Stuff from the past week: My arch nemesis, Big Ears/Darrin, often hangs out with his mates having a coffee outside the Collins Street (Paris End) McDonalds on weekdays about 9:30am. I wonder if I can bribe the McPeople there to do the same thing to him as he did to me? After much hunting, last ... [More]
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson — I finished this some time ago, but realised I forgot to rate it. A multi-stranded adventure through modern technology and WW2, following numerous related characters. Obviously codes and cyphers and other geeky sciences form an important part of the plot, but it doesn’t get too bogged down in mathematical detail, ... [More]
Today I rang up my accountant to make an appointment. “Don’t tell me you want to do your tax.” “I want to do my tax.” “I asked you not to tell me that.” It seems the influence of Maxwell Smart has even reached accountants. Vale Agent 86. (How come Gilligan didn’t get this much attention?)
Confirmed geek telecommunications specialist David Mery was arrested at Southwark tube station in London. What had he done? Among other things, he’d failed to look at police on the way into the station, was wearing a jacket they decided was ‘too warm for the season’, had a bulky rucksack, and two other men entered the ... [More]
Robots — This had its amusing moments. It didn’t suck. But it fails my “if it were the only thing playing on a long plane flight, would I watch it?” test. It wasn’t engaging. It wasn’t interesting. I felt little sympathy for the characters. It felt like a poor man’s Monsters Inc. Uninspired. Wallace and ... [More]
Since Rob, not I, won Tony’s footy tipping competition this year, yesterday it was my melancholy duty to give Rob the World’s Ugliest Trophy. You can tell from the look on my face how disappointed I was to give it over. (Pic by Tony) In happier news yesterday, my friends Josh and Cathy’s baby arrived. ... [More]
I’ve given notice on my rental house (by registered mail to avoid any problems like previously). Moving day is Monday the 24th of October — one month from tomorrow. I’m hiring Gronow’s again — they were good last time. Also sorting out dates for services and things. Should be no problems with power/water, but the ... [More]
I got a survey to do in the mail. Not one of those silly lifestyle surveys, preparing you to be bombarded with advertising, but an anonymous university-based one: the Australian Survey of Social Attitudes. It was interesting stuff. It asked about my views on such issues as immigration, education, government spending, the war in Iraq. ... [More]
A few plugs for things spotted recently… Gardens A while back I was getting a couple of enterprising students, Keith and David, to do my mowing. They’d turn up with their dad driving a stationwagon full of gardening implements of destruction, and do the gardening. But a couple of months ago they bowed out, saying ... [More]
Imagine this: you’re a councillor for a metropolitan local council. On your patch is an outspoken community advocate, who is something of a thorn in your side. What could you do to shut him up? How about register the organisation name he’s been using for months as a business name yourself? Some wacky fantasy, eh? ... [More]
A couple of weeks ago I caught a programme on Compass about near death experiences. (Compass may be billed as a religious show, but contrary to what you might think, isn’t always deadly dull and boring. They have some quite interesting stuff.) I’ve long been interested in what might be out there after death. The ... [More]