Jeremy is so taken by the Knight Bus scene in Harry Potter 3 that he’s recreated it on the computer. He’s found a little applet thingy on the HP web site that plays various Lenny Henry Shrunken Head quotes periodically, and has that running while he plays Midtown Madness 2, in London, driving around a ... [More]
Category: Culture
TV, movies, music, that kind of thing
Coupling, one of the better Gen-X sitcoms (funnier than Friends, more “adult” than Seinfeld) is back on TV on Monday nights. I like this show, though not, as one bright spark suggested, because it’s about trains. ‘Cos it isn’t. I like it so much I whinged to the Green Guide about it when almost two ... [More]
Bought that USB drive on Friday. Ate Mexican on Friday night with good friends. Saw Brett from Kath & Kim (Peter Rowsthorn) in the street on Saturday. Almost bought a house on Sunday. Also saw Spider-Man 2 on DVD. Probably lost a lot in its transition to the small screen. Merciless in its references to ... [More]
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I’m the Doctor, by the way
“I’m the Doctor, by the way. What’s your name?” Lunchtime diversion: Just in case you were still in any doubt that it was coming back, the first Doctor Who teaser trailer is now available.
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Bowen on Bryson
Bill Bryson: A Short History of Nearly Everything. Almost more of a history of scientists than a history of science. As all of Bryson’s books are, I found this highly amusing, as one reads of the discoveries we humans have made over the centuries, seemingly more often by mistake than with any intent. I must ... [More]
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Quick movie reviews
In The Cut. Unrecognisable Meg Ryan. Bleak, so bleak. From the Monster’s Ball school of bleak. Was there even a single lighthearted moment in it? If so I’ve forgotten it. I mean, Mystic River wasn’t a cheerful film, but managed not to be as depressing as this one. Interesting enough plot I suppose, but did ... [More]
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TV
Am I a has-been before I’ve even been a been? One of the kids at the school: “You used to be on TV!” Ahem. Yeah kid. Once or twice. … Doctor Who producer Phil Collinson on the return of (and apparent changes to) the Daleks: “If ever you’ve laughed at them, prepare to have the ... [More]
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Not a snake!
At lunchtime I was at Collins Place waiting for somebody to go to a meeting, when I saw a couple of people walking past me. The man looked familiar. It was Michael Palin. He wasn’t doing a silly walk, and he didn’t appear to be filming an expedition up Collins Street. I didn’t gush over, ... [More]
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The new shoes
I got some new shoes last week. I’m terrible at buying shoes, I hate buying shoes, I can’t choose shoes. Add to this some level of anxiety about my smelly, sweaty feet. I knew I needed shoes, and I knew I’d be going shoe shopping after work, so what did I do? I took an ... [More]
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Quick movie reviews
Collateral: A very simple premise, but very well (if you’ll pardon the pun) executed. Max, a cab driver in LA starts off his night shift relaxed. Before long he picks up a passenger, Vincent, and gets caught up in a world he’d rather not be caught up in. Along the way you learn a lot ... [More]
A busker with extraordinarily big reflective sunglasses and reminding me a little bit of Tim Rogers was on the train the other morning, singing Folsom Prison Blues. Ah, love a bit of Johnny Cash in the morning, even if he couldn’t quite do the deep notes. I’m not sure what the next song was, but ... [More]
When driving my car, I’m now more informed about the world around me than I’ve ever been. Because my car radio can’t get FM anymore. So I’m on the talk stations… Radio National, 3LO (aka ABC Melbourne) and NewsRadio. Byebye PBS and TripleJ, unfortunately. NewsRadio in particular has been unexpectedly interesting. It’s probably deadly dull ... [More]
Finally saw both volumes of Kill Bill over the weekend. Volume one… every martial arts film ever known meets The Holy Grail Black Knight meets Spaghetti Westerns. Maybe my sensitivity for such things is diminishing, or maybe it was because it was so completely over-the-top, but it wasn’t quite as violent as I expected it ... [More]
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Girl’s eye for the straight guy
I’m not the most fashionable person on the planet, but I’m not the least either. Somewhere in the middle. I know I’m in the need for something of a wardrobe upgrade, and I’ll take any (good) advice I can get, especially in the casual clothes department. I think I’m okay at the business clobber, but ... [More]
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Let’s be careful out there
An American flight attendant who kept a semi-anonymous blog has been suspended without pay by her airline after posting pictures of herself in uniform. Not the first person to get into trouble from blogging, and probably won’t be the last. Be careful out there, folks. Contrast: Geekrant.org on the rise of corporate-sponsored employee blogs
(Note: exaggerated whinging) A gaggle of teenage girls on the train yesterday morning, joyfully debating the benefits of getting off at Malvern or Flinders Street. (huh? They’re miles apart). It eventually became clear that they were heading to St Kilda. (Why not any of the myriad of other stations then?) But then they started on ... [More]