Melbourne stuff
One of the better sides of globalisation is the huge range of literature of all types is available anywhere in the western world. Amazon and their ilk have meant I can (for example) order that obscure Beowulf graphic novel my sister craves for her birthday — even if the result is that Amazon now believes ... [More]
I’ve lived in my suburb just over a year now, long enough that I’m getting to know the local Bentleigh shops a bit more now, and a few of the shopkeepers know me. For instance, the drycleaner lady recognises me, though like a TV news captioner, she misspells my name, and I can’t be bothered ... [More]
Level 2 water restrictions are now in place in Melbourne. Judging from the FAQ, some nitpickers have been asking questions: What if I donĂ¢ââââ¢t have a house number? Where there is no house number the property is considered as an Ă¢ââÂŹĂĹevenĂ¢âââ⢠numbered house If I live in an even number am I disadvantaged by not ... [More]
As someone who has lived in the Bagel Belt for most of my life, I’m somewhat shocked to hear of the alleged racist attack on a Jewish man in Balaclava Road last Saturday by some mindless idiots on a football club trip. The operations manager of the football league involved said: “It was a trip ... [More]
I was on the tram. A man in a nearby seat looked rather familiar. Was he someone I knew, or an undercover ticket inspector noticing I hadn’t bothered to re-validate my already several-hundred-times-re-validated Yearly ticket, so the tram company beancounters would get their flawed and meaningless statistics for the month? He got up. “Daniel, how ... [More]
A few notable signs on my recent travels… Seems like a reasonable request. I don’t want to know what might have prompted this one. Quick! What does it say? Every time I pass this one my eye catches a word that isn’t there. (By the way it’s next to the Indian/Italian place.) Oh, speaking of ... [More]
You may have heard of it, well here it is in the flesh. Spotted and snapped “in the wild” last week on my handy-dandy mobile phone camera… The official Neighbours tour bus, roving the city looking for English tourists to whisk out to Vermont South where they film the show.
I rather like the design of this Warholesque tram. It’s to celebrate 100 years of electric trams in Melbourne, even though the first electric tram in Melbourne ran in 1889. It only lasted 7 years though, so I suppose this one can celebrate 100 consecutive years of electric trams. But that would sound a little ... [More]
I had a reasonably bad cold last week, and I’m still periodically coughing yeuchhy stuff up very noisily. At its worst, I worked from home, which was actually pretty good — I reckon I got more done at home than I would have done at work, thanks to the tranquility. Thanks to a contact in ... [More]
Tony’s posted some terrific pictures of buildings with old signs recently. Here’s one I really like, in Collins Street, near where I work. Look above the rather tackily-named House Of Cashmere, and you’ll see Newspaper House, and a terrific mosaic. The saying is from Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, and was popular in the days when ... [More]
The Rugby State of Origin game was last night. You can tell the tourists are in town, from the number of cars with interstate numberplates rolling unwittingly down Swanston Street Walk, and the confused questions on the tram about using the ticket machines, and getting to St Kilda Beach. Oh yeah, I just got a ... [More]
(This is a second go at this picture, which didn’t quite get the long row of cabs I’d been hoping for. I can probably find longer if I try.) PS. Maybe I have a fascination for pictures of rows of things. Like garbage bins.