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.
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Going to Bendigo
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.
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Aldi product reviews
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]
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No more boiled lamb’s brain for me
I recently had a bunch of blood tests done, a kind of overall health check thingy. It was quite funny actually. M coincidentally went in as well for something, and while waiting in the Pathology place we observed what looked at first glance to be the most unhelpful receptionist ever known to mankind. A lady ... [More]
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Avatars
One of the fun things with the Wii is creating your “Mii” — that is, an avatar used in some of the games. While the kids got busy creating some favourite fictional characters, my avatar looks like me. Here’s mine, seen in Wii Sports Resort, playing table tennis. Guitar Hero doesn’t use the standard, cartoon-like ... [More]
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No, Public transport should not be free
Free CBD PT? DUMB IDEA. That would benefit those who drive in, to the detriment of the rest of us.
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If your team is out, who are you going for?
If your team is out, who are you going for? First. I’m a Geelong fan, so I’m going for them, of course. Go Cats! What of the others? Equal second. I’d have rated the Dogs or the Saints equally. Both underdogs. I have a girlfriend who lives in Footscray, and a good friend who is ... [More]
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Abbey Road remastered
My old school friend Raoul used to say he went into Brashs in Elizabeth Street sometime in the 80s and asked for Abbey Road and was told they didn’t stock reggae. I asked Raoul last week about the new remixed Beatles CDs, and he reckoned don’t bother unless you have a high-end stereo system — ... [More]
While I realise the shutdown of the M1 eastbound on Tuesday was probably misery for those caught up in it, the lengthy article on it in yesterday’s Age I think vastly overstates the impact. The article basically has the road lobby saying that the whole thing doesn’t work (and the $1.4 billion of improvements won’t ... [More]
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Regards or Cheers?
Lifehacker on signing-off emails: The Yanks might think “Cheers” is too “mock-Brit”, but Australians are comfortable with it. Personally I use Cheers on most. Regards on formal stuff. Or nothing when I’m talking to a regular correspondent and am in a hurry and/or on a mobile. An older Lifehacker article noted “Best” was awkward. I ... [More]
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CFLs
Lights again. I seem to have reached the point where the first of my compact fluorescent light globes are starting to be replaced. Many of them I installed about two years ago, and most in the house are still going strong. The three that have expired get switched on generally for only short periods of ... [More]
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LED traffic lights
If you’ve wondered about the LEDs being increasingly used for traffic lights, apparently they use 60% less energy. They also last about ten times longer than conventional bulbs. I assume the design, which includes a whole bunch of individual LEDs, also allows for some redundancy, so some can fail but the entire light doesn’t stop ... [More]
Melbourne’s tram operator also set a target of catching more than 60,000 commuters over a nine-month period. — Herald Sun, 11/9/2009, “Tram inspectors pushed to meet their quotas“ See, after all these years, they’re still going about it the wrong way. I don’t think the deterrent of fines is really working. The measure of success ... [More]
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Melbourne’s streets
Always interesting to hear the view from an outsider. Melbourne: A Pedestrian Paradise from STREETFILMS on Vimeo. I don’t think I disagree with any of the praises given, and there’s some interesting comments from Robert Adams and others about some fairly subtle design features that have gone into the streetscapes, such as the City Council ... [More]