When last I checked, Lady Gaga was the most popular Lady since Lady Diana. Actually, she might be bigger than Diana. She’s perhaps the most popular woman on the planet. I’m not sure if there is a sensible reason for this, but the evidence is right there on YouTube. At time of writing, her video [...]
I’m back in Canberra… and all this talk about a Canberra light rail system is back as well. Great. Time for us to stop messing around and just set up the whole thing. I seem to recall that we were meant to have one of these systems in time for the Sydney Olympics, which are [...]
Why do movie romances insist on being so utterly unbelievable? You know what I mean: those movies where there isn’t a hope in hell for the star-crossed lovers to be together at the end, but they somehow triumph against frankly impossible odds to get together just before the closing credits. Like Titanic, in which Rose [...]
Recently, I was traveling through central Queensland. This could be called a retro story, from March. That would only be fitting, for reasons that will soon be clear. Saturday night in Fern’s Hideaway, perhaps the classiest restaurant in Byfield. This isn’t saying a great deal, as I’m told that Byfield, on the hinterland near Great [...]
How does anyone ever get into Brunei? This is a serious question, sort of. Bandar Seri Begawan Airport is quite small. The arrivals and departures lounge doesn’t even have an ATM. Not a single one. If you want to buy something from the chocolatier (yes, they have a chocolatier in the lounge), you’d better hope [...]
Northern Ireland is a beautiful place, though recent events (from the past 80 years) have left it with a reputation for misery and terror. You know the story: bombs, riots, terrorism, Snow Patrol. Unlike the Republic of Ireland (with its images of endless greenery, fountains of Guinness and melodious ballads with haunting tin whistle solos), [...]
A few people I liked a lot have passed away recently. Firstly, a friend of mine I knew from the Sri Chinmoy Centre, a brilliant artist, a true friend. I last saw him just a few weeks ago, as he valiantly struggled against cancer. Secondly, a well-known Canberra businessman, a long-time family friend, a champion [...]
Unless you don’t read this blog (which, as you’re reading this, wouldn’t make sense), you’d know that I’m currently overseas, researching a few different stories. Apparently, travel broadens the mind. It’s certainly broadened my mind, mainly because my mind was so narrow before I started my semi-regular wanderings. Now I’ve traveled so much that I [...]
It’s well known that the USA declared its independence on 4 July 1776. It’s even better known that they’ve insisted on declaring their independence ever since, by doing everything differently. All that Webster’s Dictionary spelling I can appreciate. Removing a redundant U or me (as in “colour” or “programme”) makes a small amount of sense, [...]
Ketan Goldman has amazing talents as a persuader. He has convinced me to do something I’ve never tried: a reading of my work at his awesome cafe in Jamaica, Queens (NY): The Panorama at 84-73 Parsons Boulevard. I tried to warn him that only five or six people are likely to show up (unlike in [...]
OVERRATED: The Most Overhyped Things