The Life And Times (Of The Mates) Of JB - Volume 1 ...

This has been a long time coming, so where do I begin? If one was to start in alphabetical order, then Aaron would be first in the book. You may remember when I broke blog convention earlier this year and named the artist formerly known as AC Literally. That was because the guy, who I have called a mate for more than a decade, was going through a torrid time fighting cancer. Well, AC literally has done a Lance Armstrong and showed a lot of guts and lived to tell the tale.

Indeed, his roller coaster year culminated in the news last week that he got engaged in Orlando, Florida. No, not to Donald Duck, but to EI, which I think stands for Extraordinary Intelligence (the happy trio are pictured left at Disneyworld). I cracked up when he told me he bought EI's engagement ring at a place called Berry's Jewellers. Since the founding of Berry's in 1897, the company has apparently been committed to attaining the highest standards in the quality, design and manufacture of jewellery. "This ethos has kept us in good stead for over a hundred years and is still true to this day," their website says. But I especially liked what AC had to say: "I know the name holds integrity." By the other pictures that didn't make the blog, it looked like they had fun in Florida. I want to go Stateside - again.

I can't talk about the Sunshine State without mentioning my main man Murfuoso (five words beginning with the letter M), who can now officially claim to be a Floridian after he and The Jeweller got hitched this year. While I'm not Mrs Murfuoso, I've been hanging out with this cat a helluva lot lately. Last night - Live At The Chapel - we saw Augie March and tonight we are going to see Wolfmother.

In racing parlance, The Jeweller, I understand, is a late scratching, and for the third night in a row I'll be going to a concert. It all started with Angels And Airwaves on Sunday night at Festival Hall. Anyway, Murfuoso went to the Collingwood best and fairest award the other week and got this photo with Magpies coach, Mick Malthouse. It pains me to even mention my most hated footy team, let alone put a picture up, but credit where it's due. Respect.

On the topic of footy (I like how this is flowing), I heard from the self-proclaimed Slugger who saw what many Geelong fans didn't see a lot of this year - a victory. Slugg wrote that he "woke like a kid on Christmas Day, full of excitement about heading to The Oval", where the Cats were to play Port Adelaide. Apparently, the first beer - Cooper's Sparkling Ale - was opened at 10.30am before Slugg and friends found a hotel and then the ground where Slugger managed to get a photo with newly-departed captain Steven King (right). Definitely worthy of a post.

"The sky was grey but hopes were high as the Cats huddled on the ground ... the next few hours (we) saw streakers, high flying attempts, the odd shoving match, the blooding of new players and victory to the Cats," Slugg wrote. "I found out this morning that due to the streakers and skirmishes the game was stopped 10 minutes early ... wouldn't have known this at the time."

Oh dear! After the game there was a bit of kick-to-kick and the day got better when Slugg went back to the pub and saw the Aussies beat England in the cricket, before he - to paraphrase D. Rogers - pulled up stumps and went home to bed.

Excuse me as I kiss the sky ...

There hasn't been much to write about here at Blog Central (well, there has, but I'll fill you in later on), so I thought I would note there's a little less than two weeks until the Fantasy Basketball Draft for this year's competition, The League of Masculine Love. I'm predicting many of my female readers have just turned off. What is fantasy basketball, I hear you ask. Well, click the link, go on, click it.

If having to decide who will form part of my team, Great Odin's Ravens, isn't hard enough, then consider the thought that the draft is on at the same night as AP's 30th. What a dilemma! I missed the draft last year as I was overseas and was duly punished, scraping all season long to finish equal seventh out of the 10 competitors who line up every year. My best finish as a seven-year fantasy baller was a second placing in 2002, beaten on the last day of the season! I'd like to pick Blazers' rookie Brandon Roy (right), but only if the price is right.

Some say that if I applied myself to other facets of my life (including work) with as much vigour as I do fantasy basketball then, alas, I would be a world beater. Maybe I am. But for now, I'll be happy to live in a fantasy world (right) and hopefully take the title for the first time. Some are flying from interstate to be at C-Bas' house especially for the festivities of draft day - October 28! There will be plenty of celebrations, contemplations and commiserations. And maybe a few beers, too!

Good golly, Mr Meldrum ...

I know what you were thinking. JB was full of bulltish when he mentioned of going around to Molly Meldrum's house for Murfuoso's unofficial buck's party a couple of months ago. Well, here's photographic proof. Yes, it's pretty easy to doctor images in this, the technological age, but you'll just have to believe me, alright?

It was one of many funny pictures to lob my way via e-mail today. The others involve Murfuoso, Cricket Australia (not the organisation, rather the man behind the lens above) and that rabble known as the Collingwood Football Club. I have been thinking for a while about launching an irregular segment called The Life And Times (Of The Mates) Of JB to pass the time and when I do, you'll see them. Your nominations please.

And it was exactly a year ago that I was in England after escaping London for a weekend of R&R in Brighton. Darling!

Like his bride, the groom wore pink ...

Beers were consumed and fun was in order. There was also a wedding to be had. Sort of. Mr and Mrs Murfuoso had returned from their New York nuptials last month for an Australian encore, held last Friday night - Grand Final eve - in the genteel surrounds of Port Melbourne. We posed for a photo, a la Rivjuando and Soule Sista last August and it was agreed that I continue to play the third wheel well!

As you can see (below left), there was more posing. Geezer probably has never played the role of hooker in the front row as he's more of a prop forward in the mold of Peter Tunks. There were also jokes shared (below right). A likely story, indeed! Murfuoso's sister I think was asking if any of the guys worked in the media. We're still checking.










Murfuoso is quite shocked at the choice of pictures used. Moments ago, he said the images posted exclusively on The Life And Times Of JB had depicted the night as a ''pathetic, drunken and tawdry affair''.

''It was not like that at all, it was quite refined,'' he said. ''You have just gone tabloid on me, Naomi Robson style ... I've been staged here - set up!"

Far from me to anger the 637 readers I already have, let alone a great mate, here are some more pictures below.