Near where I used to live in Glen Huntly is the very first house that the now-huge AV Jennings corporation ever built. I seem to recall it’s a brick Californian Bungalow. It certainly doesn’t look like the off-the-plan McMansion-type residences they’re probably better known for building now. Neither had I thought of my house as ... [More]
Bizarre thought #574: In the building where I work, there’s a security guard who is sometimes seen wandering about the place. He looks kind of top-heavy, like he’s got a lot of upper-body muscle. For some reason it reminds me of an old video game I once had back on my Commodore 64: Ultima II, ... [More]
Up for a little light reading on why public transport is important, and what needs to be done to make it better? The government is coming out with its Transport & Liveability Statement next week, but in the mean time, the PTUA’s book from 2002 “It’s Time To Move” is now available for download as ... [More]
The rustling sound was back the other night, louder than before. I couldn’t spot anything. But around 6am this morning I heard the familiar noise of vermin doing calisthenics in the roof. And I found a tiny little beetle clinging to the wall in my room. Haven’t spotted any other insect life in quite a ... [More]
Word on the street is that if you want to see any movies, do so this weekend, because by the following weekend they’ll have all been swept away by blanket screenings of the bloody Da Vinci Code. On the train, which do you think there’s more of? Dan Brown books, or iPods? Dan Brown books ... [More]
My bloody car is still playing up, despite a service the other week that included an astronomically expensive ultrasound on the fuel injection! Given that that was prompted by reporting the same fault it’s still suffering, what are my statutory rights here? Anyway it’s been at the service place since last night (so they can ... [More]
Oh, great. The central heating is now my new “Did I leave the oven on?” stress. Worried about that all morning. Not that anything would happen if it was left on all day. Apart from the house burning down and a huge gas bill, of course. (Got home to find it was, in fact, off.) ... [More]
During the week I often only get about 7 hours of sleep. Usually this is okay. I might feel tired, but don’t particularly feel the need for a daytime siesta. On Friday night I got almost 9 hours. On Saturday night I got 10 and a half. It was good to catch up, mind you ... [More]
Bananas at the moment are… small green $8.99+ per Kg and pretty much off the menu at the moment.
135 metres to Parliament Station In the City Loop, there are signs at odd intervals, saying things like “Parliament station 135 metres”. They’re placed under every third light. The lights are at 15 metre intervals, the signs at 45 metre intervals. This is because the loop was designed before the switch to metric in the ... [More]
Brant Webb and Todd Russell, trapped down in that mine in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, have been talking to their rescuers as the final stage of digging commences. “So we are trying to talk to them about things that they can relate to, and things we can keep on an even keel and keep their spirits steady. ... [More]
With the crackdowns on smoking in restaurants and covered places (for instance railway stations and tram/bus shelters — though the signage is almost non-existent, so some people still smoke) I’m now more likely to indulge in passive smoking while walking down the street than anywhere else. This might be because I don’t frequent bars and ... [More]
(Sometimes, my inner eight year-old comes out to play.)
It must be a logistical nightmare to change the frequency of a well-established radio station. 3AW changed this morning, from where they’d been (more or less) since 1935. They say they’re doing it so they can provide better reception across Melbourne. I did actually tune-in to 3AW this morning for the changeover. It consisted of ... [More]
In 2004 the water company reported I was using an average 300 litres per day (at the old house). A year later, I was using an average 347 litres per day. Another bill arrived last week which said I’m now using an average 239 litres per day. Woo hoo! Perhaps having a much smaller garden ... [More]
Well, I said this month would be car maintenance month. Four nice shiny new tyres plus fitting plus whatever other surcharges they tack on: $544. 200,000 Km service, including ultrasound analysis of the fuel injection (!) and numerous other tinkering: $842. (But it does purr like a kitten now.) A tank of petrol: $62. But ... [More]