(The counter-post to On The Train.) Friday lunchtime, Bourke Street. A car, let’s call it car A, waits in the tram lane to turn right. There’s no traffic coming the other way, but he sits there, for no apparent reason. A tram comes up behind, with perhaps 100 people on it. On their behalf, the ... [More]
The subject of huntsmans or huntsmen spiders came up recently on Trish’s blog (see comments). Well for a definitive answer, I asked my sister about it the other day. Not just ‘cos she’s a smart cookie or I was trying to make conversation, but because she studied linguistics at uni. And she was able to ... [More]
Seen on the train yesterday morning: Bloke in a long leather raincoat and sunglasses, evidently trying to do a Neo impression. It wasn’t a cold day; he must have been boiling. Guy off to uni in Footscray, telling a girl that over there “there’s loads of Africans and Asians” and how he felt a little ... [More]
Rushmore. It bugs me that this reminded me of some movie or TV show or something where a student is just about running the place, but I can’t remember what it is. Ferris Bueller? Simpsons “Separate Vocations” ? No matter, this was a very enjoyable film, full of great lines and moments. And a great ... [More]
We’ve got used to seeing advertising everywhere, but I must say the idea of advertising on clothes doesn’t quite sit right with me. Obviously if you’re paying for clothing promoting something because you’re a fan, that’s fair enough. Your favourite band or TV show or footy team. But have clothing companies earned the right to ... [More]
Two days late, but I thought I could knock off two birds with one stone. Tony posted an artefact from the defunct Daimaru, and issued a challenge: find something from a now-gone department store. Well, here is my kitchen clock. It came from a shop that was somewhere inside the beautiful art deco Capitol building ... [More]
Things I did on the weekend: Tried out my sister’s new couch, which was altogether way too comfy. Recorded my recitation of 75 digits of pi to share with the world. Observed a truck pulling a trailer along the road with its indicators wired up wrong. The truck would indicate left as its trailer would ... [More]
I was with Rae, helping a work colleague of mine to move a table. A big dinner table, which for some reason was located in a market in a formerly disused railway goods shed somewhere near Flinders Street. The table needed to be moved to a furniture polishing shop elsewhere in the Melbourne CBD, and ... [More]
Last week I ran out of garbage bin liners, so I went to buy some more at the supermarket. When I got there I discovered the only ones in the correct size (34 litres) are scented. Mint scented, pine scented, lemon scented, something like that. I decided on the lemon. So now my rubbish bin ... [More]
A somewhat circuitous commute this morning. 9:05. Get to Glenhuntly station. Note large crowd on platform — never a good sign that late in the morning. 9:10. Connex lady is leaving for the day, but mumbles something about problems. Green button for latest info refuses to talk to me. I hang about at the front ... [More]
36 hours or so of constant rain. (Ah, stopped at last). Cold last night. I lit the pilot light and turned the heater on for a while. In February. I noticed the kitchen ceiling is leaking. Surely that can’t be good. Thankfully it’s only minor, at least so far. One of the fences is leaning ... [More]