Friday, December 25, 2009

top of the rollercoaster

All that work - and it's almost over already! Just got to pack up the pressies from under the tree and join the family for Christmas lunch at mum's.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

the first week of eating dangerously

Day 7 of my new un-diet, featuring the return of... gluten!

Well, after early stomach uneasiness following my pizza and pasta meals, I decided to try something a little less gluten-intense for the next treat.

During a visit to Prahran market on Saturday morning, I stopped at a bakery where the lady sells almond croissants (but only on Saturdays!) Too good to pass up! I bought just one, and packed it in my bag for later.

At the supermarket, I picked up a loaf of spelt bread. Spelt is an ancient grain which can be tolerated by some coeliacs, though I had never tried it before. I thought it might be a good way to try something a little easier to digest than 'normal' wheat bread.

When I got home from the market, I made a cup of (gluten-free) soup for lunch, and then attacked the croissant for dessert! OMG It was fantastic! The butter pastry melted in my mouth; the almond flavour was rich and sensuous; the icing sugar coated my face! Once again, a gluten-filled treat had whisked me off to food-heaven! But it was filling. I could only manage about half; the rest, I packed away for later.

No apparent after-effects from this treat.

That evening, after a gluten-free dinner, I buttered a slice of spelt bread and smothered it in a light coating of Vegemite. The bread was soft to the touch, so unlike gluten-free bread, and just like real bread! I ate it slowly, savouring each mouthful. When I was done, I buttered another slice, and spread it with strawberry jam. Bewdi-ful!

That night, I once again felt some stomach discomfort, but nothing too serious.

On Sunday, I had spelt bread sandwiches for lunch - buttered, with fresh slices of corned beef from the deli. That night, I made two rounds of sandwiches for my lunch the next day, and packed them in the fridge for the night. So much easier and quicker and cheaper than the gluten-free lunches I used to have to make!

I had sandwiches again for lunch Monday and Tuesday, and finished the loaf today. I made people watch me eat them, just to prove that I, too, could eat 'normal' lunches :-)

Since I was late getting home tonight, after stopping to see a movie, I bought fish and chips en route home. Usually, I throw away the complementary potato cakes and peel the batter from the fish before I eat it. Old habits die hard. I couldn't bring myself to eat the potato cakes, and I still peeled off most of the batter from the fish, but I did a eat a few mouthfuls of it.

Maybe that was a few too much... tonight, I have more severe stomach pains and a touch of the runs. Perhaps I'll try a gluten-free day tomorrow, and give my insides more chance to adapt.

broken arms??

It's been almost six weeks since I last managed to find a movie that interested me enough to get me out to the cinema, and by last night, I was getting desperate.

A quick scan of yourmovies.com.au revealed an appalling shortage of appealling films - except for two! One was a Spanish movie whose title had me intrigued but a bit trepidatious - Los Abrazos Rotos - which, in my little-used Spanish, translated as 'Broken arms'; the other was a preview session of Nowhere Boy, starring the irresistable Kristen Scott-Thomas, but showing only at the Brighton Bay (in preview).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I opted for Kristen, raced around like a chook without a head to get ready in time to catch the 7:15 session, and drove down to Brighton, arriving at the ticket counter at 7:13 precisely! Everything had worked out beautifully - light traffic, good car park, there wasn't even a queue for tickets! - until I ordered my ticket... and was told that the movie isn't showing until Boxing Day!! Yes, apparently, *sometimes*, the online movie listings aren't correctly updated, and in fact, even though the Brighton Bay was reported to be showing three sessions per day of Nowhere Boy all week, it was in fact Nowhere to be found until Friday!

Not only did I waste a trip to Brighton, but I was now too late to get to another cinema in time to see Los Abrazos Rotos (which I had by now realised actually meant 'Broken embraces' - 'Abrazos', not 'Brazos' (arms)!

So today, determined to see a some film somewhere, I went straight from work to the Kino to see Broken Embraces.

It was great to get back to the cinema again! The movie wasn't bad. It was the first Pedro Almodovar film I've seen. The story was interesting, but it was a bit long... could have done with tighter editing, and perhaps 10 minutes or so cut. Penelope Cruz was great, though, and the story climax was pretty good, though the actual ending of the movie was a bit lame. I'd give it *** out of 5.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

christmas mail

I love lots of things about Christmas. But there are some things that I don't love about Christmas, and as the Christmas season approaches its climax, now is the time to get them off my chest.

Writing Christmas cards. I detest writing Christmas cards. In fact, I don't like doing any sort of writing with a pen and paper any more, but of all written things, Christmas cards are the worst. Even worse than birthday cards, because birthdays are generally spread out across the year, and don't need to be written all at once.

Last year, I decided to take the bull by the horns, and do the cards early. Late November 2008, I bought a couple of boxes of cards, a couple of dozen of those kitsch Christmas stamps, and sat down for two or three evenings to write (yes, it takes me that long to think of different ways to say 'Merry Christmas and Happy New Year' on a card).

First week of December, I posted out 32 cards. And not a minute too soon, as I received my first one back in that very day's post, from someone even more organised than I was (or perhaps, someone who hated writing cards as much as I do!)

But... by last mail on Christmas Eve, a quick census of my mantelpiece confirmed my growing suspicion throughout that month - exactly one half of the people that I had carefully and dutifully crafted Christmas cards for had returned the favour! 16 cards, plus another 2 from people I'd left off my original list (another thing I hate about Christmas mail - unexpected last-minute Christmas cards, when it's too late to send a reply and pretend that you hadn't always planned to do so!)

Somewhere along the line, half of the people that I had carded had decided that Christmas cards were 'out' in 2008, and they didn't bother to even reply when they received one.

For a time, I was outraged and insulted.

Then I thought it over. And it made sense. These cards cost time and money and effort. They sit on the mantelpiece for a week or two, then they get thrown into the recycle bin. All that effort for just that.

Clearly, sending Christmas cards was just too 19th century. It was time I got with it.

So in 2009, I wrote no Christmas cards in advance. This year, I sat back and waited to see what the mailman would bring, if I didn't initiate the transaction. And to no surprise, the mail delivery fell off even further than last year. With four delivery days left until C Day (at most, depending on union action), I have received only 5 cards, all of which I have dutifully replied to.

So that's my official Christmas card policy from now on. No more bulk card writing and posting, just polite replies to those who still have an interest in sending and receiving cards. Much less stressful. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas already.

second course

Well, that pizza, fantastic as it was, didn't exactly open the gluten floodgates for me, but it gave me some inspiration to go on.

It took about 24 hours for my stomach to settle again, so by the next evening, I was ready to try another dish on my list. I went out for dinner at EcoBlue in Orrong Rd, and chose a simple penne napolitana. It was delicious. The sauce was a light tomato and basil delight, but the pasta! Real pasta, cooked perfectly, and made from real wheat, instead of rice! It looked right; it tasted superb.

An hour later, my stomach started complaining again, but of course, it was going to take some time to adjust.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

first dose!

Well, even though I've had the go-ahead to eat gluten again for several days, it's been tough, tough, tough to make a start.

Sure I've missed the odd delicacy - like warm, crusty bread, smothered in melting butter and dripping with honey or marmalade; hot, spicy pizza; a sweet, buttery croissant; the flaky pastry on a freshly-heated cornish pastie - to name but a few, but after several years of training myself not to think about those things, nor dare to put them near my mouth, it was surprisingly tough to just pick something up and eat it.

Finally, though, I had to just get over it and do it. So today, I bought a pizza for my lunch. Not just any pizza, but a hot salami and pineapple pizza from one of my favourite pizzerias from 'the old days', in the Paramount Centre off Bourke St.

To eat this pizza... was an almost indescribable experience!

The crust was thick and chewy, perfectly baked; the topping was spicy, but with the sweetness of the pineapple, and a buttery after-taste that made it feel as though it was melting in my mouth.

Every mouthful was heaven!

And when I finished it... I felt fine. For about an hour.

Then I developed mild abdominal pains for most of the afternoon. I guess this could just be my system adjusting to this new / old eating sensation. I hope so, anyway. This experience is way too good to have to forgo again!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

the killer argument

I'd say I'm a pretty rational type; I tend to believe in things I can see or experience or realistically imagine, and dismiss the rest (such as religion ). But when I experience something that rational solutions don't seem to recognise or apply to, I'm willing to expand my horizons and broaden my beliefs. Which is how I originally became interested in naturopathic / homeopathic therapies.

After many years suffering from various complaints which were apparently unrelated, undiagnosable and untreatable (by regular medicine), I took a side-track to a naturopath ... whose apparently illogical and un-rationalisable treatments did make a difference.

Over the years, I saw a number of naturopaths, and eventually found Gordon, whom I consider to be the world's greatest naturopath!

Among the things that Gordon told me was that I was gluten-intolerant, and that by undergoing a detox program and avoiding foods containing gluten, many of the complaints that had dogged me for most of my adult life would improve or vanish.

I didn't want to believe Gordon, at first. After all, my staple diet then revolved around bread, pizza, cake, pastries, pies, biscuits, scones, pasta, cereal - I couldn't imagine life without those basic necessities and mouth-watering delicacies.

But I was desperate, so I agreed to give it a month or two, and see how it worked out.

It was tough! Suddenly, my staples were forbidden to me, and I had to learn to eat rice crackers and gluten-free muesli, rice, dry, crumbly gluten-free cake, rice, pallid, gluten-free pasta, rice, and oh, did I mention... rice?

Eating became a boring drudge, trying to find new ways to prepare rice and rice-based meals, and avoiding things like soy sauce and other condiments, which invariably contained the dreaded gluten.

But I didn't have to wait long to realise it was the right thing to do. Within a few weeks, I could feel the difference, and I knew I was doing the right thing, no matter how distasteful it was. Gluten was poison. Gluten was out!

I was well and truly confirmed as gluten-intolerant when, around two years or so later, I first visited my current GP, Ben.

When I told him my medical history, he immediately turned up his nose at the thought of my diagnosis by an 'unqualified' practitioner, and recommended that I do a blood test to confirm that advice.

The only catch was, that in order to do the blood test, I had to go back onto gluten for a period of 3 or 4 weeks.

After all I had gone through in training myself to not eat that stuff, I couldn't stand to backtrack, so I politely but firmly ignored his suggestions. Again. And again. And again. And then, he hit me with the killer argument!

At my last appointment with Ben, I was talking about my planned trip to Europe next year. One of my concerns about travel had been around how I would find gluten-free foods in non-English speaking countries; I had heard anecdotally that it was not so easy to find, in parts of the continent. He suggested that maybe I had 'recovered' from my gluten intolerance after my lengthy gluten-abstinence, and that it would be worthwhile doing the test to find out 'for sure'.

With the thought of travel in mind, and hope of an allergy-free future in my heart (and stomach), I agreed to prepare for the test.

After all, how bad could it be?

Saturday, December 12, 2009

the month of eating dangerously

So more than three-and-a-half years since I was diagnosed by the best naturopath in the world as being gluten-intolerant, forty-five months after I made the supreme effort to banish gluten-ous foods from my diet, and forty-four months since I thought "Hey - this guy really did know what he as talking about!", my non-believer GP finally hit me with the killer argument : "Never mind if you were diagnosed by an unqualified faith healer, what if you've improved since then and no longer need to avoid gluten? What if you can eat all that good stuff again, and don't need to stick to this unnecessary diet?"

There was only one way to find out.

But it would involve eating that 'g' stuff again!

"I'm Superman!"


Thursday, December 10, 2009

the liberty valance eureka moment

After years and years and years of listening to "The man who shot Liberty Valance" and not having a clue as to what Gene Pitney was singing, today, I had a sudden moment of clarity!

"Everyone heard two shots ring out,
One shot made Liberty fall"

It's so obvious. It's so clear (when you know). Why could I never get it before? wow.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

trust no politician

Was I the only one shocked and appalled by this statement in today's Age?

"Victoria Police last night said it was routine for police to sign such deals [to share information about protesters] with organisations building big public projects where there were potential security risks."

WTF??? When did private companies get the right to access Police information about law-abiding citizens?? Or about any citizens, for that matter? When did the government make that decision? What information do which companies have about which citizens? If I say that I oppose the useless and over-priced desalination plant, and that I believe it will force us all to pay mega-millions of dollars unnecessarily to an overseas private company for something we don't need in the the first place, will my details end up on Aquasure's database?

This is the worst example of abuse of government power I have heard of in the entire tenure of the current State government.

Make no mistake about it: no-one can trust John Brumby (or Ted Baillieu).

Monday, November 30, 2009

les plans commencent a fall into place

Well, I've been planning and procrastinating for more than 18 months now, but today, I took the first real step towards taking a decent holiday next year, by applying for time off from work next May/June.

Actually, that was really the second step... in a rush of blood to the head, I snapped up some new luggage at DJ's during last week's VIP shopping night at Chaddy - at 50% off, I couldn't let the opportunity pass - and since I now had some decent bags, I really had little choice but to get on with the rest of the planning to go somewhere!

Step 3 followed in very quick succession, thanks to a chance encounter with a Kathmandu sale catalogue that came with the newspapers on the weekend. So now I not only have suitable luggage, but a wonderful array of minor travel accessories that I would never have thought that I needed (nor did I even know existed, in some cases!), and all at 50% - 60% off RRP as well!

Next step will be to organise a passport... and then I'd better start thinking about booking some flights and accommodation... and fast, before I realise how much it will all cost!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

razzle dazzle

Chicago was great!

The cast, especially Caroline O'Connor (as Velma Kelly), Sharon Millerchip (Roxie Hart), Craig McLaughlin (Billy Flynn), Colleen Hewitt (Mama Morton) and Rowan Browne (as Fred Casley) were terrific; the staging was stylish and effective; Her Maj was compact and cosy, but comfortable enough, and our seats were sensational.

My only criticism is still of the show itself, with all the best musical numbers appearing before intermission, but the performances kept the show interesting, despite the lack of show-stoppers in the second half.

I left the theatre thinking about whether I'd have a chance to go see it again before the season ends, and not realising that the end, is in fact nigh... only a few more days to go. Too bad, 'coz I definitely would have seen it again.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

strange bedfellows

Never has the old saying about politics and strange bedfellows been more accurate than in the wheeling and dealing over Kevin Rudd's effort to show off an ETS agreement at Copenhagen!

Malcolm Turnbull has been going through hoops to drag his recalcitrant colleagues into line to negotiate an agreement to support... the government!

And why shouldn't they? The agreement has been neutered by its hopeless compromises to farmers and the energy lobby, and is now hardly worth the paper it's written on, in respect to what it will really contribute to cutting carbon emissions. Even the most dimwitted conservatives shouldn't be able to complain about that.

All the biggest polluters in the country will be rewarded for their (lobbying) efforts, while the citizen-at-large will be left to pay and pay and pay, and all towards reaching a minimal carbon reduction target which will have no impact on climate change in any meaningful timeframe.

So, while I sit back and smirk and sneer at the cosy Rudd/Wong/Turnbull/MacFarlane menage a quatre, I find myself in the same bunk as the Greens... and Wilson 'redneck' Tuckey... and Steve 'nutbag' Fielding... and Kevin 'racist pig' Andrews!

How can I sleep at night in that company?

absolutely can't wait

It's YouTube-mania tonight, but I had to keep this one handy.

After many years of failing to 'get', and successfully ignoring, 'Smallville', I decided to check out season 8, the one after all the original creators left.

And I like it!

They ditched a lot of the stuff that I didn't like about the earlier seasons, and moved Clark and co to Metropolis and the Daily Planet. Throw in some great 'new' guest characters like the Legion, the Persuader and Doomsday, and it's been enough to get me into it.

But as much as I've enjoyed season 8 so far, I cannot wait for this special double episode in season 9, Absolute Justice :

it's a long way down Swanston St

I haven't seen this video clip for yonks, but I love it - a classic AC/DC track, plus glimpses of parts of the Melbourne cbd now lost. Thanks, YouTube!

I don't know why the City of Melbourne doesn't commemorate this clip with a re-enactment every year ~ it would be better than... even Moomba! :-)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

cult favourites

Congrats to Senator Nick Xenophon for standing up in the Senate and telling a few home truths about that international con act known as the Church of Scientology.

Nothing much will come of it, unfortunately; that cult has already become so powerful that a mere politician won't be able to stand in its way. Scientology spin doctors are already hard at work lobbying to hide the latest outbreak of truths thrown at it.

While the Senator's at it, though, I wish he'd do something to help wind back the influence of a few other evil cults infecting our society, like the Exclusive Brethren, the Catholic Church, private schools and the National Party!

things that make you go 'wtf?'

Another excellent column from the ever-insightful Catherine Deveny in today's Age.

I was equally disturbed when I read the comments of the Melbourne Grammar principal last week. Glad to know I wasn't the only one.

It's comforting to know that having money still means never having to say you're sorry.

But this wasn't quite as distressing as the case earlier this week, where a Magistrate in a Melbourne court, in sentencing a repeat-offending 'businessman' basher who had attacked and severely injured a man for bumping him on a crowded train, warned him of the consequences thusly: If his victim had been permanently maimed or killed, it would have been the end of his business.

What the..????? What happened to "You could have killed or maimed a man. How could you live with that?". No. The worst consequence that this judge could imagine was "If you had killed or maimed a man, it would have been bad for your business!"

I don't know which is more disgusting - the basher, or the attitude of the man judging him!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

ticket box tango

Sometimes, it pays to procrastinate!

After having a wonderful time at 'Priscilla', 'Wicked!' and 'Jersey Boys', I lined up 'Chicago' as the next stage musical to catch.

I just never quite got there, though.

The problem is, even though I enjoyed the movie version, it seems to me that the show leads with all of its show-stoppers, with nothing much saved for the end. I loved the first 30 minutes, then started looking at my watch wondering when it would get good again.

'All that Jazz', 'When you're Good to Mama' and 'Cell Block Tango' are sensational numbers... but after that, it's all downhill. Every time I see it, I find myself wondering why they didn't keep 'All that jazz' for the closing number.

Anyway, as a result, I just didn't get around to booking tickets... after all, the show was running until mid-December, so no rush.

Then I got an email message last night... the season has been cut short; just 2 more weeks to go! But wait... there's good news too... tickets for all remaining performances now only around $51! Whoo-hoo!

So I got online, and picked up a great bargain - seats in the stalls, mid-row, about halfway back from the stage! Brilliant! That's about as close as I've ever been to the stage for any performance outside of the Comedy Festival.

I know I'm gonna enjoy this, even if I do get bored through the second half of the show :-)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

much ado

I can't understand all the media fuss about the arrest of that schoolkid for selling drugs today. Is it because they finally bothered to arrest one? What about the dealers at every other secondary school in the state??

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

good as a holiday?

Time to try a new look for the old blog... this one might do for a while!

long trailer

It's been a long, long time since I saw this, one of my all-time favourite comedies... have to try and find it on dvd :

Monday, November 9, 2009

christmas spirit - yes, already!

So it's getting on for mid-November, and we're about... oh, six weeks into the Christmas shopping season already. (That is, about six weeks since the first signs of Christmas started to appear in Myer and DJs, just after the post-Father's Day sales finish in late September!) That also means it's about halfway to the big day!

In my habitual attempts to a) beat the Christmas shopping crowds and b) spread the cost of Christmas over several credit card periods, I of course started my shopping early, and am pleased to note that I'm about 3/4 finished.

In a fit of pre-Christmas frenzy, I even wrapped a few pressies tonight! (Maybe it's the heat that caused that ~ I've heard that heat stress can make people do odd things).

Anyway, that put me in a Christmassy frame of mind, so here are a few thoughts on Christmas, in November :
  • What I love about Christmas - I love finding the just the right (or at least, sufficiently suitable) pressie for family and friends.
  • What I don't love - Opening the credit card bills from November thru' January.
  • I love putting the pressies under the tree and the anticipation of giving.
  • I don't love wrapping the damn things, which seems to get more and more difficult and fiddly every year.
  • I love all the excitement of the lead-up to Christmas, and all the little (secular) traditions that go with it.
  • I don't love the day itself very much.
  • I love listening to Cyndi Lauper and the Hives' 'Christmas Duel' and anyone doing 'White Christmas'.
  • I don't love hearing ex-Australian Idol contestants hamming it up on 'Carols by Candlelight'.
  • And I love putting up the Christmas tree. I love decorating it, I love looking at it, I love the Christmassy feeling of it; I love it so much that I'm going to put mine up tomorrow evening. ...As long as the little plastic branches don't wilt in this heat :-P

Thursday, November 5, 2009

where's polly?

I've wandered down to South Wharf a couple of times in the past month. It's become my new favourite place to stroll in the city.

The Convention Centre and the boardwalk along the Yarra don't yet seem to have been 'discovered' by the general masses, so once you cross Spencer St, it's as if you've left the city completely and wandered off to somewhere quiet and serene, like, oh, I don't know... Geelong!

Anyway, there's some terrific scenery down there... the new buildings along the Yarra on both South Wharf and in Docklands, the activity on the water, ye olde Polly Woodside, the Convention Centre and the renovated wharf sheds, views of the city skyline... it's all stunning, especially on a nice, sunny day (well, as long as you're careful not to get bowled over by one of the swarms of cyclists).

This is a photo of a reflection on the new Convention Centre, showing the Yarra, part of the boardwalk, and yes, Polly is there too!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

taking the mick

I read an opinion piece by Greg Craven, vice-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University, in today's Age, in which he complained bitterly about the rise of atheism, and how modern atheists take delight in attacking Catholics. How tragic. I feel quite sad for him.

It must be tough to spend one's life teaching more ignorance to the ignorant, preaching intolerance against non-believers and non-conformists, and getting paid so well for it. No wonder he wants to whinge in public.

Perhaps there's some other Government grant that he can apply for to ease his pain?

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

death, taxes, interest rates and families

So interest rates rose again today, to absolutely nobody's surprise. No-one should complain about the upward trend of the interest rate at the moment, coming as it does, off a record low - 3% was always too good to last.

But I do have one complaint, and it relates strongly not just to interest rates, but to a variety of topical subjects that pop up from time-to-time and grab the public's interest. So here goes:

If I have to hear one more serious-looking newsreader or one more vote-scratching, holier-than-thou politician comment about how badly an interest rate rise affects 'Australian families', I am going to scream! Why are 'families' the only social unit affected by interest rate rises? Why does inflation affect 'families' more than individuals?? Why are 'families' harder hit by the jobs market or rental rises than single people?

Millions of Australians don't live in a family unit, by choice, or by circumstance, but these things affect all of us. The Government doles out millions of taxpayers dollars to support 'families', funded by taxes imposed on ALL citizens.

I'm sick and tired of being treated like I don't exist by Government and the media when it comes to dealing with the social and economic issues that affect everyone.

They all need to open their eyes and realise that there's a big constituency out there that doesn't fit their rosy, 1950s view of how the world should be, and be a bit more inclusive.

you never can have enough butter

Time to catch up on movie reviews - I saw Julie and Julia for the second time, over the long weekend.

There's not much that I can say about Meryl Streep's acting that hasn't been said a million times before, but she was absolutely sensational in this film. I wasn't familiar with Julia Child before this film, but the original could never measure up to Meryl herself. Could this be the first time that a real person loses 'copyright' of themselves to an actor?? I had seen a preview of this movie pre-release, but when an opportunity arose to see it again, I was happy to do so, just to watch Meryl on screen.

I'm also a big fan of Stanley Tucci, and Amy Adams (and even Chris Messina), so this was a can't-miss experience for me.

The twin stories were both interesting and involving, the production was beautiful - and it was a real pleasure to watch a film that was pure entertainment and about real people, with no artificial tension or strained comedy getting in the way. This one gets **** from me.

Monday, November 2, 2009

meander 'round Melbourne

What to do on the non-holiday before Cup Day - a relaxing day off in Melbourne...

Catch the 10:30am #220 bus at 10:25am (finally twigged that city-bound buses are currently running 3 - 5 minutes *ahead* of schedule, so made sure to get to the stop early/on time for once!)

Alight outside Crown Casino/purgatory in Clarendon St, and stroll west along the riverbank, towards Spencer St. Given that it's the beginning of November, it's impossible to avoid horsey things anywhere in Melbourne, so despite doing a sharp left before encountering the Melbourne Cup parade in St Kilda Rd, we encounter the Melbourne Cup... ummm... celebrity tents, on the river bank, outside Crown, and observe the Channel 7 morning show celebrities broadcasting their morning drivel whilst neatly blocking the view of the river.

A quick stop for what turns out to be a decent soy latte (from what turns out to be another of the 'top 100 coffee spots in Melbourne') at a gelateria in the Crown complex, then continue across Spencer St to the new boardwalk on the Yarra outside the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

Continue strolling along the boardwalk, completely un-fenced off from the adjacent river (a situation which seems to scream 'duty of care' and 'lawsuit' to me!), passing the now high-and-dry Polly Woodside, outside the new Melbourne Convention Centre. Keep walking past the renovated wharf sheds until you reach a small sign indicating that you can descend to a new shopping centre, conveniently located underground alongside the hopefully well-reinforced riverbank; the new South Wharf DFO. Stroll around and window-shop for an hour or so, desperately seeking an exit.

Walk back alongside the Convention & Exhibition complexes, to Spencer St, and catch the 112 tram a few stops up Clarendon St to South Melbourne. Alight at Dorcas St, stroll around Clarendon St briefly to admire the 19th century streetscape, and stop for sensational fish & chips for lunch on the footpath at 'Fish and Chippers'. A few doors up, the 'Cafe Bastille' beckons for gallic-style coffee, but the mostly Indian staff, while friendly and helpful, don't do a great soy latte.

So it's a beautiful day, low 20's and a little humid... why not walk down Dorcas St, cross St Kilda Rd, and climb the hill, past the Shrine of Remembrance? After the rains of the past month or so, the lawns are lush and green like I never thought they'd be again, and ground has that fresh, damp, earthy smell that makes you feel like you're in the country.

It's so invigorating, that you might as well keep walking, around the Shrine, to the Botanic Gardens. Also refreshed by the recent rains, the Gardens are a delight in the afternoon sunshine. Stop and sit near a lily-covered pond, and soak up the sun for 15 minutes or so. Then keep walking through the gardens to the tram stop at Domain and Birdwood. Jeez, how far was that, anyway??

The #8 tram trundles along right on time 5 minutes later, and quickly gets you to South Yarra station. It's around 3:30 by now, but it's the middle of the Cup long weekend, so traffic is like you wish it would always be... sparse and flowing.

The Sandringham train shows up right on time! (Yes that exclamation mark indicates 'surprise', and will usually appear when I mention the words 'train' and 'on time' in proximity!)

A few minutes later, alight at Balaclava station. A few doors up the street, 'Lava' serves the *best* gluten-free banana-and-date loaf with berry jam (and a pretty good soy latte as well), in the whole of Melbourne.

Then the #3 tram gets you back up to Orrong Road, where the #220 bus arrives (complete with the same lovely lady driver that collected us in the morning) to drop us back where we started, at around 4:30pm.

But wait! The day isn't over yet!

After a break to refresh and rest the feet, a quick drive through decidedly un-peak hour traffic to 'Crust' pizza in High St, for a couple of the best gluten-free pizzas I've ever tasted.

Detour home via Richmond to visit the Ikea store at the only sensible time of day - evening, when the mums and kids aren't there, and cruise home around 8:30pm... just enough time to watch a movie before exhaustion catches up.

If only every day was a holiday :-)

Sunday, November 1, 2009

time warp

November already? I didn't get to blog the whole of October?! Has my gnat-like attention span already taken me to the point where blogging just seems like, so last September, so soon?

I remember signing up for a MySpace account and spending a week or so learning to get bored with it. I got into Facebook, for about, oh, two months or so, last year. Twitter really fascinated me, for at least 48 hours... but blogging seemed like a bit of a keeper.

I was especially busy with work during October, so I remember often getting home and being short of time for everything, every night. But I found time to see some *great* movies at the cinema ("Julie & Julia", "Whatever Works" and "Genova"), plus a few good ones on blu ray. Daylight saving started (still feels early, but very welcome), which magically prompted me to spend more time doing 'stuff' in the evenings, when I would, in darker months, be sitting in front of my keyboard. Hmm... but I think it was my new 'project' that really stole my attention away from the blog.

If I want to keep this thing going, I'll have to find a way to combine the two for a while!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

freeway synchronicity

After an absence of some 4 or 5 years, and now equipped with the brand new Mazda, I decided yesterday to pay a visit to an old favourite, the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, on the wrong side of the West Gate. What a nightmare!

Not the museum, which I loved as much as ever, but the trip there and back!

I'm not so comfortable driving in city traffic at the best of times, so I timed my travel to occur after the morning peak, expecting a reasonable journey across the bridge, only to find it was almost bumper-to-bumper, due to extensive roadworks and a 60kph limit through to the far side.

Worse tho, was the enormous number of heavy trucks using the freeway. I was in a constant state of alarm all the way, with huge semis overtaking on the right and left and bearing up from behind, generally travelling a little faster than I was, and leaving little room to manoeuvre in case of emergency. I was in a sweat by the time I arrived at the Point Cook turnoff... and every time subsequently that I thought about the trip back home again!

... Which was, if anything, even worse! The freeway and bridge journey was just as stressful, but due to the roadworks and bizarre signage, I was unable to ascertain which exit to take.

Finally, concerned that I was about to be trapped into using the pay road, I veered off the freeway into a part of South Melbourne that I had never known existed! It took almost 20 minutes, stuck in heavy traffic at only 2:30pm, and following well-disguised detour signs, before I found my way to a familiar stretch of road, and could confidently set a course for home!

Coincidentally, the very next morning, I found an article in the Age describing my own driving nightmare of the day before, so I'm not the only one shellshocked by the experience.

Unfortunately, it's likely to be a loooong time before I venture across the West Gate again... at least, not before all those roadworks are complete!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

summer surprise

So having started Saturday so unbelievably early, we'd managed to make the trip all the way to Berwick, trade-in the beloved old 121, collect the gorgeous new 2, stop by the rellies to show off the new wheels, and still make it home to 3183 by 1pm!

By 1:30 pm, I was ready to either do something, or I'd have to come to a dead stop and go back to bed to catch up on my missed sleep-in.

A quick check of the session guide showed little of interest at the movies, but there was a session of something called '(500) Days of Summer' starting at the nearby George Cinemas at 2:15. There was no time to waste; a decision was made to avoid taking a nap and take a chance on the movie, and off we went! We arrived in perfect time, and with low expectations.

But the movie was lovely! Sure, a romantic comedy, but not too much like all the others.

The stars were cool and interesting (the kid I'd last seen on 3rd Rock, all grown up and with a haircut, and the leading lady from Yes Man), the plot was different to the usual romcom, it had an interesting time-switching gimmick, so that the story jumped back-and-forward around the length of the relationship (the 500 days), there was some funny comedy, and an unexpected ending!

Early on, I was thinking it was going to be a 4-star effort, but it faded a little towards the end, so I reckon it gets a 3&1/2, but still a surprising and entertaining movie that I was glad I went to see.

And I stayed awake throughout, which was a major achievement, considering how tired I was!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

bringing home baby

Well, today was the BIG day! An unheard-off 7am alarm to start off a Saturday, so that I could get across to Berwick to collect the new car at 9:30. I even managed to get there 15 minutes early! (That's what happens when you're too excited to sleep properly!)

I've never had much interest in cars before, but my little Mazda 2 is just *beautiful* to look at, and drives like a dream! Not to mention features that I've never had in a car before, like central locking, power everything, and an MP3 jack!

I detoured by my sister's home and my mum's to show off the new baby, then headed home, via High St Road.

The trip was uneventful, until a moron in a pickup truck decided to change into my lane, while I was still there. Apparently never having heard of a rear-view mirror, and not being partial to indicators either, he just started to veer across into me. I slammed on the brakes, which happily worked perfectly, and we missed contact by about 2 cm!

I then applied the horn, to make him aware that I was there. He just took advantage of my slow-down to complete his change of lanes and zoomed off. No manners. But at least, also no contact.

I headed for home as quickly and carefully as possible, and got the new baby safely parked in her spot. Can't wait to take it for another spin tomorrow.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

another thing I hate that other people do

So I found a comfortable seat in the very large and sparsely-attended theatre at the Dendy Brighton to see Funny People today.

The shorts showed, the lights dimmed, the curtains drew back, and the feature began.

5 minutes later, a teenage couple rocked in. In the whole, large, cinema, maybe 5% occupied, they sat directly behind me, and to the right.

She was one of those people who found even the credits so funny that she had to (literally) scream with laughter. Apparently, she came expecting a comedy, and didn't stop screaming with mirth until the first leukemia scene.

He liked to put his knee into the back of the seats and shake them every few minutes. After about 30 minutes, I started to detect an unpleasant odour in the air, and realised that his stinking sneakers were planted firmly atop the seat next to mine, at nose level.

Naturally, they hadn't bothered to switch off their mobiles, which rang 3 times during the film, prompting more hilarity from them.

I know; I should have just gotten up and moved away, but it was dark by then, and would have been hard to find a new seat, especially without getting in other people's way.

I just can't believe how often these morons choose seats so close to me - it's like I become a dickhead magnet at the movies! From now on, I'm sticking to arthouse only!

funny strange, people

Having been beaten down by a succession of Winter viruses and bugs, I haven't actually made it out to see a movie in around 5 weeks or so, so I was keen to make the effort today. Unfortunately, my choice of movie was only showing at (ugh!) Hoyts and (ugh!) Village cinemas, or the least Palace-like of the otherwise-lovely Palace chain, the Dendy Brighton. I chose the latter, and made my way down to charming old Brahghton to see Judd Apatow's latest, Funny People.

Luckily, I'd seen the reviews, so even though the movie stars Seth Rogan, Adam Sandler and a host of comedy movie regulars, I knew that it wasn't actually a comedy itself, but a drama about comedians; an interesting concept, and one handled almost well by Apatow.

I really don't quite know what to make of this one. It had lots of terrific elements. I love Seth Rogan and Leslie Mann; I've never liked Adam Sandler, but he wasn't too bad this time out; Eric Bana's role was fabulous - it was amazing to see references to Aussie Rules footy in an American movie, and to hear a real Australian actor playing an actual Australian; there were some nice laughs from the huge range of supporting comedians - though if I ever hear another unfunny dick joke again, it will be too soon!; and the overall storyline was original and intriguing.

But... something didn't quite work. I think maybe it needed a really good editor. It went far too long for a film of this nature - approaching 2 & 1/2 hours; to the point where I was looking at my watch at times, wondering when it would ever end. It was as if a really good movie had been swallowed by a mediocre one... if the film had been tightened up a lot, and more of it relegated to the deleted scenes section of the forthcoming dvd, it could have been a lot better.

As it was, I was glad to get out of the theatre (although more on that in the next post!). I didn't hate it; there was enough good stuff that I'll probably see it again on dvd - because I can fast forward that way! This one's tough to rate, but I reckon it gets *** for trying.

zoom, zoom, zoom

Well, here's another item off the bucket list!

After finally overcoming my phobias, at long last, yesterday I bought my first-ever brand new car! I still can't believe it; and given that I can't actually collect it until next weekend, the whole experience is still feeling a little surreal... I have to keep reminding myself that it's true.

I've never been terribly interested in cars, but this time, I'm so excited that I can hardly sleep. Today, I cleaned out my 'old' car, in preparation for next week's trade-in... this is going to be a loooooooong week! That little metropolitan grey Mazda 2 is the most beautiful piece of machinery that I've ever seen :-)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

no-good deed appeal

Great to see the AFL Tribunal treat Chris Judd's gouging / pressure point tactic / lies with the contempt they deserve and put him out for 3 weeks. I can hardly believe the arrogance of Carlton in going back to appeal the case, though.

Judd himself displayed no remorse or indication that he understood that he had done something stupid, dangerous and wrong on the footy field, and a successful appeal would only affirm in his own tiny mind that he didn't.

There's no doubt that Carlton has the arrogance to appeal the decision. One can only hope that if they do, the Tribunal considers the malice aforethought that must gone into the attempted assault, and has the power to increase the penalty still further. No good could come of Judd weaseling his way out of this one.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

second scoop

Having recently become a big fan of Scarlett Johansson (thanks to her appearances in the Spirit and Vicky Cristina Barcelona), I picked up a copy of one of her earlier films, Woody Allen's Scoop, on blu ray, and watched it tonight.

I first saw Scoop at the Nova, when it was originally released in early 2007.

I was mildly annoyed and distracted at the time by Johansson's Woody-esque accent and presentation in the film, and I didn't appreciate the film so much... but now, more kindly-disposed to the actress, I watched again (in beautiful HD), and quite enjoyed it.

A decent murder-mystery, some good humour (tho' never laugh-out-loud funny), an interesting cast (including Hugh Jackman, Woody and the gorgeous Scarlett), the clever plot device of the ghosts and the ferry on the Styx - made for a pleasant 100 minutes of light entertainment. 3&1/2 stars for this one.

no-good deed goes under-punished

Is Chris Judd on drugs? Has he seen too many of those AFL ads showing players competing in other sports?? Or is he just retarded??

To grin and tell a camera that he wasn't trying to eye-gouge, but just find a pressure point to maim another player who was already flat-out on the ground defies reason. Here's a man who's been made a hero to thousands of kids and dim-witted Carlton supporters, and he not only shows himself to be a brainless thug, in full view of the tv cameras during a footy final, but then owns up to it in a post-match interview, as if he was simply employing a regular tactic that anyone would expect to see in a game.

And the result? A 2 match suspension. Pathetic.

He's gotten away with it this time; he'll do it again. But maybe next time, he'll refine his tactics and make sure the camera isn't watching when he attempts to cripple an opponent behind play.

Thugs like Judd need to be taken right out of the game, no matter how well they play it or how much money is behind them, before they do irreparable damage to the game and/or another player.

Monday, September 7, 2009

silver lining

Well, the footy didn't turn out quite the way I'd hoped yesterday, but look on the bright side... Collingwood improved its performance by 10 goals from the last time they played St Kilda. If they keep improving at that rate, there's still hope...!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

viewing daisies

Since I've been stuck at home in the evenings for most of the past month with this accursed virusy infectiony thingy, I haven't been able to get to the movies, so I've turned my attention to some good tv-on-blu ray. A little behind the times perhaps, but I've finally caught up with a show called Pushing Daisies.

I've watched it each night this week, and really enjoyed it... you never quite know what to expect, though the 'lovers can't ever touch each again' thing is starting to wear a little thin!

Aside from that, it has a great cast of characters - especially Ned, Emerson and Olive - and a fantastical look (presumably 99% CGI, but very Baz Lurrmann-ish)... plus interesting and surprising plots, and some occasional singing! What's not to like? Bit of a shame that it lasted only 2 seasons, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

countdown to peace

It's 70 years today since this country followed blithely in the footsteps of mother England, and declared war on Germany. This is a mark.

3 days earlier, war in Europe had resumed in earnest, when Germany launched an unprovoked attack on neighbouring Poland, after having already annexed Czechoslovakia the previous year. The war would grow to involve dozens of nations around the globe, on many fronts, and drag on for six long years, causing untold death, misery, destruction and loss.

Those of us, now the majority, born in the post-war era, can never imagine the hardship that people went through in that time. It's hard to even imagine the duration of the stress and suffering.

If that war had begun today, in 2009, we would be caught up in it from now until September of 2015!

The next 6 years will produce a succession of 70th anniversaries or wartime events, many sad, some uplifting and memorable.

During that time, I'll keep note of what happens in my life, and imagine how much of that I might have lost if I had been born 70 years earlier, and remember to be grateful that I haven't had to live through a nightmare like World War II.

Monday, August 31, 2009

all that jazz in the mall

The impending destruction of Lonsdale House has prompted me to try to get photos of some of my favourite buildings (deco and otherwise) around town in case / before they suffer a similar fate.

This is the beautiful David Jones (former Buckley and Nunn) building in the Bourke St mall. An art deco masterpiece built in 1934, the facade features men dressed in Jazz Age outfits, glazed terracotta panels and spandrels faced with stainless steel chevrons and colourful musical notes.

the truth about bombers and tigers

I have no doubt that the 'sniper' accusation made against Essendon captain Matthew Lloyd after the Hawthorn game last weekend is completely valid.

Essendon is one of two clubs in the AFL which have nurtured a culture of thuggery and violence over the past several decades. It became ingrained at Richmond in the 1970s, when the team included some of the roughest and dirtiest players in the competition, and was transplanted to Essendon when Kevin Sheedy took on the coaching role there. It remains embedded in the cultures of both clubs today... you can almost guarantee that in any big game that either team plays, there'll be at least one incident of out-and-out thuggery and/or a melee.

Lloyd deserves all the punishment he gets for this example, and I hope his team goes crashing out of the finals next week.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

movie guilt

Apparently, the Australian film industry is having a vintage year, producing many critically-acclaimed movies.

So far in 2009, I've paid at the cinema to see 19 American movies, 5 French ones, 2 British and 1 Spanish. I've felt guilty about not finding time to see 'Samson and Delilah' and 'Balibo', but the bottom line is, I didn't really want to see them for any reason other than to support the local industry... and I didn't really *want* to see them at all.

This opinion piece in today's Sunday Age got me thinking about this.

I don't necessarily agree with the writer that public funding of the Australian film industry is the cause, but I can't argue with his other point - Australian filmmakers just don't make many movies that appeal to me.

I will make a special effort to support a locally-made film in a genre that I enjoy, but I can't bring myself to go and see a movie that I don't expect to enjoy, just because it's made locally.

For my money, first choice at the cinema will always be a good comedy - or even a mediocre one that raises a few laughs! (That knocks out about 99% of local production in a single blow!) After that, I like light drama, musicals, sci-fi, occasionally a romance (if it includes comedy).

What I won't go and see is anything designed to scare me - because it probably will, and who in their right mind wants that??; anything reliant on shooting lots of guns at lots of people (which ruined two of last year's so-called hits for me : 'Iron Man' and 'Dark Knight'), or anything that the critics praise for its 'bleakness' - sorry, but there's enough misery in real life without going to the cinema to get more depressed!

Unfortunately, most recent Australian films fall under one or more of those three categories. The only local film that I've seen in the past 12 months was 'Australia'. I almost passed on it because of the critics' pans... but I loved it!

It's not as though we can't make good films in the other genres, but I have to go back a lonnng way to find them : 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert', 'Muriel's Wedding', 'Strictly Ballroom', 'Cosi' and 'the Sum of Us' are all favourites on dvd, but they were made in the last century!!

So for the foreseeable future, while only foreign filmmakers are making movies that suit my taste, I'll be sticking with the masses and shunning our local efforts. I hope that changes soon.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

cute as a button

I'd hoped to go see the new animated 3D movie Coraline at the cinema over the past couple of weeks, but each time I'd planned to go, I had to cancel due to illness. Late last week, the problem was solved for me when Amazon delivered the movie on blu ray, so I was able to watch it on my own tv, in living 3D!

This fantastic blu ray set includes the feature film in both standard and 3D versions, plus four sets of 3D glasses. It was quite an experience to sit in my darkened lounge and watch the amazing 3D effects on my own tv!

The movie itself was better than I'd expected; basically, a more modern riff on Alice in Wonderland, but made wonderful in its own right by a clever script (based on an original by Neil Gaiman), great characterisation of Coraline, her friend Wybie, and her 'other' family, beautiful animation, and some really imaginative situations and effects.

This one will be a long-time favourite, and earns 4 buttons... err, stars, from me.

should've stayed in bed

I hate wasting my sick leave when I'm actually sick. I should have been able to use a rare day off like this to go get 'things' done, but I was so run down with this virus that I couldn't stay vertical for long today.

I got out of bed around midday, had a shower and some breakfast, then went straight back to bed until after 3:30.

The weather forecast for today was bad... damaging winds forecast to hit the city around 4pm, just when I would be walking to the doctor's.

I dressed, looked outside. It was windy, but sunny; no sign of rain, or even rainclouds. I put away my raincoat, and put on a warm hoodie and sunglasses, and left to walk down Dandenong Rd to the doctor's surgery.

As I approached the surgery through a raging headwind, there was some sort of commotion on the road, but I couldn't make out what it was. Not surprising or unusual for peak hour on Dandenong Road.

But as I turned into the entrance of the surgery, I could see everyone inside looking out, past me. I looked back towards the road to see the source of interest.

A motorbike rider was lying on his back on the side of the road, attended by several people including my doctor, and his bike was lodged under the rear bumper of a parked car.

Apparently, speeding up the inside traffic lane, he had run into the back of a driver attempting to reverse into a car park.

In short order, police and ambulance arrived. The rider had apparently sustained concussion and a number of broken bones, and would need a good 6 months to recover.

The owner of the parked car had been in the doctor's office at the time, and was unable to leave until the bike could be freed from under her car, while the poor man whose car the biker first hit was sitting in shock waiting for the police to interview him.

While this drama unfolded, the doctor returned to this schedule, and, around 40 minutes late, I got to my appointment.

As I went in, the skies darkened, and a few spots of rain began to fall. I packed away my sunglasses.

The doctor checked me out and confirmed my expectations. I had started with a virus 3 weeks ago, but then infection had set in, causing the severe cough, chest infection, and inflammation. I needed a course of antibiotics, plus rest and warmth.

By the time I paid my accounty, it was darkening quickly outside, the wind was strong, and the raindrops getting heavier. I had a 15 minute walk to the chemist ahead of me, then a further 5 minutes to get home.

I was pretty damp when I reached the chemist, but I was glad to get there before closing, so that I could begin my medications asap.

It took them 10 minutes to prepare the script. As I was paying the bill, the sound of the rain on the roof grew louder, and then turned into the staccato drumming of ... hailstones! Oh no!

But oh yes. The hail only lasted a minute or two, but the downpour had begun. I waited hopefully under the shop verandah, but it was clear that this rain was not going to stop any time soon, so I had no choice but to make a dash for it. Pointless. I was soaked to the skin before I got halfway home.

Wet, chilled and miserable, I walked in the door just before 6pm.

It could have been worse, though... at least I wasn't in the hospital like that poor biker.

Then the phone rang. It was citibankkkkkkkk.....!

winter misery

It's exactly three weeks today since I came down with... something... something virusy, I guess.

I remember it clearly; it was around 8am on the 4th Aug, and I was at work, when I suddenly started to feel dizzy and see spots before my eyes. That lasted for almost an hour. I was about to go home, when the spots cleared up. Then the sneezing started.

Over the next day or so, that was joined by headaches and temperature. It seemed like just another cold. After a week, I was getting a bit run down. I developed a very painful ulcer on my tongue, then an annoying cold sore on my lip (a sure sign of run downedness!)

As they cleared up, the sinus congestion continued into week 2, and a heavy cough developed. I spent all day Sunday 16 Aug in bed, trying to recover, but I could scarcely sleep due to incessant nasal congestion and coughing.

I thought I'd best start thinking about getting to the doctor, but it's so hard to find time, and after all, these things can't last much longer than 2 weeks... can they??

Each night, I'd go to bed sure that I'd be fine the next day, and each day, I'd cough and hack and lie awake at night and feel no better in the morning. My chest ached from the strain of all the coughing, my sinus was sore and swollen from the sneezing, and as the day wore on yesterday, my mouth felt like it had caught fire. My gums had become inflamed. It's not painful like toothache, but it's like my gums and all of my teeth are suffering an irritation... and it's maddening.

When my alarm clock went off today, I could barely lift my head to look at it. I slapped it off, and turned over and tried to doze a bit, but it was too late... having stirred, I could feel the scratchiness in my throat and needed to cough, while the phlegm was ready to pour from both my throat and my nose, and needed to be cleaned away.

I called the doctor just after 9, secured an appointment for 4:15, then went back to bed for the rest of the day until it was time to go see him and be saved!

psychological warfare

The telephone harassment campaign by Citibank continues unabated, despite my best attempts to encourage them to stop calling my number.

They rang Dusan in the evening of Friday 21 Aug, Monday 24 Aug, and again tonight, Tuesday 25 Aug. Each time I demanded that they cease calling my number. Again tonight I told them that Dusan doesn't live here.

I'm starting to get desperate. Do I seek help from Today Tonight? Or look for one of those shyster law firms and try to sue them for damages??

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

you know you're from Melbourne if...

Just had to save a few gems from today's Catherine Deveny column in the Age for posterity :

YOU know you're from Melbourne if …

  • When diarising anything in September you first consult the footy fixture.
  • You were shocked when you found out not all street directories are called Melway.
  • You know Sunshine, Rosebud and the Caribbean Gardens are not as good as they sound.
  • You refer to rococo furniture as "very Franco Cozzo".
  • You felt betrayed when you discovered Melbourne was not the only place in the world with trams.
  • You think the slogan on our licence plates should be "Melbourne. The Coffee Is Shit Anywhere Else"
  • You think beyondblue does great work but you hate the way it makes Jeff Kennett look good. Which is depressing.
  • When you meet someone from Kew, you always ask "Near Kew?"
  • When you hear the word ''Bougainville'' you think of Northland.
  • You don't judge people on their looks, wealth or status but on the bread they buy, the coffee they serve and the newspaper they read.
  • When you hear the word ''Easter'' the first thing you think of is the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal and Zig and Zag. And then you quickly think of something else.
  • You were against the casino but, you have to admit, it does keep the bogans out of the city.

Looking forward to the next collection in November!

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

flight of the bumblebees

It's incredible to think that the State Govt is planning to do away with our iconic W class trams, when we are in such short supply of rolling stock on both our tramlines and railways.

The W class vehicles are old, but serviceable, and they're a damn sight more comfortable to travel in than those ridiculous Combino vehicles that our useless privatised tram companies bought as a bargain, a decade ago. The Combinos are already creaky; they have minimal useful seating, and most seats are only accessible by people missing a leg or both feet. Worst of all, for a city that endures hot Summers: NO opening windows!

Sure the W's lack air conditioning, but at least you can open a window and get a cooling breeze through the cabin in hot weather. And their seats are wide enough for people to sit side-by-side without indecently assaulting each other in the process!

The only decent trams to come into service in Melbourne since the under-appreciated Z and A class last century are the 'Bumblebees', currently in service only on route 96... but of course, they're only on lease, and have to be returned to Europe in a year or so!

After all these years, one would think that the Govt would have learned to listen to what commuters want, but clearly, it's as out-of-touch as ever.

So here's a simple message: Save the W's, trash the Combinos and buy more Bumblebees!

Monday, August 17, 2009

back to the drawing board

Well, that was quick. Even though I told them that Dusan is dead, he got another call this evening. This time, I engaged with the caller. It was Citibank. I requested that they remove my number from their database. If they call again... I know where their office is...!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

what's in a name

I know it's a bit soon for another comic post, but today, DC released the first issue of its revival of Adventure Comics, co-numbered issue #504.

Adventure features Geoff Johns-scripted stories of Superboy and the Legion of Super-heroes. I would not have bought a copy of Superboy #1, or even of Superboy and the Legion #1, with or without Geoff's scripting, but I couldn't resist buying Adventure, one of DC's oldest and most revered anthology titles, and one that I read as a kid in the 60's, as a teenager in the 70's, and as a ... grown-up kid, in the 80's!

I can still remember my disbelief when they cancelled Adventure, initially at #490, then after a short revival in digest format, at #503. Adventure was, at the time, the oldest continually-published title at DC, having started even before Action Comics and Detective Comics. It deserved better than cancellation, and I'm so glad to see it on the racks again, that I'm determined to try it out for at least the first half-dozen issues, whether or not I even enjoy it (but I hope I will!)

"dusan's dead!"

Tonight, I was pushed past a limit.

Shortly after I moved to my current address, around 3 years ago, I started receiving calls of an evening by people looking for a "Dusan Belic".

Assuming that I had inherited Dusan's old number, I would politely explain to the callers that Dusan no longer lived here. I was even polite to the people who would get me out of bed to answer the phone when they tried to contact Dusan around midnight.

Whoever Dusan was, he sure seemed to have left his number with a lot of women... although surprisingly, many of them sounded ... older than I would have expected for someone's girlfriends.

No matter how many of them I explained the situation to, Dusan's friends still kept calling him, once or twice a week, for around 8 months or so, and then, finally, the calls stopped.

For the past 2 years, Dusan had maybe 2 or 3 calls a year... until about a month ago. Suddenly, the calls started again, but this time, as often as 2 or 3 times an evening!

I might be a bit slow, but the penny had to drop eventually... these weren't friends trying to contact Dusan, these were %#$$@% telemarketers!

I changed my phone manner from polite to abrupt to blunt to downright rude.

When Dusan got a second call while I was trying to watch a movie on Monday evening, I (literally) yelled at the caller "Please stop calling this number!" before hanging up on her.

I used to feel sorry for these telemarketers... they're only trying to earn a living after all... but now, it's becoming personal. In making their living, they are constantly interrupting and disturbing me and bringing me to the phone unnecessarily, and worse, blocking my phone when I'm expecting real calls.

Tonight, the phone rang just as I sat down to late dinner. I put down my knife and fork, left the table, and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is Dusan Belic there?"

"Dusan is DEAD! Stop calling him!!!"

.....

OMG

I know that won't stop the calls, but it gave me a modicum of satisfaction.

And I've added my number to www.donotcall.gov.au , in the hope that might work.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

ugly but funny

I was reluctant to see The Ugly Truth, after hearing a few mixed reviews. But I'd been staying home and nursing a cold for a week, and was keen to get out for an excursion to the movies. There was nothing much else on at the Classic that I wanted to see last Friday night, so I decided to brace myself for the worst and go along. I was pleasantly surprised.

The film starts a little slowly, but sort of sneaks up on you, and becomes quite funny and involving as the (well, ok, predictable) storyline progresses.

The cast is pretty good, the script occasionally funny, occasionally crass, but generally entertaining, but the real highlight, which had me crying with laughter, is a gem of a scene at a business dinner in an expensive restaurant where Katherine Heigl puts on a hysterical performance when a kid finds the remote control to a garment that she shouldn't be wearing, and activates it - you have to see it to get it, but it had me choking with laughter.

I'll see this film again when the dvd is released, for that scene alone! 3 and 1/2 stars from me.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

everything silver is new again

Two old favourite comics series returned today, in the new release of Doom Patrol #1 ... the title series, focussing on the original DP team, with a backup series starring the Metal Men that promises to be more faithful to the classic 1960's series than most of the other inadequate revivals have been since the original series was cancelled.

Both series have strong creative teams, so here's hoping that this book will be a success.

(Oh, and you've gotta love the 1960's DC go-go checks squeezed in at the top of the cover... that'll catch the eye of this Silver Age fanboy every time!)

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

still more things I hate that other people do

I was really disturbed by a conversation that I overheard at work today.

Maybe I'm naive, but I choose to believe that people that I work with are trustworthy and respectable, and hold similar values and standards to mine. Today, in no uncertain terms, I learnt otherwise.

As I tried to focus on my work this afternoon, I was distracted by a conversation between several colleagues taking place behind a partition next to me.

A senior colleague, whom I already had scant respect for anyway, was explaining to members of his team, in detail, how he cheats the public transport system.

He buys a zone 1 yearly travelcard, at a discount cost through our organisation, then uses it to travel to and from a zone 2 station. He achieves this by disembarking from inbound trains at an unstaffed inner suburban station to validate his card in the morning, or by lying to gate attendants at Parliament station if he's unable to validate in time. On the return trip, he can just walk through the gates at his station, which is generally unstaffed. Doing so saves him, and defrauds the public transport system, of hundreds of dollars a year.

One of his junior colleagues, an American who just moved to Melbourne to live and work this year, then bragged that he had been caught 3 times by inspectors on trams without a valid ticket, but had managed to avoid being fined by making up various lies. He doesn't 'see' why he should have to pay for a ticket, when the system offers him such a good chance of getting away without paying!

Cheating. Lying. Bragging about it in public.

I was stunned by the blatant and arrogant dishonesty of these people. Here are a few more pertinent facts...
  • the Department of Transport, whom they are both defrauding, is a major client of our organisation;
  • as taxpayers, all of us are forced to subsidise the cost of fare evasion;
  • both of these people work in our organisation's purchasing branch, and are trusted to handle purchasing and payment arrangements;
  • it's fairly well established that people who are prepared to cheat and commit petty larceny in one environment are going to be inclined to do so when other opportunities arise as well.
I've completely lost my faith in these people, and won't trust either of them again. I still need to determine if my outrage is based too much on personal beliefs, or whether there's cause to make a formal complaint about the issue to management.

Monday, August 3, 2009

settle somewhere else!

I've always felt sympathetic to the struggle of the Israelis to survive in a hostile environment in the Middle East, but watching the news tonight, all of those years of sympathy fell away.

The Israeli police were forcing Palestinians out of the homes that they had grown up in, to make way for Jewish settlers to move in. And they were moving in even while the owners of the homes were being physically dragged away from them!!

What a disgrace. How can Israel ever hope to live with its Arab neighbours when it pursues such arrogant and aggressive actions against innocent people? Israel has become the bully of the Mid East, and it's going to continue to pay the price for many years to come.

Those 'settlers' need to get out... now!

strange visitors

A few months ago, I ventured out onto my balcony one sunny morning to water my pot plants, and as I admired my potted palm... noticed that someone had mysteriously cropped it all over! Even more mysteriously, the chopped-off fronds were packed neatly into an empty pot in the corner of the balcony. I was sorry to see the palm looking so miserable, and curious about what sort of weird-ass bird would do that to my plant, but thought no more about it.

Weeks passed; the palm started to re-grow, and then I noticed that my fern had been similarly severely cut back one day! This time, I checked the empty pot straight away, and found the cut fern leaves... and the culprits, curled up in the pot on top of them! Not birds, but two little ring-tail possums had decided to make a home in the pot on my balcony.

I checked my new lodgers every day. Most days, they were both curled up in the pot; some days, one of them would stay over somewhere else, but the next day, they'd both be back. Then, this past Saturday, I checked the pot and it was empty, for the first time in the past 6 weeks or so. I guessed they had both decided to stay out for the day, but when I checked on Sunday morning... no-one home again! It seemed as tho my lodgers had moved on and found a new home (I hoped!).

But when I got home from work today, they were both back... looking a little shabby and damp, I reckon, but safe and sound.

I'm sure they won't stay for much longer, as the balcony is going to get too much sun and heat in the Spring and Summer, but it's nice to see them around in the meantime. I'll miss them when they move out.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

things that scare the cr@p outta me

... that a narrow-minded, economic rationalist, climate-sceptic, church-going, extremist bigot weasel like Tony Abbott can come anywhere near the corridors of power in this country. That's the stuff of nightmares.

While the Federal Government looks at ways to improve our public health system, Abbott's answer is to hand it over lock, stock and barrel to the private sector... what he counter-intuitively calls 'handing it back to the people'!!

Whose people?? The right-wing rationalists who put a monetary value on every element of our lives, including our children's education and our health?? The people who will make a great health service available to all.... who can afford to pay for it??

We don't want or need the American solution to a health system. Healthcare must stay out of private hands; only through Government management can we ever hope to provide a fair and equal service for all citizens.

And while we're waiting for that day, we can only hope that Abbott and his ilk are long retired before the next change of Government.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

alters are winners

Just saw the first episode of United States of Tara on the ABC. What a terrific program! Toni Collette was fantastic in all of her (three) roles in this episode; in fact, all of the cast was great. The story was captivating, the characters fascinating and well-rounded, the script smart and entertaining... can't wait for next week's episode.

I only wish that Collette could use her 'real' voice instead of having to put on the American accents... but that's a small price to pay for such wonderful, inventive television.