Rugby World Cup 1999

   The Wallabies 1999 vintage bounced back from a low ebb circa 1995 to claim the William Webb Ellis Cup [Bill]. The official version of events is that Webb Ellis at Rugby School in England picked up the ball and ran with it in a multi players per side game of football, thus creating the great running game Rugby Union!!
   The John Eales led Wallabies were a special team and gave many of us special pleasure at knowing the Wallabies had won TWO World Cups... I'll still say we were 4 or 5 degrees celsius and one turnover away from THREE but unlike the All Blacks we don't have to win ours 'at home'!!
   But seriously, it shows the + and - of a four year World Cup cycle that as teams have begun to plan their futures around it the All Blacks as undisputed best team in the world have let nerves and resolve get the better of them on a number of occasions!! First hand experience showed me the NZ home fans and crowd were anything but confident in 2011 at Eden Park where France did almost bring them unstuck... but to be honest I think home ground was the difference again!!
   This t-shirt was a piece of shameless cheap capitalising on the win BUT when I bought it I could actuallu wear it. These days it hangs on the wall amongst other memorabilia!!

Star Wars 'Episode IV'

   

   The original and best film was clunky, mind blowing and visually astounding!! You have to remember that we'd never seen the opening credits or story intro scroll upwards and into the screen 'wow'!! And then when the Space craft tip enters the screen and the underside just keeps getting bigger and bigger... But George Lucas is at least equal measure innovative creator and frustrating perfectionist. I get the idea of going back to redo things you had in mind that CGI couldn't yet do BUT I wish the stormtrooper hitting his helmet on a bulkhead stayed in!! #firstworldproblem I guess!!

   I'm pretty sure I bought this t-shirt in the US. The other marker for me with this film and t-shirt are that I saw the film from the mezzanine level of my Uncle Colin Hanks' 'Chelsea Theatre' in Melbourne St, East Maitland!! Memories!! 

   

US Open Tennis 1998 Men's Champion Pat Rafter

   New York is an amazing place... I've been fortunate enough to visit three times and still have plenty to do and see!! It's a great place for playing celebrity spotto, plunging into pop culture, capturing history or just watching the wide variety of people getting around Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens or Flushing!!
   That said, this t-shirt was ordered over the internet either the day of the Men's Final or just before!! The surface really suited Rafter's game and he went back to back there... I was acccidentally there in 2008 on my trip exploring new and/or experimental faith communities and took in The Women's Semis, Men's Doubles Final and a super sized basket of lattice fries with cheese sauce [a classic US menu item]. But in 38 degree heat I did only walk half way across the Brooklyn Bridge so I can cross it next time with family along again...
   This shirt reflects my love of sport, admiration for Rafter's style of serve and volley play but also a soft spot for New York City!! We visited an empty Flushing Meadow in 2000 in winter and me again in 2008, paying homage to the Champions Row statues and the name plates outside Arthur Ashe Stadium... graphite pencil rubbing next time...

My favourite things we/I have done there include:
- Times Square walking
- 'Late Show with David Letterman' standby and then audience
- 'The Lion King' on Broadway
- Yankees v Braves Baseball at Yankee Stadium
- Westside YMCA
- World Trade Centers [US spelling] in 1998
- Then 9/11 Memorial Museum and Walking Tour with Effected Family Guides 2008
- The Seinfeld Reality Tour with Kenny Kramer
- Bumping into Robin Williams
- Planet Hollywood
- Wall St Maccas
- Seeing a Movie with a noisy US crowd + real butter popcorn [though it wasn't Rochelle Rochelle]
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade including the Wiggles
- Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lights
- Barnes and Noble and Tower Records Lincoln Center
- Central Park
- Wollman Rink
- FAO Schwarz
- 'Transmission' Liturgical Faith Community and Grace Church Upper Westside/Chelsea
- Soup from the man who inspired Seinfeld's 'Soup Nazi'
...

'Planet Hollywood' Las Vegas

   From standing in George St Sydney full up with the flu, watching the movie heavyweights arrive for the Opening Party... to LA, Paris and Times Square in New York... I loved enjoying a meal at 'Planet Hollywood.' In Planet Hollywood Paris we shared the space with a hundred very drunk Scottish Football fans during the opening night celebrations of the '98 World Cup and we paid over $60 AU each for our burger meals!! It made a nice change from baguette and slices of cheese or the savoury mince crepe at the local caravan near 'The Young & Happy' hostel!!
Kitsch but interesting, overpriced but unique!!
   I think the cult of celebrity is hilarious but the craft of film making is something to celebrate... and costumes, props and scripts make great pop culture artifacts!! No wonder I enjoyed the surprise of the movie costume exhibit at Fed Square in Melbourne recently!!
   I understand there's a whole Casino and Resort in Vegas now with the Planet Hollywood theme, back then it was part of the marble shopping mall in a Palazzo with a sky blue cloudy sky ceiling!!