My grandmother died on Friday night. I didn’t know her well, and hadn’t seen her since 1999. She’d been unwell for some years, but all the same, it was sad news — perhaps because like the rest of my grandparents, I grew up distant from them — either in miles or in years. Unavoidable, but ... [More]
I have to admit, when I was growing up, Doctor Who was never really one of the cool kid shows. Scifi generally probably wasn’t something the cool kids watched. But now, on the eve of the third series (starts Saturday night in the UK; who knows when we’ll see it in Australia), David Tennant’s Doctor ... [More]
My garden (apart from the grass) is thriving, despite the drought. Evidently it’s almost all native plants, which survive fine even with a lack of water. Indeed, one of the hedges has grown so much I had to trim it back so I can see into the mailbox without bumping my head on it. But ... [More]
I’ve heard from two completely independent sources of Pastafarianism in the past week. Could it be that the age of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is upon us? RAmen. Anyway, here’s some quick reviews. Michael Palin’s diaries 1969-1979 — Very interesting, especially for a Python fan like me, giving the background story behind the group coming ... [More]
Things I like about Captain Vegetable (from Sesame Street): 1. I don’t remember this song from when I was a kid. I discovered it when my kids watched Sesame Street. 2. The message! Yeah I’m getting health conscious. Not that it was ever likely to convince any kids. 3. The dodgy rhyming. “My name is ... [More]
My waterproof jacket self-destructed late last year, and while Melbourne hasn’t been over-endowed with rain recently, part of my plan to become a dedicated pedestrian includes having the appropriate gear to stroll down the street no matter what the weather, so I’d been meaning to buy a new one. Last week via some junk mail ... [More]
Brrr. Winter time. Wintertime. How is it that Mother Nature knows to make it cold as soon as we go off summer time? Saturday was wet in Melbourne (much-needed rain), but at least it wasn’t cold. Sunday… dry but cool and windy. The moment the sun went down, cold. I felt the need to wear ... [More]
So today we’ve had the Citylink tunnels closed due to a fatal crash, a gas leak in Malvern causing the suspension of Frankston and Dandenong trains, a big grass fire in Sunshine, and vomit-inducing fumes last night at a restaurant in Doncaster. And I heard a truckload of (non-flammable, apparently) orange bottles spilled all over ... [More]
Marita & Justine’s dog Maisie will occasionally get it into her head that she knows a complete stranger. “I know you!” she’ll think, and barrel up to them, tail wagging. “I like you! I know you! I do!” But she doesn’t. I got a similar feeling yesterday, queuing up to buy some lunch. A man ... [More]
I don’t know if there’s ever been proof that males have some genetic thing that makes them (well, most of them) inherently interested in engineering, but sometimes it seems that way. Everyone has their own particular interests, of course. Most people know that I’m not particularly impressed with cars. Although I will confess to liking ... [More]
You know, there’s a reason they’re called golf umbrellas. It doesn’t make them suited for crowded CBD footpaths. And why is it that smaller people seem to like them so much? You’d think they had less body mass that needed rain protection. Fair enough if multiple people are cowering under them I suppose. But more ... [More]
I write on various blogs regularly. (Okay, some aren’t really meant to be blogs, but use blogging software.) You bash out some text, hit Post and you’re done. Just try writing for a paper medium though. I’ve been putting together the latest PTUA newsletter, which gets posted out on (recycled) paper to members. 7 pages ... [More]