November 2006

30-Nov-2006 - The car park of the future

Its here! In 2006.

A few weeks ago, the team at work went down to the park at lunch and had a bbq, played volleyball and cricket and generally had a good time. Earlier in the day I had gone down to get some meat and other food for the bbq.

We parked at a car park at Chatswood Westfield. To my amazement the car park was fitted with some really cool technology.

As you enter the car park, there is a sign telling you how many spots are available on each of the levels. Between each level there is a sensor that detects cars going down and up the ramps. And above each car space is a light - green if the spot is available, red if it is not. When you park the sensor above detects the car and the light changes from green to red! Cool.

As you drive around the car park there are signs which tell you which isle has spots available and how many spots there are.

8 disabled and 9 regular spots ahead. 73 upstairs

Makes parking very quick and easy. And it could possibly even pay for itself or make money for the car park as it prevents traffic jams with people driving all over the place trying to find spots in peak times. The more cars in and out without problems, the more turnover of cars in your car park in a particular day. Profit!

16-Nov-2006 - No more hair

I have had the same hairstyle now for over 10 years. I have finally decided that its time to move out of the 80's and join the rest of the world in the new millenium, so its time to get my head shaved!

After considering the idea for quite some time now, I realise there are plenty of advantages to getting my head shaved.

So I think the choice is pretty obvious. Its just a question of when. And the answer came in the mail yesterday: My drivers licence renewal.

To get my renewal I need to have a photo taken, a photo that I'm gonna be stuck with for 5 years. A photo that endless bouncers will scrutinise... looking at my ID... looking at me... looking back at my ID. I dont want to have to explain why I look completely different every time someone looks at my drivers licence, and it needs to be renewed in just a few weeks.

So thats it I guess. Goodbye to the 80's, Hello new millenium! Or something.

14-Nov-2006 - Jagshemash!

Yesterday I heard that Borat was going to make an appearance at George St cinemas for his Sydney premiere of his new movie. So on the way home I walked down there just to have a look and see if anything was happening. When I turned up there was red carpet, camera crews everywhere and reporters waiting his arrival. I got there about 5:45pm and by the looks of things it seemed that Borat was about to turn up at any moment.

So I waited, and waited and waited.. and finally at about 7:15pm he turned up, with a baby kangaroo or wallaby in his arms, a cork hat, a beer and cricket pads on his legs :-).

Getting into the Australian spirit

He invited everyone to go back to his place, get naked and shoot dogs out the window. Then he ran around crazily Hi-5ing everyone.

"Heeiii fiiiive"

Across the road from the cinemas there were more barricades and fans watching behind them. Borat saw them and went straight up to them completely ignoring the traffic as he crossed the road. It caught the police and security off guard and sent them into a bit of a panic as they ran across the road to stop all the traffic. After lots of Hi-5ing and cheek kissing he came back and slowly made his way up the red carpet.

"You have beautiful skin"

He did lots of autographs, slapped lots of hands, kissed lots of cheeks and talked to a number of tv crews.

Everything was signed. Breasts included

Unfortunately I only had my crappy phone camera, but I took a few shots, and finally Borat went into the cinemas.

"I very much like Australia"

What a crazy guy!

6-Nov-2006 - Violence in the city

A couple of weeks ago I was at Sydney town hall next to the steps. It was about 1am on a Friday night. I had just been watching an episode of Lost with Julian and had been playing the crazy Tetris Attack game :-)

There were about 30 or 40 people there and something was going on.. then there was a bit of a scuffle, and all of a sudden there were people fighting everywhere. It looked like a scene out of a movie. Fists flying, people running, a glass bottle was thrown...

Now I could be politically correct and not mention race, but this is me speaking, so I wont :-). It looked like it was Aussies vs Lebs. The Aussies looked like the stereotypical 'homie' type aussies - with their white caps and shorts. The Lebs also played into the stereotype and probably had jumped out of their hotted up cars which they drive around the city and The Rocks all weekend in.

And just this weekend I saw some running down the street after getting glassed on his head. An ambulance eventually came to check him out. I've seen so much violence lately - I wonder if its just coincidence.