With Teeth — Nine Inch Nails (before)
With Teeth is Nine Inch Nails’ new long-anticipated five-years-in-the-making album. I loved The Fragile, their previous long-anticipated five-years-in-the-making album, and I had heard that this new one is quite different. Unfortunately, it is. Initial reports were that this album goes … Continue reading
How to tie your shoelaces
For years I have tied my shoelaces using a special knot that is easy to tie, but never comes undone accidentally. I can’t remember where I learned this — maybe I invented it myself — but I always planned to … Continue reading
More great BBC online music shows
Here’s some more of my favourite online radio, following on from my earlier list of great BBC online music shows. There are several customised online radio stations out there now. These purport to divine your unique taste in music and … Continue reading
Old Times — Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter’s Old Times portrays unsettling mind games played amongst a middle-aged couple and a visiting friend from their separate pasts. Last weekend I saw the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of this classic play. Deeley and Kate play host to … Continue reading
Amazing checker shadow illusion
The Checker Shadow Illusion is the most mysterious optical illusion I have ever seen. No matter how long I stare at it, I can’t convince my eyes to believe it. The two areas marked A and B are the same … Continue reading
Frank Moorhouse — Sydney Writers’ Festival
Last week, Australian writer Frank Moorhouse spoke at the University of Wollongong as a spin-off of the Sydney Writers’ Festival. Alerted by the microscopic notice in the local newspaper, we went off to see him. We arrived just in time, … Continue reading
Zatoichi — The Blind Swordsman
The story of Zatoichi has been around in Japanese movies and TV for a while. I saw this latest remake recently — it is a lot of fun, especially if you consider artistic, cinematic dismemberment to be fun. The director … Continue reading
A nice cup of tea and a sit down
“Well I think we should all sit down and have a nice cup of tea, and some biscuits, nice ones mind you. Oh and some cake would be nice as well. Lovely.” That’s the mission statement of NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown.com. The world … Continue reading
Great BBC online music shows
I learned to love BBC radio when I lived in the UK last century; the shows covered every kind of music, and every week I would discover some new (or old) musical treasure. Now that I’m back on the other … Continue reading
Motorola E365 is Rubbish — A Review
In 2003 I bought a Motorola E365. I hate it. Almost every day I discover a new thing I don’t like about it; finally, I couldn’t bottle up the bile any more, so I am venting my spleen here. If … Continue reading