you to love me like you used to do

No Children - And I hope you die,
I hope we both die.

I'd like to rest, my heavy head tonight

I love this picture. Whoever took it is a genius. Nothing but the water and the sand, stretching out before me. In the corner there is me and Captain Oates chilling. I want to be there resting. I remember what the hole was for now. That tent was over it. We built some kind of anti-sun shelter. I think we're some kind of spawns of Einstein or something. Shit like that don't just grow on trees.

Hole x 1 - Check. Hot mature ass x 1 - Check

Looking through old pictures, I found this gem. This was taken at 90 mile beach in 2002. Lani (or 'Irish', 'Lone Wolf', 'Panigan') is pointing at a woman that looked HOT from far away (and from the back). When we got closer though... she was more 'mature' than we thought she was. I just love lani's expression in this pic. He's fucken rapt.

Your farts are driving me bat shit!

So I started reading 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. Yes, I know I'm about a billion years to late. I always seem to do this. I hear about good books and refuse to read em. I don't like it when alot of people are reading the same book as me. Inevitably, they let slip some plot twists which makes my eyes twitch and and my fists clench. Anger flares, and I use Bruce Lee's one inch punch to destroy faces. Hence, I have not read 'Davinci Code'. I've only started reading the 'Harry Potter' series recently (Bores me though). I was addicted to 18th century detective/mystery novels for about a year and a half (strangely). Wilkie Collins being one of my fave authors of that genre. Now I'm lapping up some "memoirs" type stuff. Namely the astonishing 'Wild Swans' (which I wanted to lend to Captain Oates, but keep forgetting to bring it), and now 'Memoirs of a Geisha'.

If my dad's snoring reverberating through the walls was not enough, now he's farting like a mad man as he lounges on the couch. I hear it all...

Tomorrow, or rather, in 4 hours I will go out to some op shops to try and find some large-ish hardback cover books. I need them to make some gifts for people. I'm in the mood to create. I also will take my dad's money and invest them in some more solar powered outdoor garden lights. I swear, he will not rest till night time at the Nguyen residence, is similar to daytime at the Nguyen residence. The house will attract hookers and pimps...with boomboxes! (or something crazy like that). Let's hope they don't steal our car like last time.

Never leave me.....LUIGI!!

I came home and found this. It's an opera, based on Super Mario Bros. Pure genius.

My grandfather, who I never knew

Today is the anniversary of my grandfather's death. He was executed in front of his shop by Vietcong soldiers. A strong willed man, by all accounts. I wish I had known him

Look to the east for the coming of the foil men!!

This pic is for you Quicky!!

This was taken at 90 Mile Beach. Someone had the crazy idea of dressing up as foil men...so we did. Having a drink became unnecessarily hard, but dancing visibly improved! After this picture, we all shuffled into Quicky's room to scare him (he was asleep). The fear that showed on his face, will go down in history as the funniest reaction I have ever seen. He also squealed like a girl. Haha! Btw, I'm on the right there.

Fears

The mouth opens, but nothing comes out

I'm leaving for somewhere quiet. It doesn't matter where

Daddy! I wan't a wailing Oompa Loompa NOW!

Went to watch "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" last night. Great family movie. It really should have been called Willy Wonka though. Johnny Depp steals the show (as usual) as the eccentric, stunted, Willy WOnka (yes, a capital "O", since he is crazy). The oompa loompa's wailing on imaginary guitars was a nice bonus. The only problem I had was, for a movie with such a big budget, they could not even sync some of the oompa loompa voices. Strange. Now I have to go search for the soundtrack. It must be mine! And I must blast it all the time evertime people piss me off.

Afterwards, I found myself sitting at Safeway carpark again, where I witnessed the strangest scene. A car pulled up next to me. A man came out, locked his car, went to another car parked across the car park, and drove off. Now this was at about 12:30am. I stayed till about 1:15am, but he never came back. I think he was James Bond. He must have been James Bond. If I stayed a bit longer, I would probably have seen a ridiculous villain chase after him.

Comment verification is on. I'm sick of spam. They make my knees itch

The mind of a genius!

Thao Nguyen has spoken!

So, I haven't really properly drawn anything for a long time (those other "comics" were madness wrapped into boredom). I actually enjoyed drawing this. A pen tablet would be better though. I also wanted to add a background to this (wall paper type patterns), but I messed up my layers.

It's true though. There's nothing sexier than a girl playing piano accordian.

..in my tofu car, parked at my tofu house..

I sometimes cook at night/early morning to stave off boredom or when I get moody and think stupid thoughts. I used to be fixated on cooking crepes (would churn out heaps and throw em away). Then, a brief flirtation with fried ice-cream (I run outta ice-cream too fast). Now I fry tofu. Ain't much cooking to it. I just enjoy cutting it into cubes and frying them. Simple diversions. Was gonna call some people to talk to, but I figured they want their sleep without my ramblings intruding.

I wonder what other people do to keep their mind off things.

Honestly. I really dislike sitting here by myself.

Back to Tofu!!

Mental Note: Make a T-Shirt saying "Back to Tofu: This time he means business!"
More mental notes (for more T-Shirts): "..and that's how I became a stamp collector.."
"I am 10 pirates you land lubber"
"Pirates do it for the booty"
"Sack Ralphing Champion"
"The white ranger rides an echidna"

Thao wonders if he should work, driving the car in reverse....while singing Jeff Buckley songs. Naturally.

Thao wonders if his band, "Thao Nguyen and the Electronic Experience" will ever get off the ground.

Thao wonders if there really are people, who are allergic to everything but denim.

I can control your speech!

This guy printed 50,000 speech bubble stickers and stuck them on movie posters, ads and signs all over New York, and then went back to photograph what people wrote. Fascinating!

Best T-Shirt ever. It says:

The technic of getting stoned is the trick of marihuana

And finally, a sign post that is more human than some people:

Don't touch me, I'm afraid of hurt

Good ol'engrish

Spent, recovering

I didn't get any sleep last night. All this talk about people going overseas for a year or two has really depressed me. It's a funny thing when you can see your future. Even funnier when you realize you'll be doing much the same thing as your doing right now, for years and years. It's like your stuck on the same juttering millisecond of existence, forced to do the same things over and over and over again. You see it, stretching out before your mind. Like focusing on blurry visions of momentarily paused freeze frames. The shell of a creature hovering on a train going particularly nowhere. Repetitious and frustrating. You can't help but just laugh at it all.

"Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone"

I just want to leave. But I'm gonna be stuck here unless something happens

Lanterns from the moon!

The Chinese/Vietnamese Moon festival comes again on the 18 of september, in conjunction with lantern day. Which means lanterns and mooncake for all! I went to visit my little cousins today cause I wanted to go for the lantern walk with them. Too bad Brandon got sick (blood nose, stomach aches), so we ended up just lighting the lanterns and wondering around the house. Bianca was too scared to hold the lanterns (the fire). I also bought some mooncakes. These things can range from cheapo, to daaaaamn expensive. Huge range too. Some are most definately an acquired taste. Some pics and info can be found here and here

The 18th is actually my sister's real birthday. Born on Mooncake/Lantern day....how lucky can ya get?

Anyway, everyone grab a lantern and go for a walk with good company. It'll do the soul a ton of good.

HAPPY MOONCAKE LANTERN DAY!

Leo Sayer makes me...

...feel like dancing!

I only wanted happiness for you

My sister got engaged to her boyfriend the other day. Antony and the Johnsons - "You are my sister" took hold of my mind:

You are my sister, we were born
So innocent, so full of need
There were times we were friends but times I was so cruel
Each night I'd ask for you to watch me as I sleep
I was so afraid of the night
You seemed to move through the places that I feared
You lived inside my world so softly
Protected only by the kindness of your nature
You are my sister
And I love you
May all of your dreams come true
We felt so differently then
So similar over the years
The way we laugh the way we experience pain
So many memories
But theres nothing left to gain from remembering
Faces and worlds that no one else will ever know
You are my sister
And I love you
May all of your dreams come true
I want this for you
They're gonna come true (gonna come true)

My sister is the nicest person I know. I'm glad she has found happiness. Now I don't have to worry about her. Goodluck my friend.

Also, today my electricity was hours from being cut-off, cause I had forgotten to pay a tiny amount owing. A tiny, puny amount. Well.....is $126 small? Nothing much of note has ben happening in my life. Been helping my uncle move inbetween my trips to the family accountant and my local council (a lovely bunch of people, unless they are hoovering my money outta my wallet), and visiting a sick person that I sometimes loathe. I think she even tried to cough on me to make me sick. Who does that!? Sicko's, that's who.

Wake me up when september ends. Or maybe even October.
Greenday's gonna kill me for that..

HUZZAH! MY SISTER'S GETTING MARRIED! :) :) :) :) THE NEXT PERSON I SEE GETS A HIGH FIVE!

the most remarkable thing about you standing in the doorway is that it's you and that you are standing in the doorway

The lights are dim, the bar is filling up, and the lingering smell of tobacco hangs in the static air of the pub. I settle down for an "intimate" gig with the Mountain Goats. A band that have only recently caught my attention when the phenomenal track "This Year" assaulted my ears. Their lyrics have a remarkable "story-telling" quality to it. The songs shimmer with real experiences. Great songs from a great band.

The big suprise was a delightful performance from a support act with the curious name of "Scout Niblett". And when i say delightful, I mean completely off tap mental. She sounds like a much rawer Cat Power. Her songs start off exuding a quiet, hopeless vulnerability, then erupting into a throat-bruising rock star meltdown, with drums, distortion, and anarchic coherence. Her voice wielded raw emotions like a cracking whip. It was like a heartbroken soul was dismembering itself before my very ears. I lapped it up to the full.

Quicky is gone, but I don't think it'll fully hit me until I go to the pub and realize that smartarse ain't coming. Bah! Have a good one mate. See you soon

ad nauseam

I love italics. I feel so decadent.

Monumental Monuments

(the title alludes to a conversation me and Brooke had)

So I'm back from my trip to Tocumwal. And I gotta say, it was a weekend of extremes. It was like hanging out with Angela Lansbury, on acid. The days were chilled, the nights were mental. I felt like crap when I came back. Dunno if I've used this chatlog before, but this pretty much sums up how I've been feeling:

[06:09:36 PM] boganmaster : how ya feelin thao?
[06:09:40 PM] Thaozee : like shit
[06:09:48 PM] Thaozee : SHIT!!
[06:09:51 PM] Smoke Stained : hahaha
[06:09:51 PM] Thaozee : Like human turds!!

I was gonna write up about the highlights of the trip (inserting random segues to Nietzsche qoutes into the mix to make my trip more philosophical and poncy), but Crackers has already done a bang-up job of it here (recommended reading). The only thing he hasn't covered is that the "Mangler Trophy" is, in fact, a thick stick with a sock sheathing one end. And that the winner has to keep it for a year till Quicky comes back and we go up to Tocumwal again. Some say the "Mangler Trophy" surfaced years ago, causing the demise of popular boy band band, "New Kids on the Block". Sinister motives abound!

It's finally spring here now. Which means I have spring in my eyes. Spring, spring spring! Too bad I'm gonna be busy nearly all of this month :( No time! (Said in the accent of Jackie Chan). bah! Driving up to the city and back in the early mornings is quite strange experience. I've been driving my parents up there cause their driver guy is off sick. I love the quiet city, with it's gothic shadows. Escpecially the tattered remains of posters on old walls. I hope the driver gets better. I want some sleep.
Awhile back, while driving home, I spotted a person trying to hitch hike somewhere in the rain at 4am. In a perfect world, I would have picked up that hitch hiker. But stupid Hollywood horror movies have ruined my generosity. I know full well what will happen when I pick up the stranger. I'll end up being chased by a "thing" with half a face, up and down the stairs of a haunted 3 storey house. Then realizing that I am in fact dead, and can see dead people. Or atleast movie stars with dead careers (imagine being the only person able to see Patrick Swayze)

Out.
Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Will try to update much more from now on.

ALL HAIL THE MANGLER TROPHY!

Quicky leaves us on Sunday morning. I will miss him. Quicky mate, your like a brother to me.

Warp speed, to mayhem!

So, in about 5 hours, I leave for a weekend of debauchery and general mayhem in honor of Ben Quick, Quicky. He leaves for Canada on the 11th of septemeber to, what I assume, fight corporate CEO ninjas who are cunningly concealed by the use of camo money. Shoved up their ass.
For a year.
(Or something like that..)

I wanted to talk to a friend tonight, but I don't think she is awake. Razy Toe out...