Paul's Corner

Gidday Phil, thank you for perservering with your email to me!! I am sure you know what it is like - or perhaps not, so therefore I am not actually all that sure - when you are in a funk mood and you get an email from a friend or even three but youre still in a funk mood and you cant bring yourself to answer because all you are going to do is spread your funk all over the world?! Know what I mean? That is how the bird flu started! Well it might have any way?!

Mate I am in a funk and have been for a while now! Things are good - I finally finished my tax - two years late but done - I am working, my profile is good, people are loving what I am doing, kids are doing great, my wife loves me and we are doing good - yep everything is good.........but I am in a funk. Crazy really isnt it. Often when things arent going so well - often being the operative word in the sentence - you still remain funk free so why I am in a funk? I have several causes I can pin point but none of them really fit.

In short I am in a funk because I am not so happy with 'me'. I realised this today, which is great because now knowing this I can now set about fixing it. The thing I havent quite worked out is why am I choosing this funk and how in fact do I go about finding out what in fact the root of this funk is and then how do I fix the funk! I am sure there is a mathamatical equation that would sort my dilema out - how is your maths by the way? If you know an equation - not just any equation like 1 + 1 = 11 but one which may be more helpful to working out the sum of my funk then I would be grateful if you could email it to me fairly soon!

Hey! May be that is the equation!! Two things don't always add up to what you expect they will, therefore a funk descends because what one expected the outcome to be didn't actually add up the outcome that eventuated and therefore the shortfall in experience is equated to a shortfall in ones self thereby producing a mathemetical black space - hereto and otherwise known as a funk! (stop and take a breath)

Thanks mate!! I really should have emailed you sooner!

With love and a lurking sense of funklessness - well an easing of the whole funk cloud anyway.

your mate

Paul

The last couple of weeks I have lost that positive edge and have been feeling rather down and negative. So I thought I would write a list and get it off my chest:

1. Why do perfect strangers (imperfect in fact) and vague acquaintances think they have the right to comment on my weight? Of course I don’t mind when they are complementary about how good I am looking but when someone that doesn’t know me or barely knows me decides to comment on my weight what are they comparing it to? That movie I shot 15 years ago?? It is a touchy subject as no one likes to be told they have put on weight, so why do strangers think they have the right to and why, if they themselves wouldn’t like people to say that to them do they think it is perfectly acceptable to say it to me?

2. I have to admit it, I am thinning on top. I am not all that happy about it as I fear that it could affect my TV career. Not much I can do about it except have some kind of implants or what ever they do these days. The thing is - it is life and sometimes you just have to accept life the way it is. Not that I find that so easy all the time. I guess I will watch to see which way the wind blows and my hair and make a choice then.

3. The Food program I shot earlier this year which was supposed to be shown during this season of Dancing With The Stars has been postponed till next year. Perhaps that is a good thing! However - as everybody who has seen it thinks it is really good I don’t know why it was not put to air as 'they who control these matters' originally committed to. If it rated well we could then have gone into production over Dec and Jan to make another 6 or even 13 episodes ready to go to air in Feb. So a decision from the top of the food chain means an effective loss of work and income to me over the next couple of months. Not that my livelihood is their concern but it sucks that I eat, or not, according to their whim.

3.5 I am annoyed that keeping the faith and hope burning bright has darkened somewhat. Where as a couple of weeks ago things were looking very bright and sunny now it has turned overcast with a chance of a storm.

4. In his self admitted vent column, DWTS competitor Ian 'Dicko' Dickson writes for TV week he declares...."I could be the best dancer in the world and I will still get five, five, five from her..." He is talking about the scores given by judge Helen Ritchie. Just to put the record straight as Dicko doesn’t seem to want the truth to get in the way of a good winge here are the actual scores Helen gave Dicko and Leeanne from episode 1 - 6 in order:7,5,6,7,5,8.

As for his comment that the judges are cowards - with his exception of Todd, I would just say that we are the ones putting ourselves on the line on live TV, giving our honest opinions face to face with each competitor. I also make an effort to talk to each competitor after the show to ensure they understood my comments and answer any questions or criticism they may have. We are not hiding behind a magazine article with incorrect facts.

Although it perplexes me how or why a 40 year old bloke would call an older lady a coward???

5. When a friend lays a guilt trip on me because they are not getting what 'they' want, then I start to question the value of that friendship. I am not interested in living my life according to some one elses insecurities - there is something dishonest about it that makes any contact uncomfortable. Accepting each other for who we are with all our foibles and weirdities is what freindship is about. It is non judgemental and respectful.

On a positive note I have started brewing on my new little experimental brewery and so far made two beers - a Kolsch and an American Style Amber Ale. Still working on the new packaging for my Beer Label and Logo.

In short I am still moving forward - I just wish the clouds would clear!