Categories
Home life

ats

There was a cat on my roof the other night. First bats, now cats. What next… gnats? rats? meerkats? wombats?

Categories
Melbourne

The accountant and the student

They got on at Malvern, and stood together on the train. One dressed like an accountant, one dressed like a student, neither saying much, just watching the world go by. Until Richmond, where the student whispered to the accountant about something on his back, and brushed it off. The accountant whispered thanks back, and they  ... [More]

Categories
Consumerism

PO

You can do everything in the Post Office nowadays. I suppose that’s why they’re calling them Post Shops instead. They sell cards, telephones (mobile and fixed line), music CDs (what’s the point of those year CDs, eg 1970 including hits from 1970? I was born in 1970, but why does that mean I would identify  ... [More]

Categories
music

Delayed

My delayed Valentine’s Day present arrived last night, in the form of tickets to the Paul Kelly concert at the newly re-named Hamer Hall (aka the Concert Hall at the Victorian Arts Centre). A more mixed crowd than your average standing-up gig. A worrying number of oldies. I suppose what you lose on the enthusiasm  ... [More]

Categories
Working life

Toner disaster

A couple of the blokes in the office today dared to try what I wouldn’t yesterday: to re-load the photocopier toner. I knew if I tried it I’d end up struggling with it for half an hour before scattering that lovely black toner all over the carpet. So I went and did my photocopying on  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Congratulations

To the guy in the navy blue suit at Hawksburn station at 8:38 this morning who ran down the ramp as the train doors closed because he thought the train with 1000 people on board should be made later than it already was, just for him and thumped on the door in a rage as  ... [More]

Categories
Film Geek

Instant movie review

The Cat In The Hat. Not many kids’ movies on at the moment, and Jeremy chose this one to while away some time on ANZAC Day afternoon. A couple of semi-amusing moments that just — just raised a smile, but otherwise it was proof that Hollywood has an uncanny ability to take a classic book  ... [More]

Categories
Home life music

Quick update

Tickets for The Who went on sale last Sunday. At $99 to $199. Yikes. I considered booking, depending on whether or not good but cheap seats could be had. But then I found the damn Ticketek web site demanding some long-forgotten username and password (with no hints on the e-mail they had sent me), so  ... [More]

Categories
Melbourne

The unknown

Sometimes it’s easy. You pass someone in the street, or see them on the tram, and they’re instantly recognisable. A soapie star, a reknowned actor, a government minister, or some other high-profile person. But what about all those countless people who pass you by who are not recognisable? Who are they? How many movers and  ... [More]

Categories
driving transport

The perils of modern living

On my way back to work after lunch with lovely girlfriend yesterday, I hopped on a tram on Collins Street. Before it even reached the next stop, some bloke in a seat near the front keeled over, his two sneakered feet the only thing visible to me, sticking out into the aisle. The driver stopped  ... [More]

Categories
Ranting TV

FFS

I don’t think I’ve ever shouted at the television in frustration before. Certainly not when I was on my own, nobody else to hear it. I don’t consider myself an angry person by any means, and it took several steps to get there before it all boiled over. Step 1 was doing ironing and wanting  ... [More]

Categories
Photos Politics and activism PTUA

Troublemakers at the station