Bzzzzz. The sound of the props on the way to cairns.

boarding

Just emailed toki about car prospect. First boarding call. Ciao. Next
stop cairns. Then Tokyo.

journey begins

Woke up about seven. Some last minute errands and I'm on the bike with
giant pack on my back. Surprisingly not too bad. I park bike in j's
yard. Cover it and lock it. Pick up t's awesome Xmas card from the
bench top vice and walk to airport. It's about fifteen minutes but
warm and sweaty with pack. Check in and realize i'm ninety minutes
early. Wait ages for a coffee. Move through security where the qantas
hotspot signal is strong enough. See connie who is going to Melbourne.
Digging iPod touch, kid a, free wifi. Excited to see everyone in
cairns especially milly. She was a little frantic on phone this
morning. Wow just got a call about Toki's Beemer. Ten mins later
would have been too late.

dilemma

if I watch the sigur ros documentary will it make it harder to hold onto my conviction that they are in fact not human but actually aliens or perhaps some type of higher beings from a another plane of existence? note that seeing them perform live did not introduce any doubts instead it made it more obvious that this must be the case

gadgets: what might have made the kindle better

Kindle - It's a book reader from Amazon. Downloads books via mobile phone networks.

• Colour
• If it was $99 instead of $399
• If it looked more like an iPhone and less like a prop from low budget 1970s scifi movie
• A touch screen instead of 600 buttons
• A proper web browser

gadgets: what we all need - a computer you can cuddle

The Chumby

"couple" email addresses

do you know any of those? usually something like baz-n-sheila@somelocalisp.net? aren't they quaint. not the best for signing up to rsvp though. and what happens if baz and sheila break up? calamity.

more poker

I'm short stacked, flop top pair (Jacks), go all in and get called by King high. turn is a King and I'm going home. But... unlucky beat so I don't feel too bad, plus I'm 19th, my first top 20 finish. Another couple of minutes I'd have been top 16 aka "in the points"

top five worst things about riding your motorcycle in the rain

I have learnt this today.

• 6. Poor visibility as your visor becomes covered with water
• 5. Driving through extra water thrown up by oncoming semi-trailers
  
• 4. Needle sharp drops of water hitting your exposed neck
• 3. Wondering if your the camera in your jacket pocket or the phone in your pants pocket will survive
• 2. The moment when water soaks through your jeans to your privates
• 1. The moment (some time later) when water soaks down underneath your butt

Best thing:

• Hot shower and cup of tea when you get home
  

calligraphy robot

I like it

monday night

I'm small blind, I limp in with 6 7 off suit. flop is 3 5 7. dude goes all in. everyone folds. I have him covered but only just. somehow I feel he hasn't flopped a straight and call. he's got K 6. my sevens hold, and bam I just about double up. it's my first time putting someone out.

dude goes all in pre flop with a low pair. For some reason I fold A Q. Another guy calls with A J. An ace hits on the flop. I miss a chance to triple up. Lesson: consider playing A Q pre-flop!

I'm on J 5 and a jack hits on the flop. I raise and get called. river is a 5. I slow play and make a minimum raise as dude (K J) hits two pair on the river and goes all in. I'm going home. Lesson: don't muck around with two pair on the turn. I go all in then he probably folds and I'm in the top 16.

(my third apl game and second at the riverside tavern. I made the top 25, actually probably closer to top 20, which was my best effort by a long shot).

in case you can't get enough feist

feist live on SNL via stereogum

owliness

this morning

If you've ever been to the Parkside Post Office (my local) you'll know the guy who runs it is a bit of a character (read nutjob). He's not entirely unlikeable though.

Post Office guy: Can I help you?
Me: Yeah, I have some registered mail to pick up.
PG: (Get's it) Oh, right, oh I have to tell you I took the tickets out and sold them. Tickets right?
Me: (Nod)
PG: (To post office woman). What do you reckon, eh? I took the tickets. Ha ha. Just a blank piece of paper in here now.
Post Office woman: (uncomfortable smile)
Me: Right, yeah. I hope not.
PG: You going to see some of that "rock-n-roll" music I bet. Or were going. Ha ha.
Me: Actually it's a harp playing folk singer accompanied by the Sydney Symphony at the Opera House. You might like it!
PG: Oh well a good friend of mine is an Opera singer.
Me: O-kay.
PG: The harp is a good instrument played well.
Me: Indeed it is.
PG: Sign here. And can I see some ID.
Me: (Leaving) This better not be a red light camera fine...

aussie hip hop no longer cringeworthy

in fact it's damn good.
Hilltop Hoods: Bliss 'n' Eso: Urthboy (a few years old but I like it): Joel Turner and friends. Featuring Brisneyland (it gets better after the intro and okay the chorus sucks): Oldy but a goody: For some more Hilltop Hoods live...

Still waiting for the Australian Mike Skinner though. But he might be out there. Come forth Aussie Mike Skinner...

andrew bird and sufjan stevens in brisbane on the same night

sufjan at the tivoli. andy at the zoo. what cruel and twisted booking agent made this happen! aahhhh! (actually I probably can't get to either show..)

best and worst things about the movie "proof"

best: gwyneth paltrow spends a lot of time in a white singlet and no bra.

worst: we are supposed to believe jake gyllenhaal is a maths geek.

disclaimer: i haven't seen the whole movie.

this is making me very happy

http://www.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/alphasongs.html

cool things you can do with twitter

See here

what's new: twitter

if this blog just isn't enough then perhaps what you need is a subscription to my twitter feed. (also see new widget in sidebar). also I'm on facebook now if you wanna give me a poke (oo er!)

brisneyland

forget tired old "Brisvegas", I now dub thy venerable Great South East "Brisneyland"

(remember, you heard it here first)

Also, can someone please explain the difference between a "storm cell" and a plain old storm?

update on speaker cable challenge with james randi

It's all off. apparently the company will not provide a set of their cables for use in such a test. and the dude who was up for the challenge doesn't want to buy his own set. people are getting a little worked up.