Listening to Radio National (The Music Show I think) and they mention a couple of people my Dad knows (or knew) well, and talks about often — David Malouf and Barry Jones. A couple of minutes later my sister rings up to discuss visiting Dad. Pure coincidence. Watching Billy Connolly’s Journey to the Edge of ... [More]
Category: Culture
TV, movies, music, that kind of thing
Computer: I like it when computers reach the point at which a good upgrade is cheap, quick and cheerful. In this case on my two-year-old box, tripling the RAM cost me $45, tripling the hard disk space cost $130. And as the new disk is faster than the old one, I’ll take the opportunity to ... [More]
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On the public record
I think I might have out-done myself this time. Last month I represented the PTUA at a senate hearing into Commonwealth investment in public transport. During questions, the topic of public transport for special events came up, and as I had the night before been to such an event, I drew on that personal experience ... [More]
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I was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
Having had a week when a car window motor broke down (cha-ching, $520 thanks) and my fridge went on the fritz (TBA), it was good to let it all go with a concert on Sunday night. (See earlier blog post) It’s probably easier to just dump the Twitter posts, with a few extra notes here ... [More]
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Meet the new boss, same as the old boss
Is going to the Grand Prix just for the post-race concert the equivalent to reading Playboy for the articles? ‘Cos that’s what I’m doing. I don’t know if I’ll bother looking at the cars whizzing round and round, but I’m really looking forward to the music. And for those living in Victoria, may I just ... [More]
It turns out there are actual documented rules for street cricket, which is popular on the sub-continent. But at my place we’ve got our own version, which has evolved into a limited overs format that suits a short game after dinner for the three of us, though of course occasionally neighbours will join in. 6 ... [More]
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I must be getting old
From a blog on the Australian Jewish News web site: Recently I was on a bus and a young man got on in front of me wearing very low-slung jeans, so low in fact that his gutkes showed above the jeans. I was sure that his jeans were going to fall off and I was ... [More]
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Stewart vs Cramer
For those who missed it, last Thursday night’s Daily Show was a corker. Jon Stewart took on TV financial advisor Jim Cramer in one of the best TV debates I’ve seen in a while. The interview was one of those classic television moments that crystallised the public mood in the credit crisis. Stewart articulated the ... [More]
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What is the meaning of this?
Some members of my family will regularly read the Herald Sun birth notices looking for amusing names. Often they raise a smile. Here’s one they noticed the other day. Now, I’ve met people called Damon before. Damon is evidently an Irish name meaning Tame. But Daemon? I know the people who read and comment here ... [More]
Here’s something for those that read the article Rudd’s nephew clashes with Connex in the Sunday Age this morning online, without the benefit of the photos in the paper edition. Unlike Jen I’m a frequent user of the Degraves St Subway/Campbell Arcade, the quick non-traffic-lighted way out of Flinders Street Station. The Platform group displays ... [More]
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Discovering colours
Years ago I wrote a short piece for Toxic Custard about the discovery of a new primary colour: The art world was rocked yesterday at the announcement of Professor Hans Von Fabre of the discovery of a new primary colour. The fourth primary colour, to be known as hans, will revolutionise art and technology all ... [More]
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But that was on the outside
The TV soap Prisoner is 30 years old this year. For a year or two in the 80s, our family was hooked on it. I don’t remember how or why we started watching it, but some of the characters certainly stick in the mind: “The Freak”, Bea Smith, Mrs Morris, Lizzie Birdsworth, and that guard ... [More]