Sean Castle is a Head Teacher Teaching and Learning having 20 years of experience in education. This Blog by Sean Castle is a place for educational conversations, trends and resources.
Thanks for the feedback – Many of you said you loved the Nothing But Oz! theme from a few weeks back but you want more female voices. This week it is Nothing But Oz! -Women.
Listen in! This week I am playing and unpacking a different mix:
Killing Heidi – Ella Hooper
Kylie
Kate Ceberano
Julia Stone
Amy Shark
Vanessa Amorosi
Delta Goodrem
Tina Arena
Kasey Chambers
The Veronicas
Rogue Traders – Nat Bassingwaite
Hope you join me Monday night on SWR 99.9FM for Beyond The Lyrics
Sean Castle
Monday 16th November: Sean Castle will be looking at No 1 Hits from the 80s. He will select one song from each year and unpack the song and the year.
The only rule is that it had to reach No 1 on the Aussie charts during that calendar year. Some forgottten classics and others that are best simply forgotten.
Join me AEST 9pm on Monday evening and be surprised at the choice.
Send me a message at: https://www.facebook.com/sean.castle.792 or @SeanCastle15 via Twitter.
Sean Castle
This week I’m doing the first in a series of shows that will pop up over the next few months called Nothing But Oz!.
This weeks songs will include:
Big Jet Plane – Angus and Julia Stone
Early Warning – Baby Animals
Choirgirl – Cold Chisel
Can’t Cry Hard Enough – The Robertson Brothers
Up To My Neck In You – AC/DC
As the Days Go By – Daryl Braithwaite
Crazy – Icehouse
Boys in Town – The Divinyls
These Days – Powderfinger
Help is on its Way – Little River Band
If you have a request for a show then get me on Twitter: @SeanCastle15 or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sean.castle.792
See you Monday Night!
Sean Castle
It’s Election season in the USA (and recently QLD). Great time to look at protest and political songs.
Tonight I look at:
Fortunate Son – Credence Clear Water Revival
Zombie – The Cranberries
Sunday Bloody Sunday – US
Born In The USA – Bruce Springsteen
What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
Beds Are Burning – Midnight Oil
Mr President – Pink!
Imagine – John Lennon
Drive – REM
Killing In The Name Of – Rage Against the Machine
Hope to hear from you tonight.
Sean Castle
Hi there,
I’ve had a few people asking me repost some of my old stories from my time writing for boxing magazines and websites and also doing ringside reporting. Hope you enjoy this first one on Aussie Joe Bugner that I did a few years back.
Cheers, Sean Castle
An Examination of “Aussie” Joe Bugner by Sean Castle
Sean Castle Looks At The Best Overseas-Born Australian Boxers
An Examination of “Aussie” Joe Bugner
By Sean Castle
The Australian boxing scene has been spoilt in recent history with the level of top-class fighters who have left their homeland and decided to ply their trade down under. In the past twenty years we have had two of the greatest fighters of their generation in undisputed world champions Kostya Tszyu (Russia- Junior Welterweight) and Vic Darchinyan (Armenia- Super Flyweight) adopt Australia and make their life here. A search through the record books shows a long and exhaustive list that also includes the class of world champions Johnny Famechon (France) and more recently Lovemore Ndou (South Africa) and Garry St. Clair (Guyana).
When examining such a topic it is important to look closely at the career and the contribution to their sport that each individual has made. Therefore it is entirely appropriate to commence this series with Former British Empire (Commonwealth) and European Heavyweight Champion Joe Bugner and rightfully recognise his position in this unique part in Australia’s rich boxing history.
Born József Kreul Bugner in Hungary in 1950, Bugner holds triple nationality and citizenship, holding passports with the United Kingdom, Australia and his native homeland of Hungary. To get a clear understanding of Bugner’s life it is necessary to understand the environment of Eastern Europe in the period following World War II. This section of the world was very unstable politically. With the advent of the Cold War, Hungary, along with a long list of Eastern European nations, fell to Communist Soviet (USSR) forces in 1956. This was the catalyst for the Bugner family fleeing to safety and seeking refuge in England.
Bugner’s professional career is remarkable in that it spans across an incredible four decades, commencing in England in 1967 and finally drawing to a close in Australia 32 years later in 1999. Bugner competed in an amazing 83 heavyweight contests, winning 69 (43 KOs). There was no indication that such longevity was on the cards when Bugner lost his first professional fight, courtesy of a 3rd round stoppage against mediocre Englishman Paul Brown. Brown only claimed two victories in a thirteen fight professional career, one being Bugner. For the sake of fairness it is only right to point out that Bugner twice avenged this early defeat by knocking out Brown in both rematches.
Following his knockout in his debut fight, Bugner had to make a choice on what path to take. Respond and continue with his dream of becoming a professional fighter or take up a trade position in industrial England. And respond he did. Demonstrating a major difference in approach to the often pampered professionals of the modern era, Bugner stepped into the ring an astonishing 33 times between 1968-70, for 32 victories and a narrow points decision loss. The defining fight in his career came early in 1971 when Bugner took on the beloved English icon Henry Cooper for the British Empire (Commonwealth) and European titles.
Cooper, who became famous for his 1963 bout with the legendary Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) where he had Clay in serious trouble, sprawled all over the canvas towards the end of Round 4. Legend has it that Clay only survived when trainer Angelo Dundee cut Clay’s glove between rounds giving the American valuable time to recover and stop Cooper on cuts in the fifth. In a fiercely contested title fight that went the full scheduled 15 rounds, Bugner was awarded a narrow and highly disputed points victory, sending Cooper into retirement. Following this victory, Bugner would feel the full brunt of English displeasure from here on, with many fight fans actively turning against the Hungarian-born fighter and his popularity at an all-time low.
When assessing Bugner’s standing in boxing it is important to have a sound knowledge of the history of the sport. Unlike today, where there are many soft belts given away and too many sanctioning bodies to count, the 1970s, when Bugner was at his best, basically had only the traditional WBA and the more recent breakaway WBC sanctioning world title fights. Often regarded as the golden era of heavyweight boxing with champions of the ilk of three-time world undisputed world champion Muhammad Ali, “Smokin” Joe Frazier and the fearsome George Foreman reigning at various times, easy fights were often hard to find. Contrast this with the poor state of the heavyweight division today where quality contests and interest are at an all-time low. Bugner outlined his frustration at the current state of sanctioning belts to Sean Castle saying “that many of the fighters today with world title belts would not even have been in the Top 10 in the 1960s through to the 1980s. Fighters such as Bugner lament the fact that had they been born a generation late, the titles and the riches that go with them would have been there for the taking.
Bugner, who spent the best part of the 1970’s ranked in the Top 10, has a record that shows that he twice went the distance with Ali and also once with Frazier, getting up off the canvas in the 10th round against Smokin’ Joe to lose a tight decision. Bugner shared with Sean Castle that it incredibly took until his 59th professional fight for him to finally get his shot at the world championship. And the fight was against the greatest of all-tme, Muhammad Ali. Coming up against Ali in Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia in 1975, Bugner showed dogged tenacity to push the fighter widely recognised as the greatest of all-time to the full 15 rounds in a bout where Ali collected a then record purse of $2 million dollars. Bugner told Sean Castle that the conditions and environment of the fight meant that he had to arrive at the open air stadium in a bullet proof van as there was a credible assassination threat should Bugner defeat Ali, a Muslim, in an Islamic nation.
The period after the loss to Ali marked the decline in Bugner’s career as a legitimate threat to the world title. A lack of top quality opponents and motivation led to a series of retirements and sporadic comebacks throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s for the fighter dubbed by Ali as the best white fighter in the world. Bugner commented to Sean Castle that he relocated to Australia in 1986 for a new life and decided to give the fight game one final shot, adopting the moniker “Aussie Joe”, Bugner again set out on a journey with the hope of one last shot at glory. Beginning his “Aussie” career by defeating former WBA Heavyweight Champion Greg Page over 10 rounds, Bugner returned to his former home of England in 1987 to take on multiple Mike Tyson whipping boy and future WBC Champion Frank Bruno. This stoppage loss to Bruno at Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane in front of a large Bruno crowd again sent “Aussie Joe” into another retirement.
It was during the next period out of the ring that Bugner branched out into various other walks of life including acting in a variety of movies for Director Bud Spence, coupled with some other high-risk ventures such as the vineyard he bought and operated in Queensland. Its failure and the mounting debts that accompanied it and also inspired by George Foreman regaining the world heavyweight championship at age 45, led Bugner back into the ring in 1995, 8 years and 11 months since the Bruno fight. He shared with Sean Castle his belief if King George could do it, then so could he.
Highlighting his obvious international class and the lack of depth and quality in the Australian fight game, Bugner was able to capture the national championship in his return bout against Vince Cervi via a 12 round points decision. 1996 brought the regional Pan-Asian Boxing Association (PABA) title after knocking out big-punching Young Haumono in Canberra. Multiple Australian champions Colin Wilson and “Big” Bob Mirovic were on the receiving end of decision losses in 1998 as Bugner prepared for his match up against former world champion James “Bonecrusher” Smith for the lightly regarded World Boxing Foundation title. Smith’s retirement at the end of Round 1 due to a dislocated shoulder gave “Aussie Joe” a world title belt at the age of 48 before a final victory in 1999 against Levi Billups finally closed the curtain on an astonishing 32 year ring career.
Maybe if Bugner fought at his peak in another era then a genuine world title belt might be rightfully placed in his trophy cabinet. Nevertheless, as Australia pays due respect to its “imported” champions, it is appropriate to recognise the contribution and service of “Aussie” Joe Bugner to this great sport over such an extended period.
*Sean Castle is a trained historian and keen boxing fan. In this story he looks back at the career of “Aussie” Joe Bugner. If there is a topic or issue you would liked covered on his blog, email him at seancastle75@gmail.com – http://www.sean-castle.com
This week, Sean Castle will be journeying beyond the lyrics and playing some iconic sporting anthems and songs. It’s been Grand Final season for our major sports including Suncorp Super Netball, NRL, AFL and The Shute Shield (Sydney Rugby) so it’s the perfect time to kick back and enjoy some great music that have become closely linked with sport.
On this week’s version of Beyond The Lyrics, Sean Castle will feature:
Join – 9pm – Sydney time on SWR 99.9 FM or stream it via https://www.swr999.com.au/audio-player.html
Sean Castle
I recommend teachers get on and work there way through this excellent series – Sean Castle
Looking at all digital platforms and tools, The Whole Teacher addresses questions most asked by NSW DoE staff and is aimed at novice teachers who are determined to increase their ICT skills.
The Whole Teacher is accessible via YouTube at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfzRzDelrT0CuDYfZrYBjO315WZdIs3ow
I’ll be looking back on “Fallen Legends of Oz Music including:
Bon Scott
Chrissy Amphlett
Greddy Smith
Michael Hutchence
Helen Reddy
Peter Allen
Shirley Strachan
Greedy Smith and
David Bowie (yes, I know he’s not Australian – but he did own a house at Elizabeth Bay for 10 years and record “Let’s Dance” here – so close enough!!!).
Join me on Sydney’s SWF 99.9FM or online https://www.swr999.com.au/audio-player.html
Sean Castle
Excellent advice for school leavers who will most likely have to navigate through this for the first time in their lives.
Being turned down for a job sucks, especially when you don’t know why your application was rejected, or when you’ll finally land one. The good news is that if you’re wondering how to get over rejection from a job, there are steps you can take to stay positive while you continue to look for a position that’s right for you. Keep going!
If you’re dealing with rejection from a job, it’s easy for your confidence to take a hit. Self-talk (your inner voice that says the things you don’t necessarily say out loud) can have a big impact on your self-confidence. The effect can be good or bad, depending on whether your self-talk is positive or negative.
If you need to shift your self-talk into a more positive gear, try the following:
1. Listen to what you’re saying to yourself – is it mostly negative or positive? Each day, make notes on what you’re thinking.
2. Challenge your negative self-talk by asking:
a. Is there any actual evidence for what I’m thinking?
b. What would I say if a friends was in a similar situation?
c. Can I do anything to change what I’m feeling bad about?
3. Change your self-talk:
a. Make a list of the positive things about yourself.
b. Instead of saying, ‘I’ll never be able to do this’, try: ‘Is there anything I can do that will help me do this?’
When you get rejected, it’s very easy for your mind to go to a negative, self-critical place. Focusing your attention on what you’re good at can give you a definite boost.
Try doing the free VIA Character Strengths Survey to find out what your top strengths are. You could write them down and keep the list handy for when you’re feeling down. Try saying to yourself something like, ‘I’m a valuable person with lots of strengths, such as [your strengths].’
Find ways to refer to your strengths in job interviews and your resume. For example, if you’re a good leader, how have you demonstrated your leadership skills in past jobs or activities? Maybe you led a certain project, or made suggestions to your boss on how things could be improved.
If you find that you’re lower in some strength areas, you can do the following things to help build on them:
Asking for feedback can feel scary, as we don’t always like hearing what we need to improve on. However, getting feedback on your resume, interview technique or experience can really help you to land the next job. You could try calling or emailing the hiring manager and asking, ‘Are you able to give me any feedback about my application/interview?’
Use that feedback to make changes to your resume, or take a short course that might help fill any gaps in your skillset. Courses are run at some TAFEs and universities, or check out a site such as Udemy, Coursera or even YouTube.
If that feels too difficult, or if the employer isn’t able to give you feedback, ask a friend or family member to comment on your resume or to do a practice interview with you. Try to stay open to constructive feedback – it will make you more likely to succeed in the future.
It’s totally understandable to feel a bit crap when you get rejected for a job. Help lift your spirits by doing things you enjoy (outside of work), such as meet with friends, spend time on your hobbies or do some fun exercise.
Work on strategies to help you cope with a crap mood. These could include talking to someone you trust, writing a list of what you’re grateful for, sticking to a routine, looking after your physical health and setting goals. You could write a list of these coping strategies and keep them handy when you need a reminder.
And when all else fails, remember that every ‘no’ (job rejection) gets you closer to a ‘yes’!
Keep your job search in motion until you’ve accepted a position. It can be tempting to get your heart set on a certain job, but by keeping your options open, you’re more likely to land a job. While you’re waiting to hear back from an employer, keep sending out other applications.
If you’ve been rejected from a job that you really liked the look of, analyse what it was about the role that interested you and look for similar qualities in other job listings.
Looking for jobs can be tough, especially in the current job market. So many factors are out of our control – for example, a company might be looking for someone to fill a specific gap in their team, or there might be heaps of competition for certain jobs.
Even someone with all the experience in the world may find it hard to get a job. Try to focus on what you can control (such as the other suggestions in this article) and let go of what you can’t. Keep going, and pat yourself on the back for putting yourself out there.
Excellent advice.
Original article found: https://au.reachout.com/articles/6-ways-to-deal-when-youre-rejected-for-a-job
All the best.
Sean Castle
I had a little bit of fun last week co-hosting the Thursday night music show for 2 hours on SWR 99.9FM. The show was based on contrasting the original version of the song against the well-known cover. It was a great experience!!
Constrasted songs included: (original artist first)
Have a listen – hope you enjoy.
Sean Castle
Listen via the link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x2bWBSnllhp_An9lw2HIV7cq1Gx1dtcX/view?usp=sharing
Sean Castle - Education Conversations 