fro and the cowboy monkey

I know that its odd, but I'm still uneasy with the concept of people reading this and not really understanding me... so I'll try and add a little detail for you.

I'm a public servant for the Australian federal government. Yep, a boring beauracrat.

I have a penchant for most things geeky, but would never consider myself a geek. Not that I don't want to be, but I don't have the technical proficiency to call myself a geek yet. I'm more of a geek wannabe.

I have Datsuns. Obviously. I've got a Mustard 1973 Datsun 180B GL, with a 1974 JDM Bluebird dash, and a set of U12 Pintara TRX rims. It's ugly, and needs repair that it'll hopefully get over the next few weeks/months/years.

In addition, I've got a 1976 Datsun 180B, that is my rally car. Which is to say that there isn't that much left of it that is actually 180B any more. It's got Holden Commodore brake calipers, Mitsubishi Magna brake discs, 240K front struts, non-vaccuum assisted pedal box brakes, with a seperate master cylinder for front and rear brake circuits, and a hydraulic handbrake. It's got a 280Z gearbox, and Bilstein rear dampers. It's got a Pierburg electric fuel pump, twin 45mm Weber carburettors, Bluebird electronic ignition, extractors and a Nissan Pulsar radiator. But most importantly, its got a 10-point rollcage welded to the chassis, racing seats, 6-point racing harnesses, a 2kilogram fire extinguisher and a first aid kit.

I've got a 1975 Mazda 808 station wagon sitting out the back of my lace too, a shed full of bits for various cars. My wife has a 1997 Ford Falcon Longreach ute, and we share a 1997 Ducati ST2 motorbike. And then I've got the wreck of a 1981 Bluebird station wagon sitting out the front of my house as well.

To say that I'm fixated on vehicles and motor sport is somewhat of an understatement. I try not to admit it to myself, but it runs my life. My wife insists that it comes first, and she comes a distant second. I insist that she's wrong, but I secretly fear that she's right. She frequently is.

I guess that's part of the inspiration to get of my date and start doing something like this. Try and take my mind off my obsessive/compulsive behaviour, and do something different.

That, and my need to feel like everyone else, shouting my piece of mindles drivel into the teaming bitstream filling the planet, knowing that one person in a million might read some of it.

Of course, that means theres at least 4000 Chinese are going to pick up on it sometime soon...

Just in case you missed the little description up the top there, or the bit about me focussing on rallying, or the links to the left... I'm a bit obsessed with rallying. Not the "take placards, we're demanding the gumbyment do something about this" kind of rallying, neither.

I'm talking about driving cars around in the forest, preferably at high speed, with some idiot sitting next to me telling me where to go. And in my case, that I'm a big woosy sook, as well. So, when I'm not blogging, or actually rallying, or just living my life, I'll either be here pumping out more digital pulp, or over at bmsc.com.au/forums, pumping out digital pulp over there. And usually arguing with the masses.

Well, I saw this blog and thought it was time I got off my arse and started blogging myself. I've been reading blogs by everyone and anyone recently (like the last twelve months), inlcuding words of wisdom from dudes like Tim Bray, who manages to be incredibly smart (he was responsible for a large part of the XML 1.0 Spec), incredibly geeky (he was responsible for a large part of the XML 1.0 Spec), and have more than one dimension while he's at it.

I'm hoping to use this as a vent for all the angst that a frustrated 20-something can muster. But no doubt that there will be times when it falls quiet and dormant. I'll fill those gaps with my many inane stories of rallying my Datsun 180B, driving my other Datsun 180B, or other rallying folklore.

And along the way, I'll provide links to whatever it is that I found amusing/aggravating/annoying/apathetic today.