when you're trying to buy a house, agents who stand to make thousands from you fall over themselves to sell, sell, sell.
when you're trying to rent, and they stand to make, oh, tens of dollars, you can't get them to return your calls.
funny, that.
Wednesday, October 30, 2002
blogon
Willa
Willa is your source for all things semi-spooky: Halloween-themed fonts and screensavers, sites and games.
There isn't much original content, but the links are clearly the result of some serious trawling of the Web.
And this will be the blog's third Halloween, so the archives are full of goodies, such as links to Web cams in allegedly haunted houses.
The Ludwigs/Halloween
The Ludwigs profess to be obsessed with Halloween, and have all the latest news: "OK, here is a cool idea for creating talking skulls with your own soundtrack," for example. The focus seems to be on creating Halloween props for decorating entire houses in the spooky theme.
There's lots of stuff on lighting, and "yer basic floating lantern" but, more importantly, there is a link to the archives of the Halloween mailing list, where Web-goblins discuss gothic candelabra, and otherwise normal Americans swap tips on how to turn their front yards into a miasma of fog.
Silver Blog
Cecily isn't quite as Halloween-crazy as some other bloggers; she has just put up one extensive post on Halloween resources, with comments from readers on the feasibility of a "moth" fancy dress. Look out for the link to the Kodak guide to carving faces into pumpkins so they'll photograph well.
Her main blog is divided between her (currently bleak) personal life and her photography, much of which is black-and-white. That part of the blog is named Silver Halide, but the "silver" of the main site is a reference to the colour of Dorothy's shoes in the original Wizard of Oz story.
Haunted Bay
The seaside town of San Francisco doesn't seem a terribly spooky place, but Haunted Bay manages to make it appear just a little dark and threatening.
The effect is spoilt a bit by the pumpkin weigh-off (though a 532-kilo pumpkin might scare some people).
If you happen to be over that way, Haunted Bay lists events in the area, and the right places to buy your giant pumpkins.
Reviews of new "haunted" attractions and other Halloween-related news appear regularly.
Catanna
Once a year is a fairly infrequent update rate, but at least it's reliable.
Each Halloween, Catanna posts photos and details of her outfit and that of her husband's; first it was the Sun and Moon (which most people mistook for a Roman look), then an over-the-top rendering of characters from the musical Cats.
This year they're working on a Braveheart-fairy theme; can't wait to see the blue face paint! If you'd like to emulate the look, there are links to online stores where the pair buy their stuff.
Federal agents put guns in the faces of four Australian children aged between four and 17 years during raids aimed at weeding out Muslim extremists, according to a teenaged girl whose family was raided.
Completely disgusting. Whether they were "Australian children" or otherwise.
Completely disgusting. Whether they were "Australian children" or otherwise.
what to do when you come in early and, as usual, the Loud Talkers are blathering about their renovations etc at twice the necessary volume, but you don't feel like blasting your ears with Courtney Love to drown the sound out?
why, play Ani, of course!
why, play Ani, of course!
Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Monday, October 28, 2002
this is so outrageous I can't even get outraged about it.
the lovely three-bedroom Edwardian house with the horrific orange kitchen?
the one with offstreet parking and a yard for Bilbo?
the one a short walk from the beach and the cafes in Elwood?
that was $295 a week, and therefore cheap?
that I spent at least THREE HOURS chasing, counting going to the agent yesterday morning,driving down there at lunchtime, applying for, faxing, not to mention our scouting trip on Sunday?
the ($%#@!**! owners have sweetly received our application for a six-month lease (which I understood they had no obligation to accept) and told the agent that they've rethought, they want $500 a week. That's FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
now, it was a bit underpriced, maybe $50-$60, but $500 is a joke. the agent says she won't list it at that.
I hope it sits there empty for six months, they end up having to drop back to $340, and they lose all the money they would have got from renting it to us. fuckers.
the lovely three-bedroom Edwardian house with the horrific orange kitchen?
the one with offstreet parking and a yard for Bilbo?
the one a short walk from the beach and the cafes in Elwood?
that was $295 a week, and therefore cheap?
that I spent at least THREE HOURS chasing, counting going to the agent yesterday morning,driving down there at lunchtime, applying for, faxing, not to mention our scouting trip on Sunday?
the ($%#@!**! owners have sweetly received our application for a six-month lease (which I understood they had no obligation to accept) and told the agent that they've rethought, they want $500 a week. That's FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
now, it was a bit underpriced, maybe $50-$60, but $500 is a joke. the agent says she won't list it at that.
I hope it sits there empty for six months, they end up having to drop back to $340, and they lose all the money they would have got from renting it to us. fuckers.
bummer. just when I've got the hoses set up right on our garden, they bring in water restrictions.
so we will only be able to use them before 8 am (hah!) or after 8pm. I accept the need for restrictions, but it's not like we actually live there and can just pop out and turn them on at 6.30 am or 9pm.
if we just have to stand there and hose, it will take forever. and use the same amount of water. it has to be done at least once, probably twice a week as the weather gets hotter or things will die. we're only doing the bare minimum as it is.
we have a timer, but the existing fitting is frozen to the only tap, so can't put it on. situation calls for a monkey wrench.
so we will only be able to use them before 8 am (hah!) or after 8pm. I accept the need for restrictions, but it's not like we actually live there and can just pop out and turn them on at 6.30 am or 9pm.
if we just have to stand there and hose, it will take forever. and use the same amount of water. it has to be done at least once, probably twice a week as the weather gets hotter or things will die. we're only doing the bare minimum as it is.
we have a timer, but the existing fitting is frozen to the only tap, so can't put it on. situation calls for a monkey wrench.
currently sitting up very straight and walking around like I have a pole strapped to my back and head.
another big back-cracking session, but neck still hurts; and the point was made to me that the underlying problem, being tension and poor posture, would make it recur endlessly.
and I really can't keep having headaches like that. no. no more.
another big back-cracking session, but neck still hurts; and the point was made to me that the underlying problem, being tension and poor posture, would make it recur endlessly.
and I really can't keep having headaches like that. no. no more.
Sunday, October 27, 2002
goddam blogger. third try at this post (in Word Pad this time)
my life currently resembles a Boomtown Rats song:
Monday? headache
Monday? headache.
I think it's been four out of the past five. today's did start yesterday, but all the same, I am pretty much over starting every week unable to focus, let alone think.
icepacks and kidney-wrecking drugs can only take you so far.
husband says natural remedies are better. that will be lying down in a dark room, then? I wish.
(ps: very exciting; my wonderful phsyio has had an appt come free at 9.30 tomorrow
on the upside, have identified the impossibe; a three-bedroom Edwardian house with LUG and polished floors a short walk from the beach in Elwood for under $300/week
inspection is at 1.30, and in absence of husband, who really would prefer a funky art deco flat, intend to apply for lease if it's as good as it looks from the outside. yard for dog takes priority, says me.
and no, I'm not posting a link to the obscure, non-local agent where I found it on the Web. it's MINE, do you hear me, ALL MINE, Moriarty!
bwahahaha...
also good: finding an all day cheap car spot. with five hours on the meter. bonus.
my life currently resembles a Boomtown Rats song:
Monday? headache
Monday? headache.
I think it's been four out of the past five. today's did start yesterday, but all the same, I am pretty much over starting every week unable to focus, let alone think.
icepacks and kidney-wrecking drugs can only take you so far.
husband says natural remedies are better. that will be lying down in a dark room, then? I wish.
(ps: very exciting; my wonderful phsyio has had an appt come free at 9.30 tomorrow
on the upside, have identified the impossibe; a three-bedroom Edwardian house with LUG and polished floors a short walk from the beach in Elwood for under $300/week
inspection is at 1.30, and in absence of husband, who really would prefer a funky art deco flat, intend to apply for lease if it's as good as it looks from the outside. yard for dog takes priority, says me.
and no, I'm not posting a link to the obscure, non-local agent where I found it on the Web. it's MINE, do you hear me, ALL MINE, Moriarty!
bwahahaha...
also good: finding an all day cheap car spot. with five hours on the meter. bonus.
Saturday, October 26, 2002
I like the little things I find on the site of reactive.com.au
they're some web designer types, but they play with the medium.
if you go to their page and click on demonstration #8, "untitled", you can change the way the virtual painting in their office looks; the page is projected on a real wall in Melbourne.
they're some web designer types, but they play with the medium.
if you go to their page and click on demonstration #8, "untitled", you can change the way the virtual painting in their office looks; the page is projected on a real wall in Melbourne.
good blog title: inflatable doll.
I'm sure it's been done.
yes, it's essay-writing time and as usual, anything resembling Deep Thought hurts my brain and brings up some strange questions.
like why are (some) men happy to have sex with inflatable dolls (and even inflatable sheep, forsooth!), where women wouldn't bother?
why do men not care that their cartoon women, like the chick in Final Fantasy have no soul?
and is it OK or not, if you like your fantasies to be about real people, like say Daniel Day-Lewis, to put them into compromising positions they would not adopt in RL? is there any difference, as I've about as much chance of having sex with Daniel Day-Lewis as the average geek has of scoring the star of FF, ie, zero?
if you have any answers to these questions, which swirl around the topic of intersubjectivity and what makes interactivity feel interactive, keep them to yourself. I'm confused enough already.
I'm sure it's been done.
yes, it's essay-writing time and as usual, anything resembling Deep Thought hurts my brain and brings up some strange questions.
like why are (some) men happy to have sex with inflatable dolls (and even inflatable sheep, forsooth!), where women wouldn't bother?
why do men not care that their cartoon women, like the chick in Final Fantasy have no soul?
and is it OK or not, if you like your fantasies to be about real people, like say Daniel Day-Lewis, to put them into compromising positions they would not adopt in RL? is there any difference, as I've about as much chance of having sex with Daniel Day-Lewis as the average geek has of scoring the star of FF, ie, zero?
if you have any answers to these questions, which swirl around the topic of intersubjectivity and what makes interactivity feel interactive, keep them to yourself. I'm confused enough already.
a day of house and flathunting in Elwood, by the sea.
houses cost a fortune.
flats are within our price range; if we don't tell the agents about our secret dog, it will be fine.
there was one cheap house; it was "under offer" but I left my number anyway. stupidly did not turn the phone on, though, and now we might have to go back there tomorrow to look at it. husband not so keen, but I think a yard would be much better for Mr B the fluff king. though a big flat and two walks a day will not really hurt him for six months.
houses cost a fortune.
flats are within our price range; if we don't tell the agents about our secret dog, it will be fine.
there was one cheap house; it was "under offer" but I left my number anyway. stupidly did not turn the phone on, though, and now we might have to go back there tomorrow to look at it. husband not so keen, but I think a yard would be much better for Mr B the fluff king. though a big flat and two walks a day will not really hurt him for six months.
Thursday, October 24, 2002
blogon
GeekBlog
He's exceeded 2000 posts on his blog and he's still going strong. Yes, Geek is a geek with stamina.
Not all his posts are comprehensible to the average computer user, of course, being aimed at people who actually know what's inside their beige boxes:
"CodeMeister, the machine I was planning on using, is having some technical difficulties. You see, I foolishly put the buggy 6GB in it, thinking tossing it on the slave position would solve the problems. Well, it now holds my Red Hat install, as well as my Win 2000 Pro install. Sadly, it also holds my Grub bootloader, which I cannot boot without. Needless to say, my computer is mega fubared, and I highly doubt I will be able to get my files, saved games and other stuff off the drive. I may, though, install the two Linux distro's still, at 2GB each."
If you understand that lot, then you're probably a kindred spirit.
In the spirit of the early Internet, Geek wants information to be free and is angered by anti-Internet radio laws in Britain and has something to say about the redesign of Wired magazine's Web site, too.
Naturally the blog itself runs smoothly; posts are even classified by type so you can just read the ones about Linux if you choose.
V.2.2
Formerly V2.1, this blog sees the world from a very geeky point of view.
A shelving project isn't just "I built some shelves today" but occasion for a detailed description of piece sizes, tool brands and the exact order in which things were done.
And, of course, there is always room for improvement.
As there seems to be in his fitness; after a day's exercise he complained that "THEN to make matters worse the X10 unit did not want to turn on the kitchen light so I had to do it MANUALLY!" (the X10 unit being an automatic sensor switch).
Sometimes we get to hear about his work, which is enjoyable when he's tweaking computer networks, not so much when he's playing "copier repair guy".
Whatever the task, this is one geek who attacks the problem doggedly until it's fixed.
Rambling Geek Blog
"I want to be a mad scientist, but I don't have the degree, creds, or experience to sign on with a good position."
Instead, Owen rambles geekily on his blog, paying little or no attention to outdated concepts like plot or reason.
He rarely mentions actual technology, preferring instead to blog about geeky topics, like his idea for a fast-food restaurant ("Neutrino Burgers and Quantum Shakes"), how much he loves his favourite soft drink, and occasionally focuses on his body hair for good measure. Geeky enough?
Kermit the Blog
He loves his Mac. He posts links to really cool new hand-held computing toys. He muses on whether the iPod should support image display: "At first I thought 'What a useless feature. Why would I want to look at pictures on my iPod?'." I can see myself, strolling through the mall, when I'm suddenly overcome by an overwhelming urge to see my dog's face! Thank goodness I have my iPod with me! Crisis averted!."
He cares, really cares, about the way the crew of the Star Trek series Enterprise behaves: "It ticks me off that our early space explorers are the 'ugly tourists'."
He lists his top sci-fi movies, and complains about not having one toy that will do everything for him.No doubt about Dave's geeky credentials. No doubt at all.
GeekBlog
He's exceeded 2000 posts on his blog and he's still going strong. Yes, Geek is a geek with stamina.
Not all his posts are comprehensible to the average computer user, of course, being aimed at people who actually know what's inside their beige boxes:
"CodeMeister, the machine I was planning on using, is having some technical difficulties. You see, I foolishly put the buggy 6GB in it, thinking tossing it on the slave position would solve the problems. Well, it now holds my Red Hat install, as well as my Win 2000 Pro install. Sadly, it also holds my Grub bootloader, which I cannot boot without. Needless to say, my computer is mega fubared, and I highly doubt I will be able to get my files, saved games and other stuff off the drive. I may, though, install the two Linux distro's still, at 2GB each."
If you understand that lot, then you're probably a kindred spirit.
In the spirit of the early Internet, Geek wants information to be free and is angered by anti-Internet radio laws in Britain and has something to say about the redesign of Wired magazine's Web site, too.
Naturally the blog itself runs smoothly; posts are even classified by type so you can just read the ones about Linux if you choose.
V.2.2
Formerly V2.1, this blog sees the world from a very geeky point of view.
A shelving project isn't just "I built some shelves today" but occasion for a detailed description of piece sizes, tool brands and the exact order in which things were done.
And, of course, there is always room for improvement.
As there seems to be in his fitness; after a day's exercise he complained that "THEN to make matters worse the X10 unit did not want to turn on the kitchen light so I had to do it MANUALLY!" (the X10 unit being an automatic sensor switch).
Sometimes we get to hear about his work, which is enjoyable when he's tweaking computer networks, not so much when he's playing "copier repair guy".
Whatever the task, this is one geek who attacks the problem doggedly until it's fixed.
Rambling Geek Blog
"I want to be a mad scientist, but I don't have the degree, creds, or experience to sign on with a good position."
Instead, Owen rambles geekily on his blog, paying little or no attention to outdated concepts like plot or reason.
He rarely mentions actual technology, preferring instead to blog about geeky topics, like his idea for a fast-food restaurant ("Neutrino Burgers and Quantum Shakes"), how much he loves his favourite soft drink, and occasionally focuses on his body hair for good measure. Geeky enough?
Kermit the Blog
He loves his Mac. He posts links to really cool new hand-held computing toys. He muses on whether the iPod should support image display: "At first I thought 'What a useless feature. Why would I want to look at pictures on my iPod?'." I can see myself, strolling through the mall, when I'm suddenly overcome by an overwhelming urge to see my dog's face! Thank goodness I have my iPod with me! Crisis averted!."
He cares, really cares, about the way the crew of the Star Trek series Enterprise behaves: "It ticks me off that our early space explorers are the 'ugly tourists'."
He lists his top sci-fi movies, and complains about not having one toy that will do everything for him.No doubt about Dave's geeky credentials. No doubt at all.
see, this is what blogs are good for.
this Canadian man was injured in Bali; brought to Melbourne. his friend kept this blog for him. he died last night.
the burns units at the melbourne and Perth hospital have been working hell for leather ever since it happened. a friend of mine went to school with a girl who died two days ago.
the burns operations have to be done in 36 degree heat because the patients can't regulate their temperatures. every time I have contact with drs and nurses in hospitals here, I marvel at their near-uniform patience and care. in this case it's saintly; these burns victims are very hard to save.
after September 11 there were very few patients for the hospitals.
there's 110 comments on the final post on this blog.
my column for next week is on Halloween blogs. wonder if I should scrap that and do this one. it's an amazing thing.
this Canadian man was injured in Bali; brought to Melbourne. his friend kept this blog for him. he died last night.
the burns units at the melbourne and Perth hospital have been working hell for leather ever since it happened. a friend of mine went to school with a girl who died two days ago.
the burns operations have to be done in 36 degree heat because the patients can't regulate their temperatures. every time I have contact with drs and nurses in hospitals here, I marvel at their near-uniform patience and care. in this case it's saintly; these burns victims are very hard to save.
after September 11 there were very few patients for the hospitals.
there's 110 comments on the final post on this blog.
my column for next week is on Halloween blogs. wonder if I should scrap that and do this one. it's an amazing thing.
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