Zzzzzz. Ring, ring. Zzzz. Ring, ring. What’s that? The phone. I’m asleep. If the phone rings and I’m asleep, it must be important, right? Last time someone rang me up in the night when I was asleep, it was to tell me my dad had had an accident and gone to hospital. I’d better get ... [More]
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Neither here nor there
On Wednesday night, I suddenly found my car spot had been vacated. Where the mystery car came from, or where it vanished to, was destined to remain… err… a mystery. On Thursday night I went and gave blood. I was all prepared for a long wait like last time, and took a book. But to ... [More]
Well on Wednesday, I got my car back from the repair place, my wallet somewhat (figuratively) lighter for the experience. Drove it home, and… found someone in my car park spot. A beat up old red Ford Laser. Harumph. I didn’t recognise it, so I wasn’t sure whose it could be. Maybe flat 4. So ... [More]
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Instant movie reviews
Swordfish. What a crap movie. Computer clichĂŠs galore, not to mention that scene where Halle Berry earned US$250,000 per breast. Did it add anything at all to the story? Hell no. Was it a ploy to get teenage boys into the cinema? Looks like it to me. Saturday Night Fever. Second in the weekend’s Travolta ... [More]
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Funny noise
It started with a funny noise. A funny noise, a kind of throbbing, and a little extra smoke. So I took the car in on Monday to get looked at, to find out why it was doing it. "Oil", they said – "lack of oil". Ah. Okay. Wish I’d checked the oil more regularly. Then ... [More]
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The week in summary
The landlady was predictably shocked at the $330 cost of the window repair last weekend. Well, that’s her fault – if she’d had it fixed when I told her it was cracked, it wouldn’t have been so expensive. Despite her original false claims that I had cracked it, I refused to pay, and she backed ... [More]
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Instant performance review
Tinka’s New Dress – deep, multilayered, thought-provoking. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but damn, this was brilliant.
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Flowers
After lunch I took a walk up to state Parliament House. A blanket of flowers covers the steps, left there by people in memory of the Bali bombing. Judging from the notes, most had been left there by strangers, rather than relatives of victims. Above, blowing in the wind, the flags are still at half ... [More]
My dad told me about the biography of Lillian Roxon, who was the author of the world’s first encyclopaedia of rock music. The biography which includes a bit about him, because he knew her. I considered buying it, but then I reada review on the SMH web site, which said it wasn’t the world’s best ... [More]
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Windows problems
I had problems with windows this week, both virtual (geeky) and actual (non-greeky). On Tuesday I decided to install some firewall software. With the current Bugbear mayhem, and various other nasties out there, and given my computer frequently gets left on and connected to the Net, I thought it was probably prudent to have some ... [More]
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American Bewdy!
I watched American Beauty last night. Well, that is, I watched some of it. I’d seen it before. Great movie. And Channel 9 were showing a remarkably enlightened attitude in their broadcast of it, leaving it in wide screen, and more importantly leaving all the swearing intact. Just a shame the commercials made it go ... [More]
I think I just saw a petrol drive-off. I was waiting in the queue for a bowser. To the left, obscuring the view of the shop bit of the petrol station, was a huge Coke truck. One of those Linfox ones with the sign on the back that says "You are passing another Fox", unless ... [More]
The antenna guys came on Saturday. They were a startling and pleasing contrast to their esteemed colleagues at Foxtel. Being half owned by the semi-government-owned phone company probably doesn’t help Foxtel – their work practices are rife with public-service style practices. You want Foxtel connected? You have to be home on a weekday, and guarantee ... [More]
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Piccies and Foxtel
A bloke from The Bulletin has written a story about online diaries. And he hassled me for some information about them, apparently for no other reason that this thing has been running longer than most. That was last week. This week they asked me if they could take my photo for the article. Grr. That’s ... [More]
I didn’t get much sleep last night. Shortly after I went to bed, I could hear a thumping bass line coming from somewhere. The music itself wasn’t very loud, but that thumping bass line was resonating through the building. Now, I’m all for thumping bass lines in principle, but 11:30 at night when I’m trying ... [More]
Watched Twelve Monkeys on Friday night. It had been a few years since I’d seen it, and I’d forgotten enough of it that it was very interesting. The DVD has a documentary about its making which is almost as long as the movie itself, and is very interesting. Certainly not your average dull promotional pap. ... [More]