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Showing posts from March, 2007

The Goodbye Girl (And Boy)

You may have noticed our location recently listed as "the last days of chez nous". And they have been. On Saturday, Xander and Nico are (finally) moving to Sydney. I've only recently told people about this, and the response is often "that seems awfully quick". It isn't; I've just kept it quiet until everything was certain, as I couldn't bear the humiliation of having it fall through (especially after the Great Debacle of '05). In reality, the whole thing has been a nightmare odyssey ever since the day, nearly two months ago, when I discovered that the Xander and Nico house was due to be demolished, and before I knew it I'd agreed to move to Sydney with friends. If I'd had any idea just how difficult it was going to be to find a house, I would never have agreed to this. You might have heard in the media about a "rental crisis" in the market these days. It's no exaggeration. Most Saturdays for the past months, I've been in

In The Interest Of Public Courtesy: On The Bus

In today's busy world, there are many things we could all do to make each other's lives more pleasant. Sadly, these things are often not being done. Through her witty and informative public courtesy rules , blogger Tracey is attempting to redress this problem. There is one aspect of life where a little courtesy for one's fellow citizens goes a long way: when travelling on the bus. Have your ticket and/or money ready when the bus arrives. Don't sit reading or chatting at the bus stop, then hold everyone up by fumbling through your wallet whilst buying a ticket. If the bus driver waits for you because you are late, then walk or run towards the bus as fast as you can, and a "thank you" is in order when you board. I can't believe I have to say this - but school children, give up your seats on the bus for adults, especially the elderly. They are paying. You are not. What do you need to sit down for anyway? You're not tired yet. Unless the bus is empty or ne

Right Watch : Piers Akerman

Most of us try to ignore what the people we can't stand are saying. Not me. I like to know what the enemy is up to. (And to be honest, if it wasn't for occasionally watching Fox News, I'd get no exercise at all). Australia doesn't have it's own Fox News...yet. But there's plenty of other right-wing sludge out there for anyone wanting to wade in it. So here's the first installment of our semi-regular Right Watch series; who are these people, what are they saying, and how the hell could anyone belive it? I'm starting at the top with my own personal nemesis, Piers Akerman. According to his profile on News Corp's The Daily Telegraph , Piers is "One of the nation's most respected journalists". According to this collection of criticisms, the man's past is a lot more shady than that. These days, Akerman's main source of income is his blog on The Daily Telegraph website, where he foams at the mouth with his right-wing views on a regu