Yoshi'sPlayground

Who am I?

Hiya! I'm Yoshi - also known as Gabe. I'm 28, I live in Canberra Australia and I'm a Signwriter or Signpainter (if you still don't get it - I paint signs for a living). If you'd like to see some of my work - stick with this page, but if you'd like to see what other fine craftsmen and women create try the 'Letterheads' website - home of over 3000 'Letterheads - keepers of our craft'. For a close up on some Aussie Signpeople, free dowloadable fonts and vector art try 'Oz Sign and Graphics'.

The things I do...

Well....I play trombone in a Big Band called 'In full Swing', I play guitar in a praise and worship band, I conduct a Salvation Army Brass Band........uhh..........I teach up to 11 students brass instruments.......I guess most of my time is spent with music. BUT!!! I like to chat on IRC too. Look out for me on DALnet!!!

Really way way way cool places to go and people to see......

I'm not a big fan of Rugby League......however I AM a big fan of Mal Meninga's thighs (and the rest of him too). These days Big Mal coaches the Canberra Raiders, but he's still in great shape. The Raiders have won 3 grand finals in the last 10 years and it's obvious why they're called the 'bad and mean green machine'.

I've made a heap of friends through IRC overseas. Many are Signwriters, but the most special to me are the ones I can laugh and cry with rather than just talk shop. Don't get me wrong here - signies are amongst the most eccentric, ridiculous and generous people you'll ever meet, but it's the people from all over the world I've met through IRC who have made a real difference to the way I look at things.

A few homepages worthy of my high praises (considering my own lack of skill) are :-
Candy Lovett's Gulf War Site
Mary Hudnall's Maze of Amazing things
Squishi's Closet. Squishi actually admits to being my sister

The things I passionately hate...

Zucchini - blame my Mother for this one....
Fanta - or any orange flavoured soda - message Coca-Cola® and give voice to your disgust
Injustice - write a letter or two for Amnesty International - make a difference
Racisim - Pauline Hanson.....anyone with hair THAT colour and an attitude THAT bad has a lot to answer for....
Changed my mind - maybe - click the link to find out more
Ferals - The kind that wear that rings through their eyelids, smell like the night after a bong-fest and look like they could use a nice bath & spin dry in the 'superwash' cycle of my washing machine. I doubt even the Napisan® doorstep challenge would make a difference....
People who don't like chocolate - what on earth is WRONG with them?
Arrows - I really really hate arrows on signs....stay posted for a great cartoon about this.
Child Abusers - even though God loves em....this is a tough one. Report them to the Police.
Hypocrites - Christians who say one thing and yet do the other....you know what I mean
Lentils - do I need a reason?
Celine Dion - anyone with a name like that needs to take a good hard look at themselves - then rip out their tonsils.
These numbers intentionally left vacant incase I think up any others.....

The things I love......

Vegemite - the Vegemite Kid!!!
Chocolate - no-one to blame but myself for this one....mail me if you share my passion!
My Doggies - Dougal the Cairn Terrier and Letta the Malt/Bichon
Aretha Franklin - my mansion in heaven is right between hers and Mahalia Jackson's
Christian Lindberg - If you have to ask who he is.......do I know you??? Just incase you need to sus him out...
Leunig - Michael Leunig - the darkest Aussie social commentator and cartoonist of all time....a genius
Barbra Streisand movies - call me a schlmeel but don't rain on my parade.....
Really nice old fashioned signs - the kind that make you wonder why you supported computer generated 'art'
Flowers - any kind really, but Sweet Peas and Yellow Roses in particular
Tomato's - The home grown sun ripened warm juicy kind
The beach - Although I keep a 4ft tank of fancy Japanese Goldfish......and I can't even bear to look at them when they're dead, I love to fish from the beach - just so long as someone else does the dirty work.....
Creating - whether they be inventions for things too silly to ever produce, or just doing what I do best - painting signs, creativity is my greatest passion.
Mel Torme - Mr Croon-a-toon himself
Billie Holiday - the perfect Blues for any occasion

Links soHOT they're probably stolen.....

Signs I'll admit to having painted

Visitors to this site since May 1,1998

and you thought I didn't get visitors.....