Keepin' it Real®
Nov. 5th, 2008
07:58 pm - Christmas Decorations
Even though there's still 7 weeks (50 days) until Christmas, the first of the decorations are up in the city. These were all along William Street.
(click thumbnail for larger 960x1280 photo)
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/working.gif){kind=icon}
busyOct. 23rd, 2008
09:50 pm - 100 Century City
While walking through the Hay Street mall the other day, I noticed that 100 Century City - the new shopping mall opposite Piccadilly Arcade is nearly complete and most (if not all) of the scaffolding and signage that was covering the building is now gone so you can actually see what it looks like! Compare this to the images on Google Street View from when they were taken, probably earlier this year.
For more info - see: http://www.centurycity.com.au
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/exhausted.gif){kind=icon}
tiredSep. 20th, 2008
11:54 am - The Cygnet
I love living in Como for so many reasons. It's close to the city and there's good public transport etc. But one of the often overlooked part of this suburb is Preston Street. It's home to a conveniently located supermarket (IGA), a refurbished pub with great views (The Karalee on Preston), a seriously great coffee shop (Just Espresso). And a cinema too. Yes, I've got a cool art deco cinema less than a kilometre from my house.
The Cygnet - 16 Preston Street, Como
I'd imagined it would be slightly dodgy and run-down inside, but that's not the case. According to what I've read it's been renovated an number of time and it does show. The paintwork is excellent inside, the carpets and clean and the old wooden chairs with suede cushioning are all in good working order. Plus they have DTS sound which is a treat amongst all the retro tones.
If you've been to The Astor or the Regal Theatre before you'll get my drift of how it looks. It's certainly much nicer and much well kept than, say, Cinema City or Greater Union on Murray Street were before they were (sadly) torn down. In all honesty I'm proud to have The Cygnet in my home suburb.
I was quite surprised to see about 30 people watching the movie with me; it's their patronage that keeps places like this alive. It was also fairly cheep entry too - a ticket, plus a drink and a regular sized popcorn only set me back $17. At the end of the movie it was also nice to be able to walk home, given it was quite a pleasant and not too cold evening.
Next time there's something else on I want to see I'll definitely be going back!
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/bored.gif){kind=icon}
boredSep. 14th, 2008
03:57 pm - Set Lists
Don't ask me why, but I collect set lists. And when I go to gigs I try to grab them after the band is finished. I have a small, but growing collection.
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/sick.gif){kind=icon}
sickSep. 10th, 2008
09:58 pm - Bye Bye Cinema City
During my lunchtime trek between offices, I often walk along Hay Street in the city. Cinema City has been closed for ages and they've been slowly gutting the arcade between Hay and Murray Streets. But over the last few weeks they've finally started tearing down the actual cinema building.
(click thumbnail for larger 1280x960 photo)
All in all, I guess it's just a changing sign of the times...
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/thoughtful.gif){kind=icon}
contemplativeJul. 9th, 2008
07:10 pm - Facebook: Feed Comments
Facebook has a new (or relatively new) feature - Feed Comments. So now, apart from being able write on people's Wall/Fun Wall/Super Wall and leave comments on Photos, Notes, Posted Items you call also comment on items in your Friends' feed, such as profile picture changes, status updates or events you're attending. To comment simply click the speech bubble next to the story.
Any items that have comments will have a number eg 
If you don't want to be notified when people comment on your feed you can turn them off in the notifications page (http://www.facebook.com/notifications.ph
This change was discussed on the Facebook blog entry "We're Open For Commentary" (http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=2
sickJul. 1st, 2008
10:37 am - City of Perth's NEW street signs
In last Sunday week's Sunday times there was a small article about the City of Perth replacing all their street signs. Gone (or going) are the old black on yellow signs and in are "something fitting of a city like New York or London" (the exact words of the article I can't remember, but it was something like that). It seems the city council has already started installing them, and I saw one on the corner of Barrack and Hay Streets (opposite the old Cinema City building).
(click thumbnail for larger 1438x960 photo)
What do you think? I like them.
See the media release at: http://www.perth.wa.gov.au/web/Media-Cen
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/cold.gif){kind=icon}
coldJun. 25th, 2008
12:26 pm - Letter to the editor
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/happy.gif){kind=icon}
pleasedJun. 17th, 2008
11:02 pm - Useless Yahoo! Widget
The other day I visited 
to check the TV guide and I saw there was a link to download a Yahoo! Widget. Great. I use Yahoo! Widgets and a TV guide would be most handy.
Except there's one problem...the widget doesn't work correctly.
 This is what the Yahoo!7 website says... |  ...and this is what the widget says. |
Looks like the only option is to right click on the widget, click Close Widget and rely on that little paper magazine on my coffee table!
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/okay.gif){kind=icon}
blahJun. 15th, 2008
08:40 pm - Facebook "Friends"
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
radiantcold or hirdzat about Facebook "friends". Part of that conversation was about Leo and the fact his approaching 400 Facebook "friends" and it got me thinking "what percentage of my Facebook "friends" are really friends?"With that in mind I put my limited Microsoft Excel skills to work and tried to work it out. I looked at each of the 114 people in my list and tried to categorise them. This is what I came up with:
For reference, I consider a friend to be someone that I communicate with and catch up on a regular basis. They are also someone I trust and feel comfortable talking to about what I've been up to, how I feel etc. Approximately 6% of my Facebook friends fall into that category.
On more positive note, given that 1/5th of my "friends" are "friends-of-friends" (i.e. people I know and talk to or see because of some common link) and also that there are distinct groups of people on my "friends" list (people I went to school with, people I work/have worked with) then Facebook is doing it's job as a social networking tool and connecting the people around together. I just wish they could use another work for "friends" that better describes people I know...
contentJun. 12th, 2008
07:53 pm - Google Maps adds Wikipedia and Panoramio integration
Apparently it's been there for six weeks but I've just noticed Google Maps' new feature - Integration with Wikipedia. This is how it works:
Click on the More button and tick Wikipedia and then...
The Wikipedia "W" will appear on your map. Click on one of these "W"'s and a summary of the place's Wikipedia article will appear in a balloon with a link to to the full article.
You can also toggle the Photos option and that will do the same with coordinates that have photos on Panoramio.
I could waffle on about web 2.0 and services integration, but instead I'll say "how cool is that?"
(the answer is "yes" btw :P)
![[mood icon]](http://d_mac77.icons.ljtoys.org.uk/mi/energetic.gif){kind=icon}
bouncy04:32 pm - Updated: Jury Duty @ the NEW Perth District Court
What's slightly interesting about this week is it is the first week that the NEW District Court is in use. It's on 500 Hay Street and it's directly opposite the old one (next to the Perth fire station). It's a lovely building, all modern all very light and breezy with lots of glass windows giving you awesome views over the city landscape (unlike the old building that was pretty daggy inside).
As with any building opening there are "teething" problems while staff get used to the new facilities. So on Monday we were held up much longer than usual before we actually got into court and underway. But in the two days I've been there noticed that some of the problems are more like shortcomings in the facilities rather that a familiarity thing. These include:
- The lifts: One of the staff members told us today they can't "lock" the lifts off like in the old building. That's very useful when want to stop other people using the lift as in the case when you want to transport a whole load of jurors from one floor to another. It's important that jurors don't get separated or lost.
- The lifts also stop working if they're overloaded. Stupidly the only indication that this is the case is the LCD screen (on the OUTSIDE of the lift) says "Out of Service". The less jurors you can fit in a lift, the longer it takes to transport them from one floor to another.
- The jury assembly room seems inadequate for the number of jurors that are summons on Monday morning. Everyone's supposed to sit, but there were not enough seats. And the room isn't big enough to fit more seats. Sure, you can get people to stand or sit in the "lounge" area (where jurors on a trial are suppose to sit in the mornings), but then they can't see the DVD presentation that is run before you're sent of to court.
- Some of the hallways between the lifts and the jurors room are quite narrow and it was a squeeze to fit all the jurors in. And the door opened outwards (so everyone had to move backwards to get the door open).
- There are not enough seats at the back of the courtrooms. I attended a 7 day trial on Monday and a 6 day trial today and even though only 14 jurors were required, the pool of jurors was 60. All 60 go into court and not everyone could sit down. Some people had to stand and they couldn't see the judge which wasn't ideal. If there were members of the public in the court too there would have been more of a problem.
- There's a cafe down on the ground floor but jurors aren't allowed to use it because they might come into contact with witnesses, lawyers and other people that could interfere with their role as juror. So there currently isn't any facility for jurors to buy lunch from inside the building.
contemplativeJun. 5th, 2008
12:22 pm - Local Music News
Why is this good news?
Because apart from drumming in MMC, Kevin is also the lead singer/guitarist in another local band - Tame Impala (formerly known as the Dee Dee Dums). Kevin is leaving MMC to concentrate on Tame Impala.
Both bands used to share members so it was always going to be one band or the other that survived. Mink Mussel Creek have generate quite a lot of interest in the last year after they were runners up in the 2006 Next Big Thing Competition. Tame Impala haven't quite generated the same amount of interest even though they placed 3rd n the 2005 NBTand then won the WA leg of the Natural Campus Bands Competition a year later.
Both bands are unique in their own right and apparently Tame Impala have a record deal in the works (so the blurb in The West says) and so I'm looking forward to hearing something from them - especially since they can't be bothered making and selling me a copy of their demo CD (after they sold all their copies).
In the mean time I'd recommend checking out their MySpaces - www.myspace.com/tameimpala and www.myspace.com/minkmusselcreek. The songs you want to listen to are "Hall Full Glass of Wine" (by Tame Impala) and "Cat Love Power" (by Mink Mussel Creek). Both are excellent tracks, even if the recordings are a little rough and raw.
Mink Mussel Creek are playing at The Bakery This Saturday (7/06) with support from Cease, Sex Panther and Taco Leg.
busyJun. 3rd, 2008
07:23 pm - Song Dedications
On Friday night neon_princess and I went to see Diesel. I've been wanting to see Diesel since the Johnny Diesel & The Injectors days of the late 80's.The unique thing about the gig was the fans got to choose the songs. When you walked in there was a table with forms with a list of 30 or so songs - from Diesel's career and some notable covers.
The complete list is here.
So, both Rhianna and I filled it out and sure enough before Diesel played "Never Miss Your Water" he said "this is for Rhianna and Dylan" (even though we filled out separate forms).
I don't get song dedications or requests played very often and this was only the third time, previously I've had requests honoured from:
Ash Naylor - 4, 18 @ Amplifier Bar 2006-01-25; and
Gigantic - Surf Madness @ Paddo 2007-08-29 (as after telling Mark about a dozen times he's realised that's my favourite song of theirs!)
so I though that was pretty special.
bouncyJun. 1st, 2008
11:30 am - Our Spectacular State
For the last month, the West Australian has been running the "Scenes from Our Spectacular State" competition where they have been asking readers to send in their best photographs of Western Australia which a 50 word caption saying what they think the scene in question is special.
You could submit up to five photographs, so I sent in three:
 Kings Park |  Busselton Jetty |  Cottesloe Beach |
(click thumbnail for larger photos)
All the entries have been posted on the West Australian website @ http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?M
With so many great entries (both in the quality of the photo and scene captured), I don't expect to win, but as the old saying goes "you gotta be in it to win it". The first prize is quite good in a Canon 40D D-SLR camera (plus a framed copy of your winning entry). Maybe one of my shots might just catch the judges eye...
chipperMay. 19th, 2008
11:16 pm - Flocking to Flock
crisis_theory pointed it out and after reading his post, I though I'd download it and give it a go.So...what is Flock? It's a web browser based on the Mozilla FireFox source code, so it looks like the browser you (hopefully) know and love, BUT with a twist. Flock's tagline is it's "The Social Web Browser" and the new functionality it brings is integration of the all your online web favourites - be it social sites (Facebook, YouTube), blogging (Blogger, LiveJournal), webmail (Yahoo & Gmail) or photography sharing (Flickr).
Here are some of the things that have drawn me to Flock:
- The sidebar contains tabs for access your online accounts, your RSS feeds and, most importantly, the People tab which shows the status of all your on-line friends. I have new RSS Feeds, so the Feeds icon turns orange to let me know.
- The Facebook integration is pretty neat, here I can clearly see I have one new Group invitation (hence the one above the Group icon) and my friend Tahlia has new Media (i.e. photos) since the Media icon is orange.
- Anywhere there's media you can click on it to bring up the Media Streams "minibar". It works with Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, Truveo and YouTube.
You can add streams to your "Favourite Streams" list and you'll be automatically notified when they're updated.
The stream icons also appear INSIDE webpages, such as when your hover over an image in Flickr. Neat!
If the gallery you're viewing has more than one album (like my Facebook account), you can use the drop-down menu to see all the albums that exist. Sadly it doesn't work with the LiveJournal scrapbook, at all :-) - The feeds sidebar is also pretty neat and it's easy to see which feeds have unread posts (i.e. the blue squares with numbers in them). No more 3rd party RSS reader add-on (like Sage which is no longer being developed) and no more using stupid "Live" bookmarks.
- The three new icons to the left of the URL bar turn orange if there is a Media Stream, RSS Feed or Search Engine available on the current page.
- Maybe this all seems like too many flicking between sidebars and minibars. Well then...welcome to "My World". It's the default homepage in Flock and brings everything together into the one area.
I like Flock so much I've now uninstalled Firefox and made it my default web browser...
http://www.flock.com/get-ready-to-flock
busyMay. 13th, 2008
08:30 am - Advance Australia Fair
hirdzat, radiantcold and I took the walk from my place to The Como for beers.Like many pubs, they had some "easy listening" mix of 80's and 90's pop and R&B playing in the background. Then oddly enough, they played Advance Australia Fair!
What next, Waltzing Matilda?
boredApr. 24th, 2008
12:13 pm - Facebook Chat: The death knell for Facebook in the workplace?
It seems that yesterday Facebook finally went live with their chat feature. I suppose they're trying to eat away at the dominance of other big players in the IM market - MSN Messenger, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger.
Being web based though means there is no client to install, so the only way to stop people using it in the workplace is to block web access to the Facebook site (http://www.facebook.com).
I wonder how many organisations that haven't already blocked Facebook will now choose to do so?
contemplativeApr. 18th, 2008
03:13 pm - "Odd" Musical Keepsake
Usually when I attend gigs I try and grab a setlist (or two) and a poster (if there are ones available I can take without someone having at go at me). I've been doing this for a while now and I've got a growing collection.
On Saturday at the Sex Panther gig I collected something a bit "unusual":
(click thumbnail for larger 1438x960 photo)
I'll put it in the box with all my other
busyApr. 17th, 2008
12:29 pm - First Impressions: Carbon Sports Bar @ Burswood
The weekend before last neon_princess and I went to check out the Carbon Sports Bar at Burswood. When we first walked in (after making our way though all those poker machines), I was like "Is this it?" and then I realised, yes, this was the right place.
My initial thoughts was that it was just a big unused section of the casino that they'd stuck a bar at the end of. There weren't many chairs or tables to sit at. It was a Sunday evening so I guess it'd be much more lively on, say, a Saturday night.
The big attraction to the Carbon Sports Bar is the giant TV screens, and by giant I mean really giant. And it's open 24x7. Only one screen has sound, so some sports are shown without sound. Luckily there is a full schedule on the casino's website (http://www.burswood.com.au/carbon/schedu
The downside to the big screens is they're mounted so high. Rhianna and I got sore necks from slouching in our seats to watch them.
"Beer of the Month" is currently Toohey's Extra Dry and $6 a pint is about as cheap as you're going to get (only the Hydey springs to mind as being cheaper). Most places charge around $8 - $9 for TED's.
Would I go again? Hmm...I'm not really sure. I don't like the Casino much, but it is on the train line so it's convenient to get there and back for a hard night of drinking...
contemplativeNavigate: (Previous 20 Entries)