Thursday, November 24, 2011
Time flies
Freddie Mercury died 20 years ago today.
Sheesh.
A random tribute:
I really hope the Sacha Baron Cohen biopic goes ahead.
Sheesh.
A random tribute:
I really hope the Sacha Baron Cohen biopic goes ahead.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Bewitchery
Time for a spooky TV re-run coincidence.
For all the dross the digital channels have exhumed to fill up airspace (JAG, Perfect Strangers, The Hogan Family, for god's sake) there are some welcome flashbacks, like The Golden Girls, Murphy Brown and Bewitched.
I caught an early (first-Darren) Bewitched last week:
As always, Endora was fabulous:
And the advertising subplots were always fun:
Anyway, I saw the closing credits and couldn't believe I missed the photo op.
For the first time I was happy they repeat these repeats, because I got a chance to take it again.
The guest star was an actor I just happened to mention here a couple of weeks ago:
For all the dross the digital channels have exhumed to fill up airspace (JAG, Perfect Strangers, The Hogan Family, for god's sake) there are some welcome flashbacks, like The Golden Girls, Murphy Brown and Bewitched.
I caught an early (first-Darren) Bewitched last week:
As always, Endora was fabulous:
And the advertising subplots were always fun:
Anyway, I saw the closing credits and couldn't believe I missed the photo op.
For the first time I was happy they repeat these repeats, because I got a chance to take it again.
The guest star was an actor I just happened to mention here a couple of weeks ago:
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Purple, rain
Typical.
The big jacaranda next door finally blooms and we immediately get high winds and rain:
Creates a nice carpet I suppose.
The big jacaranda next door finally blooms and we immediately get high winds and rain:
Creates a nice carpet I suppose.
Sounds a bit queer #2
The Pender Place musical director strikes again.
This evening, they were playing one of my all-time favourite songs:
Why no-one's done a cover of this is a mystery.
This evening, they were playing one of my all-time favourite songs:
Why no-one's done a cover of this is a mystery.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Pointillist-blank range
That horrendous student pepper-spray incident in the US has spawned this, among others:
From Dangerous Minds.
From Dangerous Minds.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Moving violations #2
Okay, a brief wrap-up of the vehicular aesthetic infringements currently cluttering my desktop.
I seriously doubt this will be the end of this thread; the phenomenon just keeps spreading.
Although Mick and I won't be heading to Newcastle daily, the local parking lots are an abundant source of unsolicited automotive autobiography.
To wit, this taken just yesterday.
Classy:
This one confused me a little (as in: Why are you driving a car, then?):
This was patently false (we overtook them):
And I can only presume/hope they can see out of this rear window a lot better than we could see in:
Finally, this has to be one of the saddest iterations of "family" I've seen so far:
Is the fish her partner, her pet, or dinner?
I seriously doubt this will be the end of this thread; the phenomenon just keeps spreading.
Although Mick and I won't be heading to Newcastle daily, the local parking lots are an abundant source of unsolicited automotive autobiography.
To wit, this taken just yesterday.
Classy:
This one confused me a little (as in: Why are you driving a car, then?):
This was patently false (we overtook them):
And I can only presume/hope they can see out of this rear window a lot better than we could see in:
Finally, this has to be one of the saddest iterations of "family" I've seen so far:
Is the fish her partner, her pet, or dinner?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Hunter fog
Forgot to mention this morning's walk with Suzi.
After all the excitement of finishing treatment I hardly slept last night and noticed, as the sun was coming up, the neighbourhood was submerged in fog. It's fairly common around here but it's the first I've seen in ages.
I'm never up early enough.
Anyway, I managed to catch it before it evaporated:
After all the excitement of finishing treatment I hardly slept last night and noticed, as the sun was coming up, the neighbourhood was submerged in fog. It's fairly common around here but it's the first I've seen in ages.
I'm never up early enough.
Anyway, I managed to catch it before it evaporated:
Promises, promises
I've always appreciated the ambiguity of this particular road sign:
Its sense of defiance begins to falter, however, upon repeated viewing:
This is especially the case when there seems to be little, if any, evidence that any roadwork has even begun, despite the omnipresence of safety cones and cartoon workmen:
My suspicions increased as, over the course of 10 days, we passed the same truck in the same spot, with no workers in sight but what looked like a meticulously arranged scene of hard toil – ever so slightly different each time.
A kind of butch, hi-visibility art installation:
Its sense of defiance begins to falter, however, upon repeated viewing:
This is especially the case when there seems to be little, if any, evidence that any roadwork has even begun, despite the omnipresence of safety cones and cartoon workmen:
My suspicions increased as, over the course of 10 days, we passed the same truck in the same spot, with no workers in sight but what looked like a meticulously arranged scene of hard toil – ever so slightly different each time.
A kind of butch, hi-visibility art installation:
I suppose they should be commended for their commitment to maintaining the illusion of industry.
Jurassic fark
Okay, the previous post went negative.
This could be classified as "confounded".
Not far from the Mater's dreaded Delimarché is a glassed-in courtyard that has been transformed into a kind of large-scale, low-budget prehistoric diorama.
The logic eludes me, but it's at the very least a momentary distraction from pressing medical concerns.
I mean, it has a working volcano:
Not to mention dinosaurs:
And pink dragons, naturally:
It does bear the sad whiff of a decrepit museum display, but I came to like it after a while.
I confess to being a little disappointed when the volcano didn't spew smoke on my last visit.
This could be classified as "confounded".
Not far from the Mater's dreaded Delimarché is a glassed-in courtyard that has been transformed into a kind of large-scale, low-budget prehistoric diorama.
The logic eludes me, but it's at the very least a momentary distraction from pressing medical concerns.
I mean, it has a working volcano:
Not to mention dinosaurs:
And pink dragons, naturally:
It does bear the sad whiff of a decrepit museum display, but I came to like it after a while.
I confess to being a little disappointed when the volcano didn't spew smoke on my last visit.
Vive la (price) différence!
I have nothing bad to say about any of the people who treated me me at the Calvary Mater Hospital.
Okay, there was the doctor who was nominally treating me but waited until my very last day to introduce himself...
But otherwise, they were uniformly friendly and thoughtful and of course I've forgotten virtually everyone's name.
At times it felt like Home and Away was filming a Very Special Episode – there's a seemingly endless supply of attractive young females working there.
I can confidently say thanks to Christine (who got me onto the fab cake show Choccywoccydoodah) and the seemingly sole male technician, Sean, who's working his Movember handlebar very well so far.
I do have one major gripe though.
Delimarché:
Simply put, they are holding everyone who visits the hospital hostage. Every nurse and other staff member I spoke to brings their own supplies; there's nowhere else within walking distance.
Fancy hot food? You can have a meat pie. Or you can have a sausage roll. Exactly how long they've been sitting in that little glass, barely heated box is a matter of conjecture.
Otherwise, you could have a dry, undersized croissant for $3.50.
Or how about a butterless finger bun? Only $5.
According to the Mater's website:
Delimarche design heritage is European in feel with a sense of classic café’s found across Europe with strong touches of today found through it’s clean design lines, food and beverage focused theatre and merchandising. Delimarche offers a fresh, healthy focused deli style menu range including a signature baked ‘front of house’ pastry range.
It's pretty disgraceful.
But so cosmopolitan!
Okay, there was the doctor who was nominally treating me but waited until my very last day to introduce himself...
But otherwise, they were uniformly friendly and thoughtful and of course I've forgotten virtually everyone's name.
At times it felt like Home and Away was filming a Very Special Episode – there's a seemingly endless supply of attractive young females working there.
I can confidently say thanks to Christine (who got me onto the fab cake show Choccywoccydoodah) and the seemingly sole male technician, Sean, who's working his Movember handlebar very well so far.
I do have one major gripe though.
Delimarché:
Simply put, they are holding everyone who visits the hospital hostage. Every nurse and other staff member I spoke to brings their own supplies; there's nowhere else within walking distance.
Fancy hot food? You can have a meat pie. Or you can have a sausage roll. Exactly how long they've been sitting in that little glass, barely heated box is a matter of conjecture.
Otherwise, you could have a dry, undersized croissant for $3.50.
Or how about a butterless finger bun? Only $5.
According to the Mater's website:
Delimarche design heritage is European in feel with a sense of classic café’s found across Europe with strong touches of today found through it’s clean design lines, food and beverage focused theatre and merchandising. Delimarche offers a fresh, healthy focused deli style menu range including a signature baked ‘front of house’ pastry range.
It's pretty disgraceful.
But so cosmopolitan!
Watch out Coco
There's an old section of High St that connects Maitland and East Maitland. Not a great deal there apart from a few car businesses, a caravan park and a couple of grand old houses.
It also has a small alpaca farm.
If I had to judge a cuteness contest, I'd be torn between Coco and this fellow:
At least you can make a jumper out of him...
It also has a small alpaca farm.
If I had to judge a cuteness contest, I'd be torn between Coco and this fellow:
At least you can make a jumper out of him...
Friday, November 18, 2011
No more Materdom
My cancer treatment is finally over.
Woo effing hoo.
Right now, I'd like to think this is appropriate:
Expect a final torrent of hospital trip-related posts over the weekend (we have no intention of hitting that highway again unless absolutely necessary), plus a ceremonial destruction of my radiation mask at some point in the very near future.
It'll be fun!
Woo effing hoo.
Right now, I'd like to think this is appropriate:
Expect a final torrent of hospital trip-related posts over the weekend (we have no intention of hitting that highway again unless absolutely necessary), plus a ceremonial destruction of my radiation mask at some point in the very near future.
It'll be fun!
If not now, when?
My parents have been very generous to me throughout my life.
These days, I don't think a phone call with my mother has ended without her asking me if there's anything I need or want. Some clothes, maybe?
She knows I don't need or want anything – where am I going to wear a new outfit for god's sake?
She does, however, love to shop, be it window-, comparison-, or the kind that actually involves the transaction of money.
Anyway, she bombarded me with this question before they left on their last trip overseas. My answer remained the same – I don't need anything, honestly. And then it dawned on me.
Since I was 15, when I started wearing Doc Martens as school shoes, I really, really wanted a pair of their original, 8-hole, ox-blood boots. A tad flashy, yes, but tough-looking enough to counterbalance any suggestion of poofiness. (Who the hell was I kidding?)
Authentic Doc Martens have always been prohibitively expensive here, though.
In London? Practically half the price.
And so my parents visited the Covent Garden store during their stay and they're now on my feet:
They actually arrived two weeks ago but it's taken that long for the weather to cool down enough to wear them. (Not a good look with shorts. On me, anyway.)
These days, I don't think a phone call with my mother has ended without her asking me if there's anything I need or want. Some clothes, maybe?
She knows I don't need or want anything – where am I going to wear a new outfit for god's sake?
She does, however, love to shop, be it window-, comparison-, or the kind that actually involves the transaction of money.
Anyway, she bombarded me with this question before they left on their last trip overseas. My answer remained the same – I don't need anything, honestly. And then it dawned on me.
Since I was 15, when I started wearing Doc Martens as school shoes, I really, really wanted a pair of their original, 8-hole, ox-blood boots. A tad flashy, yes, but tough-looking enough to counterbalance any suggestion of poofiness. (Who the hell was I kidding?)
Authentic Doc Martens have always been prohibitively expensive here, though.
In London? Practically half the price.
And so my parents visited the Covent Garden store during their stay and they're now on my feet:
They actually arrived two weeks ago but it's taken that long for the weather to cool down enough to wear them. (Not a good look with shorts. On me, anyway.)
Coke problem
That publicity gimmick from Coca-Cola got a serve on The Gruen Planet.
Apparently you can get custom-made cans – depending on your name.
Host Wil Anderson couldn't convince them he had a niece called Pepsi, but they somehow managed to get away with the following, two of whom were "Greek cousins", I think.
I had to rush the shot so I flipped it for legibility:
Apparently you can get custom-made cans – depending on your name.
Host Wil Anderson couldn't convince them he had a niece called Pepsi, but they somehow managed to get away with the following, two of whom were "Greek cousins", I think.
I had to rush the shot so I flipped it for legibility:
It was the last show of this series, so who knows what Coke has to say.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Welcome, Mr President
Barack Obama is spending all of 27 hours in this country but he's already made quite the impression.
I caught him on the TV at the Mater this morning:
Quite simply, he puts every Australian politician to shame when it comes to oratory.
He managed to work in a number of local colloquialisms – correctly and with a sense of humour – and generally came across as well-prepared, well-versed and well-deserving of his position.
How any American could conceive of voting in a Romney, Perry, Cain, Bachmann, etc. instead is beyond me.
I caught him on the TV at the Mater this morning:
Quite simply, he puts every Australian politician to shame when it comes to oratory.
He managed to work in a number of local colloquialisms – correctly and with a sense of humour – and generally came across as well-prepared, well-versed and well-deserving of his position.
How any American could conceive of voting in a Romney, Perry, Cain, Bachmann, etc. instead is beyond me.
Sullen impact
After almost six weeks of driving me back and forth to the hospital while I feverishly photograph oddities and infringements, Mick has become quite the decal/dickhead spotter.
As we approached home this morning he instructed me to look at the car behind us.
And there it was, the decal I'd missed earlier, this time on a windscreen:
What on earth possessed the owner to put that there?
And why "Sullen"?
Why not Moody?
Churlish?
Sour?
Unsociable?
Pram-faced?
Perhaps 'sullen', like 'wicked' and 'hectic', has taken on a new meaning among the younger generation:
"Hey bro, that's totally sullen."
I'm not so sure.
As we approached home this morning he instructed me to look at the car behind us.
And there it was, the decal I'd missed earlier, this time on a windscreen:
What on earth possessed the owner to put that there?
And why "Sullen"?
Why not Moody?
Churlish?
Sour?
Unsociable?
Pram-faced?
Perhaps 'sullen', like 'wicked' and 'hectic', has taken on a new meaning among the younger generation:
"Hey bro, that's totally sullen."
I'm not so sure.
Living on the (extreme) Lower West Side
Rise of the sunflowers
Who knows what that little girl has wrought on the backyard – the sunflowers have already topped the fence:
I'm getting another Triffid vibe...
I'm getting another Triffid vibe...
The Coco Channel: a darker shade of green
When we got home from my morning radiation I saw the horses under the jacaranda tree behind the house, looking like they'd entered an all-you-can-eat trance:
It took a few calls to them and they snapped out of it:
Of course, Wiz naturally dominated proceedings, to the point where the sight of me taking Coco's photo caused some consternation, All About Eve-style:
Jealousy's a terrible thing.
It took a few calls to them and they snapped out of it:
Jealousy's a terrible thing.
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