This is one of those blog posts which is about something really quite mundane but which might possibly be quite interesting in a decade or three. Maybe. You’ve seen lots of these around. This is a fire hydrant. Or at least, it’s the cover of a hydrant. The bits that actually work are underneath it, ... [More]
This very prominent sign spotted in Malvern, at the southern end of Glenferrie Road: Jeremy snapped this picture in Elsternwick at the start of the year, when the Coles “Down down” ads were at their height. This one was in Bentleigh — I found this one amusing: …Then a few weeks later, this one. Not ... [More]
I noted this tweet from my local state MP, boasting of improved punctuality on the Frankston line since she and the Coalition came to power in November 2010: Frankston line punctuality in Nov 2010 86% & Aug 2013 93% =7.6% improvement. Vic Coalition delivering 4 #Bentleigh &Frankston line commuters — Elizabeth Miller MP (@EMillerMP) September ... [More]
What is the likelihood that 5 varieties of sliced ham — including a supposedly “lite” version — all have precisely the same nutritional values, despite tasting and looking different? Each one 112 kilojoules per serve, 0.7 grams of fat, and 204 milligrams of sodium. Hmmm. Thankfully their sliced chicken breast product appears to have different ... [More]
Inspired by Andrew’s post a few months ago, here’s a list of the mobile phones I’ve had over the years. Ericsson GH198 (from 1994). It had a twirly antenna that could be flat against the main part of the phone, or twirled around and up to make calls. I seem to recall it cost me ... [More]
By September 2003, I was using the digital camera a little more. Yum yum yum — doughnuts at the Queen Victoria Market One for the gunzels — trains in the yards outside Spencer Street Station (click here to see it bigger) Here’s one showing the old Spencer Street building… I think those who complain about ... [More]
From time to time some of my blog posts are about personal stuff, rather than the wider world. This is one of those posts. Yesterday was a day of excisions. I had many thousands of hairs excised from my head at the barber. Easy. And I got the lump taken out of my leg. You ... [More]
So, to summarise… Abbott govt in. But not the Labor bloodbath some expected, which is good — whoever’s in power, a good Opposition is needed to keep them in check. Somewhat to my surprise, the only Greens lower-house member Adam Bandt is back in, as are some other independents, but the Coalition will have a ... [More]
The other day, local Federal Liberal candidate (and Finance spokesman) Andrew Robb’s minions had left signs at the station, but apparently didn’t have the nerve to actually face people and try and sell their policies… which of course include refusing to fund urban public transport. Mind you, Robb’s campaigners were out at the station a ... [More]
I found myself at a party recently chatting about public transport. Not just late trains and packed trams, but specifically buses. Who said buses aren’t interesting to anybody? It was in the broader context of sustainable transport in the inner-north, but one of the anecdotal snippets was this: one of the people I was chatting ... [More]
Tony Abbott is determined to throw billions at the East West road tunnel if he’s elected, despite not having seen the business case. The public hasn’t seen the business case. Neither has Tony, as it turns out. But he has faith. He believes it exists. I mean, there are lots of things that I haven’t ... [More]
The entire country converted to Compact Fluorescent Light-globes years ago, which is great, as they use much less energy and have a longer life. Well, if you use them properly. For instance I don’t use CFLs in the bathroom/toilet, as these lights are generally on for short periods of time, and CFLs are better when ... [More]