Sikamikanico Blogs

On their website, Cityrail lists the following travel tips: Arrive at your station a few minutes earlier than your timetabled service to allow sufficient time to board your train. Keep to the left on stairs, escalators and ramps and take care. Spread out along the platform so as not to overcrowd one carriage. Take care on steps and platforms, and always stand behind the yellow line. Stand aside to allow passengers to alight first before boarding the train. Beware of the gap between the platform and train, hold small children's hands. If you are travelling with a pram, travel near the guard's compartment. Board the train as quickly as possible and move inside the carriage to allow others to board behind you. Do not obstruct the doorways. Vacate priority seating for elderly or less mobile passengers. Please do not sit on steps or put feet on seats. Do not hold the doors open or attempt to board the train after the whistle and 'doors closing' warning has been

If there was a song lyric that sums up the fortunes of the ALP at the moment, it would be " Every time I rise, I see you falling ". Just as things are going so well for Labor federally, here in NSW the Iemma government is going down in flames. I didn't pay too much attention when it was just the Telegraph bleating about a corruption scandal - they're always sticking it to Iemma. But when the SMH got involved , I knew it was serious. The incompetence of the current NSW government is a long running joke. I could list the examples, but I think what really sums it all up is - just how does a Government spend $95 million dollars and eight years on an integrated ticketing system - and then end up scrapping the whole thing at the end of it all? Myself and a few of my friends could do a better job of running the state (and yes, I am taking into account how much some of us like to drink). This time though, things are serious - incompetence we can live with. But whilst sex co

Kevin Rudd could be forgiven these days if he lept out of bed each morning and woke his family with a loud (and no doubt embarrassing) rendition of "I'm On The Top Of The World". Since winning the election, he's been on the up and up: ratifying Kyoto, saying sorry, proving what a friend we are to East Timor...and now he's the most popular PM for twenty years . Plus there's the delight of watching what's left of the Liberal party rip each other to pieces on Four Corners last night. (I particularly liked Peter Costello's mention of the "open and frank discussion" he had with John Howard, after the latter reneged on his promise and decided to stay on as PM after his 64th birthday. I'm sure it was; who doesn't have a few "open and frank" discussions they'd like to have?). Anyway, my concern is this all going to Rudd's head. Sure, he's entitled to feel a little smug and satisfied, but if it goes any further than that

It's one if the most annoying facets of my life that every product I like is discontinued. But this latest is the cruellest blow yet: Polaroid has announced it is ceasing production of it's instant camera film. When and if I moved back to Newcastle, one of the things I was most looking forward to was getting out and about with my Joycam again, snapping this and that. But that's not the worst of it. I want to know: how am I supposed to make home-made porn now? Oh, I know I could switch to digital, but I'm an old-fashioned lady at heart; a purist, if you will. Apparently the film should still be available for the next year or so, so I'll be stocking up while I can. ~~~~~ It's been a bad week for travelling via CityRail. Twice this week I've gotten home after 7pm because of delays involving grass fires and ill passengers which have sent the whole network into a tumult. I'm not going down the road of blaming Morris Iemma though - we voted him back in, testa

Today is a grand day for the nation. For the first time in almost twelve years, Labor are sitting on the Government side of Parliament. Costello is on the opposition backbench, and Howard is nowhere to be seen. (If, due to your political opinions, you're not happy about this, then just be happy that for the first time in months, the politicians are showing up for work. You people hate politicians, after all, unless they're giving you tax cuts and middle class welfare ). The first day of Parliament is an exciting day for us all. For political wonks, it's like the season premiere of your favourite show. But it must be exceptionally gratifying for all the first time MPs filling the Government backbenches. I'm sure the Liberals, in a gesture of good faith, could allow some of their more seasoned members to dispense device to the new Government. Tony Abbot could pass on his people skills, Peter Costello could give tips on striking while the iron is hot, and Howard could giv

What a week it's been. We've had an interest rate rise, the fuss over how to say Sorry, flooding rains, Super Tuesday, US tornadoes, and of course - most tragically - the Spice Girls cancelling the Australian leg of their tour. And I meant to blog about it all, I really did. The interest rate thing, for instance - it was amusing for the Opposition to claim that with the economy the Government has one foot on the accelerator, and one foot on the brake; considering that when they were the government, the Liberals had one foot (Costello's) draped casually over the dashboard and another (Howard's) in the grave. Events on the work front rather got away from me though. I've been put on a Project, and we all know what that means. (That I should start looking for another job). Now that it's nearly the weekend, I have a little more time, but no one wants to think about the serious things now. It's the weekend! It's time to have fun. The thing with living in the

As you may have gathered by now, I adore, love and worship at the altar of TV. It wasn't always so. I was basically not allowed to watch TV on schoolnights, then in my late teens and early twenties I went through that awful "TV is dumb and I don't watch it" stage (also I was too poor to afford one for many of those years). All that is behind me now. Rating season is about to begin in Australia, and with it a crop of new shows. Incidentally, I've never quite understood the concept of "ratings season", in terms of TV networks playing re-run crud over the summer. Surely it would make more sense to play the good stuff when people are off work and school, having more time to watch? The ratings are low because there's nothing good to watch, not the other way around. I digress... Being at the forefront of investigative journalism and social commentary, I've been given an exclusive sneak peak at the first episodes of two of the shows starting on Australi