About
What’s this blog about? Whatever! I have a few things to say about Perth, most of which are far from the parochial gushings of the madding crowd. And a whole lotta other stuff…
I do not calculate to offend, but I have no doubt that some will find some of my observations confronting. Too bad. I will speak my truth, and if you don’t like it, speak yours back to me.
I will not be censoring any of your comments. Be as forthright and plain-speaking as you like, but you’d better make sense. Challenge me with rational argument by all means. Robust as you like. Be warned, though: I make no apology for having a low tolerance for unsubstantiated bluster, and I can be unkind.
And about me, personally? In no particular order…
*I’ve been a food freak since way before it became fashionable. Also love cooking and am more than competent in the domestic kitchen, though lacking care with presentation. Wine, beer, cheese and chocolate I would list among my vices.
*I’m chipping away at making a living from the web. Not quite a Geek, my study and research of various software programs and webby stuff is longstanding and ongoing. I suppose I could justly accuse myself of knowing a little about a lot.
*I’m a writer, having had short fiction published in Westerly (UWA literary quarterly, once esteemed, now defunct), Curtin Uni’s Naked Eye and Deakin Uni’s Mattoid. I wrote a satirical daily online stock market commentary under the pseudonym of “Smart Alec” until the site folded with the tech wreck. I’ve written screenplays, had none produced. That doesn’t necessarily mean they weren’t worthy (although maybe they weren’t) – you try getting a movie up as an unknown writer.
*I’ve freelanced as a copy-editor for close to 20 years: doctoral theses and business seminar presentations and promos mostly, but also academic tomes, feature film screenplays, cut scenes for computer games…even a rock musical.
If you’re after a writer or a copy-editor, isn’t it fortuitous you’re reading this? I await providence’s knock upon my door – or yours.
*In a past life I was a founder member of arguably Perth’s first punk rock band, The Geeks (see perthpunk.com) and pursued an active interest in songwriting for many years thereafter. I still have songs in my head, but rarely do much about mining them these days.
*My most recent artistic interest is in graphic design. My backstreet wall is T-shirts, my spray can Illustrator and PhotoShop, which I wield to communicate some of my pet gripes about good old Perth and the rest of the planet. You’ll either love my T-shirts or hate them, depending on your world view and sense of humour.
If the former, please don’t hesitate to purchase one or more from my Australian-based e-store, Hot Bee Tees, or my American-based e-store (which has a wider variety of designs, less Aussie-orientated), Wickedwiz – T-shirts With a Sting. I so enjoy eating regularly, and not being one of the real estate investors or mining industry employees who have caught Perth’s wave of affluence in recent years, this so-called boom seems to have passed me by. Worse than that, it has driven up living costs and made life harder for those who have not shared in the boomtime spoils…but halten sie hier! I’m moving into blog territory. See you there.
Rolan Stein
