Peter Shanks
a.k.a. Shaggy
www.megalong.com/shaggy
e-mail: pshanks@megalong.com
Phone: 0438 453 098

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"All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind"

  
 

Aristotle

  
 

When I started to write this weblet yesterday, I was really looking forward to creating this page. Unfortunately I suddenly have a lot of 'mind degradation' to catch up on, so I'll just throw together a few things for now, and come back and finish this page later (ha ha).

Music

Music is a big part of my life. I play  the bagpipes,  blues harp, fiddle and mandolin (my favorite), and run a part time bush band called the Gang-Gangs. A gang-gang (see the picture on the right) is a local parrot with a particularly un-musical call - quite apt in my case, but a bit of a disservice to the rest of the band. 

I've also published a couple of tune books. As a bonus to my readers the Gang-Gang's first Australian Tune and Song Book is available for download here (432kb PDF file)

Juggling

Many years ago I worked as a clown, since then I've made a hobby of creating new jugglers. Over the years I've probably taught hundreds of folks how to throw things in the air with style.

Photography

I love taking photos - I used to use various 35mm SLRs, but went strictly digital with the purchase of a Canon MV1. My current darling is a Sony PC100.

All the images on this site, (and most of the sites linked to from here) are my photos. I also have a presentation on display at photo.net

 

Rock Climbing

The Blue Mountains, where I live, are what you'd call 'horizontally challenged'. So much so, it was only about 100 years ago that white man finally found a way across them.

So, what do you do for entertainment when you're surrounded by cliffs? Risk your life clambering up and down them of course!

 My sister, Janet, half way up a 30 metre pitch

GangGang Parrot
 


Comments

 
Visitor:  As you said "Shaggy's on-line self-marketing weblet", but I'm wondering if the overall presentation couldn't be a bit 'tighter' in feel, and a little more factual.   
Shaggy:  It's all factual! I've added some old clowning pics. in case this was the bit you thought stretched the truth.  
Visitor:  The 'some play' page is great, but I'm wondering if some employers might be turned away from such stuff, whereas others will think wonderful and quirky. For example, your musical ability. Perhaps state on your home page that you are an accomplished musician and perform in a band etc. Spiff it up a bit to make it an achievement rather than a distraction. The juggling and climbing bits were a little over the top (pardon the pun), as well as the ref. to working as a clown. So what sort of employer is looking to take on someone, at say programming etc, when he spends considerable time pursuing hedonistic activities at the expense of doing his main job?  
Shaggy: 

 I have worked some 100 hour weeks, but generally 50 is about my optimum. Even with sleeping, eating and housework this still leaves me with another 50 hours to play in - more if I skip the sleeping and housework :-) 

  
Visitor: enjoyed visiting you and your site....shame about the bagpipes!  Would love to hear them...not  
Shaggy:   everyone's a critic! I recorded that sound bite in Cathedral Cave in outback Australia, about as far from civilization (read: 'bagpipe critics') as you can get. Wouldn't you know it, down the track walks a group with a leader who could also play the pipes. We both had a great time 'squeezing the goose', but the rest of the group looked a bit the worse for wear by the end of it all.
  

e-mail pshanks@megalong.com  • Phone 0438 453 098
www.megalong.com