• Whoops.

• Rocknerd: Now that's industrial.

• Wikimedia blog: Grape Lane (euph.)

• NotN: Differently-competent PM pleads against assisted career suicide; World's #4 website features "cunt" on front page; Emma Watson in black leather "most important news in world".

Has it been a week? My oath it has. Mostly Freda being an UTTER PICKLE. And too much CBeebies. I have informed arkady that she needs to supply Freda's television needs or I am going to go mad with an axe.

Phone interview yesterday. Rapport and technical clue seemed pretty good. They drilled down the technical questions and I have research to do! I was one of three, should hear on Monday whether I rate a face-to-face.

Tonight we are off to ewt's Celebratory Recital for having finished her music degree. Arkady has baked two cakes for it.

Tomorrow Arkady and I are off to a read-through of Midsummer Night's Dream (she's reading Philostrate) and then I'm off to aster13's party. This is rated "essential to continued mental health." I will be with deathboy's stag party in spirit.

Sunday is redcountess's and my sixth anniversary. *champagne*

http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-well-do-you-know-your-tube-stations.html

Transport for London are running a photo quiz where you have to name 10 London Underground stations from picture clues.

It seems to be much harder than you might think as they've had nearly 100 entries but so far only one person has got all ten correct. I'm sure readers of this blog will be able to do this easily. In fact I'm pretty sure even I know all ten, but only with the help of the clues.


You can enter the competition here as there are prizes (a trip to the London Transport Museum) for the first five people who get all ten by July 31st.

Have fun!

Hi! Do you guys know where I can get Peter Alexander, Hello Kitty PJ's?
I am buying them for a friends birthday. I know there is a Peter Alexander shop at Bondi Junction. Does anyone know if they have them there? There's also DFO, they might sell them there? Anyone know for sure?
Thankyou.

Now I have my I-94, we have considered our options, and we will be going on our originally planned honeymoon, with a one-day detour to Mérida to visit the US Consulate there (which will require hiring a car and driving along a single freeway for around 190 miles each way).

We have re-booked the same room at the same resort, for around $1000 less than the original price.

http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2009/07/want-to-find-nearest-tube-station.html

One of the first augmented reality apps to go live in the iPhone AppStore is an amazing app for finding your nearest London Underground station. Acrossair have brought out a magical app that directs you to nearby Tubes in a wonderfully visual way. "By tilting the phone upwards, you will see the nearest stations: what direction they are in relation to your location, how many kilometres and miles away they are and what Tube Lines they are on. If you continue to tilt the phone upwards, you will see stations further away, as stacked icons."


It's only available to Apple iPhone 3GS users and almost makes me want to get one.

Thanks to sizemore & Jon Justice for the heads up on this.

I can't even pretend to understand the technology or "the science bit" behind this. So I'll leave Engadget to explain how it came about: "With the iPhone 3GS pimping an improved camera, in built compass and GPS, we had a hunch that it wouldn't be long before someone slammed them all together and gave commuters and tourists alike a reason to smile."

I'm awake. so awake. Had planned a date with boyfriend. Got stood up by boyfriend. no apologies. Romance fail.
Pissed off. 
What a big fat fucking waste of time things are if you cant do something as simple as go on a date with someone you live with.
bigger fish to fry.

while he sleeps soundly, happy stuck in his own world. I'm awake, planning new beginnings maybe? or maybe just a future for myself or maybe its some kind of quiet female revenge to think of all the things you could do without someone in you life. it's a shame for me that I want him in mine, something I find hard to believe is mutual.
I dont  like this zombie job I am working. I get paid less than what I was. I hate this crap house we live in. This city life feels empty.
no life here feels fulfilling. I'm cut off from a lot of people because everyone seems to want something different from or for me.
hard to explain really. I'm so tired of battles, tired of feelings, tired of this.

I saw what will almost certainly be my last ever Lucksmiths gig last night.* And my second-last-ever one the night before.

They played at the Luminaire on Tuesday night, and the Scala last night. The audience was a mixture of expatriate Australians (not the bogans you find here who consider JJJ to be "alternative", the good ones) and the usual indiepop kids from London and all over England. They played a lot of their songs, and I was chuffed to hear my favourite one, Transpontine, on Tuesday.

I took my cameras, of course, and also took an audio recorder I recently bought. The nice thing about it is that it fits into a top jacket pocket with only the twin microphones unobstrusively protruding, and can get quite passable recordings. Anyway, here's a video from the Luminaire gig, with audio from the audio recorder.

There was an afterparty at the Lexington (a bar/pub/venue where a lot of the twee pop kids and Upset The Rhythm lo-fi noise hipsters hang out these days); I went there, and stayed until 3am, getting home as it was getting light.

Anyway, it was great to see them again, and a bit sad that a Melbourne institution is coming to an end; it's like the Punters' Club all over again.

* Well, not counting the possibility of my finding myself unexpectedly in Australia in the next few months, or indeed the possibility of them reforming in 20 years' time and playing a tour for former Fitzroy/Carlton coolsies, now working as executives in publishing firms and managers at arts institutions.

I'm about to move from Melbourne, and am in the process of working out house-hunting, but have recently been discovering that a lot of the bus lines don't run after about 11pm most of the week. This is a problem because I'll be working until after 11:30pm most of the time in the Haymarket area.

Rather than trawl through all the rest of the timetables, can anyone help suggest areas near the CBD that are easily accessible by public transport right through to midnight, or at least suggest areas I could walk to within half an hour and not fear for my life? I've spent a lot of time in Sydney, but there are some areas I don't particularly walking in after dark.

Thanks in advance!

Yet to be charmed.

Like an old solid churchbell
my heart gongs for him.
That majestic mind in silvery hair
my heart gongs for him

But his salty shores have seen many whores
and I am just another
just another silly whore.

---


His mouth, reaches into mine. Like heaven connects oursouls.
Like tears
should flow down my cheeks
as my body breaks open
for him.
and I could die in those arms
the fullest woman.
Forever.

---

What would you think if I told you I wrote poetry about you?
would you be threatened?
Do you even like poetry?
Would think think of picket fences? and purple flowers?
Or would you think I write about dead birds and dirty strollers?
Maybe its erotic and maybe I write about what I'd do with your cock.
Or maybe I write that I love you.
Maybe I don't.
Maybe I am just another charmed girl,
writing poetry about a man,
and today it just happens to be you.

I don't want to go to bed....i'm too excited. I asked Renee if i could borrow her Mbox while my wayward audio interface gets it's bearings and comes to Glebe to live/ she gave it to me tonight over a dark hot chocolate. In a giant Easter Bilby plastic bag, which i truly hate, and can't wait to screw it up and throw it out. I hate easter bilbies. the name alone makes my mouth salivate as though i've just eaten something repulsive.

Stupid Ebay, stupid USPS...mmmmumgf but anyway, excited!

It's not perfect, there's fuzz again, although i think some of it is unfortunately coming from my keyboard, and i also cannot record MIDI which, and i never thought i'd see the day, is a bummer of sorts. But i've written some lovely new piano stuff which i've been listening to through headphones and i;m excited about my music writing again for the first time in ages. I guess i've been busting for this, it's coming on like a psychic orgasm....my head will shudder and i'll lie still, my heart beating in my ears drowning out the slush of life for a while.

Work is kinda boringish but i feel calmer than i've felt for a long time with Dad away. Except i still get jumpy due to creaks and everyday city noises and the sudden onset of inexplicably weird mental images from time to time. I open the door to the apartment and imagine for a microsecond that i can see two elephant sized cockroaches mating in the open-plan loungeroom. My heart jumps 5 inches in my chest and then the illusion dissipates and i take the keys out of the lock and wonder if Freud would know the root of my ungentrified hallucinating. Probably Jung would, whenever i read his stuff he was always on about dreams featuring giant all-powerful phalluses running amok...


Anyway, mum's moving to Melbourne for this new big cheese job, and said i can stay in her house rent free for a year with Wyatt if i want...It's on my mind. It's a nice house....there'd be a car to drive. It appeals to my inner Betty Crocker. I can imagine cooking nice things and playing piano and playing with the cats and swimming in the pool and being able to actually save a bit of money. Spend a bit more time with my little bro. But it's not all la-di-dah i know but hmmm. I ponder it, I'd be interested to know what the boy thinks.

do you love me?

Goodnight

This is my snowboard.

This is Mt Buller. On a good day. And let's face it, it's been ages since it's seen a good day.

This is what my right knee looked like after two consecutive weekends of throwing myself down the side of Mt Buller learning how to snowboard. The good news is I'm getting better!

A snow bunny I never thought I would be. Alas, in a matter of weeks I bought my own board and snow gear, and threw some caution to the wind. I went with people who have a) been snowboarding for eons longer than I have and b) seen much better conditions, so understandably it wasn't the best environment to cut my teeth in, but it was a start nonetheless. Finding my snow legs on a board has been bizarre but exhilarating. I volunteered to be taken out of my comfort zone, but gradually became accustomed to all the weirdness I was putting my body through. Falling a lot didn't bother me too much (at least, not until the soreness came later and even that didn't last long). They say that if you're not falling you're not trying hard enough. I didn't realize what a comprehensive work out it is too, and it only heightened what I was already sort of in denial about...I am out of shape. So I broke down and joined a fucking gym. I go to Fernwood two to three times a week to improve muscle tone and core strength.

And now I'm really super amped to go to New Zealand next month and frolic in some proper powder for ten days. I plan to take my board back to California and try the terrain there as well one day. I'd eventually like to make my way up to Canada too.

Between that and photography I'm thinking I should hold off on picking up anymore expensive hobbies. At least this one's only seasonal.

Hi guys.
Does anyone know a place in the cbd to get a cool balloon arrangement for a birthday or at least one of those cute fun helium ones (if anyone can direct me to an Elmo one that would rock!) - preferably somewhere in close walking distance to Central/Town Hall/Wynyard - have had the flu and my lung capacity isnt too good and i dont wanna be walking for ages searching.
Even a recommendation of a florist with a good selection of balloons would be cool.

thanks for any help forthcoming.

http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2009/07/london-assembly-want-your-tube.html

The London Assembly Transport Committee investigation kicks off with a public meeting today and is looking at how well (or badly) TfL is managing both overcrowding and the upgrade programme on the London Underground.


Things they're investigating include: what impact overcrowding and line closures have on our journeys, and on other modes of transport. Also how satisfactory are the alternative travel arrangements on offer when lines or stations are closed on weekends so upgrade works can take place?

The investigation will look in particular at the impact of weekend closures for engineering works on the Jubilee line, on both passengers and on venues along the route like The O2 and ExCel. Can lessons be learned or could TfL take an alternative approach to future upgrade works, especially on the Piccadilly line, which normally carries around 800,000 passengers on weekends?

It would be really helpful if you could fill in a short questionnaire of your experiences and also feel free to leave comments about weekend engineering works and overcrowding below.

If you're free at 10am this morning, the Transport Committee meeting is at The Chamber at City Hall (The Queen’s Walk, London SE1). The meeting can also be viewed via webcast

http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2009/07/tube-photo-of-week_08.html

Of all of the boards showing temporary announcements on the London Underground, I've never seen one giving a warning about pigeons. Andrew Grill's eagle eyes spotted one:


Wonder what station this large pigeon was perched at?

• UK charity Novas Scarman goes after WikiLeaks to suppress corruption report. Pass it on.

• Senator Fielding really is a completely embarrassing moron. (Americans: imagine if the US Senate was on a knife edge and Sarah Palin had the deciding vote in any contested decision.) Facebook group.

• How to make an editor put out a hit on you. (Worked example.)

• Not only did Ars Technica quote me, they illustrated my quote with a lolcat.

• Wikimedia blog: BibleBay!

• NotN: Palin: I can replace Jackson in your hearts.

Today we took Freda to have her inward-turning right foot checked out — the younger teen had a serious problem with this and needed shoe inserts for many years. Apparently all is well, check back in a year. She did puke on the bus on the way there and on the way back from motion sickness, just to add to the fun.

This Toshiba Satellite Pro 6050 is completely weird. It was obviously the executive penis toy of its day ... but they put a Celeron in it.

Cetirizine is da bomb for stopping hay fever. It also knocks me out like a light. Still vaguely blurry.

http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2009/07/tube-workers-balloted-on-strike-action.html

Union leaders from Unite rejected a "final" pay offer today, so 600 London Underground engineers and electrical workers are going to be balloted for industrial action.

Unite's regional officer said today "London Underground presented this as a final offer (two year offer of 1.5 per cent in the first year and RPI plus 0.5 per cent in the second year), indicating to us that they are no longer interested in negotiating.

"In these circumstances we have no other option than to ballot our members on industrial action with a recommendation that they vote in favour.

"Unite would welcome further discussions should London Underground wish to return to the negotiating table."

As the members are responsible for safety, maintenance, management and power control, any industrial action would stop the Tube system from running. We're still waiting to hear about the RMT & London Underground's ongoing dispute over pay and job losses.

http://london-underground.blogspot.com/2009/07/4-years-on-from-july-7th-london.html

Four years ago today, 52 people were killed in bomb attacks on the London Underground and a London bus. In memory of the people who died, a £1 million permanent memorial will be unveiled in Hyde Park later today.


It was a day most Londoners will never forget and fitting that there's now a permanent place to mark the names of random people who were going about their everyday commutes, never knowing it would be the last journey of their lives.

My thoughts are with the families of those who died and also with the many people who were injured in the attacks.

Received in the mail today (delayed due to Independence Day long weekend, as I receive mail at the office): one form I-797A containing a replacement I-94 bottom half.

Receipt date: June 8, 2009
Notice date: June 29, 2009

That's pretty good for a form where the service center in question's website stated had a 2.5 month processing time.

It looks like USCIS are doing well with the expectation management here -- they tell me to expect 2.5 months, and it takes less than a month, so I'm more likely to be happy than to be thinking "but this piece of paper took [more than] three times as long to replace as my entire passport" (and cost more to replace than the entire passport).