When I moved, I figured that for once I intended to stay put for a long time, so I might as well do the neighbourly thing and get to know my neighbours. Not that I’d been unfriendly to previous neighbours. Well okay, maybe if they deserved it. But neither had I gone out of my ... [More]
Letter of note in yesterday’s Age: IT IS interesting to note the objections and opposition to the Government’s climate plan, particularly from more affluent groups and individuals. They see it as up to industry, particularly the power industry, to lower consumption of energy and reduce emissions. What effort are these people prepared to make to ... [More]
Tramcar of the Beast… The next station is Connex… I don’t think I’ve ever been there.
Unlike the last one, I can’t claim a role in this: a hilarious video parodying the Victorian Transport Plan TV commercials. Meanwhile, over at the Sunday Herald Sun, they’re running an online survey on peoples views of PT. Click through and have your say. Finally, answer me this: if Sir Rod Eddington was very specific ... [More]
I got the socks I always wanted at K-Mart the other day.
Time for one of those quick boring domestic posts: Recycled tissues. I’m almost out. I can’t find any in the local Safeways, Coleses or IGAs, or anywhere else. Anybody seen them recently, or do I have to resort to using recycled paper towels as tissues? (Well, and handkerchiefs, of course.)
One day in 1992, I had a joyous moment when I walked most of the length of Swanston Street — in the former traffic lanes — for the first time. It was a wondrous thing, and while Swanston Street still sees delivery vehicles, taxis and the odd errant car, with the wider footpaths and cyclists ... [More]
On the subject of mobile phones, it’s astounding after all these years how many people look surprised when their phones (on any network) drop out in the City Loop. Perhaps half of people, including myself, know this’ll happen. If I’m on the phone going into the tunnel, I’ll tell the other party I’m about to ... [More]
The bad news is that as expected Metcard prices will jump by 5% from January 1st. Stock up now! It’s a curious thing. If you have to increase fares, CPI rises are probably the most logical way to do it. But this time around, the September quarter CPI figures were heavily influenced by petrol price ... [More]
1. Dear driver of EML 925, How about you get off the phone? Then you might be paying enough attention to remember to indicate when you turn. 2. Good on you for driving a Prius. But parking in a Bus Zone? Not so good. Oh, unless… I don’t suppose you’re a substitute service for the ... [More]
I’ve been looking for this video for ages: why Alanis Morrisette doesn’t understand “ironic”. I couldn’t find it because I thought I needed to find Sean Hughes, but it’s actually Ed Byrne.
I was a bit busy yesterday. Took a few hours off work to deal with the Transport Plan release — the presentation to stakeholders and skulking around at Treasury Place to talk to media. In summary? Well although I’m at home today, I’m a bit rushed again, so maybe I’ll just paste in my two ... [More]
Including: Don’t come up with another half-baked transport plan! Click here to join the related Facebook group
I was going to rant about how the word “shuttle” is now added to bus services to make them sound more desirable, and that while the Skybus Super Shuttle, the express bus between Southern Cross Station and Melbourne Airport, is a shuttle, most of the others aren’t… including the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle, the Western ... [More]
I’m not one to blindly believe corporate propaganda, but Telstra’s latest promotion pointing out they have better mobile coverage certainly rings true for me and my (now almost due for an upgrade) GSM (2G) phone. While I’m not much of a wireless data user like the people in the adverts, it’s pretty obvious just with ... [More]
In the late 80s, the then PTUA committee got together a group respected community leaders, including prominent figures from both sides of politics, to be patrons of the organisation. Here’s a picture of three of them, from The Age in June 1989: One of them, Frank Crean, father of Simon, and former Treasurer in Whitlam’s ... [More]