This is the view as I walk to the bus station each morning. Kinda pretty, especially for one of the less attractive buildings in the city.
31 May 2008
26 May 2008
Tony Stark makes you feel, he’s a real cool cat with a heart of steel
But Iron Man, all jets ablaze, something something something. Yeah, I used to know all the songs from the original Mightly Marvel Marching Society so-called animations, but never mind. The Iron Man movie is terrific. Robert Downey Jr. nails the part, as does Gwyneth Paltrow (although I don’t recall her particular character from any of the comics I ever read, she’s does the role about as cartoonishly as possible), Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, a star turn as a villain if ever I saw one. The movie manages the complete Iron Man history through the 1990’s, including the Iron Monger vs. Iron Man climactic battle, and moving straight to one of the better armor designs (Monger fought the interim red-and-silver Man), without the digressions thirty years of comic history inevitably require. I guess if they ever decide to do Captain America and Thor, an Avengers movie wouldn’t be far off, but I’ll settle for a sequel, and even a third, despite the screw-ups in the Spiderman and X-Men franchises.
But Iron Man, all jets ablaze, something something something. Yeah, I used to know all the songs from the original Mightly Marvel Marching Society so-called animations, but never mind. The Iron Man movie is terrific. Robert Downey Jr. nails the part, as does Gwyneth Paltrow (although I don’t recall her particular character from any of the comics I ever read, she’s does the role about as cartoonishly as possible), Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane, a star turn as a villain if ever I saw one. The movie manages the complete Iron Man history through the 1990’s, including the Iron Monger vs. Iron Man climactic battle, and moving straight to one of the better armor designs (Monger fought the interim red-and-silver Man), without the digressions thirty years of comic history inevitably require. I guess if they ever decide to do Captain America and Thor, an Avengers movie wouldn’t be far off, but I’ll settle for a sequel, and even a third, despite the screw-ups in the Spiderman and X-Men franchises.
25 May 2008
New Camera
My digital camera gave up the ghost eventually, which was sometimes frustrating, but not disheartening at the prospect of having to buy another, since it was free, but it took me a while to get that done. I now have a baby digital SLR. O.k., it's not really an SLR, but you can attach lens adapters to it to achieve that effect, and it does allow manual overrides of f-stops and so forth, so it very nearly comes to the same thing. As far as I'm concerned, it's an SLR. Pathetically, the first thing I did with it was take pictures of the cats.
But I did get a nice autumnal shot the other day of some local eucalypts that I rather like.
I took a walk through Sydney University, too, but I'm not as happy with those. Still, the Newtown hipters always hand me a laugh. Funnily enough, only one guy in a triby.
My digital camera gave up the ghost eventually, which was sometimes frustrating, but not disheartening at the prospect of having to buy another, since it was free, but it took me a while to get that done. I now have a baby digital SLR. O.k., it's not really an SLR, but you can attach lens adapters to it to achieve that effect, and it does allow manual overrides of f-stops and so forth, so it very nearly comes to the same thing. As far as I'm concerned, it's an SLR. Pathetically, the first thing I did with it was take pictures of the cats.
But I did get a nice autumnal shot the other day of some local eucalypts that I rather like.
I took a walk through Sydney University, too, but I'm not as happy with those. Still, the Newtown hipters always hand me a laugh. Funnily enough, only one guy in a triby.
22 May 2008
Tracking
I suppose I ought to post my progress training for the marathon here, but it’s still early days. In fact, looking more carefully at my calendar, I discovered that I’m only now in Week One, so I’m a week ahead of schedule, having hewn to the Hal Higdon method’s recommended mileage last week. My clever little spreadsheet, which converts Hal’s mileage to kilometres, is apparently too clever by half, since I was recording distances covered last week in the next week’s row. Well, no harm in being more conditioned for the big day.
Which reminds me of something one of the other runners here said about days off: they’re “scheduled deconditioning” days. Makes being lazy sound better, doesn’t it?
I suppose I ought to post my progress training for the marathon here, but it’s still early days. In fact, looking more carefully at my calendar, I discovered that I’m only now in Week One, so I’m a week ahead of schedule, having hewn to the Hal Higdon method’s recommended mileage last week. My clever little spreadsheet, which converts Hal’s mileage to kilometres, is apparently too clever by half, since I was recording distances covered last week in the next week’s row. Well, no harm in being more conditioned for the big day.
Which reminds me of something one of the other runners here said about days off: they’re “scheduled deconditioning” days. Makes being lazy sound better, doesn’t it?
16 May 2008
News
So, I’m in the new flat (week four) and the new job (week three) and have now newly enrolled for the Sydney Marathon – 21 September, if anyone’s interested – which I’m newly training for (week one; nothing much happened last week)
The new flat is working out well. I got the dryer installed finally, although it’s a little problematic, in that the space allocated in the laundry for me means I’ve only got one tap hook-up (I only ever use cold anyway) and it sits too love above my top-loading washer to get the lid all the way up. Since the washer is only a couple of years old, I’m not replacing it anytime soon, even if front-loaders are more efficient. I do still need to replace the basin in the bathroom, though, which the previous owners had cracked. It’s not bad, either looking or insofar as leakage is concerned, but a new one was purchased and sits in its box in the hallway, just waiting for me to stumble over it in the dark. And I’ve never lived anywhere darker since that basement apartment in Ann Arbor. Daytime’s not bad, but I’m not there in daylight much, especially as we head into winter. Luckily, it’s not cold.
Meanwhile, the cats have worked out the pet door and are off enjoying the great outdoors, what there is of it. The upstairs cat, who goes from window to next-door-rooftop direct, is not happy to find new competition for exploration rights.
The new job is demanding. I’m here at eight and don’t leave until five or later. This is partly due to the demands of learning the new software and new company and partly due to the fact that I need to run three days during week for the marathon training (yes, I am using the Counsellor’s recommended Hal Higdon method, although one of my colleagues, also in training for the marathon, is using their official novice’s program; insofar as we coincide with our schedules, we’re mapping out routes in the vicinity using Map My Run).
The buses are terrible. Mornings aren’t so bad, although it’s always a scramble for boarding before the seats are all taken, and the seats are cramped anyway. Nights, however, are where it all comes apart. If the bus arrives, instead of sailing by, either full or “Not in Service”, it’s almost always not the one that takes the freeway, which means an extra twenty minutes or more travel time, winding through the northern suburbs. It would be a lot easier if their signage was better illuminated and larger. And once we get to the CBD, it’s a crawl to the last stop, where I transfer to a George Street line, where there are no bus lanes, so we contend with all the rest of the traffic (and not to complain unduly, but also with every other businessperson trying to make their way west).
That all will change, eventually. The Chatswood-to-Epping project is underway (as it has been nearly since I got to this country – which sounds like a longer period than it’s been) and due to finish sometime this year, theoretically. I’ve heard that they used the wrong glue on the vibration-reduction matting under the rails and had to tear them up to start over, but I don’t know if the 2008 schedule is still, ahem, on track. The North Ryde station is five minutes away, so I’m anxious they should finish. There looks to be a fair bit of work yet to go, though.
So, I’m in the new flat (week four) and the new job (week three) and have now newly enrolled for the Sydney Marathon – 21 September, if anyone’s interested – which I’m newly training for (week one; nothing much happened last week)
The new flat is working out well. I got the dryer installed finally, although it’s a little problematic, in that the space allocated in the laundry for me means I’ve only got one tap hook-up (I only ever use cold anyway) and it sits too love above my top-loading washer to get the lid all the way up. Since the washer is only a couple of years old, I’m not replacing it anytime soon, even if front-loaders are more efficient. I do still need to replace the basin in the bathroom, though, which the previous owners had cracked. It’s not bad, either looking or insofar as leakage is concerned, but a new one was purchased and sits in its box in the hallway, just waiting for me to stumble over it in the dark. And I’ve never lived anywhere darker since that basement apartment in Ann Arbor. Daytime’s not bad, but I’m not there in daylight much, especially as we head into winter. Luckily, it’s not cold.
Meanwhile, the cats have worked out the pet door and are off enjoying the great outdoors, what there is of it. The upstairs cat, who goes from window to next-door-rooftop direct, is not happy to find new competition for exploration rights.
The new job is demanding. I’m here at eight and don’t leave until five or later. This is partly due to the demands of learning the new software and new company and partly due to the fact that I need to run three days during week for the marathon training (yes, I am using the Counsellor’s recommended Hal Higdon method, although one of my colleagues, also in training for the marathon, is using their official novice’s program; insofar as we coincide with our schedules, we’re mapping out routes in the vicinity using Map My Run).
The buses are terrible. Mornings aren’t so bad, although it’s always a scramble for boarding before the seats are all taken, and the seats are cramped anyway. Nights, however, are where it all comes apart. If the bus arrives, instead of sailing by, either full or “Not in Service”, it’s almost always not the one that takes the freeway, which means an extra twenty minutes or more travel time, winding through the northern suburbs. It would be a lot easier if their signage was better illuminated and larger. And once we get to the CBD, it’s a crawl to the last stop, where I transfer to a George Street line, where there are no bus lanes, so we contend with all the rest of the traffic (and not to complain unduly, but also with every other businessperson trying to make their way west).
That all will change, eventually. The Chatswood-to-Epping project is underway (as it has been nearly since I got to this country – which sounds like a longer period than it’s been) and due to finish sometime this year, theoretically. I’ve heard that they used the wrong glue on the vibration-reduction matting under the rails and had to tear them up to start over, but I don’t know if the 2008 schedule is still, ahem, on track. The North Ryde station is five minutes away, so I’m anxious they should finish. There looks to be a fair bit of work yet to go, though.
14 May 2008
Jasper Johns: Watch Out Crossing the Street
Robert Rauschenberg is one of a small pantheon of modern artists whom I revere. I’d probably revere more of them if I could remember them all, but never mind.
I remember the first retrospective show I saw, at MOMA, including the fabulous “Bed” and “Obelisk”, among many others I knew largely from books. A later show at the Guggenheim was somehow less compelling, and consisted largely, if not exclusively, of more recent work (so I guess not so much a retrospective).
Anyway, I guess that signed screen print of the Talking Heads “Speaking in Tongues” limited edition cover art I’ve got up on the wall just got a little more valuable. After David Byrne departs this mortal coil, it ought to be an eBay killer, but I only wish him well, really.
Robert Rauschenberg is one of a small pantheon of modern artists whom I revere. I’d probably revere more of them if I could remember them all, but never mind.
I remember the first retrospective show I saw, at MOMA, including the fabulous “Bed” and “Obelisk”, among many others I knew largely from books. A later show at the Guggenheim was somehow less compelling, and consisted largely, if not exclusively, of more recent work (so I guess not so much a retrospective).
Anyway, I guess that signed screen print of the Talking Heads “Speaking in Tongues” limited edition cover art I’ve got up on the wall just got a little more valuable. After David Byrne departs this mortal coil, it ought to be an eBay killer, but I only wish him well, really.
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