My washing machine is a Hoover, which is about 15 years old. It’s been pretty good over the years, though in that time I reckon the service people have been called out perhaps 4-5 times (twice that I recall for blockages which I later learnt to fix myself). Now however the spin cycle is making ... [More]
My blog’s sponsor Lasoo, which provides online catalogues and price comparisons, now has an iPhone application. The media and marketing blog Mumbrella writes: Until you think about its significance, itâs easy enough to dismiss it as just another app. But what it does is bring much closer for consumers the economic concept of the âperfect ... [More]
Tintin and friends landed on the moon in 1952, some 17 years before Apollo 11 got there. While writing the story, Herge and his team researched what the moon would look like on the surface, and as anybody who’s read the book would know, it’s uncannily accurate. After Apollo 11 made it to the Moon, ... [More]
The Jackson Jive The controversy over this skit, which involved five men blacking up (and one “whiting” up) to portray the Jackson 5, rages on. I don’t think it’s as simple as some are making out. Those offended (especially the Americans and Brits) should bear in mind that “blackface” has no history in Australia, and ... [More]
Every time I pass this mural in Glen Huntly, I wonder if the grinning face is meant to be anybody in particular. This sounds like brutal honesty to me — perhaps they’re just not that good. Surely this can’t be good for your tyres.
The billion-dollar-plus Myki ticketing system is slowly moving forward. They’re expecting it to be switched on (at least in part) in Melbourne by the end of the year, followed by V/Line sometime next year. It already runs on regional town buses in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Seymour and the Latrobe Valley. Interestingly there are apparently no ... [More]
When we tuned into the first Hey Hey special last Wednesday, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It’s been ten years since the show ended, which seems like a long time, but most of the regulars from back then are still around. I first watched Hey Hey when I was a kid, when it ... [More]
Secret tramways business The secret route numbers are getting worse on Collins Street. It looks like a 47 is a shortened 109, to Kew Depot, presumably via Victoria Street. A 29? Not sure, maybe a shortened 48. Does that mean it goes via Bridge Road? Not sure. And if the 29 and the 47 both ... [More]
(Posted 5th October. Backdated to the day it happened.) While waiting for breakfast to arrive, we flicked around the TV, noting that Channel 9’s Today Show kept showing bits of the previous night’s Hey Hey special. After breakfast (eggs on toast x 3) we gathered up all our bags and checked out and strolled across ... [More]
(Posted 2nd October. Backdated to the day it happened.) Originally the plan had been to go to Canberra for 4-5 days, possibly driving up via Lakes Entrance and perhaps back via Kelly country. One of the reasons for wanting to go to Canberra was that I’d been keen to see a display at Old Parliament ... [More]
Please note that I’m away for a couple of days, and may not be able to approve comments that fall into the moderation queue while away. I don’t drive as much as many people, but one trip I do regularly is from my place to Marita’s (in Footscray), generally with a big box of fruit+veg ... [More]
I’m not going to claim I’m a currency expert, but I think Channel 10 put the decimal point in the wrong place, as I’m pretty sure an Australian Dollar is worth more than US 8 cents.
Going with the kids to Bendigo on Wednesday, staying just overnight. Accommodation worked out, and the trams and gold mine are on the list, but any other recommendations welcome: stuff to see, places to eat etc.
So, in my quest to become a cheapskate, I’ve tried a few Aldi products. Having pretty-much restricted myself to Aldi products made in Australia (food miles, though it’s something of a generalisation), and ruled-out some categories I’ve been warned about (fresh fruit and veg, meat), here’s what I’ve found so far: The Weetbix clone — ... [More]
The Example, by Tom Taylor and Colin Wilson (published by Gestalt Books), might be the first graphic novel to be set entirely within the confines of Flinders Street Station. It’s a short but thought-provoking read, combining a most-of-Western-world issue — paranoia over terrorism — with a more decidedly local Melbourne issue: the trains. Speaking of ... [More]
I’m a bit colourblind. It only affects certain ranges of colours. I first realised this when I got a Vic-20. No, really. The default screen colour was white, and the default border colour was cyan. I thought cyan looked like green. People tell me it’s really a light blue, indeed I remember reading an interview ... [More]