All the TV media, and some other outlets, last night ran stories about the 38 new trains coming (the first at the end of this year), and how they’ll only run on part of the network. Channel 9 story ABC Online I thought it was a curious angle to take, as it’s not really all ... [More]
Wii Sports Resort – For The Win!
Okay I admit it, we fell for the hype, Jeremy and I. The demos of the game at the EB Games Nintendo Experience thing in Swanston Street, and Jeremy’s participation in a Nintendo event at Southland convinced us to pre-order Wii Sports Resort from EB Games. In doing so we gained an extra (so two ... [More]
There’s no problem
Remember the mess the trains were last summer? Well, the Comeng trains, which are prone to air-conditioner failures above 34.5 degrees, haven’t been fixed, and there’s still plenty of track waiting for upgrades to prevent buckling. But that doesn’t mean you should worry about a repeat performance this coming summer. Mr Brumby says it won’t ... [More]
Billy: No more beech
Dammit, why does this keep happening? I figure out what I want to buy, and it vanishes. After getting the Ikea Billy bookshelves setup, after some procrastinating, I worked out I needed an extra shelf. When I went back last time they were out of stock (I had checked the web site; it had lied ... [More]
The Dumbarse, in three acts
Act 1: He went to stand between the carriages for a smoke. (It was a Hitachi. Very retro.) It should be pointed out that this doesn’t stop the smoke smell drifting through the carriages, though obviously it’s better than doing it in the carriage. Apart from the fact that smoking anywhere is dangerous for your ... [More]
Pasta intruder
“My fellow Fusillians, I believe we have an imposter in our midst. A spy from the Elbonian republic!”
I hate buying shoes
I’m good at some things, and bad at others. One of the things I’m worst at is buying shoes. I hate it, I’m not good at it, and while I don’t always stuff it up, it seems like I certainly do sometimes. I went to replace my Ecco shoes. They’ve been great; have lasted many ... [More]
Old food
I’m amazed at the range of old things that I’d obviously bought, used a little of, then forgotten about, that I found in the back of the cupboard this morning while looking for sultanas. Croutons, Best Before Jan 2008 Self-raising flour, BB Jul 2007 (there’s another newer one elsewhere) Vita Wheat Biscuits, BB Sep 2007, ... [More]
This video of level crossings is incredible. (See also: accompanying article.) The last clip in particular (starting at 1:10), from my local station at Bentleigh, had me gasping. The first person crossing is foolish enough, but the second — particularly as he appears to stumble — is just seconds from death. I fail to see ... [More]
One drive, three morons
All from a ten minute period this morning. Lady in Mini Cooper, turning off Footscray Road to head over the Bolte Bridge. At some stage have you considered getting off the phone? White stationwagon, heading over the Bolte Bridge. There’s been over a kilometre of signs and arrows on the road surface indicating which lanes ... [More]
Forgot to review the Star Trek movie. In summary: great stuff, really enjoyable. (And still chuckling over The Onion’s take on it.) How is it that Rivers in Victoria have 7 retail outlets, but 31 clearance centres? For those of you who want to browse PT timetables online while out and about, bookmark this in ... [More]
The issue of new trams being too long for some tram platform stops was highlighted in The Age the other day, and on ABC Radio’s AM. But having got all the information about it now, I don’t see why it’s a problem. From the document specifying the new order of trams: Optimal operation of the ... [More]
TV’s obsession with murder
I had been thinking about this for a while when I saw this quote yesterday: “Today’s TV is filled with crime shows, medical shows and all things depressing.” — Herald Sun article about a campaign to bring back Hey Hey It’s Saturday What is it with all the murder shows on TV? Why is there ... [More]
Just a game I thought of: what Doctor Who episode aired on or closest to your birthday? Check this list to find out. (I guess those born before 1963 or in the 90s will probably gravitate to one of two episodes…) Me: Inferno, episode 7 (third Doctor, 1970). This was a classic slow burn story ... [More]
Ticketing rules you may not know about
I have a vague feeling I might have posted something like this in the past, but I can’t find it, so here it is again. For those of you who don’t read the Victorian Fares and Ticketing Manual for fun, here are some rules about Metcard ticketing that you may not know about. These rules ... [More]
Percussion in the park
Yesterday after having a win at Officeworks (they agreed to beat Landmark’s $20 price on Canon ink cartridges by 5%, thus giving me a discount of almost $11 on each of the three I was buying), we took a look at the Sir William Fry reserve. There were couple of strange metal things near the ... [More]