Elections
Julia Gillard is Australia's new Prime Minister, taking over from Kevin Rudd in a leadership spill. I think I prefer my elections direct, but Ms. Gillard is a forceful and intelligent person, likely to do quite well. That she was portrayed throughout the '07 campaign as sharpening a knife for Kevin's back was just mean-spirited, but Rudd's popularity drop over the last couple of months has made the transfer of power inevitable, so here we are. We'll have to see where this takes us regarding policy. I don't anticipate a return of the ETS, but the Resources Super Profit Tax - which I rather like - could also take a hit, which would be bad, politically, anyway.
Meanwhile, I reckon the Liberals leader, Tony Abbott, is going to find it tough dealing with a woman willing to stand up to him. Look for meltdowns.
20 June 2010
Like the Sound of Enormous Bees Right Up in Your Face
I've tried to watch the world cup. I got home from the game late last night so stayed up for the Socceroos, but I can't stand the constant drone of the vuvuzelas. I know it's part of the experience of a game in South Africa (although I'll bet it's nothing like this bad normally), but surely television broadcasters have the technology to eliminate it? Even live games are digital, so it seems hard to accept that they wouldn't be able to introduce some sort of noise-cancellation filter in place.
I've tried to watch the world cup. I got home from the game late last night so stayed up for the Socceroos, but I can't stand the constant drone of the vuvuzelas. I know it's part of the experience of a game in South Africa (although I'll bet it's nothing like this bad normally), but surely television broadcasters have the technology to eliminate it? Even live games are digital, so it seems hard to accept that they wouldn't be able to introduce some sort of noise-cancellation filter in place.
19 June 2010
League Experimentation
I've been a season ticket holder for the Rabbitohs three years now, and other than those occassions when the game is technically an away game but hosted at Souths' home ground, I haven't visited any other team's pitch. Tonight I'm headed for the north shore for the Manly match-up and will get to see whether the behavior exhibited by the fans at ANZ bears comparison with the Brookvale crowd.
Update: A one-point loss for the Bunnies, but generally more cheery than I get coming back from a home-game loss. That may be a function of the venue, one not a thoroughly serviced by public transport, as anything else. Still, it was fun, and a much different experience than my norm. Attending a game with 20,000 people in a 80,000 capacity stadium is one thing. Being there where the fans fill the available space? Feels more like a game. My ANZ sightlines are good, but I'm fully 20 to 40 metres further back from the sidelines than at a standard oval, so I don't get quite the sense of the size of the players and speed of the game normally. League is fast, and meant to be so, and I got a good feel for that tonight. Not that I'm going to switch teams.
I've been a season ticket holder for the Rabbitohs three years now, and other than those occassions when the game is technically an away game but hosted at Souths' home ground, I haven't visited any other team's pitch. Tonight I'm headed for the north shore for the Manly match-up and will get to see whether the behavior exhibited by the fans at ANZ bears comparison with the Brookvale crowd.
Update: A one-point loss for the Bunnies, but generally more cheery than I get coming back from a home-game loss. That may be a function of the venue, one not a thoroughly serviced by public transport, as anything else. Still, it was fun, and a much different experience than my norm. Attending a game with 20,000 people in a 80,000 capacity stadium is one thing. Being there where the fans fill the available space? Feels more like a game. My ANZ sightlines are good, but I'm fully 20 to 40 metres further back from the sidelines than at a standard oval, so I don't get quite the sense of the size of the players and speed of the game normally. League is fast, and meant to be so, and I got a good feel for that tonight. Not that I'm going to switch teams.
18 June 2010
Turn of the Century
I suppose I had to know that there'd be issues with moving into a building as old as this one and as small. With only 4 units, there isn't a lot of money coming in, so ovderall maintenance has largely been restricted to what's been required more than what would be proactive. When the big hail storm of 2001 tore up roofs all over town, a special levy was required for repairs, but there's been little else. That's about to change.
The building's old. Probably 1920's old, with an extension maybe 20 years on (and apparently clad in asbestos, although opinions differ). The damp course is limited, it seems, to the exterior walls, and one thing and another has led to a significant interior wall rising damp problem. There's a lot of expansion-contraction cracking, interior and exterior, some worse than others. There's sewer-vs.-storm drainage issues - more a regulatory problem than anything else - and pointed need for exterior painting.
The engineer's been through this morning and will provide a report and a recommendation on a builder. It's going to cost us plenty. How much remains to be seen, but I'm figuring on $20-40k, i.e., $5-10k apiece. Still, it'll be worth it, as the actual structural problems we don't have at this point will be avoided.
I suppose I had to know that there'd be issues with moving into a building as old as this one and as small. With only 4 units, there isn't a lot of money coming in, so ovderall maintenance has largely been restricted to what's been required more than what would be proactive. When the big hail storm of 2001 tore up roofs all over town, a special levy was required for repairs, but there's been little else. That's about to change.
The building's old. Probably 1920's old, with an extension maybe 20 years on (and apparently clad in asbestos, although opinions differ). The damp course is limited, it seems, to the exterior walls, and one thing and another has led to a significant interior wall rising damp problem. There's a lot of expansion-contraction cracking, interior and exterior, some worse than others. There's sewer-vs.-storm drainage issues - more a regulatory problem than anything else - and pointed need for exterior painting.
The engineer's been through this morning and will provide a report and a recommendation on a builder. It's going to cost us plenty. How much remains to be seen, but I'm figuring on $20-40k, i.e., $5-10k apiece. Still, it'll be worth it, as the actual structural problems we don't have at this point will be avoided.
14 June 2010
Wear & Tear
One of the things I meant to do following last month's half marathon was to review the performance of the super-terrific shoes I bought back in January.
I'd meant to buy the trainers, but all they had in stock was the racing model. On the advice of the salesman, who claimed to use the racers exclusively, I went with that choice, although they were far more colorful than anything I'd normally buy.
Back in the days when New Balance was new and Nike were experimenting with waffle irons, it became a principle that the laces would be set back up away from the toes, allowing a better fit and less problems with blisters, or so they said. The Newton pinches a bit around the toes, I find, which was surprising, but in the end it didn't offer me any trouble.
The shoe does indeed encourage, even force, you to land on the forefoot. This didn't cause me much difficulty as I largely run that way anyway. But in some circumstances, such as wet roadways, where the rain interacted with the petroleum by-products lingering on the surface made things a bit slick, it sometimes felt less secure than landing more flat-footedly might have. Still, I didn't slide around all that much, so it's probably just my own insecurity interacting with Sydney drivers, who only get more aggressive as driving conditions deteriorate.
The mesh upper kept my feet pretty cool, a positive, as I'd been experiencing problems with blisters. This was more a condition of running on hot pavement in high summer than the shoes, however. Once things started to cool off a bit, it became increasingly less of an issue.
What I was especially interested in seeing was the wear. From January through May, and putting in something like an average of 20k per week, the shoes held up remarkably well, as you can see.
I'm still using this pair, but in the end, seriously debating whether to get a new set or reverting to standard issue Asics/Nike/New Balance/Addidas/whatever. The main point is that other than the gimmick of the cleats or lugs or whatever you want to call them that force your landing, there was no benefit to these shoes I couldn't get for $50+ less.
One of the things I meant to do following last month's half marathon was to review the performance of the super-terrific shoes I bought back in January.
I'd meant to buy the trainers, but all they had in stock was the racing model. On the advice of the salesman, who claimed to use the racers exclusively, I went with that choice, although they were far more colorful than anything I'd normally buy.
Back in the days when New Balance was new and Nike were experimenting with waffle irons, it became a principle that the laces would be set back up away from the toes, allowing a better fit and less problems with blisters, or so they said. The Newton pinches a bit around the toes, I find, which was surprising, but in the end it didn't offer me any trouble.
The shoe does indeed encourage, even force, you to land on the forefoot. This didn't cause me much difficulty as I largely run that way anyway. But in some circumstances, such as wet roadways, where the rain interacted with the petroleum by-products lingering on the surface made things a bit slick, it sometimes felt less secure than landing more flat-footedly might have. Still, I didn't slide around all that much, so it's probably just my own insecurity interacting with Sydney drivers, who only get more aggressive as driving conditions deteriorate.
The mesh upper kept my feet pretty cool, a positive, as I'd been experiencing problems with blisters. This was more a condition of running on hot pavement in high summer than the shoes, however. Once things started to cool off a bit, it became increasingly less of an issue.
What I was especially interested in seeing was the wear. From January through May, and putting in something like an average of 20k per week, the shoes held up remarkably well, as you can see.
I'm still using this pair, but in the end, seriously debating whether to get a new set or reverting to standard issue Asics/Nike/New Balance/Addidas/whatever. The main point is that other than the gimmick of the cleats or lugs or whatever you want to call them that force your landing, there was no benefit to these shoes I couldn't get for $50+ less.
Happy Birthday, Queen
Thanks for the day off.
Of course it isn't really Liz's birthday, it's just the commemoration or some such, a practice observed throughout the Commonwealth. Last week it was NZ's turn. Funnily enough, it isn't even her birthday across Australia. I think WA gets next Monday.
I suppose the idea is that in days of yore the monarch would travel through its dominion collecting tributes. Travel being what it is, different days across the year would become the official date for such payments.
I don't know about NZ, but if you want to guess what HRH would have gotten from us? Opals, sure.
Thanks for the day off.
Of course it isn't really Liz's birthday, it's just the commemoration or some such, a practice observed throughout the Commonwealth. Last week it was NZ's turn. Funnily enough, it isn't even her birthday across Australia. I think WA gets next Monday.
I suppose the idea is that in days of yore the monarch would travel through its dominion collecting tributes. Travel being what it is, different days across the year would become the official date for such payments.
I don't know about NZ, but if you want to guess what HRH would have gotten from us? Opals, sure.
06 June 2010
Power & Serenity
As part of the Vivid Festival, Lou Reed, as he does whenever he's touring, brought his tai chi master, Ren GuangYi, who graciously consented to teach four sessions for beginners. The rain stopped late on Friday night, but I didn't go for the 7 a.m. session on Saturday, electing to sleep in and go to today's eleven a.m. class. Again, the weather held, and there I was without about three or four dozen others, running through the basics of the Master's Power 21 set, movements meant to be performed in a limited space, but for maximum effect. You see tai chi here and there, but doing it, having it explained - where your weight should settle, how to turn and pivot, you get the sense of the martial arts behind it. The best part: Lou Reed came along and even helped various of us move into the correct stance.
PS: no cats.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
As part of the Vivid Festival, Lou Reed, as he does whenever he's touring, brought his tai chi master, Ren GuangYi, who graciously consented to teach four sessions for beginners. The rain stopped late on Friday night, but I didn't go for the 7 a.m. session on Saturday, electing to sleep in and go to today's eleven a.m. class. Again, the weather held, and there I was without about three or four dozen others, running through the basics of the Master's Power 21 set, movements meant to be performed in a limited space, but for maximum effect. You see tai chi here and there, but doing it, having it explained - where your weight should settle, how to turn and pivot, you get the sense of the martial arts behind it. The best part: Lou Reed came along and even helped various of us move into the correct stance.
PS: no cats.
see more Lolcats and funny pictures
04 June 2010
Vividity
Slow Music Night was definitely the right choice of show for the Vivid Festival. Not only did Laurie Anderson act as host, Lou Reed turned up to perform, along with the rest of the showcase musicians, and they were a cast of stars in their own rights, mostly. I could have done without the violinist, who was a bit of a noodler, and Holly Miranda didn't exactly wow me with her Feist-meets-Beth-Orton-crossed-with-Cat-Power performance. But Shara Worden, of My Brightest Diamond, whose cover of Blind Willie Johnson's "Lord I can't keep from crying" raised the hairs on my neck, and Colin Stetson consistently blew me away, and the Blind Boys of Alabama (formerly the Five Blind Boys... - only three left) were a stand-out. Emily Haines was o.k., but couldn't keep up with Lou on her duets with him, which was a shame. I hope the rain holds off for some of this weekend, so I can get some Tai Chi in.
Slow Music Night was definitely the right choice of show for the Vivid Festival. Not only did Laurie Anderson act as host, Lou Reed turned up to perform, along with the rest of the showcase musicians, and they were a cast of stars in their own rights, mostly. I could have done without the violinist, who was a bit of a noodler, and Holly Miranda didn't exactly wow me with her Feist-meets-Beth-Orton-crossed-with-Cat-Power performance. But Shara Worden, of My Brightest Diamond, whose cover of Blind Willie Johnson's "Lord I can't keep from crying" raised the hairs on my neck, and Colin Stetson consistently blew me away, and the Blind Boys of Alabama (formerly the Five Blind Boys... - only three left) were a stand-out. Emily Haines was o.k., but couldn't keep up with Lou on her duets with him, which was a shame. I hope the rain holds off for some of this weekend, so I can get some Tai Chi in.
03 June 2010
Winter
So let's see: it's rugby league season, and I have my home games tickets to ANZ Stadium for Rabbitohs home games, so pretty much at least every other weekend more or less there's an event to attend; the Sydney Film Festival is on (but not much I'm really interested in, although that hasn't stopped me from buying a ticket to a documentary on the roots of Reggae on the same day at the same time as a Rabbitohs game - smart!); the Vivid Festival is on (tai chi on the Opera House forecourt, with Lou Reed & his tai chi master - is Lou an early riser? Saturday morning is the way to go; or does he sleep in? Sunday midmorning, then); and today Leonard Cohen tickets go on sale for his triumphant return in November. So much to do, so little time to do it in.
So let's see: it's rugby league season, and I have my home games tickets to ANZ Stadium for Rabbitohs home games, so pretty much at least every other weekend more or less there's an event to attend; the Sydney Film Festival is on (but not much I'm really interested in, although that hasn't stopped me from buying a ticket to a documentary on the roots of Reggae on the same day at the same time as a Rabbitohs game - smart!); the Vivid Festival is on (tai chi on the Opera House forecourt, with Lou Reed & his tai chi master - is Lou an early riser? Saturday morning is the way to go; or does he sleep in? Sunday midmorning, then); and today Leonard Cohen tickets go on sale for his triumphant return in November. So much to do, so little time to do it in.
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