Cat 1 Groover 0
Having spent an evening in the company of a cat, my Groover is returned to me.
“Did the cat punch you in the eye?” says my witty daughter.
This is why we don’t have a cat.
Maybe this song will make him feel better…
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No blisters from these babies.
Today on the Fremantle line, we got to City West when the train driver said ”A fire alarm has activated in the Perth station and you need to de-train here and walk into the city.”
We all got off the train and watched as our driver bravely took off into the inferno that wasn’t the train station.
Four carriage loads of people then started walking.
Now, it’s only one stop from the city, and it wasn’t too hot, it wasn’t raining, and frankly having slept in, I could do with the walk.
But I was wearing my new “comfortable enough to walk to work boots” on their first outing.
They were being road tested indeed rather than the gentle breaking in I had envisaged.
I started chatting to a fellow commuter – dragging a little black suitcase – the accessory of choice for barristers in this fair town.
“Not a day for wearing brand new shoes…” I mutter.
She was astounded I had noticed… “Yes” she says, “I bought these for a wedding next week and was wearing them in to stretch them…”
Um.
We feel instantly connected with our new shoes – hers are MUCH more stylish, and it turns out she is a barrister and knows a couple of friends of mine who work at her chambers.
And, as well, the wedding she is going to wear her new shoes to is of a former colleague of mine. Her husband is my colleague’s Godfather.
Now in many cities so many connections might be unusual.
But friends. That’s Perth.
Where we seek for links between us in every conversation – and usually find them.
For a Perthling if you don’t find a connection somewhere, it is something to be remarked upon.
But the new shoes coincidence?
Well that was special.
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Taken on my iPhone
Taken on my iPhone
I’m feeling a bit lost for words really.
I know, I know, not before time.
This photo was taken on my morning walk.
No I don’t know who the woman is, or her child.
They looked idyllic there with their floppy hats and then just as I was taking my shot she lifts the child up.
Gorgeous.
I only took the one snap.
Such a glorious moment.
Not much else to report just the old same old same old.
Easter is coming… and so is Winter.
Good times.
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So… I’ve been watching Suburgatory and so my language has regressed to that of a 16 year old mall rat from the suburbs in America.
And like, my server provider here in Australia has told me I have to like, change providers as he is like, no longer going to keep his servers..
So like, I *think* I’ve transferred my site but I’m all “what if I haven’t?”.
And like, do I dare post?
So this is like, sacrificial, in case I’m mid transfer and it like, disappears.
Okay bi’atch?
I’ve been watching preview copies of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
The sexy Miss Fisher
I loved the books and I enjoyed the first two episodes which felt like an Aussie 30s style Midsomer Murders.
What’s not to like about that?
I must say that the fashion of the day wasn’t all that flattering.
That said, I like the hats.
Cloche me baby.
So my big question:
Should I get my hair cut like Phryne Fisher?
Seriously thinking about it… your opinion may just be the one that tips the balance.
That’s the way I roll.
Front page of The Global Mail at 6.14pm WAT
I heard Monica Attard today on the radio talking about this new journalism experiment – The Global Mail – a new independent, not-for-profit journalism wet dream of a site.
No advertising, no subscriptions, fully funded by a philanthropic businessman who wanted to do something to protect quality journalism in a world where the profession is hacked by a reducing advertising spend, and a fragmenting media space. Where “real” journalists are a dying breed. Where interests of mega-media types of the Rupert Murdoch variety rule and competition comes not from other journalists but citizen reporters, bloggers. Where being first does not always mean being accurate, but nearly always means a grainy picture “or it didn’t happen”. (Monica didn’t say all that I hasten to add, that’s just the vibe I got)
So what’s The Global Mail like?
Well really you should check it out for yourself but since you asked…
In one word… classy.
Nice font (open sans if you’re interested)… and nice and big for those blind as a bat like me.
Horizontal scrolling… which takes a bit of getting used to (I wish the little scroll thingy on my mouse worked to scroll horizontally) but was, according to Monica, so that their yet-to-be-developed app works better.
Beautiful imagery – make sure you look at the photo essays. Gorgeous.
Writing – again quality stuff. The sort of writing that makes you wish you wrote better. Sigh… (moment of reflection)
Loved the article on the Superbowl – I’d never thought about sport in terms of countries like that. Also enjoyed the Obama article.
So overall go The Global Mail… and if you’re ever wanting a Western Australian team member… 
But I do have some suggestions… what you thought it was going to go all your way??
Did you not read your own article about bloggers who like to tell the truth and not suck up to people???
First, while I quite like the horizontal scrolling – I’d quite like to be able to see who has written the article and the title on each page. It’s a pain to do the click click click thing to get back to the start.
And call me a flibbertigibbet, but some of the articles are very long – too long for my attention span… although if I was not online they would probably be perfect.
User generated stuff… what’s the deal there. No comments when I checked in and yet very easy to send one in.
I would like to see a section on upcoming features that could call out for help in getting those stories. Use citizen journalism for good not evil.
Small quibbles indeed.
Keen to hear your thoughts as well… and your thoughts on the need for this kind of website as well. We have a national broadcaster with the same remit. Is that not enough?
(My view is Bring. It. On. The more journalism like this in the world – the better. But I guess you figured that out.)
For the last month I’ve been in the fortunate (?) position of “owning” two mobile phones.
One, I’ve had for over a year: the quickly superseded Samsung Galaxy S – an Android phone.
Two, my work phone, a brand new iPhone 4S with the Siri feature disabled for security reasons, which replaced my Blackberry Bold.
Every day I unconsciously compare the two and so I thought I’d share my observations with you.
Android keypad
Samsung/Android
- I love Swype. This enables you to “type” by dragging your finger around the keyboard. It is superfast.
- Menus. In every app, every screen you can nearly always find more options to do more stuff. If you can’t see it on the screen, it will no doubt be in a menu. Even if there is an option on the screen and you are suffering domestic blindness, you often find the option in the menu. This is good.
- Market. It is not iTunes. This should be enough of an explanation. It is easy to navigate. Easy to download. I can put apps easily on the SD card freeing up memory.
- Flexibility. I don’t need to wait to upgrade my phone operating system. If it gets upgraded I can (or rather Groover can) root the system. It’s like getting a whole new phone.
- Contacts. Easy transfer of contacts. Seamless interaction with Google products.
- Favourites. I can use my one Favourites menu to text or call or email.
- Sliders. I like the fact that my apps all live off the front screens… unless I want them on the front screen.
- Widgets. Android has them. They are good.
- I love the universal power thingy.
- I like the little menu on the top bar that shows me notifications.
- I like the big screen.
iPhone
- Nice packaging and nice touch and feel. It feels more solid (and indeed is heavier) than my Samsung. It has that Apple sweet design.
- I really like that little switch on the side that makes it silent with one touch. It’s annoying to have to click the up and down buttons on the Android to make games silent. And the silent touch button on the top menu of Android only controls phone functions.
- I like the setting that allows me to see what messages/emails I have even when my phone is locked.
- I like that it has a flash – my Samsung doesn’t (although I think the new one does).
- I quite like the one touch to call favourites… although I keep forgetting that it doesn’t give me the option to message so I dial people when I want to message them.
- I like the voicemail link at the bottom of the call menu.
- I like the way you go straight into contacts by sliding the front screen to the left… well your finger goes right but the screen goes left… that’s a handy little feature.
- I like the fact it asks me what size of photo I want to email.
- I like the variety of apps. But that’s more of a whinge at companies and organisations who only or mostly develop apps for iPhones and ignore the huge Android market. You know who you are!
Whinges
- Well lets start with apps… and see the last point above.
- Also hate the way iPhone won’t download an app unless I’m on wireless (but I concede that might be a work setting).
- iTunes
- My main whinge with iPhone is the keypad. What’s up with that?!!!! To get to numbers and symbols you need to change keyboards. To find an underscore you need to go to a third keyboard. Frustrating. And no Swype. Apple – you need to get Swype.
- And I’d like widgets on the iPhone… I like a really big clock because my eyesight isn’t what it was.
- Android could do that notification thingy when the phone is locked – that would be nice. While you get a symbol showing what has arrived, it’s nice to get a precis of the item without having to open a menu.
- And Samsung should defs get that switch that allows for quick silencing of the phone.
Oh and could someone teach me how to search in iPhone mail?
Just a note on Blackberry – what I liked most about my old Bold was the keypad. Keypads are important to me.
So I suppose you want to know what I would buy if I had to choose between them.
Yeah no…
I don’t know.
I think at the moment I might have to go with a Swype-enabled phone – simply because it is so good, and I hate the Apple keyboard.
But if Apple fixed that???
Then I might lean towards an iPhone because… they look better.
Sorry to be so girly and non-geek about it, but there you are.
iPhone keypad
I went back to my old college – St George’s – today.
Partly to beg, plead and plunder for my son who would dearly love to follow the family tradition (I think) and go to the college himself this year as he studies his science degree at UWA, but also just to walk the halls and remember those “good old days”.
I don’t think I’m alone in this.
I’m pretty sure my dad, who also went to St George’s and indeed was Senior Student, also pops by to feel that red brick memory soak right in.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s no coincidence that the house I grew up in and the house I have now lived in for 13 years is also red brick…
Just sayin’.
“It’s hard to tell how much the student actually wants to come here… and how much of it is the parent wanting the student to live here.” says the acting warden – a charming man – when I visited today.
I’m sure, I murmur politely as my eyes tear up looking out his window to the old sub-warden’s cottage.
The cottage where I and a young Groover sat listening to our priest deliver pre-marriage lessons.
“I hate weddings”, was the line I remember best.
And.
“In-laws and children. You need to agree on what you want to do about those and you’ll be alright.”
Well I want my children to go to residential college. And if at UWA that means St George’s.
But does my son?
I’m so excited for him, accepting his offer of a place today, the prospect of studying at UWA with his friends is brilliant.
In fact he has many more friends going to uni than I did back in the day, it must be like going on a giant road trip.
I confess I am jealous.
And yes, living somewhat vicariously.
Maybe that’s why I’m so keen on this idea of doing a post-grad degree in Archeaology….
So I had a tour of the college, and noted the changes.
Not sure I like the modern tables in that lovely old library but maybe I need to get over that…
I’m sure I didn’t help my son’s chances of getting in one iota.
But I hope.
I REALLY hope.
They offer him a place.
(And that’s if he wants to go. Not that I’ll love him any less if he doesn’t. )
Update: They did and he did! Now ensconced at St Georges.
