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Monthly Archives: July 2009
Travel Disasters – the rat.
In 2007, I was working for the Australian Government. In May I got sent to Nauru to carry papers and fill a chair at an important meeting.
Travel disasters
“Happy families are all alike, every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”. Tolstoy, Anna Karenina So it is with travel. All lovely trips feature delectable meals, beautiful sunsets, friendly guides and surprisingly well-appointed accommodation. Trips people like … Continue reading
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Mt Hotham – a book review
I ordered my copy of Mt Hotham on the internet. Prime book-reading season was in full-swing, and I eagerly anticipated the time when I was finally able to open the cover. I had read a short-story version many years ago, … Continue reading
Hello, Aliens!
I heard the people from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence on the radio this morning. It’s not a German techno outfit. It’s a real American scientific research centre looking for intelligent life in the universe. It’s exciting. I can’t imagine … Continue reading
Verbing weirds language.
Pick someone who rates their grammar skills, and try saying this: “Your rampant pedantry is impacting me negatively.” Watch: First their faces grow red. They sputter. Flecks of spit gather like soap scum in the corner of their mouths. … Continue reading
Fancy food
Wanna see how fancy your Dominos pizza can look? Check out this bizarre food reconstruction website! http://www.fancyfastfood.com
Something-something and over it
I was passing my lunchtime in a bookshop near my former office when I found a book with the following title: ’30-Something and Over It’. I’m not 30-something, but this book was speaking to me. (Maybe it’s because I … Continue reading
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Regrets, I’ve had a few
You know that feeling where you’re angry at yourself? I had that today. About a 10-minute period where I was the worst, dumbest guy I could think of.
Coffee Safari
Like many Melburnians, I secretly consider myself a coffee connoisseur. I’ve drunk a lot of strong flat whites in a lot of different places. I last had instant in 94. I like to go to cafes that will have excellent … Continue reading
Lost in Translation
I watched a DVD yesterday. Lost in Translation. I’ve seen it a few times before, and I think it is one of my favourite few films ever. I was surprised by what I had misremembered about the movie.
More Micronations!
On Tuesday I wrote about sea-steading – establishing new countries on man-made islands. Turns out this isn’t the only way of setting up your own nation. Independence has also been proclaimed for: The Kingdom of Lovely: A flat in London … Continue reading
Futurology
In my last job we worked with a futurologist. She was scatter-brained and Canadian and it was easy to make fun of her field. Boy, we got laughs with our Marty McFly / Doc Brown jokes. Hoverboards anybody?! But, it’s … Continue reading
Don’t like the law? Leave.
There are people who don’t like the laws of the US. They come from Silicon Valley and they are into sea-steading. It’s like Sim-State or Wiki-Jurisdiction. But for real. They plan to make their own countries.
lolcats: threat or menace?
Let’s assume you don’t spend as much time on the internet as I do. You may have never encountered the wild animal that calls the internet home. The seemingly gentle but veracious beast of the genus lolcat.
Vigilantes
The Italian Government is endorsing the use of vigilante groups to enforce immigration laws. One volunteer force, the Italian National Guard, got all excited, went to the uniform shop, and came back looking exactly like Mussolini’s fascist Blackshirts. They’re … Continue reading
Snowclones
Snowclones are the new black.
Fairtrade
I have always felt people getting the Fairtrade coffee announce their order in an especially loud voice.
Dumbocracy
Apparently California is suffering from a surplus of … wait for it… not fake tans, not freeways, but … democracy.
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