Back in my childhood years, there was only one band I really loved: The Beatles. Somehow I found them fascinating through the 70s and 80s, to the point where my mother got sick of hearing my almost-worn-out Sgt Pepper cassette. Then in my late teens, a friend brought over a music video to try and ... [More]
The Age’s freebie Tropfest DVD arrived during the week, and we watched it on Friday night. 16 short films, the finalists. All good, some excellent, one (“For Every Year”) heartwrenching, most funny, some (“The Money”, “Sold Out”, “Confessions of an Animation”) hilarious.
Ah, Easter. The time when — as one relative once clumsily described it — we celebrate the death of Christ. The sun is shining down between the buildings. I leave a batch run going on the computer at work, and walk up a block to my mother’s favourite book shop, to buy a gift voucher. ... [More]
Part I. Many years ago I had a Ren And Stimpy CD. It’s the kind of CD you buy because for a couple of weeks in 1993 you were kinda amused by the TV series. So you coughed up $25 and listen to it maybe once all the way through, and maybe another track or ... [More]
We’ve been going out for six months now. Naturally I don’t want to jinx it, but it seems to get better and better. And yes, everything I said in December still applies.
Michael Grade has been appointed chairman of the BBC. Doctor Who fans must be wondering if Grade — the only enemy of the Doctor that managed to kill him completely by getting the series cancelled — will be up to his old tricks. Perhaps he’ll squeeze the production budget so tightly that they can’t even ... [More]
Footy tips not too good. Only 3 out of 8. Bah. I don’t like this anymore. On my way out to the west on Friday night, suddenly realised apart from my shoes and socks, I was entirely dressed in blue. Spent a substantial amount of Saturday daytime lazing. And a substantial amount of Saturday nighttime ... [More]
We’ve moved floors in our building. After all, it had been a good three months since the last move — there was a real danger we would get fully settled in. On the plus side, we’re two floors down, so the lift ride is slightly shorter. I’m close to a window, so there’s some natural ... [More]
What the F— do you think you’re doing, Mr White Stationwagon? Where the F— did you get your driver’s licence? Why the F— do you think you can decide as you’re driving through an intersection in the left hand lane, that you are suddenly going to turn right, across three lanes of traffic, cutting me ... [More]
Late yesterday (31/3) I was contacted by a major publisher, who propose adapting my diary into a book. They want to use all of it going back to 1994, and if all goes well plan to put it out in time for Fathers Day (September) in Australia and NZ, with a view to UK, USA ... [More]
D-Day again yesterday. The twice-annual visit to the dentist. Amazingly he gave my teeth a clean bill of health. Said they looked fine, and obviously I was doing okay with my brushing and flossing. I didn’t feel inclined to tell him I’m only flossing when I remember to do so — which is pretty much ... [More]
Went into the gent’s at work. Standing at the urinal just about to get on with it when there’s a knock. “Hello?” Female voice. Must be a cleaner — one of several middle-aged women in dusty blue uniforms, generally seen spending an inordinate amount of time polishing the brass fittings in the building’s foyer. She’s ... [More]
Zoomed down the freeway to Kathy & Gary’s housewarming on Saturday afternoon. A very nice house, impressively huge, reminiscent of a Viking hall perhaps. That is, a big central living/dining/cooking/study area, high ceiling and a lot of wood involved. Maybe they’ll invite all their friends back there for a spirited sing around the fire after ... [More]
Footy tipping… 7 out of 8. Not too shabby for the first round. Would have been a perfect 8 out of 8, but I was foolish enough to be loyal to my own team and tip Geelong. The other week I went and saw the doctor about the headaches I’d been getting. Turned out to ... [More]
I dreamt that I woke in the night (not unusual recently), hearing noises in the house. Not just the usual possums ballroom dancing in the ceiling, but something louder, like people moving about the kitchen and the hallway, creaking on the floorboards. Initially I felt groggy and unable to move, but eventually woke up enough ... [More]
The Brits seem to have the monopoly on making good political thrillers for television. Think of the classics: Edge of Darkness, A Very British Coup, or House of Cards — the TV adaption of the latter was so successful it spawned more books and their subsequent TV adaptions, though alas the climactic final scenes of ... [More]