Playschool - now this is an education

You have to love children's television; across generations, Playschool has played on the ABC and has been educating young Australian children since 1966. It is estimated more than 80% of the population under six years of age tune into Playschool at least once a week.

I wonder what Big Ted, Little Ted and Jemima think about this; I wonder what window they will be looking out of today, the round window, the square window or the stoner's window. As a kid, I recall frequently watching Playschool on our black & white television as it is an educational television show; but I don't recall ever being taught how to make a bong - this is a skill set every aspiring stoner kid needs.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts

Maybe it is just me, because I do not see the attraction of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I understand they are very popular. On my travels to the Philippines, I saw a number of outlets, especially at the airport. The Manila residents heading out to the provinces would carry on as hand luggage boxes of this stuff - I thought they were mad. 

You could imagine my surprise when the first store opened in Perth and people lined up outside for hours - you have to be kidding. I have had Krispy Kreme doughnuts before and I don't think they are particularly good, their toppings are too sugary and they are over-priced. Yet, you have to respect their marketing abilities, they have taken a mediocre product at best and made it a sought after product. 

Gordon's London Dry Gin

Hailing from Perth where hot and dry summers are the norm, a refreshing gin and tonic on a hot day is wonderful. Likewise, when I am on holidays in South East Asia, a G & T is my choice of alcoholic drink. A slice of lime to compliment and finish the drink is excellent, this is a great complimentary taste for a summer drink.

A gin based martini is to be stirred and not shaken, I always thought a gin based martini beats the vodka based martini; better known as a vodkatini that is shaken and not stirred. A Gordon's based martini based on a 5:1 ratio with dry vermouth is my choice of high powered drink; it is a pure alcohol based cocktail with no mixer - so buyer beware.  

An executive MBA

I was hanging with one of my mates in Florida, we come from the same trade background and have worked together in the past, he has a pretty formidable resume. Yet he was lamenting the current declining job opportunities due to his lack of tertiary qualifications - that's what companies want now. I decided to apply for an MBA to also prevent this happening to me, not long after my return to Australia, he sends me a message informing me he has been accepted in an executive MBA program and his company is willing to pay for it - well played on his part. 

The Master of Business Administration has been around a long time, there are a number of reincarnations of the MBA course; the executive MBA has been developed specifically targeting corporate executives and managers allowing participants to earn an MBA degree within two years whilst maintaining working full-time employment. 

Participants are recruited into EMBA programs from a variety of organisations including profit, non-profit, military and government - naturally representing a multitude of industries. As a result of their current employment backgrounds; EMBA participants typically have a higher level of work experience than standard MBA students, usually 10+ years as opposed to 3 -5 years work experience of standard MBA programs. 

EMBA programs are a mix of classroom teaching, generally conducted on evenings and over weekends including online tutorials and some full-day sessions. In response to an increasing number of EMBA programs on offer; the Executive MBA Council was formed to advance executive education.

Naturally, career advancement and increased prospects are primary motivators for managers and executives to embark on the EMBA program. As EMBA participants work full-time during the duration of the program; they are able to apply the management techniques and best practices learned in the classroom to real-life situations as opposed to traditional MBAs who are full-time students.

A cabernet sauvignon worthy of a preliminary final - a 1995 Leeuwin Estate Art series

My team limped into a Friday night AFL preliminary final, I contacted my father to make sure a good red wine befitting a preliminary final was available. My old man made an excellent selection with a 1995 Leeuwin Estate Art series cabernet sauvignon that didn't disappoint.

According to the notes, the 95 Art series cabernet sauvignon holds chalky, mineral edge to the expressive nose - this has somewhat softened on this excellent aged wine. The 95 Art series held a perfect balance of lush berry fruit and chunky savouriness. The tannic structure has softened along with some minerality that has resided; the fruit is beginning to fade just a tad and is still drinking well in 2015. 

The 95 Art series described as somewhat more complex than the 1996 and a little more restrained - this was an excellent drop. Unfortunately, the game didn't pan out how I had hoped but it didn't stop both of us from enjoying this excellent example of Leeuwin Estate cabernet sauvignon.

Polo - Red

Taking on a new aftershave, I decided on Polo Red by Ralph Lauren as the spicy overtones really had a bit of bite - this turned out to be a great daily aftershave.

Checking the notes, I began to find out where the bite comes from, this was a far more complex fragrance than I expected. This eau de toilette from perfumer Olivier Gillotin opens with red grapefruit with notes of cranberry and Italian lemon. Red sage, red saffron and lavender form the base tapering off with red wood, hot amber and coffee beans - I'm happy I decided to pick up the new fragrance, it really is red hot.

The joy of banca diving

The outrigger style banca boat is common throughout the Philippines; I love diving from these boats with their outriggers lashed together with fishing line keeping the narrow hull stable. Landing on Apo Island after the first dive, we took our lunch on the banca before heading over to wander the beach and look around the village.

Diving in Anilao, the surface interval saw us come ashore after landing on the back beach to walk around to the main beach on the island, the scenic locations surrounding the dive sites make for a great day out.

Cruising around Pandan Island, the beautiful clear waters of this remote island provide great sloping dive environments. The banca would drop us off at the site and we would swim back to the shore following the bottom topography.

A larger style banca at Sogod Bay, Leyte carries us across the bay to the walls, this larger style banca is pretty stable and very powerful. The locals take an old diesel engine from a truck that has been scraped and bolt it in the hull transmission and all, they connect the drive to the propeller shaft and they have propulsion.

This small banca doesn't offer a whole lot of shade protecting us from the beautiful Filipino summer days, we were crammed under the shade before getting back in the water.

Bancas are built for their environment; the small propeller and shaft is mounted almost perpendicular to the keel, the small rudder makes steering difficult, these boats can navigate extremely shallow water, an essential trait in these high tidal areas.