Goodnight and Good Luck — A dramatised version of the campaign against Joe McCarthy by 50’s CBS programme See It Now, but with so many modern parallels in today’s climate of terrorism, fundamentalism, secrecy and censorship. Beautifully shot, and compelling. My eyes didn’t waver from the screen for the full 90 minutes. On a couple ... [More]
Categories
GO KERRYN!
Australia’s Kerryn McCann says she was prepared to be beaten in the women’s marathon, until she heard the roar of the MCG crowd. — The Age Such a thrilling thing I haven’t seen in a long time. She didn’t know it, but 76,500 of us in the MCG were watching her progress against Hellen Cherono ... [More]
Categories
Music meme
Tagged by Rae: Seven songs I am listening to right now and a lyric or two that sounds good New Mistake, by Jellyfish — I have no idea what this song is about, but I like it. Got hooked on this band after seeing the music video for it (which is just as confusing) on ... [More]
So the other week I opened up the Good Weekend A2 (Saturday newspaper colour magazine). I ask you, does the world really need another profile of Barry Humphries? I’m not asking for him to go and die or anything, and I find Dame Edna as amusing as the next person, but this continuing fascination for ... [More]
Categories
The blame Games
Ahhh… the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony… the flying tram… landing on a giant Melway. You know what, if I had designed the opening moments, that’s probably how I would have done it. Didn’t understand the juxtaposition of ballet dancers and trail bikes though. … I noticed in a city drycleaners the other day a sign ... [More]
Categories
Wonka and Tropfest
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory — OMG, it’s Johnny Depp playing Michael Jackson playing Willy Wonka. Deep Roy (who 30 years ago played Mr Sin in Doctor Who — The Talons of Weng-Chiang) must have worked hard on this, playing all the Oompa Loompahs. All in all, enjoyable, and thankfully the spectre of the old ... [More]
Categories
Queen’s baton relay
Yesterday the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay went past my mum’s house. So we decided to go and have a look. My mum got some chairs out and we sat waiting on the nature strip. After a few minutes, some police motorcycles and a support vehicle arrived to drop runners at the appropriate spots, clear ... [More]
The next time you hear the government making excuses as to why they can’t extend train and tram lines, and how they have to provide a “balance” between freeway and public transport expansion, keep this in mind: (Current and past ten years dollars spent on freeway expansion: $7.2 billion. Rail/tram network expansion: $225 milion. Full ... [More]
Paul Cornell, who wrote the excellent Father’s Day episode of Doctor Who, has a blog, and remarks that Rose’s father Pete was based on his own dad. The piece is really about me appreciating the sacrifices he made, and how I know he’d do what the Dad in ‘Father’s Day’ does. I think most Dads ... [More]
Categories
Burger time
Every couple of weeks, often on a Friday, I have a hankering for a burger and chips. I know it’s not good for me, but sometimes, just sometimes, you need to indulge your tastebuds. So I go along to the local Hungry Jacks, incorrectly choose the queue which looks like it’s going to move the ... [More]
Categories
Six days to go
Six days to go until the Commonwealth Games… (Based on the Rexona advert. Pic from CPT.) I (with my PTUA hat on) got an invitation to the swimming, plus a breakfast function hosted by John Thwaites. We had a chat about it and decided that given it wasn’t a lobbying opportunity, it wasn’t appropriate for ... [More]
Categories
Coles vs Safeway
I have both a Coles and a Safeway nearby. With inspiration from Andrew’s post the other week, this is why I shop at Safeway: Safeway is a few minutes less of a walk, which isn’t a lot, but counts when you’re staggering home with two green bagsful of shopping. My local Coles has computer monitors ... [More]
Categories
Got some change?
It must be the 21st century. On Friday I got asked by a guy on the street for spare change. He said he was 85 cents short of the money for a Boost Juice.
Categories
The morals of selling cigarettes
Was in the barber shop the other day. While waiting, took a look at the reading offerings. A bit sparse that day, so I glanced through a recent issue of Australian Convenience Store News. It’s when you read stuff like this that you get an insight into the things that happen all around you that ... [More]
Categories
Mr and Mrs Malloy
Tony and Rae got married yesterday at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville. After the ceremony, we all watched High Society. Congratulations Tony and Rae. (Funny story? Rob actually FORGOT the rings. Just before kick-off time, he had to race back home to get them.)
Categories
School photos
Due to various circumstances, I got to see some of the school photos taken on Tuesday. It’s an annual event of course, and one not to be missed I reckon. Maybe I’m more nostalgic than most about my childhood (especially this week it seems), but from time to time I do like looking at my ... [More]