I’m off to Sydney today for a few days with the kids, on the trip I booked in July. Hoping to walk across the harbour bridge, ride the monorail and the ferries, go to Tooronga Zoo, all that good stuff. Hopefully the flight home won’t be a long saga of delays like the last couple ... [More]
Level 2 water restrictions are now in place in Melbourne. Judging from the FAQ, some nitpickers have been asking questions: What if I donĂ¢ââââ¢t have a house number? Where there is no house number the property is considered as an Ă¢ââÂŹĂĹevenĂ¢âââ⢠numbered house If I live in an even number am I disadvantaged by not ... [More]
With renovations having begun at her house, Marita has moved in for a little while. So while there were three people at my place (for part of the week), there are now four. Happily, this hasn’t quite created the havoc I half suspected with things like the capacity of the bathroom (the second toilet has ... [More]
Watch the news tonight. Update lunchtime: Press release: PTUA calls on politicians not to duck public transport issues. Pic from the field: Update Wednesday morning:
I’ve had a few unwanted visitors recently… mice in the fireplace (and scuttling around the rest of the house). The first cockroaches of the summer have appeared (and subsequently met their maker). And the other night some possums were making an unbelievable amount of noise in the ceiling. But now I’ve got this in the ... [More]
Are email and PDF putting couriers out of business? When I first worked in the city in the early-90s, there were heaps of bike couriers around the place. You’d see them speeding around the streets, grabbing hold of trams and trucks to go up hills, zooming through lights, dodging pedestrians and cars alike. Back then ... [More]
I went to the dentist on Saturday, and after the ritual inspect, scale, clean and brushing advice (for myself and the kids), I was chatting to him about how things had changed in the last generation. I mentioned that by the time I was 10, I had about 10 fillings, a stark contrast to Isaac ... [More]
Here’s my quick reviews of the second half of this year’s Doctor Who. (First half here.) Some spoilers for people who haven’t seen it. (Les, this means you.) The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit — Terrific stuff. The tension in the first episode was fantastic, especially when the beast was stalking the archeologist. Scared the crap ... [More]
PS. Tuesday pm: A great little video on the topic of 4WDs.
On the train the other day I overheard two students from my old high school, talking about the pros and cons of various teachers. I had to chuckle when a couple of familiar names popped up: Mr Kite and Ms Lester. Still there, 18 years after I left. (Gawd. 18 years. It’s a long time.) ... [More]
Cam of TPN is off to America to make his fortune, and his latest podcast is a “Goodbye Australia” edition. But what I found really interesting about it is him talking about the (metaphorical) journey — how he’s got into this position, and how successful people work: meeting people, making contacts, helping those contacts when ... [More]
Another trip (more pleasant this time) and another fellow-passenger out of context. I sat down on a train a couple of weeks ago, and flicked through the MX. I looked up and saw a familiar face in a nearby seat. Who is that? Oh. So I went over and said “Hi Dad.” Hadn’t seen him ... [More]
There’s some great art in the “Platform” space in the Campbell Arcade at Flinders Street Station this week: Chocolate Revolution. Apparently it’s all for sale, too, though it’s quite expensive. Still, I like it.
My mate Brian sums up my attitude to cars quite nicely: “a car is just an airconditioner on wheels!” On Saturday I washed the exterior my car for… ooh, the first time in a year, I reckon. I vaccuum the inside of it every few months, but the outside I’ve really let go. The birds ... [More]
As someone who has lived in the Bagel Belt for most of my life, I’m somewhat shocked to hear of the alleged racist attack on a Jewish man in Balaclava Road last Saturday by some mindless idiots on a football club trip. The operations manager of the football league involved said: “It was a trip ... [More]
Spotted at DJ’s on Friday night: Christmas decorations about to go up.