Coming back from my lunchtime stroll I overheard a husband explaining to his wife that they can’t park where they had because it’s a resident’s permit zone.
Wife – “Well that’s a stupid place to put a hospital then if you can’t park here.”
Another Camera
Continuing my occasional series of web cameras from around the world you can see what the traffic is like right now on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The Price Of Oil
Billy Bragg goes all lefty again but it’s a free BB song to download (just like our own Paul Kelly did a few months back), and that’s a good thing. Good song too.
The Clock On The Silo
If there’s one song that is so Melbourne it makes me home sick even when I’m at home it would be Leaps and Bounds by Paul Kelly. It has a line “The clock on the silo says 11 degrees” and many is the time I’ve had to call somebody as I drove past, or was on the train to the G just to say “the clock on the silo says 11 degrees”. Sadly The Age reports that the silos are coming down to be replaced by an office block.
Thankfully the sign is protected and it will be placed atop the new building but I wonder what my kids will think in years to come as we go by and dad mutters under his breath “the clock on the silos….”
Foxy-tel
I couldn’t sleep last night so I was watching telly, Fashion TV on Foxtel to be precise. I discovered that between their ‘intimate collection’ & swim wear profile there’s no need to subscribe to Adults Only.
Blake’s 7
I just discovered that UK TV on Foxtel are broadcasting Blake’s 7 at midnight on Tuesday’s and Thursdays. This is a slice of late 70’s Sci Fi heaven and it’s also the only thing my office mate and I have in common. Now he’s spitting the dummy ’cause he’s too tight to get cable. I’m just giving a little Avon-like grin.
If only they’d play it at 7.30 on a Friday night over summer like the ABC did when I was a lad, then it would perfect.
Christmas Shopping
I’ve finished mine. And I didn’t have to use my Visa.
How about you?
What Are You Smiling At?
Go West To Church
I accidentally went to church the other day. I was only expecting to go to a christening but apparently these days at St Brendan’s you get the baptism super-sized to include a mass at no extra charge.
Mass ain’t what it once was. They (well this branch of the Catholic church) seem to have taken a leaf out of those funky fundamentalists book. There were lots of musicians and some people parading stuff up the aisle. Weirdest thing was the altar boys weren’t. Some were girls. Apparently they are now all called altar servers, or, as my dad pointed out, in the case of girls they are alter serviettes. Perhaps the greatest moment was the opening hymn. I have no idea what it was but the tune was ‘Go West’ – at first a Village People classic and more recently covered by the Pet Shop Boys. It was all I could do to stop myself doing the actions from the Petty’s video clip.
The strangest thing for me was that I wanted the mass to be like it was when I was a boy. Less ‘involvement’ from those present, altar boys only, no Village People covers – just a guy standing up there being all somber. Retro religion for an agnostic? Who ever would’ve thunk.
Rae though had the observation of the day. She turned around to have a look at the congregation and said “no one’s smiling”. Sad really.
It’s So Unfair
My office mate was having a whine this morning about the number of speed cameras (or ‘traffic cameras‘ in police speak) on the Western Ring Road.
“I mean, if you’re not concentrating or have to speed up to overtake someone it’s so easy to go over the limit”.
Let’s try counting how many ways that sentence is disturbing.