If there’s one thing I hope to instil into my kids, it’s not to be sheep. This means not assuming everything they hear is true; thinking for themselves; not believing the spin. Questioning and challenging authority where it is appropriate. Not following the trends blindly. (Maybe I can avoid them getting hooked on the teenybopper ... [More]
Crash — Superb drama. More than a little unsettling at times, but not a total depressionfest. Some Pulp Fictionesque dialogue and interconnecting story threads that reminded me a bit of Lantana. Nobody really gets off scott-free in this movie, and it really makes the point that none of us is totally good, or totally bad. ... [More]
Unbelievably, just hours after lamenting with Marita about how some of us in the Bowen family are prone to upset tummies, I felt the same myself. The Bowen belly had struck yet again, though not as badly as some other times. This comes after my sister and her toddler were struck down with something last ... [More]
Holeproof brand socks aren’t really holeproof. They get holes just as much as any other brand of sock. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve done something of a purge of socks with holes in the toes. I had plenty, and I have a sneaking suspicion that many of them were Holeproof brand. I didn’t ... [More]
There appear to be some people manually leaving comment spam here. It’s written to look relevant to the post it’s on, and includes a link to one of a series of near-identical web-sites obviously set-up just to get attention from search engines, eg a “Splog.” Now hear this: If your comment leaves a URL that ... [More]
Damn it was cold this morning. Before leaving for work, I made sure to find my gloves and scarf for the walk to the station through the fog. (You remember the scarf, right?) Off to the Bell Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet tonight. Not sure how I wangled seats in row AA, but looking forward to ... [More]
He was standing by the payphone outside Bentleigh Post Office, as I checked my post box about 45 minutes ago. He might still be there now. Asking passers-by for money to make a long-distance call, regarding his father, who had passed away. Was he telling the truth? I don’t know. I told him I had ... [More]
I rarely read the paper in great detail, except perhaps on Saturdays when I have the time. I value the content, and I value the fact that my subscription money is helping support a competing newspaper to the top-selling Herald Sun, but I probably get more value by reading The Age’s web site than the ... [More]
I got Isaac a Doctor Who DVD for his birthday which has two documentaries on it totalling almost two hours. Is that too much? I haven’t watched the docos yet, but it is a truly classic story (Genesis of the Daleks), with plenty to talk about in terms of how the story was written and ... [More]
At the moment I’m reading a book about Melbourne’s architecture, told through the story of Whelan The Wrecker. The Nicholas Building (corner of Swanston St and Flinders Lane) went up in 1925. I think it’s a pretty impressive sight. It was designed by Harry Norris, who also designed the equally impressive Majorca Building around the ... [More]
I’ve finally figured out how to fix the washing machine when the outlet hose gets blocked up, thus avoiding a $75 call-out fee and the inconvenience of having to arrange to be at home when the repair man goes. 1. Take clothes dryer off the top (it’s slightly lighter than it looks) and move it ... [More]
Things I have to do tonight: Tidy up the damn place. Do the (non-dishwasher) dishes. Run a quick errand down the street. Done Figure out how to get that burn off the bottom of my nice Le Creuset enamel pot. (Been postponing that for about two weeks.) Go to the supermarket and get some milk, ... [More]