Spotted (by Marita, actually), this amusing van: Meanwhile on the corner of Latrobe and William Streets, they’ve painted arrows and lines to help show drivers where to wait to make their hook turns: PS. There are also animated/flashing signs signalling for right-turning drivers to wait. Will see if I can snap a pic of one. ... [More]
Oh great. The other day while opening the dishwasher, a “sproing” sound was heard, and now the door’s springy thing doesn’t work — that is, once open, it just drops down to horizontal with gravity, rather than a gentle drop or springing back towards closed like it was before. And it triggered an F1 alarm, ... [More]
The ANZ-sponsored free wifi at Southern Cross Station is a nice idea, and would be quite useful… if it worked. I tried for several minutes one day the other week to get it working, and couldn’t. My mobile could detect both an ANZ Wifi and a “Free public Wifi” network, but neither seemed to actually ... [More]
Some supermarkets require a deposit (usually a $1 or $2 coin) to get a trolley. Some don’t. Personally I wouldn’t object if deposits were required universally, given the number of (almost always non-deposit) trolleys that get wheeled away, and end up in stupid places. Hopefully it’d mean less trolleys get a wheel broken and are ... [More]
Why are hawkers and chugger surprised that I don’t want them to waste my time?
I’ve mentioned it before, but Joel Spolsky wrote a great article a few years ago about pricing, and noted that companies would ideally like everybody to pay as much as they are willing to for their products. In economist jargon, capitalists want to capture the consumer surplus. Let’s do this. Instead of charging $220, let’s ... [More]
I only go into the post office for three reasons. 1. To buy postage (either stamps, or to send packages). 2. To pick up parcels. 3. To renew my post office box. (And in fact I think you can pay that online these days.) I don’t understand the people that go to pay endless numbers ... [More]
I would love a new TV, but can’t afford it. That is, the cost/benefit ratio isn’t there to replace my 68cm Loewe CRT television just yet. So while I’d love to get a high-definition flat screen with digital tuner, the prices will have to drop a bit more before that becomes viable, especially with the ... [More]
At the local Safeway, the renovation (and eventual transition to “Woolworths”) is underway, and the self-service checkouts are now operating. There’s five of them, compared to three express checkouts, and eight “normal” checkouts. From memory there used to be more normal checkouts, though as at most supermarkets, I don’t ever recall all of them being ... [More]
It’s time for a cleanout of links and half-written/baked posts. Fascinating for MSM watchers A former Fairfax staffer is starting his own free magazine in collaboration with real estate agents and is expected to win millions in advertising revenue away from Fairfax. Webber’s nanny state During the recent furore over Mark Webber’s claims Victoria was ... [More]
Kinda funny. Why just write “Garage sale” in your poster, when you can instead have an image of another “Garage sale” sign? To really spin people out, they could print this picture and stick it up around the place. The Royal Mint, Melbourne. Established 1872. Producer of all Australian coins between 1927 and 1967. Noted ... [More]
I was in the supermarket with an unnamed person. They spotted a packet near the cash register: Mentos, *Special edition*. Some weird-arse flavour not normally available. Picked it up and appeared to seriously consider buying it. Not because it was Mentos, which they don’t normally buy, but because it was a *Special edition*. That, ladies ... [More]