Categories
Blog sponsorship books transport

How the 20th century was almost dominated by electric vehicles, rather than petrol

It’s amazing to think that had circumstances been different, the western world might have developed its road transport around electric engines rather than fossil fuels. That’s one of the key points made by “A Most Deliberate Swindle“, by Mick Hamer – the tale of the London Electrobus company, which pioneered the use of electric buses  ... [More]

Categories
books

Beware of being distracted by portable reading devices

These days, some people are so addicted to their portable reading devices that they barely look where they’re going.

Categories
Consumerism

Dear retailers, when prices are 60% cheaper offshore, GST won’t save you

Tough talk from the retailers, who continue to demand GST be applied to all purchases. It’s rubbish of course. 10% GST is not why people are shopping online. Let’s take the example of my last Amazon UK order, which I placed when the AU dollar was at its height, about two weeks ago. Book: Neil  ... [More]

Categories
books Home life Sport

A coupla things

The Slap I finished reading The Slap. Great book, provided you don’t mind a little fruity language and adult themes in your novels. Looking forward now to the TV adaption. Possums I was just thinking the other day that despite seeing a lot of possums around the neighbourhood, I never heard them in the roof.  ... [More]

Categories
books PTUA

In the wild

Blog: Amazing – I actually saw a @PTUA sticker IN THE WILD

Categories
books Film music

Quick reviews

A few quick reviews of things I’ve read or watched recently… (The DVDs fall into the category of “I’ve been meaning to watch that; I’ll buy that if it’s less than $10. Ooh, there it is!” One book was borrowed, the other I got for Christmas.) A Hard Day’s Night — got this cheap on  ... [More]

Categories
books

The mathematics of school textbooks

It’s all easy in primary school. You send the money in, you get a box of goodies. There’s few textbooks, and almost all are kept at and owned by the school. It gets more complicated and expensive in secondary school. So here’s the scenario: Two kids, two years apart. The school has a secondhand book  ... [More]

Categories
books Net News and events

A buncha brief things

Some brief thoughts and half-arsed things that I can’t be bothered developing into fully-fledged blog posts: Luz Station in Sao Paulo. Looks externally very similar to Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station, well if you don’t look too closely. Coincidence, or is one modelled on the other? Probably the former. I haven’t seen anything that suggests Luz  ... [More]

Categories
books Consumerism Morons on the road News and events Ranting transport

Whatthe?

What the F— do you think you’re doing, Mr White Stationwagon? Where the F— did you get your driver’s licence? Why the F— do you think you can decide as you’re driving through an intersection in the left hand lane, that you are suddenly going to turn right, across three lanes of traffic, cutting me  ... [More]