Categories
Doctor Who

Doctor Who 2007

So there we go, the series has ended. Some great episodes. The Runaway Bride: Enjoyable enough. Loved the highway chase scene — and the way it captured the excitement of the TV audience in the little kids in the other car. One day the ABC programming people will learn to programme Christmas specials at Christmas,  ... [More]

Categories
Film Video games

Finding Pixar

Had a day off yesterday. Took the kids on a couple of errands, and went through Fed Square to visit ACMI. I never fail to be impressed with ACMI, especially since I discovered their Games Lab. Last time I was there they had old Commodore 64 games. This time they were highlighting some of the  ... [More]

Categories
Film

Why I like O Brother

I’ve got today off, to enjoy the sunshine, enjoy the first day proper of the school holidays, and generally enjoy not having to do any work (touch wood). I’ve seen O Brother Where Art Thou twice in the last month, and I still like it a lot. Recently the kids watched it for the first  ... [More]

Categories
Sport

One thing to say

The weekend’s here, the crowds are gathering around the MCG, and though I won’t be attending, I have only one thing to say: Go Cats!

Categories
Consumerism Food'n'drink

Freaking HOW MUCH?!?

Every so often, some junk mail will sneak past the No Junk Mail sticker, often in a kind of junk mail Trojan horse, such as a copy of the Bayside Weekly. Last week a Barbecues Galore catalogue snuck in. Now, I know that they stock a wide range of barbecues, including the modest type of  ... [More]

Categories
books

Funniest book I’ve read in ages

Bill Bryson: Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid — I’ve finally read it now it’s out in paperback. I know I was never going to be disappointed, but it was a great book. Hilarious in parts, poignant in others. Mostly hilarious though. The description of the Dick and Jane books and the characters’ robotic  ... [More]

Categories
Here is my

Here is my backyard

It’s not a big backyard, but I was never going to be able to afford a big property in the suburbs I wanted. Oh well, there’s a large park quite nearby. The fence isn’t really that crooked. It’s a trick of the photo stitching software. Likewise, this picture makes the backyard look pretty microscopic. It  ... [More]

Categories
transport TV

A better way

If you’re watching TV tonight, you might see Metlink’s new advert, with the slogan “A better way”. One of the shots is filmed not far from my house, on Jasper Road in Bentleigh, as a lady in a hairdresser’s chair floats past Camille Shoes. I quite like the ad. But as with a lot of  ... [More]

Categories
Home life

Visitors from BugWorld

The first blowfly of the summer hasn’t appeared yet, but there are other signs from BugWorld that the weather is warming up. After some time without them (pretty much) since setting off the bug bomb in February, cockroaches are starting to re-appear around the house. A couple this week, a couple last week. Mostly dead,  ... [More]

Categories
driving

Next time, it’ll be ka-ching

I got the car serviced the other day. Perhaps unusually, when I went to pick it up, there was no multi-gazillion dollar bill waiting for me; just $197. But the guy warned me about various symptoms that were evident but not critical yet that may lead to a higher bill the next time. (He sounded  ... [More]

Categories
Culture

Reminder to self

compliment — an expression of praise, commendation or admiration. complement — something that goes well with, or completes. I’m always getting those two mixed-up.

Categories
Sport

Jumping on the Cats bandwagon

Yes, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. I’ve been a Geelong Cats fan for a long time, though it’s years since I’ve been to a game. From what I can see, most years they do well in the first few rounds, then descend into a plumetting spiral of defeats. But not this year. They haven’t won  ... [More]

Categories
Net

Micro-blogging

The more observant amongst you may have noticed the Twitter Updates thingy on the right hand side of the web page. Yes, I’m dabbling in micro-blogging. I’m not totally convinced it’s worth the trouble, but having seen examples where it’s shown its uses, I thought I’d give it a go, particularly when I found the  ... [More]

Categories
News and events

APEC Day

I really pity the people of Sydney who have had to be in the CBD during APEC. (But then, at least most Sydneysiders get the day off, whereas I have to drag myself into work.) NSW Transport Minister John Watkins said yesterday “Between 3 pm and 7.30 pm today, there will be 92 motorcade movements  ... [More]

Categories
TV

I’ve gone off TV

I think I would have enjoyed We Can Be Heroes. I heard good things about it, and the clips I caught were funny. The sequel, Summer Heights High looks good as well… I suspect both are cleverer and funnier views of Australian society than Kath & Kim are… which has got rather dull in its  ... [More]

Categories
News and events

Croc day

Tragic events involving crocodiles seemed to co-incide yesterday. As the media noted the first anniversary of Steve Irwin’s death, they were also reporting the death of a girl in PNG, dragged from her village by a crocodile. Awful stuff. If that wasn’t enough, the night before, the new Mythbusters series started on SBS, with the  ... [More]