Often when I listen to Radio National, I’ll learn something I didn’t know before. In this case, I was listening to Saturday Extra last week. Cutting power consumption? One item talking about electricity efficiency noted that enormous amounts of money are being invested in distribution networks, instead of being spent on measures to cut consumption ... [More]
Month: May 2010
Categories
Lord Jesus Christ hit by a car
No, really. ‘Lord Jesus Christ’ struck by car in Northampton … Police responded at around 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday to investigate an incident where a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle while he was in a Main Street crosswalk, Savino said. The man was hurt, but conscious, and handed police his identification, Savino said. “He ... [More]
Categories
Understandable reaction
A Melbourne “miracle baby” who escaped death when his pram rolled into the path of an oncoming train has celebrated his first birthday. No doubt, the baby was incredibly lucky not to be killed. If you haven’t seen it, check out the video — it’s just amazing. I hope the train driver, who I would ... [More]
My car key remote went flat. This is a major pain when one is used to the joys of remote key locking. Having to go to the door with the keyhole every time and fumble to get the key into it — bleuch. I assumed that like most things in the world of cars, I’d ... [More]
I don’t think it’s any great secret that Melbourne’s buses aren’t very well co-ordinated to the trains — with two exceptions that is, the Trainlink buses at Epping and Cranbourne, which are timed to meet every train. This is a major problem because so many trips simply can’t be made on PT without using a ... [More]
Categories
Through others’ eyes
If you think with the traffic, sprawl, crime and the crowding the city’s going down the toilet, just check this almost hopelessly optimistic, positive report on Melbourne from 2005 for the Johannesburg Star. After spending five days in Melbourne and the state of Victoria, it’s easy to see why Australia so appeals to South Africans ... [More]
Categories
Using less water
My latest water bill arrived, and I’m feeling pretty smug about it because without even trying, my water consumption has dropped by about 20% compared to a year ago. A few years ago household use had been around 250 litres per day. A switch to a water-efficient showerhead in 2007 saw it drop by about ... [More]
Stakeholder and interest group commentary on the State Budget usually happens out the back of Parliament. And when it starts raining, everybody huddles under the shelter near the back door. Here’s my State Budget summary — well, the PT bits: Four new stations on existing lines to be built — Caroline Springs (V/Line), Williams Landing, ... [More]
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Thoughts on tax
The tax return My 2008-09 tax return took ages to come back. What happened to it? An old fashioned IT screwup: We know some people have experienced delays and frustration caused by our essential systems upgrade. Unfortunately, the size of the systems we deal with means they are incredibly complex. Also, given the importance of ... [More]
I lived in Elsternwick once, and since then have always envied residents there. Everything’s there: supermarket, lots of shops, restauraunts, train or tram to city, bus to the beach. And a cinema: The Classic, which originated in 1913, and thanks to investment and renovations in the 90s, survives (and thrives) today. Bentleigh, where I now ... [More]
Categories
Today I was a moron
Mea culpa. Today I was a moron. This morning I ran a red light. No excuse, but I was just following everybody else. I didn’t see it changing until it was too late to stop. It’s in a spot where there’s another light (which I did stop at) which is ahead of any conflicting traffic, ... [More]