The Tianjin Gardens sit over Parliament Station. Some of the gardens can be seen from within the station. Tianjin in China is a sister city to Melbourne.
I was in the area a couple of weeks ago and took a look myself. The gardens are noice.
Monday, November 09, 2009
Tianjin Gardens
Ben alerted me these gardens and like the sincere person I am, I promptly forgot about them. Ben then wrote a post about them, which I also forgot about. Then I spotted them as I passed by in a tram. Ah yeah, these are the gardens Ben mentioned.
The Tianjin Gardens sit over Parliament Station. Some of the gardens can be seen from within the station. Tianjin in China is a sister city to Melbourne.
I was in the area a couple of weeks ago and took a look myself. The gardens are noice.
The Tianjin Gardens sit over Parliament Station. Some of the gardens can be seen from within the station. Tianjin in China is a sister city to Melbourne.
I was in the area a couple of weeks ago and took a look myself. The gardens are noice.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
Poddycasts
When I work weekends and there is nothing on the wireless to listen to that appeals to me, podcasts save my sanity.
Boys for Noise Episode 11. The lads are very amusing. Their show is essentially pop culture and boy do they know there pop culture, but there is plenty else mixed in. Mind you, they both need their mouths washed out with soap and water. Ah, reminds me of a video I saw the other day where this guy was made to bite on soap while......no, better stop.
Hindsight is a marvellous show on Radio National. Take what might sound like the most boring subject and they make it listenable, in fact fascinating. One podcast over the weekend that sticks in my mind was about Kings Park in Perth.
Rear Vision, also RN, comes up with some rippers at times. Today I listened to a program about the origins of the Freemasons. Yes, they were actually masons, right back to the time of the construction of the pyramids.
There was another I listened to, which seemed to be English PM Gordon Brown's political obituary, written before he is out of office. Also very interesting.
A very interesting one from Ireland's national radio broadcaster I think, about Irish reform schools. Sounds like worse things happened in Ireland than here.
Joy Melbourne came up with an interview with a Maltese born man who was a seventy eighter, that is, he was in the first Mardi Gras demo in Sydney, 1978. He is now a historian focusing on the gay history Malta.
Jayne pointed me in the direction of a talk by Age columnist Martin Flanagan when he had published a co-written a book with ex politician and WWII prisoner of the Japanese, Tom Uren. The talk was extra interesting because it was made when Howard was still in office. Flanagan must be disappointed. I certainly am.
Boys for Noise Episode 11. The lads are very amusing. Their show is essentially pop culture and boy do they know there pop culture, but there is plenty else mixed in. Mind you, they both need their mouths washed out with soap and water. Ah, reminds me of a video I saw the other day where this guy was made to bite on soap while......no, better stop.
Hindsight is a marvellous show on Radio National. Take what might sound like the most boring subject and they make it listenable, in fact fascinating. One podcast over the weekend that sticks in my mind was about Kings Park in Perth.
Rear Vision, also RN, comes up with some rippers at times. Today I listened to a program about the origins of the Freemasons. Yes, they were actually masons, right back to the time of the construction of the pyramids.
There was another I listened to, which seemed to be English PM Gordon Brown's political obituary, written before he is out of office. Also very interesting.
A very interesting one from Ireland's national radio broadcaster I think, about Irish reform schools. Sounds like worse things happened in Ireland than here.
Joy Melbourne came up with an interview with a Maltese born man who was a seventy eighter, that is, he was in the first Mardi Gras demo in Sydney, 1978. He is now a historian focusing on the gay history Malta.
Jayne pointed me in the direction of a talk by Age columnist Martin Flanagan when he had published a co-written a book with ex politician and WWII prisoner of the Japanese, Tom Uren. The talk was extra interesting because it was made when Howard was still in office. Flanagan must be disappointed. I certainly am.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Friday TV
Watched recorded ABC's Addicted to Money, first of three parts detailing the global financial crisis. Well made, but I did not learn much.
Watched recorded John Saffan's Race Relations. Don't know if I will bother again. The foreskin restoration piece was amusing.
Watched Stateline. I used to be able to watch other state's Stateline on ABC 2 before it was ABC 2. Then The Collectors and Midsommer Murders.
Watched recorded John Saffan's Race Relations. Don't know if I will bother again. The foreskin restoration piece was amusing.
Watched Stateline. I used to be able to watch other state's Stateline on ABC 2 before it was ABC 2. Then The Collectors and Midsommer Murders.
Stonnington
Stonnington was once the Governor's residence. You can look up its history easily enough. The Gov moved onto a grander place. I remember it better as Toorak Teachers College. Later it became a Deakin University campus and was flooded with overseas students.
I walked along Glenferrie Road Malvern the other day and took a couple of snaps.
It was to be turned into apartments with new apartments built on its grounds. It seems this might have been completed and they haven't built the apartments at the front and obliterated the house, but behind.
The rather nice jungly and overgrown garden has been attended to and this what we see today, external restoration of the mansion and a garden renovation in progress. I have never seen the house so exposed. It also has a rather nice gate house at the driveway entrance, somewhat larger than Audrey Forbes-Hamilton's gate house.
This is only a phone camera pic and the camera seems to have focused rather more on the leaves than the house.
Are these water supply pipes or fire hydrants? If they are hydrants, they are far too close to the fence to connect hoses.
I walked along Glenferrie Road Malvern the other day and took a couple of snaps.
It was to be turned into apartments with new apartments built on its grounds. It seems this might have been completed and they haven't built the apartments at the front and obliterated the house, but behind.
The rather nice jungly and overgrown garden has been attended to and this what we see today, external restoration of the mansion and a garden renovation in progress. I have never seen the house so exposed. It also has a rather nice gate house at the driveway entrance, somewhat larger than Audrey Forbes-Hamilton's gate house.
This is only a phone camera pic and the camera seems to have focused rather more on the leaves than the house.
Are these water supply pipes or fire hydrants? If they are hydrants, they are far too close to the fence to connect hoses.
Friday, November 06, 2009
Food Words
Here are a few foodie words I suggest you don't use in my presence, lest I think less of you.
Barista or barrister. I care not. It is the person who makes the coffee, the coffee maker.
Degustation. This word would be high on my list of ugly sounding words. Disgusting? De-gas? What ever it is, I am sure you will come away feeling hungry and cheated.
Jus. The perfectly well known words such as gravy or sauce surely are sufficient. Calling gravy jus in a pub is wrong.
Fusion, especially influences. It makes me think my meal may have been bombarded with nuclear rays. I'll have my lamb chop unfused, thanks.
Any pet foodie words you dislike?
Barista or barrister. I care not. It is the person who makes the coffee, the coffee maker.
Degustation. This word would be high on my list of ugly sounding words. Disgusting? De-gas? What ever it is, I am sure you will come away feeling hungry and cheated.
Jus. The perfectly well known words such as gravy or sauce surely are sufficient. Calling gravy jus in a pub is wrong.
Fusion, especially influences. It makes me think my meal may have been bombarded with nuclear rays. I'll have my lamb chop unfused, thanks.
Any pet foodie words you dislike?
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Thursday TV
Finished watching the program about the Berlin Wall. I thought it would more about the fall of the Berlin Wall. Maybe there is more to come. Watched recorded Media Watch. Watched recorded Taggart. I love Taggart. Such beautiful Glasgow scenery and a hot copper with a Glaswegian accent. The chick with the decent sized nose is nice too (what a real woman who is not perfect? Very odd).
Channel 7 6pm news, Today Tonight, ABC news, 7.30 Report. Then something that caught my eye, a local show on SBS about a Chapel Street hairdresser and his much younger wife who bought a large property on the Mornington Peninsula (oh god, did I get peninsula right) for over $4mill to renovate and turn it into paying top end accommodation.
I never watch Channel Ten, but for Rush, which I half watch. Probably watch Graham Norton show on ABC 2 after this.
Channel 7 6pm news, Today Tonight, ABC news, 7.30 Report. Then something that caught my eye, a local show on SBS about a Chapel Street hairdresser and his much younger wife who bought a large property on the Mornington Peninsula (oh god, did I get peninsula right) for over $4mill to renovate and turn it into paying top end accommodation.
I never watch Channel Ten, but for Rush, which I half watch. Probably watch Graham Norton show on ABC 2 after this.
Lost at the Astor
It must be nearly thirty years since I first heard this amusing piece of music. I still love it today. Interesting, the performer, Harry Roy, married the daughter of the white Rajah of Sarawak.
A Brunswick Fall
Or that could be a Brunswick Fail. Fenz took some snaps of the building that fell down yesterday. I have wondered about accidents like this for some time. I have looked at construction sites where construction workers have dug deep and there is an existing building next door. I gaze in puzzlement as to why the building next door does not fall into the hole.
Clearly some clever engineering works prevent such a thing happening, but obviously not fail safe engineering works.
The Brunswick fall has caused massive inconvenience to so many people and cost authorities and people lots of money.
This is just general speculation but I wonder if it is not like the way cars are now constructed, that is the 'just in time' process for supplying parts to be fitted to a car being built? If something goes wrong in the parts supply chain, the construction of the car stops.
The construction companies do not under engineer when shoring up a hole in the ground (I hope), but nor do they over engineer, which would cost more money. They hit the sweet spot, that is minimal expense and a shoring up that will work............but without a margin for error.
Clearly some clever engineering works prevent such a thing happening, but obviously not fail safe engineering works.
The Brunswick fall has caused massive inconvenience to so many people and cost authorities and people lots of money.
This is just general speculation but I wonder if it is not like the way cars are now constructed, that is the 'just in time' process for supplying parts to be fitted to a car being built? If something goes wrong in the parts supply chain, the construction of the car stops.
The construction companies do not under engineer when shoring up a hole in the ground (I hope), but nor do they over engineer, which would cost more money. They hit the sweet spot, that is minimal expense and a shoring up that will work............but without a margin for error.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
The television set
(Wrong publish date. Corrected now)
I had started a post on tv, with too much writing. Instead I will give a day by day blow for a week or so and throw other stuff in where I think of it.
Today I watched recorded Landline. You have to keep in touch with your country roots. Kezza, take note. Lamb prices down. Southern oscillation index not looking good. Kill the wild horses in NZ.
Watched a recorded Aussie doco on tropical rain forests. Very interesting, narrated by Jack Thompson I think, who can use a broad Aussie accent, but he did not for this show. It should sell well internationally. A boi bower bird destroying another boi bower bird's courting room was kewl.
Watched half a show about the wall dividing East and West Germany. Interesting. Bloke wanted to smuggle his girlfriend from west to east, he had rights of passage, and substituted his fuel tank with his g/f.
Will watch the rest.
Heard news all day, so no interest in news tonight, except for wanting to see pics of the fallen building in Brunswick. Hope Fenz's foundations are ok.
7.30 Report, half watched.
New Inventors, half watched. A cockroach trap?
City Homicide. She did not highly feature this week, but I vividly recall last week when Noni Hazelhurst had a big part and she was fabulous. Noni is magic. What an actor.
Watching recorded Spics and Specks now. Someone suggested that the show will go forever. I don't think so.
The slip in, a fabulous doco on the Ganges. I tried to watch the recent show about India, but I lost interest. The three part Ganges show was great.
I had started a post on tv, with too much writing. Instead I will give a day by day blow for a week or so and throw other stuff in where I think of it.
Today I watched recorded Landline. You have to keep in touch with your country roots. Kezza, take note. Lamb prices down. Southern oscillation index not looking good. Kill the wild horses in NZ.
Watched a recorded Aussie doco on tropical rain forests. Very interesting, narrated by Jack Thompson I think, who can use a broad Aussie accent, but he did not for this show. It should sell well internationally. A boi bower bird destroying another boi bower bird's courting room was kewl.
Watched half a show about the wall dividing East and West Germany. Interesting. Bloke wanted to smuggle his girlfriend from west to east, he had rights of passage, and substituted his fuel tank with his g/f.
Will watch the rest.
Heard news all day, so no interest in news tonight, except for wanting to see pics of the fallen building in Brunswick. Hope Fenz's foundations are ok.
7.30 Report, half watched.
New Inventors, half watched. A cockroach trap?
City Homicide. She did not highly feature this week, but I vividly recall last week when Noni Hazelhurst had a big part and she was fabulous. Noni is magic. What an actor.
Watching recorded Spics and Specks now. Someone suggested that the show will go forever. I don't think so.
The slip in, a fabulous doco on the Ganges. I tried to watch the recent show about India, but I lost interest. The three part Ganges show was great.
Sydney Curiosity
Is there a connection between this bloke and my post about a 'residence on a cliff top', about a third down, http://highriser.blogspot.com/2009/07/holiday-day-4-sydney-day-2.html . Is the resident the Bondi Cave Man?
Narrows
Is the the city's narrowest lane? Truly, none could be narrower. No dining tables set up for left leaning, chardonnay quaffing latte sippers in this one. Go on VCAT, you may as well get rid of it.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Superstitions
I don't believe in a greater being, afterlife, horoscopes, flying saucers and add whatever nonsense you like to suggest.
So really, you could call this culture rather than superstitions, but you won't find me choosing the number 13 in a lottery, nor the unlucky Asian number, 4.
I do not walk under ladders, in fact I stay clear of any overhead workmen, especially since I was showered with building debris twice, once in Centre Road, Bentleigh, and once in High Street, Prahran.
Two other old superstitions I take note of, because R yells at me if I forget them, do not put new shoes on a table and do not open an umbrella indoors.
One more, do not give knives as a gift, and if you really want to, the recipient must pay you at least a token amount.
My grandmother lectured me about never changing the calendar month page before the new month arrived. She would change her calendar at the end of the month when she got up at night to go to the lavvy.
Like to tell me about yours, or places where you have noticed that there is not a 13 or a 4? Eg, we lived in a flat once where there were 26 flats but there was a flat numbered 27. Yep, no thirteen.
It is only in one of our lifts, but the external display does not show the fourth floor. The indicator is just blank four the fourth floor. Do not upset the prospective Asian buyers.
So really, you could call this culture rather than superstitions, but you won't find me choosing the number 13 in a lottery, nor the unlucky Asian number, 4.
I do not walk under ladders, in fact I stay clear of any overhead workmen, especially since I was showered with building debris twice, once in Centre Road, Bentleigh, and once in High Street, Prahran.
Two other old superstitions I take note of, because R yells at me if I forget them, do not put new shoes on a table and do not open an umbrella indoors.
One more, do not give knives as a gift, and if you really want to, the recipient must pay you at least a token amount.
My grandmother lectured me about never changing the calendar month page before the new month arrived. She would change her calendar at the end of the month when she got up at night to go to the lavvy.
Like to tell me about yours, or places where you have noticed that there is not a 13 or a 4? Eg, we lived in a flat once where there were 26 flats but there was a flat numbered 27. Yep, no thirteen.
It is only in one of our lifts, but the external display does not show the fourth floor. The indicator is just blank four the fourth floor. Do not upset the prospective Asian buyers.
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